Submitted: Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 00:00

Monday 28th July

Whitsundays to Emerald

Easy drive via the Bruce Highway to Calen then the back roads to Mirani and Eton to pickup the Peak Downs Highway.

Lunch at the Nebo Hotel, must do this more often.

Continue along the Peak Downs Highway to Moranbah then past Peak Downs coal mine and Dysart. Wind along Cothersloe Road through the Peak Downs National Park and join up with the Gregory Highway at Capella.



Overnight at Emerald Meteor Motel.


Tuesday 29th July

Emerald to Charleville

Along the Capricorn Highway to Alpha, morning tea (good sausage rolls at the bakery, coffee machine's not working unfortunately).

Along the Alpha - Tambo Road, deeply rutted and corrugated (idiot towing a caravan flat out coming the other way and did not even attempt to slow down luckily enough room to pass between the side markers).



Lunch at Tambo and visit the Tambo Teddy shop.

Go to Augathella to see the supposedly great sculptures, can't find any must be in all the back streets.

Follow the Landsborough Highway to just south of Augathella then the Mitchell Highway to Charleville. Only accommodation available at the Charleville Hotel. So have dinner there as well.


Wednesday 30th July

Charleville to Bourke

Freezing cold (-1C) truck covered in ice first thing in the morning, roll it back into the sun to let it defrost before leaving. Not like the bloke next to us who threw a cup of hot water over his and it instantly refroze, luckily it did not crack on him but took twice as long to get rid of.



Head south along the Mitchell Highway to Cunnamulla for lunch and visit the museum.

Visit Wyandra, must come back to go fishing.

On to Bourke, check out what accommodation available, Riverfront Motel or North Bourke Inn. Settle on North Bourke even though it means back tracking about 10kms. Well worth it, great accommodation, great meal and terrific hospitality.




Thursday 31st July

Bourke to Menindee

The Darling River Run (east side)

Big day, dirt road all the way except for about 10kms.

Bourke to Louth good road, Louth races coming up must have graded it for that. Morning tea at the Louth Hotel.

On to Tilpa, road much worse condition, lots of emus. Lunch at the Tilpa Hotel, don't forget to sign the wall and donate to the RFDS.

Quick stop on the side of the road at the Barrier Highway intersection before continuing on to Menindee.

Arrive Menindee, go to motel, no booking (only place we had actually booked, find they've booked us in for next week). End up staying at the Albemarle Hotel, only one double room but really clean and tidy, great service and a terrific dinner.


Friday 1st August

Menindee to Wentworth

Continuing the Darling River Run.

Still dirt road almost to Pooncarie. Stop at Pooncarie for morning tea at the new cafe and gallery. Excellent service and food. Great spot at the Old Wharf area.

On to Wentworth, arrive about lunch time so find a motel close to the centre of town. Walk to the Crown Hotel.

Excellent lunch.

Decide to stay two nights in Wentworth and visit Mungo National park tomorrow.

Start to go for a walk get as far as the first shop and it starts raining cat's and dog's. Talking to Marg in the shop, seems the roads between Bourke and Menindee were closed due rain after we came through.

Dinner at the Crown Hotel, better than lunch.


Saturday 2nd August

Wentworth - Mungo - Wentworth

Out to Lake Mungo and round the self drive tour, find the points of interest details after we get back to the visitors centre.

Definitely well worth the trip and next time we'll camp out there as we'll have the camper.

Dinner at the services club. Interesting.


Sunday 3rd August

Wentworth to Renmark

First stop, Perry sand hills. Great place, pity about people attempting to drive vehicles on them.


Continue on to Lake Victoria, got talking to some locals who had taken a Japanese exchange student out to see it.

Only about 3m of usable water in the lake.

Visit Litra House ruins (the Old Scab Inspectors hut). Have to get Belinda to direct me over the bridge as it's partially washed out (first time she's done this so a little bit hesitant but does a great job).

Take the wrong road to Suicide bridge luckily there's a gate in the fence.



In to Renmark, stay at the Renmark Hotel. Afternoon walk along the river, watch the sunset from the Services club, even though we can't see it only the colours on the trees across the river.


Monday 4th August

Renmark to Swan Reach

Visit the Loxton historical village, needs a lot of work but still worth while.

Lunch at the bakery. Expecting really nice bakery made soup, turns out to be from a can.

Back roads to Swan Reach via Bakara Well.

Stay at the Swan Reach Hotel, overlooking the Murray River, really nice. Pub's up for sale, not game to ask how much.


Tuesday 5th August

Swan Reach to Mount Lofty House (Crafers)

Once again via back roads.

Stop at Cambria General store for morning tea, also the post office and everything else in town, except the pub.

Wind through the hills to Mount Lofty. Starts raining.

Lunch at the Crafers Hotel, excellent food and service.

Two nights here while we visit Adelaide to pickup the camper, etc.

Dinner, typical nouveaux cuisine, enormous plates and really small serves. Any extras (salad etc) are $10 minimum.


Wednesday 6th August

Mount Lofty - Adelaide - Mount Lofty

Travel via Sheoak Drive to Edwardstown to pickup the camper.

Spend about an hour and a half at Adventure Campers while we learn all about the camper and fit it to the truck.

Off to Haigh chocolate factory for necessary purchases. Belinda promised to all and sundry presents of Haigh chocolate.

Going to have lunch at Windy Point but it's only open for dinner, so up to Mount Lofty summit instead. No view as we're in the clouds. Great lunch though.


Thursday 7th August

Mount Lofty to Strathalbyn

I've got a cold, we find a really nice B&B (Gasworks B&B, hello Heather and Bill) to settle into for a couple of days.


Friday 8th August

A couple of codrals and I spend most of the morning in bed. Belinda visits all the local galleries and ends up getting invited to an art opening on Sunday.


Saturday 9th August

Strathalbyn to Tarlee

Time to head north, it's been raining for the last 5 days and it's cold. Need to get some gear in Adelaide and visit the paper supply shop.

Off to Snowy's for new (-10C) sleeping bags, and some other bit's and pieces ($700 worth). Should have everything we need now.

Belinda spends about the same at the paper supply shop (just some "samples").

Time to get out of Adelaide the traffic is horrendous.

Head north, nothing much in the way of accommodation and the traffic dos'nt let up until north of Gawler.

Come across a small (4 rooms) motel at Tarlee just on dark. We're the only guests for the night and the hospitality is fantastic, dinner served in front of the fire. Interesting fitting the truck in the parking area.


Sunday 10th August

Tarlee to Quorn

Still raining. We decide to continue north until we clear the weather. Get to Clare and it's starting to clear so do the grocery shopping so we can stop when ever we want.

Ends up being just on dark when we get to Quorn so decide to stay in the pub anyway (Criterion Hotel, hello Mike).

We're the only ones there.


Monday 11th August

Quorn to Wilpena Pound

Lot's of places to stop and see. Death rock, Kanyanka ruins, Old Ghan railway line, Hawker, Flinders Ranges National Park.



Arrive Wilpena, just about dark again. Set up the camper for the first time. It's bloody cold. Lot's of bus tours around. Did I say it's bloody cold.


Tuesday 12th August

Wilpena Pound to Copley


Did I mention it's bloody cold.

Should have continued on to Brachina Gorge, rather than stay at Wilpena Pound. Much better campsites and no one around.

Dinner at the Leigh Creek Hotel. Talked with some locals who are working with the miners to the east of Copley to determine sacred sites, etc before the mining commences, really interesting people. Determined that Birdsville is the worst town in Australia (their opinion not ours).

Stayed at the Copley Caravan Park excellent.


Wednesday 13th August

Copley to Clayton Wetlands

Buy some (4) quandong pies to have for morning/afternoon tea, end up having half each for the next 4 days for morning tea as there that good and we want to make them last.

Visited the Leigh Creek Mine lookout. Looked at all the machinery on display, photo of our truck in front of the Titan 240 tonne truck as everyone else has probably done.



Stopped of at Lyndhurst to top up the LPG, should have filled up here rather than Leigh Creek as it's 10cpl cheaper.

Visited Farina ruins and lunch at the campground. Great facilities at the campground looks like a good spot for an overnight stop.



Continue on to Maree, top of the petrol (most expensive of the trip $2.05 per litre). Although the fresh fruit and vegetables were reasonably priced. Bananas cheaper than at Clare.

Decide that the carvan parks are really not nice at Maree and we'll continue on up the Birdsville track to Clayton wetlands and see.

Passed Lake Harry and the ruins, good to see that there's a description at these places to explain what and why there are ruins here.

Arrived at Clayton wetlands and have the place to ourselves. Setup camp among the few trees and sit back and enjoy the sunset and solitude. Our first real bush camp and campfire of the trip.


Thursday 14th August

Clayton wetlands to Mungeranie

Pack up, go up to have a shower and there's some Toorak taxi suv parked near the showers. Get talking to the driver seems he drove through from Birdsville that morning (i'ts 9am and he's been there since 7:30ish).

Great hot shower even though it's artesian water.




Continue on up the Birdsville track past Dulkannina, Milner's Pile, Etadunna, the Tom Brennan memorial. Cooper Creek looks like a good spot to camp as well.



Arrive Mungeranie. Decide to definitely stop as the pubs great and the camping area is ideal. Setup camp and head off for lunch at the pub.

Spend the afternoon looking around the wetlands, really interesting and some great photos.



Dinner at the pub, watch “Back of Beyond” with the 6wd bus group that's staying at the hotel. End up talking with Phil and Pam and another couple who have just come down the Rig Road from Dalhousie Springs until 1am. Not a good move, big hangover the next day so don't go anywhere.


Saturday 16th August

Mungeranie to Birdsville

Take the obligatory photo of us behind the bar at Mungeranie before heading off.

Talking with Phil before we go and find that the inside track is still closed as has not been graded since the rains about 3 weeks ago. So we'll go to the turn off and see if we want to camp there or continue on to Birdsville.

Mitta Mitta bore, looks like someone has a fire going until we get close. The steam from the water is so dense that it actually looks like smoke. Even 50m down stream it's too hot to leave your hand in it for long. Lots of wildlife around here and in the wetlands just down the hill with the amount of water around.

Arrive at Tippipilla campground at lunch time and decide really don't want to spend the rest of the afternoon sitting around amongst the gibbers. So have a relaxed lunch and then continue on.

Up to here had been predominantly gibber and stony desert (guess that's why it's called Sturt's Stony Desert) now starting to get into sand dunes. Not that we have to struggle to get over them as the road is very good.

Back in Queensland and it's now the Eyre Developmental Road.

Birdsville, hasn't this changed since we were last here 15years ago. No bakery then, campground is much nicer, looks like people are really taking an interest in the place.

Campground and facilities are terrific, decide on a powered site as need to charge the camera batteries as we can't find the car charger for them. Campsites down near the river look great as well.

Over to the pub for a couple of ales before dinner and meet up with the group on the 6wd bus again.


Sunday 17th August

Birdsville to Bedourie

Leisurely start to the day. After breakfast over to the bakery for quandong pies and coffee. Go to visit Blue Poles Gallery but not open as Wolfgang has headed south. Explore Oz sticker on the wall, only one we saw in the whole trip.

Stop of at the Waddi trees to have a look, 4wd with trailer goes by while we are there, last vehicle we see until we arrive in Bedourie.

Lot's of interesting historical points along the road, once again signs at these places to explain what and why, good to see.

Arrive in Bedourie, decide to stay at the council camping area next to the aquatic centre. Just across the road from the Bedourie Hotel. Good facilities and its got grass unlike the dust bowl down at the roadhouse.

Been overcast and threatening rain all day but starts to clear just on sunset to give the most spectacular sunset we have seen yet.


Monday 18th August

Bedourie to Diamantina National Park

Again a couple of 4wd's just entering Bedourie as we're leaving and they're the last vehicles we see for the rest of the day.

Collect some firewood just near the Eyre Developmental Road intersection where the dozer has pushed over some trees. Extremely dry wood and some really dense, looks like a good fire tonight.

Follow the Diamantina Developmental Road to Monkira.



Head up the Monkira - Davenport Downs road. Initially road is rocky and hard packed although winds around through the trees. First gate we have come across. (seven gates eventually between here and the national park).

Road turns to alluvial sand after the gate and the truck's not happy with the extra effort to drive on this. Time to air down the tyres. Try 25psi first of all and it makes some difference but could still be better, eventually down to 18 psi to get enough flotation so it's not bogging down, have to remember this for any future sand driving. May need to look at some bead locks.




Cross the Diamantina River, some water in it but not over the ford, eventually find our way through the plethora of tracks on the eastern side of the river onto the Diamantina River Road. No longer sandy so time to air up again, first time we've used the compressor in anger and it works a treat. 4 tyres 18 to 40psi each, in 10 minutes.



Diamantina Lakes station in the national park, surprised to find someone there, ranger had just arrived from Boulia.

On to Hunter's Gorge (Mundawerra) campground after crossing the Diamantina River again. Great waterhole and good campground even though it's very windy. Not a lot of campsites but as were the only one's there we get the pick of the sites. Fire places overlooking the waterhole make's for a nice fireside evening. One other vehicle arrives just as were about to set up and camps about 50 m from us, mind you there's about 5 acres of campground.

Spectacular moonrise over the water hole as the sun has only just set and the moon is reflecting the colour of the sunset.

Decide it's time for a rest day so will spend two nights here.


Tuesday 19th August

Hunter's Gorge, Diamantina National Park



Other vehicle leaves early so have the place to ourselves. Spend the day walking up to the end of the water hole. Sitting on the side of the waterhole watching the eagles and pelicans fishing. Take lots of photos. Belinda does some sketching for prints for her masters degree.

Saw the most rediculous bunch of 4wd's yet. Arrive in the camping area at about 60kph towing camper trailers, dust every where (their complaining about the dust to each other on the UHF), luckily the wind is blowing it away from us. They stay for a total of five minutes, never get out of the vehicles, and then roar off out of the campground.

Really been and done the Diamantina havn't they!!!

Another vehicle pulls in to the campground not long before dark. Come over to say hello (hi Rosemary and Ian), and we get to discussing the above 4wd's. Seems they passed them on the Diamantina River Road still going flat out not caring about other users, did not even slow down when passing a vehicle coming the other way.

Another great sunset and camp fire to finish the day.


Wednesday 20th August

Diamantina National Park to Winton

Back across the Diamantina River, and up the Diamantina River Road.

Visit Janet's leap lookout, after entering these road's into Open Street Map (from our gps logs) find that's its' only about 2km's in a straight line from where we were camped.

Visit the Mayne Hotel ruins, not much left and it's a pity to see that people have removed posts so that they can drive the 100m to the graveyard rather than getting out and walking.



Really impressive mesas along this road and it's interesting to see that there are still red sand dunes.

Missed the turnoff to Old Cork Station and decided we'll come back another day as really want to spend some more time in this area.

Lunch under the trees off the side of the road, it's great having the camper and fridge/freezer.

Follow the Old Cork mail road then down to Lark Quarry dinosaur tracks. Really worthwhile visiting and taking the guided tour, just made it in time for the last tour of the day. First vehicles we've seen today in the parking area here.



Along the Winton Jundah Road, some great views here as well. Back on the bitumen and out of 4wd for the first time in 4 days. Truck feels a little strange on uneven bumps in the road, stop to check tyre pressures, suspension etc can't see anything wrong. Just take it easy from here in to Winton.

Decide it's time for a town day and motel/hotel stay, can't get into the new flash motel, with free internet, pool etc. end up staying at the oldest motel in town. Really clean and well looked after and the decore is still as when it was built in 1964, pink bathroom sinks and all.

No internet as the phones not working and Telstra won't be in to fix them until next week. Damn I really needed to check the emails ;), oh well will just have to wait until we get home.

Free laundry for guests, so spend the afternoon getting rid of some of the dust.

RSL club for an asian style meal for dinner, interesting.


Thusday 21st August

Spend the day at Winton doing all the tourist things. Still can't seen find anything wrong with the truck so leave it for now.

Lunch at the Tattersall's Hotel, excellent, so good we decide to go back for dinner.

Winton's a great country town with really friendly atmosphere. Will definitely be back.



Friday 22nd August

Winton to Lake Dunn

Depart Winton and as is our want take the back road just out of town. Well made dirt road and some different country to see. Come across a sign indicating a turn to the right, following the maps we had and the gps this did not gel. So continue on straight ahead, about 200m up is a gate with a bloody great sign that says "Private road, not maintained by Aramac Shire council, road is dangerous", so decide discretion is the better part of valour and we'll go and take the other road. Not really much more than wheel tracks through the grass but it's got side markers over the drains and sign posts. Come to a cattle grid which was not sign posted and realize that the grid is about 150mm above the level of the road luckily able to stop but with the tyres just touching the concrete side of the grid. This road continued like this for the next 50kms and at each grid it was necessary to come to a complete stop before continuing.

Eventually rejoin the other road and there's a sign there saying the same thing about private road, etc. I'd really like to see why i'ts so dangerous as the one supposedly maintained by the council was dangerous enough.

Originally intended to stay at Muttaburra, got there about lunch time and decided to get some lunch at the pub. A couple of people in the pub and the bar person. Order lunch and some drinks, and find a table while waiting for lunch. Now we're not prudish and I have been know to swear like a trooper at times but if the locals can't talk between themselves with out every second word being F*** or C*** (both male and female) then they really don't deserve to have our custom so finished lunch (which was good). Got talking to the barmaid and she suggested Lake Dunn as a good place to stay. Not far about 150kms to the east.

So head off towards Aramac and found a couple of other campsites along the road to there but nothing great.

Quick stop in Aramac to have a look around and then on to Lake Dunn.

What a place, camped 10ft from the waters edge, good clean facilities and really cheap. Got talking to Marg (the owner), been there for about 50 years, just off to clean the cabins as someone coming up from Clermont that night.

Will definitely be back here too but will have to bring a boat as supposedly great fishing but not in the vicinity of the camping area.


Saturday 23rd August

Lake Dunn to Mount Coolon

Belinda's birthday.

Had breakfast on the shore of Lake Dunn then a leisurely departure.



Once again lot's of back roads today and again a road that's mapped and on the gps but does not go through. Did not have to back track but the only road is 100km's longer than what we had intended.

Really varying landscape as we cross the Great Dividing Range and head east.

Some great spots maybe to bush camp along the road particularly near Dunda Creek and the Belyando River.



Checked out the motel and camping area at Belyando Crossing, no thanks.

Arrive at Mount Coolon, talk to the publican and he says camp anywhere. Back of the pub is grassed and power if needed, otherwise across the road near the rotunda. Select the rotunda site as its got a great view for the sunset.

Dinner at the pub, current publican has only just taken over the pub and is doing it up, dining room floor is great just be careful of the lean on the chairs. Lots of history in the town but not really well maintained even though nationally listed.


Sunday 24th August

Mount Coolon to Whitsundays (Home)

Last day on the road. No back roads today as everything other than the main road between Mount Coolon and the Bruce Highway the direction we want to go is a no through road. Still the Bowen Developmental Road is still interesting and some great areas we'll have to come back and investigate more.

Lunch at Collinsville, pretty quite as it is sunday and not much open in the main street.

30kms out of Bowen and the lpg runs out, would have made it home if had not had to do that extra 100kms yesterday, oh well we're back on the coast and traffic everywhere, where's those backroads when you want them. Truck still gets a strange feeling when on bitumen when there's uneven bumps in the road, never happened on the dirt. So 70-80kph seems to be the go without any problems.

Arrive home mid afternoon, and it seems like a real let down. As good as it is to be home it was great on the road for the last few weeks and look forward to getting back out there.


Best Pub(s):

Mungeranie Hotel
Tatersalls Hotel (Winton)
Prarie Hotel (Parachilna)
Swan Reach Hotel


Best Accommodation (other than camping):

Gasworks B&B (Strathalbyn, SA)
Swan Reach Hotel
Renmark Hotel


Best Campsite(s):

Clayton Wetlands
Mungeranie
Hunters Gorge (Diamantina National Park)
Lake Dunn


Must go back to (particularly now we have the camper):

Diamantina National Park
Lake Dunn
Mungeranie
Brachina Gorge
Mungo National Park
Darling River Run

Mechanical Problems:

One dead shock absorber. Had intended putting a new set of shocks on the back before we left but ran out of time.

Wasn't too concerned as they had been ok with no weight on the back. Now have a set of Rancho 9000 adjustable and this solved the strange feeling on bitumen.

Otherwise all went well.

No Punctures but on brand new BFG AT's and driving to the conditions that's what I'd expect.


Most expensive petrol:

Maree $2.05 per litre ULP


Least expensive petrol:

Whitsudnays $157.9 per litre PULP (normal petrol for us)


Most expensive LPG:

Leigh Creek $109.9 per litre


Lease expensive LPG:

Adelaide (Keswick) 66.6c per litre

Tags: 4WD, Travel Journal
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