City girls turn to Twitter help on road trip

In the old days all you'd have is a map and maybe a few tips from the local hotel owner.

But now if you're planning your dream road trip through far west NSW, you can just ask Facebook and Twitter and plan it all out that way.

Self-confessed city girl Kathleen Swinbourne explains how she found herself out bush and shares some of the most useful tips from Twittersphere.

"I met a man, the hunting, shooting, fishing type and he dragged me kicking and screaming into the outback and I was hooked."

"I went and caught up with my best friend in Sydney and said 'let's go to Broken Hill'."

Once the decision was made, Kathleen turned to social media for some help.

"Love Twitter, you find out so much. I knew I was coming into Broken Hill, I tweeted ?ok people going to camp in Broken Hill, where do we go?? ?

And it wasn?t long before helpful tweets poured in.

?I got responses back on the best places to camp, where not to go - I even heard the best place to go for coffee."

Being new to putting up tents, the girls headed to a spot that was a hot Twitter tip.

?We went out to Silverton, out to Penrose Park...tent pegs didn?t go all the way in and that night the wind came up and we thought we were going to get blown away.?

Kathleen even asked for advice on the country 'wave' when passing the occassional driver down long, lonely roads.

?First time I was so excited, I?m watching this car coming and saying ok calm down, be nonchalant?I casually lifted two fingers off that steering wheel?and they didn?t wave back and I was so disappointed.?

Another car came along so Kathleen tried again.

"I lifted two fingers and they didn?t wave back either."

But it didn?t take long before things turned around.

?I finally got someone who did wave back and he waved like an excited 10 year old...I don?t know if he was waving at me or just at a fly.?

But not all travelling advice was followed.

?We were told not to go to Wilcannia ? in the city you hear a lot of negative things - but I was surprised when I got out to the country, people were saying the same things."

?Being the contrary type, we had to go to Wilcannia, and (we) were really surprised at what a pretty place it is; nestled on the Darling (River) with old colonial buildings and friendly locals.

So what advice do these city girls have for other city girls who are thinking of giving up their five-star lives for some outback adventure?

?It?s an amazing part of the world? your tent might blow down the first night but you?ll put it up the second night - just go for it.?

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/sa/content/2013/02/s3687913.htm

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