Blogs from Birdsville, Queensland, Australia, Oceania
June 5th 2010
Day 58 Sean and I head out around 9:30 to check out the town and get some info on the desert, which is why we are here. And to my surprise its still closed due to flooding, dammit, all this way for nothing. The government site sadi it would be open in june but I guess not. It’s a big let down but we deal with it and make the best of a bad situation. We run back to camp and grab Jackie and head to the Working Museum, what a collection, everything from food tins to pumps that still work from the 1800's. The owners even gave a show of some of the working artifacts, like - a cardboard recordplayer for missionaries, water powered mixing bowl, and some WWI and 2 artifacts. It was a ... read more
June 4th 2010
Day 57 Were on the road again, We are out of Dajarra by about 9am, with Rino giving us 2 stickers for our travels. It a long jaunt today another 550km round to make it to birdsville We basically just drive all day, making a few pit stops to look around at the vast flood plains, we find some ruins form a homestead house back in the 1880’s and add our names to it. We notice there is still some flooding out, as we have to make 2 detours and you can see water as far as the eye can see where there should be bone dry floodplain and desert… hmmm a green desert. We get to birdsville and set up camp in the dark. ... read more
September 7th 2009
On a warm winters evening on a bus bound for Birdsville, I met up with a gambler (90 something of them actually), and I asked of them advice....They said "You gotta know when ta....keep your money in your pocket out here! It's the only way you'll win". And so it began...my trip to Birdsville! From Brisbane, Shandell, Amber and myself along with ninety or so other punters set off on the outback adventure of the year. Travelling overnight and into the following day, we watched as 24 hours along with over 1600km of road passed us by before we arrived at the remote little outback settlement of Birdsville. With a population of just 66 and nestled between the Simpson and Sturt Stony desert, the Lonely Planet guidebook rightly describes this town as one of the most ... read more
June 26th 2009
It was a long dusty road to Birdsville. When we got there we looked around for a long time, but we finally found a campsite beside the river, under the windmill. We set up camp and drove out to Big Red. Big Red is a huge red sand dune at the start of the Simpson Desert. I climbed up it. There was like a platform of sand on the angle, when you got to the top, but you could go up a little mini hill to the side. I got up to the top of it - on my hands and knees, because I was very, very puffed. I was amazed at the beautiful view. After we got back to town - it was 36km’s out - we had tea at the famous Birdsville Hotel. In ... read more
June 26th 2009
In Birdsville we went out to Big Red, which is a big sand dune of the Simpson Desert and it is really red. Birdsville locals say it is a tourist attraction for sunset. We climbed up, but Mum stayed in the car because we didn’t know if it was Big Red at first. Once we did, we told Mum to come up, but she got stuck a third of the way up. She forgot to put the car in 4WD before attempting the climb. So she called to Dad and he reversed down and raced up the sand dune. I was standing at the side watching Dad go bump to bump to get to the top. We had tea at the famous Birdsville Hotel. Mum and Dad had a delicious steak. Back to camp and then ... read more
June 24th 2009
On the way to Birdsville we went through Cameron’s Corner where I sat on a post which meant I was in 3 states at once - New South Wales, Queensland & South Australia. There were lots and lots and lots of big sand dune hills which were like roller coasters, the way Dad drove. When I had my head down or was looking somewhere else, and we went over a sand dune hill, I felt like I was flying!!! At Tibooburra petrol station there was a Corella which could talk and he said hello to me. The Corella said “give me a scratch” to my dad. My dad said, “I’m not scratching you, because the sign says you bite!!” The Corella kept on saying “give me a scratch”. ... read more
June 24th 2009
The road out of Broken Hill was boring and bumpy on the way to Cameron’s Corner it was very outbacky. Cameron’s Corner is where 3 states meet - New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. Then we hit the road again and headed to Innamincka. Had a look around and filled the car with fuel. I got a hat pin to add to my collection. Then we were on the road to Burke’s Grave. Burke’s Grave is where Burke died, he was a famous explorer together with his sidekick Wills. Wills died on the other side of town, but also on Cooper Creek. We then headed to the Dig Tree which is where Burke & Wills had set up camp to head North to the Gulf of Carpentaria. When they weren’t back by a certain date ... read more
June 24th 2009
Left Broken Hill and halfway to Tibooburra (in the North Western Corner of NSW) time got changed back to Eastern Standard Time (normal for Melbourne). It is very weird in the outback! Roads were pretty rough, there was bitumen leading to the cattle grids and in between were gibbers, red or grey sand, it kept on changing without rhyme or reason. There were salt and clay pans and the scrub disappeared to spinifex then nothing - just dirt and rocks. Came upon dry creek beds and they had Gum Trees managing to grow in them. Filled up at Tibooburra fuel $1.51pl. Continued on to Sturt National Park and set up at Fort Grey Campground around 2.30pm. Was glad to change into shorts, got to 25°. Kids did some Math, Time and English. Cooked early tea and ... read more
August 23rd 2008
Left Emerald and drove to Barcaldine The town has about a 1km-long stretch of old restored machinery along it's main street - very interesting. Next stop Longreach - spent 3 days there. Saw the Stockman's Hall of Fame (BRILLIANT) and the Qantas Museum (good if you're a plane freak). Ran into Johh & Lyn Collins from I'fail - small world again! Next stop Winton - the Dinosaur Trackway (had to go but not mind-blowing and a 220km round-trip!), Elliot (the largest dinosaur yet found in Australia) - there is a plaster cast of him in the Dinosaur Museum, the Waltzing Matilda Centre (a memorial to Banjo Paterson). This place was EXCELLENT with lots to look at - not just "Banjo' stuff but local history, general outback stuff, pictures, etc. Thoroughly recommended. Now in Boulia (Min Min ... read more
Out And Back To The Aussie Bush
Published: December 9th 2007Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Birdsville
November 4th 2007
Well, better late than never, here's the last Australian blog - and penultimate blog from the Overland To Oz trip. It seems strange thinking back to how much preparation there was in getting the trip organised and here I am, nicely settled into a new life in Ireland, having already completed a trip that I'd been thinking about for 18 years! I'm planning on carrying on blogging travels in Ireland over the next few months, with pictures of the beautiful County Donegal scenery, but given how long it's taken me to finish writing about Australia, I'm not sure when that'll be... . Anyway, back to Australia! I last left you in Queensland - Danielle had flown back from Sydney to be at her brother's wedding in Northern Ireland in April leaving me to continue travelling for ... read more
