Towards Mary Kathleen

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. 

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.

Retracing Our Steps Through Queensland to Longreach

After our visit to the Sunshine Coast, we retraced our steps from the past two weeks, but this time, we camped in different locations and covered more ground during our daily drives.

After leaving Gympie, we stopped again in Kilkivan to visit the butcher on the main street, where we bought more bacon, scotch fillet steak, and crumbed lamb cutlets, spending over $150.00. Our journey then took us through Goomeri, with a brief stop in Gayndah to purchase groceries, before heading to the Eidsvold Showground for the evening, so Ros could catch up on our laundry using our 4kg Camec washing machine. We used more water than the $20 fee covered for camping there that night.

Our travels the following day took us through Monto and Biloela, with a plan to camp at a place called Lake Victoria on Wiki. However, for the past two hours, we had travelled through rain, although once reaching the turnoff from the highway, the rain stopped. We took the dirt road for three kilometres before arriving at a gate to the lake turnoff, which was definitely black soil. With light rain falling again, we decided to abandon our planned stopover.

From there, we headed to Dululu, but after driving past the campsite, we decided it was not suitable for us. Therefore, we continued to Duaringa, where we had previously said we would never camp again because of the road noise. However, this time, we found a spot further from the highway.

From here, we passed through Blackwater and Emerald before stopping outside Alpha at a free camp. The site is close to the highway, but the road noise subsides in the early evening, allowing us to enjoy a peaceful and quiet night.

A short drive today of just over fifty-four kilometres to stay once again at Redbank Park outside Jericho, before heading through Barcaldine and on to Longreach for possibly two nights. It would be lovely to camp beside this waterhole at Redbank Park. Unfortunately, it would mean camping under towering river gums. 

We previously mentioned the shocking condition of the roads in Queensland. Since leaving Gympie and passing Emerald, about eight hundred kilometres away, the roads have been a disgrace. The roads have improved considerably around Alpha and through to Jericho, and the rest of our trip over the next week or two will continue similarly. 

We are again staying at Apex Park, five kilometres outside Longreach. Upon our early arrival this morning, we managed to secure an excellent site with the van sitting on dry grass, alongside a fence line that runs beside and behind the van. This means we will not be too worried if the wind picks up, as there is much less chance of being covered in dust, unlike two weeks ago.

Unplanned Sunshine Coast Visit

 After spending five days camping at the Town Common, we left Birdsville to ensure that our journey 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 drive 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 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 wonderful how the country awakens after rain, including the Sturt Stony Desert we drove through, with a lovely green hue showing through the gibber stones.

Ros needed a hot wash, so we stayed at an unpowered site at Windorah Caravan Park. Aside from that, camping at Cooper Creek might 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. As a result, if it's been a cloudy day, the sunsets are usually spectacular. Unfortunately, we had a clear day, but it was still quite lovely.

The road from Swan Vale to Longreach is quite rough. It's mainly 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 quite early on our way to Longreach, where we hadn't arranged 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 nearly 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 basically 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 starting 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, although 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 visited the Heritage Railway site at Gayndah, where our single-day trip turned into a two-day stay. 

We've highlighted the shocking condition of Queensland roads before, but we still struggle to fully grasp the extent of their deterioration. 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 discovered 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 buy 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.

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 bought an anti-flap kit and an extra pump as a spare in case we face any future problems. We headed back on the road shortly after lunch and returned to The Top Paddock at Gympie for one more evening.