Map: Qld Department of Environment and Sciencce

Winton has the best rubbish bins even though dinosaurs are dead on their feet.

Long Waterhole outside Winton. Now a preferred habitat of Grey Nomads (dressed in camouflage in 50 shades of beige), its claim to fame was once being used as the site for the biennial World Crayfish Derby (true). A feature of the derby was the infamous lobstacle course.

Bladensburg National Park protects Mitchell Grass Downs and Channel Country with flat topped sandstone plateaus.

Bladensburg Homestead. Bladensburg was one of the original sheep stations around the Winton area in the 1870’s.

Bladensburg Woolshed is a reminder of the heritage of colonial settlement.

One of the few flowering plants we saw although wattles were just starting and there were many Eucalypts in bud.

There were a lot of kangaroos mostly Reds active in the park in the morning sunshine.

A Wallaroo

Happy in the grass…

…and on a clay pan.

Clay pan

Engine Hole – a horseshoe shaped waterhole with white gums along the banks.

Whistling kites were nesting beside Engine Hole billabong.

Red-backed kingfisher – a kingfisher of arid areas.

After ascending the Little Jump Up, the country was much drier.

Holly-leaved grevillea were on the jump up.

This wattle is a survivor.

Crusty clay pan with spinifex.

Despite the arid conditions, this Wedge-tailed eagle was on the hunt.

Skull Hole – site of a massacre in 1877 of approximately 200 Koa people. It was described as connected to an alleged Aboriginal attack on a bullock wagon during which one man was murdered. The massacre was headed by a police inspector, his troopers and a group of settlers (14 men in all) at a large camp on the creek.

Surprise Creek

Bough Shed Hole

The Route of the River Gum traverses Bladensburg and exits onto the Opalton Road.

A farm dam on the Jundah Road attracts cattle…

…and Spinifex pigeons. We counted at least fifty.

Winton is Waltzing Matilda country and in the park we met the jolly swagman. We called him Roger.

After a late lunch we took a short drive of 70km each way on the Boulia Road to the Diamantina River.

We saw a few big birds on the way like this emu….

…and this brolga.

The Diamantina here is a series of channels crossed by causeways and bridges. The main floodplain is over 4km across.

There were many, many black kites.

On the way back into town.

Grids are a feature of highways and backroads.

Some woolly jumpers on the Boulia-Winton Road.

Early dinner for the Nankeen (or Australian) kestrel.

The Winton water tank

Winter’s evening in Winton

Regular readers of my ramblings will remember my reluctance to rinse in a shower with…(insert evil laugh here)….shower curtains. I have again been afflicted by the pernicious peril of polyester. I am confounded that this creepy clingwrap has again crept too close. The only saving grace was the larger shower cubicle that afforded space to dance away from the dangling drape of dankness. The olfactory assault caused by the strong smell of hydrogen sulphide from the bore water only added to the experience. Luckily the water was consistently hot with good pressure. Again the experience was unconscionable for my unmentionables.