On the road with The Blue Arsed Fly: Streaky Bay to the Murray River

This is week 5 and 6 with The Blue Arsed Fly.

Up north, we travelled to Streaky Bay, where some years ago a lucky kid snagged a 6 metre White Pointer on a light fishing line (a world record at the time!). I understand the kid gave up fishing from then on…I wonder why? On the way there we bypassed Pt Labat where the sea lions live (96 trip again). Not feeling like fishing we did the two scenic drives and went to the local pub for a nice counter tea.

Then saying “bon voyage” to the Eyre Peninsula, we stayed overnight at Port Augusta before heading north to Wilpena Pound. Driving up through the Lower Flinders Ranges it was a surprise when we got to the other side. We drove along a very large plateau where the ecology is surprising, you go from salt bush and red sand to wheat farming, the plateau is quite long with the Northern Flinders Ranges ahead.
I expected to drive into the Pound but instead we drove through a large native pine forest where the resort was. Then to my surprise I was told it was a 3 – 4 hour walk into the pound, so guess who didn’t see the pound. For all you weak minded people who like to walk everywhere, well matey’s there are lots of tracks you can walk. If you are like me and like to walk from the front seat of a car there are also lots of drives, some 4WD, you can partake in. Oh by the way the cost of fuel at Wilpena was $1,70/1.75 for unleaded/ diesel. At Hawker 50 odd clicks away it was around $1.66, a powered site will put you back $33 dollars a day.
Really, it was a bit disappointing stay but that was our fault and not anything else!

Next stop was Peterborough for an overnight stay, and for all you train buffs, there is Steam World and not much else. Cost for a powered site at the one and only CP $25 dollars, not a bad place but nothing special. The next day we left SA for Broken Hill and if you were to ask me the stand out attraction of SA was it’s the hundreds of ruins you see as you drive along. I would love to know their history: who lived there and why did they leave?  It would be a fascinating story line.

We then headed for Broken Hill for 2 nights when we got to the Top Tourist CP, $34 dollars pn with discount, we decided to drive out to Silverton an old silver mining town, 25 kms to the north. If you are so inclined and not scared of going underground you can turn off and go for a mine tour at the old mine It’s all made road and when you get there you can walk around the town and see the ruins, have a beer at the pub, it’s a real outback pub by the way, lots of photos on the wall. On the hill to the left there is a café where we had a great bowl of piping hot vegie soup with damper for $6.50, we recommend the soup over the beer. Also at the café for those that like to play with dolls and their wives also, they have over 200 dolls and antiques bottles etc on display some of which you can buy, well worth a squiz at.

The next day we headed for Menindee a 110 k’s away, you know where Burke and Wills stayed at the pub on their way to find a top end of Oz. We could have taken the van as there are two or three parks in or around the area, but I’m not sure if any have power, check with the Tourist Bureau in BH. Anyway coming out of the hills it was like driving over flat treeless plains again and again and didn’t I say this once or twice before.

There was a lot of water in the lakes and they are big too. In Menindee we went looking for the pub, but don’t except it to be the one B & W stayed at. Most of it burnt down in the nineties and only the front bit is left. You can see where the old front part joins the new part as you walk in, it’s now called the Maidens Hotel. After a look see we decided to take a self drive around the lakes to see some of the sights, but because of the flooding that occurred a few weeks before a lot of the roads were closed.

But we managed to go on one but beware the roads are very corrugated, about the worst we travelled on. You have to go very, very slow or at a million KPH, we went slow as the dust raised hills and the make it difficult to see. It costs $7 to enter the park and as before it’s worth a look see, we went to one of the ruined homesteads and had a look around, we couldn’t go any further along the track as it was closed. Back in Menindee we sat down for a counter meal at the Maidens Hotel, then drove back to BH. There are other sights to see, like the camp site B & W stayed at north of Menindee but we didn’t go there.
Next Stop was Wentworth at the junction of the Darling and Murray Rivers – you can see a clear line where both rivers join. The Darling is very muddy because of the rains a couple of months ago and the Murray is cleaner. We stayed at the Willowbend CP on the banks of the Darling and for $23 dollars a night ($20 for 2 or more nights) is was ok. Don’t expect anything grand, they had grass sites and the amenities were ok.
Then we drove over the river and back to civilisation as we drove along the Murray on the Vic side, a day in Swanhill, Echuca (both have a lot to see) and three days in Yarrawonga and we headed back to Melbourne for the Grandson’s birthday.
And that folks was the Blue Arsed Fly’s trip around good old SA, Broken Hill and along the Murray. The next expedition I hope will be to the South West corner of WA so stayed tuned for the next thrilling episode of the Blue Aesed Fly’s Adventure. I suppose I’ll have to ask Missus Blue Arsed fly along as I’ll never hear the end of it if I doesn’t!
Cheerio For Now!

photo:  pat.bluey