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A 15-day adventure by Jenny & Boydie Read more
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  • Wandaring Outback
    Day 1

    Departure...yay!

    July 14, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    A little behind time (7 hrs)...unlike us really, but truck, pod and tray packed with all the essentials we purchased ourselves or borrowed from our main sponsor Dave from Mindset Health & Fitness and who is also responsible for putting us in peak condition to tackle such an adventure.

    And of course, Pete from Chinderah Motors for ensuring we carried the right spares, tools, and a quick lesson on how to fix/use said spares & tools.

    A quick exit from NSW via the M1, en-route to first stop Toowoomba (sorry we had to skip the Ipswich Mob due to late start), then we struck the first 'scenic phenomenon', the Great Queensland Carpark (one of many new attractions in the Sunshine State), that stretch of M1 from Currumbin to the Ipswich Motorway.

    Late arrival at Toowoomba, too late for dinner with family, so we found Hook'd at Rangeville for Fish (NZ Hoki - all about Jen) & Chips...yummy. Then we went to Jess, Josh & Jasper for catch-up at long last, and stay-over. Special thanks to 'Little Mate' for giving up his bed for us xx. Grandma cuddled Slothie all night, not Grandpa...lol.

    A special treat prepared by Grandma. A real Pavlova (from a plastic egg - yes, not a typo) was scoffed down for the special occasion.    Read more

  • Wandaring Outback
    Day 2

    Toowoomba - Roma

    July 15, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Lovely night sleep, Jasper sneaking in early to snuggle up against Grandma and catching a few more hours before we all got up for lively morning coffee and quality time chatting and playing soccer with the Bula-Ball Time passed too quickly, and we suddenly realised we needed to head off.

    First stop, town, for 'comfort essentials' (alcohol....oh, and fuel), watched some dude checking car doors so Brett stood guard on the truck whilst Jen sourced goodies. Headed West took a while to get out of town, Toowoomba must be the indigenous translation for 'place of slow changing traffic lights'

    Very good road heading west through the Western Downs region. Passed through Oakey, then on to Dalby, the gateway to many different local attractions such as Bunya Mountains, Tara, etc, but alas, we were on a mission (behind time just a little). So, it was off to Chinchilla via Archers Crossing (at least we think it was) on the Condamine River for our first roadside cuppa. Real excitement, the Butane cannister caught alight creating a Granny-jig type dance and scramble to shut down the inferno...cause - really old and rusted out butane cannister. A quick replacement with an up-to-date model ensured a safe completion of the cuppa making task.

    Back on the road, into Chinchilla, where we were fortunate to get the obligatory tourist photos, in front of the Big Watermelon (they have watermelon festivals here) and a chance 'royal' photo.

    Next target Miles for stop-over. Whoops! Booked out - apparently, some big local Rugby match booked out all accommodation in town. Too late in the day to test our proficiency in setting up camp, bee-lined it to Roma whereby just west of Wallumbilla we entered Maranoa Country, the official start of Outback Queensland. After a further nervous half-hour drive in dusk and night conditions, no live wildlife encountered. However, we counted 9 dead roos and one dead wild pig. We made it to Roma safely to the comforts of The Overlander Motel.

    Roma is a town renowned for Arthur Beetson and those gas fields. Hope to do our homework tonight and check out what else is on offer here.    Read more

  • Wandaring Outback
    3
    Day 3

    Roma - Charleville

    July 16, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Nice warm comfy night at The Overlander Motel, we forgot to book in brekky so set off in search of food. No sooner than we get started we come upon a large park full of scrap metal sculptures which looked interesting so we stopped and browsed. All were part of a show called Sculptures Out Back, prizes given by judges and pride of place forever in the park for Open Show winner. Sculptures were all for sale, and sold, the most expensive was $18,000, the least expensive just $2,000.

    Next stop The Big Rig. This is a park displaying Charleville's oil, gas and water drilling history. A great interactive and static display, fully informative with great facilities. Brekky at the Cafe there before tackling the display. We got to the top of the display tower which imitates the height of The Big Rig drill tower giving us great 360 deg views of the district and walked amongst the treetops beside Bungil Creek. This Creek runs from The Great Divide thru to Roma, a distance of 233km. Tweed River is 80km....

    Before heading west we went shopping for some minor supplies (not alcohol, we have plenty of that still), felt lucky to find anything open, just the cheap shop and they had the essentials in stock. Finally set off sticking to the Warrego Hwy.

    Through Mitchell and Morven towards Charleville. Dodged a lot of road kill, mainly Red Kangaroo, but also Emu and wild Pig. Road Trains in abundance. A roadside stop for snack and cuppa about 35km East of Charleville at the cleanest rest area toilets we've ever seen.

    We hit Charleville about 3.30pm, fuelled up, hunted around for lodgings, more difficult than expected, one place had rooms but they hadn't cleaned them because they couldn't find the keys...yep, don't ask, we just thought it best to get out asap.

    We plan to check out the Bilbys, Distant Education (Radio), the largest classroom in the world, the Planetarium and WWII Camp Museum before continuing on towards Quilpie. But before we do, it's a quiet relaxed drink at our digs, the Warrego Motel before dinner. Cheers    Read more

  • Wandaring Outback
    122
    Day 4

    Charleville - Quilpie

    July 17, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Up and out of the Warrego Motel in time to grab a real coffee then to The Bilby Show at Charleville Railway Stn/Info Centre. It's all about the efforts of locals saving the Bilby population. Very interesting and informative. Saw real Bilby's.

    After the show, it was off to the Cosmos Centre....all about the Universe, our Galaxy, and all that unknown that surrounds it. Great place to stargaze... when it's not cloudy like today...grrr

    We then checked out the US Airbase Exhibition. This base was a training centre for the most secretive military device, the Norden Bomb Sight device that enabled the Allies to bomb with extreme accuracy. Charleville seem most proud of their ancestors' ability to keep the base hush-hush throughout WWII.

    A quick look at the RFDS Base created by John Flynn before departing West, still on the Warrego Way (according to roadside sign, it's Australia's longest road. Don't really know how that is....what about Highway 1, or Nullabor?)

    Long straight highway to beer stop at Cooladdi....one stop shopping in the middle of nowhere. Starting to see more wildlife (other than dead), wild pigs, goats, emus and wedge-tailed eagle, the pig and eagle were feasting on road kill (different location), unfortunately eagle scurried off quickly, the pig stood it's ground so we stopped beside it to grab a photo but the stench was unbearable so WE scurried off quickly.

    We scored the last available bed at the Quilpie Motor Inn, Quilpie, which is the last railstop on the Queensland western line (had to get a selfie there). It is also the site of pioneer British Aviatrix, Amy Johnson landing at the Aerodrome for supplies on her record-setting solo flight from the UK to Australia in the 1930s.

    Romance is never far away when it comes to Jen & I, so it was off to Bald Top Rock, just out of Quilpie for a beautiful view of the sunset through light cloud and rainfall on the horizon over the mulga covered Plains of the outback...of course we had the obligatory drinks and nibbles on hand to complete the picture....ooooh!    Read more

  • Wandaring Outback
    2
    Day 5

    Quilpie - Birdsville

    July 18, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    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 tomorrow    Read more

  • Wandaring Outback
    Day 6

    Birdsville - Mungeranie RH

    July 19, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Despite the tiny but very clean and neat room, it was a good nights rest at Lodge #5 Birdsville Caravan/Camping. Nice and warm indoors but a hint of a chill in the air for the first time this trip. However, both of us are excited that our desert camp night draws near.

    After packing the truck, we were off to check out the township. Took a look inside the bakery. The cakes and pie/sausage roll selection looked great, but neither of us was looking for that kind of breakfast. Next stop Info Centre. A beautiful modern building with a great display of the history of the Diamantina District, very helpful staff.

    To the RH (road house) for some supplies before heading to the local coffee shop, the Karrawa Wirrinya, for our breakfast. We were just going to have a cuppa, but the scent of the Swag Bag convinced Brett to order one, a bacon, egg, and hash brown wrap smothered in extra smoke BBQ sauce. Jen had a ham, cheese, and tomato toastie. Thumbs up from us for both food and service.

    So, we left Birdsville, checked out the Burke & Will's Dig Tree, this is where his expedition really fell apart - more on that later. Then on to the Diamantina River crossing, then the Birdsville Racetrack before getting to the start line of the Birdsville Track.

    A few photos, including a selfie, Jen volunteering to take the first shift at the wheel, with Brett navigating. We took the outside track, which took us through Pandi Pandi in the Sturt Stony Desert, down to Clifton Hills, passing the turnoff to Walkers Crossing track that takes you to Innaminka. The track is very user-friendly. A 2wd would get through, but we wouldn't even try that in the Mazda. We came upon the Stony Desert to the west, Jen taking is through the middle of some mud patches so that we could look like all the other 4wd enthusiasts we came across, until we came to our target for the day, the Mungeranie RH. This RH is right on the intersection of 3 deserts, the Sturt Stony Desert, the Strzelecki Desert, and the Tirari Desert.

    The RH and the staff were classic outback examples of both. On display are a large number of well-worn akubras, including light shades made from well-worn akubras. The wall behind the bar was covered with $5 notes with messages written upon them. The staff were up for a chat before we got into the door. Fuelled up the truck here at $2.95/litre and then sourced our camp-site right next to the large wetland area.

    Took us an hour, but we finally got the camp-site sorted, had a snappy drink, then back to the RH for that super hospitality. By then, there were a bunch of Victorians and Tasmanians and fellow New South Welshmen in there, and it made for a great social event before making our way back to the camp-site before it got too dark. Jen was in charge of the fire, Brett in charge of dinner, snags in blankets - typical camp tucker.

    We sat around the fire til bed time. I think we really enjoyed the experience, but just like clockwork, Brett jumped out of bed midway through the night to water the plants a good distance from the camp-site of course, and stood in something squishy. A quick check using the trusty navigation device (torch)...yuck, dog poo, the only sign of unnatural habitation signs in our campsite, and Brett found it under some random Mulga tree. Should buy a lottery ticket.    Read more

  • Wandaring Outback
    Day 7

    Mungeranie RH - Parachilna

    July 20, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Not a bad night's sleep on air mattresses. Arise to a camp cooked bacon and eggs by Brett, whilst Jen attended to the toast and cuppas. We then set about striking camp and packing the truck before our showers and farewells to fellow travellers/drinking buddies. It was now 11 am.

    Bretts turn to drive the track. It was noticeably rougher than yesterday, but it was still good. We went through Mulka, the driest area in Australia, at an average of 18mm rainfall per year, through to Etadunna where we spotted a feral Ostrich...yes, an Ostrich. Then, on to Dulkaninna, Cooper Creek a few times, Clayton and on to Marree, the end of the Birdsville Track. Here, Jen did a Google search (reception), because we couldn't totally accept it was an Ostrich, but lo and behold, they used to farm Ostriches out here and there were some escapees recorded and believed to be in the wild in the outback here. There you go. So, officially, it was the only land-based wild creature seen during our entire trip down the track.

    Took a quick look around Marree, home to at nice looking outback Hotel, a train station and the Lake Eyre Yacht Club (no rowing club), and not much else. We headed south along The Outback Way and stopped in at a little place called Farina. It is a derelict, decaying village that had an underground baking oven and a number of fallen down sandstone buildings. Now, with the assistance of funding and donations and a plethora of volunteers, the oven is operational, there is a visitor/souvenir/coffee shop-bakery centre that operates for just 8 weeks per year whilst these volunteers stabilise the old derelict buildings for preservation and tourism purposes. After a delicious pie and walnut cake with cream and jam, we then moved on through Lyndhurst, Copley, and Leigh Creek, which are just west of the North Flinders-Gammon Ranges on to Parachilna, where we decided to 'glamp' it at the very nice Prairie Hotel and it's micro Brewery, the Prairie Hotel Brewery. Beers were great, lodgings super-luxurious. We're just near the Flinders Ranges NP, and that's where we're heading to tomorrow, aiming for Adelaide and catching up with our good mate Darryl.    Read more

  • Wandaring Outback
    Day 8

    Parachilna - Clare (beer into wine)

    July 21, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    A great night in outback luxury of the Prairie Hotel/Brewery of Parachilna, the Ediacara Fossil Capital of the World. Chilly weather, but a warm greeting in the dining room for a wonderful breakfast before checking out some history of the town. Here, we found out that the owner of the hotel and nearby property 'Nilpena', Ross Fargher, has a fossil named after him, the Nilpena Rossi, because he found it on his property. Pretty cool.

    We headed off to the Flinders Ranges via the Brachina Gorge, where we travelled through a majestic section of dirt road, passing through a number of layers of geological formations millions of years old. Along here, we were forced into Emu races, not once, but twice, and lost both times. The track was how we thought the Birdsville Track would be.

    We made our way to Wilpena, which is right next to the Pound. There are a number of scenic lookouts into Wilpena Pound, but only accessible by walks. We didn't have enough time, so we checked out what is on offer in the Flinders. It's an amazing place. You'll need a week or two to get right into it.

    So, we ventured south, destination Adelaide....perhaps! What the driver and navigator forgot was the 'wine trap'. A roadside lunch between Wipena and Hawker. We passed through Hawker and then on to Orroroo through which the landscape was barren, desert-like. Shortly after, still on a southerly journey the landscape quickly became lush improved fields, through a ghost town with just one double-storey building, a former hotel, a plush one at that, in a place called Yatina. For reasons unknown, we decided to 'google' this place. Nothing unusual except for the fact that Hollywood has recently finished filming a movie here called Royal Hotel, due for release this year sometime, starring Hugo Weaving and Julia Garner. We then came upon Jamestown, birthplace of R. M. Williams. We were on a roll now, feeling pretty chuffed we were stumbling upon all this info. When we got to the next town, Spalding, we were super-cocky we'd find something about sporting goods on google search....no, nothing happened in Spalding, just named after a village in England by one of the early settlers, that's it.

    Next stop, the trap. Clare, the township, the centrepoint to the famous wine region, The Clare Valley. Absolutely no hope of passing right through, eh! Jen. We found our non-descript lodgings at the Clare Valley Motel. Right outside our rooms, 4 Tesla Re-charge points. The first one's seen since leaving Toowoomba. Tomorrow, Brett will attempt the improbable....getting out of Clare without hitting the wineries.    Read more

  • Wandaring Outback
    Day 9

    Clare - Adelaide (Port Noarlunga)

    July 22, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Awake to a damp morning, a little rain overnight, it appears. Jen suggested a bit of homemade breakfast to reduce our trek supplies as we were nearing our destination, Adelaide. Excitement in the air as by pre-arrangement we are to meet our good friend Darryl here in Clare today.

    Jen did some clever rearranging of our packaging before loading the truck under cloudy skies and the coldest morning so far on this trip. After a trip to the servo to check the trucks' vitals, we b-lined it to the Wineries Information Centre. On the way we passed, Darryl, who was heading to the Motel. A quick call to turn him around, and we caught up at the Info Centre.

    A cuppa and a chat in this very stylish and friendly, professionally staffed centre we set off to check out the local wineries. First stop, Shut The Gate. A warm, cosy place. As we commenced our first wine tasting, the rains came down. The cosiness, the catch-up chat, the friendly banter with our host, we were there a bit longer than we thought (there's an awful lot of wineries in the Clare Valley). Take away selections made (2) we headed off to the next port of call (pardon the pun), The Sevenhill, the first, and the oldest winery in the Valley. This is a winery built and operated by Jesuits. There is a beautiful old church on the property. The main entry into the tasting room was through the upstairs (modern) cellar full of vats.

    After the tasting (and 2 more bottles), it was time to exit through the museum and the old downstairs cellar, out into the pouring rain where the purchases were stowed safely with the others in the recently cleared out esky/chillybin (ah ha! Jen had a plan when rearranging our packing...lol).

    Next stop, the Red Grape. Not a vineyard, but an award-winning bakery (2022 Australian sausage roll of the year), for some food as we were in danger of over-imbibing on an empty stomach. Satiated, we ventured to our next stop, Claymore Wines, where their products are named after the owners' favourite song titles. Another bottle, and it was outback journey time to locate a winery which is most popular for its gin, The Sawmill. It's a little bit harder to find this one, eh! Jen.

    The owner/distiller gave us a fantastic insight into gin. Its qualities and uses, how to mix and why, including tastings. A whole new perspective was obtained with the obligatory purchases. We kept this place open until after closing time.

    The Clare Valley needs more exploration. The place is full of bike and hike trails, the Reisling Trail and the Rail Trail, the main two, plus so many more wineries and other historical attractions.

    So, it was off southwards to Adelaide. About 1 hour, 50 minutes later, we arrived at Darryl's abode at Port Noarlunga, which is about 35 minutes south of the city on the shores of the Gulf of St. Vincent.    Read more

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