Places visited in the area
Driving to Menindee Lakes
I drove from Mildura to Menindee Lakes not knowing whether nearby Kinchega National Park would be open. It had been closed following rain, and I was hoping it would reopen in time for my visit. But Menindee Lakes was a destination in its own right, so there was plenty to look forward to either way. The drive itself was wonderfully scenic, passing some lovely lakes along the way.
Along the way, I passed a farm with some lovely old derelict cars. I love photographing these weathered relics, with their rusting bodies, faded paint and sense of stories left untold. There’s something wonderfully photogenic about a car slowly surrendering to the elements. This little roadside discovery turned out to be a warm-up for all the incredible derelict cars I would later find in Silverton.
Camping at Menindee Lakes
I camped at Copi Hollow Caravan Park, right on the lake—a wonderfully scenic spot to spend the night. In the early morning, I watched the moon rise over the water as the soft light gradually revealed the landscape. There was something quietly magical about the scene.
Menindee town
When I arrived at Menindee Lakes, I was a little concerned to discover I had no internet reception. I’d expected to have it, and there were a few things I needed to sort out before venturing into Kinchega: whether the park had reopened, what condition the roads were in, and letting Mum know I’d be out of contact for a few days if I went. I drove into town to the Maiden Hotel and was very relieved to find they had Wi-Fi. Relief soon turned to delight when I discovered the park was open! The bartender gave me a map and reassured me that both the road into the park and the route to the campground at Lake Cawndilla should be fine. Suddenly, the next part of my adventure was taking shape. I booked the campsite and to celebrate, I treated myself to a steak.
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| The Maiden Hotel |
Driving into Kinchega National Park
Kinchega Woolshed
I arrived at the historic Kinchega Woolshed, a wonderfully photogenic building both inside and out. Built in 1875 from river red gum and corrugated iron, it preserves an important chapter of Kinchega’s past as a vast sheep station. Around six million sheep were shorn here during its working life—an extraordinary number to contemplate while wandering through the old shed. With its timber structure, wool presses and surviving machinery, there was plenty to photograph and plenty to stir the imagination about the people who once worked here.
Shearer's Quarters
Nearby, the Shearers’ Quarters offered a glimpse into the everyday lives of the men who worked in the woolshed. These were the buildings where they ate, slept and rested after long days of demanding physical work. The precinct includes quarters from the 1920s and a later building erected during the wool boom of the 1950s, which now provides accommodation for park visitors. Together with the woolshed, they help bring Kinchega’s sheep-station days to life, adding a human dimension to the scale of the operation.
Drive to Cawndilla Lake
I’d decided to camp at the more remote Lake Cawndilla, hoping to photograph the birds there. The road can be troublesome after rain, but thankfully it was fine. Along the way, I passed a picnic spot beside a little lake and caught my first glimpse of Kinchega’s famous dead trees. Their bare branches made striking shapes against the water—a wonderful subject for photography. I stopped to capture the scene and photograph some of the birds that lived there, enjoying this little preview of the lakeside beauty to come.
Camping at Cawndilla Lake
I arrived at Lake Cawndilla campground, my home for the next two nights. The camping area was about 300 metres from the lake, tucked into a clump of trees that provided wonderful shade. After pitching my tent, I walked down to the water for my first proper look. The lake was beautiful and full of birds, especially ducks and pelicans, and I returned at sunset and sunrise over the following two days. Those visits became the rhythm of my stay: wandering down with my camera, watching the birds and taking in the changing light. The sunrises and sunsets over the lake were spectacular, making it well worth getting up early and lingering until the day’s last light.
The incredibly photogenic dead trees
Near the edge of the lake stood a large cluster of dead trees. I’d seen photographs of them before coming and had been excited to capture them myself, but they were even more wonderful than I’d expected. There’s something so photogenic about dead trees—the intricate shapes of their bare branches, their weathered trunks and the way each one seems to have its own character. At sunrise and sunset, they were especially striking, silhouetted against the changing colours of the sky and water. I kept finding new angles and compositions as the light changed. I was in photographic heaven, as you can probably tell from the many photos below!
The trees in the soft morning light
The trees at dawn and sunrise
Kangaroos in the park
I saw lots of beautiful kangaroos, both while driving through the park and down by the lake. I adore kangaroos. They’re so quintessentially Australian, and there’s something about their gentle expressions that always melts my heart. I loved stopping to watch them, with those wonderfully alert ears and curious faces. Sharing the lakeside with them added another layer of delight to my time at Cawndilla.
Reptiles
I saw plenty of Shingleback Lizards during my time at Kinchega, with their distinctive stumpy tails and chunky bodies covered in rough, overlapping scales. These members of the blue-tongue family have a wonderfully prehistoric look, like little armoured creatures wandering through the landscape. They were lovely to encounter and made great subjects for a few photographs.
I also spotted a Central Bearded Dragon perched in a tree. With its spiky beard and textured scales, it had a wonderfully prehistoric appearance. It was a lovely contrast to the Shingleback Lizards I’d seen down on the ground, and another delightful reptile encounter at Kinchega.
Birds at the lake
Apart from the dead trees, the birds were the great highlight of Kinchega for me. After the rain, there were so many of them: huge flocks of pelicans and ducks, along with black swans, gulls and terns, and plenty of stilts in the foreground. There was always something to watch and photograph, whether on the water or flying overhead. Getting close to the birds out on the lake wasn’t easy, so my 500 mm lens came in very handy. I loved capturing both the birds on the water and those in flight, their wings spread against the sky. Between the birdlife and the extraordinary trees, my camera was kept very busy!
Raptors
I also got some wonderful close-up photographs of raptors in flight, including a juvenile sea-eagle, a Whistling Kite and a Black Kite. It was thrilling to capture these magnificent birds overhead, close enough to see the detail in their feathers and the spread of their wings. Photographing birds in flight is always a challenge, which made the successful shots especially satisfying. These encounters were among the highlights of my bird photography at Kinchega.
