Bob's travels across N.S.W. and into Q'ld

[Bob]

Windorah is an Australian Outback township, that has lent itself to the history of this country as being the place that many early pioneers would settle around before pushing their cattle into new parts of Australia.

It was from near here that herds were moved 2 000 kms across the top of Australia with no settlement, to take up new lands in places such as the far top of the Northern Territory and even the north east corner of Western Australia.

That was back in the 1870s / 1880s.

Anyone interested in reading this part of Australia's history of settlement could read "Kings in Green Castles" by the grand-daughter of one of the pioneer drover / settlers, Patsy Durack.

Windorah was, and still is, on the fringes of civilisation.

A couple of years ago, an old pioneer's cottage which was built in 1906 by the then Rabbit Fence Board, was relocated from the banks of the Whitulya Creek, about 30 miles / 50 kms west of Windorah and placed in town.

This was still a vast improvement on what the local Aborigines lived in . . . . a "Wurlie"

Compared to others I've seen in the Outback of South Australia, this one looks like a good one

Windorah has only around 100 people, with room to spare. Two other towns of around the same size take up the whole "shire", so the Queensland and Australia are keen to get people live in places like this if there is work on offer.

The local caravan park, run by the shire council, is one of the cheapest I've seen in a while . . . only $10 for a powered site each night. Hot showers, running water . . . . No! I don't mean you have to run and get it! . . . . and the washing machines were only $2 a load

we stuck about 3 loads thro these machines . . . cost $6 + powder

Early next day, in the still of the morning, I took this shot of Cooper's Creek in the morning light, knowing that later we were heading further south towards Quilpie, the end of the rail line 1 000kms from Brisbane

We struck south, going thro a variety of landscapes

These things can do some serious damage to your car if you happen to get one run across the road. I've seen a big artic off the road with its front end stoved in by hitting a cow . . . . all because the driver wanted to make it to town just after dark. It's far safer to just find a spot to pull up for the night as the sun's going down than risk getting your car . . . and your holiday . . . written off

The days, and especially the nights, were becoming considerably cooler now that we were heading towards New South Wales and getting ever further away from the tropics.

I spotted an old oil drum which I bashed out, put a few air holes in, to make into a bucket to take some coals and wood for warmth. It made our evenings later on in the trip "tolerable" to sit outside

the fire bucket being "commissioned" into service on cool nights around us

Just before the township of Quilpie in south west Queensland, I saw a hill where we could get good views of the surrounding bush

Edited July 21, 2008 by Bob

[Ready2go]

As always, so well told Bob.

Those cows you mentioned, we live in a very built up residential area and have to watch for cows everyday !!! They are all over the roads, even stopping traffic at a major intersection. They cause chaos.

[4mcnuts]

Thanks for sharing with us Bob. Always good to read your travel posts & see your photo's! Look forward to the next post. Regards mcnut3