MENINDEE LAKES

Another travelling day today. We covered approximately 700 kms and are now at Menindee Caravan Park on the bank of Lake Menindee approximately 100kms south east of Broken Hill. Unfortunately, it’s not as peaceful as the last two nights in that we have swapped the very peaceful Birding Club for hordes of running noisy kids enjoying their Easter break but the sunset aspect over the lake was spectacular. How many places are there in inland Australia where you can watch the sun set over endless water? Not many.

To further detract from the tranquility, somebody has set off some lakeside fireworks and the dogs are going off.

When we were last here, the lake was completely dry. It now stretches further than the eye can see and the Darling is running strongly as the photo shows.

One side effect of all the water is the prolific birdlife. Apart from the pelicans and cormorants ambushing fish as they came through the weir in the fast flowing water, there were a substantial number sitting in the dead trees on the edge of the lake. It is an unusual sight seeing pelicans sitting in trees but they can obviously do it.

The intrepid bird watcher.

Tomorrow we expect to be in the southern Flinders Ranges in South Australia. Our plan is to spend a few days there and, from now on,  to maintain a more leisurely pace. 

I don't know whether we will have internet access there so, if things go quiet for a few days, you will know we didn't.

EN ROUTE TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The blog is back. It has been inactive since Easter 2012 when we were in Cambodia for the Moro wedding. It was going to be reactivated for Canada/Alaska last August but tragically, we lost Nicholas and that trip didn’t happen.

We are celebrating my birthday very quietly at Willie’s Retreat in the Macquarie Marshes south east of Bourke, a quaint camp ground on a former sheep station which is now the camping area from which one can access the nature reserve protecting the wetlands. The main group here are the Hunter Valley Bird Watching Club. We now know that the area is well known for its bird life.

Yesterday was a very productive driving day, getting as much distance behind us as we could, most of it through familiar country. After tomorrow night which we plan to spend at Menindee Lakes, we will be in territory we have never visited before. After Menindee, our plan is to go via Broken Hill to the southern Flinders ranges for a few nights, then on to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, before heading west across the Nullabor.

The locals are very friendly.

The mighty Macquarie River. Obviously it has to start somewhere.

Our next appointment is late May on the Gold Coast.