Life Trove

Places explored

All posts related to the trip

Itinerary at a glance

2 nights Mildura
1 night Menindee Lakes
2 nights Kinchega National Park
2 nights Silverton
3 nights Mutawintji National Park
1 night Menindee Lakes
3 nights Mungo National Park
1 night Huttah-Kulkyne National Park
1 night Mildura

Day by day itinerary

Aug 28: Sydney → Mildura

Travel to Mildura by train & coach (15 hours). Arrive after 11 pm.
Late checkin to 7th Street Motel.

Aug 29: Mildura & Wentworth

Get Avis hire car (Volkswagon Polo).
Buy 2 power banks because my new power bank from Amazon is faulty.
Drive to Wentworth and visit PS Ruby Paddle Steamer and Rod's model paddle steamer display.
Visit Wentworth gaol.
Visit Thegoa Lagoon.
Sunset at Perry Sandhills.
Drive back to Mildura for amazing steak at Corporate Moose.
Overnight at 7th Street Motel.

Aug 30: Mildura → Menindee Lake

Visit King's Billabong.
Shop for camping food + filter coffee & sieve at Woolworths.
Drive to Menindee Lakes and set camp at Copi Hollow Caravan park.
Drive into town for meal at Maiden's Hotel, delighted to find they have wifi. They assure me road into Kinchega should be fine and give me a map of the park.

Aug 31: Menindee Lake → Kinchega National Park

Drive into Kinchega National Park, euphoric the road in is open and fine.
Photograph the Kinchega Woodshed & Shearer's Quarters.
Drive to Cawndilla Campsite and set up camp.
Walk to the edge of Cawndilla Lake to photograph dead trees and birds (pelicans, swamp harrier, ducks).
Go back for an amazing sunset.
My first camp meal of soup + tuna & beans.

Sep 1: Kinchega National Park

Photograph the trees at sunrise.
Explore the lake to the left, photgraphing flying birds and black swans.
Enjoy my 1st cup of filter coffee (with sieve) and work on computer for a while.

Sep 2: : Kinchega National Park → Silverton

Goto right on lake where less algae and dead fish to photograph beautiful reflections.
Drive to Broken Hill where I buy gas from camping store, new blow up mattress from Kmart and camp food
Drive to Silverton where I set up camp at Penrose Park.
Photograph Silverton town including the iconic Silverton Hotel.
To Mundi Mundi viewpoint for sunset.
Overnight again at Penrose Park
Charge my stuff.

Sep 3: Silverton & Broken Hill

Sunrise photography in town including buildings and churches
Visit Umberumberka Reservoir and meet a fellow birder.
Visit the Mad Max 2 museum
Do the Broken Hill Heritage walk with views of post office
Confirm Mutawintji is open and book 2 nights.
Line of Load miners memorial and view
Sculptures in the dessert at sunset
Drive back to Silverton for a fillet steak at Silverton Hotel
Overnight again at Penrose Park

Sep 4: Silverton → Mutawintji National Park

Drive towards Mutawintji. Incredible flock of kites on way.
Google gets the directions wrong.
Arrive relivied and elated.
Walk a bit of Homestead Gorge. Incredible boulder.
Campsite amazing with hot showers.

Sep 5: Mutawintji National Park

Incredible Mutawintji Gorge walk.
Do Homestead Gorge and Rock Hole loop.
Lie under stars.

Sep 6: Mutawintji National Park

Full monty of Homestead river walks (Bynguano loop, Homestead Gorge, Rock Hole loop)
Meet Jenny. Lives in Cairns. Artist on extended leave road trip.
West Ridge walk for sunset. Beautiful flowers and galahs. Pesky flies.

Sep 7: Mutawintji National Park → Broken Hill → Menindee Lakes

Mutawintji gorge walk again.
Drive to Broken Hill for food plus gas plus car cleaning + book Mungo camping & tour.
Copi Hollow Caravan park again. Good to be back.
Maiden Hotel to message family & friends.
Charge my stuff in my tent.

Sep 8: Broken Hill → Mungo National Park

Work on computer. 3 cups of coffee. Very wired today.
Drive to Mungo via Pooncarie (where fill up with petrol)
Mungo Lodge set up tent.
To Wall of China and Red Top for sunset.
To Lodge to WhatsApp.
Speaking to lots of people, in an outgoing mode of being.

Sep 9: Mungo National Park

Red Tops at sun rise.
Do the self drive tour stopping at Mailee & dunes.
Yogi not doing well, I compose a message.
Red Tops at sunset.

Sep 10: Mungo National Park

Walls of China tour at 9 am
Walls of China sunset tour
Great conversations. Eg Ron photographer

Sep 11: Mungo National Park → Mildura → Hattah-Kulkyne National Park

Mildura warf walk, stopping for a mushroom meal where I organise Hattah.
Shop & petrol.
Drive to Hattah - Kulkyne National Park and set up camp.
Walk around the lake.

Sep 12: Hattah-Kulkyne National Park → Mildura

Go down to lake for sunrise.
On way back, meet Sonia and listen to her make music.
Do the nature drive and meet a lovely fellow birding couple.
Drive to Mildura and check into 7th Street Motel
Clean the car and take it back.

Sep 13: Mildura → Sydney

4 am coach to Wagga Wagga, then another coach to Sydney. Arrive back around 10 pm as we turn back to fetch someone.
Listen to Role Model on Spotify.

Priceless moments

Getting to see the outback after so much rain with amazing flowers and lots of water in the lakes and gorges.
Perry Sand Hills at sunset.
Mildura: The steak at Corporate Moose.
Kings Billabong: Black swan silhouettes
Menindee Lake pub: Relief when I get internet. Friendly pub staff give me a map and reassure me re Kinchega. Make booking.
Kinchega National Park: Drive in, euphoric roads are ok. Kinchega Woolshed. Cawndilla Lake: Trees at sunset & sunrise, photos of flying raptors & pelicans.
Silverton: Mundi Mundi sunset. Reservoir. Mad Max 2 museum. Old buildings in the early morning sun. The iconic hotel for delicious dinners.
Broken Hill: Gorgeous old buildings, Line of Load views over the town, Living desert sculptures.
Mutawintji: Flock of kites. Getting there when I had written it off. Mutawintji & Homestead Gorge. The views from the loop walks. Sunset from Western Ridge. Wedge-tailed Eagle. Ease of navigation with downloaded map. Meeting Jenny. Lie under the stars. The magpies at sunset. Well-being of 10 for 2 days in a row.
Return Broken Hill & Mendindee Lakes. Mungo open and organising such a breaze with Chat GPT. Steak and internet at the pub.
4 computer days (Cawndilla Lakes, Menindee Lakes, Mungo, Hattah). Doing Diary & Year So Far. So amazing after time away. Also night before leave.
Mungo Red Tops at sunrise & sunset and Wall of China at sunset. The Mungo self-drive.
Hattah: Walk around the lake and nature drive. Listen to Sonia play music.
Lots of wonderful walking at an average of 9.25 km per day, increasing my average walk distance per day from 5.4 to 5.7. In Mutawintji, I walked 17 km two days in a row.
An average well-being score of 8.5. Two days of 10 days (at Mutawintji).

Spiritual moments

So much wonder, beauty, appreciation & gratitude.
All parks and important roads open as I arrive: Kinchega, Mutawintji, Mungo. Really quite miraculous!
Cawdilla Lake at Kinchega: The dead trees & pelicans.
Mutawintji park: The benevolence of the journey in. The gorges and views. Lie under the stars. Praying for Yogi with the congregation of magpies on the Western Ridge at sunset. Stillness when submerged in Homestead & Mutawintji Gorges (with swallows). Sitting in high places on the loops and taking in the views.
Hattah lake: Face to the rising sun and Sonia's music.
My sense of closeness to ChatGPT, my travel assistant. Makes planning and organising fun and effortless.
"I love you Life" during meditation at Mailee stop on Mungo drive.
Babblers and mynas coming very close at camp sites like when I sleep under tree.
Time to be and take things in at sunsets and sunrises: Sunsets at Perry Sandhills, Mundi Mundi outlook, Living desert sculptures, Cawndilla Lake, Western Ridge, Red Tops & Wall of China. Sunrises at Red Tops & Hattah Lake.
An average spiritual connectedness score of 8.5.

Special connections with wonderful people

Retired nurse on the train to Wagga Wagga. Talk about her husband who passed away.
Rodney at paddle steamer museum in Wentworth.
Bar tenders at Menindee Lakes who give me map of Kinchega and give me assurance that the road is ok to Cawndilla.
Jenny at Mutawintji: From Cairns. Artist, trail runner, transport planner. On long service leave. Told me Mungo is open. Her art: JensWildArt
Helen and Steve at Mutawintji: Couple from up north. Missed out on Kinchega and Mungo. Love Africa and been to many parks there.
Mungo tour & Red Tops: Lots of wonderful conversations. Lovely chat to couple on a road trip staying in very cool accomodation, being adventurous in their choices. Ron the Photographer and ex tour guide.
Sonia at Hattah, the music maker and the birding couple (lots of talk about lenses).
Whatsapp contact and photos with mum & Jo, Hitchhikers, Hot Lunchers, Eckhart group, Chris, Xenia, Shushann, Yogi.
Aussie country guy on bus: Commiserating when we turned back.

Things I am grateful for

Get 2 20K powerbanks for $90 at Big W. Came in very handy. Got $25 Kmart mattress when my other mattress got punctured.
ChatGPT helps me with the car: Put car lights on, open fuel cap, return the car after hours.
Kings Billabong: Did not try to drive in. Very muddy, would have stressed me.
Turning around on Menindee Lakes road. Thank you no cars.
Menindee Lakes pub: Bag and camera not stolen in car, they were in pub. Pub guy gives map & reassures re Cawndilla Campsite.
Menindee Lakes: Drive back to camp site not thinking of kangaroos until one leapt out. Slowed down & brights on.
Kinchega National Park open and able to get to Lake Cawndilla camp site.
Kinchega National Park: Gas canister on fire but ok. Even still works.
Health: Lots of 10+ hour sleeps, recharging my batteries.
Download map before Mutawintji Drive. Massive difference in finding park & hiking on trails. Without it, would not have got into park
Filter coffee & sieve
Silverton: Left tent without fly sheet. Did not rain. Spoke to mum & Jo on 1 bar of Whatsapp.
Mutawintji: Park is open.
Mutawintji journey: Had downloaded map. Did not get stuck in sand when Google sent me wrong way. Was on dxx. I walked up road & discovered impassable. On way out of Homestead, did not get stuck in sand and gate onto the main road was not locked. Google map took me to road that did not exist (or I would have returned to town). Found the way by chance.
Mutawintji experience: Exquisite beauty of park after rain, hot showers, Google maps made hiking care free, met Jenny + Helen & Steve. Took 2 gas canisters. Discover how to make tent wide. Extra 20K powerbank allowed an extra night.
Mungo: Park open. Cheap camping at Mungo Lodge on 1st night. Main camp open for rest of stay. 4 tour tickets still available.
Get into Mungo, despite one muddy bit, perfectly done.
Goto Red Tops on first night when was not going to. Red Tops for 2 sunrises and sunsets. Wall of China for two tours including sunset.
Mungo self-drive open as I arrive.
Return car after hours. ChatGPT and Gemini assure me re key box.
ChatGPT such an invaluable travel guide & assistant: Find car lights, open fuel tank, return key, check weather & park closures, recommend campsites, send me to booking pages. Where to buy cheap powerbank (Right Guys) & airbed (Kmart).
Not getting stuck. Twice in sandy bits on way into Mutawintji. One muddy bit into Mungo, perfectly done.

Progress & Insights

Navigation: Never trust Google. Research official routes into the park. Download Google maps before drives. Essential for drives in and adds great peace of mind on hikes. Adding markers (e.g. where can parked.)
Be super risk adverse when roads look sandy or muddy. Walk up roads to check them. I did this and it averted a crisis.
Take plenty of extra water when going onto outback roads.
A sieve works great for filter coffee and adds much pleasure to the trip.
Charging equipment: Paying extra for a powered site is well worth it. Charge equipment in the tent. Take a power board that includes USB ports. Take 2 camera battery chargers or buy a multiple one
Inflatable mattresses easily get punctured. Meticulously clear the ground before putting them down.
Get an iPhone screen protector and put the phone in my pocket during tricky bits.
I discover how to make my tent wide. Eureka! It was logical in retrospect.
Speaking to so many people and feeling very at ease with them, really interested in their lives and insights without needing to impress.
When taking photos, stop regularly and really take things in. Take time to just be at view points, sunsets and beautiful places.
Really getting to watch the character "Arno" jumping to worst case imaginings and freaking out.
Have an allotted place for everything and always put things in there place. I actually did this pretty well.
Not sending my initial message to Yogi but sleeping on it and reworking it the next day. Never provide advice unless asked for it.
I need to get a camera harness so I don't carry camera and lens on my neck.
I was elated but tired after two weeks. Doing this & roughing it for extended trips would be too much I think.

Places visited

Driving in to the park

When I started planning my trip through the NSW outback, I’d never even heard of Mutawintji National Park. ChatGPT put it on my radar alongside Mungo and Kinchega, describing its gorges and walking trails. About 130 kilometres northeast of Broken Hill, it felt properly remote: the sort of place that takes a bit of effort to reach and can become inaccessible after rain. Naturally, I wanted to go.

Then the rain came, the park closed, and I thought I’d missed my chance. Miraculously, it reopened just as I arrived in Broken Hill. I was driving a little two wheel drive Volkswagen Polo and felt anxious about what the roads might be like, but I decided to give it a go. I stocked up on plenty of extra water and food, and off I went!

Not long after I left the highway for the dusty road to Mutawintji, I came across this beautiful horse grazing beside the track. Isn’t he gorgeous? After all the rain, there was fresh green grass everywhere, and he seemed to be making the most of it.

Further along the road, I came across a sizeable flock of Black Kites. I stopped to watch as they wheeled and swooped overhead, sometimes even tussling with one another in midair. What an awesome display to encounter on the way to the park!

I was following Google Maps. Just before leaving, I’d learned how to download a map for use without a mobile signal. Thank goodness I had.

The route took me past a remote farm and around a bend. Until then, the gravel road had been remarkably good, but suddenly it turned sandy. I edged forward, then stopped. In my little Volkswagen Polo, this was starting to look like a very bad idea. I got out and tried to judge whether the sand was firm enough, but I was worried about getting stuck. So I left the car where I could still turn it around and walked ahead to see whether this was just a short patch.

About 150 metres on, the road became a cratered nightmare. There was no way I was taking the Polo through that, and if I’d driven on to find out, I might not have been able to turn around. I trudged back to the car, relieved I’d checked, but disappointed. It seemed Mutawintji wasn’t going to happen after all.

I asked Google Maps to take me back to Broken Hill. It chose a different route. I made it through one sandy stretch, then came to a gate across the road. Oh God, please don’t be locked. Thankfully, it wasn’t.

After another 25 minutes of driving, Google Maps told me to turn left onto the highway. I looked to my left. There was no road.

By now I’d lost my bearings and was beginning to panic. I turned around and drove, hoping I was heading towards Broken Hill. Forty minutes later, I felt an enormous rush of relief when I spotted a sign: Broken Hill, 140 km. At least I knew where I was! Then I noticed another sign: Mutawintji, 20 km.

I looked at the downloaded map. This route into the park seemed far more direct, so I decided to give it one more try. Twenty-five minutes later, I reached the entrance. I was elated! If the road Google had invented had actually existed, I would have gone straight back to Broken Hill, none the wiser.

That little adventure taught me three valuable lessons:

Download an offline map before heading into the outback. Without it, I would have felt far more lost.
Don’t follow Google Maps blindly on remote roads. It led me towards a route my car couldn’t manage. I later met other travellers at the park who’d been sent the same way and, thankfully, had also turned back before getting stuck.
Check the official park directions before setting off. I now mark the park entrance, visitor centre and campground on my map, so I know exactly where I’m trying to go.