2macstracks

This morning we discovered a nice Cafe, I’d actually seen advertising beside the road before we reached Birdsville but it’s not on the main street nor the one the Caravan Park is on so we hadn’t seen it. Th place used to a Gallery, there were excellent photos and paintings on the walls and more in a stack. I was even able to get a GF toastie and milkshake before we set off down the road.

We passed the Birdsville Racecourse on our way out.

The road crossed over sand dunes and vast flat areas with many channels, you could tell they were coming up by the trees and shrubs stretching out in lines In other spot there were soaks and the vegetation was clustered around a central area.

One section of road was an emergency landing strip, that was nice and smooth.

After the good rains they’ve had in this area I expected to see lots of wildflowers but you have to look for them, not all are growing in concentrated patches.

There were very few cars on the road despite it being in good condition. We came across one section being repaired.

Betoota consists of a Pub, nothing more. It’s free to camp but the whole area is very exposed, nothing to shield from the sun or wind.

Most notices in the facilities have a sense of fun about them, Burke & Wills Roadhouse owners should take note! This pub is owned by a private individual, not a wealthy company.

There is a lot of memorabilia displayed……

…and old vehicles.

The pub is truly an original.

Another camper having a drink at the pub reminded us that it was also possible to camp down by the river and that’s where we’ve set up. There don’t seem to be any waterbirds near the river but there were some Budgies squabbling in a tree near us.

We’re booked into the pub for a meal at 7:00, even Fergus is allowed into the Dining Room – we hope he behaves!

Don’t have power for the next few nights and probably won’t be able to post.

What did we do today?

We went up “Big Red” sand dune, the biggest and last one when coming east across the Simpson Desert and saw the area where thousands of people camp when they come for The Big Red Bash. A weekend of music. The Prado Pilot had to be kept under control!

I had grit in my teeth for ages afterwards because motorcyclists were playing in the sand and the wind whipped it up and generously blew it my way.

We went to see what was happening along the Diamentina River another area where people Bush Camp when they come here for the Birdsville Races, the first Saturday in September.

Burke and Wills were there before us.

We checked out the old Royal Hotel which certainly wasn’t built by the people who built Carcoory.

We sat in the cool of the Camper with AC on read our books and devised a way to keep the ants out of Fergus’ food.

Late in the afternoon we went out along Pelican Point and there was more evidence of people’s campsites. I can’t imagine this place when the thousands descend, this year the record was broken when over 10,000 people came here to the Big Bash and it’s only a small town. The only place you can buy groceries etc is at the Roadhouse, there is a big Hardware Store/shed, Bakery, Pub, Police Station, School and Council depot. That’s it.

We went to the pub after that jaunt to get a nice long, cool drink.

Tomorrow we pack up again and avoid going further south by going east to Betoota.

Loitering around our campsite this morning was a big Crow, maybe it was expecting some breakfast titbits but if that was the case he was disappointed. Maybe though it was the Crow a man at the Pub last night suspected of stealing his credit card, he was having to stay in Bedouri until a replacement was sent. I’m not sure where it would have been sent!

Fairy Martins were picking up bugs, I think, just across from our spot.

It was a relaxed day because we didn’t have far to travel, our first stop was only 600 metres from the Caravan Park! Last night I saw a young woman go walking off carrying her camera with a big telephoto lens and I wondered what she was looking to photograph. She certainly didn’t need that lens to get a good photo of the camels! It was obvious this morning, just down the road was the Eyre Creek and there were so many birds about it was astonishing.

King Creek was named after the sole survivor of the Burke and Wills expedition to reach Australia’s north coast and it was an overnight stop for Afghan Cameleers travelling between Bedourie and Birdsville. There is an Afghan’s grave nearby, there’s absolutely no details about the man but the grave faces Mecca.

A little further on is the grave of Will Hutchison , a drover, who was only 20 when he drowned in the river but when he was only 14 he discovered the first Opal in South Australia.

Cuttaburra Crossing was another river area teeming with birdlife, even a big flock of Seagulls! The Cormorants seemed to be the most successful at catching fish and several times I saw other birds swoop down and try to steal their catch.

The Carcoory ruins were a very good example of the longevity of well built stone houses, despite the roof being completely gone. The government requisitioned the tin from the roof during WW1 but the walls are still solid.

Bizarrely, not far from Carcoory Bore there was some Gym equipment beside the road, further along a “Shoe Tree” but they’ve become quite common though I’ve never seen a stiletto on one before.

Now we’re in Birdsville and have seen several convoys of cars coming in, the ones across from us couldn’t have come across the Simpson Desert sandhills pulling the caravans they have. Maybe they came up the Birdsville Track. A couple of other groups came past with bright orange sandflags waving so they probably came across the desert or maybe they’d simply been playing on Big Red – the last and biggest sand dune before Birdsville.

Outside the Roadhouse there is a board where people have written what they’re thankful for, some were interesting.