Oil, dinosaurs and camels

The small refinery at Eromanga

It’s not many times that one can sleep in a caravan park just across the road from an oil refinery, but that’s what we did in Eromanga. We had discovered back in 2012 what a thriving oil centre Eromanga was  . . . and its refinery has its own fuel pumps outside the perimeter fence, selling diesel and unleaded fuel many many cents cheaper than in the nearest town of Quilpie.

We had a delightful night there, exploring the village that afternoon, including an excellent living history centre, with the key available at the local pub, a great old stone building dating from the late 19^th century. Eromanga’s other claim to fame are the dinosaur fossils relatively recently unearthed on a nearby station property. They are deemed to have been the biggest that roamed Australia, and have been called titanosaurus.

In the bed of Cooper's Creek

Then on we went towards Windorah, spending two nights camped at Cooper’s Creek. It was not running as well as when we visited in 2012 so there were not as many waterbirds present, but there were a few pelicans finding small fish. We had a unique experience there, with the 50-ish couple camped just along the creek bed inviting us to share their campfire after dinner.

It was all very pleasant and we all enjoyed a few drinks . . . then while John and her husband were engrossed in some technical discussion about electric appliances (he’s a retired electrician), she confided that they were ‘swingers’ and wondered if we were interested.

I gracefully backed off and she took no offence but told me all about their activities with a swingers’ club in Brisbane. This all happened at night and we had only seen them by firelight. When they pottered over to say goodbye the next morning, they were definitely not the image of sexy, attractive people pursuing a swinging lifestyle, having sex with multiple partners. They were frankly, quite unattractive and we could hardly keep a straight face. Ever since, John has referred to them as the ‘chandeliers’, as in ‘swinging from the chandeliers’.

Back to our journey . . . After looking around Windorah, and fuelling up, we headed west again towards Bedourie, where we found a delightful nook among some trees at the local racecourse, where camping was offered in conjunction with the local camel races.

Don Anesbury walking his camels around the track.

As we were a few days early, there were not many campers, and we met a couple from near Port Augusta, who had brought their string of camels to compete in those races, and then would go on to meetings at Boulia and Winton. They were great folk and we were so pleased for them when their camels not only won the Cup, but also the Plate. Their winning jockey was a young Irish bloke who has been working at Scone and first rode for them at a Forbes camel meeting. He also was fleet of foot, winning the men’s footrace.

The day also featured woodchops (nothing like those at the big shows), using hard blue gum logs from Emerald, the ringers and station managers put their backs into chopping those logs, with one of the most energetic the offduty policeman from Bedourie. One of his colleagues, from Mt Isa, won the men’s camp oven throwing contest later in the day.

A racing camel in full flight is
not a pretty sight



As Bedourie is the home of the Bedourie camp oven, there was also a damper cook-off, with 30  

Judging the dampers was a serious business

competing in three heats, and a gaggle of local blokes did the judging, tapping, breaking open and tasting the dampers, which were simply numbered. All ages took part, and would you believe the best damper was cooked by a nine-year-old boy, who took the first prize of $700, while a girl around the same age won the $300 second prize.

Men and women threw camp ovens, even the women took part in the woodchops, there was an hilarious event for the many kids where they had to chase and catch a six-week-old pig, who dashed all over the grounds, and an even more hilarious auction where people were bidding up to $80 for pink beanie with CAT (for Caterpillar) on it.

We had a ball.  Everyone else did too, including the travelling people in dozens of caravans, camper trailers and motorhomes who attended. The locals settled in for a big night of music and dancing but after we’d bought an evening meal from the catering area (volunteers under the instruction of the caterer, known to all as Dogger), we retired to the motorhome and our third night of a huge campfire, using some of the piles of wood dozed up around the grounds.

The land of the great plains and channels south of Boulia.

On we drove the next day to Boulia, stopping to make coffee at a tremendous lookout atop one of the few hills in those great western plains. There was a freezing wind blowing so we didn’t linger but there was a 360 degree view of the area south of Boulia, on a property known as Marion Downs.

Rain seemed to threaten but no moisture fell. That night, camped at the Boulia Caravan Park we got talking to an Aboriginal man who had pulled into a cabin next door with his grandson. He had just driven for 12 hours from Alice Springs along the road we’ll take in a day or two and reported some parts were a bit slushy after rain but predicted the wind would dry it off.

He’s an interesting character as he’s going to Birdsville for a meeting of his family group, which has shared management of a big area around the SA-NT-Qld borders with the various State governments, National Parks, etc. His sisters are driving up from Adelaide, through Marree, accompanied by the lawyers.

We need to stock up on groceries and essentials of life such as paper towels, chocolate and wine . . . as well as spuds and onion and some steaks . . . before we leave on Tuesday, calling at a station just outside Boulia to see the widow of a cousin of mine. Then it will be the Donohue Highway to the NT border, then the Plenty Highway from the border to the main north-south Stuart Highway from SA to Darwin. Not that the first two are sealed roads, despite being termed highways, so we expect to take a few days, not like the bloke next door who did it in 12 hours. Next stop, Alice Springs.