Cunnamulla to Mount Isa.......

We arrived at Cunnamulla early afternoon and once set up enjoyed relaxing with a cup of coffee and a chat with our favourite bird lady, Marilyn.  It was so good to see her again and she caught us up on all the comings and goings of Bowra.

Even though it was only a short time since we were here last the numbers and types of birds had changed as some had moved on and others moved in.  Bill was still hoping to get a picture of the Bourkes Parrot this time but they too had been moving.  The next morning after he and Marilyn had returned from their morning with the birds we were having coffee again and two of the little darlings flew straight in to the tree beside us.  What a treat and what a lovely little bird they are.  Mission accomplished for Bill and after that we saw some each day.

Bill spent each day out and about sometimes alone and other times I went too.  He finally found the Halls Babblers he had been after but no pics I'm sorry to say.  The little devils move so fast they are hard to get.  Lots of Wood Swallows, Crimson Chats and Orange Chats, cute little Native Hens and the beautiful Major Mitchell Cockatoos kept Bills trigger finger very busy.  We extended our stay here by another two days so enjoyed five days in total of absolute bliss, beautiful birds and warm weather.  And then of course we had great fun with Marilyn each day.  

Finally it was time to say goodbye again and we headed off making our way towards Mount Isa through many of the tiny towns we had been unable to get to last year due to the closed roads.  Our first night was at Paddabilla Bore just before Eulo.  We were hoping to have one more chance of seeing the Halls Babbler but it was not too be.  Didn't see many birds at all that afternoon and morning so I guess we try again next time.  From there we drove on stopping the next night at Lake Bindagollie on our way to Thargominda.  The lake was dry as expected and the bush camp area lovely and flat so made for an easy overnight stay.

We drove into Thargominda the next day and found a lovely little township full of history.   Leahy House, the original Mud Brick building on the corner, was first built after 1885  and later was owned by Sidney Kidman as a 'city stay' for his station foreman.  It remains open each day so people can step back in time and get a taste of life more than a century ago.

Thargominda's real claim to fame though is that it was the first place in Australia and the third place in the world, after London and Paris, to have Hydro Electric Power.  The water was drawn from the original bore and passed through a water wheel and two generators and just one day after Paris the Artesian Hydro Power plant at Thargominda was operational.  The electricity was used to power the street lights.  Later on the water wheel was replaced by a Pelton Wheel.

While the plant no longer is used today it can still be seen working as demonstrations are given regularly.  Unfortunately not when we passed through but such an interesting place to stop and learn a little more about Australia's past.  Thargominda was also the first town in Australia to have reticulated water.  

We drove on to Noccundra staying the night at the Wilson River campsite right beside the water.  We had a lovely walk along the lagoon and as the sunset behind us it was the rising moon that caught our attention and made for this pretty picture.

The next day we made our way to Eromanga and found this very 'interesting' sculpture of the Knot-a-saurus presented to the Natural History Museum in 2014.  We also discovered that the IOR oilfields are just out of town.  

Our next stop was Quilpie where we stayed for two nights beside the Bulloo River.  Last year we met some people who had been rained in here but this year it was totally dry and not much water in the river.  Bill had lots of fun with some amazing Wood Swallows.  Still have no idea what the unusual behavior meant but it was interesting to watch.  We did some shopping here and had a walk around town before we continued on the next day.  I love the artwork on the Old Quilpie Picture Theatre.

We stayed at Tenham Rest Area the next night and made our way into Windorah mid morning where our first stop was the Solar Farm.  The large solar screens look like big satellite dishes and move throughout the day to harness the Suns power.  They provide all the daytime power for this little town.  We checked out the visitors centre too but then continued on our way stopping in Jundah to have our lunch in the park.  

Our final destination for the day was Stonehenge.  We spent a few days here last year and decided it was just the place to revisit and catch up on the washing which I got to as soon as we arrived.

The next day we drove out to what is called 'the Signature Book'. Over a km of stony ground has been transformed by people writing their names and sometimes locations in rocks.  Fascinating to wander through and read and of course now Rhossie + Bill have left their mark too.  Will we ever find it again, we'll have to wait until we visit next time and see.

From their we drove out to the Jack Egan trail, a 4WD track showcasing the ecology of this part of the world.  Quite rough and ready in places but fun to do and it is a 4WD track after all.

Back at home we chilled out for the afternoon before walking across to the pub for dinner that night.  One feature of this whole area we were pleased to see was that there is finally phone coverage out here.  Last year there was only very limited access but now with fiber optic connected it has made a huge difference to all concerned.  Still lots of spots in between towns with nothing but full coverage in all the little towns.

Back on the road the next day we made our way into Longreach and stayed overnight at the Apex Park area.  Still lots of people here but dry this year.  The roosters are still crowing but it is a great spot for a quick overnight stay.  We met Margaret, a lovely lady, and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon with her just sitting and chatting the time away.  She is there to work for six months and experience a wet season.  We wish her well and look forward to coming across each other some time in the future.  We shopped the next day before heading out as we need to stock up as we were going into Clem Walton for a few days before arriving in Mount Isa.  

The Tropic of Capricorn sign here had me a bit concerned as it appears we are heading into The Torrid Zone.  Should I be worried?  But on we went and stayed at a very dry Long Waterhole in Winton that night.   The wandering cows had no qualms about coming up close for a good look when we first arrived.

A big day followed as we drove all day stopping at Kynuna for lunch, McKinlay for a drink break and finally a rest area 60km short of Cloncurry for the night.  

We had a quick pit stop in Cloncurry the next morning and soon after arrived at Clem Walton Park where we found a great spot beside the water and here we stayed for four days.  Bill is smiling again as there are birds everywhere and I am just enjoying the absolute serenity of this lovely place.

We camped a little bit further along the Corella River than we had last year and were entertained by a wide variety of birds.  Whistling Kites, Zebra and Painted Finches, Nankeen Night Herons, lots of Honeyeaters, Rainbow Bee Eaters and Sacred Kingfishers all kept Bill very busy.  The White Cockatoos came to visit and wake the camp up on a couple of mornings.  They seemed to be looking for tree hollows to nest in.  The little family of Australasian Grebes kept us amused as they fished each day.  This little guy did really well and certainly looked quite pleased with himself.

We left on Sunday morning and drove into Mount Isa where we stayed at the Sunset Caravan Park.  It was time to do some washing, some shopping and the car was due for another service.  All that is done now and we pack up in the morning and head off to Camooweal for a few days.  We'll let you know what we get up to there.

until next time.......