QUILPIE TO CUNNAMULLA 20/6 TO 22/6

We continued next day to Charleville with lots of water lying beside the road and flat areas of the countryside. We drove through undulating areas with mulga scrub and still red soil almost everywhere. As we neared Charleville there were some floodways with water flowing over the road about 6 inches deep. The caravan park we checked into had a creek at the back which had been quite high a couple of days earlier as they’d had 100 ml of rain over 2 days. We enjoyed happy hour around the campfire. The next day we had a look around town and the historic house museum as well as a walk along the banks of the Warrego River. Charleville has a Cosmos Centre and conducts viewing sessions in the evening. We had hoped to take part but unfortunately the skies were too cloudy but we were able to listen to a very entertaining Aboriginal woman give a talk on how the indigenous people interpret the stars and relate them to the seasons etc.

The next day we drove south to Cunnamulla. The roads were wider and there was a lot of traffic heading north, especially caravans. The weather was becoming decidedly colder – no wonder everyone else was heading north! I’ve never seen so many dead roos on or beside the road. Must be because of the number of road trains which travel that route. We must have seen at least a hundred emus feeding in areas near the road too. The rain in the area has left some of the plains looking more like lakes. Cunnamulla is a pretty town with rose gardens in the main street and a large statue of the “Cunnamulla Fella” overlooking them. We went to the info centre and Artesian Time Tunnel exhibition where we learned lots about Australia’s artesian basin. There was also a display of old artefacts and a textile exhibition with some lovely felting and weaving. The caravan park which was situated on the Warrego River had good amenities and a great campfire happy hour.Read more