After moving on from Ceduna we are at Broken Hill for a couple of nights. It is R & R time after a few busy days and the rigours of the golf.

After leaving Ceduna we stopped in at Kimba for the night. Eyre passed through the Kimba area on his way across the Nullarbor. There are monuments to Eyre all over the place. This one at Kimba on a hill overlooking the town is particularly good. The odd thing is that he is standing looking back east rather than west where he was headed.

Eyre and his offsider at Kimba

In nearby Wudinna is a rather large Monument to the Australian Farmer. It is carved from local granite. Granite is a big industry in Wudinna. It has pink granite which appears to be rare. They export it to all parts of the world. This monument is quite impressive, it has 4 carved sides each of which with a little story to tell about the rewards and perils of farming in the Outback. Kimba also has an impressive monument………a Big Galah. Kimba is half way across Australia it seems and the Big Galah marks the spot. Both Wudinna and Kimba are stepping off points for a trip to the Gawler Ranges N.P. to the north.

Big statue at Wudinna

Big Galah at Kimba

Next stop was a call into Whyalla to stay the night in a house! Very strange feeling this after nearly 3 months in the van. We stayed the night with Alan and Janet Bran, friends of Leanne from many years ago in Orange. We last saw them 10 years back in Brisbane. A  bit of reminiscing took place. They also are into camping and currently have a camper trailer. Much chatter about our various travels around the country. They comprehensively allayed Homealone’s  concerns of doing the Gibb River Rd up in the Kimberley. So…

Whyalla

At Kimba Showground

Next morning we were back on the road stopping at Peterborough. This was a big steam train rail centre from the late 1800s up until the end of steam in 1970. 3 different gauges had to be dealt with here and at one stage over a hundred trains a day were passing through, having to be shunted and carriages/ wagons changed to cater for the different gauges. With the advent of common gauge and the arrival of diesel Peterborough died almost overnight. There is a great steam museum here and train miniatures adorn the roads on the 4 entrances to the town. Today Peterborough focuses on tourism and its proximity to the Flinders Ranges to the north.

Homealone on board and in control

Peterborough

So onto Broken Hill, after a short stop at the Border Gate for a luncheon hamburger and chips. Not much done in Broken Hill, quite hot and steamy when we arrived. Dropped in to see the Big Picture. It’s one of those big paintings in the round viewed from a central platform. 100 metres around and depicts various Outback scenes from the Flinders Ranges, White Cliffs, Mungo NP, Barrier Ranges, Broken Hill sculptures etc. There is a pile off bush in front of the picture with snakes and birds on the sand, rocks and lizards.Quite impressive. The thing to see if you are in Broken Hill it seems. Depends who you ask though I suspect.

At the border gate

Broken Hill

We next head for Wilcannia and a stop beside the Darling River. The river is in flood and very full, but wont reach a peak there until mid November when the water arrives from Bourke.