Bye Lara Wetlands - a lovely lazy three days
Off to Barcaldine this morning to meet up again with Margaret and Arthur. Coffee and cake at the Ridgy Didge Cafe and then to Aramac and on to Lake Dunn along the first leg of the Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail which creates a triangle between Aramac, Lake Dunn and Jericho. We've decided to do two sides of the triangle and then head further east towards Emerald. It'll mean we will miss out on Gray Rock and Horsetailer's Gorge but you have to keep some things for another time.
Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail
The Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail is a 200-kilometre art trail along the triangle of roads between Aramac, Lake Dunn and Jericho. Beginning northeast of Aramac, it’s well worth seeking out and will give you a very enjoyable full-day drive, or a few days exploring if you wish to experience the trail and local region in more detail.
Created by local artist, Milynda Rogers, the Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail features 40 unique sculptures to hunt out and enjoy. These incredible and diverse sculptures are dotted through the countryside on the road to Lake Dunn and Rangers Valley.
Each sculpture is an artwork that depicts an animal or aspect of Outback life, such as jackaroos on horseback, a koala in a gum tree and an emu and her chicks. Milynda created these incredible and diverse sculptures from rusting recycled and upcycled odds and ends generally sourced from the local area.
Along the Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail you’ll also find the renowned Gray Rock historical site, the wonder of Horsetailer’s Gorge, the mystical Healing Circle and the glorious freshwater Lake Dunn. If you have the time, make sure you also search for “Where’s Wally”, a firm childhood favourite.
We were amazed by the sculptures. Made from barb wire and all sorts of other metal and discarded tools that you might find lying around a rural property. Milynda lives on one of the stations in the area and must get everyone to drop off their "junk" at her place. We were very impressed.
We might have missed out on Gray Rock and Horsetailer's Gorge on our route but we did get to the White Station Healing Circle located about halfway along the road from Aramac to Lake Dunn. The circle is reputedly connected to other healing circles in Japan, Tibet, Madagascar, Peru, Turkey and the USA. When the visitor steps into the centre they are supposed to be connected to the energies of all seven circles. The circle is used for prayer, meditation and healing of the mind, body and soul.
On to camp the night at Lake Dunn ($10 for an unpowered site). Most of the lakeshore is taken up by powered sites and at this time of day, the unpowered spots are also taken so we're back a bit from the lake edge. Lake Dunn is a huge freshwater lake that's 3.21 km long and 1.6 km wide. It was named after James Dunn, who was a head stockman at Mt Cornish Station, who discovered it when he was looking for a mob of cattle. Very full at the moment with lots of "living" (at the moment) trees just in from the water's edge. Clean toilets and showers in a brick building with a kiosk at one end. Reviews say that they have fish and chips on a Friday Night. Probably not open at other times. The lake is popular with locals who use it for swimming, water-skiing, windsurfing, sailing, camping and for picnics. Apparently, it's home to over 80 different species of birds (not that we saw too many) and an excellent fishing spot for Golden Perch (yellow belly) and Black Bream. In addition to camping facilities, there are a few "rustic" huts that can be hired (and a few private ones by the look). Lots of red river gums and coolibahs along the lakeshore.
