OUTBACK QUEENSLAND to the COAST

4^th October, 2012

Time to hit the road again … we’re working our way south through outback Queensland before turning east to the coast.  We stop at Augathella to take a look at a metal sculpture in Meat Ant Park.

Kind of frightening isn't it?

This sculpture of a meat ant is over a million times the size of an actual ant.

Thank goodness they don't grow this big!!

And why name a park after a Meat Ant?  Well the local football team was known as the Mighty Meat Ants and were fearless when attacking their oppon‘ants’.  This earned the town a nickname ‘Meat Ant Country’ ….  and the name has stuck.  Augathella has also hit the big screen with the 1950 ‘Smiley’ movies based on the adventures of a local boy.  As we continue down the road looking for a place to stop and have some lunch we cross the Warrego River and notice a dirt track leading off the highway beside the river.  Wok does a u-turn and we go bush.  We discover some great camping spots beside the river and Wok decides to try his luck fishing again so we set up camp for a few nights.

Our camp beside the Warrego River

Wok is keen to throw a line in so after lunch he heads down to the riverbank to see if anything would like a nice frozen prawn on the end of a hook.

A fisherman at work ...

It’s only a matter of minutes and he is back at the Van.  He has a great big smile and a nice sized yellowbelly.

Just look at that smile ... on Wok (not the fish)

Keen to try his luck again he heads back down to the river.  Within a few minutes he is back with a reasonably sized carp on the end of his line.

Wok with Mr Carp ...

Carp is an introduced species to Australia’s waterways and is considered a pest.  It apparently doesn’t taste any good either and if caught must be disposed of and not released back into the water.  Burning the carcass is acceptable so a campfire was a good option.  Wok had placed the carp on the ground near our caravan when along came a large goanna.

Our friendly neighbourhood goanna.

It didn’t take the goanna long to home in on the dead carp and it picked up the fish and carted it under our caravan.  The sounds of munching and crunching could then be heard.  A few minutes later the goanna was back out sniffing around for more treats.  Well that solved the carp disposal issue but not sure it's what the fisheries authorities had in mind.  That night Wok decided to try his hand at lighting a campfire and proved once again that he will make a good stoker for ‘Old Nick’.

Yes - it's a lovely fire Wok

Over the next two days Wok tried to repeat his first day’s success at catching a yellowbelly but all he could come up with were heaps of carp and two turtles.  He didn’t mind catching the carp and leaving them for our friendly goanna to eat but it is not so easy getting the hook out of an unhappy turtle’s mouth.  We finally got on the road again and headed into Charleville where we checked into the ‘Bailey Bar Caravan Park’.  Charleville has a couple of unique tourist attractions that one wouldn’t expect to find in an outback country town.  On the outskirts of town is the Cosmos Centre – which has an interactive display and theatre presentation on astronomy.  There is lots of information on the stars, planets and galaxies as well as meteorites and comets.  Hands on displays tell you things like your weight and age on other planets – it’s all very interesting and lots of fun.  After dinner that night, we headed back out to the observatory to take a look through their powerful telescopes at the night sky.  With a magnification of 110/1 distant planets, stars and nebulaes that are nearly invisible to the naked eye take on a life of their own.  It’s fascinating stuff!  The real stars of the show at Charleville however would have to be the Bilbies.  A few years ago a concerned zoologist spoke to a local National Parks Ranger about the plight of the endangered bilby.  Together these two men instigated a captive breeding programme for Queensland’s last remaining pocket of wild bilbies and established a breeding complex at the National Parks complex in Charleville.  It was hard to miss the large wooden carving of a bilby outside the office

Carved wooden bilby

and after learning about the time and effort it has taken to ensure the survival of the bilbies our volunteer guide took us to the enclosure for our first look at this rarely seen marsupial.

Bilby on the run

The bilbies are nocturnal and belong to the bandicoot family.  They aren’t very big with the females weighing in at about a kilo and the males a kilo and a half.  They have very large ears, a long nose, grey fur and a striped black and white tail.

Aren't I cute?

They are sooo cute!  We spent quite a bit of time watching them eat and moving around their enclosure.  A 25 square kilometre fenced enclosure has been established in Currawinya National Park in south west Queensland for the release and rehabilitation of the bilbies.  This was no mean feat with the money needed to fence the area being raised from public donations.  The eradication of predators such as feral cats and foxes from the fenced in area was also a painstaking job.  The bilbies that have been released at Currawinya are now being monitored to see if they will survive.  Let’s hope all goes well for these tiny little creatures.  It would be a shame if the only place we were to see them in the future would be in a zoo.  Time to continue on our way and at Cunnamulla we do a left turn and head east.  Now we have seen quite a few odd things in our travels across this wide brown land but this mode of transport that we passed was a wee bit out of the ordinary.

Maybe this is a mirage ....?

Obviously one isn’t going to break any speed limits with a camel engine but it has got to be a hell of a lot cheaper than petrol or diesel.

It's always good to have a backup camel ...

Well there we were – trundling along minding our own business when from out of the bush hopped a suicidal kangaroo.  Poor Wok had only a split second to apply the brakes (which he did) but there was no way we were ever going to miss this ‘roo on a mission’.  The last time Wok saw the ‘kamikaze roo’ it was rolling along in the grass beside the road.  Wok finally managed to find a place to pull up about a kilometre further up the road where we could assess the damage.

Ouch!  Poor Mitzi ..... Poor kangaroo ....

Well things could have been worse.  Our ‘nudge bar’ took most of the impact with a couple of plastic inserts completely gone AWOL.  With all the travelling we do the odds were always in favour of us meeting some unwanted wildlife on the road.  Guess we will have some insurance paperwork to do when we get back to the Sunshine Coast.  Only ten more kilometres up the road we came to Caliguel Lagoon on the Condamine River (our intended overnight rest stop) and set up camp near the water.

Our campsite on the Condamine River

It was mid afternoon so Wok decided to throw a line in and see if any suicidal fish were around.

Wok tries the hand line

To his utter astonishment a large ‘yellowbelly’ took a liking to his bait and we had fish for dinner again.

Good grief!  Not another one?

In the morning we drove the five kilometres into Condamine and stopped to admire the large oddly shaped square bell on display in the local park.

That's a really big bell!

A plaque on the bell explained what it was all about.

We hit the road again and later that afternoon stopped at Claude Wharton Weir near Gayndah for the night.  Wok couldn’t resist the temptation to try out his fishing prowess and decided to see what might lurk in the watery depths.  It wasn’t too long before he found out – a large catfish scruffled the bait and gave Wok a pretty decent fight when he tried to bring it ashore.

Yep it's a catfish right enough!  And it's going back in the water ...

With a couple of fish fillets already in the freezer and no knowledge of whether this type of catfish was good eating, we decided to let him go to fight another day.  We still have a lot to learn about ‘catching fish’ and ‘cooking fish’ – but we are having a heap of fun in the meantime.  In the morning we made our way to Bundaberg.  Nearly nine months ago we had left the east coast of Australia and now we were back.  We checked into Moore Park Holiday Park on the beach north of Bundaberg and breathed in the salty air of the Pacific Ocean.  Needless to say we are enjoying a few days of rest and relaxation on the beach before moving on – and Wok is now trying his hand at beach fishing.

Wok enjoying the sun, sand and surf

It’s a hard life but somebody has to do it!

TAMBO

1^st October, 2012

By late afternoon we were driving down the main street of Tambo – population 430.

Main Street - Tambo

A sandwich board out the front of the Tambo Caravan Park caught our eye.

Entrance to Tambo Caravan Park

Twenty dollars a night for two people on a powered site is great value, so Wok wheeled the rig through the front gate and minutes later we were being guided onto a site by Daphne – the friendly and welcoming caravan park owner.  After camping out for nearly two weeks we had quite a lot of laundry to be done so checked in for two nights which we quickly changed to three nights when told that if we pay for two nights the third night is free.  This bought our site costs down to $13.33 a night.  We then discovered that the washing machine was free to use as well saving us about $10 in washing machine fees.  The caravan park was looking better and better all the time.  The park was only small with about twelve powered sites and a few tent sites but there were trees for shade, the water was drinkable and the amenities clean.  With school holidays still in full swing this was a great place to hide out.  The next morning we did our washing and after hanging it out to dry put on our walking shoes to explore the town.  Daphne had told us about a track that ran down the other side of the Barcoo River – yes the same river we had been camped beside at Isisford.   The walk to the river was approx. two kilometres and as we followed it upstream there were information boards about the different trees we were passing.  Of course the river wasn’t flowing – it was just a series of muddy holes.  We passed the spot where the Chinese market gardeners once drew water for their fruit and vegetables.  Tambo’s claim to fame is that of being the oldest town in Queensland’s Central West.  In 1862 Tambo Township began in much the same way as many other bush towns in Australia.  First came the settlers to take up grazing runs, then came the carriers to cart equipment and supplies.  This hard and difficult work made many a man thirsty for a ‘grog’, so some enterprising chap would build a ‘pub’ and then someone else a store.  Tambo’s first pub was built in 1863 and the town grew up around it.  As we continued our walk along the river we came to a lonely cairn. 

Cairn erected on the site of 1927 Qantas crash site

Sheltered from the elements this petrified tree stump marks the site of a Qantas bi-plane that crashed in 1927 on a regular mail run from Charleville to Cloncurry.

Photo of wrecked plane - 1927

The pilot and his two passengers were killed and are buried in the Tambo Cemetery.  Qantas presents itself as being the only ‘passenger’ service in the world never to have had a fatal accident.  At the time of this crash in 1927 Qantas was not a registered passenger airline – only a mail carrier.  Paying passengers were of course taken on the mail runs and a few years after the crash Qantas officially became a legitimate passenger service.  We continued on our walk and eventually arrived at the Caltex Service Station on the southern edge of town.  As it was lunchtime we decided to have a hamburger before strolling back down the main street.  OMG!  They were humongous.  Thank heavens we didn’t order them with chips!  Full as googs – we set off down the main street.  Our first stop was at the Information Centre/Public Library which is housed in the old Court House built in 1888.

Old Court House - Tambo

The witness stand, prisoner’s box and judge’s bench were still inside surrounded by books and shelving.  Across the road were the old Post and Telegraph Buildings.  The first one was built in 1876

First Post and Telegraph building - Tambo

and the second one was built in 1885.

Second Post and Telegraph building - Tambo

This building played a key role in Queensland’s early telegraph system as it was one of the major repeater stations linking the north of Australia to the south.  The present Post Office was built in 1904

Current Post Office built in 1904 - Tambo

and was a hive of activity while we were there.  For a building still in use after a hundred years it was wearing its age very well.  We continued our walk, checking out the two hotels, grocery store, gallery and Teddy Bear shop before finally arriving back at the caravan park around 3pm.  Our short stroll had turned into a long trek!  Needless to say we were more than pleased we had that free night at the caravan park.  It took us a day to get over the previous day.  And for those of you who have been saying that Wok seems to always get his frame somewhere into our photos while his better half remains invisible – here she is!

Robyn with wildflowers - Tambo

Robyn had intended on sitting down amongst the wildflowers but hastily changed her mind when she found the grass full of burrs.  And yes - she is healing nicely thank you …

BLACKALL

1^st October, 2012

We’ve spent a restful eleven days beside the Barcoo River at Oma Waterhole.  Wok has had a productive time fishing with lots of little yellow bellies and catfish jumping onto his line but more excitingly a couple of good sized yellow bellies and catfish which ended up in the frypan.  And even though these fish are frolicking around in muddy water with absolutely no visibility they don’t taste muddy at all.  We eventually get under way again and from Isisford head east towards Blackall.  We are driving through large sheep and cattle stations with the occasional kangaroo and emu to be seen.  At one point we had to stop while an emu ushered its seven chicks across the road.

Ok!  Just keep on moving ....

We have been pleasantly surprised at the large number of emus we have seen along the way.  More than we have ever encountered before in our outback travels.  By mid morning we are pulling into the town of Blackall.  We stop to have a look at The Eagle and Nest sculpture in the parkland near the river. 

Wedge tailed eagle and nest

The sculpture has been made out of discarded bits of iron found along the river banks and the wooden pole on which it stands is from the old bridge.  The Barcoo River also runs through Blackall (when there is enough rain upstream to make it flow that is) before winding its way to Isisford.  And if you were ever wondering where the Aussie term ‘beyond the Black Stump’ comes from – then wonder no more!





We found the spot and Wok was trying to work out which way was west, because one has to be west of the stump to be ‘beyond the Black Stump’!

I think west is that way ...

Or maybe its that way ...

In the main street is a bronze statue of famous gun shearer Jack Howe carrying a sheep.

Jack Howe Memorial in Blackall

In 1892 Jack Howe sheared 321 sheep in seven hours forty minutes with blade shears – a record that has never been broken.  When he retired from shearing he bought the Universal Hotel in Blackall and there is an interesting array of memorabilia and historical documents inside the hotel.  We do a quick stop at the IGA Supermarket to stock on some essential items before heading five kilometres east of the town to the Blackall Woolscour. 

Backall Woolscour

Built in 1908 the Woolscour operated until 1978 when it was closed.  A group of concerned residents formed a committee and petitioned the government to help save the deteriorating building and machinery.  Due to their efforts part of our national heritage was saved.  The woolscour is today looked after by volunteers and is the only operational steam-driven scour incorporating a shearing board left in Australia.  The big sheep stations had their own shearing sheds but this shed was built so that smaller stations could bring their sheep here to be shorn and then have their wool washed in the scourer.  The wool would then be baled and taken to the coast where it would go by sea to England to be sold at the wool markets.  We park Mitzi and the Van and walk to the reception shed where we thought there was a very realistic goat sculpture lying near the front door.

Realistic sculpture hey?

As we got near we suddenly realised that the goat was very real and it didn’t seem the least bit phased as we sidled past its nose to gain entry to the building.

Nice goat!  Now just stay right there while we get past ...

We were just in time to tag along with the next tour of the Woolscour and our first stop was at the bore which was gushing water into a pond.

Artesian bore at the woolscour

The artesian water is the lifeblood of the area and the water from the bore was used to scour the wool.  With the temperature of the water coming from the bore at 58 C it was perfect for washing the fats from the wool.  Our first stop was at the shearing shed where the sheep were herded into corrals

Corrals at the shearing shed

then brought up into the shearing shed where they were put into pens ready for shearing.

Sheep pens in the shearing shed

This particular shearing shed had twenty stands.  A ‘stand’ is the area allocated to a shearer for shearing the sheep.  Each shearer would take a sheep from the pen directly behind each ‘stand’ and once sheared release it down a chute where it would move into outside corrals ready for transport or droving back to the station. 

Wok strolls along the shearing stands

The wool would then be placed on tables where the soiled bits were removed and the wool would be graded as to its quality.

Wool classing tables.  Barrel in the foreground was used by Bob Muir to lay sheep over so that he could shear them.  At 81 years of age he was still shearing sheep.

The wool was then placed in the wool press and baled.

Wool Press

The bales that were to be scoured were placed at one end of the scourer (not all farmers could afford to have their wool washed) and the wool was manually fed into the scourer where it went through several troughs of water to clean the fats from the wool.

The wool scourer

The wool was then fed into the drier where hot air was pumped through the wool and it was then re-baled in a wool press ready for transport to the coast and then on to England.  Proceeds from the sale of the wool would eventually make its way back to the station owners nearly nine months later – a long time to wait for your money!  Our guide shows us the first boiler that was used

The original boiler (and our tour guide)

and then the second boiler (still very old) that replaced it.

The second (really old) boiler - and our tour guide

The steam driven pump was a marvel to behold.

The steam pump - over 100 years old

We have to remember that this machinery is over a hundred years old and would have been a fascinating thing to behold.  Even the building itself is amazing.  It is one of the largest timber framed buildings of its type in Queensland and the entire hoop pine frame is tenon and morticed and completely nail free.  Outside we take a look at the shearer’s quarters

Shearer's Quarters

sort of like the forerunner of today’s ‘donga’.  There were even a couple of old caravans just hanging around.

Remember when caravans looked like this?

We’ve enjoyed wandering around the old buildings and after a very late lunch in the Van we make our way back to the main road and head south following the Matilda Way.  We wonder what surprise the next country town may afford?