Mary Kathleen Ghost Town, Winton QLD

Not sure if you got this one , now home will update soon

Kangarooing across the bumpy Tablelands Highway (highway?) crossing the floodplain we had a long days travel across the never ending tablelands. Little grass remains across the paddocks as the land waits for the next wet season to restart the cycle.

Passing through dying towns like Camooweal (pop. 310) & McKinley (pop 20) you can't but once again think, the hardy souls out here would have to be born in this environment to cope. The house below in McKinley, walking distance to the Walkabout Hotel, is for sale if anyone's interested.

Passing through Mt Isa we slowly negotiated a very potholed tar road to the ghost town of Mary Kathleen for our overnight stay. All that remains are the tar roads & cement slabs of the carports & commercial buildings. The ghosts didn't visit us thank goodness as we were here alone.

Once again the country around here is harsh & rocky. The dust storms would penetrate every nook & cranny.

 

Winton welcomed us back for another night & we took the opportunity to visit the Lark Quarry where the only dinosaur stampede in the world occurred according to the scientists who have studied the footprints.

 

The building was erected over the exploration site to protect the footprints after they had been uncovered by the archeologists. This internal wall was originally the height of the wall on other side of the building until it fell down 6 months after completion. Luckily the collapse happened at night as it completely wrecked the public viewing area. Of course as per govt projects no one was made responsible with the builder declared bankrupt & engineers & architects passing the buck.

The top layer of rock was removed to reveal the three types of prints. The large prints about the size of a dinner plate visible to the right of the photo.

The small prints vary from bird size to palm print size. Names of the dinosaurs? Can't remember so if any of you really want to know ask Mr Google please.

 

Arriving back at the van & as it was hot dusty day we flicked on the aircon & this was the temperature at the ceiling, not sure it was any cooler at floor level.

Winton, Longreach & all of the far west of QLD is desperate for rain after very little wet season last year. Apparently there are lots of brolgas breeding in NT which is supposed to indicate a good wet this year.

 

 

After a nice meal at the "Tatts" we did a lap of the main before bed time. Pretty safe out here at night & no signs of drunk revellers invading the night.

Racing season is full swing in the outback. The famous Birdsville Races just over & all the little towns with a boutique fully stocked with fashions ready for an excuse to dress to the nines.

Photo through the window of a shop which is stacked from floor to ceilng with everything imaginable. Clothes, boots, toys, hardware, kitchenware, lotto, accessories, manchester & as the sign says Ammo & Guns. Stocktake? Don't think so!

 

The old foyer to one of the few remaining outdoor cinemas. The premier of a new Aus movie (?) staring Jack Thompson & Hugo Weving premieres here in the next few weeks.

Also a big street carnival in town in two weeks starring The Beatlez, The Beach Boyz & Beccy Cole.

Wish I was in town for that!

 

 

 

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Katherine , Daly Waters Pub NT

Spent some time in Katherine, this time not just passing through. Unfortunately I have lost my photos from this stop off my camera & IPod. Bugger !!!! Double BUGGER!!! We paddled the 1st gorge & while it was a nice paddle the scenery was a bit underwhelming compared to the Kimberley. Never the less it was an enjoyable kayak trip. I guess we may be "gorged" out as a lot of travellers comment.

Also visited Cutta Cutta caves which were really nice. It is the only tropical cave in Australia & as it floods each wet season it is the slowest growing cave in Aus. During WWII. Servicemen used some of the stalactites for target practice, the sound of a gun going off would have been horrific let alone the ricochet concern.

 

 

 

 

 

The local indigenous people are out & about in the streets & parks of Katherine everyday, from early morning to evening. Groups of men, womem & kids sit in every patch of available shade. The shade of a building, a tree or even a post, each shadow is sought after. If they are not sitting they are trailing from one group to the next so they can sit again. So many kids are not going to school as well, learning how to sit or trail instead!!! Big problems not sure if there is an answer.

Had another stop over at Daly Waters Pub. This pub has become an icon out here & on many travellers bucket list. Unfortunately we missed the entertainment from the legendary guy called Chilli, apparently he is a real hoot. Too early the first time through & too late the second time.

More Irish Barmaids

Camp Daly Waters

Heading out across the NT we took an alternative route from our trip up to get back to the Barkly H'wy. via Cape Crawford. As you can see in the photos the roads are long & straight.

Diesal price at the aptly named Heartbreak Hotel, Cape Crawford. Break your heart filling the tank at this price!

Over the hill - more of the same.

Water? No a mirage.

Tone on the highway beside our overnight camp site. We looked like being the only campers until late arvo & my mind is thinking - "Peter Falconio", "Wolf Creek", "Ivan Milat". Anyway my nightmares were relieved by some other travellers pulling in for the night.

Another awesome outback sunset.

Sunrise bringing another warm day.

The paddocks across the Barkley tablelands go on forever. You could stand & turn 360 deg & this is the view to the horizon in all direction. Everything had dried out in the months since we first travelled these roads.

Cattle in the "long paddock" grazing on what they can find. Roadside kill of these animals is common. Their faces sometimes registering the instant & agony of their death, with flared gums & wild eyes, others not knowing what hit them. Hundreds of miles are littered with bleached scattered bones. white from the scorching sun & picked dry by the hawks & eagles. The carcasses of the dead cattle become like some macabre dried skin vessel, as the top half & innards are devoured by wildlife leaving an empty container after the feasting is finished.

Nearly back in QLD after our long trek to the west coast.

Gee, the Pacific Ocean is starting to drag us home.

 

 

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Broome WA towards Sunny Coat QLD

After exploring the top end of WA we leave the Broome & the Kimberley on the first trip towards home. Even though we are 5000 kms away we feel like we are on the way.

I heard this saying the other day "While it s hard to live in the Kimberley it is harder to leave it".

 

 

 

 

It is a beautiful area with the earth colours such a brilliant red it is hard to believe sometimes it 's natural. To live & farm here in the early days of isolation would have been extremely difficult. It is still isolated & seasons extreme but with technology, motor vehicles & improved roads life for the settlers in not as hard. The indigenous people who were displaced by the first cattle farmers must have found it extremely difficult. Especially when their water holes were overtaken & they were cut off from their traditional lands, water & religious areas. There were massive massacres on both sides with little understanding of each others needs. Not so sure anything has changed much!

This is the most interesting part of the landscape in nearly 200kms. Talk about white line fever!

While we have been over here there have been two head ons on single lane bridges despite good visibility. Two semis & a semi & " fourbie", both drivers at fault didn't notice the oncoming traffic! Semi-trailer? What semi-trailer?

At least rock Tones didnt see was not that big!

Stopped overnight at a free camp called Mary Pool. Lovely spot beside a river, the river bed dry during this season but it has plenty of water during wet season.

 

Dry river bed

Artwork on a rock near the river

Sunset through a smoky sky

 

In the few months since we travelled across the bush & grass has dried right off & large areas have been burnt or are burning to limit the potential for "hot" fires.

 

 

 

 

 

"Cool" Grass fires

 

Some of the old Boabs that abound, especially around Fitzroy Crossing. These trees have some bizarre shapes & sometimes seem to take on a lifelike appearance, like a strange old man. Lots of these trees have been names & initials carved into the massive trunks by travellers & explorers.

 

 

 

Our trip itinerary went astray at the Bungle Bungles. Planning on a stopover & taking a tour in to the Bungles, instead of driving ourselves & risking tyres on an extremely rough & corrugated road, due to lack of planning ahead (as is normal for us), we discovered we had to wait two days for the next tour. With the outside temperatures a bit warm & a 30knot hot wind blowing across dry dusty ground the Bungles suddenly lost their attraction & we opted to move on.

 

With scenery of lots of dry grass, burnt paddocks & hot gusty winds pushing the van around the arrival in our overnight stop in Kunnunurra on the way to Katherine was very welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

The name of this creek conjures up a desperation for a drink Prefer a wine myself!

 

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Port Samson to Broome WA

On the way back to Broome after completing our WA loop we opted for a station stay at Pardoo Station. A lot of properties have opened up parts of their cattle properties for camping. This is not far from the beach would you believe!

 

A veterinarian drug company were having their national conference & they had a Masterchef comp going amongst their reps with a few station owners coming for the night as judges. A few looked like they knew what they were doing but a few stews were a bit on the watery side & one roast was - well - well done.

No there weren't any Essendon players t the conference.

 

Camp cooking safety boots

Next stop Eighty Mile Beach, a stunning beach & popular caravan park situated right behind the dunes. Unfortunately my camera has died so the IPhone is the substitute camera until my new one arrives in Broome.

At the turn of the high tide this beach is lined with fisherman. The sand is littered with shells, a beachcombers delight.

 

 

 

Unusually the caravan park has a small war memorial erected in remembrance of Vietnam Vets. Many groups of regulars from down south stay here for months throughout winter & create a small town atmosphere with regular markets, concerts and get togetherness raising money for the Royal Flying Doctor.

We attended a concert & there was a guy from the Sunshine Coast QLD who sang a few songs, not bad. As well, we had not one but four different organ recitals all performed without any facial expressions - Liberace & Winifred Attwell they were not! But still their heart was in the right place.

It was all in good fun including a silly skit reminiscent of old fashioned entertainment in days gone by.

 

Unfortunately as I directed Tone into the camping spot I failed to warn him of this rock he had driven past & so we ended up with it stuck under the car as he reversed. I know it was completely my fault as not only should I have been looking to the left of the van, the right of the van, behind the van, in front of the van the right of the car, left of the car but also in front of the car.

"Rock? What Rock?"

 

We would have liked to stay here longer but the wind was gale force & predicted for 5 more days so we opted to head for Broome.

Waiting for the car to be serviced we had another hard week in Broome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This interesting bike was being ridden by a young guy on a big adventure. It was solar powered with panels on the roof, he had an inverter to charge up his electronics, & a hammock is strung between the poles under the roof.

There are certainly some adventurous spirits still in existence. We have passed a lot of bike riders raising money for various charities. A scary option on some roads with road trains & caravaners fighting for space!

One of the bronze sculptures in Broome dedicated to the pearling industry.

It is a shame Broome is so far away, it's a place we really like, who knows, we might get back some day

 

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