After spending five days camping at the Town Common, we left Birdsville to ensure that our trip to Betoota would be safe from accidents caused by speeding drivers, stones kicked up, and damage to our Chev.
This is the same route we took in 2019 after our last Bash visit, and we were surprised this time by just how good the road conditions were. In 2019, the conditions were so poor that we had to revert to driving outside the road markers to avoid the constant corrugations. This time, the only issue we faced was flooded causeways caused by recent rains. We planned to camp at Betoota, but after making such good progress, we decided to drive a few more hundred kilometres and camp in Windorah. The remaining gravel section was in as good condition as our previous experience to Betoota, so we had a brief stop at Betoota for pies and a T-shirt for me before heading on.
It's terrific how the country awakens after rain, including the Sturt Stony Desert we passed through, with a charming green hue showing through the gibber stones.
Ros needed a hot wash, so we stayed at an unpowered site at Windorah Caravan Park. Apart from that, camping at Cooper Creek could be risky after the rain. Our next day's drive was just 130 kilometres to Swan Vale Rest Area, where we had camped before. Last time, it was busy, but this time, we had the place to ourselves, although two vans stopped for lunch before leaving. The rest area is situated on top of an escarpment, with two lookouts facing west, so usually, if it's been a cloudy day, the sunsets are spectacular. Unfortunately, we had a clear day, but it was still quite lovely.
The road surface from Swan Vale to Longreach is quite rough. It's mostly a single-lane bitumen road, and the cattle grids are very harsh; you can easily damage the truck and van if you don't slow right down. We left pretty early on our way to Longreach, where we hadn't organised any accommodation, and we were completely taken aback by the number of caravans, with all the parks full to capacity.
We wouldn't have stayed in a park, especially since the vans were almost touching each other. Our only option was to stay at Apex Park, several kilometres outside town beside the Thompson River. That might sound pleasant, but it's essentially a dust bowl, and everything gets covered when the wind picks up. It costs $5 per night, with rubbish bins and potable water available. We needed to stock up on groceries, fuel, and other essentials before embarking on a two-day trip.
However, we did find a spot to camp away from the main area, with parched grass behind our van that helped reduce the dust, though the prickles were quite dreadful. Whenever we stay in Longreach, we love having lunch at the Merino Bakery, as they make the best salad sandwiches, so naturally, that was our plan for the two days. On the first day, we dined at the bakery with iced coffee, but took our sandwiches home on the second day and enjoyed them with a freezing Cooper's Pale Ale. To say we were relieved to leave Longreach would be an understatement; nonetheless, we spent $1,425.19 on purchases, including fuel and $30 at the local car wash to keep "Betty" looking her best, as she’s accustomed to. We camped for the next three nights at Redbank Park outside Jerico, 190 kilometres east of Longreach. We arrived early and secured a pitch with grass on either side, making for a very relaxing stay.
We wouldn't have stayed in a park, especially since the vans were almost touching each other. Our only option was to stay at Apex Park, several kilometres outside town beside the Thompson River. That might sound pleasant, but it's essentially a dust bowl, and everything gets covered when the wind picks up. It costs $5 per night, with rubbish bins and potable water available. We needed to stock up on groceries, fuel, and other essentials before embarking on a two-day trip.
However, we did find a spot to camp away from the main area, with parched grass behind our van that helped reduce the dust, though the prickles were quite dreadful. Whenever we stay in Longreach, we love having lunch at the Merino Bakery, as they make the best salad sandwiches, so naturally, that was our plan for the two days. On the first day, we dined at the bakery with iced coffee, but took our sandwiches home on the second day and enjoyed them with a freezing Cooper's Pale Ale. To say we were relieved to leave Longreach would be an understatement; nonetheless, we spent $1,425.19 on purchases, including fuel and $30 at the local car wash to keep "Betty" looking her best, as she’s accustomed to. We camped for the next three nights at Redbank Park outside Jerico, 190 kilometres east of Longreach. We arrived early and secured a pitch with grass on either side, making for a very relaxing stay.
Our next evening was spent at a gravel pit west of Comet and 250 kilometres west of Jerico, which I read about on Wikicamps. It had two entrances and was far enough from the road that we didn't hear passing traffic during the evening. It is now a favourite for future travels through this area.
Another quite short day today, covering just one hundred and thirty-three kilometres to a town with a pleasant camping spot. We have camped in Duaringa several times over the years. We're happy to pay the $10 donation even though we don't use the facilities. We had planned to stay for two nights, but the road noise overnight changed that to just one, and we will now avoid this site in the future.
Our plans for the next two nights were to stay at Heritage Park in Biloela, but as we drove past, it looked busy with vans lined up like a caravan park, and the site was on dirt, so it didn't appeal to us. Instead, we drove another thirty-seven kilometres south to a different site that allows seventy-two hours of camping. The site, known as Lawgi Dawes Hall, provides toilets, potable water, cold showers, and rubbish bins. Last night, sixteen vans camped here without feeling crowded; it's just our kind of camping. It's so peaceful here with no road noise at night, so we've decided to stay the seventy-two hours here at just $5 per night.
With only sixty-five kilometres to drive today, we headed further south through hilly countryside towards Monto. A self-contained stopover is nearly in the town centre, so we stayed there and enjoyed our lunch and beers at the Grand Hotel.
The next day, we went to the Heritage Railway site at Gayndah, where our single day visit turned into a two-day stay.
We've highlighted the shocking condition of Queensland roads before, but we still can't grasp how bad they truly are. It's no pleasure to drive on them, let alone try to keep the vehicle and van on the road. Today’s short journey was just over one hundred kilometres to a free camp in the small town of Kilkivan. There's not much to say about this town apart from the fantastic butcher in the main street, where we bought four packs of their delicious smoked bacon. It's impossible to find 100% Australian bacon at any supermarket, as the percentages range from 18% to around 40% Australian content.
Days later, we learned that people travelled long distances to buy meat from this butcher. Since we were going to pass by again in a few days, we definitely planned to stop and purchase more meat.
We spent the next three evenings camping on the southern outskirts of Gympie. A site on Wiki known as The Top Paddock is a large mowed area with potable water available at $15 per night per couple. This was an excellent stopover, as we met family for lunch on one of our days, and I caught up with a dear friend I had known since boarding school in Brisbane from 1967 to 1970.
We spent the next three evenings camping on the southern outskirts of Gympie. A site on Wiki known as The Top Paddock is a large mowed area with potable water available at $15 per night per couple. This was an excellent stopover, as we met family for lunch on one of our days, and I caught up with a dear friend I had known since boarding school in Brisbane from 1967 to 1970.
Our van was booked in at Bushtracker on Monday, so we drove to camp outside the factory in Kunda Park on Sunday.
Our awning was repaired along with a few minor issues. We also purchased an anti-flap kit and an extra pump as a spare in case we encounter any future problems. We headed back on the road just after lunch and returned to The Top Paddock at Gympie for one more evening.
