One thing which can be said about Wentworth is that nothing of interest (with the possible exception of the old gaol) is beyond comfortable walking distance, and we have learnt over the years that the best way to get to know a new town is to hoof it!
So that's just what we did over the couple of days we spent here. Our first jaunt was off to the confluence of the Darling and Murray Rivers, a 'must do' in Wentworth.
We were more than happy to be 'typical tourists' as we made our way along the levee bank (more of these later) which traverses the back of the Willows Bend park
and eventually (300 metres or so) brought us into Cadell Street.
Here we found our first bit of 'old Wentworth', the charming old wooden buildings which housed the St Ignatius Convent School,
complete with its most unusual galvanised iron statuette, unmistakably a nun in full habit. How clever is this?
Not too much further along Cadell Street we found ourselves walking down the entrance roadway
to the substantial and very well maintained public park which abuts the river junction.
Here the levee bank has been adorned with clipped shrubs, spreading ground covers
and some interesting and unusual 'garden art'.
Visitors to this park would never be in doubt as to the town in which they found themselves. The local burghers are not shy in promoting the name, as above the lawn mowing man
or per medium of this display of shrubbery.
And we were not yet done with the Wentworth topiary. I'll have more to say about 'Fergie' (a make of tractor) later.
But enough of this garden gazing for the moment....we were off to see one of Australia's natural spectacles, the junction of our two largest rivers, to the accompaniment of the overhead chortling of another Aussie icon!
We soon discovered that the good folk of Wentworth have thoughtfully provided this observation tower from the top of which
we could gaze over the junction where the chocolate brown waters of the Darling mingle with the clearer waters of the mighty Murray. This can produce some interesting phenomena, as we shall see later.
And whilst the height of the observation tower did prove to be an advantage in seeing this significant geographical point 'in person' as it were,
this aerial shot, displayed on one of the many information boards dotted throughout the park, provides a much better idea of how the waters of the two rivers come together. Thinking about the power of these rivers in flood, I remained amazed that the narrow neck of land which separates the two has survived over the years and has not been swept away by the flooding Murray.
Whilst at this end of the park we did take the time to meander along a narrow riparian trail
to take a look at the barrages of Lock Ten, located about half a mile downstream of the confluence.
And what's a large river without a 'man and his dog'?.......
.......or a congregation of the ubiquitous pelicans perched precariously on the piles of the barrage infrastructure........
or better still, a pair of black swans gracefully gliding through the water with an air of complete calm. We were in no doubt that we were 'on the river'.
Back at the park, the extent of the 'Murray-Darling basin was displayed, and for those of us Aussies who might be feeling a little cocky about the length of these rivers,
this was put into some world perspective......and it soon became clear that those seeking Australian bragging rights would have to look elsewhere. Apart from providing a good comparison, this chart brought home to us just how much of the country we have now seen.....there was not one river on the list we had not crossed or camped near at some stage in our travels. Now for a small honesty test.....how many of you can truthfully say that you knew the Darling is longer than the Murray??.....'truthfully I said'!!
Rather than launch into a lengthy diatribe about the Darling River, let me instead post a photo of another plaque in the park.....it says it all really.
This jaunt brought our arrival day into Wentworth to a very satisfactory close. It was now time to return to our mobile home and enjoy a later afternoon libation at our delightful
camp site here at The Willows Bend and let Max have a bit of an outside run (although he spent most of this time sitting on the van step!)
What a lovely introduction we had had to Wentworth. Tomorrow we explore the town itself and get a real surprise.
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