Cape Otway
We have had a wander west from Apollo Bay to Cape Otway. The Cape is famous for the location of Australia’s oldest standing lighthouse, built in 1848. It marks the entrance to Bass Strait. Across the water about 90 km (not sure but it’s a close estimate) is King Island. A light house was built there on Cape Wickham some 12 years or so later, marking the southern point of entrance to Bass Strait. So ships had to stay south of Cape Otway and north of Cape Wickham. Many times they didn’t and continued to run aground on the coastlines in this region. We have well and truly left the Surf Coast and our journey continues along the Ship Wreck Coast.
Cape Otway Lighthouse
Lighthouse Keeper’s House
View from atop the Lighthouse.
The tree lined winding road took us through the National Park and then some grazing land before reaching the lighthouse. On the way we passed numerous manna gum trees that have died back due to attack by the dreaded Koala. Apparently, around 2015-17 Koala numbers expanded considerably and ate out the foliage. There were more than 4000 Koalas in the region, 14 times the sustainable population. Many died of starvation, wildlife officers moved Koalas to other places and contraceptive devices were even fitted to females to control the population. 100,000 trees have also been planted to help vegetate the area. Major problem it seems, whether or not it is solved remains to be seen I suppose. Wonder what would have happened if nature was left to its course here?
Trees lined the road.
Dead manna trees, the Koala attack!
The rich green pastures are a continual contrast with those we recently saw in western Queensland.
We continue to be blessed with reasonable weather, a bit cloudy but the sun comes out at the right moments to highlight the scenery along the shoreline and in the forests. On the way back from Cape Otway we stopped at Maits Rest for a walk through the old rainforest, great tall beech trees and tree ferns abound along this short walk.
Tall trees
The creek and track at Maits Rest was lined with majestic tree ferns.
Going to have a little quiet time tomorrow in the Apollo Bay village to recover from the Cape Otway excursion and associated walks, maybe test out the fish ‘n chips at the wharf!
On the way to Apollo Bay
We are now in Apollo Bay after coming west from Lorne and stopping in at Kennett River. Why stop at Kennett River? To see the Koalas of course as well as a few birds. One also see tourists, particularly a lot from the near north. They love Koalas. Kafe Koala at Kennett River could do well to set up a ‘Big Koala’ beside the road to help trade.
Along the road to Apollo Bay.
At Kennett River too!
More quiet time please!
There is a gravel road and a strip of trees near the Kafe that are the happy hunting ground for Koalas and of course those who want to see koalas in the ‘wild’. Apart from seeing some on Stradbroke Island in Moreton Bay we have not seen them in the wild. So it was an experience to see them high in the trees here at Kennett River.
Sleepy time
At Kennett River
Some exercise.
The road west to Apollo Bay follows the same formula, some pretty spectacular coast line. The sea continues to be quite calm and the weather fine. It would be good to see this in wild weather, quite a contrast I’m sure.
Marengo Caravan Park
We have booked into the Marengo Caravan Park about 3 km west of Apollo Bay, the Park overlooks the beach and has some great views of the surf. ‘Marengo’ is a ‘left over’ from the French naming places along Australia’s southern coastline (and Tasmania). Marengo was an Italian town where Napoleon defeated Austrian forces in June 1800 and drove them out of Italy. The French explorer Nicolas Baudin, who explored the Australian southern coastline at the same time as Flinders, appears to have named the area ‘Marengo’, after the famous battle.
We are here for 3 nights, Cape Otway being our major interest in these parts. Apart from fish ‘n chips at the local Fisherman’s Co-op.
Walking around Lorne
It was a nice sunny day as Allthego took off on a 4 km walk from the Lorne Pier out of town beside the GOR before starting a trek uphill beside the road, along an old tram line pathway. The tram line had been built before the days of the GOR and was used to transport logs from the Otways down to the pier at Lorne to be loaded onto boats. It was a wooden rail tram way, horses pulled the bogies up the line and the men held on going downhill with heavy application of the brakes. It must have been a physically demanding job, let alone the building of the tram line in the first place.
Tram way bogie on wooden rails
The track following the old tram way route down to St George River.
The track uphill
The walk took me up over the hill and then down to the St George River, the logging operations brought the logs down the river valley to be loaded onto the tramway near the little river’s mouth. The tram way was eventually superseded by the GOR and much of it was dismantled and obliterated by the construction of the road. It was a good walk down to the river with great views of the road winding along the coastline. The walk continued up the river valley before turning up hill and leading to Teddy’s Lookout on top of the hill looking back down the GOR again. Pretty steep and had Allthego stopping frequently to catch breath.
Toll ticket for use of the GOR.
The GOR, looking back about half way up to Teddy’ Lookout.
St George River valley
Homealone arrived in the truck and we headed back to town for lunch. The Salty Dog had been recommended to us as an excellent Fish ‘n Chips place, in Lorne it seems ‘Fish & Chippery’ is more the go style wise. It was not bad, but not the best we have enjoyed. Seemed a bit heavy, then maybe that was because of the quantity.
Salty Dog
Salty Dog mural
Those fish ‘n chips, a couple of prawns, calamari and scallops too.
During the afternoon we had a little wander around the town, particularly down at the mouth of the Erskine River with the restored Swing bridge across the mouth. Allthego tried for some fish in the river, but not even a bite from a tiddler.
The swing bridge on the Erskine River.
Last night we took in the movies at the old Lorne Picture Theatre, the new release of A Star is Born with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. A bit more upbeat and louder than the one we remember with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, also different songs. General theme still the same. Interesting in the old theatre, everyone sat in the dress circle looking down into the empty stalls below then across a stage floor to the big screen on the far front wall. Totally different experience to today’s mini cinemas with surround sound.
We head off now for the Apollo Bay township about 50 km further west along the road.
Lorne
The GOR starts officially a few km west of Anglesea when you go under the Memorial Arch, which we dutifully did and had the event recorded for posterity. I will leave it to my dear readers to work out how this was achieved. Maybe Allthego has acquired a drone, who knows or can guess?
Here we go under the Memorial Arch on the way to Lorne. Tricky photo!
Lorne has been likened to ‘a little Melbourne’. The waterfront street is lined with eating establishments, numerous fashion outlets and the usual collection of seaside things. Much of ‘old Lorne’ built after the GOR was constructed has gone. It used to be a seaside getaway for the well to do. Still is. The buildings are just more 1980/90s than 1920/30s. There is one remaining old guest house on the way into town with the 2 surf life saver ladies welcoming arrivals.
Old Guest Houses and the surf life saving girls.
One of the old buildings that remain, The Grand Hotel on the headland.
The Lorne Pier
We have settled into the campground that runs alongside the Erskine River just on the outskirts of town and nicely positioned opposite a big Foodworks Supermarket. Luckily we can’t see it, just the pleasant little river and its entourage of ducks. It’s a short walk up into the town and it’s attractions.
Erskine River camp site
The ladies crew for the Lorne Surf boat were in action.
Our first day here was a little overcast so we headed up into the Otway Ranges to see the Erskine waterfall, a 30m effort over the cliff to the rock pool below. With all the recent rain there was a good cascade of water coming down. Allthego headed off down to the bottom of the falls to see how many steps there were. Coming back up he counted 233. Homealone had stayed at the top and did not accompany him on this effort.
Erskine Falls
Cumberland River
She was saving herself for the next short walk at the Cumberland River, a few km west of Lorne just off the GOR. This little walk of 3 km return was to a place called Jeb’s Pool, which sounded rather nice. It was a flat track beside the river, which quickly narrowed to a creek, through a high walled gorge. Quite a torrent would come down here in a flood. The way to Jeb’s Pool though seemed to require us to cross over the creek on some stepping stones and rocks. Once a upon a time this would have been easy work for us two, but it now required careful consideration. Allthego had not brought his hiking stick, so balance was an issue in making the crossing. Homealone quickly declined the crossing, Althego said he would have a go and took the initiative. A short video follows of the crossing. The video ends abruptly when Homealone dashed to assist Allthego’s return to the bank.
We returned back to the campground a bit bone weary with the promise of a fine sunny day to come.
Last days at Anglesea
We have had some busy days here in Anglesea and a little further west at Airey’s Inlet. Anglesea is an interesting little town that was heavily impacted by the Ash Wednesday fires back in 1983. There is a fair bit of peat bog behind the town and this caught fire and being difficult to put out burnt for some time afterwards. To deal with the smouldering bog the area was flooded and remains so today. It has been turned into parklands with bridges criss crossing the flooded bog. The bog has apparently had another effect in killing off the fish population of the estuary due to sulphur escaping from the peat creating acidic contamination. The mouth of the estuary has been closed for some time, so it is a closed system. Result, no fish despite the brochures etc claiming it’s a haven for fishermen. This caused Allthego to put his lines away for another time and head for Aireys Inlet.
High tide near our campsite, early morning sea mist rolled in.
Flooded peat bogs, after the Ash Wednesday Fires in 1983.
These fellas didn’t catch anything.
Aireys Inlet is the location of the Split Point Lighthouse built in 1891 and still operating today. Allthego walked along a well walked cliff top track from Sunnymeade beach for 3.5 km to the lighthouse, some great views of the coastline and the lighthouse. There were a few wildflowers out in the lighthouse area and some interesting ornamentals in nearby resident’s gardens.
Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet.
Not sure what this is, maybe a hibiscus?
Anyone’s guess here?
The other attraction at Aireys is the Rogue Wave Brewing Company. This is housed in the old Aireys Hotel on the GOR. We had lunch here on the way back to Anglesea. Homealone enjoyed a smoked beef satay. Allthego a double beef and bacon burger washed down with a paddle of the craft beers. Both of us left very satisfied and requiring only a cup of soup and some cheese for dinner later that night.
The line up at the Brewery
Tasting paddle at Rogue Wave Brewing. Allthego preferred second from left, a citrus style lager. Far right is a double IPA at 8.2% a strong drop.
Homealone indulged in a smoked beef satay.
After 4 nights in Anglesea we headed off the next day to Lorne, a bit less than 30 km further west.
Bells Beach and chocolate
Between Torquay and Anglesea is Bells Beach, one of Australia’s iconic and world class surfing locations. The big touristy thing to do is to go to Bells Beach and stand around in the car parks and on the elevated platforms overlooking the beach taking pictures, or staring out to see looking at the board riders and appearing to know something about surfing.
This is on the Bells Beach break.
Another one at Winkipop.
Catching a wave on the ‘Winkipop’ break at Bells.
You only venture in the water here if you know what you are doing or think you do! We went a couple of times to check the place out. Both days were sunny but the sea was very flat with only a small swell, lots of people in the water though trying to catch a wave. There were some stand-up paddle boarders in action too. The water depth drops off steeply from the beach and it is interesting to see the waves run up the beach and then surge back down, quite a rip effect at the edge. Not for beginners here!
Bells Beach
A more sedate place is inland from Bells, the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie is a must visit place. Even if you don’t buy any chocolates just wandering around in the place makes your mouth water. An enormous range of chocolates beckons in a beautiful garden setting beside the GOR.
Chocolate kangaroos
A selection of truffles, we couldn’t resist taking away.
Some of the treats
There is also some great ice cream. Allthego had a small tub of vanilla and honeycomb and Homealone her favourite rum n raisins. Some delicate cakes and treats were also on offer but were resisted strongly. We could though not resist a selection of truffles and a ‘couple’ of chocolate bars in fancy GOR packaging to take with us on the road ahead. I suspect most of these will be gone well before we get back home. They will go well with some Baileys port! This is the sought of place one could go back to!
Torquay
We have headed back to Torquay to check out the action in the surf capital. The weather was kind to us and we got in some good stop offs at Point Addis and Bells Beach to see the rugged coastline. The surf was relatively flat with seemingly long waits between wave sets for the board riders. Some of the boys and girls on the boards appear to be veterans of the coast, maybe just nomads in vans reliving the good old days.
From Pt Addis
Back Beach at Torquay
Another shot from Pt Addis.
Torquay is a fairly commercial place exploiting its surfing history to the fullest. We had a wander around ‘Surf City Plaza’ full of surf wear shops and various hangers on to the industry. The huge Rip Curl shop was a standout, full of all sorts of gear for the enthusiast and wannabes.
Surf City Plaza Torquay.
The Rip Curl store in Torquay.
The ‘Mystery Machine’ parked at Pt Danger in Torquay.
Enjoyed some fish ‘n chips and calamari for lunch at Growlers overlooking the beach. After lunch we spent some time in the Australian National Surfing Museum. It is full of stories and surfing memorabilia going back to the early 1900s, surf boards, wet suits, VW Combis etc. Also some great video of surfers riding the ‘killer waves’ off Hawaii and other parts of the world. Plenty of interactive stuff to amuse those of all ages. Later we managed to talk a chap into taking a couple of pictures of us surfing off of Bells Beach, close inspection will show Allthego wearing thongs to ensure a firm grip on the board.
Homealone checking out the Sundial at Fisherman’s Beach Torquay.
Homealone about to be dumped, but no thongs!
Allthego coming through the tube in good style.
Got back to the camp ground for a late afternoon tea and a reminisce about the waves we missed getting on to at Bells.
Backroad to Anglesea
We left Geelong on a rather windy and overcast morning for Anglesea, our first stop on the Great Ocean Road. Anglesea is a few kilometres to the west of Torquay. We took a ‘back road’ north-west of Geelong through Bannockburn and then more or less south to Inverleigh and Winchelsea before heading to the coast.
Inverleigh Hotel
Some sheep on green pastures, total contrast with sheep out in western Queensland on our Birdsville trip.
Bannockburn Railway Station, now a restaurant, the trains just zip by!
It was a rolling countryside with green pastures, plenty of sheep and grain crops. A few vineyards too. Many of the old buildings in these towns are constructed from bluestone and have a bit of old English character about them. We had lunch in Inverleigh at the Bakehouse. A trap to avoid in travelling around country towns is to go lunching on Mondays or Tuesdays, most places seem to close on these days. But the Bakehouse was ok, not sure my father had corn kernels in his pasties though!
A pastie with a spinach and feta ‘sausage’ roll at the bakehouse in Inverleigh.
Old Winchelsea town hall
This odd little building at Winchelsea is now the Information Centre for the town.
We got to Anglesea eventually, going via Torquay just for a quick look. We are going to come back to Torquay on another day. Have settled into the campground at Anglesea, on a big site with the beach on one side and the river on the other.
Arrived at Geelong
We have arrived at Geelong and have stayed the night at a van park beside the Barwon River a few kilometres out of the city. It is near to the start of the road to Torquay and the ‘Surf Coast’. After we left Coolamon we stopped in at Glenrowan, Ned Kelly country.
Oxley Recreation Reserve
Lunch at Baileys, only allowed a glass and a half, as we were on the road. But took the remnants with us of course!
We arrived just in time to enjoy a pizza and a glass of red for lunch at Baileys Vineyard and Winery, this is one of Allthego’s favourites. They make a simply great old vintage port, not to missed on a trip south. Overnighted here in a Oxley, a small township near Glenrowan, in their Recreation Reserve. We were the only ones staying there apart from some cattle, of which there was evidence. Very quiet and peaceful.
Henty Man, along the ‘backroad’. Originally carved out in the 1930s by an itinerant worker from a burnt out tree and ‘restored’ in 1986. Commemorates the wandering workers of the depression years.
Took a ‘back road’ from Seymour down through Lancefield and Bacchus Marsh to the outskirts of Geelong. These roads passed through parts of the Macedon Ranges, lovely rolling countryside strewn with big granite boulders and outcrops. We were not far from the ‘Hanging Rock’ of Picnic at Hanging Rock fame.
The weather has turned a little grim for the start of the trip, a fair bit of rain overnight and windy as we set off for Anglesea, via the hinterland food trail.
Coolamon
We have made it to Coolamon, which is a little north-west of Wagga in southern NSW. After leaving Coonabarabran we overnighted in the Goobang NP. This park is located about 25 km off the Newell Hwy along a gravel road. The road is quite good and we arrived at the camp ground with no dramas except a bit of dust getting stuck to the van after some light rain was encountered along the way. Nothing like the Birdsville dust! There seems to have been a modest amount of rain in these parts with the pastures showing tinges of green and some water accumulating in the dams. Goobang was a good stopover.
A few days old birdy in the John Oxley Caravan Park.
Goobang campground
Tall trees provided a very shady camp area, unfortunately a fire ban was in place despite recent rain. Bush was very dry though with a lot of leaf litter and dead wood lying around. |Some wallabies with young joeys entertained us in the afternoon. Early the next morning we packed up and headed back to the main road to continue south through Parkes, Forbes and Gilgandra to Coolamon.
Overlooking the Western Plains atop Goobang storms had just past by.
Mother and Joey
In Coolamon the six of us are staying in the Kindra Apartments, a renovated old Masonic Lodge. The main room has a great big screen on one wall for movie viewing and we have already been thoroughly entertained by a re run of the Man from Snowy River. Opinions were also being freely expressed at this time on a range of topical and controversial issues facing the nation. Allthego had some fairly sound and thoughtful opinions but these were countered by those of far looser substance. Allthego did concede though that everyone was entitled to an opinion and could freely express same. No hard cheese.
Kindra Apartments.
A great old cart, eight horses pulled this when laden, in the Coolamon museum.
The highlight of the stay so far has been the Italian Dinner at the Cheese Factory. This was a sold out affair, with I guess something like 70-80 people enjoying the ambience of the location. Prior to dinner we had 5 O’clock nibbles, including some pleasant cheeses from the factory, and a few reds so the group was in a jovial mood as it headed off at 7 pm on the short walk to the dinner location. As it turned out this was to be what Maree has called ‘a degustation dinner with a difference’. Our two courses were served over a period of close to 3 hours in about 5 separate instalments, 3 of the main meals had been ‘forgotten’. The kitchen it seems was a little stretched. Coolamon is a town of 2000 or so people who take great pride in its street scape and community. Some interesting museums and shops line the wide main street. The Cheese Factory seems to be quite busy with customers coming and going. A great recent addition to the town’s attractions. Back at Kindra the gang has entertained themselves around the dinner table with games of 500 and Bananagram, played in a non confrontational way. Winners were always grinners and losers just took it on the chin and did what they pleased.
The gang at 500, an extremely focussed group.
We are off to dinner tonight at one of the local hotels, it will hopefully be tasty traditional pub fare served up with the usual efficiency of such places.
The others leave tomorrow morning to journey home and we will continue south to Glenrowan and a short visit to Baileys for some port.
Destination is The Great Ocean Road
Well, we are on the road again heading down the Newell Highway and are currently at Coonabarabran. After a short stop off over the coming weekend in the small town of Coolamon, near Wagga in NSW, for the 2018 Hayes reunion (Leanne and siblings plus significant others) we will be heading for Geelong and the start of the road trip along the Victorian coastline. We stopped overnight at Inglewood about 250 km west of Brisbane along the Cunningham Hwy. This was a good free camping spot beside the local creek, lots of green grass for a change after our recent trip out to Birdsville.
Inglewood free camp
Some horses at Inglewood
This morning we left early, lost an hour at the NSW border due to day light saving but we are assured to get it back when we return home in a few weeks. The trouble with this daylight saving thing is that we will never know what we missed, if anything. On the way to Coonabarabran the rain came down, it seemed to be rather patchy some areas getting it and others missing out. The region will need more, it is very dry. The wheat crop is in and seems to be progressing ok. As we settled into the camp ground at Coonabarabran the storm clouds were again gathering, they didn’t come to much.
We think it’s wheat?
John Oxley Caravan Park at Coonabarabran
We are off tomorrow heading for Goobang NP midway between Dubbo and Parkes, near Peak Hill
Nearly Home
The road out of Diamantina NP to Boulia was not much different to the one we came in on, a bit shorter and bit bumpier as we crossed numerous little channels along the way. Came across an interesting little place ‘Elizabeth Springs’, this was a short walk off the road to some naturally occurring artesian water seeps, there are about 16 of these seeps, of varying sizes. They were originally found by white settlers in the 1890s and it has been estimated that at the time the water flow from the springs would have been of the order of 4.5m litres a day. The area became a major centre for stock watering. By the 1950s, however, the water flow had degraded to about 68,000 litres a day, and a number of the springs had dried up. Since being made a Conservation Park the area is slowly recovering.
Is this gate for real, when we came in the horses were on the other side!
Elizabeth Springs
A cattle station a long way from nowhere.
Moving along we made it to Boulia, had lunch, filled up with petrol and headed for Winton for an overnight stop. The trip into and out of the Park had required us to carry an extra 40 litres of fuel in jerry cans, we also had another 20 litres up our sleeve just in case, otherwise we might still be there! Allthego was a bit tired when we eventually arrived in Winton and booked into the Tatts Hotel van park, pretty basic place, but you get a discount at the hotel come dinner time. A rather good steak and chicken parmie were had by the weary travellers. Down at Birdsville we had been entertained one evening by the ‘Crack Up Sisters’, a couple of young ladies from Winton who specialise in the skills of whip cracking. We were blessed to see their house in Winton, not to be missed!
Steak and Chicken Parmie
Spirit of the Outback leaving Barcaldine Station on its way to Longreach.
‘Crack up Sisters’ house in Winton, where they live when not on the road.
We have had a night in Blackall and will today be heading to Roma for the night and then home the next day to Brisbane.
So until next time somewhere in the great outdoors …………..
Diamantina National Park
Diamantina National Park is one of the most remote NP in Queensland. It lies midway between Longreach and Bedourie, as the crow flies. There are roads into the Park from the towns surrounding it: Bedourie, Boulia, Winton and Windorah, all involving drives of 150-300 km along gravel roads. These are pretty good roads in the scheme of things, at least at the time we are doing the trip. They criss cross gibber plains and Mitchell grass grazing lands. It is a very dry environment at the moment. We chose to take the 193 km trek from Bedourie, leaving town at around 11am and arriving at the Park a bit after 3 pm.
On our way to the Park
This is it!
We set up camp at Hunter’s Gorge beside the Mundewerra Lagoon. Mundewerra means ‘dreaming place’, the indigenous people believed Yamma Coona the mother of the Dream Time came here in her travels through the land. It is a bit dusty here, particularly when the wind is blowing across the bare earth camping ground behind us, fortunately the wind changed direction on our second day, blowing across the lagoon and it was a bit cooler too. Those pesky little fly things also put in an appearance and our fly nets proved invaluable!
At rest beside Mundewerra
Sunset over Hunter’s Gorge campsite
Mundewerra lagoon
On our first two nights we had some fellow campers either side of us along the banks of the lagoon. We were alone on the third night. No phone, no internet! Very quiet, but the night sky was brilliant. The Milky Way, a white smudge through the sparkling stars. The lagoon is deep at about 8 metres, in flood time though the waters rise up and cover the camp ground. The drop loo had water marks on the walls about a metre above the floor from the most recent wet season. The loo was also the home of some Fairy Martin mud bird nests in its roof. These little birds scamper around on the ground amongst the grass and flit off when approached. We originally thought the mud nests belonged to some sort of wasp and so had been a little cautious around the loo and some other shelters where we had seem the same ornate structures.
Fairy Martin’s nests in loo
Fairy Martin
Allthego tried his hand again at some yabbies, the effort yielded a couple of small fresh water shrimps. Down the bottom end of the lagoon a couple were fishing in the shallower water and had caught some fish using these shrimp as bait. Allthego had carefully forgotten his fishing gear, but not next time.
Catching the elusive yabbi
Only two shrimps today in the cage!
The lagoon area is a haven for bird life. Pelicans cruised up and down its reaches, ducks ventured forth, some brolgas relaxed in the shade of over hanging trees, galahs were everywhere stripping trees of leaves and small branches, kites and eagles soared above and the fairy Martins scratched around in the dirt.
Pelican beach
Galah
We went for a short drive for about 10 km across the drainage channels of the Diamantina River ‘to the other side’ to see the ranger station and its displays. The NP used to be a cattle station and was acquired by the Queensland Gov’t in the 1990s (I think?) for a National Park. The grasslands and water courses are slowly recovering from their grazing past, although a stock route continues to run through the Park. On the other side we were able to rise up onto the plateau area at Janet’s Leap. From here one looks down into the ‘Diamantina Gates’. This ‘narrow’ gorge is about 1 km wide and our camping ground is on the other side, separated by the river and the channels we crossed to get here. In flood time water comes down across the Diamantina flood plain ( which can be many km across ) from the north and funnels its way through the ‘Gates’ and once passing spreads out again on the flood plain to the south. Apparently, a spectacular sight.
Diamantina Channels
Diamantina Gates from Janet’s Leap
All good things must come to an end and on our third morning we headed off to the north on the 155 km gravel trek to Boulia and then 360 km on sealed road to Winton.
Bedourie Bound
We are now at Bedourie having travelled the 180 or so kilometres north of Birdsville. Bedourie is the administration centre for the local Diamantina Shire, which occupies much of the south-west corner of Queensland and the flood plains of the Diamantina and Georgiana River systems. Eyre Creek flows south past Bedourie and ultimately into Lake Eyre. So the road up to Bedourie passes across many flood drainage channels, clay pans and grass lands. The road is called the Bilby Way, after the critically endangered native rabbit like animal. We didn’t see any.
Waddi Trees
Carcoory Homestead
Explorers old and more recent have left their footprints here along the Bilby Way for all to see
Part way up we passed by a big stand of the rare Waddi Trees. Very slow growing trees dating back to the last ice age, extremely hard wood that resists burning. Some of the trees are thought to be up to a thousand years old. Also passed the ruins of the old Sydney Kidman owned Carcoory homestead. Abandoned in the early 1900s after a period of severe drought. The nearby bore flows and feeds a pond for the local cattle, water very hot.
Carcoory bore, almost boiling as it comes out of the bore pipes into this channel to the pond
The pond, the water is still warm
Pond away in distance
Further along we cross Eyre Creek at the Cuttaburra Crossing where a herd of cattle were watering. This is a popular bird watching area and a few vans had taken up residence. Some pelicans were in residence upstream.
The bridge over Eyre Creek at Cuttaburra Crossing
Cattle, good supply of water but not much grass
Pelicans at Cuttaburra Crossing
Arrived in Bedourie and managed to get the last powered van site in the Caravan Park, we were well located just next door to the artesian spar and swimming pool complex.
In camp
Royal Hotel at Bedourie
After a good nights sleep it was to be day of action on the golf course for Allthego and a dip in the artesian hot water ‘infinity pool’. The golf was a little challenging as there was much loose sand, thankfully a couple of the fairways were quite hard dried sand and a good run on the ball could be had for the low and frequently hitting Allthego. Allthego’s card for the 9 hole course was a modest 60, 27 over for the 33 par course. One shouldn’t bother with handicaps! A couple of bad scoring holes otherwise spoilt a reasonable effort among the sand dunes.
Teeing off up the first hole at the Bedourie Golf Club
A nice put to finish with a 6 on this par 4 hole, it did go in!
Crossing the bridge on the first fairway
After this it was off for the dip in the spar and swimming pool to sooth away the aches! Homealone enjoyed the time by herself at the van beavering away on some craft.
Water hazards along the first two fairways, the neat little par 3 ‘green’ across the top is in mid ground.
Aquatic Centre covered pool, kept around 28 dg C.
Heating up in the 42 dg C artesian infinity pool, the water spills out behind Allthego into a creek.
We are now setting off after two nights here in Bedourie for a couple of days in Diamantina National Park.
Last days in Birdsville
Saturday night after the races we partied a bit down at the hotel and enjoyed the night scenes around the various stalls that were still open. The boxing tent was in full swing and there was much revelry. We even had a star politician in town for the festivities. One Pauline Hanson, she is pretty popular out here. Allthego couldn’t resist a photo-op.
Allthego with the Crack Up Sisters, these gals could really crack a stock whip. Not to be messed with.
Allthego with Pauline Hanson someone else who is also not to be messed with! Why oh Why?
The night in town after the races
Our time in Birdsville has come to a close. We did our Sunday morning shift on the pancakes, followed up by some stock taking, packing away and lunch. There was some time on Sunday afternoon for looking around Birdsville! We have been here a week and haven’t seen the cemetery yet. Now Allthego doesn’t mind looking through an old cemetery. A lot can be learnt in a cemetery about the towns past. Birdsville’s cemetery sits between a couple of sand dunes on the outskirts of town on the way to the caravan toilet dump point and the town dump. Allthego suspects it was there before either of these two modern conveniences. The graves certainly indicate this. Life was tough out here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There is a strong indigenous presence among the headstones, including a ‘rainmaker’. An early Inland Mission Padre died in 1929 and is buried here. He was 29 and it is thought died of a heart attack while having a swim in the river. The bare earth and sun light flickering in the scattered trees among the sand dunes was haunting. It would have been a lonely place a hundred years ago.
Part of the cemetery atop the sand dune
Joe the rainmaker, born it seems around 1860
Aboriginal grave stone
Back down by the Diamantina River at Pelican Point we saw flocks of birds on the Birdsville Billabong. Our grand daughter, Alyssa was wondering why Birdsville was called Birdsville. Well, we think we can confirm it is because there are lots of birds here! Or is it because a shop was built here by two blokes, Percy Bird and George Field. Hence Birdsfield, which later, because of a mailing error, became Birdsville! Who knows! Two young Corellas were hiding high in a tree above us as we gazed across the Billabong.
Birdsville Billabong
Our Corella friends
Campers on the town common
Down by the river the horses are stabled for the great race and it is also here where it is thought Burke & Wills might have camped on their way north back in the 1860s. There is a tree labelled the “Burke & Wills Tree” with a blaze cut into it with some barely legible markings. Better thinking suggests this is an imposter tree, the work of a later day pleasure seeker! But everybody comes here and takes a photo! Remnants of the 5 or 6 thousand campers are still to found in this area. Many will continue north in coming days for the races at Bedourie.
The Burke & Wills Tree
Race horses by the river
Diamantina River from the bridge
One of the old buildings remaining in Birdsville is the Court House. Signage indicates it is now only brought into action once a year. The Monday after the Birdsville races! No doubt to deal with matters arising from the rather strong police presence in town during the great race . Much breath analysing going on. There has also been a little unruly behaviour on the town common amongst the campers, some lads got excited and threw some gas bottles on a fire creating some big bangs in the early hours of the morning. Apart from this, things have been calm in town with not much angst being displayed.
The old Courthouse
Some camels heading off towards Bedourie, where we are going next!
The Town bore, water over flows from here at 98 dg C and after cooling flows into the Billabong
After our drive around town and catching the last of the ‘sites’ to be seen we headed back to base for dinner and a good nights sleep before heading for Bedourie the following morning.
Allthegobro 