Gold Town to Cameron Corner junction of SA, Qld and NSW

Milparinka is just off the road – in fact it isn’t there at all any more – just the pub and two houses for the caretakers. It was an early gold mining centre and just the stone remains of the buildings of quite a substantial town. At its height, Milparinka had a newspaper, police office, chemist shop, two butchers, a courthouse, a school, a hospital and four hotels – there’s only one left. With Charlie early in the morning I roam the town, faithfully marked as to the origins – the police station, the lock-up, the courthouse, the bank, the bakers, then the names of all the people in front of the block where they lived. Sometimes there’s a fireplace left, sometimes just a cellar – there’s even a well where all used to collect their water.
The river is as dead as the town itself. We love the place – the very silence and history of it, the wide open spaces, the volunteers who run a ‘kinda’ caravan park – paying us far more attention than our measly $20 a night deservcd. The volunteers running the ‘park’ – big square of red dust – are raising money to restore some of the buildings – great cause. We stay three nights and could have stayed more.

The Albert Hotel, Milparinka – notice the Cessna 210 to the left – how stylish can you get! – these people landed and taxied to the Hotel for a drink – very pleasant couple of hours we spent…

Dry as a bone – usually is – water was very expensive in the gold mining days

The streets are all still marked – along with names of the people who lived there

18JUL2020 – TIBOOBURRA

The big day has arrived, we’re trying to get into Queensland. First up to Tibooburra to get fuel for car and humans and then on to Cameron Corner, the junction between Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales. We have our Covid passes ready on our phones.

Tibooburra is pretty much like many western towns – one street, with a rickety looking line of shops, lot of red dirt and quirky locals. Can’t stop too long – we’re in a hurry before Queensland shuts off the border to NSW!

18-19JUL2020 CAMERON CORNER

We’re pretty nervous about arriving at the border – our passes are in order, ready on our phones, but will they close Queensland before we get there?

The corrugations are intense – all our drawers fall out, one of the refrigerators collapses, but lunch in the Strezlecki Desert is something you don’t do every day.

Gibber plains – can’t take enough photos of them

Really guys – this is pretty boring for a Jack Russell

There’s not a soul at the gate to South Australia. It’s fast shut though, with some scary warnings if you don’t shut it after you,. Next you turn right and there’s the gate to Queensland, with a Welcome sign and not even a gate in existence to shut. So much for all the fuss!