Our travelling days have been warm and sunny, while the evenings are pretty cool. We chose to drive through Cloncurry and found a spot to camp southwest of the town, just off the Cloncurry-Duchess Road called Swamp Creek. It was remote, with nothing but red dirt, gum trees and no one else in sight. We were off the grid and loving it. The chairs were out, the fire was going, and the serenity was doing all the talking. This is what it’s all about!
The next day, we ventured into town and made a stop at Chinaman Dam to capture some beautiful photos. The views from the lookout were impressive!
We checked out the mural art on the water tank. The mural’s central theme is the devastating floods that struck Cloncurry in early 2019, transforming the landscape into an inland sea and impacting the local cattle industry and wildlife. The mural includes a depiction of a paper plane being launched, symbolising the beginnings of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Cloncurry.
Cloncurry has a fascinating history tied to mining and cattle! If you’re interested, take a moment to check out the sign boards around, there’s so much to read and discover!
We also stopped at the The Qantas monument near the river. This is where Qantas began. A chance encounter in November 1919 between pastoralist Fergus McMaster and aviator Paul McGinness in the dry bed of the Cloncurry River was instrumental in the formation of an Air Service in Outback Queensland. Fergus had broken the axle of his car as he crossed the river and McGinness was able to repair the damage.
Fuel tip:
We stumbled upon some great-priced fuel at the BP service station on Sheaffe Street in Cloncurry. It’s a 24-hour self-serve spot that offers diesel only. After filling up, we noticed a fascinating WWII point of interest just around the corner.
