Birdsville

13 – 16 September 2023

We left the campground and headed north again, towards Birdsville. This would be our first time in Queensland since leaving home in October 2021. Entering Queensland from South Australia would also mean another change of time zones. We arrived and were set up in the caravan park in time for lunch. Mick had been to Birdsville previously for work but this would be my first visit. Our arrival coincided with some very high forecast temperatures – mid 30’s – and we found the sudden increase a bit challenging after so long in cooler climates. We knew this would be the start of lots of hot weather and we would eventually get used to it.

We spent the afternoon quietly at the caravan park trying to escape the heat and catching up on the small mountain of washing we had accumulated. The caravan park is well set out and is just across the road from the roadhouse which doubles as the grocery store. The pub is a short walk around the corner, as is the Visitor Information Centre and Bakery, the coffee shop is only two blocks away.

After a number of very early mornings we decided to have a slower, later start to our first full day in Birdsville. After breakfast we walked down to the river at the back of the caravan park and along to the Visitor Information Centre. The centre is very well set up and was hosting an exhibition about the local area. The staff were happy to answer our questions and talk about the local attractions.

Of course there had to be some birding involved in this visit so on our second day in Birdsville we took an early morning drive the 14 kilometres out to the Waddi Trees. These ancient trees are only found in three places in Australia and Mick had been given information about some likely bird sightings there. The heat and harsh light meant that there was only a couple of hours in the early morning suitable for photography so we didn’t spend too long there. Back into town and we went for a drive to a Burke and Wills location – another tree bearing their blaze. We also had a look at the local swimming spot but unfortunately the water looked quite muddy and it was way too cold to do any more than dip your toes in.

One of the major attractions in Birdsville is the “Big Red” sand dune. We figured we should at least go out for a look, and the 35 kilometre drive in the air conditioned car would at least provide some relief from the heat. Most people take the challenge of driving to the top, but we decided against it. We were happy just to get there for a look and to take a couple of photos. No need to push the vehicle just to say we’d done it.

Arriving back into town, we decided there was another “must do” activity for us – a beer at the Birdsville Hotel. The cold beer and air conditioning was sorely needed and very much appreciated. We walked back to camp and had a couple more drinks with birding friend Paula who was also staying there.

Mick decided he needed one more session at the Waddi Trees before we left so he headed out early while I started to pack up the camp. He was back in plenty of time to finish packing and leave well before the 10:00 am check-out time. We had to fuel up and re-inflate the tyres as we would be travelling on bitumen for most of the rest of our journey. We called in to the café for a coffee before hitting the road and ended up staying quite a while chatting with the owner who is also a keen photographer. She told us stories of going out on country with her father, and the expeditions she has taken with anthropologists, archaeologists, geologists and other academics, visiting and documenting significant sites. One day she hopes to use her developing photography skills to share her cultural knowledge. It was fantastic how a simple cup of coffee lead to such an interesting conversation.

Back on the road and we continued north towards Bedourie.