Four of our very good friends (two couples) and ourselves have just experienced a great “Plan C” camping holiday over an “extended” June long weekend.
Our “Plan A” was a six day camping trip to
Mungo National Park in NSW south west region, from Thursday to the following Tuesday.
The day before we left, we received
feedback from the local rangers that rain was forecast for the Mungo area and we decided to implement some alternative strategy, as the road in and the Park itself may be closed at any time if rain occurred in the area.
Our plan was to drive from
Adelaide to
Renmark the first day and had booked a three bedroom cabin at a Caravan Park on the banks of the Murray, due to our latish departure.
The cabin facilities were superb and after “settling in” with a bottle of our favorite bottle or two of
champagne and beers for the boys, we took a 15 minute stroll to the local Pub for a convivial meal, just to “set the scene” you understand.
All of this was to ensure a hassle free early morning departure for our ultimate destination.
Due to the forecast inclement weather, we rang the local rangers for a possible “
Plan B” destination to the
Murray River National Park (Katarapko) about 20 minutes drive back towards
Adelaide as an alternative, but the advice we got was that rain was also forecast for the Friday and Saturday in that area as
well.
We decided to push on to our original destination but travel on to
Pooncarie, about 33 kilometers further up the bitumen, than the
Top Hut Road turnoff to
Mungo National Park.
On reaching the turnoff a
sign stated that all roads were currently open but we decided to continue on to
Pooncarie (
end of bitumen) and reassess our options.
We arrived at
Pooncarie (
population about 60) and called in to the local Pub for a “revival” drink to our parched throats.
While consuming my first beer, I made a call to the Mungo Rangers Headquarters for an update and was given an honest assessment that while the
Top Hut Road was currently open, if rain occurred as forecast, the local roads would be closed and not only could we not traverse around the National park area, but in fact may be “resident” for a few days extra.
While deciding whether we would “risk” the drive further north to the
Menindee Lakes area, we struck up a conversation with an amiable local who was a Sheep Shearer during season and an “odd job” man at other times. He gave us some local advice that was to set the scene for an enjoyable stay in the area.
We had two options available to us if we chose to
camp in the area.
The first was the “common” just up from the pub and which had basic amenities.
The second option was an area a few clicks out of town, just short of the
bridge over the Darling on the alternate route to
Broken Hill, some three hundred and something clicks further on. This area did not have resident amenities but we had brought our own "comfort stations" with us.
We decided on the area just short of the
bridge and thanking our local “expert” proceeded to our
camping area.
We set up
camp on the banks of the
Darling River which actually had water in it and over the next four and a bit days, had the whole area to ourselves, except for a “bunch” of wild goats who kept their distance and a brief interlude of a couple of trail bikers who soon decided on greener pastures elsewhere.
We had a reasonable quantity of firewood we brought in, plus a fair hoard of local “tree droppings” that were scattered throughout the
camping area which provided more than enough for a continuous
camp fire to sit around,
cook on, and um’ look at.
Where am I going with this?
If it wasn’t for a local we encountered in a little old Country Pub, we would not have discovered the perfect camping spot for our stay in the area.
We never asked his name and never got to buy him a beer, but his local knowledge set the scene for a most enjoyable “Plan C” camping holiday and one which all of us will remember with fond memories, despite the occasional rain shower which did not dilute our decision to
camp there rather than risk further “unknown” circumstances.
Oh, I love our Country and the folk in it.
Just a little bit of “trivia” we obtained from the barmaid during a second visit to the bar. (just to be amiable you understand)
Pooncarie is a small town at the end of the bitumen road towards Menindie Lakes.
Just outside of town is a Mining operation that provides ongoing “existence” for
Pooncarie’s
population. The mining operation extracts certain (coloured) minerals that end up as some of the various colour coating in your packet of Smarties or M&M’s.
Education as
well:-)
Bill.