Quilpie - Birdsville

Nice warm overnight stay in our rather large room (1 x double, 2 x single + dining room, kitchen, and en-suite). Departed early-ish after a hearty home style cooked breakfast, westward along the Warrego Way. A lot more wildlife (alive) between Quilpie and Windorah, emus, including a large mob of them, many more goats, our first live Red Kangaroo, and a lot more Wedge-tailed Eagles.

There's not a great deal to see/do between Quilpie and Windorah, so Jen counted how many oncoming vehicles we passed instead of Kangaroo road kill. There was 30....

Anyhow, just shy of Windorah, we came upon the famous Coopers Creek, named by the explorer Charles Sturt, in 1845 after the then Governor of SA, Mr. Cooper (most probably related to Coopers Brewery). This site is the entrance to the Barcoo Shire, front door to the Channel Country, so named as all the water channels go to Lake Eyre. The shire is over 61,000 sq kilometres with only 3 towns and a grand toal of 462 residents in total.

Then, in to Windorah for fuel and check out the Info Centre (since taking up volunteer work at the Info Centre at home, Jen wants to stop in every one we see...lol).

Out of Windorah, the scenery really started to change noticeably. Large cattle stations, unfenced properties, no road kill, only the odd deceased cow to feed the crows. Trees became more scarce. We stopped for lunch at the intersection of the Bedouri Road and the Birdsville Road. Here, we learnt why the cattle are so fat and in large numbers. It's because of the Mitchell Grass, which grows in abundance in remote and more arid conditions, and this plant has every nutrient the cattle needs.

It was from this point that we started our gravel road experience. It wasn't too bad. It's pretty well maintained. Absolutely zero wildlife/roadkill, landscape became totally treeless except for in the Channels. Road became wider and softer.

We stopped in at the Betoota Hotel for an outback brew. Tried to engage the barman and his wife into conversation without luck. None of that remote living hospitality here, so we set off non-stop to Birdsville. Found our digs and then strolled the town.

Beautiful meal at the Birdsville Hotel, a brew and wine, then retire to our temporary abode to plan our assault on the famous Birdsville Track tomorrowRead more