Waltzing with Boulders and Bones

18/7/2018 Wednesday.  R & R woke at 7:00am to 5*C with a promise to rise to 27*C.  R & R wasted no time, breakfasting and tidying up and packing down and were on their way just before 9:00am.  The plan was to head from Longreach for Winton 177kms north west on the Landsborough Highway. As it was going to be a long drive R & R listened to some more of “The Potato Factory”.  The road was mostly in good condition though it was quite busy with a lot of vanners driving south (possibly to the races at Boulia).  There were sections with lots of saltbush and/or grasses and more wooded while other sections were sparsely vegetated, on the mostly grey soil.  Some sections of the road were fenced and others not, while some sections of the rail which ran to the east of the road were fenced on both sides.  R & R saw some men and a couple of engines working on the line at one stage and there were cattle and sheep mostly near tanks or waterholes.  To the west R & R could see the mountains of the Bladensberg National Park about the same time as they saw the Welcome to the Winton sign followed by a sign that declared that the traveller was entering the Lake Eyre Basin which is filled by the Georgina and Diamantina Rivers.  About 10:30am, RL pulled into a lovely free camp and roadside stop called Crawford Creek with still a further 46kms to Winton.  R & R sat for the best part of an hour listening to the adventures or misadventures of Iki Solomon while having coffee and a snack and enjoying the cool breeze of the creek side trees and the kites circling above.  The closer R & R got to Winton it was easier to see that the mountains appeared flat topped and that there were others far to the north east, pale on the horizon.  R & R passed the turn off to the Dinosaur Museum which was about 12kms out and arrived in Winton, the Dinosaur Capital of Australia shortly after noon.  They went straight to the information centre.  R & R walked down town and into a couple of the opal shops.  At one they watched the video clip before admiring all the jewellery and rocks on display. At another they fossicked through a few rocks in tubs and chose 4 little pieces at 50c each.  The area around Winton (particularly Opalton) is famous for its very rare form of opal called boulder opal.  After that R & R were hungry for some lunch so they went back to the Ute which fortunately for them was parked in the new undercover facility for caravans and the like. Refreshed they went back down town taking photos of everything that appealed.  The Waltzing Matilda Centre was badly damaged in a fire in June 2015 and had been rebuilt since.  It is a magnificent building with stone walls that look like a quarry or from a dinosaur era.  Around the bottom there were pieces of boulder opal embedded in the walls.  Out the front, there was a statue of Banjo Patterson and on the pavement entrance the words of his famous poem “Waltzing Matilda” have been blasted into the concrete.  R & R drove south out of Winton a couple of kilometres on sealed and then another 1.5km unsealed to a delightful camping area called the Long Waterhole.  It is a man-made waterhole in the Western River which was a sight for sore eyes, so pretty and refreshing.  Many people were already set up for camping, fishing, bird watching or just relaxing in the shade of the trees near the water, but R & R were keen to keep moving.  The Western River joins the Diamantina a little further south west.  About 2:45pm, R & R returned to Winton and headed for Kynuna on the road to Cloncurry.  There had been no Optus reception in Winton so they did not expect to have any again until maybe Cloncurry. As they were leaving, they noticed Mt Gordon which was one of several small hills, some with round and others, flat tops.  Very shortly after that the country was flat and open and often bare on both sides.  There were pockets of treed sections where cattle would be seen gathering near waterholes near creek lines such as Werna Creek, where there was enough water for a large colony of birds to share it with the cattle.  For a big part of the journey, there were surveyors and surveying equipment on the side of the road.  All round there was a haze and far to the north a few clouds about 15* above the horizon.  Shortly after Wockingham Creek, R & R came upon the Ayrshire Hills which were an interesting formation of mostly flat-topped hills with rocks and boulders, one looking much like a building with a chimney on top.  Fortunately, there was a rest area nearby so they were able to stop easily and take some photos while taking a break.  It was only a further 30kms to the Wanora Downs Rest Area where R & R intended to stay the night so it was not long before they were there and setting up.  By 4:30pm R & R were sitting with coffee and peanuts. They studied the maps and were fortunate enough to notice three bustards feeding in the paddock nearby.  RL had put the Slim Dusty USB into the sound system which provide them with some entertainment.  R & R took their books out to finish them off.  Both were excited to finish but both a little sad when it was done!  They prepared dinner together, after which RL read and RA did the diary.  They had sat in shorts and shirt all evening with a pleasant breeze moving through the opening in the canvas … RA wondered how warm it might be in the early morning.

19/7/2018 Thursday R & R woke at 6:00am, a little earlier than usual, but they agreed to get going, regardless.  There had been no rain overnight as R & R might have expected as the clouds covered the stars just before they turned in, but both were aware that those clouds don’t usually bring rain at this time of the year.  Needless to say, it was not a cold night or morning, though with no reception R & R could not be sure.  They were surprised to see a single brolga feeding in almost exactly the same place as the three bustards the evening before. By 8:15am, RL was pulling away from the rest area situated on the edge of Donald Downs where cattle were feeding at the tanks on the horizon.  Again, they saw a couple of bush turkeys, a small eagle and a pair of kites in a nest in a tree.  The countryside was flat, rising and falling between 200-215m with more or less grasses and more or less wooded in sections.  Cattle were seen several times, mostly near or on route to water holes or tanks.  They passed the McKinlay Shire – Gateway to the Gulf sign before RL turned off Landsborough Highway towards Combo Waterhole Conservation Park.  Engaging 4WD, RL drove over a grid and 8kms on a good unsealed track before actually entering the park for another couple of kilometres to the parking bay.  This site is a significant conservation park for its bird life in particular.  R & R were fortunate enough to see Spinifex Pigeons, plovers, parrots and other birds.  Beside the gentle murmuring of the breeze that almost sounded like running water, there was quite a noise from varying bird calls.  R & R also saw butterflies.  The area is also significant in that, in an effort to retain water in the creeks and billabongs, the Chinese built walls of stone called overshot.  So carefully were they placed that they remain today and still keep pools of water year-round.  Lastly, the billabong at the western end, it is claimed, is the site of the Jolly Swagman’s Camp and there is a monument which claims it.  The walk is well signposted and though only 2.5km return, R & R took about an hour before they returned to the carpark.  Shortly after 10:00am, R& R were passing through Kynuna, a very small town about 12kms away from the waterhole.  The section of road from Kynuna to Mckinlay was much as it had been before with the soil being predominantly yellow ochre rather than grey as it had been near the conservation park.  About 11:30, R & R were taking photos of the iconic pub, bar and truck right out of the Crocodile Dundee movie, McKinlay’s greatest claim to fame.  They popped into Queensland’s smallest library, chatted with the librarian, exchanged a couple of books and popped into the local museum before having lunch.  Not long after leaving McKinlay and heading for Cloncurry, 106kms away, about 1:00pm, there was a dramatic change in the environment.  The earth was redder, the trees more, of different types, and thicker, with more grasses and anthills.  At first the anthills were round but latter they became more pointed.  They listened to more of the “The Potato Factory”.  The sign indicating the Cannington Mine just before McKinlay was just a foretaste of what was to come.  The closer R & R got to Cloncurry, with the Selwyn Ranges coming into view and then become a part of them, the more they were aware that they were really coming into mining country.  There were signs to mines in every direction and the Navigator had them tagged.  R & R arrived at the Cloncurry information centre and museums about 2:15pm.  They were anxious to message everyone that they were safe as they had not been able to do so for a couple of days and to ring RA’s brother to wish him a happy birthday.  That done they sought information and walked around taking photos, particularly from the lookout at the top, where the hills and their rocky outcrops were spectacular.  RA wanted very much to buy a fossicking bag for $10, so RL indulged her.  They fiddled around picking up big and small bits and filling their little calico sack (maybe 10cm x 15cm) full of all manner and colour of rock, big and small.  They retired to the Ute for a cup of coffee and a chat to their daughter, H, before venturing downtown for fuel.  The diesel bowser was out of order so RL left town with the intention of using one of his jerry cans.  About 4:30pm, R & R were heading west out of Cloncurry on the Barkly Hwy in the direction of Mt Isa with the intention of sleeping the night at Clem Walton Park and Corella Dam about 53kms away, over the Cloncurry River and weir which had water in it.  It was spectacular country of hills up to 485m with rocky outcrops and big trees, something like the Kimberley in Western Australia.  Only a short journey, RL stopped several times: to take some photos of the scenery, to empty a 20ltr jerry can into the tank and to look at the Burke and Wills Memorial, so it was no surprise how late it was when they arrived at the camping area, drove around and finally chose a spot.  It was well after 6:00pm before R & R were having coffee and looking at maps.  That meant a later than usual dinner.  It had been a long day … such big changes in scenery … from open flat grassed countryside to hilly, rocky and forested.

20/7/2018 Friday  R & R got out of bed about 7:30am to a darkly clouded sky.  It looked like it might rain at any minute, but R & R guessed it was just the way of it in this part of Queensland.  Cloudy skies in July do not mean rain.  R & R had breakfast and set about getting going as they wanted to get the best part of the day in Mt Isa.  By 9:00am, RL was leaving Clem Walton Park and Corella Dam recreational facility and free camp.  Originally the Corella River was dammed to supply the Mary Kathleen Mine a few kilometres west.  The Barkly Highway heading west was in good condition and being undulating and winding, had overtaking lanes.  R & R only went a few kilometres before stopping at Fountain Springs Rest Area just to see if it would be suitable when they returned later in the day.  Happy that it would be, they set off a further 60kms west to Mt Isa.  The scenery was just like the afternoon before.  Breathtaking! The hills, which ranged in height from 400-600m, were covered in rocks, boulders, slabs, tumbling, stacked, jutting out, horizontal, vertical, red and some black.  Surrounded by hills, covered with trees, grasses and other bushes, the road was fenced on both sides with mining activity further back.  The Navigator knew all their names.  That meant that there were lots of mining trucks going both ways.  And with hills, come valleys, so there were many creeks and rivers with bridges though mostly dry. RL commented that “The wind was quite strong.” as it affects not only comfort in driving but fuel consumption. But more profoundly, he noted, “It’s OK driving on a road in country like this, just imagine walking through it in the early days!”  About half way, shortly after crossing the East Branch of the Leichhardt River which feeds Lake Mary Kathleen to the west, the scenery changed a little.  The hills were a little further back and the appearance more Savanah where the wind blew wildly through a grass that had attractive white fluffy blooms that looked like lamb’s tails. It was 10:00am when R & R went into the information centre at Mt Isa to ask all the usual questions, to check book swaps, look at maps and brochures and take in any displays or art works.  They sat and watched a movie for a while.  It was a broadcast style from the 1960s describing the history of Mt Isa, mining and the growth of the city.  R & R learned some interesting details: JC Miles, a prospector, discover lead in 1923 which lead to the pegging out of 118 leases by the end of the year, other minerals (zinc, copper and silver) are also mined at Mt Isa, Mt Isa is Australia’s leading producer of copper and the world largest producer of lead, there were 90 miles of road and 170 miles of rail underground in the mines, even today most of the refining of ores is done in Townsville on the eastern coast which requires the ore to be transported by road train or rail, Mt Isa has a world class annual rodeo (“Mt Isa Rodeo” is another of Slim Dusty’s songs.) and Bob Katter MP is the Minister for Kennedy.  Before heading downtown for a walk and some food shopping at Coles, R & R had a cup and a biscuit about 10:45am and rang their niece, E, to wish her a happy birthday.  When they returned a couple of hours later, at 12:45pm, they had lunch.  Fortified they went for a walk and took photos.  The clouds had mostly cleared, the day, pleasantly sunny and the wind, not too strong. The 360* view from the top of the lookout over the city (Mt Isa has quite a few sets of traffic lights) was spectacular.  It showed just how close the main Mt Isa Mine with its smelters is to the CBD.  R & R could not resist snapping a couple of plaques on Rodeo Drive of the riders and bulls that have achieved legendary status.  Back at the information centre, they took photos of art works, the copper pour installation and miner statue, and of the Megalania Prisca, Australia’s largest monitor of megafauna species (now extinct). It looked more like a crocodile than a lizard.   It is interesting that with rocks and minerals there are often associated discovery of fossils.  About 2:30pm, R & R refuelled, the second time that being a WA RAC member was a benefit and headed north east out of Isa to Lake Moondarra.   Built on the Leichhardt River in 1958 by Mt Isa Mines to provide a town water supply, it was the largest water scheme to be financed by a private company in Australia.  For visitors and locals alike, the dam provides opportunities for recreation, water sports, fishing, bird watching and photography.  Having walked to the lookout and across the dam wall, R & R were ready to return through Mt Isa, and back along the Barkly Highway to Fountain Springs.  Shortly after 5:00pm, they had chosen their spot and set up.  It took a while to sort all the shopping but it was not long before they were up to their usual evening activities like reading, studying maps and writing diary before and after dinner.  The scenery had been spectacular, and as they were driving back to Cloncurry in the morning … R & R would get another dose then.

21/7/2018 Saturday R & R woke at 7:00am and there was no way of knowing what temperature it was except that RA’s nose had become quite cold at some point in the night.  They were only about 60kms from Cloncurry and in no hurry to get there as they intended to stay in a caravan park which usually have no entry before 10:00am, but by the same token there was not much they could do to fill in time.  So, they breakfasted and set everything down.  It was quite a tight spot where RL had parked the van the evening before but RL was sure it would be fine.  It was, until the car front left tire came up against a tree stump hidden in grass.  It was no problem with the Hum in control.  It was 8:40am when they set off but RL stopped a couple of times.  On the way out, a couple of days ago, R & R had promised that they would stop at a historical site on the right of the road when they returned.  It was a large monument of Aboriginal significance with a poem on it, but neither RA or RL could work out quite what it was all about.  RL stopped again for RA to take a picture of an ant hill, and again, 3kms before Cloncurry RL turned off 2kms south, to look at Chinaman’s Creek Dam.  It was a very pretty spot and, though it was no longer early in the day, there were quite a few birds in and near the water, and beyond the water, the dam wall and Mt Leviathan, known to the locals as Black Mountain because of its black ore.  By 10:00am, R L headed downtown so that they could pop into Vinnies op shop and not be too early for entrance into Wal’s Camp.  R & R were set up before 11:00am, having coffee and speaking with S, their son, to wish his wife happy birthday.  It was a lovely 19*C and a gentle breeze boded well for doing the washing and getting it dry.  R & R had showers about noon and spent the next hour choosing photos and reading the draft for the next post which lead to a late lunch.  About 2:30pm, R & R walked 2km into town to fetch a few grocery items from Woolies and then walked back.  RL read while RA did some domestics like putting the shopping and clothing away, sorting the books and the plastics cupboard and washing and drying her rocks.  RL rang and spoke with his brother, S and topped up the water tanks to save time in the morning.  Then they both read awhile before dinner.  R & R spoke first with one daughter and then the other as they were not sure if they would get reception for a few days as they headed to the Gulf.  After dinner RA posted the latest episode for the blog and then did a little diary.  They were still undecided to head straight to Normanton via Burke and Wills Roadhouse or to turn west … taking the long way around with at least a couple hundred kilometres on dirt.

22/7/2018 Sunday R & R were a bit restless as is always the case when worried that one might sleep in and be late.  At 6:30am, while almost still dark, they headed to the showers to make sure they were there before anyone else.  They had breakfast and set down as quickly as possible.  Believe it or not, they were outside St Colman’s Church on an empty street with more than half an hour to spare so they had a coffee to warm the hands.  Despite the lovely days, the mornings were cool and all that touching of cold metal had a way of numbing the fingers.  Again, the church community was small but welcoming; even the black and white Collie cross that belonged to the Sisters was welcome!  After the service, R & R went to the information centre to look at the markets before spending the rest of the morning driving round all the points of interest listed on the brochures.  Some things R & R learned about Cloncurry: Cloncurry is 200m above sea level, gold, silver, lead, zinc and copper are mined currently while uranium oxide mining at Mary Kathleen had ceased, between 1870 and the 1900s there was a large Chinese community living and working in and around Cloncurry and the graves of at least 60 who died are commemorated at the Chinese cemetery, similarly between 1890s and early 1900s about 200 Afghan cameleers and 2,000 camels worked in and around the area making Cloncurry the largest “Ghantown” in Queensland, the ashes of Dame Mary Gilmore a famous Australian writer whose face is on the $10 bill had been buried with her husband in the cemetery, the first commercial QANTAS flight was from Charleville to Cloncurry in November 1922, thousands of US Defence Force personnel were stationed at Cloncurry airport during the WWII Battle of the Coral Sea, and the RFDS aerial medical service was founded by Rev John Flynn (featured on the $20 note) in 1928 in Cloncurry as it was deemed to be the centre of the Outback.  RL wanted to top up with fuel before leaving; just in case to make sure that they were as prepared as possible.  Shortly after noon, RL headed north on the Burke Developmental Highway passing Flattop Mountain at 250m with the intention of staying at Terry Smith Lookout about 78kms away, just under half way to the Burke & Wills Roadhouse.  It was not long out that R & R remembered that reception would be debatable by evening, so they stopped to send an all children message and to ring RL’s brother, G.  It was pleasant sitting in the Ute despite the fact that there wasn’t a single tree in the gravel pit where RL had parked, as he had pointed the vehicle south and it was shaded.  They ate lunch before heading off at 1:30pm.  The road was in fairly good condition, though at a couple of places there were single lanes or narrow lanes on bridges over creeks and rivers.  The verge was fenced and cattle could be seen in the countryside that was, for the most part, well wooded and grassed.  RL drove through Quamby as there was only a picnic table and a shop that no longer traded.  There were signs for Quamby Queen Mine and the Quamby Rodeo for the last weekend in July. Cloncurry was advertising its rodeo for the first weekend in August and Mt Isa, soon after that.  Interestingly, the countryside at Quamby and for the rest of the journey was more hilly with rocky outcrops up to 450m and much more densely wooded with a good understory of shrubs.  It was picturesque.  R & R arrived at the rest area just before 2:30pm and were set up within half an hour under the shade of a beautiful river gum.  Birds, including the tiny iridescent green grass parrots were tweeting and darting in the trees and grasses nearby and it was delightful for R & R to take a cat nap.  Shortly before 4:00pm, R & R got up, had coffee and read for quite a while before taking a walk but there was not much room for that.  The carpark was near full and three small enterprising children from one family were successful in getting other campers to buy their drawings or rocks that they had found for 50c.  RL filled a bird bath with water and R & R were able to enjoy watching them.  After dinner R & R studied the maps with a view to the next day before reading and writing a while.  R & R had enjoyed a quiet day … travelling less than one hundred kilometres.

To the Tropic of Capricorn

13/7/2018 Friday It was a cool 3*C again when R & R woke at 7:00am to the “Wuuck. Wuuck.” of crows.  They set about breakfast and tidying up so that they could get their photos of all the interesting things about Augathella:  the giant meat ant sculpture, the Kenniff tree where the brothers would hide their horses for a quick escape from the hotel, the sign about the 1880 Brisbane Ladies song which features the Queensland drovers heading for Augathella, the mural on the wall of Buchans Garage where the glass windows are the stencilled bales on a wool truck, the metal sculptures including a pair of dancing brolgas in the main street and the Smiley connection.  The 2008 mural of Smiley was painted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the movie based on the stories written by Moore (Neville) Ramond, from Augathella, about his childhood friend, Didy Creevey (Smiley).  The theme song from the movie was a popular hit with its line “Every Dad would be glad, if he had, a lad, called Smiley.”  Shortly after 9:00am, R & R went back to the camper to put it down and then headed for Tambo 115kms north on the Landsborough Hwy.  Again, the road surface was better than most and the countryside was unremarkable in that it was much like the day before.  There were sections of well wooded station country and others where it was poorer and some where it was obvious that sections were being allowed to recover or encouraged (by ploughing) to regenerate with trees and grasses.  About half way a series of signs warned of driver fatigue and as a way of grabbing attention they asked a trivia question about Artesian Water, first giving clues then the answer.  RA saw a pair of brolga as the Ute whizzed by them.  About 15kms south of Tambo there was a sign advising that You Are Now Entering the Lake Eyre Basin – Cooper Catchment. RA had commented to RL that although he may not have been aware, they had actually been travelling downhill (since Ivanhoe Hill 476m about 20kms south of Tambo) for quite some time, from about 470m down toward 400m along the Barcoo River which Tambo sit alongside.  The Barcoo (like the Warrego) begins near the Carnarvon Ranges but it joins the Cooper lower down, finally ending up draining into the bottom end of Lake Eyre.  (The Diamantina River which starts somewhere near Cloncurry, much further up, ends up draining into the top of Lake Eyre).  In that lower area, there were fewer trees but the grasses were prolific despite the dryness.  R & R saw two men on horseback droving a large herd of cattle along the fence line to the west. Though there had been signs warning of sheep and cattle, R & R never saw sheep until the outskirts of Tambo.  They were to find out why later.  At 11:00am, RL pulled into the recreation reserve at the Tambo Dam.  It was lovely sitting in the shade having coffee and a snack and watching all the birds.  There in the grasses at the far end of the dam were another pair of brolga.  Within half an hour, R & R were downtown heading for the information centre but they were side tracked by a row of open buildings containing a variety of historical memorabilia. Here RL immediately engaged the minder in conversation about the hotels in town.  R & R were curious to find out if there was a Tambo Star Hotel as referred to in Slim Dusty’s song “Last Thing to Learn”.  Despite living in Tambo for 50+ years she had no idea but immediately went to a local history textbook and they all read through the chapter on hotels.  Transpires there were many of them, changing hands and names, but no reference to Star.  There was a street named Star Street.  Fortunately, her husband arrived but he had no idea about a Star Hotel adding that Stan Coster who wrote some of Slim’s songs had lived and worked in an out station near Tambo for a while.  R & R popped into all of the buildings and one display was about sheep and the wool industry.  Sheep and wool featured heavily in the area until a time when numbers dropped dramatically caused by wild dogs.  Recently they had set up a cluster, which is a co-operative to protect their sheep by surrounding the perimeter of their properties with a dog proof fence.  Finally, R & R made it to the information centre before taking in all the other points of interest in Tambo which was established in 1863.  Tambo Teddies was an open workshop and sales outlet for exclusive wool teddy bears.  There was one called Rumleigh Roger for $110!  Tempting.  Art work, mostly pencil of horses and women or bright almost stylised paintings of birds, by Sandy McLean were displayed in the Grassland Gallery.  The Royal Carrangarra Hotel claimed to be the oldest hotel in western Queensland. The Wild and Wooly Tambo Truck was installed in 2015 to highlight the significance of wool in the area.  R & R drove to the site of the first Qantas air crash, killing all three people on board, in 1927 in Australia on the claypan on the eastern side of the Barcoo River.  The region east of Tambo is known as the Upper Barcoo; while the area east of Blackall (Isisford) is part of the Outer Barcoo.  The poem by Banjo Patterson “A Bush Christening” refers to the Outer Barcoo where churches are few …” It becoming later in the day, R & R returned to the Tambo Dam to have lunch, this time enjoying the kites circling silently and swooping down to the water in search of prey.  As they left Tambo about 2:00pm, they saw many horses in paddocks and gathering at the showgrounds for the Rodeo to be held on the weekend. A little further out RL spotted another pair of brolga. The journey north 25kms to the Tambo North Rest Area did not take long and they were soon setting up early for a quiet afternoon.  When they arrived, they were the third campers there; after a couple of hours during which they had been reading, writing, sorting photos and looking at maps, there were another three.  R & R went for a quick walk up and back along the highway before contemplating dinner.  As Optus had no service in the area all day, they were not able to connect with anyone or to check the emails or current weather.  Not to worry … RA believed the feel of her nose would be accurate at telling the temperature in the morning.

14/7/2018 Saturday.  R & R woke at 7:00am and RA knew it was about 3*C (maybe even as warm as 4*C) by how cold her nose felt.  They read a little before tidying up and packing down and adding one of the 20lt cans of fuel.  It was shortly after 9:00am when they headed for Blackall a further 77kms north west on the Landsborough Highway.  As they left a large herd of magnificent Braham were all gathering at the water trough and the dam near the camping area.  There were also a couple of emus and kangaroos feeding nearby.  The country side was undulating and open Mitchell grassed downs with the ranges a faint blue line on the eastern horizon. Mt Enniskillen (451m) stood as a solitary hill on the western side of the road just before RL drove past the Cluster wild dog barrier fence.  Again, they were provoked to avoid fatigue with a trivia question about the Black Stump.  The clue was “To be west of it, means to be beyond it.”  R & R had seen many kites over the preceding days and even an eagle or two and then they saw a falcon.  Again, the level above sea was dropping about 40m from Blackall (325m) to the township on the Barcoo River (280m) and again R & R saw serious efforts to employ land care techniques to improve the environment and revitalise the industry relying on it.  Just after 10:00am R & R were at the information centre at Blackall which features the Big Ram and many very newly restored buildings, comprehensively filled with historical information and memorabilia.  It really was most impressive.  R & R were grateful to a guy there as he helped RA to load her credit on the Telstra dongle to use on the laptop as the phone was hopeless.  R & R walked up and down the main street in the sunshine and popped into IGA and an op shop before returning to the Ute for a cup of coffee.  At 12:10pm, RA was paying up for a site in the caravan park and it took nearly an hour to set everything up and put the wash in before lunch. RL was desperate to send an email message to S, their youngest son, to wish him a happy birthday, so they did that as soon as they were able.  They also sent a bulk email to the children and a couple of the siblings just to let them know that reception may be intermittent for a while.  R & R had the wash hung by 2:00pm and went for a walk through the nearby memorial gardens which featured a statue of Edgar Towner who was a recipient of the WWI VC & MC awards.  The sculpture by William Eicholtz portrays, not a soldier with a gun, but a young man with his uniform in hand as a symbol for all who took up the call to defend their country.  When R & R returned to the camper they spent quite some time reading magazines they had borrowed from the laundry before having showers.  The interesting thing about the water in Blackall is that it is all artesian.  The washing machines are set to hot and there would never be a problem of too many campers using up all the hot water.  Pure and clean, from the Great Artesian Basin, the water is hot from the taps.  It has a slight sulphur smell when hot; when cooled it is perfect for drinking.  The water temperature is about 20*C when it comes out of the tap but it gets warmer the longer it runs.  In order not burn grass as it is being watered, sprinklers are on stands.  Again, RL lazed around while RA did the diary for the day, as they intended to go to 6:00pm Mass at St Patrick’s which meant a late dinner and not much time or energy left after that.  Mass turned out to be a Communion Service and everyone was very welcoming.  When R & R got back they had dinner as quickly as possible.  Fortunately, it was only after dinner that power to the camper became intermittent.  Turns out too many people were using heaters and it was overloaded … it certainly was not R & R using a heater.

15/7/2018 Sunday The caravan park with its watered gardens proved a delightful environment for all manner of birds chirping as day broke.  R & R could hear them, and chooks, when they got out at 7:00am.  After breakfast they read through another draft before heading for the showers about 9:00am.  Shortly after 10:00am, R & R were driving away from the caravan park to take a look at all the points of interest in Blackall that they had missed the day before.  Blackall has its Black Stump which was a stump used for surveying and it is generally considered that country west of Blackall is “beyond the black stump”.  RL was very keen to photograph the statue of Jack Howe.  He was Australia’s most famous shearer.  In 1892, he shore with the blade shears (“Click go the sheers boys. Click, click, click.”) 321 sheep in 7 hours and 40 minutes.  Later that year, he shore a record 237 sheep with the new mechanical shears, a record that was not broken for 58 years. RL headed north towards Barcaldine about 107kms at 10:30am and RA played a couple of chapters from “The Potato Factory”.  The road was not too bad though there was quite a lot of road kill.  The verge was more or less fenced in sections and the vegetation was more or less sparce.  The Queensland Bluebush was stunted through lack of rain and it was obvious where there was low lying flood ways or creeks by the density and type of vegetation.  RL pulled into Douglas Ponds a free camping facility with toilet and picnic tables but it was dry. And again, there was a fatigue question posted on billboards.  The closer they got to Barcaldine, the better the vegetation looked and there were a couple of grand farms on red soil.  About 9kms south of Barcaldine, RL pulled into a Botanical Park walk trail that they had seen in the brochure. It being midday and 21*C, they were not inclined to go on the trail.  As they stopped the phone went ting indicating that they had come into reception.  It had a message dated Friday pm from J, “Are you up for a chat?”  RL drove the last few kilometres, past road works, into Barcaldine where they stopped under a tree and rang J back while enjoying a cup. Nearly an hour later R & R popped into the information centre before taking a walk around town.  While Blackall boasts it had the first meeting of the first shearers union that later became the Australian Labour Party, (Blackall had the first ordinary meeting on Dec 9th 1890 of the General Exclusive of the ALF to draw up the rules that would govern the running of the new Labour Party.) Barcladine claims that its Tree of Knowledge was the gathering place for the shearers in the 1891 shearers strike and where the formation of the labour movement and the Australian Labour Party has its roots.  The Tree of Knowledge certainly is an impressive installation in such a remote location.  The preserved stump of the tree is surrounded by a façade, 18m high, made of timber and inside suspended from above there are more than 3449 timbers representing the leaves and canopy of the tree.  From outside, the façade hides the awe-inspiring magnitude of the canopy that could only be felt by being inside and underneath.  Barcaldine had several heritage listed buildings, where R & R saw the Masonic Lodge, the War Memorial Clock and the Radio Theatre with its unusual pink and purple façade.  About 1:30pm G, RL’s brother rang and they all chatted for a while, the conversation being disturbed by a train pulling in and children playing on the xylophone seat installation.  Being hungry by 2:30pm, R & R drove to Lagoon Park where they sat to eat lunch.  It was a disappointment as there was nowhere to park, no shade and no water or wildlife.  R & R rang S, their son. By then they were well and truly ready to refuel before heading out of town. Fortunately, the service station was offering a 4c/l discount for RACQ members and was willing to accept RA’s WA RAC card.  At 3:50, RL was heading north towards Longreach to a rest area called Dartmouth, 63kms away.  The rail ran east of the road and the country side was flat, bare and open.  Queensland Bush could be seen but as only tiny bushes at ground level and at other places the tumble weed was the only flora left uneaten by cattle.  As the sun was lowering in the sky, there was an occasional glint of gold on the roof of a far-off building and a ribbon of gold on the rail track.  A big treat for the day was coming upon an electric fence taped area with a truck nearby, followed by a massive herd (RL guessed about 300) of cattle.  With them several horses grazed freely, while the herd was being managed by at least three men on horseback with walkies talkies.  A woman drove up in a truck to speak with one of them as R & R passed.  A few minutes later at 4:40pm, R & R set up camp at the Dartmouth Rest Area.  They made and received several calls throughout the afternoon and evening including H and S, their daughters and R and S, RL’s siblings.  Together they finished checking a draft which RA posted after dinner.  R & R both read through the information about the next town called Ilfracombe just a few kilometres away though they did wonder about the value of having expectations.  Sometimes it is better to have no expectations … it allows you to be pleasantly surprised!

16/7/2018 Monday R & R woke shortly after 7:00am to a pleasant 7*C with three bustards (plains turkey or wild turkey) in the grasses near the two horse/donkey cross and two cattle that had been there when they arrived the evening before.  The truckie who had pulled in just after dark was preparing to leave as RA finished her diary.  About 9:00am R & R had coffee before tidying up and packing down.  They were on their way from Dartmouth Rest Area 17kms north west on the Landsborough Highway to Ilfracoombe within the hour.  Ilfracoombe had many historic buildings, including a lock up and an authentic boundary riders hut, neatly presented as museums and about a kilometre of old machinery and implements all neatly presented on the strip between the highway and the railway.  It was a wide ranging and comprehensive display of early trucks, motors, graders, ploughs and other equipment, all neatly painted and labelled.  It took R & R the best part of two hours to look at it all and take photos of things that interested them.  They learnt that Mitchell was purported to have invented the water cooler bag by waxing cloth with mutton fat to make it water proof, that Jack Howe and his wife created the collarless short sleeved shearer’s shirt, early fridges were made using charcoal filled wooded panels lined with tin and then watered filled twice a week to keep them cool, right up to the 1950s people in the outback carried little rectangular boxes, either wood or tin, containing waxed matches for fire lighting and that there are four types of Mitchell grass which grow particularly well in the deep cracking, self-mulching clays soils even under harsh conditions because  they have a long and a short rooting system. There were collections of bottle, guns and memorabilia of the Light Horse Battalion.  All the exhibitions had been donated and up keep was maintained by the local community so R & R felt it appropriate to make a donation.  Ilfracoombe was another town that claimed a wool scouring facility, as did Blackall.  The Blackall Wool Scour, Australia’s last remaining steam driven wool washing plant, functioned until 1978.  Although the facility at Blackall has daily tours because the machinery still works, all of these facilities have closed down, fallen into disrepair or vanished as a result in the decline in the number of sheep.  RL was impressed at the sheer quantity of wool that was produced at Wellshot Station (Ilfracoombe) in the past.  In 1892, 425,000 sheep were shorn at the one property in the one season – a world record.  Before heading for Longreach, R & R had a cup of coffee and a banana and arranged for a service on the Ute.  As R & R drove into Longreach and looked for a parallel space big enough to park the Ute and camper they noticed that all the street names were birds and recalled that all the names in Barcaldine and Blackall were flora based.  Having found a spot, R & R walked to the information centre and enquired about the fee for camping at Apex Park about 4.5kms out of town.  It being only $3/night, they paid for two nights as it would be much more convenient when getting the Ute serviced.  They popped into the op shop that would close at 2:00pm before going to Apex Park.  By 2:00pm, R & R had set up the camper and were enjoying lunch.  Both of them were relieved when RL attempted to turn on the fridge.  It was working as it should.  The evening before, it had not wanted to relight after the bottle had run out and was switched over.  They were not excited at the thought of having to get a someone to look at it. It was a fabulous 23*C with a gentle breeze and they did not resist the temptation to have a cat nap while the opportunity presented itself.  R & R had a very quiet afternoon, reading maps, checking the phone and going for a walk to look at the Thomson River, which joins the Cooper and ends up in Lake Eyre.  About 5:00pm, RA did her diary and RL read a while before dinner.  RA rang her sister, J, just to catch up on how she and her family were going, after which RL left a message for his brother, J.  R & R enjoyed dinner and because RA had done the diary, she was able to just sit and read a book.  The book was called “Murder and Redemption” by Noel Mealey and was about a policeman and several murders related to drug smuggling in WA’s north west.  RL had already read it … but he was giving away nothing!

17/7/2018 Tuesday.  For some reason R & R woke earlier than usual at about 6:30anm to a cool nosed 3*C.  It didn’t matter because they were keen to be back in Longreach shortly after 8:00am to get a gas bottle refilled at Mitre 10 and then to do some shopping.  They returned with the gas and food which they sorted out before having a coffee. R & R then headed back downtown to take the Ute to its service just before 11:00am.  R & R were packed and ready for a day on their feet and had a list of places to go and things to see and do.  They walked the Longreach, Capital of the Outback, 2.5km Botanic Walk starting at the civic centre with the Tropic of Capricorn sign and the sculptured tree.  It was the best part of an hour before they reached the Qantas Founders Museum and the Stockman’s Hall of Fame.  They had a look around and took a few photos before having lunch in the gardens and walking back.  As they passed through the central business district they popped into Kinnon and Co’s Station Store which was like an old-fashioned outback emporium.  RA needed some cash so they stopped at the ATM on the way to the Arts and Crafts Centre.  It was just before 2:00pm and they had to wait for it to open.  It was a lovely break to sit at a table under the shade of the verandah and rest their weary feet.  R & R went upstairs when it opened to see the art and craft for sale and to see the memorabilia of the St John Ambulance which is also housed upstairs.  R & R found a list of medical terms (Irish) and their definitions that might interest their son, J. The building itself was originally at St John’s treatment rooms downstairs and a residence for ambulance person and family upstairs.  It has an interesting exterior in that it looks like brick and stone work but is actually pressed tin.  For these reasons the building had been heritage listed.   R & R though that, it nearing 3:00pm, the Ute might be ready so they headed back to the service centre.  There they waited well over an hour.  Finally, the four chairs in the waiting room became available and they were able to sit and read magazines a while.  When the Ute was ready, R & R were surprised at the cost.  Besides the standard service which takes about 1.5 hours, RL had asked for a few smaller jobs to be done as well: greasing the suspension, adjusting the headlights, adapting the spot connections and a new air cleaner, which all added another 2 hours to the total time and cost.  Anyway, it all could have been worse like the two couples ahead of R & R: one had a faulty transmission and the other brake failure.  R & R were pleased to have the Ute back just before 5:00pm and headed for the CWA shower facility, where for a gold coin donation, having a shower was a nice way to end a long day.  When they got back to the camper coffee was first on the list and then they rang S as they had not spoken to her for a couple of days.  After dinner RL read and RA did the diary quickly … so she could get back to her book.

Trees & Trails

8/7/2018 Sunday R & R woke with cold noses and a damp ceiling at 6:30am.  It was 3*C with a promise of 17*C.  They had breakfast and RA finished diary from the day before while RL read.  It gave the canvas time to dry.  They took turns at having a shower with the intention of exiting the caravan park just before 10:00am and heading to the Big Rig information centre to have a look around and take some photos of the rigger, rig and Lenroy Slab Hut built in 1893.  They enquired about the nearby Carnarvon National Park and Mt Moffatt but neither was suitable.  Carnarvon was a good two-hour drive and fully booked out because of the holidays and Mt Moffatt, a three-hour drive on unsealed road was impassable after heavy rain.  Before RL drove downtown, they had coffee and then armed with a Roma’s Visitors Guide listing all the points of interest, they set about seeing as many as possible in the day. Roma’s largest bottle tree was the closest.  With a girth of 9.5m, height of 6m and a crown of 20m and being over 100 years old it was pretty impressive.  Fortunately, R & R were able to pop into St Paul’s Anglican Church to view its windows before it was locked after Sunday Service. Dating back to 1876, its 50 stunning stained-glass windows and a 567 working pipe organ were beautiful.  The Maranoa Cultural Centre foyer was open so R & R were able to view its stunning 3D Mural containing 17 elements about the local history of the area.  They sat on a new park bench that had been made from 1500 recycled 2lt milk cartons and were impressed by its quality, while they watched the light and sound presentation describing the elements in the mural.  It was a fantastic display.  There was also an amazing collection of polished rocks in a glass cabinet in the foyer.  Just a couple of kilometres out a local business had a large windmill advertising its store.  The mill was built in 1950 and impressed R & R with its 9m diameter wheel and 15m height.  The Railway Dam could have been easily overlooked as it was not visible from any of the major roads, but it was well worth R & R’s trouble to go there as it was big and clean with quite a few varieties of birds and descriptions of most of the local trees and grasses along its 2km pathway.  It was lovely walking in the middle of the day despite the icy cold wind.  It was after 1:00pm so R & R had lunch and chatted with G, RL’s brother, before driving to look at the site where oil and gas were found in 1900 making Roma the cradle of the gas and oil industry in Australia.  RL drove past the Bell, which has had a checked history being moved from place to place, on his way out of Roma south to Croyden Rest Area 31km on the Carnarvon Hwy towards Surat.  The turn south was directly between a cluster of SMQs and the Roma Saleyards, which just happens to be the largest sale yards in Australia.  The road out to the rest area was undulating red soil with cropping or grazing of cattle and sheep where farmers used artesian water as required. When R & R arrived at the rest area they opened up the flies to dry out which meant sitting and waiting.  They had coffee and RL rang his brother, J, while RA picked through the rocks, eventually settling on one she would call her Roma Rock.  When the flies were adequately dry, R & R rolled them up before winding the camper up and settling in for the night.  RL read and RA wrote her diary early about 5:30 before preparing dinner.  It was interesting how R & R could fill up a whole day … having barely driven 40kms and without spending a cent.

9/7/2018 Monday RL commented that he had had his best night’s sleep in ages but some how he felt tired.  R & R got out of bed about 7:00am to a cool 3*C and had breakfast.  They read for about half an hour as they were in no hurry.  An icy wind blew from the south east.  Shortly after 9:00am, RL was heading back to Roma where they refuelled at United with the best price they had seen in a while, 142.9c/l.  RA asked her husband to stop at Mandandanji Park where there was a great display of indigenous artefacts encased is a huge glass installation and a large painting on a board.  R & R had a look in two op shops and popped into the Cultural Centre where they were invited to join in the NAIDOC celebrations and have a cup of tea thanks to the Maranoa Shire.  Fortified, at nearly 11:00am, they set out for Mitchell 87kms to the east on the Warego Highway.  To the north of the road, the Navigator warned that a permit may be required to enter into or travel through aboriginal lands and communities.  The country side was undulating with cattle, sheep and cropping as the major farming activity.  In some places there were already green crops growing and in others ploughing or spraying. The rail ran to the north of the road and, in the distance beyond, R & R saw the height of Mt Moffatt and the Carnarvon National Park on the horizon.  Kites hovered and circled, gliding above as they drove.  The wind was still icy cold when R & R stopped at Muckadilla about 11:30am.  Muckadilla on Muckadilla Creek had silos, a hall, a hotel, a rail crane (like the one in Mt Barker) and many monuments (Leichhardt, Mitchell, WWII) along with 3-4 houses.  But more importantly it had a great sense of pride about its past, present and future, urging anyone who stopped there to tell others about having been to Muckadilla.  It also had free camping. Shortly out of Muckadilla the road crossed the railway so that it was on the south of the road with Mt Muttaby at 476m beyond it at a distance.  The country side was undulating and there was a wide verge which was more or less treed in some sections and just grasses in others.  R & R arrived at Amby just after noon and thoroughly enjoyed the Amby Archway which told in ceramic picture tiles and text the story of the district.  There was also a new installation of several scar trees which were dead and had been placed near a sign which described the uses that aboriginals had for the bark they removed.  The breeze had dropped somewhat and it was pleasant to stop for a coffee break.  About 12:30pm R & R drove off for the last 20kms to Mitchell where immediately out of Amby they saw the Boral Quarry which had been referred to in the archway.  The rail crossed back to the north of the road and the verge became more densely wooded with cypress the closer they got to Mitchell.  The sign claimed Mitchell as the Gateway to the Outback.  RA set the navigator for Neil Turner Weir on the Maranoa River a couple of kilometres out of town.  Just before 1:00pm they dropped the camper and were sitting in the Ute eating lunch when RL opened the phone to see if they had missed anything.  A woman from Translink had rung to clarify something about he the gocard refund request.  A couple of calls later it was all sorted and the refund credited RL’s account.  About 2:00pm R & R went downtown, parked the Ute, picked up a town map with poi (points of interest) and went off on foot to see what there was to see.  They popped into the library and looked at the quilting exhibition.  Well over an hour later, RL drove 7kms south on the road toward St George to Arrest Creek, the sight of the arrest of two bushrangers, the Kenniff brothers.  Patrick and Jim Kenniff had murdered a constable, Doyle, and a station manager, Dahlke, on Easter Sunday in 1902 and were finally arrested at the creek.  That event was regarded as the final battle between bushrangers and the law after a period of about 100 years. On returning after 4:00pm, R & R set up the camper, had a cup and snack and headed off for a walk along the weir as the sun glistened on the water and made the seed heads on the water grasses golden.  At one point they chatted with a couple who told them that the queue for fuel at Birdsville was 4.5kms long and a crowd of 9,000!  It was still pleasantly warm in the open by the water but the cool air was moving in especially when in the shadow of the trees.  R & R looked at maps together.  For a while RA did her diary and RL read.  RL put his photos on the laptop while RA prepared dinner.  They rang S to see how her day had gone while they ate.  After dinner RL read and RA finished the diary for the day.  It has been a relatively quiet day … R & R were grateful for that … grateful they were not queued at Birdsville.

10/7/2018 Tuesday R & R woke at 7:00am to a very cool 3*C with ice on the Ute and a mist hovering over the water on Neil Turner Weir as the sun was rising.  It would be an hour later after they had eaten breakfast and washed up before the sun would be high enough over the trees to shine on the canvas of the camper.  Not that it mattered because they did not intend going far.  RL read through a draft post with RA before they went downtown Mitchell about 9:00am.  Believe it or not there were four other campers lining up at the op shop just like R & R.  Not long after R & R were at the Booringa Heritage Museum.  In 2008 the Shire of Booringa (with Mitchell its centre) was amalgamated into the Maranoa Council (with Roma as its centre) and the old works depot then was adopted by enthusiasts for a museum.  It was a most comprehensive collection about the town and its businesses, clubs and activities.  One particular exhibit that touched RA was of a milk delivery cart. As a young man, Arthur Fuller would deliver water to the towns folk as there was no town water supply.  Later he and his mother would milk goats and cows and supply, free of charge in some cases, milk to the towns people.  He was content in the thought that the children would have some sustenance in a day.  The museum had a display about the Kenniff brother bushrangers.  Jim served 18 years but Patrick was hanged in Boggo Road Jail in 1903.  The testimony of Samuel Jackson a black tracker was vital evidence, particularly as the defence lawyer tried to discredit him for his lack of understanding of the English language.  Jackson clearly stated “It was about 8 o’clock.”  There does remain a belief that Patrick was not the one who actually fired the shots that killed Doyle and Dahlke.  Fun facts! Termites do not eat cypress pine so it is good for a building material. The highest flooding ever recorded on the Maranoa was also the most recent in the year of 2012.  R & R walked down to the Musical Cattle Grid which was a set of yards in a maze design with designs on the gates and in the middle an arched grid which was tuned like a xylophone that made different notes when struck.  It certainly was a novelty.  RA scoffed at the sign on the river bank that noted to keep a watchful eye out for the short-nosed echidna, the bearded dragon and a tortoise.  RL wanted to drive out to Mitchells Camp about 30kms north toward Mt Moffatt so about 11:00am they set off.  RL set the trip meter and they stopped at the Wild Dog Fence setting of the whistle on the grid several times as they walked round to take photos.  A little further RA exclaimed, “R. R. R. Echidna!”  Fortunately, though it was a strip road, there was no traffic on it so RL was able to stop immediately and back up.  By the time R & R caught up with it, the echidna had its head firmly stuffed into a bundle of grass, but they had seen its snout, feet with string sharp claws and its funny waddling gait as it hurried away.  They took photos of what looks like a dark bundle of grass near a light one and wondered if its spikes were poisonous. (The answer is ”No.”) The last couple of kilometres to Mitchell’s Camp were on a track so RL used 4WD and drove through a fence so RA opened and closed the gate.  About 11:30am they arrived at the site; a lovely clearing featuring box poplar and cypress pine on yellow soil where the embankment down to the dry river bed was deep and steep.  R & R were amazed by the feats of Mitchell and his second in command, Kennedy, and how they survived on their exploration.  On the return journey they spoke with S, their daughter as she had looked up her results online and passed as had S, her boyfriend.  Now they would both have to look for work.  R & R saw a magnificent eagle and a couple of the red necked wallabies that are found in the area.  By 1:00pm, R & R were back at Mitchell and the camper and had lunch.  They took a cat nap under the lovely warm canvas.  About 2:45pm R & R set out for a walk along the river into town and to look at the Yumba Trail.  Along the river bank there were sections where the river bank was extremely deep and impressive.  Yumba was the name given to the area where the aboriginal people lived on the far side of the river as a separate community during the 1950-60s.  R & R popped into the library again, this time to look at the projection room and some memorabilia from the days when the present library was the Maranoa Theatre, first for silent movies and then for the talkies.  R & R knew it would be a long walk and had plenty of time but they did not realise that they would be gone more than two and a half hours and that their legs and feet would be so tired. They calculated that it must have been about 12kms all up.  After coffee, RL read and RA posted.  Together they cooked dinner before ringing C, RA’s brother, and then ringing S.  RL took up a new book while RA did the diary for the day.  They were tired … and it promised to be another cold night and frosty morning.

11/7/2018 Wednesday R & R woke again to an icy cold 3*C at 7:00am with frost on the Ute window and canvas so there was no hurry.  They looked at the maps and brochures for a plan for the day.  RA chatted with a couple about the difference between magpies and the pied butcher birds that were common at the Weir.  She found out that the pied butcher bird is smaller and more thickly set with short legs and a flatter hooked beak; its warble is considered to be prettier than the magpie.  It was just after 9:00am, and heading for 13*C, before R & R started to tidy up and pack down and within the hour they were heading west on Warrego Highway with the intention of sleeping at Sommariva Rest Area 39kms before Charleville.  The railway ran to the south of the road which started out flat and just became more undulating.  The road verge was wide with more or less trees in sections in the verge and behind fencing for sheep, cattle and cropping.  There were many sections which indicated that the road was subject to flooding.  About 10:30am, RL pulled off the highway, 35kms from Mitchell, into Ooline Park.  It was quite a rocky outcrop which featured the Ooline Tree.  The Ooline tree is a remnant from Pleistocene Era of a prehistoric Gondwanan rainforest and is threatened as a species.  It is distinguishable by its bark which look like tiles or shingles and it is often home to the black orchid which attaches itself high up in the trunk. RL really enjoyed watching the flock of little zebra finches splashing in the hollow rock under the tap that he had put water in.  They were delightful.  RA liked the sandstone type of rock which broke in curved shapes almost as if there had been some fossils in the space where they cracked. The short trail was well marked and signposted.  R & R ate their banana and had coffee before pulling back out on to the highway again.  The landscape became more hilly and wooded in the nature strip and behind it.  Ten kilometres later at Mungallala R & R stopped to take photos of the Mungallala man who is made from recycled bits of metal.  They were amused to find his bottom made from a curved shovel giving it a lovely grooved shape in the middle.  Mungallala was a small town supporting the sheep and cattle farming as well as cypress milling communities.  Morven was their next stop 45kms later. On this part of the journey they entered the Murweh Shire and the vegetation was again more dense.  They decided that to venture 11kms south to Tregole National Park and its picnic area would be perfect timing for lunch.  On the way they saw a farmer grading his fire break near new fencing with black faced sheep and lambs.  About 12:30pm they stopped at the picnic area.  It too featured the Ooline tree and many others with their name tags.  It was great for R & R to try and remember which was which.  They walked the 2.1km circuit trail which took them about 50 minutes.  Granted they kept stopping and reading the markers and taking photos but, still, they thought it must have been longer than 2.1km.  They were well and truly ready for lunch just before 2:00pm.  They both noticed that the only moving things in the park were quite a few butterflies, white with black markings but not the common cabbage moth.  R & R returned to Morven which had a huge truck stop shop and a main street which features all manner of all farming equipment and a steam train.  Morven also had a Museum that was $2 Adult and $1 Concession but too late for R & R as it was only open in the mornings.  Beyond Morven it was about 50kms to the rest area.  R & R noticed that the countryside was quite hilly with red dirt and well wooded even behind the new fencing which had a square pattern and was quite tall. At one point they saw a herd of cattle on the road. The road itself was much better and because there was little traffic RL was able to drive slower and take more in.  About 5kms before the rest area the was a sign Halton “Welcome to the Mulga Lands” which made them curious so they looked it up briefly.  R & R stopped at the Sommariva Rest Area about 3:30pm and set up immediately.  RA worked on her ipad and laptop and RL looked at the maps.  They chatted with their daughter, H, for quite a while before preparing dinner.  It was about 6:30pm as train headed west at a distance of about 100m.  RA was glad as they had not seen a train running on the line for a couple of days and wondered it was still in use out that way.  RA was uncertain about going back to read the Halton sign … having always felt uneasy about going back for anything.

12/7/2018 Thursday R & R woke to a warmer 4*C at 7:00am.  It was curious how a couple of degrees can make such a difference.  They had breakfast and packed down and by 9:00am they were heading back to the Halton sign about the preservation of Mulga lands. It explains how, originally the burning method used by aboriginal people, encouraged a healthy growth pattern in mulga trees as well as its understorey grasses.  Rather than the burning practice, local property owners have been “pushing”, sections of their property for more than ten years, which has a similar result.  Along the 40kms drive towards Charleville along the Warrego Highway, R & R were able to see evidence of tired mulga country and efforts to renew and make the mulga environment more sustainable.  About 10kms out of Charleville RL pulled off the road about 50m.  There was a big Rock Hole, currently dry, where free camping, (no toilet) was allowed for 2 nights.  There were the ruins of the old Glenroy Scouring Siding, an abattoir and a power substation on the out skirts before a Charleville welcome sign - Home of Stars and Secrets, and a second - Cosmos Bilby Country.  Shortly after 10:00am R & R were at the information centre asking for a street map and for information about local attractions.  They walked downtown and bought coffee from a supermarket and a couple of items at the three op shops.  They returned to the Ute for a coffee before heading for the Warrego River Walk about noon.  Graham Andrews Park looked like a good spot to have a late lunch.  About half the park was under a works program by the Murweh Shire so it was not really ideal to get the most from its tree walk but it was delightful sitting in the other half with green grass and all manner of ducks and geese as well as a few hens in and around the ponds.  R & R were fascinated by the Vortex Cannons that were brought to Charleville in 1902 to make it rain thus breaking the drought.  Believe it or not!  Clement Wragge brought them to Charleville with the plan to fire rain producing gas into the clouds.  Not so farfetched. Wragge was a brilliant meteorologist, instigating the setup of weather observation stations around Australia, was the first to use data to predict or forecast and was the first person to name cyclones.  At first, he named cyclones after current day politicians claiming that they were natural disasters!   RL was also fascinated by a game in the park that was a combination of frisbee and golf where points were scored for landing the frisbee in a mesh basket that looked something like a bin.  Just before 2:00pm R & R went to look at the Royal Flying Doctor museum at the airport.  It was a most interesting, with some interactive, display.  R & R took turns listening to the telephone conversations between the caller and the doctor, the questions asked and the instructions given by the doctor.  Most remote stations have a medical kit in which every item is numbered to assist anyone who has to help a patient before help arrives.  About 2:40pm, R & R set off for Augathella 84kms, first on the Mitchell Highway and much later on the Landsborough Highway. Almost immediately RL commented,” Nice road.”  The road ran close to the Warrego River, so closely at times that it was not even fenced until the far side of it.  The verge was wide with a mixture of trees and grass, some with a light green tinge and the soil varied from lighter in the lower areas to red in the higher sections of the flat to undulating country side.  Just inside the corner created by the intersection of the Mitchell and Landsborough highways there was a green crop that must have been watered by an artesian bore.  Just before that and also along the Warrego River at the campsite in Augathella township, R & R saw a particular type of river gum that had a distinctive line between dark rough bark on the bottom of the trunk and the smoother cream trunk above.  R & R parked the Ute and camper and went straight to the information centre, in case it closed, just before 4:00pm.  They walked round a while and, RL having no camera with him, it was agreed to return to all the points of interest in the morning.  After setting up the camper and having a cup of coffee, they walked along the dry Warrego River bed before studying the maps and dealing with emails. Interestingly, the Warrego originates near Mt Moffatt in the Carnarvon NP and ends up joining the Darling just below Torale NP/Stn near Bourke.  After dinner, they chatted with S and read or wrote a while.  They were both tired from all the walking over the last couple of days … and RA was not sure she would find what she was looking for in Tambo the next day.