Windorah - heart of Channel Country

Windorah is a great little Outback town in the Barcoo Shire in south eastern Queensland. In Aboriginal language "Windorah" means "big fish". The town was named and surveyed in 1880, although the Western Star Hotel and a shop had already existed for two years.

The town is on the banks of Cooper Creek which is well-known for its numerous channels and gullies that give name to the area: Channel Country. Although the little township has some historic buildings, the diverse landscapes, wildlife and stunning nature are the highlights, and give you some true Outback feeling.

The Barcoo and Thomson rivers join 35 km north west of Windorah to form the Cooper. In time of flooding you can be stuck in this area for days, as the Cooper spreads for several kilometres. Every couple of years the flood waters of Cooper Creek reaches Lake Eyre in South Australia, however, this is said to be a rare occasion.

The Cooper is an Australian icon that found its way into song lyrics and the poetry of Banjo Patterson.

Channel Country

Want to see some stunning photos of flooding in the Cooper Creek catchment? Click on the link to go to the Photo Gallery. (Opens new window).

Points of interest

• Windorah is surrounded by scenic and diverse countryside.

To the north is typical red earth and dune country, while to the south the channels of Cooper Creek expand to the South Australian border.

The red sand hills just ten minutes to the west of town are beautiful, especially in the late afternoon. The colours of the dunes change during the day to a deep red at sunset. Take your time, watch the sun go down, feel the sound of silence, it is a true Outback experience.

• Take the 12 km long nature drive just outside of the town that leads you to the Cooper.

Don't forget to stop for a walk, it is worthwhile. The nature trail explains the trees and plants that are native to the region. Don't forget to pick up a brochure at the visitor information centre. If you're lucky, you'll see some unique wildlife. After good rains wildflowers are abundant. It never ceases to amaze me how much nature changes after some rain in the Australian Outback.

• The library has local arts and crafts on display.

The friendly staff invites you to explore the old slab hut (photo on the Outback Guide's homepage) and the Cooper Queen, a steel boat that brought supplies to town before the bridge over Cooper Creek was built.

• Try your luck and catch a Yellow Belly or other fish for dinner in the Cooper.

Where to stay? Check the Queensland travel tips for accommodation.

This aerial view clearly shows the difference of the landscapes around Windorah. It gives the impression the town is situated on a lake shore. Can you imagine what happens when the intermittently flowing Cooper is in flood?

How to get there

Coming from the north and the east, all roads into Windorah are sealed, or have at least a single lane of bitumen. It's a 1200 km drive from Brisbane. I told you the Outback is a huge place!

From Longreach on the Mathilda Highway it is a leisure drive of 336 km through scenic country. You'll pass Stonehenge and Jundah, two little townships worth to have a stop at.

Don't miss Swanvale lookout between those towns. There's a rest area, and the views over the surrounding area are gorgous.

Jundah is the administrative centre of the Barcoo shire, and the largest of the three towns (population ~ 100) in the shire. The Thomson River is a good spot to catch a fish and relax.

Being a fan of the red Outback dirt roads, it saddens me to learn that the final stretch of road into Windorah now is sealed. Sure, I understand that the locals prefer to have a reliable road that doesn't turn into deep mud after rain. But from a traveller's point of view, driving on a dirt road is part of the Outback experience.

Coming from the west, both the Diamantina Developmental road from Bedourie, and the Birdsville Developmental road from Birdsville, are still mostly unsealed.

Go to the driving distances charts to check distances in south western Queensland.