Outback NSW Holiday Destinations  
              & Travel Guide 
              Broken 
                                                                          Hill 
The 
                                                                          largest 
                                                                          town 
                                                                          in the 
                                                                          west 
                                                                          Broken 
                                                                          Hill 
                                                                          stands 
                                                                          on the 
                                                                          richest 
                                                                          silver-lead-zinc 
                                                                          deposit 
                                                                          yet 
                                                                          discovered 
                                                                          and 
                                                                          has 
                                                                          so far 
                                                                          yielded 
                                                                          minerals 
                                                                          worth 
                                                                          over 
                                                                          1.5 
                                                                          billion 
                                                                          dollars. 
                                                                          The 
                                                                          town, 
                                                                          situated 
                                                                          in one 
                                                                          of the 
                                                                          driest 
                                                                          areas 
                                                                          of Australia 
                                                                          is surprisingly 
                                                                          green 
                                                                          and 
                                                                          leafy 
                                                                          thanks 
                                                                          to water 
                                                                          piped 
                                                                          from 
                                                                          the 
                                                                          reservoir 
                                                                          at Lake 
                                                                          Menindee 
                                                                          110km 
              away. 
               Broken 
                Hill 
                was 
                named 
                in 1844 
                by explorer 
                Sturt 
                but 
                the 
                mineral 
                riches 
                were 
                not 
                discovered 
                until 
                1883 
                by Charles 
                Rasp 
                after 
                which 
                a town 
                grew 
                almost 
                instantly 
                to a 
                population 
                20 000 
                within 
                eight 
                years.  
               The 
                town 
                is a 
                fascinating 
                place 
                to visit 
                and 
                has 
                been 
                described 
                a "living 
                museum" 
                or a 
                "museum 
                without 
                walls". 
                The 
                town 
                and 
                area 
                can 
                be explored 
                by following 
                "The 
                Silver 
                Trail 
                - A 
                Guide 
                to the 
                Heritage 
                of Broken 
                Hill" 
                available 
                at the 
                Information 
                Centre 
                which 
                has 
                a detailed 
                guide 
                to the 
                walk 
                and 
                drive 
                trails. 
                The 
                walk 
                trail 
                covers 
                most 
                of Broken 
                Hill's 
                central 
                business 
                district 
                and 
                is fully 
                sign-posted. 
                The 
                drive 
                trail 
                is over 
                40km 
                long, 
                features 
                113 
                points 
                of interest 
                and 
                will 
                take 
                over 
                two 
                hours 
                to complete.  
               A favorite 
                place 
                for 
                photographers 
                are 
                Keenan 
                and 
                Block 
                10 lookouts 
                with 
                impressive 
                views 
                over 
                the 
                city. 
                Excellent 
                aboriginal 
                art 
                can 
                be seen 
                at the 
                Aboriginal 
                site 
                at Mootwingie, 
                in the 
                Bynguano 
                Range. 
                Many 
                excellent 
                artists 
                have 
                also 
                grown 
                from 
                the 
                area 
                and 
                have 
                become 
                known 
                as the 
                "Brushmen 
                of the 
                Bush".  
               Silverton 
                Situated 
                25km 
                north-west 
                of Broken 
                Hill 
                this 
                once 
                thriving 
                community 
                of over 
                3000 
                is now 
                a ghost 
                town.  
               The 
                gaol, 
                which 
                closed 
                in 1943 
                has 
                now 
                been 
                restored 
                as a 
                museum 
                and 
                houses 
                many 
                interesting 
                relics 
                from 
                the 
                past.  
               The 
                town 
                is also 
                a popular 
                place 
                for 
                film-makers 
                having 
                been 
                the 
                location 
                for 
                Mad 
                Max 
                2, A 
                Town 
                Like 
                Alice 
                and 
                Razorback.  
               White 
                Cliffs 
                Born 
                from 
                the 
                discovery 
                of seam 
                opal 
                in the 
                1890's 
                this 
                is Australia's 
                oldest 
                commercial 
                opal 
                field. 
                This 
                unique 
                area 
                resembles 
                a moonscape 
                with 
                over 
                50 000 
                craters, 
                the 
                result 
                of 100 
                years 
                of mining. 
                The 
                population, 
                once 
                5000 
                in its 
                heyday, 
                now 
                fluctuates 
                and 
                most 
                inhabitants 
                live 
                underground 
                in dugouts 
                to escape 
                the 
                summer 
                heat 
                and 
                winter 
                cold.  
               A fascinating 
                place 
                to visit 
                attractions 
                include 
                tours 
                through 
                the 
                dugout 
                homes, 
                opal 
                showrooms, 
                and 
                the 
                historic 
                opal 
                fields.  
               Menindee 
                Situated 
                on the 
                banks 
                of the 
                tree 
                lined 
                Darling 
                Menindee 
                is an 
                oasis 
                in the 
                Outback. 
                Menindee 
                sits 
                amongst 
                the 
                Overflow 
                lakes 
                that 
                form 
                the 
                Menindee 
                Water 
                Storage 
                Scheme. 
                The 
                lakes, 
                at maximum 
                capacity 
                hold 
                three 
                and 
                a half 
                times 
                more 
                water 
                than 
                Sydney 
                Harbour 
                and 
                covers 
                an area 
                some 
                seven 
                and 
                a half 
                times 
                greater.  
               The 
                lakes 
                and 
                river 
                offer 
                excellent 
                water 
                skiing, 
                sailing, 
                safe 
                swimming 
                and 
                good 
                fishing 
                whilst 
                being 
                home 
                to a 
                great 
                variety 
                of waterbirds. 
                The 
                lakes 
                and 
                surrounding 
                wetlands 
                are 
                an important 
                breeding 
                habitat.  
               Wilcannia 
                Once 
                the 
                third 
                largest 
                inland 
                port 
                in Australia 
                Wilcannia 
                was 
                once 
                known 
                "Queen 
                City". 
                Sandstone 
                was 
                quarried 
                during 
                the 
                boom 
                years 
                of the 
                1880's 
                and 
                several 
                beautiful 
                buildings 
                still 
                remain 
                as a 
                remnant 
                of that 
                era. 
                The 
                court, 
                goal 
                and 
                post 
                office 
                are 
                all 
                of interest 
                as well 
                as the 
                Red 
                Lion 
                Brewery 
                housed 
                in the 
                golf 
                club 
                house.  
               Tibooburra 
                This 
                tiny, 
                remote 
                township, 
                the 
                hottest 
                in Australia 
                on most 
                summer 
                days 
                is perfect 
                to experience 
                what 
                the 
                outback 
                is all 
                about. 
                Surrounded 
                by the 
                Sturt 
                National 
                Park 
                there 
                is an 
                abundance 
                of wildlife 
                and 
                wildflowers 
                (in 
                a good 
                season).and 
                many 
                attractions 
                including 
                the 
                old 
                courthouse, 
                Mt Stuart 
                Aboriginal 
                Artifact 
                Collection 
                and 
                Tiboora 
                Outback 
                School 
                of Air 
                Distance 
                Education.  
              
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