Mungo

Back blip as no phone or wifi ...also see yesterday’s blip...

Here are Bob and his sister Carol looking at the view across where Lake Mungo used to be 18,000 years ago. The Willandra Lakes filled from a tributary of the Lachlan River, it now flows to join the Murrumbidgee River way over to the east. This area was taken from the original custodians by early settlers who had huge sheep stations. They were subdivided after WW1 into soldiers settlers blocks ( down to 18,000 acres). This area is Mungo, to the north is Zanci station where they had large sheering sheds. The grass was plentiful but sheep, and feral rabbits, goats, cats etc didn’t take long to invade and wreck the fragile environment. It hasn’t recovered since the 1920s.

There are a few low growing trees and salt bush and erimophila, a pale grey shrub about 2-4 foot tall. On the trail we drove ( The Mungo Loop 75k around the dry lake bed) during the day we found some wells where the Aboriginal people found water just below the surface. The settlers also used this and the area had a TSR ( stock route) and Cobband Co trail. Amazing out here in the outback. We came across one other couple on the trip plus kangaroos, emus and a few goats.

We had a camp fire and yummy Meat stew for dinner cooked in the hot coals. I then spent some time practising moon shots which I need...