Trilby Station to Wilcannia - 8 July 2014

We have had a great time at Trilby Station and it put on a farewell show for us. As we were packing up, a couple of the guys mustered a few hundred sheep up the road and into one of the holding yards. The fellows were on bikes and using one of the dogs, who actually invited himself as soon as he saw what was happening. It was good to see.

The road from Bourke to Wilcannia beside the Darling River (the Darling Run as it is called), although dirt, was not too bad. We drove along the eastern side to Louth then crossed the river to the western side. You can do either side. The section from Bourke to Trilby Station was the better half. The section from Trilby to Wilcannia was good in parts, but in others was a bit rough. But we were happy to take our time and poke along doing about 60 kph. We came across roadworks just before Tilpa where they were grading the road and widening it a bit.

We stopped at Tilpa for lunch at the Royal Mail Hotel, built in 1894. An interesting hotel as, over the years, people have signed their names and written messages on the walls, ceiling fans, old petrol bowser in one of the rooms. In fact anywhere there is a space.

It only costs $2 to do this and all the money goes to the Royal Flying Doctors.

Tilpa has the shortest Heritage Walk. On one side of the road is the Royal Mail Hotel and on the side of the road is a War Memorial. On the War Memorial is Breaker Morant's name from the Boer War, a resident of the area at the time. Tilpa also has a cemetery with no one buried in it!

Diesel is $2 a litre here.

We arrived at Warrawong on the Darling Caravan Park at Wilcannia. It is a new Caravan Park about 3 kms out of Wilcannia and is on a billabong of the Darling River. The amenities block is fabulous with really big showers that also includes a basin and a mirror. We sat around the campfire last night talking to some of the travellers and picked up some tips on White Cliffs which is where we will be heading next.

There are a couple of baby goats roaming around the Caravan Park. They came up and made themselves welcome around the campfire.

We have heard mixed reports about Wilcannia and the problems in the town with the Aboriginals. The latest we have heard is that the town is turning around. Bruce spoke to a fellow staying at the caravan park while doing some building work in the town and he said it has been good. There have been no problems at all. We will have a walk around town tomorrow.