#burketown

[redrcs]

Out in the back blocks. Eagles, roadkill and heat haze. Somewhere near Bourketown.

[travelbinge]

By Phlipvids

Burketown, Queensland, Australia

[redrcs]

Informal and formal poses

Burketown Campdraft. A good time was had by all.

On my travels

[hwheat2021]

July 13 - heading back to Mount Isa

I know it's sounding like Mount Isa is a preferred destination for us - it is NOT! it was always about getting 'things' fixed. The fact that we had 3 visits was due to miscommunication AKA poor customer service. But back on the road from Burketown (south to Mount Isa yet again), we decided to retrace our steps out along the Savannah Way and then take the Augustus Downs road (don't recall it's official name) as it promised quiet relaxing travel and little traffic.

On the way to the turn off we passed Leichhardt Falls and of course had to stop for a look. On our way through to Burketown 5 days earlier we'd seen lots of campers there and there were still quite a few caravans/campers there pulled up to the very edge of the deep gorge which had been created by the falls over millenia. It is a hige river and a quite an awe-inspiring place.

There was no water going over the falls when we were there and it's hard to imagine what it might look like with water but it would be treacherous but rather magical I imagine.

Huge flocks of corellas festooned the trees on the opposite side of the falls gorge to where we had walked into.

Sadly so many people go in to camp there that the ground is being carved up and as a result is becoming seriously eroded.

At one stop we made the young cattle surrounded us, gorgeous things. And we passed some lovely flowers, one (R) an introduced species but still lovely as well as the Native Cotton (L) or maybe that was Sturt's Desert Rose.

We bit the bitumin and headed for Burke & Wills Roadhouse. It was toltally jam pack so we headed on down the road. We ended up at a gravel pit for the night.

[hwheat2021]

July 12 Gambumanda Sunset Cruise

The cruise promised much but sadly didn't deliver. It was very late leaving which meant the time to see wildlife was severely limited - we saw little as a result and the cruise was cut short. We were supposed to be told Dreamtime stories of the Gangalidda people and learn a little about their traditional knowledge of this huge river system and its diverse range of animals and birdlife but that really wasn’t forthcoming. We were very disappointed (it was not a cheap tour).

I really had my hopes set high for this visit to Burketown with its promise of some great tours. The 4WD tag-along was marvellous but the rest was a dismay outcome for me. The stargazing tour (which is what drew me to Burketown) is evidently indigenous storytelling under the stars out on Australia’s largest salt pans. Sounded simply perfect. An inexcusable muck up on their part meant that I missed out on that on the day we arrived and they later cancelled a promised tour.

'Communication' from the office management is a significant issue there.

[hwheat2021]

July 9 still tagging along!

From the river we headed out into Australia’s largest salt pans - it was one endless horizon. Mind boggling! In the wet season this is all under water and becomes a haven for migratory birds. It would be glorious to see but of course you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere close - except by boat. Incidentally Moungibi is a member of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership which aims to protect migratory waterbirds and their habitats. A few years ago a black swan was spotted on the wetlands now there are more than 32 nesting there after the wet. As the water dries out salt is left behind and local people still collect this from dried up creeks to dry meat and fish and the kids collect sticks of salt, bush lolly.

From the vast salt flats the grass plains spread out in the other direction. They were home to horses and cattle until the Council cleared all the land of cattle.

We then drove on to Gilgera(?), Woods Lake; water from the artesian bore 4km away in Burketown drain into this. As bleak as this may look now when the rains come the lake supports a huge diversity of wildlife and food. When the water lilies flower it signals nesting time for the turtles so eggs would be collected. It was once the site of a flourishing market garden planted and maintained by the Chinese. The garden supplied Burketown and some produce was exported to Torres Strait Islands. In spite of the importance of this fresh food supply in countering scurvy, among other things, in the community and on ships visiting the port, the Chinese as well as the indigenous people were banned from living in town and in fact had to wear neck tags and have permits to go into town. Shameful.

From salt flats to tropical paradise - next stop was the mighty Nicholson River home to crocs both salt and fresh water and an important breeding place for Barramundi. We stopped here to wander and have a snack; by this time we’d been about 4 hours on a 3 hour tour.

Here Brenton went searching for Cherabins, giant freshwater prawns, among the rocks of the fish ladder alongside the river. The fish ladder has been constructed to let barramundi go upstream in drier times to breed.

The homeland is huge and we saw just a tiny bit of it. It had been very laid back and rather idyllic - time seemed irrelevant. It was a wonder-filled day. Thank you Brenton and Patrick.

[hwheat2021]

July 9 Yagurli Tag-along cultural tour

We’re in Moungibi (Burketown), Gulf Savanah country. Friday was rather special! We came here in the hopes of doing a few tours run by the local Gangalidda and Garawa peoples. We were in luck! We managed to join a 4WD cultural tag-along tour led by Brenton Yanner, Ranger coordinator and traditional owner of Burketown; Native title was recognised in 2015. He regaled us with stories for hours as we explored his homeland; it was totally engaging.

The aboriginal history of the 1800-1900s is very dark and Brenton only touched briefly on that. He took us to some of the European settlement landmarks, talked also a little about indigenous history, showed us some native plant species and told us how they were used. He gave examples of seasonal indicators for food collection and told us how traditional peoples lived and continue to live in the region.

You can see from this aerial shot (not mine) that Burketown is situated on an immense system of waterways, part of the Gumbamunda (Albert River).

We travelled about 50 km around a number of sites starting at the artesian bore which has created a diverse habitat and wetland for permanent and migratory birds and other wildlife. As kids the locals went hunting in these wet marshes for bush turkeys and other birds, wallabies, turtles and fish. This artesian bore was sunk over 120 years and 160,000 gallons per day have bubbled out of it since then. It’s hot at about 70C. We headed then on to the old wharf built in 1865 some 20 nautical miles from the ocean.

Early explorers to the area imagined that Burketown would be an excellent place from which to ship out cattle and cattle ‘products’, an excellent export location. In fact explorer Lort Stokes called the area ‘Plains of Promise’ (it must have been after the wet that he saw it before the grasses dried off). The collecting yards and meat processing ruins were rather grim testament to an unwise decision; these pix show some of the remains of the boiling down works. It seems that the venture was doomed to eventual failure - disease, cattle tick, fire, drought. Nearby on the Gumbamunda (Albert River) we saw the site of the Landsborough tree where explorer William Landsborough established a depot camp while searching for the missing Burke & Wills in 1862. He buried supplies near a tree and carved ‘Dig’ into it in case the explorers should happen upon it (it seems so far fetched to us now but no one knew where they were); the tree is no longer there but there’s signage.

Further along the river we stopped at the Albert River Bridge where a large Olive python is supposed to live. It and the King Brown snake are sacred as they are believe to be direct decendants of the Rainbow Serpent. Near the bridge, and scattered across the whole area, was evidence of what is called early season, pattern or mosaic burning. This burning practice is a cool light burn which creates safe zones for wildlife in the later bigger burns.

Flash new boat launch on the Gumbamunda (Albert River). Here Brenton talked a lot about crocodiles, such amazing ancient creatures. They discovered that one learnt to respond to tapping a bucket - it meant fishermen were cleaning out their bait and guts buckets, another they called Tripod because he had lost a leg. The locals know if the river is going to flood because the crocs build their nests on high ground away from the river. Like pelicans they know when water is coming. We are to return here Monday late afternoon to take a sunset cruise down this pristine river. More anon .....

[hwheat2021]

July 8 head long dash into Burketown

.... or that’s how it seemed. We were taking it easy and had slowed a little when three cars towing caravan thundered passed us. We were forced to pull right over and almost stop and there was practically no verge. The rigs were going hell for leather, they weren’t slowing for anyone. Quite scary actually. And all along that road into Burketown the traffic was fast and furious.

It’s a huge wide river but in the distance I thought I saw tents or caravans through the trees. And I was right.

Leichhardt Falls was packed with people camping. Seemed odd but they seemed almost to be actually camped on the rocks of the falls. Obviously it wasn’t going to flood but many of the spots looked precarious and of course changed the view for visitors - we just kept going. When will this girl stop grizzling? Our tempers and belief in people had been stretch a little over the last couple of days.

We got to Burketown in one piece and breathed a sigh of relief. Our camping spot is absolutely fine and we are surrounded by birds calling to each other.