Ray and Maura Travelling Australia: 9/22/13

Tuesday 17th September
Huge clouds came rolling in yesterday afternoon accompanied by thunder and we thought we were in for a huge storm but although we got some spots of rain it went around us.

Storm clouds rolling in over Cunnamulla

Ray climbed the sand dune yesterday afternoon just before the storm and he said it was a steep climb so I am glad I didn't do it.

Sand dune at the back of the caravan park

Looking down at the caravan park from on top of the dune

A busload of high school kids from Tumut came into the park yesterday and when they climbed the dune they made it look effortless. Running up and down like crazy.
We got away from Cunnamulla about 9.45am. I went for a haircut and Ray had to go to the chemist which doesn't open until 9.30am. Lots of feral goats, cows, eagles, emus, road kill and black faced sheep along the unfenced road.

Emus crossing the road

Cows crossing the road

We stopped at Eulo for an ice cream and bought a stubby cooler with a Diprotodon on it. This is where some farmers found the bones of this ancient giant wombat, supposedly the largest known marsupial to have lived. It existed from approximately 1.6 million years ago until extinction some 40,000 years ago. The largest specimens found were hippopotamus size.
The closest surviving relatives of Diprotodon are the wombats and the koala. Aboriginals called the diprotodon a bunyip.
We then kept heading to Thargomindah, going over many cattle grids which mark the boundaries of the huge cattle stations.

Approaching another cattle grid

Hundreds of feral goats just wandering everywhere, a major traffic hazard.
When we got to the caravan park at Thargomindah it was a pleasant surprise. Quite a new park, huge clean amenities, native plants, grass around the cabins and toilet blocks. We didn't do much this afternoon. we had happy hour with Eddie and Carol, two people we met in Cunnamulla who are travelling to Nocundra. Before we knew it, it was 6.20pm. As we travel further west the sun is going down later and time just got away on us

Wednesday 18th September
We booked into Thargomindah for 2 nights as we wanted to do some washing and have a look around.
Thargomindah lies on the banks of the Bulloo River about 1000km west of Brisbane. In 1860 the epic expedition of Burke and Wills through far south west Queensland paved the way for settlement in the area. Thargomindah was gazetted as a town in 1874. It has a population of 250 and beef and wool are the main industries. The main shire offices are also in Thargomindah as well as industries related to petroleum/oil and gas
The water supply comes from the huge Artesian Bore under central Australia. The water comes out of the bore at 84 degrees C and then is sent to cooling pond and a desalination pond before it is pumped to the houses.

Hot artesian bore water

The water still has the sulphur smell of artesian bores but if you let it stand for a few minutes it goes away and leaves lovely sweet tasting water.
We went out to the Bulloo River and took a few photos.

Bulloo River

Maura near the Bulloo River

Ray beside the Bulloo River

Trees along Bulloo River

Apparently there is no unemployment in the town. If you need a job then you can get one. The new tourist information centre is in the library which is a very modern building with big shady verandahs and a great coffee shop.
While we were in town there were a lot of kids form schools in the area camping in the school grounds and taking part in sports camps. They had representatives here form all of the major sports talking to the kids. The kids were also in the library learning some songs to present in a concert tomorrow night. So great to see and hear.

Thursday 19th September
We left Thargomindah and headed to Noccundra, finding a camp spot beside the river. It was hot, there were little bush flies everywhere and my first impression wasn't a good one.

Our camp at the Wilson River at Noccundra

Sunrise over Wilson River

Wilson River

Eddie and Carol were there and they asked us if we wanted to go over to the pub for tea that night, so we said yes. Ray and Eddie went over to the pub for a couple of beers and to find out what time dinner was on.
Well did they have a story to tell when they came back. The pub is the only place in town as well as an airstrip and a community hall.
They met some people in the pub from Ballina and Coffs Harbour. They were on a 3 day trip in a very small plane around inland Australia, Cunnamulla, Thargomindah, Innamincka, Flinders Ranges etc. They come into Noccundra for afternoon tea on the first day and as they landed the plane blew a tyre. The pilot Peter had to get a replacement tyre flown in from Longreach so the passengers had to stay the night at Noccundra. Only 4 passengers. He couldn't leave the plane on the airstrip as it was a bit isolated so he drove it down the road and parked in the pub parking area!!!

The plane flying 4 people around inland Australia on a 3 day trip

So when we went over for dinner there were a few people in the bar. The 4 passengers and pilot, us 4, 2 other travellers, 2 passing through workers, 2 truckies and the publican and her husband. Oh and a pigeon fellow and his wife who were letting 300 pigeons off at 7am the next day for them to fly back to Bundaberg. So there were a motley crew if ever I had seen one. So quite a crowd of people squashed into the little bar.

Some of the crowd in the bar of the Noccundra Hotel

But we had a good evening, with plenty of chat and laughs. The meal wasn't special but we ate it.
The next morning we could hear the plane take off, we saw the pigeons fly away, the trucks and workers left and the overnight campers left. The publican probably breathed a sigh of relief that everyone had gone.

Noccundra Hotel

Plaque in the grounds of the hotel

Notice above all of the doors at the hotel

After leaving Noccundra we decided to go to Tibooburra rather than go to the camp area in the National Park. We drove along very long straight stretches of gravel road.

Pulled up along the road from Noccundra to Tibooburra

The road stretches on ahead

We had to go through the Warri Gate which is the gate in the wild dog fence where you cross from Queensland into NSW.

Approaching NSW

Maura opening the Warri Gate

Ray driving through Warri Gate

The wild dog fence is supposed to stop dingoes getting to the sheep in NSW. It was originally called the rabbit proof fence but that didn't work so now it is the wild dog fence. I don't know how good it is but we did see the guys patrolling the fence to repair holes. We stopped here for lunch and Ray seen a little gecko and it posed while he took its picture.

Little gecko in the rocks

We have decided to stay in Tibooburra for three nights and drive without the van out to Cameron Corner today. It is only 137km so it makes a good day trip.
Tibooburra is about 1157 km north west of Sydney. Gold was discovered around here in 1880 and it was very busy for a few years. Now it is fairly quiet. 2 pubs, 2 servo's/general store, a couple of motels and a caravan park.
Clifton Pugh, the Australian artist was fascinated by the remote outback region and he painted a number of murals, drawings and sketches on one of the internal walls of the Family Hotel. We are going there for lunch on Sunday so I will tell you more about that later.
There are heaps of granite outcrops all over the town and Tibooburra in Aboriginal means "Heap of Boulders" The Tibooburra Outback School of the Air is the villages education provider providing education to the Tibooburra kids as well as the kids on remote properties. For high school the kids have to go to boarding school or are educated at home.

Saturday 21st September
We got away about 9am, went to the ranger station to pay our national park entry and headed out to Cameron Corner. The road is unsealed and in quite good condition. we saw 2 new road graders parked on the side of the road which are obviously used regularly. The scenery was lovely, beautiful bright red dunes, heaps of salt bush and the clear blue sky making a great contrast.

Red dunes in the background

The road to Cameron Corner

As the road is dusty we are throwing up clouds of dust behind us. it is very easy to see another vehicle coming the other way.

Our dust cloud through the rear view mirror

We arrived at Cameron Corner just before lunch. Ray had a couple of beers, we had lunch, had a chat to one of the workers and had a look around. There is not much to see. There is a survey marker to show the border of South Australia, NSW and Queensland. John Cameron, the NSW Lands Surveyor, led the first survey party along the NSW/Queensland border between 1879 and 1881. On arriving at the corner in September 1880 Cameron erected a wooden boundary post with LAT29 and Cameron on it. The replica is still there. The wild dog fence is here also, stretching 5,500km from the Great Australian Bight to South East Queensland.

Cameron Corner store

Survey marker

Ray outside Cameron Corner store. There isn't a river for miles around and everyone asks where we are going fishing

While at Cameron Corner Ray bumped into a fellow he used to go to primary school with. Him and his wife are in a cabin at the caravan park in Tibooburra also. What a very small world.

After leaving Cameron Corner to head back to Tibooburra we detoured into Middle Road. Here there is a forest of Coolibah trees which were drowned in the 1974 floods. Consequently they all died and now look like a forest of ghost trees.

Ghost forest on Middle Road

Driving on Middle Road

We then drove on to have a look at Lake Pinaroo. The lake only fills when the nearby swamp overflows in a big wet and it takes about 7 years to dry up again. It is very big and quite spectacular.

Ghost tree in Lake Pinaroo

Emu tracks on the edge of Lake Pinaroo

Lake Pinaroo

High water level mark on tree. Just level with the grass in the background

We then drove home over a huge clay pan, which in the wet would be filled with water and impossible to drive through.

Clay Pan spread out in front of us

Then back to the van for happy hour.

Sunday 22nd September
Domestic day today. Did a load of washing. Updated the blog and went to the family Hotel for lunch.
This is the hotel which has the Clifton Pugh murals on the wall. Supposedly done in 1969 and according to the bar man he persuaded the local girls to act as models. The murals are very good and you can take photos for a $2 donation to the Flying Doctor Service.
We had a lovely lunch. Steak burgers and a few drinks. Really relaxing on the verandah of the pub.