To find a vehicle test use the pull-down lists below.
On location, hunting for dinosaurs! While waiting for a massive Sauropod to wander across the barren...
Destinations > The Wool Run
The Wool Run
During the melee that followed, just three army privates lost their lives, along with one Lieutenant . This was the largest mass POW escape in British history with 378 eventually escaping the confines of the camp. Within days, 334 escapees had been recaptured, but there was a total of 231 deaths amongst the POW's, many committing suicide rather than be returned to the POW camp, under Japanese lore, it was seen as a disgrace to have been captured by the enemy and many of the young soldiers took their own lives rather than live with such shame.
Once you get past Cowra and West Wylaong the country becomes more arid, with explorer John Oxley declaring in 1817 "these desolate areas would never again be visited by civilised man". Thank goodness no one listened to him! Reaching the quaint town of Rankin Springs you get the opportunity to leave the highway behind. Study the map and you see a thin red line leading North West through Monia Gap to Hillston. Along here you raise the dust for the first time as you pass fields of Canola and wheat. Monia Gap is a rocky outcrop that the road barely notices as it swings between two low ridges. Hillston is your last opportunity to refuel and stock up the fridge. A beautiful town with lots of well laid out street gardens. The green of the area is due to the fact that the town is perched on NSW's highest producing and best quality artesian bore - what a difference water makes.
read on below advertisement
From Hillston take the Mossgiel road and suddenly you see why water is so kind to Hillston. You are barely out of the town and the road surface turns that incredible red hue of a typical dry outback location. The other overwhelming experience is the billiard table landscape. You cannot believe that the country can be so flat. It stays like this for 40 kilometres where you see the Willandra National Park sign pointing to the north into a scene that could easily be taken from a disaster movie the day after you know what. Dead flat, treeless country stretches to the horizon. The monotony is only broken by the occasional big red or eastern grey kangaroo kicking up dust as they reach up to 40 km/h using just two hind legs.
In the mid 1850s, Willandra Station stretched from Hillston for over 100km to Mossgiel in the west. Today about one fifth of Old Willandra Station is now under the supervision of the National Parks Service. The remainder of the station still runs sheep, so be aware that you will pass yards and station tracks on your way to the Park, most intersections have the direction to the Park well signposted.
Twenty kilometres from the Mossgiel Road you come to a gate (leave it as found, usually closed) on your right is the large Willandra woolshed and out houses. But if you continue straight ahead towards the trees you come to the actual homestead, now a National Park office (only manned during business hours). Here there is self registration for the camping spots if the Ranger is not in.
next page »
Once you get past Cowra and West Wylaong the country becomes more arid, with explorer John Oxley declaring in 1817 "these desolate areas would never again be visited by civilised man". Thank goodness no one listened to him! Reaching the quaint town of Rankin Springs you get the opportunity to leave the highway behind. Study the map and you see a thin red line leading North West through Monia Gap to Hillston. Along here you raise the dust for the first time as you pass fields of Canola and wheat. Monia Gap is a rocky outcrop that the road barely notices as it swings between two low ridges. Hillston is your last opportunity to refuel and stock up the fridge. A beautiful town with lots of well laid out street gardens. The green of the area is due to the fact that the town is perched on NSW's highest producing and best quality artesian bore - what a difference water makes.
read on below advertisement
From Hillston take the Mossgiel road and suddenly you see why water is so kind to Hillston. You are barely out of the town and the road surface turns that incredible red hue of a typical dry outback location. The other overwhelming experience is the billiard table landscape. You cannot believe that the country can be so flat. It stays like this for 40 kilometres where you see the Willandra National Park sign pointing to the north into a scene that could easily be taken from a disaster movie the day after you know what. Dead flat, treeless country stretches to the horizon. The monotony is only broken by the occasional big red or eastern grey kangaroo kicking up dust as they reach up to 40 km/h using just two hind legs.
In the mid 1850s, Willandra Station stretched from Hillston for over 100km to Mossgiel in the west. Today about one fifth of Old Willandra Station is now under the supervision of the National Parks Service. The remainder of the station still runs sheep, so be aware that you will pass yards and station tracks on your way to the Park, most intersections have the direction to the Park well signposted.
Twenty kilometres from the Mossgiel Road you come to a gate (leave it as found, usually closed) on your right is the large Willandra woolshed and out houses. But if you continue straight ahead towards the trees you come to the actual homestead, now a National Park office (only manned during business hours). Here there is self registration for the camping spots if the Ranger is not in.
next page »
