The Mungo National Park

Today was the Big Day... The reason why I headed to Mildura was because I wanted to see the Mungo National Park.
The park is about 100 kms from the city, so I had to find a guide who would bring me there...
This was the hottest day in my life. 50°C in the park in the afternoon. So we waited a bit before going for a walk...
There was a strong wind, raising all the dust...




We went through a semi-arid area...

Red earth again... You can never get tired of it.

This tree may be 1000 years old!

The habitual crew at the visitor centre...

I think we woke this one up!

There were plenty of them...

The woolshed, probably from 1869...


It is one of the most significant European buildings in the area.

The Mungo National Park is mainly situated in the Willandra Lakes Region, a World Heritage Area.

Traces of human occupation dating as far as 60000 years ago have been found there. It is the evidence of the longest continuous record of Aboriginal life in Australia. When the lake was still full, Aboriginal people lived and fished along the shore.

Apart from its archaeological interest, the place offers stunning views.

This is a fossilised eucalyptus.

The rain creates beautiful natural sculptures on the "Walls of China". The colour of the earth changes, the different layers representing a different period in time.

Graham, the guide from Harry Nanya Tours, told us some traditional stories and played them on his didgeridoo. It was really impressive.
It is possible to go and visit the park by yourself. But taking a guided tour makes the experience richer. There are so many things I would not even have noticed without him!

From Broken Hill to Mildura

Today I took the little bus connecting Broken Hill to Mildura. Another 4-hour drive, with Coombah at mid-way. It is written in big on the map but... it's just one house! Well, this little place can be of a vital importance, if you are running low of petrol, of food or of drink...

Broken Hill and the Living Desert

This morning, I did a little walk in the desert... Kangaroos were enjoying their pick nick...

The Living Desert Flora and Fauna Sanctuary is a protected area near Broken Hill. Bordered by an electric predator proof fence, this reserve highlights the importance of preserving our environment.

It is a good occasion to see native plants in their natural environment. Sturt's desert peas cannot live without humidity. They start blossoming as soon as there is sufficient rain.

A bluebush... You can eat it! The leaves are a bit juicy, and nicely salty.

Not far from the Living Desert is the Sculpture Symposium. Pieces of art in the middle of nowhere...


From there, you can see the city in a distance...

On the horizon, the Pinnacles... These are not natural hills: they were born from the mine...

A kangaroo, again! Many Aussies say they are a pest, but they still look really cute... Don't huge them though... They are very skilled boxers!

Thanks to Ian, who was a great guide, I had a beautiful day!

Back at the hostel, I bumped into another guest and we decided to look for a bar to spend the evening...
We were curious about the Mario Palace Hotel, famous because of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert...

From the outside, the house looked great. It has on of the biggest terraces I have seen in Australia so far.

The bar door was closed. So we entered through the hotel door... And this is what we saw...


All the walls were painted. It may look a bit kitsch at first, but the whole thing was really beautiful. It had a very strange atmosphere too. There was nobody there. We wandered around for a while, went up to the first floor...

The dining room looked ready for guests, but it was obvious that it had not been used for quite a while... It was really dusty! The whole thing looked like a partly abandoned and derelict house, that had not lost anything of its beauty.

We walked around a bit, it was amazing! But when we got out, one thing was sure: we had to look for another place to spend the evening.

The Day Dream Mine and a little walk in Broken Hill

Going to the Day Dream Mine...

Along the road, old mines have been closed for a long time.

We were welcomed by two beautiful horses at the visitor centre...

Belts, hard hats, frontal lamps... Ready to go down!

It was too dark to take pictures inside. We went down for 30 meters, and the guide was really good at explaining the horrible working conditions of the miners in the late 19th century. They were dying of dysentery, typhoid, lead-poisoning, lung diseases... Or in the many accidents occurring.


Back to Broken Hill...

Argent Street, the main street. Many of the town’s streets are named after metals and minerals found in the mine.

This is how it was before, at the beginning of the 20th century...

... in 1888...

The roo bar, a "must-have"equipement here in the outback.

The hill divides the city into two different parts. There is a great view from the top, the Miners' Memorial, and a restaurant.




Passing in front of the station...

After crossing the railway, I started climbing... The flies are terrible. They stick to your face, your mouth, your eyes... It's impossible to get rid of them.

Another closed mine on the way...

And here I was at the top!