Camping At Wentworth Station Near The Weddin Mountains

We spent the Easter long weekend camping at Wentworth Station in the foothills of the Weddin Mountains. The bushranger Ben Hall used to camp along the banks of a creek here with his horses.

There is plenty to do and see in the area. You can explore the nearby Weddin Mountains National Park and Bimbi State Forest. Wentworth Station was founded back in the 1840s. The property is located smack bang in the middle of Young, Forbes, West Wyalong and Cowra. It’s about an hour to drive to each. We live in Cootamundra and it only took us an hour and fifteen minutes with the caravan on.

Just 20 minutes North is Grenfell. Tucked into the beautiful Lachlan Valley Grenfell is a fascinating gold rush town with great galleries, historic buildings and superb country pubs. There are many events celebrating the town’s rich history and culture. Beautiful red river gums that are hundreds of years old. There’s a heap of birdlife to look at and there are fish in the creek.

Camping at Wentworth Station is an awesome way to spend a relaxing weekend. You can have fires and it’s even pet friendly.

Camping At Wentworth Station Gallery

Ben Hall Camped Here A Few Times

Graciee Checking Out The Cows

Jayco All Terrain

Plenty Of Fire Pits Around

Setting Sun At Wentworth Station Across The Creek

Sun Going Down The Thursday Before Easter

Wentworth Station Camping

Wentworth Station Pet Friendly Camping

Getting To Bimbi NSW

To drive from Sydney to Bimbi NSW follow these directions:

From Sydney head west on the M4 motorway towards Parramatta.
Continue on the M4 until you reach the Blue Mountains. Follow signs to stay on the Great Western Highway (A32).
Stay on the Great Western Highway as it passes through towns like Katoomba, Lithgow, and Bathurst.
After Bathurst, continue on the Great Western Highway for approximately 21 kilometres until you reach the town of Cowra.
In Cowra, turn right onto the Olympic Highway (B41) heading north.
Follow the Olympic Highway for about 21 kilometres until you reach Bimbi.

These directions should take you approximately 4 to 5 hours depending on traffic and road conditions. Make sure to check for any road closures or delays before you depart.

Travel From to Bimbi	Distance	Time
Adelaide	981km	10:31
Albury	282km	03:14
Canberra	211km	02:38
Melbourne	606km	06:34
Sydney	425km	04:40
Wagga Wagga	156km	01:47

Iandra Castle – A Castle To Visit In The NSW Central West

A real castle in the NSW Central West district that you can visit? Yes! Iandra Castle is a real castle (or it seems so to us) that’s located at Greenethorpe between Young and Cowra/Grenfell. We went for drive to have a look.

Amanda had been wanting to visit Iandra Castle for a couple of years ever since we saw a sign to it while out on the backroads around Young looking at some prospective free camping sites. We saw the sign pointing to Iandra Castle and figured hell yeah we’ve got to have a look at that! So we followed a few more signs and then we saw it in the distance – a massive castle. There’s really nothing else you could call it. We had a look at it from the road and wondered if you go inside for a look.

When we got home we looked it up and found out that they have open days throughout the year. It’s taken us a while to line up a free day on a weekend with an Iandra Castle open day but eventually things lined up so we bought our tickets. They were only $20 each.

On Sunday the 17th of March 2024 we headed out. It’s only an hours drive from our home in Cootamundra via some country back roads. Really a very nice drive. When we got there we were surprised to see just how many people were there. I counted 120+ cars in the parking area (there’s loads of parking available).

Out The Front Of Iandra Castle

The castle itself was enormous. We lost count of how many rooms there were. It’s fully furnished with items back in the day. The level of craftsmanship that has gone into the castle’s creation is fantastic. There’s wood panelling everywhere, the trim and mouldings around the doors are incredible. The bay windows are absolute works of art. A lot of the stonework is carved from locally quarried granite. I’m no expert on architecture but I know when I’m looking at something extraordinary and that’s what I was looking at.

We spent a couple of hours looking through the main house as well as the stables. we could have spent more time but we had to get back to Young to do a few things on our way home. I highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area when an open day is on.

Looking At Iandra Castle Through The Entry Archway To The Stables

About Iandra Castle

Located just south of Greenethorpe within the Weddin Shire Iandra Castle is a large heritage listed castle. As arguably Australia’s largest and most innovative wheat farming enterprise from 1878-1911, the Iandra Homestead Pastoral Estate of 32,000 acres was originally established by George Henry Greene on 32,000 acres. In 1893, its owner, George Henry Greene, pioneered share-farming at Iandra, revolutionizing wheat growing in Australia.

You can tour the castle by appointment or by tour, however you can see glimpses of it from the road.

A complete feudal estate closely modelled on the English Manor system was established at Iandra in Australia, making it one of the rare examples of the type to be established in the country. The entire estate was constructed for the Iandra homestead owner, centred on the homestead and wheat production, including the adjacent Greenethorpe village that Greene built for his tenants during the Federation period. It consists of the magnificent Federation homestead, park-like gardens, original workers cottages, manager residence, blacksmith, chapel, cemetery, wool and hay sheds, silos, other outbuildings, associated buildings, and farmland surrounding the estate, which has reduced in size to approximately 3,000 acres (1215 ha).

Incredible Craftsmanship In This Bay Window

Iandra Castle Restoration

Listed on the NSW Heritage Database, Iandra is currently privately owned. Since its listing in 2004, only proceeds from the Open Days and other events have been used to fund the restoration. It has not received a grant from Heritage grants since its listing.

The late David and Margaret Morris bought Mt Oriel homestead in 1975. The majority of the restoration work that has been carried out can be attributed directly to them.

Dining Room Fit For A King

Getting To Iandra Castle

You can find Iandra Castle 11km south of Greenethorpe on Iandra Road. It’s roughly in the centre of a triangle formed by the towns of Grenfell, Cowra and Young in Central West NSW.

Travel From to Iandra Castle	Distance	Time
Adelaide	1,029km	11:03
Albury	307km	03:15
Brisbane	1,094km	12:09
Canberra	175km	02:11
Gundagai	130km	01:31
Melbourne	632km	06:25
Sydney	390km	04:07
Wagga Wagga	168km	02:08

Bushwalking In Jindalee National Park

We went Bushwalking In Jindalee National Park along the Scotts Loop And Echinda Track. The walk is a 5.6km loop trail near Cootamundra New South Wales. Generally considered a moderately challenging route. This track is great for mountain biking and it’s unlikely you’ll encounter many other people while exploring.

We used the AllTrails App to find the walk as well as map our progress. We find the AllTrails App to be an excellent guide while walking. It lets you know exactly where you are on the track so there’s little to no chance of getting lost. Amanda and I are fairly experienced walkers however the app gives us an added level of safety and security. It’s also a great way of finding walks that you otherwise never know existed.

Kite Trail And Ironbark Trail Intersection

Jindalee National Park lies on the South West Slopes of New South Wales, ten kilometres north of Cootamundra. Burley Griffin Way runs along the northern boundary of the park. Jindalee National Park is less than 15 minutes drive from our house in Cootamundra NSW. It’s a great place for a visit especially if you are into bush walking or mountain biking.

Scotts Loop The Valley And Echidna Track

Jindalee National Park History

A forest reserve was established in 1877, and in August 1918, it was reclassified as a state forest. To protect remaining cypress pine woodlands across New South Wales from clearing, the park was reserved under the National Park Estate (South-Western Cypress Reservations) Act (2010) in January 2011.

Jindalee National Park Map Scotts Loop The Valley And Echidna Track

Park Features

A strip of private farmland along Berthong Rd separates the park into two parts. Numerous minor drainage lines dissect the undulating terrain. Historically the state forest has been a popular place for motorbike riding and, in later years, mountain biking. As a result of the reservation, all of the existing roads within the park remain accessible to public vehicles, however all vehicles must be registered and their use is limited to the established trails.

David And Amanda Walking In Jindalee National Park

Jindalee National Park Flora

The park consists of several vegetation communities. The park is 74 percent Mugga Ironbark-mixed box woodland, 20 percent Mugga Ironbark-Western Grey Box-Cypress Pine woodland, and 5.8 percent cleared land. A critically endangered ecological community in NSW, the White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland, occupies 0.2 percent of the park.

Amanda On Scotts Loop The Valley And Echidna Track

Tumut Riverwalk Is A Great Day Out

The Tumut Riverwalk is a great day out in Tumut NSW. This fun and easy little walk is in the town of Tumut on the edge of Kosciuszko National Park close to the NSW and ACT borders.

Tumut Riverwalk Map

In Tumut New South Wales you will find this 3.4-km loop trail that makes for an easy and enjoyable walk. An average of 47 minutes is needed to complete this route. It is considered an easy route. In quieter hours of the day, you may still enjoy some solitude along this popular trail for birdwatching, mountain biking, and running. January through February are the best months to visit this trail.

Underneath View of The Old Tumut River Bridge

The loop features a walk along the Tumut River as well as a walk through the Tumut Community Labyrinth for Peace. A picnic can be enjoyed at the Bull Paddock Reserve or at the picnic facilities. This walk is a favourite among families because it offers plenty of things to see and do for kids.

Horses Seen From The Tumut Riverwalk

Amanda and I did this walk on a quiet Sunday morning in early February. It got a bit warm towards the end of the walk and we were glad that we had set off nice and early. A few beers and some lunch at the Royal Hotel in town finished off what was a very enjoyable day.

Royal Hotel Tumut

Visit The Tumut Community Labyrinth For Peace On The Tumut Riverwalk

Part of the Tumut Riverwalk goes through the Tumut Community Labyrinth. Through the Tumut Labyrinth community service is celebrated in peace and conflict. All people young and old, together or alone, can use this place of reflection and contemplation in Pioneer Park.

Tumut Rotary Park Tumut Community Labyrinth For Peace

The path is wide enough to accommodate two people walking together including caregivers for children and the less able. It is plenty wide enough to facilitate access by wheelchair or motorised scooters. Way stations provide places on the journey for rest and reflection. Stories of local Indigenous and European settlement are outlined on panels in the way stations.

Horses Seen From The Tumut River Walk

Dig Tree To Haddon Corner Via Planet Arrabury Road

The Dig Tree to Haddon Corner via the Planet Arrabury Road. Another day on the MARS Enthusiasts 2019 National Muster. We called in at Nulla Outstation along the way. We left the dig Tree and headed north on the Planet Arrabury Road. Our final destination for the day was Birdsville however we planned to call in at Haddon Corner for a look.

The Planet Arrabury Road

The Planet Arrabury road varies from quite rough with large stones (some big enough to end your day) though to sandy and it eventually becomes a wide gravel highway towards the northern end. The first part of the southern section was awesome. The Cooper Creek basin and northwards is an ancient valley. You are surrounded by eroded flat-topped mesas that let you see the original level of the land as it had been millions of years ago. The planet Arrabury Road follows the valley floor. You are surrounded by fantastic ochre coloured hills – it looks a lot like the painted desert out from Coober Pedy and Oodnadatta. It’d be an awesomely magical sight from the right vantage point at sunset.

Traffic Jam On The Planet Arrabury Road

We called in at Nulla Outstation for a look and to break up the trip. What a nice little detour it was. The old outstation looks just like it must have a hundred years ago. It shows signs of recent use. There are some more modern (albeit dodgy looking dongas) alongside the old building that are probably see more use these days more than the original. On the way back out of Nulla Outstation one of our fellow MARS Enthusiasts Scott White mentioned he’d seen a nice old antique shovel on his way in and he was going to pull over and pick it up. Guess what? Turns out it was his own bloody shovel that must have fallen off his car on the way in. It gave us all one hell of a good laugh!

Nulla Outstation Bunkhouse 2019

After a few hours the Planet Arrabury Rd rises up onto the tableland. From here to the end the changes are more subtle. As usual out this way there’s a lot of of gibber country and stretches of flood plains and sand country. Eventually you get to Sturt’s Stony Desert. He wasn’t mucking about when he named it either! It’s a never ending view of gibbers covering the landscape. Good old Charles Sturt walked through this country in one direction then walked back through it in the other because he was enthralled by the landscape. The bloke must have been absolutely bloody bonkers.

Entry To Nulla Station Bunkhouse

200km north of the Innamincka/Thargomindah Road you come to the turnoff to Haddon Corner. After we’d all come this far there was no way we weren’t calling in for a look!

Haddon Corner

From the Arrabury road, take the Haddon Corner turn off. A green finger sign points to Haddon Corner. The road is gravel, but it’s generally in quite good shape. There will be a difference depending on whether rain has fallen recently. All roads in the region would become impassable if that were the case. A 15-km drive will take you to Haddon Corner. The final two kilometres are across two sand dunes. While these sand dunes aren’t large, dragging a caravan through them wouldn’t be a bright idea. Campers with off-road tyres could get in with reduced tyre pressures. We all unhooked our vans and camper trailers at the base of the first dune, and drove in with just our vehicles. The track across the first dune from the end of the main track is well enough – it’s both easy to find and easy to follow.

Drone Shot The Crew At Haddon Corner

We all had our photos taken and signed the visitors book. El Supremo Peter Woolsey put up his drone and took some fantastic videos and photos – thanks Pete you’re a legend! Other than the corner marker there isn’t mush to see – in fact there’s nothing but that isn’t the point. The point is being there. There’s a lot of dust and wide expanses of pretty much nothing except for sand and rocks with the odd shrub having a crack at survival. There are no facilities and this really would be remote camping. There is a picnic shelter if you’re keen on spreading out the rug and munching on some cucumber sangas.

MARS Enthusiasts 2019 National Muster At Haddon Corner

Camping At Haddon Corner

There’s a free camp at Haddon Corner. This free camping area is 4WD only and for tents and camper trailers only. Pets are allowed.

Haddon Corner Location

165.25kms East of Birdsville
178.05kms West of Windorah
195.77kms North of Innamincka
359.13kms South of Boulia

Haddon Corner is the north-eastern corner of the state of South Australia where it meets with Queensland. It was first surveyed by John Carruthers, Lawrence Allen Wells, and Augustus Poeppel around 1883.

Silverton Caravan Park – Penrose Park

Penrose Park Silverton Caravan Park is only 5 minutes from the Mundi Mundi bash location and a 20 minute drive from Broken Hill. You’ll find everything you need at Penrose Park.

We keep coming back to this place – we’ve been seven times as of 2025. What we love about it is you get proper caravan park amenities but without being crammed in next to your neighbor like sardines. The sites at Penrose Park are decent sized and it still feels like you’re camping in the bush.

Table Of Contents

Penrose Park Silverton Caravan Park Location And Info At A Glance
Booking Silverton Caravan Park
Things Worth Doing Around Silverton (Besides the Mundi Mundi Bash)
About The Silverton Hotel

Penrose Park Silverton Caravan Park Location And Info At A Glance

Type: Caravan Park
Cost: $20 per night two adults unpowered (Sep 2023)
Location: Penrose Park Rd, Silverton, New South Wales
GPS: -31.882346°, 141.229573°
Phone: 0458 600 891
Web: https://penroseparksilverton.com
Email: Penroseparksilverton@gmail.com
Pet Friendly: Yes

Booking Silverton Caravan Park

You’ll need to book well ahead for Mundi Mundi Bash time. Rest of the year it’s usually fine but worth calling first, especially during school holidays.

Silverton Caravan Park Penrose Park

Things Worth Doing Around Silverton (Besides the Mundi Mundi Bash)

Wander Through the Ghost Town
The old buildings are still standing – some barely, but that’s part of the charm. There’s mining equipment scattered about and you can poke around the ruins. Kids love it because it looks like a movie set. Which it often is.

Mad Max Museum
If you’re into the movies, this place has heaps of stuff from the filming. They’ve got some genuine movie cars and trucks, old costumes from the movie as well as photos and a metric shit-ton of memorabilia. Even if you’re not a Mad Max fan, it’s interesting to see how they transformed the landscape for Hollywood.

Silverton Hotel for a Meal And Some beers
The pub does decent counter meals and their hot dogs are famous for a reason. Good spot for a beer in the afternoon too. Staff know their local history and aren’t shy about sharing stories.

Old Gaol
It’s tiny – you can see the whole thing in ten minutes. But worth the couple of dollars entry fee. The cells are cramped and dark. Makes you glad you weren’t a criminal back then.

Just Looking Around
Honestly, half the appeal is sitting outside your van with a cup of tea and taking in the view. The light changes throughout the day and you’ll see why so many photographers come here.

Iconic Silverton Hotel

About The Silverton Hotel

This pub has been through a few incarnations. The first one burned down, the second one too. Current building used to be the post office before they turned it into a hotel in 1918. There’s still ruins from the old hotel out the back – apparently that’s where BHP got its start, though I’m not sure about all the details.

These days the place is busy with film crews and tourists, but it hasn’t lost its character. Peter and Patsy who run it are good sorts and always happy to show you the memorabilia collection if you’re interested.

Ice Cold Beers At The Silverton Hotel

Silverton Caravan Park is on the edge of the Mundi Plains next to Umberumberka Creek. Sometimes you’ll hear the water trickling at night, which beats the sound of generators any day.

Mundi Mundi Lookout Near Silverton Caravan Park Penrose Park

Welcome Sign To Front Office Silverton Caravan Park Camping

Hot Showers While Camping At Silverton

Plenty Of Clean Toilets Penrose Park Camping