Boom times for the Channel Country and Outback Queensland

Water laying between sandhills in Queenslands Channel Country.

Kilcowera Station  is at the extreme southern end of the Channel Country according to the way the state is carved up by the Bureau of Meteorology.  But the rains have fallen over the whole area in sporadic bursts over the last few months (maybe not so much in the north though).  

Even the drought ravaged Bulloo Shire is looking magnificent again.  There’s water everywhere and now we are waiting for the rivers to go down so the Council workers will be able to get around and assess the condition of the roads and what work needs to be done to make them trafficable once more.

The birdlife is amazing, enormous flocks of Budgerigars looking for trees to nest in – one person reported seeing 14 pairs of them nesting in one Coolabah tree and a couple of desperados sitting on 4 eggs on the ground under the tree. 

Greg has been riding around the place on his motor bike and yesterday he found 2 quail nests and then a bit later nearly ran over some little baby quails – little balls of fluff that weren’t flying yet. 

Both horses and bikes are used throughout the Channel Country for mustering but now with the feed a meter high and very thick I would rather be on a horse.  Better still, I think I’ll stick to my plane!

Lots of different frogs getting around too, including the cute little Crucifix Frog shown above and other burrowing frogs of various sizes.  I was feeling quite protective of the frogs hopping around the front lawn and veranda thinking how nice it was to see them bopping around all happy again.  A few days ago I saw this innocent looking burrowing frog only about 4 cms long with a small brown frog attached to his mouth.  I wondered at this thinking it may have been some sort of mating ritual.  But no, I kept an eye on him and small frog eventually disappeared down the hatch.  Well I suppose a frogs’ gotta eat too. 

Anyway this part of the outback is looking amazing, what a time to visit the Channel Country, just into Autumn and Easter coming up and the weather is perfect. 

Even though one does have to be careful where one drives, I bogged the 4 wheeler this morning, just riding along admiring the greeness of all the grass and found myself in a very wet spot.  Had to walk home too.