We are really enjoying this station stay as it’s peaceful and relaxing. It’s very outback and quite dry with picturesque tree lined creeks and beautiful sunsets.
The weather has been great - cool nights and mornings which is great for a camp fire, and warm days about 27degrees. We’ve had some success bird watching, spying more brolgas and some spinifex pigeons so that’s kept us happy. This station has some history associated with Banjo Patterson’s Waltzing Matilda, as he evidently first put the words to piano music at the homestead here. Not such pleasant history is the shearer’s strike which began here in the late 1880’s. The shearing shed was torched but fortunately rains extinguished the flames before it was destroyed. The shearing shed standing here now can’t be the original one as it’s too small and too modern. These days the station carries few sheep - the locusts ate the pastures last year so the numbers are only about 400 now. The old homestead is beautiful and set in lovely gardens and the old stone buildings are being preserved.
We enjoyed a day in Winton and were surprised to see the lovely main street as last time we were through, it was music festival time and the streets were blockaded and we bypassed it.
The buildings are lovely and we enjoyed a yummy lunch - of Gulf barramundi - (as you do when inland!) at the North Gregory Pub. We could have been anywhere in the world!
We visited the lovely new Waltzing Matilda Centre - the original one burned down in 2015 so they have done a remarkable job building and resourcing this new centre.
We certainly do have some changes in our travel plans! We sadly missed my Mums 102nd birthday and Marg & Brian’s special celebrations but as luck has it, we are able to celebrate with Anne & Greg for Anne’s special day! The proposed gathering at Port Douglas was of course cancelled for nearly everyone - but Anne & Greg are still able to travel to Queensland and Andrew in Brisbane can -and we actually aren’t that far away so off to Port Douglas we’ll head. How lucky are we? Many thanks to Trev & Sandy who are prepared to hold the fort a little longer than we thought! Maybe when we return the borders will be open and we’ll be able to see family and friends! We certainly hope so as even though we’re having a great time touring around, we do miss the special people in our lives. Take care everyone, and stay safe.
❌❌❌❌❌❌ Marg & Darryl.
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