Mungindi & Cameron Corner

Once again we have been travelling this great country of ours only this time you wouldn’t describe our ultimate goal as a Utopian destination or anything near resembling it. To be truthful it was one just one of those "gotta do" things although Mita thinks that I have lost all perspective of what constitutes an "ideal destination". This trip was divided into two parts. The first part of our journey was to attend the Mungindi Music Festival and following the conclusion of the festival the second part is the trip out to Cameron Corner via Noccundra.

Where are Mungindi and Cameron Corner? Mungindi is on the New South Wales/Queensland border about five hundred kilometres west of Brisbane. As for Cameron Corner, it's approximately one thousand three hundred kilometres west of Brisbane on the edge of the Strzelecki Desert at the junction of the New South Wales, Queensland and South Australian state borders.

In company with friends Ron and Marj Workman we departing home around 10.30 on Thursday 29th September heading for Millmerran on the Darling Downs, our destination for the day. First stop was a nearby service station just off the freeway to check tyre pressures on the vans where unfortunately Ron's van had an untimely disagreement with the door on a semi trailer that happened to get caught by a breeze banging into the side of his van as he was driving past; fortunately his van only sustained superficial damage - with that little bit of excitement over with, we rejoined the freeway meeting up with Pat and Dale Astill plus Colin and Merle Boyd thirty kilometres further on. Leaving the Gold Coast we followed the various freeways and highways eventually stopping to refuel at Mindon between Ipswich and Gatton taking advantage of possibly the last available diesel at city prices.

We exited the highway at Gatton deciding to go cross country instead of following the main highway thus bypassing Toowoomba. Following a leisurely lunch at a pretty little picnic area beside a creek, it was time to ascend the Great Dividing Ranges before continuing on towards Yarramalong Weir near Millmerran, a free camping area suitable for caravans and motor homes.

This trip was also our first real opportunity to put to test the reliability and accuracy of our newly acquired GPS navigation system which up to this point in time had been working impeccably providing us with all sorts of irrelevant information. Unfortunately we soon discovered that GPS navigation systems are not infallible, especially when road changes occur between map updates. Approached the tiny township of Leyburn the GPS provided instructions to turn onto a new heading, only problem was that the road now only served as an access route to a corporate owned piggery containing some 20,000 squealing, snorting, grunting pigs complete with their somewhat questionable odour. Obtaining new directions from one of the staff members and with everyone nearly gagging from the smell, we backtracked to the main road and continued towards Leyburn where the GPS plotted a new route to our day’s final destination; of course Leigh was subjected to no end of ridicule for some hours thereafter.

Without any further incidents we eventually arrived at Yarramalong Weir where, after settling in enjoyed a pleasurable happy hour sitting under some beautiful gum trees while watching a lovely sunset.

The next morning following breakfast our first stop of the day was nearby Millmerran filling up our water tanks before proceeding to Goondiwindi to again refuel; surprisingly the price of diesel was still quite civilized albeit the enormous hike in the international oil prices with the price only an additional 5c per litre above city prices. Next stop was the village of Toobeah for lunch before continuing further west towards Mungindi via Talwood where Pat and Dale had organized accommodation for us at "The Kraal", a 6800 acre wheat property twelve kilometres out of town and where we would also meet up with Peter and Maria Bailey, Bill McCarthy and his twin brother Jim, plus two other couples. Transiting Mungindi Township (population 240) in search of our camping site we were fortunate that Bill McCarthy was in town. Contacting Pat and Dale’s via the UHF radio Bill assumed the lead guiding us out to the "The Kraal".

Turning off the main road we drove five kilometres through wheat fields eventually stopping at the homestead to meet our hosts Tony and Sue Scriven, a delightful couple who made us feel more than welcome with their typical country hospitality. With the pleasantries completed we then continued a further four kilometres through more wheat fields arriving at a camp site on the banks of tributary of the Barwon River specifically constructed for our exclusive use by Tony Scriven. With everyone settled in we adjourned to the campfire meet the others and discussing the itinerary for the next few days. As the cool of the evening arrived so did the wildlife with visits from a variety of bird species including flocks of parrots and cockatoo's, a very large goanna that decided to take a short cut straight through our camping area (the girls were not impressed), and an upmarket but deadly six foot long brown snake that took a liking to Colin and Merle's motor home deciding that it would make an idea home; following the snake incident we all became acutely aware of the dangers of walking through long grass or jumping over logs.

The next two days were taken up attending a raft of musical concerts ranging from solo performances by such notables as Don Burrows AO MBE, quartets and groups including The Orbital Swing Band, Quadraphonic and Imperium Sax, plus performances by the Sydney Symphonic Winds and the Brisbane State Symphonic Band. The highlight of the weekend was the concert by the Sydney Symphonic Winds in the Yarrawah wheat fields held under marque tents, plus the ensuing performances in the Cleveland Shearing Sheds by Don Burrows and a swag of other very talented artists. Complimenting the mainstream activities was an evening "Campfire Concert" on the banks of the Barwon River, the usual street parades, an evening of "Music on the Pavement", historical tours of the region, the usual street vendors, plus much more.

Our evenings were taken up sitting around the campfire discussing the day’s events over a glass of wine, with all agreeing that considering it was the inaugural event the festival was a credit to the community. As Sunday night was the Rugby League Grand Final everyone headed in different directions, some going to the local pub, others to watch on a big screen erected in town, while we and the Workman's opted was to stay put instead opening several bottles of wine while nibbling on biscuits and cheese - very civilized. Unfortunately the football result wasn't quite to our liking.

Monday morning it was time to move on after a brilliant weekend of entertainment and hospitality mainly thanks to our hosts Tony and Sue Scriven. Col and Merle Boyd made an early exit as they had to head back to the Gold Coast while the remainder of the group were in no particular hurry to de-camp and start the trip back to either Brisbane or the Gold Coast. As for the Nisbet's, Astill's and the Workman's our next destination was the Rosehill Aviaries located seventy five kilometres west of St George and reputed to contain the largest collection of Australian parrots; the destination was a "must do" for Ron. After saying our goodbye’s and thanking our hosts for there hospitality our first stop was a local "pit" toilet just down the road thus providing all the opportunity to empty our on-board sullage tanks. As Ron had never carried out this task previously Leigh volunteered to assist him in this unsavoury task; unfortunately for Leigh there was a "blowback" with Leigh's lower torso being covered in effluent. With Mita refusing to allow me anywhere near the car, van or her I undressed out in the open next to the main road, had a wash and put on clean clothing, all whilst enduring a barrage of questionable comments from the others.

Ok, so now Ron knows what not to do.

On the outskirts of Mungindi we made a short detour to inspect the "1 Ton Post", a wooden survey peg cut and placed by surveyor John B Cameron in 1881 commemorating the completion of the determination of the New South Wales and Queensland border along the 29th parallel. After that brief stop it was on to St George one hundred twenty kilometres to the north-west to refuel, replenish our water supplies and do some last minute shopping before proceeding to the Rosehill Aviaries. After locating the only source of drinkable water available to the travelling public (and a timely reminder as to just how precious water is in the outback) and doing some last minute shopping we lunched on the banks of the Balonne River under a massive old gum tree.

Lunch over with we set out for the aviaries fifty kilometres further west along the highway eventually turning off for the fifteen kilometre drive into the aviaries on a bulldust covered dirt track much to Marj Workman's delight as she isn't a fan of dirt roads at the best of times let alone while towing a two tonne van. With Marj having a cardiac arrest we eventually arrived at the aviaries however as it was by now late afternoon we opted to set up camp near an artesian water bore and return to the aviaries the following morning. After getting ourselves organized it was time for a few drinks however any thought of having dinner "under the stars" soon dissipated with the onslaught of swarms bush flies with Ron managing to swallow two in quick succession and promptly braking into a coughing frenzy trying to dislodge the little buggers. That night Ron, Marj and Pat couldn’t resist the temptation of having a bath in the hot waters of the bore drain.

Tuesday morning following an early breakfast we made out way back to the aviaries spending well over an hour viewing the various species of parrots and cockatoos before again tackling the dusty drive back out to the highway and continuing on to Cunnamulla two hundred and fifty kilometres further west.

Arriving Cunnamulla early afternoon the decided was made to book into a caravan park allowing us to use their washing facilities as our supply of underwear was starting to dwindle (you really needed to know that didn't you?). Cunnamulla was also going to be our last opportunity to refuel at reasonable prices (the diesel prices was still only about 8c per litre above those being charged in the city), obtain reliable drinking as there would be non available for the next seven hundred kilometres, and purchase insect veils for our hats as protection against the every increasing hordes of flies which were becoming unbearable. Chores completed the remainder of the afternoon was spent relaxing before "hitting" one of the local pubs that evening for dinner with local business identities Mike and Fay Smith who are long time friends of Pat and Dale.

We got away relatively early Wednesday morning as we had a fairly hectic day ahead. First stop of the day was Eulo sixty five kilometres down the road. Eulo is a pretty damn exciting town consisting of a pub, a general store cum art gallery cum gift shop, a mud spa cum date farm and vineyard (yes we tried the date wine - didn't quite excite our taste buds), and maybe four other buildings.

From Eulo we continued on to Thargomindah arriving late morning. "Thargo" (as the locals call it) had a little more to offer than Eulo. First stop was the information centre that was once the local hospital but has been restored to its former glory. The building that was constructed of mud brick in the early 1880's and remained in use until 1976 was surprising cool considering the outside temperature was now hovering around 35C (95F). It was quite an interesting building albeit the guide gleefully pointing out the wooden autopsy table complete with impregnated blood and then wanting to explain in detail the design concept. After spending thirty minutes or so inspecting the building, the various rooms, the old "meat safe", left over camel apparatus, etc we heading into town topping up our fuel tanks when we discovered the price of fuel was still quite civilized before moving on to the local pub and then adjourning to a nearby park for lunch.

Thargomindah has the honour of

a) being the first town in Australia to have a reticulated bore water supply, and

b) supposedly having the first hydro-electric power station in Australia – a strange honour considering it is approximately one thousand kilometres inland (as the crow flies) and virtually “smack bang” in the middle of a desert.

In 1891 drilling commenced on a bore to supply the town with water eventually striking a very good supply in 1893 at a depth of seven hundred and ninety five metres; the town was then connected to the bore water supply. As the flow rate was exceptional they then connected turbine driven generator to the bore thus provided electricity to the town and which remained the sole source of electricity until 1951.

Following our inspecting the old bore and its associated hydro-power plant we left Thargomindah for Noccundra a further one hundred and forty kilometres to the west and the end of the bitumen road. Noccundra, population four, consists of a pub built in 1882 and an adjoining homestead. The owners of Noccundra are 'Mac' and Jill McNamara, and people if you want to meet the quintessential Australian outback stockman cum everything else then 'Mac' is it; he is one tough, fit and resourceful bloke who you just wouldn't want to tangle with under any circumstance however as we later discovered that under stone exterior was a heart of gold that is so reminiscent of outback people.

Nearing Noccundra we soon realized that we were not going to be alone as a charity group of some forty plus vehicles had arrived earlier. The charity group organized by the local police from Bourke were raising funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Pulling to the side of the road opposite the pub to discussing our camping options Mita noticed water pouring out from under Pat's van with a quick inspection revealing that one of the water pipes had been damaged by a stone strike. While Pat and Ron furiously trying to stem the flow of water Leigh went in search of a camping spot next to the Wilson River that surprisingly was flowing. After stemming the flow of water we headed down to the river bank spending a quite afternoon and evening camped beside the river before tackling the four hundred kilometres of desert tracks out to Cameron Corner and Tibooburra the next day.

Getting up bright and early the next day our first task was to reposition the vans behind the pub for safe keeping while we spend the next two days away and eventually hit the road around 09.00 we headed further west across the desert towards Cameron Corner. After bumping along for some time dodging potholes, Dale jokingly commented on how nice it would be to find a shady spot somewhere in this otherwise desolate landscape enabling us to take a break and have a coffee; no sooner had she made the comment when this little tree lined creek suddenly appeared as we crested another stony rise.

This year has been quite exceptional for the outback as they have received substantial rains (well substantial for the outback) resulting in numerous creeks and rivers containing flowing water for the first time in many years while large patches of wild flowers could be seen. By now the temperature was hovering around 40C (104F) which was quite a culture shock considering that only days before it was a pleasant 25C (77F). After enjoying the scenery and attempting to sip our coffee under our fly veils thus to avoid the smarms of flies we again set off across the barren plains.

After travelling two hundred and seventy five kilometres through absolutely nothing and passing about three other vehicles the entire time we eventually arrived at Cameron Corner and what a surprise. Albeit there is absolutely nothing there other than the junction of the dingo fence between New South Wales and Queensland, an information stand and a pub of all things, we were flabbergasted to find three other tour groups plus a trail bike group were also there; it was a traffic jam.

Alighting from our vehicles near the survey marker signifying the junction of the three state borders in near 45C (113F) heat we soon realized that we had also discovered " the fly capital of the universe"; the flies were horrendous and even though we had our veils on we were still swatting them away to enable clear vision. After briefly inspecting the survey marker, posing for photo's, reading the information bulleting board about the history of the area, and taking in the local landscape we adjourned to the pub in the hope of finding a "fly free" environment where we could have our lunch however that was a lost cause as it was totally jammed packed with other travellers.

After having spent about an hour or so at Cameron Corner we opted to return to the vehicles for lunch in a "fly free" air-conditioned environment before heading to Tibooburra with Mita taking the controls while Leigh and Ron relaxing in the back seat. Arriving Tibooburra mid afternoon after five plus hours of "shake, rattle and roll" driving on bull dust covered corrugated roads first stop was our pre-booked accommodation at the Family Hotel and with the temperature still hovering around 42C (108F) next stop was the hotel veranda for an ice cold drink or two.

With our thirsts suitable quenched, it was time to explore Tibooburra's main street consisting of two pubs, a cafe, a somewhat dilapidated drive in theatre that surprisingly is still in use, a hardware shop, art gallery, and that's about it.

Dinner that night was at the Tibooburra Pub offering what appeared to be a standard of dining a little more to our liking than that on offer at our accommodation; it turned out to be a wise decision as we had a delightful meal and were later joined by the hotel's manager who insisted on plying us with copious amounts of port at no cost.

After a restless night sleep with the air conditioner on full blast and apparently making little impact on the heat we adjourned to the local cafe for a hearty breakfast of greasy sausages, bacon and eggs on toast, all washed down with coffee. Breakfast out of the way and vehicles packed it was time to return to Noccundra on another two hundred thirty kilometres of dirt roads. First stop was on the edge of town was the memorial to explorer Charles Sturt and his party of fifteen who, complete with whaler boat trekked to Tibooburra in 1844 - 1845 from the coast in search of a supposed inland sea - a replica of the boat is mounted above the memorial together with other paraphernalia relating to the area's history.

The return journey was fairly uneventful until about thirty kilometres from Noccundra when Leigh commented that the external air temperature (again hovering at around 45C) must be playing havoc with the vehicle as the radiator temperature was abnormally high. Assuming that because we had been driving constantly in 4WD at around 100kph Leigh disengaged 4WD and slowed down marginally resulting in the temperature gauge returning to its normal position. Satisfied all was OK we continued on towards Noccundra when Leigh again noticed the temperature gauge on the rise. Pulling in beside the pub Mita was the first to notice water dripping from under the engine at a fairly rapid rate.

After popping the bonnet and not being able to ascertain the source of the leak it was time to ask "Mac" for his advice. While we suspected the lower radiator hose as being the culprit he disagreed with us and proved his point by immediately removed the hose albeit being told it was still boiling hot (aaahhhh hell, it'll only hurt for a little while); Mac soon found the problem, namely a design fault in the shroud encompassing the radiator fan. It turned out that the shroud was a multi-fit item designed to be used on other vehicle types however there were several lugs that needed to be removed but since they hadn’t been removed the lugs rubbed on the inside of the radiator until they eventually pierced the core. After contacting a friend of his at Thargomindah to ascertain the availability of spares "Mac" offered to pull the radiator out and attempt a weld repair; while we were extremely grateful for his efforts and offer we decided to let the Auto Club earn their money. As it turned out the only person the RACQ could get was "Mac's" friend who was coming out to Noccundra that afternoon anyway to attend the local Rodeo scheduled for the weekend.

With nothing better to do Leigh, Ron and Pat decided it was a good time to get acquainted with the local pub, especially since it was such an historical building……….that’s their story. Of course what Leigh forgot about (twice) was that when the building was initially constructed it had dirt floors however since then floors have been installed substantially lowering the clearance through doorways.

When “the boys” eventually returned, it was time for a refreshing swim in the river in an effort to escape from the continuing heat; bloody hell, the water was freezing. By 22.00 that night the temperature was still 39C (102F) however at around 04.00 the next morning a cold change came through with temperatures plummeting to 13C (55F).

Saturday morning the mechanic from Thargomindah who was by now enjoying the Rodeo decided it was time to repair our car; three hours later after removing the radiator, carrying out temporary welding repairs and then reassembling the vehicle while at the same time being supplied by Mita with freshly cooked cheese and bacon scones coated with liberal amounts of butter (talk about bribery) the task was completed, all for the princely sum of $50, yup $50.

With nothing better to do, Pat and Ron decided it was time to test their skills at fishing and yabbying (for our overseas friends, a yabby is similar to a freshwater crayfish). Having receiving his instructions on how to set a yabby traps and what to use for bait Ron busied himself with the task at hand eventually catching three decent sized yabbies that were consumed during happy hour. Unfortunately while Pat caught several fish they were not “keepers”.

With the weather decidedly cooler the evening saw us sitting around the campfire after watching a magnificent sunset, sipping wine while watching Ron and Marj cook their dinner. During one relaxing moment while discussing the events of the past few days Ron casually commented how he repeatedly forgot to hold onto the rope attached to the yabby pots when casting them out into the river. Bad mistake admitting to something like that; for the next thirty minutes Ron was the butt of numerous comments.

We eventually departed Noccundra Sunday morning after refuelling (and nearly having a heart attack at the price of diesel at $1.49 litre) heading for our next destination of Quilpie via Eromanga two hundred and eighty five kilometres away. With the exception of a twenty seven kilometre section the road was sealed and quite wide although there was the occasional section that was one lane only however that wasn't of any great concern as I doubt we saw more than six vehicles throughout the entire journey to Quilpie. After traversing the dirt section we pulled in next to a small creek for a cuppa before proceeding to Eromanga which has the distinction of being the furthest town from the ocean in Australia.

For such of small community Eromanga was quite a surprise. Albeit the main industry is oil the town is also renown for the huge amounts of opals that have been found in the region over the years. Presently the township is going out of its way attempting to persuade passing motorists to stay by providing a variety of incentives including free barbeque and picnic facilities, plus free showers for those prospectors, adventurers and travellers coming in from the Strzelecki Desert. We suspect that they also appear to be monitoring two way UHF communications answering a variety of questions regarding the availability of services; on several occasions we had questions answered regarding supermarkets, picnic facilities, etc.

By now it was lunch time and since the temperatures were quite civilized we "cranked up" one of the free community barbeques for a sausage sizzle. With Leigh doing the cooking and Marj Workman supervising you can image their surprise when the in-ground sprinkler system suddenly activated themselves with one of the jets impacted directly on them while they were busily rotating the sausages and cooking the onions. After a degree of commotion accompanied by much laughter a nearby worker realized what had happened an immediately turned them off. Following a pleasant lunch and a walk through the newly constructed interpretive centre, it was time to continue on our way towards Quilpie.

On the main road out of town and in the middle of an oil field we noticed what looked like a mini oil refinery and service station. Sure enough the owners of the oil field were producing diesel for there own use with the surplus being sold at below city prices; Leigh was not a happy boy considering the price he had just paid earlier.

Eventually arrived at Quilpie mid afternoon, like most country towns in the outback come 11.30 Saturday everything is shut until the start of business on Monday. With that in mind Ron and Marj went in search of fuel while Pat and Dale looked for a shop of some description to buy bread, milk and a few other commodities. As for us, our first stop was the information centre in search of a map of the local area and general information on the town and its surrounds. With all chores out of the way next was a visit to the local Catholic Church viewing the Alter made entirely of inlaid opals. After spending some time at the church it was time to make our way out to Lake Houdraman on the outskirts of town where we had arranged to meet Reg and Pearl Symons however as their phone was Digital and not CDMA (and hence inoperative in the outback) we had no way of contacting them.

Lake Houdraman forms part of a privately owned 175,000 acre cattle property (270 sq miles or 700 sq kilometres - big in anyone's language) however the owners allow public access to the area; the owners just happen to be Pearl's late sister and her husband. Finding a camping spot next to the waters edge we relaxed while enjoying the views (at right) and tranquillity while chatting amongst ourselves. With everyone chatting away totally oblivious to the outside world Ron was to first to comment that he could hear someone calling Leigh's name from the other side of the lake - it was Reg and Pearl who had told several people in the district that if they saw a group of three caravans come into town to let him know - five minutes later we were joined by Reg and Pearl who stayed until early evening.

Next stop two hundred ten kilometres to the east was Charleville where we had booked into a caravan park. After arriving late morning everyone headed in different directions, the girls all headed for the Laundromat while the guys busied themselves with general maintenance and some badly need cleaning. Leigh headed for local Nissan dealer to investigate his radiator failure and obtain some coolant, and returned not too happy when he was advised that there had been several Technical Bulletins released regarding his radiator failure. Meanwhile Ron went and visited a local Tyre dealer after successfully destroying a tyre; we suspect it may have been the result of either running over a dead ‘roo on the highway or a very sharp rock.

That evening Ron and Marj had an 20.30 booking at the Cosmos Centre providing them with the opportunity to gaze at the universe through powerful telescopes (for those of you who are contemplating coming out this way the Cosmos Centre is a must); Astill’s and ourselves had been there previously and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. With time to spare before Ron and Marj's Cosmos experience we headed to the Charleville Hotel for dinner on the 1st floor veranda overlooking the main street. The meals were so large that the steaks lathered with copious amounts of garlic sauce and piled high with fresh salad were hanging over the edge of the plates.