Still Travelling Part 2

Thursday 17th May--- Departed Cooladdi around 9.30am and travelled via Quilpie on to Windorah. Here we stayed at the Council Van Park - $16 per night included power, water and hot showers. This was to be a 2 night stop to give us time to look around the area prior to moving on. We had contemplated camping at Cooper's Creek but decided the fly population was a little too crowded for our liking.
Friday 18th May---- We decided to take the 12km Nature Drive starting at Cooper's Creek.

Cooper's Creek Bridge

The drive explored the local vegetation with many species of trees identified as well as some of the local history highlighted.
This included information on McPhellamy's Crossing, the original crossing of the Cooper, which has now been replaced by a bridge due to the problems with flooding.

McPhellamy's Crossing

 Visited the Info Centre, refuelled at the servo and enjoyed a very good lunch at the pub. The OWO spent several hours socialising with some of the other gents camped at the park.
Saturday 19th May--- Today we departed Windorah rather late at 10.45am. We continued our journey along the Diamantina Development Road on our way to the Diamantina NP. Along the way we stopped to observe some waterbirds on a waterhole beside the road.

Red-kneed Dotterel

We encountered several km's of roadworks and stopped at the JC Hotel ruins. Nothing much to see there now, however, an interesting history. Built around 1884 it was purchased in 1956 by the owner of Waveney to close the doors as his stockmen were being led astray and wasting their money. One way to control your employees.

Mt Henderson

We expected the travel from Windorah to the NP to be slow going but found the road in excellent condition. Had we started around 9am we would have made the NP today. However, the OWO decided to call it quits around 2.45pm and we camped near Davenport Creek. No traffic at all on this road so quite isolated but quiet and beautiful.

Mt Henderson

The countryside between Windorah and Davenport Creek was ever-changing. Red sand dunes, treeless plains with miles and miles (we are showing our age) of nothing but spinifex or black gibber granite, interspersed with dry creeks and water channels, and sparse vegetation. Such a harsh but beautiful country. However did those pioneers, and especially their wives, survive the harshness and solitude. And what would possess anyone to travel into these areas in the 1800's.

 

Saturday 20 May --- A much earlier start today departing at 8.30 am from our camp near Davenport Creek. Just as we were about to leave a young man drove past then came back to check we were okay.The only vehicle we saw in 20 hrs on these roads.

Diamantina NP Southern Entrance

Davenport Creek camp

The road into the NP was well graded and we travelled at an average speed of 80kph. It was 32 km from the park entry to the Ranger's Office at Diamantina Homestead.Along the way we passed over the channels of the great Diamantina river. Although most of the area looked dry, arid and flat there pockets of green alongside the channels where a few waterholes still held water after the floods in March. There were many claypans where the water had dried. It was lovely to see the homestead and many of the outbuildings have been preserved and maintained. The Information area, where you can get a map of the Park, is a must to visit.
The drive out to Hunters Gorge campground passed over several channels of the river. These would be impassable in the wet season but at this time of the year they are like little oases. The campground is close by a permanent waterhole and, on our arrival, there were a large flock of pelicans on the water.

Australian Pelicans

Apart from the millions of annoying bush flies this will be a lovely spot to camp and explore for the next three days.

Wednesday 23 May --- 6.45am. After 3 nights in the NP, today we must continue on our way to Mareeba via Townsville.

Despite the tiny bush flies we have enjoyed the peace and tranquility camped beside the Mundawerra Waterhole. Here, apart from the pelicans, we have observed White-necked Herons, Red-backed Kingfishers, Red-capped Robins, Yellow-billed Spoonbills, Zebra Finches, Black Kites & Nankeen Kestrels.

Red-capped Robin

During our stay we explored several areas of the Park. We have been amazed by the diverse landscapes we have seen around the park. There is beauty everywhere if you but look. On Monday we drove to Janet's Leap Lookout. From this point we looked down on the channels of the Diamantina, a forest valley of green on one side and dry gibber plains behind us.

 

View from Janet's Leap

The gap between the Hamilton and Goyder Ranges (Diamantina Gates), where the flood waters from the northern areas flow into the Diamantina Channels,  can be seen from here. What a magnificent sight it would be in the wet season. On our way we saw a beautiful Dingo near the first waterhole crossing and a Jabiru at the second crossing.

Gum Hole Yards

Returning to the campsite we detoured to the 2nd campground, Gumhole. Another lovely area situated beside another permanent but smaller waterhole. Smaller shady sites more suited for tents. The 90 km Warracoota Circuit Drive begins near here but unfortunately was closed due to severe washouts after the floods in April. As it was one of the areas we wanted to explore we will have come back when it is open. We did, however, drive out to the Gumhole Yards, made entirely of post and rail fencing using gidgee and coolibah, and the remains of a makeshift stock camp beside a permanent waterhole. Reminders that this NP was once a 507,000 ha (1,252,824 acres) cattle station, established in 1875, with over 12,000 head of cattle. Tuesday was planned to be a day canoeing at the camp waterhole. Unfortunately, due to excessive winds, that did not happen. Instead the OWO went bird watching and Mrs OWO stayed inside, fly-free, and enjoyed several hours with her needle and thread.

As we continue on our journey who knows what today will bring as we travel along unknown roads towards our next over-night stop at Middleton.