A little less tarmac

Continuing westward, it was not long before we reached the town of Longreach.  We’ve been here before, some nine years ago and how the place has changed.  Before, it was a quiet town.  Sure it had the QANTAS museum, at which we spent an enjoyable and informative morning and the School of the air where we spent an educational afternoon.  The Stockman’s Hall of Fame we more or less missed out.  This visit we skipped the two former and spent the entire morning at the latter.  We were accompanied by busloads of grey nomads queuing for the gift shop and the toilets, but enjoyed the Stockman’s show.  Breaking horses, training horses and explaining how horses were used (and still are used) to round up cattle and sheep from the vast areas of the outback stations was informative, if perhaps presented as something of an entertainment. 

Instead of staying, as originally planned, we decided to move on from the tourists, instead heading on to Winton, setting up camp at the back of the North Gregory Hotel.  This is the place where the song ‘Waltzing Matilda’ was first performed by its lyricist, Banjo Patterson, in 1895.  We learned about the song, how it came to be written and why there are several mysteries associated with it, and of course joined in with the singing of Australia’s unofficial anthem.  All this presented by a chap whose name is Gregory North.  Another of those mysteries apparently.

Winton lays claim to the world’s largest deckchair.  No, don’t ask why, we have no idea!

One of the delights of travelling is meeting fellow travellers.  We met up lovely couple who grow hops in Queensland, the only people who have managed it.  Suffice to say that the evening was enjoyable, social and only gently alcoholic.

Onward and westward.  We’re getting a bit remote now, following the Kennedy Development Road.  Still on tarmac but less of it.  One way that it’s possible to lay a reasonable road at a reasonable cost is to lay a central strip of tarmac with wide strips of dirt road either side.  Normal travel is on the tarmac.  When another vehicle approaches, the idea is to slow down and move partially onto the dirt, resuming the tarmac after passing.  If it’s a road train approaching, then the smaller vehicle clears the tarmac entirely, allowing the road train to continue unhindered.  This has the advantage of not stirring up clouds of dust and stones that can easily shatter windscreens.

Surprisingly, for most of the almost 400 kilometres across the outback scrub, we had cell phone coverage and were surprised when I had a call from one of my Brisbane Seniors On-Line learners with a computer problem.  There’s a distinct danger that Australia is becoming civilised west of the Black Stump.

Parched throats tempted us to stop at Middleton, population 3, the last remaining outstation of Cobb and Co, which ran the fast horse-drawn coach services in the last quarter of the 1800s.  An old coach remains, quietly falling apart.  The pub’s not much better but the ginger beer was cold.

A few cattle, some sheep, various eagles, brolgas (a large crane), two emus and a lone budgerigar with suicidal tendencies were the only wild life to be seen.  Vegetation was sparse, apart from clumps of gums near to the dried-up water courses.  The road was straight and after four and three-quarter hours we pulled into the small town of Boulia.

Kim tackled her ‘outback kitchen’ on the back door of the Land Rover and we enjoyed our evening repast of lamb steaks and veggies, preceded by a G&T with real ice.  Yes, life is definitely getting civilised in the outback.