Towards Innamincka

After our unplanned six-night stopover in Longreach, we headed south along the Thomson Development Road. We made a brief stop in Stonehenge before continuing to the Swan Vale rest area, 40 km north of Jundah and 176 km south of Longreach.

We passed by this site many years ago, and it has remained in our memory ever since. It’s a great overnight spot with plenty of space, even for larger vans. There are sweeping views to the north, and the sunsets here are truly special.

 

A brief stop in Jundah before heading on towards Windorah. Our plan was to camp on Cooper Creek south of town, but the very strong winds made that impossible. The dust was uncontrollable, and we would have spent the rest of the day trapped inside the van.

 

A quick visit to the town to camp at the local caravan park in a non-powered site was really our best option. The park surface, similar to blue metal, offered some relief from the clouds of dust. The vans were positioned to avoid the setting sun and the powerful westerlies.

 

That afternoon, we wandered down to the local pub for several beers, and by chance, a couple I have been following on YouTube turned up to spend the evening. Here is a link to a series of clips they have produced. MrHunterjagter.
 
They were heading to Birdsville to cross the Simpson Desert. We will be in a small snippet they filmed outside the pub while we enjoyed our beers.
 
Camping beside the Kyabra waterhole has been on my bucket list for years. I have read threads about how beautiful it is, and we were not disappointed when we arrived. The waterhole is 45 km north of Eromanga, and the once dirt road connecting the Diamantina and Cooper Development roads is now fully bitumen.
 
Our group was the only one here that night, and whoever had camped here before left an abundant supply of firewood, which we gratefully used. Lamb cutlets cooked over the open fire that evening were certainly hard to beat.

Just under an hour after leaving Kyabra Waterhole, we arrived in the small town of Eromanga. This town of 400 residents claims to be the furthest from the sea in Australia. More recently, discoveries of the largest dinosaur bones ever found in Australia have been made on a nearby property.
 
We were just passing through, but we wanted to visit the Natural History Museum. The museum opened in 2016, and funds have now been granted to expand the facility with larger display areas for the growing number of discoveries currently being made.
 
Part of the expansion, which is hoped to be completed by 2020, includes upmarket accommodation and a caravan park with all facilities.
 
Dating has confirmed that this 'Titanosaur' is between 95 and 98 million years old. Its name is 'Cooper', and the following photograph shows its actual size compared to the Royal Hotel in the main street.

The Eromanga Natural History Museum offers guided, hands-on tours through its workshop laboratories and collection rooms. The hour-long tour, priced at $25, is both informative and enjoyable.

After finishing our tour, we continued southwest on the Cooper Development Road towards Noccundra. The pub is the last remaining building in this once small township. 

This is our fourth visit, and we couldn't believe how busy it was with vans lining the waterhole, although we usually pass through here later in the year. Even though it's almost in the middle of nowhere, it's just wonderful to have water views when much of the surrounding countryside looks half dead and lifeless.

On our second day, we enjoyed a few Cooper's Sparkling Ales at the pub before returning later that evening for a meal and a fine bottle of red. The pub has been serving beer since 1882, but I'm sure it wasn't as cold then as it is now.

 

From our Wilson River camp, we soon rejoined the Adventure Way, heading west towards the "Dig Tree' on Nappa Merrie Station, just across the South Australian border. On our way, we passed by the Jackson oil fields and Ballera gas fields. The oil produced at Jackson is transported to Brisbane by pipeline, and the gas from Ballera and Moomba in South Australia supplies up to 80% of the Australian population.

 

The Burke and Wills expedition of 1860-61 met a tragic end here when their support team left the "Dig Tree' site just hours before Burke, Wills, and King returned. King was the only survivor after being assisted by local Aboriginal people, and he was rescued several months later.

 

Our campsite along Cooper Creek is just a few hundred metres from the 'Dig Tree'.

Apart from the 14 km access road into the 'Dig Tree', our entire journey so far has been on bitumen, but that will change later today when we head towards Innamincka. Our first visit here was in 1994, and since then, we have returned many times over the ensuing years. In terms of infrastructure, there is the pub and trading post, showers for those who don't travel with their own, along with toilets and of course fuel. 

Camping on Cooper Creek beside the tall red gums lining both sides is truly special. The bird life in the mornings and early evenings can be quite deafening, especially with the thousands of corellas roosting in the trees.

There are many camping sites spread along the creek, including Cullyamurra Waterhole, Policeman's Waterhole, Minkie Waterhole, and Ski Beach, to name a few. Camping fees are $12.00 per night at these sites because they are within the Innamincka Regional Reserve.
 
After arriving, we drove a short distance to camp on the town common for just $5.00 a night. The only facilities here are drop toilets. The town common is located outside the Innamincka Reserve, which is why the camping fees are lower.
 
Rain fell over this area in early July, and it's impressive how the countryside responds in such a dry and dusty environment.

The evenings and early mornings have been very cold, with temperatures falling below zero. Thanks once again to our diesel heater, which makes camping so enjoyable.