Brewarrina

barina · Guru

Brewarrina

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Thanks Barina, have just added Brewarrina to our ever-growing list.

kandagal · Guru

Very nice people in Brewarrina. We spent some time on a property about 20kms out of town being 'outback helpers' . This was in drought time when they were doing it tough..

herbie · Guru

kandagal wrote:
Very nice people in Brewarrina. We spent some time on a property about 20kms out of town being 'outback helpers' . This was in drought time when they were doing it tough..

You were lucky you were 20kms out of town, it would be one of the worst places we have ever stayed in ,No one appears to work there , i can understand why the business people who were interviewed for that artical in paper were wanting people to move there ,as the place is just a dole bludgers haven.Sorry if this sounds a little over the top but just saying it how we found it to be.Would not stay any were near there.

neilnruth · Guru

It might have changed since you were there herbie.

dazren · Guru

So what hassles did you encounter, to make you feel that way,??? when were you there ? did you stay long ? is there any work available to the residents ?? Does being on the dole automatically make people bad ? Apparently 'kandagal' and he is of the opinion that there are some 'nice' people in Brewarrina ???

I have not been there , so i don't know ??? But a lot of people told me not to stay in Pt Augusta, but i did go there for a week ?? and did see what i was warned about, But also met a lot of other great locals there . smile

Grams · Guru

Not sure I like the label "Blow-ins" Tourists sounds so much better I think...

Wow 1100 population, that's double the town I live in. I love small towns, it's great knowing people by sight, or just saying hello to the tourists...lots of caravaners come through all the time.

As for Port Augusta, I don't like it, I try not to visit very often, only for medical appointments. It's not the town it's the size of it. I don't mind visiting and staying for a few days, but I could never live there or any larger town than 600 people...but that's just me.

GaryKelly · Guru

Jeez, I thought I was living in a small town "in the sticks", Taree. But the city has a pop of 20,000 and the area about 170,000 I think. I was talking to a young bloke recently who was on a working visit here. He'd never heard of Taree and, before he arrived, figured maybe there was one motel. Hehe. Try 30 or 40.

neilnruth · Guru

We lived in a town of 250 population (area added made it 500) and it took a while to get used to everyone knowing what you did before you did it! But it didn't take long for the town and the people to get into my heart and I cry every time I visit and have to leave it now. And yes, they also welcome caravanners.

herbie · Guru

It may have changed, i do hope it has. We just felt unsafe ,and we have been into smaller towns than this. Smaller the better. It was Race Cup Week end ,we did not know this.The drunken /swearing/yelling/ fighting /that went on all day and night was unbelievable. It never stopped..The police were powerless to control the behaviour .We had booked into the c/ park there ( dust bowl ) The caravan park was just like a freeway for these LOCALS to use to take a short cut to where there living quarters are. We booked in for two nights. Well one night was enough for me. Us and around 8 other vaners pulled out and went out to the 4 mile mile Reserve.and stayed there for the following two nights. And no people on the Dole are no different to me or you, i do not judge people by that. But if they are just hanging around and fit and healthy and making a pest of them self, Then maybe just maybe if they went and helped out at the farms that were flooded , this town may in some way gain some respect.All these people wondering around swigging on alcohole screaming at everyone who passed their way , spreading across the footparth ,so we all had to walk out onto the road to get past. spitting/towards us all.

GaryKelly · Guru

Herbie: the situation in Brewarrina sounds suspiciously like a problem we had in Taree until fairly recently when the cops got a handle on it. A particular section of the local community caused the trouble. Handouts, boredom, booze, no direction, no purpose, no respect for anyone including themselves. I think the local cops liaised with representatives from the local community - elders, leaders, etc - to sort out the mess without confrontation. Things have settled down dramatically since then, which is not only beneficial to the town as a whole, but also to those people assisted by a sensible, constructive and practical approach to solving their problems.

herbie · Guru

GaryKelly wrote:
Herbie: the situation in Brewarrina sounds suspiciously like a problem we had in Taree until fairly recently when the cops got a handle on it. A particular section of the local community caused the trouble. Handouts, boredom, booze, no direction, no purpose, no respect for anyone including themselves. I think the local cops liaised with representatives from the local community - elders, leaders, etc - to sort out the mess without confrontation. Things have settled down dramatically since then, which is not only beneficial to the town as a whole, but also to those people assisted by a sensible, constructive and practical approach to solving their problems.

I maybe should have not been so hard on the town in it's own right...As the town is probably ok in some kind of way, i probably should of been more condeming of some sections of the communitie.The police are few and far between out around those areas,so they would all know this, so take it that they can treat people any way the see fit.Unless one has encountered this kind of behaviour , i do not think they would understan, And being a visitor to the place it even makes one feel more nervous ,as you do not have a house to run for cover to and lets face it being in a caravan the safety with them is about as safe as being in a boat with out a paddle. The locks on caravan and motor home doors a only designed for the honest thief. I am happy for you Gary that things have settled down in your neck of the woods, as i have been told by so many different people to give Taree a miss , but i have been there about 4 years ago ,but just passed through. I think once a place gets a name from certain people being D..k Heads , it takes a long long time to over through that stigma..We should of took head from the guy at the servo when we first arrived as he said ...you not staying here are you !!!!!

msg · Guru

I certainly felt intimidated. I have gone through there a couple of times and wouldn't dream of stopping.

neilnruth · Guru

Herbie we had a similar experience to you many years ago in Wilcannia. Yes, I know you're told not to stop there now but this was years ago and we knew the minister of the Anglican church so he let us park in the churchyards. We had the same sort of noise all night and it was also used as a shortcut. As many say on this website, it is often better to camp about 10km out of such towns. Last time we drove through Wilcannia it was very quiet - then we found out they were all at a funeral!