North Queensland then West

This trip starts from home and does a near lap of Queensland. The furthest point is the Dig Tree, nearly to the South Australian border. Approximate duration, six months. Read more

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North Queensland then West Traveler
Chinaman Creek Dam
July 28, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Just to the west of Cloncurry is this dam with plenty of shady spots to set up our chairs and relax. We went out to have lunch and ended up relaxing there for several hours.

Not far from the dam is the old water reservoir. It has had a mural now for quite some time and some may recognise the place from one of the Optus television adverts.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Moondarra Dam Sunset
July 29, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
The lake, man made, Moondarra, is quite a beautiful area. We have been here before but this time we drove around past the dam wall to a secondary spillway. Here the sunset is nicely over the water. The colours spilled into the water like a pool of freshly smelted gold.

Our time in Mt Isa was a bit like the last stop in Townsville. A lot to do in a short time. The main purpose of visiting Mt Isa was to have the car serviced. It would have been way over the kilometers by the time we got to Brisbane. As I mentioned earlier we also had to fit in a rear window repair.

Whenever we service the car there is a good few hours to wait. This time we decided to have coffee at a coffee shop called the Extra Mile. It a funky place with interesting decor and book exchange. These days we use ainly eReaders but can see great attraction for retro book readers. The coffee was very good and the service impressive. We came back a few hours later for lunch.

Between coffee and lunch we managed to find a hairdresser. It took several attempts but we finally found a great place and walked out a bit light headed. Prices were reasonable.

I got a few things from Bunnings we needed then headed to Kmart. Pam bought a few clothes that were much closer fit and we also gor a new pair of boots each. Eventually we were getting quite weary and headed to the Buffs club. Turns out that is the Buffalo club. I had just got my cup of tea and the car was done and being invoiced. We would be picked up in 30 minutes. Perfect! As we walked out the front door 3 minutes to spare, the courtesy vehicle rolled in.

Country dealers are nice to deal with. Everything was done as expected and the staff are very responsive. One thing we were happy about was that I mentioned that I had seen a light on the display that came on briefly as we powered up the hills after leaving Cloncurry. Turned out it was a water alarm. Did not show during service but required code read to determine that the filter had to be drained and changed. We may well have averted a breakdown along the road.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Corella Dam
August 4, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
The Corella Dam was built to supply water to the Mary Kathleen uranium mine. Later another dam, the Mary Kathleen dam was also built to allow for anticipated expansion of the mine. Water from there was never used for the mine since all the uranium had been mined and the mine was closed. The town was sold to tender and everything except the concrete blocks and streets taken away.

We drove quite a distance around the Corella dam and saw some more birds that are not always seen in the river below the dam. There were hundreds of caravans camped all around the lake with many taking spots along the spillway and other easily accessible spots.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Corella River, below the dam
August 4, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Wally was nowhere to be seen but he is suspected of skinny dipping. I found his shirt tossed off in the bushes.

Late afternoon a walk along the river below the dam is rewarded with spectacular views of the hills lit with afternoon sunlight. Right now the flowering Wattle trees add another splash of colour.

Every step along the river unfolds new views with ever present wildlife. We have sighted around 50 different species of birds, lace monitor, fish and interesting lizards. This afternoon one of the nearby campers was fortunate to see an olive python.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
The Hill Near the Dam
August 7, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
The Hill to the north of Corella dam has been calling. Not too long ago I would not have even attempted a walk like that. Now I am finding a few kays walk quite easy. As some of my readers know I have made significant changes to my health outlook.

A few days ago, on a spur of the moment, I went about halfway up the spur towards the hill but had to quit the quest before I had gone all the way. I started late and forgot to take water. Wearing shorts was not ideal either.

This time I was better prepared. Backpack with plenty of water, the sparrow packed and ready for action, good to go. The walk was easier than I expected with a distance of 2.3k return trip. I picked my way carefully up the hill through the boulders, following kangaroo tracks most of the way. Those guys are smart and follow reasonable grades. The tracks are quite well worn and easy to follow.

Once at the top it turned out to be nice and calm so I launched the sparrow for a look around. A few minutes later after I snapped a few pictures and packed up, I headed back via a different path. The entire walk had taken just a little more than an hour, even with Kodak moments along the way and at the top.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
What the Heck is a GPX File?
August 7, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Some people might be wondering what those funny icons mixed up with the photos are. The icon says GPX. It means GPs-eXchange file. Simply they are a data file that contain tracks, points and other information. They can be read by many location aware and mapping programs. Find Penguins can also read these files if they are added to a footprint.

They can be loaded first for a snazzy view of a route you have walked or driven. Points can be included for extra information. Generally this is revealed by tapping or clicking on each point.

If they are loaded within or after the photos then they need to be tapped or clicked to show on a world map.

Great! Now we know what they are for, how the heck to you get one?

I thought you would never ask!

Many GPS devices can create these files. They would need to be downloaded depending on the device you have. Once you have the file it can be opened in many programs or even shared to friends.

The way I create these files is using an app on my phone. There are many that will do this, however I found one that works very well and is free for Android. There will also be options for Apple.

The one I use on my Android devices is GPS Logger.

This link should take you to the Google store.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=e…Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Lookout Walk
August 8, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
A fairly brisk 4k walk from our camp to the lookout and return. It took 1 hour and I managed it easily. Even the 400m up the hill.

The views were quite good but not as impressive as the hill near the dam. That was the best view of the lake.

Of course the featured photo was taken 50 or som higher and allows a good view of the many caravans camped along the spillway and many tracks and lake edges.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Wee Macgregor railway tunnel
August 14, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
We turned off the main road at the remnants of the Ballara town site. The drive through to Hightville was a rough track that needs to be driven carefully.

The sign at the end of the "good" road warns of a few things. From that point is "extreme" 4WD tracks, don't go off the track, don't walk off the track. The orange star pickets mark the track.

The area is apparently honeycombed with open shafts and more. When they say extreme 4WD, they are not kidding. We drove halfway up the hill, picking our way through rocks and ruts carefully then parked and walked the last 400m to the tunnel.

The tunnel is quite a feat of hand-excavated mountain side. Thousands of tonnes of rock, gravel and dirt dug and moved, cut and filled. Grades each side are very steep making me wonder how the engine hauled the wagons up the 2 foot lines. Perhaps there was a rack drive on parts. The engine drivers were certainly brave. One slip with the brake lever and the trip down would be fast and potentially fatal. Steel on steel don't stick well anyway.

In the tunnel were some small bats. One fairly common and sometimes a more rare species. They were momentarily disturbed when we passed but quickly resumed their afternoon siesta.

On the other side of the tunnel the old abandoned mine is visible. Rail cuttings are even steeper than the other side and are harder work to walk. The hills seem to have benches cut along everywhere. This would have been an active place around the turn of the previous century. The Hightville cemetery notes several tragic accidental deaths around the early 1900's.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Walton Park Loop Walk
August 14, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
This morning we decided to close the loop on two previous walks. The first walk we had done was out along the road and in a little way to a small hill.

Yesterday morning we had walked down the river along delightful waterholes following a scant track. When I looked at the map I noticed that we had a cross country of only about 350m to connect.

A bold plan was hatched. At least bold for us. We would retrace the river walk and then cross over to the end point of the previous walk and return to our camp via the road.

The walk down the track was easy with nice scenery and lots of early birds. A bit before the last of the track I decided to put an eye in the sky and get better bearings. There was a reasonable roo trail along the ridge. I could see that going on a bit further would put us over a rougher walk.

The cross country was quite easy and we connected easily to the other track. The whole walk took a leisurely 1hr 22m for the just over 3k distance. This walk through river and spinifex was a nice start to our day.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Fountain Springs
August 14, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
The drive to Fountain Springs was not so good but when we got there the visit was so worth the effort. Lots of little birds enjoying the shallow water down a bit from the springs.

The cliffs rising up from the deep water pool look like an artist's impression of Australian outback. Complex formations and colours. Hard to photograph but easy to enjoy.

We spent a couple of hours including lunch before heading back via the Wee Macgregor railway tunnel.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Further down the River
August 15, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Corella River starts at the dam. Before that it is Corella Creek. Up the creek was the historic and heritage listed Rosebud mine and Rosebud Weir.

We are camped below the dam on the river. There is about 500 meters of easy to access camping area. Some well equipped campers rock hop over a very rough road to get to a few more camping spots further down.

It is easy to walk down another kilometre to the next bend in the river. Many more birds and lovely river views. This morning we sat quietly and watched many small honeyeaters taking a dip in the river.

Our walks seem to be getting longer and we are finding them easier.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Fountain Springs Surrounds
August 16, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
There is interesting mountain formations all about.
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Blue Heeler Hotel, Kyuna
August 17, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
This morning we left the fantastic Clem Walton Park. We did lots of walking and spotted an amazing number of birds. That was the longest we have stayed in one place while travelling.

Now we have moved on enroute to Bladensburg National Park south of Winton. The shopping is done and the water tanks full. We are spending the night at Kyuna.

There are so many travellers on the road. The powered sites are all full with not much room left in the unpowered paddock. The old pub probably has not seen so much activity since the swagman drowned.

Yes, we are in Matilda Country. The waterhole of tragedy is not far from here. We will probably visit there on our way to Winton.Read more
TravelerOutback Queensland sure has its share of quirky pubs.
8/18/21Reply
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Waltzing Matilda info Sign.
August 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
This walk is not long and quite easy. There is a lot of information on the signs along the track.
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Combo Waterhole
August 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Text from the sign near the waterhole. I did not write this. 😁

Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda
Inspired in the outback

Banjo Paterson was just one of many to come this way, but he recorded something of his visit that remains with us today. A catchy, well-known tune is born, inspired by colourful outback characters, larrikins and gentry alike.

Penned in this landscape.

The outback landscape drew many a poem and some fine prose from Paterson's pen. Perhaps as a visitor with a love of the outback and as a solicitor and poet, Banjo saw events with a clarity reflected in the simplicity of the ballad of Waltzing Matilda.

Swagmen were story keepers and kept the bush telegraph alive. They carried newspapers and magazines that were old news to the city, but news of the day in the outback. Ballads circulated with shearers on their annual 'run' of sheds. Wool carters and drovers listened eagerly for reports of rain on recently travelled tracks,

In 1895, grazier Bob Macpherson managed the family property Dagworth Station named like many other stations after a racehorse. Bob's sister Christina was a talented musician. Banjo heard her play a "catchy, whimsical, haunting tune that deserved words to keep it alive". His words continue to capture the hearts of Australians today.

An early Aboriginal camp and popular meeting place for European settlers thereafter, Combo Waterhole is immersed in a history of music and sharing of talents, laced with lively discussion and stories.

Language, and song, like everything in the outback, is full of colour. Words and terms are drawn from as many countries as the characters who have lived here. Waltzing Matilda, of Germanic origin, came to mean living on the road, carrying a swag.

Sheep were favoured over cattle on Dagworth from 1880's to the 1960's. Thousands were grazed in many outback areas in the good years.

A ghost may be heard.

Sit for a while, flick fles away and listen for the ghosts of those who sat here before you as they did. Hear the birdcalls, raucous and sweet, the chatter of family and friends, the buzz of files and imagine the distant sound of a jingling harness or a horse snorting away a fly.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Washed out Overshot Crossing
August 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Called an overshot the hand built crossings have survived well, however this one has seen tests of time. Others have survived in better condition.

Note mention in the sign text that no mortar was used. There are some parts of the pitching that have had rough mortar added, possibly many years later to lock in dislodged stones after flood damage.

**** Text from an info Sign. ****

Stone overshots paved a more dependable future

Before these overshoots were built for Dagworth Station around 1890, precious waterholes dried up just a few months after summer rains

Now floodwater streams over the walls until the water drops to overshot level and is captured in Combo and numerous other waterholes, about one metre higher than the natural level.

A sunburnt country

Months of dry days under a pitiless blue sky are broken by an average rainfall of just 400 mm, falling mostly in summer. In drought years less than ton mm may fall.

Then steady soaking rain

When good rain does come it may come in torrents. The mighty Diamantina River's shallow braided channels unite, and water stretches over vast areas.

Harnessing droughts and flooding rains.

Grazing was not viable without permanent water to supply more than 100 000 sheep already in the region by the early 1890s. The Macpherson. brothers bought Dagworth Station and faced the challenge of improving the supply of water.

Combo Waterholes provided a reliable water source for wildlife, drovers, travellers, swagmen and locals alike. The waterhole remained useful even with Artesian bores.

Ancient skills

Dry stone walls have been built in many countries. Perhaps the Macpherson brothers or the Kynuna contractor (Mick Fahey) or the labourers (probably Chinese or South Sea Islanders) could have told us from which country's ancestors they took their dry stone wail secrets.

Over 100 years ago, a team of men used horse and dray and baskets to cart in stones and sod carefully selected stone after stone laid them in tightly packed and interwoven row strengthened by keystones (no mortar to withstand the mighty force of flowing water and so transformed the interaction of people with this land.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Ayrshire Hills
August 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
This rest area is memorable for the hills around the area. I think last time there was also a resident Magpie sitting right on top.
Traveler👍
8/18/21Reply
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Conn Waterhole
August 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
About 50k west along the road to Boulia then turn off the road 4k to the Conn waterhole. Ironically the sign says "4 CONN WATERHOLE". Not certain what 4. This spot is on the Western River just above the Junction to the Diamantina River.

The Diamantina starts around Kynuna and wanders all the way south past Birdsville while the Western River starts between Longreach and Winton. Eventually the waters from the short wet season end up in Lake Eyre to evaporate and start all over.

Right now is after this year's wet and there is still a reasonable amount of water in the long waterholes. As the season progresses the waterholes dry up and dissapear until few are left.

Wednesday 18th August 2021.

We have etched a spot in the dusty banks with our camp for a couple of days. It is very quiet here with only a couple of other camps a reasonable distance away from us.

A few late to bed birds are chatting to themselves or telling their new offspring about the recent wet that may have a gap of years to the next. This is the outback, well beyond the legendary charred stump. No phone service, too far for smoke to be seen, our only way to contact anyone is via satellite communication.

Thursday 19th August 2021.

Today is very pleasent though last night temperature dropped to under 10 degrees. We had a short walk this morning of about 2 kilometres.

Last night the treated water clarified nicely ready for filling the solar shower bag and a load of washing. The dunny plunger modification we copied from other travellers works very well to agitate the clothes. Holes drilled in the $6 long handle plunger ensure it will never be used for its intended purpose. This helps with the agitation as well. A lot of dirt come out of the clothes. Wool wash seems to be an ideal detergent and requires minimal rinsing.

Its not lunch time yet and I have treated enough water to finish our wash tomorrow and have water to heat for our shower.

Pam has been having difficulty with her camera. The main issue is the zoom control. The springs in both directions have failed completely. If the control is not centre the camera will not focus or shoot. It took near 2 hours but with dogged persistence I managed to cobble up an external spring to centre the zoom control. I am waiting for a report when the glue dries completely.

There are a few birds here however not the huge numbers we saw at Corella River. It seems the kites here don't catch fish from the river and the small birds are much more nervous when they fly over.

Friday 21st August 2021.

We decided to stay here for a other couple of days. The camp site is very good with abundant treatable water. The washing is up to date and we may do a small run tommorow so we will only have the bedding to wash when we get to a park.

Its not the fact this camp does not cost that makes it attractive. We are not crowded by other people on all sides being assaulted by barking dogs and generators. The people who have been here are quiet and 100m plus distant. Quiet means birds are inclined to ignore us after we are here a day or two. That suits us fine.

After breakfast we got ready for a longer and harder walk.

This afternoon we are relaxing keeping our diaries up to date before we go for another short walk before our nice hot solar heated shower.

Saturday 22nd August 2021.

We started today with an easy couple of kilometres walk. Up to the power line, along a bit then back via an old access road that appeared to have been run to the power line. In the middle was a deep washout in a small channel.

The bird list is growing more than we expected. We have noted upward of 20 species so far.

Today is yoghurt making. This is very routine these days and I generally try to time it when there is plenty of water for cooling the milk after heating and water for washing. The cooling water gets up to about 60 degrees so saving that for the cleanup keeps water usage lower.

It's a sunny day and batteries are fully charged by 1 0:30. All the gadgets are fully charged so electricity to spare. The power used by the yoghurt incubator will come straight from the solar panels.

The frustration! Little birds Seen on our walk, photos too distant to a identify them. Only thing for sure we don't know what they were. Maybe try again tomorrow.

Conn waterhole was a good camp, only in dry weather though. A bit of rain and nothing would move anywhere. When water was spilled on the ground there was instant sticky gooey mud. The other nuisance is the two or 3 foot deep water that would move fairly fast in deeper channels. Even the highway is no sanctuary as the floods cover a lot of distance there too.

Today there were clouds. That meant a possibility of interesting and pretty sunset. We were rewarded with a very nice sunset for our last afternoon here.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Wide Stone Pitch Crossing
August 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
This crossing is quite wide. Think of the massive amount of manual work to pile foundation rocks then key all the flat rocks in place. It is amazing how well they have remained in place. Many stagecoaches, horses, cars, trucks and cattle have travelled this track over 100 years.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
How Do We Use Muddy River Water?
August 19, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 23 °C
Water is one of the things that is ever on our mind when we travel. We have limited ability to carry lots of water with about 14 - 20 days supply on board if we were only drinking the water we carry. If we need to shower from our on board water we would be looking for a refill every 5-6 days.

We can stock up on food for about two weeks with emergency rations for another ten days or so. If we can find suitable water for bathing and washing we can stay out for a lot longer.

Many times we have nearby rivers or billabong, but the water is often very muddy and not usable as is. There is a way to use this water though. We treat it in the same way your local council would. We collect buckets full of muddy water and add a tiny amount of alum. Then it is left to settle. This takes a few hours and then the clear water is simply siphoned off ready to use.

If we had to use this water for drinking we could boil it or use our 0.3 micron filter to make it safe for drinking.

A little effort and we can extend our time in remote places. This is a travelling skill that most people are not really aware of.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Morning Walk - Conn Waterhole
August 20, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
The river network here is an enormous series of mostly dry channels covering a huge area. Come the wet season it is a huge expanse for of water with only the tops of the trees giving a clue how shallow the waters really are. As the water recedes after thee rains, the floodwater cuts channels into the black soil along the flow.

For reasons I don't understand, in some places there are huge wide and sometimes quite long waterholes left filled with muddy water long after the floods have made the long journey to Lake Eyre.

After the floods there are areas where the black clay soil shrinks as it dries leaving huge cracks in the ground. Walking requires one to watch foot placement to avoid twisting an ankle or worse.

Today we set off from the camp, along the waterhole. We came on to the power line then followed that until we reached the road from the highway. By this time we were glad of the ease of walking on the crack free road back to our camp. In an hour and fifteen minutes we walked 3.3 kilometers.

There were no birds to be seen after we veered away from the waterhole.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Collingwood Cemetry
August 22, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
From the sign on the marker.

Collingwood Cemetery is one of the few relics of the town of Collingwood, which was intended to become a major centre to service pastoral development in the Diamantina region. The settlement was established from 1874 but it never thrived, due to the growth of the town of Winton from 1877

Collingwood was abandoned by about 1900. Through the years of its existence, people who died at the settlement or nearby were buried in this cemetery.Read more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Skull Hole - Bladensburg National Park
August 23, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Skull Hole is further up Mistake Creek near the headwaters. Deeply cut into the rocks for a distance with steep 20-30m sides. In the bottom are some small waterholes that are giving the birds a reason to be present. There were quite a number of Spinifex Pigeons around.

Skull Hole has another shameful history and the reason it was so named is quite horrific. It is said to be the site of a brutal massacre of about 200 the local aboriginal people. The atrocity was apparently carried out by "black police". The spot was a camping ground of the victims and some years after at least two very damning reports were made xonceening the scene.

Members of the group were supposed to have attacked a bullock dray and killed one man. There was only one case of literally thousands of unjust murders of the aborigal people in at least 250 massacres that was for many years swept under the carpet and hidden from the view of the population at large. Cruel murders were never dealt with as they should have been.

Over time many cruel and criminal activities were brought to public attention by people like Danish-born journalist Carl Feilberg who risked much to expose the brutality against Indigenous people during the late 19th century.

Carl Feilberg signifant efforts might have gone unacknowledged in history had it not been for the efforts of Robert Ørsted-Jensen, a Queensland-based political historianRead more
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Bladensburg National Park
August 23, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
We were planning to stay two nights in Winton and do a day trip out here. Long story short, we are staying at Bough Shed Waterhole camp.

There seems to be a lot of birds and I think the navigator might want to see how many are here. I will keep everyone posted.Read more
TravelerThere seems to be some big clouds brewing!
8/23/21Reply
TravelerWe actually had some rain last night. Fine today but tonight it is blowing so hard the van is rocking. I don't expect rain with this wind.
8/23/21Reply
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North Queensland then West Traveler
Engine Hole - Bladensburg National Park
August 23, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
When I see a place named "engine hole", even though there is no evidence now, I think it was probably a place on the creek where there was a water pump. Probably a lazy southern cross diesel, 3-5 horsepower driving a fair size displacement pump. The thump, thump would be heard for several miles on a calm day as the water from the creek was piped to the homestead.

Today there is still pools of water remaining after the last rains. These will disappear all too soon and the fish will be taken by the water birds. Small fish and frogs will have burrowed deep in the mud waiting for the next rains in many months to wake up and continue their life cycle.Read more
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