20230601 NSW Broken Hill to Wilcannia

On our way to Broken Hill, here we go again driving over 200ks along B79, the Silver City Hwy, when we noticed blue pipes spread out along the way, apparently it’s the new pipeline supplying water to Broken hill. We just spotted a creek at Anabranch South so Des turned around hoping there could be yabbies, when meet a couple of young guys who were heading out in their Dinghy to drop their yabbie pots, so on that note Des decided to stay, well by hook or by crook I’m having a fire as I head out to collect some wood while Des dropped his pots. The guys in their dingy returned so we went to check out their catch and holy shit they had half a large bucket, and that was only their first pull, well we were impressed. After seeing what the guy caught Des went to check on his but returned empty handed.

A great camp with plenty of firewood and a lovely night to down a few beers while Des 

and I talk crap, as long as I have a fire I’m happy 😊 

A photo of the Bunnerunge Bridge River where Des tried to catch some yabbies only he 

needs a boat and 18 more pots do do any good here.

Des cooks dinner while I sit around the fire enjoying my Beer while watching on.

20230602 Waking to a cloudy morning we had breakfast, Des checked his pots only to return with a hand full of yabbies, enough for an omelette I guess. We left for Broken Hill, passed through Anabranch North where there’s nothing but wide open space as far as you can see and we have 700kms of a long straight road ahead of us. Passing the Chinco Mines and the occasional goats feeding off the land and a truck whose load hug over his tray as Des hug’s the very edge of the road while crapping ourselves. I noticed we passed many Rest Stops along the straight where you can camp if needed not like SA that have very few, if any. Des and I just figured out if we hit a truck or they hit us it would be at least an 190 kilometres an hour impact, we must be getting boarded. I have no reception and the only way we can tell we’re getting closer to Broken Hill are by the bulletin boards that start to pop up and the rows of power polls that line the highway, then in the distant buildings begin to appear, yep we’re getting close. The speed signs is reduced from 80ks to 50ks as we enter Broken Hill.

These are the pipes we kept on seeing, the Wentworth to Broken Hill Pipeline was an initiative by the NSW State Government to supply Broken Hill with 37.4 megalitres of raw water per day via a 270km pipeline from the River Murray near Wentworth.

Wow! What a project, constructing the 270km pipeline required over 2300 truckloads to 

deliver the pipes along the pipeline route with 1473 loads from Melbourne and 842 

loads from Perth. 

This would be about our third time in Broken Hill so we get what we need and leave.

We left heading towards Wilcannia and it’s hard to picture just how remote and 

desalinated it is out here, you won’t see any crops or wheat farming out this was way. 

Passing Little Toper Roadhouse, about 50ks from our destination, garages in the the 

outback are very few and far in between.

So this is how the council waist the tax payers money, even though there are lights set up that turn from red to green we also have a pilot car that drives back and forth taking you through the road works, and not to mention two people on either end of the lights turning them from red to green, bloody ridiculous.

Looking for Spring Hill Rest Area along A32, Barrie Hwy, about 50ks from Wilcannia, we passed Little Toper so we are getting closer to our camp for the night. I must say the roads out here are really good.

You wouldn’t believe it but this is the same camp we stayed at when we went through 

in 2015, Spring Hill Rest Area, only there’s no goats this time.

Des in 2015 giving some goats water.

We sat around with other camper’s listening to their travel stories with one woman monopolising the conversation as she continually interrupted everyones story’s, Des is about ready to leave, she was so annoying. It’s been a big couple of days drive after leaving Broken Hill, we’ve traveled over 600ks but after talking to a couple last night who came from Albany WA, and travelled over 900km’s out trip seemed short, but in his defence he had broken down and was behind and needed to get back to work.

Wow, check out our sunset tonight, just beautiful.

20230603 It’s 10am and as usual we were the last to leave as we head to Wilcannia, we were here in 2012 when the towns shop was burnt down but today there’s a general store and a fuel station with expensive fuel and the town looks genuinely tidy.

 

The new general store as we enter Wilcannia.

The Mural depicts, The struggles of Wilcannia in the outback.

Artists Bronte Naylor, Tom Horne and Rix Lee were inspired to paint this mural after visits to Wilcannia for the Corroboree Festival and then the bridge protest opened their eyes to the 

plight of the river.

Fuel prices in Wilcannia, buy before you get here.

Emus on the outskirts of town 

The End