The Birdsville Track - Australian Traveller

Photographer Marty Schoo gets his wheels dirty on one of Australia’s most iconic and historic drives.

The Birdsville Track and the Australian Outback it crosses can be desolate yet so spectacularly diverse, with landscapes ranging from intricate red dunes and blazing gibber deserts to seasonal rivers and lakes filled with abundant floodwaters.

First opened in the 1800s as part of the route for transporting cattle south from the Northern Territory, the long and dusty track allowed hardy Afghan cameleers to open up Central Australia with supplies, and helped cattle baron Sydney Kidman make his millions. It also created legends like outback mailman Tom Kruse, who delivered mail once a fortnight from 1936. His famous Leyland Badger truck finally expired in 1957.

The Outback is currently greener than it’s ever been, so our first day’s driving takes us past a full Lake Harry (usually dust), a wet Clayton River crossing and a Tirari Desert ferry ride across a flooded Cooper Creek!

After an enjoyable day’s drive, the Mungerannie Hotel is a fantastic spot to refuel, set up camp and refresh with a cool drink, a tasty pre-booked meal and an evening dip in the hot springs – the local pool is fed by warm artesian water.

The next day we drive through the expansive, green-tinged Strzelecki and Sturt Stony Deserts before we arrive, exhausted by the meditations of the road, at Birdsville on the mighty Diamantina River.

We end our journey inspired by the track’s history, and invigorated by the wide open spaces. Less (traffic) really is more.

The route:

The Birdsville Track runs from Marree, SA, to Birdsville, Qld, 12km north of the SA border. The total road distance is about 510km, and it is best broken into a two-day trip. You can top up with petrol (and get new tyres if you need them) at the halfway point of Mungerannie, 210km north of Marree and 301km south of Birdsville. While 4WDs are still recommended, the corrugated dirt road provides a dream run compared to the early days.

The details

When to go

Daytime temperatures are at their most bearable from April to October. In December, January and February, average daily temperatures reach over 36°C – which would put any car’s air conditioning to the test.

Where to stay

Don’t get too excited: there are no flash boutique hotels or luxury lodges out here. Expect basic facilities offered with a good dose of outback hospitality.

Before you head off

Under new ownership, the Marree Hotel offers basic accommodation south of Lake Eyre. Railway Terrace, Marree, SA. Contact: (08) 8675 8344

Halfway

The Mungerannie Hotel has motel-style rooms with a shared ablutions block or campsites next to the Derwent River. Birdsville Track, Mungerannie, SA. Contact: (08) 8675 8317

At trip’s end

The historic, much-loved Birdsville Hotel has 27 motel-style rooms, three offering disabled access. Contact: (07) 4656 3244

The Birdsville Caravan Park , Florence St, Birdsville, Qld. Contact: (07) 4656 3214

For more information

Visit Wirrarri Visitor Information Centre, Birdsville, Qld. Contact: (07) 4656 3300

Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

Getting there

car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland — Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

Best accommodation in Clermont

Theresa CreekDam in clermont — Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

Things to do in Clermont

three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting — Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland — See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

meal at Commercial Hotel — Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.