Mount Isa

 30 June - 1 July 2025

Neither of us really wanted to stay in Mount Isa but it seemed like the best option for an overnighter so we headed west from Mary Kathleen. Before making our final decision we drove out to Lake Moondara and had morning tea there. There are lovely picnic areas with toilets and showers as well at the lake, and lots to explore if you wanted to spend some time there.

Finally deciding to stay, we headed back to the nearby caravan park and settled in to get some jobs done and to restock before going into some smaller, less well resourced places. We did some washing and then went in to town for groceries and fuel. We repacked and tidied the car and then booked our next stay in a National Park.

Before we left we refilled the water tank and checked that the road we would travel on was open - it was - and set off around 9:30, bound for Miyumba Campground in the Riversleigh section of Boodjamulla National Park.

A roadside stop on the way to Riversleigh

Mary Kathleen

 29 - 30 June 2025

We left Cloncurry after visiting the Sunday markets and headed west again towards Mary Kathleen. We weren't sure whether we would stay there or not as there are no facilities at all. Instead, we thought we might return to camp at Clem Walton Park where there are toilets and a lovely creek, and drive to Mary Kathleen later in the afternoon. We've stayed at Clem Walton Park on a few earlier trips and it's a nice spot to camp for a couple of days.

On the way we stopped at Chinaman Dam - another good birding spot - to have some morning tea. The water level there was evidence of a bumper wet season. Throughout our recent travels we have noticed how green the countryside was compared to previous years, and that many rivers and creeks were flowing.

Further west we turned off the highway and took the road down to Clem Walton park - but it was in dreadful condition and we definitely didn't want to be driving in and out to Mary Kathleen. We stayed and had lunch in the picnic area but the place didn't feel quite the same, with an old guy who had set up a permanent camp right in the middle of the camping area. He probably wasn't causing any harm but combined with the state of the road we made the decision to move on.

We drove back out to the highway and on to the old Mary Kathleen town site. The former uranium mine closed in 1982 but the town site remains, minus all the buildings. It is on private property where camping is permitted. From the town site it is a short (in distance) drive to the mine site. We drove in to the campground and saw that there were lots of people camped, but still heaps of room. With a cold night forecast we drove back out to the highway to collect some firewood a few kilometres away. 

Lots of other campers but still heaps of room

Back to the campsite we chose a nice spot with a makeshift firepit that would do us nicely. Of course we were there for the birds, so later in the afternoon we drove out to the minesite. The road was rough but not as bad as the one into Clem Walton Park. We walked up to the abandoned open pit which is now filled with water. When the sun is right above the water is a beautiful shade of turquoise but late in the day is not so spectacular. Mick spent some time, unsuccessfully, searching for birds before returning to camp.

Who would have thought an old uranium mine pit
could look so pretty?

We had dinner by the fire and an early night. We weren't in a particular hurry to leave in the morning as we were only going as far as Mount Isa. Once packed up we headed west and on to our next destination.

Cloncurry

 28 - 29 June 2025

We had decided to have a night at the old Mary Kathleen town site - for the birding of course. We headed off from Boulia after another walk along the river and stopped at Dajarra for lunch. From there we took the turn-off to Duchess which would have us on mostly gravel roads, but would be a bit shorter than going through Mount Isa.

When we rejoined the Flinders Highway we made a quick decision to head east the short distance to Cloncurry instead of west to Mary Kathleen. It was our 40th wedding anniversary the following day and we thought a pub meal and a night in a motel would be a nice way to celebrate, given our remote location.

We drove around town and selected a motel that was walking distance from a couple of pubs and settled in. We were able to do a load of washing which was a bonus. I had a bottle of prosecco chilled and we had a couple of drinks before setting off to find a pub for dinner. The one we chose was quite crowded - which is always a good sign. The meal and service were very good.

The following morning we headed off to do some grocery shopping and then to the Visitor Information Centre where there was a market. We had a bit of a look around and walked up to the lookout which provided some great views of the area. From there we headed west towards Mary Kathleen.

Fossils on display at the Visitor Centre in Cloncurry

Boulia

 26 - 28 June 2025

After an early start we returned to Lark Quarry for another serach for the Opalton grasswren before setting off towards Boulia. We plotted a course that would take us along some minor roads, goimg via Old Cork. The roads were in surprisingly good condition and we only took one wrong turn. Fortunately we reaslised before we had gone too far and were able to back-track to get ourselves on the right road.

We eventually rejoined the Kennedy Developmental Road and stopped at a rest area to have some lunch, the continued on to Boulia. We checked in to the caravan park and chose a nice shady spot by the Burke River. There was a lot more water in the river than there had been on our last couple of visits.

Late afternoon by the Burke River

This photo shows the same river in 2017 -
such a contrast!

Mick had a birding spot to check out so headed off for an early morning session, while I did some packing up. When he returned we decided to spend an extra day so unpacked again. We both went out in the afternoon but the target birds proved to be elusive. 

We took the opportunity to do some restocking while we were in "town" and also walked down by the river, making this a very pleasant and convenient place to stay. 

After a bit of deliberation we decided to head towards Mary Kathleen via Dajarra - but changed our minds along the way.

Little Jack - near Lark Quarry

 25 - 26 June 2025

We left Opalton and set off for Lark Quarry. We had checked the map and discovered we could cut across country rather than going back into Winton, which made for a much shorter journey. After a short stop for lunch along the way, and a spot of birding, we arrived just on 1:00pm. Bronwyn and John were still there having taken part in the 11:00am tour. They were having some lunch before setting off on one of the harder walks. We treated ourselves to an ice cream and walked up to the lookout. We spent some time looking at the information displays in the visitor centre while we waited for our tour.

The building protects the precious trackway

As luck would have it we were the only two people booked in for 2:00pm so we had a truly personalised tour. Once again, our guide was knowledgeable and we found it fascinating. The trackway has not been fully excavated so no-one knows what else might be hidden.

Big footprints amongst the little one

After time at the Trackway we set off to do some birding down near the airstrip and Telstra tower before continuing on to find where Bronwyn and John had camped for the night. They had sent their location in "what three words" format so, apart from initially missing the turnoff, it was quite easy to locate them.

Little Jack is a free camp in the true sense of the term - nothing there, just a clearing in the bush. We arrived just as the sun went down, so set up quickly and used the last of the timber we collected the day before to start a fire. After some drinks by the fire, we had an easy dinner from the freezer  and an early night.

We made a snap decision in the morning to get up early, pack up and go back to Lark Quarry for one last attempt to photograph the Opalton grasswren. We packed up as quietly as we could, but still woke the others. We said our goodbyes and headed off. We were going to take the Old Cork Road that is just north of Lark Quarry so it wasn't too far out of the way to go back. 

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.

Winton

 22 - 24 June 2025

We had arranged to meet my sister and her partner in Winton so set off after restocking and fuelling up again. The drive from Hughenden was uneventful, and we arrived just on lunch time so went and had a picnic in the park before checking in to the caravan park.

We went for a walk in town and then later in the afternoon set off to do some birding at the sewerage treatment works. Unfortunately, we couldn't get close enough to see the water so we continued on and drove down to Pelican Waterhole. After a lot of recent rain there was a fair bit of water, and lots of birds around so Mick was happy.

Late afternoon at Pelican Waterhole

One of the main attractions in the area is Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, which we had visited 10 years ago. There has been some further development so I was keen to go again. We had booked our visit to also include a trip to Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways in a couple of days time. Bronwyn and John had also booked to visit both places.

We were all booked to start our tour at 9:45am with the March of the Titanosaurs, followed by time at Dinosaur Canyon. This exhibit has been added since our last visit and, as with the others, was fantastic. The dinosaur tracks have been painstakingly moved from their original location in a nearby creek bed. It's fascinating to discover how they were found, and what the tracks tell paleontologists. Dinosaur Canyon contains many models of dinosaurs with information about the habitat in which they would have lived. We could have spent a lot more time exploring this part of the complex.

One of many life-sized replicas in Dinosaur Canyon

Our next tour was to the fossil preparation room - probably my favourite. This is where volunteers process the fossils found in the local area. There are so many fossils waiting on shelves to be revealed, our guide said that it would take ten years to get through them all, without bringing in any new ones. 

The final tour was the collection room where the story of how Age of Dinosaurs came about. Graziers David and Judy Elliott had the foresight to contact the Australian Museum when they found what they thought might be dinosaur fossils on their property. Further exploration revealed some unique finds. From humble beginnings the Age of Dinosaurs was born, and continues to grow. In my opinion this is one of the best tourist attractions in Australia, which continues to grow and support research of global significance. 

On Monday night we went for dinner at Tattersall's Hotel for a celebration dinner with Bronwyn and John, and John's sister. In the morning we would head to Opalton and perhaps meet up with them again but nothing was definite.