Birdsville and north to Boulia

12^th June

Before we left Birdsville we toured all the famous local high spots. First was the Birdsville Bakery where we felt obliged to try one of their famous curried camel pies, even though it wasn’t yet morning tea time. Out the front I discovered a very healthy patch of the elusive Sturt’s Desert Pea. Next was the Birdsville Hotel, a local institution with a quirky interior. Also in the public bar were two timber tabletops, cut from an enormous tree and supported on tall kegs. We also stopped to view the racecourse, where I managed to take one step too far onto a  sticky muddy surface, and instantly grew a couple of inches taller. David was highly amused.

Birdsville Bakery

Sturt's desert pea, a small low growing bush

The Birdsville Hotel

Inside the hotel

Birdsville Racecourse

Our campsite was on the banks of Birdsville Billabong and it was a beautiful spot. 

Birdsville Lagoon

A pelican cruising the lagoon

We left Birdsville behind, headed for Bedourie, the home of the Bedourie Camp Oven, then on to Boulia – about 400 kilometres north. The road passed through more normally semi-arid country which is currently flush with feed and still has lots of surface water in many places. This is also cattle country, and, due to the size of the stations many of the paddocks adjacent to the roads are unfenced. Consequently, watching out for stock is imperative. We saw a few carcasses on the side of the road and these big animals would certainly make a mess of any vehicle, bull bar or no bull bar.

The road north

The sign full of boots

Carcoory ruins, originally a Sidney Kidman property. The limestone cladding has unfortunatley been defaced by people engraving their initials

The Bedourie Camp Oven

Bedourie Hotel, hardly changed since the 1880s, except for the thatched roof 

Bedourie mud house, with very thick walls

North of Bedourie we encountered a sign to a lookout, one of few high points in this flat landscape. Despite the no trailers sign, David surged up the hill. There was a fantastic view of the channel country from the top. However, the find of the day was a large pile of firewood, just waiting to be burnt. It is now a little depleted – after all there is a limit to how much you can add to an already significant load. Tonight, as I write this by the fire in the dark, headlight torch deployed so I can see the keys, I am very thankful for the generosity of the Boulia wood fairy.  

We have yet to explore Boulia, but we are already impressed because the caravan park has grass. Lovely soft green grass with no rocks interspersed.

David disobeyed the sign and gunned it up the hill

Just part of the great view

The wood pile was a generous bonus