Dear Famly and Friend
We have been warmly welcomed back into the Willows Gemfields by everyone that we have been able to see in just the few days since our arrival. Ricky, Sharon and Jessica along with their pets Georgie, Groovy, Puppet, Shitty Kitty and Wobbles and Casper (who looks very much like Amos, Sharon and Nath's Cat (prior to Roman) when he was just a kitten, and sleeps in the same weird positions as Amos did) have made us feel very much at home.
We are in for a good time over "Gem Fest" which goes from 11th to the 14th Aug and is actually held in the "School of Arts Hall and the Allen King Memorial Park" at Anake. One of the key attractions is undoubtedly the "Jewels of the Outback Exhibition" which features rare and exceptional sapphires, many that can only ever be seen at Gemfest. Can't wait to see some of them.
We were very privileged to have been able to see close up three of these sapphires. One green Sapphire we saw was valued at over $8,000 and it will soon be featured in a gem magazine.
The night before we left Jericho our generator started to make an awful noise and Ken really thought it would be unrepairable so we were in a quandry as to what we would do. It cost us around $1800 and we didn't like the idea of having to buy a new one. So when we got to Emerald on Tuesday we found a repair place that would look at it. Thankfully we got a phone call a couple of days later telling us that it was a bolt off the fan had come loose and that was causing the awful noise. Weren't we happy with that phone call.
Before we arrived here we spent two nights in Emerald where we stocked up on food and did laundry.
Friday night sees a few of the locals and a few ring ins like us and people from the two caravan parks rock up to the community centre for a night of entertainment, mostly karoke, pool or whatever. Last night there would have been around 25 in all who came along. The centre opens Sat and Sun nights as well and light meals are served. Tonight it's meat pie, potato and mushy peas. since we were last here they have now put in an outdoor fire to sit around. It was made by one of the locals and it looks a bit like a pot belly stove. Throws out a good heat.
Barry, Ken's mate from a longway back arrived the day after us and his van is backed up near ours so it works out really good for all of us. I have a lovely place to sit in the mornings where I can catch the early morning sunshine.
We are heading off soon so that's it for now.
Love to one and all
God Bless
Ken and Lyn.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Photos
Mouse and John outside their tent. their tent is designed for warm weather thus the openess with the fly screen. it had another cover which went over the top which made it warmer. Never the less they found it a bit on the cold side. After leaving us they were heading north to warmer weather.
Jericho
Dear Family and Friends
It's now more than a week since we pulled in at Jericho. There continues to be around 30 vans per night. We are lucky to be right beside the river as it has given us a chance to watch the birdlife and their daily habits have been interesting. The larger birds come swooping in taking fish right out of the water then landing on the bank before devouring it with relish. There are wo small ducks that float around each day and from time to time two larger ducks float on by, we presume theyare the parents of the younger ones. Their are two large cormorant birds that seem to play together in the aafternoons as they sweep down and around the part of the river where we are, They look to be playing chases as they fly around. On land we seem to see a few Willy Wagtails, Butcher Birds and Apostle Birds and twice now we have seen two wild budgerigars one a pale blue and the other predominantly blue with yellow. Both beautiful.
We have also had the pleasure of a cat who has made itself at home with us. We have named it Ginger. It began by coming in the evenings at around six o'clock so we assumed that it may have been enclosed during the day and let out at night when it's owner came home from work. It would be gone in the morning. After a couple of days it suprised us by being on our chairs in the morning. It would sit on our laps and make itself quite at home. It dived for the van door whenever it was opened, which made us think that it may have been left behind by someone in a van. It was very clean and desexed and flea free. for a couple of nights it evidently didn't go home as we could tell it had been on one of our chairs. I started feeding at a couple of days ago as it was slightly on the thin side and by this time I knew that someone else here have fed it also.
Mouse (tell you more about John and Mouse's visit here shortly) made enquiries at the local pub when she went in to buy some milk and was told that it belonged to someone who had recently moved from the area. Mouse was told it was left with a neighbour but they didn't know if they were looking after it. It has been missing both afternoons yesterday and today so it goes somewhere, would love to have it as it is a lovely cat and jumps on your lap when you sit down but obviously we can't take it with us so when we go it has to stay but untill then I will enjoy its presence.
Mouse and John are on holidays and have caught up with us while we were here at Jericho. They have their tent and camped here beside us for a couple of nights. It was good to catch up with them. We had a good time with them here, We went on a drive with them to see the local sights (not much to see unfortunately) and checked out the local airstrip as a possible stop over when
John does his yearly flying hoiday.
We plan to leave her either tomorrow or Tuesday, not sure which.
That's it for now
Love to one and all
Ken and Lyn
It's now more than a week since we pulled in at Jericho. There continues to be around 30 vans per night. We are lucky to be right beside the river as it has given us a chance to watch the birdlife and their daily habits have been interesting. The larger birds come swooping in taking fish right out of the water then landing on the bank before devouring it with relish. There are wo small ducks that float around each day and from time to time two larger ducks float on by, we presume theyare the parents of the younger ones. Their are two large cormorant birds that seem to play together in the aafternoons as they sweep down and around the part of the river where we are, They look to be playing chases as they fly around. On land we seem to see a few Willy Wagtails, Butcher Birds and Apostle Birds and twice now we have seen two wild budgerigars one a pale blue and the other predominantly blue with yellow. Both beautiful.
We have also had the pleasure of a cat who has made itself at home with us. We have named it Ginger. It began by coming in the evenings at around six o'clock so we assumed that it may have been enclosed during the day and let out at night when it's owner came home from work. It would be gone in the morning. After a couple of days it suprised us by being on our chairs in the morning. It would sit on our laps and make itself quite at home. It dived for the van door whenever it was opened, which made us think that it may have been left behind by someone in a van. It was very clean and desexed and flea free. for a couple of nights it evidently didn't go home as we could tell it had been on one of our chairs. I started feeding at a couple of days ago as it was slightly on the thin side and by this time I knew that someone else here have fed it also.
Mouse (tell you more about John and Mouse's visit here shortly) made enquiries at the local pub when she went in to buy some milk and was told that it belonged to someone who had recently moved from the area. Mouse was told it was left with a neighbour but they didn't know if they were looking after it. It has been missing both afternoons yesterday and today so it goes somewhere, would love to have it as it is a lovely cat and jumps on your lap when you sit down but obviously we can't take it with us so when we go it has to stay but untill then I will enjoy its presence.
Mouse and John are on holidays and have caught up with us while we were here at Jericho. They have their tent and camped here beside us for a couple of nights. It was good to catch up with them. We had a good time with them here, We went on a drive with them to see the local sights (not much to see unfortunately) and checked out the local airstrip as a possible stop over when
John does his yearly flying hoiday.
We plan to leave her either tomorrow or Tuesday, not sure which.
That's it for now
Love to one and all
Ken and Lyn
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Ilfracombe to Jericho
Dear Family and Friends
Ilfracombe is a small town just 30 klms out from Longreach. Our only reason for going there was to catch up with some washing. We decided to stay there rather than go further was that someone at White Cliffs said that it was a good park. It is a little town doing what they can to get people to stay there. The town is probably best known for their mile long display of old machines. One piece of machinery is said to be one of three left in the world.
There is also a house that gets opened up every afternoon by volunteers. The owners of the house raised a number of children with the last one dyeing in 1990's. The house was shut up and nothing has been touched from that day to this. Inside it looks more like "the Little house on the Praire" with a few mod cons such as a mangle for the washing and a slow combustion stove. Everything in the cupboards remains as it was and we could could see old jelly packets and bex powders sitting on a shelf. One of the surprises was that they had a writing desk that was probably a Circa 1920's with writing materials and paper and outstanding accounts ready to be paid. Photos still hang on the wall just as the beds have their old quilts and covers on them.
The other two things we looked at in Ilfracombe was a display of bottles of all shapes and sizes and a gun collection that was housed near the mile of machines.
From there we went to a free camp spot on the LLoyd Jones Weir. We were able to meet up with Ken's cousin Jean and her husband Ray. We were going in opposite directions so we spent the night there before making our way up to Lake Dunn. We spent only one night here as on the first morning we awoke to grey clounds, thunder and a prediction of rain which would have been OK as we had sufficient supplys with us. Except that before long everyone was packing up and heading out and as the ground was dark soil that bogs with just a short shower of rain we decided to pack up and leave rather be stuck there for a couple of weeks and maybe even longer.
From Lake Dunn we came to Jericho where we are now and again Jericho is a small town trying to keep there little town going. This is a lovely spot on the Jordan Creek and caravans come and go each night and morning, give or take there are 30- 40 vans here each night. Their is also a larger dam about a 100klms north by the name Lake Galilee, quite a little biblical area.
Alpha is just 50klms from here and we will spend a night or two there before going on to Emerald and then backtracking to Willows Gemfields.
When we arrived at Ilfracombe the owner Cathy said that they have a communal happy our from 6 to 7 each evening. She said to Ken people start coming down to the shed where it was held as early as 5.15pm and if we wanted to get a seat be early and come with your own drinks and nibbles. We rocked up around 5.30 and people flowed in right up to 6pm. Every seat was taken and late comers sat on benches that lined the walls and some had to go home and get their own seats. There would have beenevery bit of 60 turn up. What a happy hour that turned out to be. Cathy, the owner, gave general info on the local area and what was good to see and how you could book tours etc. She told a few jokes and then did some bush poetry written largely by a local. These poems were written about the outback including one about caravaners which had us all laughing our heads off. Some of the poems were quite long but she never missed a beat repeating them. We were told that the following night her husband would do happy hour and they would take turns, even their children participated. It was a great night and we were tempted to stay on just to see what happy hour would include.
News wise that's it for now
Love to one and all
Ken and Lyn
Ilfracombe is a small town just 30 klms out from Longreach. Our only reason for going there was to catch up with some washing. We decided to stay there rather than go further was that someone at White Cliffs said that it was a good park. It is a little town doing what they can to get people to stay there. The town is probably best known for their mile long display of old machines. One piece of machinery is said to be one of three left in the world.
There is also a house that gets opened up every afternoon by volunteers. The owners of the house raised a number of children with the last one dyeing in 1990's. The house was shut up and nothing has been touched from that day to this. Inside it looks more like "the Little house on the Praire" with a few mod cons such as a mangle for the washing and a slow combustion stove. Everything in the cupboards remains as it was and we could could see old jelly packets and bex powders sitting on a shelf. One of the surprises was that they had a writing desk that was probably a Circa 1920's with writing materials and paper and outstanding accounts ready to be paid. Photos still hang on the wall just as the beds have their old quilts and covers on them.
The other two things we looked at in Ilfracombe was a display of bottles of all shapes and sizes and a gun collection that was housed near the mile of machines.
From there we went to a free camp spot on the LLoyd Jones Weir. We were able to meet up with Ken's cousin Jean and her husband Ray. We were going in opposite directions so we spent the night there before making our way up to Lake Dunn. We spent only one night here as on the first morning we awoke to grey clounds, thunder and a prediction of rain which would have been OK as we had sufficient supplys with us. Except that before long everyone was packing up and heading out and as the ground was dark soil that bogs with just a short shower of rain we decided to pack up and leave rather be stuck there for a couple of weeks and maybe even longer.
From Lake Dunn we came to Jericho where we are now and again Jericho is a small town trying to keep there little town going. This is a lovely spot on the Jordan Creek and caravans come and go each night and morning, give or take there are 30- 40 vans here each night. Their is also a larger dam about a 100klms north by the name Lake Galilee, quite a little biblical area.
Alpha is just 50klms from here and we will spend a night or two there before going on to Emerald and then backtracking to Willows Gemfields.
When we arrived at Ilfracombe the owner Cathy said that they have a communal happy our from 6 to 7 each evening. She said to Ken people start coming down to the shed where it was held as early as 5.15pm and if we wanted to get a seat be early and come with your own drinks and nibbles. We rocked up around 5.30 and people flowed in right up to 6pm. Every seat was taken and late comers sat on benches that lined the walls and some had to go home and get their own seats. There would have beenevery bit of 60 turn up. What a happy hour that turned out to be. Cathy, the owner, gave general info on the local area and what was good to see and how you could book tours etc. She told a few jokes and then did some bush poetry written largely by a local. These poems were written about the outback including one about caravaners which had us all laughing our heads off. Some of the poems were quite long but she never missed a beat repeating them. We were told that the following night her husband would do happy hour and they would take turns, even their children participated. It was a great night and we were tempted to stay on just to see what happy hour would include.
News wise that's it for now
Love to one and all
Ken and Lyn
Monday, July 11, 2011
Longreach Pictures
The Planes at the Qantas Founders Museum 
From a different position
From a different position
The Australisn Stockman's Hall of Fame
Longreach Pictures
The ringer statue at the Stockman's Hall of Fame
Cows yoked together as they demonstrated how they drag a log to the big cart and how they drag it up on the cart for transport
One of the camels that were there too
These cows used for heavy haulage are enormous. You can see a man inbetween the cows. He is in the process a yoking them together. You can just see the top of his hat. He was every bit of 6ft plus. The second cow black and white cow was humungous.
One of the beautiful sunsets we have seen
Cows yoked together as they demonstrated how they drag a log to the big cart and how they drag it up on the cart for transport
One of the camels that were there too
These cows used for heavy haulage are enormous. You can see a man inbetween the cows. He is in the process a yoking them together. You can just see the top of his hat. He was every bit of 6ft plus. The second cow black and white cow was humungous.
One of the beautiful sunsets we have seen
Longreach
Dear Family and Friends
While everyone in Victoria and NSW have been experiencing very cold, wet, windy and snowy weather we have been basking in sunny Longreach with daytime temperatures in the mid twenties. Unfortunately our night temperatures have been as low as two to four degrees so getting out of bed in the morning has been a bit hard. Thankfully the day warms up quite quickly so the cardigan is dispensed with by the time I sit outside to have my breakfast.
Longreach is recognised as the frontdoor to Queenslands outback. The Thompson River runs by on the outskirts of town. Longreach is smaller than I expected, probably no more than two or three thousand and has a small but adequate shopping area. Tourism is clearly its main attraction with The Stockman's Hall of Fame, Qantas Founder's Museum and The Powerhouse Museum all being within the town's precinct.
We have stayed at a very popular camping area on the Thompson River north of the town on the Winton Rd. There has been anything from 60 to 100 vans here on any of the seven nights we have stayed here. They come in every afternoon and just as many leave every morning, its quite amazing. Many we have spoken to are biding there time before going on the the camel races in Boulia which start next Friday.
One afternoon while we have been here a chap came along and said if we were interested there would be a bit of music happening further down the camping area and we were welcome to come. This chap and his wife were muso's and used to do a bit of work in the pubs and clubs while travelling. Now they just do it every so often when they feel like it. So we decided to go along with about 80 others. They played for a while and people either sang along with them or just listened. Then after a while a couple of bush poets got up and recited some bush poems. One did "Mulga Bills Bicycle"and the other one did a Banjo Patterson one. They were both extremely good. There was also a country and western singer from Tamworth and she did a number of songs and she was very good. A few jokes thrown in and it was a very pleasant evenings entertainment all for nothing.
We are packing up this afternoon ready to leave tomorrow morning after breakfast . We are planning a big day tomorrow, all of 27klms. We need to catch up on washing so we will stay at a little park at a small town called Ilfracombe, just east of Longreach.
Enjoy the Pictures
That's it for now.
Love to one and all
Ken and Lyn
While everyone in Victoria and NSW have been experiencing very cold, wet, windy and snowy weather we have been basking in sunny Longreach with daytime temperatures in the mid twenties. Unfortunately our night temperatures have been as low as two to four degrees so getting out of bed in the morning has been a bit hard. Thankfully the day warms up quite quickly so the cardigan is dispensed with by the time I sit outside to have my breakfast.
Longreach is recognised as the frontdoor to Queenslands outback. The Thompson River runs by on the outskirts of town. Longreach is smaller than I expected, probably no more than two or three thousand and has a small but adequate shopping area. Tourism is clearly its main attraction with The Stockman's Hall of Fame, Qantas Founder's Museum and The Powerhouse Museum all being within the town's precinct.
We have stayed at a very popular camping area on the Thompson River north of the town on the Winton Rd. There has been anything from 60 to 100 vans here on any of the seven nights we have stayed here. They come in every afternoon and just as many leave every morning, its quite amazing. Many we have spoken to are biding there time before going on the the camel races in Boulia which start next Friday.
One afternoon while we have been here a chap came along and said if we were interested there would be a bit of music happening further down the camping area and we were welcome to come. This chap and his wife were muso's and used to do a bit of work in the pubs and clubs while travelling. Now they just do it every so often when they feel like it. So we decided to go along with about 80 others. They played for a while and people either sang along with them or just listened. Then after a while a couple of bush poets got up and recited some bush poems. One did "Mulga Bills Bicycle"and the other one did a Banjo Patterson one. They were both extremely good. There was also a country and western singer from Tamworth and she did a number of songs and she was very good. A few jokes thrown in and it was a very pleasant evenings entertainment all for nothing.
We are packing up this afternoon ready to leave tomorrow morning after breakfast . We are planning a big day tomorrow, all of 27klms. We need to catch up on washing so we will stay at a little park at a small town called Ilfracombe, just east of Longreach.
Enjoy the Pictures
That's it for now.
Love to one and all
Ken and Lyn
Windorah Photos
An inquisitive cow interested in us as we camped by the River.
Just one of the five dishes at the Solar Farm.
Dust clearing on the road after we had passed by
Bedourie and Birdsville intersection
One of many amazing panoramic views we saw on our Sundaqy drive
Just one of the five dishes at the Solar Farm.
Dust clearing on the road after we had passed by
Bedourie and Birdsville intersection
One of many amazing panoramic views we saw on our Sundaqy drive
Windorah Photos
An old Iron boat abandoned on the banks of the Cooper Creek
Just some of the bird life in and around the Cooper
Barb and Laurie on their way to do some work
Cooper Creek
Charles Sturt quote
Just some of the bird life in and around the Cooper
Barb and Laurie on their way to do some work
Cooper Creek
Charles Sturt quoteWednesday, July 6, 2011
windorah
Dear Family and Friends
We have been without mobile and internet coverage whilst we have been in Windorah with Barb and Laurie, so I will catch up on all that has happened during that time. It was really good to catch up with them. They are well and enjoying themselves living and working in Windorah which apart from being in remote outback QLD, is in the heart of what is known as the Channel Country.
It gets this name because the Cooper Creek which runs on the edge of the town splits and divides itself during the wet season, into a vast tangle of channels, which fill up very quickly covering a huge area of land mass eventually empting itself into Lake Hope in South Australia.
Coopers Creek was named by Charles Sturt in 1845 and the reason he called it a creek and not a river was because at the time he was here it was during the dry season and the water was stagnant and not running. Little did he know that at another time of year it would become a expansive water system of many channels.
Windorah is an aboriginal name meaning "big fish" and lies 35 klms from where the Thompson and Barcoo rivers meet forming Coopers Creek and its many, many channels. Barb and Laurie showed us aerial pictures on the TV of the creek in flood and it is only by air that you get an understanding of these channels and what happens when it is in flood.
On Sunday, the day after our arrival, we went for a pleasant Sunday drive to have a look at this unique and beatutiful landscape. We took with us morning tea and a picnic lunch and all up we covered 500klms. We got a very good idea of how far the Barcoo Shire covers west of Windorah.
Our first stop was known as J.C. ruins which lays 80klm due west of Windorah and was once a thriving community known as Canterbury. All that remains are some of the wood that once was the hotel. Nearby was a small cemetary, a reminder of how hard life was back in the 1800's. Adults, all too young to die and small children not strong enough to fight off illnesses like dysentry and fever.
We also stopped at an old pub out in the middle of nowhere. The old bloke who had it died and thay had an auction and sold off everything. The chap who bought it put a fence around it ands it just sits there going to rack and ruin.
Our journey took us out on the Birdsville Rd to Betoota where we turned north going through a private property then coming back into Windorah on the Diamentia Development Rd.
If we think it remote out here and we have the luxury of cars and planes how much greater that sense of remoteness must have been with only horse and cart to get around.
Barb and Laurie have to go to work each day and when they are in town they come home for morning tea and lunch. On Tuesday when Barb came home she asked if I would like to go with her on a garbage run. This particular day she was just doing the bins located along the banks of the Cooper where many people like to free park. It's a busy little area judging by the amount of rubbish we collected. Clearly free parking brings many tourists to the to the banks of the Cooper Creek and to the little Caravan Park they have in town. It amazed me just how many caravans there were staying in the caravan park each night.
We had a clean up day giving the inside and outside of the car and caravan a good clean though the dust in such a dry area means it won't be clean for long.
From the information centre we picked up a brochure telling us about the various buildings you can see in the town. The school was started in 1888 and this year has just seven pupils. Barb is trying to organise it so that Natalya and Lachlan can come for a visit during the Sept school holidays and if they do it might be possible for them to spend a day in school and experience school in the outback and likewise tell the kids there what school is like for them.
In the middle of Albert St in town there is a large rock with a plaque on it in remembrance of Constable Thomas Callahan, a policeman who perished in 1888 when travelling from J. C. ruins
to Windorah. He lies in an unmarked grave about 40klms out of town.
On the edge of town there is a Solar Farm that is a fairly new govenment initiative progect looking at new ways to produce energy. It consists of five very impressive solar dishes that provide Windorah with their power during sunshine hours. It is a first for QLD and Windorah was chosen for its location because of the number of cloudless days they have throughout the year.
Barb was saying the other day that they have yet to experience a dust storm. In 1987 they had 10 dust storms in the one year making that their all time record for any given year.
Two things I have learnt whilst being in Windorah. The first is that you don't leave an external house or car door open as snakes are fairly common around here including some of Australia's most deadliest and they will go inside uninvited. The second thing is that whenever you go outback in your car you never turn the engine off just incase it won't start again. Laurie said that at times when they go out somewhere for work it is not uncommon for them to leave the engine idling for three or four hours while they complete the job.
We decided we would all go camping down on the Cooper during our last few days together. We headed off late afternoon on Friday and had ourselves set up in no time. We weren't in a public area as Barb and Laurie had arranged for us to be on private land so it was very quiet and peaceful. Bird life is prolific, we spotted Crows, kites, ducks, egrets, cormorants and shags plus some we couldn't name. During the day we often saw wild pigs on the opposite bank of the river and once we saw lots of little piglets which were cute except they are wild and considered a nuisance. We had a roaring fire going each night and spent our nights sitting around it and star gazing.
Barb and Laurie headed back into town on Sunday afternoon and we stayed the extra night before setting off for Jundah, Stonehenge and Longreach. We spent just one night at Stonehenge at a camp spot in the middle of town before heading on to Longreach.
We decided on our way to Windorah, not to go to Willow Gemfields and we would just go straight up to Darwin. but whilst we were with Barb and Laurie we watched a DVD we had bought last year about sapphires and the way they were mined. We realised how much we had been looking forward to seeing our new friends and having a go at finding some sapphires. So we changed our mind and we are going back there and we are now quite excited about seeing everyone. that means we have decided to stay in QLD and head home to spend christmas with the family.
The camp spot we are at is just 4klms north of Longreach on the Winton road. It is a huge camping area and there is probably 60 vans, campers and motorhomes with room for plenty more. Evidently there are often a hundred or more camping here. Because there was plenty of room we gave our neighbours plenty of space between us and them and wouldn't you know it someone came and parked right beside us. so we feel a little cramped
That I think brings us up to date
Love to one and all.
Ken and Lyn
We have been without mobile and internet coverage whilst we have been in Windorah with Barb and Laurie, so I will catch up on all that has happened during that time. It was really good to catch up with them. They are well and enjoying themselves living and working in Windorah which apart from being in remote outback QLD, is in the heart of what is known as the Channel Country.
It gets this name because the Cooper Creek which runs on the edge of the town splits and divides itself during the wet season, into a vast tangle of channels, which fill up very quickly covering a huge area of land mass eventually empting itself into Lake Hope in South Australia.
Coopers Creek was named by Charles Sturt in 1845 and the reason he called it a creek and not a river was because at the time he was here it was during the dry season and the water was stagnant and not running. Little did he know that at another time of year it would become a expansive water system of many channels.
Windorah is an aboriginal name meaning "big fish" and lies 35 klms from where the Thompson and Barcoo rivers meet forming Coopers Creek and its many, many channels. Barb and Laurie showed us aerial pictures on the TV of the creek in flood and it is only by air that you get an understanding of these channels and what happens when it is in flood.
On Sunday, the day after our arrival, we went for a pleasant Sunday drive to have a look at this unique and beatutiful landscape. We took with us morning tea and a picnic lunch and all up we covered 500klms. We got a very good idea of how far the Barcoo Shire covers west of Windorah.
Our first stop was known as J.C. ruins which lays 80klm due west of Windorah and was once a thriving community known as Canterbury. All that remains are some of the wood that once was the hotel. Nearby was a small cemetary, a reminder of how hard life was back in the 1800's. Adults, all too young to die and small children not strong enough to fight off illnesses like dysentry and fever.
We also stopped at an old pub out in the middle of nowhere. The old bloke who had it died and thay had an auction and sold off everything. The chap who bought it put a fence around it ands it just sits there going to rack and ruin.
Our journey took us out on the Birdsville Rd to Betoota where we turned north going through a private property then coming back into Windorah on the Diamentia Development Rd.
If we think it remote out here and we have the luxury of cars and planes how much greater that sense of remoteness must have been with only horse and cart to get around.
Barb and Laurie have to go to work each day and when they are in town they come home for morning tea and lunch. On Tuesday when Barb came home she asked if I would like to go with her on a garbage run. This particular day she was just doing the bins located along the banks of the Cooper where many people like to free park. It's a busy little area judging by the amount of rubbish we collected. Clearly free parking brings many tourists to the to the banks of the Cooper Creek and to the little Caravan Park they have in town. It amazed me just how many caravans there were staying in the caravan park each night.
We had a clean up day giving the inside and outside of the car and caravan a good clean though the dust in such a dry area means it won't be clean for long.
From the information centre we picked up a brochure telling us about the various buildings you can see in the town. The school was started in 1888 and this year has just seven pupils. Barb is trying to organise it so that Natalya and Lachlan can come for a visit during the Sept school holidays and if they do it might be possible for them to spend a day in school and experience school in the outback and likewise tell the kids there what school is like for them.
In the middle of Albert St in town there is a large rock with a plaque on it in remembrance of Constable Thomas Callahan, a policeman who perished in 1888 when travelling from J. C. ruins
to Windorah. He lies in an unmarked grave about 40klms out of town.
On the edge of town there is a Solar Farm that is a fairly new govenment initiative progect looking at new ways to produce energy. It consists of five very impressive solar dishes that provide Windorah with their power during sunshine hours. It is a first for QLD and Windorah was chosen for its location because of the number of cloudless days they have throughout the year.
Barb was saying the other day that they have yet to experience a dust storm. In 1987 they had 10 dust storms in the one year making that their all time record for any given year.
Two things I have learnt whilst being in Windorah. The first is that you don't leave an external house or car door open as snakes are fairly common around here including some of Australia's most deadliest and they will go inside uninvited. The second thing is that whenever you go outback in your car you never turn the engine off just incase it won't start again. Laurie said that at times when they go out somewhere for work it is not uncommon for them to leave the engine idling for three or four hours while they complete the job.
We decided we would all go camping down on the Cooper during our last few days together. We headed off late afternoon on Friday and had ourselves set up in no time. We weren't in a public area as Barb and Laurie had arranged for us to be on private land so it was very quiet and peaceful. Bird life is prolific, we spotted Crows, kites, ducks, egrets, cormorants and shags plus some we couldn't name. During the day we often saw wild pigs on the opposite bank of the river and once we saw lots of little piglets which were cute except they are wild and considered a nuisance. We had a roaring fire going each night and spent our nights sitting around it and star gazing.
Barb and Laurie headed back into town on Sunday afternoon and we stayed the extra night before setting off for Jundah, Stonehenge and Longreach. We spent just one night at Stonehenge at a camp spot in the middle of town before heading on to Longreach.
We decided on our way to Windorah, not to go to Willow Gemfields and we would just go straight up to Darwin. but whilst we were with Barb and Laurie we watched a DVD we had bought last year about sapphires and the way they were mined. We realised how much we had been looking forward to seeing our new friends and having a go at finding some sapphires. So we changed our mind and we are going back there and we are now quite excited about seeing everyone. that means we have decided to stay in QLD and head home to spend christmas with the family.
The camp spot we are at is just 4klms north of Longreach on the Winton road. It is a huge camping area and there is probably 60 vans, campers and motorhomes with room for plenty more. Evidently there are often a hundred or more camping here. Because there was plenty of room we gave our neighbours plenty of space between us and them and wouldn't you know it someone came and parked right beside us. so we feel a little cramped
That I think brings us up to date
Love to one and all.
Ken and Lyn
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