Day 111 - is one for the birds

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Bauhinia to Rolleston 77km

I had my doubts about the "campground" at Bauhinia.  As it is essentially the paddock behind the roadhouse, with a toilet/shower block from the seventies.  But it proved a remarkably peaceful place.  The workers in the on-site dongas were on nightshift so once the roadhouse closed at 1900, it was just us and the cows.  We woke well rested to sunshine and birds singing.  A pied butcher bird sang us through breakfast, and three white faced herons sailed over as we were packing up.

Sunrise at Bauhinia campground 

Sunday morning and the Dawson hwy was quiet enough for all the bird song to be appreciated by a pair of cyclists.  And it didn't take long to spot three Wedge tailed Eagles spiralling above us.  Their flight looks so effortless and elegant for such an enormous bird, they have a wingspan of 2.8m!

As much as I would have liked to fly over it with effortless grace like an eagle, the Expedition Range has to be crossed by the combination of determination, sweat and ego instead.  A road traffic controller stops to check in and chat as we stop to drink, telling us that there are more hills and roadwork ahead.  Ah well, at least the road is open.  

The caravans and motorhomes start rolling past as we grind up the hills but we are rewarded for our quiet mode of transport by a pair of Little Eagles unseen by the drivers who watch us pass under their roost.  The peak of the pass is celebrated with an excited group of red winged parrots.  



Luckily the roadwork is on the downhill side, the friendly traffic controller greets us, and escorts us, orange lights flashing through 2kms of single lane roadwork.  Of course, even riding as fast as we can, the traffic has banked up on the other side, waiting for these two crazy women.



Lunch is observed by a noisy family of Apostle birds, who seem encouraged by my reading aloud to add their two cents to the soundtrack.  

The 22kms to our destination after lunch feels longer, possibly because the further west we travel the smaller we are in comparison to everything around us, from sky, to the road trains, even to the driveways!




Location: Rolleston QLD 4702, Australia

Comments

  1. FrancieMay 30, 2022 at 4:34 PM

    Wow you are getting into adventurous territory there. That you know your birds makes your descriptions more interesting. Great that the truckies and road workers are being so helpful.
    Well, the chill and the rain has descended on Melbourne - and for the whole week. 9 degrees
    (at 5pm) and the constant wetness about, makes the evening feel really chilly.
    So enjoy your warmth.

    ReplyDelete
  2. FrancieMay 31, 2022 at 6:11 PM

    31/5 At least you should be warmer up there. Soooo cold. Top of 9 but the BOM "feels like" scale - scientifically calculated they informed the ABC - had it at 2.7. It is freezing. Stay safe inside Carnavon NP.

    ReplyDelete
  3. BrendaJune 1, 2022 at 6:27 AM

    Broad landscapes, big skies and sunsets, majestic Eagles and noisy interactive birds. Yep, this is Australia! We were in Central Australia recently, you have to experience it to appreciate the vastness.

    ReplyDelete
  4. JulietteJune 1, 2022 at 11:30 AM

    I am envious of you being able to visit Carnarvon National Park. It is on my list but I would have to find a place for the fur friend to stay! The Clare Valley is experiencing lots of rain & cold weather. 2.4 degrees this morning when I was walking Taffy. You need all those challenges - big trucks, road works, - as a reminder that the birds, friendly folks and great camp stops are there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Louise SensiJune 2, 2022 at 3:03 PM

      We stayed in a basic but pet friendly camp 8kms out of the park. They are only open in the dry season, but I can't imagine you could access the park in the wet. https://www.sandstonepark.com.au/

      Delete

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