It was yet another beautiful morning to wake up to in the Channel Country. The sky was clear and the morning had a slight chill in the air. A lone pelican swam up and down Cooper’s Creek as the sun finally climbed above the eastern horizon.
Our pack up routine is well rehearsed and we were back on the road just after 9.15am. Cooper’s Creek is a series of channels as it passes by Windorah; most were dry while the major channel appeared to be a billabong as there was no sign of any current flowing downstream.
The development road to Quilpie passed through country that had dunes of ochre-coloured sand appearing, then fading back into the flat plains. Multiple causeways provide an escape for waters that flow infrequently across the plains.
The sparsely covered plains transitioned to mulga scrub that provided a tangle of dead wood in between areas of gibber plain. The northerly wind had picked up from the time we set off in the morning and, with the temperature in the mid 30s, it was unpleasant when outside the comfort of the air-conditioned Prado.
Quilpie was a sizeable town in an area not known for sizeable towns. Being Sunday, most places other than the pub and a fuel outlet were closed. We took a chance on getting something to eat at the bakery but their stock was almost exhausted and we left empty handed. After checking out the self-proclaimed “best supermarket in Australia”, a small IGA just off the Main Street, we headed out of town and turned onto the Thargomindah Road.
A detour to Baldy Top Lookout just out of town caught our eye so we followed the signs to a car park at the base of a weathered rocky outcrop with a clearly defined walking path winding up to the summit. The wind was quite strong as we climbed the stairs to the start of the walking track and made our way to the top. The commanding view across an otherwise flat landscape looked out over a sea of mulga scrub, with Quilpie off in the distance. We returned to the Prado and continued on the drive to Thargomindah.
The road was possibly one of the best we have experienced over the last week of driving. It appeared to have been recently sealed and was wide enough for approaching vehicles to pass without having to drop off the seal into the gravel. There were signs that rain had recently fallen, as some standing water was still in puddles beside the road. Driving was still a challenge – having to avoid numerous central bearded dragons sunning themselves on the road. With them seemingly having absolutely no road sense, avoiding them remained difficult. Emus began appearing in the scrub, fossicking for things to eat in the newly sprouting grasses.
We arrived in Thargomindah at around 2.45pm. It is a large centre, with an industrial estate that appeared to specialise in servicing and repairing road trains and fuel tankers. Wendy had found a fuel outlet that sold fuel for 30 cents a litre cheaper than either of the other two options in town. We pulled up at the two pumps connected to what appeared to be a shipping container. The instructions on the container advised that an app needed to be downloaded, then payment details provided, along with an estimate of the amount of fuel to be purchased. Once this was done the pump unlocked and Chris was able to fill the tank in preparation for the next leg of our journey.
Wendy had found a free shower facility closer to town in online searches – we went to check out the facilities and they were new and available. We took the opportunity to wash away some of the grime accumulated over a couple of hot days – much more quickly and easily than setting up our own ensuite. We both stepped back into the car after our showers feeling a million dollars. It was siesta time in town – the blustery, hot, northerly wind had driven people inside.
The Bulloo River passes to the east of Thargomindah and there is a designated free camp beside the river. We circled around the camping area to find the best site available. After a lap of the available sites we chose a sheltered spot and set up as the wind began easing and the temperature slowly dropped. Chris has been listening to the AFL on his phone as we are close enough to get mobile phone coverage from the centre of town.
