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On location, hunting for dinosaurs! While waiting for a massive Sauropod to wander across the barren...
Destinations > On Your Marks
On Your Marks
Quilpie is renowned for opals and shops display colourful finds. To learn more visit the stone mad Opal Hunter, aka Ed Lunney. He'll whisk you in for a cuppa, documentary, opal talk or even take you to a fossicking site. You can also enjoy the opals and show events at the annual Quilpie Opal Festival that finished the previous night while I was cheering on yabbies.
Black clouds built despite my supplications as I drove towards Windorah (1200km), the end of the sealed road. As rain set in I despaired the Birdsville Development Road would be closed.
Windorah is located in dry Channel Country which floods when it rains. However the tourist office confirmed the road was now open and conditions wouldn't change despite the rain, so I stayed put to enjoy the evening's entertainment.
Windorah is a quiet, one pub, one shop town of 80 people but the week before the races it swells with caravans, 4WDs and utes passing through for fuel, food or accommodation. To take advantage of the crowds the Windorah International Yabby Races were started. And if I get no further, it will have been worth driving this far to see them.
These are a far more competitive affair than Charleville where anything goes. The stakes are higher - some yabbies are auctioned for $1000 - and so beer is thrown to rile the yabbies, there's fist shaking, hollering and serious attempts for a taste of glory.
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Amongst the crowd are station hands from nearby properties and local residents including the publican and his wife who come out to bid, local roo shooter Geoff Seawright who parades the yabbies, Merv and Bub who run the servo and the Geiger's who once ran the caravan park. You won't miss the Geiger's place thanks to the enormous Priscilla-like bus being done up outside to take them around Australia.
There are retired Aussie couples also on a trip to Birdsville, including my Dulacca pals, and a few foreigners who look shocked at what goes on in the Outback.
Rain set in and did little to dampen the festivities but I'm first down at the tourist office the next morning to get a road update.
"We wouldn't call what fell last night rain love," they told me and I needed no further encouragement to get started on the 400km to Birdsville.
The road is no longer underwater but there are several soft patches and the usual gibbers, straying cattle and dusty road trains. All goes well and by early afternoon I'm passing mud spattered cars at the Birdsville servo - some had a far worse time than me - and pulling in beside the iconic Birdsville Hotel.
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Black clouds built despite my supplications as I drove towards Windorah (1200km), the end of the sealed road. As rain set in I despaired the Birdsville Development Road would be closed.
Windorah is located in dry Channel Country which floods when it rains. However the tourist office confirmed the road was now open and conditions wouldn't change despite the rain, so I stayed put to enjoy the evening's entertainment.
Windorah is a quiet, one pub, one shop town of 80 people but the week before the races it swells with caravans, 4WDs and utes passing through for fuel, food or accommodation. To take advantage of the crowds the Windorah International Yabby Races were started. And if I get no further, it will have been worth driving this far to see them.
These are a far more competitive affair than Charleville where anything goes. The stakes are higher - some yabbies are auctioned for $1000 - and so beer is thrown to rile the yabbies, there's fist shaking, hollering and serious attempts for a taste of glory.
read on below advertisement
Amongst the crowd are station hands from nearby properties and local residents including the publican and his wife who come out to bid, local roo shooter Geoff Seawright who parades the yabbies, Merv and Bub who run the servo and the Geiger's who once ran the caravan park. You won't miss the Geiger's place thanks to the enormous Priscilla-like bus being done up outside to take them around Australia.
There are retired Aussie couples also on a trip to Birdsville, including my Dulacca pals, and a few foreigners who look shocked at what goes on in the Outback.
Rain set in and did little to dampen the festivities but I'm first down at the tourist office the next morning to get a road update.
"We wouldn't call what fell last night rain love," they told me and I needed no further encouragement to get started on the 400km to Birdsville.
The road is no longer underwater but there are several soft patches and the usual gibbers, straying cattle and dusty road trains. All goes well and by early afternoon I'm passing mud spattered cars at the Birdsville servo - some had a far worse time than me - and pulling in beside the iconic Birdsville Hotel.
next page »
