Sitting on the shore of Lake Pinaroo, we let our minds wander across the remote landscape. A light breeze carrying the songs of the many water birds sharing the moment with us.
Lake Pinaroo is a hidden gem in the heart of a rugged and parched land. Nestled amidst the vast open landscape of Australia’s Outback region, this ephemeral lake holds a certain allure and beauty that is truly captivating. It is a place where nature works its magic, creating a picturesque oasis that enthrals photographers, adventurers, and nature enthusiasts alike.
What sets Lake Pinaroo apart is its ever-changing nature. During times of heavy rainfall, the lake becomes a shimmering expanse of water that reflects vivid blue skies above, transforming the arid and barren landscape into a thriving ecosystem.
The ethereal beauty of Lake Pinaroo has a way of calming the soul, reminding us of the interconnectedness between nature and ourselves.
About us…
We love the colours of the Australian Outback, the red earth touching a blue sky on a faraway horizon; and the fabulous coastline of our sunburnt country, where a golden sandy beach is washed over by a warm turquoise blue sea…
A few years ago, we “graduated” from work and re-entered the classroom of life where an education is guaranteed and all that is needed is an open mind.
This coming week we are heading out to tour this wonderful part of Australia, although the Corona Virus restrictions will limit our travel to New South Wales only…
Our plan is to meander through Western New South Wales, and then north along the border between New South Wales and South Australia.
There is so much history in the region to explore and with recent rains we expect the country will be in great shape.
Hopefully we’ll get some warmer weather…!
Photos: Janet & Baz
About us…
We love the colours of the Australian Outback, the red earth touching a blue sky on a faraway horizon; and the fabulous coastline of our sunburnt country, where a golden sandy beach is washed over by a warm turquoise blue sea…
A few years ago we graduated from work and re-entered the classroom of life where an education is guaranteed and all that is needed is an open mind.
Tibooburra, nestled in the far north west of New South Wales, speaks loudly of Australia’s Corner Country and will be a town familiar to many outback travellers.
An area rich in aboriginal culture and a place of early European settlement, Tibooburra’s remoteness is matched by the tenacity of the characters that live and work in this arid outback environment.
Numerous explorers’ have visited the region over the years, most notably Charles Sturt as he went in search of an inland sea.
And it has had its fair share of modern day visitors, including Clifton Pugh, the famous Australian artist who painted a mural on one of the walls of the Family Hotel. In fact he even owned the pub at one time.
And for a very short period in its early history the area experienced a gold rush of sorts. But as was normally the case on many of the goldfields, it was the storekeepers supplying provisions to hopeful prospectors and the pubs serving grog to thirsty miners that struck the most gold…
Although, they do say patient prospectors may still be able to find a nugget or two. And if you manage to find one, or even if you don’t, there is always a cold beer to be found in one of the town’s two pubs.
Whilst we are advocates for responsible drinking, a cold beer in hand is a pleasant way to spend days end as the sun slides gently below the western horizon.
And be sure to visit the information centre which has a wealth of information on Australia’s First Nation People as well as other topical information that will assist visitors get the most out of a trip into Sturt National Park.
And, if travelling to Innamincka don’t overlook taking a route often less trodden that takes you through the spectacularly beautiful jump-up country before passing through the iconic dog-fence at Toona Gate.
Heading north from Tibooburra you will traverse sand dune country, passing Omnicron Lake, which will most likely be dry, and Epsilon Station, before joining the northern section of the Bore Track.
The track exits just east of Cullyamurra waterhole and is clearly marked on most maps.
The northern section of the Bore Track is well worth the effort and be sure to drop by and visit the place that Robert O’Hara Burke was reported to have died, a peaceful resting spot beside the waterhole not far from the Innamincka township.
The region is a destination in its own right, so don’t just pass through, add a few days to your trip and immerse yourself in all it has to offer…
Photos: Janet & Baz
About us…
We love the colours of the Australian Outback, the ochre red earth touching a deep blue sky on a faraway horizon; and the fabulous coastline of our sunburnt country, where a golden sandy beach is washed over by a turquoise blue sea; and the characters you meet in a quiet country pub, where it is nothing flash, but you are enriched by the encounter…
A few years ago we decided it was time to graduate from work and re-enter the classroom of life where an education is guaranteed and all that is needed is an open mind.
We love the colours of the Australian Outback, the ochre red earth touching a deep blue sky on a faraway horizon; and the fabulous coastline of our sunburnt country, where a golden sandy beach is washed over by a turquoise blue sea; and the characters you meet in a quiet country pub, where it is nothing flash, but you are enriched by the encounter…
A couple of years ago we decided it was time to “graduate from work” and re-enter “the classroom of life” where an education is guaranteed and all that is needed is an open mind.
One of the great things about being “Out & About” in this great country of ours is you never know what you might see next…
Recently I came across a great bunch of blokes riding their “Postie Bikes” halfway across Australia in support of a number of charities.
And no, they weren’t delivering the mail, but riding the bikes on our dusty outback roads was clearly thirsty work that could only be quenched with a cold beer at the end of the day’s touring…
Blue skies, the earthen coloured red soil of the Australian Outback, sunsets to dream of and three weeks in the Corner Country was an opportunity far too good to pass up.
So I didn’t..!
With my customised touring vehicle loaded with supplies and TVAN Firetail camper trailer in tow I headed to the far west corner of New South Wales – “The Corner Country”.
After two days and 1,300 kilometres of travel along bitumen and dirt roads I arrived at Milparinka, a ghost town just to the south of Tibooburra, the town that is often the hottest place in the state during our long summer months.
Now it would be easy to miss this gem of a town as you make your way north to Tibooburra, or south to Broken Hill along the Silver City Highway as it is off the main highway. But a detour to Milparinka, whose history is steeped in a gold discovery, is well worth the effort.
The Corner Country has been a favourite of Janet and mine for as long as we have been touring the Australian Outback. So when the opportunity came along to spend three weeks as resident Information Person and caretaker at the Milparinka Heritage and Tourism Association I jumped at it…
The area’s first recorded exposure to European’s was in 1845 when Captain Charles Sturt mounted his exploration of the interior expedition in search of an inland sea. He found anything but a vast ocean of water, but his journey into the region opened the way for pastoralists’ who began arriving from the 1860’s onwards.
The environment is harsh and unforgiving, even to this day, especially with an annual rainfall averaging less than 5 inches per year. The tenacity of Sturt, and perhaps those who have followed in his footsteps are best summed up by this note in his journal…
“I would rather that my bones had been left to bleach in the desert than have yielded an inch of ground I had gained at so much expense”…
It was near to the current township of Milparinka that a station hand, John Thompson, discovered a couple of nuggets of gold whilst herding sheep on Mt Poole Station in 1880.
This discovery led to a “gold rush” with hopeful miners and prospectors making an arduous journey over an unforgiving land. They had no idea of just how harsh this environment was, and that water and eventually provisions were in short supply. As was the case on Australia’s early goldfields, many perished from disease; some were successful, but most left with little more than the shirts on their back.
Often, those that were most successful were the business’s that thrived on supporting the miners, especially the “sly grog shops” and “pubs”. And it is worth noting, in 1882 water was in such scarce supply that a whiskey and water cost substantially more than a whiskey “straight-up” – such was the value of that most basic of precious commodities, water…!
The township of Milparinka was first surveyed in 1881 and finally chartered in 1883, but its population peaked around this time as the “gold rush” was short-lived. However, the town continued to support a core group of residents and there were many sand stone buildings constructed from stone quarried locally.
Amongst these was the Police Barracks built in 1884 and later; the James Barnett designed Courthouse in 1896. James Barnett, the Architect for the Colony of New South Wales, designed many buildings, including the magnificent Post Office that stands proudly in Sydney’s Martin Place today.
By the 1930’s the police administration and court functions had moved north to the township of Tibooburra, or “The Granites” as it was referred to at the time and many of the old buildings fell into disrepair, some crumbling back to the earth either through lack of maintenance or vandalism.
But a community initiative in the 1980’s halted the destruction of the Courthouse and surrounding buildings, but it wasn’t until 2003 that the Milparinka Heritage and Tourism Association brought them back to life and re-opened the Courthouse as the local Historical Centre.
The Association is actively looking to preserve the couple of remaining buildings that are in disrepair and in early 2018 purchased the old Post Office with a view to bringing it “back to life”.
The one remaining business in town is the Albert Hotel, which has been closed at various times, but I’m pleased to say is once again serving cold beer and fine pub style meals to the passing tourists. Much the same as 130 years ago when George Blore built the pub…
Sitting on the verandah of the Albert Hotel, beer in hand, is a great way to spend time reflecting on the beauty of this ancient land, its landscape and people, as the sun casts a golden hue over the surrounding Grey Ranges making way for an inky black sky that promises to showcase the “Milky Way” in all its glory…
So next time you are heading along the Silver City Highway and see the signpost to Milparinka, be sure to take time out to visit this “glimpse of the past” if only to quench your thirst as early travellers did…
Who knows, you might even hear “whispers from the past” as you walk around the old buildings, the sounds of laughter from long ago drifting on the breeze…
I’m confident if you scratch the surface of this town that time forgot you’ll be rewarded with something more valuable than just a nugget of gold; an experience that is golden…
Photo’s: Baz – The Landy, Milparinka, Outback Australia…
There is something very special about the Corner Country that has kept Janet and me coming back for as long as we can remember.
Perhaps it is the wide-open plains where the sunburnt land meets a deep blue sky on a far-away horizon, perhaps it is the golden sunsets as the sun slides below the western skyline, or maybe it is just the people and characters you meet out there…
In late May I will be acting caretaker at the Milparinka historical precinct and museum.
Milparinka is a tiny community located in far north-western New South Wales, about 40-kilometres south of Tibooburra and 300-kilometres north of Broken Hill. It is the oldest proclaimed township in the Corner Country, and is situated on the banks of the Evelyn Creek, named by Charles Sturt during his 1845 Inland Expedition.
Hey, be sure to drop into the museum and say g’day, if you’re out that way…!
Oh, don’t worry, if you can’t make it I’ll be sure to be capturing some of our spectacular outback in photo’s…
Photos: Baz – The Landy, Corner Country, Outback Australia…
Our drive to Tibooburra was through some spectacular countryside, remote and vast, and we crossed through the “dog-proof” fence at Warri Gate, just to the north of the Sturt National Park.
Before arriving at the dog-fence we passed Epsilon Station a working organic cattle property set amongst the sand dunes of the Simpson Strzelecki Sand Dunes and not far from the country first explored by Captain Charles Sturt.
Numerous explorers’ have visited the Tibooburra region over the years, most notably Charles Sturt as he went in search of an inland sea.
And it has had its fair share of modern day visitors, including Clifton Pugh, a famous Australian artist, who actually painted a mural on the walls of he Family Hotel; in fact he even owned it at one time.
We are staying nearby to the hotel and will spend some time visiting the museum in town that has a wealth of information on Australia’s original inhabitants.
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