There’s not much between Ilfracombe and Barcaldine.
The most remarkable landscape aspect of the countryside around here is its flatness. And sparsity of connection roads. If you travelled the road across the railway line here you’d end up going nowhere in the middle of nowhere. Not so the Railways - they always have somewhere to go. This is a very old railway line, having been constructed way back in 1886. I think it may even be the original fencing still in place. If you are here early on a Sunday afternoon as I was, you may even get to see the current "Spirit of the Outback" train pass by. (See attached Photo). I received several whistles from the Driver/Engineer in response to my waves.
Series Description: Barcaldine lies at the crossroads of major transport routes north-south/east-west; on the major transport routes from Townsville to Adelaide and Rockhampton to Darwin. Road Trains, some of considerable length, travel these roads 24/7. Caravans galore during daytime hours highlight the significance of the area to the tourist trade.
Along each of these routes is a series of caches highlighting the centrality of Barcaldine as an access hub in Central Western Queensland.
The Western Series of six caches commences on the approach to Barcaldine from Longreach, some 8.5k from the town, and end at the outskirts of the town. All caches are located on the left (northern) side of the Highway so there is no need to cross the Highway. Roadside parking is available at all caches, even for caravans.
If you are travelling out of Barcaldine, please reverse the direction of some aspects in these descriptions. Not all points will be visible when travelling west, as they will be on the opposite side of the road facing away from the direction of travel