Melbourne to Lawn Hill  

"The joy is in the travelling and not in the arriving"

Day One Tuesday 5th July 1994 – Melbourne to Mildura:

Finally we left Melbourne at 9.40am and headed towards Mildura. We hit the Calder at 10.40am, straight into a headwind. With the truck heavily laden it was extremely slow going. We stopped at Kyneton to fill up on the last of the cheap fuel (69.9cpl). The sky was overcast with low mist but we didn't get any rain. Stopped again at Harcourt for some apples and I took over the wheel. It took me a while to get used to power steering and a heavy vehicle, but once used to it, I enjoyed the experience. It was blue sky past Marong with the temperature rising a little bit. We went through Inglewood where Sir Reginald Ansett was born, before stopping at Wedderburn for lunch - pies and vanilla slices. We continued on with Mum snoozing a lot. At Wycheproof it was interesting to see a railway line up the centre of the main road. The landscape began to change to red sandy soil with high dunes and very little water, and I began to tire after Ouyen, so Dad took over from me and did the final leg to Mildura. I could not believe how much land is used for grape vines and fruit trees. From horizon to horizon all you can see is vines. We were lucky enough to see balloons in the Australian and World Championships landing as we drove into Mildura. After checking into the All Seasons Caravan Park at around 5.15pm, we settled into dinner of pasta and sauce. After dinner we visited the Tyacks, family friends,  and got home at 10.30pm. I promptly got ready for bed and fell asleep listening to music. I was very very weary. 

Day Two Wednesday 6th July 1994 – Mildura to Broken Hill:

I awoke feeling refreshed (NOT!) at 7.30am before showering, eating breakfast and repacking the truck. We left the All Seasons at 9.05am and did a quick shop for lunch items at Safeway before having a look at the longest bar in the world at the Workingman's Club - very disappointing, it's not even straight. We also had a look at the Mildura footy oval where Dad used to play many years ago. We bought some fuel (73.9 cpl) and oil, then headed off. We crossed the border at Wentworth and had a look at the Murray River - Darling River junction. It was beautifully calm and sunny, with a couple of pelicans floating peacefully nearby. 

After Wentworth we took the alternative route to Broken Hill which would take us through Pooncarie and Menindee. There was a cairn along the way showing where Slim Dusty opened the new bitumen road. We stopped at Pooncarie for lunch, and that is where the bitumen ended. I took over the driving here and for the first time drove the 4wd on a rough and dusty dirt "track". This "track" took us to Menindee over many cattle grids. Along the way we spotted emus, kangaroos, cattle and skinny sheep. It was extremely dry and harsh. On arriving at Menindee we had a look at the Menindee Hotel where Burke and Wills set off on their fated journey north. Next stop was to see the beautiful man made lakes in the Kinchega National Park. Unfortunately after crawling 5 km over a terrible road, we reached a completely drained and desolate lake. All the fauna has disappeared to our disgust. We hit bitumen again outside Menindee where they had only recently sealed the road. We had a brief stop at Lake Menindee, but even that was very low and full of blue green algae. It was amazing to watch a huge fish jumping out of the water to gulp some oxygen. 

The rest of the drive to Broken Hill was uneventful and we pulled into the Lakeside Caravan Park at 4.30pm (5.00pm Melbourne time). Dad and I had a quick look around town as the sun quickly disappeared from the sky leaving behind a beautifully colorful sunset. Dinner again consisted of pasta and sauce. I watched tv for a short while before doing the crossword while Mum showered and Dad snored loudly. Again I was very weary and hit the hay before 10pm. As soon as the light was out, so was I. 

Day Three Thursday 7th July 1994 – Broken Hill:

Today was spent touring Broken Hill. We visited the hilltop where sculptors worked 14 hours per day, 7 days per week for 8 weeks to complete their tasks in tough rock. The sculptors came from Bathurst Island, Mexico, Georgia (USSR), Damascus, Katoomba, Gosford and Broken Hill. We also visited the Pro Hart gallery. Pro Hart had some great works by himself and others, including the Rembrandt School, Sydney Nolan and Constable. He also had a great vintage car collection. Next stop was the Royal Flying Doctor Service. We watched a 45 minute video before a quick tour, and watched one of the planes come in from a day's surgery. We also saw the Foxtrot that was in the television series "Flying Doctors".

Day Four Friday 8th July 1994 – Broken Hill:

Awoke at 7.45am and quickly showered to wake up. Had breakfast and prepared to leave for Silverton. Put some films in for developing before the half hour drive to Silverton over dips and floodways. It was very dry, with all creek beds empty of water and full of red sand. Silverton was once a thriving community of 3000 odd people (no census was ever taken), it is now a ghost town and tourist destination. Many films have been made in Silverton including Mad Max 2, A Town Like Alice, Hostage, Razorback and many commercials for Australia and overseas. We visited the art galleries of Shane Gehlert, Peter Browne, John Dynon and also the Horizon Gallery.

We had a look inside and out of the Silverton Hotel made famous in many movies and ads. Drove out to the Umberumberka Reservoir for lunch before heading back to Broken Hill. It was decided that we go out to Stephens Creek for some photos and a milkshake at the Stephens Creek Art Gallery, Tea Rooms and Owl Barn. We headed back to Broken Hill to buy an early dinner. It is early to bed tonight as tomorrow is a 5.00am start as we are going on the mail run.

Day Five Saturday 9th July 1994 – Broken Hill:

Up at 5.15am this morning - it was still dark! I had a quick shower and breakfast before heading for the Broken Hill Airport at 6.00am. We watched a beautiful sunrise from the tarmac as we waited until it was light enough to take off. We were flying Crittenden Air, and the pilot's name was Don. The plane was a Cessna 220. At 6.45am we took off and headed east. I was very apprehensive at first as I hate flying, and the flight was loud, but fairly smooth. First stop was Inkerman Station and the landing was "smooth". The postbox was an old ice chest. After the postie put the mail inside we took off again. Five more drop offs and we were in White Cliffs, an old opal mining town. Opals were first discovered in 1885 and the market for opals began. By World War One, the town was virtually dead. Today there are very few professional miners with the majority of them being hobby miners. During summer there are only 125 people left in town, with about 300 during winter. Tourism is beginning to improve with hundreds visiting during the winter months. Our guide for the day was Ross, a local of about 40 years. He was a very knowledgeable person. 

We had morning tea at the Underground Motel before heading off to meet Jock. Jock is a reformed alcoholic who has collected junk from the rubbish dumps of the surrounding stations and town. He has everything from old irons to bottles from most nations. He showed us through his underground home and a bit of his own mine (inside his home!). Jock was a bit eccentric, but being stuck in White Cliffs for 12 months of the year could drive you to it. After Jock's place, we headed up the hill to Alan Stuchberry's house. Alan had sadly passed away 8 months prior. An ex-boilermaker from Bendigo, he had moved to White Cliffs to build a house and pottery studio. He passed away before his dream could be finished. Ross gave us a tour of his incomplete above/underground house and studio. After we left Alan's we visited an art gallery in a beautiful below ground house with polished stone floor, carpeted floors and large rooms, all created from old mine shafts. Next was an opal shop in another underground home. In fact, a majority of the homes are underground. Next stop was the Underground Motel for lunch before a drive around the "golf course" and "race" track. 

The mail plane had returned and we took off for the home run. After 4 more stops, Nicholas who  was on the plane with  us, was air sick. We had to stop at the Langawirra Station and clean him and the cockpit up. We ended up staying for a while to chat to the station owner, who knew a Reading Recovery colleague of Dad's - small world. Up again and at the Langidoon Station as we were about to touchdown there was a large bang as we collected a kangaroo stupid enough to jump in front of us. No damage to the plane thankfully, but one dead 'roo'. One more stop and it was back to Broken Hill, the caravan park, and dinner. Played cards with Dad before hitting the sack at around 10.00pm.

Day Six Sunday 10th July 1994 – Broken Hill:

I had a bit of a sleep in this morning - up at 9.30am. Dad and I went down the street to buy some lunch and ring my brother Brett in Brisbane - woke him up, poor soul. Dad put the washing on whilst Mum cleaned up the unit. I read the paper for a while before lunch. After lunch we went to the Minchin Gallery, fantastic colors in the landscapes, then to the Ant Gallery. Dad bought an art book on the local artists and galleries. I bought a print by John Dynon and Peter Browne. The Jack Absolom Gallery was next, but it was closed. We headed back to the caravan park to watch the football on television - Carlton vs Adelaide. Dad and I went to the Musicians Club in town for a roast dinner and a play on the pokies - I had no luck. We arrived home after 8.00pm and I went to bed.

Day Seven Monday 11th July 1994 – Broken Hill:

We were up early this morning for an 8.20am seating at the School of the Air. It was an interesting setup, and they use VHF radio to communicate with the children. Unfortunately there were no classes this week, but we got to listen to assembly. The teacher asks a question, and 85 children from all over the North West of the state answer at exactly the same time with their name and property as their call signs. It was nothing but a loud noise. The children all sang the National Anthem and the School song as well as singing Happy Birthday to any teachers, students or parents who had a birthday during the holidays - utter mayhem. The songs lasted 5 minutes with absolutely no timing whatsoever. The children's classes range from Prep to Grade 6. We listened as a couple of children from each class gave an account of their holidays before signing off. 

After the School of the Air we went shopping, banking and collected our photos, most of which were great. After lunch we packed the truck before Dad and I went down to the Post Office so that I could post my print home, before filling up on fuel. I had a fairly early night as we are heading to Tibooburra tomorrow.

Day Eight Tuesday 12th July 1994 - Broken Hill to Tibooburra:

We left at 8.20am CST on our way to Tibooburra - hooray, real outback at last! The road conditions changed many times from bitumen to dirt to stones to bitumen etc. We saw lots of emus and kangaroos, as well as a few falcons feasting on carcasses beside the road, and also a very large Wedge Tailed Eagle. We stopped at the Packsaddle Roadhouse for a driver swap. Packsaddle is only a shop half way between Broken Hill and Tibooburra. We continued and had a quick look at Milparinka, an old gold town, before completing the final 40kms to Tibooburra. We checked into our cabin and had lunch before a quick look at a very small town - only 2 pubs. A check was done on the road conditions ahead with the Park Rangers before settling in and relaxing at the caravan park. Dad and I took a few shots of the magnificent sunset over the Granites.

Day Nine Wednesday 13th July 1994 - Tibooburra to Innamincka:

Up early for the trip to Innamincka via Cameron Corner and the Strezlecki Track. Saw heaps of kangaroos, more than I have ever seen in such a smallish area. Emus were more scarce, but we saw 3 or 4 Wedge Tailed Eagles. Cameron Corner is where the borders of Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia meet. A dingo fence runs along the border line. We stopped at the Corner Store for a homemade pie and a chat with the owner. Ahead of us were 200 sand dunes we were told - I thought air pockets in the small plane made my stomach go bonkers, these dunes were not small at all. We finally hit the Strezlecki Track, that was bumpy, sandy and long. Some stretches were fantastic but the grader loved S bends.

We arrived in Innamincka -  a trading post and a pub and we were camping in the Common by the Cooper Creek, heaven! The Cooper is lush with birdlife - falcons, pelicans, ducks, crows, cockatoos, galahs, magpies, finches, lorikeets, their music is fantastic. The fish are jumping so I threw in a line and finally caught my first fish - Silver Bream, unreal! We spent the night by the fire in complete silence with the moon lighting the sky. I went to bed fairly late as I was enjoying the serenity so much. It was my first night in the swag under the stars.

Day Ten Thursday 14th July 1994 - Innamincka:

Up early, 7.30am, I slept fantastically. the swag is like a cocoon, and so warm. I put the line in as soon as I was up and caught another Bream, so it was fish for breakfast - they tasted fantastic. We drove up to the Trading Post for some fuel - 95 cents per litre! We decided to head of to the Dig Tree first. On the way we stopped off at Burke's grave on the bank of the Cooper. According to Mum, I am somehow related to W O'Hara Bourke. Next was the Dig Tree that is in Queensland, over some very rough and stony roads. Not much is left of the blaze trees, time and many tourists has worn away two of the messages, and Burke's face itself is almost worn away. It is amazing to think that Burke, Wills and King only missed their party by a few hours.

We headed back to Innamincka and Mum had a shower at the ablution block. We then drove out to Wills' grave site and the blazed tree where King was found three months after Wills died. Collected some much needed firewood on the way back to camp and then settled for the night by the fire. It is a tribute to Burke, Wills and King that they made it to the Gulf and back to Innamincka. It is so dry and desolate here that it must have been so depressing for the party to know that they had to recross the desert to get back to their camp on the Cooper. I can't imagine how they must have felt when the three of them plus Grey set out from here to head north, they must have wondered what the hell they were doing. It is a pity that only King survived to tell the story. I sat and watched a dingo snoop around about 10 feet away before I headed off to bed.

Day Eleven Friday 15th July 1994 - Innamincka to Birdsville:

Up at 6.45am and slowly packed up. We departed Innamincka at 9.00am CST, and headed along the Cordillo Downs Road for 424kms to Birdsville.  We stopped at Cordillo Downs and Cadelga Homestead ruins on the way. Road conditions continually changed as did the landscape. It was very dry and dusty with the truck having a thin film of bull dust inside the cabin. We are camping again, but having dinner at the Birdsville Hotel. Dinner consisted of $10 for a meal, lasagna salad and chips - that was it, it was nice though. Birdsville is bigger than I expected, more than just a racecourse and a pub. It also has an airstrip, bush hospital, a few houses, large caravan park, which was close to full, and police station and a school. After a long day on the track it was great to have a couple of VB's and relax. It was also great to have a hot shower. In bed early as tomorrow is a 700 kilometre drive to Longreach

Day Twelve 16th July 1994 - Birdsville to Longreach:

Up before the birds this morning, 6.30am. We packed up as fast as we could for the long trek to Longreach, according to our calculations it was to be 698km, but as usual the maps were all wrong and it was only 658kms. The roads were better than we expected with bitumen in places, although Dad seemed to cop all of that, poor sod. We departed Birdsville at 8.20am and arrived in Longreach, via Windorah, Jundah and Stonehenge at 5.20pm. We stopped for fuel and lunch at Windorah, and enjoyed a couple of pies each at the Western Star Hotel. Mum enjoyed most of hers, but she left a lot on the floor, bar and herself...they were hot pies. We saw a lot of dead cattle in the "paddocks" due to the drought, and there was very little feed or water left for them all. 

We spotted out first wild pigs, a sow and 6 or 7 piglets, just before Jundah. About 40 kms outside Jundah, the landscape changed from read earth and a few trees to greenery and grass as we headed down from the tablelands to the plains. Longreach, the home of Queensland and Northern Territories Aerial Services Pty Ltd (QANTAS) and the Stockman's Hall of Fame. It is quite a nice little town with high stumped houses and palm trees, well a couple anyway. We found the caravan park easily, it is fairly squalid, but OK. I have to sleep on the floor tonight of our onsite van, as all places are booked out due to the Diamond Shears competition, and the van only has a double bed. It was an early dinner and bed to read for a while.

Day Thirteen 17th July 1994 - Longreach:

I had the luxury of a sleep in today, as I was up at 8.30am. After breakfast I put the washing on before Dad and I emptied out the truck and tried to remove the dust from everything - it was very difficult. I repacked the truck differently to try and make it easier to get to our camping gear. Dad and I went down the street to buy the paper, ring Brett and have a general look around. The papers arrived at 10.30am and it was like a feeding frenzy, with people suddenly swarming from nowhere to buy their paper. It was quite a scene. We later walked up the road from the park to buy some lunch and other supplies. 

After lunch we drove around trying to buy some bait and find the Thompson River so that Mum could read, Dad could sketch and I could fish. Finally found the bait and the river, but I didn't catch anything. We returned to the caravan park and moved into a new cabin before some dinner and a catch up on letters, diary etc. The bloke who owns this park bought it for $100000 and the school bus run for $40000 from his father. In six months he has earned $75000 from the park and gets $36000 per year for the bus run - not a bad business.

Day Fourteen 18th July 1994 - Longreach:

Stockman's Hall of Fame Day. It is a great set up. $15 entry fee plus $4 for a live show. The live show was a demonstration of how dogs are trained to obey words and whistles to round up first, some ducks, and then some sheep. It also showed how a sheep can be trained to do tricks - yes they are smarter than we think. The sheep had been taught to crawl, walk on a thin log completing a pirouette and to lie down. A horse had also been trained to move without a saddle and reins. The show went for 40 minutes and was well worth the $4.

Inside the Hall of Fame was a dedication to the people who founded, discovered and developed Australia, from the 1600's to the 1900's. It's documentation and displays were thorough and authentic. A definite must see to all travelling this great land of ours.

Day Fifteen 19th July 1994 - Longreach - Cloncurry:

Twenty years ago this road was dirt and dust, now it is bitumen, and what a difference. The 500 kms just flew. We stopped at Winton for a look at the bronzed statue of the "Swagman". The Winton area was where Banjo Paterson wrote "Waltzing Matilda". Next stop was Kynuna for fuel, 69.9 cents per litre, as cheap as Melbourne when we left. Even more amazing as it is hundred's of kilometres from a major city. Kynuna is also home to the Blue Heeler Hotel which has a flashing neon sign of a blue heeler on the roof. It is also the clubhouse for the Kynuna Surf Club. It is the only inland, dry, surf club in Australia.

After Kynuna was McKinlay, made famous by the movie "Crocodile Dundee". The pub was the "Walkabout Creek Hotel" where Linda met Paul for the first time. It is a great little town, with only the pub going for it. An hour later we were in Cloncurry. We are here for two nights before heading for Lawn Hill National Park.

Day Sixteen 20th July 1994 - Cloncurry:

Today we went on a tour of the Mary Kathleen Memorial Park, then we had a look at the John Flynn Memorial. This was well set up, showing how John had set up the Australian Inland Mission, before it was named the Royal Flying Doctor Service. It showed the pedal radio that John had used and also how the head office, a typical homestead radio room and an operating theatre were set up.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing before an early night.

Day Seventeen 21st July 1994 - Cloncurry - Adel's Grove:

It was a winding, hilly road, with lots of road works on the way to Mount Isa. We stocked up on supplies and fuel here, before continuing on. The road to the Lawn Hill National Park turn off wasn't too bad , but it soon got worse. We were back on a dusty, rocky, sandy, bumpy trail. We were surprised at Riversleigh with three river crossings. The first was the O'Shannasey River then two of the Gregory River. These fjords were an oasis in the middle of desert spinifex. With crystal clear water, palm trees, aquatic and birdlife galore, it was absolutely beautiful. At the last crossing we came across some ringers who were going to muster, but it looked like rain so they were heading back to Riversleigh Station. We continued onto Lawn Hill, stopping at Adel's Grove and settled into our campsite. Each campsite had its own running cold water and a bbq fireplace. There was no power, not even in the toilets, that had a wood boiler to heat up hot water for showers - very different.

Day Eighteen 22nd July 1994 - Adel's Grove - Lawn Hill National Park:

Ten kilometres can take a long time to travel sometimes. It took us 20 minutes this morning as the road was shocking.....but it was worth it. Lawn Hill is absolutely gorgeous - a very deep, slow moving creek, gorges, waterfalls, animal and bird life, and a fisherman's paradise...if you were allowed to fish! After setting up camp, a had a quick bite to eat, we hired a canoe and paddled upstream for 3 hours. It was bliss moving slowly along looking and listening to nature at its best. We didn't see any of the crocodiles, but we did see a water goanna and plenty of fish ripe for eating. On the way back, we had a swim at the waterfalls. The water was a perfect temperature and the waterfall therapeutic as it crashed down on aching shoulder muscles caused by the paddling. You can actually get in behind the cascade and watch the water from a different perspective. We paddled back to camp and relaxed by the fire for the night, chatting to Colin, Barb and the kids, our neighbours who lived in Wakerie, on the Murray River in South Australia.

Day Nineteen 23rd July 1994 - Lawn Hill National Park:

Dad and I completed the walking tracks today. First off was the Island Stack, that is a 150 metre walk straight up, before a 1.7 km walk around the top. The scenes from up there were terrific. You could view the whole of the surrounding countryside, gorges and creek from a fair height and no fences to stop you from falling off. After this trek, we came down from above and had a look at some cascades, running into a venomous black whip snake that happened to cross our path. Unfortunately I wasn't fast enough with the camera to get a photo of it. The next point of interest was the aboriginal rock art, and to be honest, I wasn't convinced that they had been created by aboriginals hundreds of years ago. We returned to camp fro some lunch and a well needed drink. I would kill for an icy cold beer. The rest of the afternoon was spent swimming at the waterfalls before spending the night by the fire.

Day Twenty 24th July 1994 - Lawn Hill National Park:

Today was a rest day, spent doing absolutely nothing, except reading and catching up on the journals.

Lawn Hill National Park to Broome