A day of luxury

A cold morning this morning. Its around 6 degrees C at the moment, though with the light winds and due point it feels considerably lower than that. As a result of the chill in the air I remained cocooned within my sleeping back until almost seven. .

I emerged from the tent to the cries of Red Tailed Black Cockatoos and mists rolling off the surface of the Darling which was is notmore than five metres from my campsite.



Now, however, I am writing this as I wait for breakfast to cook. I have a couple of chops on with eggs and two slices of bread fried in the juices of the chops. Delectable. This campsite is an unusual one in that I am immedietly below an old homestead - Weinteriga. Its in ruins today, but this old homestead must have been something in its day.

Situated on a bend of the river and once lived in by Sid Kidman, it has commanding views and looks as if once apon a time it was a real hive of activity. Outhouses abound and the main quarters is quite spacious with the kitchen being enormous. Its a crying shame that the place has gone to rack and to ruin. The new homestead is situated about 1.5 - 2 kilomtres away and is no great shakes. A few very average houses with no beauty or grace whatsoever.

Weinteriga is owned by the local aboriginal community in Wilcannia (who are part of the Paakantji - Paak being river and antji I assume being people). I understand that they procurred the land in 1984, just after the momentous Land Rights Act of 1983 by the Wran Labour government of NSW. The property iself is around 70,000 acres and currently runs 5,000 head of sheep - though in good years this almost doubles. According to Dave, the station manager (and an aboriginal elder from Wilcannia), the ultimate goal is to buy up all the land between here and Wilcannia for the community. Sounds like a plan to me.

The land lining the banks of the river is generally in good condition and the whole place has a good feeling to it. It seems an incredible waste to see these old building withering away though. I could just imagine schools from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide coming up here for week long camps, staying in the old homestead and learning:

a) about the machinations of a working sheep station;
b) about aboriginal culture and history;
all about fishing, wildlife, plants all everything that goes along with going bush.

All thats needed is a single million dollars or so I'm guessing.

Now where do I find one of those....