It has been some time now since I have put in an entry to my Blog as we are still having a ball and also we have had no Internet coverage in a lot of the places we have travelled to.
Since leaving Mt Isa we have been back to Cloncurry as it is the way to our journey back home. We have passed through some fantastic country and some great towns, among them are McKinlay, Kynuna, Winton, Longreach, Barcaldine and Blackall.
Heading for McKinlay we had a huge blowout sending rubber all over the highway, pulling over we were half on the road and half on the side and blocking part of our lane, the tyre rim was in an awkward position making it hard to get the jack under the van. whilst changing the spare tyre about 20 vehicles passed and at east 3/4 of them stopped and offered assistance. The people out in the bush are very kind and helpfull.
After fixing the blowout we drove to McKinlay and stopped at the Walkabout Hotel for a couple of cold beers and a can of Coke for San, 1 beer and coke $8.30 - a bit rich. This Pub was made famous when they filmed here with the making of the movie Crocodile Dundee. The same price down the road at Winton for drinks was $6.20.
We were to buggered to travel on, it was stinking hot and t
he grog was so very cold so we decided to camp at the back of the hotel for the night.Up early the next morning before the heat was too high, we stopped at the Blue Healer Hotel at Kynuna to take some photos.
About 1/2 way to Winton we pulled over for a coffee break at a truck stop, well the bloody flys nearly to0k the mugs from us, there were millions of the little buggers getting into our mouths, noses and eyes - not happy Jan. We got chatting to a couple of truckies and one told us that the publican from the walkabout hotel hated caravaners, probably explains the high price of the drinks?. This driver comes from Raymond Terrace and delivers his goods to Mt Isa once a week.
The other truck driver also had some yarns to tell us and one of them was a bit sick, whilst up in the N.T. he came across road kill and this particular one was a Buffalo, he wanted to take back the head and horns but could not detach them from the body so he came up with the idea of putting a chain around the head and dragging it down the road with his semi until the head came off, he decided not to do that because of all the blood and guts (how sick is that)
Leaving Kynuna rest area we arrived in Winton in 40deg heat and parked our Van at the back of the North Gregory Hotel (free).
I bought Sandra an Opal Bracelet for her 60th Birthday, she was rapt. the weather is so hot and the town swimming pool do's not open for another week, I said to San bugger this and drove up the road to the Matilda Caravan Park and with a little Bull---- conned the the owner into letting us have a swim - it was so nice.
The Water here in Winton and a lot of the towns in the outback in this part of Aus, is Artesian and can come out of the ground at 85deg c the water has a strong sulphur smell and is a bit off putting so we are buying bottled water.
After 2 days at the pub we left for the caravan park with the swimming pool, and just 3 minutes up the road.
North Gregory Hotel.
Sandra at The Waltzing Matilda Memorial.
Up early and on the road to beat the heat. We are driving down south to a small town named ilfracombe. Wow the caravan park is a real outback oasis, although there is no swimming pool in this park, the managers give us a key to the towns spar & pool, on most days San and I are the only ones in the water, the temperature in the spar is nice and warm and the Olympic size pool is good and cool - just what we require to freshen up.
The main road is referred to as Machinery Mile with all sorts of machines from days gone by. Not much else to this small town with only 1 general store, police station, 1 pub (The Wellshot Hotel), post office, info centre and the caravan park.
(1) WELLSHOT HOTEL (2) THE BAR OF THE WELLSHOT
(3) Some Relics of the past (4) Ilfracomb Caravan Park
A short drive back is the town Longreach (27km). We had a look at the Stockman's Hall of Fame it was O.K. but overpriced, we also drove past the QANTAS Museum and for a wing walk on the first Jumbo Jet that QANTAS had bought they were charging $80 each.
Sandra at the Longreach - Stockman's Hall of Fame. longreach is a reasonable size town for the bush, there is a great Bakery Shop and the Pies were the best that we have had for a long time - you'd love em Kenny Babe.Said our goodbyes to Kathy & Jessie the managers of the Ilfracomb C/Park, and left early as the sun was starting to warm up.
Drove into Barcaldine in about 1-1/2 hours, fueled up with autogas the price is starting to get cheaper as we head further south. We were so much looking forward to seeing the Stately old Ghost Gum Tree, better known as the " Tree of Knowledge", where in 1891 a shearers strike took place, this then led to the formation of the Australian Labour Party. But it was not to be, some Blood Idiot had poisened it with about 30 litres of Roundup, the culprit has never been caught.
After a short drive ( 15km ) from "Barci" we pulled in at the Lloyd Jones Weir to be greeted by our good friends Lexie and John. we set up camp next to them , we are looking forward to having a good stay here, there is no power at the weir but that is not a problem as we are self contained. its another treat to be able to cook over a campfire, our hot showers are heated up in a solar bag, with the fridge running on gas, the lighting is run by battery power - its so good to be free. We had a very good camp oven dinner and a few drinks.
later that night we had to call an ambulance for John as he was in great pain with a back problem, he was only kept in hospital for 4-5 hours and he and Lexie were driven back to camp by a nurse, on the way back they hit 2 roo's but no damage to the nurse's 4wd we hope?. Sandra has had a ball taking photos of the wildlife with kangaroos being hand fed, Emu's with their chicks roaming about outside camp, Brahman Cattle are also coming into camp looking for a handout, San has been hand feeding a feral Peacock which comes around just before dusk and I have caught a few Blue Claw Crayfish.
This Roo came into camp for a feed
Sandra cooking up brekfast
6 days later we are off to Blackall after having a ball with our good friends, but no doubt we will catch up somewhere down the track .
John F--John & Lexie at Lloyd Jones Weir.We were having a look around the small town of Blackall, when we heard a hell a racket coming from behind us, we could see this Loony waving his arms and shouting at us, we were getting a bit nervous and as he approached we thought it looked like John, with the shouting and strange body action we did not know whether to run or just laugh and sure enough it was John we all had a good laugh but Lexie was not amused, she said John was always playing the Clown. Poor old John must of got lonely and decided to catch up with San and I.
Gun Shearer - Jackie Howe.We only spent 2 days in Blackall, J & L did not stay, they drove down 100km south to Tambo. Blackall is an interesting Town with a lot of history. The Legendary Jackie Howe, Gun Shearer, managed to shear 321 sheep in 7 hours 40 minutes with blade shears, a record that has never been broken. 28/09/2007. We are now in Tambo, camping by the Barcoo River, with John & Lexie, we will stay for about 3 days, on Sunday 30th September we will watch the Grand Final, we have T.V. reception. I don't know who to barrack for, Manly or Melbourne?. I caught a few more crayfish and also a Yellow Belly today so it has been a good day. Melbourne thrashed Manly in the Grand Final, Rugby league is now over until next year, l hope it will be the Sharks in 2008.
Tambo is the home of the Tambo Teddy's, people come from all over OZ to buy or Just look at them, they are very Expensive.
It was hard to sleep last night as there is a Camel in the property just over the river and also a herd of Donkeys and they bray all night long.
Up early again with almost no sleep and on our way to Mitchell, but at breakfast time just before we leaving, a horse stuck its head inside our van to see what we were eating, we are now getting used to almost anything happening on our travels.
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