Julia Creek

Saturday morning, the 12 August, we left Gregory and headed to Julia Creek.

So that means we are now heading home. Originally I had planned that if there was time we would  visit Normanton and Karumba on the Gulf coast and then go to Cobolt Gorge and the Lava Tubes on the way home. But it didn't work out that way. But that was just as well as I think it was better to see things on the way rather than rush on past things and miss them. Our main destination was Adel's Grove and Lawn Hill so I am glad we got to do that. The rest can wait for another trip.

There are plenty of road trains up here.

The road from Burke and Wills Roadhouse is mostly a single lane road so if a road train approaches you have to get off the road totally. You do not want his nearside wheels running along the stones on the side of the road flicking them up at you, trust me. 


We went straight into the caravan park at Julia Creek so we could do some washing. After setting up and putting a load of washing on we went down to the RV Friendly Camp and spoke to the camp host. We liked it so we decided to go there next morning, Sunday, and check out the town. They do a Monday night bush dinner that the town hosts for campers. Cost about $15 a head which is cheap enough but we don't feel that keen about it so will head off on Monday morning.

Sunday morning we went down to the RV Friendly camp. Luckily a van which was in perhaps the best spot pulled out as we drove in. You beauty.




There were two brolgas hanging around camp and digging around for food. I wish I could get a video of them flying. That would be cool.



We went to the Information Centre where they have a display of dunnarts. They are a very cute little critter which are close to extinction. There is a concerted effort to save them. Unfortunately there was a blackout at the display and they could not allow people in. So the photos I have are of a video.


We stayed at the Information Centre for a while watching videos of various aspects of Julia Creek and the McKinlay Shire. They have done a great job at the Information Centre. 

We then had a look at the display of the Lighthorse Regiment in the First World War which honours the men of the McKinlay Shire who were part of the Regiment.


Not a big staff working at the Julia Creek RSL.

We had lunch at the Julia Creek Hotel. Great food and beer.




In the pub there was this poem on the wall from a guy whose mate had died. Phillip Wilson had been an accomplished cowboy and rodeo rider. Sorry about the quality. 


The town really try to promote the presence of tourists, particularly the RV market. The council runs the caravan park and the RV Friendly campground. They do it well and it pays big dividends. The girl from the Information Centre said that even though the district has had four years of drought, not one business has closed down. The reason is the caravanners and RV people coming through and hanging around. Take a note other towns.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cunnamulla, Charleville and Slim Dusty

Image
On Wednesday morning before leaving the Bourke Kidman Camp we took a walk down to the Darling River. Back in 2013 on our ‘First Big Trip’ we took a ride on the Jandra Paddlesteamer from this location. It was a great little cruise but the walk down to the river was all we wanted this time. So off we went and crossed over into QLD. At Cunnamulla we stopped for lunch and to check out the town, but mainly to take in the Cunnamulla Fella story. The Cunnamulla Fella was imortalised in song by the author/singer, Stan Coster, and the singer of the song who made it famous, Slim Dusty. Back in the 50s snd 60s when Australia was still riding on the sheep’s back to a large degree, there were many young men who worked on the numerous sheep stations. They would work from sun up to sundown, many of them as young as 15 and 16, chasing scrubbers and breaking in horses. At the end of the day they would sit around campfires on their saddles or swags yarning about the days events. The towns...
Read more

Mitchell Free Camp - Niel Turner Wier

Image
We left Ilfracombe just after 7am on Thursday the 17th. We normally do not get on the road before 8.30am but we had a huge drive ahead of us, 580kms. That was maybe the longest drive we have done with the van on. We had decided to have two nights at St George on the way home and as we had indulged at Ilfracombe for two nights we had to cut out a destination in between which was Blackall. But I had a good sleep the night before and it was a great drive. It did not seem to be drag at all. We pulled in to the Niel Turner Wier free camp at Mitchell. I originally wanted go to the Fisherman's Rest camp but I missed the turn off. There would of been no water there so it would not have looked as good as it does in the Camps 7 book. There were so many vans and RVs  at the wier. The drought is still in full force and the wier is not actually holding back any water. There is water sitting in lower depressions in the river. It is a nice spot but it would be a be beautiful spot in a good ...
Read more

St George

Image
Friday   the 18 th we left Mitchell for St George. We went via Roma which is quite a big town. We had a short walk on the main street to check it out and then head off again to St George. We stayed at the caravan park closest to town, the St George Caravan Park. I wanted to stay there as it was closest to the river. However, we had to unhitch as there are no large spots. First time we could not hitch up the afternoon before we left for ages. We took a walk down to the Balonne River. This plaque says it all. The crossing referred to on the plaque was just a natural rocky crossing. The weir and bridge are now in place. You can see areas that Mitchell may have crossed but there is a bridge and weir in place now which changes the way it would have been back then. Unfortunately we did not get photos of the river in that area. Saturday morning we did the tourist drive around St George which takes you to E J Beardmore Dam and then to another weir, various dams, chann...
Read more