monroe3004 - Winter 2022 to Longreach

Winter 2022 to Bourke, Longreach, Bowen, Whitsunday Islands & Toowomba

Part 1 - to Bourke and Longreach

This trip was a loop west from our home on the mid north coast of NSW west to Bourke, then north to Barcaldine and Longreach before turning east through Emerald and north to Bowen. From there we headed south past the Whitsunday Islands and then Kingaroy and Toowoomba and home through Casino.

Wednesday 18 May 2022

We left home around midday, heading south to Newcastle and west and on to the Golden Highway to stop for the night at Jerry's Plains camp ground. It was a nice afternoon, but as the sun set the temperature dropped quickly. We had an early night as we had to leave early in the morning.

Jerrys Plain, NSW - very cold night for free camping!

Thursday 19 May 2022

Up at 6am this morning for an early start and it was freezing! By the time we were packed up my hands were numb. Quick fill up at $2.07 a litre. Rather than going directly to Julie's we had to go to Gulgong, where our grand-daughter was taking part in an speaking competition at the old Prince of Wales Theatre there. From there we headed to Leadville and set up on the farm for a few days.

Gulgong, NSW - the old Price of Wales Theatre.

Monday 23 May 2022

Packed up in the morning - still rather cool. The drive to Warren was uneventful and the caravan park was very welcoming and nicely set up. Changed a gas cylinder over and filled up at Uncle Carrie's service station. Afterwards we walked around the wetlands and later sat outside as it was a beautiful evening. Chatted to the family next to us, who were farmers around Tamworth.

Warren, NSW - well looked after caravan park.

Warren, NSW - the wetlands were worth the visit.

Warren, NSW - the walk around the wetlands and trees from which canoes have been cut.

Tuesday 24 May 2022

Packed up and had a long chat to our neighbour (Kristy and Len). Left on the crack of 10am. Long drive today to Bourke. Stopped at Nyngan for morning coffee. The 200km of dead straight road was only broken by two lots of roadwork. Arrived after 2pm and setup. Park well set up. Drove into town to get some supplies. There were a couple of showers during the afternoon.

Nyngan, NSW - the "Big Bogan".

Nyngan, NSW - Old coaches.

Wednesday 25 May 2022

Visited the Back O' Bourke Exhibition. Interesting animation video and museum. This was a great exhibition and really worth the visit. We had lunch there after our visit.

Bourke, NSW - "Back O' Bourke Exhibition Centre" and Information Centre.

Bourke, NSW - inside the "Back O' Bourke Exhibition".

Thursday 26 May 2022

We drove one hour south west along the Kidman Way into the Gundabooka NP and on to the Dry Tank Campsite.

We then walked up to the lookout at the top of Little Mountain. Beautiful outback views from the lookout.

This was a really nice walk and rather warm. Saw plenty of emus.

Gundabooka NP, NSW - the walk up to Little Mountain Lookout.

Gundabooka NP, NSW - great lookout at the top.

Gundabooka NP, NSW - emus doing their own thing on the road out of the national park.

Friday 27 May 2022

It was a lovely morning so we called in at the information centre and got a map of the cemetery. We drove the couple of kilometres out of town to walk around it.

Some sad stories there, especially with the children. Not only was it a hard place to survive growing up, but there was a cart/wagon accident on the way to the annual Children's Picnic and three children were killed.

It also is the resting place of Fred Hollows, the famous eye surgeon.

Bourke, NSW - Fred Hollows Grave.

In the afternoon we drove out to look at the old bridge at North Bourke. Sadly it's closed, even to foot traffic.

Drove back into town and took a look at the wharf area and the river.

Bourke, NSW - the old road bridge.

Bourke, NSW - the port had three wharves and one has been rebuilt. It still has to handle the flood waters.

Saturday 28 May 2022

Gray overcast morning, with a cold breeze, so it ended up being a relaxing one. At lunchtime the sun broke through, so we drove back up past the old bridge and followed the maritime trail. Thankfully there was no water in the billabong so we could drive to the other side of the river to see the the remains of the paddle wheeler PS Wave that got stuck here in the 1929 flood. Afterwards we followed the mud map showing the historical buildings of Bourke. Filled up with diesel ready for the morning.

Port of Bourke, NSW - only the paddle wheel rimd remain of the PS Wave.

Sunday 29 May 2022

Packed up to travel to Cunnamulla, about a 250km drive. This drive brought us into Queensland. We stopped in a park about 3km out of town, on the river. There were no powered sites available so we free camped. As always seems to happen when we free camp, it was overcast and windy and the solar panels could not keep up.

Talking about solar panels, this was the first time I was using my new 200 watt panel and soon as I opened it up the fuse blew, which didn't auger well. Then I realised that the fuse was only 10 amp (Previously I only had a 100watt panel) and the new panel could produce a Max of 17amp. Had to go to the store to buy a suitable fuse - even though I have 200 fuses with me!

Cunnamulla, QLD - Town centre.

Cunnamulla, QLD - The Robber's Tree.

Monday 30 May 2022

Very windy, overcast with some showers. We drove west for 65km to the little town of Eulo. Eulo is famous for fossils and mud baths had a few interesting things to look at - like the air raid shelter from WWII, the modified truck that used to cross the river (rather than a ferry) and a statue of a dinosaur. The coffee shop was doing great business thanks to the Gray nomads.

I ran the generator in the afternoon to charge the battery (and finished just before the 3pm cut off). Gennies could be only used between 8am and 3pm.

Eulo, QLD - this old truck was modified for use crossing the flooded river.

Eulo, QLD - life size Diprotodon.

Tuesday 31 May 2022

Another pack up and a 200km drive to Charleville. The road was quite rough the whole way and getting above 90kph was pretty much impossible, although one caravan driver seems to think 110+kph was OK. Set up at the Bush Caravan Park. We drove the 2km into town in the afternoon to get some milk. The town looked really neat and tidy.

Charleville, QLD - our bush campsite.

Charleville, QLD - Corones Hotel.

Wednesday 1 June 2022

We drove out to the site of a large truck explosion 30km out of town. About 52 ton of ammonium sulfate exploded after a truck accident in 2014. It took out the road bridge, and the adjoining railway bridge and sadly the railway bridge has never been rebuilt, meaning that the railway was closed.

Charleville, QLD - 30km south of Charleville is the site of the ammonium sulfate explosion in 2014.

Charleville, QLD - after the explosion, the new road bridge was built.

Charleville, QLD - explosion site railway bridge was never rebuilt.

In the afternoon we visited the museum. Always interesting. Got the map and audio CD for the town walk.

Charleville, QLD - the museum was housed in this impression house.

Charleville, QLD - the museum had many great old photographs.

Charleville, QLD - the museum showing how the "better-off" dined in Victorian days.

Charleville, QLD - the museum had a good collection of old vehicles. This one a a rail ambulance.

Thursday 2 June 2022

Nice morning, so we did the town walk. Well worth the effort and the audio, which we downloaded on to our phone, was excellent. Well done Charleville.

Afternoon was a visit to the Bilby centre. This was very well done and they are doing a lot of good work trying to save the bilbys.

Charleville, QLD - the Bilby Centre was well worth the visit.

Friday 3 June 2022

We had some rain in the morning, but by lunchtime it had stopped, so we drove into town and had lunch at the Blue Gum Café. After that we grabbed some food from the IGA in the town centre and headed back. In the afternoon we did a short walk around the van park before the rain set in for the afternoon and evening.

Saturday 4 June 2022

Our camp was awash literally with thick red mud, but we got out to visit the WWII museum and walk around the tree walk.

Charleville, QLD - with all the rain the campsite was awash in mud.

Charleville, QLD - during WWII around 3,500 US service men were stationed here. This new museum remembers them.

Charleville, QLD - the WWII museum is new and still getting new exhibits installed.

Monday 6 June 2022

Nice morning for our pack up and we headed of towards Tambo, 200km to the north. Again the road was rather average, but we arrived, having past Augathella on the way. Our caravan park was small, but the sites were good size and new owners had made a great job of modernising the park. We drove down to get fuel at the card only service station. Then we walked around the town following the good booklet we got from the Information Centre. Spent some time talking with one of our neighbours.

Tambo, QLD - nice little town.

Tambo, QLD - pretty lake at the south end of town. (There was a large free-camping area on the other side.

Tuesday 7 June 2022

Beautiful morning and another pack up. This took a while as our neighbours on the other side wanted to chat. Again we were heading north, this time to Barcaldine, two and a half hours up the road. Half way we went through Blackall, and realised how big it was. Huge number of caravans stopped in town for morning coffee, although we didn't stop. After we setup we drove into town for a look around and then had a quiet afternoon. We joined in with the dinner being cooked at the park.

Barcaldine, QLD - our camp site in the caravan park.

Barcaldine, QLD - Road trains rumbled past close to our caravan park.

Barcaldine, QLD - the main street had a lot of memorials to the Shearers Strike.

Barcaldine, QLD - the Tree of Knowledge. This tree has been involved in many of the historic political highlights. It was poisoned a number of years ago and has now been preserved.

Wednesday 8 June 2022

The cold weather continued. In the evening we drove out of town to take some sunset photos.

Barcaldin, QLD - outback sunset.

Thursday 9 June 2022

We did the town walk and stopped in town for lunch.

We visited the Workers museum. This museum was one of the best we've seen and we spent half a day there!

Still a rather chilly wind.

Barcaldine, QLD - the entrance to the museum. Really worth visiting.

Barcaldine, QLD - the original AWU building in the Australian Workers Heritage Centre.

Barcaldine, QLD - the old school room inside the Australian Workers Heritage Centre.

Friday 10 June 2022

Nice morning for a packup. We only had 100km to drive today to Longreach. About 30k from Longreach is the small town of Ilfracombe - where we stopped for coffee. They have a great display of old trucks, tractors and machinery along one side of the road. Well done Ilfracombe! After we setup we drove into town to do some grocery shopping.

Ilfracombe, QLD - there is a large collection of old trucks, machinery and tractors.

Ilfracombe, QLD -the hotel does well from the tourists stopping for coffee, drinks and meals.

Saturday 11 June 2022

This morning was a visit to the QANTAS Founders Museum. The displays were well set up, but not as much as I would have liked to see. To get inside the aircraft is rather too expensive, even for me, an aviation nut. Filled up with diesel and then drove out of town for some sunset photos again.

Longreach, QLD - QANTAS Founders Museum Exhibition Hall.

Longreach, QLD - QANTAS Founders Museum old Boeing 747-200.

Longreach, QLD - QANTAS Founders Museum DC3 and Boeing 707.

Longreach, QLD - QANTAS Founders Museum Catalina seaplane.

Longreach, QLD - the original QANTAS hangar.

Sunday 12 June 2022

A gray, cold, windy morning, but we had booked in to visit the Stockmans Hall of Fame. It was well presented, but I think there was a lot more that should have been added. Their focus appears to be same as the Qantas Founders Museum, in that they really want you to join in tours and events, which is probably where they make their money. Had a quiet afternoon.

Longreach, QLD - Stockmans Hall of Fame.

Longreach, QLD - Stockmans Hall of Fame, Birdsville Track exhibit.

Longreach,QLD - Stockmans Hall of Fame, old stockmen.

Go to Part 2 - Longreach to Bowen

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