We had the Air Con on all night. We both slept well, most of the night, I set the alarm for 6am, so I could start packing up. The only problem with that was, it was still DARK. SO I went onto the internet and had brekky and started to pack up about 7am. We finally left at 8;24am.
First stop was to empty the 'shitter' at the public dump point in Mt Isa. Then we were OFF.

We had 306kms today, the road was a single lane bitumen the whole way to Boulia, I stopped twice to let the 2 cars pass us that were going our way and I stopped twice for 2 road trains coming towards us and about 10 cars pulled over for us. Our first stop was at Dajarra(10:57am - 158kms), where we topped up and had coffee. The next stop was 83kms later at a Rest stop(12:26pm - 83kms) then after a further 64kms, we arrived at Boulia(1:38pm). Paid the $27 cash for a powered site.
I connected the power and water and setup the dish, had a nanna nap then watched Lowndesy win today's race, which was just unbelieveable.

Dinner was the last of the cold meat and salads. They were YUMMA.

Over the next few days we plan to stay at:

• Sat 7th May - Boulia - tonight
• Sun 8th May - Bedourie - Leave Fiver there for 5 nights
• Mon 9th May - Birdsville - 2 nights - drive there without fiver.
• Wed 11th May - Bedourie - 2 more nights and do sightseeing etc
• Fri 13th May - Boulia - 2 nights, do sightseeing etc.
• Sat 15th May - Winton - 1 night

Tomorrow, we drive to Bedourie about 200kms.

This has become the norm - run the Air Con nearly all day.
We had the Air Con on all night. I slept well, while Marg slept ratshit. As we only have 190kms today, we didn't set the alarm, BUT Marg still woke early, and got up. Consequently, we left early at 8:00am.

The road was very good except for about 4 patches of gravel, the first gravel section was the worst with plenty of corrugations, the other 3 gravel sections were smooth. Our first stop(9:01am - 68kms) was to check the fiver after its gravel experience and also take some scenery shots. As we are staying at Bedourie, we will do some sightseeing and take more scenery snaps. We arrived at Bedourie at 10:52am and drove through town. Checked out both Caravan parks, and decided on Oasis, as the Bedourie CP is on the outskirts of town, and we didn't think it was safe enough to leave the fiver unattended for 2 nights as we visit Birdsville. Where Oasis is in town and you can see our fiver from reception.

Our trip to Birdsville is still up in the air, as they were due to have a large dump of rain today and this could stuff us. I have to check with Maggie at the Bedourie Info Center tomorrow, to see if the road is open etc.

We paid for an Ensuite site, because the ensuite building would shelter us from the wind. It is blowing like buggery. I have connected power and water and set up the Sat Dish, which is strongly pegged down.
I am watching the V8s. Go Lowndesy.

As it is Mother's day, I made dinner, we had poached eggs and they were YUMMA.

Over the next few days we plan to stay at:

• Sun 8th May - Bedourie - Leave Fiver there for 5 nights
• Mon 9th May - Birdsville - 2 nights - drive there without fiver.
• Wed 11th May - Bedourie - 2 more nights and do sightseeing etc
• Fri 13th May - Boulia - 2 nights, do sightseeing etc.
• Sat 15th May - Winton - 1 night

Tomorrow, we hope to drive to Birdsville about 200kms.

What a night, it PISSED Down. I was buggered and went to bed about 8pm, left Marg sitting up watching her Tv shows. Just after midnight, I felt some drops of water on me. It was BUCKETing down outside, it appeared that the water was pooling on the roof and sneaking into the hatch above us. Marg suggested lowering the front of the fiver. SO I waited until the rain stopped and then got up walked outside and the first thing I felt was all that dry RED dirt was now oozing between my toes. I lowered the front legs and created a beautiful waterfall off the front of the fiver. While up I thought that I would check the powercord, it was high and dry. SO all good, I washed the mud off my feet and went back to bed. Problem solved, no more drips. We both slept until 7am, when we woke to a sunny morning with no rain to be seen BUT heaps of oozing mud everywhere.
We had brekky and drove down to the Bedourie Info Center to see if we were driving to Birdsville. Maggie my contact wasn't there but Jenny was and told us that the Bedourie - Birdsville road is closed. It may be open tomorrow or Wednesday. Jenny allowed me to use their Sat Phone to ring Shane at Birdsville CP, he didn't answer, so back at camp, I emailed him. Obviously, he knew that the road was closed and told me to ring us when the road re-opens. I will. I told Jenny that we are going sightseeing and will drive towards Birdsville until we come across the flooded section, take photos, turn around and head back to camp. As we were driving, we thought that instead of heading to Birdsville, we will turn around and head North. As we left Bedourie, we passed the sign which told us that the road to Boulia is also CLOSED. (I am under the impression that you are NOT allowed to drive on a CLOSED road, BUT I did tell Jenny what we were going to do and she wasn't concerned. I did say that when we came to the water across the road, we would take photos and then come back to camp, which we did).

We drove back to town and along most of the streets (there aren't that many) before stopping at our CP's office, restaurant, groceries etc and ordered lunch. We had roast beef and gravy roll each with a soft drink. They were very YUMMA.
During the arvo, Marg managed to have a nanna nap while I buggered about on this website and the internet.

Marg has woken and after she watched an episode of Dance Moms, we walked over the road to the Simpson Desert Oasis bar, for a chilled refresher to replenish our fluids.
After talking to the locals, their concensus is that the road will not be open before Wednesday, SO instead of staying at Bedourie, we are going back to Boulia with the fiver tomorrow. Boulia is civilization, it has phone and internet reception and is a lovely park. When the Birdsville road is open, instead of driving 190kms we will have to drive 380kms BUT we know the condition of the road from Boulia to Bedourie. It is easy to sit on 100kph without a van behind except for the 4 small sections of gravel.

Dinner was Mr McCain's pizza slices, while Marg had his Lamb Cutlets. They were YUMMA.

Over the next few days we plan to stay at:

• Mon 9th May - Bedourie - Last night.
• Tue 10th May - Boulia - 4 nights
• Wed 11th May - Birdsville - 2 nights - drive there without fiver.
• Fri 13th May - Boulia - 2 nights, do sightseeing etc.
• Sun 15th May - Winton - 1 night

Tomorrow, we hope to drive to Birdsville about 200kms, if the road is open, if not, we will drive back to Boulia.

It was good going to bed without the Air Con on. I started with just a sheet and ended pulling on a blanket. We both slept well, waking after 7am.
After 8am, I drove up to both the Birdsville Rd and Boulia Rd signs. If Birdsville road was open, we would head there. It wasn't. If Boulia Rd was open, it was, SO we packed up camp and drove to Boulia.
The reason for driving to Boulia was:

• There was phone reception (Bedourie had none)
• You could use your own internet (Bedourie you had to buy internet)
• We had seen all that we wanted to see in Bedourie.
• Boulia CP was a much nicer CP.
• We can still drive to Birdsville from Boulia about 400kms in a day if the road opens.
• If it floods again, we have 2 exits from Boulia (Mount Isa or Winton).

After checking which road was open, we started to pack up and were ready to leave at 9:26am.
We headed off towards Boulia and the difference between Sunday and the hot, dry windy day and after Sunday night's storm, was unreal. We stopped numerous times to take scenery photos. The views would have to be one of the best sceneries ever. It was just so beautiful. The photos definitely don't do justice. We were so lucky to be in this part of the country just after a storm. There were at least 20 water crossings with the deepest about 6".
As I said we left at 9:26am and drove for 20kms(9:49am) to where we stopped yesterday to take photos and see how the water had started to recede. We had to stop again after 28kms(10:20am) for more photos, we came across a rest area(10:41am) after a further 24kms. You are sick of me raving on about the scenery BUT truly it was (amazing astonishing astounding breathtaking eye-catching fabulous fantastic grand magnificent marvelous remarkable sensational splendid striking stunning) just to name a few superlatives. We managed to drive for another 45kms before coming to a standstill for another Photo (11:35am). This was the "Battle of wits", me against the bird. He won. Then we drove the remaining 75kms to the Boulia CP(12:52pm). Lorene was out the front when we pulled up and walked over and said "didn't you leave 2 days ago" I said "yep, but we missed you". Lorene and her husband Barry run the Park, she is a real charmer. We paid $108 for 4 nights($27 per day) and she put us on a site that backs onto the Burke river, which has risen a couple of feet, since we were here 2 days ago. Boulia did receive 70+mm of rain on Sunday night.

We set up camp with power, water, sat TV and Marg's room.
During the arvo, Marg managed a nanna nap and I buggered about on the Internet etc.

Dinner was a scratch meal. We had tomato sangas. they were YUMMA.

Over the next few days we plan to stay at:

• Tue 10th May - Boulia - the fiver to stay for 4 nights
• Wed 11th May - Birdsville - 2 nights - drive there without fiver.
• Fri 13th May - Boulia - 2 nights, do sightseeing etc.
• Sun 15th May - Winton - 1 night

Tomorrow, we hope to drive to Birdsville about 400kms, if the road is open.