Birdsville or Bust: getting there

After a very late night followed by a very early morning, we finally finished packing, and loaded everything (at least twice) with much supervision and assistance from neighbours Gary and  Hugh and set off at 5 pm, into Sydney peak-hour traffic and towing an overladen trailer behind an equally overladen Landcruiser 4WD. It would take us three days to drive to Birdsville, and we'd planned to get to Mudgee that afternoon, but due to our late start decided to stop at Blackheath, in the Blue Mountains, which would give us a clear run out of the city traffic in the morning.

The next day was pretty straightforward, albeit very long. We left Blackheath at 6.30 am and arrived at Cunamulla, 118 km over the Queensland border, at 7.30 that evening, so 13 hours of solid driving.  We went via Lithgow, Mudgee, Gilgandra, stopped for lunch at Mendooran, an interesting little town (see pic), Warren, Nyngan and Bourke, and crossed the border at Barringun, a tiny little one-pub town. Not a great deal to look at, although they make sure you don't miss it when there is (see pic) -- just the horizon getting flatter and redder all the time. We slowed right down to 70 kph once the sun went down, keeping out a close eye for animals on the side of the road. Just over the border we hit something small and flying -- there were a lot of birds that I think were quails, we managed to miss the rest of them. At one stage we thought the gas barbecue cylinder in the back was leaking, there was a very strong smell -- wound down the windows to get some fresh air and discovered it was worse. The very helpful owner at the Country Way Motel, where we stayed, told us the smell comes from the Gidgee trees in the area! Dinner that night at the local pub was a very tasty country-sized (ie BIG) t-bone after which we retired to our motel room. There was a party going on around a bonfire over the back fence, we heard on the news the next morning that a local child had been hospitalised after being badly burned in a fire -- I can guess where that happened.

Mendooran.


It's a Point of Interest!

Next day (Friday 2) was a much easier drive, only 550 km to Windorah. Stopped for lunch in Quilpie and did a little shopping at the last supermarket before Birdsville (650 kms away). Arrived at the Western Star Hotel in Windorah at about 3 pm, a lovely green oasis (ie, it has green lawn and lots of bouganvillea) on a flat red plain. As soon as we booked in, we pulled out our laptops and headed to the beer garden, where we checked our email courtesy of the wireless broadband whilst downing a welcome cold XXXX (Queenslanders can't spell beer). We stayed here last year on our reconn trip and enjoyed it a great deal, the owners Mark and Barb are very friendly, as were the locals Brian and Caveman. A very social evening with a couple more locals who dropped in. Tomorrow the last and possibly the hardest leg to Birdsville -- dirt roads and sand dune country.


Council worker watering the street plants in Quilpie.





Two views of Windorah — one with added water, one without.

Last day on the road — so far, so good, but today we hit the dirt, and Evan is a bit concerned about our overloaded vehicle and trailer. After about 110 kms of sealed road, we slow down to about 80 kph for the gravel, which is actually in quite good condition (it not having rained for more than three months). We stop for our morning coffee at Deon's Lookout, a high bluff with a great view about halfway to Birdsville. It's very windy -- we had to boil the billy on the ground behind the car to stop the stove blowing out -- but at least there weren't many flies, unlike last year. Fortified, we push on through Betoota (population used to be 1, but unfortunately he died) until finally we see the water storage tanks of Birdsville in the distance, and we cruise through town past the famous Birdsville Hotel, round the oval, past the Bakery and arrive at our new home for the next year. We discover the car has a broken rear window, but otherwise we have arrived safe and sound.


View from Deon's Lookout


Wait for it .....


.... another Point of Interest!


Stay to the left on sand hill crests — you never know what's coming from the other direction.


Betoota — now a ghost town — although this pub is the entire town.


Almost there!


We found out too late that you're supposed to cover your back window with cardboard if you're towing a trailer.


Our new home. Ours is the unit on this end, one of three. Note the completely unencumbered garden (yes, that patch of red dirt).