Outback Queensland road trip Day 7: Windorah to Longreach

 

By the numbers

17 litres left in tank on reaching Longreach

More cars than yesterday

5kms walking

No actual Stonehenge

 

The day started early in Windorah as we had to be out of the room by 10am sharp though we had breakfast and were up around 7am and leaving by around 9am. We headed out of town with the intention of heading towards Jundah and then onto Longreach. At this stage we didn’t have phone service still and we would be on the road for around 3 or so hours. The cars GPS was confused and giving us directions. Just out of Windorah we encountered the roadworks that we had gone through and we went through the bypass to the road so it wasn’t that bad and the best part was that it had dried out or else we could get stuck. Not far down the road we encountered a large road runner type bird called an Australian Bustard. We slowed down and stopped for it as it slowly walked off the road. It was an interesting bird and I think it was keeping an eye on us. There were also more Wedge tailed Eagles including one that just stood its ground as we went past and didn’t fly off.

 

Between Windorah and Jundah there were at least 5 cars with two passing us and some going in the other direction. At least we were building up for that as we headed for Longreach. The scenery kept on changing from trees to plains and then back to trees. When we reached Jundah one of the vehicles that passed us had actually stopped there as I guess they were farm workers. A while up the road as the roads were still quite narrow with them widening for a little while calling themselves overtaking lanes. We had a pit stop in Stonehenge, which was a little bit off the highway. It was a very small town with a sign that said ‘Hit the skids, Not the kids’. I didn’t see any, but there was a pub and that was open. There wasn’t much to see in town and after a brief stop we kept on heading towards Longreach. When we were near Longreach the car sent a message to the GPS telling us we needed fuel and listed a few fuel stops, and then there were the beeping that we couldn’t work out until I realised the centre lane markers had appeared and the car was detecting those.

 

We did a lap around the outskirts of Longreach before we were dragged back into the town onto the main road heading out of town heading for Barcaldine. We were searching for our accommodation, which was near the Qantas museum and Stockman hall of fame. We were staying in some budged rooms and when we got down there was a sign directing us to check in at the Albert Motor Inn at the other end of the street. We go to reception and have a chat with the nice young lady who tells us we had actually booked through a third party and our rooms were more or less dongas with shared bathrooms and showers, not fully what was described by the 3^rd party website. You would have to think hostels instead of decent places to stay with a family member. She had complained about their tactics as high up as the CEO who laughed in her face and told her they can do what they like. It did explain the address for the website being in the US. I would have gotten a better rate when going to the legit website. It was explained they were barely legal as they charged fees on top. We were given the option of upgrading to a room in the motel as we are staying most of the week and we took it. Usually I am more careful with booking places and I was rushing due to the lack of accommodation in the area. I will learn for next time and a good thing to know about the websites being disguised as the legit locations.

 

Once we were in our room at the hotel, the best part is when we check in, we can do it by text and same with check out. The door codes are pin numbers so no need for keys. The best part is they have washing machine and dryers so I was able to get that done as I was at the point I needed more underwear. While the clothes were in the dryer I went for a wander across the road to the Qantas museum and out to the airport, which was really a big shed around the same size as the airport in Whangarei. I had to wander back pretty quickly as I knew the washing in the dryer would have long since finished. The walk in the path beside the main road is part of the botanic gardens with information so that should be interesting in itself. By the time I got back and sorted out the washing, it was time to get a meal at the RSL, which was a Sunday roast. Tomorrow night we have a table booked at a nearby restaurant that was recommended to us.

Outback Queensland road trip Day 6: Euromanga to Windorah

 

By the numbers

214kms driving

Around 2 and half hours

2 cars passed

 

During the night we had heard the rain on the roof of out motel room and it was a little worrying as we had seen reports on the app that said there was water over the road and more would mean that we could not get to where we are going. The clothes that had gotten wet after we left the Euromanga museum were still damp, but they will be dry eventually. On handing the key to the room in I asked about the road conditions and was told its fine. Local knowledge is a good thing, but maybe the traffic app doesn’t tell the full story. What we did not want was to backtrack around 100 kms to take the other route that bypassed Euromanga.

 

We hooked a right onto the road that we knew would take us out to the Diamantina Development Road or Warrego Way as the GPS happily calls it. We did cross several causeways with a little bit of water in them, nothing that would do anything. The Road trains I had seen all took this road and I knew there wouldn’t be problems if they had. The drive was pretty uneventful as we seen quite a bit of wildlife along the way. We stopped for a Wedge Tailed Eagle in a tree who was watching us, quite a few kangaroos including a few we thought would jump in front of us. Several Emu and even goats who left a baby one to get off the road in front of us. There were cows too. A few of the places we passed by were cattle properties that had the main roads running through them.

 

In the entire time we were on the road, only two cars passed us and there was no one behind us either. We did see caravans on the side of the road, but that was it. Probably due to how isolated the area actually is that there isn’t that much traffic. We did come across some road closures, but they had little bit of a detour on the sides before we got back on the road. It was the same with the road into Windorah and it was damp too. We were told it would dry out by tomorrow and that they are expecting rain on Monday so things could get interesting by then. It was just on 12pm and we could check in when we asked and sorted out the room. That was the best time to get sorted and then took a wander around town. The flies were annoying, but we got to see the water purification where it was pumped to from the river and the murals in the same area. Windarah is a very small town and is the route you take to get to Birdsville. We didn’t pop into the cemetery, but that might be tomorrow before we leave.

 

Tomorrow is another 3 hour drive to Longreach and that should be interesting especially keeping an eye on the wildlife on the side of the road to see if they want to greet us. We seem to have had some really good meals while on this trip away and good to see what the country has to offer away from the hustle and bustle. We have lots planned for Longreach and that will be good as we are spending some time there.

Outback Queensland road trip Day 5. Heading to Euromanga via Quilpie

 

 

By the numbers

300 kms driving

2 pies and a lamington

The day started early. The weather had said we would get some rain and I didn’t really believe that as the weather seems to be wrong all the time. There was cloud in the sky, but I wasn’t too concerned about that. We wanted to be on the road by 830 as we had an appointment at 2pm in Euromanga for the Natural History museum.

 

We took the Warrego Way, which was also the development road towards Quilpie. It was meant to be the longest road that takes you out to Birdsville, which is much further than I would be going. As soon as we hit that road we lost phone service with Optus and it would not come back throughout the day, although we could post later on, but that was with Starlink. The roads got narrower so narrow it was like walking a tightrope and it did say we had to pull off the road for road trains. We also had to keep an eye on animals that we did not want to hit both dead and alive as that makes a mess. The first part of the trip to Quilpie was uneventful.

 

We had decided Quilpie would be a rest stop as we needed to pee and a rest from driving. I am not the driver, just a passenger looking at the scenery and the photo taker. The toilet was also at the information centre and we went for a look inside. We found a railway museum after taking a pit stop and it had a little about how it was a railway town until it closed in 2012 when trucks delivered goods there. There were two other small museums on the area and from the RSL both showing little bits from the early days of Quilpie and the clothing worn by the armed services. The town itself was a nice little wander, although we got as far as a local bakery where I ended up with a pie and a Lamington. I did see a Fingerbun, but that was $6 so I left it there instead. The shopkeeper was really nice and helpful.

 

By the time we had left we were ready to get on the road again to make it to the end of the line and that was Euromanga. Along the way the road narrowed again and then we had to stop to say hello to our Emu overlords or else they would be upset. Did see several on the road that had been hit by something. I think we were pretty lucky on the narrow one lane roads that we never met a road train. There were a few cattle grids along the way until we arrived in Euromanga the town furthest from the sea. Not sure if they mean the East Coast or both coasts. Something happened as we came into town and that was several spots of rain, so the forecast was correct that we might actually get some rain.

 

By the time we entered Euromanga we still had no phone service and that was alright. We went to the Natural History museum, where we would be doing the tour of the museum to see one of the largest dinosaurs found in Australia and that was ‘Cooper’. We had a little bit of a wait and I had a giggle when I seen the video was played with VLC. The one with the witches hat a free video player. The dinosaur ‘Cooper’ was found in the Euromanga area by a young farmer who found an odd rock. Turned out to be part of a dinosaur. The museum itself has funding to expand and should be finished around 2029. We got to see fossils of ‘Cooper’, and several other dinosaurs including some of the mega fauna that was like a giant wombat. The whole process of uncovering the fossil at the site and in the lab is time consuming, and can take years. There are other finds in the same area as the dinosaurs that include fossilised plants and even wood. There were computer generated bones that were 3d printed by a group in Byron Bay that the museum has where they have the fossils so it is interesting.

 

By the time we made it out of the museum the weather had turned. It was starting to pour and we had to get to the car while it was pouring ands we were getting wet. It was actually pretty cold as well and we were worried about water on the local roads out to our next destination of Windorah. Though I did see a road train take that route before it got dark so I think it should be alright and play that one by ear. It should be an interesting day tomorrow when we are on the road. The accommodation in Euromanga is pretty limited and we got lucky with what we got. There was even a frog in the toilet that I fished out so he could live for another day. There isn’t much in town and its really quiet so I guess that is a good thing for us.

Outback Queensland road trip Day 4: Around Charleville

 

 

By the numbers

1 tank of fuel

843kms before filling up

5.09kms walking

 

The day started cold, but we both stayed in the room until late morning before deciding to go for an explore. We thought it would be a good idea to plan where we are staying as accommodation had been a little bit iffy with things being almost booked out. Roma had no vacancy when we arrived. There was a sinking feeling things might not turn out to be so great. I had managed to make two bookings the night before to secure a place in Longreach and then went exploring other locations like Winton had nothing the Friday after. The pan ended up being that we head to Highenden and then to Winton.

 

It wasn’t until later that we realised there was an event on in Winton and that was a film festival that went on for a week that we did not know about and it explained the issues in not finding anywhere to stay, but we ended up with accommodation towards the end of the festival so it was alright. We did book some of the experiences for that time as well. I was using this time to take it easy as we had been on the move for several days and it was good to sit back without any real plans.

 

When we did leave not long after 11am, I was wanting to visit the information centre where the Royal Flying Doctors was located as I hadn’t seen very much about it at all. The TV had only been advertising the visitor experience out at Alice Springs. A touch too far to visit on our time frame. The small museum at the visitor centre told us about the beginnings of the service and that it started in Charleville and was essential for medical flights and these days flights and other services for remote communities who need medical help including dental. It was interesting they started with morse code radios and then that was soon replaced by actual radios and communications over the airwaves. We didn’t see any aircraft there, and nearby was something I hadn’t been that interested in going to though would next time. It was about the WW2 facilities, there was also the cosmos centre all about looking at the night sky.

 

Nearby at the airport I had seen a little museum that had today vanished from Google maps and I wanted to see if there was some interpretive centre out that way. There was a very small museum and it explained that Charleville airport or airfield was essential since flight began in the 1920s from air races and to mail runs with the small company Qantas that is now a little bit bigger. Many of the major flights that took out world records used Charleville as a stop over and it did include a short bit about the Royal Flying Doctors in the area. It was small, but a quick museum / interpretive centre about the history of the area. The airport was just as quiet and there were even signs telling us to watch out for snakes. We never seen any that were there at all

 

After looking at the airport and then finding the weather balloon centre, which told us they let of balloons every morning, we headed for the next item on my list of things to see and that was the cemetery, although we stopped at one of the parks that had a big red bench. There was a blue tree too as it was part of lifeline and then story boards throughout the park. The park had something far more interesting. Some devices that gave hope in creating rain The Steiger Vortex guns that were supposed to create rain around 1902, but didn’t actually work. The next stop was the cemetery, which was pretty sandy and had a sign telling us to keep the kangaroos out by closing the gate. Just outside the fenceline was an info sign telling us about the flooding in the 1990s and how a work crew stent a day and half cleaning up the cemetery. That I found interesting and walking amongst the headstones you could see how dry it was and see where other people were walking. It actually got pretty warm out there and I thought that was a good thing as it had been cool enough.

 

One of the jobs we needed to do before things got too far was to fill up with fuel and that was the first time we had gotten fuel since we had left Tweed and had done at least 800 or so kms since we left. We did visit the RSL again as they have some nice meals and some deals as well like pork chops or even a chicken parmi.