West, Centre & Flinders – Days 20 to 21 – To Bedourie and Birdsville

The sign at Boulia for the turn South

The sign at Boulia for the turn South

It is just less than 400 kilometres from Boulia to Birdsville, neatly dissected by Bedourie, which is about 200 kilometres from both. As there are no other towns on the road we made Bedourie our destination on Saturday and finished the journey on Sunday. On both days we arrived for a late lunch. That allowed us time to look around on our day of arrival.

The Royal Hotel Bedourie

The Royal Hotel Bedourie

Our last visit to Bedourie was by air, during our air tour of the area around Lake Eyre in 2011. The first night of the tour was spent at the historic Royal Hotel at Bedourie. Licensee Jim Smith had provided hospitality beyond the call of duty, so we called to see him. Sadly he was away in Mt. Isa. But we, as the only customers, got talking to the young lady behind the bar. Clearly she was a northern European back packer.

The part of main street at Bedourie

The part of main street at Bedourie

We mentioned that while here, we had visited nearby Cluny Station. That led her to tell us that she had been at a party at Cluny the previous night. Soon other party participants arrived. I could see another party starting, so we said our farewells and departed but with a bit more knowledge of life in this remote town.

A bridge over one of the channels of the Georgina River

A bridge over one of the channels of the Georgina River

The terrain between Boulia and Birdsville is flat, with few hills. It is the quintessential land of rolling plains. A little less than half way to Bedourie we crossed the Georgina River, which with the Diamantina, drains the north west area of Queensland, ultimately running into Lake Eyre. For most of the way to Bedourie the river and its flood plains were to our left, a never ending swathe of green, mostly treeless plain but with the normal growth of trees along the river.

The marker for the Tropic of Capricorn sits by the road where it crosses a treeless plain

The marker for the Tropic of Capricorn sits by the road where it crosses a treeless plain

I mentioned a post or two ago about explorer Major Sir Thomas Mitchell and his exploration of the area. One of his discoveries was vast areas of treeless plains covered with natural grasses. The most prominent of the grasses was named in his honour, Mitchell grass. The plains over which we were driving are Mitchell grass plains. This type of treeless country accounts for about 14% of Queensland’s land area.

The official marker for the Vaughan Johnson Lookout overlooks Diaimantina flood plains

The official marker for the Vaughan Johnson Lookout overlooks Diaimantina flood plains

On the border between Boulia and Diamantina Shires (Diamantina Shire is based on Bedourie), right by the road, is the most prominent hill of the trip. At the summit the councils have built a rest and information area. It is named after and was opened by Hon. Vaughan Johnson, now retired, but a long time member for the Queensland state seat of Gregory and a former government minister.

The steep climb to the lookout

The steep climb to the lookout

I don’t want to over work the word but the view is magnificent. Through an arc of about 270 degrees the view is over flood plains, now green from recent rain. From this vantage point it is easy to believe that this area was once an inland sea. Equally interesting are the six double sided information boards that provide historical and environmental information. In a protective cage a piece of road building equipment used on the original road is now on display.

The old causeway over King Creek south of Bedourie

The old causeway over King Creek south of Bedourie

Bedourie is partially surrounded by Eyre Creek, a waterway that follows the road that we were on, now the Eyre Developmental Road, for some distance. A variety of water birds can be sighted at Cuttaburra Waterhole beside the road. The stream finally crosses the road for the last time, a little further south at Cuttaburra Crossing, before heading through a couple of lakes and into the desert, to then run south again to its final destination at Lake Eyre.

The main channel of Eyre Creek near Glengyle Station

The main channel of Eyre at Cutta Burra crossing

Diamantina Shire describes its municipality as “Where the Desert Meets the Channel Country”. This is an apt description. The further south the less frequent the lush green of newly growing grass and the more frequent becomes the expenses of red gravel, sand and clay patches and the scrubby salt bush type vegetation that dominates in these regions. And then, of course, there is the increased frequency of sand dunes, partially covered with vegetation, that stretch from one horizon to the other.

The sealed road crosses a sand dune south of Bedourie

The sealed road crosses a sand dune south of Bedourie

The road was good. There is now only eight kilometres of unsealed road north of Bedourie and a bit less than 80 kilometres between Bedourie and Birdsville. The unsealed sections were in good condition. Our lower than normal average speed was the result of frequent stops to take photos rather than the condition of the road.

The road over Eyre Creek at Glengyle Crossing

The road over Eyre Creek at Glengyle Crossing

Lush vegetation on the flood plains of the Diamantina

Lush vegetation on the flood plains of the Diamantina

Birdsville, on our arrival, seemed to be full of motor bikes. They were roaring around the streets and the caravan park most of the afternoon. It seems that some groups of bikers are crossing the Simpson Desert and have all arrived in town at once.

This morning, at Bedourie, in our caravan park, I spoke to one motor cyclist involved with a group raising funds for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS for Kids). They have two groups crossing the continent from Cape Byron in NSW to Steep Point in WA. Some will cross the Simpson Desert but others will get to Alice Springs via the Donohue and Plenty Highways. They will join up to proceed to Uluru and then cross the Great Central Road and ultimately reach Steep Point, the most westerly point in WA. Challenging stuff! They had already raised about $65,000 as they reached Birdsville

A Changed Itinerary – Part 1

As we listened to the patter of the rain on the roof of our van, we were aware that it was washing away our immediate plans. We have been caught before by the inability of the Department of Meteorology to predict conditions west of Toowoomba. Its predicted 5 mm of rain became 25 mm a couple of years ago and we were left wallowing in the mud of the Dowling Track. History was repeating its self.

Graeme and his motor home

Graeme and his motor home

The next day, on our way to Windorah, we experienced again firsthand what an inch of rain can do in this area. We had made the acquaintance by two way radio of another traveler, this one in a Winnebago motor home and had agreed to stop for lunch at the same place so that we could have a face to face chat. I chose the site of yesterday’s afternoon tea stop, but when I turned in to the proposed stopping place our wheels started to sink in the mud that had, two days earlier, been a firm parking area. New acquaintance saw what was happening and pulled off to the other side of the road and sank to his axles in even worse mud. A quick selection of 4WD had saved us. He didn’t have that option.

But we were lucky. A couple headed for the Simpson Desert, equipped with a winch, came along, so with them winching and me in the Suzuki that he was towing, giving a push, we got the motor home back into the black top. We moved a bit further along to firm ground and discovered that Graeme is travelling alone while his wife is in England. He asked if he could tag along and he stayed behind us until our paths diverged at lunch time the following day.

From the information center at Windorah and from talking to passing motorists on the two way radio, we learned that the Birdsville Developmental Road was a mess and would not be suitable for us to drive on for several days, so we turned north, spending the night in the caravan park at the Jundah Hotel, and then on to Winton. Graeme left us at Longreach.

Farmed camels near Winton

Farmed camels near Winton

The drive from Winton to Boulia is along the first part of the Min Min Byway. Boulia has built a tourist industry on the phenomenon of the Min Min Lights, unexplained lights that some people claim to have seen at night as they have travelled the road. But since most people travel the road by day, reported sightings are rare.

Our rig beside the long road

Our rig beside the long road just west of Winton

To travel this road at night would be a grave mistake as it is one of the prettiest outback drives in Australia. The first part is fairly ordinary with open grass country on the higher ground and scrubby trees in the gullies, but after crossing the extensive flood plains of the Diamantina River, the road plunges into a series of mountain ranges of the “jump up” or mesa variety.

One of the many channels of the Diamintina

One of the many channels of the Diamintina

These are the hills that are capped with mini precipices of red sandstone from which the slopes covered with rough green grass or stunted vegetation, descend to tree clad lower slopes and gullies. The

A typical jump up or mesa

A typical jump up or mesa

sandstone caps weather into some interesting shapes such as the one that stands above the Castle Hill Rest Area. At the western end of the series of ranges a picnic shelter has been built on hill top that provides panoramic views along the valley through which the road passes.

The isolated Middleton Hotel

The isolated Middleton Hotel

There are other things of interest along the way.  About half way stands the Middleton Hotel, not so named because it is half way but after an explorer who passed the spot many years before this rather elderly building was built. It is a favorite lunch stop. Perhaps that explains the Min Min Lights.

Brolgas by the road

Brolgas by the road

Not far out of Boulia we stopped at a rest stop that marks the site of the long demolished Hamilton Hotel. There we received a tip to look out for brolgas at a creek beside the road. There were dozens of them in clear view. As I walked towards them for a picture they moved away, many of them performing the sort of flying dance for which they are noted.

The start of the Donohue Highway

The start of the Donohue Highway

After a night in Boulia we took on the Donohue Highway that runs west to the Northern Territory border and there becomes the Plenty Highway. These highways are our first long run on dirt roads.

Wheel tracks from recent rain

Wheel tracks from recent rain

Combined they extend a about 750 km across the southern end of the Barkley Tableland. We knew that the road had been affected by the rain and were warned to watch for wheel tracks. The road was quite badly damaged on the west bound side but surprisingly good on the east bound side. So we pretended to be driving in the USA, returning to the correct side for approaching traffic, when we reached crests or when the consensus tracks changed sides.

A waterhole in the Georgia River

A waterhole in the Georgia River

The main feature of this drive through far western Queensland is crossing the Georgia River. When the wet season, often augmented by a cyclone, dumps large quantities of rain south of the Gulf of Carpentaria a large proportion of the water flows down both the Georgia and Diamantina Rivers. In a wet year the flood waters reach, not directly but by various means, the vast expanse of salt pans that is Lake Eyre. The flood plains associated with these rivers are vast. It is probably not possible to visualise the sight of them in full flood without actually having seen them.

The Qld/NT border

The Qld/NT border

Our destination for the day was Tobermorey Station. It is located 250 km west of Boulia and just 4 km past the Queensland /NT border. We parked the van on grass in a camping area that we almost had to ourselves. We wound our watches back by 30 minutes and I prepared myself for a restful couple of hours, but I was wrong!

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the video. It covers this post and the next one too.

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=czHbkrloHVc