LAKE CARGELLIGO to ARDLETHAN NSW

  My next goal is to reach Greens Lake across the border and into Victoria between Echuca and Shepparton. There are a couple of routes to choose from. One is to follow the Newell Hwy all the way to Finley  to Tocumwal and then across the Border. Another, and my preferred option is to take the Newell Hwy to Narrandera, the Sturt Hwy and then the Cobb Hwy to Echuca, a more interesting alternative I thought. in any case a long trip which I expect will take 3 days to complete. With quite a few Free Camps identified I should get by. There will be one Caravan Park included since a shower will soon be a necessity. The first leg is Lake Cargelligo to Deniliquin via West Wyalong with an Overnight on the way.
  120 kms got me to West Wyalong by mid morning through now familiar uninspiring country. A Town of medium size with a population variously quoted at between 2300 and 3000. with a rich Gold Mining history there is a crooked Main Street (similar to "Bendy Street" in Canowindra) that is said to follow the original Bullock Track that curved around trees  and gold diggings. The Indigenous occupants of the district were the Wiradjuri and good old John Oxley was the first European to arrive in 1817. Gee that bloke was busy! Oxley didn't think much of the place saying " For want of timber, grass and water, it would never be inhabited by civilised man". well despite this, by 1843, vast Sheep and Cattle runs had been created and the area became known as "The Blands" after a Sydney Doctor. Centralised settlement developed after 1893 when Gold was discovered then in 1894 a Town was proclaimed called Wyalong. By then however, a settlement had developed to the west at "The Main Camp" where the only established water supply existed, "The White Tank". Hence, in 1895 west Wyalong was eventually laid out. The Wyalong Gold fields were very productive right up until the 1920s.
  To my surprise some good examples of Colonial Architecture exist and kept me busy for an hour or so.

The Pubs in West Wyalong

 

The White Tank Hotel

 

                          Tattersalls c1894

                                                                                                      The Royal c1914

                      The Metropolitan c1914

                                                                             The Globe

 

West Wyalong's Churches

 

 

Other examples of  the Heritage of West Wyalong

 

 





  A mere 50kms down the road I found Mirrool. Research had indicated that Mirrool Pub offered Free Camping facilities and a good feed. Turning off the Hwy it was soon obvious that the 21 people who live here had a sense of humour. Mirrools claim to fame is the annual "Silo Kick" held each October where the aim is to kick a football over the estimated 50 metre high Silos. I don't know if anyone has ever done it but I reckon it to be impossible. Mirrool is tiny with the Silos across the road from the Pub, a Rural Firestation, the modern Campsite with a Children's Playground and a half a dozen houses is all there is. I didn't see a human for the whole time I was there.
  One problem though, the Pub was shut, doesn't open till 3pm and serves dinner only on Sundays. It is Friday and I need a good feed tonight so nothing here for me.

Mirrool Town

 

 



  A little further on and a sign pointed the way to the Town of Beckom, why not? A bit bigger than Mirrool with  Residents who with some pride had kept their little Town in top condition. Some nice old Buildings and a collection of antique Farm Machines but nowhere to stay.

 

 

 

 

 

   Not too far past Beckom and there was Ardlethan, pre-identified in my "Camps Australia Wide" book as having a Free Camp. A short Main Street with a couple of Pubs (one closed and was now what looked like a residence), a General Store, small Garage and a Cafe made up Ardlethan. The London Hotel advertised that Dinner was served nightly so one tick. The "Lions Park" in the centre of the "The Town of the Kelpie" was my target. A little oasis beside the Railway Line and Station, shady with a modern looking Amenities Block that had a "Pay for Power" box at $2 for 24hrs. Two Caravans parked there so I will too. Soon after selling in an Old local bloke pulled up in a ute and came over. This kindly Gent explained that he was a Lions Club member and wanted to extend a welcome to Ardlethan, he went on to say the the annual Picnic Races were on the next day (Saturday) on his land and that I was more than welcome to attend. How good is that? I thanked him, knowing that I would not be attending making Me feel a bit guilty and he moved on, I image to repeat what he had said to the other Campers.
  Bangers and Mash at the London Hotel was nothing to crow about (in fact pretty awful) but filled the hole.
  Tomorrow, a long day behind the wheel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't forget to Click on a picture to enlarge it.

LAKE CARGELLIGO via TULLIBIGEAL NSW

  One of my goals this trip is to visit Lake Cargelligo, I don't really know why, I suppose it just sounds interesting and I had heard that there was Free Camping right beside the Lake.
  Arising early (for me anyway) at Gum Bend I was on the road within an hour for an easy 100 km drive to Lake Cargelligo. I travelled through now familiar flat and dry Country with the usual wooded roadside from time to time. I must note that it has been obvious since well before Dubbo that rain has been scarce in the Central Districts of NSW, for quite a while, the norm being dry, brown, paddocks with empty dams and waterless creeks.
  At about the 70 km mark I saw a sign pointing the way to Tullibigeal. I remembered reading that the Town had a good Free Camping spot, sponsored by the local Community, so I took a look. A welcome sign stating that 135 People live here pretty much sums up Tullibigeal. A very old Town obviously, with a General Store and a bloke who's shed looks like he could fix anything. Maybe the reason that these tiny places still exist is evident in the huge Silos and Railcar loading facility right in the Town precinct, obviously a source of ongoing employment. The General Store seemed busy, it was lunchtime. some information that I came across suggested that the locals refer to the Town as "Tulli" and this General Store is the "Tulli Co-op". The Mayfield Hotel and the Tulli Cafe make up the remainder of commercial enterprises.
  To the Campground; a space had been set aside as a Park with a modern Amenities Block set up to cater for Nomads. An enterprising idea for such a tiny place. Lake Cargelligo is however, too close for me to stop here overnight, in another situation I would surely consider it.

The Excitement of Tulli

 



  The remaining drive to the Lake brought with it a change in the landscape, now becoming hilly and the road undulating. A pleasant change from the flatness of the last few hundred Kilometres. The Township of Lake Cargelligo showed little to write about. Reasonably ornate old Pubs, an Art Deco style Theatre and a couple of nice commercial buildings. Old Bank Buildings and Theatres are a good standby in any place. The usual IGA (or sometimes Foodworks) Supermarket, a large Green Grocer and a couple of Speciality Shops make up the retail options for the 1300 residents. A modern Tourist Centre provided some information however, the old Lady, seat-warmer, could offer little help, yet pleasant enough.

 

  The weather has begun to turn with increasing cloud, it looked as though some decent rain was coming at last, accompanied by a marked increase in wind strength. Time to find a Campsite.
  Only two choices are available to camp for free, "Dead Man's Point" and "Frogs Hollow", both of which I checked out. Apparently Dead Man's Point is the location of several ancient Aboriginal Freshwater Shell Middens. Shell Middens were formed by the accumulation of shells by the Aboriginals collecting, cooking and eating Freshwater Mussels, over a very long time. The Midden here is reportedly fairly large and the result of many meals eaten during thousands of years of habitation. As I am stuck in the Hiace at the moment with rain and hailstones falling, exploration is not an option. The actual Campsite is elevated and open to the wind and rain. A large area of treeless grass with a Drop Toilet in the middle didn't excite in these conditions.
 To Frog's Hollow, a Kilometre from the Town Centre, with no Toilet, a thin grassy strip right beside the Lake and dotted with large shade trees. Being less into the wind it was slightly more inviting so here I will stay, regardless of the lack of ablution facilities. Locally sourced information suggests that Frog's Hollow was an Aboriginal Red and Yellow Ochre Quarry. Indeed the short dirt road in displayed such rich hues.
  Although the weather is inclement, a clear vista across the Lake with ducks still active in the now heavy rain, helped to provide some enjoyment. There are a couple of other Campers here, far enough away to ensure some privacy for all. I am a bit tired of travelling everyday, I think that I will spend a couple of nights here as I expect the next stage of my journey to be uneventful.

After the rain at Frog's Hollow

 

 





  For those that want to know something about the Lake, read on. The natural expanse of water was discovered by John Oxley in 1817 who called it Regency Lake in honour of the then Prince Reagent George IV. It was however, renamed " Cudjallagong" by Surveyor General, Sir Thomas Mitchell. The Name Cargelligo is a variation of "Cudjallagong" which in the Wiradjuri language means simply "Lake". It has also been referred to as Cedellico and Cargellico.
  The Lake itself is half way between the source of the Lachlan River and it's junction with the Murrumbidgee. Three natural Lakes, "The Sheet of Water", "Curlew Water" and "Cergelligo", have been modified to increase capacity and collectively are referred to as Lake Cargelligo. Since 1902 it has been the water-storage for the Town with the entire system being completed in 1952.
  Some Statistics:

  Water Depth: 3.7m
  Storage Capacity: 36000 Megalitres
  Surface Area: 1500 Hectares
  Usable Water: 23000 Megalitres
  Release Capacity: 1000 Megalitres / Day
   
  Well that is it, goodbye to the Lake.