DAY 21 - GRIFFITH NSW

GRIFFITH NSW

DAY 21


My body was in need of a restful day and some serious rehydration.

I am generally loathed to keep abreast with everyday carry-on whilst travelling, however 3 hours at the Library was not only what was needed, but provided ripe opportunity to bury my head in a newspaper or 4.

Alas, I am now up to date.

Ready now also, for southbound passage tomorrow and over the next few days.

The cultural mix in Griffith is an interesting one.

Indian, Polynesian, Asian and southern European are predominant. Not as many indigenous Kooris as the rest, and of course the usual proportion of whitefellas…..

Why Griffith of all places has attracted such polygenic peoples, I’m not quite sure but it has something to do perhaps with the fertile agriculture of the region as well as the generally sunny climate….

With so many Indians in town, I have been a little disappointed not to find more sumptuous curry houses around – there is one in the main street but it is an a-la-carte, sit-down affair – not so much for me…..

I have discovered though, why so much grass is green and why domestic gardens look as though they have been modelled for a magazine.

It is the MIA.

Not to be confused with the Mafia (even though there’s lots of that about).

MIA is the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.

Australia is basically a big desert – unless you happen to live near the coast like 85% of the population.

For everyone else, water is quite a precious resource.

At least in recent times, the coastal folk have started to learn the lesson with permanent water restrictions now in Sydney for about 3 years, in response to the worst drought in 100 years.

No water restrictions around here though – 500 km inland or not.

It has all been worked out in the MIA, so the question must be raised as to why the rest of the wide brown land can’t get it together.

I quote from a well informed tourist brochure:

“Water is diverted from the river at Berembed Weir upstream of Narrandera and Gogeldrie Weir near Leeton. Flows continue through a network of supply channels to each farm where it is measured onto the property.”

“Company staff adjust the channel flows to meet the changing needs of customers. Drainage channels collect storm run-off from farms and take it to Barren Box Swamp just west of Griffith which serves as an en-route storage for customers further down the system”.

So there it is, as simple as can be.

And not a permanent restriction or desalination plant in sight.