Explore QLD
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About 60km north-west of the village of Eulo sits Alroy Station – a 60,000-acre working sheep and cattle property run by husband-and-wife team Mac and Mary Haig.
The Haigs are old-school bush people, but they understand the need many of us have to get away from the crowd now and then. So they’ve set aside part of the vast property where visitors can get a real taste of what the outback is all about – space to camp pretty much wherever you want, with no signs telling you what you can’t do.
The thing with Alroy is that you can stay as long as you like. For some travellers, Alroy is the destination; for others, it’s an overnight stop – or anything in between.
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Outback camping and amenities
Alroy might look a bit rough around the edges at first glance, but that’s the outback charm for you.
The Haigs have struck the right balance, providing good, clean amenities while maintaining the ethos of bush camping. You can have a hot shower and visit a clean dunny without any qualms about hygiene. There’s also a well-set-up camp kitchen with the most impressive fuel stove I’ve seen in a long while. And for groups, catering can be arranged – think camp-oven dinners cooked over open fires beside the kitchen.
Every afternoon, either Mac or Mary will come by with a trailer full of *gidgee for your campfire. There used to be a few fireplaces here, but they were swept away in the floods that tore through between January and March earlier this year. But like most bush folk, Mac and Mary just got on with it, almost as if nothing had happened. Visiting places like this isn’t just good for the memories of your trip – it also helps the locals recover from those floods, one of the worst natural disasters to hit the Queensland outback in recent years.
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Scattered here and there are reminders of Alroy’s past – an old traction engine and other odds and ends that hint at a time when life was a lot tougher. In contrast, a couple of open-air tubs let you soak in warm artesian water beneath an endless sky. I didn’t try it myself, but I can imagine sinking into that tub at night, a star-filled outback sky overhead – pretty special.
This is red-soil country at its best. Not everyone wants to test their skills on a long outback journey, but at Alroy you can experience that mix of adventure with just the right amount of safety thrown in – not to mention a hot shower at the end of the day.
Things to do near Alroy Station
There’s no shortage of things to do here.
The Yowah opal field isn’t far from Alroy’s front gate, and you can spend as long as you like “noodling” the mullock heaps for any chips of opal the miners might’ve missed. Then there’s the Eulo Queen Hotel just down the road – well, about 60km, but that’s not far in these parts. An historic outback pub if ever there was one, the Eulo Queen has a colourful past and a warm, easy-going welcome.
Also at Eulo is the Date Farm. Like the town itself, it sits on the Paroo River and offers a surprising range of products – including date wine. If bush pubs are your thing, another short drive (about 97km one way) will get you to the Toompine Pub – another true outback establishment where the beer’s cold and the food’s simple but tasty. It’s under new management, and Mac Haig reckons it’s well worth the drive.
You can’t help becoming a birdwatcher here – the birdlife is everywhere. I didn’t have a bird book, but a fellow traveller wandered by the camp, binoculars in hand, and seemed to know every species. Yowah Creek flows right through the campground, and there’s a fair chance of pulling a yabbie or two if you remembered to pack a trap. We missed out this time, but it was fun having a go. There’s no shortage of walking options either, and if fishing’s your thing, you might even hook a yellowbelly.
On Alroy itself, if you ask Mac, he’ll provide a mud map of the station so you can do some exploring not too far from camp. And if shearing or other station work is underway, you’re welcome to have a look and broaden your understanding of life in the bush.
Gidgee, pronounced “Gijee”, is an outback hardwood that’s broken plenty of stout hearts and good axes. But it makes brilliant firewood – it burns hot, and you don’t need much to get a good blaze going.
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Essential information
Contact info
Alroy is a working sheep and cattle station and can be a pretty busy place at times. You can call ahead on 0427 992 889 or email [email protected] – a good idea if you’re travelling in a large group or would like catering arranged. The Haigs have handled groups of up to 120 people, so they’ll be up to the challenge.
Supplies
Fuel is available at Eulo, but it’s an automated service – you’ll need to use your credit or debit card with no attendant present. You can stock up on basic supplies at Cunnamulla, 126km to the east. Apart from any catering you’ve organised, once you’re on Alroy you’ll need to be fully self-sufficient.
Communications
Mobile phone reception – at least for Telstra – is generally good on Alroy. The station uses UHF channel 10 for management purposes; you can monitor this channel, but if you’re travelling in a group, use another for your own comms.
