12 September 2012 - Four Mile Camping Area, on the Barwon near Brewarra, The Outback, NSW

I suppose it was the excitement of the road ahead that had us up, packed and on the road by 8.30 am. We were in for yet another fine hot day however we have come to expect these as the norm. As we drove on out of Lightning Ridge, I remembered that I had not made note of why this black opal capital is called Lightning Ridge. I have already referred to the mined ridges, but the lightning refers to the fact that during storms, the lightning is drawn to the iron on those same ridges and offers quite a light show.

We drove south still on the Castlereagh Highway over low flat land, seeing flood markers everywhere which probably offer explanation of the appalling state of the road. It is all sealed and quite wide enough for the traffic that passes over it, but is as lumpy and uneven as any bitumen roads we have travelled. And we have seen some bad ones!

We kept a lookout for the emu sculpture under construction but saw nothing. I can only hope that the completed work will be more visible from the road than the incomplete one. Given John Murray’s penchant for hilarious emus, I had been looking forward to seeing this rendition. Sadly I suspect we will never pass this way again; perhaps I will be able to Google it at some time in the future.

What we did see along the road edge were the hundreds of ewes and relatively young lambs grazing along the salt pans. Most had been shorn fairly recently which means their coats will be thick by the time the summer heat arrives. We are already experiencing temperatures in the early thirties. Poor sheep!

It is just over seventy kilometres to Walgett, a town of 2,200 folk servicing the rural area. We had expected it to be on a par with Lightning Ridge although we also appreciated the makeup of the people would be different. As we passed through looking for the Information Centre, I noted that most of the business frontages had strong steel grills or nets as protection; this was reminiscent of Tennant Creek. A number of idle youths were hanging about, doing little but waiting for something to happen. A few young women pushing prams passed, quite pretty too had it not been for the teeth knocked out. The only positive comment I can add is that they do have the wisdom to sit in the shade which is more than I can say for many Europeans.

It should probably be noted here that the first mechanised shearing hand piece was invented on a station by the name of “Euroka” (no, not “Eureka”) twenty five kilometres south of Walgett, a fact that the place is very proud of.

I had intended to ask a few questions such as security on our route ahead having heard some tall tales, however the very well turned out beautifully spoken aboriginal girl behind the desk at the Information Centre was not the appropriate one to put such questions. I did collect a number of interesting pamphlets which I will attempt to read tonight. Of particular interest is the Darling River system and its tributaries.

And as regard those tall stories? Of Bourke, we have heard that it is not uncommon to be met by police at the entrance to the town and be escorted through to the exit for one’s safety. And of Wilcannia, it is not advisable to stop because locals are likely to pound your caravan or truck with rocks. One is apparently well advised to just keep on going through and make sure you do not even need to stop for refuelling.

Over breakfast this morning we pulled out our bibles and the variety of pamphlets about these places I have acquired and both are promoted as delightful tourist attractions. If these stories were true, why would there be the promotion? It is our intention to disregard the hype and explore these outback places for ourselves.

We came on through from Walgett, west along the Kamilaroi Highway for 132 kilometres, the road much improved and keeping just north of the Barwon River which we had joined at Walgett. The landscape continued as flat as before and we continued to see sheep, some cattle and a lot of cropping, including canola (or rape), wheat and cotton.

Arriving at the entrance to Brewarrina, with a population of just 1,121, we stopped by the river and lunched before continuing into the small town which again services the surrounding agricultural area. Like Walgett, there is a large visible indigenous population, the shop fronts are barricaded by iron bars but the town has a marginally more open and attractive appeal.  

Ancient fish traps on the Barwon River

Here on the Barwon River are fish traps believed to be 40,000 years old; groups of rocks arranged in the river bed in such a way to capture the fish when the flow is right for the river fish which have lived here for as long as the traditional owners of the area. They are still apparently used and the area is of particular significance however the many years of paddle steamers up and down the river and the tampered flow of the river from irrigation up and downstream has made the operation less effective that it was pre-European history. We are however baffled as to how the archaeologists can ascertain when rocks were moved in a river bed.

Our camping spot by the river

It had been our intention to travel on toward Bourke this afternoon; however the young man in the Information Centre at Brewarrina suggested we check out this excellent free camping area upriver from the town and so here we are. One of our fellow campers, an elderly chap here with his wife for about a week has had great success catching carp but little else, and while we were chatting with him, a large goanna crossed in front of us checking out the decomposing bodies of the discarded fish. We then heard several stories about behaviour that should or should not be exhibited around these creatures, the most significant being that one should lie flat on the ground if a goanna comes straight at you. This is so they do not mistake you for a tree, an exercise that is in no way pleasant. I hope I have no opportunity to use this advice.

So we are set up on the most elevated spot of the camp, in the only level area left. There are about a dozen of us here and as I glance out the window, I can see the sun low in the sky through the river gums and the birds are starting their chorus breaking what has been the most peaceful afternoon.