May 19-25
Where are we? You can zoom and expand the map:
As you can see this place is pretty remote, only about 100km from Cameron’s Corner where the three states of NSW, SA and QLD meet at the Dingo Fence. We decided not to drive out there this trip but to do that as part of another trip passing through to further North at another time.
Meanwhile the town here, of about 150 people, has actually grown since Keith was here around 1979. Now there is a School of the Air base, new Roadhouse, Roads Depot, National Parks Office, Local Land Council Office, Police Station and the usual two hotels and School, Outback Corner Store (as well as Roadhouse) and multiple houses.
The Pioneer Park at the end of town displays a replica of Sturt’s Whale boat that they dragged, carried, and rowed halfway across Australia in search of the supposed inland sea in the 1840s. See our earlier post on Milparinka and references to Sturt.
The Granites Caravan Park has been here since the 90s and more recently added is a non powered caravan park/campground operated by the Local Aboriginal Land Council. As we needed power because our batteries are dying rapidly we chose the Caravan Park. While charging only $25 per night with full services there is a generous 25% discount for a week – so we stayed a week.
When we arrived the Caravan Park was almost full for the powered sites as a few visitors had been delayed by the light rain as all roads except the main highway to the South were closed for a day or two.
Weather was glorious, shorts every day and just slightly chilly evenings and early mornings.
All around the to the North of the town is the Sturt National Park which also has several campgrounds which are very well equipped (if you don’t have a dog!).
On the last evening we went up to the Sunset Lookout, without any cloud the sunset itself was less than spectacular but the view before sunset was amazing for such relatively flat country.
While here we took a drive around theGorge Loop and also walked The Granites Walking track, see next post….