QI Tour - Mitchell (days 33-34)

War Memorial Park
at Morven

After a leisurely run from Charleville, which included a photo stop at the Rock Pool - unsurprisingly, a pool in the rocks - and lunch at Morven, we reached Mitchell mid afternoon. 

Morven has certainly changed from the little place with one shop we visited in 2008 on our way to WA. Then, our order of a coffee and pot of tea which resulted in two milkshakes ... and the lady who served them to us at The Duck Inn Cafe ... became one of our many stories which have been recycled over the years. Today, its a progressive little village/town, with a tidy school, several businesses, a newish hotel and then uniquely named "Pick A Box" Motel. The motel probably gets its name from the nature of the establishment. It is a series of stand alone, single bedroom cabins, each resembling a small corrugated-iron shed.

Across the road, between the Warrego Highway and the western railway line, both continuing to run parallel regardless of Morven's presence, is a well maintained war memorial park with a healthy pine from Lone Pine itself, some well chosen sculptures and the obligatory monument. A small purpose built information centre adds to an area which contains the original public toilets and the Kerosene shed - a small shed which is sheeted in flattened kero tins and was built in 1930 during the Depression.

Once in Mitchell and set up, Sue headed straight to the Great Artesian Spa for some warm water relief for her back, which has been giving her some issues in the last few days after sitting too long on uncomfortable seats at one of the museums we visited. Hours of contentment later, after I had checked out the only pub still open and done some tasks, I sat poolside and had a very passable mocha.

After a quiet evening, it was back to the spa for Sue for a few hours while I caught up with some admin. Whilst I love to write the blog and organise our photos, it takes time and this trip we have organised this in better ways and allowed time for it to happen. This prevents me from having to sit up late at night.

Warrego Highway passes
through Mitchell

I joined Sue at the spa and had a coffee while she finished her two hour session. Afterwards, we drove a short circuit of the town, spotting the multiplicity of closed hotels and the many vacant shop windows facing the main drag. Unlike other small towns on the QI Tour so far, Mitchell doesn't seem to be undergoing renaissance. 

A surprise email after lunch from Tony & Carol, who had purchased one of my books at Charleville, saw us organise a coffee date for the afternoon. For the time being, we are traveling similar paths. Our years of experience - one doesn't say age - corresponded, so we spent a really pleasant hour sharing stories of our children and our passage through time. 

Click here to see
today's photos.

As we were back at the spa for our coffee, I joined Sue for her further 45 minute session to continue to ease the pain in her back and down one leg. The water hovers about the 40C mark, a factor that removes the gasp when the water runs out of room at the top of your legs in its immersion of your body. Its like hopping into a very warm bath. You can stand under the bore pipe for a water massage but the rest of the time, its much like being in a regular hotel pool, with ledges to sit on and steps to take you in and out. There were only a few others about, so it was actually quite relaxing.

Its a great facility. $8 gets you an all-day entry and they serve great coffee and a good selection of food, all at very reasonable prices. The staff are super friendly.

On to Roma tomorrow.

Qld Outback Tour - The Return Day 3

Augathella - Morven - Roma - St George ... 465kms

A shorter day in the saddle after making some adjustments to the rapid itinerary home. Yesterday's 611kms played merry hell with Sue's back and to be honest, problems I had been having before we left on this tour, were resurfacing for the first time.

Our night at Augathella was quiet, well apart from the double and triple semis roaring past us about seventy metres away. We dined in the trucker's cafe which was part of the road house, motel, caravan park cartel. The food was limited in range but well prepared and had a heavy accent on red meat. This was my third night of steak in a row and my colon was scream abuse at me from the moment my plate was put in front of me. The two ladies - I think sisters - who prepared the food, did a really good job. It my fussy and pampered diet that was the problem.

The caravan park section is not a place where people do more than spend a night in transit. Power and water, a hot shower in dilapidated show blocks. Dirt sites, no slabs and of course the passing parade of Macks and Louivilles. There was a nice covered area - imagine a big shed with no sides - which had bar-b-qs, a washing up sink and tables. A redeeming feature was shower cubicle doors which open outwards. Anyone who has stayed in caravan parks will know what I mean when they stop and think about it.

Anyway. Anyway.

On the road at 8:00am and an hour later we stopped for old times sake at Morven. Ten years ago, Morven was the first stop we made on the second day of our big adventure to Western Australia and short though the stop was, it was memorable because of the shop there and its owner, Jill.

Sadly, the shop is no more, replaced by the Pick A Box Motel: so called because each room is a separated corrugated iron clad "box" and when you check in by calling the mobile number on the sign, you pick your box. Even more sadly, Jill passed away last year. We got the low down at the new shop and the Post Office, where the post master made us a cup of tea and provided a biscuit. Ah Qld. I shall miss you.

Across the road is a shed constructed entirely of flattened kerosene tins. In the Depression, five of were constructed and arranged in a circle, with one tap placed in the centre of the circle. They prided homes for the homeless and men traveling through looking for work.

The next stretch was a solid two hours to Roma and lunch at the well known Big Rig. No sightseeing - no time - just lunch and moving on. Alas, not even time to go and see Bottle Tree Lane. After listening to Rod Stewart during the led to Roma at Sue's request, I was no mood to be generous with time. I was as though part of my life that I won't get back had just been eaten by ballads designed to seduce teenage girls.

Click to see today's photos

Soon outside of Roma we tuned south for the remaining two hundred or so kilometres to St George.

Lots of trees again, paddocks and more than one cow per forty hectares.

The outback was long behind us.

Toowoomba - Chinchilla - Roma - Morven - Charleville

Toowoomba - Chinchilla - Roma - Morven - Charleville 621(1385)kms

Woke to an overcast Toowoomba, before dawn, after a settled night’s sleep, our first on the road snuggled up in the back Forester. Pack up was smooth and we were on the road by 7:30am. After fuel ($1.64/L) we were out of town by 7:45am.

Morven Cafe

Chinchilla was our morning tea stop and the Tourist Information Centre served us up a scrumptious and cheap Devonshire tea. The conversation with the lady serving us was interesting. She was the female equivalent of the Sheik of Scrubby Creek – a lady whose self-given title was the Cactoblaster Kid. Most likely in her early forties - although carbon dating can be unreliable - she was badly hungover from her hen's night. I couldn't describe how she looked without being cruel. In fact, to stay positive, let me say this ... she got our change right.

On to Roma and the Big Rig which is ... a ... big ... rig. It’s a show about the discovery and manufacture of natural gas. We avoided the commercial venture and had lunch with the ducks, although one of them asked me for two dollars when I took his picture. Sue took some pictures of the bottle trees. Fuel in Roma was $1.68/L.

Afternoon tea stop was at Morven ... one of those small villages you find a long way from civilisation. We ordered a chocolate milkshake (Sue) and a mug of tea (Peter) and really enjoyed our two chocolate milkshakes! In fact, it was the most enjoyable cup of tea I had ever tasted, given that it tasted like a chocolate milkshake ... which, in fact, it was. Sue photographed the public toilets with some unusual murals and an old shed made from squashed kerosene tins. Meanwhile I was pulling the hub apart on the trailer as the bearings seemed loose and was soon making do with half a split pin.

The land was getting flatter, the road speed limits higher and the road kill more prolific as we head to Charleville. It was a long day - 631 km - but a very friendly welcome at the Bailey Bar Caravan Park. After we ate Sue's steaks cooked in the camping kitchen, we were off to see a the Charleville Bilby Experience ... some say the lucky marsupial and judging from the roadside, I'd say they were right.

TODAY'S PHOTOS

The Forester had returned 11.43 L/100 km yesterday over the Ranges. I expect a much better result
tomorrow after the basically flat run