Birdsville

Only in Birdsville would a camel, not a burly bouncer, greet you outside the pub. But that's not what makes the Birdsville Hotel in outback Queensland so quintessentially Australian.

The whole joint's a conversation starter. From the sea of Akubras with name tags adorning the ceiling to the walls decked out in the nation's footy flags.

Pub manager Brian Hanna says you have to live in town for 12 months straight before you can join the hat ceiling of fame. "The hats tell a history," he says." If we ever find out any of the (hat owners) have passed on we put them on that side, so we can still have a drink with them. "No one ever leaves the place, they still drink here (in spirit.)"

He says the hat collection has grown since 1980 and locals' contributions are voluntary." It's a bit of an accomplishment for them," he says. "Some are past staff, some are past ringers, past pub owners, past police, school teachers, everybody."

The ladies of Birdsville also get into the act, Mr Hanna says. "There's some high heels and gum boots up there," he says.

Birdsville, on the fringe of the Simpson Desert, is 1600 kilometres from Brisbane and has a population of 120. The town has its own resident celebrity cowboy - Amazing Race Australia contestant Matt Nunn, who remains tight-lipped on who won the show until all is revealed in August.

Pub etiquette out here is taken very seriously.

A sign on the wall tells patrons that all phone use, including texting, must be done outside, because you're there to socialise with real people.

Answer your mobile phone inside the pub - $1 to the Angel Flight Charity jar.

Drop your pool cue - $1 to the jar.

The white ball comes off the pool table - $1 to the jar.

Cross the white line separating bar staff from patrons - shout the bar.

But perhaps the biggest faux pas of all, as one male city-dwelling yuppie discovered: Cheat at pool and you might well be run out of town. Mr Hanna, a former Gold Coast resident, says managing the Birdsville Hotel is the best job in the world.

"We get 130,000 tourists a year, to be able to come to work every day and meet someone different every day, it's special," he says.

"You walk into the pub and there's a family atmosphere. You can talk to anybody, whereas at a city bar, people feel like `Why are you talking to me for?'"

He says the town has spunk and everyone pulls together to combat the isolation.

"Out here it's a big family. If something happens everyone's there to back them up," he says.

"There's no unemployment, black, white, everyone's treated the same, everybody's happy.

"One of my favourite remarks from a tourist was if everywhere in Australia was like Birdsville, there wouldn't be any problems."

In March, Birdsville and neighbouring Bedourie became islands for about 10 weeks as flood waters, in some parts 20km wide, passed through the Queensland Channel Country.

"I thought we'll be right, we're 50 metres above sea level, we've got to be right," he says, laughing.

"You just have to suck it up... we had enough food and grog supplies, you can't be the pub with no beer."

"Our air traffic increased because people wanted to come out and see the water."

Even in the midst of disaster there's always yarns to be had and something to laugh about, he says.

"Waiting for the supply truck to get here after 12 weeks, we auctioned off a bottle of rum which is the last bottle of rum in the pub until the next truck turned up," he said.

"It went for $250.

"At last year's races, before the mail plane turned up, the last packet of smokes went for $110.

"Then the mail plane landed at 7pm that night and we got six cartons of cigarettes... took them one hour to sell out.

"At 8.30pm that night the DJ was in the beer garden and a fella brought up two packets of smokes and auctioned them off for the school and got $620."

It's been a slow start to the year for Birdsville's tourism industry, Mr Hanna says.

"We need to get the message out, the roads are open, we're here waiting to entertain and serve and put a smile on their faces," he says.

He says the town's pinning its hopes on a bonza Birdsville Racing carnival turnout out this September.

"Last year we had the rain which washed out the last race on Friday, and (all races) on Saturday so it became a six-day street party," he says.

"You make your own fun out here no matter what happens.

"I had six- and eight-year-old girls come and tap me on the shirt and say, `Can we play the bagpipes?' They played Waltzing Matilda... half the crowd were in tears.

"Then when they were finished they asked, `Can our granddad play?' He played an Irish song where they stand on the spot and march.

"Anyone can come and be who they want to be out here."



Birdsville is located 1600km from Brisbane and 1100km north of Adelaide, on the fringe of the Simpson Desert.


WHEN TO GO:

Now - June/July. The March floods cut off Birdsville for about 10 weeks. The Channel Country is now a green oasis contrasting against the red Simpson Desert and provides spectacular viewing from the air.

Otherwise head to Birdsville on September 2 and 3 for the desert's version of the Melbourne Cup. But book your accommodation/ or campsite early. The town's population of 120 swells to more than 6000.

Flights: There are four flights a week on SkyTrans to Birdsville.

Flights leave Brisbane each Monday and Thursday, travelling on to Mount Isa.

The return service operates each Tuesday and Friday.

West Wing Aviation provides a weekly Wednesday mail plane service from Port Augusta, returning on Thursday.

Limited passenger seats are available on this service.

* The writer was a guest of the Queensland government.