Tocumwal to Wentworth

Peter's sister makes us beautiful scrambled eggs for breakfast, and we spend a bit more time with her before heading off at around 9:45. At midday, we stop for coffee in Hay, and then head west, meeting up with the track in Balranald, arriving about 2:15. Now we feel we've really started our expedition, as did Burke back in 1860. Balranald was a significant jumping off point for the Expedition - they were leaving the "settled districts" of Victoria, Burke left behind some of the excess baggage he was carrying and some which had been damaged in the crossing of the Murrumbidgee. He also dismissed some of his men. Here Wills started taking bearings and began real navigation as they set off across country towards the Darling.

New Discovery Centre at Balranald

Since we last visited Balranald two years ago, they have built a wonderful new Information Centre and Discovery Centre. We talk to Kath in the Information Centre, who remembers us from previous visits and promises that the centre is going to stock the book as soon as she can get the necessary authority to order some. We eat at the Discovery Cafe (very good), investigate the Discovery Centre, go for a walk up and down the main street. 

As we've already driven the Expedition's track from Balranald to Pooncarie two years back, today we take the route Burke should have taken but didn't, continuing through the Riverina to Mildura, then following the Darling north. He chose to head northwest, straight to Pooncarie, which looks shorter, but was then and is still a slower and more taxing journey, albeit more interesting. We continue west along the Sturt Highway, where the sand and mallee scrub eventually gives way to the orchards and vineyards of the Riverina. We finish up in Wentworth, discover it is Wentworth Show Weekend, but still manage to find ourselves a place to stay (too cold to camp). The pub is packed, with a waiting time of over an hour for a meal, so we have a beer, get a takeaway pizza and go back to the motel for Saturday night television.