When the Cheshire emerges...

Silverton: the Hollywood of the Outback. Parts of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert and just about all of Mad Max 2 were filmed there, a ghost town previously inhabited with those working in the mines. There's not much around, but what is is excellent. It's a great place.

I met the most enthusiastic person possibly ever in the creator of the Mad Max museum, an Englishman who moved his family out to start the pilgrimage after discovering on holiday that was nothing to support Silverton's moniker.

I also went to the lookout point at the Mundi Mundi Plains, a vast expanse of greenery in the desert and beautiful in its stillness. Much like White Cliffs, I felt I was in a different world. And only a simple but bumpy 25 minutes or so from Broken Hill.
*Mad Max Museum indoor photos taken with owner permission

The famous (replica) car that sits outside the Silverton Hotel.

The souvenir shop had pictures...

Donkey were not something I expected to see!

Legendary.

Dame Mary Gilmore of our $10 note taught at Silverton School.

That museum had the most random assortment of items ever. Here are awards from the Pal Pedigree and Rinso companies...

I felt it was appropriate to get a jumping shot on the Mundi Mundi Plains out of anywhere. The photo doesn't do the landscape justice.

Before I got to really explore Broken Hill, I chose to pre-book a day trip out to Mutawintji National Park through Tri-State Safaris to see 40,000-year-old Aboriginal engravings within a natural habitat.

On pick-up, I was offered the chance to sit up front with the tour guide or in the back with everyone else (all the oldies, because unfortunately no-one my age does these sorts of tours). A bit surprised at my guide's offer but I sat in the back because seniors can sometimes be the most curious travellers. I certainly had a sprightly bunch that day!

We had tea and cake in a dry creek bed, held a shingleback lizard on the middle of the dusty road, and saw some amazing Aboriginal engravings and hand stencils.

I really got a lot out of this day, learning from guide Mark about some of the customs Aboriginal groups follow in their youth and entering adulthood.



I can't believe I held a lizard!

Mark was awesome. He's from the land and knew his stuff.

We were first told a Dreamtime story detailing a punishment from God.

Part of Aboriginal initiation ceremonies, these could be a couple of hundred years old.

See the emu? Controversially dated as possibly more than 50,000 years old.

OK, this was back in Broken Hill, but somewhere inaccessible without Mark and his trusty driving.

Broken Hill, otherwise known as the Silver City, is the "accessible Outback".

I'd now crossed the halfway point towards Adelaide, but had only been on the road for two days.

I spent four nights/three days based in Broken Hill as there was a lot around it. I would take in Silverton and the Mundi Mundi Plains for one afternoon and Mutawintji National Park on another day.

Broken Hill itself is the home of Broken Hill Proprietary, otherwise known as BHP and now BHP Billiton. After stopping productions there for some time, they have started again. Though it was interesting to find out BHP had left the city's people without hundreds of jobs back in the 1950s and there was still lingering hostility about it.

With parts of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert filmed around town, and a town hall that is only a facade (yep, it's a facing on the main street but behind is actually a car park), it's a strange one. I also went through trying to get a tail-light situation fixed after someone decided to smash it in and take a globe out. Fun.

But it's home to Taylor Walker, Crows forward extraordinaire, so all good. I didn't mind the place.

The best ravioli I've ever had. Hands down.

Pro Hart's gallery - he was such an amazing artist.

I paid my respects the following day... a huge plot.

A memorial for all the miners who died at Broken Hill.

The Living Desert Sculptures were wonderful...

One of the best sunsets ever.

My walking tour included an impromptu meeting with the just re-elected mayor.

There's no doubt what you'll find here...

Inside The Palace Hotel, made famous in Priscilla

The best thing of South Broken Hill - Bell's Milk Bar!

They're the Silver City - so of course they're going to have a silver tree!

Wilcannia is the town at the junction of Barrier Highway and Opal Miner's Way leading to White Cliffs.

I only stopped for a few minutes on the basis that there were some nice buildings, but had heard it wasn't an ideal place to hang around.

Yes, the old post office building in particular was nice and for the most part I felt fine, albeit a bit deserted and not in a good way.

The pivotal moment was when I heard someone as I took photos of a damaged church. I turned around and there was no-one there. I continue to look at the building and then hear more audibly, "What are you doing, ey? What are you doing?"

I swear it was an old lady with a drawl. But I looked all around and no-one. No-one on their porch, or even in the backyards (there were low fences). I quick-footed it to the car, took one more photo on the main road and left. Freaky stuff.

White Cliffs is an extraordinary place. Said to be the final frontier before hitting the dust of the 'real' Outback, it's a ghost town like no other.

For 250 people, it feels a lot smaller. But there were still people as I spent a Saturday night and Sunday seeing what it had to offer.

An opal mining town that for some has brought riches and others bankruptcy, I was weirdly drawn to the almost-arid landscape and general peacefulness of it.

The woman at the general store was from Adelaide, who'd moved out there for that reason. She mentioned there wasn't any police (the nearest being at Wilcannia an hour away), and for the most part that there wasn't any trouble. A place without immediate law enforcement...

In short, I loved it. I felt really out of sorts actually leaving although I'd done all there really was to do.

A cute greeting into the town. For the record, those two buildings constitute the main street.

The White Cliffs Underground Motel has a map to help you navigate. All I needed to know was the bathroom.

Australia's first solar power station.

Turley's Hill, one of three that constitute the town.

One of the many crooks of Jock's Place, a private residence and treasure trove of pure junk.

One of the world's most unique views. I found myself in the middle of the area used for shafts for the opal mining. From above this looks like craters.