Following the Darling River

[macca]

45minutes to go, we are all packed and are heading toward Brewarrina, near the start of the Darling River. We will be taking 3 weeks to do the whole trip.
Get to Wentworth in about 2 weeks then a look around Mildura and Mungo NP which is somewhere I have wanted to visit for years.
Got the Yak on the roof as the River has water in it and the camera of course.
I will do my best to get some good photos.
Pity the shirts are just now being mailed, such is life.
See you here when I get back.
P.S. Have a happy birthday Rosco.
Macca

[Bob]

Have a good Trip Macca. Wish I was coming with you. Looking forward to the Pics

[AB]

Have a great trip mate, very jealous and as Bob said take plenty of happy snaps for us...lol

[macca]

Thanks guys, got to wait for the mates to come from down south or I would have gone allready :icon_driving:

Goin to be great to give the Mactrol a good run to test out all our mods, weekends are one thing, extended trips another.

Been lots of good tips here so now we get to try them out :bigthumbup:

Macca

[nowoolies]

have a good safe trip mate for your family and you
AND .........piccies we luv piccies hahahahahaahah

[Sir Roofy]

hi macca
would love to see a pic or 2 of the darling
i got photos of it emty with only small water holes in it
have a great trip mate

[Bigrig]

Have a very safe and very good trip old mate!!!! Look forward to your return and some happy snaps!!

[patch697]

Have an action packed & above all safe trip macca..... Plenty of pics to mate so you can show us what we were missing out on...lol

[Woof]

Safe and enjoyable trip mate, wish you all the best

[Finly Owner]

Video, don't forget videos.......................

Tim

[macca]

Were back :frown:
Well it was a great trip, 4000klm klicked over in the drive when we got home. :icon_driving:
The river has 4.5 mtrs in it Plas, so no water crossings.
Was an interesting trip with lots of Aus history and how the land was settled in the early days, Big Lizzy at Mildura is a example of the enginuity of our early settlers.
Have a few pics but will have to wait as work is going to get in the way for the next week at least :blowup:
Saw lots of pubs, pie shops (a mate is a pie lover), museums and points of interest.
It was cold though, packed the tent up at Turlee near Lake Mungo and there was ice all over it when we unpacked it 8 hours later :shivering:
When time allows I will post pics etc
And the shirts & coolers were here when I got home :clapping:
Macca

[Woof]

Sounds like a ripper of a trip Macca, can't wait for the photos to be posted.

[Clunk]

sounds like a great trip Macca, looking forward to more and also pics

[macca]

Sorry the pictures wont rotate in photo bucket. For the camera buffs these are as taken, got to get hold of and learn photoshop.

Other great things to see on the trip were the model paddle steamers at Wentworth and the tractor museum at Mildura, both were facinating.
The RAAF museum at Mildura Airport is well worth a visit with returned men on hand to retell the yarns of their youth while stationed here and thier OS experiences.
Gulgong on the way home was a suprise and will have to go back for a better look. Odd that the streets are narrow. Supposed to have a great museum.

Plenty of good bakeries along the way for a warming pie and coffee, Hudaks in Mildura is huge. Had to go back for a second visit to take it all in.

It was a great trip even though it was cold, didnt get much rain which was great.

The Darling River had 4.5mtrs in it, above the wiers, as far as we could work out and is flowing at 3.5 knots.

Didnt get to use 4WD and the roads were all pretty good, the cub camper on small wheels that a mate took had no bother.
The Landy destroyed a tyre as a learner was getting his hours up and drove over a nasty sharp rock the ripped open the tread.

Be great to do it again in another season to see the difference.

Please enjoy Macca

40000 year old fish traps at Brewarrina, oldest man made structure in the world
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/01BrewarrinaFishTraps.jpg

Early morning on the Barwon River at 4 Mile Camp. Brewarrina.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/02DarlingatBourke.jpg

Under Bourkes historic Wharf
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/03UnderBourkeswharf.jpg

Crossley oil burner driving pumps etc during its service life in the district. Runs Monday to Friday at 12.00noon for 45 minutes
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/04Crossleyoilburner.jpg

Snake Neck Darter caught a carp, there were thousands of fish dead after the floods due to lack of oxegen
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/05SnakeNeckDarterCarp.jpg

Both old and new bridges at North Bourke taken from the Jandra Paddle Steamer, catch it at the awsome Kidmans Camp Nth Bourke
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/06NorthBourkes2bridges.jpg

One of the stops on the run south to Wilcannia, the road is straight and the river bends so you are not allways close to it
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/07SmokoStopontheDarling.jpg

What the view of the Darling was like from that smoko stop, beautiful and to see water in it as well
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/08TheviewfromSmoko.jpg

Had one water crossing south of Tilpa, 2WD was all that was needed, the inexperienced flew through in 4WD... Good for a photo.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/09Onlyspotofbother.jpg

Impressive woolshed at Menindee, the best I have ever seen
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/10WoolshedatMinindee.jpg

And the one source of power to run it once the mechanical shears came in
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/10PowertoMinindeewoolshed.jpg

We camped at some Historic sites, not planned but a great suprise to be at a place of historical significance
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/11Campedatsomehistoricsites.jpg

The two great rivers meet, sort of the end of the trip from Brewarrina to Wentworth
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/12DarlingandMurraymeet.jpg

Our motly crew all rugged up, it was cold!!!
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/13Ourtourpartybloodycold.jpg

Red gum growing out of or being burried by a sand dune at Wentworth
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/14SandDunesatWentworth.jpg

[macca]

Wentworth Gaol, interesting museum in here and across the road.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/15WentworthGaol.jpg

Paddles over 100 years old stil effortlessly pushing a boat up and down the river.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/16Over100YOPaddles.jpg

Lock 10 on the Murray at Mildura
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/17Lock10ontheMurrayatMildura.jpg

Dad a retired boat builder, having a steer, mandraulic steering hence the huge wheel. He had a ball
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/18Dadonthemandraulicsteering.jpg

Big Lizzy, what can I say
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/19BigLizzy.jpg

Lizzys specs
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/20BigLizzysspecs.jpg

Wall of China at Lake Mungo, not alot about Mungo Man & Woman though. Aborigional spirit thing we guessed.
Had a Discovery ranger tour for $10.00 Young fella from local tribe telling a great story and had us all in awe.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/21WallofChinaatLakeMungo.jpg

About to leave Turlee Station, tent still had ice all over it when unpacked 8-9 hours later.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/22ReadytoleaveTurleeStation0degC830am.jpg

Catalina Flying Boat Museum at Lake Boga,well worth a visit. Spent a couple of hours in the comms bunker museum.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/23CatalinaatLakeBoga.jpg

Catalina Specs
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/24CatalinaSpecs.jpg

Our camp at Lake Cargelligo, sorry about the tea towel
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/25CampatLakeCargelligo.jpg

Moonrise over Lake Cargelligo
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/26Moonrise.jpg

Predawn at same spot
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/27Dawnatsamespot.jpg

Parkes radio telescope, significant in the Apollo 11 moon landing and the Dish movie
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/28ParkesRadioTelescope.jpg

[macca]

Took the yak, it was too cold or windy to use except at Brewarrina on the Barwon

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Darling%20Trip/00PaddleontheDarwon.jpg

[Bob]

Great Pics Mate. Thanks for sharing with us.

[patch697]

Absolutely stunning shots macca.... Top marks.

[snicko]

Well done the pics were excellent..........felt like I was there with you!!

[macca]

Thanks for the positive comments guys an gals, glad you like the photos
macca

[Dhuck]

Great pics mate. Love that area and looking forward to going there one of these days.

[fixer982]

Magic pictures, Macca. You put a totally new slant on an area I used to drive though often. Makes me want to go there again real soon. Thanks for sharing.

[macca]

Magic pictures, Macca. You put a totally new slant on an area I used to drive though often. Makes me want to go there again real soon. Thanks for sharing.

Mate we all do that hey, we call it sore neck driving. Having a quick look as you drive past saying we must get back here and have a look at that!

[Woof]

Absolutely great Macca, thanks heaps for sharing your trip with us...

[turtey]

Great trip mate :)

[macca]

Thanks for the comments :smiley_thumbs_up:, starting to get a feel for the DSLR camera after 18 months and I am happy with the way a few photos have turned out when I saw them on the PC monitor :animierte-smilies-t even missus :bowdown: woman comented how they look :clapping:
Macca