Steve at the bar of the Albert Hotel, Milparinka
Dan feeding the animals with Phyl, and Cam watching
Friday, 8th May, 2009
I don’t really know where to begin. After one night in Milparinka, here we sit again at Broken Hill!!! After driving 290km to Milpararinka we discovered while we were setting up camp that we had shattered the rear windscreen. We had no choice but to return to Broken Hill as there are no other services around. Now we know, when you travel on these corrugated roads (towing a trailer – even though you have a stone guard) you cover the rear window with a flattened out cardboard box – this stops all the ricochets. Anyway, this is our first impression of Milparinka….
We had geared the boys up for a solid 3-4 hour drive, took them to McDonald’s for breakfast (last maccas for a long time – or so we thought) so we were ready. The drive was beautiful. Every corner hid a different vista. The earthy colours of the land contrasting against the bright blue of the sky were wondrous. The feeling of anticipation rose as we realized that we were truly entering the ‘outback’. About time!!! The road stretched long ahead of us, flanked by vast properties and salt lakes. The sheep were being mustered, so we were hoping to visit a station for the boys to see it. The plains were abundant with kangaroos and emus running wild, while the sky was constantly patrolled by wedgetail eagles whose wingspans reached at least 2 meters. Magnificent.
Cam and Dan finally put the DS’s and Movies away to search the plains for wildlife. They were finally finding their travel groove. They delighted in spotting ‘mirages’ for the first time, and willy willy’s kicking up the dust.
We reached Milparinka and set up our first “free” camp on the dry banks of an old river bed. This is when we noticed the shattered window – it was still in situ but totally shattered like honeycomb. Thank God for the satellite phone. A quick call to Tim at the Broken Hill Caravan Park (who has saved us on a number of occasions) and we had booked to come back, and he had found us a smash repairer that just happened to have a window for a Pajero NM in stock. What are the chances of that happening in Broken Hill? Having fixed all that, what would be the next logical thing to do…..go to the pub for a beer.
Milparinka is known for it’s pub – now we know why. We were greeted by Phyl who is one great honest lady. Knows everything you need to know and cooks a great meal. I have never felt so at home in a pub anywhere, than I have at Phyl’s. It was more like sitting in your loungeroom – but with more travelers memorabilia. After dinner was eaten and cleared away, in came the baby sheep and goat, which Cam and Dan delighted in feeding their nightly bottle of milk. Phyl also took the boys out fossicking, and gave Cam a piece of petrified wood that was beginning to opalize. He was absolutely wrapped.
So now we have left Milparinka to come back to Broken Hill. The boys have just discovered that one of the friends they made earlier is still here, so they are ecstatic. Cam even went in the pool for a swim – we watched while wearing our fleeces. The usual flock of cockatoos have just flown past and we have that sense of de-ja-vu – way cool. We’ll now be here until Monday and can’t wait to get back to Milparinka and share another beer with Phyl.
I don’t really know where to begin. After one night in Milparinka, here we sit again at Broken Hill!!! After driving 290km to Milpararinka we discovered while we were setting up camp that we had shattered the rear windscreen. We had no choice but to return to Broken Hill as there are no other services around. Now we know, when you travel on these corrugated roads (towing a trailer – even though you have a stone guard) you cover the rear window with a flattened out cardboard box – this stops all the ricochets. Anyway, this is our first impression of Milparinka….
We had geared the boys up for a solid 3-4 hour drive, took them to McDonald’s for breakfast (last maccas for a long time – or so we thought) so we were ready. The drive was beautiful. Every corner hid a different vista. The earthy colours of the land contrasting against the bright blue of the sky were wondrous. The feeling of anticipation rose as we realized that we were truly entering the ‘outback’. About time!!! The road stretched long ahead of us, flanked by vast properties and salt lakes. The sheep were being mustered, so we were hoping to visit a station for the boys to see it. The plains were abundant with kangaroos and emus running wild, while the sky was constantly patrolled by wedgetail eagles whose wingspans reached at least 2 meters. Magnificent.
Cam and Dan finally put the DS’s and Movies away to search the plains for wildlife. They were finally finding their travel groove. They delighted in spotting ‘mirages’ for the first time, and willy willy’s kicking up the dust.
We reached Milparinka and set up our first “free” camp on the dry banks of an old river bed. This is when we noticed the shattered window – it was still in situ but totally shattered like honeycomb. Thank God for the satellite phone. A quick call to Tim at the Broken Hill Caravan Park (who has saved us on a number of occasions) and we had booked to come back, and he had found us a smash repairer that just happened to have a window for a Pajero NM in stock. What are the chances of that happening in Broken Hill? Having fixed all that, what would be the next logical thing to do…..go to the pub for a beer.
Milparinka is known for it’s pub – now we know why. We were greeted by Phyl who is one great honest lady. Knows everything you need to know and cooks a great meal. I have never felt so at home in a pub anywhere, than I have at Phyl’s. It was more like sitting in your loungeroom – but with more travelers memorabilia. After dinner was eaten and cleared away, in came the baby sheep and goat, which Cam and Dan delighted in feeding their nightly bottle of milk. Phyl also took the boys out fossicking, and gave Cam a piece of petrified wood that was beginning to opalize. He was absolutely wrapped.
So now we have left Milparinka to come back to Broken Hill. The boys have just discovered that one of the friends they made earlier is still here, so they are ecstatic. Cam even went in the pool for a swim – we watched while wearing our fleeces. The usual flock of cockatoos have just flown past and we have that sense of de-ja-vu – way cool. We’ll now be here until Monday and can’t wait to get back to Milparinka and share another beer with Phyl.
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