Day 3 and I was loving it. The scenery was incredible. My eyes were wide open, and it was all new.
I was even enamoured with roadside erosion!
Then Sonny had a ‘gold-top moment‘, and yelled
“Stop the car!”
We reversed to see this pretty little flower on a rocky embankment.
We have never seen a Sturt’s Desert Pea before – at least, not in the ‘flesh’. Strange to get excited about a flower, but there it was all brazen and red and exotic on the roadside, and I was thrilled.
Red sand
Emus!!
(well camouflaged)
and then, I squealed, and swerved, stopping and reversing again…
I’d seen the snake moving across the road at the last minute, and hadn’t wanted to run it over – I actually kinda like snakes. Unfortunately for the snake I’d gone right over the back of it’s neck, which as it turns out is probably not so bad…
…cos I think it was an Eastern Brown Snake – most aggressive and second most deadly snake in Australia.
Cool!
Fascinated by these huge ‘nests’ which filled trees for quite a stretch along the highway.
We tried to guess what they may be for. Birds? Spiders? Small marsupials?
But, I think they may be the bag moth cocoon, filled with fairly nasty caterpillars and should not be approached.
Lush outback…
Though, this creek bed is dry…
The Australian vernacular cracks me up. The gorgeous red above, is Dolo Creek…
and in Broken Hill, there is fine dining and art on top of the slag heap…
We didn’t dine at the Broken Earth restaurant, as tempting as it was for both it’s view (from the slag heap) and it’s menu – we were five, and on a budget.
But we did find a ‘big’!
Broken Hill, while still in NSW, uses the South Australian time zone and telephone area code, such is it’s distance from pretty much everything except the state border.
A mining town, the ‘Capital of the Outback’ grew up around a massive ore deposit containing the world’s richest source of silver, lead, and zinc. In fact, the world’s largest mining company, BHP Billiton, was established there in 1885, as Broken Hill Proprietry Company Limited.
It’s a little city that has helped support a big country.
The miners’ memorial, a striking and imposing cenotaph perched on the acropolis that is the slag heap, serves as a stark reminder of the city’s history, and the tough working conditions for people in the mines.
There are plenty of accommodation options in Broken Hill, but we always seek the unusual, and Mario’s Palace Hotel fit the bill.
Mind you, the kids weren’t so impressed.
It’s old style pub accommodation, and they ended up with the room with no ensuite and a television that was old enough to have knobs and rabbit ears, which totally threw them (and just showed snow anyway).
But it was charming, well-priced, and the rooms looked out onto a beautiful, wide verandah with pretty lace-work…
And then, there’s the interior…
Beautiful ceiling
Morning light in our room
and on the verandah
I watched the cockatoos across the road play in the sprinkler for ages. The air was crisp and cool and the water must have been freezing, but they looked like they were having so much fun!
The Palace Hotel is featured in the movie, ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’, and the Broken Hill area has provided a stunning backdrop for many productions over the years, notably the awesome film, ‘Wake in Fright’, and the better known, ‘Mad Max 2’. Worthwhile checking some out if you were planning a trip.
There is plenty to see and do in the Silver City. I loved the architectural timeline – of the shopfronts and pubs (I’m particularly partial to art deco, which gets a good look-in here), the grand residences, and the miners cottages – a slice of history in every street. Broken Hill is also home to a vibrant arts community, and with it’s awesome natural surrounds, it’s just a shame we didn’t have more time.
But, early the next morning, we were on the road again…
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