Still Waltzing in the Outback

JOURNAL EXCERPT

WEDNESDAY, 24^th April:  Bladensburg NP and the Winton Experience

Leisurely start to the day with some prelim rearranging and packing for the planned move tomorrow.

Today we investigated the ‘Long Waterhole’ on the outskirts of Winton town.  This is a free camping area used by mainly caravanners and motorhomes.  So glad we chose the NP campground.  LW was very dry and dusty, and we soon discovered why there were no campers there this time – the FLIES were there in their millions!! They are bad everywhere in the Outback this year but they were seriously unbearable at the Waterhole. No coffee break here – although we did get a few good bird photos.

Back in Winton we refuelled for the long drive tomorrow and stopped in at the two other attractions included in our Silver Pass – the Corfield and Fitzmaurice building and the Royal Open Air Theatre and Opal Walk. 

The latter attraction is where the world’s largest deck chair is housed – no photo as I left my camera in the car – must have been heat exhaustion!  This attraction also houses a very interesting collection of early film equipment and runs B&W old time movies once a week in the original open air theatre during the peak of the tourist season. The Opal Walk gives an overview of an opal mine and there was an eclectic collection of mining paraphernalia and rough cut opals.  There is also an interesting gift shop called ‘The Wookatook’. The owners were very friendly and helpful and very talented.

The Corfield and Fitzmaurice building is heritage listed and was first opened in 1878. It houses a dinosaur diorama of the Lark Quarry Trackways (our first stop tomorrow) and a wonderful photographic display of the sheep industry in this region.  There is also a display of boulder opal.  Part of the building houses local crafts but beware of the grumpy old dragon on the reception counter – extremely rude and no help at all.

Sunrise at Bough Shed Hole

Winton is also famous for its water supply, with four artesian bores that are about 1.2 km deep.  The water emerges at 83 degrees C and is cooled to 44 degrees C for reticulation into the town water.  So why do they close the local swimming pool at the end of March?

Top Crossing, Bladensburg NP

We gathered a few supplies whilst in town.  No large supermarkets in this part of the world, just a couple of small corner stores.  Store prices were reasonable (for an outback area) but fruit and veg were astronomical.  Check these:  mushrooms $21/kg; tomatoes $10/kg; mandarins $6/kg; bananas $10/kg; broccoli $9/kg; apples $8/kg.  We bought 2 apples, 2 bananas, 2 mandies, 2 tomatoes, 100g grapes, and a small cucumber – total cost - $12.

Back at camp we continued with our ‘house-keeping’, checking our red-claw net and preparing the evening meal.  Over our three day stay we have netted about 14 medium red-claw – very delicious eating.  Our ‘bush-tucker’ has verged on “gourmet” standards – porterhouse steak with gourmet salad; chicken kiev with red-claw salad; roo burgers with red wine jus, gourmet salad with triple brie and red-claw.  Only goes downhill from here guys – baked beans and noodles!

Another beautiful evening and we are the only campers at the NP ground.

THURSDAY, 25^th April – ANZAC Day

What an amazing country this is.  As the first light appeared on the horizon we watched the sun rise over another beautiful landscape. Our thoughts went out to family and friends here and around the world as we reflected on the meaning of this very special ANZAC Day sunrise. A special moment for both of us as we held our own very special ANZAC Dawn Service and thanked all those men and women who lost their lives fighting for peace and freedom.  How wonderful to live in a free country.

Since starting our Outback Adventure 10 days ago, I have been very emotionally moved by the stark beauty of this small part of Queensland.  Many years ago I would express my emotions by writing poetry and it has been a long time since I last put pen to paper for that purpose, but here are some of my reflections on our journey so far.

OUTBACK REFLECTIONS

Miles we travel, not a car in sight

Clear skies and stars, we see at night

Dust and flies what do we care

When the beauty of the Outback is everywhere.

Screeching galahs, and jumping roos

Shy Aussie Bustards, and running Emus

Honeyeaters singing at break of day

All this you’ll see when you travel this way.

As we trundle along in our auto-mobile

Old Man Emu follows for many a mile

Raptors we’ve seen in blue skies above

Some of the things in the Outback I love.

Muddy rivers, and dried up creeks

Cos it hasn’t rained for weeks and weeks

The ground is parched, dusty and dry

But still there is beauty to catch the eye.

(These four verses were written during our stay at Bladensburg NP – 23-25^th April 2013)

END OF JOURNAL EXCERPT