Day 7 26/05/2013 Deon's Lookout (Betoota) to Diamantina NP

We left our camp by 7.30am. The sunrise was beautiful, but it was cold and windy and the water took an age to boil for our cup of tea! First part of the drive took us through more jump-up country. We again hit boggy patches but then it seemed to dry out. We saw lots of emu, 'Roos and several wedge-tailed eagles. We stopped for breakfast near a very nice creek and decided to get some water to wash the car. Ha! We foolishly thought we had seen the last of the bogs. Not so... The rain must have been more extensive than we thought and we were soon covered in mud again!!!! Our route was little more than a narrow track in places and it was slow going through the boggy sections. We were passing through working pastoral areas and there were lots of gates to stop at and open and close. This was cattle country, and many were on the road! We also saw three brolgas by the side of the road! The first vehicle we saw was at 11am....he was a local .....,,said we might come across a bogged truck....if we did, then we would just have to go around it!!! Fortunately the truck was not bogged...., but we did have to do another 'go-around' similar to yesterday's. We arrived at the Ranger headquarters in the Diamantina NP around lunchtime. The ranger suggested we camp at Gum Hole ....less windy she said, than Hunter's Gorge. She also advised that if we were fishing... we should not leave our catch out otherwise the feral cats would take it! Unfortunately we have seen too many feral cats, including one very large one coming to drink at the waterhole. We had a very pretty camp spot right by the waterhole, (no-one else here), but the flies were horrendous. We had to put up our mozzie dome in order to make and eat lunch; and spent the afternoon wearing our fly nets. We went for a short walk and watched a flock of pink-eared ducks on the waterhole. Fortunately as the sun went down the flies disappeared. We sat facing the waterhole and enjoyed another glass of wine and the sunset. We have made the decision to move on tomorrow .......mainly because of the flies.