22/4/22 Silverton

 

   Having not been out to Silverton on our last visit here , we decided to go for a drive out there - we were a bit hesitant due to all the Mundi Mundi Bash participants being out there somewhere , but we went anyway !

   We pulled up before town - there's 39 dips in the road out here from Broken Hill , some okay , others shocking . But here's an aerial view of Silverton and the Umberumberka Creek that runs through .

   This is us under one of the Redgums at one creek crossing - yes we were on the road - the other side was a boggle , so we backtracked a bit .

   We drove into town , but decided to go out to Mundi Mundi Lookout first - it was closed , probably for public safety with all the Bash goer's wanting to stop & have a look - it's just over the top of the hill and a bit blind . This is the view out onto Mundi Mundi Station and the Mundi Mundi Plains .

 Also a view point for the Silverton Windfarm - there are over 50 turbines producing power for Broken Hill .

   Another surprise was the Umberumberka Reservoir - it was full of very muddy water due to the recent deluges .

   From the reservoir lookout , you could see the Mundi Mundi Bash going on a few kilometres away , there were hundreds , if not thousands of vans & vehicles .

   This is the stage area

  And more campers .

   This would have been one of the road closure points the other day , water was still flowing over it .

   Back into Silverton and some of the buildings still left .

    And some on their way out .

   And of course the Mad Max 2 museum .

 One of the old Falcons used in the movie 

  Beside the museum .

   Another ruin .

   The hotel was going gangbusters , people were being brought back to town from the bash via buses , so it was busy busy busy .

   This is the Municipal Chambers .

   After some lunch , we headed out toward Daydream Mine - we missed the tour so stopped at a creek bed to get some photos .

   Redgums know where the water is 

   They were growing quite well in this section

Time for some more aerial shots - why - because I can !! The patterns & colours left by the recent flooding were awesome .

  Many animal tracks going into the creek - probably goats .

    The wind turbines are on the hills in the distant left of photo .

   Here's a map link : - https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1sha8d2TnB8_YNKW0LBMzD9dhIZnC6lbd&usp=sharing

20/4/22 Broken Hill

 

  After our quiet day we are now over the border & back in NSW - this is Border Gate Roadhouse - currently closed .

   Making our way into Broken Hill - only 60 kms away - we filled up with water & emptied the other tanks . Broken Hill was insane - there were so many people & caravans & campers & motorhomes in town. We heard over the 2 way radio that some service stations had run out of diesel , there were queues along the roads getting into the ones that still had fuel . We left and headed out to Starview campground where will be for 3 days . It was nice to be away from the madness that was happening in town - everyone and then some were here for the Mundi Mundi Bash - it's been cancelled a couple of times due to Covid and then another due to weather . The weather nearly derailed it again - the road to Silverton was closed in a few places due to flooding - apparently there were lines of campers parked beside the road waiting for them to be opened again . 

  We arrived at our campsite and set up on blue metal gravel - there are 15 bays and a tent section , showers & toilets , but no power , which isn't a problem for us except for prolonged cloudy weather - our solar panels are working very well !

   Wandering around , I checked out one of the viewing points for sunset , finding a shrub about 2 metres tall with these amazing flowers - plants out here take advantage of any rain , and start putting flowers out - survival tactics .

  Here's the campsite . The hill in the middle top of photo is where the Living Desert Sculptures are .

   A distant view of them .

    And a bit closer .

   There are stories about each sculpture and their creators .

  Back into Broken Hill , and we checked out some of the architecture .

  This is the Post Office Tower & the Old Town Hall Tower beside it .

  This is Argent St Broken Hill , and all of town was so much quieter than our last stop !

    Back to camp and a walk up to another viewing point - there are random tables & chairs on hills around the place . There was one section of the track up that was glistening in the sunlight - it was Mica - obviously a good spot for it amongst all the other minerals etc that are mined in Broken Hill . Interesting there are new mines being explored at the moment toward SA border - iron ore ! some more mines !!

  Sunset looked like it wasn't going to happen , but we got this .

    We went for a drive out from the park into the country to the northwest , but couldn't go too far without having to go through some very boggy sections of the road - we decided not to , but got some aerial shots of the countryside . These roads turn to crap pretty quickly when they get rain , and there's big fines if you're caught driving on closed roads !!

  Here's map link : - https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1OhC2f2HmTPTkCmfwXSEzXSrnjEdRWIGT&usp=sharing

17/4/22 To Broken Hill

 

   We leave Peterborough behind and head northeast toward Broken Hill , we found another free camp and pulled up stumps for the day - between the railway & highway - not a lot of other choices . This is Winnininnie Rest Area .

  After a good night - only 4 trains from the time we arrived - we were only 30m away from them - fortunately only one during the night !

First stop ( first village ) for today is Mannahill . Most of these towns are here due to the railway , providing jobs for many people over the years . They have also seen a decline in population due to the steam trains being phased out and diesel locomotives doing all the work . This is Mannahill railway Station .

    All these stations have the old loading cranes still on site and the water tanks up on stands as well .

  Mannahill Hotel is the main building other than the railway station opposite .

   The weather is chasing us up the road today - hopefully we can stay ahead of it !! This is the main road through Mannahill looking back south .

  A bit further up the road is Olary , here's the hotel - there's always a hotel !

    The old bakery .

   Complete with railway siding & tank.

   We went for a walk around town - or what's left of town - views go forever to the south east .

  Storm clouds overtook us and made for an interesting sky over the old buildings .

      Abminga Homestead

   More old buildings falling down .

  They leave the chimneys ??? not sure how the closer one is still standing ?

    Getting close to NSW now - Cockburn is another shrinking town perched on the SA & NSW Border . We still had some time to use before going to our campsite at Broken Hill on Wednesday - it was only Monday !! so we decided the weather wasn't going to be great so this will do for a  couple of days . This is the main street of Cockburn - there are still 7 people living here . As each property vacates , if no one claims them , it reverts to the state , they hold it for 5 years , then they knock it down - the same happens in the other small towns along the way up here - less for the state to have to look after . 

   The hotel here is still open , and looks after the camping area as well , you pay at the hotel and they give you a key to the amenities - basic , but adequate !

  The wind backed off enough to get some aerial shots of town & the surrounds - they have been getting a lot of rain out here as well , hence the green tinge . This is town

  This is looking toward Broken Hill .

This is looking toward the Mundi Mundi Plains - yes very flat !

 This is all of town bar 1 house .

   This is looking at the border - the fence line that extends into the distance to the south is the border - NSW on the left , SA on the right .

  Sunset was a fitting way to end our stay here at Cockburn .

   Here's a map link : - https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=16Wm5JUjlC_D3f4F4021M9EVdIXwJAKSB&usp=sharing