Broken Hill I

Exploring Silverton and beyond (day 39 - 40) 

Our first day in Broken Hill was overcast and teasing rain and very cold. We rugged up and did some exploring around the city centre and parks taking in many of the historic buildings and a view of the (original) mine site and remnant slag pile from the JP Keenan Lookout. The pile continues to dominate the skyline! Alas, little rain fell.

We visited the wonderful silver museum and viewed large 360 degree art work depicting the landscape and wildlife of the region. Such a great work. In the afternoon we visited a cousin of my dad and his wife who have lived in this region for 40+ years. Heard some fantastic stories of their time running  a pub in Malparinka (up near Tibooburra) in the far north west of the state. Many other things as well. He was also a fantastic artist and the home is an art gallery testimonial to his skill. One of the key suggestions they had for a visit was Silverton. 

The rest of this post is dedicated to that visit - an overcast, very blustery and cold morning with even the locals rugging right up in the watery sunlight! The panorama below and the more narrow view over "town" show the parched land but also the cluster of wind turbines on the range to the east. While the pictures don't allow you to feel the cold, I reckon they allow you to "see" it!

As had become custom on this trip, first stop was coffee ... we found the Beyond 39 Dips cafe and art gallery. Really cool name given the 39 "Dip" signs (and dips in the pavement) you traverse on the way. The added bonus here was Deb has been on the lookout for possum socks for ages (trying to avoid buying them online, she likes to "feel them first") and where, of all places do you think she found them!!

The next series of images are a selection from locations around town. The location is most recently famous for the Mad Max film locations and they proudly show off many of the relics from the film "in situ" where they ended up. I have focused primarily on derelict premises, but not exclusively, and you will see wrecks from the films at most of them. For instance, the Silverton Hotel is a centrepiece in much BH artwork (and I was very fortunate to snap a photo without any tourist vehicles which hid the building an hour or two later at lunch time). There is also a photo of a church during a rare (weak) sunny break - included because being on a hill it is Catholic, and it is St Cathage (so close to our Lismore Catholic St Cathages). The lone galah on the bare dead branch speaks volumes about the nature of the morning!

Next we headed beyond Silverton ... further north west ... to the land of "somewhere". You can see the vastness disappearing into the vastness looking north west across the plain from Mundi Mundi lookout... paradoxically, the parched but ever so colourful dry Umberumberka Ck bed is just before the full Umberumberka Dam ... a lot of water, a little way out "somewhere"!

A track to a tree & beyond

Another view across Mundi Mundi plain (from the Dam)

On the way out to where "somewhere" began, we passed a little green oasis evidencing some recent falls of moisture that were being held. It was populated by a herd of feral goats and I intended to stop on our return to get a photo ... however, when we arrived, no goats (yah!) and even better a fairy wren in a bush and some emus were grazing and watering in the oasis ... like I said in an earlier post, something quite comforting and relaxing about seeing an emu (I find).

Finally back into town for delicious pies for lunch at the (new) Bakery and on the road again back to Broken Hill. Driving through town we spotted four of the locals (donkeys) sheltering from the wind, two of whom were very excited about something they were feeling or seeing! Then drifting past behind the main street was a camel train (note the two "spares" ... can't be too careful out here). 

Finally, leaving Silverton behind, we passed an iconic one tree hill; and some sad dreary looking shorn sheep who certainly look the part in their dry landscape.