The Long Paddock – Carrathool to Menindee

An early start took us through Hay, refueling before heading north on the Cobb Highway, along the famous “long paddock.” We packed up early and headed off towards Hay. We stopped in at Hay for fuel then headed north on the Cobb Highway towards Ivanhoe.

The Long Paddock

The road north is part of the “long paddock” where drovers would walk their cattle in search of feed alongside the road or when on their way to market. Must have been bloody hard travelling in those days with all your food for the journey strapped to your horse inside saddle bags. Every so often there is a tank for watering of stock. We stopped in at the One Tree Hotel for a look around and also at the Jumping Sandhills. Everywhere you look while travelling this road you see reminders of our early pioneers, some of it from not that long ago.

One Tree Hotel On The Cobb Higway Long Paddock

Ivanhoe Menindee Road

After reaching Ivanhoe we stopped in to fuel up for the trip to Menindee. Ivanhoe is a quiet old bush town with a pub, caravan park and a few small general shops with fuel bowsers out front. Then after airing down the ute and van tyres we hit the Ivanhoe Menindee Road. Now that’s a rough old dirt road! Corrugations, washaways, bulldust holes and heaps of roos, emus and wandering stock. Was a hell of a fun ride. Amanda got out of the ute at one point to pluck a few feathers from a recently splattered emu, she’s wanted some emu feathers for a while now! At various points along the road we saw impromptu get togethers with what we assumed were farmers where they just stop on the side of the road and have a chat. Be cool to know what they were talking about. Probably laughing at the morons driving past down their road for “fun”.

The Ivanhoe Menindee Road

Anyway we eventually got to Menindee Lakes and set up camp at the Burke and Wills campsite at Lake Pamammaroo for the night. We were treated to an absolutely spectacular sunset over the lake.

Burke And wills Campsite Sunset At Menindee