A week away to Longreach and Winton, Queensland

17^th July

A 4:30am start for our 6am flight, preceded by a fairly sleepless night. “Will the alarm go off?”

One small drama at the airport. I was not checking my bag as I wanted access to some things while waiting in Brisbane airport. I forgot I had packed my manicure set – SCISSORS!! The very short bladed offending weapons were removed and disposed of. We went on our merry way to the gate. Me with my other ‘weapon’ a metal nail file – go figure!!

Uneventful flight to BNE. We whiled away the hours (the expected 4 ½ hrs of them) comfortably, people watching, listening to podcasts, dozing. As our scheduled flight time drew ever closer, so too did a slight anxiety creep in. Why is no gate assigned??

Eventually one was allocated. We left late but it was really of no consequence. Not one to be superstitious, we did note we were in seats 13A and 13B! Our flight only left an hour late – apologies all round as our original aircraft had ‘technical difficulties’. Perhaps just as well another was found for us in light of our allocated seats!

It’s quite fun flying in a DASH plane. Something different. Our route took us dee into Central Queensland first to Blackall, due West from Rockhampton and just South of Barcaldine. Flying over this region we can really see how awful the drought is. Everything is so dry.

I’m sure our contribution to the region, as small as it is, will be welcome. As we are not in a tour group from ‘down south’, our money goes direct to the local economy.

After picking up the car we checked into the motel, our home for the next four nights. As we were late coming into Longreach, we were delayed getting into town for a few jobs. We managed to just get to The Station Store in time to collect our tickets for Friday’s fun.

Off to the supermarket for a few supplies, a few photos around town, then it was time to get an early dinner at The Birdcage, before an early night.

Interesting the camera picks up the propellers but the naked eye doesn't

No - the engine has not stopped working!

So dry

Outside The Station Store. Lovely historic vehicles are always parked

Hitching hooks are still used - mostly for dogs nowadays

A recent sculpture in the main street

All streets are named after birds. Streets running north-south are named after land birds, cross streets (east-west) after wter birds

Thurs 18 July

An easy morning today before heading out to The Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame. An all day destination. As we discovered, it’s in fact somewhere we will return to as there is SO much to see!

After viewing most of three of the five halls of exhibitions, we had a break and stopped for coffee. Then we took in some more before being called up for the Stockman Show. This family show was great entertainment as well as being educational. Very family focussed. Lots of action and humour for the children.

Lachie Cossar is a third generation Stockman but the first to have broken and trained his horses using a hands-on technique of touch and trust. What he had one of his horses do was very entertaining.

We saw the day show and the night show which included a BBQ dinner. Both very enjoyable, but the night show covered a broader range of stockman skills, so was worthwhile.

The Ringer sculpture outside

A beautiful building

So many interesting exhibits and galleries

From the entertainment area at the back

A friendly bull

Notice the dogs in the pen at the back. They were raring to go

A very amenable and well trained horse

Some great riding skills

Ever vigilant

Doing what they do best

Still welcome a good pat

Waiting for the throw .....

Great skills from the whole family in the show

This young chap has a wonderful life

Lachie Cossar is not only entertaining with his horse skills, but a good musician too

Fri 19 July

Today we had a tour booked with Kinnon & Co, a local property owner, who has diversified into tourism to see him through times of drought. We started the day with a Cobb & Co stage coach ride. This was so much fun. The morning continued with “smoko” – tea and scones – in the tea room. Then a film “Smiley”, an early Leonard Teale film. We sat in the long canvass deck chairs with a bag of popcorn, like back in the old days. This was followed by an ‘old time tent show’. The two young sons of the Kinnon family put on a very entertaining skit with various animals playing a support role – a horse, ducks, a donkey and a bull.

After all this we picked up our alcohol for the evening and headed back for a rest.

Our pick up for the evening tour arrived promptly and the coach took us out to an evening on the Thomson River. Good food and entertainment followed.

Very cold early in the day

Some atmospheric fun

Ian had a rear facing view

Taking the reins

At full gallop, still an easy ride

Smoko

So many interesting artifacts around the Station Store

Sitting waiting for the movie to begin!

Our evening transport on the river

Lots of various kites

... and other birds

Beautiful sunsets

Some very humorous entertainment during the night

Billy tea and damper around the camp fire

Lights on the river and our paddlewheeler at the dock

Sat 20 July

Today we headed down the Matilda Way to Barcaldine, passing through Ilfracombe, where we would stop on our way back.

Barcaldine or Barcy as the locals know it, is the site of the 1891 Shearers’ Strike. This led ultimately, to the formation of the Australian Labor Party. The so-called Tree of Knowledge is a site in the centre of town and is heritage listed. Under this tree in 1891 the Shearers met to form Australia’s first ‘union’ of workers to try to improve pay and conditions.

The tree died after being poisoned, but it lives on as a new tree ‘The Young’un’ has been successfully grown from pieces taken from the original tree. We visited the Australian Workers Museum, which is well worth spending an hour or so to browse the extensive exhibits. This is where The Young’un is planted and protected.

As there was no café at the museum we were happy to have coffee at the local bakery before our visit. Always mindful to spend in the places we visit.

We drove back to Ilfracombe for lunch at the Wellshot Hotel, which has a very checkered history. Wellshot was the former name of the town but the pub has been relocated a number of times over more than a century. As towns boomed and busted, significant buildings were moved to the next place where a town would spring up. Before heading back to Longreach, we checked out some of the machinery mile, a display of lots of different ag, machines both old and new.

We had another river cruise booked for the evening, so it was good we were able to return promptly to Longreach. Again a coach transfer was very prompt picking us up. This cruise was quite different to the previous one. More educational and we were given a real sense of the importance of the river and its ecology. The meal and entertainment were also very good and we had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

After chatting to Capt. Bob on the boat, we struck up a conversation about the night sky. This was very valuable for me as I was looking to find my star. I had pretty much determined that I would never be able to find it with the naked eye. As it turned out Bob was a graduate in astronomy! He stayed back for a bit after the boat trip and called me out and away from the lighted area, to take a look and see if he could find the star. He has a special app on his phone. The magnification wasn't quite good enough, so it looks like it will have to be a night visit to The Observatory.

I recommend both cruises actually as they are two quite different experiences.

This is a very beautiful monument

The Young'un

The Australian Workers Museum was a great find

Inside the Wellshot Hotel

The Machinery Mile leading into town

Lots of road trains, this was a small one. I think their length is restricted in some places

One of the many poems among the trees in the garden at the Stockmans' Hall of Fame

On the Thomson River again. This time learning about the environment. This is a Coolibah Tree

Again, lots of kites, but this time we were able to pause for photos

The Lake Eyre catchment of which the Thomson River is a part

This scar is where the bark was carved off for a shield by indigenous people

The paddlewheeler we were on the previous evening

Sunsets always produce beautiful colours even in the opposite direction to the sun going down

Some turtles came to say hello

Sun 21 July

Left promptly to head for Winton. An easy drive meant we arrived at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs, just outside Winton, a lot earlier than anticipated. We had pre-booked so were slotted in to our tours with time to spare for coffee. If you know nothing of Australian dinosaurs, head to Winton. This is a fantastic facility of interest to young and old alike.

Having arrived earlier than anticipated meant we had more time to spend in the Walzting Matilda Centre in Winton itself. With a history of disaster – fire and flood – this centre is now built to take it into the future. A small museum full of, not only a recognition of the famous song after which the centre is named, but a dedication to local settlers and shearers.

After checking in to our motel and a short nap, we walked around the corner to the North Gregory Hote. Not the best pub in town. It too has a history of fire and rebuild, but its claim to fame is its place in history as the location of the first reading of A. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s famous poem.

Showing off my dinosaur booklet for rubbing plaques

Beautiful countryside

Spinifex pigeon

Warbling Magpie

Fossils now in the collection at AAoD

A genuine dinosaur bone!

In the Fossil Laboratory where bones are carefully excavated from the soil and rock

Examples of where bones have been found

Inside the Collection Room

Inside 'Banjo'

Outside the museum - meet "Banjo"

An emu spotted with three chicks

All sorts of critters can be found

The recreation of the life of dinosaurs in Dinosaur Canyon

Recreation of the 'stampede'

The predator causing the stampede

A bit of fun at the Musical Fence

Mon 22 Jul

After piling on an extra blanket for a very cold night, we were up early for our full day tour to Carisbrooke Station and the Dinosaur Stampede National Monument at Lark Quarry.

We learned about how the landscape has been sculpted over millions of years. We learned about the vegetation and how it is influenced and impacted by changes in the environment. We learned about settlers, squatters and pastoralists.

Most of the morning was spent in and around Carisbrooke Station. Our morning tea stop was in an opal bearing area and Luke, our guide, showed us examples of the different layers of rock found in the area and how to spot likely opal bearing rock. I found lots of interesting rocks – no opal – so Luke gave me some he had picked up!

The long drive out to Lark Quarry took us from the Jump Up (mesa) on Carisbrooke to another Jump Up where pastoralist David Elliott found what he thought was a chicken foot fossil. After decades of research and investigation, we now have protected for all time, evidence of a dinosaur stampede which happened 95 million years ago. The only one of its kind currently known to man.

All in all this was a great day. Following Luke’s recommendation, we had dinner at the Tattersalls Hotel. For a Monday night this place was jumping. Great food and entertainment – what more could we ask for on our last night in Winton.

Looking for interesting rocks

Still a few wild flowers in bloom to be found 

The grasses are more abundant here than in Longreach

Opal!

Lots of opal threads in this piece

If he hadn't moved across my path I would never have seen him.

Elizabeth

Maud

Mary

Looking down the 'spine' of the Three Sisters

A plaque commemorating the unexpected visit of Lyndon B Johnson during WWII on Carisbrooke Station

The last of the original family has now moved into town and the station is up for sale

Road distances are measured, not from town to town, but from station to station

Cork Station

Dinosaur Stampede National Monument

A short hike takes you on a trail around into the hills behind the centre

Waving from the top at the look out

A great lunch was provided

Spinifex

The rich red (sometimes black) soil which captures water and seeds and regenerates itself. Known as the compost soil

Actual dinosaur footprints. Preserved for all time

A map of the footprints and identified dinosaur type

Tue 23 Jul

Returning to Longreach for our last day. Still had to get on the road promptly as we had to get to the School of Distance Education by 10.30. We knew we could do the trip in less than 2 hours, but needed to be sure. So managed to get away before 8.30.

The amount of caravans on the road which we passed. They must be up at goodness knows what time to pack up and get away so quickly!

Just outside Winton, we took a chance and paused near a gully to see if the Brolgas we had seen on the way up were there again. We had tried to get pictures on the way up but they flew off when I crept across the road. This time, though, I stayed in the car. There was nothing on the road, so we were able to stop. We had a bonus this time as there was also a Jabiru with them as well.

Our tour of the School of Distance Education was rather disappointing. Nowhere near as professional as visits to Alice Springs and Broken Hill. Always interesting nonetheless to see how well they manage the education of children on these remote stations.

Across the road and after a quick lunch in the café we toured the Qantas Founders Museum. The lad on the front desk asked if we wanted to take up the jet tour option. Having stated we had been to the Boeing facility in Seattle, he retreated!

After dinner for Ian’s birthday at the ‘best restaurant’ in town, located in the Longreach Motel which is the closest you will get to town, we took a short drive out of town to do some stargazing. We had made this choice having seen this huge tarmac pull off for trucks near where we went for our river cruises. The sky is so clear and although only a short distance from town, ambient light is almost non-existent. The occasional car coming along the road proved a nuisance, but gradually our eyes adjusted and so much more was revealed. Now I have my new star gazing app I’m going to have lots of fun checking out the night sky. At least I was able to see the stars which make up the constellation in which my star is located. Will need a night visit to an observatory as I said, to see my actual star.

Statue of Banjo Patterson outside Waltzing Matilda Centre

The Jolly Swagman across the road from the Waltzing Matilda Centre

Jabiru

Brolga

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In my haste I didn't realise the camera had focussed on the grass in the foreground. There were about six brolgas

Map showing extent of the School of Distance Education in Queensland alone

Longreach Railway Station beautifully lit at night

Our week came to an end flying home the next day. We had time up our sleeve though to visit Longreach Cemetery and also the last hall in the Australian Stockmans' Hall of Fame. Everything we had planned we achieved. Everything slotted in very well. It was quite a jigsaw to put together as many tours only run on specific days of the week.

Hopefully we can return and see more of the area and take more of the tours out of Winton too.

Some more exhibits from the Australian Stockmans' Hall of Fame