Cloncurry Qld June 5 2016

Cloncurry Qld June 5, 2016

Winton proved to be disappointing in more ways than one. Not only was the van park a lot less inviting than before, but the meal that went with the show was certainly not up to the normal standard. We all have certain expectations of these types of camp-fire meals, the main one being that there is plenty of food for all comers. This year the park appears to have outsourced the catering and you'd think the lady was serving up the food rations for her own family. Simply put, she ran out of food roast beef and potatoes before that last of the pre-booked and pre-paid guests arrived. Unforgivable. Then the 'delicious' dessert came out. She had very carefully cut up a couple of SaraLea chocolate cakes into the exact number required and she came around and doled them out, one each, with a drizzle of not-quite-right packet custard on top. 

The new man in town doing the Bush Poet season was Gregory North. A pretty good show actually, even though, he, a 3 times winner of the Australian Bush Poets Competition, fluffed more than one line of poems that he has probably done a 1000 times. His piece-de-resistance is to finish up with that classic by Banjo Patterson: The Man From Snowy River. But he adds a funny twist by having this array of hats and vocal impersonations depicting different ethnic groups, and as the poem progresses, each of these characters plays their part with amusing results. We had gone back to Winton specifically to see the Mel & Suzie show. Would we go back to see Gregory North? Maybe not.

A simple run of 350km up to Cloncurry. We decided to do it in one go, which wasn't too bad except we picked up the Carnival Cavalcade 70km out of Cloncurry. These people, who had just come away from the Winton Show and heading to the show in Cloncurry in a week's time, were not in any hurry. 

They travel in groups of trucks and caravans, portable ticket booths and fold-up sideshows. The trouble is that they don't leave sufficient room between them for overtaking vans to pull into and as some of the trucks struggled to get over the slightest incline, the speed varied between 75 and 95. Not impossible to overtake, but awkward and as Judy was having none of it, we wandered the 70km into town behind them. Made for a very tedious trip but a safe one. 

Pulled into the Oasis Caravan Park, where we have stayed before, and it too is looking a lot more tired than we remember from last time.

Went into town for supplies, guess what? Most of the town, including Woolworths is shut up tight. Luckily Foodworks was still open as was the Puma petrol shop, so we are all set to head off again early tomorrow.

Winton Qld June 4 2016

Winton Qld June 4 2016

Finally, the big show day had arrived. I was up bright and early, only to be greeted by an all-encompassing thick fog. A strategic return to bed was in order. On our second attempt, after showers and breakfast and sitting about, we made it to the entrance gates at a fashionable 10:30. Rats, we had already missed the Middle-weight short-horn long eared heifers and had to content ourselves with the judging of the #2 stock handlers. These are (generally) kids from the Ag. schools from near and far that turn up in their best show uniforms: dungarees, country shirt, starched and bleached white coat and new Akubra.

Its interesting to watch these young country folk going through their paces: each one leads a beast in on a short lead and has to demonstrate how well they can control that beast using just the lead and a stick that looks like a #7 golf club, only pointier. Considering that the animals are usually very much larger and heavier than the handler, they do remarkably well. Not content with walking them around the ring a few times, they then have to front the judge who asks all kinds of questions about their particular animal: breed, weight, qualities, wether or not its been 'joined' yet or indeed if it is in calf at the time. And they had better know because only the ones who answer all the question correctly are considered for that grand prize: a sash and bragging rights at school. I speak of it lightly, but just as they do in the rodeos, each one of these people is learning their craft and they are the ones who will keep the primary industry of the country going, so there is a point to it all.

Kids from ne of the Ag. Schools doing what they are taught to do: be  cattle farmers. Winton Qld

All you need for a rip-roaring day at the show: a man with a mike, a expert judge, young persons and a few cattle. Winton 

My Star-of-the-Show, Lizzie the Lizard

We ducked into the pavilion: cakes, fruit, flowers, fotos, the usual sort of stuff. Judy was outraged that the flowers were little more than a few sticks torn of the hedge in the driveway on the way here and that the Grand Champion Winner of the Potted Flower First Division was for all intents and purposes, an ex-plant. The cakes, scones and biscuits appeared to have all been cooked by the one lady who, naturally enough, was the Cook-of-the-Show. It's all a bit of fun, i'm sure.

But next door the wool classing and judging was anything but fun and judging by the size and number of sashes handed out, they must have been deadly serious about it.

The competition was fierce for the to sash in the Best Fleece in Show, and we hadn't been anywhere near side-show alley. Winton Qld

There were two rides and a seedy looking pluto-pup stall in side-show alley, so we took our leave and retired to the van for lunch.

Rather than sleep all after noon, we checked out the other attractions around town.

Pelican Waterhole, where the town was first settle in 1866 and abandoned in 1876 after a big flood.

Pelican Waterhole. Once the lifeblood of a thriving town, now a n officially contaminated  puddle. Winton Qld

Pelican Waterhole the town. b1866 d 1876

A rusty cairn to mark the spot of Pelican Waterhole. Winton Qld

Arnos wall, a whole pile of junk retrieved from the town tip and cemented into a wall

Arnos Wall. Winton Qld

Arnos Wall. Winton Qld

The musical fence, a few strands of #8 fencing wire pulled tight which when hit with a rubber hose, resonated and made a noise. There was a suggestion that if you followed the instruction you could produce 'music' to the tune of Waltzing Matilda. If you lost interest in that you could always hit the various bits of metallic rubbish hanging up on old swings set and again, ostensibly make music.

How does it go again? "we all sing Matilda, we all sing Matilda..." Judy at the Musical Fence, Winton Qld

"Four bits of junk, hanging on a swing-set..."

Judy had the final and emphatic word regarding this gem of a tourist attraction, but the sensitivities of my viewing audience and those who call her 'mum' prevent me from putting it here in print.

Right behind this arena of acoustic achievement is a rock and plaque that pronounces that the same first scheduled QANTAS flight as discussed in Charleville, landed right here. It goes on to describe in great depth what an airfield was, and was not, in 1924. Basically it was a flattish area close to where you wanted to land. Anyhow, as they point out, there is absolutely no remaining evidence that it ever existed, the area now be covered in big-truck yards and depots of rusting junk. And on that note, I took not one shot of the said airfield or cairn and hot-footed it back to town.

Winton Qld June 3, 2016

Winton Qld June 3, 2016

We awoke to rain, pouring down, bucketing. It was just on 9am and vans were pulling into the park already for the day, we assume to get off the road and out of the rain. They were welcome to our square of quagmire and muddy trip to the distant loo. Oh, and that smell! Sewer? Rotting meat? Sulphurous bore water? Who knows. I gladly donned the wet weather coat and packed away outside, thankful all the while that it least we weren't in a camper-van or a tent! 

Out onto the road north to Barcaldine and into the driving rain. On and on we went, slowing to a standstill only to allow the roos to hop off the road and back to the mud-puddle they had come from. One came tearing back at the last second, decided on a u-turn and rolled itself in the middle of the road. I’m beginning to suspect they are even more unpredictable than emus.

Our approach to Barcaldine is to the west of town. One look up the road into the town itself and at the 10,000 vans parked up with the occupants ogling the dead tree memorial to the Labor Party in the rain was all that was needed for the left-hand blinker to come on and for us to turn west - look out Longreach, here we come. John Williamson sang about Longreach praying for rain; the places of worship must have been doing a roaring trade because it was belting down. We parked up in town and wandered down the main street looking for coffee & food with a view to watching the rain blow over and getting some road-rest. Matilda’s bakery was the best choice, the bank and IG just on the other corner. Finally, pies consumed, coffee drunk, we made our move, grabbed some cash and some groceries and headed back to the parked van. But, ‘someone’ just had to look into the shoe shop, and sorry kids, more of your rightful inheritance was spent on Imelda Black’s shoe collection.

Not to worry, off we go into the pouring rain again, heading for our overnight destination: Winton, one time home to the Waltzing Matilda Centre, sadly burnt to the ground just one year ago. The rain persisted for 100 of the 170 km trip, our fuel supply also moving toward drought level: 70km to go, range 89! It’s the smallest things that take you mind of the boring business of driving these long distances: me trying to juggle the speed v consumption to arrive at all and Judy trying hard not to show her concern but getting twitchy none the less. We arrived with 12km in hand! To be honest though, it’s just why we carry that 20litres in the can in the back...

Who can say what it is about a place that you just like. Winton doesn't appear to be anything special, hardly anything at all, but we just feel comfortable here, even if this time we’ve been stuck out in the back-blocks rather than our usual spot in the inner circle. I suppose our spot is at least not a quagmire, as they have had significant rainfall here as well. After setting up camp, we went straight to the petrol shop, just on the opposite corner, and just as well! Diesels don't like to be run dry and it can be a costly business getting them going again. After refuelling, we went to ‘town’ to have a squiz at the now non-existent Matilda Centre, and to grab a coffee and read a paper in the sun. Ah, lovely!

Not quite all thats left of the Waltzing Matilda Centre, Winton Qld

On our way back to the park, we stopped at our ‘local’ for a nice glass of wine and a chat to a local shearer who was having a moan about the rain as it delayed the ‘sheds’ that they had lined up for the week’s shearing.

Our 'local' when in Winton Qld

Even though we knew it was happening, we are disappointed that Mel & Sue aren't here in Winton to entertain us with their bush poetry and humour, the half a dozen or so times we have seen them they have been really great. We first heard the rumour in Forbes, from the travelling singer bloke, whose show we just managed to miss, that Mel & Sue had foregone the pleasures of Winton for a much bigger audience at the Opal Caravan Park at Lightning Ridge. Some people are so fickle! The new poet-person came around a while ago, trying to drum up interest in his show and was a little surprised to hear just how far away the news of ‘the traitors’ had spread. I wished him luck, but he has very big shoes to fill.

Anyhow, we’re taking tomorrow off and maybe even treat ourselves to a visit to the Winton Show. I don't know how we will sleep tonight.