'Good coffee' is expected by travellers everywhere nowadays, even in the most remote reaches of Australia, and a new business in Birdsville is delivering that, along with a big dose of Aboriginal art and artefacts.
Don Rowlands is well known as the ranger in charge at the vast Simpson Desert Munga-Thirri National Park west of the outback community, but his wife Lyn is the instigator of the coffee shop and keeping place opened last week.
Her parents used to own the houses at the back of the block of land the business is situated on, down the street leading to the airport entrance.
"They moved south and sold up, and the land's been through a few owners up to now," Lyn said. "I decided to open up, to have a small business for us and our kids, if it's a success."
Their daughter Peta Rowlands and her daughter Emily are coming out from Brisbane shortly to give Lyn a hand as the tourist season gets underway.
She said she'd be training Don in the art of being a barista, and people might find him helping out serving coffee on weekends.
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The Birdsville Bakery and the Humpy, part of Birdsville's Roadhouse, both offer good coffee options but Lyn said her point of difference would be the showcasing of indigenous artwork, and to be an indigenous keeping-place.
It will incorporate spears, grinding stones, stone axes and spearheads, all gathered from around the region over many years and stored.
At the moment, air-conditioning is being installed and the finishing touches put on in, and a name being decided on.
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Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications.
