CORNER SCORCHER

TO SOME, CORNER COUNTRY SEEMS LIKE IT’S IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE BUT THIS SPECTACULAR OUTBACK LANDSCAPE HAS COUNTLESS FOUR-WHEEL DRIVING AND CAMPING OPPORTUNITIES, ALONG WITH PLENTY OF STORIES TO TELL.

- MATTHEW & LUCY EATON

When poring over maps there’s no doubt the Corner Country is a fair hike from Brisbane, but if you break up your drive it won’t seem that far at all.

We started our journey from Brisbane and headed southwest via Goondiwindi and Moree, where there is a free camp just out of Brewarrina situated on the Barwon River that gives you a prime waterfront spot perfect for the first stop on your travels. Take a refreshing swim in the river or a shower in the amenities that are available here and you’ll be raring to go onto your next stop.

We got on the road early and pointed towards Tilpa. We know a station owner with a property on the Darling River and we were treated to a wonderful free camp on his property. The drought has had a big impact on this area and the bulldust out here is so thick you can almost cut it with a knife; the toll on all the farmers out west has been huge and there’s no doubt they appreciate travellers spending some coin in the area, either at the local pub or corner store. Without the tourists, these small towns and businesses cannot keep their doors open. If you need basic supplies here, like ice or fuel or a cold beer, the Tilpa Pub has you covered.

There’s plenty of history to be found along the banks of the Darling River if you know where to look. As well as the graves of two young girls who tragically drowned in the river in the 1800s, there’s the grave of John Mark (a manager of a property called Marra) who was murdered in 1887. These are perched high up on the banks overlooking one of the winding bends that snake through this property. Time and seasons have taken their toll on them and there isn’t much left to see, but there’s enough left to have you thinking about how hard life would have been like back in those days.