Day 2.   Winton - Birdsville

Lark Quarry

After an early start we headed south west to the Lark Quarry Conservation Park.  This is a building which houses a section of a hillside on which there are are fossilized dinosaur footprints.  It doesn't sound that interesting but in fact it was well  presented and well worth the stop-over.

We were looked after admirably by the staff who picked up the fixed wingers from the nearby strip and ferried them to the site. The helicopters all landed in the open areas near the car park at the building itself.

The tour starts with a walk across a bridge which as the guide tells it, takes you back in time to some 65 million years ago. A narrative and series of panels on the bridge describes the environment etc as you go back to previous eras. Inside the building there is an information filled foyer and then you go into the main building.  The building is basically a floorless building with a raised walkway across a rock floor which has the very obvious footprints in it.  The archeologists have worked out that, what occurred here, was a group of small dinosaurs were chased by a large carnivourous dinosaur and a "stampede" occurred. The display is well worth a visit and can be organized through the Winton Shire Council offices.

Windorah

After Lark Quarry we headed south to Windorah.  Windorah was just a refuel and lunch stop-over. The local roadhouse had agreed to bring out a supply of sandwiches, drinks and fruit so we had lunch waiting for us when we arrived.

Betoota

From Windorah we turned west and headed for Birdsville with the helicopters making a stop at Betoota pub. The cricket ground in front made a great helipad.

But alas - The pub, which  was once the most isolated pub in Australia, was now  closed (closed in 1997 according to the sign).  It was hot and the flies were pretty fierce. Not many redeeming features at all.

From Betoota it was just a short 100 miles across to Birdsville.

Birdsville

Birdsville retains a mythical position in Australian outback folklore, but there isn't much there!  The great thing is the pub is right next to the airport, so it was land, grab the gear and walk over to our rooms.   One great thing about Birdsville is the Birdsville Working Museum.  It is a bit of a walk - about 10 minutes from the pub but is well worth the walk. Every outback town has a museum of old farm stuff,  old TV's, telephones, farm implements etc. But this one has collections of "everything"!  From cigarette packets to early 1900s kids toys   to bits and bridles. Out side are  remnants of the mining age and the most amazing working pumps we have seen anywhere.  The pumps were demonstrated to us and we couldn't believe how well they worked. One consisted of simply a loop of chain inside a spring which hung down into the water.  The chain/spring was pulled up by a windlass and the water simply clung to the chain/spring. The flow rate took us all by surprise.

The guy who owns it is a qualified coach/buggy repairer and is doing up an old Cobb & Co style coach.

The Birdsville pub had good food, good wine and plenty of beds. An ideal stopover point.