After spending two days camped just outside Longreach, we were heading towards Winton, but just thirty-two kilometres north-west of Longreach, it is possible to camp on the banks of the Darr River. We have passed by here at least six times, so we decided why not. Arriving early allowed us the benefit of choosing from several sites.
We would have liked to spend more time here than just the two days, but we will no doubt return again on another occasion.
The drive to Winton follows the railway line for its entire 140-kilometre distance. Along the way, we came across piles of wooden sleepers that we would usually stop to gather for our campfire cooking, but unfortunately, there wasn't enough room for us to safely park beside the highway.
Arriving in Winton, we refuelled, replenished our water, and then stopped at the bakery for lunch before continuing for another sixty-five kilometres to camp behind a mesa-like structure for the evening in the Ayrshire Hills.
The drive to Winton follows the railway line for its entire 140-kilometre distance. Along the way, we came across piles of wooden sleepers that we would usually stop to gather for our campfire cooking, but unfortunately, there wasn't enough room for us to safely park beside the highway.
Arriving in Winton, we refuelled, replenished our water, and then stopped at the bakery for lunch before continuing for another sixty-five kilometres to camp behind a mesa-like structure for the evening in the Ayrshire Hills.
It was nice to see the hills after spending the whole day driving through a seemingly endless landscape of featureless grasslands. I spent that afternoon cutting gidgee to use in our campfires and loaded it onto the front of the van.
The grasslands extended for another 160 kilometres, dotted with occasional trees along the dry creek beds, until we passed through McKinlay. Gum trees and low shrubs began to appear, and as we drew closer to Cloncurry, the hills grew larger, which was a pleasant surprise.
It was just 65 kilometres to our next camp at Mary Kathleen uranium town site.
This is our fifth visit here, but I first came to Mary Kathleen nearly fifty years ago when a school friend's parents were caretakers after the mine closed. All the buildings were still there, and it felt eerie with just the five of us. We even had a VB beer still on tap at the bowling club.
We’re camping here for a fifth day, and although over eighty vans have been here each day, the area is so spacious that no one is crowded. The drive out to the open-cut mine is seven kilometres, taking about half an hour each way because of the road’s condition.
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