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May 2015
02 May 2015
This month started off with 24 hours of rain and as the ground underneath us resembled a swimming pool the more and more the Oakey Creek which sits about 150m away below us began to swell. By morning we heard that there had been 120mm of rain fall over the period and the sound of rushing water when we awoke confirmed that it was passing our door.
The view out the back of our camp as the bridge and road becomes inundated.
Taking a walk down the paddock and along the creek we watched as the creek rose quite quickly, leaving an island of land where we had been walking and which would have cut us off if we had stayed too long.
The creek is rising and the tree in the left foreground is the very same one I took the sunset from at the bottom of the April 2015 page.
This bloke had made it to the tree in the nick of time.
But as the day has worn on the sun had begun to shine and the 2015 Woolshed Motorbike Classic has begun with many riders coming in and setting up camp on the soggy ground.
So with all of this rain and soggy ground it will be more than a few days before we are back at work on the Sorghum harvest.
11 May 2015
Turns out the rain caused more than a few delays with the harvest and with very few farmers back in the paddock the work has slowed to a crawl so the prospect of a couple more weeks with not much happening didn't do much for us and so we have pulled up stumps and are leaving the remaining Sorghum to the local workers.
After packing up we drove into Toowoomba to get AJ serviced before we head back out onto the open road and some more touring.
15 May 2015
With AJ serviced and a new starter motor installed (the old one failed while AJ was due to be driven off the hoist at the mechanics) we left Toowoomba after spending two days in the Burke and Wills Hotel while AJ was in hospital.
We headed North West and spent two days and nights with our friend Lea on her tranquil bush block not far out of Durong. Lea has built her house by hand and not being on the grid runs the place totally on solar with a huge array of solar panels, a bank of 16 batteries and a nice big 6000w inverter (and a 5000w back up), all big enough to run a large fridge, microwave, tv's, computer, lights and anything else that she needs. We cooked on the fire both outside and in and had a great time chatting and catching up on things over a number of beer's.
Leaving Lea to enjoy her 40 acres and tranquil surroundings we made our way to Chinchilla where we found a busy town in the throes of a typical Friday. Taking the road out to the weir we found the camping area and everyone camping around the one and only power pole and not much room anywhere else, so we left and took up a spot at the showgrounds to dry the washing, catch up on a few things and to have a look at where we are headed.
17 May 2015
Leaving Chinchilla we were glad to be heading back out into the country and after taking the short 3km detour from the highway, stopped at Judd's Lagoon for morning tea. The camping area at the Lagoon is pretty nice and it was very tempting to stay, especially as where we were parked we had a good view of the water, but we chose to drive on instead.
After a short stop in Roma we drove out of town again and stopped at the Bungeworarai Creek Rest area, which while nothing flash, was nice and flat and only had one other camper there.
And after a peaceful night we left the creek and headed off towards Morven where we knew of a nice camp at the recreation area. The drive there was through open cropping where Sorghum had recently been harvested before the open land gave way to trees and bush. Passing through a couple of small towns just managing to hang on we eventually arrived at Morven. Pulling in we found a collection of about a dozen other campers and where we managed to snag one of the last sites where you can plug into power and water. With toilets, showers and a dump point and a small charge of $5 per night it's a good deal.
18 May 2015
Leaving Morven after a warm night we were headed to Charleville and on arrival were surprised at the size of it. We thought that this hub would be bigger than it was. Despite it's size however it had most things you (we) could want and after filling our tank at $1.27.9c/l (Diesel was actually cheaper than Unleaded for once) and a couple of Jerry Cans we headed off down the Diamantina Development Road towards Quilpie.
Having only gone about 20km's when we passed the sign which said "Ward River Fishing" a reference to a free camp on the river, but continued on along the new road that is raised to keep the flood waters at bay. Arriving at the top end of the old highway and the sign telling us the fishing spot was there we decided to go and have a look anyway. Driving along the old highway and through the floodways it was easy to see why they made new road.
We arrived at the Ward River and were surprised with the amount of water in it, but it was the scenery and the trees that really got our attention. Camping is on both sides of the bridge and as much as we wanted to be on the right hand side, the steep bank and grey channel country dirt cancelled that out. Taking the left hand track we found ourselves stopping near two caravans already set up, and that is where we stayed, figuring that if it rained we would just have to stay there until it dried out.
The view from our campsite
A walk along the riverbank on both sides of the bridge was a good reconnaissance trip for photographs, and we were not disappointed.
The view down the river on the other side of the bridge
Sunlight stars under the tree as the afternoon wore on.
Later on we spent some time chatting with Vic and Lyn who were camped behind us and then after our meal we sat and chatted with them again around a great campfire before it was time for bed.
19 May 2015
Waking to another warm morning (15 deg C) Joanne took a walk along the river again before we enjoyed breakfast, packed up, said farewell and headed back out onto the Development Road again heading for Lake Houdraman at Quilpie.
Joanne captured this shot upstream from our campsite.
Plenty of Emu's around as we made our way along the road, a few campers coming in the opposite direction and the odd outback station and grid kept us amused as we drove but other than that it was a typical Development Road drive, the bitumen just wide enough for two vehicles to pass, red dirt and typical Australian bush.
Turning off just before Quilpie we took the gravel road out towards the Lake before turning off and covering about a kilometre or so of Grey Channel Country dirt to our destination. The level of the lake is quite low now thanks to the lack of rain so compared to the last time we were here you need to walk an extra 20-30m to get your feet wet. Selecting a spot nearer to the exit this time we settled in with about eight other campers as the clouds began to build up and darken. S
20 May 2015
Awake early because of the pitter patter of a few rain drops on the roof we enjoyed a spectacular sunrise before heading into Quilpie to empty the toilet, top up the water tanks, enjoy a long hot shower in the travellers rest and then breakfast. Then it was back out onto the open road heading West towards Eromanga.
The sky was on fire this morning and it was to be the best it was going to be all day.
The narrow bitumen road was reasonable to drive on and the hard gravel good to pull over on to let the trucks stay on the bitumen. The scenery was pretty empty with the red dirt and small shrubby trees and acacia bush that grow sparsely out here being the only things to see. The road kill was fairly prolific and a sign of the dryness and the often bare open patches made it easy to spot the grey top and white underbelly of the kangaroo's.
The closer we got to Eromanga the more we saw of the oil fields out here, the nodding donkeys standing still and waiting to pump more out of the ground. And then after about 100km's from Quilpie we came to the small town of Eromanga where there is a few houses, a motel/caravan park, pub, police station and a small oil refinery. iOR Fuel is fuel for the outback and can often be found on the outskirts of town, and it seems it is produced from Eromanga. We stopped at the bowsers next to where the tankers were filling up and filled up ourselves. Unleaded fuel $1.42.9 and Diesel $1.41.9 before driving down the road and stopping at the park for lunch.
Fuel tank and bellies filled we drove more of the single lane bitumen as it crossed floodways and grids which mark the entry or departure to a cattle or sheep station and it was along here that the dark skies above began to open up, the rain collecting on the road and where the kangaroo's were sitting to drink. And so after climbing a small range and 270 km's since Quilpie we arrived in the rain at the corner to the Bulloo and Cooper Development Roads where there is a large gravel area, long drop toilet near a table under a shelter.
From this intersection you can go to Noccundra and Thargomindah, or to Innamincka and so with the rain falling steadily we decided to call it a day and set up camp. A chat with a road crew returning from Innamincka gave us some information on the road ahead, especially the road towards Innamincka where we want to head towards to visit the Burke and Wills Dig Tree. It seems that the road to the South Australia/Queensland Border is sealed but there is a 14km dirt road to the Dig Tree or another 50km onto Innamincka. So we are hoping that the rain will stop and we will be able to get there in a day or two. If not, it will have to be another time and we will head towards Thargomindah and Cunnamulla thereby completing the loop we have been trying to do for a couple of years.
21 May 2015
The rain was still coming down when we went to bed last night but we awoke to the promise of a better day. Deciding to go down the road towards the Dig Tree despite the possibility that we will not get there we figured that the worst that would happen is that we would arrive there and have to either camp overnight at the turnoff or head back to last nights camp.
The sun was out and the scenery quite pleasant on the eye as we rode along the top of a ridge and then down onto the plain below that is the Strezlecki Desert and Channel Country. Flat open land with brown grass no higher than a few inches with a small range in the background as we made our way along the narrow bitumen road with a soggy rock and red dirt shoulder which remained even though we then started to climb and descend long rolling hills with high crests and no visibility over them. It was here that we were glad the gas and oil field vehicles have red visibility flags atop long poles on their bulbar.
The small range.
We were passing over the top of more reserves of gas and oil evidenced by the well heads, nodding donkeys and storage and refinery plants that we were passing. Arriving at the numerous channels that make up the Cooper Creek overflow we were surprised to find that it is 11km wide before we arrived at the main watercourse that is 'The Cooper Creek ".
More and more open flat land before the road turned to wet sand which caused some concern until we realised that it was hard packed underneath and had the occasional rocky patch. After 14km's of this at 30km/h or less we were back on the bitumen and flying along again, passing oil fields and even managed to stop and capture a good picture of one of the numerous Wedge Tailed Eagles that were just sitting by the road.
This young bloke was quite willing to pose for us.
Arriving at the turnoff to The Dig Tree we passed the entrance to Nappa Merrie Station (owned by Sir Sidney Kidman and Co) on which the Dig Tree sits, and tentatively started along the sand/gravel/rock road. Wanting to reduce the chance of any damage to AJ or the tyres we reduced our speed to around 30km/h or slower depending on the intensity of the corrugations and/or the roughness of the small dry creek crossings. And so after 14km's of slow travel we passed a small dirt airstrip and turned into the Burke and Wills Dig Tree Reserve, very happy that we had taken the chance to continue on despite our initial misgivings and the road crew telling us we would not make it. Stopping to pay the $11 per vehicle (or aircraft) fee we decided to find a camp first and then come back and read all the information later on.
With only two other campers in it was easy to grab a nice spot next to the river, and just 50m away from the Dig Tree itself we set up camp and went off exploring, first around the tree itself, then up to the information hut and then along and through the dry parts of the creek itself.
The Burke and Wills Dig Tree as it sits on the bank of the Bullah Bullah Waterhole in the Cooper Creek.
Taking our time to read the story at the entrance we then spent some time wandering around in the footsteps of Burke and Wills; imagined the life of those left behind living here for 17 weeks to await Burke and Wills return; the disappointment Burke and Wills must have felt having made it back here almost dead to then find that they missed help and almost certain survival by 9 hours.
Reading the brochure that the Bulloo Shire has (click here) it seems that the tragic end that befell Burke and Wills could have been avoided if even one of the following three events had happened:
1. For Burke, Wills and King to have followed Brahe's party South (because they came back) instead of heading for Mt Hopeless,
2. If Burke, Wills or Grey had altered the dates on the Dig Tree after arriving back (or leaving another), and or
3. If Brahe's party when they had returned to check Burke if had made it back after they had left had actually dug their cache up to see if it had been used. If they had done this they would have found the note Burke and Wills had left informing of their intention to head for a pastoral lease at Mt Hopeless.
But such are the consequences of decisions made. History would be different and Burke would have been able to claim his 2,000 pound reward and marry the woman of his dreams.
If you look closely you can see the letters B and underneath it the letters XV in a small opening about 12 inches high which were part of the original blaze.
The Tree had a number of blazed markings on it with the dates that the parties were here but the tree healing itself over the others means that there is only one that is just visible now. Between the tree and the water are four posts that denote the compound Burke used and just a few metres away is another tree which has a carving of Burke's face and the letters OH left out of ROHB (Robert O'Hara Burke). This carving was done in 1894 by a traveling artist John Dick and his wife to commemorate the ill fated Burke.
Burkes face in the tree just a few metres away from the Dig Tree.
Quite a few visitors and other campers came in as the day progressed and then as the sun set the temperature dropped courtesy of the cool wind that was blowing. Later in the evening it was time to see if the Milky Way was out and to dust the cobwebs off of the astro photography skills.
The Milky Way wasn't that strong but it was nice to capture a few shooting stars.
22 May 2015
Waking to a cool morning we sat and enjoyed breakfast and coffee looking over the water as the sun rose before we packed up and made the slow 14km's back out to the bitumen. Turning towards Innamincka we drove until we reached the Burke and Wills Bridge over Cooper Creek before turning back and heading towards Noccundra. It was tempting to take the remaining 50km's to Innamincka to see the town and to visit where Burke died, was buried and then exhumed from but after hearing about the road conditions we decided that that would be another adventure, another time.
Passing back through the countryside we had traveled yesterday we easily negotiated the sand trap roadwork's and made our way back to the corner where we had camped the night before. A few kilometres later we turned South towards Noccundra where after 20 km's we found what was the town, now just an airstrip, pub and free camp at the waterhole opposite, truly the pub without a town.
The Pub (c1882)
After setting up camp it was a short 5 minute stroll to the pub for a cold beer and a chat with the publican's wife, who has lots of stories to tell. She was able to recite the history of the town, who the publicans were, how the town met it's end and who (Kerry Packer for one) has owned the pub after the law required a person to be the licensee rather than an entity such as the nearby Nockatunga Station. She was also able to inform about the road to Broken Hill from here and whilst she said it was a good road, and it was tempting to take it, we decided that that would also be another adventure at another time (or we can wait for them to lay some bitumen).
23 May 2015
A few other campers came in to the waterhole camp and a peaceful night was had by all. Waking to a brilliant sunrise we debated over staying another day but what would we do where there is a pub and no town?
A beautiful sunrise over the waterhole in the Wilson River that according to the publican's wife has never run dry - in white mans history.
So after packing up and inspecting the gold coin donation (to the RFDS) showers we left town and headed off towards Thargomindah. Passing over the Grey Range again, this time with some actual climbing, and passing the red rocked ramparts that stand along the top of the hills we commented on how much it was like the road from Paraburdoo to the Nanutarra Roadhouse in WA.
We eventually pulled into Thargomindah. and the first stop was the CMCA provided dump point and then right next to that we used the vehicle washdown area to relieve AJ of quite a bit of dirt and grime, and of course seeds that may have gotten underneath (well that's what it is mean't to be for). Wash over we drove into town and found the roadhouse out of Diesel! OMG, now what to do? Well we drove around having a look and found that the local Toyota dealership has fuel bowsers that worked so we topped up. What a town the size (230 people) of Thargomindah. is doing with a Toyota Dealer we just don't know, but it has one.
After getting some fuel it was time for a visit to the information centre before morning tea outside of the old hospital (made of mud bricks), a quick check of the emails etc and then we were headed for Eulo where we knew of a spot to camp on the Paroo River. Roadkill was fairly abundant and it was not just the Eagles and Crows that were enjoying a meal, we spotted feral cats and believe it or not a pig! The pig grabbing the carcass and dragging it off the road to make sure it got it and we didn't.
Arriving at our intended camp we found the spot we wanted empty and so quickly grabbed it and took up residence. It was just as well we were early because over the course of the afternoon and even just on sunset others were coming in.
Our campsite.
Joanne found this beaut spot downstream from our camp.
This tree on it's own island is right opposite our campsite.
24 May 2015
Last night was beautiful and quiet and as the glow and warmth of the sun disappeared and was replaced by the glow of small camp fires among the camp sites. This morning the sun rose in a good spot to charge our batteries and we enjoyed a BBQ breakfast sitting in the sun listening to Macca on the radio and the birds in the trees before setting up the satellite dish ready for Landline at lunchtime.
Deciding to take the day off we spent it relaxing by the creek and watching the other caravans, camper trailers and motorhome's pass by.
25 May 2015
Leaving our camp and about a kilometre later we were stopped at the Eulo Airport where they have installed a dump point and water tap at the wooden building that serves as a terminal and 60 odd km's later we were in Cunnamulla where we topped up with fuel and then drove over to the truck parking and rest area that we have camped in before for a shower and then out of town we went.
Heading down the Mitchell Highway we stopped at Barrinngun where there are three houses, a pub and a roadhouse. What a place! The roadhouse doesn't have fuel and the publican is 91 years old and closes at 5pm. Lunch was nice hot chip butties and then we we off into NSW, passing many goats, pigs, sheep, emu and kangaroo's along the way before arriving on the outskirts of Bourke.
Passing the turn off to Mays Bend we made a last minute decision to turn around and inspect the campsite listed there in wikicamps. The road in was gravel but the corrugations reduced us to 20km/h for a few kilometres and then the road turned into a red dirt/sand bush track for the next kilometre or so before it turned into grey channel country dirt. This is definitely a dry weather camp.
On arrival at the camp we found seven campers high up on the bank with their artists easels out and a number of others down on the riverbank. We elected to stop up on the top where we could get some sun for the solar panels enjoying a commanding view of the bend in the river and right next to one of the most magnificent tree's we have seen.
Mays Bend in the Darling River.
The afternoon was taken up with photography, a walk along the river and talking to some of the artists who had come from all over the place to paint this area.
Parked strategically away from possible falling branches our campsite next to this magnificent tree.
The temperature was so good we sat outside enjoying the view, ate our evening meal outside and watched as the artists lit their fire and sat around it talking all things artisty.
26 May 2015
Grey overcast skies greeted us this morning and we only caught a fleeting glimpse of the sun as it rose. We seriously contemplated another day here but with the prospect of grey skies and rain it was a case of "next time" as the thought of negotiating that track when wet was just not an option. The artists were up early to paint in the early light and were then getting down to breakfast as we left.
Sunrise next to the tree.
We didn't stop in Burke except to check out the campsite next to the old bridge where there were a large number of caravans and motorhome's in from last night. and which would certainly would have done for us if we had not found Mays Bend.
Leaving Bourke the long and somewhat boring drive down to Cobar began and apart from some goats and roadwork's it was very uneventful and nothing to write home about. Stopping for fuel and then an early lunch in Cobar we were about headed out of town and at the last minute decided to check out the Newey RV Reserve that was showing on WikiCamps at the old town reservoir. Negotiating the residential street we eventually came up onto the bank where we found four other campers parked the pepper tree lined bank to what is basically a large dam, and that was as far as we got for today after deciding that we had had enough driving and would show our support for this new venture.
Our Camp in Cobar.
More and more campers came in as the day wore on and by the time the sun had set there were thirteen of us in for the night with little room left for anyone else and a walk along the row was good for chatting to the neighbours, two of which were Jenny and Peter from the Dudley Park (Mandurah) Bowling club on what they described as their maiden voyage around the country.
27 May 2015
Waking to a beautiful sunrise after a wonderfully quiet night we packed up and headed off as the weather began to close in as we headed out of town. Passing along through another uneventful landscape in driving rain we made our way to Wilcannia where on arrival we took a drive around the part of town that we had not seen before heading out again, this time towards Broken Hill.
The most we saw of the sun for almost all of the day.
With the rain behind us we stopped for lunch at the Dolo Hill Rest Area and almost called it a day there. The rest area, while enjoying nice views over the countryside and with a toilet and table and seats was a small area and even getting out the back next to the fence would have meant being close to the road and anyone that came in to use the toilet so we drove on.
14 kilometres later we came to the Springs Hill Rest Area where we found a nice bitumen area, undercover table, BBQ, toilet, children's playground and only one camper in. We selected a good gravel spot out the back behind the undercover playground and settled in to take some photographs and chat with a couple from Maryborough.
The view across the road from the rest area.
28 May 2015
The road was fairly quiet last night and a quiet night was enjoyed by all six of us that ended up spending the night there. Heading off before most of the others we were headed for Broken Hill and other than the trucks heading the other way Emu's in the open grasslands and birds of prey sitting on fence posts there was not much to see as we made our way along.
We stopped in Broken Hill to fuel up, visit the visitor information centre, locate the dump point and do some shopping before heading out towards Menindee where, having seen some great photos of the area we were keen to visit.
Leaving Broken Hill we were driving along a road that weaved its way along following the lay of the land and looking at times like a road in a cartoon. We were then onto the plains where we passed through not much other than salt bush and 90 kilometres later we turned off to a place on the map called Sunset Strip. To say the place was a surprise was quite an understatement as it turned out to be a small housing area where the road made its way between two rows of houses which sit on the side of Lake Pamamaroo. The houses are a mix of permanent and holiday homes of which some would not meet building code and others look pretty good. The lake however, is in need of some serious work, as you can see below.
Lake Menindee totally dry.
Leaving Sunrise Strip we headed off towards Menindee itself, along the way crossing the man made channel that feeds water from Lake Pamamaroo to Copi Hollow and into Lake Menindee and onto the other lakes below that. All of this water of course comes from the Darling River.
Turning off the main road yet again we took a beautiful flat, slightly corrugated sand road to the Darling River itself and the Main Weir on the Darling and where Burke and Wills had established a camp before taking their Dig Tree party off North and leaving their Third in Charge to look after the Menindee Camp.
Arriving at the River we found a nice bush camping area next to the Burke and Wills camp with a few campers in, but with the town itself to see and the prospect of bad weather arriving and an engine that was making a horrible noise when idling we made our way off the dirt and back onto the bitumen, stopping to look over the lake as we went.
The receding shoreline in Lake Pamamaroo
Arriving in Menindee we found an interesting town that was slightly bigger than we expected. Passing through town and over the Darling River again we found the town caravan park which looked like the caravans had arrived in 1950 and only the people had left in 1951 with nothing changing since, but at $16 a night for a powered site it was a bargain! Not.
Heading back into town we took some more roads to see what else was there before stopping for a chat with the small mechanical repair shop in town. The mechanic was not sure what the issue was but figured that it had something to do with the timing belt. A check of the front belt found nothing and further exploration including the rear timing belt was not able to be done as the mechanic was heading off on holidays for a week. Three choices - stay nearby until he gets back from hlidays; drive to Broken Hill (110 km's); or get a tow truck. With wet weather and wind expected we chose to head out to the Copi Hollow caravan park to take up a spot right on the water for the night to think about it.
31 May 2015
Well it seems that this month is going to end in a different manner than that we had planned. After our night the caravan park we managed to take the bottom of the dashboard out, remove the firewall plate and then the timing belt cover to expose a timing belt system and a belt that was loose(ish) but not able to be tightened. Putting most of it back together again we decided to chance our luck and drive. Two kilometres out of the caravan park we lost power and in a huge cloud of white and grey smoke out of the exhaust pipe the engine stopped and we rolled to the side of the road - seems we will be switching to option B.
A call to our roadside assist with Winnebago's RV Help found us on the back of a very large tilt tray being driven into Broken Hill by Kelvin. Kelvin has been in Broken Hill all of his life and for the whole 100 odd km's he hardly drew breath as he told everything about the place, and then some.
Kelvin took us to the Broken Hill Truck Centre where the kind and helpful staff have had a quick look at the problem, set us up under cover, put us on power, put a battery charger on the battery to keep it charged (not that we needed it but...) and showing us where the toilet and showers are as well as giving us the keys to a spare car and the front gates so we can look around the place and go shopping etc. Can't complain about the service.
Our campsite in Broken Hill
We will be here for a few more days until the problem can be fixed so its a good job the TV works well.
Mark Twain once said "...years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do that by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - and so we will.
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