Carcory Ruins

All stocked up we headed along the Eyre Development Rd towards Bedourie. The road was not sealed and a little bit rough but not too bad at all really. Our first stop was Carcory ruins, it is a heritage listed Homestead now in ruins. It was built around 1870 of local limestone and was abandoned by Sir Sydney Kidman around the 1900’s due to a terrible year of drought conditions. You can see evidence of some restoration works but considering how long it has been abandoned it is in quite good condition. As you would know by know, I have real keen interest in these old homesteads and this one didn’t disappoint. I can’t even begin to imagine the hardship they must have faced in sourcing the limestone, transporting it and then building with it. That’s me in the distance taking it all in, trying to imagine what life must have been like out here in the 1800’s.

Cuttaburra Crossing – FREE CAMPING

Our first overnight stop was Cuttaburra Crossing which is a permanent waterhole located on the Eyre Creek. It is a rest area with toilets and a dump point. Quite a large area and there is a track to your left that goes for a long way. There are loads of camping spots, some spots hidden under trees, some a bit more open. At the end of the track there is a large turnaround.

We set up camp in the main area and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon. Very peaceful and quiet here and relaxing watching the birds on the water. There was also a bird hide where you can get some great photos and just observe.

Chris had a chance to put the drone up, you can certainly see how flat it is out there.

We were treated with the most magnificent sunset with a new moon, the colours just got better. Those beautiful pink colours first known as The Belt of Venus which is the earths shadow produced by the sun. It can be seen shortly before sunrise or after sunset. All you need to do is turn around whilst watching the sun setting and you will see it. We certainly enjoyed taking many photos.

With the fire going we sat around the fire and chatted with our newly met neighbors and enjoyed a pleasant evening.

Bedourie

The Eyre Development Rd was still quite bad in places but not terrible. Somehow we managed to have a stone flick up by another traveller and had our headlight busted. Well luckily it was only the little fog light at the bottom.

Bedourie is a really lovely town and we headed straight to the Visitor Information Centre to get the key for the Artesian pool and spa. You just need to leave a $20 deposit which you get back when you return the key.

They have toilets and change rooms plus a cold outdoor shower. The pool is 25 meters long and sits at a pleasant 28c and the therapeutic spa sits at a balmy 40c. It is fed by Bedourie’s Artesian bore which was drilled in 1905. It is supposed to heal your aching muscles and joints. Now I love to sit in hot water, getting in even took me a few minutes to slide into that spa. I must say though, it was sublime!

The Royal Hotel was built in the late 1800’s and has been licensed and trading ever since. It was built from adobe bricks (mud bricks) which are made from earth with a fairly high clay content and straw. It originally had a thatched roof, of course now it has iron but very little change since it was built.

The town has the most brilliant park for picnics. With covered table and chairs, BBQ’s, rubbish bins plus a sink to wash your dishes. Even a playground to keep the kids entertained while you have a break.

Bedourie is very well laid out and a credit to the community. I was very impressed with the town, it is set up well for the travelling community. We topped up with fuel and put air in the tyres as we were told the Diamantina Development Rd is a good sealed road from here to Boulia.

Boulia FREE CAMPING Burke River behind racecourse

When we arrived in Boulia it was getting late in the day and we were concerned that we wouldn’t have enough daylight to set up. Due to the up and coming camrel races, the town was quite busy and the caravan park was full. I had noticed on WikiCamps there was a free camp on the Burke river a few km’s out of town. We headed out there following the coordinates. It wasn’t inspiring and we could see all these campers on the other side of the river. So the game was on to find out how we get to the other side of the Burke River. So with the help of WikiCamps again we found another free camp, it is noted as the Boulia racecourse. So once you arrive at the racecourse keep going to the end of the road and then follow the tracks to your right. There is the most amazing place down by the Burke river with lots of trees and secluded camp spots. We ended up staying 2 nights here, in fact I could have stayed longer. I really enjoyed the hospitality of Boulia.

When we arrived in town we noticed a windmill and water tank at the end of the Main Street. Immediately we thought this was going to make some pretty good sunset photos. So Chris and I set off with camera in hand and managed to get some nice photos. There is something about windmills we have noticed here in Central Western Queensland, there are plenty of them and they take great photos. Most importantly they play a vital part for the townships for their water supply.

The Stone House Museum was very interesting. The original stone house within the grounds of the museum was built by James Edward Jones in 1888. The museum houses farm machinery, indigenous artefacts, early pioneer history and fossils.

They even had hospital beds and equipment plus dental instruments . My goodness am I glad I wasn’t around then. I think the photos will speak for themselves. Check out the birthing table!

Once again this part of Central Western Queensland is amazing and another town set up well for the traveller. The roads are also in excellent condition.

We stocked up on fuel and food and made our way towards Winton. Thank you Boulia!