Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
DALY WATERS PUB/MATARANKA/KATHERINE
We continued along the Barkly Highway also called the Overlander's Way doing quick overnight stops at Frewena Rest Area and then Renner Springs onto the Stuart Highway - eventually coming to the much recommended Daly Waters Pub, famous for being the Northern Territory's oldest pub, with memorabilia hanging from wherever - bras, underpants, money, number plates,currency, lots of photos, autographs, thong tree, and on and on.
We were told of the great food - made sure to book in early. I chose the Barramundi w/salad, John had beef/barra/salad - they were all magnificent and there was entertainment as well.
We have encountered quite a lot of this kind of entertainment on our travels - a singer with guitar accompanied by electronic backing music.
After him was a comedian named Chilla-we all rolled around laughing - he had that typical outback dry kind of humour - we loved him.
We are coming to realise that many of these tourist oriented places employ backpackers as staff and we have noticed a lot of Irish accents.
Next stop was Mataranka - most memorable there was a swim in the Hot Springs nearby.
Katherine was next as we started to see more and more aboriginals, quite a new sight for this little island girl.
In our ignorance we chose to climb Katherine Gorge- so scary it was very steep-took the easier route down the back to come out. Had more swims in springs there - lots of tourists nowdays and you find yourself socialising.
One other highlight of Katherine was touring the School of the Air, it is great to know that education is now so available due to satellite TV - where children can see their teacher and interact with her - it is called Interactive Distance Learning.
Edith Falls was next along the Stuart Highway and it had a couple of wonderful pools also - but felt very cold to our already hot bodies!
We were told of the great food - made sure to book in early. I chose the Barramundi w/salad, John had beef/barra/salad - they were all magnificent and there was entertainment as well.
We have encountered quite a lot of this kind of entertainment on our travels - a singer with guitar accompanied by electronic backing music.
After him was a comedian named Chilla-we all rolled around laughing - he had that typical outback dry kind of humour - we loved him.
We are coming to realise that many of these tourist oriented places employ backpackers as staff and we have noticed a lot of Irish accents.
Next stop was Mataranka - most memorable there was a swim in the Hot Springs nearby.
Katherine was next as we started to see more and more aboriginals, quite a new sight for this little island girl.
In our ignorance we chose to climb Katherine Gorge- so scary it was very steep-took the easier route down the back to come out. Had more swims in springs there - lots of tourists nowdays and you find yourself socialising.
One other highlight of Katherine was touring the School of the Air, it is great to know that education is now so available due to satellite TV - where children can see their teacher and interact with her - it is called Interactive Distance Learning.
Edith Falls was next along the Stuart Highway and it had a couple of wonderful pools also - but felt very cold to our already hot bodies!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
CAMPING BESIDE CAMOOWEAL BILLABONG
My favourite part of this leg of the trip was when we turned left at the Georgina River to the Camooweal Billabong - from daylight to dark we watched the birds and animals -Terns, Eagles, Kite Hawks, Willie Wagtails, Peewees, Cormorants, Dab Chicks, Water Hens, Brolgas, wild Canarys, Monitor Lizards, Ducks, Herons, Aust. Coot, Sulphur Cockatoos and probably many more we could not see. They went about their business scouting for food, socialising, fighting over whose patch it was, all this enchanted me causing me to disregard the fact there was no radio, TV, power or water - there was so much entertainment there for us.
The boys got out the fishing rods and the crab pots and we had a feast of red claw.
One day we went to a nearby depiction of a Drovers' Camp - saw pack horse bags, how the camp was set out, the fire that the cook had to use. Our guide was a retired drover - he was thin and wiry - explained about a method of rope branding consisting of 2 sets of fences, with a gap through which the rope and drover could control the cattle.
We learned that there were lead cattle who also took care of rounding up the stragglers !
4,000 head of cattle , 800 horses and 60 stockmen.
There was a portrait gallery - one of Ted Egan - who was instrumental (along with others) in setting up this excellent depiction.
We continued to watch the wild life over 4 days - such as a pack of black Cormorants diving for fish, moved out of the river to hang out their wings to dry - meanwhile a white ibis came and fished in front of them.
I remember beautiful evenings sitting outside listening to the creatures on the Billabong, I did not want to leave - but it was decreed otherwise.
The boys got out the fishing rods and the crab pots and we had a feast of red claw.
One day we went to a nearby depiction of a Drovers' Camp - saw pack horse bags, how the camp was set out, the fire that the cook had to use. Our guide was a retired drover - he was thin and wiry - explained about a method of rope branding consisting of 2 sets of fences, with a gap through which the rope and drover could control the cattle.
We learned that there were lead cattle who also took care of rounding up the stragglers !
4,000 head of cattle , 800 horses and 60 stockmen.
There was a portrait gallery - one of Ted Egan - who was instrumental (along with others) in setting up this excellent depiction.
We continued to watch the wild life over 4 days - such as a pack of black Cormorants diving for fish, moved out of the river to hang out their wings to dry - meanwhile a white ibis came and fished in front of them.
I remember beautiful evenings sitting outside listening to the creatures on the Billabong, I did not want to leave - but it was decreed otherwise.
Friday, July 22, 2011
MOUNT ISA
Along the bumpy Queensland roads we trundled to Mount Isa.
We really wanted to see the underground hospital, dug out of a hill taking 15 weeks to build during World War 2 amid fears the Japanese would invade, it was never used except subsequently by staff as somewhere cool to sleep, and some children played in it at one time, it was equiped in the style of the time - fascinating - we still know so little about those days.
We spent several days there waiting for a part for K & C's caravan and despite the heat relaxed
somewhat, walked about the township once again very hot and dry and dusty.
Drove out to the beautiful Moondarra Dam, huge, we sat under a ghost gum in the shade, Kevin identified several kinds of fish in there, but we had no lines.
We really wanted to see the underground hospital, dug out of a hill taking 15 weeks to build during World War 2 amid fears the Japanese would invade, it was never used except subsequently by staff as somewhere cool to sleep, and some children played in it at one time, it was equiped in the style of the time - fascinating - we still know so little about those days.
We spent several days there waiting for a part for K & C's caravan and despite the heat relaxed
somewhat, walked about the township once again very hot and dry and dusty.
Drove out to the beautiful Moondarra Dam, huge, we sat under a ghost gum in the shade, Kevin identified several kinds of fish in there, but we had no lines.
CLONCURRY
Next stop Cloncurry - hot, dry, dusty, one main street and a couple of side streets, but 4 pubs though to service the miners from round about.
It was my birthday and messages and phone calls started to come in, very nice when you are so far away from everything.
Our first stop was to see the Dr. John Flynn museum, it is hard to imagine how difficult it was for the people and how wonderful it must have been to be able to radio to the doctor, seek advice, support, reassurance or to have him fly in on a plane, this depiction brought it to life.
Our caravan park for $19 per night had power of a sort, no water, poor amenities, no rubbish, -still this is the outback !
The sight to see was Chinaman's Dam and the sign warning of freshwater crocodiles (freshies)
and a small hill to see the local sights.
We dined that night at the Post Office Hotel, Barramundi for me, I think the first real Barra I've had, Kev says that a lot of times it is substituted by something else, anyway it was very nice.
It was my birthday and messages and phone calls started to come in, very nice when you are so far away from everything.
Our first stop was to see the Dr. John Flynn museum, it is hard to imagine how difficult it was for the people and how wonderful it must have been to be able to radio to the doctor, seek advice, support, reassurance or to have him fly in on a plane, this depiction brought it to life.
Our caravan park for $19 per night had power of a sort, no water, poor amenities, no rubbish, -still this is the outback !
The sight to see was Chinaman's Dam and the sign warning of freshwater crocodiles (freshies)
and a small hill to see the local sights.
We dined that night at the Post Office Hotel, Barramundi for me, I think the first real Barra I've had, Kev says that a lot of times it is substituted by something else, anyway it was very nice.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
PUTING MILES ON OUR CLOCK
Leaving Mackay on 22nd June our first stop was Ayr moving on to Charters Towers with which Kev and Carol were quite familiar as they had sent their children there to school.
A great park - first night burgers were for sale for dinner to raise funds for the Flying Doctor, plus entertainment of song and verse.
The next morning was scones etc again for Flying Doctor, then around to see the sights of town, some very lovely architecture.
That evening there was a concert at RSL plus dinner $20, raising funds for cyclone Yasi victims, excellent value the concert started at 7pm till 11:45 and a ride home on a bus. Next day we passed through Torrens Creek staying at Hughendon where we toured the dinosaur museum and saw a film outlining how the land was formed over the last 500 million years by the molten lava pouring from the erupting mountains.
The other highlight was a "Coolibah" tree "blazed" by William Landsborough for Burke & Wills.
A great park - first night burgers were for sale for dinner to raise funds for the Flying Doctor, plus entertainment of song and verse.
The next morning was scones etc again for Flying Doctor, then around to see the sights of town, some very lovely architecture.
That evening there was a concert at RSL plus dinner $20, raising funds for cyclone Yasi victims, excellent value the concert started at 7pm till 11:45 and a ride home on a bus. Next day we passed through Torrens Creek staying at Hughendon where we toured the dinosaur museum and saw a film outlining how the land was formed over the last 500 million years by the molten lava pouring from the erupting mountains.
The other highlight was a "Coolibah" tree "blazed" by William Landsborough for Burke & Wills.
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