I have nothing against Lake Cargelligo. It is a friendly enough little town, if with a deserted air at most times. However it sits rather irrelevantly beside a shallow impoundment of the overflow from the nearby Lachlan River. It always reminds me of the town in the Clint Eastwood movie ‘High Plains Drifter’ that was built in 18 days, at Clint’s insistence, on the side of a lake in California, USA. The attraction for the passing birdwatcher is the so-called sewage works which are not signed as such, but indicated by a small sign saying ‘Bird Hide’. Indeed, there is little sewagy or worksy about this boutique wetland, which is a rambling layout of ponds, pleasantly vegetated and with no forbidding fencing. A feature of interest is a relatively recent structure which deserves its place in any catalogue of BIRD HIDES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. It is small and, to be frank, so exposed that at present it is of little use as a hide, although a bit of planting, of which there are already indications, should correct that in time. A main feature is that it is EXTREMELY ROBUST, being constructed of pre-formed concrete. This is a hide built to last. An informal inscription suggests it was a project of the Lake Cargelligo Men’s Shed, although the formwork bears the brand of a Griffith engineering firm. Anyway, well done to all involved for making the travelling birdwatcher know that this town wants him or her to feel at home.
