Dinosaurs and wetlands.

Our stay in Richmond was to primarily learn more about the dinosaur period and we did that at the Kronosatus Korner. 

All of the fossils are real - not casts - and some have been found by ordinary curious people and very observant graziers.. The whole display was well done but it’s hard to believe that 100 million years ago, the area was under sea where dinosaurs roamed the land and prehistoric marine animals ruled the waters. Most interesting was an almost complete fossil of one of these marine animals 

We strolled down the streets of Richmond on the historical walk, and once again it’s hard to imagine how tough life was in pioneering days. We were surprised to read how many buildings were destroyed by fire - one such building burnt down 3 times! We followed the dinosaur way to Winton and found a lovely camp spot just out of  Longreach on the banks of the Darr river. As we watched the river, we imagined those waters flowing into the Thompson River which together with the Barcoo river  combine to form Cooper Creek which eventually in these wet years, runs into Lake Eyre.

At Longreach we filled the fuel tanks, the water tanks and emptied the toilet at this very convenient travellers rest spot before we passed through Barcaldine to Lara Wetlands. 

This is another privately owned operation and offers a lovely tranquil getaway set around a lake.We’ve been watching a mother pink- eared duck care for her very tiny ducklings and other ducks have been prominent.

We did undertake a 5km bush walk that was a far cry from the beautiful rainforest walks - we saw very little wildlife but got our exercise done !

The thermal springs were lovely and warm but there’s a warning not to stay in longer than 15mins. Unfortunately we emerged from the pool just as we entered it - no miraculous reviving or anti aging happened! 

The lake is very shallow and has no hidden dangers lurking so we were confident to try the kayaks out. It was very relaxing to not have to tackle currents or waves. There was however, one very cleverly carved logodile sunning on the banks. 

Tomorrow we leave here and after Blackall will head to Quilpie via Adavale which was severely flooded earlier this year. We love this area and as they are pleading for visitors to return, we will do our bit to boost their economy. All of a sudden, it seems our trip is nearing the end so we are enjoying the warm sunny days and relaxing venues while we can. Until the next episode, we send our love & best wishes. ❌❌❌❌❌❌ from Marg & Darryl.

Cobbold Gorge

We have found another favourite spot - we’ve been hearing and reading about Cobbold Gorge for some years and it certainly lived up to our expectations. It’s a privately owned resort style complex with everything about it presented at an exceptional standard. We were camped in a lovely quiet picturesque site and we took advantage of the infinity pool after a 5km hike to a lookout.

The route from Georgetown to the gorge was so pretty with lots of inquisitive cattle along the way and some pretty river crossings. 

We were very surprised to see these beautiful picnic facilities at Lake Charleston, just out of Forsayth. Unfortunately no camping is allowed here. The shire of Etheridge, is very remote, very large in area but very small in population - only 400 odd ratepayers so we reckon they’d be pretty happy with the tourism created by the Cobbold Gorge and the Undera Lava tubes. 

The only way you can access the gorge is on a tour which we took and loved every bit of it. The tour involved some walking to the top of the gorge then across a glass bridge, allowing for spectacular views. You will notice we all had to wear hospital booties  over our shoes - very classy! 

Our tour was completed with a boat trip up the gorge, which narrows in one place to a boat width. The rock formations were beautiful and we even saw a fresh water crocodile sunning on the bank. 

The money spent on walkways alone - including the glass bridge which cost $1.2million, have made the gorge accessible to most visitors. All in all, we loved our stay and the tour and cannot be impressed enough with the whole place. 

From there we travelled through the tiny towns of Forsayth & Einasleigh and read about the pioneering mining days - how tough those people had it in those days. We saw the Copperfield Gorge and the could see where the waters rose over the rail bridge in the floods earlier this year. Unbelievable really. 

We were unsure if the road to Hughenden was open as it’s been closed for ages due to water damage - it has only just opened to 4WD and we could see why as they are busy laying huge rocks for drainage. This bit was rough but doable. 

To finish off our gorge route, we called at the Porcupine Lookout - we stayed here 5 years ago and had forgotten how spectacular it is. We’ve now entered Dinosaur country - we did a stock up at Hughenden and are now at Richmond. 

We keep in touch with our fellow travellers - Dennis & Tops have been wending their way south and will be at Ipswich tomorrow. Mark & Kerri are still in Cairns - they were there to support Chloe who completed the iron man (or woman) competition yesterday. That’s a huge feather in her cap. We’re noticing the weather is cooling down and last night used our diesel heater and the rug has been more than decorative! But  we guess the 24 degree days are better than down south! We trust all are well and till the next episode, love from Darryl & Marg. ❌❌

 

 

Yungaburra and surrounds

The bonus of coming to this area to stay was that we were able to meet up with Mark & Kerri again and spend a very happy day together. We met at Lake Barrine, which is a crater lake, and walked the 5km circuit around the lake then enjoyed the famous scones & coffee at the tea house. 

On the circuit through dense rain forest, we passed these twin Kauri Pines which are about 1000 years old and huge! 

We then visited Lake Eacham, another crater lake which is set up beautifully for day trippers and was really a lovely spot. We undertook another short walk - well it was supposed to be a short children’s walk but we ended up a little lost and walked a few more kilometres so we ended up with lots of steps for the day! We spied many fish, an eel and these turtles who breathe under water through their bottoms! 

These rainforest walks are just so beautiful and a far cry from our daily walk around the Murray. 
After our walk, we had worn off the scones so headed to Yungaburra for a late lunch - which was too late for the pub and cafes so we ended up buying chips and eating them down by Lake Tinaroo.  The Afghanistan memorial at this southern arm of the lake is very well done and quite moving to read.

We certainly feel very blessed to have spent another day with family - there won’t be any more chances to get together for a while as we’re heading south and they are in Cairns for a little longer. 

We are camped in the private camp ground amongst sugar cane and other crops - and right by the Barron River before it enters Lake Tinaroo. On our morning walk we even saw a couple of elusive platypuses. At night, little marsupials come out to play - and get into rubbish bags if you aren’t careful!

We toured the area and love the pretty Yungaburra township - especially with the beautiful  colourful hanging baskets and pot plants.  We found a swing bridge and looked for more platypus at the viewing area but only saw this one!

The Curtain Fig  tree always amazes us as it’s huge - and to think it’s a parasite which eventually takes over and kills the host tree.

Tomorrow we pack up and head towards the Cobbold Gorge, where we are booked in for a tour on Saturday. We are really looking forward to that as we’ve heard and read so much about this place. We’re gradually bringing out jackets and jumpers and guess soon the shorts will be replaced by jeans! Lucky we have a very efficient diesel heater in our van. We trust everyone is well - till the next chapter of our travels, we send our love ❌❌❌❌

On our own.

It was very sad saying farewell to our traveling companions - in the 5 weeks we’ve had together, we've had so much fun, seen so many things, probably eaten and drunk a bit too much and learnt new things. So it’s very strange to be here in this little town of Almaden  (population last census 41) all by ourselves with only a couple of horses and lots of birds for company. Needless to say, it was a quiet night sitting by our campfire. 

Today we travelled the 30 odd kms to Chillegoe and spent the day there exploring. The Guinea fowls still wander the streets and we checked out the old smelters which are idle and in disrepair now. In the early 20th century, copper, lead, silver and gold were smelted here in what was very up to date technology and engineering. Sad thing is, they never made any  profit from the money invested, but they did open up the area and construct rail routes - some of which are used in tourism today. 

We enjoyed a picnic lunch by the balancing rock which is really amazing - as are the rock formations around.

The caves are a huge attraction at Chillegoe, and we set off with our  torches with every intention of going in at least one - but unfortunately, we didn’t read the map properly and missed the one which may have suited us (it was 15km out of town) . Then when we saw the remaining 2 which were self guided, we both rejected the idea as the entrances were pretty hard to access as you have to scramble over huge boulders and it looked dark and scary! So no cave exploring for us, but we did enjoy the walks. 

Tomorrow we head east towards Atherton where we’ve booked into what looks like a very pretty spot,  with lots to do in the area. Maybe it won’t be quite as quiet there for us! So from Almaden we sign off till the next chapter. ❌❌❌❌❌

This cactus tree at the entrance to the park is very unusual - those are spikes all up the tree - I thought they were fairy lights!