THE HAIR OF THE DOG INN - Broken Hill to Mudgee and Home

BROKEN HILL - to Mudgee and Home 

Today was our longest day towing since we started caravanning.  We initially planned to drive to Hermidale approximately 5 ½ hrs away however we decided mid way to continue longer as the roads were good and we felt fresh enough to continue.  Sharon researched suitable stopovers for the night and we selected the Ballymore Inn (The Hair of the Dog Inn) which ended up being an 8 hour trip.  It was still daylight when we puled into Ballymore.  I parked our van at the back of the pub and we set up.  It is a pleasant little spot set well back from the road and quiet.  The railway runs right past the front of the pub however we only heard one train in the wee hours honking which just added to the experience.  

The Hair of the Dog is quite a name for a pub and conjures up images of the day after the big night when something else is needed to calm the system.

During Cobb & Co. days of the Royal Mail Coach, the Inn was a rest stop for the Cobb & Co. coaches which were en route to Leadville and Coolah.  The pub itself is very iconic, it is constructed in traditional federation style with the old iron roof, French doors and fireplaces throughout

The waitress was Irish and quite friendly.  She and her partner were isolated here due to Covid Restrictions which didn’t seem to be an issue for them.  

We could not help but giggle at the Kitchen signage

Sharon and I had dinner there that night.  A family of cyclists were the only other diners.  As we retired for the night I was amazed to see the family of 5 with adult children all squeeze into a small tent.  

We settled down for the night glad to rest after the long day driving and excited about our next adventure.  Mudgee here we come!

MUDGEE – Wine Country 

We spent our last 3 nights in Mudgee which is one of our favourite places.  We have been here several times before however this was our first time camping at the Showground.  The weather turned it on for us and we had a fantastic stay in a site just below the showground.  We relaxed on our last few nights away and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of Mudgee after the many isolated places we have been.  On our last day in Mudgee, it got very hot indeed, we ended up paying a visit to ARB in town and purchased a lithium battery fan to cool off in the heat of the afternoon.  Mudgee is a short distance from home in the Blue Mountains.  

Even Gemma got in on the action to escape the heat

This has been an interesting trip for us and very memorable.  I got to test our little van in the elements and got to revisit many of the places I had wanted to and enjoy.  Covid 19 has been a dark cloud hanging over the entire trip and evidence of it is everywhere.  However despite this we had a great time and look forward to our next adventure to the Kimberly in 2022. 

BROKEN HILL NSW - Isolation in comfort

 

Broken Hill is a destination I have wanted to return to since we last visited several years ago.  It is a city steeped in history and Architecture and interesting things which we simply did not have time to investigate on our previous visit.  I named our trip the Broken Hill trip as this was to be the apex of our journey and we scheduled 5 days to ensure we had enough time to settle in and really enjoy the stay. 

Getting There

We pulled out of Lake Pamamaroo and took Menindee Road toward Broken Hill.  The trip took 1 hr 12 min (113 km) and was a pleasant and easy drive.  

Our destination was The Broken Hill Racecourse Campground.  We had researched this prior to our visit, and I was aware that they did not allow pegs in the ground there due to the irrigation system and offered water drums to hold down awnings.  The campground is on the outskirts of the City in a fairly isolated area.  We passed through the gates, and I noticed with amusement the Racecourse was named St Patrick's Racecourse making me feel my Irish Heritage and right at home.  

We were given a grassy site right in front of the racecourse, so I reversed in and set up our Van.  We got a powered site as we wanted to charge up batteries after our stint at Menindee.  The Grounds had several vans however were well spaced giving depth to the experience.  

That afternoon and just like our Tamworth stay the Harness trots came for a run around the track only this time we had a grandstand view.  

The Miners Memorial 

Broken Hill is a destination like no other I have ever witnessed.  Driving into the center of the City The Line of Load rises up like a giant mountain in front of you.  It is visible from all parts of City.  The top of the hill is flat for what appears to be several kilometers and right on top is an imposing and magnificent structure called the Miners memorial.  This is like a mirage in the desert, an unreal vision so large it draws you in and makes you feel an immense sense of history here in this isolated part of Australia.  The memorial is well worth the visit if not only for the fantastic view of Broken hill and also of course the history of the City and the mining memorabilia. 

Architecture 

My love of early Architecture is one of the reasons I wanted to come back here.  There is a wealth of early – era Victorian Architecture which I wanted to investigate.  To name a few we paid a visit to the restored Trades Hall which was the beginning of the labour movement in Australia.  The Post office federation building, the Synagogue Museum and of course the old corrugated iron Mosque museum dating back to the Afghan Cameleers who played a crucial role in building and maintaining life in the harsh outback.  

The Junction Mine headframe is a massive wooden structure and dates back to the 1890’s.  It stands high over the City and is a testament to the early mining in Broken Hill.  We drove up to view this and were surprised at the sprawling view of the City below.  

Daydream Mine Tour

Our first trip was 33km from Broken Hill near Silverton.  The mine owner and operator was a real character and when the group was full assembled we were all given hard hats and were taken underground.  The mine is supported by very rickety looking timber columns and beams and my first thought on entering the mine was this is totally crazy as it looks very unstable.  However, we proceeded into the depths of the mine ducking low rock overhangs and some quite steep descents.  

Would you go down a mine with this person?

This was a silver mine which operated before Broken Hill even existed.  It was a very harsh environment and we witnessed how tough life the miners of the time led.  We were treated to Devonshire tea with scones and cream to complete our tour. 

One of the rickey supports holding the whole ceiling 

Broken Hill Galleries

There are approximately 30-plus galleries so choosing what to see in our time here was never going to be easy.  

Pro Hart is probably one of the most well-known so we headed there first.  The day was hot as we entered the Gallery.  The first thing you will see are the two garages with Pro Harts famous cars.  I counted 3 Rolls Royce and one Bentley.  He was obviously a collector and one of his famous cars is a painted Rolls Royce.  What a gem, I was totally in awe of his work and enthusiasm.  

Sharon read about his life and early years in Broken Hill.  He worked in the mines for over 20 years before realising his true vocation as an artist.  There are many pictures in the gallery depicting his early years and the people he encountered both good and bad are portrayed in his images.  We also visited the Jack Absalom gallery as I remember him as adventurer in my early days in Australia.  Other Artwork is displayed in the Palace Hotel (featured in the movie “Pricilla Queen of the Desert”), by Gordon Way and the famous Badger Bates an indigenous Artist for Wilcannia whose works can be viewed in the Sculptures in the Desert.  

Sculptures With A View

One of our biggest regrets on our previous visit was not going to see the Living Desert Sculptures.  This is something I became aware of only after we had been to Broken hill, and I have always planned to return and explore.  This is located within the Living Desert Reserve around 9km form the city.  The Sculptures feature 12 huge stone carvings by artists from all around the world.  

My Favourite was Bajo El Sol Jaguar by Antonio Nava Tiardo from Mexico

Sharon and I took our time and took lots of photos and were so impressed we returned at sunset to capture the impressive artwork against the setting sun. 

At dusk 

This was an exciting and memorable experience and one of the most interesting parts of our stay.  

Angels of the sun & moon 

Horse by Rustavi Georgia

Earlier in the day we walked thought the sanctuary lower down the hill.  The Sanctuary is surrounded by an electrical fence, and you have to pass through a gate to get in.  The sun was directly overhead and very hot and sadly we ended up cutting it fairly short. 

 

Silver City Mint and Art Centre

With a title of the world’s largest acrylic painting on canvass we had to go an take a peek.  A couple we had met at Cobar earlier in our trip advised it was well worth the visit. The Big Picture as it is called depicts the landscape around Broken Hill all indoors and viewed from a central platform. This is an impressive display, and the artist took several years to complete all the murals.  

Part of the Big picture showing the level of detail 

You can see the sky meet the landscape and an abundant mix of wildlife and bird life is displayed in minute detail.  Soft music is played in the background and you could imagine you are actually in the middle of nature.  There are lots of other memorabilia displayed in the store and I was impressed by the local talent and abundant and inventive metal sculptures for sale, especially the garden windmills.  Another time I would have purchased however this is one of the sacrifices we make if we want to travel. 

Dining Out 

Dinner at the Astra in Broken Hill 

We had dinner out in the Center of Broken Hill.  As we had Gemma we were restricted to a pub with a Beer Garden.  This was excellent and we had dinner with a view in the afternoon heat.  

Ever been to a 50's Milk Bar.  One of the many interesting places to dine 

Silverton

We next visited nearby Silverton which is a historic town established before Broken Hill.  

If you could imagine a wild west town in outback Australia then Silverton is it.  Tumble weeds were rolling across the flat plains as we approached.  The main street is wide and empty with a few dwellings spread throughout the landscape.  It is build on the desert plains and everything appears to be covered in a layer of the desert dust just blown off the expanse.  

Our first stop was the beautifully restored Silverton Gaol Museum.  This was full of displays of memorabilia and the original cells are still intact.  

Sturt Desert pea with its strange ET look in the entry garden

They had a Hibernian display that dated back to the 1880's and an Orange order display right alongside just to keep things interesting.  This is the last thing I expected in such an isolated little museum

Lunch in the Silverton Hotel.  

We dined in the beer garden shared with large Squawking birds anxious to get what ever leftovers we left behind 

Just across the street we went off to view the quirky John Dynon Gallery.  

The Artist was quite the character and I was amazed not only by his amazing artwork from emu paintings to pained VW, s and a large array of bicycles and the like all formed into some strange and interesting pieces. 

I was totally amazed when I stepped inside his little shed which is simply that, there was no fancy air conditioner, in fact his studio was directly under the tin roof and I could only imagine how difficult it would be to work in there when the temperature hits the high 30-40, s. 

Sharon noticed one of his paintings which consisted of several emu’s portrayed in Jockey outfits was similar to the Muriel back at the racecourse and turns out It was painted by him.  

Fantastic work 

We purchased some items and had it been a different sort of trip I would have purchased some of his more expensive works as it would be an investment in my opinion as his works were simply stunning and could only increase in value.  

We visited some of the other galleries in the area but in my opinion, this is the one you must see.  

No its not Sharon in there

No visit to Silverton is complete without a visit to the Mad Max Museum which is the ultimate Mad Max experience.  It has lots of memorabilia from the movies including bikes, buggies, costumes etc.  The owner was very friendly and took time to talk to us as we finished our tour.  

Our final visit was to Silverton Cemetery which has some very old headstones.  Most of the population died young in the harsh environment and Typhoid was rampant as no fresh water or fruit / vegetables were available at the time.  

Lonely grave of an Irish Immigrant.  One could only imagine ending up in this wasteland so far from home

Many of the graves had heartfelt inscriptions about their loved ones

Leaving Silverton, we paid an early visit to Mundi Mundi lookout which provides a sprawling lookout and said to have spectacular sunsets.  Unfortunately, it was too early for us, but the view was still very special. 

Broken hill has so much to see and do it makes this place well worth the visit.  From its isolated location it is an oasis in the desert and while we did not see everything, I felt satisfied we covered the things we came here for.  It is a destination well worth the visit and for aspiring visitors I cannot recommend this place more highly.  

MENINDEE LAKES NSW- Paradise in the scrub

We have been to Menindee several years ago.  At that time, it was in flood for the first time in years and we were forced to make a lot of detours just to get there due to local flooding.  The memories of that trip (mainly the prolific and diverse birdlife which appeared just after the flooding) are what brought us back here as we felt we did not have enough time before. 

Travel time from Cobar is 4hr 32 min (395 km) via Barrier Hwy/A32 and Wilcannia-Menindee Rd.  The latter is a dirt road which I deliberately choose as I wanted to test our new camper in the dust.  One of our earlier caravans gave us a lot of issues due to dust ingress which can make a trip very uncomfortable as dust in the van accumulates in unimaginable ways.  Sleeping in a dusty van is no one’s idea of a great holiday so our new Complete Campsite was purchased with this in mind.  

As we turned off the Barrier Highway onto the unsealed Menindee Road, we met a vehicle coming the other way.  They had pulled up just short of the Highway and the driver was pumping up his tyres.  I stopped just beside them and said hello.  The Driver sauntered over and said Hi.  They had just come over the unsealed road and advised the road recently open after the local flooding was reasonably ok.  They had let air out of tyres for more traction and avoid soft spots.  The drive from Menindee had taken them approximately 3 ½ hours which I found surprising as it really was not a shortcut. 

“You should be able to get up to around 60km/hr he advised but most of the trip will be slower due to the conditions.”   Perfect, I thought this was exactly what I wanted, and it should give us a good idea of how this van will stand up to our future trip to the Kimberley’s next year. 

We said goodbye and set off.  The weather was fantastic and the road although a bit rough in places was good.  I don’t believe we passed another vehicle during the next 3 hours and assumed some may have been influenced as the road had only been recently opened and could have proved risky.  I engaged four-wheel drive on the truck and we cruised the whole way without incident.  

Lake Pamamaroo Campground

Our destination was Lake Pamamaroo Campground which is a free site located north of Menindee near the lake shoreline.  It is a free camp that stretches for around 2kms along the waters edge.

On the advise from the people we met earlier we choose not to camp at the campground and instead sought out a more remote location.  The road in turned out to be bone jarring and very rutted.  We finally found a place we both liked which was quite elevated and overlooking the lake.  The area sloped down directly into the lake and the views were simply amazing.  I set up camp and finally got to use our recently acquired Kings firepit which I have been dying to use.  

That evening we settled in and watched the sunset over the lake and I felt we were finally starting to chill out and relax from life for a while.  This location is quite remote with no facilities.  There are toilets further along at Burke & Wills Campground if needed however we were self sufficient and this was the prefect place to trial our independence.

Beautiful sunsets

Menindee was a 3 day stopover and although the weather turned foul and very windy it was still quite enjoyable.  The birdlife was disappointing and I am not sure why, perhaps we were a bit early as I only saw Cormorant’s on this visit and the more exotic birdlife we experienced on our previous trip were not evident.  

The fading sunset as Sharon prepared dinner

In hindsight I would recommend camping at the designated campground (only if you are happy to share with public) as it is closer to facilities and is a bit more hospitable.  The lake is simply beautiful and if you manage to time it with the birdlife it is one of the most memorable places you will ever visit

COBAR NSW - In the wild West

 Cobar 

Gilgandra to Cobar

“The road is straight, not straight like an arrow, you will still have to go around corners”.  

I giggled in memory of this statement delivered to us when we were getting directions to exit out of Dublin several years before.  

Well, the road to Cobar is just like that, it is flat and dead straight snaking up and down over hills away into the distance as far as the eye can see.  In some parts in the big open plains, you can actually see the curve of the earth as it is so vast out here.  Big puffy clouds hang way up in the sky like big cotton buds and the morning heat simmered of the bitumen as we made our way toward Cobar. 

It is a 3 hr 6 min (294 km) trip from Gilgandra via Oxley Hwy and A32.  We stopped for lunch in Nyngan and pulled up into the park and I extended the awing so we could prepare lunch in the shade.  

Summer is finally starting to kick now, and we are getting some really hot days.  The temperature control in the truck make it feel very comfortable however when you get out of the air conditioning the hot temperature hits you like a blast furnace.  Bit of a change from chilly Katoomba for us and Sharon swelters in the heat.  

Cobar is a town in central western New South Wales, Australia whose economy is based mainly upon base metals and gold mining.  

The welcome sign just outside of Cobar is a huge monument depicting the mining history and makes a great photo opportunity.  

We pulled into Cobar Caravan park after lunch (it is a Gyday rewards park 10% discount up to max $50)  Sharon has joined several of the caravan parks so we can take advantage of the discounts on offer.  This has proved to be a great idea and has saved us quite a lot of money over the years. 

The park is located at 101 Marshall St Cobar NSW 2835 PH: 02 6836 2425 RECEPTION OPEN 7 Days 9:30am – 5:30pm

All the powered sites have a large concrete pad complete with water and sullage on hand.  We were given a site which was quite open with no shade however we had plenty of space and privacy.  I set up the van and Sharon helped me to set up the entire annex and shade screens.  This is the first time we have ever done this, and I wanted to get the full experience of how they performed and what they offered.  The final result was just fantastic.  We essentially had a big room at the side of our van which was cool and shady and made the outdoor cooking a breeze.  

The amenities in the park were spotless however after dark and in the intense heat they filled up with rather large insects which are impossible to keep out.  I turned on the taps in the sink to wash my hands and jumped back as two large bugs the size of my thumb popped up out of the drain startling me.  Not really an issue out here when you get used to it, but a bit of a shock the first time 

Before making dinner, we took a drive through Cobar which has a long main street and in the evening like many outback towns resembled a ghost town.  

After dinner we settled down in our outdoor tent and relaxed in the evening heat.  There was not a breeze, and everything felt quite serene.  Cobar is to be a three-night stopover for us as we had lots of things on our itinerary to check out.

Around 1 am in the morning I awoke abruptly to a snap as the van moved under me.  Instantly awake now I heard the wind howling outside and suddenly the annex which was put up with so much love and assistance from Sharon started flapping like the sail on a boat making the whole van sway a little.  Fearing I would lose the entire annex I shot up out of bed to inspect what was going on.  Outside the calm conditions had turned very nasty and the wind was howling through the campsite.  We were on a very exposed site and were getting the full brunt of the force.  The wind had knocked over the poles on the main and side annex and they were wildly flapping.  The guide ropes were no match for the strong wind and simply flailed around still attached to the annex.  Still in my Y fronts I started to dismantle the annex however had to get Sharon up to assist as it was just too wild for one person. I later noticed that all the other vans in the park had removed awnings and annex giving me the impression that this was not an uncommon event here.  We managed to remove the annex and I rolled up the awning and chucked the whole lot under the caravan and returned to bed and we were asleep in an instant. 

During our three days stay in Cobar I think we seen everything there is to see in this little town.  Here are a few of the places we visited 

Our first stop was the Information centre located in the Mining heritage museum on the outskirts of town.  Sharon did not join me as we have been to so many mines its hard to keep her interested.  Preferring instead to stay in the cool climate control of the truck along with Gemma, I left them and with my camera made my way into the centre.  

Behind the museum are lots of relics from the first copper mines founded in Cobar in 1870 which was later merged to create the Great Cobar Copper Mine.  The remains of the mine are still there, and the hole is now filled with water and fully fenced.  I read they had to fence it off as the whole place had become a home to the feral goats and also had become a dangerous playground for the local kids.  So much history right here in this little town. I purchased a 

T-shirt and some magnets for our fridge in the museum on my way out and collected Sharon and Gemma so we could go for a walk.

Plough at the back of the Museum

Paddy & Duffy - Two Convertors named after Mayors in Cobar

Across the road from the heritage centre is the Cobar Miners Heritage Park, an outdoor area with a collection of items from the region’s mining history.  The park is a memorial for the people who have been killed working in the mines, but it is also designed to be educational. The many names in the memorial suggest a dangerous life in the mines at that time.  One can only imagine the horrors of being stuck down a mine breathing in all that dust in those times.  Apparently lots of miners died many years after mining due to the dust and their deaths were never recorded.  

Some of the many names of deceased miners 

We drove up to Fort Bourke Hill Lookout, just out of town.  

I noticed a car and caravan following me as we made the ascent into the narrow neck entry and Sharon commented that some people just refuse to obey the signs which clearly state no caravans.  Luckily there was room at the top for them to turn and not have to back down that hill.  

From the viewing platform, you can look down into the New Cobar Gold Mine which is still operational, and I took lots of photos with my camera.

Just a little further out of town, there is another operational mine – the Peak Gold Mine.

We took a walk into the town, and I got some photos of the Great Western Hotel, which is said to have the longest pub balcony in New South Wales, or the longest wrought-iron balcony in the Southern Hemisphere (depending on who you ask).  I think this claim could be challenged as we have been to many towns which make similar claims

The other pub of merit is the Grand Hotel and its contribution to Australia’s collection of ‘big things’. It is hard to miss as it has the Big Beer Can, sitting on top of its veranda.

We made a drive just out of town (everything in Cobar is very close) to see the New reservoir and old reservoir which were deserted on our visit.  The other area we were advised to see was the Devils Rocks which is an important site for the local Indigenous people.  The road to it is a bit sketchy but we persisted only to find that the Devils Rock was so badly graffitied that I didn’t even bother to take a photo of it.  On the return back to the highway and much to Sharon’s dismay I done a little 4x4 hill which did manage to raise the heartbeat a little.  

MOUNT GRENFELL HISTORIC SITE

Mount Grenfell. It’s about 70 km away (it’s about 30km off the highway).  

70km down the highway on the road toward Broken hill we found the turnoff to Mt Grenfell Historic Site.  When we got there the dirt road turnoff had a "Road Closed" sign and barrier.  This was very disappointing as we had made this journey all the way especially just to see this and there was noting in the media or other to suggest it was closed.  

We decided to investigate the closure as we had come so far so i swung around the barrier and the dirt road in front of us was like a superhighway as it was literally 4 lanes wide and recently graded.  Around 20km further along the road was still pristine and had not disentigrated.  Shortly after that we met a grader and truck and i thought we may get challenged about driving however the driver waved us through so we continued to the turnoff to the Historic site (approx 30km from the main road).  We had not passed another vehicle the whole way and the road was simply fantastic.  Why had they closed it? who knows but i am glad we decided to be a bit cheeky on this occasion as the Historic site turned out to be a fantastic step back in time.

We pulled into the carpark and found we had the whole place to ourselves.  The amenities were clean long drops and there was water.  I made lunch and we set off to view some of the rock art 

Mount Grenfell has one of the most important collections of Indigenous rock art in the country. On the caves, there are about 1300 different images, telling the stories of life in the region for millennia.

We thoroughly enjoyed this and happy we made the 140km round trip.  It was a very memorable experience