Mitchell Grass plains
Channel CountryMap marker is on the highway half way between Roxborough Downs and Glenormiston Station HomesteadsSomewhere on the highway between Roxborough Downs and Glenormiston Station Homesteads - STOP! Get out of the car and look around...The vast expanse of treeless landscape that extends to the horizon in all directions is characteristic of the Mitchell Grass Downs Bio-region – this is natural grassland. It has not been cleared.Most of the land in the bio-region is currently grazed by cattle, but native wildlife have adapted to the open arid grasslands too.Watch for birds such as the bustard and the singing bushlark that find food in the grass tussocks. You will see kites, eagles and falcons circling, always searching for prey.
Georgina River
The Georgina River provides a welcome relief from the surrounding treeless plains. The river basin has a relatively deep channel at the road crossing, but the shoreline has a sandy bed with a wide expanse of shady river gums and bloodwoods bordering it. On the northeast side is a good place to relax, picnic or set up a camp.The Georgina has a large catchment and frequently floods following storm events. Occasionally travellers and locals alike must wait for the flood waters to recede – sometimes patiently. Seasonal pools that remain in the river basin attract water birds and other wildlife from great distances.Watch out for a memorial and commemorative plaque just east of the river crossing.A well-formed station track, located just east of the river crossing, heads south to a deep pool in the Georgina River. Here you will find a spectacular paperbark tree and riverine landscape (distance 2km). This is an ecologist and birdwatchers paradise and a possible bush camp that might on occasion be shared with cattle.
Boulia
Boulia is a town to savour. A welcome green, cool oasis in an arid landscape. This full service centre provides essential supplies, fuel, vehicle repairs and a range of accommodation including camping on the Burke River. There is also a pool and recreation centre, a museum and the famous Min Min Encounter, which offers a theatrical experience of the extraordinary visual light phenomena.Stay the night to allow time to take in all the sights. Visit the Corroboree Tree; a historic Australian pub; and an old homestead, which looks the same as years gone by. The Stonehouse Museum has an extraordinary display of sea fossils, including a full plesiosaurus! You could try your luck at fishing at the old police barracks, which is frequented by residents. Chat to the local characters and explore the legends and mystery of the Min Min lights.In front of the Min Min Encounter visitor centre is the Cobb & Co Pillar Number 9. There are 9 Cobb & Co plaques between Boulia and Winton. Stop and photograph them all.A modern concrete bridge crosses the Burke River near where Burke and Wills, the famous explorers, stopped to rest in the shade of the river gums. There is a sign on the eastern side of the river, near the caravan park, commemorating this as a watering point.About 4km east of the Burke River, near the Boulia Golf Club, is the junction with Bedourie Road with links to the famous Birdsville and Strezlecki Tracks into the Simpson Desert to the south. These historic tracks are for well-prepared adventurers only.
