Tibboburra is one of those towns - you either like it or not. Harsh, remote, bland- most travellers use it as a just a stop over. Most people wouldn’t think about spending several days here but we discovered that this area has more than meets the eye.
Most people don’t associate this area with gorges but along this 100 km loop there are several and it is very spectacular after rainfall where you can see the old river gums lining the banks of the creeks soaking up any water that flows. The drive takes you through several old creek crossings, yet when it is in flood you can see old debris some 20 feet up in the trees. With the terrain out here you rise and fall around 200 metres along this drive- doesn’t sound much but considering just how flat this landscape is- the weathering effect can be dramatic. Half way along you will come to a lookout giving you views down where the water has cut a line in the landscape over hundreds of years- and being so high you can see for literally hundreds of km’s.
We noticed too the landscape would go from a white granite base rock then to a reddish dirt colour then change again to the typical gibber rock covering with minimal vegetation- except of course where the creeks run. Its amazing just what is out here too. About 80km along stands the remains of Horton Park Station. This outpost was setup as a remote camp away from the main station. If you take time out to wander around you can find remnants of the yards, water rows, even old bottles, and even though the old house still stands- one can only imagine the bloody hardships these folk would of endured. I mean the main complaint we had were the millions of flies !!!
The gorge loop drive normally takes around 3-4 hours to complete if you want to explore all the points of interest along the way- but it definatly should be on your to do list here in town, not just a stop over as you race further west. With vast skies, iridescent colours and moonscape rocky outcrops, Tibboburra has hidden secrets to explore.
