You never know what you will see on this great drive
If there is one drive that is so special to us when we are in the Riverland, a drive we have done countless times over the years, it’s the Old Coach Road through the
Chowilla Game Reserve, north of
Renmark off of the main
Wentworth Road. The name was derived from when this used to be the main road between
Renmark,
Wentworth and destinations further afield such as
Sydney in the old horse and coach days of the 1800’s.
Some of the scenery along the drive
You never know what you will encounter along the drive
In good years, you will see family groups of Emus in the Reserve
Darling River Lilly in flower along the drive
River Cooba flower
River Cooba in flower
The drive is full of local history, so it’s is one not to be rushed. Those with a very keen eye will see old Aboriginal Canoe scare trees, old aboriginal middens, old European sheep bridges onto small islands and some very special scenery. Then there are a couple of old tell tale signs of work that was started in the early 1960’s that intended to make this area one of South Australia’s largest water catchment dams, but never got off the ground.
Information Bay about the Bookmark area
Heading south from the main Wentworth Road down to the Chowilla Game reserve
You will find a couple of information boards in the Reserve
The old Chowilla Shearing shed was built in the 1800's
Sign at the old Shearing Shed
Most of the tracks are well formed roads
Changing scenery along the drive
Aboriginal Canoe scare tree on the other side of Monoman Creek
Aboriginal Canoe scare tree on the other side of the creek
These creeks are very popular for kayakers....they are just so perfect and peaceful
The rich aboriginal association with the area is shown by local names of the creeks you will be driving along, like Chowilla Creek,
Monoman Creek,
Punkah Creek and there are those with European association like Sheepskin Creek, Hancock Creek to name a couple.
Old pump shed along the drive
Evidence from the 1960's when they planned to build the Chowilla Dam, which would have been the biggest dame in South Australia
Information marker along the drive, with the Old Coach as its symbol
Along the drive
Large pump shed along the drive - note the flood level hight on the shed walls
The information board with a run down of the area
Section of the drive through the floodplains
Evidence of previous years flooding, with the watermark over 1 metre deep in this section of the drive
Along the drive
Old Stock crossing bridge from one island to another
As previously mentioned, there some special features to see along the drive such as the
Todd Obelisk, the
old ruins of the Scab Inspectors house, old pumping sheds and
Suicide Bridge, the
bridge what was built in the wrong location of
Lake Limbra and was never put into use.
Old Scab Inspectors house ruins along the drive
The Charles Todd Obelisk that was erected in 1868
Suicide Bridge - the bridge that was never used for being erected in the wrong place
So next time you are in the Riverland and want to see another side that is not on the average
tourist drive, why not explore that very special part of the Riverland. As long as you are prepared to drive a dirt road less travelled, a capable two wheel drive passenger vehicle will get you to these very special
places, providing that it is not wet.
Remains of an old stock bridge that crosses one of the creeks
Remains of an old stock bridge that crosses one of the creeks
Remains of an old stock bridge that crosses one of the creeks
Death along one of the creeks
Monoman Creek in flood
Private access bridge over Monoman Creek for access to Lock 6
From the work for the proposed Chowilla Dam in the 1960's
Old Stock crossing bridge from one island to another
Chowilla Creek
Stephen Langman
March 2021