Watts with all the hot water? Birdsville, Queensland, Australia
By e.gregory1 on 08-Jun-18. Waypoint GC7QYWJ

Answers sent. Great little story. TFTC

Spent time doing some geocaching while travelling in the area.

Day four of my Three Corners tour, visiting all three of Queensland's remote western corners over 12 days.After visiting Haddon's corner yesterday and camping in the dunes nearby, the plan today is for a slow day, only travelling as far as Birdsville. As far as distances go, today was a short day on the road. With all the recent rain, the wildflowers were in full bloom. Some light rain overnight dampened our enthusiasm for a quick start and slowed our pack up the next morning.Along the way, we detoured via Betoota, where I took a stroll through Betoota Heights, admiring all the flash houses before grabbing a feed at a trendy student hangout cafe in the French quarter. Arriving in Birdsville, we attended to the necessary chores - fuel, provisions and so forth, before checking into our accommodation at the pub. Wet swags quickly covered the pub carpark to dry in the sun and the pub laundry got a working over. Whilst waiting for the load of laundry, I offered to go for a drive with my young learner driver second cousin, who is keen as mustard to get some hours up. Of course, I had an another motive for the excursion.Visiting this earthcache was a highlight for the day. An easy favourite point. Answers sent. From here, it was time for a sunset beer and a feed at the pub. Many thanks e.gregory1Pete#7,990 at [16:46]

Start of our trip out to Simpson DesertThanks for the cache

Thanks for the adventure

Found this cache whilst on our two month adventure throughout central Australia and remote parts of WA.We had a chilly lay day in Birdsville and decided to grab a few local caches that we hadnt found previously. Collected our info and answers sent CO.Turns out this was our 28000th find, Woohoo! Thanks to all the COs for adding to our adventure. TFTC

WE found this e-cache while passing through town on our way back from the big red bash. An interesting set of locations and interesting use of the hot water. Plenty of people about town today as all passing through. We continued to head north in the hope of missing the coming rain.Thanks for bringing us here. Answers sent.

As equally steamy as smelly! Loved learning more about these. Have passed a few across QLD now. This one by far the steamiest I have seen. TFTC. Answers sent by Ardom

Very interesting concept G1

After two nights bathing in cool / cold water in towns east of here, knew there would be plenty of hot water for a shower. Have come across similar earthcaches but this is by far the most impressive example of a electrical generation and a town water supply. Logging with the CO's permission. Thanks e.gregory1 for a great earthcache and learning experience. A FP for your efforts.

An interesting area! I have not seen steam power before. Logging in order - will send answers once we get good reception. TFTC

Thanks for a great cache learning a lot on this trip!

Wow, what a fascinating location. A pity that the power station has been decommissioned, I guess they are using solar now as renewable energy. The hot water coming out of the bore is just incredible. We thought it was a fire from the caravan park! Thanks for a really interesting earth cache.

Loved watching the amount of hot water running through.This was a very interesting cache and we learnt alot. Thankyou.

TFTC,A great lesson here and interesting location. Added a favourite and visited trackables.

An interesting earthcache, a big warm around here. Wazza9 will send the answers. Thanks to CO

13223 Located by baby&Mrs gopher at 1135. A most interesting EC. This makes you feel almost insignificant in the theme of things, The size the depth and how it all works. Logging with permission of CO Tnx e.gregory1 An FP from us.

Accompanied with Everlasting Wow its very interesting about hot water Everlasting sent the answer for us Fav from me Here's one to find today.Thank you for placing the earthcache e.gregory1.

3rd September 2023.

Wow, amazing to see it. Enjoyed myself. Very interesting and more learn. Thanks for the earthcache and fav point from me ️

We are in Birdsville the week before the races and enjoyed learning about the power generating capability of the Greaat Artesian Basin, even though its no longer utilised.

An amazing Earth Cache here In Birdsville.
Watching the water flow and the steam coming off the extremely hot water.
Mother Nature has created a wonderful wetland with the overflow.
TFTEC

Finally made it to Birdsville, it's been a long awaited moment. The artesian basin is really quite a phenomenal feature and how it has been used in such remote locations is very interesting. Answers sent to CO. Tftec

On the way out from birdsville so this

This was really interesting to see, amazing to learn more about it and looked great with the setting sun behind the steam and one of the highlights of visiting. GH has sent answers for us both.

Greyhams and I have been on a mission to see as much of Australia and visit as many of the LGA's as possible for some time now. This trip was Queensland, flying into Brisbane and a full 8 days on the road stopping for as many of the caches of interest we had time for as we passed through.

Leaving Brisbane northwest was our direction, as far west as we could go all the way to Birdsville. Of course, it is a Geocaching trip so it zigged and zagged as needed to cover the areas required. Yulaba, Charleville, Barcaldine, Ilfracombe, Longreach, Windorah, Birdsville, back to Windorah, Quilpie, Thargomindah, Cunnamulla, St George, detour to Moonie for a FTF, Wyaga, Warick and the home run back into Brisbane for our flight home.

Love the driving as we left behind the trees and entered red earth and sparseness, always a surprise though passing through areas of yellow grassy plains, although generally open flat land in all directions was what greet us. Wildlife was in abundance and never have we seen so much. Emus dominated for 1000's of km, cattle as we passed through their grazing lands, but also pigs in numbers we didn't expect. Echidnas, goats, horses, a giant goanna, foxes, and birdlife that does well on the overnight roo casualties. Still no camels though, they have to be out there somewhere!

The country hospitality was a highlight, great friendly people, Queensland hotels full of history and character. They all were great but the Wellshot in Ilfracombe needs a huge shout out for being the stand out of this trip. Leaving the car at Windorah and flying into Birdsville not only saved a day of driving but the scenery flying low over the countryside was spectacular and memorable.

Also memorable was waking up on the second day with the best case of laryngitis I have ever experienced... no voice, none! To top it, it lasted the full trip only returning by the end, I'm not sure if I pity GreyHams for having to deal with me squeak in an attempt to talk and silenced, or he had the best trip ever!

The days were full, either full of km's or caches but never dull with so much to see or do. The caching grounds are rich thanks to the QOGM events, it's definitely a great location to hold them. Many thanks to all the CO's for your caches that helped guide us as we travelled through Queensland on a great trip.

Super cool (or rather, I should say super 'hot') earthcache.
One of the highlights of our day in Birdsville

Found with O319 a couple of years ago, but we forgot to log. TFTC

Found with SJG66 as we toured the area, answers sent some time back.

Saturday 1 April 2023.

[BFE A Notorious Geocacher TB20559](https://coord.info/TB20559) BFE A Notorious Geocacher Virtually Visited Birdsville, Qld. Following towns in the Lyrics of the Song:

[I've Been Everywhere](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeadSspZDzM)
Written by Australian country singer Geoff Mack in 1959, and popularised by Lucky Starr. 1962.

BFE A Notorious Geocacher can be Virtually Discovered at any time and if you wish to follow the journey place a watch on [TB20559](https://coord.info/TB20559)

[I've Been Everywhere Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27ve_Been_Everywhere#:~:text=%22I've%20Been%20Everywhere%22%20is%20a%20song%20written%20by,and%20Hank%20Snow%20in%201962.)

Great and interesting stop for Birdsville

TFTC

We are travelling from Adelaide, visiting Parachilna, Coward Springs, Eringa Waterhole, Mt Dare, Dalhousie Springs, across the Simpson desert to Birdsville, Innaminka, down the Old Strezlecki Track to Lyndhurst, a stopover in Mintaro and home again.

We spent 3 nights crossing the Simpson with no issues. About 10kms before we hit Big Red one of the rear springs in the Landcruiser decided to break so we limped very slowly forward. We managed to make it up Big Red and head into Birdsville. The roadhouse has a mechanic shop but he was on holidays until the 19th August. Great we thought.
The owner of the roadhouse, Jenna was fantastic. They had a set of springs in stock that would fit and gave us two jack stands and a trolley jack so that MR C could fit the springs.
Before we could do that though, we had to wash off all the mud we had collected, so we came here. It took a long time to clean off the mud (it had rained while we were camping in the dunes).
We cleaned the car and headed back to the roadhouse. Unfortunately, the jack stands were not up to holding our heavy car and so the springs didnt get put in. Jenna was once again amazing and managed to contact here previous mechanic and he agreed to come in on a Saturday and help us out. Blake met us the next morning and fitted the spring - what a legend.
While this was happening, I got to see a lot more of Birdsville than I had planned. You see so much more of a town when you walk every street

We had never seen a Geothermal power station like this before and it was very interesting - we enjoyed the free car wash too.

Found while visiting from Canberra. We flew in on a charter flight and part of the earth cache was right near our room. Answers sent. TFTC

Picked up with Shumba7 on our whirlwind central Aus loop on our way to the 2022 Big Red Bash.

TFTC. Found with Algae ️we are on a road trip from Ballarat to Birdsville, off to the big red bash. Grabbing some smilies along the way in some towns. Saw a squirrel up a tree here…
First stop from Ballarat - Beaufort, Ararat, Great Western, Stawell, Underbool, Murrayville, time travelled and lost all our fruit and veg in the process..…… South Australia - Loxton, Worlds End, Mount Bryan, Orrorro, Parachilna, Coward Springs, William Creek, Oodnadatta, Dalhousie Springs, Mount Dare, Northern Territory - Finke, Lamberts Centre of Australia, Kulgera, Curtain Springs, Ayres Rock, The Olgas, Yalara, Mount Connor, Kings Canyon, Kathrine Springs, Ellery Waterhole, Gemtree, Tobermorey, Queensland, Boulia, Birdsville, South Australia - Hawker, Peterborough…. Lots of purple and yellow flowers in the dessert….and now onto the next.

On my way to NT via Birdsville Queensland with a few detours for shires. TFTC.
A very interesting cache. Enjoyed learning about the hot water and the ORC.

Spent some time learning some history and driving down stream slightly to touch the warm water. Amazing ingenuity 60 years ago. TFTC

Caz 53 that water is piping hot!

Found while waiting for the Big Red Bash to get underwater. TFTEC

TFTC, God find with Leevees.

A very interesting earth cache while in Birdsville for the Big Red Bash. TFTC

We were thre at 3:45:50 PM(t) GAFF1.
Birdsville's survival was certainly assisted by this hot water bore! Who would come out here and set up a town otherwise if there wasn't this source of good water? Have you seen the colour of the water from the Diamintina River!
Wonder how the water was first found - "let's go out 2 thousand kms north from Adelaide and shove a hole here and see what happens!"
Thanks e.gregory1.

We're in Birdsville for the first time and enjoying exploring. Very "cool" cache. Enjoyed collecting the info and making observations . Answers sent to co. Thanks e.gregory for arranging and fav point

This was fascinating to me. I have lived in Lightning Ridge for some time so am familiar with hot bore water but not like this. It was very interesting to see the processes used here. Thank you for placing this cache and bringing it to our attention. Thank you to Team_Crackers for submitting our answers.

Wow, this was very exciting to see. Having had a son that lived in Lightning Ridge for some time, I spent some time in the bore baths up there. It was great to see that this was being utilised here. I was just disappointed that there was no bore bath here. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I loved it. Team_Crackers sent answers on behalf of us all.

After a great night at Betoota with micaparamedic, papi4506 and geoturtle37 we woke up a little bit worse for wear and headed off to our next destination which was Birdsville.

We have visited many Artesian bores on our travels but this is the first time that we have seen one set up like this and the first time we have seen one in use for power generation. We gathered what information we could here and wandered down around the side street to get an idea of what the steam plant looked like from the outside. We gathered out thoughts together and all answers have been sent off to the CO and hopefully they are good enough for this log to remain.

Thanks e.gregory1 for the cache.

Heading back to SA via plan XYZ. Today we ended up in Birdsville, did a few of the caches before retreating to the comfort of the camp kitchen. TFTC.

Awesome with DeafPhantom DutchAus DeafVW

Just amazing! To see how power is produced. Loved everything about this place. Thank you for the earthcache, it has educated us in so many ways.
Logging with DeafCat, Deafphantom and DutchAus

Oops forgot log up with DeafVW, DeafCat and DeafPhantom

My answer to the final question was rubbish but I hope the CO accepts it and allows me to log a find. On our way to the Simpson but first a rest day in town.

Whoop. My photo it GZ did not upload with my log. I have taken a selfie that shows my being at GZ without giving spoilers

Reall cool. Interesting how they get their water here. Tftcsl

Thanks for the memories.

Late log - answers sent and approved by CO.

On our last night in town, we had a look at the water bore. It was rather fascinating that the water source powers and hydrates the whole town. I thought that the vapour and smell was rather refreshing in the night after a hot day - it reminded me of the hot springs in Japan! The girlfriend disagreed - she doesn't like the sulfur smell, and had trouble drinking the water in some of the outback towns

Thanks for the cache and teaching us some interesting things about outback life!

Was finally able to get away on my 2021 trip up to outback Qld.
The original plan was to go up through NSW but that got changed on the morning of the departure so up through SA it was.
Was very apprehensive about towing the new van up the Birdsville track but my only other option was to stay home.
Well the caravan has made it up the track and after a night in the pub it is time to keep heading north but of course a couple of caches first
An interesting read and the different uses of the water out of the Artesian Basin.
Logging with permission.

Thanks e-gregory1 TFTC.

Thank you for showing us this place.
TFTC

Thanks.
In Birdsville for the big red bash

Found on our outback adventure.
Caching with Beaker and Karlth2021
TFTC

Found with Kellmik and Karlth2021 on our 15 day, 7000+ km trip around the outback taking in iconic locations such as the Gawler Ranges, Googs Track, Kingoonya, Woomera, Oodnadatta Track, Marree, Birdsville Track, Mungerannie, Birdsville, Bedourie, Boulia, Diamantina NP, Winton, Longreach, Windorah, Haddon Corner, The Dig Tree, Innamincka, Old Strzelecki Track, Milparinka, Silverton and Broken Hill.
In all is was an absolutely fantastic trip with lots of wonderful things to see.
This cache was one of over 120 that we found during our outback drive.
Fascinating to see just how hot the water was when it comes out! An interesting EC at an amazing place. Answers submitted and approved
TNLNSL
TFTC
TTFN
Beaker

I had visited Birdsville six years ago and had found the nearby cache so it was good to grab another one nearby.

Thanks e.gregory1 for the earthcache.

Thankyou, thankyou.
I would never had taken the time to know this stuff if it wasn't for this cache.
Wow, loved it.

Found as we paused in Birdsville during our desert travels.
Very interesting area - I had had no idea that the GAB was utilised for anything other than water DUH for me.....
Questions pondered and answers submitted
thanks for the EC e.gregory

Thanks for bringing us here

The water was pumping. No shortage of hot shower water here. The question is that you need to find some cold to mix it with or else you'd have a red bum!!

This cache was found as part of an EPIC TRIP! to cross the Simpson Desert in July 2020. We crossed the desert without incident thanks to the smooth expert driving of H423L. There were many rocks, water holes, railway sidings and big dunes. Of course there was this cache too. The nights were clear and the stars were bright.

Thanks to e.gregory1 and **clear skies** from TeamAstro. [^] Cache the planet!

Just standing and taking in the force of nature here is in itself quite powerful and harnessing this power is an obvious given. Answers to follow. TFTC

I was here! Birdsville . Thank you for this importent EC! FavP to you. A super description!
Answers on road. Cheers Peter

Brad&Janet are heading to Coolum Beach to get the house-on-wheels serviced at the mother factory.
But which way to go?
The decision so far has been via Burra, Maree, Mungeranie, and Birdsville so far.
Having traversed the Birdsville Track without incident Brad broke the h-o-w in the Birdsville Caravan Park. D’oh!
Repair plan A resulted in a broken drill bit.
But surprisingly plan B worked!
You would think that in 9 years at University someone would have taught Brad what a roll pin was and how it works. Nope.
Brad blames the inadequate syllabi of the Medical and Business schools.
But after it was fixed it was time to check out the geocache offerings that had appeared since our last visit.
We remembered visiting these sites last time and it was good to go back again.
Answers sent and accepted.
TFTEC e.gregory1

TFTC
I will await your approval.
Cheers

An early morning walk brought me by here. Sad to see the thermal energy going to waste now. Logged with permission. Tftc

What a cool power source! Can’t believe it is the smallest of it’s kind.

Found

Stopped here during our annual desert trip - 10 border crossings in 14 days .
Cruised around town, collecting the caches that have popped up since our last visit back in 2017 [8]. This was a place we'd been before .
Always fascinating watching natural science at work [^]. Who would have thought geothermal power would be superceded by solar [?].
Took photos. Left footprints. Submitted answers.
Thanks E.gregory1.

Found. Hot and steamy.

Great to visit. Saw the steam clouds at dawn.
What an excellent solution for a small town.
Thanks for the cache

I have this earthcache before heading into the Big Red Bash. I had done this one before and thought I had forwarded the answers but now back here 12 months later I'm mistaken.

Answers were sent and appreciated a more specific answer for the last question.

Awesome place. Thanks for the earthcache.

The Parrot tribe is off to the dead centre of Australia to attend the Big Red Bash.
This is a rock concert on the edge of the Simpson desert.
SA_Parrothead, Young Einstein's and H7 are in a convoy of 2 cars heading to Birdsville and back.
It is being billed as the most remote rock concert in the world and the last act will be Midnight Oil rocking it out as the moon rises.
Midnight Oil - The Dead Heart has a line - We carry in our hearts the true country.
We look forward to being a part of that.

Time to head home.
The town sure is busy with people head out to all parts of Australia

We've been wanting to drive the Strzelecki Track for a long time so a window of opportunity came up and we were out the gate!! We travelled up the Birdsville Track and down from Innamincka. Had a great time caching and admiring many views of the outback. The only casualty was the windscreen which had a close encounter with a rock on day 3. Got told in Birdsville that it wasn't bad enough to freight another up. Luckily it made it all the way home with the help of duct tape. We found some great views and historical places thanks to geocaching. Answers submitted.
TFTC

Found in the company of Freddo, e.gregory1 (the CO), Team Waldron, occasional cacher out of retirement SteadyOn and muggle friend Tony during an awesome trip to the Simpson Desert, staying at Coober Pedy, then camping out at Dalhousie Springs, three nights in the Simpson Desert, Birdsville, Clayton Bore and Aroona Valley. Thanks for the fascinating and unique Earthcache e.gregory1!

Cache was found as part of a Simpson Desert trek by Team Waldron, Freddo, Featherwaite, E_Gregory1 and a couple of muggles.

After Coober Pedy it was off to Dalhousie Springs then across the desert to Birdsvaille south to Clayton Springs and then one last night in the Flinders.

A great trip and we even had time for a few caches.

Hard to get it wrong with the cache owner in our group of travellers.

TFTC

Met the CO at a meet and greet tonight and was given the all clear to log this cache which is my first earthcache.
I think it’s terrific that energy is being created and used from the artesian bore here in Birdsville.
Nice to meet you and I hope we meet again on our travels.

This geocache was found while we travelled through Queensland on our around Oz adventure.

thanks

Ian & Sue - Team Pathfinder uses T.P. to sign smaller logs.

What a great location for a cache and completing the required task enables us to learn more about this valued resource.
Thanks for the opportunity to learn.

My husband & I were visiting Australia for 2 months from Victoria, BC which is on the west coast of Canada. We were on the last part of our trip and stayed in William Creek for a night and heard about the flooding up north and thought that we should take a flight and check it out. If Richard Branson can come to check the flooding into Lake Eyre out, then we can too. We took the flight across the flooded Tirari desert up to Birdsville, had a burger and beer, then walked about town checking things out. Sure was quiet as I guess the flooding has kept a lot of people out of town. The geo-thermal power station was first then we headed to see the pelicans on the river/creek, then the visitors centre and back to the air strip for our flight back to William Creek over the flooded Simpson desert. Nice little town but I could have done without the midges! All I can say is the flooding was very impressive and extensive. I think we took about 100 photos in total. Thanks for bringing this EC to our attention while we were there.

Fascinating spot to visit, and even more interesting once you research how it all works. Thanks for setting up this very informative Earthcache.

Team effort collating these answers and submitted by Freddo on behalf of us all.
TFTEC e.gregory1

$5 hot showers on race weekend. Endless hot water.

Reached Birdsville via the Simpson Desert. Stopped for a couple of days before continuing our journey. TFTC

PM TUMUT NSW

Very interesting to see this one... thanks take me there

Did at 10.00

Answers all correct.

Very interesting, thanks for the information.

TFTC

We are on the homeward leg of the annual sun chasing trip. Grabbed the caches around Birdsville before heading down the track. TFTC.

Caught up with the CO at an event in Adelaide and all good.

Stopped here on the way into town for a look. This was a very interesting spot, and it's worth heading to the other end of the overflow too to have a look at the lagoon. Messaged cache owner.
Thanks for the cache!
best wishes,
Wal

Sent message... tftc

Found it OK, cleaned car as well. TFTC. Answers being prepared.

Nice place for a spa pool. Message sent and TFTC

I can log, I can log... Just visited it in Birdsville and the cache owner answers in 10 mins flat. Here I thought I was at the end of civilisation, the interweb reaches everywhere.
I rode in from Mungarannie on a personal Chatauqua to Karumba on the Gulf... Been a good trip so far although crazy crowded at Birdsville... Camping in a paddock! No fee - even better....

Arrived in Birdsville on the 21st and noticed this structure and resultant steam. I had no idea that it was a cache at that time, as I had no phone reception from my provider. On the 22nd, I made my way to the information centre and was able to download some local caches from their internet service. This was on the list, and as I had already been to this site I though I should go back and get the required information. Next morning after packing up our camping equipment we made it pass this spot again at 10:32 to get the information and the photos. Now that I am back with reception I can finally log. But is it a FTF? Thanks so much, e.gregory1, for placing this cache and drawing my attention to some of the wonders of this amazing land that we live in.

Finally arrived in Birdsville for the Big Red Bash with FelixII
After unhitching the vans we made a beeline for this earth cache which popped up on the radar during our trek to Birdsville. The great artesian basin is truly amazing. It’s fascinating to learn they can utilise the already hot water to generate electricity as well. We are super happy to log a joint **FTF** with our travelling companions. A favourite point from us.

We are nomads. Having left Perth WA in February 2014 we now live in our caravan and go wherever the will or caches take us.

In Birdsville for 2018 Big Red Bash with El_Peregrinos. Lovely warmish days, and freezing nights, but what about those FLIES!

We have been watching this cache since about the 14th June, just hoping that nobody would beat us to the FTF and look, happy dance, Woo Hoo a joint **FTF** after a quick visit to the Birdsville Bakery for lunch.

TFTC e.gregory1

Published