Mungo National Park
Who hasn’t heard of Mungo Man? Often portrayed as outback of outback NSW, Mungo National Park is still east of the Darling River, about 65klm off the Pooncarie Road. Often photographed as a desert location, those pics belong on the highlights reel. Lake Mungo is one of four ancient lake beds and they are HUGE! collectively known as the Willandra Lakes, they sustained first nations people for the best part of 20,000 years, until finally drying up 18,000 years ago, due to primarily, a change in direction of the Lachlan River. Now, they are a vast sea of saltbush, halted only by the shoreline ridges way off in the distance, and it’s the far ridges on the eastern side that get most of the attention.
For millennia, Lake Mungo was eight metres deep, falling, then rising again as ice ages came and went. Continuous settlement by indigenous peoples during this time is not surprising. An oasis in a harsh landscape, the lake and surrounding countryside provided for all their needs and now, their legacy is being rediscovered by anthropologists. As the wind continues to erode this ancient shoreline, more is being revealed. Which is why, much of the Mungo Lunette, as it is known by, is off-limits to visitors. Understandably, this area is culturally significant, and the last thing they’d want would be for some tourist to ‘souvenir’ artefacts (or worse).
Sometimes, a picture really IS worth a thousand words, so I’ll let them do the talking, just this once. (lol)
There is a 70klm self guiding tourist drive that encircles the Walls of China, but mostly at considerable distance, except for one spot called Vigars Well, a watering stop for Cobb&Co coaches over 150 years ago. It seemed to butt up to the sand dunes on the map. I was in two minds, but a chance encounter with one of the rangers, convinced me that it was a goer.
HAD to be there before dawn, so at 5am, I was on the track with one eye on the road and the other on the roos. Honestly, I’ve seen more wildlife between Wentworth and Mungo National Park than the entire journey from Adelaide to Darwin. It was still dark when I arrived at the picnic area an hour later, but in the lightening gloom, started to make out the white ridges and then, the pathway heading towards them. This was the one spot a person can roam the lunette at will and it was just me. I mean, what other loon would drive 50klm on a dirt track to be here before sunrise. Clambering up the dunes afforded a panoramic view across the lake to the west, and also to Lake Leaghur in the north.
It was soooo quiet and beautiful, watching the light change as the sun peaked over the horizon and it wasn’t long before birdlife started to wake and of course ‘the usual suspects’ turned up. They had flown in from somewhere to warm themselves in the early morning rays. I found out where ‘somewhere was a little later.
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It seems these guys have a set morning routine – warm up on the slopes and then head straight for the ‘bar’. They’ve figured out that the water tank at the shelter is always full so they quench their overnight thirst at the local, and it looks and sounds like any pub on a Saturday night when they do.
Back at the campground, a steady flow of departures and then later, arrivals. Auditions for the coat of arms are a daily feature, with both kangas and emus parading on the edge of the road. On the last night, the rain barely raised a spit, but the consequences would unfold in a way that you, dear reader, have become accustomed to – almost tragic, but hilarious at the same time.
NB: There will be TWO posts per week for the next two weeks. There’s so much to show you.