From Bundy to the outback

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  Barcaldine, Queensland, Australia
Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Hello Everyone,

Well we are back on the road again and in for more adventures. From leaving Bundaberg on the 30th June we traveled towards Biloela.  But we had some trouble getting out of the area at first.  On the back road towards Miriam Vale I let Dave in the wrong road and we ended up on a dirt road to nowhere ville.  Soon we were on the right direction again and away.
After arriving in Biloela we had a shower and then it was off to town for a look at the job agencies and then home again for happy hour. Here we stayed in the Cockatoo Caravan park.  This one has changed owners since we were last there.  They have put in  more dongas for the miners and the power station.
The next day we left for the west, towards Rolleston.  We drove through a small place called Bauhinia.  When I say small I mean small, there was a petrol station (the premium unleaded was $144.6 c per litre and Diesel was $136.9 c per litre. No we didn't stop there.  We stopped for smoko at the start of Expedition range, 445m, in the truck stop there.  The thermometer on the fridge said that inside the van was 16 degrees, it was colder outside that's for sure.   When I wound down the window to take a photo, the side of my face was frozen.  Further down the road was a sign that tells you to drive in the middle of the road unless there is someone coming towards you or wanting to pass. Thursday night was Rolleston Caravan park, little but it was nearly full every night.  Along the side of the roads in the paddocks here are plants that we finally found out what they are,  they apparently are Leucaena, a plant grown for cattle fodder but it needs plenty of water to grow and out here there is not always plenty of water.  We always wondered what they were, so we asked.  It grows everywhere here, in some paddocks in rows like cane fields back home.  It supposed to be rich in protein and ideal for fattening cattle.
Friday was a relax day, then that night we went to the local pub for tea, and sat with two other couples from the park, one of them are traveling to Mount Isa.  We had Blade roast with pumpkin, peas and potato.  The potato was scooped out and filled with bacon, onion and sour cream.  There was that much meat, and tender as, on the plate to feed four people.
Saturday we drove out to Carnarvon Gorge for a look.  First we went stopped at a memorial site.  On the 16th of November, 1943 a C47B Dakota aircraft carrying Australian and American soldiers crashed during a voilent electrical storm, with no survivors.   There is a wing section, tail, 2 motors all set in a star on the ground.  From here it was off to explore Mickey's creek gorge a 3klm walk return.  We walked towards there but took a turn off into Warrumbah bluff instead.  It was a cold day though you wouldn't know looking at the way Dave was dressed. I had a shirt, flannelette, and jumper on.  We were told to have a look at the Amphitheatre, so we drove down to the end car park and had a quick visit in the information centre, then off to the tracks.  The scenery here is amazing, the trees and so high you spend half of the time walking around with a bent neck looking upwards.  There are cycads here growing wild that are twice my height which is no surprise, and the palm trees wow. 
The Amphitheatre is a 10klm walk return, the girl in the info centre said 3 one way hah. To get into the Amphitheatre there is four sets of ladders, then a steel walk way through the rock into the centre.  To get back down you have to go down backwards.  I did it and I was surprised as I have a great fear of heights,  there was a lady coming down before we went up and she looked more scared than I did.  When we get in to the centre it is such an amazing place.  The walls are just straight up, small caves in the wall here and there, a tree up the top with a root hanging over the edge.  The fellow next to me said that it had a long way to reach the bottom.  It is a 60m chamber gorged from the rock by water running down,  must of been plenty of water over a long period of time that is for sure, plus there is resounding acoustics too. Some lady was singing Britney Spears, oh what an awful thing, she should have sang someone else.  This place is really worth the long walk, and if you get the chance go there.
From there we drove back to the Baloon cave, a 500m walk this time.  Here there is original hand paintings plus 3 of stone axes too, all blown with orange ochre. At the beginning of the walk is a rock called flat rock, it just about covers the side of the hill there, no ridges just straight up.  So all together we walked about 15klm that day, no wonder we were in bed early and asleep before long.
Sunday was cold again and it was 10 degrees in the van, so apart from washing it was an inside day.  Ready for leaving monday.
Monday was Alpha Caravan park,  they call this the town of Murals, and they are right. We stopped at the bakers the next morning for bread, 4 small peach blossom cakes yum, and the baker gave Dave a fresh out of the oven pumpkin scone, that was lovely and fluffy.
We stopped in Springsure for a whistle stop, at Mt Zamia, see if you can tell if the mountain is what they call it.  Virgin Rock, supposed to be a picture of the virgin mary and child.
So from there we stopped for two days in Barcaldine.  We visited the tree of knowledge, don't know if touching it helps or not but it is popular.  Part if the tree is in the ground but not.  It is under glass and at night time they light it up so you can see the root ball.  Some one poisoned it in 2006 so the council have done this to it as a memorial for the shearers strike  back in 1891.
The wood hanging from the ceiling is made from old power poles from south australia.   They have been done in a way that mimminising up keep over time, to save money.  When you stand under it the wind blows and the large wooden pieces sway against each other, like a large wind chime.  There is over 4913 bits of wood hanging from the roof.
Last night they had a billy tea and damper in the garden of the park here so we went across and there was also a trio singing too.  We sat there, then a guy Tom Luckie came and told us about the area and some poems, tales and jokes.  They also serve takeaways here too,  we had rice with curried sausages and beef stew.  Today we visited the Historical museum, $3.00 each,  we were going to the workers one but they wanted $15 each no way.  Here we met my mum and dad on their way home so we had lunch with them.  Tomorrow we are off on another adventure again. Take care,
Suzanne and David

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ceiling	tall trees	David playing	bend your neck
Virgin rock Mt Zamia	First windmill in Barcaldine

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