The sometimes reluctant Aussie Traveller

I admit to being way behind in exploring my own country. I found my way to Central Australia at age 50. When I say Central Australia I mean via The Ghan from Adelaide through to Darwin.

I literally spent about 6 hours in Darwin before going home again! Adore train travel so have done The Ghan again since and experienced Darwin in the centre of a storm. But huge tracts of Australia remain uncharted for me. Hence I really value Australian Traveller magazine. I love travelling, writing, photography and the shock of the new. On reading your Broken Hill feature (Feb/March Edition) I decided to give it a go, via the Indian Pacific of course.

What a gem of a place. The sweet little tin houses and big wide streets. We were shown around on a hastily arranged tour by a Broken Hill local born and bred. There was nothing he did not tell us, leading to quite an extended tour. He took obvious pride in his days in the mines. The mines continue to dominate the town. With the line of vision drawn high up the mountain of the lode and the starkly modern architecture of the memorial and visitors centre at the peak. It feels like these buildings have just been plonked there on top of a gravel heap and mining site - which in fact they have!

My only regret is we had another quick turn around to get the train back to Adelaide. So lessons learned, need to spend at least 5 days in Broken Hill, to see all the galleries and salt bush country & surrounds. (Also avoid motels that are kilometres from the train station and main drag of town).

Kind Regards,

Jenny Esots - the sometimes reluctant Aussie traveller.


pix of a rusty hinge on an abandoned mine building - all I could hear was the cooing of a congregation of pigeons who had made there home inside.