Well, what a week that was, after setting up camp we explored Birdsville in 2 hours. This place has totally changed since our last visit in the '90's, it has lost its identity in our books anyway, no longer the sleepy little outback town, very commercialised and is now like any other place that depends on the tourist dollar with prices to match. $8 for a beer ! $80 for a carton etc etc, we didn't buy any at those prices,
While we thoroughly enjoyed our Volunteer duties, met some great people etc, the van park experience will never be repeated! Wednesday night started with some fireworks across the billabong which wasn't so bad but the predawn antics of some people meant no body had a nights sleep, Thursday the fireworks started with a bang at midnight, if that wasn't enough, it woke the hundreds of corellas/galahs etc which roost along the river banks beside the park made a racket followed by the usual pre dawn episodes.
Friday night as part of the weekend festivities was the band at the pub, the noise from that was horrendous, not our taste of 'music') heard clearly kilometres out of town, Fred Trophy Boxing tent belting the drum and their microphone up louder than the band, that ended at midnight then the drunks started arriving back at the park with the associated language/noise etc followed by more fireworks.
This was repeated on Saturday night as well so we will be very happy never to return.
Our Volunteer duties included Marshalls for the fun run, ticket and souvenir sales, driving the courtesy bus for the Volunteer crew, media and other officials. I managed to raise quite a few dollars for the RFDS with my fascinator and Kath helped with the stocktake today, all in all that part was very successful even if the numbers were down from last year. General concenscious was the Big Red Bash a couple of weeks ago has impacted on the attendance.
Kath shouted me a 1hr flight over the area yesterday, now that was awesome, seeing the Goyder lagoon and flood plain so green with large areas of water still there, left over from the floods in Winton some months ago which runs down the channel country to the the Diamantina River, it ends and the Warbuton River which runs all the way to Lake Eyre begins, what an oasis, the bird life was spectacular as were the expanses of wild flowers. Most of the flight was at 500', after the Lagoon we went west out into the Simpson Desert for the red sand dunes and returned over Big Red. Thanks sweetie, my highlight so far.
This country never ceases to amaze me with it's diversity and beauty, the brilliant colours of the flowers contrasting with the reds and soft greys of the various soils etc is truely mind blowing.
I hope you enjoy the following photo's.
Good nights sleep tonight as the town is nearly empty with the mass exodus today.
Bye for now, stay safe.
inner Birdsville track - closed
the Lagoon
desert eastern edge
nuff said
welcome aboard
at the races
fun run
ten foot tall wins the first race
Kath on Big Red, glass in hand
the volunteer crew
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