AFTER years of flying under the radar, Outback NSW is making a comeback on the tourist trail, writes JO STEWART
NSW sure has its fair share of tourist drawcards, but how often is Outback NSW considered one of them?
Flying into Broken Hill on a diminutive Saab 340 with Regional Express (Rex), I’m pondering whether this part of the state will match the glittering coastline or sophisticated cities? The answers come to me soon enough.
Meeting the team from Tri State Safaris in Broken Hill, it’s early in the morning yet the sun is way of ahead of me. Tasked with taking five city slickers on an adventure around the vast plains and mining towns surrounding Broken Hill, we make headway early in the day. With so much ground to cover, there’s no time to lose.
Soon surrounded by parched, pancake-flat landscapes, my phone signal ceases to exist, so there’s nothing to do but watch the world go by.
I soon learn that it’s not all about red dust and scorched earth out here.
Thanks to recent heavy rainfall, the MenindeeLakes are full and the best way to experience the wetlands is cruising with River Lady Tours. Aboard the River Lady we navigate our way around cities of dead trees standing tall in the water, defiantly upright like an army of warriors refusing to lay down their arms.
Some trees are home to native birds, while others have had large chunks whittled out of them years before by Indigenous people looking for wood from which to craft canoes.
A proud town that boomed back in the 1880s, Wilcannia was once one of Australia’s busiest inland ports.
Once known as the “QueenCity of the West”, its population of 3000 has now dwindled to about 600, with the majority identifying as Barkindji people. Despite the population decline, the town battles on, with a collection of grand council buildings a reminder of more prosperous times.
It’s hard to imagine a better positioned Outback caravan park than the Warrawong on the Darling. A few minutes from the centre of Wilcannia, the property is the epitome of serenity thanks to its riverside location.
Travelling without motorhomes or camping gear, air-conditioned cabins provide us with a bit of comfort.
At dusk, the trees are filled with the furious chatter of galahs. Watching the sun slowly dissolve, staining the sky with bright orange and lilac hues, I’m reminded that Mother Nature really is the greatest artist of all.
The recent rains ensured a healthy emu breeding season so we see plenty of them streaking across the highway and even emu fathers with fluffy babies in tow.
Journeying to the tiny mining town of White Cliffs, there are whistling kites carving up the sky above and bearded dragons catching rays by the highway. While the landscape is quite desolate in these parts, native animal life is not.
The WhiteCliffsHotel has cornered the market when it comes to sleeping underground. Built deep into the earth to provide relief from relentless summer heatwaves, the hotel rooms, restaurant and bar enjoy a comfortable 22-degree ambience. At night, the cool, dark hotel rooms have no WiFi or artificial light.
There’s no traffic noise, barking dogs,or car alarms to wake you up at night.
The result? The best night’s sleep I’ve had in years. Sure, it’s a little like sleeping in a sealed tomb, but if you want to sleep like the dead, this is the place.
There are also above ground rooms for claustrophobes, but it’s well worth experiencing the subterranean set-up.
As an opal mining town, White Cliffs boomed in the 1800s. Most of the opal miners have long gone, however a few still remain, hoping to strike it rich.
Heading underground into a working opal mine, we learn that having the technical skills to mine an area is important, but patience is also essential (as is optimism).
With many hours spent alone underground, the belief that the next shaft will yield a big payday is needed to keep working in such isolation.
Travelling onwards to Mutawintji National Park we meet with Indigenous guide Mark who takes us on a walk to view ancient rock art.
As we slap blowflies from our faces, we learn about the spiritual significance of the national park.
Mark speaks of how the park was once home to a thriving community of Indigenous people who fished in the river, hunted roos, foraged for native plants, and developed systems to ensure the land was taken care of for future generations.
Journeying back to Broken Hill we finish up with a schooner and pub meal at the Palace Hotel (where scenes from the movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert were filmed). They don’t make pubs like this any more – and you won’t find anywhere quite like Outback NSW. Best you see it while you can.
If you go...
Tri State Safaris run Out of the Ordinary Outback tours from Broken Hill to White Cliffs, Wilcannia and more.
- 1300-688-225, outoftheordinaryoutback.com.au, tristate.com.au