Bladensburg National Park June 16 – 18

June 19, 2020 - Reading time: 2 minutes

Formerly a sheep station, Located only 25 kms from Winton, Bladensburg has proven to be a great park to visit. There is only one campground -Bough Waterhole, which like Corni Paroo does not have designated sites. With the grounds once again vacant except for ourselves we have been able to get a nice level spot with a great fire pit and a regular supply of both sun and shade.

Two Australian Bustards greeted us at the Park entrance, which was a positive start to a great day! Bladensburg homestead, which is now the park headquarters, provides a fascinating insight into the lives on sheep stations in both the early and late twentieth century. Significantly, it is also the start of a forty kms loop drive to Scrammy lookout via the old station race course, Scrammy Gorge and finally the superb vista of the lookout.

view from Scrammy lookout

Badensburg Racetrack furlong post

A waterway, apparently the site of a old brickworks - steep banks, rugged eucalyptus, with extensive exposed root systems clinging onto the banks, provides a fascinating insight into the importance of water to the region. Here we saw Bustards, Zebra finches, Willy wagtails, red and grey Roos all using the waterway for survival.

A few kms up the road we explored Skull hole, the site of a massacre of first nations people in the 1880’s. The waterway is fascinating in that it is fed by a clay pan, which collects the water and disperses it down a narrow channel, which has over time created a mini ecosystem with a waterfall (dry tat this time)) into a narrow gorge attracting wildlife- here we saw spinifex pigeons, Grey headed honey eaters and so every big red kangaroos. You could easily imagine first nations people camping in the vicinity, using the environment to survive. Unfortunately, it is just as easy to imagine the peace being shattered by the roar of guns!