Day 20

Wednesday, 3rd October
Wilpena - Broken Hill

Wilpena
Hawker
Cradock
Carrieton
Orroroo
Peterborough
Oodla Wirra
Nantabibbia
Nackara
Paratoo
Yunta
Mannahill
Olary
Mingary
Cockburn
Broken Hill

Distance Traveled

Today - 435 km

Total - 6994 km

Blog

This morning I woke and there was a roo with a joey in its pouch outside my tent. Bridget was feeding them (naughty).

We packed up camp and headed off.

The landscape of the flinders out on the planes was very dry. There were failing, dying crops and hardly a tree in sight.

The hills were totally brown without a single bit of vegetation on them.

There were ruins everywhere. Many full community farms were now nothing but rubble. This went on for many miles.

Once we met the Adelaide to Broken Hill road, the landscape was even dryer.

There was saltbush, but that was all.

Broken hill is a nice oasis in the middle of this harsh countryside. There are signs all around to say conserve water for our oasis.

Even the van park asks for the vans to let their water drain onto the grass.

Broken Hill is just over the South Australian border into New South Wales, but they still think themselves as belonging to South Australia. It is much closer to go to Adelaide than it is tp anywhere in New South Wales. They are even on South Australian time.

We found a camp and then went down the main street for dinner.

That night we were surrounded with Telstra workers on three sides. They stayed up late playing guitar on one side and watching TV loudly on the other side. They also woke up super early and it took them hours to pack up and leave.

We setup the extra sides of the tent to give us our extra room and more privacy.

We had an early morning visitor with a Joey in pouch at Wilpena Pound

Here are our visitors

Leaving Wilpena Pound

Last photos of the Flinders

Another last photo of the Flinders

The mountains suddenly dissappered and we were back onto dusty outback roads

This landscape has been tried for farming many times. I can imagine many failures.

Still some farming going on.

One of the many small towns that we passed

And another town

And yet another town

Between the towns there are mostly ruins

Orroroo. One of the many towns that seemed to be doing ok.

The pub at Orroroo. Must be doing alright.

A giant gumtree at Orroroo

Orroroo. Some info on the giant redgum

A big tree hug. This tree sure is big.

Peterborough. The town of the steam train

The towns come and go again. Very small towns close together (100km), struggling.

The next town

... and the next

... and the next

Who says all the roads are straight out here. Look here's proof... or is that a mirage.

A train. Not as long as the last ones we have seen, but still quite impressive.

These strange blobs of cement have been painted. Adds a bit of interest along the way. Aha... a cache there.

... and the last before the New South Wales Border

Long straight roads between towns.

A typical outback landscape near NSW border

and we are now finally back into New South Wales.

Nearly at our destination. And then only another 450km to the next town.

Hmm, outback New South Wales kind of looks the same as outback South Australia.

Broken hill on the horizon

Finally at Broken Hill

A typical Miner's cottage at Broken Hill