It’s a beautiful morning so we take a morning stroll through the woodlands noting many species. It’s time to leave but we catchup with the caretaker, old work colleagues and reptile experts who we have known for many years and by chance we find them at Myall Park Botanic Gardens.
We travel the back roads, it’s always interesting. We encounter plenty of heavy vehicle movement on the Condamine Highway but we are stopped on the Condamine River at Condamine for a cuppa tea so we watch the traffic go by.
It’s a bit of a walk down memory lane for Marg, a drive around Miles and the drive west to Dulacca.
From open-air history and prehistoric geology to peaceful waterside camping, the region surrounding Miles and Dulacca in Queensland’s Western Downs is a fantastic road-trip destination. Some of the highlights are:
- Miles Historical Village Museum, is one of Australia’s premier regional open-air museums, the village recreates early pioneering life with over 30 authentic buildings. A standout highlight is its extensive lapidary and fossil collection—home to an impressive display of local fossilised wood, petrified trees, and prehistoric palms, showcasing millions of years of natural history. For those interested they are found in Jurassic rock formations. The indigenous displays were informative and worthy of the time to read carefully. The Great Artesian Basin material was likewise and the Norman Donpon lapidary display was extensive and spectacular, a real asset to the Queensland community. We find family and extended family of a Marg’s noted through the various displays.
- Free & Affordable Camping:
- Gil Weir: Located just south of Miles on the Dogwood Creek, it is a tranquil, free camping retreat. The shaded water’s edge makes it an exceptional spot for kayaking, fishing, and waking up right beside the water. A great place for bird watching.
- Progress Park (Columboola): Another great, accessible stopover offering a quiet, low-cost/free bush camp setting with essential amenities, making touring the Western Downs budget-friendly.
- The wetlands, weirs, and native bushland surrounding Gil Weir and local parks provide thriving habitats for native birdlife. Keen birdwatchers can regularly spot honeyeaters, kingfishers, parrots, waterbirds, and raptors along the riparian corridors.
- Dulacca Hotel: No trip through the area is complete without pulling up at the historic Dulacca Hotel (“The Pink Pub on the Hill”). Known for its warm, country hospitality, welcoming staff, and hearty meals, it serves as the perfect spot to unwind and swap stories after a day of exploring.
- Gas extraction is also big out here, as is wind generation, we can see the wind farms around Dulacca.
The evening is beautifully finished with a rising red moon.
A rising red moon