Longreach Trip 2018 – Part 1: Adelaide to Cunnamulla

Black Kite, Peterborough SA

After many months of planning and anticipation, it was finally time for my dad and I to set off on our big trip for the year! On Saturday 28 April, we packed up the RAV4 and the camper trailer and headed north. Our first stop was Peterborough (SA) where my uncle and auntie live. While my dad visits fairly regularly, I hadn’t seen them for over 15 years, so it was great to finally catch up in person instead of just over the phone! We ended up being treated to a delicious roast dinner, and then we went to see the Steamtown Sound and Light Show, a very interesting show about the history of Peterborough and surrounding towns. 

In the morning we went for a walk in Victoria Park in Peterborough next to the Caravan Park, where we saw a group of Apostlebirds, the first of many on this trip! We had another visit with my uncle and auntie before heading off to Broken Hill for two nights.

On the road again! Setting off on our big trip.

Steamtown, Peterborough, SA

Mallards, Victoria Park, Peterborough, SA

 We had one full day in Broken Hill, and covered as much ground as possible. First we visited the Living Desert Park and did the big loop walk, then drove over to see the Living Desert Sculptures.

Didn't take long for my dad to start making friends, Living Desert Park, Broken Hill, NSW

Living Desert Park, Broken Hill, NSW

Living Desert Park, Broken Hill, NSW

Eagle Sculpture, Living Desert Park, Broken Hill, NSW

Next we drove to Silverton, where a lot of movies set in the Australian outback have been filmed. We also visited the Umberumberka Reservoir near Silverton, but it was dry and no birds around. Later, we visited the Stephens Creek Reservoir, which had plently of water, a few different birds, including a pair of white-necked herons, a musk duck, and a grey butcherbird. 

Silverton, NSW

I saw my first lifer of the trip in the Broken Hill Caravan Park – a LITTLE CROW. I may have seen these before, but never close enough to identify. I suspected that this was a different species based on the call, then one came and landed on the ground a few metres away from where we were sitting, and I was able to get a much closer look!

Little Crow, Broken Hill, NSW

The next day was a long day of driving, over 450km to Cobar. We didn’t stop much along the road, except for lunch at a rest area just outside of Wilcannia. There when I spotted a large group of dark birds flying in the distance. I thought they were probably ravens, but as they got closer, I could hear a different sound, grabbed the binoculars and saw a flock of RED-TAILED BLACK-COCKATOOS! My second lifer! Nothing else of much note happened on the way to Cobar, but there was a lot of bird activity in the caravan park there – a huge flock of galahs, lots of ringnecks, and even a pair of bluebonnets. We enjoyed our first campfire of the trip and had a chat with some other travellers, including several people from the Ulysses motorbike club who were travelling to Barmera for their annual meeting.

Galahs, Cobar, NSW

Cobar, NSW

The next day was another long drive, from Cobar (NSW) to Cunnamulla (QLD) and then on a little bit further out of town to Bowra Sanctuary. Along the way we crossed the Queensland border, which was notable for me as my first time crossing the QLD border by land – I have flown in 5 times – so I had to stop and take a photo with the sign! We stopped in Cunnamulla, about 100km north of the border, stocked up on supplies, and then drove out of town to our next destination.

Queensland Border

Cunnamulla Man, QLD