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SONG: # Come on, let's go! #
VOICEOVER: But first up, Mel's gone walkabout.
The summer heat
has gone from the outback
here in western New South Wales,
and that means it is time for adventure.
So I've got two words for you - road trip!
I'm heading to White Cliffs
to explore the Paroo-Darling National Park,
a place overflowing with Aboriginal history, pastoral history
and a whole lot of natural beauty.
And Senior Ranger Shirley Myer says a tag-along car tour
is a great way for people to see it.
They get the reassurance of having a lead vehicle,
'cause some people aren't that comfortable about our roads.
And also, we can give a bit of a commentary.
So we've got a convoy happening.
Yeah, we got a convoy.
(AMERICAN ACCENT) We got us a convoy.
Awesome. I'm excited.
(OVER RADIO) Uh, 10-4 there, good buddy. (LAUGHS)
As a first-timer out here,
I have to say this sure beats Sydney peak hour.
The mulga scrub and Gibber plains rush by,
as Shirley gives a running commentary.
Heading to a little tributary creek that runs into Robertson's Creek.
The big straggly tree on the left is a grevillea called a bee foot.
Our first stop is at Mirriapa Tank.
Once used as a water hole for stock from Arrow Bar Station,
it's now managed by the park.
What sort of bird life do you have here?
Pretty much everything towards sunset,
'cause everything likes a drink.
And reptiles.
You know, there's a big brown snake that lives over there.
(LAUGHTER) We might leave him be.
Back on the track,
and the amazing landscapes start to work their magic,
before we arrive at the jewel in the crown - the amazing Lake Peery.
The girls are ducking off for a kayak,
but I need to find out more about this incredible place.
This is a huge body of water to find in the middle of the outback.
It sure is. Bit of a gobsmack when you come over the hill.
Yeah.
And you're only seeing half of it here.
A lot of the water is overflow from the Paroo River,
but the lake is also fed from below by mound springs,
and this makes Lake Peery
an important site for the local Aboriginal people.
It was very significant because the Great Artesian Basin mound springs
represent permanent water in a very arid landscape, so it's obvious...
I mean, the place is just solid with artefacts and significant sites
and so forth.
History, birdlife, and you can swim and paddle too!
But I might have to save that for tomorrow,
because right now, I'm heading back to camp in another part of the park.
Welcome to the Coach and Horses campground.
This place got its name as a stop for drovers on the stock route
but tonight it's home to me
and some happy campers from a four-wheel drive club.
I love the landscape.
The saltbush plains of outback New South Wales are divine.
Trees for shade, and right by the river.
What more could we ask for?
Couldn't agree more.
The Paroo-Darling National Park is a magical place,
and with the camp right on the Darling River,
I think a tag-along boat tour could be the next big thing.
All I need is a tinny. Here you go, love.
Not what I had in mind, but, hey, it really IS a magical place.
VOICEOVER: It looks amazing, Mel.
Paroo-Darling National Park is out west.
For all the info on the park, the tag-along tour or the campground,
drop into the visitors' centre or jump onto: