Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 1. 17th June 2023

We took all the time we needed to tidy and clean and water gardens etc in preparation for taking off on another road trip.

Left home about 2.30 pm, our goal being Dalby. The cleared, flat and dusty countryside creates spectacular broad, long and colourful sunsets.

Our favourite place to stay in Dalby is the Fairway Motel. The historic Criterion Hotel (about 60 m away) had a band/s playing till 11.30pm (Saturday night). We enjoyed them from the comfort of our bed. Quite muffled, but they were ok.

Longreach/Winton trip Day 2: 18th June 2023.

Dalby to Mitchell.

We have travelled most the the bitumen highways and byways between Cunnamulla, Charleville and Dalby in past trips so this time we chose the Wieambilla, Condamine, Moraby, Warkin to hit the A55 to Roma, even though we have travelled at least part of it before.

The only township is Condamine.

At Roma we enjoyed the Sculptures Out Back art display.

Other Highlights of the day included the cotton ginnery as we left Dalby, passing through the dog fence, a wallaby crossing our path at 11.30am (tested the brakes), a few emu families in the paddocks, lazy mobs of kangaroo/wallaby lazing under the shade of trees in the paddocks, the road kill as we approach Mitchell, various birds (different types of crows, birds of prey, peewees, galahs, magpies, a small butcher bird who joins us for lunch, heron in a waterhole, apostle birds who scatter from the road as we approach) and the changing landscape from cotton and wheat paddocks to cattle grazing land to sheep grazing land. There was some water in dams and creeks near Dalby but there has been no rain in Mitchell since October 202

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 3. 19th June 2023

Mitchell to Augathella

Enjoyed long soak in the artesian baths followed by a coffee and a look about the Museum before leaving Mitchell.

Saw the 3 mobs of emus (one mob of 3, 2 mobs of 6). Lunched (as we did yesterday) at a simple roadside stop (toilets and table) to enjoy silence and countryside.

A few hills are noticeable as we approach Augathella.

After an easy drive to Augathella we took a walk about town, along the (levy) bank of the Warrego River, had a chat with a couple in the hotel room next door and read a book with wine and cheese before retreating from the cooling evening.

Longreach/Winton trip

Day 4. 20th June 2023.

Augathella to Quilpie.

Back to the Charleville turn off.

A drive day with only the scenery to enjoy. We stopped only briefly in Charleville (for Paul to download emails and to buy fuel) as we have spent time here on past trips.

Puzzled at A bicycle sign ( and only one) about 10kms out of Charleville (Augathella side).

We are driving on the Diamantina Development road. This highway, says a sign, is one of the longest in Australia - from Charleville to Mt Isa

Burger lunch at Cooladdi pub/café/post office/store/campground/motel.

Yesterday’s Dad joke:

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 5. 21st June 2023.

Quilpie to Yowah.

From The Lake, we travel in to Quilpie to deliver a message to the girls at the Unstable Coffee Van, have look about town, drop in the tourist info office.

On the way out of town we stop to climb and admire the view from Baldy Top Lookout. The road take us through cattle, sheep and goat properties, over lots of cattle grids and floodways. We see more mobs of emus. Evidence of recent rains - washed out floodways, water in some, a few wildflowers. Sometimes we see grass but it is patchy and the ground so bare sometimes you wander what the livestock eats.

Yowah is an Opal town. We relax with a cuppa and Kay soaks in our units private bath house.

Quite a few tourists in town so there is a good turn up at the town hall for Wednesday night dinner - Fish and chips and cream rice and peaches for dessert.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 6. 22nd June 2023.

Yowah to Thargomindah.

It has rained overnight, apparently about 5mm. Still overcast and light drops falling this morning.

Before leaving Yowah we try our hand at digging for opals. We have no idea of what to look for and come away with nothing but a few unusual stones and the satisfaction and fun of trying to find precious gems.

As we approach Thargomindah we note that there are more undulations (hills).

We stop at Lake Bindegolly - there is some water at the bridge but seemingly few birds. We watch for ones we can hear - parrots and wrens. The afternoon is crowned with a rainbow as we leave the Lake.

They have had rain at Thargomindah last night also and even more recently. There are puddles everywhere and water in the floodways.

We’ve crossed back into the Bulloo Shire.

At Thargomindah we check into and room and take a walk along the Bulloo river…. So many birds - many each of corellas, little falcons(?), parrots, swallows and some other little bird that I have yet to look up.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 7. 23rd June 2023.

Thargomindah to Eromanga.

Stopped at the old hydro plant on the way out of town - they used bore water pressure to power the town early 20th century.

No special places of interest to distract us on this journey. But spectacular landscape! The red soil, the red stoney ground, green grasses and plants, dry grasses and plants, undulating hills, loooong straight sections of road, lots of small and large puddles in paddocks, roadsides and floodways, cattle, wild pigs, horses, sheep, wildflowers, eagles and various other birds, helicopter at roadworks.

Lunch stop was beside a big puddle, maybe a billabong.

Arrived at Eromanga Natural History Museum in time for the dinosaur tour before checking in to their Coopers Lodge. Cooked our own dinner using their BBQ.

Comfy spot, breakfast included - we have re-evaluated our schedule and will stay here another night.

Spent some time out on a picnic rug stargazing. Awesome!

The view from tonights lodgings.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 8. 24th June 2023.

Eromanga. Coopers Lodge.

Relax day. Lazy day. Kay reviews the bird photographs she has taken, identifying the birds. Paul listens to podcasts and news. Take the short drive into Eromanga for a walk about town. Don’t see a single local. Lunch at the Natural History Museum cafe.

Wine o’clock chat with fellow travellers, admiring the sunset at the Lodge.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 9. 25th June 2023.

Eromanga to Windorah.

Lazy and social start as we shared breakfast and coffee conversation with neighbours.

Between Coopers Lodge turn off and Eromanga township (about 1km) we saw 2 kangaroos, 7 emus and some cattle. First stop was Kyabra waterholes for a little bird watching. Minors, Willy wagtails, swallows and a few other small birds but no water birds.

The red stoney ground disappears and whiter clay like soils dominates. We are surprised to see so much grass, as brown as it is. And what looks like grass can often be low prickly plants. And there is lots of dirt in between the plants and tufts of grass.

The day warms up… we see 26 degrees today. Dalby to Thargomindah we mostly saw tops of 18 degrees.

Next stop Cooper Creek. Not just a creek: “Cooper Creek Channnels 10km” the sign says. They name the channels! From the sign, you cross 2 channels a before you get to Cooper Creek. Then Long Channel is west of the creek. Hard to imagine so much water.

Fuel up and lunch at Windorah.

Drive part of the Nature Trail along Cooper creek - bird watching. Parrots, herons, birds of prey, finches, and more.

A Point of Interest nearer to Windorah shows various flood levels.

A walk about town before dinner at the pub.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 10. 26th June 2023.

Windorah to Jundah.

We travelled via Welford National Park, so backed up to East of the Cooper Creek to take the Hammond Station road. It was good dirt road. A few mobs of Kangaroos about (definitely kangaroos and not wallabies now). Passed through various cattle stations, even saw some cattle.

Stopped at the Barcoo River crossing. The bridge crossing is low and the flood markers measure up to 7 metres. Admired various water birds including the brolgas that flew by.

After crossing the river we entered Welford National Park and took the River Drive. Stopped at The Jetty, a mud-rock extension into the river. Had a lunch stop and relax by the river at the Little Boomerang camp ground.

Then on into Jundah. Relaxed in the park and took a drive out to the Thomson River while we waited for the pub to reopen (at 4pm) so that we could book into our cabin.

Dinner at the pub.

The day started with a sneaky cool westerly breeze at Windorah this morning, but the temp made it to 30 degrees today.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 11. 27th June 2023.

A day in Jundah.

We are only due into Longreach on the 28th so decided to spend a second night here …The cabin is comfy.

We walk to the other end of town to get a takeaway coffee with plans to walk back to the information centre. Get chatting with a couple along the way, and the another traveller joins us. The couple leave and we continue conversing with the lone traveller… to discover he is very good friends with a close neighbour of ours….

A good hour or so later we get to the info centre to find it doesn’t open for another 10 mins. So glad to have had the conversations to help fill our morning.

Info centre, museum, lunch at the roadhouse, then on to the Thomson River reserve where we park ourselves in the shade and relax - bird watching/photographing, reading and lazing till the evening. Cheese platter dinner and a movie.

Sunset at Jundah

Longreach/Winton Trip.

Day 12. 28th June 2023.

Jundah to Longreach.

All bitumen road except for a detour where they are upgrading it. It is even wider than one lane, in places.

We have a timeline map showing landmarks between Jundah and Stonehenge. And stop to see a Native Well and views from Swanvale Jump Up, drive through Stonehenge township, stop to take in the 360 degree views from XXXX Hill and wrote our names in rocks at the XXXX Hill rather than at The Stonehenge Address Book (we drive past it a little further along).

Arrive in Longreach for lunch and check into our ‘Luxury under canvas’ accomodation at Mitchell Grass Retreat. An anniversary treat.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 13. 29th June 2023.

Longreach.

Continental breakfast delivered to our tent.

Laze with coffee.

To The Stockmans Hall Of Fame including ‘A Stockmans Life’ live show.

Fantastic!!!

Back to base for relax and to rug up for the outdoor Luminescent Light Show at the QANTAS museum.

Also fantastic- a movie projected on the 747 as the screen, plus a few other special effects.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 14. 30th June 2023.

Firstly “Happy Anniversary, Honey! 39 very precious years married to, and sharing adventures with, you. Looking forward to many more years and adventures together.”

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 15. 1st July 2023.

An easy day - about 4 hours at the QANTAS Museum for coffee, Museum, guided tour.

Relaxed lunch at The Branch, in town. Back to the tent for a relaxing afternoon. Platter dinner with a quite unspectacular sunset.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 16. 2nd July 2023.

A rough windy night in the tent, it rained. Short heavy drizzle showers in the morning. Pack the car between them. Very little rain on the way to Winton. The drizzly showers dampen our Age of Dinosaur tours (part of it is outdoors). And it is freezing. We saw a max of 12 degrees and out of the car the breeze made it feel colder.

But the Age of Dinosaur exhibits - The site, buildings, displays, tours -are amazing.

Arrived Longreach.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 17. 3rd July 2023.

Winton. Heavy rain overnight. Overheard a cafe waitress saying 2 1/2”, and it’s still raining lightly. Our Lark Quarry tour is out of the question. Road is officially closed. And we’re booked in for 2 more nights here.

We dawdle slowly through the Waltzing Matilda Centre and Museum… beautiful presentation! The building, displays, information are interesting, there are interactive displays, and the use of light is impressive.

We take a drive about Winton. Then, to fill the afternoon, we drive out on the Boulia road to discover a great variety of birds - kites, falcons, budgies, magpies, Willy wagtails, bustards (4), heron, various other small birds.

Tonight we stay at the iconic North Gregory Hotel.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 18. 4th July 2023.

Since we had already booked to stay Winton another night we took another slow day. The clouds cleared to a sunny afternoon.

Slow coffee, then walked to the Musical Fence, revisited Arno’s Wall, wandered about a couple little museums. Then took a short drive out along the Hughenden Road before booking into motel. Paul did some work and I

mended my woollen pullover. Walked to dinner at the North Gregory. It was warm enough to sit in the beer garden tonight.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 19. 5th July 2023

A drive day. Going beyond our plans of Winton, in order to stay on the bitumen, we headed to Cloncurry. Not much to see along the way, but we stopped at the Walkabout Creek Hotel at McKinlay for lunch but found it to be the ‘pub with no food’. They only had pies that day, a few people in the front yard and verandah were eating pies, the one guy eating at the bar had scored the last one. So…Self catered Cheese and tomato on rice cakes!

We made another stop ‘somewhere that’s nowhere in particular’ for some bird watching.

The country changes again, especially after McKinlay, from the Mitchell grass plains on black soil to red soil and more shrubs and trees.

We had time for a walk around Cloncurry, including the information centre, after checking in to the half price hotel’s motel….(note: you don’t get what you don’t pay for.) But the meal at the hotel was alright.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 20. 6th July 2023.

After a sleep in and a leisurely coffee at the cafe right next door to the hotel, we headed to Chinaman Dam, stopping at the lookout to take in the 360 degree views. The red (soil), green (trees/shrubs) and blue (sky) colours are stunning (iPhone photos don’t do it justice).

At Chinaman Dam we set our chairs in the shade and Paul does some work while I go bird shooting (with my camera).

There is a project underway to provide a walking/riding track from town to the dam, and there is already a fabulous park/playground completed at the dam.

We while away the afternoon, make lunch and an afternoon cuppa. Drive back to the Cloncurry River Anabranch to check the birdlife there before a taking in the sunset with wine and cheese at the lookout.

Longreach/Winton Trip

Day 21. 7th July 2023

Cloncurry to Nelia.

Well, I guess there is always at least one… a b.gger of a night. Last night was it. 

Although we went to bed quite late, we were firstly kept awake by the pub entertainer packing his kit into his car and chatting to a guy in our neighbouring room. The neighbour was very drunk and had chosen to sit on a chair that was half across our doorway - we should have realised we’d have a problem when we got back to the room after sunset to find him in that spot in that state. (We thought he’d be in bed early). Well it’s 11.30pm and he’s loud. Then he falls asleep, snores, wakes smokes (Paul stuffs a towel under the door to stop the smoke), Paul gets to doze. Other people wander about and the neighbour joins them.. quiet… no the residents plus others have taken up kareoke after the entertainer packed up…. Kareoke gets louder, neighbour is back in the chair. 2.30am the kareoke ends… and the carport lights finally go out. Our neighbour has someone join him for a natter. Most conversations have been in ‘drunk’ language. At 3.30 am Paul finally tells them ‘enough!’

Paul gets to doze again. It’s rubbish bin day, and the truck comes bl..dy early. Alarm goes off at 7.30. Yaaawn!!!

Thankfully not driving too far today. We grab coffee and breakfast next door and head back to the Cloncurry river and the old crossing for some pics.

Then to Julia Creek - walk about town, museums and the Dunnart feeding - a pretty town and quite a contrast ro Cloncurry.

We continue on ro Nelia to stay at a farm stay…. Well here’s another story. They have quite a menagerie and authentic place but, a fire, a wine, fellow travellers to share stories with, good food, a quiet room for a good nights sleep, it’s heaven after the first 7 hours of the day.