Days 7 & 8: 29-30 April 2013 -- BIRDSVILLE

BIRDSVILLE
This legendary outpost on the edge of the Simpson Desert is home to 120 people (and 120 million flies!), although there are always a few extras there as tourists or contract workers. It is 1600 or so km by road from Brisbane, a few km from the South Australian border.  It is the jumping off point for the Birdsville and Strzelecki Tracks that cross the desert south.

Getting there by plane is painless enough, though slow.  30 minutes to Quilpie, another 30 to Windorah where fuel has to be taken on.  Then 50 minutes to Birdsville.  From 12000 feet, one gets a wonderful view of the Channel Country.  A huge expanse of flood plains, channels and scrubby desert.

After booking in to the Birdsville Hotel/Motel (the rooms spacious and very comfortable), I headed straight to Mobil Fuel stop cum Post Office:  he has a small store as well.  Bought the recommended smelly cream to protect me from the flies $8.  Signed up with Desert Edge Tours for a sunset trip to Big Red.

4.30 pm and eight of us in a mini-bus.  The driver/guide was a lady full of information, and great fun as well.  She took us for  a run around the town, giving us a potted history of the various points of interest. Then we headed west on a track that crosses the Simpson Desert towards Alice Springs.  40km from Birdsville one meets the first of some 1100 sand dunes that all run north south and are roughly 1km apart.  This first dune is called BIG RED and is about 40m high and over 100km in length.  We transferred into a 4wd car that ferried us to the top of the dune where we were treated to wonderful views of the sunset, and back eastwards of a flooded valley left over from the 2010 floods.  Champagne and nibblies to go.  Got back to the pub at 8 pm, in time to grab a meal in the Green Lizard bar. (Story:  once when Birdsville was cut off the pub ran out of grog - all that was left was lemonade and creme de menthe.  So for some weeks the locals survived on these "green lizards".)  They love telling stories in Birdsville. Had to try an OBE (organic free-range) fillet steak which the locals reckon you can only buy at Birdsville, Japan and USA (not true, but close).

A good night's sleep and time for brekky in the pub dining room.  Then I went walkabout around the town.  The photos tell the story.  The thermo power generator which uses heat and pressure from an artesian bore is being replaced.  The town's water supply is duplex.  From the river for gardens (bore water is too mineralised), and from the bore for household use.  It is 98C when it gushes from the bore, so has to go through coolers before being pumped into the tanks for reticulation.

Was waylaid by Jehovah's Witnesses on my way to the bakery.  4 of them in town doing their annual conversion run.  I needed a coffee and anzac biscuit after that!  Noticed that bread is $6 a loaf.  A pot of XXXX gold was $5.40 in the bar at the pub,  so not cheap living out there. They all reckon Campbell Newman won't be game to touch their local state school - 9 pupils with 1 teacher and 1 teacher-aide.

I was warned not to be late to the airport as the lady manager closed flights on the dot of 11am (flight out at 11.40).  So I did the 3 minute walk from pub to terminal, got my boarding pass and twiddled my thumbs as we waited for the plane in from Mt Isa.  Uneventful trip back to Charleville. Car was still safely parked next to the Avis rentals.  Booked into  motel 3pm.  Tea at the local RSL -- excellent meals and facilities.  Off to Quilpie tomorrow.
Photos here