7 November 2016 - Cunnamulla to Thargomindah and Surrounds

Once again we awoke to a beautiful clear, sunny day, perfect for the 190km drive along the Paroo Development Road.  Our destination was Thargomindah.  We have become accustomed to the nature of the land now, low growth trees and shrubs, predominantly blue grey mulga with salt bush nearer the ground, with an occasional bright green tree to break the monotony. As we passed through the water courses the trees changes to river gums and wherever there had been water, the wildflowers had grown and blossomed.  

071116 Mulga, mulga everywhere

071116 This time there were a couple of bright green trees
and wildflowers with the mulga

071116 Springvale, one of the many mud springs west of Eulo

071116 Top of a Mud Spring

071116 Mud springs explained

We did pass an occasional sand hill and indeed, the land had become more undulating, not that incessant flat that we had east of Cunnamulla.  The sheep and cattle we saw were few in number and there were several emus with chicks.

071116 "Me and yous" near Eulo

071116 Waterless Lake Bindegolly, east of Thargomindah

Eulo was the first town we passed through.  We have visited Eulo previously and, rather than rewrite the Eulo story again, we have copied and pasted an excerpt from the earlier blog.  While there was more water there than when we last visited, we have been assured by the locals, west of Cunnamulla received less than east of Cunnamulla.  For this reason there has been no reason to update the Eulo story, except for a picture of the water just flowing over the Eulo weir this time.

071116 This time the water was barely flowing over the Eulo Weir

Start blog of 27 November 2014 We arose to a beautiful sunrise this morning which heralded another warm day, our guess about 36 degrees.

We headed off to Eulo, 68km west of Cunnamulla to see a date grove and the famous mud baths.  Sadly, because we were early or more likely because it is out of the tourist season now, both places were not open.  Still, it's surprising how much you can find when your first attempts are thwarted.

Eulo is on the Paroo River, often mentioned in news reports when it is in flood. It is quite distressing to see Eulo and its surrounding districts in the midst of a drought.  The signed "Vegetated Spring" was as dry as dry, as was the Billabong and the Mud Springs on the Heritage Drive. The Paroo River is not flowing and it looks quite forlorn as rivers go.

271114 Vegetated Spring - absolutely dry.  Normally a spring flows to the
surface at this point. It is fenced to keep animals and stock away from it

271114 Dry billabong on the Paroo River

271114 Weir at Paroo River at Eulo.  Just puddles of water below the weir

271114 Paroo River upstream of the weir

While we were on the Heritage Drive we photographed some common Australian outback trees, so we have included photographs of these for the education of all.

271114 River Red Gum - summer flowering for honey production

271114 Coolibah tree - produces honey in the summer month and for
swagmen to sit under

271114 Yapunyah tree, winter flowering for honey production

271114 Mulga - great stock feed during times of drought. Often see absence
of lower branches to height of feeding cattle

271114 Bimble Box - spring flowering for honey production 

271114 Gidyea tree - used for fencing and stock yard building

In spite of the harsh conditions, Eulo has grasped the nettle and selected one iconic animal as its source of uniqueness and humour, the humble lizard.   We were assured there are many lizards there but we did not see one real one.

271114 These small towns crave something iconic, in Eulo's case, lizards

271114 Saw us and skedaddled up this mast in defence mode

271114 The world champion lizard racing track.  Racing commenced in 1967
and races are held annually in August/September as part of a joint festival
 between Cunnamulla, Yowah and Eulo

271114 The Eulo Lizard Lounge

Back in 2011 the fossil of a Diprotodon Optatum, nicknamed "Kenny", was found near Eulo and he put Eulo on the map, and the locals have not let go of him since.  They even have a bronze statue of him in the main street.

271114 Diprotodon Optatum, largest Australian species of megafauna
and a marsupial.  Developed and sculptured from a fossilised skeleton
called "Kenny", found near Eulo in 2011

We saw the Eulo Bore which is the source of the town's water.  They are pumping from a reservoir in the Great Artesian Basin from a depth of about 223 m.  The water comes up at 38 degrees and is not treated, beyond allowing it to cool.

271114 The Eulo Bore at the base of the water tower.  It pumps water from the
 Great Artesian Basin for Eulo's water supply. 

The outback humour surfaced again at Eulo.  We happened across the World Champion Lizard Racing Track and a plaque to "Destructo", a cockroach which defeated the champion racing lizard "Wooden Head", in 1980.

271114 Truth is this NSW cockroach was killed by Queenslanders because
Queenslanders hate cockroaches

We arrived back at the van with smiles on our faces but with a memory of how hard the locals are doing it in this time of drought.

Now continuing today's blog 7 November 2016.  On the road again heading west of Eulo.

071116 A load of cattle about to access the highway 
from the direction of Quilpie

071116 Crossing the Bulloo at Thargomindah

071116 Entering Thargomindah's main street

Thargomindah's source of water is the Great Artesian Basin (GAB), so it was not surprising that there is much to do about the GAB in Thargomindah.

071116 "Conduit above, below and between",
-a Frederick White Sculpture in Thargomindah

071116 The sculpture described

071116 Thargomindah's town bore

071116 Ponds for cooling the town's artesian water

There are several points of historical interest in Thargomindah.

071116 The first artesian water powered generator incorporating a
 Pelton Wheel, which operated in 1898

071116 Thargomindah's Pelton Wheel story

071116 Leahy Historical House built in 1885 and owned at
one time by sir Sydney Kidman

071116 Sign for the old crossing of the Bulloo River

071116 The Cobb & Co Crossing on the Bulloo River

071116 The old Thargomindah Hospital

Of course the Bullo River features as well and the town makes use of a spot called Pelican Point for swimming and fishing.  Unsurprisingly the Bulloo River is no different from the other western Queensland with its high turbidity and the resultant muddy colour.

071116 The weir at Pelican Point on the
Bulloo River at Thargomindah

071116 Downstream of the Pelican Point Weir

071116 Upstream of the Pelican Point Weir

071116 The Bulloo River downstream of the bridge

071116 The Bulloo River upstream of the bridge

071116 Boat launching ramp at Thargomindah?
In the event of floods?

It reached 39 degrees today and we were grateful, having done the touristy bits, to return to the air-conditioned comfort of the van.  Mind you, it took almost two hours to get the temperature down to a comfortable 24 degrees.  Quite a nice caravan park here, so that helps.

6 November 2016 - Around Cunnamulla

We visited Cunnamulla back in November 2014 and rather than rewrite another blog with little, if any difference, we have copied and pasted that blog, as a part substitute for today's blog.  We have made some 6 November 2016 observations towards the end of the blog.

Start 2014 Blog - Cunnamulla is a small river town, but it is well maintained and the main street and the Civic Centre were well presented.  We visited the tourist sites around the town including the weir and the bridge crossing the Warrego River.  The town draws its water from the Great Artesian Basin, not from the river.  Cunnamulla's icon is the "Cunnamulla Fella" and a giant statue of him sits at the front of the Civic Centre.  The "Cunnamulla Fella" is immortalised in a song by Stan Costa and Slim Dusty.

261114 Sand dunes behind our caravan park at Cunnamulla 

261114 The Allan Tannoch Weir on the Warrego River at Cunnamulla

261114 The Warrego River upstream from the weir 

261114 The "Cunnamulla Fella" at the Cunnamulla Civic Centre

261114 The main street in Cunnamulla

261114 The Warrego from the Darby Land Bridge

Cunnamulla's history includes a robbery from the Queensland National Bank by Joseph Wells in 1880.  He attempted to hide in the "Robbery Tree" but was captured and eventually hanged for his crime.  The tree still remains.

261114 The Robbery Tree

We have seen a lot of goats this trip but today we saw more than we have ever seen in one spot, probably destined for the abattoirs.

261114 Goats captured wild and held for transport to an abbatoir

There were a couple of other interesting sights around Cunnamulla, as the following pictures show.

261114 An unusual sign near the Warrego River - and only one turtle?
Didn't see the turtle anyway

261114 Some of the locals taking shade at the Cunnamulla Cemetery

261114 A beautiful poinciana at Cunnamulla

Start 6 November 2016 blog.  It was a lovely warm day today, reaching only 28 degrees and much cooler than yesterday's 36 degrees.  We took new pictures today where we could see some change from 2014. Most noticeable were the quality of roses in the main street, the greater amount of water in the Warrego River, the absence of floating plant growth along the river banks and water flowing over the Allan Tannoch Weir.

061116 Roses in Cunnamulla's main roundabout

061116 The Warrego River  - no growth on the river's edge

061116 Allan Tannock Weir on the Warrego River
with water flowing over the weir.  Note people
cooling off on the weir

061116 More of the weir

061116 Looking upstream from the weir

061116 More of the weir

5 November 2016 - St George to Cunnamulla

Another bright, sunny... and hot morning, as we left St George for the 300km journey to Cunnamulla along the Adventure Highway.

Before leaving St George we passed by the Riversands Vineyards and forced ourselves not to have a tasting.  We have been there before.

051116 Riversands Vineyard

051116 Riversands Vineyard

051116 Riversands Vineyard

051116 Riversands Vineyard

120 km west of St George we came across Bollon, where we stopped for morning tea at Deb's Cafe.  Deb's husband gave us a rundown on Bollon's shearing history.  He was a wealth of information.  Bollon is on Wallum Creek and it has its own small weir and a series of protective levee banks.

051116 Bollon's Story

051116 Rayner Place in Bollon

051116 Bollon's levee bank

051116 Bollon's weir on Wallum Creek

051116 The highway through Bollon

We travelled through scrubby country as we headed west and entered sheep country. However we did not see one sheep until we came across one on a street in Cunnamulla.  We passed one herd of cattle along the way and a couple of emus.  The rest of the stock must have been back from the roadside and out of sight.

051116 Two emus cooling off in the shallow water

The further west we went the more wildflowers appeared.  They are mostly small blossomed flowers and, while they were massed, they did not excite the senses the way they did in WA.

051116 A little bit more colour

051116 Nondescript yellow wildflowers along
a broad watercourse

051116 Some white in amongst the yellow.

We stopped at one stage to photograph the emus in the distance.  There were a half a dozen wildflowers on the roadside, which we would not have seen had we not stopped.

There were several spots where water from recent rains remained in very shallow ponds, some of which were quite large.

051116 Water remaining after recent rains

051116 A shallow lagoon

We arrived in Cunnamulla with a temperature of 36 degrees.  Being Saturday, commerce in Cunnamulla had ceased and the town was devoid of people.

Fortunately our single sheep and Cunnamulla Fella were on show.

051116 Not the Cunnamulla Fella but our lone sheep

051116 Cunnamulla Fella

The Cunnamulla Fella is a large bronze statue in the centre of Cunnamulla. It symbolises the town's history through its young men who, back in the 50's and 60's, after working long hours mustering sheep, chasing scrubbers and breaking horses, would squat around the campfires on their saddles or swags, yarning about the days events.  Stan Coster wrote a song The Cunnamulla Fella which Slim Dusty later immortalised.  The Paroo Shire decided to turn folk legend into a reality and conducted a nation-wide competition for artists to sketch up, in any medium, their vision of the Cunnamulla Fella. Michael Nicholas won the competition and his sketch was converted to a bronze sculpture by Archie St Clair and was placed in its present position on 18 October 2005.  It stands on the lawns of the Shire Hall in the centre of town.

We have the air conditioner on and it is now a pleasant 24 degrees in the caravan at 5.42pm.