Central Qld 2021 – Day 1 – The Upper Burnett

Today we set out from Bundaberg and drove west through Gin Gin, Mount Perry and Eidsvold to Cania Gorge.

Nour Nour National Park is south west of Mount Perry.

It protects a vulnerable ironbark species Eucalyptus virens as well as dry vine thickets in its northern section. Eucalyptus virens is only found in five small scattered locations in Qld.

Hardenbergia on the gravelly ground at Nour Nour

Wattle (Acacia julifera) at Nour Nour

Roadside exploration at Nour Nour

The Burnett River outside Eidsvold. Eidsvold refers to itself as Beef Capital of the Burnett. RM Williams had a property here for many years. On the other side of the river is Eidsvold Station, the oldest Santa Gertrudis stud in Australia. The station runs about 6000 Santa Gertrudis cattle on its land.

The Eidsvold Homestead was established in 1850 with the original slab hut still on the property.

For those who think Santa is just a lot of bull.

The Bunyip at Mulgildie – a plaque tells the significance of the bunyip at this locality: Aboriginals tell the story of fearsome booming monsters that inhabit swamps and waterholes. Just ten minutes from the tranquil township of Mulgildie lies the legendary Bunyip Hole, a place of mystery and intrigue. Over the years, tales have emerged of strange noises, bubbling, churning water in the hole and of cattle disappearing into the depths as they drank. Known as “Devil Devil” country, Aboriginal tribes and drovers too, could not be persuaded to camp near the Bunyip Hole. Some Aboriginal elders believe the Bunyip Hole is connected to a vast network of underground caverns passing Tellebang Mountain and stretching as far as Ban Ban Springs.

Bunyip carrying its typical lunch of cattle and lungfish.

Friend of Bunyip – the bunyip approved of my colours.

Just down the road was the Big Joey

Silo art at Three Moon just south of Monto showing a legend of the Three Moons where a traveller was boiling a billy on the banks of the creek and noticed three moons – one in the sky, one reflecting on the creek and one reflecting in his billy. What happens when you boil a funny bone? It turns into a laughing stock. Now that is humerus.