From the Back O' Bourke to Dubbo........

Leaving Cunnamulla we weren't really sure where we might go next just that it was time to leave Queensland and make our way towards Canberra where we had a function to attend mid September.  We stayed overnight in a rest area and the next morning continued on our way crossing the border into NSW soon after.

Though not quite as green as Queensland was there was still much water on the ground proving the rain had been widespread across the country.  Hopefully we have seen the last of it for a while!  We drove into North Bourke and found a place to stay beside the Darling River at a large campsite by the boat ramp.  

It was still a bit muddy but we were able to find a firm track in and join the two other people camped there and the resident geese.  Known locally as 'the Back o Bourke' we stayed for three nights and enjoyed seeing some sunshine.  Looks like the rain has gone for a bit.  Bill found some birds for the first time in a week or more and enjoyed getting the camera into action again.

Each day the lovely old paddle steamer, Jandra, would pass us going up and down the river.  Always giving us a toot and a wave as it passed with more tourists on board.  We drove into Bourke and did some shopping and checked out the visitors centre at 'The Back o Bourke' to pick up maps of the area.

The next morning we drove back to Bourke and armed with a map did a self guided walk around town.  Some of the buildings are lovely while a few others have been left to deteriorate and you wonder why they would draw attention to them.  The lovely old Catholic Church, St Ignatius, is said to be one of the oldest buildings here.

Waking up to another fine day we walked around the river to see the old Lift Bridge across the Darling. This bridge was opened in 1883 and was the second vertical lift span bridge in the state.  It is now the oldest vertical lift span bridge left in NSW though of course it is no longer in use.  Once opened it soon became the gateway to the never never.

We spent a peaceful afternoon enjoying the river, the birds and the sunshine while we could, rain was forecast again so it was time to hit the road once more.  These two Rainbow Bee Eaters seemed to have dinner under control today.

The next day we travelled to Walgett and camped beside the Barwon River.  It was not as pleasant here as it had been at Bourke but as an overnight stop it was OK.  The next morning we stopped in Walgett as we had some calls to make.  The little park was very nice but overall this little country town had a real air of dispair about it with most of the shop fronts covered in security screens.  Not somewhere on my 'must return to' list.

One of the calls we made was to book the car in for a service as we passed through Dubbo.  It was running a bit rough and as it was due we decided not to wait until we got home.  That day we drove to Coonamble where we had lunch beside the Castlereagh River.  This looked like a lovely town but we didn't stop as we were keen to get to Eumungerie where we were staying at the Rec reserve.

The further into NSW we travelled the wetter it got.  Today we had crossed about six lots of water on the road and many of the side roads were closed.  The fields here were just masses of yellow, most of it the Mustard Weed plant, and while I'm sure it is an awful pest for the landowners it just looks beautiful as you travel through it.  

The next morning we left the rec reserve and started out for Dubbo when disaster struck.  The car started to make a noise then all sorts of lights came on and we stopped on the highway.  Not the best place to stop as the Newell Highway is one of the busiest truck routes in the country, still we had made it off the road so there we stayed.  Bill rang the RACV and they organized roadside assist with the NMRA.  They came out and confirmed that we couldn't go anywhere and so organized a tow truck to come and get us and the van.  Perhaps its just an overdose of mud!

They brought the van into the Dubbo City Caravan Park and the car to the Jeep Dealer where it was going anyway.  And then the bad news came.....The transmission was gone and it would be over a week to get a new one and replace it.  And so here we are staying in Dubbo for the duration.  We can't make it to Canberra as the car won't be ready until after the event so we have sent our apologies.  There are worse places to be stuck I'm sure.

The good news is that our RACV Extra Care insurance is paying for our accommodation and car hire while we are 'stuck' so at least we will be able explore a little further afield.  For now though we will get ourselves set up on our little pad for the next 10 or so days.

until next time.......

The Channel Country - green and waterlogged......

We left Winton and drove back into Longreach where we stopped to shop and soon after were on our way South into the heart of the Channel Country.

We had missed these areas on the way up as the rain had closed most of the roads and it looked like we were going to have much the same problem as we head south as more rain and storms are forecast.  We'll see how we go, maybe we can stay ahead of it!

We stopped just south of Longreach at Anderson Creek for the night and then made our way and into Stonehenge the next morning.  Not quite the Stonehenge we know but such an interesting little place to visit.  A small caravan park gave us the chance to wash, fill up with water and take it easy for a couple of days.  

While it doesn't resemble its namesake in the UK this tiny town plays an important role with the Defence Departments 'Over the Horizon' radar initiative sited here.  Though it is a very long way from the ocean this system actually guards our coastline together with two other sites in Laverton WA and Cairns.  

We drove out to see the Thomson River raging through the little weir and the flood plains totally under water.  This was the only road open so we couldn't explore too far afield.

We enjoyed a fun night at the Stonehenge Hotel on Sunday night with most of the other patrons coming across from the park as well.  The lamb roast was sensational!

The next day we moved just a few km down the road and camped at the Swanvale Lookout.  At the top of the 'jump up' this rest area has great views and we watched the beautiful sunset before cooking dinner on the campfire.

We had enjoyed beautiful blue skies for the last few days but the rain was close behind and we checked as we passed through Jundah.  It was due the next day with big falls expected.  Most roads were closed so our only option was to head south to Quilpie.

And so we drove, taking the unmade road through Welford National Park.  The road was open but the park closed so we could not stop anywhere along here.  We crossed The Barcoo River running very fast just inches under the bridge.  It won't need much more rain to cover the road here.  

While this rain is proving a bit of an inconvenience to all of the travellers it is very welcome for this whole area.  The publican was telling us that the area had been in drought since 2008 and they were hoping for good follow up spring and summer rains.  The country looks amazing and we can truly say that we have seen The Channel Country at it's beautiful best.  The green plains look spectacular against the bright red soil.  There is water everywhere, rivers and creeks are overflowing and new channels carry water throughout the land.  This picture taken from the Swanvale lookout shows how green everything is.

With the clouds closing in we found a spot to camp that afternoon at Thylungra Rest Area beside Kyabra Creek.  It was dry at the moment and so we joined three other people there, all of us well out of harms way if it rained which it did early the next morning.  Just a few light showers but enough to get us moving early before it set in.

We made our way into Quilpie, checked out the museum at the visitors centre, had a little look around, caught up with emails and such, picked up some bread and headed south to Toompine where we stayed at 'The Pub Without A Town'.  What a hoot!

This little place was once a thriving community with a regular Cobb and Co coach service.  Now all that remains from those early pioneering days is the Toompine Hotel built around 1893.  It is a  great place to stop and camp at the old pub with toilets and showers, free or cheap sites, cold beer and good food.  No cooking for me tonight.  Love these pub camps!  And Puzzle the pony was pretty cute too.

We met four other couples here all hunkered down to sit out the rain.  Carol, Jim, Deb and Bob from Queensland had set themselves up early and before long we were all gathered round with Glenda and Steve from WA along with Jennifer and Steve from Port Melbourne and a fun afternoon was had as we all shared our wet weather stories.  Still not sure why the tractor is on the pole but it makes for an interesting landmark.

Most people we had met in the last few days had been trying to avoid the Birdsville traffic.  The races were on this weekend and with many roads closed it was proving to be a bit of a challenge to find a road without a constant stream of traffic heading out.  For a lot they won't make it as the roads to Birdsville have been open and closed a few times as the weather deteriorates.  We kept meeting people who had changed their mind mid journey and had come back.  Perhaps we'll try next year.  We arrived in Quilpie covered in red mud on the left side as we had to keep driving on the shoulder as the masses kept coming.

That night at Toompine the rain started and there was a little more mud the next morning.  We left early and continued on to Eulo where we find out which roads are open from there.  

The rain held off and the road was quite good and we arrived and set ourselves up at The Eulo Queen Hotel.  And then it arrived.  The rain finally caught up with us as it started to fall about 4.00 pm.  Within an hour we were flooded in and Bill, in Engineer mode again, constructed a path 

so we could get out to the loo and of course the pub!

And it rained and it rained and it rained, all night and when we got up we discovered that our 'puddle' had grown and that our path now finished mid puddle.  

Bill braved the day and discovered that 44.4 mm had fallen since 4.00 pm yesterday with about the same due today.   He decided that the ground was still fairly firm underneath so it was time to try for a hasty retreat.  There was a bobcat handy if we got stuck!  We quickly packed up and the neighbours and I watched as he jumped in the car and started to move.  

A couple of wheel spins but then he was moving forward and straight out, phew!  Another disaster averted.  I'm sure I didn't sign up for this much adventure, did I?  We had our breakfast on the side of the road.  Bill spoke to the local police and learnt that all roads were closed except to Cunnamulla so that's where we headed next.

Most of the floodways were under water with lots more expected in the next day or so.  None were deep yet so we got through easily and stopped for coffee on arrival in Cunnamulla.  

We had a quick look around before hitting the road again and continuing our journey south.  We stopped not far out in a rest area and hunkered down for the afternoon and night.  No more rain yet but the wind blew savagely all afternoon. Listening to the news we heard that almost all of NSW is under flood watch and storm warnings.  Look like we will have an interesting journey back doesn't it.  Keep watching!

Until next time........

And now we go West.......

Waking up at Archer Creek was not quite the same as 'Birds on Barron' with cars and trucks whizzing by.  As we were not here to stay we ate breakfast and headed off on the Savannah Way passing through the tiny hamlets of Innot Springs, Mount Garnet and Mount Surprise before stopping for the day at the Einasleigh River.

We found a lovely little spot amongst the trees right beside the HL Louden Bridge.  The river here was dry with just the odd puddle along the watercourse and as we walked down to have a look you could see the foundations of the much lower old bridge.  I would imagine it spent a lot of its life under water in the wet season.  That night a few backpackers came in but stayed further up the hill as you needed 4WD to get to where we were.  Tea was cooked on the campfire and we enjoyed the balmy evening until it went out.

The next morning we drove into Georgetown and really enjoyed this part of the Savannah Way.  You might remember that last year we deviated and left the main rd to have a look at the little towns of Einasleigh and Forsayth so this little section was all new to us.  The road seemed fairly new too so it was an easy section to drive.  We picked up some bread and fruit here and then we were off to find our camp for the next day or so.

Cumberland Chimney was our destination and on arrival we saw that it looked quite different from last year.  The council have fenced off the waterhole with bollards and have built a lovely viewing platform so everyone can now enjoy the birds and the view not just the few who camped along its shores.  I think it is a big improvement and there is still plenty of room for people to camp behind the waterhole.

We were surprised to only find one other van here but it wasn't long before others came in, though it was much quieter than last year.  Lots of birds as well to keep Bill busy and he really enjoyed playing here.  The beautiful Red Back Fairy Wrens were not seen last year and they were quite happy to pose for him today.  We met some nice folk here and enjoyed a chat each evening as the sun set.  We stayed for two days before hitting the road again and continuing West for the moment.

We stopped at Croydon for a quick pit stop before making our way to Black Bull Siding where we camped that night.  This is the morning tea stop for the Gulflander train as it travels from Croydon to Normanton and it was here that we saw it last year with the Cairns to Karumba bike riders.  No train today but a lovely spot to camp for the afternoon and night.  Apparently it started life as Pattersons Siding but was known as Black Bull for the bull that was said to be seen here.

The next morning we drove into Normanton, did some shopping and found a quiet spot at the town wharf to have our coffee.   The wharf built in the 1800's still stands today and is a favourite fishing haunt for locals and visitors.  The floating boat ramp is here too and the height of the pylons here shows just how high the water reaches during the wet season.  After seeing dry riverbeds for the last few weeks it was good to see the Norman River flowing strongly.

We left soon after and made our way to Bang Bang rest area to camp.  We had turned South now and were heading to Burke and Wills Roadhouse so this large area was an ideal place to stay.  The next morning we continued on and arrived at the roadhouse in time for morning smoko.  I had the morning off and we enjoyed coffee and scones on the veranda.  So many cars, caravans and campers here as they filled up before heading off the next leg of their adventures and at $1.47 per litre I think they were making a killing!  The coffee was good though.

We left here driving to Gregory where we camped overnight in their low impact camp ground across from the Gregory Hotel.  There is a new shop here and we walked down to check it out.  Billyhangers looks like it is giving the pub shop a bit of competition which in a tiny place like this can only be a good thing for travellers.  We bought a couple of books for a $2 donation to the RFDS and a jar of relish.  Big spenders eh!

We left the next morning and set off across the Wills Development Road, our first real red dust road with the van for this trip.  And yes it was very rough and dusty.  We drove all day stopping along the way to make lunch and arrived tired and dirty at our destination about 4 pm.  The car and van were red!

Camooweal Billabong was our home for the next three days and what a lovely place it was.  Camooweal, known as the gateway to Queensland and the NothernTerritory, was once a thriving droving centre and is the westernmost town in Qld.  

We crossed the dry Georgina River and made our way to the two beautiful waterholes, Lake Francis and Lake Canellan.  We found a lovely spot to camp beside the water in what wiki camps called 'area two' and were soon settled in and relaxing under the awning. 

The birds were abundant and we just loved watching the antics of the Pelicans and Little Cormorants as they fished together up and down the waterhole.   The beautiful Brolgas across the water danced and wandered up and down the shoreline.  Watching them fly off and vocalising to each other was just magic.  Egrets and Darters fished and the Kites kept an eye on us all from above.  

The next day we got new neighbors as a big fifth wheeler came in closely followed by an ice cream van.  Yes, they were together and the van worked the crowds each afternoon and yes, they were yummy!  They were here for the Drovers Festival at the end of the month.

Day three was a lot windier and I decided to join most of the other campers and do some washing.  The generator ran the machine and not long after the clothes were flapping in the breeze.  Later that evening the little breeze turned into a howling wind and sent us all out to wind in the awnings. Something less to pack up in the morning I guess.

We said farewell to this beautiful place on Saturday morning and while Bill filled the tanks with water in town I checked out 'The Drover'.  We made our way on a bitumen road to Mount Isa where we had to top up at the shops.  We had only bought minimal supplies at the general store in Camooweal due to their super inflated prices.  Soon after we were on our way again, still driving south as we made our way towards Boulia.  

We stopped just 35 km out of Mount Isa at Galah Creek and camped on the bright red sand beside the dry Creekbed.  I'm not sure whether the cows or me got the biggest shock when I opened the door in the morning.  They ran away before I could grab the camera!  

A short drive today as we stopped just 80 km or so down the road at a waterhole just before Dajarra.  This was a beautiful place and we camped beside the water and enjoyed the afternoon with the birds.  Lots of Cockatiels coming into drink, Grebes building nests and little Dotterels with babies running along the shore.  

And then it rained!  Living off the grid as we have been and travelling through remote areas with little or no signal we had no idea of the weather forecasts other than the snippet as we came through Mount Isa mentioning rain.  The next morning we got a very bad radio signal but heard enough to hear that many roads in the area we were heading had been closed or were 4WD only.  As the road we where on was just a narrow strip of bitumen with soft shoulders we decided not to wait and let them get any worse.  We would drive into Boulia and wait it out there.  Obviously they have had recent rainfall here as for most of the drive in we had green fields stretching out beside us.

The further south we went the sun shone and it was fine.  We had a good but slow drive in and once there found a site beside Bengeacca Creek after first checking at the visitors centre.  We had a lovely afternoon of sunshine and birds before heading inside after dark for dinner.  And then it rained!  All night!

Waking to more rain it was no surprise to open the blinds and see we were surrounded by water on the ground.  Like Cunnamulla earlier in the trip the water on the ground looked like 'pop up pools' and we knew we weren't going anywhere today.  The good news is that the radio works and we heard this morning that Boulia had received 21 mm overnight and more in the areas south of us.  So today we sit and watch the rain, read, do puzzles and consult the maps to work out an alternative route as we wait and see if we need to change our plans again.  Bill did a bit of engineering - digging a trench - to keep us dry underfoot but there was no way to alter the fact that it was wet!

We did just this later in the afternoon when we noticed that our little creek was rising rather quickly.  There were a few other vans here with us and two had gone during the day. About 4 pm Bill decided it was time to leave and so did the chap beside us so we took a deep breath and drove out slipping and sliding along the track.  We both made it but the chap on the other side was not so lucky and was fully stuck.  The grader came and pulled him out the next morning.  With the causeway under water Trevor and Bill decided not to risk crossing that evening so we drove to higher ground and we listened to the rain all night but were safely out of harms way.  

The next morning we crossed the creek and said farewell to Boulia.  We had been going to head towards Birdsville but it seemed all roads were closed and our only option was the sealed Kennedy Development Road to Winton and so we drove.  This route is said to be known as the most spectacular drive in Western Queensland and it certainly was a lovely journey through the foothills of the incredible Lilleyvale Hills.  Unfortunately we couldn't stop and walk up to the lookout as the ground off the road was just too soft after the rain.  

A little later we stopped for the day at 'The Hilton Hotel'.  The tiny hamlet of Middleton is 190 km east of Boulia and has just the one building. And a population of 3.  The Middleton Hotel was the first one built and the last one standing of eight hotels built on the between Winton and Boulia.  Built in 1876 during the Cobb and Co era it was changing station no. 4. for the run.  The hotel is run by a wonderful old couple, Lester and Val, who are full of stories and old style hospitality.  We had dinner at the bar and enjoyed a home cooked corned beef, veggies and white sauce.  Across the road you can camp for free at 'The Hilton'.  No Aircon, No Pool, No Charge - Gotta love bush humour!

Moving on in the morning we stopped along the way to see 'Ringers Leap', another pretty spectacular rock formation.  It was here that the Australian movie Mystery Road was filmed.  Our next stop was to watch two beautiful brolgas dancing by the roadside.  We passed many more along the way as well as some lovely little Pratincoles which Bill stopped and snapped for a while.  

For most of the drive we were captivated with the lush green landscape as we went along.  I guess the drought has broken in this little corner of Queensland. It certainly looks like it here.

We arrived in Winton around lunch time and made our way back to Long Waterhole where we stayed last time as we passed through to see if it was dry enough to camp.  It was and so we stayed for the night enjoying the waterhole almost as much as this beautiful little Redback Kingfisher.  Now all we have to do is to decide where to go next.  Watch this space - it's a bit of a magical mystery tour at the moment as the roads dry out.

until next time.......