July 2015, The Corner Country

A brief getaway.

I was fortunate to be invited to travel with a couple of blokes to have a look at the Corner Country of NSW.
The plan was to have a look at Gundabooka National Park and then Sturt National Park.

Day 1

Pilliga Bore Baths

Swimming in the hot mineral waters of the bore has been a popular recreational activity for many years with its therapeutic value long recognised. The water temperature is 37 degrees year round.

Day 2

Gundabooka 

A walk from Dry Tank campground took us to a ridge  where we could see Mt Gundabooka.

This is where the bushranger known as Captain Starlight was captured.

Bennetts George

Unfortunately the road into Mulgowan (Yappa) Aboriginal Art site was closed due to wet weather.




The Bennetts George access road was open.









Next stop was Shindy's Inn at Louth. The only other customer there turned out to be one of Matts friends uncles, it can be a small world.

Unfortunately we missed the Celtic Cross.
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The Tilpa Pub is right on the banks of the Darling River.

From here it was on to Packsaddle for lunch, then to White Cliffs for a nice hot shower. Up on the hill overlooking town, it became obvious we were actually walking around on the top of residences called "dugouts" for obvious reasons.

In the distance you can see the parabolic dishes that provide power to the town.

I guess you could call this the back yard !

These places appeared to be connected to town water so I guess the tanks would be for "hot" water. Note the solar panels and TV aerials. Some had ventilation shafts and skylights.

Cobham Lake

The next stopover was the other hottest place in N.S.W, Tibooburra. (Aboriginal for "Heaps of Rocks"

Kev's daughter Billie named this land form "Bum Rock"

There was a message in the Tibooburra roadhouse window asking for help to deliver some supplies to Camerons Corner with which we were happy to oblige. We delivered the bread and had smoko with Fenn and Cheryl. From here it was off to Fort Grey. One of the things we had a look at there was the Sturts tree walk. This included the old bore pump which is still there.


In 1844, Captain Charles Sturt led the Central Australia Expedition from Adelaide, then along the Murray and Darling rivers before heading where no European had been before. The objective was to find the sea which Sturt and his supporters believed lay in the heart of Australia.

On his journey, Sturt left calling cards in the form of an S and an arrow, indicating that he had been there and the direction of travel. Sturt’s Tree walk in Sturt National Park offers a unique opportunity to view a piece of Australian history; one of the trees marked by Charles Sturt all those years ago.

The walk takes you across Lake Pinaroo, so you can only walk when the lake bed is dry which it was.

Our next site we visited was Olive Downs. We were able to travel via Middle Roads which were in good condition.
I said goodbye to Kev and Andrew as they were heading to Mt Wood and I wanted to have a look at the country further north. I left NSW via Warry/Warri gate and turned at the Tickalara turn off and headed for Thargominda on the Bulloo River road.

Looking forward "on roads seldom crossed 'cept by them that are lost"

Looking back
Note: the only tracks were mine! 

Despite appearances, this road was very smooth, and very straight. I was able to sit on 80kph.

Mmmmm    Bacon!

Better camera required.

Bulloo River

After an overnight stay in Thargominda, it was on towards Hungerford and Currawinya National Park along the Dowling Track.

The Hungerford "Royal Mail Hotel" was constructed in 1873 of corrugated iron, which was transported over 200 kms from New South Wales on bush tracks. It is the original building, which is still in use to this day. The Royal Mail was originally a Cobb & Co Staging Post where weary horses and travelers gained some respite from the road, heat and infrequent floods. Even Henry Lawson, the Poet, had an Ale at the Royal Mail, and a welcome break from the harshness of the Outback countryside. The Royal Mail, as it was in the past, is still a meeting place for the locals, families, shearers, stockmen, and a resting place for travelers who all enjoy the homely, unsophisticated, friendly feel of this iconic Outback Pub.

Royal Mail Hotel Hungerford.

From here it was keep heading East to Enngonia for lunch at the Oasis Hotel.(2 pubs in 2 states in 1 morning, a coffee in one and a tea in the other, I must be getting old!) Back to Bourke to fuel up and look for an overnight camp. As I was leaving town, a small road train pulled out ahead of me which turned out to quite handy. He was travelling at 90 kph which is the optimum speed for my little truck so I tucked in behind him, away from all the skippys. 

Over night camp and a swim at Burren Junction in the free camp at the bore. As I continued homewards, I was keeping an eye open for a different route home and spotted a sign to Manilla. Another sign pointed towards Dripping Rock. 

Dripping Rock car park is reached via an unsealed road which is 4WD only. Surrounded by a lush forest of Melaleucas, the waterfall is only a short stroll from the car park. As you emerge from the trees you will be greeted by a spectacular semi-circular cliff towering over a small rock pool. Water tumbles over the cliff from a height of 50m completing the heavenly scene. The sedimentary nature of this cliff allows water to seep through the rock, leaving it dripping with condensation, hence the name.

While passing through Manilla I spotted a sign pointing to Bendemeer. This is Halls Creek Rd. A beautiful run up a narrow winding road, steep in places, with beautiful scenery. This track also had a few creek crossings so precaution would be required if raining heavily or at night.