Hi everyone
We have had a quiet few days since our last update. As we left Birdsville we used the local wash down bay to clean the mud off the caravan and car from the muddy track that we had been on a few days ago. It was very thick mud and needed the strong, hot water direct from the Artesian Basin.
The caravan looks clean but it had been covered in mud.
The road east from Birdsville passes over vast gibber plains and countless creeks, currently all dry. During, and long after rains, these creeks flow into either the Diamantina River or Coopers Creek and eventually into Lake Eyre. This is Queensland’s Channel Country, currently dry but occasionally a sea of brown water. After 280 km of rough, corrugated road we stopped at a rest area in the middle of nowhere, with no-one else nearby. Next morning we awoke to see that 3 road trains had pulled in after we had gone to bed but they had not caused a problem.
Next morning we drove to the tiny but pleasant town of Windorah, then camped 10 km away, beside Coopers Creek. Although lots of people camped on the eastern side of the creek we camped on the western side without anyone within 100m. Today the Creek had little water flowing but at times a raging current floods the banks and the dry, flat land to the horizon. (There was supposed to be a photo here but it wouldn’t download.)
Further east we arrived at Quilpie, a really nice town of about 800 inhabitants. With a couple of hotels, a bakery a good coffee shop and a reasonable caravan park, it is worth a couple of days.
The hot baths at Quilpie, with water from the Great Artesian Basin
We will be moving on soon, not sure where so you’ll have to wait for the next instalment
Keep safe. Love from Ted and Jo
Ted and Jo 