20260801 Qld Roma, Wallumbilla, to Drillham

20260801 Travelling along the Warrego Hwy towards Roma and the amount of road kill scatted along this strip is sad but you have to remember there are cattle truck running back a forth 24 hours a day. Our disternation is Bungeworai Creek just before Roma, man they need rain out here, it’s so dry. About 8kls from Roma is a free camp just off the Hwy, there’s  a bit of traffic noice but after a few drinks who even notices.

Look! We found a couple of squatters and there dog taking over our fire, but they sooked it when the sun went down and headed for home, great to see you guys again.🍷🍻🍺

🐓 The Rooster Without a Home:Once this rooster had a lovely home, But his early-morning crow made the neighbours groan! At the crack of dawn, he’d proudly sing,“WAKE UP, EVERYONE! It’s morning!” So off to the bush this rooster was sent, To live in a tree, where he’d be content. But there’s just one little problem, you see—He still wakes every traveller at sunrise from his tree! No neighbours to complain, no house in sight, Just campers wondering, “Who set this rooster free in our camp last night?” 😂🐓

Bungeworgorai Creek (often called Bungee Creek Shady Stop), wow we’ve never seen it this dry.

The last we were here the creek was full enough for Des to throw his yabbie pot in, they certainly need rain out here.

Maggie stopped in to check us out, she found some scraps and went on her way.😋

20260704 After a few days of sitting around a fire have a few ales while chatting to travellers passing through we left for Roma Central for supplies. Beer in the outback is $75 and up  for a carton so I joined the Bottle Mart Club and got it for $65. After lunch we drove to the largest bottle tree in Australia, apparently.

The first discovery of the Queensland Bottle Tree was in 1848 at Mount Abundance, near Roma, Queensland. However, prior to European occupation Aboriginal people had been consuming the seeds, roots, stems and bark of the tree; and using the fibrous inner bark to make twine, rope and nets, for many thousands of years, ya but I bet they don’t do it today.

Roma's Largest Bottle Tree: Girth 9.26 metre, Height 15 metres and Crown 23 metres. This tree was transplanted from a local property to this site in 1927. The Bottle Tree can live naturally for over 200 years. 

We left Roma passing the sculpture display and onto Wallumbilla for a couple of day, man we need a shower and this is a great stop over. Bugger, someone’s got our spot but it’s ok we camped in front of them and blocked their view, I’m kidden there isn’t any view. To fill in some time I gave the van a bit of a spring clean while Des washed the front of the van then we crack a can and walk the ground and check on his yabbie pot.

Wallumbilla camp grounds, it’s the most vans we’ve ever seen here.

Spring cleaning day turns to washing day, this is how we do it on the road, but you must have water on tap.

Everywhere I go I keep seeing this guy lurking in the bushes, I’m starting to think there’s a deviate following me.

20260806 Our plans were to wait in Wallumbilla for Karen and Gary who are heading our way but we are getting boarded, I can’t even blog without reception, how we have come to rely on reception to keep ourselves amused. We packed up and left in search of a new camp and have always wanted to check out the Pink Pub in Dulacca, passing the town of Jackson off the highway and just 14ks up the road stands the Pink Pub, ya can’t miss that.

Dulacca, a quite town just 43 km west of Miles, it was in 1879 when the railway arrived, followed by the town, originally spelt ‘Doolackah’, from an Aboriginal name meaning ‘emu tracks’. It was here the fight against prickly pear began, this cactus once covered more than 50 million acres of Queensland until he Government offered 40,000 hectares of land as a reward for successfully restoring infested land.

It was 1908, the Dulaccca Hotel—known as the "Pink Pub on the Hill" or "Waterhole on the Hill"—is the westernmost pub in Queensland's Western Downs region and has served the remote locals for over a century.

The side of the pub is set up for families with a large play mat for kids to play bowling or just run a muck, as they do.

Beer please, I wish but I’m thinking this could be a fun weekend trip for the girls.

Camping out the back and power if you pay.

The poster says it all😡😡

We decided not to stay so I brought a shirt and left for Drillham Rest area, established in 1878 as a railway construction camp. Originally nicknamed "Delerium" due to a typhoid outbreak among early bridge workers, it grew into a vital steam-train water stop before evolving into a grain and livestock community, now its a small struggling town with nothing going for it except a free camp.

When driving in the back streets there are more homes, mostly rugged but also some in good condition but this, once thriving town is slowly dying with only a population of 113 people, I’m thinking, I’d rather live here than the Redlands these days.

The free camp at Drillham and we were not alone.

THESE GRAVES 

Are beleaved to be those of four children of a railway lengthsman and his wife who were drowned in the railway weir in 1893, at the young age of 14,12,11 and 8.

“That The Ggeneration To Come Might Know Them, Even the Children”.

Aww! How Sad 😥

Found this big fella enjoying the tranquil surroundings of his home, every afternoon he waddles up the hill to his home for a feed then back to the river, now thats a ducks life. 

I don’t know who frightened who but these cute little fellers sure scurried off once they spotted me.

The old train line that now stands as a reminder of what was once a thriving town.

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