Peterborough SA, Olary SA, Broken Hill NSW

Broken Hill NSW May 11, 2015

(Just pretend it's yesterday)

Drove out into rain, not pouring, just drizzle on and off and sunlight in an out, and wind and not and maybe all at the one time. A pretty awful drive through from the Pound down to Peterborough really, highlights being the number of ruined homesteads and awe and wonderment that anyone should want to come here, let alone try to grow wheat. Mind you, the two Big Reds that jumped right out in front of us at 90kph and OMG these brakes really are %&*(#@ useless, kept us on our toes. Note: a wet and bedraggled kangaroo looks exactly the same as the red-dirt scrub along the side of the road. Seemed to take an age, but it’s only 150 km or so from the Pound to Peterborough, one of those tedious affairs that just have to be endured. Stopped at Peterborough for a coffee and a rest before pushing on toward Broken Hill. Found this sign in the window a car parts / mechanics place that was definitely closed at 11am on a Monday morning. Must have been one of 'those' days, and I couldn't agree more!

Peterborough SA

The weather toward the east looked just as bad, but after a few hundred kilometres it cleared up and by the time we stopped to make a sandwich at Olary, it was a beautiful clear day. The Barrier Highway follows the main east - west railway line forever, and at Olray I just had to take these pictures of the line and of Olary, which must have been a big deal on the line once, but which now seems to be surviving on life-support only. This line, by the way, is where the Indian Pacific rattles back and forth a few times a week, and where the ore from Broken Hill makes its way to Port Pirie.

Train station. Olary SA

No, nothing coming from the East... Olary SA

...and nothing from the West. Olary SA

Must be a dead-end. Olary SA

The pub and park. Olary SA

The rest of town. Olary SA

Finally arrived in Broken Hill after a period of 13 years. The park is quite nice but I and Judy are both knackered. The fabulous Barrier Highway turned into the BH goat track about 100km from home. It was just hard work and we are both really glad to be here.

Having settled in, we just had to go to the 3:30 afternoon tea they put on, but apart from the park lady (a Kiwi) going on about the Union history here and saying that the mine tour doesn't exist any more, it was just a really noisy bunch of travellers. 

We went for a drive around town, failed to find the road up to the lookout, got to the info place after it closed at 4pm, drove around in a big square, found the shops, bought some food and cheap wine and went back to the van. 

I’ll probably read this tomorrow and regret it. Haha