Even before we left Broken Hill after our first visit in January, we decided we’d definitely be back. Those of you who follow me on Facebook or Instagram know that Gary and I with our friends, Dianne and Mac, did exactly that last weekend.
We caught the XPT train to Dubbo and coach from Dubbo to Broken Hill (we recommend a direct train link rather than coach train combo – don’t ask!).
Our airbnb hosts Petah and Duncan met us at Broken Hill at 11.00pm. We stayed at their airbnb at Silverton - 24 minutes drive north-west of Broken Hill. Have I mentioned that they are 5 star hosts? We highly recommend them, especially if you'd like a bit of R&R, star gazing or simply hanging out with some cool animals.
Silverton is definitely a must-do destination.
We began our weekend by walking Snowy, Spencer and Stuart - three of Petah and Duncan’s camels - to town and grabbing some breakfast at the Silverton Pub.
Broken Heel Festival
This time round our main reason for returning was to attend the Broken Heel Festival which celebrates the theatrical anniversary of "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" at her spiritual home; The Palace Hotel and the township of Broken Hill. With headline performances from Australia's best Showgirls, Drag Queens & Drag Kings paying homage to this iconic cult movie and stage musical.
By lunchtime, we were at the Drag In Drag street parade where what seemed like the entire community of Broken Hill joined in on the celebrations.
The drag queens were the main attraction with their shock of pink and orange hair, their exotic headdresses that defied gravity, their brightly coloured and heavily sequined ensembles and their bold makeup that is as much an accessory as the jewels and baubles that adorned their bodies.
Even the cars glammed up for the big event.
log fire and damper
Our Saturday ended with drinks and snacks and damper by a huge log fire in the dry creek bed on Petah and Duncan’s property – accompanied by country music of course. Nothing like experiencing the outback like a local!
Miner’s Memorial
Our Sunday morning began with breakfast at the best breakfast place in Broken Hill - The Silly Goat on Argent Street. Their coffee is as good as the best coffee you get in Sydney. Their apple pie granola with hot stewed apples, cinnamon and coconut yoghurt is d e l i c i o u s!
With our bellies full, we drove up to the Miner’s Memorial (and the Line of Lode Lookout) that overlooks the city. It’s a dramatic, iconic structure for Broken Hill and the mining industry. It sits on the edge of the mining waste heap right on the edge of town offering panoramic views over the city. It’s a symbolic and spiritual representation of the human tragedy of more than 800 deaths since mining commenced in Broken Hill in 1883. The building itself is a metaphor for the underground lives of the miners, evoking the damp, claustrophobic underground environment.
It is a stark reminder of the dangers of mining. All the causes of deaths and ages are revealed from way back, way before WH&S was a thing. The first death on the memorial is attributed to lead poisoning. There are lots of those as well as fell down shaft, lead poisonings, crushed by rock/vehicle, and the inevitable heart attacks.
The Living Desert and Sculptures
Our afternoon was spent at The Living Desert and Sculptures. If truth be told, the desert wasn’t very living. It was so dry and most of the plants were in desperate need of a good soaking of rainwater. There hasn’t been a decent rainfall in years in this part of the country. It’s heartbreaking.
The Sculptures comprise 12 sandstone artworks which highlight the skyline, all with a story to tell. Located on a majestic hilltop within the centre of the reserve, the sculptures were completed in 1993 by artists from around the world.
I did manage to find some colour and life in the living desert
Silverton Outback Camels
We had a lot of fun hanging out with the menagerie of animals on Duncan and Petah’s property. We befriended the sheep, goats, dogs, chickens, geese, shetland ponies, donkeys and Bruno the alpaca - Iamong others. The standouts were the camels. Gary enamoured himself particularly to Stuart and Spencer. He spent a lot of time brushing their winter coats which were starting to shed and handfeeding them hay and the dry unappealing in terms of what it looked and felt like - saltbush, which they L O V E D! Go figure.
outback sunsets
Duncan took us to an amazing lookout 20 minutes outside of Silverton - in. the. middle. of. nowhere. His four wheel drive took us up a mound of rocky red earth where we looked over the countryside all the way to Broken Hill and where the sun looks like it drops off the end of the earth. Truly spectacular.
so much beauty
Despite the prolonged drought and the intense dryness of the land, there is so much beauty in and around Broken Hill.
Despite the enduring drought, the locals have a great sense of humour!
This is actually saltbush that the camels love to eat.
