Today I’m really in outback Australia. Three hours driving with no settlements at all between Springsure and my campsite at Nogoa River. I started out along Dawson Development Road (a development road is a sure sign of outback - Queensland has a number of development roads in remote areas), which was paved for the first 60km, but was then dirt for the rest of the way. I saw several road trains going the other way as well as a couple of cars, one with an enormous caravan, but that was it. I also passed two primary schools (one was Tresswell, which says it’s open but has no enrolments, and appears to have last been operational in 2020 with 4 pupils, and I can’t find the other), but absolutely nothing else except the occasional cattle station.
Once I turned off the development road, I only saw the occasional station and cattle on the road.
The country was sweeping plains going towards the escarpment that is the continuation of the Carnarvon Gorge. At times I couldn’t see a single manmade landmark.
Nogoa River is part of the Carnarvon National Park and it’s about two hundred kilometres from where I stayed at the gorge, but I had travelled the shortest road distance to get there!
Once I arrived, I had the entire campground to myself for about five minutes. Then a ute with three young people arrived from the other direction. They were locals, and they were very surprised to see me here. They asked me how I found out about such a remote spot. They had been down to the end of the park road, looking at the views. They walked to the river and then headed home.
Just after the campground there’s a river crossing, so I got on my bathers and walked across it to see how easy it was. I haven’t done any creek crossings, and this one was up to my knees. I know my car can easily tackle such things, but I haven’t done one before, so I don’t intend to do it this time.
Later on a convoy of two caravans, one car with a trailer and a car with a rooftop tent arrived. They have kids, so there’s a fair number of people here tonight!
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