We were discussing our travel route with M and D and we somehow got to talking about a cattle/sheep station that Dad’s good friend Bill Tudope owned. Dad said it was a Aboriginal name similar to Uluru, Mum said it was Oondooroo and Tim then looked at our camping app and somehow found a station called Oondooroo just outside of Winton that allowed camping. After showing M and D some of the photos we were convinced it was the correct one so we decided to stop there after Hughenden.
Unfortunately old Bill Tudope had died a few years back and the owners did not have the Tudope name but Dad was pretty sure his granddaughter had taken over the station so when I booked I asked and sure enough he was correct.
The drive out from Hughenden to Winton was a long straight bumpy road and on either side had nothing. The temperature was pushing upwards of 35 again and we both kept wondering how anyone could live out here and survive. It was desolate but also somehow captivating.
We found the turn off for Oondooroo and soon found ourselves driving into a little oasis of green grass and a few trees. The station has a very rich history and is one of the first stations founded in the area, in the 1870s. The first owners decided to try and have a taste of luxury in the outback and started building the homestead and surrounding buildings out of hand hewn sandstone found in the area. This and a drought sent them broke and they had to walk away from the station. The buildings are still standing today.
One of the old builidngs 
One of the old buildings. It originally was a school. 
Green grass! 
Our set up
Walking around the homestead and looking at the buildings and the surrounding landscape it’s hard to understand how people survived out in this harsh climate all those years ago. With yearly rainfall at about 16 inches, drinking water must have been gold dust.
Legend has it that the station was also the first place where Banjo Patterson put his poem Waltzing Matilda to piano. There is some dispute on this but the first time it was played in public was apparently at the pub in Winton and sung by Mr Ramsay who owned Oondooroo at the time. So it very well may be true.
The first afternoon we were there, a wind storm came through. Tim mentioned that the horizon was looking very orange and we quickly closed our windows to then be in the midst of a huge windstorm. Our awning was lifting, the pegs to hold it down were pulling out so we had to stand and hold it down. That lasted until we realised our metal poles were bending so we let go and soon had poles and canvas plastered to the side of the trailer. It was pretty scary the ferocity and speed in which it came in. The open plains and hot weather are perfect conditions for it. We survived though and after a little bit of fashioning we soon had a poleless annex which allowed us to get in and out of the trailer. After a few hours the wind died down and we managed a cold dinner a decent sleep.
Storm incoming! 
Annex after the storm 
Substitute annex with evidence of bent pole
The next night we were watching the weather and soon had massive thunder storm warnings for the area. Based on the fact that yesterday’s storms didn’t have a warning about them and the damage they caused, we decided to pack up the trailer and bunker down and cook dinner in one of the old buildings. It was an adventure which ensured the storm fizzled out around us with not even a gust of wind. Typical. But sometimes better to be safe than sorry.
The reason we came out this way was to see the Age of Dinosaurs museum so the next day we headed off. They had advertised that there were kennels for your dog to stay in while you were in the museum but unfortunately they were little cages out in the baking sun. Not good enough for our Griff so Tim decided to stay behind while I went in and had a look. The museum was made up of several attractions. I was mostly interested in their laboratory where they worked on the uncovered bones and they actual fossils themselves. Both of these I got to see which was great. I even got to touch one.
One of the first bones found in the area 
One of the volunteers cleaning up a fossil 
The town of Winton itself was quite picturesque with old pubs and the general store. It’s fascinating to read that the original owners came out from Townsville on a wagon full of supplies based on a rumour that stations were being set up out here. No real map nor confident that water would be found along the way, they set out to make their fortunes and start a new life. Hard to imagine having the guts to do that.
Old hitching post put to good use. 
General store 
The old pub 
Local’s old hats in one of the stores 
A local artist had decided to build a wall out of anything he could find 
Qantas the airline started here. 
They had built a musical wall out of old bits and pieces that you could play. Was very fun!
Back at the station we spent the next few days just relaxing and taking in the place and wandering around the buildings and the old wool shed which is still used today. The predecessor of this one was set on fire by the shearers in the great shearer strike which lead to the formation of the Labour Party in Queensland. It honestly felt as if you became a little more Australian just by standing on the black soil and breathing in the air.
During our relaxing we managed to befriend the homestead dogs. At one stage we had 5 additional dogs hanging around the camper. Jason also had his working dogs out the back but we never saw those. Not really house dogs. Though one of the house dogs was his retired 14 year old working dog Ellie. Her job was to keep an eye on the two goats he had and to not let them near the cattle grate. She took her job very seriously and if anyone went near the goat pen she was not far behind.
Griff and the old retired working dog. She was also 14. 
Flies were everywhere, though they were not as bad at the homestead. 
Rent a pack of dogs for the walk! 
Griff taking a dip in one of the channels. We are still trying to get some of the mud out of his fur.
Jason took us out to the bore one afternoon. The bore taps into the Artesian basin 1.5km below the surface. The water comes out scalding hot which he then cools by running the pipes under a dam called a turkeys nest. This water is then run up wards of 16kms around the station. He also provides water to his neighbours. He has access to more water than he can use though a restriction has been placed on him using the water for growing crops. It can only be used for watering stock… and of course his lawn. Very. Lastly to install but a vital lifeline out here in the bush.
Drive to the bore. Tim and Griff were in the back. 
Jason and Tim on the edge of the turkeys nest 
Griff meeting his first steer. 
We came for dinosaurs but the highlight was definitely the station. One of our favourite stays so far on the trip. A harsh and unforgiving place but somehow beautiful all at once. S