We are now in Broken Hill for washing, repairs and restocking of food. We are here for three nights but will then head for Menindee Lakes - despite what Pa says I did not manipulate the trip to end up there - neither did I plan to just happen to end up in Yarrawonga!!
We have found two National Parks to call on -Yanga NP and the very new Murray Valley NP. Funny but they are on the way to Yarrawonga!!
Stay well
Cheers
Mary and John

This cute couple were above our heads at our camp site.

"Percy did you apply to Julia for the First Home Buyers Grant?" says Polly
"Bugger" says Percy!

This old Billy checked us out each evening.





 Even though we were the only humans in the park we had lots of company.

This old red just rested in the sun next to our site and fed within the camp ground. The Apostle Birds just hung around him and he ignored them.

Our disappointment was soon forgotten after we walked up a gorge, past indigenous engravings, and one by the Burke and Wills support team, which ended with this magnificent rock pool.

Was tempted to skinny dip but I think parts could have fallen off in the icy water.
My hips may eventually recover as it was two and a half hours of rock scrambling. I had to be hoiked up into the BRC when we got back to her.

The little old snailhouse just bounced right back and got us to Mutawintji like a champion. We collected plenty of wood and as we were the only people there we had our CD of Neal Diamond on high and I cooked outside.

It is a magnificant park so we ended up staying two days. We were very disappointed we were unable to visit the ceremonial site as we have talked about it for years. You can only go with an Indig guide.The community handed over the tours to commercial groups in Broken Hill three years ago and they will only come out if they have 12 people.

Finally the rest of the family arrived. This old girl looks like I did pregnant with twins. She just barged right up and stood staring for about fifteen minutes. Pa had to build a new beer can bearing cap so the operation took some time.





 Remember how I said roads have personalities! Well the one from White Cliffs to Mutawintji was shortish but really mean. It was red rutted road disected with patches of very rough, sharp, white gravel. One of these did this!


Don't be fooled by the shreded tyre - check out the eight inch crack in the inner rim at the top.



This little guy was fascinated by what was going on. He almost had control of his legs and kept bucking and rearing and racing up and down the road.

The Paroo is very arid but the water system eventually drains into the Darling system. There is water everywhere. For those who really want to hear I saw my first Australasian Shoveler Ducks! Hold the applause.

We were told tonight that there is flood water coming down the Darling so going East is out - we are now heading for Mutawintji (SW) in the morning and have arranged to maybe join a tag along to see the "Can't go without an Indig guide ceremonial site". Mmmmmmmmmmm!

White Cliffs is amazing. In 1984 it had the first, and still operating, 25KW solar powered Electricity Supply ( super heated steam plus generator). Thus the Blog in an incredibly isolated place. We visited a dug out today but we were spoiled in Lightning Ridge by knowing a miner.

People Story:- In places like this we have learned never to ask people their name and you do not need to introduce yourself. Before dinner we wandered down to the pub to pick up a bottle of red. In becoming part of the chat between the five of us sitting at the bar it transpired that the publican was a shearer in his young days and at the age of 20 did three sheds in Braidwood - one was Mona. Today he flew himself to Broken Hill to have a haircut. You never know out here!

Stay safe.
Cheers
Mary and John

Sorry but the two legged hallo bird made me put this little guy in. He sat and watched us visit the Outdoor Pastoral Museum. How cute is he! (Ed. it is the output of the pump at the dam that supplied water to the wool scouring machinary)

Do you ever feel you are being watched!

This is the Milparinka pub that closed in 2008. This one was huge.

This is the floodway I was sitting in (Ed. to the left of the lovely rock ledge that formed the cause-way)) and this is another example of the outback people using the resources at hand. I just love it.

I am fascinated by the floodways and this is one near Milparinka on the way from Tib.
This next one was our lunch spot near Lake Peery - part of the Paroo Overflow system.

The two above photos show the upstream of a floodway as against the lower side after rain. (Ed. the causeway acts like a dam)

Ever the scientist Pa had to jump on the silt to see how firm it was after two weeks. It was still soft and a little damp (Ed. but drivable).

Finally we are on the road to the Paroo.
I have decided that roads have personalities and quirks just like people.
This road is known for its floodways. It appears that even though they are all sealed with concrete they fill with red silt in downpours. They sure do!

My new heroes pushed all that silt out and parked it on the sides of the road so we could sail through.

This is one of four piles.

If you are like me you thought a whim was something you did unexpectedly. John however was launched into a lecture about this pile of sticks. Girls you can make a coffee!
It seems that a horse turning this contraption to both wind and unwind a cable was able to raise a full 60lt bucket of water from a well at the same time as it lowered an empty one. (Must have been a mare as it was multi skilled!) The full bucket hit a beam at the top and emptied into a corrugated iron chute that filled a tank. The lecture went on to pose the question - Did the horse get turned around or did they have a second horse ready facing the other way to take over. OMG! There is a prize for the student who can answer the question.
Enough with the lecture!

Before we left we visited an Outdoor Pastoral Museum on what was Mt Wood Station now a National Park. It was most enjoyable. The above pics show the way they connected the shed and the shearers quarters by a swing bridge. It is a copy of the original. The remains of the old one are there. We were very impressed by the fact that the NP has restored it all and schools/groups can go there on excursions.
Also on the Station was a restored Whim.

We made it through to the Paroo with no trouble even though the sign said the road was closed. It seems from the locals that the RTA is a little slow to update. My new heroes, the grader drivers, got us here in comfort. More later.
We have to go back to Tibooburra for the first little bit.

I just love the way people in the outback use what they have as a resource.

John thinks it is time for a Bloke Blog so here we go. Ladies can go and make a coffee!

• So far we have done 13,115ks since leaving home.
• 5967ks since leaving Carnarvon 30 days ago - averaging 198.9ks per day
• 4661k has been on dirt roads
• Since Carnarvon we have averaged 21lts of Unleaded per 100ks.
• That works out at 42cents per km for fuel
• Fuel has ranged from 155.9 to 235.00 and averaged 181.00 cents per lt
• The BRC does 90/95ks at 2500rpm but in heavy going does 60ks at 2500rpm - we have had mega heavy going!!

Hi Deb. This is your Blog.

Do you remember these amazing rocks in the campground in Tibooburra?  This is a Deb fire.

There are an amazing number of birds out here. The following two photos are of Whistling Kites. The sky seemed to be full of them.

The Kites may have been hanging around the water at the cattle yard or there may have been a dead beast there. If you click on the photo you will see how big these birds are.
Love you all. Nanma and Pa

Hi Millicent, John,William and Harry.
This is a Blog for you.
I sent you a card today from Tibooburra that I bought in Innaminck that shows you this causeway dry and under water in a flood.

The flood has gone but the river is still very fast. The water is sucked down through three pipes under the concrete.

And at the other side is the Pelican Maccas.  The birds just hang around ready to scoop up the fish that come through with their giant beaks. How cool is that!

We will spend two days in Tib to do repairs and relax.
It appears the road to the Paroo is still closed. We might just head for Broken Hill and Menindee but you never know. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.
Stay safe and well
Cheers
Mary and John

PS I forgot to tell you we saw a flock of around a hundred Brolga on the way to Big Red. How could I do that!

This is my new favourite cow photo. What a cute face!

My most loved outback people, the road crews, ensured we made it to Innamincka. Ian grumpy bum still runs the Roadhouse and petrol had actually gone down from a 211lt to 205 a lt. We made the decision to head off to Tibooburra via Orientos and Sentos Stations. Now we are in Tib we have been told the best route was via Camerons Corner. We know why. We also drove past the end of the Willson Way!

Often we had to take to the bush to get around bad patches. This is after more than a week since the rain fell. At one bypass the right wheel of the van fell in a hole too deep for it and we could hear the chassis drag until the wheel found traction and up popped the old girl. She is a champion. It took us 4 hours to do 60 ks at an average of 15kph. But the country was magnificent and we loved it. We found a dry patch near the entry to Epsilon Station. A magnificent fire, sunset and a great nights sleep. There are oil drills from there on and suddenly the roads were not brilliant but much easier driving.

Enough with the Banjo stuff!!!

However you have to put up with the "two legged hallo bird". That is what John calls me when I go into bird mode as I continually say hallo to the birds. Sad really! But have a look at this. I walked down to the cattle pool after my morning coffee.

Zebra Finches are like blowflies out here.

The Commander had 40 litres of water secreted away under beds and in the BRC. I immediately volunteered to only drink wine and whisky and if we needed to melt our whisky ice that was fine. We only actually use 8lts a day when we are off the road. Pa does the numbers!!!

Decision time came when we had to turn south through the Barcoo. I apologise ahead but you cannot head there without suddenly becoming a poet!!!

In the outer Barcoo where the roads are few

and rivers with water are scanty

Nomads chose a dry bed as a site
to camp for the night
And parked their two wheeled shanty.

With a whisky in hand
they wandered on down
a red sand track to relax.

To their utter surprise
As they clamberd over a rock rise
A cattle pool stopped them in their tracks.

There were very mixed messages about the roads out of Birdsville particularly when you turn south for Innamincka. We headed east to Betoota ruins with fingers crossed. When we got there we discovered we had lost all our water in the tank, thanks to the razor edged stone road.
It sort of fitted with the feel of Betoota. When the publican shut the pub in 1997 that was it.
I felt really sad as I stood on the verandah looking out at the cricket pitch. You could almost hear the people chatting as they had a drink after a game on the pitch or on the two weed covered tennis courts.
Mt St Leonard Station homestead is within view from the pub so they must have missed it when it closed.
Now they are building a by pass road.

It must have been a committed community that put down this pitch in the middle of nowhere.

The computer seems to be sick of trying to load photos so I will call it quits before it falls over on me.

We ended a very pleasant day with a drink at the pub before coming home for dinner as it took an hour and a half to be served last night. The food was great when we did get it. The bar in the pub is quite amazing. The ceiling is full of hats with names on them. To qualify you have to live in Birdsville for a minimum of one year.
My favourite thing on the menu when the cook is not there is a pie and a six pack for $22.

Tomorrow we are off to Innamincka and eventually the Paroo. Not sure when we will be on the air again. Conflicting reports about roads. Will just sit and wait till things dry out.
Stay well.
Cheers
Mary and John

This was the Postman on the Birdsville Track. I just love the way he is giving his dog a drink in his hat.

This is how the Minister did his rounds to the Stations.

Deb we spent a very pleasant hour wandering through the old Hospital which has been set up as a museum.

There were some amazing photos on the walls so I couldn't help but copy some.

I have great respect for anyone who lives outback but I am in awe of those who settled the area.

The views however were worth sharing.

Red Adair Mathias hits the top of Big Red in the Big Red Car - but you are never alone!!

Today I have to admit Birdsville redeemed itself. We had a lazy morning and then set out to Big Red - 50 ks west. When we got to the normal run up to little red we discovered a very large lake which we had to drive around - 11ks. It was beautiful and full of birds!! How sad.

For those who are curious those black birds in the front are Glossy Ibis!

This isn't the best picture but the area covers about a kilometer along the riverbank and includes its own water supply. There are more than a dozen metal round yards for the horses (often around a tree for shade) as well as rows of metal stables. There are several permanent dongers of toilets and showers. They have put in a series of roads and pushed out campsites. This is all free. The only stipulation here is there is to be no camping within the town boundaries other that in the huge caravan park opposite the pub.
After a shower in the morning guess where we are going!
My editor and spelling "corrector" has gone to bed so for those of you reading this before he gets up in the morning please excuse my creative spelling.
Stay well.
Cheers
Mary and John

It's morning and I'm up so any remaining mistakes are mine.
Innaminka road is still closed so we may be here for a few more days. It's a very long way round to go east first and then find our way back to Tibooburra.

I should have been warned by the creative landscape sculptures on the side of the road in the last 50 ks into Birdsville. I had a romantic picture in my head of this iconic pub standing alone in the baking sun. Mmmmmm! Birdsville Bollywood keeps creeping into my mind now. The 80 Nissan 4x4s (celebrating 50 years of Nissan in Australia) crawling over everything like flies doesn't help but commercialism has really hit here. All I can say is after dinner at the pub we will escape to a bush camp tomorrow. The one thing that did catch our imagination is the bush camp they have set up for the horse owners, horses, jockeys and trainers out along the river for the famous race meeting.