GORV - Digital Magazine Issue #42 | Page 61

RV TRAVEL Some outback pubs stand out for many reasons. So let’s visit a few of our favourites… BIRDSVILLE PUB A meal here is enjoyable and you will no doubt make a new friend or two. The pub is the centre of town, right across the street from an airport that provides a much softer and faster ride than the Birdsville Track. Patrons are encouraged to donate to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, as well as to the décor. The Birdsville Pub has the tidiest display of all, with hats and flags neatly dangling from the ceiling. For many RVers, visiting Birdsville, an afternoon out at Big Red (the first or final dune on the Simpson Desert crossing) to see the sunset, followed by a meal at the pub is a highlight. An outback icon. Wetland behind Mungerani Pub. MUNGERANNIE The Birdsville Track offers another outback pub well worth a visit, especially for birdwatchers. We staggered into Mungeranie (oddly, the place name is Mungeranie and the pub name Mungerannie) with a broken valve that had dripped water for the 205km from Marree. I will never forget this pub. It was festooned with a hodgepodge of hats, tee-shirts, business cards and various other items. The facilities were good, but the bore wetland was stunning, with around 110 species of birds including galahs, little corellas, brolgas, egrets, and a number of migratory waders. To sit in the warm artesian spa and watch birds is outstanding. Supporters of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy may want to venture a rugged 58km to the north-west to visit Kalamurina, a former station that is now owned and managed for conservation. / 61