Trilby Station To Bourke On The Darling River Run

by David Sloane | Oct 3, 2018 | Camping Trips, Darling River Run

Trilby Station To Bourke On The Darling River Run

It was beginning to rain in the morning as we packed up and kept on getting heavier while we got the job of preparing to leave done. We were meant to stay at Trilby Station for a few nights but only stayed the one. We loved it and were really looking forward to exploring the tracks around the property as we have heard that they are absolutely fantastic.

The BOM Weather app Save Us

We had very little mobile reception however we had enough to use the BOM weather app and it was saying that it would begin raining in the morning and up to 50mm was predicted by the evening. 10mm of rain is enough out here to close the roads for two or three days. We bit the bullet and decided to move on to Bourke. You seriously can not begrudge them a bit of rain out this way. Everything is so incredibly dry and they need every drop they can get.

Bourke Left Tilpa Cobar Right Raining At Louth

Rain began to fall in the morning as we packed up and kept on getting heavier while we got the job of preparing to leave done. The road in to Louth from Trilby Station was already getting soft as we headed off. Luckily we only had about a hundred kilometres to get to Bourke and we got there without too much trouble. Another couple of hours later and I think it would have been a very different story. Later that afternoon we heard that the road we had used in the morning had been closed off. We had made the right decision. We’ll be back to Trilby Station some time in the future so we can have that look around.

Mud Covered Supreme Getaway

Kidman Camp Bourke

We set up in a caravan park in Bourke. We don’t like caravan parks. We really don’t but this seemed to be the sensible option with the predicted rain. We stayed at Kidman Camp. We’ve been there before a few years ago in an earlier part of the year. It was a lot quieter last time. This time it was your typical caravan park abomination. Packed in like sardines with kids making a hell of a racket. we love kids and think it’s great that their parents are travelling around with them showing them our great country. As we get older we realise that we like the peace and quiet a lot more than we used to.

Kidman Camp Bourke

In the afternoon we went for a trip up the Darling River on a paddleboat. That was great and if you are in Bourke you should give it a go. The captain of the boat was awesome, he filled us in on heaps of things about the history of Bourke, this section of river in particular as well as environmental stuff. He also pointed out many different species of birds and knew a lot about each of them.

Aboard The PV Jandra On The Darling River At Bourke

Darling River Run Wilcannia To Louth & Trilby Station

by David Sloane | Oct 2, 2018 | Camping Trips, Darling River Run

Darling River Run Wilcannia To Louth & Trilby Station

We travel the Darling River Run from Wilcannia to Louth with a stop off at the Tilpa Hotel and camp at Trilby Station. It is one of Australias most iconic touring routes and it’s a nice easy drive.

We got up nice and early and headed back in to Wilcannia for fuel and some basic supplies. Ice, some tomatoes, a loaf of bread and a few other bits and pieces. Then it was off along the Darling River towards Tilpa along the road on the Eastern side.

Heading Off On The W Tilpa Road

The W Tilpa Road – The Darling River Run

There’s not a whole lot to see along the road. You drive past a lot of stations and you don’t actually see the Darling River at all except for the treeline off in the distance. I sort of thought that the road would follow along the edge of the river but I guess having a bit of distance between the two helps with the road being open in times of flooding. Overall road conditions were pretty reasonable. Sections were corrugated, sections were rutted and there were of course the obligatory bulldust holes but overall it wasn’t too bad.

Selfie Out The Front Of The Tilpa Hotel

Tilpa Hotel

We stopped in at the Tilpa Hotel for a beer. It is a fantastic old pub with a lot of history. We sat out the back in the “beer garden” (was more like a backyard) and it would have been a great place to have spent the whole day if we’d had more time. We paid a $5 donation to the RFDS and the barmaid lent us a pen so we could add our signatures to the wall of the pub. Amanda put ours outside on the doorframe.

Signing The Wall Outside Of Tilpa Hotel

Louth

After leaving the pub we travelled another 100ks or so to Louth. Again the road was in reasonably good condition although there were a few beautiful, red sandy sections. We had a quick stop in at the hotel at Louth to get a bag of ice (which they were out of) and then it was across a bridge over the Darling River and off towards Trilby Station heading back down the western side of the river.

Crossing The Bridge At Louth On The Darling River Run

The western side road was very different to the east. The road on the western side was horribly corrugated and very badly rutted. We ended up driving most of the time in the spoon drains in an attempt to make things a bit smoother. It was a bit better, but still as rough as guts.

Corrugated Road To Trilby Station

Trilby Station

Eventually we made it to Trilby Station. It’s a great old place with many camp sites available along the river. I think it was only about $25 a night. There’s plenty of firewood around for you to cut and most of the camp sites have ready made fire pits.

We set up and then Amanda sorted out a load of washing by hand and hung it up to dry on a length of clothesline I strung up between trees. Then we cooked up a beautiful massaman curry in the camp oven over an open fire.

Massaman Curry In The Camp Oven At Trilby Station On The Banks Of The Darling River

All up it was a truly magnificent day. It was the kind of day I would love to replicate again at some time in the future.

Camping At Trilby Station On The Darling River

How To Get There

We started this leg of the Darling River Run at Wilcannia but you could just as easily start at the other end from Bourke. Road Conditions on the Darling river Run vary greatly depending upon weather conditions and when they last received maintenance or where graded. One thing to keep in mind when travelling on these roads is to SLOW DOWN for cattle grids. A lot of the cattle grids are very narrow and have steep drop offs on both sides. Hit one of them at 80km/h and you will be calling for a very expensive tow. I have listed the travel distance and times to Wilcannia and points along this leg of the Darling River Run below.

Travel From	Distance	Time
Adelaide to Wilcannia	714km	07:53
Brisbane to Wilcannia	1318km	14:19
Canberra to Wilcannia	804km	08:58
Melbourne to Wilcannia	814km	08:49
Menindee to Wilcannia via Teryawynia-Ashmont Rd	172km	02:05
Sydney to Wilcannia via Dubbo	946km	10:50
Sydney to Wilcannia via Griffith	1012km	10:57
Wilcannia to Louth	224km	02:02
Wilcannia to Tilpa	128km	01:31
Bourke to Louth	150km	01:47

Mars Enthusiasts 2018 NSW Muster at Wee Jasper

by David Sloane | Jun 11, 2018 | MARS Enthusiasts Facebook Group

Mars Enthusiasts 2018 NSW Muster at Wee Jasper

Had a great weekend camping with the crew from the Mars Enthusiasts group at Wee Jasper down near Yass. Had a heap of fun with them – they’re a really good group of people. I think Tracey Kelly added up we had 11 trailers/vans, 21 adults, 9 kids and 10 dogs. Bloody great turn out.

Beautiful Views At Billy Grace Reserve Campground Wee Jasper

Firewood Collection & A Bit Of Exploring

Thanks go out to Sean “Big Daddy” Weaver for organising the even and to Peter Woolsey for doing all the behind the scenes stuff.

We got there early on Saturday morning and it was raining a bit. After setting everything up we went out with a few utes and some chainsaws to get some firewood for the nights big camp oven cook. Out of Billy Grace Reserve we turned left and the wood was pretty ordinary but we got a couple of ute loads of the best we could find. We probably drove maybe 10 or 15 kilometres down muddy twisty narrow tracks, it’s pretty spectacular scenery. On the way there we drove through another 3 or 4 camp grounds similar to Billy Grace Reserve that are worth checking out in the future.

Firewood Collected At Wee Jasper

Muster Night – Camp Ovens Everywhere!

Muster Night Camp Oven Cook Up

Saturday afternoon we had a beer pong tournament. I’m rubbish at it. Dinner was great, it was cooked on the fire in camp ovens and everyone had a great feed. Took a while to get it done but it turned out great.

We also had a trivia competition, we were rubbish at that too. Afterwards we sat around for ages and talked and had a great time. Oh and at some stage of the evening for whatever god knows reason I apparently agreed to go for a swim in the river the following morning. The evening finished off for me by being the subject of the NSW Muster’s pillow talk session.

On Sunday we got up early and Amanda and Johnathon made some damper for everyone. A couple of plain ones and a couple of fruit ones, they all turned out great albeit they tool a while to cook as the coals we had available weren’t all that hot due to the dodgy wood we collected on Saturday.

A Great Day On Sunday

After breakfast it was time for my swim. It was freezing, absolutely bloody freezing but I said I’d do it so I did it. What an idiot I am! To be honest it wasn’t too bad once it was over and I got out. The creek was only about waist deep in most parts but they managed to find a deep hole so I could get in and do my swim spa thing and flop about a bit.

Cold Morning At Billy Grace Reserve Wee Jasper – Ice Everywhere!

After my swim I had a nice hot shower and sat around the fire for a bit to warm up. When I had thawed out properly Simon, peter, Matthew and myself took a couple of utes and chainsaws out to get some more firewood. This time we turned right out of camp and a couple of kays down the road found a heap of nice dry gum halfway up a really steep hill. Simon and I climbed up with the chainsaws and cut a few uteloads. At one point Simon rolled down the hill a bit and tried to shishkebab himself on a branch. I was worried for a second but he was ok.

Lunch was cooked on the fire and then we all settled in for the afternoon and evening. We had a bloody great time and had heaps of laughs.

Lunch Was A Group Effort Cooked Over The Fire

All up the first ever NSW Mars Muster was a huge success. We met up with some friends we already knew and made a heap of new ones. Amanda and I are really enjoying the whole muster thing and we are really looking forward to going to Menindee late September for the national one.

Graciee Loved Billy Grace Reserve Wee Jasper

Cameron Corner With A Caravan

by David Sloane | May 10, 2018 | Cameron Corner & Farina, Our Travel Blog

Cameron Corner With A Caravan

We left Tibooburra early and headed to Cameron Corner. It was a great drive. It took us about three hours including a few stops for photos. The road condition was pretty good. Lots of rocks. A few bulldust holes and some stretches of sandy stuff plus a couple of corrugated bits but overall good.

On The Road To Cameron Corner

We drove past a few nice looking National Parks that we’ll go in to next time we are out this way without the dog. A couple of them look like great places to camp.

Cameron Corner itself was much more than what I thought it would be. I wasn’t expecting to see the dingo fence 50 metres behind the corner marker. It was a cool thing to see. We camped at Camerons Corner for the night. I think the camp fees for the night were only $20. Cameron Corner Store has a pub and they serve meals. We had a couple of nice burgers for lunch and a few beers.

David And Amanda At Cameron Corner

Cameron Corner Store

Cameron Corner Store carry a small range of supplies such as frozen bread, frozen milk and ice. Cameron Corner Store has a mechanic available – something you might need out there. They have fuel available but be warned fuel at Cameron Corner isn’t overly cheap. We filled the ute and jerries with 60 litres of diesel and it cost us $120 at $2 a litre. Considering where the place is and the alternative to no fuel available at the corner is walking I thought it was pretty fair. The campgrounds are spartan but clean and hot showers and toilets are available. All up it’s a comfortable place to spend the night in the middle of nowhere.

Inside The Camerons Corner Store

Cameron Corner With A Caravan

Loads of people told us that going to Cameron Corner with a caravan was not a good idea. Being that it’s an old Supreme Getaway it’s totally built for the conditions you encounter out at Cameron Corner and the road out there. I wouldn’t take an onroad caravan out to Cameron Corner but any decent offroad caravan won’t have a problem. Just do the usual preparation. Lower tyre pressure and take it easy. As they are fond of saying in the FaceBook groups “drive to conditions”. Ours was probably the biggest van there and ours is pretty small at 16ft. Most people we saw at the corner were either towing small hybrids or Kimberly Kamper rear folds or Ultimates and Trakvan type things. A lot had swags on the roof. We watched one couple put up an ozTent for the night and pull out the awnings on their car and set up all their gear. Looked like a lot of hard work for one night.

Our Nissan NP300 and Supreme Getaway Caravan

Camping At Cameron Corner

We camped at Cameron Corner in the main area but right down the end near the fence. The cost was only $20 for the night without power but that did include use of the showers and toilets. The showers were great, nice and hot. The facilities are basic but clean. Exactly what we needed. We could have gone down to the bush camp for a small donation to the RFDS (we love the RFDS) but we planned on having a few beers in the pub and preferred being able to walk back to camp. Not a lot of taxis out this way.

Camping At Cameron Corner

Sitting Around Doing Nothing

We had a look at the corner marker and took some photos then went back for a few more beers. After a few more beers we sat around and played UNO and watched all of the travellers coming in and setting up for the night. At the end of the day we were treated to an absolutely spectacular sunset. The view of the bright red sky as the sun went down over the top of red sand hills was special. Travelling from Tibooburra to Cameron Corner was certainly an experience and is something we will do again and again.

Sunset At Cameron Corner

Milparinka & Tibooburra – Great Places To Explore

by David Sloane | May 9, 2018 | Cameron Corner & Farina

Milparinka & Tibooburra – Great Places To Explore

Spent the first half of the day out at Milparinka about 50ks from Tibooburra. Milparinka is basically a ghost town with a couple of buildings still standing and a pub.

Went across the road to the general store and got a few supplies. Bought a spare Anderson Plug as I fitted my spare this morning and would have had no backup otherwise. There must be a better connector available that never comes apart?

Spent the first half of the day out at Milparinka about 50ks from Tibooburra. Cool old place, it’s basically a ghost town with a couple of buildings still standing and a pub. While out there we visited Sturt’s Cairn, Depot Glen and Poole’s Grave. Sturts expedition got stuck at Depot Glen for six months while they waited for a drought to end. Poole was his second in command and died during this period and is buried there. Had a nice lunch and a couple of beers at the Milparinka Pub. On the way back to camp we ducked up a dry riverbed to collect some wood for a fire tonight.

Tibooburra Caravan Park Supreme Getaway

Went in to town and had a look around. Visited the Family Hotel and had a few beers. Amanda bought a litre bottle of Canadian Club from behind the bar. It wasn’t too badly priced to be honest. The Family Hotel is become famous as the outback pub with murals on the walls. During the 1960s Australian artists Clifton Pugh, Russell Drysdale and others spent several weeks painting in the outback. Using the Family Hotel as a base they added their own style of art to walls within the hotel. Over the years, other artists have contributed their works, making the walls a “living” art gallery.

Murals Inside The Family Hotel Tibooburra Clifton Pugh

We also went to the local park and had a look at a replica whaleboat that Sturt dragged all the way to Tibooburra from Adelaide on his quest to find the inland sea amongst other things. The bloke was convinced there was going to be an inland sea and he was going to get his mates to row the boat out on to it and have a look around. The thing is absolutely massive!

Pioneer Park Tibooburra Replica Sturt Whaleboat

We finished off the day with a nice camp fire. Was a great day today. Today was what I was hoping this trip would be all about.

Graciee Enjoying Fire At Tibooburra Caravan Park

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