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Happily travelling when time allows. Read more Kurunjang, Australia
  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 115

    Home Sweet Home

    August 30, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Tuesday 29th August
    After leaving Pooncarie, we drove for a couple of hours, crossing the bridge into Victoria. It’s funny, because there are so many campsites around, but we have our favourite, familiar sites and tend to head to them.

    We had previously stayed on the Murray River about 15 minutes out of Robinvale at a place called Happy Valley before, so we headed there, only to find that the road in was closed due to the highwater levels of the Murray River, flooding the track.

    Plan B. We found another camp on the Murray River, near Tol Tol. The track in was a bit muddy in places, but we found a nice site overlooking the mighty Murray River. The river is probably the highest we have seen it. There was plenty of firewood around, and before long, we had a lovely fire going, not that we needed it, as the temperature was about 24 degrees.

    Still undecided if we will head home tomorrow. Checking the weather and if it is going to be cooler here, quite possible that we will wake up in the morning and head off.
    Update: we did decide to head home.
    As we were drove through Toolern Vale, the rain got heavier and the temperature dropped to 8 degrees. Brrrrr….

    Wrap up:

    When we left on the 8th May, nearly 4 months ago, it seemed like we had all the time in the world, but the four months have gone so quickly, and especially the past couple of weeks which have simply flown by.

    There is so much to see in this beautiful country, and we have explored a lot of it but there is so much more to see and do. We are lucky that we both enjoy the outback and getting dusty and dirty does not bother us. We know that we can shower at the end of the day and go to bed clean. Sometimes you have to have some inconvenience to appreciate what you take for granted and enjoy new experiences.

    Our caravan is not huge but has everything we need in a home away from home.

    We are happy with most things, although there are some things that need tweaking and repairing, and we will work through that list. Theo has some ideas for his vehicle and also a bigger tinny & motor is on his wish list.
    We were lucky that we had no mechanical issues and no tyre problems but will have to replace the windscreen which was chipped on a sealed road.

    Once again, I packed too many clothes and shoes. Next time I will halve what I take, especially if we are going up north as we basically lived in shorts and t-shirts. And I will never take white sheets again. Even though they were washed every week, they are now a ‘different’ shade of white.

    Definitely will be thinking about Starlink for the next trip.

    Really happy with the ability to generate our own power by solar, and the fridge did not miss a beat (except the trim around the fridge broke and needs replacing, and the fridge mountings came loose on a rough road and need to be fixed when we get home).

    Possibility in the future we may go all electric as we did not use the gas cooker in the caravan at all and may replace the instantaneous gas hot water with an electric system, therefore eliminating the need to carry gas bottles.

    We were gone for 115 days, and free camped for over half of that time, not only saving money, but giving us the freedom of having space around us without the restrictions of caravan parks. We really enjoyed station stays, farm stays and small camping grounds. We have noticed this trip that there are far more travellers and caravans on the road, and bookings at some places are required.

    The furthest distance from home we travelled was 4,000 kms (Gove) and we did nearly 17,800 kms. Dearest fuel was $2.95 at Mungerannie on Birdsville Track. Cheapest fuel was at Wulguru $1.72 in FNQ.

    Theo’s favourite experiences: Bitter Springs, snorkelling at Bremer Island, driving the Arnhem Highway, travelling up the east Coast without getting caught up with tourism, staying at Curraghmore Station and helping with the back burning, selling the tinny.

    Sue’s favourite experiences: Bitter Springs, Elim Beach, Curraghmore Station, Lake Pamamaroo, Menindee, outback travel, meeting some great people on our travels, relaxing and writing this blog so we can share our adventures with family and friends.

    Fuel consumption: average 320kms per tankful
    Consumption 17.6
    Distance travelled: 17,800
    Cost for fuel $6,310

    On this trip, we have camped in some amazing places in the outback, on rivers, creeks, dams and billabongs, and on beaches and in the rainforest.
    I have witnessed a new day dawning watching the sun rise over a billabong, and the chorus of birdlife greeting the morning. We have seen where the rainforest meets the reef, two World Heritage areas of Australia.

    Nothing compares to an outback sunset, the fire in the sky and the soft pastels of the changing colours as the sun sinks beyond the horizon. Not many people can say that they have cooked sausages on top of Big Red at Birdsville, the tallest sand dune in the Simpson Desert while watching the sun set. I take a lot of sunset photos trying to capture the moment, but you really have to be there to appreciate it.

    At the end of the day when sitting around the campfire, the stars are just seem so much brighter in the outback. We joke that our outback camping is a ‘million-star’ experience, which beats a 5-star any day.

    The red dust gets into your veins (and between your toes and under your fingernails), but it is like a magnet drawing us back. Once we hit the bitumen, our heart sinks just a bit, as we know we are getting closer to towns.

    It has been suggested to us that the money we spent on our caravan and car setup, we could do several overseas trips, and at the end of the trip we would have photos and great memories. At the end of our caravanning trip, we still have our photos and great memories, but we still have our caravan to continue exploring Australia.

    So much to see and do in this great country, and the best thing is that you don’t need to go overseas, and you don’t need a passport.

    Now we have to start planning our next trip…….    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 114

    Menindee

    August 29, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Friday 25th
    Another lazy day, we didn’t wake up until nearly 9am, and are sleeping very well. No toast for breakfast today, as the toaster is kaput. Just for a change, we had pancakes and maple syrup. Yum.

    Spent most of the day relaxing and reading and enjoying the peace and tranquility of the surroundings. The sun was shining, and the lake was glassy as there was no wind, no flies, just some ducks and egrets passing by. It is such a lovely way to spend the last few days of our trip.

    We have booked a sunset cruise on the River Lady, which is a 2-hour cruise on the lake and wetlands, leaving at 4pm and returning at 6pm, so about 3.30pm we got ready and headed down the road. We drove there, as it was a bit too far to walk and would have been dark by the time we got back.

    The boat cruised for about an hour, then stopped at a place called Rosie’s Garden, where paddle steamers used to stop. There was little infrastructure left at the site, but we got off the boat and walked around and it was a good opportunity to take photos. There were so many birds on the water, nesting in trees and flying past, and small fish jumping out of the water.

    The sun was getting low by the time we got back and disembarked and headed back to the caravan.

    When we got back, we heard some more sad news. Jenny, close friend of Theo’s sister Loretta and her family, had just passed away. She had been battling cancer for many years. We knew Jenny well and are very sad for husband Jeff and her children and grandchildren. She was always so strong and positive and always had a smile on her face. She was determined to make it to her birthday, which she did 4 days ago. Jenny you were such a fighter and will be missed by so many people. We celebrated your life with your favourite drink, Baileys while watching the setting sun. RIP Jenny.

    We have really enjoyed our relaxing time at Lake Pamamaroo, it was a great way to finish up our holiday, eating, reading, drinking, bird watching and at the end of the day watching the sun go down, before the stars and moon appeared in the clear night sky.

    We came in planning on staying for one night, but after enjoying 5 nights, we sadly packed up as it was time to move on.

    Our next stop was Pooncarie on the Darling River. The region was first settled by Europeans during the 1840’s. In the mid-19th century, the towns Darling River Wharf was very active as paddle steamers carried wool on the way to South Australia. The population now is about 220, and it is a very small town. Last time we stayed here, there was very little water in the river. Today, the river was quite high and flowing following recent flooding earlier this year. Near where we camped there was a tree with a water mark high on the trunk, showing the height of the floods.

    The site where the wharf was is now a café, which we had eaten at before, but found it to be closed today. We found a camp on the Darling River about one kilometre from town, set up and then walked into town and had a counter lunch at the Pooncarie Hotel.

    We like to support local communities when passing through or staying in towns, and often buy lunch or take aways or groceries in these communities.

    When we got back, we lit the fire and watched the bird life on the river. I thought that the water was looking a bit green, and discovered that 13 days ago, a red alert had been issued for high levels of toxic blue-green algae. Good thing we did not catch any fish.

    Our neighbours Di and Ben (from Bendigo) joined us around the campfire, and we had a lovely night chatting to them.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 109

    Menindee Lakes

    August 24, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Wed 23rd August
    Pretty chilly night, but once again we were nice and cosy and warm inside.

    While we were eating breakfast, we made the decision to move on, so packed up and hit the road again. Our pack up time is about 30 minutes or less, depending on if the car is still hooked up. We both have our jobs, mine are mainly inside, and Theo takes care of the outside.

    Sometimes these decisions to move on are spur of the moment, and other times we have a bit of an idea where and what we are planning to do. One thing for sure, is that we need to be making our way homeward bound.

    We refuelled in Broken Hill, dump point, bottle-o, topped up the water tanks and we were on our way again. Heading to Menindee.

    Many years ago, we stayed at the Burke and Wills Camp site in Menindee on the Darling River. This was one of the campsites for the Burke and Wills expedition in 1860, when they travelled towards the Gulf of Carpentaria. At the time, there was not much water in the river and none in the nearby lake. The ground was dry and dusty and there were only a couple of campers there. We took photos of the dry lakebed, but we believe that the lakes are full of water now, following major flooding in the area in January this year where residents had to evacuate their homes.

    We stopped in the little town of Menindee and grabbed a pie for lunch which was one of the worst take-aways we have had on this trip. The pie was dry and horrible. Not too many options in town.

    We then drove down Weir Road on the track that runs alongside Lake Pamamaroo, looking for a camp.

    There are 4 main lakes in the Menindee Lakes system – Lake Wetherell, Lake Pamamaroo, Lake Menindee and Lake Carndilla. We were surprised at the number of caravans parked alongside Lake Pamamaroo. The lake was full which was nice to see, and we found the perfect campsite right next to the lake.

    Enjoyed a quiet afternoon and early evening watching the sun set, while warming ourselves next to our campfire.

    My weakness is sunsets, and I take lots of photos. I love them and never get tired of outback sunsets. The changing colours have to be seen to be appreciated. Photos don't do them justice, and sunsets in the city are just not the same.

    Another clear starry night, but it is going to be very chilly tonight. After eating dinner by the fire, we came inside and put the heater on, had a hot shower, and as we have internet, Theo is enjoying some ‘Youtube’ time, while I catch up on the blog and some reading.

    We have a TV with us, with travels under the bed but have not brought it out once on this trip. Occasionally if we have internet, we will watch something on the laptop. I don’t miss TV, but while we have been away for almost 4 months, we have hardly heard any news. I feel like there is a void of knowledge of current affairs. We have survived without it, so do we really need it?

    The laptop is playing up and is hit and miss whether it turns on or not. Hopefully it will behave itself until we get home. Next trip, we have already decided that we will bring either a tablet and a laptop or two laptops, so we can both use them at the same time, and there is always a backup.

    We heard some sad news today. Bill who was our camping neighbour at Limmen Fishing Camp has passed away. He and wife Lizzy left the camp the day after us, heading home to Albury for some medical appointments and tests, as Bill had been unwell. The tests revealed that Bill had cancer, and he passed away just 2 weeks after arriving home. I contacted Lizzy with our condolences, and she appreciated our kind words about Bill. He was a lovely guy and even though we only knew him for 4 days, some people just leave a lasting impression on you. RIP Bill.

    We are enjoying our stay camping at Lake Pamamaroo. The sun is shining, and the breeze drops just as the sun is setting, leaving a glassy lake which makes for beautiful sunset photos.

    Our electric toaster has now decided not to work. We have had it for about 4-5 years in our caravans and use it every day. Theo tried to pull it apart, but it was sealed so he could not open it. It is not something you can just buy in Menindee, so we will make do until we get home.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 107

    Exploring Broken Hill

    August 22, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    We have spent a couple of days exploring Broken Hill, while camping at Nine Mile Station. Daytime weather varied between warm, sunny and 23 degrees, to windy, cloudy and 17 degrees. Nights were cool, about 4-6 degrees. We have no control over the weather, we will just have to make the best of it. I am now wearing long plants and a long sleeve top, but Theo is still bravely wearing his shorts and thongs, either clinging to the hope of warmer weather or trying to encourage it.

    The first couple of days camping at Nine Mile, there were lots of caravans spread out, camped on the dry riverbed, but by Tuesday, they had all had moved on and we were the only van there. Greg the owner, said that he had 50 vans here 4 days prior to the Mundi Mundi Big Gig.

    We have been happy to use Nine Mile as our base while we have been exploring Broken Hill, as it is only about 14 kms (9 miles) from town. There is plenty of wood around and we have had a campfire every night, while enjoying the beautiful sunsets and the starry skies, and we have cooked dinner every night on the campfire.

    As the nights have been quite cool we have had the diesel heater on inside the van, and also two doonas on the bed. We have been warm and cosy and have slept really well.

    Monday was a quiet day, we went to the Line of Lode Miner’s Memorial, which is located high on a hill overlooking the city. It pays tribute to the 800 miners who lost their lives working in the mines at Broken Hill since mining commenced in 1883. listing the cause of death for every fatality. The youngest death I saw was 14 years of age, back in the 1880’s.

    We then drove out to the Living Desert and Sculptures which were about 10 kms out of town. We have been there before but thought we would do it again while we were in town. Entry fee was $10 at a self-serve kiosk.

    In 1993, artists from around the world began work on 12 sandstone sculptures and completed them within 6 weeks. One of the sculptures, titled, ‘Under the Jaguar Sun’ is depicted on a lot of Broken Hill and outback tourist brochures. The sculpture represents day and night. The jaguar takes the sun in its mouth at night to protect it. Best time to take a photo of this sculpture is at sunset with the sun setting in the mouth of the jaguar.

    Back in town, we walked up and down the main street, looking at the shops. It has been ages since we have seen a town with proper shops and not just outback servo’s with a small range of groceries. Found a little cake shop and stopped for coffee/hot chocolate and cake.

    Tuesday, we booked a tour of the historic Day Dream Mine, about 28kms out of town, on the road to Silverton. The old township was a Cornish silver mining settlement and once had a population of approximately 500. This was established before Broken Hill. Today no-one lives there, it is purely a tourist mine.

    We were in a large tour group of about 23, and we went down into the mine, wearing hard hats and lamps. Glad we were wearing hard hats because the ceiling was very low in sections, and I kept bumping my head, and the ground was quite uneven. Luckily, there were handrails to hold on to.

    When we got down to the third level, the guide lit two small candles, and asked us to all turn off our headlamps, to show us how much light the miners had to work with. He then blew the candles out, and it was pitch black. Hard to imagine the harsh working conditions back then. Not recommended if you suffer from claustrophobia. Back in the day miners worked 12-hour days, six days a week, and most miners suffered failing eyesight and respiratory diseases.

    When we finished the tour, we enjoyed some fresh baked scones and a cuppa in the teahouse, then went to the nearby Silverton Hotel for lunch.

    After lunch, we went to the Mad Max 2 museum in Silverton. Theo is a fan of the Max Max series, but it is not exactly my cup of tea, but even Theo said he was disappointed. It seems that every bit of prop, panel, costume, movie script, photo, vehicle, nut, bolt and screw were on display. A replica of Mad Max’s V8 Interceptor is at the museum. When it was filmed in 1981 in and around the Broken Hill area, apparently a lot of locals had at least a walk on role in Mad Max 2.

    Silverton’s unique landscape has drawn filmmakers from around the world. A few of the movies/scenes filmed here are – Dirty Deeds, Mission Impossible 11, Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, A Place to Call home, Alice to Nowhere, The Long Way Home, Razorback, Hostage, A town like Alice, Wake in Fright, The Long Way Home and many others.
    Also, apparently a commercial is shot in Silverton every few months, some are Panasonic, Landrover, Telstra, Coca Cola, Dove Soap, Ampol, etc

    Also learnt that BHP (Broken Hill Proprietry) was founded in 1885 in Silverton (not Broken Hill), with mining in silver, lead and zinc, and is now in 90 locations worldwide with its headquarters in Melbourne.

    Another outback sunset by the campfire, toasting Loretta and Jenny who both have a birthday today with Baileys, their favourite drink.

    Not sure exactly what we will do tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 105

    Searching for sunshine

    August 20, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Note: had to amend the date of the Stainmaster ad. (below) Google gave me the wrong date!

    It has been a couple of days since our last entry. The plan was to continue to the Flinders Ranges, spend up to a week there exploring and visiting Willow Springs Station, then make our way home.

    By the time we got to the Flinders Rangers at Hawker, the temperature had dropped another 10 degrees (from 33 to 13 in three days, wind chill much less). This was just too much of a shock to our body. We had been used to wearing shorts and singlets for the past 3 and a half months.

    Spent the night camped at Pekina Dam outside Orroroo, and despite unpacking our winter clothes, jeans, jumpers, beanies, scarves and boots, we tried to get warm by the fire, but the cold wind was swirling and blowing so we retreated inside and turned on the diesel heater and put the extra doona on the bed. Had a warm and cosy night, but decided we were not ready to face the cold weather just yet.

    Change of plans. We decided to head to Broken Hill, then make our way home from there. The cold Flinders Ranges can wait for another time.
    Our big problem is that we have no internet most of the time and therefore cannot research ahead, including the weather forecast.

    Drove on the Barrier Highway, heading east for about 3 hours, and then we arrived in Broken Hill to sunny skies and a temperature of 23 degrees. That will do nicely. Thank you very much.

    Theo was still keen to keep moving on, despite having time up our sleeves, but after a night camped outside of Broken Hill on the Stephens Creek, and while enjoying the campfire and sky changing colour at sunset, I managed to convince him that we still had enough time to explore Broken Hill. We have only ever driven through it before.

    Fun fact: we saw 18 satellites and one shooting star while sitting around the campfire at Stephens Creek.

    We did know that the Mundi Mundi Bash, a 3-day concert was on this weekend, held at a large campground on the Mundi Mundi Plains about 40kms outside Broken Hill, and was a bit worried at how busy the town would be. We also discovered a while ago that all the tickets had been sold, but as we had no idea where we would be, we had not planned on being in town. If we had known that we would have been at Broken Hill this weekend, and planned it in advance and got tickets, it would have been a good thing to have experienced. Found out that 12,500 people attended the concert and that the world record for number of people (6,500) dancing the Nutbush was broken, beating the Birdsville Big Red Bash record last month. This raises money for the RFDS (Royal Flying Doctor Service), which is a great cause.

    While in town, we visited the Pro Hart gallery. Kevin James ‘Pro’ Hart, MBE was a very talented artist, sculpture and inventor, who captured the spirit of the outback, even painting his Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, which is on display in the carport at the gallery. I remember the Stainmaster ad in 1988 on TV where the cleaner was not happy that Pro had used the carpet for his art. ‘Oh Mista Hart Whatta Mess.’ Google this ad. Pro died in 2006.

    Fun Fact: I had my photo taken with Jack Absalom, many years ago, another talented local Broken Hill artist, also now deceased.

    We went to the Visitor Centre, got a few supplies, topped up our water tanks, and drove about 10kms out of town on the Silver City Highway, to a station stay called Nine Mile Station (after confirming with owner Greg that a site was available).

    We have a lovely quiet site at Nine Mile Station, on the dry Stephens Creek for $20 a night. It is funny that it is the same creek that we camped on last night for free about 50kms south of here. Here though, we can unhitch and leave our van safely while exploring the area.

    After setting up camp, we drove out to Silverton. We have been there before, but I wanted to see it again, and it was a lovely afternoon.

    We have never seen so many caravans on the road, streaming down the highway coming from the concert, there were hundreds of vans. Many people chose to stop at Silverton on their way past, and the Silverton Pub was doing a roaring trade.

    We enjoyed a beer while listening to some live music, then strolled past the (new) bakery. Had to pop in to check out their cakes, then walked around the town.

    I think all the people have scared the donkeys away, as there is usually a couple wandering the streets.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 102

    Birdsville Track

    August 17, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We ended up spending 2 days and 2 nights at Birdsville. One night was spent at the caravan park, then Wednesday morning we checked out and drove around the town sightseeing (didn't take long, not a big town), before finding a free camp for the night on the Diamantina River which was a couple of kms outside town. The flies were extremely friendly.

    In 1883 there were 3 hotels in Birdsville. The Royal Hotel was built, along with the Birdsville Hotel and the Courthouse Hotel. The Royal Hotel operated for 40 years, after that it was leased for use as a hospital until 1937. In 1978 the property was listed for preservation and restoration. Nothing has been done except to surround the structure with a falling down fence and a faded information board. I took some photos of the sad looking ruins, hopeful that someday they may be restored. The only hotel still operating today is the Birdsville Hotel.

    Today, the Birdsville Hotel is extremely popular and is an iconic outback pub. The kerbing, gutters and sealed road is an improvement on last time we were here.

    Fun fact: memories of our last visit to Birdsville about 10 years ago. We won the meat raffle at the pub, and the winning ticket was pulled out by yours truly. LOL.

    We also saw the Artesian Bore Head, where the water pours out at 98 degrees celsius, and is well signposted and fenced off with warnings.

    Birdsville’s water comes from a bore sunk in 1961 to a depth of 1292 mts. Artesian/bore water is essential to life in the outback. The Great Artesian Basin is 2032 kms long and 1450 kms wide making it one of the largest underground water supplies on earth.

    At almost every outback town where we have filled our caravan water tanks, we would have been using filtered bore water for showering, washing and cooking. There was a slight difference in taste to our tap water from home, but we haven’t had any water which tastes unpleasant.

    We drove past the Birdsville Racetrack but didn’t go in this time, as they were preparing for the famous race meeting in a fortnight’s time.

    We enjoyed another outback sunset watching the birds on the river and the changing colours in the sky. Never get tired of the sunsets in the outback.

    On our way out of Birdsville in the morning, we were a bit concerned about the official Road Restrictions warning at the edge of town, for the Birdsville Track.

    It said that the section of the track we will be travelling on between Mungerannie to Maree was ‘Closed’. Other travellers were also stopped unsure whether to continue on the track.

    We turned around and went to the Visitor Information Centre and were assured that there is an error on the board and it has been reported several times, but the whole track is indeed definitely open. Apparently, a small rain shower is expected further south but will not affect the road condition.

    Crossing the border into South Australia, we had to wind the watches back again half an hour. The temperature has also dropped about 10 degrees since leaving Birdsville.

    The condition of the Birdsville Track was very good, with one or two small sections with water over the road and some corrugations and always the never-ending dust, but we managed to maintain an average speed of 80km per hour. However, we had forgotten just how boring this road was. There is nothing to see on the sides of the road, no tracks and few camping options.

    After 4 hours driving, we did find a little track leading to the base of a small hill to shelter for the night. It was extremely windy and the flies were way too friendly for our liking, so we retreated inside, only venturing out to watch the magnificent stormy sky and sunset.

    Theo woke to thunder and lightning at 1.30am, and then heavy rain about half an hour later which woke me up. We lay awake listening to the rain and the wind, hoping that it would not affect the road conditions.

    In the morning, as we were driving away, the sky was black and threatening and we drove through a couple of showers, but luckily the rain had not affected the condition of the road at all, apart from suppressing the dust.

    We stopped at Mungerannie Station Roadhouse, which is about halfway down the ‘Track’ to refuel, cost was $2.95 per litre, the dearest fuel so far on this trip. Chatted to the new owners for a while, who were from Bonnie Doon in Victoria, then completed the Birdsville Track at Maree where we had lunch, a huge ‘Maree Burger’ at the Maree Hotel.

    We drove on for about 70kms to our camp for the night just outside Lyndhurst, at Claries Waterhole. We have stayed here a couple of times before and this is the first time there has been no water in the waterhole. Another cold and windy night.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 99

    Birdsville

    August 14, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Sunday morning. We could have stayed longer at this lovely campsite, but we had to keep on the move. Drove back to into Mt Isa, got some supplies and fuel and by the time we were back on the road, it was midday.

    The Diamantina Development Road, between Mt Isa and Bedourie is in very good condition considering it is an outback road, but it is long and boring. There is not much to see as you pass through a lot of cattle country and stations.

    We had one fuel stop on the way, at Boulia, and then it was time to start looking for a camp for the night as we had driven over 4 hours. The camps were few and far between. I really hate looking for a camp after 4pm, as it is getting late, and we are getting tired. There had been a lot of rain recently and although the ground was firm, there was a lot of thick undergrowth on the side of the road, making it impossible to just pull off the road.

    We eventually found a designated site (WikiCamps) which had a picnic shelter and bins. There was a dirt track leading the river, but there were already 3 caravans closer to the river, so we camped near the picnic shelter. Soon, 7 more caravans pulled in after us, all from the same group, and they formed a wagon train on the track leading to the river. We had seen this large group pulled up on the side of the road as we drove through Boulia and were to see them again at Birdsville.

    Fish for dinner and afterwards while I cleaned up, Theo sat outside just on dusk, then he said he was being attacked by mozzies so came inside very quickly.

    We kept all the lower windows closed in the van and only had the top windows in the pop top open which stopped insects coming in, and also allowed the warm air to escape and the van to cool down during the night. Had a great night’s sleep and I didn’t even hear the 10 vans leave, as they passed close to our van on their way out at 8am.

    Monday morning, and we continued on our way south, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, and stopping at a couple of sites on the way including Carcory Homestead Ruins which was abandoned by Sidney Kidman in 1906, and arrived at Birdsville just after 1pm where we checked into the caravan park for the night. $20 unpowered.

    The last time we were at Birdsville, about 8 years ago, there was only about 5 vans in the park, today there would have been about 60-70 campers spread out in powered and unpowered sites. We have noticed that there are so many more caravans and travellers on the road now.

    After lunch, we took some snags and bread with us and drove the 42 kms out to Big Red, to relax and enjoy the afternoon and watch the sun go down over the Simpson Desert sandhills. The flies were far too friendly and we resorted to wearing an old fly net each (having left our newer, better flynets in the caravan).

    Spent a couple of hours watching cars driving up Big Red. Some took several attempts to get to the top. About 45 minutes before the sun set, a large all terrain outback tour bus drove up the sand dunes and about a dozen people got out and the driver set up a table and chairs for his guests to enjoy the sunset.

    Big Red is over 30mt tall (stands as tall as the Statue of Liberty), and is the edge of the Simpson Dessert, and part of a series of 1,140 parallel sand dunes stretching across the desert. The dune is red from rusting iron particles in the sand and provides a challenge for 4WD enthusiasts.

    Big Red is also the backdrop to the Big Red Bash, an annual 3-day music festival held in July every year. The Birdsville Races are held on the first Saturday in September every year. These are popular outback events and people travel from all over the country to attend.

    Fun fact: we took a sample of the sand from Big Red on our last visit and colour-matched it and painted the end wall of our pergola, as I wanted an earthy outback colour. I called the colour ‘Birdsville Red’.

    We cooked our snags and enjoyed them while having a cold drink and watching the changing colours of the outback sun setting on the horizon, then drove up and back down 'Little Red', a smaller sandhill before driving back with the setting sun in the rear vision mirrors.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 97

    Back in Queensland

    August 12, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We drove through the little town of Elliott on the Stuart Highway. Had to stop and take a photo for grandson Elliot in Canada, then continued on until we got to Three Ways where we refueled, and then headed east on the Barkly Highway.

    There is not much in the way of camping options on the Barkly Highway unless you stay at a roadhouse, and they are few and far between. We found a site for the night, where there was a microwave tower and a clearing, set up and enjoyed a great view over the valley towards the horizon and watched the sun setting before coming inside. There are 4 other caravans camped here tonight. Bit of road noise from the trucks on the highway at first, but it did not bother us as they don’t usually travel a lot after dark.

    The next morning after packing up, we continued heading east and refueled at Barkly Homestead, which was such a nice clean, green oasis on the rather long and boring straight road.

    Crossed into Qld and lost half an hour as we had to adjust our watches, (the phones adjusted automatically) and then we found a camp for the night on the Camooweal Billabong. We were surprised just how popular it was, and campers were spread out over a couple of kms with heaps of caravans set up for the night. There is a limit of 48 hour stay, but not sure if this in monitored. It was a pleasant balmy afternoon and we enjoyed watching the brolga’s dancing on the edge of the water, and the sun set with the beautiful soft pastel colours over the lagoon.

    Tomorrow we will head into Mt Isa to restock. Will not be staying at Isa because this weekend is the annual Rodeo, which we did not realize, and I am pretty sure it will be busy in town.

    I woke early, just in time for the sunrise over the billabong. The sky was spectacular with reds, oranges and yellows changing to soft blues as the morning awoke. It was the first sunrise I had seen on this trip. Theo slept through it.

    As we were driving out of the camping area, I said a thank you out loud to the town of Camooweal for providing a dump point and water filling tap and a lovely camping area with bins for travellers.

    We went to the servo in town on the way out to fill up and there was a notice on the door to the travelling public from the Camooweal Business Community. It advised that they do not support the closure of the billabong for free camping and believe that the decision was been made by the traditional owners and the Mt Isa Council without any community consultation and believe that it will be of significant detriment to tourism and the economy of the town. Looks like this area will be closed and if so, a lot of people will probably just drive through the town without stopping. Shame.

    We stopped in Mt Isa for a couple of things, including a driving light protector which was lost on the road somewhere. We got the last one on the shelf. Supermarket and bottle-o and we were on our way to Mary Kathleen, about half-way between Mt Isa and Cloncurry, approx 65kms out of town.

    Mary Kathleen was a uranium mining settlement that is now abandoned. It was an architect designed town with a post office, cinema, police station, sports oval, school, hospital, swimming pool, banks, churches and a general store. By 1961, 1000 people lived in the town. When it closed, in the early 80’s, all the buildings were removed and now the site only has the remains of roads and concrete pads. Mary Kathleen is now just a ghost town.

    There is a signboard in what was the town centre, with great information and photos of the original town. About 6 kms drive on a very rough and potholed road, you can drive to the mine pit and see the most beautiful blue water. Although the water looks impressive, you cannot touch it as it is radioactive. It makes for a great photo though.

    The land has been rehabilitated and cattle graze there. Apparently since rehabilitation, it has been found that the tailings repository has seen seepage of radioactive waters at rates much higher than initially predicted.

    We have stayed here a couple of times before, for one or two nights. It is a beautiful camping area, down by the dry creek with plenty of shady trees. Not much firewood on the ground though.

    On previous stays we have seen camels, cows and the ghost of Mary Kathleen (after one too many drinks around the campfire)!    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 93

    Heading to Queensland

    August 8, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    After leaving Mataranka, on our journey southbound, we camped at the WW11 Gorrie Airfield, which was about 60kms from Mataranka (free camp).

    When you turn off the highway, there is a closed cattle gate and grid. Drive over the grid on the dirt track for about 1km, and turn at the track where there is a hubcap nailed to the tree. The runway is about 2kms long, so there is plenty of space for everyone and lots of firewood. There are lots of tracks in the area, and possibly some remnants of the base, but we did not unhitch to explore. Apparently, you do have to be careful as you can get lost with all the tracks.
    When the Gorrie Airfield was completed in 1943, it was known as one of the largest and busiest military bases in the pacific during WW11. In 1943 at its peak there were some 6,500 personnel stationed at this location. It was a highly secretive RAAF base visited by General McArthur. Hard to imagine this being a hive of activity. There was about a dozen caravans spread out along the runway settled in for the night.

    For the first time in ages, we had a campfire as there was plenty of wood around and hardly any insects. Beautiful Northern Territory sunset, clear starry night, camp oven stew cooking on the fire, a perfect end to a perfect day.

    The little town of Larrimah is about 10kms further south on the highway and we spent a little while exploring the museum and reading all the history boards. The Larrimah Pub was originally the WW11 Officers Mess servicing the nearby Gorrie Airfield, and extensions were added from the dismantled Birdum Hotel. Larrimah later became a busy rail and road terminus until the railway closed in 1976.
    You cannot miss the large Pink Panther and the 15’ stubby, and there is all sorts of memorabilia and pink panthers in the pub. We brought a hot pie for lunch and then continued on the road.

    We passed the turnoff to Daly Waters, but did not go in, as we have been there before. We did enjoy our stay in 2012, and enjoyed our meal and listening to the bush poetry and music, but have heard from other travellers that it is extremely busy now, and there is an overflow caravan park, easily housing about 200 caravans a night. Far too busy for us.

    Bit of history about Daly Waters. It was a refuelling stop for the London to Melbourne air race of 1919, a refuelling stop for the early Qantas flights to Singapore, and a World War 11 Airforce base. The main attraction for tourists is the famous pub which is decorated throughout with banknotes and other memorabilia left by visitors from every corner of the globe. Outside and across the road are all sorts of unique things including a museum and an old helicopter on the roof of a shed. Worth a stop if you have not been there before.

    An update on the tinny we sold in Katherine. Theo asked Andrew to send him a photo of any fish he caught in the tinny. So far, no fish photos, but Andrew did send Theo a couple of photos of the bike/trailer he made to tow the boat until he gets his license back, and also the tinny in the river. He sent a really nice message thanking me for taking concern in him. I think he just made a couple of bad decisions in life, but seems to be heading in the right direction now, and he was over the moon and extremely grateful that we sold the tinny to him. We are so happy that it has gone to a good home.

    We have decided that we will travel east from Three Ways on the Barkly Highway towards Mt Isa, then making our way south possibly via the Birdsville Track. We have 3 weeks left.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    2
    Day 90

    Bitter Springs, Elsey National Park

    August 5, 2023 in Australia

    Saturday 5th August
    After packing up, we filled our water tanks and chatted to owner Alysia, and also Wendy and Pete, who came over to say farewell. They were also leaving today heading to Darwin. Hope we can catch up with Wendy and Pete again as we spent a week getting to know them at Happy Hours and enjoyed their company. They are permanently on the road in their van and said that they may come to Melbourne, and it would be good to see them.

    Alysia was lovely and said we are welcome back anytime, and we are now part of the family. Next time we are up in Katherine we will be sure to call in and stay. Not sure if I mentioned before, but it was $15 a night unpowered. It was a pity we did not get to say bye to the caretakers, Tracey and Steve who had left early to the Saturday Markets. Marcus has written a book with has been edited and is ready for printing, and I feel very privileged that he allowed me (and also Pam) to download a copy of his yet to be printed book on a USB stick. Some reading for a later time.

    We had a quick stop at the Market in town (nothing to see here…), and then we were on our way heading southbound. We were not planning on a big day, either stopping at Larrimah or Bitter Springs for the night, about 180kms, depending on where we stay.

    We arrived about lunchtime to Bitter Springs, and it was the first time we had swam there, although we had driven through before and stopped briefly.
    Bitter Springs is a series of naturally fed thermal pools located within the Elsey National Park, located a couple of kms from the highway and the township of Mataranka, and set among palms and tropical plants. Spring water rises from underground at a rate of 30.5 million litres per day, and the water is warm usually about 28-34 degrees.

    Bitter Springs made the news last month when the NT Parks closed access to the park after a Ranger spotted a 2.5mt saltwater crocodile in the management zone (not in the swimming area.) The park was closed for several days until it was safe to reopen.

    We were glad we had our caravan with us so we could change into our bathers before the short walk to the springs.
    The springs are very natural and unspoilt, unlike Mataranka which is extremely popular and smaller and has a man-made structure around it.

    Bitter Springs gently meanders about 500 mts, as you float downstream with the natural flow of the crystal turquoise water for about half an hour, get out, walk back on the path and repeat as often as you want. We got our snorkel and goggles out of the car and on our second circuit it made a huge difference to see the clarity underwater. We got to enjoy both the float on the first time and the underwater view on the second time.

    There were lots of little fish, and several small turtles in the water. When you get out you feel clean and refreshed. We both felt that this was equal to snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, minus the coloured fish and coral, and minus the salt sticking to your skin when you dry off. The good thing about Bitter Springs is that the water does not get churned up with the weather like the Great Barrier Reef, and it remains at a constant temperature.

    While we were exploring and relaxing in the water, we got chatting to another couple. Usual question is where are you from, and where are you going. Raelene Potter was a teacher at Melton Secondary College in 1988 and worked under Doug Smith the principal. Doug was a teacher at my high school (Oak Park) and also the principal at the school my kids went to (Melton Secondary (kids used to call him Papa Smurf). Raelene also has a couple of friends who grew up in the area I grew up. Small world. Would have loved to chatted to them longer and see if we had any mutual acquaintances.

    It is a very calming and relaxing thing to do, and we will definitely be back someday.    Read more

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