TRIPPING NEWS

Friday 27 September 2013

Tomorrow I am leaving Broken Hill for the last time, heading north to Tibooburra at the top left of NSW near Cameron Corner where the 3 states of NSW/SA/Qld meet.  There is a large Nat Park called Sturt NP there, went through there last year on mid year trip.

After I finish there will be heading southwest to the Paroo/Darling Nat Park on the Paroo and Darling rivers around the White Cliffs and Wilcannia area.  Should be some good kayaking opportunities there. 

From there will be going south further back to the Menindee Lakes/Kinchega NP where I visited 2 weeks ago.  I really liked all that water!  Good for kayaking and cooling off in the hot weather.

Next will be going to the Mungo Nat Park further south which is about 100 k's north west of Mildura.

Should be all good with interesting changes of landscapes and flora and fauna.

Well not sure when the next opportunity to put a post on here so catcha later.

P.S  Oh yeah I havn't put up the Pictures from the Oodnadatta track and Witjira NP and across to Coober Pedy in Sth AUS yet, so will have to get around to it for your viewing pleasure.

MORE MUTAWINTJI NP PICS + PLUS LATE 1800'S BROKEN HILL BUILDINGS

Thursday 26 September 2013

A phenomenom? How do these large boulders stayed balanced precariously on an rock edge after breaking from the hill???


Just climbed up the track from the creek below. See creek near bottom right where row of trees goes across to centre rear of pic.  Thats the creek I walked along first.  Click on the pic to get fullscreen view

Another phenomenon, balancing boulder on the edge

Just outside Nat Park, an old 50's cool lookin vehicle, maybe a packard?

Emu chicks on the run with mum out of shot

Several buildings have these govt emblems, maybe british?  See date at bottom on left and right 1891





ANOTHER GOODAY FROM BROKEN HILL

Hey back today to Broken Hill after spending 4 days at Mutawintji Nat Park 130 k's morth east of here.

What a contrast with this Nat Park which is very dry and dusty with the odd creek waterhole compared to Menindee Lakes the previous week which had water everywhere including the Darling river.

Here are some pics of Mutawintji NP.  Don't ask me to pronounce it to you!

Mutawintji Gorge

Decided to climb up the left hand side of the gorge to get a better view



On the western view, hill escarpment walk

Mid arvo got a cupla spots of rain, dried off quickly

A bit later the sun tryin to break through so I can get some decent pics!


You can see where the large boulders have broken away from the hill.


Note the red dirt of the outback. Click on pic to get a fullscreen view

About half an hour before sunset it got really hazy (rare in the outback) in the west, another 5 minutes later the sun disapeared in the haze

At 7am walking along Homestead creek

GOODAY AGAIN FROM BROKEN HILL

Saturday 21 September 2013

Hey this week I left Broken Hill and went trippin to Kinchega NP/Menindee Lakes area 110 k's south east of here on the Darling river.  Amazing so much water in the far west NSW outback but after reading some stuff in the 1960's the government decided to dam the darling river and regulate flow between the 9 lakes so there would always be water for human consumption and agriculture etc.

Went kayaking on one lake only as the rest of the time it was blowin a gale, but I had a good time.  Also had a look through an old woolshed in the Nat Park.  Have seen old woolsheds in other Nat parks as well.

Then I came back here friday to watch Geelong on tv at a club. The cats played out the game and nearly won, I am very proud of their achievements this season especially with so many young players.

Did I say I was using Broken Hill as a base to go in different directions to Nat Parks etc then comin back each time??   Tomorrow, sunday I am leaving again to go to another Nat Park north east of here, approx 150 k's away.

I met a lady camper from Canberra during the week who works in defence dept there, had an interesting conversation about government jobs there and mining jobs in Aussie. Turns out she had indirectly been involved with the graduate recruitment at defence in the past so knew all about the interview process I went for with defence in Adelaide

The silver flash temporarily the red flash after rain turned red dirt roads wet and muddy.  It should slowly turn back to silver if more rain occurs I suppose



The following pictures are of Kinchega NP & Menindee Lakes

Local Kite morning tea



Lake Cawndilla, Pelicans hunched down against the wind

Camping Lake Cawndilla,  I did kayaking here

Darling River, very low level as water controlled by weir controls 

Lake Parnamaroo, couldn't kayak here due to very strong winds


Lake Menindee

Yummy cupcakes.  Were being sold in broken Hill street stall today!




GOODAY FROM BROKEN HILL NSW

Monday 16 September 2013

Hey from the NSW/SA border. Arrived here on friday.

Broken Hill is quite a big town in the outback.  Started with mining in 1880's.  First time I have seen maccas, KFC, hungry jacks etc and major supermarkets and target and bigw etc since Port Augusta in early June.  Bit strange after little towns with not much of anything...other than pub, fuel and small amt of food...

Travelled 600 k's south east across from Leigh Creek, SA on red dirt roads.

The van has now changed color to red dirt all over.  Last thursday it rained during the day
making the red dirt a bit wet and muddy.

By the way that was the first rain I had seen since being in the Flinders Ranges in early June!  Long dry time waitin for it.  Doesn't rain hardly in the top half of Sth Aus and far west Qld where I have been for last 3 months.

Also when i stopped for the nite 200 k's west of here i had to put my jumper on as it was quite cold.  First time i had used the jumper for approx 2 months!  Had been wearin just a singlet for ages. Amazin difference in the temperature after travellin south from Innamicka about 1000 k's from low 30's to low to mid 20's here with cooler nites.

I'm not complainin as i enjoy the cooler weather here.  Oh gooday to the roustabout kid and the beautiful one!!!

I am leavin here tomorrow to go check out Menindee lakes and Kinchega Nat Park south east of here til friday as I am coming back to watch Geelong in the finals on TV.  There are some lakes there so I will be doing some kayaking as well. 

No pictures as I have lots of pictures from last year when I passed through here on way to Adelaide.

I will put some of those pics on next post for your pleasure..

GOODAY FROM LEIGH CREEK STH AUST.

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Gooday have spent the last few days travelling south from Innamincka down the Strezlecki track to Lyndhurst and down a bit to Leigh Creek where there are a few more services available than wat I have been used too for a while  including gettin some much needed  decent fresh food which was non existant around Innamincka area.  Only hack so much tin and packet food and pancakes etc...

 An uneventful 500 k trip through the strezlecki desert, dry and very dusty when trucks came the other way.  No town or roadhouse etc along the way!  Had to be very self sufficient.  The track goes past the very large Moomba oil & gas plant which processes oil and gas from the nearby cooper basin fields.

I am enjoying slightly cooler weather down this way.  Well i have now been too all the places in the outback that I planned to do.  Travel on 3 outback tracks, see birdsville and Innamincka again, went to coober pedy, Witjira NP and Mt Dare near NT border and oodnadatta, marree and all of the flinders ranges, went to simpson desert, the coorong NP along SA coast, remote coongie lakes NP, diamantina NP in Qld, all great places.

What next?  Well i have been lookin at the map a bit recently.  Hard decision!!

I am going to leave Leigh Creek soon and head east 600 k's through dirt road pastoral stations and a bit of bitumen road to Broken Hill which is on the border of SA/NSW in far west NSW.  I will then be going north, north east, south and south east to visit several Nat Parks and inland lakes within  a 250k radius for a few weeks at least, including cameron corner at top left of NSW where it meets the Qld and SA borders.

I went through their cameron corner last year on the way to Innamincka. Great Nat Park near there with a big lake, quite remote

Oh yeah have now passed 17000 k's so far on the trip.  The silver flash is goin along ok with a few minor ailments!

I didn't get to vote as there was no polling booth at Innamincka.  Didn't get a postal vote as I was travelling around too much.

Next post from Broken Hill, NSW area.

Another cloud of dust on the Strezlecki track going south

cute sunset at strezlecki creek camp

Corellas havin a rest at montecollina water bore

Montecollina water bore, a welcome sight in the dry desert/outback
The endless sand dune country

Sand dune wildflowers

Woodswallows I think?

More sand dune wildflowers



MORE COONGIE LAKES NAT PARK PICS

Friday 6 September 2013


Heres a series of pics of sunrise over Lake Coongie at 6.15 am





Black Swans and a Peli.

Yellow spoonbill

Pair of Brolgas

Um a photogenic Lizard/goanna thingy??

More wilflowers on sand dune