Towards Yaraka

We headed south towards Blackall, which is just 84 km away.

Many years ago, we travelled from Blackall to Yaraka, with the first 39 km being bitumen. On this trip, the entire road has been upgraded except for a 5 km section that is being redone.

The road upgrade to Yaraka is only the first stage of a project to create an all-weather road connecting Birdsville with the outside world. However, if Birdsville receives any amount of rain, even a small amount, it can strand people there until the roads dry out. The two major events held each year are the Birdsville Races in September and the Big Red Bash in July, during which more than 7000 people could be stranded for up to a week.

At the Yaraka Hotel, the camping fees are $3.00 per night or $15.00 per week, payable to the hotel on behalf of the Longreach Council. Your fees include power, water, showers, and toilets, and it's the cheapest fee we have ever paid. There is also an in-ground swimming pool.

 

The hotel also operates a thirteen-seater bus to the summit of Mt Slowcombe, 12 km east, offering views of the sunset over the Mitchell Plains below. The summit provides 360-degree panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. A donation to the RFDS is required, which we were more than happy to pay to support this organisation.

Chris, the publican, gave us a rundown on the history of Yaraka and the surrounding countryside, Mt. Slowcombe, and the struggle to have a communications tower built on the summit. A visit from the then Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull helped speed up the installation. Chris mentioned that internet speeds were faster than in most capital cities.

 

Friday is pizza night, so on our return from the tour, Ros and I settled in front of the fire with a bottle of red and a pizza with a selection of toppings chosen by us.