20 November 2016 - Winton to Boulia

Another fabulous day with blue sky and with some clouds for our 370km drive from Winton to Boulia.  The temperature reached 39 degrees today and we must admit it was refreshing to settle into the caravan park at Boulia and have a cup of tea, in shade, on the banks of the Burke River.  The trip was not "busy". During the day, we were passed by one car going in our direction and four cars and two road trains going in the other direction.

The road was bitumen all the way and, if only to further emphasise we were still in Channel Country, we continually passed through floodways and creeks.  Most significant was the Diamantina River and we passed over its causeway not long after leaving Winton.

201116 Self explanatory

201116 Start of the Diamantina Causeway

201116 Explanation of the countryside

201116 The Eromanga Sea rivers

201116 Origin of the name of the Diamantina 

Being cattle country we had our fair share of grids as well. We did not see many cattle today. The licensee of the Middleton Hotel said a lot of the properties had destocked and it was very expensive, given the value of beef currently, to restock. 

Our first 100km was across flat grassy plain land.  The longest straight stretch we travelled was 21km.  Then we came across hills sitting haphazardly on the plain.  Eventually the hills outdid the plains and we must have done around 100km through capped hills (mesas) coloured white, yellow, orange and brown, with trees sitting forlornly on the tops and sides of the mesas.  The hills gave way to grass covered plains again, as we came closer to Boulia.

201116 The plains outside Winton

201116 After plains came hills

201116 After plains came hills

201116 Then came about 100km of hills

201116 Some of the 100km of hills

201116 Proof that some rocks resist weathering better than others

201116 Hills in the distance

201116 Hills diminishing

201116 Hills gone, now plains

201116 Back to plains as we neared Boulia

At about the halfway point we came across the Middleton Hotel, the only one remaining of the nine that existed when Cobb and Co plied the Winton-Boulia road, for what was a four day trip.  There were nine Cobb and Co pillars or stopping points on the route.  Middleton was pillar number 4.

201116 The Middleton Hotel

The Licensee of the pub was a mine of information.  Two stories are worth commenting upon.  Back aways, three cowboys climbed a nearby mesa.  One ran and jumped across to what was called the Pinnacle. Trouble was, he could not leap back because he had no run up.  His mates left him overnight but rescued him next day with a ladder across the gap.

201116 Site of Cowboys Leap

201116 Cowboys Leap up closer

The second is of the film "Goldstone" starring Jackie Weaver and David Wenham, which was filmed in/at Middleton.  They built some buildings, one of which remains today.  It looks "historic" but is only twelve months old.

201116 House built for the movie Goldstone

Over the road from the Middleton Hotel was the Hilton Hotel.  Another example of country humour.

201116 The Hilton was over the road from the Middleton Hotel.
"Vacancy, no air-con, no TV, no pool, no charge"

201116 The Hilton Hotel

We stopped to look at the ruins of the historic Hamilton Hotel.  There was not a lot to see. 

201116 Ruins of the Hamilton Hotel, around 30 km from Boulia

We came across the Cawnpore Lookout and it provided a great view of some of the plains through the surrounding hills and of the hills themselves. 

201116 The view from Cawnpore Lookout take 1

201116 The view from Cawnpore Lookout take 2

201116 The view from Cawnpore Lookout take 3

201116 The view from Cawnpore Lookout take 4

201116 The view from Cawnpore Lookout take 5

201116 Much to our surprise,grandson Joel had been here before

201116 Video from Cawnpore Lookout

Boulia is a small country town with around 230 residents.  Correction 228.  There was a function in town this afternoon to say goodbye to two residents who were moving to the Gold Coast.

Boulia is at the heart of the Channel Country of western Queensland where during rain events channels running between the rivers and creeks of the region fill with water and spread that water over expansive areas. When it does rain heavily, the Mitchell grass plains respond magnificently and result in the Channel country around Boulia being among the finest beef producing country in Australia.

The area around Boulia is best known for sightings of the Min Min lights, the mysterious shimmering lights that appear at night. The lights are said to be caused by atmospheric refraction that occurs when cold air is trapped below warmer air, a phenomenon known as Fata Morgana.  

201116 the legend of the Min Min light

201116 The story of the legend

While there were not too many cattle about we did get photographs of a wedge-tailed eagle and a brolga.

201116 Got this one before it flew away

201116 A brolga near the roadside

There were a few wildflowers on the way.  Most prolific were the "pokerish" ones and one we think are the desert rose.

201116 "Pokerish" wildflowers

201116 Desert Rose bush

201116 Desert Roses

The proprietor of the caravan park was a bit surprised we had turned up.  She had cleaned and locked the ablution blocks, in anticipation no one else would be coming to Boulia, now the tourist season is well and truly over.  Say no more!