Tennant Creek and the Devils Marbles

After crossing the Barkly tableland we decided to head south to Tennant Creek at the Threeways turnoff which has T intersection and a big roadhouse for refuelling. Roads go east to Mt Isa, south to Alice Springs or north to Darwin. Two caravan parks to choose from in TC so decided to head to the Outback Caravan Park as some Tripadvisor reviews mentioned similar noise problems to what we had in Mt Isa. Not feeling in party all night mode we chose the furtherest from the residential area. Not a bad caravan park. Really big with lots of van & tent sights so they obviously get busy further into the season. It never ceases to amaze me that some reviewers of these outback town caravan parks mention the lack of grass & complain about the gravel. You are in the outback for Gods sake where rocky ground abounds & water is precious!

Tennant Creek has a population of 3000, mainly aboriginal people. Similar to Walgett many shops do not have windows. Lots of locals sitting around footpaths & parks - also similar to Walgett. Surprisingly in this isolated town we saw a nightclub sign. It would be a little different to The Valley music scene in Brisbane ! There is a huge sportswear shop with lots of label advertising on the front walls - I would imagine it could be one of the best businesses in town. The police station is two storey & a fair size, interestingly the court house is also quite large, but what is different to any other court house I've seen, is there is a large lawn area & picnic tables out the front. Quite a popular area by the look of it!

We drove 110 km south towards Alice Springs to the Devils Marbles. Once again the road was excellent. It's a pity the Bruce Hway wasn't as good.

 

 

 

The Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu) were first mentioned by explorer John McDoull Stuart after whom the highway from Port Augusta to Darwin is named. It is a must see phenomena of huge granite boulders scattered over a few acres. They are weathered rocks from a huge rock mass though they look like individual rocks placed on top of other rocks. It is a sacred women's site and a place where the rock spirits can make children stay to play, they are never seen again.

 

 

The old 1872 Telegraph relay station north of TC was part of the chain of relay stations where morse code was transferred from station to station. This gave Australia communication from London overland to Adelaide. It took 7 hours to get a telegram from Adelaide to London in 1872.

The building on the left is the station consisting of the office, battery room & bedroom. Beside that is the kitchen & living room surrounded by a wide verandah. The building in the centre is quartes for maintenance men & the building partly shown on the right is the butcher. There was also a smoke room & a cellar. The buildings are built of local rock & the walls are about 2' thick providing welcome coolness from the harsh summer heat. A beast was killed weekly & the meat smoked to preserve it. Vegetables were grown & stored in the cellar. Other supplies arrived every 6 months. The buildings have all been restored but doors & windows are unfortunately falling into disrepair again.

An insight into the isolated lonely life of the telegraph operator in the early history of Australian pioneers.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Mt Isa to Tennant Creek

One of the big road trains here in the outback. This one has four trailers coming from a mine near Mt Isa.

 

 

 

 

We finally crossed the border into NT three weeks travelling - luckily we are not in a hurry. There are graffiti critters about even in the outback.

The Barkly tablelands are beautiful grazing country and the largest cattle stations in the world are found here. Property sizes are 100s of kms in size.

 

The road goes on & on. Once again we crossed the grassy plains. I love this country with the wide open spaces. The road is excellent except for one patch as you cross into NT. which is being upgraded now.

The traffic has been minimal, most road trains seem to be heading east. The Grey Nomads are on the road but still not marauding hordes.

 

 

 

Unfortunately we passed someone's dream trip come to an end with both the car & caravan upended on the side of the road. The caravan was splintered with internal fittings scattered like match sticks. A sickening sight!

The speed limit in The Territory. The roads are good & straight but fatigue & boredom would be the enemy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We sit on about 90km per hour, or should I say, the Pilot sits on that speed while the copilot checks the scenery.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Mt Isa

Mt Isa is a mining town in every sense of the word with Mt Isa Mines situated right in the town. The shopping centre is virtually on its doorstep. This is one of the largest lead-silver mines in the world.

 

 

 

Driving into The Isa the first thing you see as you come through the valley in the red hills that surround the town is the smelter stacks. The tall stack is the highest free standing structure in Australia.

 

 

 

 

The structure on the left is above an underground mine that is open for tours. After donning neck to knee overalls, a hard hat, boots & head lamp with battery pack (about 3kg) to attach to your belt We entered into a lift & descended 30 mts underground.

Guided through the myriad of tunnels that all look the same to us the guide explained & demonstrated various bits of equipment including a simulated explosion. Turning off the headlamps you could not see your hand an inch from your nose. A good tour - not for the claustrophobic!

 

 

The town is situated in a cauldron of red hills. It was 34deg when we were there so I can imagine summer would be oppressive & outdoor living impossible. Lake Moondarra is a nice man made water park not far from town. Unfortunately no camping allowed out there.

 

 

 

 

The caravan park in town was an experience. Some of the "locals" living over the back fence had a big party first night we were there. Music went to 4am then some shouting & obscenities from other neighbours to "Shut the f... Up" for another 10 mins while the 100 or so dogs living in ear shot thought they would also join in at that stage. At least the music collection was a good mix of new & old country, it was just that I didnt feel like joining the chorus of Bar Room Roses at top decibel at 4am.

The park had lots of trees & dirt. While amenities were clean there were a lot of orders on signs. eg.

Don't use bent coins in machines you won't get a refund. (They were also the most expensive washing machines we have encountered)

*Don't ring bell out of hours for refund of key deposit . No refund will be given.... & so on.

After the serenity of the night on the lake this was a complete contrast. All part of the experience & the vanners in the park had a common talking point in the morning.

This sign post is on top of the lookout & with all due respect to townspeople I think even the South Pole would be preferable at times.

The Rodeo in Mt Isa is the third biggest in the world - now that would be an experience! I'd like to be there for that!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Winton to Clem Walton Park near Cloncurry.

 

 

 

Leaving Winton behind we headed out across grassy plains towards Cloncurry. The straw coloured grass and big open blue skies have a beauty of their own as they go on forever and meet on the horizon in a dusty haze.

 

 

 

 

Surprisingly after miles of plains some red coloured "jump ups" sprout from parched rocky ground. The area relies on the monsoon rains from the gulf in summer but this year the rains didn't eventuate.

 

 

 

We had been warned about the road trains but so far the roads have been good & the trucks, other than one white line lover, no problem. The biggest danger has been road kill. You will see a black patch in the distance which, as you get closer morph into a flock of hawks devouring their bloody feed. Eventually they leave their dinner for the sky & it is only then you tell on what side of the road is the carcas. Luckily we have been able swerve around the bloated bodies of mostly roos without having to play dodgems with oncoming traffic.

 

We stopped for a look at the Blue Heeler pub in Kyuna which also claims to be a site where Banjo Patterson first performed Waltzing Matilda. This pub was established in the 1860's as a stopover for Cobb & Co. The tradition continues with rooms available and a caravan park behind it.

The Walkabout pub made famous by Crocodile Dundee was down the road at Mckinley. Talk about wasted entrapenereal opportunity? The fake facade probably erected for the movie is more reminiscent of the USA Wild West. The pub, inside & out is painted dull pale grey.A few faded photos from the movie hang in the pool room which has a chrome & purple coin operated 1/2 size pool table as its feature. The bar has no memorabilia at all & other than a cold beer, thats is all that is on offer,not even a G'day. We couldn't believe that the opportunity to create an iconic outback pub on the main route to Darwin was missed!

 

 

After leaving the flat country for some rocky hillsides we found a beautiful overnight stop at the Clem Walton park opposite the Corella Dam wall. Other than three other campers all in the distance we had the place to ourselves. The sunset ( never get sick of those sunsets) was beautiful and a variety of birds, including black swans, pelicans, brolgas , ducks & other birds unknown, nested for the night on the small island in front of us. A magic night & it was free.

 

 

The country we travelled today was beautiful in its contrast, from the dry plains, rocky hills to the serene sunset on a man made lake.

Australia really is an amazing country.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Winton, home of Waltzing Matilda

The unofficial national anthem "Waltzing Matilda" was penned at nearby Dagworth Staion by Banjo Patterson in 1895. The Waltzing Matilda centre pays homage to the history of the song. You can listen to the many & varied versions of the song. Probably the most resounding version was recorded live at the 1987 Rugby Union World Cup in Sydney when the crowd of 104,00 sang along to the chorus. It is amazing & typical of Aussies backing the loser, that a song about a down & out swagman stealing a sheep & committing suicide rather than face imprisonment when confronted by the squatter & the troopers has become legendary & is sung all around the world by Australians as a tune identifying us more than our National Anthem.

 

 

 

 

The rest of the museum is a fascinating collection of historical items from trains to bottles, farming equipment to hospital implements. Certainly worth a couple of hours roaming through the various rooms & sheds. A museum with lots to look at & not too much to read. Tony even found the car that he learnt to drive in. An old 1963 Vauxhall belonging to his Pop.

 

 

 

Recognised the style of a painting hanging behind the entrance desk to the centre & the attached sign confirmed it was painted by Peter Mortimer. We use to frame Peters' paintings back in Dubbo. His paintings capture the iconic outback landscape & its horsemen with a modern presentation. He has won many awards including a couple of Winton art prizes.

 

 

 

 

We stayed at the Tatts caravan park across the road from the pub. A good little park, a patch of grass on each site, free washing machines ( a rarity & good chance to catch up on the washing) & clean amenities. Steaks at the pub are more the size from dinasours than cattle. A nice old pub where the publican has created a great outback pub atmosphere with lots of memorabilia.

 

We shook ourselves out of bed for the ANZAC Dawn Service at 5.30am. Something we have always been going to do, so with a mild temperature & a short walk to the Cenotaph it was as good an opportunity as any to attend this moving ceremony. Not many old diggers but a good crowd & a nice ceremony.

The march down the Main Street featured an old army tractor that a Gympie guy had found out in Winton, restored & promised to drive it back twice for the ANZAC march. In his interview on ABC he said he was glad he didn't have to drive it out again as this was the second time so his promise was fulfilled.

A good turn up for the march, including mums & dads pushing prams, lots of kids, the pony club & schools. I guess that didn't leave too many of the towns population left to line the street?

 

20 km out of town is the "Age of the Dinasour " museum. Set on top of one of the many mesas (jump up) the building is part of the landscape. A modern sculptural building rising from the harsh terrain it is made with rough cement walls, coloured & textured to look exactly like the rocky ground. It is worth the trip out to see.

This is a working museum where staff & volunteers are involved in the recovery of the fossils from the property where they were discovered. Then begins the painstaking task of drilling with an instrument like a larger dentist drill through the hard rock to unearth the fossil parts, identify them & then reconstruct the pieces together like a giant jigsaw. The two dinasours they are working on are called Banjo & Matilda. These are the only two of their species to be found in the world. They were found together in the same area, the assumption being one got stuck in mud & the other tried to eat him. The fossils are their bodies from the hips down indicating the rest of the bodies just rotted away while the legs fossilised in the mud. This is theory only & open for disagreement. Further south is the Lark Quarry, home of preserved tracks of the only known dinasour stampede 93 million years ago.

 

 

The scenery was pretty amazing from the top of the mesas. They form a chain, rocky, red & with hardy trees & shrubs. Either side of the mesas the country opens up to flat grassy plains in complete contrast .

 

 

 

The small town of Winton has a lot of interest for the traveller along with a couple of good watering holes.

Now the flies, did I mention the flies? Up on the mesas they are there in 1000's!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Camping in Longreach, home of Stockmans Hall of Fame

Free camp in Longreach is just out of town near the "longreach" of the Thompson river. Lots of vanners & motorhomes coming & going. Funny how vanners are like sheep & line up beside each other even when there is acres of vacant land! This is a good quiet free camping spot, toilets, and not too far to town. Plenty of flat ground for parking.

Now did I mention the flies? There are a few.

At the Stockmans hall of fame various levels are dedicated to the first explorers, the drovers, rodeo riders & squatters. The wives of the early explorers are also remembered with personal stories. They certainly did it tough in the outback living in tents & timber huts with little social contact. God knows the food would have been basic & water precious.

An outdoor show at the same venue about training horses & dogs was an insight how one man trains with kindness. It was really well explained how the drover works with his his animals & the gear he carries. This bloke had plenty of jokes, songs & information. He was good value. Had his family with him for winter in Longreach but normally lives near Finley.

Unfortunately I was called up to "help" in the show with a couple of pigs. Don't think my heart was in it to try to catch them! Bit of fun anyway.

QANTAS started operations in Longreach after a couple of Pilots from WWII saw the need for an aircraft service in the outback to cover the huge distances that took days by car or horse & near impossible in wet weather. The Flying Doctor Service also started with the same needs in the outback.

 

From this small operation grew the big operation of today. The display of QANTAS uniforms through the ages was interesting. The mini skirts of the 70's were a bit of a hoot & brought back memories of "how high can they go?".

This early plane carried three passengers inside & the pilot outside so he could see where he was going. No instruments then!

 

 

 

The comfy seats on early QANTAS. Well that hasn't changed much?

Me on the Douglas. I flew to Coonamble on these planes in the 1960's. I remember them as very noisy with not a lot of room in the seats especially when I had a big fat man next to me on one flight. I know I was scared stiff of crashing all the way there.

 

I was hoping to find a movie made in Coonamble in the 1980's in which the locals starred including Aunty Mary & Aunty Nance dressed in period costume. Talking to the curator Tom shed some light. He knew of the movie clip & thought it was made in 1986 as an add. He knew it hadn't been made in Longreach because of the difference of the windsock on the front of the hangar so he was pleased to find out the location. A bit disappointing not to see it in the archive films though.

Longreach is a very nice country town, worth stopping and taking in the sights.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Tourist Attractions in Longreach

Kinnon & Co are a Longreach family who have taken advantage of the tourism industry in the area. After suffering through drought on their property they decided to add to their income by setting up some innovative attractions in town.

They run a river cruise on the Thompson River with an old paddle steamer at sunset, followed by a light show reflected on the river & a film about Harry Readford alias Captain Starlight . The film is cleverly done with several scenes in a book of paintings. The characters step from the book & become lifelike in genuine scenery as they tell the story of Starlights big cattle heist & drive to Sth Australia.

A meal of beef stew and apple pie follows while the irrepressible barefoot poet, Scotty, entertains with his Aussie bush poems. Scotty was injured in a fall from a horse as a young man. He spent 7 months in a coma which resulted in him having a balance problem. He found by being barefoot he had a better grip on the earth and so he never wears shoes. This resulted in him losing his government job as rules became stricter with HPWS. Scotty then set up a lawn mowing run & once again buearocracy caught up with him after a few years and looked like stealing his job because of his bare feet. With a little initiative & adaptation he has some specially constructed steel cap boots that allow him to continue his business. It was a pleasure to meet this bloke, he is a dinkum Aussie and I think if he was your friend it would be a faithful life long friendship.

 

The station store in town is Kinnon & Co's other entertainment venue. A shop well stocked with clothing, gifts & tasteful souvenirs fill the front rooms. A cafe & cinema room are in the back. The back yard is the scene for a skit based around the Captain Starlight story. The skit involves plenty of Aussie slapstick humour and the Kinnon boys along with their dad are the actors. When we visited, the old play had been adapted this year because one of the boys had grown & could no longer be the scrawny kid he was last year. It was still a bit raw which only made it funnier as they add libbed through parts. The animals involved were horses, chooks & a couple of dogs behaving badly doing what dogs shouldn't have been doing in front of an audience. We enjoyed the show & had a good laugh. Don't expect a slick production, & it is all the better for it, just good old fashioned entertainment .

A Cobb & Co coach ride on the 30,000 acre town common followed the show. A bit of a gallop with some history about the Cobb & Co company was an insight into a time gone by. Travel was not that comfortable with dust,flies & plenty of bumps on narrow straight backed seats. Cobb & Co runs were franchised out. They took the concept to Sth Africa where it failed because of hold ups. Not only were the passengers robbed but the horses were stolen as well. With the advent of the motor industry they turned to a trucking business in Australia which ended up sending the company into bankruptcy.

Scones & tea followed in the outdoor cafe served by daughter Annabel dressed in period costume. We then watched the old movie Smiley Gets A Gun. While intending to watch it for 10 minutes it got us in & we watched the lot. Once again it was just good old fashioned simple entertainment for all the family.

Longreach is a nice town with modern amenities while retaining its outback country flavour. The saddlery down the road from The Store is worth a visit as is the drapery shop near the Kinnon & Co office. While selling 2013 merchandise its fit out was complete with its original layout, fixtures & fittings

We enjoyed our stay in Longreach & the Kinnon family were a pleasure to meet,

Nice country folk through & through.

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Barcaldine, Labour Party & Tree of Knowledge

The structure surrounding the Tree of Knowledge is an imposing & incongruous site as you drive into Barcaldine. In the middle of a wide country street there is a large wooden pannelled box hovering in the air. Your first reaction is "What?". The now dead tree, was the meeting place of the striking shearers in 1891 & ultimately the Labour Party was born from this strike. The tree was poisoned by an unknown person in 2006 but a clone was planted in 2005 & is growing in the garden of the Australian Workers Heritage Centre.

 

 

The shearers obviously liked a beer after their hot & back breaking work. Of eleven pubs, six remain in the Main Street. A cold beer would still be welcomed by locals & travellers. Not sure what the population is but lucky to be 1700 people so they must all still have a good thirst.

 

 

 

The Artesian Hotel is another iconic pub. Opposite is the windmill that was the erected in Qld on the first free flowing bore.

 

 

 

The Workers Heritage Centre was interesting, housing displays depicting various occupations of working men & women in a series of old relocated buiuldings. The Telegraph & Post Office display held particular interest for Tony & I as my Dad was a postman in horse & buggy days as well as operating morse code as an essential service in Australia during the World War II. Tony's mum & my sister were both telephonists in the days of moving & changing the plugs in the board to manually connect the caller to the number. These girls knew all the local gossip & scandals even though they weren't allowed to listen in.

 

Early telephonists - a bit before Dulcies era!

Tony in the old school room. It's a bit scary when this type of school room & furniture is part of our history. We both sat at desks similar to these & learnt to write with a nibbed pen & ink pot before the Biro pen was invented. Memories of smudged letters, ink spots & the boys dipping the end of the plaits of the girl sitting in front, punishable by a few swats of the cane, are very clear! God! Our lives are becoming, or should I say, have become museum relics

So from this outback town & the shearers strike there has been a big impact on the history of Australia & I guess indirectly on all of our lives.

This is probably as close Tone would get to the Labour Party these days!

 

Posted with Blogsy