Sunset at the Sunset Caravan Park, Mt Isa.

We arrived in Port Melbourne after a night on the Spirit of Tasmania in July with three months of travel in front of us. It had been quite beautiful weather in Tassie, but was freezing when we arrived in Melbourne and were on the Hume Highway heading to Wodonga to spend the night at the Wodonga Showgrounds. The town of Wodonga seemed to be undergoing a major retail development, with lots of money being spent, and as we walked around, we discovered more than a few separate retail precincts.

The next day we headed to Albury, Burrumbuttock, Walbundrie, Lockhart, and then Narrandera, where we camped at Brewery Flat,  a free camp with toilets and lots of trees. The weather remained cool, around nine degrees. We stopped in Leeton, a beautiful town, and a place the poet Henry Lawson stayed for a short while. At the time it was considered a dry town and no alcohol was allowed, so Henry was able to concentrate on his writing. We were informed it was one of his more creative periods. We also ventured into Mick’s Bakery, and while I was attempting to choose from an amazing array of cakes, a kind gentleman gave me a history lesson of the area. Leeton was a town many immigrants moved to to work on the Murrumbidgee irrigation scheme. Close by was the town of Griffith, and at the time of our arrival locals were making  preparations to commemorate the anniversary of the disappearance of drug campaigner Donald McKay, who walked into a hotel in Griffith for a drink after work and was never seen again. Griffith was named after architect Walter Burley Griffin. It is a large, spacious town, definitely worth visiting.

Lake Cargelligo, NSW

Hanwood was our next stop, where we visited the famous McWilliam’s Winery - which boasts six generations of McWilliam’s winegrowers - and then Steggles Chicken Store for a wonderful variety of products for great prices. We then arrived at Lake Wyangan, a great free camp with clean toilets, beautiful views, and a maximum 72 hour stay. There was also a deer enclosure. On we drove through  farming properties with lots of citrus trees and nuts. We bought a large bag of oranges from a roadside cart for $3. We camped at another fantastic free camp called Lake Cargelligo, where we met up with our friends, Shayne and Jodie. The town of Lake Cargelligo may be small, but it’s home to a generous amount of shops and a petrol station, located only four kilometres from the campsite. Locals brought around free firewood, mandarins, and lemons to the camp, and we all had a chat. We ended up staying here for a few days.

Headed north we stopped in Cobar. Lots of emus, sheep, cattle, and wild goats to be seen. We stayed at a free camp just the other side of town called Newey Lake Reserve, and explored the town the next morning. It’s a lovely well kept and clean town with lots of really unique shops. Then it was off to Bourke, about 160kms away. It was mainly scrub on the side of the road, and again hundreds of wild goats and some emus. At a nearby caravan park it was $38 for a narrow site, right next to the dump point. However, we joined fellow campers for a dinner of fish and chips ($6 per person, provided by the caravan park owners), and ended up having a very enjoyable  night. We thought Bourke a tired town, but check out the Darling River for a great photo opportunity though, and the Men’s Shed and local gallery. Fred Hollows was buried in Bourke Cemetery.

Winton, Central West Queensland, restored hotel, Emerald

CONTINUING ON TO QUEENSLAND

On to Cunnamulla, another 265kms along the road. It’s flat scrub country with plenty of emus about. At this point of our trip we left behind outback NSW and entered Queensland. Cunnamulla Hotel provides free camping behind the hotel. It’s a great spot with free toilet and shower facilities up a flight of stairs. We had a drink at the pub and talked to a few locals. We decided to walk around town, but many of the shops were closed for a mid-afternoon siesta. Be sure to visit the Cunnamulla Tourist Information Centre on your stay.

That night we decided (along with the rest of the campers behind the pub) to order dinner at the pub to support our free camping hosts and a great night was enjoyed by all. The following day, just outside Cunnamulla, we passed a new facility costing $16 million, purpose-built to process wild goats for exporting. A brilliant and innovative idea bringing money and employment to the area.

Our next stop: Charleville. Drought has affected this area, and it was evident as we drove along passing the road kill and starved wallabies. As a result of the past four to five years of drought, many stations have had to de-stock. Between Cunnamulla and Charleville, at a place called Warrego, we stopped at a unique café and shop. Outside tables, chairs, and umbrellas were spread about, and we enjoyed pots of tea, plunger coffee, and fabulous Devonshire scones. Very unique and interesting gifts were also available, as were grocery items and overnight camping options.

We then drove through the towns of Morven and Mitchell, both worth stopping at for their museums and local history. At this point we headed east to Roma for an overnight stay. It’s a large, spread out town with another fantastic Information Tourist Centre. We camped at Ups N Downs Bush Camp, where it’s $20 for a powered site, with combined shower and  toilet ensuites, and a fantastic camp kitchen. A resident pig by the name of Sideways walks around and greets the new campers.

Next we went through the towns of Injune and Springsure. We stayed at a free camp just outside of Springsure organised by the Lions Club. The mountains behind the campsite are called Virgin Rocks and are lit up at night. Fellow campers played their guitars and sang gospel songs. It was a night to remember. Hitting the road again, we arrived in Emerald, 65kms away, where we stayed at the free camp near the Botanical Gardens, one we recommend for convenience. It was dusty, and there wasn’t a lot of room, so get there early in the day if possible. Across the road you will find a Coles supermarket and a few shops. The gardens are lovely, with pleasant walking trails, toilets, and barbecues. It isn’t far to walk into town, and there are lots of shops, an information centre, and historical buildings. Upon our return to our free camping spot, we were fortunate to see a man selling fresh seafood from his van; lots of chatting followed and next thing we knew it was prawns and whiting for dinner.

Riding a tractor in Ilfracombe

Our travels continued through the towns of Anarchie, Alpha, Jericho (all have shops selling gemstones,  mainly sapphires), and Baracaldine, where we camped at a freebie about 5kms out of town. We drove back into town the next day, and it has a fantastic selection of shops, about five hotels, an old railway station, and the Tree of Knowledge Memorial. We read about the shearers’ revolt in 1891, brought about due to the lack of pay and poor working conditions. About 14 people were jailed for four years, but released after two and a half. This incident led to the beginning of the Australian Workers Party. We camped at the Homestead Caravan Park in town that night. It’s $25 for a powered site. All campers were invited to be entertained by a country and western singer at 4.30pm, and free damper and billy tea were provided. We thoroughly recommend this park, and suggest you visit the Australian Workers Heritage Centre in town.

Continuing our journey we called in at Ilfracombe. Don’t miss this special place. It has a museum located all along the main street featuring fascinating buildings, replicas of living conditions in the old days, old cars, Cobb & Co, and it’s free to explore and managed by volunteers. When we come across towns such as this, we make sure we spend money in the town. So it was morning tea at the local  café, and then a trip to the post office – which was such a treat! It also sold second hand clothes, gifts, and had a massage studio in the same building as well. That’s enterprising!

It’s only 27kms to Longreach and our first stop was at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame, which costs $54 for two people or around $100 for two that included the outdoor show as well. We were captivated for several hours. The town also has a Qantas Founders Outback Museum ($30 per person) and the Powerhouse Museum ($8 per person). We stayed at a free camp just outside of town, called the Longreach Apex Riverside Park, along with about 150 other campers.

Next stop, Winton. A hotel on the corner at the end of town suggested Tattersalls Caravan Park, which offer powered sites for $30 per night. Sites were over two levels, and facilities include portable units for showers and toilets, and a very clean and free washing machine. The hotel had great meals that were reasonably priced. The Waltzing Matilda Centre is due to reopen in April, 2018. One event not to miss is the chicken racing at a nearby hotel on the main road. Held every afternoon, the chickens are auctioned off for the race with the (human) winner receiving a fair  portion of the takings, while the remainder goes to a different charity each week. It’s a lot of fun with plenty of laughs. This was followed by poetry of Banjo Patterson.

Then we headed through the towns of Kyuna and McKinlay, where the famous Crocodile Dundee hotel is located. Then through Cloncurry and onwards to Mt Isa. Locals at Cunnamulla told us that we would smell the distinct mining odours as we approached Mt Isa, but this was not the case for us. We liked the terrain approaching the town: rugged, rocky, and colourful. We came across two memorials, one dedicated to the indigenous people of the area, and the other to Burke and Wills. Mt Isa was fascinating, especially with the huge mining stacks situated on the hills just behind town. We stayed at the Sunset Caravan Park for $38.50 per powered site. The park was very adequate, with a swimming pool, shady sites, a great community  kitchen, and large laundry. There are mining tours to choose from, lots to see and explore - including the Underground Hospital. One could spend at least a few days here.

After exploring Mt Isa, on the way back to Cloncurry, we stopped and camped for a few days at Lake Corella. It’s a beautiful free camp with no facilities, but almost every site enjoyed a lake view. Around 4pm cows came out to graze right next to us. Campers with the right gear were busily catching lots of red claw in the lake. Some kayakers were also enjoying themselves and told us they saw a few freshwater crocodiles about. We thoroughly recommend this beautiful spot.

Returning to stock up at Cloncurry, we moved on to Julia Creek, which was another bonus in our travels. This free camp was well looked after by volunteer camp hosts. It was fairly busy with campers, but we had ample room. We were lucky enough to get in  early and secure a spot right next to the creek. Happy hour occurs every day around 5pm at the camp host’s site. The local council were urging campers to place their receipts for purchases bought in the town in a tin to show how much money is being spent locally. Our receipts amounted to quite a bit, after having a fantastic lunch at a nearby hotel, stocking up on Tassie cider, groceries, and fuel. We also made several gift purchases at the wonderful Tourist Information Complex, which is comprised of a lovingly restored Fettlers Cottage containing loads of history on the area and an interesting DVD depicting interviews with locals living in the area. There is also dunnart feeding at the centre twice a day, for $5 per adult. You can easily walk from the free camp to town. There are restrictions on how many days you can stay however, and campers must be self-contained.

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Written: Sun 01 Apr 2018
Printed: April, 2018
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