Cameron behind the bar at Cameron Corner with Fenn and Bill
Cam, Steve and Dan on Cameron Corner's version of "Little Red"
Cameron on the QLD Border driving in to the Corner Store
All of us with a hand covering the three states borders - QLD, NSW and SA
The borderlines
Cam and Dan "camping at Cameron Corner"
Cameron on the QLD Border driving in to the Corner Store
All of us with a hand covering the three states borders - QLD, NSW and SA
The borderlines
Cam and Dan "camping at Cameron Corner"
Thursday 14th May, 2009
We’ve made it to Cameron Corner!!! It took a long time to get here though.
After arriving back in Broken Hill on Friday afternoon, we made it to Miss Pat’s Windscreens who just happened to have a rear window for our car in stock. They tinted it that afternoon, then opened for us on Saturday to finish the job. We were advised not to take the car on corrugated roads for a day, so hung around Broken Hill just to relax and do “not a lot”. Broken Hill has certainly been a place where we’ve needed a lot of things. I must say, it’s not a very pretty town but the professional services we have encountered along the way have been some of the best. It rings true that it’s the people that make a town!!!
Monday saw us packed up and driving back to Milparinka. The boys were hanging out for another meal of fish and chips cooked by Phyl at the pub – she didn’t disappoint. Although Milparinka is steeped in history of gold mining and exploration – we’ll always remember it for the hospitality of Phyl. Cam also ripped two toe-nails off his foot while trying to dig out a huge lump of rock – ouch. He’s now limping and hopping everywhere. While there we did a lot of fossicking, visited the grave of James Poole, Sturt’s Cairn and walked along Evelyn Creek (now stone dry), and of course, met some of the locals over a coldie at the pub.
Wednesday had us arriving in Cameron Corner. First we had to make a quick stop in Tibbooburra to pick up some school supplies at the School Of The Air. Then we took the Middle Road through Sturt National Park to Cameron Corner. I think of National Parks as being green and full of vegetation and wildlife. Not so anymore. The surroundings are vast and dry. Once we were within about 50 km’s of Cameron Corner there wasn’t even any wildlife anymore.
Welcome to Corner Country! Apart from the place being on 3 corners (SA, NSW and QLD) the iconic spot is the Corner Store. It is physically located in QLD, has a SA telephone number, and a NSW postal address. How confusing is that? The store is full of memorabilia of all the people that have visited – hats, stickers, business cards, road signs anything. Your camping fee is a $5.00 note that has a tack stuck in the middle of it, then wrapped around a 20cent piece for weight. You then have to toss it into the air so that it sticks in the roof. If you smash a light bulb – you have to shout the bar a drink. All proceeds are cleared from the roof yearly and donated to the RFDS. I think they said they were able to donate about $8,000 last year. Must mention that Steve got in first go. This allows him to state “I got it up at Cameron Corner”. Our first night was a quiet one, where we cooked our own dinner and then shared a campfire with another couple (Jo and John from Keith SA) to roast marshmallows for dessert. This was a really nice evening and we enjoyed the conversations – hopefully Jo and John will join us next year for a trip to the Cape. The second night was a different story. We were lucky enough to have Bill, Fenn and Cheryl in residence and boy – did they put on their ‘special’ brand of hospitality. These guys have traveled everywhere and the stories they share are hilarious. Bill and Fenn bounce off each other better than Abbot and Costello. Cameron and Dan were fussed over like crazy (again) and they loved all the attention, although this time it was a lot more raucous from Bill and Fenn. Even “Officer Mitchell” paid a visit resulting in Cam and Dan both being charged with numerous offences which had to be paid by Steve buying more beer. I tried to tell Officer Mitchell that I had been “very, very naughty and needed dealing with but he ran off to Steve. Don’t know if that’s good or bad??? Cam had heaps of photos taken of himself behind the bar and he was treated like royalty. What a fabulous night. A good night sleep listening to the dingoes howling in the distance (I hope) and it’s off to Innamincka via the Old Strzelecki Track.
We’ve made it to Cameron Corner!!! It took a long time to get here though.
After arriving back in Broken Hill on Friday afternoon, we made it to Miss Pat’s Windscreens who just happened to have a rear window for our car in stock. They tinted it that afternoon, then opened for us on Saturday to finish the job. We were advised not to take the car on corrugated roads for a day, so hung around Broken Hill just to relax and do “not a lot”. Broken Hill has certainly been a place where we’ve needed a lot of things. I must say, it’s not a very pretty town but the professional services we have encountered along the way have been some of the best. It rings true that it’s the people that make a town!!!
Monday saw us packed up and driving back to Milparinka. The boys were hanging out for another meal of fish and chips cooked by Phyl at the pub – she didn’t disappoint. Although Milparinka is steeped in history of gold mining and exploration – we’ll always remember it for the hospitality of Phyl. Cam also ripped two toe-nails off his foot while trying to dig out a huge lump of rock – ouch. He’s now limping and hopping everywhere. While there we did a lot of fossicking, visited the grave of James Poole, Sturt’s Cairn and walked along Evelyn Creek (now stone dry), and of course, met some of the locals over a coldie at the pub.
Wednesday had us arriving in Cameron Corner. First we had to make a quick stop in Tibbooburra to pick up some school supplies at the School Of The Air. Then we took the Middle Road through Sturt National Park to Cameron Corner. I think of National Parks as being green and full of vegetation and wildlife. Not so anymore. The surroundings are vast and dry. Once we were within about 50 km’s of Cameron Corner there wasn’t even any wildlife anymore.
Welcome to Corner Country! Apart from the place being on 3 corners (SA, NSW and QLD) the iconic spot is the Corner Store. It is physically located in QLD, has a SA telephone number, and a NSW postal address. How confusing is that? The store is full of memorabilia of all the people that have visited – hats, stickers, business cards, road signs anything. Your camping fee is a $5.00 note that has a tack stuck in the middle of it, then wrapped around a 20cent piece for weight. You then have to toss it into the air so that it sticks in the roof. If you smash a light bulb – you have to shout the bar a drink. All proceeds are cleared from the roof yearly and donated to the RFDS. I think they said they were able to donate about $8,000 last year. Must mention that Steve got in first go. This allows him to state “I got it up at Cameron Corner”. Our first night was a quiet one, where we cooked our own dinner and then shared a campfire with another couple (Jo and John from Keith SA) to roast marshmallows for dessert. This was a really nice evening and we enjoyed the conversations – hopefully Jo and John will join us next year for a trip to the Cape. The second night was a different story. We were lucky enough to have Bill, Fenn and Cheryl in residence and boy – did they put on their ‘special’ brand of hospitality. These guys have traveled everywhere and the stories they share are hilarious. Bill and Fenn bounce off each other better than Abbot and Costello. Cameron and Dan were fussed over like crazy (again) and they loved all the attention, although this time it was a lot more raucous from Bill and Fenn. Even “Officer Mitchell” paid a visit resulting in Cam and Dan both being charged with numerous offences which had to be paid by Steve buying more beer. I tried to tell Officer Mitchell that I had been “very, very naughty and needed dealing with but he ran off to Steve. Don’t know if that’s good or bad??? Cam had heaps of photos taken of himself behind the bar and he was treated like royalty. What a fabulous night. A good night sleep listening to the dingoes howling in the distance (I hope) and it’s off to Innamincka via the Old Strzelecki Track.
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