Boulia to Birdsville

 

Gidday all,

Out past the park boundary and on to Springvale station and Boulia. Back to desolate planes, and seeing forever.

 

 Drove into Boulia, complete with emu roaming the main street, topped up on groceries, refuelled and filled up the water. Had a good look around and a cup of tea then took the road to Birdsville.

 Just out of Boulia, saw some scrub off the road some way so headed over to it and camped up for the night. Off again in the morning. The familiar flat Mitchell grass planes extending before us. About 100ks on a rest area high on a lonely hill called us up to have a look. The views were excellent, the look of the country from here confirms this is an ancient sea bed.

 

Back on the road and some km on the flat planes gave way to spinifex dotted red sand hills. Bedourie next stop. Camped the night at the council rest stop, it has water, toilets and SHOWERS. In the morning headed toward Burnsville, 68k on pulled in at Cuttaburra crossing, a river crossing with a permanent water hole. Lots of birds, a flock of budgees landed in front of us and started feeding on the grass seeds, a great moment.

 Eagles also swooping on prey unseen by us.

 

On to Carcoory ruins, one of the first properties Sir Sidney Kidman purchased in 1899. After years of drought and the loss of many cattle he abandoned the station.

 

 

Just down the road is an artesian bore, spewing out boiling hot water into a network of channels and into a large pond. Stopped to soak a while. The water is like getting into a very hot bath, very invigorating after you get out, a natural hot tub. Din even got in, the water temp was “just right” she said.

 

Just a little way from the pond, two brolgas strutting about.

 

Followed a little track for a bit beside one channel and came upon a lovely camp spot beside a long water hole, so we set up camp. Nice clean water, nobody around for miles, birdlife and fish. What more could you want. Had a go and caught a few small perch, then released them to grow some more. Spent three days there. Monday, time to pack up and get to Birdsville.

 

Gidday all,

Travelled west from Winton to the Diamantina River Road junction and headed on down.

 Vast flat treeless, and grassless, plains as far as you can see greeted us.

After some klms the landscape changed to short scrub and small hillocks dotted about. Quite beautiful, crossing numerous dry creeks, we stopped at one for lunch. Quick nanny nap later we carried on, found a small stand

of short trees off the road a way and pulled up for the day, we had done over 120k after all.

 Sunday, started off the day lying in bed listening to Macca on the radio. Finally had breakfast then set off down the road. The grassless plains have returned, but dotted with low scrub. Still beside the Diamantina River, mostly dry except for the occasional billabong. Arrived at Old Cork Station homestead and pulled up for an explore. Only small but very grand for it’s time.

 An old wood stove sits out the back, the same model as the one we use at home today, not a lot left of this one though

 A permanent water hole is at the back of the homestead so we drove down and camped up. Around 60k for the day, but hey it’s Sunday.

 Tuesday, and it’s time to move again, flat scrub country with rocky outcrops dotted about, some with amazing shapes. Then red sand dunes and spinifex, an ever changing countryside.

 

 

 

Reached the park boundary and on to a lookout with views of the river. On to the ranger station, a quick chat with a ranger then on to the campground next to a water hole with rock cliffs and pelicans. Staid one night then off to Boulia.

                              Great sunset just outside Winton, the photo doesn't do it justice

                                           In Bladensburg National park out on the salt pans

        Skull hole, the site of a massacre of a local tribe in the early days of the settlement of Winton

 Plan to head down to Diamantina National park, the big green bit on the map, long the Diamantina development road next to the Diamantina River, passing through Old Cork Station homestead then on to Boulia.

Termite like formations in White Mountains National park but they are rocks.

Gidday all,

Stayed another night at White Mountains National park, just because we can, then on to Hughenden, some smoko and down the road to Winton. Found a camp just out of town and settled in for the night.

Topped up on fuel and water and a few groceries, then headed out to Bladensburg National Park just south of Winton. So far we plan to skip over to the Diamantina River and follow it southwest to Old Cork Station homestead (you know, the John Williamson song) then to Diamantina National Park and on to Boulia.

 

 

 

Gidday all,

So here we sit on the top of a ridge overlooking Sawpit Gorge in the White Mountains National park, in   between Pentland and Torrents Creek, on our way to the Diamantina development road.

Had a couple of false starts, spent the first night out at Giru boat ramp then on to a small dirt road down the HI way a bit where we found a clearing near a little creek and camped the night, then returned home to pick up a few forgotten items, but now we are on the road for real. Going to head to Boulia from Winton and then down the Diamantina to Burnsville or maybe hang a left at Bedourie and on to Thargomindah (come on get your maps out). Depends which way the wind blows us.

Either way we will wake up to a stunning view tomorrow morning up here on this ridge. Great start to our 2015 trip to Tassie and back, feels good to be on the road again, fancy free, looking forward to tomorrow. Stay tuned for updates.

                                    house built on the rocks at Wunjunga beach south of Air

                                                     Spent the night just up the road

                    great spot and really out of the way, only way in is by the beach at low tide.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gidday all,

Heading up through southwest QLD and thinking we won’t hang too long, back in the heat and it’s knocking us around already. The temps are going to get up to 40 around here in the next week or so.

Will head up to Emerald and over to Rocky, the roads will be OK by then after the cyclone, and the temps a bit better. Can call in to catch up with friends on the way home from there. Katie is getting close to delivery date too.

Gidday all,

Met up with our friend in Loxton and caught up on the years since we last saw each other. Then on towards Renmark where we found a nice campsite by the Murray and stayed for a couple of days.

Then on a miner little dirt road and over the border into NSW. Decided to head to Broken Hill and up into Queensland from there. Today went from Wilcania to Bourke up the dirt road along the Darling river. All was good till about an hour in when it started to rain. For the next 250k the road turned to mush. We spent the next 7hrs crawling along in 4wd, most of the time sideways. Now in Bourke, having a nice rest. The truck wouldn’t give up, a few hairy moments but it kept on going. Had to scrape about a ton of mud off at the other end. Up to Cunamulla from here and into QLD.

                                                            South Australian sunset

                                                      a bit of rain turned the road to mush

                                                                    caked on

  

                                                                 took a while to get off

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gidday all,

Back on the mainland and heading northwest. Had a rather smooth and uneventful crossing, Din didn’t spew once.

A quiet Sunday morning through Melbourne then north towards Bendigo. Reported temps of 44 in the region we were headed to made us slow down a bit more than usual, which is quite slow already, and we found a campsite near a dry creek.

Today will see us crossing the S.A. border and meet up with our friend in Loxton, hope the weather will be kind.

                                                             the next Winafarrgo?

                                           across the road from our campsite at Lockwood

                                                        artful farmer up the road

beautifull houses in Inglewood

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gidday all,

Well it had to come, and here we are, preparing for the trip back over Bass Strait. Had the last few days saying goodbye to the Loongana locals who have become friends. Last night will be at Forth again saying goodbye to friends. Tassie has become a special place for us, not only the spectacular country and pretty little towns but the welcoming down to earth people we have met. We will be back.

Will head northwest from Melbourne towards the Vic border with S.A. and look up a friend living there. Heard the weather report for up there and they are predicting temps in the late30s, so will have to acclimatise again. 

Gidday all,

Just one week left of our summertime in Tassie. Have spent the last week in a secluded spot away from everyone and everything in the mountains of Loongana, in the bush next to a lagoon.

Morning temps around eight degrees but warmer sunny days. Have seen evidence of wombats, rabbits, wallaby, and small trout in the lagoon, plenty of them too. Will hang about for a few more days then head up the road for the local bush fire brigade meeting on Sunday and catch up with some locals.

                                                                inspecting the evidence

                                                                 wombat mound

                                                             sunrise over the lagoon

                                                    the campsite at Loongana Lagoon

                                                         road in a bit rough but all good

                                                dinner cooking and the bath water heating

                                                                   trout in the lagoon

                                                              one of the Loongana locals