Escape to the country, September 2021

2021 has been another “interesting” year so far, marked with surgeries, lockdowns and border restrictions but, for the most part, and in between family commitments, we have been able to make the most of it and keep doing what we love…touring! You can read all about our earlier adventures (in our boat) at manookatoo.blogspot.com - this blog is dedicated to our new adventures, in the van - Vanooka - enjoying what we can while we can.

Early in September, after completing a fortnight of compulsory hotel quarantine in order to get back to Queensland, the first mate, who should now be known as “the navigator” was able to rejoin the captain, henceforth “the driver” and start planning what next. With the weather heating up, covid threatening and no time to lose, we hitched the van onto the four wheel drive and headed west, past Ipswich and Toowoomba, turning north at Dalby and continuing on increasingly rougher roads til we reached Boondooma homestead, our first stop. As soon as we entered the property we knew we had made a great decision! Boondooma was first settled in 1864, first as a sheep station, then a cattle property, broken up in the 1920s to form smaller settlements. In 1975 Wondai council bought the homestead block for its historical importance. It is maintained by a group of volunteers and they have recreated many old buildings and returned the garden to its former glory. The peace is wonderful, the sunsets are glorious and it was a welcome relief after a busy time to wind down and enjoy doing very little. We spent two nights there. 

      

                           

We packed up early on Friday morning and were on the road just after 8am, continuing north through Munduberra, stopping at Eidsvold to make a cuppa, then Three Moons to check out the painted silos and the vege stand, before making our way on to Biloela, tonight’s stop. We arrived before lunch so, after a brief walk around we made our way to the lovely restored Biloela Hotel for a delicious meal! The afternoon was spent relaxing after our drive and we enjoyed a quiet night in.

The next morning was another early start, driving north to Gogango, then west towards Emerald before turning north onto the “Inland Way” and arriving at Clermont. This is a lovely old town, full of history, mostly about the mining of gold, copper and coal. We wandered the local streets checking out the lovely Queensland architecture, stopping for an afternoon drink at one of the local pubs. Next morning we went for a walk around the lagoon, site of one of the worst flooding disasters in Australia, when, in 1916, the river broke its banks and sixteen people drowned. As a result of this all the buildings in town were moved to higher ground, including the pub, which continued trading while it was gradually moved! An old local, Bernie, was happy to tell us the town’s history and show us some old photos and we were happy to listen to the fascinating stories. Later we enjoyed lunch in the same pub, admiring the cleverly painted rail carriages illustrating the major industries and history of the town. We enjoyed two nights in Clermont, exploring the town, driving out to Theresa Creek dam and stopping to admire the Copperfield chimney, the last one of twelve which once dominated the long-gone mining town. The walk around the lagoon, with monuments to local heroes and tragic events, was most interesting. This is a town we would certainly visit again!

  

On Monday morning we were up early, ready for a big day of driving. We continued north on the Inland Way, passing over the railway construction for the contentious Carmichael coal mine, stopping at Belyando Crossing for the only fuel available on the long stretch of road and continuing to the outskirts of Charters Towers, the next available fuel stop. Then we turned west onto the Overlanders Way, driving across the long, flat flood plains where undulations in the road mark the areas where water has affected the surface and make driving “interesting”! It had been recommended, by two different friends, that the Prairie Hotel was a great spot to stop, with caravan parking out the back for the price of a drink at the pub. The outdoor shower was a treat, the water warmed in the black poly pipe in the sun! The proprietor also serves meals in their quirky dining room, under the chandelier, and we enjoyed a great night in the company of other travelers, swapping tales of places visited and adventures had.

 Next morning, everyone was up and off early, keen to get to their next destination. We continued west, stopping at Richmond for a cuppa and continuing on to Julia Creek, where we arrived just before midday, visiting the information centre to check out the local attractions. After setting up camp and eating a quick lunch, we returned to see the Dunnart feeding and read and learn all about the McKinley shire, another fascinating historical place. It was a very warm day and the pool next door to the caravan park looked very inviting - we were told it was too cold for the locals yet - but we enjoyed it!

Wednesday was another early start, continuing west across the floodplain, stopping for a cuppa in Cloncurry before winding our way through the Barkly Range and into Mt Isa. The mine and smelter dominate the landscape in this industrial town, but there is beauty to be found in the rugged landscape that surrounds it. We visited the information centre to find out what to see and do and to enquire about the road conditions for the next part of our journey. We stocked up on lots of groceries and grog, and had a sausage sizzle lunch at Mondarra dam. We enjoyed swims in the pool each day and dinners outside in the ambient temperatures. And, most fascinating of all, we visited the underground hospital and learned all about health care in this harsh and tough environment and how the ingenuity of both the hospital and mine managers, and the dedication of volunteer miners, created a safe space in a time of war, when, after Darwin and Broome were being bombed, there was a very real threat of the same happening here.

 

 

On Friday morning our adventuring took on a new aspect. We followed the Overlanders Way west towards Camooweal then turned north towards the gulf. We drove the bitumen until it ended, then bumped our way across corrugated and dusty roads to Gregory Downs, where we turned west again, driving another 60+ kms before heading into Adels Grove, on the Lawn Hill Creek, where we camped beside the water in a shady grove of trees. It was so wonderful to get here, set up camp and enjoy a well earned swim in the delicious water! The van has lots of pockets full of bull dust and a couple of glasses didn’t make the journey, but the bumping was certainly worth it! We reflected on our luck in being here as we enjoyed a sunset drink at the bar before dinner.

The next two days were spent enjoying all that this oasis in the outback had to offer. On Saturday morning we kayaked all the way through Lawn Hill Gorge, reaching the Indarri waterfalls at the end of the middle gorge and hauling our kayaks out and over to the upper gorge to continue, before returning the same way, enjoying a well earned swim at the end of two hours of paddling. We explored our surroundings that afternoon, wandering around the vast campsite and floating in the lovely water, before enjoying a drink at the outdoor bar. On Sunday, our wedding anniversary, we drove up to Lawn Hill early to do the walks, first through the scrub and back to Indarri falls for a lovely swim, then across the top of the escarpment to Duwadarri lookout, admiring the views, climbing down the steep and rocky pathway for another swim at the other end before breakfast. We lazed the rest of the day away with swims and a refreshing dip in the rapids further down the creek, before “dressing up” to dine at the outdoor restaurant, enjoying grilled barramundi with salad and coleslaw, followed by chocolate covered profiteroles with ice cream and honeycomb, all washed down with a lovely bottle of wine! 

It is adventures (and pleasures!) like these that we intend to keep enjoying as we continue travelling through the outback, making the most of our "escape to the country"...