Menindee Lakes

Wed 23rd August
Pretty chilly night, but once again we were nice and cosy and warm inside.

While we were eating breakfast, we made the decision to move on, so packed up and hit the road again. Our pack up time is about 30 minutes or less, depending on if the car is still hooked up. We both have our jobs, mine are mainly inside, and Theo takes care of the outside.

Sometimes these decisions to move on are spur of the moment, and other times we have a bit of an idea where and what we are planning to do. One thing for sure, is that we need to be making our way homeward bound.

We refuelled in Broken Hill, dump point, bottle-o, topped up the water tanks and we were on our way again. Heading to Menindee.

Many years ago, we stayed at the Burke and Wills Camp site in Menindee on the Darling River. This was one of the campsites for the Burke and Wills expedition in 1860, when they travelled towards the Gulf of Carpentaria. At the time, there was not much water in the river and none in the nearby lake. The ground was dry and dusty and there were only a couple of campers there. We took photos of the dry lakebed, but we believe that the lakes are full of water now, following major flooding in the area in January this year where residents had to evacuate their homes.

We stopped in the little town of Menindee and grabbed a pie for lunch which was one of the worst take-aways we have had on this trip. The pie was dry and horrible. Not too many options in town.

We then drove down Weir Road on the track that runs alongside Lake Pamamaroo, looking for a camp.

There are 4 main lakes in the Menindee Lakes system – Lake Wetherell, Lake Pamamaroo, Lake Menindee and Lake Carndilla. We were surprised at the number of caravans parked alongside Lake Pamamaroo. The lake was full which was nice to see, and we found the perfect campsite right next to the lake.

Enjoyed a quiet afternoon and early evening watching the sun set, while warming ourselves next to our campfire.

My weakness is sunsets, and I take lots of photos. I love them and never get tired of outback sunsets. The changing colours have to be seen to be appreciated. Photos don't do them justice, and sunsets in the city are just not the same.

Another clear starry night, but it is going to be very chilly tonight. After eating dinner by the fire, we came inside and put the heater on, had a hot shower, and as we have internet, Theo is enjoying some ‘Youtube’ time, while I catch up on the blog and some reading.

We have a TV with us, with travels under the bed but have not brought it out once on this trip. Occasionally if we have internet, we will watch something on the laptop. I don’t miss TV, but while we have been away for almost 4 months, we have hardly heard any news. I feel like there is a void of knowledge of current affairs. We have survived without it, so do we really need it?

The laptop is playing up and is hit and miss whether it turns on or not. Hopefully it will behave itself until we get home. Next trip, we have already decided that we will bring either a tablet and a laptop or two laptops, so we can both use them at the same time, and there is always a backup.

We heard some sad news today. Bill who was our camping neighbour at Limmen Fishing Camp has passed away. He and wife Lizzy left the camp the day after us, heading home to Albury for some medical appointments and tests, as Bill had been unwell. The tests revealed that Bill had cancer, and he passed away just 2 weeks after arriving home. I contacted Lizzy with our condolences, and she appreciated our kind words about Bill. He was a lovely guy and even though we only knew him for 4 days, some people just leave a lasting impression on you. RIP Bill.

We are enjoying our stay camping at Lake Pamamaroo. The sun is shining, and the breeze drops just as the sun is setting, leaving a glassy lake which makes for beautiful sunset photos.

Our electric toaster has now decided not to work. We have had it for about 4-5 years in our caravans and use it every day. Theo tried to pull it apart, but it was sealed so he could not open it. It is not something you can just buy in Menindee, so we will make do until we get home.Meer informatie