Currawinya National Park

The stunning Currawinya National Park, in South West Queensland is one million acres of red sandplains, mulga scrub, rivers and wetlands.

We follow the lovely 60km dirt track on the Boorara Springs Circuit via Fish Spring, Mt Torrance to Booroora Woolshed. An absolute pleasure seeing no one, just meandering from ridge country to more fertile sandplains and even some black soil country near the western boundary of the Park.

From here we touch on the Werewilka Creek Circuit, vaguely following Werewilka Creek via canegrass swamps with depressions supporting canegrass.

As the light dims, we visit The Granites, imposing stone outcrops. 

Our campsite that night was at Ourimperee Waterhole on the Paroo River where again birds were a pleasure to watch.

Next day, rainclouds threaten, but we drive to another pair of different landscape facets of the Park: Lake Wyara and Lake Numalla. These lakes are unique. Only a few kilometres of sand dunes separate them. Yet due to a quirk in the landscape Lake Wyara is saltwater, while Lake Numalla is freshwater. They’re fed from different sources, hence the reason why one is salty while the other is fresh water.

Fairy martins have made themselves beautifully crafted homes in the roof of the entry sign. As a finishing touch, possibly a raspy cricket has finished off construction of one of the nests with an ornate silk curtain.

Old Caiwarro Homestead Ruins near the Paroo River causeway was a late 1800s thriving sheep enterprise with workers, gardeners and high-living owner's family residing in style. It is a poignant reminder how fast boom and bust happens.

A surprise bonus on our Park visit is a great, old Bush pub: The Royal Mail Hotel in Hungerford, tucked away in a little corner of  remote Queensland. An absolute classic. Originally constructed as a Cobb & Co Staging Post, the Royal Mail Hotel was granted its first license in 1874. It has been a central meeting place for locals and travellers for over 150 years. Notably, it even hosted the famous poet, Henry Lawson.

Feral pests have been a problem for centuries, including wild dogs which are kept at bay by the Wild Dog Barrier Fence, an amazing feat of construction,  many 1000s of kms in length.

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Currawinya National Park, Queensland; Hungerford; Pub; Dog Fence