TOD Tour 2.0 Day 67 - Mt Isa to Winton

A completely forgettable day. Our longest drive (470kms), much of into a head wind and for some reason, Sue's worst day on tour.

Hardly any highlights but the sighting of Brolgas at Kynuna as Sue was walking to exercise her back in 38C was probably it.

The lowlight was being struck by a rock from an oncoming truck and a star crack appearing in the windscreen. Now, whilst I know my insurance policy covers a free windscreen each year, the advanced gadgetry of my car means it has to be fitted by a specialist and all of the gadgets re-calibrated. Takes all day and last time, they stuffed it up and it took four visits to the windscreen guy and the Subaru guy to fix it up.

Even the Guinness at Tatts Hotel at Winton at the end of the day, lacked its usual sparkle.

TOD Tour 2.0 Day 17 - Wandering Town and a Show

We made the decision to stay an additional day in Winton in order to catch a Fanny Lumsden gig at the open-air Royal Theatre. Both fans, the chance for a live gig was too good to pass up.

We spent a relaxed day, wandering about Winton.

The evening was fabulous. Fanny Lumsden is a super performer. So much energy applied to at times quirky songs, at times deeply moving songs. She loves to have her audiences participating in her gigs, so at times last night the band went and stood among the audience and drew them into singing the choruses. In another song, she trotted out a totem tennis pole and had two teams playing.

Supporting her was Melody Moko, a lady with a big, bluesy voice and a songwriter who lyrics have sharp, at time uncomfortable edges and is totally riveting.

The Lumsden band - the Prawnmakers - includes husband Ben on bass and Michael Moko on lead. Later in the gig, he was given his head and shredded on his Telecaster as good as any metal head would demand.

Click to see today's photos

A great night out - nearly three hours entertainment - despite the falling temperature in the open-air theatre. It was a pity more locals didn't support the gig, with the vast majority of the audience being travelers. I don't know what people want for their $35 but I suspect they've missed the chance to see someone who is a true crossover artist. Putting Fanny Lumsden into a "country" pidgeon hole is like thinking Dylan is a folk singer.

TOD Tour 2.0 Day 15 - Australian Age of Dinosaurs

Australian Age of the Dinosaur

Since we first visited Winton with our children in 1995, we have been meaning to follow-up the dinosaur connection. Two subsequent visits, where doing so was the main reason we were in town, were unsuccessful in achieving the set aim.

The target of our objective has always been Lark Quarry, made world famous for showing a dinosaur stampede when big, hungryosaurs chased little scaredshitlessasaurs across a muddied plain. It certainly was still our objective when we left home. Then we got here and we had about a four hour return trip for a 45 minute guided tour. Half of the 220km trip would be over corrugated dirt road. The dirt and the corrugations didn't worry me - we have the car to manage those with ease - but the time and distance did. Bouncing Sue and her whinging back across those corrugations was also worrying me.

Closer to home was David Elliott's Australian Age of the Dinosaurs, the museum and research centre whose germination event was the discovery by Elliott of a giant femur, sticking out of a paddock as he was mustering sheep. A man of insatiable interest and keen entrepreneurial instinct, he enlisted the help of boffins and soon digs were underway which would uncover more than 17 pallets of dino bones. In 2005, Elliott investigate bones found on Elderslie Station and a subsequent dig found not only the most complete sauropod skeleton ever found in the world but also the bones of a theropod - the former a giant herbivore who would only ever order a vegetarian pizza and the latter, a standing Friday night order for a meatlover's with the lot. This is the only time in the world these two different dinosaurs have been found in the one dig site.

The facility is located on top of a "jump-up" about 26kms by road to the south east of Winton. A 'jump-up" is what is otherwise known as a mesa or one of those flat top hills you often see John Wayne and his horse sitting on while the Duke rolls a smoke and dreams about killing Liberty Valance. From across the plain, you meet it abruptly and climb to the top. The view becomes suddenly stunning.

The view from the top of the jump-up

The area where the various buildings of the museum exist was once part of Peter and Carol Britton's Mount Landsborough station and in 2006, Elliott approached them seeking to buy 1400 hectares. Britton refused to sell the land, which came as a blow to Elliott's vision for a museum perched on cliff top, overlooking the very plains that were yielding such a rich, 95 million year old history. Three days later, they saw each other at a function and Britton reiterated that he would not sell the land but in fact, wanted to donate it to the museum, which by now was a not for profit which had the support of the town.

The result is staggering. The main visitors centre is a beautiful creation of architectural design which fits so well in shape and colour with its environment. In it, the static displays of the bones of Matilda and Banjo - the veggie and meatlover twin act found in 2005 - are housed in a small theatre where a combination of audio visual and human explanation give animation to any tiredness that 95 million years has created in them.

Theropod supermarket

A five hundred metre walk along the cliff edge you'll find the laboratory, where bones which have been dug up are constantly being worked on. This happens slower than the discovery because stripping back nearly a hundred million years takes a bit of time. Pallets of bones encased in plaster of paris at the dig sites, lay on rack the height of two big Queensland stockman, one standing on the other's shoulders. I would have liked to have seen that. Here we were given a master class in the recovery of bones from digs and the side issue of fossils often found in conjunction.

Twice the distance away from the visitor centre, on the opposite side of this roughly U-shaped rim, is the wheelchair friendly walkway which takes in the first gullies below the capstone rock of the mesa. We reached it via a electric passenger vehicle and its trolley. There was an eerie resemblance to the early stages of Jurassic Park and I kept wishing I still had my plastic cup of water with me that I usually have in case of dinosaurs. I reminded Sue not to hide in the toilet if things went all Jeff Goldblum. Our guide Molly - only just graduated from secondary school - did a brilliant job of providing us with information about the dinosaurs of the area, how they lived and what they looked and acted like. Assisting this were several open air galleries where dinosaurs were life-size modeled, made from bronze. The colours of the landforms and the trees and the ever present view made for an impressive experience.

Click to see today's photos

We spent about four hours at Australian Age of the Dinosaurs. Initially, we were concerned at the entry cost ($55 adults/$50 seniors) but those reservations were blown away by an outstanding attraction.

As a result, any thought of visiting Lark Quarry has now been laid aside.

TOD Tour 2.0 Day 14 - Barcaldine to Winton

A good angle on the
Wellshot Hotel

Barcaldine to Winton: 341 kms (trip 2315 kms)

We continued west along a new highway - the Landsborough - as far as Longreach, which was only a whistle stop on this tour. Having seen its attractions in a three day stop in 2018, it was just a few groceries and on towards Winton.

Notable on the first leg to Longreach was morning tea in Ilfracombe. This small village, which has been known for many years for its display of farm implements that line the highway as it zips through town, was a curio we encountered on the QOT 2018. Change has hit the place since, with the destruction of the old general store and cafe. It had featured wide verandahs on which to enjoy a cuppa and take in the vista of the farm equipment but since our last visit, it has burned to the ground in a fire caused by an electrical fault in the ceiling cavity. The fire started as they were serving, with customers enjoying the verandah. No one was injured but the loss proved too much and the owners didn't rebuild.

In place of this lost coffee spot, the ever industrious people at the Wellshot Hotel have opened a hole in the wall from which they serve a good cuppa and a mean hot chocolate, among other things. The Wellshot is a place of great character and undoubtedly, greater characters. The bar is a hoot, with its display of hats, funny signs and joke photo opportunities. As was the case the last time we were here, the bar staff were young, Irish and full of fun. On the ceiling, there is currently thousands of dollars, soon to be cleared and given to charity. The deal is, you take a note from your wallet and a two dollar coin. They add a large drawing pin and scrunch it up to a ball shape. They throw it up to the ceiling where it sticks and the note slowly unfurls. If you catch the two dollar coin as it falls from the note, you get a free beer.

There is just so much imagination and dry outback humour at the Wellshot. Its a hackneyed saying but it truly is a must see.

After Longreach, its a 180kms northwest to Winton: pretty much flat, pretty much straight.

We booked in to the Tattersalls Hotel Caravan Park on what had become a warm afternoon. After setting up, it seemed obligatory I should have a Guinness at the bar or yet another colourful pub. Among its features are the flags of many nations attached to the ceiling.

The Royal Cinema

After dinner, we went to the Royal Cinema, the second oldest outdoor cinema in Australia (behind the Sun in Broome). Largely run as a family affair for much of its hundred year plus life, its currently leased by a not for profit who conduct tours and have evenings when they recreate the feel of the cinema in the 1960's. Sling back canvas chairs are arranged over a concrete floor which once doubled as a roller skating rink when times were tough and multi channel free to air TV came to Winton. The back part of the cinema has a brick floor. The bricks were originally the facade of the next door building which burnt down. Winton has a rich history of fire catastrophe. Of course, by outdoor, I mean it has no roof or ceiling, just a blanket of stars. One wall of the cinema is a corrugated iron fence, probably 15 feet high in old terms but for a section, it has a further extension above that. It was put there to stop the cheapskates from the North Gregory Hotel watching the feature from the second story windows!

We were shown old glass advertising slides of Winton business of fifty years ago, projected using a carbon arc projector that was at least 80 years old. It works by bringing two electrified carbon rods together to make an arc between them and a light bright enough to project. The operator is constantly bringing the rods together as the carbon is eroded by the procedure.

Click to see today's photos

There was a cartoon and some highlights of old slapstick and that was the evening done. We had bought the kids here in 1995 to see The Jungle Book, so it was nice nostalgia.

Tomorrow dinosaurs.

Qld Outback Tour - Waltzing Matilda - Winton

Longreach - Winton, 180kms, 9.8L/100km

Moving day today, heading north west up the Landsborough Highway to the place which claim Waltzing Matilda.

We had the strange situation of being parking in an almost entire row of AVAN campers last night, after two nights of being the only one there. Five of us in all, with one new and one very dated Jayco camper squeezed in among us.

Beautiful bright, clear day and an almost uneventful drive. Sam can't be said for the poor buggers we came upon about halfway to Winton. We knew about it well before we got there from the radio chatter but a very large van had gone over onto its side and was completely blocking the roadway and a fair proportion of the road verge as well. Remarkably, he attached vehicle was still attached and on all four tyres and seem undamaged. The wild skid marks indicated they had lost control for some reason as they approached a small bridge. Once those big rigs start to sway they have a mind of their own. An ambulance was in attendance but indications were shock was the major problem. The truckies were marvelous, warning traffic in both directions and two army personnel who had been in a low loader carrying army vehicles had organised a bypass for traffic and were directing it.

It was a reminder of how fragile our existence is out on these opposing lanes of asphalt, some of us at 110km/h.

The Waltzing Matilda Centre

We arrived at Winton for an early lunch and the decamped on foot to the Waltzing Matilda Centre, a modern exhibition space which has only just opened in the last month after the original burnt down in 2015. It included a main gallery which uses state of the art technology to tell the story of the land where Walting Matilda originated and of course, the history of the song. Also included in the Centre are an art space and a cafe and it opens out onto the original Qantilda Museum, or what remains of it. Our children will remember it as the tractors, trains and glass bottles section.

Staffed by informed and friendly people, this is a first class museum.

For the evening, we went to the North Gregory Hotel and dined in the infamous dining room where Daphne Mayo, who came to Winton after falling out with her lover, Lloyd Rees. They are quite exquisite. The chairs are mid century modern, with the backs like the one Christine Keeler was famously photographed in.

The "spot" where Waltzing Matilda
was first performed publicly

Banjo's words were sung here for the first time ... or so the mythology goes. I tried to ignore the fact that the first hotel in which the event was supposed to take place was demolished and that two subsequent successors burnt down - as is the trend in outback Qld - or that this current hotel was built in 1955 to a completely new design. However, you don't ruin a good story with the facts. The dining room doors are decorated with etched glass by

The foyer is similarly decorated with light fittings and staircases which make the very strong statements of post WWII optimism typical of the time.

Click to see today's photos

After dinner, we walked over to the Tatts Hotel so Sue could listen to an old dear playing saxophone to midi tapes - you all know ow much I love that - and so I could enjoy a Guinness on tap.

We'll be returning to Winton later in the trip but for now, we move on tomorrow to McKinlay ad Hawaiian Night at the Walkabout Creek Hotel.

Longreach - Winton - McKinlay - Cloncurry (16th July) Cloncurry - Mount Isa (17th July)

Hitch tongue had come loose, requiring more delays.

Longreach - Cloncurry - Mount Isa 647(2548) kms

I wrote a lovely newsy long blog but lost it in an accident of poor concentration. Now, in my disappointment, I can't recapture all of it so you will mostly get the down side of the last few days.

Last two days have had their difficulties. The problems with my breathing in Yamba have worsened and that plus worry about the days ahead led to a panic attack as we left Longreach. Sue, as usual, was wonderful and got us both through it.

It was a long drive to Cloncurry.

Nice caravan park in Cloncurry. Nice neighbours. Sue made a splendid salad - the best I have eaten. We had decided to stay in Cloncurry until I could see a doctor. Pack up this morning went well until I discovered the hitch was loose on the trailer A frame. Mechanic spent half an hour replacing the bolts and charging me $50.

Doctor next. She diagnosed asthma (returning after fifteen years) which, in the end, was no surprise. $100 worth of puffers and $60 worth of doctor should fix it.

We had lunch in Cloncurry’s bakery. Delicious bread rolls and hot chocolate. Fuelled the car (171.9c/L) and off we went – finally - to Mount Isa, a short hop to the west. Great scenery on the way but I can't describe it again (you should have seen the first draft!).

Sue and I are both a bit low after the last few days of set backs. We will endure.

TODAY'S PHOTOS

For those of you interested, we have travelled 2365kms since leaving Tamworth and the Forester is averaging 10.08 L/100kms (28 miles/gallon). I’m pretty happy with that result as the little beast is loaded and towing the trailer.

Crappy blog, but best I could raise second time around.

AUC 1995 - Winton (Qld)

Winton (Qld)
Landsborough Highway 172kms

A great pack up and an early start on the road. If it hadn't been for the necessity to stock the financial
stores, we could have been away even earlier, but the 8:50 am departure time from Longreach was quite satisfactory.

The drive was endlessly plain, as the terrain didn't vary much from dead flat, low scrub and boredom. Cheering broke out when we caught our first glimpses of the Forsyth and then later, the Tully, Ranges. The only thing about the drive which could draw comment, was the quantity of road kills we observed. It was rare to see only one every 100 metres. Given the distance travelled in reaching Winton, that is a serious dent on the native animal population !

Winton is, at first glance, a quite unremarkable little town. That is, until you move through the main street or stop and talk with a resident. To do so, is to scratch the surface on what would appear to be a well-spring of pride. My 1993 figures tell me 1281 residents can be found in Winton and it soon became obvious all would be happy to remind us this was "the real birthplace of Waltzing Matilda, mate, eh !" As definite as they were, one couldn't complain they were aggressive or even assertive: just very definitely proud of their place in the history of the development of the Australian ethos.

Our first stop was the caravan park. We had intended dropping the trailer and heading to Lark Quarry, where archaeological evidence abounds as to the movement and type of dinosaurs which existed in Terra Australus. However, the heat, which seemed to be increasing with every day we headed further north and inland and the prospect of 200 kms of dirt road and the advice of the friendly proprietor, put paid to the idea.

Sarah

Instead, it was off to Qantilda Place : the combined museum and information centre. We had heard much about its value as a museum and this proved very true. The variety of historical pieces on display was massive and there was ample opportunity for us to browse and enjoy what was on offer. For once, we didn'tfeel rushed to be somewhere else and as a result, enjoyed perusing the collections.
These included a bottle collection said to number into the 4000 range. None of us had ever seen such an amazing number of bottles in one place and some of them defied the imagination. There were intricate cars and people, guns, animals and even a toilet, all made from glass and all bottles of some type. A gun display graced another wall and some of the makes included Enfield's and Winchesters.
An iron lung donated by the hospital was on display - although this model appeared to be a wooden lung ! Medical equipment, which had once tortured the body, now tortured the mind, in imagining how the patients survived the treatment. A full size steam engine - complete with tracks - was in the yard, as well as old farm vehicles and equipment. Books of locally kept history, letters, telegrams etc were all available for anyone with the time, patience and interest to look.

From here, we walked the short distance which makes up the main street and observed the facades of the shops and two of the other features behind them. Through the chemist shop and ultimately behind the cafe, we found one of the few remaining open air theatres still operating. A sloped cement floor and galvanised tin walls encase the canvas "deck chairs" which are the seating for patrons. Some atmospheric dummies have been placed about the place, but it is essentially unchanged since 1938. The theatre had existed before that (1918) but was burnt down in the same fire which destroyed the North Gregory Hotel - for the third time - in 1938. The film caught alight and quickly spread, destroying much of the business district with it. Rebuilt in the same location, the theatre is still in the hands of the same family. The new owner, following the re-opening in 1938, passed the mantle to his son in 1960 and the son still does the honours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Fifty seven years of movie memories provided by one family.

The other highlight of this walking tour was the thrice pyrotechnically challenged North Gregory Hotel. Now a brick structure of some substance, it is the fourth hotel of the same name which has stood at this spot since the day in 1895 when Banjo Paterson first performed "Waltzing Matilda" in public. It's reputation as the place where patrons first heard the pathos-ridden tale of the swagman and his fatal brush with authority, is only flawed by a the tourist driven need to be "the first" or "the only". In this instance, the claim to fame is akin to the farmer discussing the family history of his axe:
"Yes mate. That axe has been in my family since the pioneer days. Of course, I had to change the
handle last year and Dad replaced the head that time after he struck the big rock by the wood block
and Grandad put a handle on it after the big bush fire in '43 and ..."

One sculpture caught our eye. Located on the grass centre section of the main street. It was a series of six short columns, each one featuring four or so lines from "Waltzing Matilda", on a plaque adorning the top of the column. Emanating from the body of each column, were brass sculptures of body parts or relevant items which matched the lines from the poem. Hence, "Up rode the squatter ..." is accompanied by the foreleg of a horse. Very effective art.

Home for campsite relaxing and then some tucker, before returning to the theatre for a night under and in front of the stars. The atmosphere was excellent and the picture was not bad either. Jaffas and Fantales were bought and consumed and we all had a fabulous time. Gog and Pa, meanwhile, opted to stay at camp and enjoy the culinary delights of a campfire and bush tucker provided by Gloria - an ex roo shooter, who now deals in the sale of skins, presumably animal. She was as tough as nails and the current arm wrestling champion of Winton. In past years, she had owned a pub and no doubt entertained patrons with the same gravel voice and colourful outback language. The food was reportedly good, despite the smoke chasing them, and the ambiance established by the hostess led to a cheerful night around the fire.

For us, after the thrill of the moving pictures ... home ...journal ...full moon ... contentment... bed.