The Long Waterhole at Winton is camping Outback Australia style.
The Long Waterhole just south of Winton is a good place to relax for a while. Turn off the Winton-Jundah Rd 2 kilometres from the town and then follow the 2 km dirt road to the waterhole.
It was pretty hot when we were there in late spring. Forty degrees Celsius can dehydrate a person pretty quickly, so lazing about under the trees by the water was the best past time during the heat of the day.
Cattle would come and go, cooling off and quenching their thirst. Kangaroos would cautiously come to the water’s edge and sip nervously, ears twitching.
Birds of all shapes and sizes constantly kept the movie from my hammock going.
There are no facilities here so you must be totally self-contained. Having town so close is a bonus.
In the town, there are a couple of good places for coffee and eats. The Bakery does good coffee and pies. The information centre has wonderful meals, but they only open after 9am. The heat sent me to the pub for a cooling 6 pack to take back and enjoy. I was pleased to see a good range and reasonable prices.
The camping area is quite large, but beware of annual events. It fills up with campers and the firewood disappears. A toilet is provided at these times. Even though, be careful where you dig, as surprises are not far from the surface.
I suggest that if rain is forecast, make sure you are not camped in the dried mud area. You can see this by the large cracks in the surface. Great when dry, knee deep in mud when wet.
The world’s only recorded evidence of a Dinosaur Stampede is about an hour and a half down the road. Lark Quarry is located 110 kilometres south-west of Winton. These Trackways inspired the stampede scene in the Steven Spielberg movie Jurassic Park. 95 million years ago this was a temperate rainforest!
Back in town, enjoy the wandering Brolgas while enjoying a meal at the information centre. They stroll about like they own the place.
