Salvator Rosa -Carnavon National Park. (New Year 2014/2015).

After Blackall the landscape changed from dry, baron soil & sick cattle, to lush long green grass and very healthy looking cattle.  The difference of 60klm was just such a massive difference. Water seemed to be laying round every where! Stock horses, bustards & mobs of kangaroos to name but a few. 
Driving down to Tambo we came across Drovers (yes I thought this was something of bygone years, how wrong was I).  It was fantastic to see, of course not good that the farmers have to do this. Camps are set up along the verges (Council land) permits are required.  Motorbikes, quad bikes, horses & dogs just drove the cattle down the highway between the fences.  This must work well for the councils as no grass cutting has to be done!!
We stopped at Tambo, Augathella in a massive down pour of rain and on to Charlville.  The landscape is just so green, Emus, birds of prey, swallows, wild flowers springing up everywhere, soooooooo pretty. We don't think we have seen anywhere this green since the bottom end of Western Australia.
Insect of the year The Double Drummer cicada, arrives around Christmas for a few weeks, the males sing to attract the females. They make the loudest sound in the Insect World.
In Charlville we tried to do a tour of the Cosmos centre and star gazing at night, but no luck, nobody wanted to work!! We did the Warrego River Walk, saw Lizards, a pale headed rosella
& fresh water Turtles.
The butchers shop had this handle on a pulley behind the counter and it opened the door for all their customers, I had never seen this before and wish we could keep some of the old fashion Customer Service.
Steve has also 2 bretho's in four days, but of course was fine on both occasions.

The ever changing Landscape.

Cattle on a Drove, quite happy on the Highway. 

A Double Drummer Cicida.

Me & a silly Roo in Charville.

Charville's Cola, average. 

Vortex guns, used for stopping hail storms, however no success for making rain clouds disperse rain.

A Lizard (Dragon?)

Steve looking for stuff!!

 

 

Ok, so heading bush for New Year!!! We picked up a 4wd magazine and read an article on The Wilderness way to Salvator Rosa, a rugged, amazing part of Queensland's Carnarvon National Park.

We head North and cover some ground we had previously covered, it was certainly worth it!! Budgies, Emu's, Healthy Cattle, Kangaroo's, possum's, king crested Cockatoo, birds of prey & a large Goanna our amongst some of the wildlife!!

As we enter the National park, it is a slow steady drive, however the scenery is stunning and forever changing. We leave the national park and head through station/cattle land with long tall, lush green grass, with a backdrop of rugged ranges. We enter the Goodlife part of the National park (and what else could it be called?) We camp at the Nogoa River camp site ( very apt name). No one else in sight and didn't look like anybody had been here for a while, excellent just what we wanted!!  We just hoped it didn't rain, or we may have had trouble getting out!! We spend the nights star gazing, the days cooling off in the Nogoa River, which was still flowing, pretty shallow and no Crocs in sight!!

  

 

A Baby Bustard.

Stunning topography - Looking for a camp spot.

Simply stunning!!

Rugged Ranges.

Spyglass Peak.

 

Nogoa Campsite all to ourselves.

Dirty but Happy!!

A view from our camp.

Steve checking for Crocs in the spring fed Nogoa River.

Sir Thomas Mitchell, passed through here on an expedition in 1846.

Mrs Flintstone in her new home!!

The large boulders, with the river in the back ground.

So true even today "A discovery worthy of the toils of pilgrimage"

Nogoa River.

Whilst out jogging one morning, Steve nearly stepped on this!! Steve can jump pretty high, when he has to.

Having a look at us before heading off into the bushes!! Thank goodness for my bed bag!!

New year's Eve.

It's been to long - we love you camp oven!!

Ranges.

Delightful!!

Spyglass Peak.

Spyglass peak & the surrounding landscape.

Rough ranges.

We love Cattle!!

He's a big fella & healthy.

What about this one, he's so cute!! (White sock's).

This one was not so cute.

These all came for a look at us??

Then they all went crazy and ran away!!

A Cattle Drove, the dog is holding the cattle back.

Still skinny, hopefully improving on the drove.

Just pretty!!

 

As we left this stunning National Park & traversed our way across the stations, we saw grass hoppers in Plague proportions, crossing the roads, not a pretty sight!! However the cattle, stock horses, Emu's, kangaroo's, Doves, Egret's, Duck's, Heron's, Swift's, Wagtail's, Apostle birds, dogs & Drovers were a delight to see.