Huge quantities of water are flooding in to the previously drought-stricken area of Menindee in outback New South Wales, transforming the landscape … and the tourism outlook.
After years of hardship, the state government decided in April it had enough floodwaters to release from Lake Pamamaroo to Lake Menindee. It is the first time that has happened since 2016 and the ABC reports that, with the water, came wildlife … and grey nomads.
The shops, cafes, hotels, caravan parks, pub and supermarket in Menindee — about 100 kilometres south-east of Broken Hill — are reportedly choc a bloc.
Menindee resident Graeme Mccrabb told the ABC that the number of travellers coming in was ‘just staggering’.
“The brightness around the town and the optimism — the underlying optimism — it’s definitely come with water,” she said. “It’s hard to get a park up the street, which is unheard of in Menindee.”
Local publican Karen Gasmere said her staff were struggling to keep up with demand.
“They’re probably all overseas travellers, and having nowhere to go, they just ventured out,” Ms Gasmere told the ABC. “It’s attracted people that never would’ve thought to come Outback … we had the tourism just steady, but now it’s an influx.”
Menindee River Lady boat tours operator Rob Gregory said river levels, upstream of the main weir, had risen by about three metres and that birds and plant life were beginning to flourish in response.
“We’ve got high river levels, high lake levels. It’s just greenery. It’s just birdlife. It’s like a garden of Eden at the moment,” he told the ABC. “It’s not rolling along, it’s flying along here at the minute.”
Mr Gregory said some bird species, including whistling kites, had started to breed and that bees had been out pollinating black box eucalyptus trees.
The ABC reports that, during the last major water event in the area in 2016, pelicans returned to Menindee in their thousands. Huge quantities of water have been travelling downstream since major floods hit Queensland and New South Wales in January.
Up to 1,000 gigalitres of water — roughly twice the amount in Sydney Harbour — are forecast to reach the Menindee Lakes system this year.
We were there late last year prior to water release – Spent a week camped at Lake Pamamaroo, There were no fish to be caught by myself although several others in the area told me that they were successful in getting a feed using (cooked) chicken as bait.
The small black insects came through the window screens of a night and were such a nuisance we left a week earlier than planned. I hope the flush of new water may have eliminated the breeding of the pests.
Explains why the Bogan was so high when I drove through Nyngan on the 27/5
Is that the same Menindee that wellcomed us last June with a hearty “flock off you sick old cnts-don’t stop here!”
we didn’t and never will.
So why would they say that? I was there in February and didn’t have a problem.
It was when Victoria had its covid outbreak last year. They had signs up coming into town. We were abused in Wilcannia by a local at the same time. Seems these towns were split between the groups who did and didn’t want tourists.
I don’t believe they would’ve said it.we couldn’t have got a nicer welcome. We’re here right now June 21
I believe it. Covid has brought out the good the bad and the ugly!