Channel Country

Casualkev · Senior Member

Channel Country

Fried Rice · Guru

Hello Kev..

We (Felicity and Richard, of Fried Rice fame) enjoyed a great tour of four weeks about July mainly centred on the Channel Country. I could spend a long time with my two-fingered typing technique writing about it but I'll limit to brief remarks as clues for you to follow up.

1.. contact www.diamantina.qld.gov.au and request a copy of "The Diamantina Visitors' Guide" which covers the regions of Birdsville, Bedourie and Betoota a simple-looking publication but much more value than it first implies.
2 .. contact www.outbackqld.com.au and request a copy of "Outback Queensland Travellers' Guide" a brilliant comprehensive book of outback help .. in all our travels around OZ we haven't come across better publications for their regions.

You may care to phone for these guides; Diamantina 1300 794 257 .. Outback Qld 1800 247 966

Some Highlights you may care to follow up (perhaps with Doctor Google) Barcaldine, a good place to start your tour within a couple of hours' drive to several interesting locales. then on to Winton, Longreach, Boulia and so on and so on.
You don't say how long you'll be away .. if you have time to wander a bit I could tell you several good spots to check out which might be off your beaten track. It's a big area!

Kev, I could go on with this but my best tip is to get hold of the aforementioned publications and make them your "bible" you won't go far wrong mate..

Which way and when do you intend to go west? If through Brisbane I'd be glad to meet up with you for a yarn and to advise further. PM me if you'd like something like that.

regards Fried Rice .. (Richard)

Casualkev · Senior Member

Thanks very much Richard for the information, I'll have plenty of time once I decide on a hybrid van. When I finally go probably late Autumn I will visit the St George Mitchell area first off then Quilpi Windorah Jundah areas, the rest depend on what I can find out about the area.

Kev

-- Edited by Casualkev on Monday 30th of November 2015 01:16:51 PM

msg · Guru

Plenty of opals. Try doing the loop. Down to Yowah. PM me if you are in the area. I may be at the mine and will give you a tour.

brickies · Guru

Kev we the the trip in Autumn 2014 , We left St George and headed to Cunnamulla has we had visited Mitchell last time , Mitchell has very good Thermal pools, Stay at the caravan park on the river just out of town very good Butcher in Cunnamulla , From Cunnamulla we headed to Eulo and headed north via Opel Village of Yowie 29 k in and 29 k out then onto Tomphine Pub for lunch after lunch headed for Quilpie for couple of nights from Quilpie we did the outback mail run about 450 k in the day great trip , from Quilpie headed to Windorah on the way looks of beware of flooding signs but no water to be seen , It was very dry and lots lose dirt around Windorah but great to see the place and how the people live , We were going to free camp at COOPERS CREEK but stayed in town in council caravan park $10 a night, we left Windorah and headed to Jundah and onto Stonehenge where we had lunch at the Stonehenge Pub great meeting with the back packer who work these pubs . we then headed to Longreach about 152 k from stongehenge , We had been to Barcaldine before but did a day trip fro longreach to Barcaldine returned , Lots to see in longreach and the Rver cruise . Then headed to Winton for 2 night before heading up to the gulf .Every time you go to these places it will be different the thing is keep and eye on the weather you would not want to be there in the wet but would be great not long after the wet .

Casualkev · Senior Member

Thanks brickies & msq for the info and invite I have been to some of the bigger towns, but not out from them would really like to be there just after rain and try to get a joy flight over the area it would be amazing!

Kev

PeterD · Guru

brickies wrote:
, From Cunnamulla we headed to Eulo and headed north via Opel Village of Yowie 29 k in and 29 k out then onto Tomphine Pub for lunch after lunch headed for Quilpie for couple of nights from Quilpie

Nice country out there. Instead of taking this short cut I can recommend driving the whole of the Queensland Natural Sciences Loop There are a couple of good side tracks off it. The first is a trip down to the Nocundra pub, camp on the Wilson River. The other is to go out to the Dig Tree and Innaminka, The road is mostly bitumen.