This Adventurous Age

March 14, 2018
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2002 Travels May 29

WEDNESDAY 29 MAY WINDORAH TO HUNTERS GORGE 346kms

We had the alarm set this morning, for 6am, as it could be a big day. We were setting out into somewhat remote country.

We were out of Windorah at 7.30am – after paying our camp fees for the previous night.

There was some light cloud about in an otherwise blue sky – it was quite a pleasant day for travel.

Took the Diamantina Development Road west from Windorah. This was single width and sealed, and John had to concentrate hard driving on the narrow strip of tar. Still, we made reasonable time to the end of the tar, some 130kms from Windorah, by Morney Station.

On the way, we passed the old JC Hotel ruins, some 80kms west of Windorah, and about 20kms further on, the turnoff to Birdsville. There were occasional stark jump ups to vary the otherwise flatness of the country.

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Mesa formations seen from the Windorah-Bedourie road

Once we left the bitumen strip behind, John had to concentrate even harder. Today would not be an easy one for the driver. At least, there was very little other traffic.

Further on from Morney, we came to the multiple channels of Farrars Creek. Around this area, there were some occasional low red dunes appeared. The creek channels were mostly just distinguishable by lines of low trees intersecting the road, but occasionally there was a Floodway sign. The country had steadily become more arid and stony too.

We had no trouble finding the Palparara turn off – it was signposted to Diamantina National Park, too.

This was definitely a station track. It ran roughly parallel to the braided channels of Farrars Creek, as far as the Palparara homestead – about 56kms from where we turned off. There were frequent patches of bulldust – the fine, powdery dust in holes of varying depth in the road. We decided there must be a lot of truck traffic, moving stock off the property, due to the drought.

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The track through Palparara

We stopped at 10am, for morning coffee, near an abandoned bore.

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Derelict old windmill on Palparara Station

Near the Palparara homestead, our way veered off to the NW, to Davenport Downs homestead, about 100kms distant, and near the Diamantina River. This section of the track was better – probably there was less stock truck traffic? But there were still some hefty bulldust sections. Despite being very cautious, sometimes it was hard to see these, or gauge their depth, so occasionally we ploughed through one instead of crawling carefully around it, and raised a great cloud of fine dust all around and over us. I was concerned about how much of this might be finding its way into the van – I had opened the pressure hatch on the roof this morning, but reckoned this stuff must be penetrating everywhere, regardless.

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What happens when one drives through bulldust – note the dust on the dashboard

Mixed in with the dusty country, there were extensive gibber plains. On one of these gibber sections, I spotted a small group of birds on the ground and we stopped to check them out. Light brown, with some yellow, they were identified as the Gibberbird – a type of chat. We hadn’t seen these before, so were quite pleased with ourselves. It gets harder all the time to find birds we have never spotted before.

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Dry country on Davenport Downs

We stopped for lunch by a dry creek channel, a bit south of Davenport Downs homestead. Around this time, had begun to notice quite strange, low hills on the horizon – a low range with quite wide gaps in it. We speculated whether any of these gaps were the so-called Diamantina Gates, where that river’s many channels constrict to flow through two gaps, before spreading out again.

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Unusual hills in the distance

The track turned north just before Davenport Downs was reached. The entrance gate to the National Park was only a few kms north. We reached that about 2pm – the going had not been fast.

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As I was opening the gate, a 4WD came up behind us. This was the only vehicle we’d encountered since turning off the Development Road. The 4WD driver was amazed to see us there with a caravan, and wanted to know how we’d managed to tow it, on that track. He reckoned he’d nearly gotten bogged in the bulldust, as few times. Maybe we’d taken a lot more care than he had, but it really hadn’t seemed all that bad, to us. We certainly were going slower than him.

Continued north, running parallel to the Diamantina, until we came to the National Park headquarters. This was quite a substantial set of buildings, which we thought must have been the station homestead and associated outbuildings, when this was Diamantina Lakes Station, once briefly owned by Kidman. It would have been a bleak and lonely place, surrounded by the flat barrenness of the flood plains.

There was a huge solar panel array on one building.

The two men from the 4WD were there too, booking in. It cost us $7.70 a night, and we paid for four. They said they were going to the Gumhole Camp, as it was more sheltered. We opted for the Hunters Gorge Camp area, because it was right by the Diamantina River. I might add that when we got to Hunters Gorge, and felt the wind, we realized why shelter was significant!

The track to Hunters Gorge – and beyond that, to the Boulia road – crossed the Diamantina channels in cemented dips – interesting! They would be covered very deeply in floods! Just beyond the channels we turned right on the track to Hunters Gorge. Then we crossed a small but deep, dry creek channel.

On the track in to Hunters Gorge

When we got to the camp area, which was just basically anywhere one could access along the river bank, we were the only people there. It was a bit dusty and had been well “stick-picked”. We found a fairly flat spot for the van, with a premium view over the big Mundaweira Waterhole – the deepest one in the park – to a reddish coloured bluff beyond.

The waterhole was great – clay coloured water, pelicans drifting about on it. From the outset, we thought it a magic place and well worth the effort to get here.

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Mundaweira Waterhole at our Hunters Gorge camp

There was a long drop toilet not too far away – but not too close! It was somewhat smelly, but better than none.

There was not as much dust in the van as I’d feared, given what we had been ploughing through. A quick wipe of all the surfaces, a floor sweep, and all was well.

A screw holding one end of the griller burner had vibrated loose and the burner was resting on a bread baking tin that I’d stored in the compartment. Good thing it was there because the burner had not been able to drop far, so it was all easily fixed by screwing it up again.

We pottered about, setting up camp and just looking at the waterhole and the birds.

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Looking along the waterhole towards one of the Diamantina Gates

John’s left arm and shoulder were sore from the driving – it had been a hard day for him. requiring total concentration and lots of gear and clutch work.

Tea was tinned mussell soup, then garlic and parsley pasta with a tomato sauce – I had some squishy tomatoes to use up.

After tea, we sat out by the fixed fireplace/BBQ that was by our site. We watched stars in a brilliant night sky. The moon rose about 8.30pm. John had set up his camera on the tripod and took photos – including a moon “staircase” on the waterhole (these did not come out!).

There were lots of fish splashing. We’d earlier seen a Pacific heron, on the opposite bank, catch and eat a big fish. It took him ages to mouth-maul it to the exact position he wanted, before swallowing it, head first.

The cruising pelicans made great phosphorescent streaks where they sailed across the moonlight path on the water.

It was a chilly night, though. So quiet – no people type noises at all.

Unfortunately, there were several feral cats about. They approached our camp soon after we set up and were around for the rest of the night. One even climbed into a gum tree, in the dark, about two metres from where I was sitting.

We were both very tired and did not stay up late.

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March 14, 2018
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2002 Travels May 28

TUESDAY 28 MAY WINDORAH

It was a fine day and not really hot.

After a leisurely start to the day – a rather early one, due to the fee collecting caretaker – we set off to do the Nature Drive.

The 12 km of the Nature Drive was on a dirt track, but was well signed. But given that most of it was over the Cooper floodplains and channel areas, definitely a drive for when it is dry!

There were a couple of historic aspects highlighted, like the old telephone line and site of the original road over Cooper Creek, but mostly it featured the varied plant communities and their key species. The latter were signed and named.

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We found it really interesting. It was a great example of a little town making a feature out of what it had around – in this case, basically bush!

Dead Finish – so named because it is the last thing starving stock will eat

The drive ended up at Cooper Creek, downstream from the road bridge.

Good camp sites are up along the Creek banks

The Thompson River, which passes near Longreach, joins with the Barcoo River which comes from the NE, just to the north of Windorah. Both of these rivers have formed multiple channels before they reach each other, so after the junction there is a real tangle of intertwining creeks. This system is one of those that is responsible for the floods that sometimes inundate the Channel Country. The shallow channels fill up, the waters spread out and flood widely. If the flow is big enough, the waters will flow into Lake Eyre, eventually.

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Cooper Creek was quite low level, in the prevailing drought

The periodic inundation can be a major inconvenience to settlers and travellers, but the great benefit is wonderful pasture growth after floods – the Channel Country has long been known as great cattle fattening country in the right seasons.

One of the postcards I bought featured Windorah surrounded by floodwaters.

There were quite a number of campsites evident along both sides of the creek, and both up and downstream of the bridge. There were quite a number of campers in same. If we come this way again, I think we’d find it very pleasant to camp out here.

The Creek was quite low, but there were pelicans on it and other bird life around. We saw a big Brahminy kite there.

It would be interesting to come out here not long after a big flood, when the creek was almost full – though I guess a lot of the camp sites would then be under water!

Back to town for a late lunch.

Then went for a walk. I took the book – duly read – back to the library and retrieved my $20. Posted the cards. Called in at the store.

Back at camp. John drove off to fill with diesel. We’d heard that there was a rally coming through, in the late afternoon, and wanted to be sure to get fuel ahead of them. In the event it did not seem to be a large group. Only a few of them arrived in the caravan park, though it was possible there were lots of others staying out at the Creek.

John reported back that the man at the servo was blind – but managed perfectly well! The fuel was $1.00 a litre. He filled the remaining two empty jerry cans – the ones that live on the back of the van. That effectively gave us 60 litres extra fuel – almost an extra tankful.

Dinner was a chicken stir fry with hokkien noodles.

It was a clear and cool night – very pleasant.

March 14, 2018
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2002 Travels May 27

MONDAY 27 MAY EROMANGA TO WINDORAH 230kms

It was another fine day.

No one was moving off early, including us. We chatted for a bit with the off road van guy; they eventually headed off in the direction of Innamincka, to the west.

The two old biddies from the camper trailer hung about like a bad small. It appeared they were watching us closely in case we saw something, or found out something they might miss. We were waiting for the lady owner to appear, in the hope that she might show us the opal. John also wanted to approach her about work in the area. next year – there is more than one way to get on to opal bearing properties, he thinks!

I went into the roadhouse cafe to buy an Eromanga sticker to display on the Truck side window. I rarely buy stickers, but this had been a memorable “different” place. The two biddies were there in the cafe, drinking coffee and writing postcards. Given what we’d seen and heard from them, to date, it must have hurt them to fork out for the coffee!

A bit later, we were all at our respective camps, and John went to walk into the cafe. They raced out and followed him. He changed his mind at the door and came back – and so did they! In the end, John was steaming. I thought it was quite funny.

Then, while they were tucked away in the toilets, we met the lady owner coming across the yard, and talked to her. She took us in the back door to see the water burning demonstration. The two biddies came rushing in the front door! When she turned on the cold water tap, a mix of gas and water came out. It just barely caught and flickered when she held a lighter near it. She said that, some days, it is all gas, and can be fully lit. I wondered what use that water would be in the event of being needed for fire fighting? There was no mention of the opal, though.

We left our contact details with this lady, in case of future work being available, and departed. We stopped at the hotel – had been waiting for opening time – and put our $10 in the Flying Doctor tin, as we’d said we would.

We’d asked about the condition of an unsealed road that was marked on my Road Atlas as cutting through from Eromanga to the Windorah road, and had been told we should be fine to take it.

So we drove the Kyabra road. The 95kms of dirt was fine, and saved us a 150kms backtrack route.

After about 45kms we came to Kyabra Creek. Its permanent water holes were very attractive, so we stopped there for lunch and a wander around. There was a large flock of galahs occupying a red gum tree that leaned over the water hole.

Galah tree

The two ladies we had not liked at the Eromanga camp had been intending to come camp out here. I very uncharitably hoped they would be surrounded by things that went bump in the night!

Kyabra Creek water hole

The track crossed Kyabra Creek at a dry point between waterholes. Crossed a few more creek channels between Kyabra Creek and the Windorah road. But none of these had water in or presented any challenge – hardly had to slow down.

Reached the “main” road right by Thylungra Station. This is also by a waterhole of Kyabra Creek, which runs SE for a distance, and then turns to the NW – we had crossed it on that leg – before flowing into the Cooper Creek near Windorah. It is clearly a creek that has some beautiful waterholes along its length. Thylungra was another of the historic Durack places.

The single strip of bitumen road that links Quilpie and Windorah demanded concentration. It was narrow and in places the shoulders were rough. There were occasional cattle grids to be cautious about, and the regular slight dips of floodways. The country was the usual Channel country grass and scattered trees, with areas of bare earth between grass patches – sometimes paler, sometimes more red. In a couple of places there were low red sandy rises – echoes of the desert country further along.

Because of this being the Channel Country, there were always lines of trees in the distance, marking channels.

Not far before Windorah, the road crossed the Cooper Creek. There were several streams and channels close together, but the actual Cooper Creek main channel was unmistakable, with a big bridge over it. There were obviously camping spots along the banks, that were well used. I was a bit tempted for us to camp there – with its poetic, outback connotations – but I really wanted to be able to shower and wash my hair before we continued on into the wilds, so caravan park it was.

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Bridge over Cooper Creek, near Windorah

Our first stop was the Information Centre in the township. It was in a pleasant new building and was well set up. It was also the Craft Centre and Library. The very helpful lady there let me borrow a novel, on a $20 surety. She told us that the track through Palparara Station would be the best route from this direction, into Diamantina National Park.

We found the little caravan park – obviously fairly newly set up, to attract tourists to stay in the town. There was a very nice, new, small amenities block, and freshly planted shrubbery. We thought it very pleasant and it was only $6 a night. A caretaker came round about 7.30 each morning, to collect the fees. It turned out to be a noisy place though, with truck traffic passing and the town generator in the background, all night.

Our caravan site at Windorah and menity block

While John was pottering about the camp, I walked back to the store and bought some postcards.

At the Information Centre, we’d been given material on a Nature Drive, that looked interesting, so we decided to stay here tomorrow, as well, and do some exploring.

Tea was sausages and coleslaw.

I did some intensive reading of the borrowed novel.

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March 9, 2018
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2002 Travels May 26

SUNDAY 26 MAY QUILPIE TO EROMANGA 100kms

It was a fine day after a chilly night.

We left town, after checking for the Saturday papers at the shop. They had not yet arrived. Oh well, can’t win them all.

It was only about 100kms to Eromanga, the first 35kms on the same road as we’d already driven to go out to Pinkilla the other day. The road was easy enough driving – a reasonably wide single strip of tar and pretty flat country.

On our first pass through the hamlet, I could not see the Eromanga Caravan Park that the literature had indicated was in town. I asked at the hotel which was at the far end of the town and was told that it was behind the cafe/roadhouse. That, we had passed, so we returned there.

Booked in – $10 a night for a powered spot. I would not really call it a site. The fee indicated the overall level of facilities. It was, basically, just parking by a power outlet pole, in the middle of a gravelled area. On the other side of the pole from us was what appeared to be a permanently parked van.

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We were told there would be a BBQ tea provided tonight.

There was another occupant of the small caravan facility – a camper trailer, set up off power. Later, a couple of older ladies returned to it. They had been taken on a tour of the area – free – I gathered.

Very hospitable people here, though Eromanga is not exactly on the beaten tourist track.

Later, another offroad van – not our brand – arrived, and set up on power too.

We had an early lunch, then went for a walk and saw pretty much all of the town – a few houses, the hotel, a school, our roadhouse/cafe/motel, a police station. There was no general store.

There was a small oil cracking refinery across from the cafe and camp area, and it also sold fuel, but it was not cheap – a BP outlet. One would think that the fuel would be cheaper, in these circumstances, with no need to transport it distances.

The refinery product was taken to the pipeline at the Jackson oil field, near Noccundra to the south, by a specially licensed B-double-double truck – i.e. four trailers. I felt glad we were not taking the same route – imagine the sway on the hind-most trailer! The truck left every morning about 8am and returned about 8pm every night. The road had been especially sealed to take this traffic.

We walked out to the cattle grid at the entrance to town, to photograph the sign that says Eromanga is the “furthest town from the sea” in Australia. I found that somewhat hard to credit.

Really?

On our walk, spent some time at a display of old machinery that was set up on a vacant block by the road. John became totally engrossed in this, and even I found it interesting. There was an early oil drilling rig, set up to be pulled and positioned by horse, it appeared, and a collection of different sized flywheels and the like.

Early drilling rig

There was a machine whose appearance from a distance had us mystified until we could read the sign that said it was a machine for turning flat sheets of tin into corrugated iron.

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Corrigated iron shaper

John was most taken by a machine that tumbled and sorted opal. Eromanga is still definitely within the Queensland opal region. I could see John inspecting it and considering whether he could build something similar. Might be a bit hard to carry on the roof rack, though!

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The lady who had booked us in warned us that the local bore water supply was very smelly and oily, and that it had so much gas in it that it could sometimes be lit! So we decided to pass on showers.

We did decide to go to the BBQ tea as a way of meeting some of the locals and maybe finding out more about the area. There were quite a few people there – mostly family, it seemed, and some who worked for the earth-moving branch of the family’s businesses. They had all had a big night, last night, at the post-races party. What a pity that we hadn’t been a day early – we could have gone to a true country horse race meeting.

There was lots of food provided. Salads, sausages, meat patties, chops, steak, hot potatoes. The roadhouse owners also own Kyabra Station, an historic former Durack property, to the north, but have to live in town because of their other businesses, especially the earth moving. They were developing the motel and cabin side of the place here. The motel looked quite nice.

The lady owner told me that she found it hard to get – and keep – staff, out here. She also told me that she had an opal they found out on their property, worth nearly $100,000. She might remember to show it to us tomorrow. I’d certainly love to see it!

They were really nice, friendly, generous people. She would not take any payment for the meal! We told her we would put a donation in the Flying Doctor donation tin at the hotel.

We spent some time talking with the people from the other off road van. He was some sort of professional sportsman – but his knees were shot, now. He had just had solar power put onto his van and was having problems, too. He did not seem to fully understand it all, either. His 240v charger did not seem to be working. He was not at all happy with the attitude of the company that made his van, towards their customers. We found them pleasant people to talk to.

We’d had a great day in a little township where we had not expected much.

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To top it off, there was a full moon rising and the dusk sky had that blue and pink layered effect that seems quite common in the arid outback.

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March 9, 2018
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2002 Travels May 25

SATURDAY 25 MAY QUILPIE

After breakfast, I did our washing.

John topped up the Truck fuel and also refilled the jerry can that we’d used at Duck Creek – 89cpl.

In the afternoon, John went off to bowls. There were only a few men playing, so he had an average sort of afternoon.

I cleaned the van interior and generally tidied up ready for moving.

Quilpie site – not exactly crowded!

Could not have my usual newspaper fix, because the Saturday papers do not arrive in town until late today or sometime tomorrow.

We really had been here in Quilpie for a couple of days longer than it warranted – but that was mostly due to John’s conviction that we’d be doing lots of fossicking – including on Seven Wonders.

I cooked mutton chops for tea, with potato and broccoli. No lamb chops available here!

March 9, 2018
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2002 Travels May 24

FRIDAY 24 MAY QUILPIE

John slept very late – not surprising.

I read and sewed. Then went to the shops and got my photos back. I was quite pleased with the Duck Creek ones.

After John had breakfast, he returned to the computer.

The country around here was originally settled by the well-known Durack pioneering pastoral family – before they moved on to take up land in the Kimberley. Ray Station, to the NW of Quilpie, is an original Durack place.

Later in the day, we drove out the Toompine road for a few kms, then drove on the track out to the jump up called Baldy Top, and then climbed the walk track up to its top, to the lookout. The view was extensive – of mostly flat country, all round. Flat plains, and more flat plains. Lines of trees marked drainage channels. It was a worthwhile little expedition.

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Quilpie country seen from Baldy Top

I cooked fries and battered frozen fish from a packet, for tea.

March 9, 2018
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2002 Travels May 23

THURSDAY 23 MAY QUILPIE

We paid $10 each, and got a mud map to drive ourselves out to the caravan park’s own opal mine – “Deuces Wild” – on the Pinkilla field, to the NW.

Refuelled Truck – 89cpl.

Took a packed lunch and drove out the Windorah road. This took us across more drainage channels – yes, getting into Channel Country. This is so called because it is a huge area of south western Qld (and bits of adjoining states) that is a flat, arid, flood plain, cut by a great number of interlocking drainage channels, which can flood after good rains in their catchments to the north and east.

There were so many of these drainage lines – of varying sizes – that the road sign read
“Road subject to flooding next 30kms”, instead of warning of individual floodways that we crossed.

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One sign fits all

We passed some jump ups, too, so it was an interesting drive.

The turn off we wanted was 62kms out of town. Then we followed minor tracks for some way. We passed a little oil pumping rig, but there was no one around. We wondered if it was still functional? It looked like some pre-historic creature, out in the bush.

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Oil pumping rig by the track to Deuces Wild

Found the mining area with no wrong turns. It looked like there had been open cuts, since filled in. So, fossicking was through the mullock and surface spoil, for anything that may have been missed.

The opal out here occurs in boulders, so one really needed to wash the rock pieces to check them. It was hard work, and neither of us could get very enthusiastic.

There were other mines around. One had a shack on it. Another seemed to have had quite a substantial set up – a big shack, a big aerial and a generator. But there was no sign of any opal mine machinery – or of people, that we could see from a distance. There were some water-filled holes/ cuts, and some big mullock heaps.

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Deuces Wild in the Pinkilla fields

It was hard to tell claim boundaries, so we really did not know where the Deuces Wild claim ended, so we were a bit hesitant about wandering about.

We did find a few chips in runnels on a mullock heap. I decided that the opal mining here, now, was more like that at Opalton – harder for the amateur. We did see some evidence of a pinky coloured sandstone layer, in places, though, but no discernable opal colour, or the boulders.

We did more wandering around than fossicking. Ate our lunch out there – it was pleasant just being out in the bush.

On the drive back, observed some surface blows in places where the surface was the sort of ironstone pebbly cover that meant ground bare of vegetation. There were also sudden outcrops of shincracker rocks. We wondered of this was an opal area where there were more opal occurrences to be found? We wondered about the history of the area. Was it a place of old diggings where the modern machinery came in after and dug cuts where there were lots of old shafts? If so, there could well be more opal to be found – if Stephen Aracic (writer of books about finding opals) is right that many of the modern miners do not know the “signs” in areas that have never been dug.

There had been a few drops of rain as we drove out to the mine area, and through the day there was a build up of grey cloud, but no rain of any note.

Back at Quilpie, we drove out to Lake Houdraman, to the NE of town. I was surprised how big this was. It was a lovely spot, with lots of trees surrounding the lake – would be a great bush camping place. There was lots of bird life to watch – including brolgas, pelicans, grebes, ducks and the like. I would like to go back out there for a longer time – it was late in the day when we got there today – and suggested we bring a picnic lunch out here, tomorrow.

On the way back to town, saw a family of five bustards – or plains turkeys – wandering in the grass and scrub – lovely!

Bustard, aka Plains Turkey, aka Plains Wanderer

We bought some wine casks, to top up the supply. It could be a while before we get the chance again. They were $16 each for mediocre quality ones, but that was all that was available.

John tried to phone the lease holder of the property the Seven Wonders mine claim was on, to the NW of here. Whoever answered the phone said the boss was away on holiday. We had hoped to be able to camp and fossick out there, but the young couple who had set up a camping/mining operation out there, had split up, so the venture had closed. John has long been fascinated by the name and hoped that the lease holder might give us special permission to go out there – but not to be.

Tea was John’s choice – macaroni cheese with added tuna.

John played computer games till the early hours of the morning.

March 9, 2018
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2002 Travels May 22

WEDNESDAY 22 MAY DUCK CREEK TO QUILPIE 135kms

After early breakfast, we finished the packing up.

Mike came over the say goodbye to us, as he was going off to his mine and would be down the hole. This was despite his statement on Monday that he would not be mining this week, due to the dust. I am convinced that he did not want us to have anything to do with whatever he was finding on the mine bottom. Fair enough – he had no way of knowing if he could really trust us, and I suspect he has had the odd unsavoury visitor in past times.

Anyway, he issued an invitation for us to come back next year, and stay as long as we like, so the visit finished on a positive note.

We went for a quick final walk before we left – and “got” a new bird: the tree creeper we had been trying to identify for much of the time here. It finally stopped still long enough to be identified – the White-browed Treecreeper.

We took the short cut route used by the locals heading north, some of which we’d already driven on in our explorations.

As we drove alongside a fence beside this track, we were entertained by an emu that persisted in running alongside Truck, on the other side of the fence. It had any amount of space it could have veered off into, but had this mindset that it had to outrun Truck to get to safety. Eventually, we all came to a fence corner and the dumb bird just about wrecked itself, trying to get through two fences that it did not need to go through, at all! I had to open a gate at the fence junction and collected some of the many feathers the bird left behind – they were so soft and unsubstantial.

Emu hell bent on staying ahead of us

It was an interesting drive today – mainly on dirt roads.

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Dirt roads mean trees coasted in red dust

There was a mix of scenery: the flat country near Duck Creek, jump ups near Toompine; then, clearly, we were in the Bulloo River channel country as we approached Quilpie – lots of trees and better grass. I could imagine the difficulty of moving far around here when a good flood comes down. Could also see why it was good cattle fattening country, after such an event.

Back in the more civilized world of proper signposts

Despite the local drought, there was still water in some of the channels.

We booked into the Channel Country Caravan Park, for $15 a night. The park was quite adequate. It was near the bowls club! There was both grass and shade. Our site had a cement slab.

It did not seem very busy. We guessed that Quilpie was still off main tourist routes. Two big vans came in. They had been heading west towards the Dig Tree area by the SA border, but did a leaf spring on one – a standard on-road van – and had to get repairs in Thargomindah. They were now sticking to sealed roads mainly!

After setting up camp, we walked to the main street and shops.

John checked out the bowls club on the way. He might get a small game on Saturday.

We went to the Information Centre. There was quite a good little museum and history centre attached. The lady in the centre did not know much about opal tours and opal mines in the area, though, but directed us to the office of the Mines Department. There, John bought a fossicking licence – for $23.70, and valid for six months. It was possibly a bit redundant, considering our activities to date……

I checked out the newsagent, which also had a film processing depot. Put my films in there – they would be sent to Brisbane for processing. Should be back on Friday.

I discovered that, in Quilpie, greengroceries are expensive!

Quilpie is the end of the railway line, from Charleville and parts east.

There was much activity related to cattle, going on. We guessed it was mustering time. There was a steady procession of trucks bringing cattle into town, to the railway, so the whole place was rather dusty.

We had washed off the van, a bit, when we arrived. Inside it was rather dusty, but that was mostly from being at Duck Creek, rather than from the road travel.

It was wonderful to have a warm shower and wash my hair properly, despite the rotten-egg-gas smell of the bore water.

The caravan park has two sets of taps, per site – hot and cold! The hot comes straight from the bore; the cold has been settled and does not smell much – they say it is alright to drink.

Tea was the rest of the minestrone soup, and zucchini fritters – the latter were not as bad as John had feared! I liked them.

John phoned his sister and caught up on family news – with such a big family, there is always some!

We watched some TV. I hadn’t missed it.

It was a cold night

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March 9, 2018
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2002 Travels May 21

TUESDAY 21 MAY DUCK CREEK

Over breakfast, we decided to leave here tomorrow. We both feel we’ve had enough time here, for the time being, and it is time to experience somewhere new.

The ABC Radio weather forecast also predicted rain for SW Queensland, tomorrow, so that was another reason to leave while the roads were dry.

This morning, Mike took the new camp visitors over to his workings and they watched him put some dirt through the rumbler. I think the English visitor bought some opal from him. The group packed up and left at lunchtime.

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Track to Mike’s current mine, between old shafts

I made bread in the bread making machine, to test out the solar array. It does all seem to be working well now. The machine worked alright, making a 750gr loaf – from a packet of wholemeal bread mix.

However, cloud came across in the afternoon and prevented the batteries from being fully recharged. But there was still enough power to see the fridge and lights through the night.

A 4WD vehicle called in. He was checking out the route for a Kidney Kar Rally in August. There will be some 80 vehicles go through – that will really raise the dust! I would not want to be here then!

We went for a last walk – to the old cemetery reserve. There was not much there now. Just a couple of piles of stones that mark old graves. The original Cheepie/Toompine road was near there, but without an old sign post I am not sure we’d have picked it as once being a road.

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Cemetery marker

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Old graves

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Once was the road to Cheepie and Toompine

Mike was being really friendly again. We went and bought an opal from him – for $150. He did not have a great deal on offer. We felt we should buy something, though, in return for the campsite and his hospitality. He said there had been poor pickings, in the mullock heaps, lately.

I think we find more enjoyment in “proper” mining, like we did at Leopardwood, rather than in this fossicking about old heaps.

B and wife called in, and another miner, and we all had a pleasant afternoon, chatting.

So, we did not get back to the Gorge, after all.

When the visitors had gone, Mike insisted on teaching me a new card game, that he called Observation. It was quite enjoyable, too – I must teach John.

Whilst I was playing cards, John started the camp pack up. We did as much of that as we could.

Tea was soup, ham steaks and pineapple – very nice.

After tea, John had to go and watch a final film with Mike. I read.

March 6, 2018
by wendyviney Leave a comment

2002 Travels May 20

MONDAY 20 MAY DUCK CREEK

After another chilly night, it was a fine day.

After breakfast, John got organized to go fossicking, as usual. He went out to where Mike was already at work in his shaft. John was soon back, saying Mike was stand-offish and said he’d work on his own today. John could fossick elsewhere on the claim.

John’s feelings were quite hurt, and he felt we should leave tomorrow. However, I thought we should stay longer and not appear to leave just because John could not go through the material from the tumbler any more. I suspected that, now Mike had bottomed the shaft, with help from John’s labour, he thought the dirt going up to the top would contain more opal, didn’t want John seeing what was being unearthed, and certainly did not want to share anything found with him. Thus, labour no longer needed!

So we just pottered about in the morning, reading, sewing.

05-20-2002 a view over the Pasalic claim Duck Creek.jpg

Mike’s bathroom, amongst the trees, with camp area and road beyond

After Mike knocked off work for the morning, I had a brief chat with him – encountered him as I was walking to the toilet. He seemed to be in a better mood. Told me there had been mullock fallen down the shaft again, and the dust from that was affecting him.

Then B called in. We’d heard that there were the remains of some old police barracks, dating from the opal rush days, and asked him where they were. He said he was going that way and would show us. So we followed his old Landrover up past where we’d walked the other day, to where there were some old stumps on the flats. It must have seemed a God-forsaken place back then! There was a hand made, rough, sign, saying that it was an “historic site”. Probably put there by Mike?

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Remains of Police Barracks

We were not far from the open cuts where we’d walked yesterday, so we drove in there again. John went off to do a bit of fossicking, while I went off bird spotting.

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The open cut and intersects with old shafts

After much persistence, I saw a chestnut-breasted quail thrush – an elusive bird, thus much walking around was needed before I could get a clear view of it in the binoculars. Getting a photo was impossible. John abandoned the fossick and came out to join me bird spotting.

While we were both off, thus occupied, away from Truck – fortunately – C’s old Toyota truck drove in and parked near Truck. We thought he was checking up on us, as the handful of regular residents of the fields seem to do with any visitors, but stayed out of his sight. I found out later that he thought our vehicle was B’s, and wanted to ask him something. We were lucky to be out of sight and not get cornered for a massive talk-fest, as C is wont to do!

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Opal mining on the flats at Duck Creek

Went back to the van for a late lunch.

I knew, from the earlier conversation with B, that Mike had said that Bl needed bread. I had no idea why he didn’t take some with him yesterday. I think Bl had brought supplies for Mike with him – maybe he left the bread by accident.

B had said that he wasn’t going out to the Gorge, where Bl went to camp – I got the impression that he did not like or trust Bl. We decided we would go and take the bread out there. It might get us in Mike’s good graces, and would be a chance to see some new scenery that sounded interesting. Mike told us to call in to B’s camp at Sheep Station Creek to get directions, and told us how to find them.

We drove to that diggings area and found B’s place. Like Mike, they were going through old mullock heaps too and B was working down an old shaft. We had a chat and a cuppa with them – they seemed pleased to see us. They talked about their mining and showed us the mullock washing machine that B had designed and made. It was much better than the dry rumbling that Mike does, because more opal material shows up when wet.

B escorted us to the Gorge turnoff. It was only a few kms out. We followed wheel tracks and found Bl’s camp. There was a big open cut and a derelict caravan near it. That had broken windows and we assumed it had been broken into, at some stage. Mike told us later there had been a huge wind storm that damaged the van – the owners were in it at the time!

Bl’s camp was very isolated – just how he liked it. It was on a low rock ridge, overlooking a surprisingly deep creek gorge. There were still a couple of small rock holes with water in, at the head of the gorge, and a slight flow between them – seepage from a small spring?

The Gorge near Sheep Station Creek diggings

It was really too late in the afternoon for decent photos – a pity, as the area was quite scenic.

Bl said he’d been walking down the gorge and that was really nice. We gave him his bread. Apparently Mike had been out to check up on him, on his bike, yesterday, and see where he had set up his camp!

We said we might come back tomorrow, in brighter light. That seemed fine with Bl – he even offered to run us down to the ford, so we could then walk the gorge one way.

When we got back to our camp, there were five other new people camped there too – two couples out from Yowah and their English visitor. Mike was being the genial host.

We chatted for a while. One man told John that he made his own spirits, in his own still. He gave us some whisky to sample – it tasted very good! He said it was really cheap to make. John got the name of the place in Maryborough that sells the stills – said he’d like to call in there when we are on our way south again. I was dubious – as far as I knew, such activity is of dubious legality in this country! I just hoped John forgot all about it, in the intervening time.

The whisky man was originally from Victoria, a retiree. He told us to call in on him at Yowah, if we come this way again next year. He also told us that he’d towed his camper trailer across the Simpson Desert, and seemed proud of this. It was a black mark in my book! One of those that churns up the dunes unnecessarily and makes it hard for following drivers!

Another Duck Creek sunset

Our tea was a bit ad hoc. We had a big bowl of guacamole – my avocadoes were ripe and about to deteriorate. Ate that with rice crackers and biscuits and followed it with minestrone. That was quite enough.

It was a cold night.