Eromanga

When I was researching which way we would head south I came across some information about the Eromanga Natural History Museum. It looked interesting and being smaller and more "out of the way" it was also cheaper! There's a free camp in Eromanga, too, so that was another good reason to stop there.

The afternoon we arrived was nice and sunny, but the wispy clouds confirmed the weather forecast of coming rain. 

Later in the afternoon Dazz noticed this Black-shouldered Kite catch something. It seems to have a tail, so it is probably a mouse, rat or dunnart.

The only way to see the museum is as a part of a tour, and the museum was not open Monday afternoon, so we decided to do the first tour of the day at 9am Monday morning. While we waited for our tour to start we enjoyed the views from the large windows.

There was a 20 minute video, then a tour of the research area where they explained the process of digging the fossils out and enclosing them in jackets for transport. They are then slowly cleaned up. After the tour we were able to take photos.

This is "Cooper", Australia’s largest dinosaur. Replicas of his front and rear legs are on display in the research shed, spaced at the distance apart they would have been when he was alive. The actual fossils would be too heavy and dangerous to have up in the air!

On the left is a bony feature on the femur (thigh bone) known as the 4th trochanter. It was where the tail muscle connected to help pull the leg back (since the legs were so heavy).

Some of the actual fossils.

Looking at the end of a bone fossil through the magnifying light.

These fossils are all in various stages of being worked on. Some are from dinosaurs, and some are from mega fauna, including the Diprotodon. It means "two forward teeth", which can be seen at the left of the fossil below.

They also had samples of marine fossils.

Fossilised pieces of wood.

Fossilised brachychiton leaf

Fossilised callistemon leaf

Fossilised eucalypt leaf

A banded iron formation - such a pretty rock!

On our way out Dazz noticed a moth hanging in a tree. While he went to get his camera I snapped this sculptor's impression of a dinosaur nest.

Mistletoe Emperor Moth

During the afternoon Dazz noticed some parrots outside, and after missing a good photo the previous day, was quick to grab his camera.

Blue Bonnets

Apostlebirds

By late afternoon the storm clouds were gathering.

We had gentle rain most of the night. Even though it looks a bit messy this was a lot better camping option than the black soil of most camps on creeks and rivers in this part of the country. We decided to stay an extra night to let everything dry out a bit. Dazz had plenty of work to keep him busy, and I had photos and blogging to amuse myself with.

Things had dried out enough by the afternoon for a walk around the town. Eromanga is in the area where boulder opal is found in Queensland.

It also boasts a small oil refinery.

Dinosaur sculptures in the park

The town was home to a small flock of Helmeted Guineafowl.

Australian Hobby 

Black-shouldered Kite

A soggy sunset

With the sun out we had all our solar panels working hard. Between the ones on the roof and our new blanket we were generating 54 amps!

The Channel Country

We stopped briefly for a photo in Stonehenge on our way through. The rodeo had been on that weekend, so there was a lot of traffic heading back to Longreach.

I had picked Swanvale Jump Up as an nice looking spot to spend a night or two working, but wasn't sure how exposed it would be with the forecast winds. It turned out to be reasonably protected with small trees, and it was so beautiful we spent three nights, with a couple of very nice sunsets.

We even had a nice sunrise one morning!

Hall's Babbler

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater

Singing Honeyeater

Grey Butcherbird 

Inland Thornbill 

Red-spotted Jezebel butterflies

We headed south through Jundah. We didn't stop for photos in the town, but just before the river Dazz saw a dragon on the road. By the time he got his camera it had decided the road was not safe, but it didn't go too far. 

Central Bearded Dragon

We stopped along the road to Windorah a couple of times for bird photos.

Brown Falcon

Australian Bustard

We stopped briefly in town to get some water and noticed the art on the water tower.

We knew we were running late to get a good spot on Cooper's Creek, but Dazz needed to work in the morning so we couldn't leave any earlier. We crossed the river and were stopped in the small rest area on the side of the road, discussing which way we needed to face for the best solar when Dazz noticed what looked like a freshly graded road that headed back along the river. He checked his map and it seemed to just be a track to camp sites, not a through road. Staying close to the road didn't appeal to us, so we thought we'd take a chance on being able to turn around at the end of the track if there was nowhere to camp. After passing one or two camps there were a couple of birdwatchers walking back along the track. We stopped and asked if they were seeing much, and then asked about camps. They said the spots all seemed full, but there was one place where there wasn't a very clear track that might be okay. They were camped on the other side of the creek and said it was full over there too. We thanked them and continued on and a few hundred metres later I noticed two wheel tracks that could have been what they were talking about. I jumped out and walked the track to see, and then signalled for Dazz to bring the van. There was a small spot that had been cleared of weeds, so we decided it was good enough for us.

After we set up we went exploring and there were a couple of ways we could get down to the water.

Yellow-throated miners really do have yellow throats when looking from underneath! This one was loving the weed seeds in the late afternoon.

Pelicans were a regular sight, cruising up and down the creek.

It's a single lane bridge - just big enough for a road train!

After a work/washing day we went back into town to fill some water containers. As soon as we turned onto the track out we could see hundreds of Black Kites. It's clearly a great season for kites, and everything else in the Channel Country.

They were doing work on the bridge and it would be blocked for about 15 minutes, but the girl said we could cross on the causeway, down near where people were camping. We drove down there and had to stop for photos. There was a flock of pelicans and they were working together to herd fish into one area and then they would all go under in unison. It was amazing to watch.

Little Black Cormorants further up the creek.

Immature White-necked Herons fighting for the best position.

Welcome Swallows 

We eventually made it in to town to get water and stopped on the way back for a photo of the channels. The whole area is so green and beautiful at the moment.

The next afternoon the light was better, so we went back to the crossing to see if we could get nicer photos, but the pelicans weren't fishing. 

It started off a bit slow with the birds, but there were butterflies and weeds.

Common Grass Yellow

Chequered Swallowtails

White-necked Heron (immature)

One heron got lucky with a fish, but it wasn't so lucky when it was chased by another heron and then a number of kites. It dropped the fish, one of kites swooped down to grab it as it hit the water, but it must have sunk too quickly, so they all missed out.

Pied Cormorant (immature)

Pelican

From Windorah we headed towards Eromanga (which I have learnt is on the border of the Channel Country, but is officially in the Mulga Lands bioregion). It was a beautiful day and we had a number of stops for birds. The photos of the Blue Bonnet and Chestnut-rumped Thornbill were only good enough to identify them.

Black-faced Woodswallow

Our lunch stop

We pulled over to take a photo of the sand dune and as we stopped we noticed there were a couple of birds around.

Australasian Pipit 

Australian Pratincole 

In spite of saying we wouldn't stop again along the way, Dazz couldn't help himself when he saw some parrots. Unfortunately they didn't hang around long enough for us to find once we'd stopped, but there were a few other things.

Hooded Robin (female)

White-browed Woodswallow