Could anyone please let me know if they have had any experience with the "Warrawong on the Darling" caravan park at Wilcannia as we are planning to stay there later this week. A lot of people say Wilcannia is a no-go but surely the park is OK. Thanks await your replies.
brickies said
09:26 AM May 9, 2016
Have a look on Badger caravan Report give a good report on caravan parks in the town .
Desert Dweller said
09:29 AM May 9, 2016
Warrawong on the Darling is a beautiful, relaxing, popular & secure CP a few kms east of town. It's on private property (a station) just 1km off the Barrier Hwy, we've stayed there twice for up to 5 nights. There's an empty CP in town (for good reasons). Wilcannia does have indigenous problems as everyone knows. The Police do a daily drive around the CP at Warrawong even though the trouble makers are nowhere around the area. Enjoy!
Dopey3 said
09:37 AM May 9, 2016
Thanks Desert Dweller,
As being fairly new to both travelling & grey nomad life it is good to get a bit of re-assurance. Appreciated
KJB said
09:53 AM May 9, 2016
Wilcannia - excellent coffee and atmosphere at Courthouse Cafe and Gallery (Reid St. )
- cheapest fuel at Darling River Fuels (BP Depot ) Martin St.
KB
LLD said
09:59 AM May 9, 2016
Dopey3 wrote:
Thanks Desert Dweller,
As being fairly new to both travelling & grey nomad life it is good to get a bit of re-assurance. Appreciated
It's good to chat with other nomads once on the road too. Our recent trip to the Eyre Peninsula changed a bit after conversations at the camp kitchen, over a drink or three, and especially lunch in a beautiful park in Melrose (SA).
brickies said
10:44 AM May 9, 2016
Lots of people panic at the sight of brown skin .
Davemate said
01:32 PM May 9, 2016
Thoroughly recommend Warrewong. Great amenities.
Cheers,
David.
Geeco said
03:51 PM May 9, 2016
Another heads up for Warrawong. Great facilities and location. Cheers,
Fringe Dweller said
05:03 PM May 9, 2016
I Sleep Regularly on th southern side of the hwy at Wilcannia & have done so for over 35yrs . NEVER had any trouble.
Last time was last Sept , had a couple of hrs , kicked on again . Only made it to Emmdale.
wendyv said
08:06 PM May 9, 2016
Another vote for Warrawong on Darling. Quite new. Excellent amenities block. Camp kitchen facility. Last time we were there the managers lit a campfire each afternoon for happy hour - and provided nibbles as well. We find it a great place just to relax for a few days, walk around the billabong or across to the river.
PeterD said
08:31 PM May 9, 2016
Dopey3 wrote:
A lot of people say Wilcannia is a no-go but surely the park is OK. Thanks await your replies.
This is a case of long memories being dangerous. There are no problems in Wilcannia, Bourke or Brewarrina these days. The corporations are running the places these days. Last time we were in Wilcannia we felt safe walking around the streets. Apart from their own homes the only places anyone can drink alcohol is at the pub or the club.
Spend a couple of nights at Warrawong and explore the area. When you have had a good look at the area you too can debunk the idea of the Darling River communities as no go areas.
Dopey3 said
08:41 AM May 10, 2016
Thanks for that it is re-assuring to read these comments. It is a pity that others continue to put areas down based on, perhaps, personal feelings towards others. As soon as we have stayed at Warrawong I will put a post up.
Dopey3 said
08:52 AM May 10, 2016
Good on you Desert Dweller,
Thanks for the info we are doing a bit of a trip to Cairns (we are in Tumby Bay SA at the moment) then from Cairns going west towards Mataranka then Alice Springs so I'm sure we will be seeing quite a few communities & our experience from being in Alice previously is all good.
Desert Dweller said
02:26 PM May 10, 2016
PeterD wrote:
Dopey3 wrote:
A lot of people say Wilcannia is a no-go but surely the park is OK. Thanks await your replies.
This is a case of long memories being dangerous. There are no problems in Wilcannia, Bourke or Brewarrina these days. Wilcannia we felt safe walking around the streets. Apart from their own homes the only places anyone can drink alcohol is at the pub or the club. Spend a couple of nights at Warrawong and explore the area. When you have had a good look at the area you too can debunk the idea of the Darling River communities as no go areas.
Who said there was no trouble in those towns? We met a couple at Spring Hills Rest Area on the Barrier Hwy whose tug had a sheet of plastic for a drivers window. They were parked right outside the visitor information centre in Bourke when their vehicle had the window smashed, a wallet, prescription sunglasses, a mobile phone & camera gear was stolen. Members of the indigenous community were seen running away from the crime. That was last year! A friend of ours parked his car at a parking area to go & see the fish traps in the Darling River at Brewarrina. Half way to the river he remembered that he'd forgotten his camera so he went back to his car. He interrupted two indigenous thieves braking into his car. That was last year as well!
PeterD said
04:14 PM May 10, 2016
Desert Dweller wrote:They were parked right outside the visitor information centre in Bourke when their vehicle had the window smashed, a wallet, prescription sunglasses, a mobile phone & camera gear was stolen. Members of the indigenous community were seen running away from the crime. That was last year! A friend of ours parked his car at a parking area to go & see the fish traps in the Darling River at Brewarrina. Half way to the river he remembered that he'd forgotten his camera so he went back to his car. He interrupted two indigenous thieves braking into his car. That was last year as well!
Yes and I had the same thing happen in Townsville. The same sort of thing happens along the beach parking spots in the Central Coast NSW where there is no black population.
That sort of thing is not so much because those towns were dangerous places. This sort of thing happens in any place in Oz. The reason is not so much the sun tanned population, it's because foolish people leave things in view of the light fingered gentry of dark or light colour.
When I was last in Mt Isa you had to be very careful about locking your van. It was known that the perpetrators were the white druggies.
Back to the point of the OP's "A lot of people say Wilcannia is a no-go but surely the park is OK." I would sooner walk around Wilcannia at night than most areas of Sydney.
Desert Dweller said
07:25 PM May 10, 2016
We've spent around 9 nights in total at Warrawong on the Darling in our 2 stays last year & the year before. We've been into Wilcannia at least 5 times, mainly to the dilapidated supermarket, the CP was always totally empty & it's not what we'd call a friendly tourist destination. We've never been anywhere where the ''C WORD'' was yelled out loud so many times in public. It's a real pity because the town has some beautiful old historic buildings.
Could anyone please let me know if they have had any experience with the "Warrawong on the Darling" caravan park at Wilcannia as we are planning to stay there later this week. A lot of people say Wilcannia is a no-go but surely the park is OK. Thanks await your replies.
Thanks Desert Dweller,
As being fairly new to both travelling & grey nomad life it is good to get a bit of re-assurance. Appreciated
Wilcannia - excellent coffee and atmosphere at Courthouse Cafe and Gallery (Reid St. )
- cheapest fuel at Darling River Fuels (BP Depot ) Martin St.
KB
It's good to chat with other nomads once on the road too. Our recent trip to the Eyre Peninsula changed a bit after conversations at the camp kitchen, over a drink or three, and especially lunch in a beautiful park in Melrose (SA).
Cheers,
David.
I Sleep Regularly on th southern side of the hwy at Wilcannia & have done so for over 35yrs . NEVER had any trouble.
Last time was last Sept , had a couple of hrs , kicked on again . Only made it to Emmdale.
This is a case of long memories being dangerous. There are no problems in Wilcannia, Bourke or Brewarrina these days. The corporations are running the places these days. Last time we were in Wilcannia we felt safe walking around the streets. Apart from their own homes the only places anyone can drink alcohol is at the pub or the club.
Spend a couple of nights at Warrawong and explore the area. When you have had a good look at the area you too can debunk the idea of the Darling River communities as no go areas.
Thanks for that it is re-assuring to read these comments. It is a pity that others continue to put areas down based on, perhaps, personal feelings towards others. As soon as we have stayed at Warrawong I will put a post up.
Good on you Desert Dweller,
Thanks for the info we are doing a bit of a trip to Cairns (we are in Tumby Bay SA at the moment) then from Cairns going west towards Mataranka then Alice Springs so I'm sure we will be seeing quite a few communities & our experience from being in Alice previously is all good.
Who said there was no trouble in those towns? We met a couple at Spring Hills Rest Area on the Barrier Hwy whose tug had a sheet of plastic for a drivers window. They were parked right outside the visitor information centre in Bourke when their vehicle had the window smashed, a wallet, prescription sunglasses, a mobile phone & camera gear was stolen. Members of the indigenous community were seen running away from the crime. That was last year! A friend of ours parked his car at a parking area to go & see the fish traps in the Darling River at Brewarrina. Half way to the river he remembered that he'd forgotten his camera so he went back to his car. He interrupted two indigenous thieves braking into his car. That was last year as well!
Yes and I had the same thing happen in Townsville. The same sort of thing happens along the beach parking spots in the Central Coast NSW where there is no black population.
That sort of thing is not so much because those towns were dangerous places. This sort of thing happens in any place in Oz. The reason is not so much the sun tanned population, it's because foolish people leave things in view of the light fingered gentry of dark or light colour.
When I was last in Mt Isa you had to be very careful about locking your van. It was known that the perpetrators were the white druggies.
Back to the point of the OP's "A lot of people say Wilcannia is a no-go but surely the park is OK." I would sooner walk around Wilcannia at night than most areas of Sydney.