Broken Hill Road Trip

Broken Hill Road Trip

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Posted 2016-09-19 by Outrageous Jonesfollow
Broken Hill seems to be the last place Adelaideans think of when planning a weekend sojourn away. I am as guilty of passing it by; my last visit was over 20 years ago.

However a recent four-day break beckoned a new destination, and
we delighted in our afternoon drive up the Barrier Highway, passed some great little towns to the sadly declining, but wonderfully rich tourist tapestry of "the Hill". You can't miss the giant Solar Array as you drive into the outskirts of town.
A sign of things to come.

For accommodation, we chose one of the many cottages on offer from locals through the usual sites. Our cottage was close to the main street and full of amenity. There is plenty of good quality accommodation available in Broken Hill.

For day one we selected a fully catered one day Tri-State Safari to Mutawintji National Park . Our certified guide Mark taught me more about the deep and abiding Australian indigenous culture than I had ever known or imagined. Truly enlightening thank you, Mark.[BREAK]


Back in town, and out for dinner to the Palace Hotel, scene of part of the movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert. It was the beginning of our art experience that would last the next 24 hours. The wall art and bric-a-brac feel of artefacts all over the Pub was unique. Let me recommend a pre-dinner drink on the expansive balcony. The food here was a big surprise. Plenty of choices and expertly presented.
[BREAK]
Day two continued our art tour with a visit to the eclectic Jack Absalom's Gallery, including an audience with Jack, one of the famous brush-men of the Bush. On to Pro Harts professional outfit, a delightful experience, then to the Sculpture Symposium on top of a beautiful 360-degree panorama. Out to Silverton for lunch at the pub, a visit to the Mad Max Museum and a drive around the ghostly 50's infrastructure of the Penrose Park, once the playground of Broken Hill families on their day off.

Back to town and a visit to the small, but exquisite collection of the Regional Art Gallery in the main street. Dinner at the other beautiful pub, with live music from the owner and equally excellent cuisine, the Royal Exchange.

Day three broke with more sunshine on offer, and a trip to Menindee Lakes was beckoning. While the lakes are mostly dry, there is enough water, especially in the Darling, to keep your interest and the bird life was teeming. The local Pub again fed us well, as we pondered what it would have been like when visited by Messrs Burke and Wills on the way to infamy.



Back to the Hill, and a visit to the resplendent 60's at the local ice cream parlour, Bells Milk Bar on the other side of the mine.

That evening we again chose the Palace Hotel and delighted in one of those travelling conversations with strangers, that you can only find in the outback. Our farming friends from Yass (near Canberra) were on an airfield hopping holiday to the Kimberley's, and Broken Hill was the first stop.

[BREAK]

Next morning and a leisurely drive back down the highway to Adelaide, full of plans to spend a week or more, and fully explore the region around "the Hill". Perhaps using the Gyrocopter's the locals use to muster sheep.

#fun_things_to_do
#guides
#long_weekend
#travel
#weekend_escapes
%wnadelaide
161556 - 2023-06-14 19:26:26

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