Broken Hill and Mutawintji Week 11 - September 6th 2010
 
Menindee via Broken Hill to Mutawintji.

Hema 7 P30
 
  On the road from Menindee to Broken Hill we saw our first Sturt Desert Peas.

It was also our first experience of long straight sealed roads. We felt somewhat more detached from our surroundings than on gravel roads.
Our first Echidna at Mutawintji National Park.

We'd planned Menindee to Mutawintji via White Cliffs. The White Cliffs to Mutawintji road was still closed after the rain so we travelled via Broken Hill.

There are some "unincorporated" areas which have no rates and thus no services. Perhaps that includes the roads.
 
Walking to the West of the Mutawintji campsite. Having climbed up we followed the ridge on the right back to the campsite.
 
We believe its a Euro. Something about the muscles and build plus the rounded ears.

We have a lot to learn about marsupials.
 
Flowers everywhere following lots of rain. This is the beginning of the track to Mutawintji Gorge.

We stopped driving before the last creek crossing. Walked across the wet sand and didn't like it. People with more experience simply drove through it. Still a lot to learn about the truck.
 
Nankeen Kestrel.

They sit in the top branches of dead trees ... watching and waiting.

Widespread throughout the centre of Aus.
 
The gorge and ridge walk East of the campsite.

The erosion of the sandstone on the right was quite distinctive. Almost like granite but more flaky (to us).
 
More gorge. The rock is sandstone with a veneer of "desert varnish" which makes it quite dark. Probably the manganese in it.

Sturt's ill fated expedition came through Mutawintji. There's a note from one of the party among the Aboriginal cave art.

 
There was no way around this little puddle.

Fortunately not too cold.
 
Cockatiel.

It took a while before we found one that stayed still long enough to be identified.
 
The end of Mutawintji Gorge. Unfortunately we couldn't find a way through the water.
 
We walked up the ridge to the left of Mutawintji Gorge.

The whole range is like a maze.

We have a very good geological description of the area. It includes track descriptions so we could pretend we knew what we were looking at. Available from National Parks Office in Broken Hill.
 
Sunset from the ridge to the West of the campsite.

We can't imagine getting tired of the colours.
 
Mark Sutton beginning description of rock art and later engravings.

Mutawintji has an Aboriginal interest area which is closed to all but guided tours. We'd met people who had been unable to arrange a tour.

Mark (accredited guide) turned up at the campsite one evening and announced he was taking a tour the next morning.

Well worthwhile. Associated with Tri-State Tours.
 
The forearm as well as the hand apparently shows someone of significance painted the stencil.
 
Top and bottom impressions of animal footprints in sand before it was stone. Quite a few thousand years old fossil.

Haven't a clue what sort of animal.
 
Engraving. Estimated 15,000 years old (scientifically). Protected by the desert varnish.

Unlike the cave art these engravings were (to us) less abstract so a bit more recognisable.
 
From the top of Split Rock looking West. A pleasant walk at the North of the park.

Old coach road runs past the rock but its been a few years since there was a coach so we didn't wait.
 
Broken Hill to Tibooburra (Sturt National Park) Week 12 - September 13th 2010