The plan was to visit Wilcannia at the conclusion of The Long Paddock. Instead we travelled The Long Way via Broken Hill but still managed to get to Wilcannia. Now some may wonder why I would have such a remote town on my list. Wilcannia has copped some bad publicity over the years so why not come and see for myself?
You know you are driving slow when you get overtaken by a hearse! About 30km out of Wilcannia a hearse, complete with coffin on board, passed me. I was sitting on my usual 80km per hour. When we got into town we saw the hearse and it looked like they were setting up seats in the park for a service. Some of the few businesses in town had signs indicating they were closed due to sorry business.
It’s not a pretty town but it’s far from the worst I’ve been to. It sits on the banks of the Darling River. There are not many shops in town but there are some lovely old buildings, mostly well maintained. There is a walk along the river/park with signage promoting the town and area from a young indigenous and non indigenous perspective.
It must be said we only spent a couple of hours in town and didn’t stay overnight. It’s definitely not a town that should be avoided. Situated between Cobar and Broken Hill it’s really not a destination in itself but a good spot to stop for a cuppa, to stretch the legs and wander around the river.
rayaroundoz 