Chinchilla Weir Whistling kite at Chinchilla Weir Yikes! Big Watermelon Slice at Chinchilla – it looked pretty good despite being a bit seedy. Bottle trees at Durong Bowls Club Bottle tree trunk patterns Bottle tree seed pod Durong Hall – scene of many local social events for 90 years where love was found and hearts … More The Big Backyard – Western Queensland 2024 – Day 22 – Driving for Peanuts
Jack Taylor Weir at St George dams the Balonne River. The Big Murray Cod featured in this blog two years ago – it is an impressive scuplture but cod have been bigger. Let minnow if you have any fish puns so I can put a few in a roe. The yabby’s last view. White-necked heron … More The Big Backyard – Western Queensland 2024 – Day 21 – The Western Downs
Aside from the Cunnamulla Fella (who you would definitely want on your side in any potential bar brawl) there are many other things to see in Cunnamulla. We had a look at some of the Top 10. We didn’t partake in the Artesian water baths as we had already showered in the therapeutic waters at … More The Big Backyard – Western Queensland 2024 – Day 20 – The Balonne Highway
Thargomindah – early morning river walk beside the Barcoo at Pelican Point White-browed woodswallow Little Corella Thargomindah Post Office. One of the oldest buildings in Thargo The bridge over the Bulloo into town at the old Cobb & Co crossing Fairy martins on the banks of the Bulloo The road through mulga east of Thargomindah … More The Big Backyard – Western Queensland 2024 – Day 19 – Thargo and Eulo
Driving before sunrise again for a big day. Lake Houdraman – located east of Quilpie The pelicans were up early too – they were directed here by the billboard. A Restless flycatcher was alert… … and hovering over the water weeds looking for insects. White plumed honeyeater Gum blossom near Quilpie White-browed woodswallows – there … More The Big Backyard – Western Queensland 2024 – Day 18 – The Adventure Way
We were up early and driving before sunrise. Sunrise on the Landsborough Highway. Hooker’s bauhinia (pegunny) (Lysiphyllum hookeri) were plentiful between Barcaldine and Blackall. Blackall has entrance signs at both ends of town. This one the southern approach. The Big B at the northern approach – after the excitement seeing the Big G earlier on … More The Big Backyard – Western Queensland 2024 – Day 17 – Outback towns
Langbaker’s Cottage- oldest building in Ilfracombe. The highest rated motorhome in Ilfracombe. Emu welcoming visitors to Longreach very much wired to local news. The QANTAS Founder’s Museum looked interesting and not at all plane. QANTAS Boeing 707 – “But my heart keeps calling me backwards; As I get on the 707; Ridin’ high I got … More The Big Backyard – Western Queensland 2024 – Day 16 – Longreach
The fortnightly Winton markets were in the main street in the morning so before leaving I bought this lovely piece of Winton petrified wood… and picked up a local date…or two! Farewell to Winton as we head south-east on the Landsborough Highway. The roos were still about beside the highway…. …along with some bustards. The … More The Big Backyard – Western Queensland 2024 – Day 15 – Muttaburra
The volcanic rock basalt forms a capping on many higher parts north of Hughenden. Another close encounter of the herd kind. Short walk to the top of Bottle Tree Ridge off the road to Porcupine Gorge. Broad-leaved bottle tree (Brachychiton australis) – very stunted form growing on basalt at Bottle Tree Ridge. Savannah plains near … More The Big Backyard – Western Queensland 2024 – Day 14 – Porcupine Gorge
Not sure who Old Mate was (no sign) but he pointed the way to Julia Creek. Did I mention we have seen a few black kites…. …and lots of road trains? Julia Creek (locally known as The Creek) is about an hour and half east of Cloncurry on the Flinders Highway. We were up early … More The Big Backyard – Western Queensland 2024 – Day 13 – Flinders Highway
The previous day in reverse. We had our car serviced in Mount Isa in the morning. While the car was serviced, we visited Outback at The Isa which has a Riversleigh Fossil display from the time of Australia’s megafauna. The Centre also displays Mount Isa’s mining heritage. After the iphone and ipad comes icattle – … More The Big Backyard – Western Queensland 2024 – Day 12 – The Isa to the Curry
A slower day today with 122km to Mount Isa. Yoda’s favourite bakery in Cloncurry. Cloncurry is a beef and mining town. There are 11 working mines in the area. Original QANTAS hanger at Cloncurry airport On the road out to the airport there were a couple of corellas. At the Cloncurry River, three founders of … More The Big Backyard – Western Queensland 2024 – Day 11 – Cloncurry to Mount Isa
