Broken Hill to Tibooburra (Sturt National Park) Week 12 - September 13th 2010
 
Broken Hill to Tibooburra on the Silver City Highway, then trips around Tibooburra.

Hema 7 P30
 
Miners Monument on top of the mullock heap at Broken Hill. Very distinctive and visible from everywhere.

A strange place for us. We drove up the hill to the Information Centre which was really a cafe selling coffee and paintings. It was also the gateway to the monument, charging a few dollars.

Felt like we'd been sucked in so turned back. We also didn't see anyone else visiting the monument.
Broken Hill is about mining with the addition of a recent art community.

This is an old winding engine and associated bits and pieces. In the middle of town.

Fascinating place to just walk around. And then the museums and art galleries.
 
We did take a photo from the top of the mullock heap before we descended.

Somewhere in there is the electrical place that replaced our vehicle batteries.
 
Broken Hill has a very rich mineral deposit.

The town warranted a rather grand post office which everyone photographs.
 
North towards Tibooburra and Sturt National Park we chanced to stop at Cobham Lake. Unusual to have water in it.

Somewhere near is an old coach stop.
 
Watched these two spoonbills wade along the edge of the lake scooping up whatever it is they eat.
 
Milparinka Court House.

The old gold town is being restored by volunteers. The buildings which survive in whole or part are .... government buildings and hotels.

Couldn't find the Church!
 
Sturt Desert Peas at Sturt National Park.

Just 500m from Dead Horse Gully campsite.
 
The pea is really a most odd looking plant.

Looks like it sends out runners (like strawberries). Apparently the horticulturalists haven't been able to propagate it so its not in the city plant shops.
 
Couldn't resist. This galah stubbornly sat in the tree as I ventured ever closer.

The tree was dead. Nicely sand blasted.
 
The hill is granite. We were surprised as we expected sandstones in the middle of Oz.

The Tibooburra Dome is upthrust. The rocks at bottom left are the sedimentary and metamorphosed rocks around the edge of the granite.
 
A Whim.

A horse or camel was harnessed in the upside down stirrup. Marched round the circle, then back again. Endlessly.

The drum has ropes to buckets which raise water from the well. One bucket up while the other goes down.
 
Confused ....

Western Red Kangaroos. Apparently the grey one is really red.

I think we realised earlier we have a bit to learn about Oz mammals. The ranger at Tibooburra helped a bit.
 
To the East of Tibooburra on one of the National Park circuits.

The park is set up for driving with a little walking.
 
Ali and Julian at the top of Mt Wood.

This strenuous climb nearly defeated the intrepid explorers - it was at least 200m above the surrounding plain.
 
Warri Gate.

The border between NSW and Queensland has a dog fence. A very long one.

Australia likes signs. We lost count here. Some are NSW, some are Qld.

At least one was "close the gate".

Very impressive for what is an artificial line on the map to us.
 
Even though the flowers are small there are so many they are hard to miss.
 
We believe the rock is an erratic. It doesn't belong.

Floated on ice (during Permian ice age) and dropped to the ocean floor when it melted.
 
Australian Pratincole (Roadrunner).

Flies gracefully like a tern.

A couple of people were parked and had the binoculars out. They were happy for us to join them (seemed surprised we asked).

We are always amazed at the knowledge some people have.
 
Jump-ups.

To the NW of Tibooburra these hills have a relatively hard Silcrete top and softer underneath which is being eroded.

Hard to do justice to the colours.
 
We walked along the edge of a Jump-up. The piles of wood are remnants of a brush fence from the early days of the homestead.
 
Tibooburra via Gammon Ranges to Lyndhurst Week 13 - September 20th 2010