Opalton

 24 - 25 June 2025

We picked up a few supplies, fuelled up and set off for Opalton - in search of the Opalton grasswren. The road is mostly unsealed, but was in reasonable condition. We stopped a couple of times to look for birds and then also to collect firewood. We knew the nights would be cold so wanted to be prepared.

We headed to the community campground - Opalton Bush Camp - and selected a site adjacent to a carport shelter. This would give us some shade and meant we wouldn't have to use the awning. The shelters look like they have been erected to collect water as each has a water tank attached. There are toilets and showers heated by a donkey boiler, but no power. It would suit us nicely for the night. 

Great set-up at Opalton

Mick set off in the afternoon to do some birding, unfortunately without much success. He returned in time to have a shower and get the fire going. Most campers come to Opalton for the fossicking, and they are a friendly bunch.

Mick headed back out in the morning, before we packed up and set off for Lark Quarry. We had booked to do the tour at 2:00pm so were on a bit of a deadline, but figured we would make it in good time.

Opalton

3 – 4 May

We stopped in Longreach for coffee, groceries and visitor information. Unfortunately they didn't have much on Opalton so we had to stop in Winton for more detail. At Winton we were able to find out that there is only one way to get there (despite our RACQ map showing a number of minor roads – station tracks perhaps). We had a picnic lunch in one of the town parks and set off for Opalton. It’s less than 10km to the turnoff and from there it’s all unsealed (about 105km). The road started off fairly good, but deteriorated as we neared our destination. It wasn't awful, but quite corrugated and rocky in parts.

Hall's Babbler. I now have pics of all the Babbler species.

We found our way to the bush camp provided and maintained by the community. It has toilets and showers heated by a donkey boiler, as well as a screened shed with tables and chairs which provides relief from the incessant flies. Great value for $2.50 per person per night. It was however, hot, dry and dusty – but what you should expect when you go to places like this.

These dapper looking little birds were almost tame in the camp ground.

Singing Honeyeater.

Inland Thornbill.

Mick was excited to see Spinifex pigeons wandering around the campground. We had a pleasant evening (once the flies went to bed) with only a couple of locals (opal miners we guessed) camped nearby.  Next stop Bladensberg National Park, with plenty of stops to photograph birds on the way.

Rufous-crowned Emu-Wren. Not a great pic but much better than none and a lifer to boot!

Jo, a fellow birder we met at Bowra suggested that we should visit Opalton some time. We decided there was no time like the present and took her advice. She said it was a good place to find Spinifexbird, Rufous-crowned Emu-wren and the elusive Hall's Babbler. We struck out on the Spinifexbird but found the Babblers on the way out and the Emu Wrens on the way back, two out of three ain't bad! Mick.