We awoke to a glorious sunrise this morning over the river. We just don't get sunrises like this over east.
Then, a bit of a walk before breakfast. Rather chilly this morning so the diesel heater was on early and we were a bit rugged up for our walk.
Before heading off to Tilpa we were booked in for a tour of Dunlop Station - the homestead, the station store and the Woolshed.
We were met by Kim and a morning tea before a tour of the stone homestead
The current 'Dunlop' is the homestead block of the former 400,000 hectares (one million acres) property. The original 1880s sandstone homestead, which is structurally sound and still in use, has interior walls of plaster, carpeted and polished timber floors, and high, pressed-metal ceilings. A wide entrance foyer leads off the front verandah to the formal lounge and dining rooms and six bedrooms, most with open fires (some with cedar surrounds), while a rear section houses the kitchen, bathroom and staff quarters. Also in the grounds was the original schoolhouse.
Next stop was the Sandstone Station Store, still with its original counters and shelving. The store is on the banks of the Darling where it was regularly serviced by the paddle wheelers travelling north and south along the river. It is just absolutely full of stuff that has accumulated over the last 100 years or so.
Finally, it was off to the 45-stand woolshed – scene of the first full-scale machine shearing in Australia - 184,000 sheep in 1888. The shed was last used for a station shearing in 1993 and stands today as a rich historical relic of the boom years of pastoralism.
The tour was well worth the $20 and a fascinating journey back into the past.
We then had an easy run to Tilpa where we camped across the road from the pub (joined by lots of travellers as the afternoon progressed).
Dinner at the pub tonight. Established in 1894, the pub is considered one of the last remaining true bush pubs in Australia. Grown from a riverboat trade along the Darling River, the hotel/pub is the heart of Tilpa and a favourite attraction to both travellers and locals. - and the food was pretty good too.
