Yarra Ranges Ulysses
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Wirrealpa Station

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Wirrealpa Station Empty Wirrealpa Station

Post by Mongrel Sat May 13 2017, 19:14

At brunch this morning a few people were whinging about that not much is coming up on our site these days. I guess most have jumped the fence over to this bookface. Hey, I guilty too. Anyway, here are my scribbles about the Flinders Ranges trip.

Ulysses Special Interest Group’s annual meeting at Wirrealpa Station SA.

On Friday 28/4 my son Steen, on his old jack hammer XTZ660 and me on the Beamer, headed off over the top of the city travelling on only small roads...Broadford/Maryborough/Dimboola. We bush camped on the Wimmera River for the night and then headed north up the Murrayville Track through the Big Desert/Pinnaroo/Waikerie where we found a lovely spot to camp on the bank of the Murray. Went across the Murray on a barge at Cadell, then Burra, Orroroo and when we rolled past the Cradock pub we thought we better give the horses a break while we had a drink. Dickie the publican offered us to set up camp at the back of the pub for the night. Hmm...late start next morning. Had a look at the remarkable gallery in Hawker before heading for Blinman and Angorichina Village. We managed to find a five star site to camp for the night, hidden in the Parachilna Gorge. Next morning we headed north to see the ruins of the Nuccaleena copper mine...on tracks you definitely would not make on your shiny Harley. On the way back we went through the Glass Gorge, Blinman and then out to Wirrealpa Station where we all camped around the paddocks for two nights. The shower was hot and the food was good. Wednesday was a lazy day where Steen and I just did the 35k’s back to Blinman to do the underground mine tour. Around 75 riders from all corners of Oz turned up for the gala dinner in the woolshed that night. The station owner did a long talk about the history of the place, which was very interesting. The old tried and trusted dr650 outnumbered any other bike in the paddock, with the klr650 runner-up. Thursday morning we took off...on some unknown track heading south only to end up on the blacktop 60k down the road. After that we went on dirt wherever we could find a shortcut, ending the day near a deserted ghost town called Dawson. Next morning we found our way out to the Barrier Hwy and here we were in for a very long stretch of mind-numbing tar. At the SA/NSW border we stopped for a break at a place called Cockburn...disturbing name I thought, with only 3 or 4 houses and a pub. It’s a community run town with no rates or government help, like lots of other outback towns. At the pub there were a couple of rough old sheilas hanging around so we thought we better get out of there...just in case the name of the place had anything to do with it. In Broken Hill we did some shopping for the nights camping in the hills beyond Silverton...Mad Max Country. Next day we did the touristy thing around BH and headed north up the Silver City Hwy. It was blowing a gale but as it happen we found an old abandoned shearing shed where we stayed for the night. After that we hit the dirt again across to White Cliffs. By then we’ve eaten a fair amount of dirt and needed a flush. Bugger...the pub was closed being a Sunday. Next camp was Wilcannia Caravan Park on the bank of the Darling...and a hot shower. Too many drunken blackfella’s hanging around to camp nearby. Had to pay the premium price of $10 a site. Again we hit the dirt down along the Darling through Menindee and again camped on the Darling near Pooncarie. We only did around 270k’s for the day but the equipment did get a good old bashing. Steen had lost the sleeve packing on the muffler. His old Jack needed a little repair work. A couple of cut up beer cans did the job nicely. Next camp was Gunbower Island near Cohuna, then Echuca, Rushworth, Merton, Alex, Healesville and home sweet home. 3800km round trip. Not sure the ratio from hard top to bull dust.
I need to mention that I do love bush camping just as much as riding. Most people may think it’s a rough way to travel, but its right up my alley. My routine is to buy supply in the last town of the day and there’s no factory packed food in my camp...except for the beer. It’s just too easy to make a gourmet meal in the bush. All I need is some hot coals, a roll of foil and my trusty old Trangia stove...a lump of meat, a few spuds and fresh veg’s. My days on the bike may be a little shorter than most but I do need to make fresh brewed coffee & bacon and eggs in the morning. Happy days. Cheers
Mongrel
Mongrel

Posts : 6
Join date : 2012-11-07
Location : Up them hills

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