Atherton, Qld July 23rd 2024

 Atherton, Qld July 23rd 2024

Woke to a chilly wind picking up and blowing straight through the park. So much for sunny warm days. Left Undara and proceeded to Atherton via Mount Garnett and Ravenshoe. Stopped at Ravenshoe for a quick coffee and a vanilla slice. All the way from Undara we had been watching the sky clouding over as we approached the tablelands. By the time we were nearing Atherton it was seriously black and not long after we had set up, it started to rain. No chance of sunny days here. But it's a great spot and very relaxed and we could probably stay here a lot longer than a few days. Maybe one day we’ll get it sorted, if only it would stop drizzling.

Went out to Lake Barinne, where there is a Tea House and a lovely boat to go out cruising on the lake. The cruise guide took us around the shore of half the lake, volcano crater actually, pointing out the highlights: eels, fish, 100 year old trees, snakes, water lilies, various birds and the like. His grandfather bought the land and built then teahouse just after WW1 and the family have lived there ever since, they are now up to the fourth generation. We had ordered Devonshire Coffee to complete the cruise and sat in front of the cosy fire while we scoffed the lot down. 

The old tea house really started to get busy as noon came, lots of people coming in for lunch, including the local chapter of the Red Hat Brigade, the Young Yungaburrans, from Yungaburra of course. 

Lake Barrine Tea House, 1927

Eel. Lake Barren, Qld

Python. Lake Barren, Qld

Lake Barrine Tea House, 2024 

Undara Qld Just 21st 2024

 Undara Qld Just 21st 2024

Three hundred and eighty five kilometres north of Charters Towers, is Undara, or to be more precede the Discovery Parks Undara Lava Tubes caravan park.

Of the 385km, there is a huge free camp about 30km north of CT, a town called Glendale that I missed this time because I blinked, a Spring Creek with a patch of dirt for caravan, and The Lynd, a lonely roadhouse. I still have no idea why its called the Lynd, and it doesn’t appear on the map, but its 260km north of CT and is the only fuel (only anything actually) between CT and Mount Garnet, some 140km further up the road. We have stopped here every time we’ve been up here, might as well fill up the tank, grab a coffee, a sandwich and use the facilities. Facilities? They are closed and padlocked and carry a big sign hat says “For the use of Roadhouse customers only”. But you’re welcome to wander way out and down the back and use one of the toilets in the two dongas left open for that purpose, and you don't have to be a customer. The lady who had been there on our previous visits was now gone and replaced by some young persons. 

Anyway, suitably refreshed and relieved, we finished the trip off and arrived in Undara in good time. Basically were are here todo nothing except read and enjoy the bush setting. We tested the bar’s produce of Bush Sunset and Grant Burge wine and found both to be excellent. So good we went back the second day and had a double of each. 

We did get off our lazy backsides and do the shortest walk, to The Bluff, but Judy found it a bit hard on her calf muscles and knees and back. The view from he top over the caravan park is ok, you can even see a extinct volcano in the distance.

Undara Lodge from the top of The Bluff.  Undara, Qld

A dead volcano.

Judy sampling a Bush Sunrise. Undara, Qld

Charters Towers Qld. July 17th 2024

 Charters Towers Qld. July 17th 2024

Left Belyando late-ish, maybe 930. What was the rush? We are only going 200 K to Charters Towers and we had been told about the massive roadworks, so no need to get to them early! Road started out as bad as yesterday, but once past the roadworks it was pretty good and we cruised up to CT without drama.

We are staying here four nights, so this entry will expand a bit as we do things. On the list is a visit to the Texas Longhorn Ranch, Parkrun at the airport (yes, inside the airport), and this year we are going to the rodeo again. Looked at the event list and had little idea what any of it was, but last time it was great fun and very entertaining to watch the cowboys and girls go through their paces.

Out of town early today to get to the Texas Longhorns. This is a farm about 10km out of town, which started breeding Texas Longhorns, and many other longhorn-ed cattle thirty years ago. Why? What use are Texas longhorns? Turns out not much in Australia, except for novelty value and as collector items, and world-wide bragging rights if you get one that sprouts its horns faster and longer than anywhere else.

JR aka Johnny Rebb, 2013 world record holder for longest horns (3.15m), a genuine Texas longhorn.
Texas Longhorn Ranch, Charters Towers Qld

They started the tours about 16 years back and have been refining it ever since. They start with a 20 minute video that they wrote, scripted, shot and edited themselves. It was pretty slick actually and quite interesting as they followed the history of the longhorns from Spain a zillion years ago, into Texas, how they fed the new nation of the USA, how they almost went extinct, and now, this farms part in the revival and survival of the breed.

The intro movie was followed by a visit to the chuck-waggon and smoko. Best coffee and Anzacs I've had for a while. After feeding our faces we boarded 4 Polaris buggies, each one driven by one of the guests! 

First stop was the custom made cattle crush (how do you keep a 500kg animal with 3 metre wide horns still while you or the vet does things to them without getting gored?). Then into the longhorn love nest  where they described in detail how the bulls are “milked” and how the cows are inseminated. Its such a labour intensive procedure with many checks and tests along the way to make sure that the cow is well and truly pregnant before they go back outside. As a matter of interest they don't do any natural breeding, its all about improving the stock-line. Or getting longer horns....

Out into the paddocks we went and moved around seeing all kinds of cattle, not just Texan ones. My head hurt with the barrage of this breed, that breed, crossed with this one and that one. They are pretty special to look at and surprising docile, mind you they get visited by tourists five time a week and inspected, detected, injected every other waking moment, its no wonder they barely raised an eyebrow as we wandered around. Not that you could ever fully trust one either. They even had two bison, which are just pets, no real use to these people, but to others they are highly sought after for horse training.

The owners are really proud and protective of their animals and it looks like they lavish all the love and attention a beast could ever want on them. One of their rewards was an entry in the 2013 Guinness Book Of Records for the longest steer horns of their Pride-and-Joy, JR, (aka Johny Rebb). JR’s horns were 3.15 metres, tip to tip in a straight line.

JR has passed on and the record changed hands a few times since. Their current record claim is the longest and second longest cow horns in Australia.

A great half day out, very informative and interesting.

A few snaps of beasts, part from the last one, I have no idea what breed they are!

Texas Longhorn Ranch, Charters Towers Qld

Texas Longhorn Ranch, Charters Towers Qld

Texas Longhorn Ranch, Charters Towers Qld

Texas Longhorn Ranch, Charters Towers Qld

Towns like Charters Towers have a couple of big social events in the year, one is the Show and another is The Rodeo. The Show is on next week, but tonight it's the Australian professional Rodeo Associations Charters Towers annual rodeo. Yeehaw. Our only other visit to a rodeo was here at CT a few years back, and it was a great night out. We had booked months ago for this year and just as well, it's a Sold Out event. These things run for days, but the big action is the Saturday night finals. The place was starting fill up by the time we arrived at five, so we grabbed the first seats in then grandstand that we could find and settled in. There was about 20 minutes of action and then a break until six. We grabbed an excellent steak sandwich, nuggets, chips and bottles of water. Right on six the spruiker started up again. He'd make a brilliant auctioneer, full speed, full volume and never stopped once to draw breath. We were treated to three non-stop hours of action and the cowboys and cowgirls as they are now called, went through their paces. Naturally we have no idea what the rules are or how its scored but they had, Barrel racing, steer wresting, steer lassoing, team lassoing, and of course, bucking bronco with and without saddles and the final as always is the Bull riding. I think you have to show your 'certifiable' ticket before they allow you on these ones!

Anyhow, great fun to watch, the animals seem to almost enjoy throwing the rider as we did watching, and I'm sure no animal was ever hurt of put in any pain. Just good clean fun, well not so clean if you ended in the dirt. I have to say though that the skill exhibited by the contestants was just brilliant, from kids no more than 7 or 8, to the old-hand professionals. It's a slice of life we just don't see in the city, and which I'm sure many city folk just don't understand its importance to rural Australian and in turn to All Australians.

The best part to me was, that there we were sitting in the back row of the stands, in front of us were mums and dads and grandmas and pas and boys and girls and kids, and everyone seemed to be having just a great family night out. And even though it was night, and there was a quite a crowd around the bar up behind us, those kids from little ones to teens came and went all night, not one mum or dad seemed the slightest bit concerned. Ain't that the way life should be?

Taking a tumble: Bronco 1, Rider 0. Rodeo Charters Towers Qld

Everyone a Champion in their speciality. Rodeo Charters Towers Qld

As the sunset not-so-slowly in the west, the action got underway. Rodeo Charters Towers Qld

 Belyando Crossing Qld July 16, 2024

Belyando Crossing is a road-house, a fleabite on the side of the road from Emerald to Charters Towers. Normally we’d keep going, but this year we are trying to do smaller hops, only 270km to be more exact. The road is a shocker. Judy described it as ‘lumpy’ and this fits it perfectly. You rock and roll and get tossed around and finally you drop to 70 kph to let it settle down, but then it goes smooth again so you get back up to speed and then it all turns to wild-mouse territory again.

We have stopped here for coffee and toilets a few times, it looks a bit of a fright from the road but is clean and basic. Caravan parking is weird... it’s just two, or three or even four  lines. you just stop, nose to tail and that’s that. At least being the first one means we can't be parked in. They even have power and water, well, a dribble from a tap, but hey, that’s OK.

And if we needed justification for keeping one Telstra mobile phone, this is it. There isn’t anything else. 

Here’s us parked up in all our glory:

Belyando Crossing Roadhouse. Belyando Crossing, Qld

The photo is a bit deceptive, there are rows and rows of “dongas”, must be a hundred or so. probably put in for when the mines get busy, or when they send teams out to rebuild the road..

.

Emerald Qld July 14, 2024

 Emerald Qld July 14, 2024

Good run across to Jericho, but then you approach the Great Dividing Range and it turns a bit ugly. The road is winding as it climbs to some 500 metres and the narrow road surface is best described as “rough”. Not pot-holes as such but bumpy and jolting. Turned a dream run into a very long day in the saddle.

We have decided to stay in Emerald itself this year and take a run out to Rubyvale tomorrow, rather than camp out there again.

Sky's on fire. Emerald Qld

Well, its tomorrow and we set of at a leisurely 10 am or so and wandered out to Rubyvale, via the Snake crossroads and Sapphire. Nothing much seems to have changed in town since we were here last year, except the Miners Cottage fossicking place has changed hands. First thing the did is double the price of the buckets of wash, and halve the number of fossickers. Or so it seemed to me. Still, they do give you scones with jam and cream and a nice cup of tea for ‘smoko’, so it’s not all bad. The $30 bucket of was wasn’t very productive for potential emeralds, and at that price, we weren’t backing up for a second one. The wash itself just looked like a bucket of course river sand and stones. basically rubbish, I reckon. The thing is, they now have a “Premium Bag” at an eye-watering $100 a go. So that tells me that despite their claim that the wash hasn’t been gone through already, they have done some sort of sorting to come up with the basic bag and the premium bag. We for one, doubt that we will go back. You’d be just as well off at Bobby Dazzlers or Heritage Mine. Good job that it’s just a bit of fun.

JB head down and eyes wide open for that pop of colour. Miners Cottage, Rubyvale Qld

Ooh, aah. Could be a winner. Miners Cottage, Rubyvale Qld

 Miners Cottage, Rubyvale Qld

Had a great wagyu beef burger in the pub though, so that's all good.

It's hard to imagine, but they grow cotton out here. I thought it needed lots of flood irrigation and as far as I can see, there isn't much water around. But here's the proof...

Them ol' cotton fields out west. Emerald Qld

Not much else to see or do so we came back to town, bought some groceries, filled up the car at $1.95 a litre and retired to the van.

Barcaldine Qld July 13th 2024

 Barcaldine Qld July 13th 2024

Parkrunned this morning in the Graham Andrews Parkland park in town. Three laps of a sort of figure eight course, dead flat and nice enough scenery around the park.

Back at the van by 8am, a quick breakfast and out onto the highway for our first ‘big’ day of 400+ kms to Barcaldine. Road was mostly ok interspersed with lots of rough patches, but altogether not a bad run. Stopped at Tambo, a handy 200km up the road for a cuppa and cake at Fanny Mae's cafe, then back to it to finish up in Barky, as they call it, by mid afternoon.

Horse Head sculpture. Fanny Mae's cafe, Tambo Qld

This town, on a Saturday afternoon is a dead as it is possible to be without having the last rites read over its inert body. Once a bustling place and famous in its own lunch-time as being the birthplace of the Australian Labor Party. It is now totally moribund. We found one hotel and one shop open. If it wasn’t for the five or so caravan parks, it would have been proclaimed “deceased” years ago.

Speaking of deceased, the aforementioned birthplace was at a spot in town under the ubiquitous “tree of knowledge” (many town have such a tree, its usually the only shade in town and outside the pub). Anyhow this tree left its mortal arbor-coil many, many years ago. They build this hideous structure around the rotting trunk and limbs and when that didn’t stop the decay they coated it with something. it has to be the saddest memorial to anything in Australia.

On a brighter note, down one of the side-streets I found a Radio Theatre, built in 1926 to screen the newest thing in public entertainment, movies. It was converted to sound when the talkies came to our shores in 1932. Great art deco building and fabulous Radio sign at the front. 

Went back to the van, had lunch, had some damper and tea near the campfire, put on by the management, and were finally driven back to the van by the worst one-man entertainment we have heard for sometime. I mean really, some people who think they can sing, shouldn’t. Think or sing? Both probably. It was so bad.

Nice van park though, simply named Barcaldine Caravan Park.

Deserted main road. Barcaldine Qld
Black bblob in the distance is a thing built to cover the sacred tree of knowledge, now deceased

Radio Theatre.  Barcaldine Qld

Radio Theatre.  Barcaldine Qld

The blessed ex-tree. Barcaldine Qld

Charleville Qld, July 11, 2024

 Charleville Qld, July 11, 2024

Two hundred kilometres in a northerly direction will take you from Cunnamulla to Charleville. And that is what we did, leaving late, about half past nine or so, and strolled up and into Charleville. Benn a few years since we were here last, and we had chosen to stay at the Bailey Bar caravan park again. I have to say that it's pretty tired and compared to Cunnamulla, cramped and dirty looking. It didn’t help that the man-on-the-mobile-chair really didn’t know how to direct us into our spot and to be honest, I just wish they’d leave us alone. As soon as he left to "help" another happy camper, we pulled it to and repacked it. After 15 years, we have it down pretty pat. Hardly even a raised voice these days!.

First thing to check out is the Cosmos Centre, which is somewhat larger than last time. The have a planetarium dome thing where we watched a great movie all about the solar system and planets and things. Inside the main building they a have a display, the highlight of which is this illuminated sphere that is a touchscreen. It had a view of the solar system spinning around and when you touch it, it changes into the planet you touched or give info about that planet. pretty cool. 

Cosmos Centre, Charleville Qld

Fantastic globular screen solar system thing. Charleville Qld

Dobsonian Telescope. Charleville Qld

Dobsonian Telescope. Charleville Qld

We even went back for the night viewing, but the 6pm was cancelled due to cloud cover, so after a lengthy chat to a chaplain / astronomer who told us his life story in 45 minutes, we went to get dinner. Actually Lesley John Penrose turned out to be quite interesting to me as it turns out that he worked at the NSW Lands Department in late 60s early 70s in the mapping area and knew my long-lost mate Stuart Murray. Weird. Talk about your degrees of separation. It got worse. He went on to say that he was the first to buy a HP45 programmable calculator so he could do the trigonometric work in the field rather than sending it back to Sydney, and in doing so got picked up by NSW Treasury as a computer programmer. This is where I worked on the computerised tape to printer system, with which he was quite familiar. We must have been there in the Australia Square tower at the same time. Maybe even sat next to me into coffee shop eating Hawaiian Delights for breakfast and drinking strong coffee. He then got involved in the money-market boom of the seventies, and guess what, it's the reason I was furiously installing Wang systems as fast as they could be installed all over Sydney. Enough of the idle memory lanes stuff. Speaking of which, the Cosmos Centre is located at 1 Milky Way....

Dinner dispensed with we checked the sky and headed back to see if the 9pm session was a goer, which it was. We looked at the moon, we looked at Alpha Centauri, some nebula and the Jewel Box, all of which was interesting, even if it did sound like the identical script from 2013!

Up early today and headed out to a Date Farm. I wasn't expecting much, I thought they just grew on trees and someone picked the sticky things and shoved them in a box. 

It turns out that I was wrong and that our host had been doing this for 20 years or so and that it's very labour intensive and prone to all kinds of farming woes. He has 5 types of dates and 500 trees and apart from a very informative and interesting commentary, he's a real comedian as well, and kept us entertained for the several hours the tour took. We finished up sampling some date paste and date cordial and date liqueur, none of which grabbed me I have to say. But there was "oohing and arghing" all around the circle so they must have hit the spot. Judy has lips like a cat's backside, so I guessed she wasn't fussed either! We finished up with tea and coffee and ... date loaf.  All in an excellent experience, thanks Tom.

Date farm. Charleville Qld

Our host. Date farm. Charleville Qld

The start of new date flowers. Date farm. Charleville Qld

Moreton Bay Ash, aka Carbeen. Date farm. Charleville Qld

After the excitement of he Date farm, we went for a stroll through the Graham Andrews parklands, which is quite pleasant and has a few attractions, one of which is that its home to the Charleville Parkrun, AKA Graham Andrews Parklands Parkrun. More about that tomorrow as when it starts at 7am, I will be there. Two other attractions are, "The Big Red Seat", and the Vortex Guns that some 1902 snake-oil salesman said he could shoot special cloud seeding matter into the clouds and cause it to rain. Funnily enough, there is no report of his success or failure....

Judy sitting on the "Big Red Seat". Charleville Qld
Well.... it just had to done, right?

Mr Wragge's cloud seeding Vortex guns. Charleville Qld

Finally Judy had had enough excitement for one day, but I pushed on, there was the Historical House Museum and the "Oldest tree in town" still to see... I went, I saw I took some snaps but I won't bore you to death with them here!

I failed to mention one other new attraction: The Secret US Base. Charleville Airport was taken over by the US AirForce during WWII and became a part of the US of A for the duration. Apparently its existence was Top Secret, except for the 3,500 airmen stationed there and everyone one in own, and everyone that supplied them. Thirteen years ago, we joined a tag-along tour, starting from outside the old airport building and were lead on a lovely old drive around the old airport, runways, bunkers, remains of buildings and of course, the tiptop, top secret concrete box where they stored the bomb-sights for the bombers. But today there is a brand new hanger like facility that contains a really good display of WWII memorabilia, stories from and about the airforce base and a memorial to the local war heroes. Top marks to whoever came up with the idea and designed and funded it. 

US Secret Base, Charleville Qld

US Secret Base, Charleville Qld

US Secret Base, Charleville Qld

Norden Bomb sight. Charleville Qld
Image: random web sight, sorry

They still do the tag-along-tour, but we respectfully declined this time around.