SYDNEY BROOME TRIP 2006

Saturday 20 May to Friday 26 May
Batchelor to Darwin
Blog 4

Edith Falls was our first stop after leaving Katherine and even though some of the walks were still closed what we saw was beautiful.

We stopped for lunch at Pine Creek and decided not to go to Kakadu now as many of the 4 wheel drive tracks are still closed due to the wet but rather head to Litchfield and then on to Darwin.

Batchelor is at the beginning of Litchfield National Park and feeding the native birds was a colourful sight and it was interesting to watch the pecking order of the birds as they came for the food. There were Rainbow Lorikeets, Galahs, Sulfur Crested Cockatoos, Corellas, Blue Faced Honeyeaters and Minors.

In Litchfield National Park we enjoyed Wangi Falls, Tolmer Falls and Florence Falls. All were spectacular and different. As always the colours and the birdlife were spectacular. At Wangi Falls we took the 1.6km walk up to the escarpment where we could enjoy the magnificent views from the top of Wangi Falls. The water in all the falls and creeks was refreshing but warm. Buley Rockhole was a small waterfall with rock pools and lots of swimmers. The Magnetic Termite mounds are a must see as the termites build their mounds facing North-South so that their broad side faces East-West to achieve maximum warmth.

By the time we got to Darwin there were 4 Bushtracker vans all together so we all decided to go for a sunset cruise on Darwin Harbour leaving Cullen Bay through a loch. We saw some of the confiscated Indonesian fishing boats and the HMAS Kinimbla. We are very close to Asia here and you really do feel the presence of the Australian Army, Navy and Air Force. The weather is warm with blue skies and occasionally we have to leave the air conditioning on at night. We have made Darwin a stop for a while just to relax and do nothing!!!!

NT parliament house is most impressive. The architecture of building is beautiful and materials used were Australian as much as possible. A lot of the symbolism of the things used was explained. The emblem on the floor of the entrance is of a pink Sturt rose which is the NT flower. The 7 petals represent the States and NT and the centre represents Canberra as the meeting place.

The foyer is designed to have maximum natural light and the fountain outside is to commemorate the lives of the 2 workers who died while working on the building. The Parliament has 25 members to represent the 200, 000 residents of the Northern Territory, of which 10 are women, 5 are Aboriginal and 3 of those 5 are women. The head of the government, the head of the opposition and the Speaker of the house are all women.

Our explore of Darwin included the area around Fannie Bay which is pretty exclusive with beautiful houses. Just past Fannie Bay is East Point and a military museum set in a beautiful park.

A must see is Mindil Beach and of course the Mindil markets. The weather and the sunset were perfect and there were LOTS of other people enjoying the same thing.

Edith Falls NT - Information Board

Edith Falls NT

John, Rhonda and Carol at Edith Falls NT

Edith Falls NT

Pine Creek - we stopped for lunch - lots of Aborigines

We arrived at Batchelor Caravan Park-Rainbow Lorikeets feeding

Gallahs and Rainbow Lorikeets fed every morning and evening

We looked at Wangi Falls and then treked 1.6km (dotted line)

Wangi Falls - still closed to swimmers after wet season

Carol checks water temperature at Wangi Falls

Wangi Falls - absolutely gushing

The most beautiful wife in the world - my Hermy

Can you see John and Carol - Wangi Falls Track walk

Wangi Falls Track

Above Wangi Falls this is the stream that feeds the Waterfall

Above Wangi Falls this stream feeds the Waterfall

This is the view from the top of Wangi Falls - see the cars?

Fungi on our walk along Wangi Fall track

This is a Rosella - very tarty taste but they make jam out of this

On the walking track to Tolmer Falls

Carol on the track to Tolmer Falls

The Sandstone rocks looks ready to topple - Tolmer Falls

This is Tolmer Falls - the water below was crystal clear

This is the pool below Tolmer Falls - crystal clear water

Tolmer Walking track map

Information Board on Florence Falls

Also in Litchfield National Park - just spectacular

Information Board on Buley Rockhole - Litchfield

Buley Rockhole - Litchfield

Dangerously, kids jump from tree into pool - Buley Rockhole

Field full of Magnetic Termite Mounds -Litchfield National Park

Minor feeding at Batchelor Caravan Park

PeeWee feeding at Batchelor Caravan Park

Rainbow Lorikeets feeding at Batchelor Caravan Park

Gallah feeding at Batchelor Caravan Park

Blue Faced Honey Eater feeding at Batchelor Caravan Park

Pigeons feeding at Batchelor Caravan Park

Carol at Cullen Bay Darwin NT

Cullen Bay Marina - Darwin NT

Darwin Harbour Sunset Cruise - our Bushtracker group

Darwin Harbour Sunset Cruise - rounding Emery Point

The City of Darwin from the Harbour

Closer look at the City of Darwin from the Harbour

Darwin Harbour minerals loading dock

Beautiful old yatch in Darwin Harbour

Mike on yatch Starchaser in Darwin Harbour

Darwin Harbour

Two confiscated Indonesian fishing vessels in Darwin Harbour

Steve and Leith Harry

John and Rhonda Boorman

Carol and Mike Skovron - Sailing Darwin Harbour

Sunset - Darwin Harbour

Two Sydney Harbours - that's the size of Darwin Harbour

Arriving back at Cullen Bay Lock - another sunset cruise yatch

Northern Territory Parliament House - Darwin NT

Sturt Desert Rose the NT emblem, 7 petals 6 States 1 Territory

NT Crest - Wedge Tail Eagle, 2 Kangaroos, Aboriginal Meeting

NT Official Flag

Those who were in Darwin during WWII invited to return Patch

50 Years after WWII - Commemorative Quilt (1600 patches)

The Postmaster and nine others died in a slit trench here

This was the tour group visiting NT Parliament House - Darwin

Beautiful harbour side garden of NT Parliament House

House of Representatives NT - 19 gov, 4 opp, 2 ind

Main Hall - NT Parliament House - Darwin

Coloured view - Northern Territory Coat of Arms

Darwin East Point headland

Looking out at opening to Darwin Harbour from East Point

Layout of Darwin Harbour

Market stall holders getting ready - Mindil Beach - Darwin

Market every Thursday and Sunday at Mindil Beach 5pm to 10pm

Sun setting at Mindil Beach Darwin NT

Sunset at Mindil Beach Darwin NT

Steve, Leith, Rhonda and Carol - sitting on Mindil Beach

Just beautiful - Mindil Beach after sunset

Last sunset shot - magnificent Mindil Beach - Darwin NT

Mindil Market will rock on until 10pm - thousands of visitors

SYDNEY BROOME TRIP 2006

Saturday 13 May to Friday 19 May
Mount Isa to Katherine
Blog 3

Our last stop at Mount Isa was the man made Lake Moondarra, which is Mount Isa’s water supply, recreation area and Barramundi fishing spot.

We then headed down the Overlander’s Way to Camooweal. The countryside is sprawling grassy tablelands with few cattle grazing but the colours are varied and beautiful with patches of colour of bright yellow, blue, pink and different shades of green.
The late wet this year has meant that we have had to change our original plans as a lot of the roads are still closed.

We decided to make head north to Borroloola along the Tablelands Highways so that we could at least get to the Gulf of Carpentaria. We are seeing a few more Bushtracker Caravans these days and often chat on the UHF or stop to share lunch and stories.

Borroloola is a remote fishing community on the McArthur River. In 1885 it was considered a lawless outpost where illegal activities such as smuggling and illicit grog running proliferated. The Museum at the old Police Station at Borroloola has some great history and one of the tree markers of Leichhardt the explorer. Each of these places has well recorded local histories and local characters.

We drove on dirt road to the Borroloola Fishing Club at King Ash Bay which is a fisherman’s paradise but also has large salt water crocodiles, mangroves, lots of mosquitoes and cane toads. As we had no boat and do not fish no-one could understand what we were doing there. We just wanted to have a look and then drive a little further north to Bing Bong to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Bing Bong is a privately owned mining port from where lead and silver from the McKenzie mine are shipped out. We got a great view from the lookout. The police at Borroloola informed us that the road to Roper Bar was still closed so another change of plans saw us heading towards Daly Waters.

We have seen so much water along the road on our travels that the road closures do not surprise us. We have also seen a few large snakes slithering across the road which is not too pleasing. Daly Water Township is a quaint little place with lots of characters. It is the site of the original Qantas International Airport.

We stopped at the local museum which focused on the aeronautical history as the owner is the grandson, John Ashley, of one of the original pilots. The explorer Stuart had marked his “S” on a tree on one of his expeditions. It was quite difficult to distinguish the “S”.

Larrimah was the next stop and then Mataranka which is famous for the book “We of the Never Never”. The author, Jeannie Gunn lived here at Elsey Station with her husband Aeneas Gunn. The cemetery, the museum and everything about the town has to do with the book and the movie of the book. The town also has a few thermal springs which provided a refreshing way to end a busy day.

Hand feeding of the Barramundi Feeding at Territory Manor was a spectacular sight. The barramundi were in a beautiful pond that was filled with pink water lilies that were all in flower and open. The place also had peacocks, donkeys and water buffalo.

Katherine was our next major stop and of course a boat cruise in Katherine Gorge was a must do. Katherine Gorge was spectacular. The colours were beautiful. We saw a few fresh water crocs and spent some time in one of the pools where some people from the cruise went for a swim. Katherine is still recovering from the recent floods that followed the big wet and everywhere you see evidence of the extent of the flood and it is difficult to imagine the volume of water that was involved.

We went to Springvale Homestead which is the oldest homestead in the Territory built in 1879 and then drove down to the Katherine River to the thermal pools.

Mural at Camooweal Qld

Mural at Camooweal Qld

Queensland - Northern Territory Border

Welcome to the Northern Territory

Roadside bore where we stopped for afternoon tea

Barkly Homestead Station - Northern Territory

Unleaded Fuel $1.72 per litre - Barkly Homestead Station - Northern Territory

On the road from Barkly Homestead to Cape Crawford

Brahman on the road from Barkly Homestead to Cape Crawford

Rest stop on the road from Barkly Homestead to Cape Crawford

Bore on the road from Barkly Homestead to Cape Crawford

Interesting wildflower on the road to Cape Crawford

Water everywhere on the road to Cape Crawford

Dead Cane Toad on the road to Cape Crawford

Water everywhere on the road to Cape Crawford

We left Cape Crawford to head to Borroloola 110km away

Lots of water still on the road to Borroloola

Wet season water still on the road on our way to Borroloola

This road was closed until yesterday when the cente was filled

Water, blue flowers, grasslands and blue cloudy sky - beautiful

Plains on the road to King Ash Bay

Houseboat and tinnies on the McArthur River at King Ash Bay

We met Graham and Sue and their Bushtracker - King Ash Bay

Why did we come to King Ash Bay - We have no boat and we don't fish?

Heading back to Borroloola and up to Bing Bong

What a magnificent Brahman bull

Bing Bong is a shipping port on the Gulf for McArthur River Mines

This was as far as we could go at Bing Bong

No entry to the Gulf anywhere at Bing Bong

MRM ships silver and lead from Bing Bong

Carol, Rhonda and John at the lookout at Bing Bong

There's the Gulf of Carpentaria but you wouldn't risk the walk - Crocodiles

This old Police Station Museum at Borroloola was interesting

Ths tree was marked by Leichhardt in the 1860's

This snake struck at our rig twice on the road to Cape Crawford

Blue tongue lizard on the road to Stuart Highway

Daly Waters NT

Daly Waters NT

Daly Waters NT - loved the signs

Daly Waters Pub NT

Frank made all the signs, sang and played the guitar

Love the sign - Daly Waters NT

Daly Waters NT

John Ashley, his grandfather Alf and Carol - Daly Waters Museum NT

Daly Waters Museum NT

School and house upstairs, aviation museum downstairs

Plaque under explorer tree marked by Stuart - Daly Waters NT

Explorer Stuart marked this tree in 1862 - Daly Waters NT

We met Peter and Carol and their Bushtracker here at Larrimah

Elsey Station was where "We of the Never Never" was written

Entrance to Elsey Cemetery

Here lies Bett Bett - the little black princess

Tribute to Jeannie Gunn who wrote "We of the Never Never"

Memorial to Jeannie Gunn at the foot of the grave of Aeneas

Aeneas Gunn was Jeannie's husband

Beautiful setting for Aeneas Gunn's actual grave

Site of the original Elsey Station Homestead

We stopped for the day at Mataranka

Elsey National Park has thermal springs

This thermal spring was just so blue

Carol and Rhonda enjoying the thermal spring

Rhonda and John Boorman in the thermal spring at Mataranka

Another view of thermal spring, devastated by Cyclone Monica

Open pink water lily at Barramundi Pool - Mataranka

Pond full of open pink water lillies - home of 12 Barramundi

I'll catch a Barramundi to show you

Okay this is a small one - so heavy

Ah, another Barramundi caught by hand

Water Buffalo grazing in Mataranka

Aeneas and Jeannie Gunn - Mataranka

Aboriginal stockman - We of the Never Never - Mataranka

Little Bett Bett - We of the Never Never - Mataranka

Chinese Cook - Cheon

Termite mound - Mataranka

Never saw a Brolga warning sign before this one today

Entrance to Never Never Museum - Mataranka

Outside of "We of the Never Never" Museum

Station hand bed at "We of the Never Never" Museum

Toyota 4x4 Landcruiser - Outside "Never Never" Museum

Replica of Elsey Station Homestead

Bedroom inside Elsey Station Homestead replica

Inside replica of Elsey Station Homestead

Carol and Rhonda on the verandah - Elsey Station Homestead

Rhonda - what a doll....

Cook Cheons kitchen - Replica of Elsey Station Homestead

Mataranka Caravan Park - public bar area

Dunnies - Ladies and Gents Toilets

Hot water - Rainbow Spring - Elsey National Park

Want to swim in this hot spring at Elsey National Park?

Okay I will put my toe in the hot spring water says Carol

Some of the damage caused by this years floods

This little kangaroo with joey in pouch was so inquisitive

Mataranka Homestead sign - VB Beer very popular here

Information Board - we are on the 4 hour boat tour

This is the first of three boats we take in Katherine Gorge

Views in Katherine Gorge

Views in Katherine Gorge

Large fresh water crocodile (80 years old) - Katherine Gorge

Amazing amount of sand left by these floods on the banks

Carol, John and Rhonda - in Katherine Gorge

John and Rhonda on the sand - in Katherine Gorge

Views in Katherine Gorge

Waterfall and swimming hole in Katherine Gorge

Jamie, our guide of Katherine Gorge, same guy we met in 1999

Carol blessing the swimming hole

Pom jumping off cliff at left - could be very dangerous

Stockman Statue in Katherine

John, Rhonda and Mike at Stockman Sing Statue - Katherine

Low Level Bridge and weir - Katherine NT

Katherine River still moving fast at Low Level

Springvale original homestead storehouse - Katherine

Springvale Homestead - Katherine

We were here seven years ago

Katherine Hot Springs - My my how they have improved this resource in seven years

SYDNEY BROOME TRIP 2006

Saturday 6 May to Friday 12 May
Winton to Mount Isa
Blog 2

Winton on the Western River is one of the 3 towns in dinosaur country so after unhitching the van we headed to Lark Quarry 110km out of town on dirt road.

The Lark Quarry is a fantastic site of fossilized dinosaur footprints that were formed 95 millions ago. There are footprints of 4 different types of dinosaurs. The story around the footprints is that the smaller plant eating dinosaurs were trapped between the water and the large meat eating dinosaur. They ran away from the water and tried to escape the predator. The mud was just of the right consistency for the prints to be maintained and then get fill with sand before the next layer of mud covered them. Just perfect conditions.

The North Gregory Hotel in Winton is the site where Banjo Paterson first read Waltzing Matilda. The main street of town has sculptures of Banjo Paterson, a Jolly Swagman and a billabong with pelicans around it. The Waltzing Matilda Centre has fantastic displays all about Waltzing Matilda and Banjo Paterson with an outdoor section on the history of the town. The original name of Winton was in fact Pelican Waterhole. Winton is definitely a small country town beautiful birds and the sweet smell of the bush but even the bakery is closed on Sundays!! The Corfield and Fitzmaurice Store which was a general store but now houses the fossilized bone of “Elliot”, the largest dinosaur found so far in Australia.

We drove along the River Gum Route which is a 60km round trip into Bladensburg National Park. There were rivers, the Western & Mistake Creek, a memorial to the shearers from the shearers strike, some great claypans, a beautiful waterhole with White Gums along the banks, a little Jump Up and a beautiful area called the Skull Hole.On our way to Hughendale, on the Fitzroy River, we had a flat tyre on the caravan so replacing that tyre was our first priority.
Once that was organized we head off to Porcupine Gorge in the Porcupine Gorge National Park. This is advertised as the little Grand Canyon of Australia. The views were certainly worth the trip and then we walked 1.2km down to the bottom of the gorge and then of course back up again.

Our last stop in Hughendale was the Flinders Discovery Centre with its “replica” of the Muttaburrasaurus Dinosaur and fossil and gem collection. The bones of the Dinosaur were spectacular.

Richmond, which is also on the Flinders River, is the last of the 3 dinosaur fossil towns and it was different again from Winton and Hughenden. The museum/display/centre in Richmond focuses on the abundant marine fossils in the area. It is a working museum with associations with paleontologists and other academics that are currently working on fossils existing in the centre and those that are still being excavated.

We drove through Cloncurry on our way to Mt Isa and the countryside was much rockier with large rock outcrops rather than the grassy plains that we have been driving through over the past few days.

Mt Isa, which is situated on the Leichhardt River, is a real man’s mining town with lots of utes. We went to the Hard Times underground mine tour which was fantastic. It let us experience the equipment and conditions of the miners. It was great. The city’s slogan says, “You’re not a real Aussie ‘till you’ve been to the Isa”.

We arrived in Winton to see this statue of Banjo Paterson

Okay lets go and see the Dinosaur footprints

Only 110 km away - that will take about 90 minutes each way

Here we are at Lark Quarry - Skovron Quarry? Skovron means Lark

The scenery is so different to what we expected

Lark Quarry

They build this facility to protect the Dinosaur footprints.

The surrounds at Lark Quarry were very interesting

Dinosaur Stampede Sign at Lark Quarry

Inside the room of the dinosaur footprints - light is natural

Dinosaur footprints in the mud

Big Dinosaur frightened all the little ones who stampeded

More dinosaur prints

40 Years of sediment between floor and upper level

These Dinosaur prints left here 95 million years ago

These Dinosaur prints left here 95 million years ago

These Dinosaur prints left here 95 million years ago

These Dinosaur prints left here 95 million years ago

We have seen hundreds of Emu's like this on our trip so far.

Back in Winton this is the Jolly Swagman statue

Banjo Paterson's Waltzing Matilda starts with "Once a jolly..."

Swagman under the shade of a Coolibah Tree - Winton

In Winton we saw this sign behind the pub so we went for a look

Arno has filled walls with all sorts of junk

Arno has filled walls with all sorts of junk

Arno has filled walls with all sorts of junk

Arno's main garage door

Arno is a German explaining "tings" to Carol...Look around he kept on saying.

Some of the walls were interesting

Replica of a billabong at the north end of Winton

Carol's favorite bird - the Pelican

Original Swagman inside Matilda Centre - Winton

Waltzing Matilda re-enactment inside Matilda Centre - Winton

Lots of tributes to AB (Banjo) Paterson

So many old items at the Matilda Centre in Winton

Station signs for wool bales - Matilda Centre - Winton

Old Steam Locomotive - WInton Matilda Centre

Just loved the Poem - Good Better Best

Mechanical Shears and hand clipper shears display - Winton

Matilda Centre Winton - old kitchen display

Boomerang part cut out of Gidyea Tree - Matilda Centre Winton

Age of Dinosaur display with original bones of Elliott and Mick

Winton is the home of Waltzing Matilda

Sculptoral representation of Waltzing Matilda - Winton

This is what caused the tracks at Lark Quarry

Large, medium and small dinosaurs

These were the chicken like sized dinosaurs

The big fella snuck up on the little ones and they ran away

Winton has so much old junk to display

Cairn of 1891 Shearers Strike Camp near Winton

We went on a short 72km drive along the Route of the River Gum

View of Engine Hole and white barked Gum Trees

View of clay pans from Little Jump Up

Track to Skull Hole

Carol on top of Skull Hole

View from bottom of Skull Hole

Another waterhole next to Skull Hole

Top of Skull Hole

Bough Shed Hole

Bough Shed Hole

Driving over Top Crossing

Top Crossing swimming Hole

Grave of Richard Cragg near Top Crossing - 42km from Winton

We arrived in Hughenden and went out to Porcupine Gorge

This is a Muttaburrasaurus - in the main street of Hughenden

First views in the Porcupine Gorge area

Sign above grave of Mailman Corbett

Mailman Corbett's grave on the road to Porcupine Gorge

Carol on the way to the first viewing lookout

Porcupine Gorge - Australia's mini Grand Canyon

Porcupine Gorge looking to the right

Information board on Porcupine Gorge

We saw lots of huge spiders like this one

And lots of beautiful cattle

Information Board on Porcupine Gorge Pyramid walking track

See the Pyramid at Porcupine Gorge?

Yep, Carol blessing Porcupine Creek, Pyramid in background

We did it, we walked 1.2km down, now we have to walk back!!!

Get some creek water into my hat may keep me cool on the way up

Porcupine Creek was just beautiful

Amazing that we walked down the very steep track to get here

Only 1.2km steep climb to get back to our vehicle

Very unimpressive Hughenden Discovery Centre - until you go in.

Unbelievable - a real Muttaburrasaurus skeleton found here

Muttaburrasaurus head

Muttaburrasaurus Body - it was a herbivore

Another cast of a fossil at the foot of the Muttaburrasaurus

Muttaburrasaurus hand and forearm

Information on the Muttaburrasaurus

Grand Hotel - Hughenden

This sign between Hughenden and Richmond cracked Mike up

Richmond was the centre of marine dinasaurs

This is a man-made lake at Richmond

Carol with Minmi armoured dinosaur - Richmond Qld

Carol in Kronosaurus, a marine dinosaur found in this district

Oh no - the Kronosaurus wants to eat our rig

Richmond has the most fantastic collection of marine dinosaurs

Ammonites came in a huge variety of sizes

From very small to this about the size of a man's head

Wow would be to understate this collection

Information on Woolungasaurus

Woolungasaurus skeleton

There were Ichthyosaur bones

The Notochelone dinosaur turtle and todays turtle on the left

Notochelone dinosaur turtle beak

The last Inland Sea ran from top to bottom of Australia

Marine dinosaur skeleton

A close look at the fossil skin of the Minmi armoured dinosaur

Fantastic original skeleton of a Minmi

This is what the Minmi looked like

Driving into Mount Isa

All of these people were born in Mount Isa

"You're not an Aussie until you've been to the Isa"

The Mount Isa Mine produces copper, lead and silver

Carol rigged up ready for our MIM tour

Steve (white TShirt) our guide explaining one of the drills

This is the guy who discovered the ore at Mount Isa

One of the original Rigs at Mount Isa Mines

We are about to go underground at Mount Isa Mines

Inside the mine ready to get into the cage train

Watch your head Hermy

This is how miners are transported within a level to ore body

This is a typical Crib Room (Lunch/Eating room)

Walking in the mine

Steve, our guide explaining mine activities

Three workshop rooms on this level, used to maintain equipment

The driver rides on one side, picks up a scoop & drops in bin

Newer generation ore drilling machine with three drills each 3m

One of many signs in the Mount Isa Mine

Carol next to the wheel of this monster shovel

Steve our guide reminded me of my late brother Alan

Here in the Cribroom is where the explosions were fired from

If this board had even one tag on it no explosives could fire

This is where the miners headlights are recharged

This truck has travelled over 380,000km in mine moving miners

Riversleigh Fossil Museum - Mount Isa

Bats - Riversleigh Fossil Museum - Mount Isa

Riversleigh Fossil Museum - Mount Isa

Riversleigh Fossil Museum - Mount Isa

Carol Inspecting fossils -Riversleigh Fossil Museum - Mount Isa

Riversleigh Fossil Museum - Mount Isa

Dinosaur croc teeth - Riversleigh Fossil Museum - Mount Isa

Riversleigh Fossil Museum - Mount Isa

Outback Park - Mount Isa

Outback Park - Mount Isa

Huge Copper bearing rock - Outback Park - Mount Isa

One of the trees marked by Miles as he explored the outback

Modern drilling rig - Mount Isa Museum

Top of Lookout - Mount Isa

Mount Isa Mine - Copper, Silver, Zinc and Lead

Hills around Mount Isa

Main part of town with mine behind - Mount Isa

Highest stack at Mount Isa Mine

Moondarra Lake - manmade lake near Isa where we had morning tea

SYDNEY BROOME TRIP 2006

Saturday 29 April to Friday 5 May

Sydney to Longreach

Blog 1

We left Sydney late Saturday afternoon and got as far as Blackheath in the Blue Mountains on the Western Highway on the first day. The trees displayed beautiful autumn colours and the photos don’t really capture the golden tones we saw.

We then drove through Bathurst, Dubbo, Nyngan and Bourke all of which we have explored on a previous trip and so we really considered the start of our trip once we were north of Bourke on the Mitchell Highway, Monday.1 May.

Each town has its own claim to fame and a reason for stopping a little longer to explore. The rivers are always interesting to take note of. Nyngan is on the Bogan and Bourke is on the Darling. Barringun was the NSW/Queensland border town and we knew that we were in Queensland. The countryside was progressively greener and the houses were on stilts as we travelled north on the Matilda Highway. We saw LOTS of birds and animals including emus and their babies, kangaroos both dead and alive and an echidna and the usual sheep and cattle.

Our next stop was Cunnamulla on the Warrego river with a beautiful huge bronze statue of the Cunnamulla Fella and then on to Charleville also on the Warrego River. There is a lot of history in Charleville including the hotel of the first Greek licensee, the place where Cobb & Co coaches were built, Vortex Guns which were commissioned by the meteorologist Clement Wragge who tried unsuccessfully to induce rain from the clouds and finally a night at the Cosmos Centre looking through the fantastic telescopes at the observatory. So many more stars are visible and brighter out in the bush with no city lights brightening the sky.

Our next stop was Augathella, a tiny place, but we had to stop off and look at the “famous” Coolibah tree where the Kenniff brothers, bushrangers, tied up their horses and the mural drawn by a local artist of the wedding of Richard Fraser & Selina Britcher on the public toilet block. Our lunch stop was at Tambo on the Barcoo River and we couldn’t resist the cute little Echidna made from lamb’s wool from the Tambo Teddies workshop.

Our last stop for the day was Blackall also on the Barcoo River and we arrived in time to do the Wool Scour tour. It was a spectacular place. All the steam engines and machines had been restored and were in perfect working order. The water that is used for the steam engines is from the Great Artesian Basin and is pure enough to drink and bottle for sale. It comes out of the ground at 580C.

We stopped to look at the Jack Howe Statue. Jack Howe was a famous shearer who sheared 321 sheep in 7 hours and 40 minutes using hand shears: a record which still stands today.
We then saw the famous “Black Stump” which is the stump of a tree that was used as a surveying maker for the area. Anything west of this Black Stump was known as “beyond the Black Stump”.

Australian Workers Heritage Centre in Barcaldine traces the shearers union strike of the 1890’s and the start of the Australian Labor Party and the History of Australia’s working women.
A must stop was at Roses and Things for a lovely Devonshire Tea in a beautiful rose garden with hundreds of rose trees.

Our last stop in Barcaldine was the Tree of Knowledge which is the tree under which the striking shearers gathered and subsequently formed the Australian Labour Party.

The city of Longreach, on the Thomson River and on the Tropic of Capricorn, beckoned and off we went. The Stockman’s Hall of Fame is superb and you can easily wander for hours learning about drovers, the outback, cattle Barons and explorers for all of Australia.
Longreach is also where Qantas started and we explored a 747.

A sunset river cruise on the Thomson Belle, a paddleboat on the Thomson River followed by a camp dinner was a perfect end to our stay in Longreach.

Goodbye Sydney - Broome here we come. Our new journey is about to begin

Magnificent autumn colours as we head west towards Bathurst

Quaint original country house in Autumn

Nyngan Caravan Park

Bogan River at Nyngan

At the NSW Queensland border

We are now in Queensland, it's been a very easy trip so far.

Typical view of the bush from the Matilda Highway

We will do all of these towns over the next few weeks

Can you see the Echidna?

Our rig on the Matilda Highway heading to Cunnamulla Qld

Wild goats in a stock holding pen

Penned goats at Cunnamulla

Brown Warrego River at Cunnamulla

Warrego River at Cunnamulla

Fantastic statue of "The Cunnamulla Fella"

Carol holding the Cunnamulla Fella's hand

Cunnamulla Hotel

Charleville - nice feeling town

Ducks at the Charleville Park

Geese at the Charleville Park - where is the food?

Interesting tree bark pattern - Charleville

Steiger Vortex Guns - fired into clouds to cause rain

Story about Wragge and Charleville

How the Steiger Vortex Gun was supposed to work

These were the six Vortex Guns brought to Charleville

Historic House - Charleville - side view

Historic House - Charleville - front door

Hotel Corones was the first hotel owned by a Greek in Australia

Inside main bar of Hotel Corones - Charleville Qld

Matilda on the Matilda Highway at Charleville Qld

Site of Cobb and Co coach making factory - Charleville Qld

Site of Cobb and Co coach making factory - Charleville Qld

Carol - immortalised in graffiti at Charleville Qld

This is to commemorate first QANTAS flight

This is to commemorate first QANTAS flight in Nov 1922

Commemorating 50 years of RFDS - Charleville Qld

Charleville original Airport

Coolibah Tree used by bushrangers in Augathella Qld

Mural on toilet block - Augathella Qld

Mural on toilet block - Augathella Qld

Mural on toilet block - Augathella Qld

Murals on toilet block - Augathella Qld

Blackall Qld - highway sign post

The real original "Black Stump"

Story about the Black Stump - Blackall Qld

Carol sitting on the Black Stump - Blackall Qld

Imagine shearing 321 sheep in one day with just hand clippers!!

Jackie Howe did it on 10 Oct 1892

Jackie Howe ended up owning the Universal Hotel in Blackall Qld

Carol at the Blackall Woolscour facility

Hot water from Artesian Bore - used to wash wool

Information on the Artesian Bore

Carol tests the water at Blackall Artesian bore - hot? yep.

Old Southern Cross diesel engine - still works.

One of the old boilers

The Water Tube Boiler

Information on how the Boiler worked

Bob Harvey has been here forever - showing us the steam engine

Main steam engine - smooth as silk driving all the belts

Steam engine exhaust

Sheep holding pens made of gidgi wood

Shearing pens at Blackall Woolscour

Shearing clippers driven by these wheels

Wool sorting tables and bins behind

Bob Muir's Barrell - he used to shear dead sheep skins for pocket money

Old federal truck used to transport goods - still works

Woolscouring bath - Blackall Qld

Woolscouring machine loading wool into the bath - Blackall Qld

Bob Harvey watching transfer slats on Woolscour bath

These alternating teeth moved wool through dryers and out

Dry clean wool sorted into these bins to await baling

This press machine was used to bale 400lbs of wool

Blackall Woolscour closed in 1978

We visited the Australian Workers Heritage Centre in Barcaldine

Oh no... where have we come from... and where are we going???

Replicated train station at AWHC at Barcaldine

Original wooden box toilet - AWHC at Barcaldine

Bushranger in lockup at old Qld Police Station

Celebration Theatre - what a joke - Barcaldine

Inside the tent theatre - AWHC at Barcaldine

Fantastic Aboriginal Dot Painting - AWHC at Barcaldine

Someone can't spell Labour - AWHC at Barcaldine

Carol inside Historical Post Office - AWHC at Barcaldine

Just for Carol - historical classroom - AWHC at Barcaldine

Notice in classroom - AWHC at Barcaldine

Womens Hall - AWHC at Barcaldine

We met Mary in Tambo and bought a beautiful Echidna from her

We have followed the Heritage Trail from the NSW/Qld border

We stopped here for tea and scones - delicious - Barcaldine

There were beautiful roses with fantastic scents and colours

This is the Tree of Knowledge in Barcaldine

Self explanatory photo

One of the pubs in Barcaldine

Finally we arrived in Longreach - and home of Qantas too

Qantas Airlines started here in Longreach Qld

Stockman's Hall of Fame - Longreach

Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame - Longreach

Tapestry inside the Stockman's Hall of Fame - Longreach

Ceiling inside Stockman's Hall of Fame - Longreach

One of the displays inside the Stockman's Hall of Fame

Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame Show - Longreach

Rusty at Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame Show - Longreach

Rusty explained stockman's life, dogs, packhorse, history

Rusty and his dog Ice working this mob of sheep

Old Qantas Hanger - Longreach Qld

We went to the Qantas Founders Outback Museum - Longreach

We were going on an escorted tour of this retired 747-200 plane

Inside the rear cargo bay of a 747-200 Qantas Aircraft

The Black Box (right) is actually orange - at back of plane

In the evening we took this Paddle cruise along Thomson River

Thomson River was like glass - so peaceful

Looking at Carol from the upper deck

Just beautiful

Sunset on the Thomson River - Longreach

Lookout Graham is singing again - he was quite good.

Billies being boiled whilst we had a bush dinner