Derby

6 – 8 September 2022

We turned off the Great Northern Highway onto the Derby Highway and stopped to have lunch at a picnic area near the “Long Trough”. Myall’s Bore feeds the 120 metre cattle trough via a windmill and is a good spot for birds – just not in the middle of the day. Nearby is another prison tree – a giant boab with a hollow that was used as a “lock-up” to hold aboriginal prisoners being walked to Derby. It is now considered a sensitive site and there is lots of interpretative information about its history and significance to the local aboriginal population. It is another stark reminder of the harsh treatment of our First Nations people.

From there we drive back down the Gibb River Road – about 15 kilometres on bitumen - to Birdwood Downs Station. We have come to appreciate the many station stays available in remote areas and this one is quite well set up. On arrival we noticed a brochure about a bird hut near the water treatment ponds. Great news – long trough and poo ponds!

Because sunrise is around 5:45 am in this part if the country we found it easy to be up and on the road before 7:00 am. Our first stop was the long trough and surrounding boggy ground where there wasn’t much of interest. From there we made our way to the water treatment ponds and found the bird hut. From there we drove on down a dirt track to another body of water where there were heaps of birds. Mick spent a good bit of time there before we headed in to town.

Derby is another town with a bad reputation, but which we found to be much nicer than last time we visited. We drove down to the circular jetty and went for a short walk. In 1991 we were able to walk all the way around, but not this time. The circular shape allows cattle trucks to be driven on and off easily. We went and had a look at some sculptures on the mud flats and then found the local library where we did some computer work while enjoying the air conditioning. Derby has a very good bakery so we stopped there and at the supermarket too, before heading back to camp.

We had wanted to spend three days at Birdwood Downs but there are no powered sites and our lovely shady trees prevented us from getting the solar power we needed. With temperatures still reaching the mid – high thirties the fridge/freezer was drawing heaps of power. We had to leave after two nights, including one chatting to fellow travellers in the communal area.

We decided we could fit in another early morning session at the wetland created by the treated wastewater so made an early start. Mick was very happy with the number and variety of birds around and happily lay on the ground for nearly 2 hours. Eventually we had to leave and fuelled up then called into the bakery and supermarket before heading back to camp to pack up and set off again.

We had a night to fill in before we were due at Barn Hill Station so were not sure where we would stay the night as we headed south on the highway.