2macstracks

The area we’re traveling through now is known as “Channel Country” and it’s easy to see why. Rather than a single big river flowing through the area it’s crisscrossed with channels which at the moment are mostly series of pools but some are small rivers.

There are also wide plains that stretch as far as the eye can see.

In some of these wide spaces we came upon “Places of Interest”, some more interesting than others. I’m always disappointed when it turns out to be some kind of marker acknowledging an official who was connected with the road construction or upgrade. I think it was his job! He doesn’t deserve a marker any more than the people actually grafting away in the heat and flies!

It’s always grounding to come across a grave out in the middle of nowhere, the one we saw today was of a poor, 10 year old boy kicked to death by the donkey he’d been riding.

I think another marker had lost its crowning glory, there was only some rusty metal on top of a plinth. It does tell us though we’re no longer in the Tropics!

We drove up to the Vaughan Johnson Lookout along with several other people towing caravans, camper-trailers etc despite the sign saying the road wasn’t suitable! We’ve driven up there before, the road is bitumen and it’s only the gradient that would cause an under-powered vehicle trouble. At the top is a “toilet with a view”, a window has been provided so you can see to the far horizon over a vast plain. I think you need a 3D camera to really capture the contours.

Bedouri was very quiet when we arrived, it’s Sunday, the power supply to the town was off and wouldn’t be back on until 5:00 so no-one was at the pub and the person in the Info Centre taking money for campsites could only take cash. With no power we had no AC and it was hot so I went for a very cool shower and then we sat in the shade and read.

Late in the afternoon when it was cooler I took a walk around town.

A sculpture was catching the light in a Park, it represents a Dust Storm or Bedouri.

We went across the road to the Pub and had nice cool drinks, there was one other person drinking there. There are three young women working at the pub, a condition of their visas is that they spend a certain amount of time working in a country area. One of them showed me the Dining Room, it had many photos of the Licensees family displayed.

There certainly wasn’t anything much happening today, if you discount travelers coming in and setting up camp, nothing was happening! What would a bored camel do? I’m sure you have no idea but we know now.

Tomorrow we’re driving to Birdsville hopefully with an interesting stop along the way,,,if you’re interested in birds. 🙂

Boulia is only a small town and it’s promoted with the story of the Min Min lights, which are mysterious lights that appear and scare the daylights out of anyone who happens to see them. We saw the original Min Min Centre about 20 years ago when it was a little old building suitably spooky but it’s now a big modern place and it doesn’t appeal to us. Instead we went out to see the old Waddi Trees, the wood is very, very hard and Aboriginal people used it to made clubs and digging sticks.

It looked as if the road was closed but there was no sign of any workers or damage to the road. We needn’t have given it a second thought, the road was open but the sign had been forgotten just off the road.

Another place of interest is the site of a Police Barracks and although there is only rubble left we’re glad we went to check it out. A unit of Aboriginal Mounted Police was established at the site and maintained from 1875 – 1884.

There were some interesting little bits and pieces left there including old nails and a small piece of glass, part of it shaped like half a marble.

The waterhole is beautiful and was of great spiritual significance to the indigenous people as well as a lifesaver during droughts. There is a shelter nearby and it makes a lovely picnic spot.

On our way out to the Barracks the Prado Pilot spotted a Monitor Lizard beside the road, of course it didn’t wait for me to get a decent photo! I had to give up my wait for the perfect shot because apparently the Prado was sick of waiting and started tooting!

Back in Boulia we went looking for a nice cool drink and went to the Hotel’s cafe where one of the barmaids made me a very refreshing Mango Smoothie, Alex was able to get a Muffin to have with his coffee. Because it was hot but we had Fergus we had to go around to the back garden of the Hotel. That meant – down a side street and along to a pair of big double gates then through the courtyard of the Motel past where someone had tied their “horse” to a verandah post and into the back garden!

There was a small table made using a tree stump but we chose a more traditional table in the shade.

Someone who rescues animals has a home in the main street and today there were Brolgas and Cockies in the front yard but they might have simply flown in. Wallabies, Kangaroos and Alpacas were easy to see from the side street. Fergus was very keen to get in touch with a particular Kangaroo!

When it was cooler in late afternoon I took another walk along the Burke River which runs at the back of the Caravan Park. I think the same birds were on duty again today. I did find a large marker float beside the river though, that wasn’t there yesterday.

Well, the man was out hitching again this morning so I guess his ride was still sleeping off the effects of his boozy night or maybe we misunderstood what was said.

We were going down a minor road today, part of the way it’s used by Cannington Mine but actually it passes through several stations and is their access route to Boulia or McKinlay and beyond.

The road was good but with all the river channels crossing it the Wet Season would be another matter.

The Prado Pilot has set up the GPS loaded with Hema Maps to use 4WD mode and it was very interesting seeing all the Stations appear. When we came across some ruins the coordinates for Hamilton Hotel were shown clearly. I thought the ruins were remarkable because even though there was only a small part of one brick structure and no corrugated iron the stumps which had supported the building were perfectly sound. The building must have been very big. Across the road there were signs a building had been there, we think a Hotel because there were bottles about and lots of pieces of glass.

As we came closer to Toolebuc Station we started seeing Moon Rocks. The rocks formed when the area was covered by an inland sea and looking out at the surrounding area it’s easy to believe it was once covered in water. We collected a few stones and admired the big ones!

Because we’re driving through Stations we see plenty of cattle and in this area they seem to be mostly Brahmins or Droughtmasters. Some have very impressive “turkey necks” and we’ve been wondering if the folds of skin actually help to cool the animals down through evaporation.

All that remains of the Hamilton Hotel is part of a chimney but the site has been made into a Rest Stop and it’s where the road from McKinlay meets the Boulia to Winton Road. Two Road Trains were stopped there, engines running but no sign of the drivers, we presume they were sleeping in air conditioned comfort.

Now we’re at the Boulia Caravan Park with the Burke River beside us, there’s plenty of water and lots of birdlife.