Menindee Lakes

Dear Family and Friends

We left Broken Hill on Tuesday morning after the Queen's birthday long weekend after five very windy days. I sat outside one morning for about five minutes and that was all because it was just too windy for it to be pleasant.

We have wanted to see Menindee Lakes for some time and so we were very keen to get on our way as it was only a 100klm away. We decided to go into the little township of Menindee before heading out to the Lakes. Menindee is the first town on the Darling River and has a police station, a small hospital, a supermarket and not a lot more. I could be wrong but I think I read that there was about 80 people that live in the town.

We got a map of the local area from in the supermarket and were shown where the best free camp spots were. So with map in hand we set off. As soon as we turned off the main road we had our first experience of driving on corrigated roads. We took the slow and steady option and so it took us quite a while to go the 11klms to where the camp spots were. We must have had the van packed OK as the only thing that moved was the two chairs we have just put in and they slid back into place. We chose a spot right on the waters edge and set up camp. The first thing we noticed was that the weather was much warmer there than BH. With set up finished and a cuppa in our hands we sat down to enjoy the beauty of this vast expanse of water that wasn't there 12 months ago. We stayed there until the day drew to an end and we got to watch a beautiful sunset unfold before our eyes.

The next day we jumped in the car and drove to the main weir for a look then drove home stopping to speak to people on the way. The tourist books tell you there is great fishing and I'm sure there is except not while we were there. Carp was pretty much all that was being caught. i have seen something here that I have never seen before and that is fish jumping out of the water. Evidently the reason is that there is not enough oxygen in the water and that are gasping for air. The outcome is that there are fish dying and floating on the water then the birds come and feed on them and thus goes on the survival of the fittest.

Without the wind of BH I was able to do some more riding so the bike got a bit of use here also.

Late yesterday the wind picked up again and began to blow a gale. We could hear the wind and the waves splashing just outside our van all night and by morning there was still no let up so with the prediction of rain to come we decided that our 6 or 7 night stay would be cut to a 3 night stay. We had been told that if there is rain then you have to stay put as the dirt roads turn into clay and you have to stay until the roads dry out.

So after breakfast we started to do the pack up once again, all the while trying to decide which way to go. Option one was to take the tarred road back to BH which was 100klms then travel to Willcannia from BH which was another 200klms so in total 300klms. Option two was to take a dirt road which ran roughly in line with the Darling River all the way to Willcannia a total of 150klms all up, half the distance of option one.

We had asked as many people as possible if they knew what the dirt road was like and had mixed responses. The road was officially closed when it was wet so that wasn't any help to us. We wanted to know how rutted and rough the road might be, so having spoken to a woman in a slider van who had travelled along it and said it wasn't too bad except for the first few Ks on the Menindee side we decided to give it a go. One chap Ken spoke to said that he had travelled that way at other times and he said he went OK but he always droped his tyre pressure down on the van and the back tyres of the car. So that's what we did. Let the tyres down but this time travelling faster than we had gone on our way into the Lakes. Thankfully all went well EXCEPT the bolt on one of our driving lights fell off but thankfully not the light and we were able to strap it down. Also one of the hooks inside the van broke loose so that one is easily fixed. The worst is that one of the PVC water pipes under the van was shattered and half of it is missing so that will be the first thing for us to look at tomorrow when we go into town.

We got petrol at Wilcannia for $1-61 / litre which is the dearest we have paid so far on our travels and then stopped just on the outskirts of town to have lunch. After a short break we set of to White Cliffs, an opal mining town where a friend of Ken's from Bairnsdale now lives.

White Cliffs is known for its lunar type landscape because most of the people in town live underground rather then above ground. The heat being the reason. They are called dugouts and many shops and accomodation can be found underground too. We are in the caravan park and plan to stay till Monday morning.

That 's about all for now so

Love to one and all

Ken and Lyn.