The Darling River Run small group tour

From Sydney we travel north following the Peats Ridge Road through Kulnurra to Finchley Trig Lookout. We’ll stop en route for morning tea. After our stop at the lookout we make our way to the start of Finchley Cultural Walk, a short (1km) walk and see the Aboriginal engravings in the area.

This Darkinjung country and this site is part of a link with our next stop in Yengo National Park. The views from Finchley Trig Point (and petroglyph site) lookout over Mt Yengo and went west toward Rylstone and south to Mt Tomah. Mt Yengo is an extremely important site where Baiame – the Creater God or Sky Father – came to earth, and it’s significance is reflected in the number of art sites in this area, and the extent of this sites influence – Wiradjuri, Darkinjung, Wonnaurua, Awabakal, Worimi, Biripi and Kamilaroi language groups all being influenced by this area.

Our last visit today (access permitting) is to a cave near Milbrodale which contains a painted figure possibly representing Baiame.

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The Hunter/Goulburn River Valley provided a trading/access route from the western side of the Great Dividing Range to the coast (and Mt Yengo site area).

Today we follow this route through Kerrabee and Wollar to the upper reaches of the Goulburn River and some sites near Ulan. A stop at Gulgon where we visit the Henry Lawson Centre and Pioneers Museum. After a break for lunch, We continue travelling through Dunedoo and Merrygoen following the Castlereagh River to the Warrumbungles and our overnight stop at Coonabarabran.

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Today we have an early start, we are joined by an Aboriginal Discovery Ranger for the Sandstones Caves Walk, a 1.7km loop with gentle hills and some steps, in the Pilliga Nature Reserve. We will gain a better insight about the Aboriginal history in the region and view some rock art.

These were important sites for the Gamilaroi people in the Pilliga Forest area. Our route will then take us through Baradine – A visit to the new Forest Discovery Centre and on to Coonamble, another link in the river trading routes of the western area of New South Wales.

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Coonable’s location on the Castlereagh River and proximity to the Maquarie Marshes and Warrumbungle National Park makes it a natural link in our tour and as a trading from one area to another.

Time to explore some historical aspects of the town before following the “Wailwan” Sotry through Quambone to the Macquarie Marshes. From the Macquarie Marshes we travel across black soil, saltbush country to the important Aboriginal area surrounding Brewarrina. Links exist between this area and Mt Yengo area – in the past and the present – and the rejuvenated cultural museum should provide us with some insights to past connections, including the important fish traps and the ‘mission’ which was such a controversial part of Brewarrina’s history.

On arrival in Bourke we’ll visit the Back o’Bourke Visitor Centre, which provides us with an excellent introduction about the town and the river. Our next two nights are at Bourke, one hour to the west of Brewarrina.

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Today we travel back to Brewarrina and have a guided tour of the ancient Aboriginal Fish Traps. On our way back to Bourke we stop to visit Mt Oxley, that was once climbed by explorers Stuart and Hume in 1829 in search of the “inland sea”.

Back in Bourke we’ll make couple of stops around town to visit its historic sites like the Old Bridge and the Old Cemetery.

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Today, we will drive from Bourke via Louth and Tilpa stopping at both sites before overnight in Wilcannia. In Louth we’ll visit the historic Dunlop Station, established in 1880, for a tour.

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The historic town of Wilcannia was once the 3^rd largest inland port (mid-19^th century) with a rich and vibrant European history (“Queen City of the West”) and beautiful sandstone buildings to remind us of those days. The town also has a large Aboriginal community, being the traditional area of the Barkingji people – so it too has another story to tell and one which we will explore as we continue down the river to our overnight stay in Menindee, made famous as the last stop for the ill-fated explorers Bourke and Wills. Our overnight stay will be in Menindee.

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Today is spent in the Menindee area.

We spend time visiting the Kinchega National Park. We visit the historic woolshed and travel some of the internal tracks on the Darling flood plain and around the Menindee Lakes system to experience the differing environments.

When the lake system was full it provided and amazingly rich environment for the local Aboriginal people – while evidence for this occupation is not easily found, the rich bird, fish and mammal life in the lake system is still evident in abundance and the site of the local ‘mission’ is still accessible.

We depart Menindee and travel to the nearby Bindara Station, on arrival we’ll have a chance to explore the station and learn about its history and life on the Darling. In the evening we enjoy dinner by the campfire.

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Leaving Bindarra, we follow the westside of the Darling meandering through the River Red Gum Forests eventually crossing the river near the old port town Pooncarie. We then access the Willandra lakes regions and Mungo National Park.

The World Heritage listing of Mungo National Park indicates its importance and interest. Time to Absorb the Special atmosphere and enjoy the sunset at the famous “Walls of China”. But it is Lake Mungo, the hidden story of each sanddune within the Mungo Lunette of this dry lake that is now an ancient lake bed that has provided the Aboriginal peoplewith the discovery of the oldest human remain to date with the sedimentary sands revealing Mungo man and Mungo lady in the early 1970’s that reset the the time clock for aboriginal history.

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We spend some time this morning exploring the new “footprints in the Sand” interpretive walk. At least 450 prints following 23 discernible track ways were discovered by Mary Pappin Jr; a young Aboriginal Ranger working with National Parks. The prints have been dated at approximately 20,000 years (at the time of the last ice age) and give and amazing insight into life during that period. We re-join the Darling River near Wentworth, with a tour at the Inland Botanical Gardens. We then meet our local guide for a tour of Wentworth, a historic town at the junction of the Darling and Murray Rivers.

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Continuing on our exploration of the Murray/Darling River systems we follow the Murray as it winds its way through Hattah-Kulkyne National Park to Swan Hill where we stop for lunch alongside the river and then on to Kow Swamp for some bird watching. Kow Swamp is another important archaeological site contrasting markedly with Mungo National Park.

We continue with our travels to Echuca – once the biggest inland port of Australia and home of the only brothel in Australia classified by the National Trust. On arrival we’ll meet our local guide for a tour of this historic city.

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From Echuca we travel to the Barmah River Red Gum forests – the largest in Australia – investigating the Aboriginal history of the area and taking a river boat cruise along a section of this unaltered wetland area (cruise schedule permitting). We enjoy a picnic lunch after the cruise and then proceed to visit the Barmah Forest Heritage & Education Centre.

We’ll continue along the Murray, stopping along the way at Yarrawonga to view the Weir and through Albury/Wodonga before reaching the Hume Dam for a walk along the rim and then continue our drive to Lake Hume Resort for dinner and overnight.

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Today our tour takes us through Walwa, Tintaldra and on to Khancoban Pondage, a 3km lake that forms part of the Snowy Hydro Scheme. We’ll pause for lunch nearby (own arrangements) before we enter the high country – the land of the Moth Hunters – on our way to our overnight stay in Cooma.

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An early start this morning as we travel back to Sydney on the Hume Highway with a stop along day way at Tidbindilla Nature Reserve, for a 1h walk to view the Birrigai Aboriginal Rockshelter, dating 25,000 years back. We arrive back in Sydney in the late afternoon or early evening.

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