With COVID forcing many of us to hibernate inside, at some point the thought of ‘the great escape’ takes over. While we did not have the luxury of disappearing in to the outback for months, we did manage to escape for a few days to Hill End. Taking the winding road out past Sofala (must stop here next time) it is not long before you reach the town where time has stood still. What sprung out of gold fever and slowly grew into a thriving town of 8000 prospectors, thieves and misfits has slowly returned to the earth with only a few of the hundreds of building remaining. One of them is the 1872 Royal Hotel which is only one of 28 pubs that were originally here.
As a photogropher, it is a great place to explore the decaying relics of the past.
Love this image of the 2 kangaroos that were rudely disrupted as I was preparing to take a photo.
We stayed at the Pines Cottage - a rustic 1800’s home with basic but comfortable rooms and a great fireplace for those chilly nights.
We were only here for a short time so did not get a chance to explore many of the other areas such as the mines, go fossicking or venture down the Bridle Track. A good reason to venture back one day.