The Reids Down Under: NSW Outback

It's been a while since the last update....and there has been lots going on.

The main event of the last month was an 8 day, 3,165km trip around outback NSW. We decided the new car needed a good drive and then remembered that we'd always wanted to go to Mungo National Park - a mere 1,250km west of Sydney (but still in NSW).

So, we packed the car and headed West!

Our first stop was Dubbo (420km) and a trip to the safari park - which you can cycle round. Despite the cold and rain (and a pregnant wife) we got on the bikes and cycled round the 7km track.

The Giraffes were our favourites.

After Dubbo it was on to Cobar - a mining town that after 140 years of decline has started booming again due to this copper mine. The mine is over 1km deep - you can just see the mine entrance if your look closely at the photo.

Next stop was White Cliffs - for Opal fossicking and a night in an underground Motel. The motel rooms are old mine shafts and we really enjoyed staying there. White Cliffs as a town is dying - only 200 people live there and I don't think they are many Opals left.

After White Cliffs we hit the dirt road to Mutawinje National Park to see Aboriginal art, lots of wildlife and do some great walks.

This was a wonderful valley in the National Park. The walk to the top got us warmed up - it was only about 5 degrees that day.

Next stop Broken Hill and a day trip to Daydream Mine - an old Silver Mine that is now a tourist attraction. This mine was dug out by Cornish Miners who were all about 4 foot 5 inches tall - so Emma and the Kids were fine - but I discovered that I am not designed to be a miner...

After the mine we headed to Silverton - once the busiest silver mining town in Australia....now dead (population 45) and the place they filmed the Mad Max movies....

After a few days in Broken Hill we followed the Murray River South.

Past some interesting objects - this was an advert for a local garage.....we were 200km from any town at this point....

We then spent 3 days in Mungo National Park - staying at Turlee Station - a 145,000 acre sheep station. The kids had a great time playing with the puppies, running wild and trying to keep warm....very frosty most nights.

But the scenery was stunning.

and the car coped well with a lot of dirt and mud - although the wheels lacked a bit of grip at times.

Mungo National Park is where the oldest human remains in Australia were found. It is also the site of the oldest evidence of cremation in the world - 40,000 years ago. Up to 10,000 years ago this area was a huge lake, filled with fish and surrounded by local aborignal tribes. Now it is a barren desert with only Emu's and Kangaroos surviving.