TRACKING TO THE BARCOO.

Monday 17^th August –  Sunday 22^nd August

Charleville had been very interesting, the locals very friendly and the caravan park was very relaxing, but we got a glimpse of the “real” outback, and its not quite as romantic as the travel documentaries would have us believe. We attended a camp dinner complete with damper on Sunday night and while we ate we were informed that all the proceeds from this dinner were going to be allocated to the R.U.O.K.M8, Outback Queensland campaign.

The Drought was taking its toll on all the farmers in this region and suicide was becoming a growing concern.

We decided to move on west to one of the small towns in the Longreach Shire area.

We had been advised that the town of Isisford had a magnificent free camping site so we headed off in search of the pretty camping site on the Barcoo River, famous for its yellow belly fish and hospitality.

We set up camp on the banks of the Barcoo and even though it still held water around the camp site area due to the small weir, it too had become a victim of the drought.

Our site was really idyllic, small gums lined the banks and provided excellent shade as the days became progressively warmer.

We spent most of the day outside sitting facing the river and watched skinny kangaroos coming warily down to drink, three local pelicans who had left it too late to fly out, hoovered along the bank on both sides trying to scrape together a decent meal from the few small fish left in the waterhole. 

The small town of Isisford was also the only source of food for the kangaroos and the locals watched their hard earnt lawn disappear under the onslaught of the starving roos.

All travellers were urged to travel by day as the sides of the roads were lined with roos at night as they fed on the sparse grass that grew along the edges.

The thriving industry of providing for free campers was the main source of income for the local pub and general store. We did not quibble about prices as we could order fresh bread and milk brought in once a week. We were welcomed into the free camp by the shire, which for $15/week, provided us with hot showers, toilets, clean water to top up tanks, a dump site and a free fire wood site four kms out of town.

It was when we left the town that we became aware of the real horror of the drought that holds this country in its grip. Many a story was told of farms being lost as banks foreclosed on them and sold the properties to interested internationals. Many a farmer could not face the loss of the only life style they had known and suicide was not uncommon. “Why isn’t the government doing more to help these battlers?” was a common topic around the free campers campfires at night. It is devastating to see what is happening to this magic part of our country.

To end on a lighter note I have included a series of photos of the pelican that watched Geordie chewing on a huge roast lamb leg bone.

 The minute Geordie left it he ducked in and snatched it and carried it off to the middle of the billabong where he promptly dropped it.

 I’m sure the yabbies’ were happy and Geordie spent quite a bit of time looking for it. He knew where he had left it, but because he is nearly blind he never saw the pelican move in on it.

We will be departing from this peaceful camp site tomorrow, but will always have happy memories of the most relaxing time in Isisford.