After a semi disturbed night of rattling and shunting then reversing out of Rockhampton at 5am we headed west and I woke properly around 6am as per normal. I dressed and went along for a coffee in the lounge and watched a beautiful dawn, 5 brolga flying over, a bustard on the edge of a crop paddock and later a large number of kangaroos, whilst sipping a latte and chatting to a man from Toowoomba.
Breakfast was pleasant and of course way too much. We had lots of stops along the way to wait for coal trains to pass. While we were at one halt we watched a tiny grass wren feeding in the long grass just beside the train.
After breakfast we passed the beautiful bluffs of the Blackdown Tablelands and hundreds of Caper White butterflies started flitting in the warmth of the morning sun.
Onward ever onward following the Tropic of Capricorn west. We stopped for about 10 minutes at Emerald and were allowed to stretch our legs on firm ground breathing in some fresh air - a pleasant relief.
After Emerald we lost the coal trains and were flanked by huge leveled paddocks of irrigated crops with water in the channels.
At lunch I sat with Bev and Ken. I enjoyed my succulent Barramundi. Then there was the slow bendy ride through the Drummond Ranges. The rocks which had fallen from the hillsides were almost exactly half meter cubes naturally formed.
After the ranges came the flat 360 degree horizon vistas of the outback with just occasional blips on the far horizon of a distant range. We also started seeing termite mounds. I rang the motel when we stopped at Alpha to check all was well with my booking and let them know we would be arriving late.
As the sun got lower in the sky towards Barcaldine the number of kangaroos increased to hundreds. Two Red Winged Parrots flew away from the train with their wing colours intense in the sinking sunlight.
High Tea after Barcaldine was just the amount of food I needed and it was great to watch the red glow on the horizon deepen as we rattled along at a great pace towards Ilfracombe then Longreach. We arrived an hour late and I caught a cab with Donna to our motel, Abajaz, which was just a bit far for a walk with a large bag in the dark. I was absolutely exhaused after our 26 hour journey so just collapsed into bed.
No comments:
Post a Comment