Menindee Lakes

While up in Broken Hill during April for the MIL's 70th, Kym and I had a couple of day trips to Menindee Lakes. With the New South Wales rains running down the River Darling, the Lakes were actually filling while we were there.

First trip was also with Kym's sister and her partner. They escaped the 'Dragons Lair' each day too.  ;O)
We scouted "Sunset Strip". Its a popular spot with shacks, a boat ramp and, if your standing in the wrong spot, big 3 Corner Jack prickles

We took the kids to a spot in Menindee to the Lakes' edge for a quick look. Whilst there a Vic fella kindly gave a fishing rod to the kids to catch a Carp. Carp are crap fish. They have taken over the River systems, and when you catch one, you are not allowed to return it back to the River. So this means wherever people are fishing, the banks are covered in smelly rotting fish. And lots of them. That's not so pleasant, let me tell you.

Anyway, back to this Vic fella. What a wonderful kind gesture. And the kids loved it.

There were a lot of photographic opportunities as well. And the sky was awesome that day!!!!

We headed to Copi Hollow and relaxed on the lawns of the Powerboat Club. It's a very serene spot. We lunched at the Menindee Lakes Pub, checked out one of the River's Weirs and generally rubbernecked around.

Lake Menindee Weir no 1.

Crappy Carp

The second day when Kym, the kids and I returned was to Sunset Strip at Lake Menindee. One of Kym's good shooting mates has a shack there, and had an eski of yabbies ready to tuck into.

On the way there, we stopped at Stephen's Creek for me to get some shots. It ran flood waters last month, so the sand was clean and the trees had greened up.

There was another spot I had Kym stop for a landscape shot with an awesome leading line moving thru the undulating hills. I've been told since that this spot was used to film a section of the Mad Max II  (thanks Paul!!)

We, and the mate's family set up camp at the lakes' edge for the day. The kids fished, kyaked, swam, fished, played and had an awesome time. I took some shots of them before heading out for some 'photographic time for me'.

Incidentally, this was the same day, that back at home, it was the first match of Footy and Netty. It was cold, windy, wet and miserable. It was so nice to know that the break of season was happening at home, while we were swanning around in the warm country.    ;O)

 

Long exposure. Lake Menindee

Lake Menindee's Main Weir. Long exposure.

I drove around a bit scoping a place for a sunset shoot. I came back to this spot only just in time. Broken Hill works in SA time, and Menindee works in NSW timezone, even tho they are both in NSW. So the sunset was half an hour earlier than I thought. I waded out into the water with the tripod for this shot. I even had a Carp kiss my toe while there. And I also watched the water rise above the little mud bank in front of me. Little bits of bark and leaves became lodged for a short time, and then the rising water washed the bank clean and then it disappeared under. Great to know I was at the right spot at the right time.

Just for interest's sake, I poked in a stick on the water's edge when I got there to see how fast it's rising. In 30 minutes, it was up 2 inches. That's a phenomenal amount of water making its way into the Lake, considering the size of it.