June 2021

Plenty accommodation available, Milparinka Gymkhana

Good morning all,

Well things really are a bit up in the air at the moment. Was talking to one tourist group this morning (Sunday), and in the last 24 hours they had received cancellations amounting to $45,000-, this equated to a drop of about 50% on bookings.

Who knows where it will all finish and who will be affected.

My only advice for what it is worth, is please stay wholly within the guidelines set down by each state, travel where you are permitted to travel and continue to support the towns out here in our outback area.

As far as attractions and events happening, we can only hope that events such as the happenings at the Broken Hill Civic centre will go ahead. The Art Festival planned for White Cliffs in August will go ahead.

On a closer note, we have the Milparinka Gymkhana set down for next Saturday, it has been postponed but they are having a meeting this week and hope to come up with a date.

I also heard second hand today that the line at the check point at Oodlawirra going into SA was 3 km long. Don’t quote me on that!

With all that in mind and the fact that accommodation bookings out in this part are down by 45%, you will certainly be able to get accommodation and campsites as long as you are not in that Sydney coastal bubble. Which goes to show where the greater majority of our tourists are coming from.

Anyway, school holidays are on us so feel free to toodle out to our great outback as there seems to be ample space for you and we’d be happy to catch up.

Milparinka Gymkhana, Musical Extravaganza, and more

Good morning all,

Thank goodness for modern communications, we’re “on the wallaby”, so this may be a bit brief. Speaking of that, I wonder how many of you on the road listen to Macca each Sunday morning. I enjoy being taken all over the continent virtually, you feel as if you are part of one big family.

Had a quick trip to Deni. during the week and unfortunately  missed seeing you Jane, but the 2 lovely ladies there were great. And my apologies for trying to put the “Deni Ute muster” on last weekend too, don’t know where I got that from. We’ll try again later in the year!!

It seems the next big day to try and catch up with will be the Milparinka Gymkhana, they have free camping for you up there and a heap of activities on the go. Try and make it if you can, top people up that way.

Another show that’s coming up, no dust here, you have to dress up really is the big Musical Extravaganza at the Civic Centre in Broken Hill. Now that’s happening on the 25th. July, and I think you will need to book ‘cause it will be very popular. Get in touch with Patrick and his team at the Visitors Centre in the Hill and they will guide you right.

Denny Ute Muster, ‘Sew, Knit and Natter', and more

Good morning all,

Back to base and picking up the pieces so to speak. No getting away from the cold, but then if you enjoy snow I guess you would have found some over the last week. They say it’s great fun!!

If you’re in Denny then you can catch up on the last day of the famous “Denny Ute Muster” today, sorry about that Jane I missed it last week. And if you’re in that neck of the woods, then drop in to Hay for the big ‘Merino Field Day’ next Saturday.

Back up to the top end, we have the Milparinka Gymkhana coming up on the 3rd. July, big weekend there for the whole family. Foot races, full catering, free camping and breakfast on the Sunday morning, what a weekend with great people.

Don’t forget the ‘Collectables Market and Fair at the Garry Radford Pavilion in The Hill next Saturday week too. You’ll find heaps to do around the Silver City as well to fill in few days, duck out to Silverton one day and out the other way to the Mt. Gipps Resort the next day, both great places.

White Cliffs has a bit happening also, ‘Sew, Knit and Natter’ each Friday at the Hall for you girls to have a laugh and send your other half over to the ‘other building’ for  quiet ‘lemonade’. Oh and by the way, mark down in your diary, the Underground Art Festival on the 13th. to 22nd. August in that very same town. I’m well overdue to say a very big thanks to Randall at White Cliffs too. I get a lot of “filling” from Randall, she does a great job.

Tractor and Truck Show, beware of mud ...

Good morning everyone,

As Macca would say, we’re ‘on the wallaby’ at the moment, so will be very brief. Didn’t think I would ever see this. 2 caravans, with a room each, with a lead from the room to the van (to keep the fridge going), in Cobar Saturday night because there was literally no powered sites available in the town!! Anyway, a bit unusual I thought, and literally millions of them on the road.

Very briefly, you remember the Sheep Show I mentioned in Hay, well that’s on Saturday week the 19th.  And I was telling you about the “Tractor and Truck Show” at Ivanhoe remember, well there’s a great similar day coming up in Trangie, they’ve called it “Trangie Truck Tractor”. It’s on the 21st. August and if you happen to be passing through, drop in and patronise them for the day.

Pulled a very late model Landcruiser wagon and very nice caravan out of a bog in black mud the other day, the mud interfered with the transmission sensors, couldn’t get it out of low 2nd. result, a carry ride to Broken Hill.