Menzies & Lake Ballard WA

Travelled: 187km via Menzies to Lake Ballard bush camp 

This morning we returned to have an other look at the Super Pit before heading north out of town towards Menzies. 7km later we pulled in to the Two-Up round shed. An old Australian illegal form of gambling..throwing two coins in the air and betting in the outcome. 

Further on we stopped to have a look at the heritage listed railway houses at Goongarrie. You guessed it! Built during the gold rush but are now abandoned, although it appears they had been used recently as they have had power installed.

The railway used to continue to Menzies which was a thriving town with 10,000 people, 13 hotels, 26 staff at the post office… now there are rusty steel figures scattered around reflecting on those times.

After finally deciding which way will will travel back home ie either via the Great Central Road to Alice Springs or back or back via the Nullarbor (the later won out), we thought we would explore this area a bit more first. So we we took the road west for 51km to Lake Ballard which is now a tourist attraction due to the 51 unusual shaped alloy casted figurines scattered across the salt pan. After choosing our camp site we braved the sticky mud to have a look at a few.

More in the distance…could take 2 plus hours 

We also enjoyed the view from the top of one of the islands.

Mark had gone wood hunting and so it was BBQ steak for dinner…

we sat in the glow of the fire until the sunset and the glorious full moon rose and the stars came out… then it was back in Traky with the diesel heater!