Outback Queensland CFT Trip - Day 6

A relaxed start to the day with a 7:30 breakfast and no bags to pack. It was a real touristy day with our first stop at the Qantas Museum. I loved the large model biplanes relvolving around the ceiling on a track.

On then over the highway to the Stockmans Hall of Fame. I am impressed with the building design. We arrived to a Brahman bull resting on the front lawn and a kelpie sitting on a barrel at the front door.

Inside I moved quite quickly through the displays but was fascinated by the pioneer kitchen - so many familiar things both from home and Underhill.

I enjoyed a welcome proper coffee, for the first time this trip, before we left for town and the Station Store run by Kinnon & Co. This family entertained us for the rest of the day..

Our first treat was a billy lunch (corned beef and pickles sandwich, anzac biscuit, apple and a drink) while we watched an old time tent show. Although quite corny this was really well done by two young Kinnon brothers. Their white horse was so well trained and calm.

The boys then took us on a Cobb & Co. coach ride to the Longreach Common and back. This was, of course, quite bone shattering, especially when they ran the horses, but a new experience for me. The boys had had to go to the USA to obtain a licence to run public stage coach rides as they are not available in Australia. I was interested in the way they broke in new horses to the task. They put three in the front and two behind - the centre front one can be a new horse who actually can't do anything wedged in between the other horses except what he is supposed to do.

Back to an afternoon tea of scones and tea/coffee.

We then watched the old Australian film "Smiley gets a gun". This had us all absorbed and laughing. Off then to our sunset river cruise on the Thompson Belle. This paddle wheel boat engine was quite loud but as the sun set the engine was cut and the peace of the river was fantastic. There were a few birds and a whistling kite nest but the drought means the birds have all gone to moister gullies.

Back on shore we were treated to an evening of entertainment: poetry by Scotty, banter by one of the Kinnon boys and a film about Harry Redford. Home then to the motel to collapse after a very long and busy day.

Outback Queensland CFT Trip - Day 5

Tuesday 11 July - Charleville to Longreach

We woke to another cold morning and were off on another long drive for the day.

Morning tea was at Tambo in a pleasant park.

On again to Barcaldine for lunch at 'the pie shop'. Unfortunately there were two pie shops and we parked near the wrong one. But the pies were good and we enjoyed the walk along the main street to the 'Tree of Knowledge'. I was able to get some vitamin C at the chemist to ward off this cold of Kerrie's. I just hope it works.

The scenery has been much the same today with grazing paddocks and occasional clumps of scrubby trees and lines of trees along the dry creek beds. There had been light rain at Charleville overnight but as we got further north the rain had obvioulsy heavier and there were some puddles on the roadsides, making it quite risky to pull of the bitumen if we had needed to. I saw 3 bustards just east of Longreach.

We arrived at our motel by about 4pm. Kerrie and I headed for the laundry even before we found our room. We had room in our load of washing for Ros to add hers. By the time we found the room and had a cuppa the washing was done and we now have a chinese laundry in our room.

We then had a walk along the botanical trail with Ros. It is a very pleasant footpath that ends in a park with lots of sculptures and native plants. There were some kangaroos in the paddock next door so close to town.

Back to a relaxed dinner meeting Graeme Leirsch (BCA worker) and a beer before retiring for the night and a pleasant balmy temperature.

Outback Queensland CFT Trip - Day 4

Monday 10 July - Lightning Ridge to Charleville

We left Lightning Ridge after a delayed breakfast because apparently the kitchen clock battery stopped just after 6am. Nevertheless we left in reasonable time and drove north through Hebel heading into the cloud front.

Today we saw lots of wildlife - emus, kangaroos, goats, black kites, a dead wild pig and a few wedgetailed eagles.

We had morning tea at Dirrimbandi in a lovely rotunda just near the station. It was cold enough to wear my parka.

Then on past the road to Cubbie Road and Womble Downs with patches of dirt road before we got to the main road at Bollon. Because the rain had not yet fallen we had been able to take this short cut taking a couple of hours off the journey. It is not the usual route for a 40-seater bus.

Our lunch stop was a roadside pulloff along the way that had a long-drop toilet, much to the shock of a few of our passengers who had never been past east coast tourist pulloffs. Our lunch had been supplied by the motel at Longreach as we are no longer allowed to prepare our own lunches without special kitchen facilities and sterile conditions - what a nanny state we live in.

On west to Cunnamulla for our afternoon stop then north to Charleville for our motel. I saw the first spinifex of this journey about 20 km south of Charleville.

We enjoyed a great buffet dinner then, as our visit to the Cosmos Centre was cancelled due to heavy cloud cover, we went back to our room and settled in.

Kerrie seems to be much better today so hopefully she is on the way to full recovery from her flu.

We have organised ourselves so that as soon as we arrive in Longreach tomorrow we can get all our washing done and hanging to dry.

Our 'bus steps' are extremely good at the moment with over 16000 steps today. At least those at home will know I am still alive by looking at my fitbit score.

Outback Queensland CFT Trip - Day 3

Sunday 9 July - Lightning Ridge Day 3

When we woke this morning I went to breakfast leaving Kerrie in bed to miss yet another meal. it was decided she should see someone to rule out secondary infection as she has had this cold for 5 weeks. As we would be quite remote tomorrow it is best to check that out. Enquiries found that the local doctor did his rounds at the hospital at 9am so Allan took Kerrie and Nancie off to the hospital while we all went to church. It turned out that Kerrie was diagnosed with a viral infection still and as yet not sign of secondary infection. She was given instructions for care and returned to the motel room for the day again.

After church I visited the John Murray gallery. He is certainly very talented! Then a wander through the Sunday market where I bought some biscuits and presents for the grandchildren.

At 1pm we went out to the Black Hand Opal mine. I had seen it two years ago and am glad I went again. It has changed significantly. I was really disappointed with the colourful paint work over some of the beautiful raw sandstone sculptures I had seen in 2015. The other 'update' I did not like was the music playing all through the caverns making it impossible to hear the echoes in the different spaces. I had been looking forward to singing in one particular domed cavern.

While waiting for others to come out of the mine I found a plant that Dianne had asked me about earlier and while photographing it I noticed the tiny eggs on its stems presumably laid by the white and black butterflies that really loved it and could be seen everywhere. This turned out to be Caper White butterflies on Warrior Bush (Apophyllum anomalum).

Back to the motel for a short walk with Kerrie who by then had improved slightly. Then a bit of blogging and sorting before dinner.

Outback Queensland CFT Trip Day 2

Saturday 8 July - Dubbo to Lightning Ridge

Breakfast at 7am then on the bus by 7:45. There was a frost on the grass and cars so it was a cold morning.

Not far along we pulled into the visitor centre at Gilgandra for an early morning tea break. We had quite a long stop there to try and time things to adjust to a meeting that had already happened over dinner last night.

On then for a quick tour of Gulargambone (Galah) to see the school and town that Alfrene (BCA) works in.

At Coonamble we had lunch at the RSL, a confused allocation of chinese meals mean that by the time I got mine it was quite cold.

After this stop the scenery became quite different with cotton fields and lots of emus. Our stop at Walgett for an ice cream meant I had time to wander through some scrub where there were lots of a pretty emu bush (Eremophila I think). There was also a little pink leaved plant and a Ptilotus.

On then to Lightning Ridge for the obligatory photo of the entrance and a quick tour of town to get our bearings.

There was time at the opal shop before we arrived at the Outback Resort and settled in. Dinner was not remarkable but filled a hole. It went quite late so we had our talk from the local BCA vicar David and his wife Joanne. Lots of chatting made the evening more enjoyable.

I returned to our room to find Kerrie in bed nursing her cold and well rugged up in coats and even a sunhat to shelter her eyes from the light while she watched the footy on TV.

Outback Queensland CFT BCA Tour

Friday 7 July Sydney to Dubbo

After being dropped at the station by Geoff I made my way to Central and met the crew and bus that I would be with for the next two weeks. Some of my fellow travellers were there and some we picked up at Strathfield and then Katoomba at our morning tea stop. There I caught up with Kerrie who was to be my room mate for the trip.

We drove on to Bathurst and stopped at Abercrombie House for lunch - sandwiches, fruit and cake all ready for us. I had wondered why I did not know about this house as I had lived in Bathurst for a year but the owners had bought it in a derilict condition late in 1968 just over a year before I moved there and it would not have been open to the public by then.

It is a beautiful old mansion and the owner Chris was our host for the visit.

As we travelled north west I started peeling off some of the layers of warm clothing I had worn. It is still cold but certainly does not warrant thermals.

On through rolling hills of farm land as the sun began to get quite low. We saw a large mob of kangaroos just near Wellington. Then on to Guerie where I thought of friends Robyn (from Carss Park) and Nathan (from SS choir), both of whom were brought up there.

On then to Dubbo to the Quality Inn for a quick sort before dinner and talks from the Bishop (Ian Palmer) of the huge Bathurst diocese stretching from Bathurst to Nyngan and Bourke and east nearly to Armidale - a huge area. We also heard from two of the BCA workers in the area - Alfrene Wright and Peter Volkofsky.

Off then to our room and some controlling of temperature, exercise and bed.

Underhill in the cold

Early this week Greg, Ev and I headed for an overnight trip to Underhill to get a bit more burning off done. As soon as we arrived we lit one of the fires to clear the area at the back of the shed.

When we got the wheelbarrow out I noticed that the hydrated lime bag was broken so my next job was to scatter that. I also scattered the bentonite clay that had been stored at the block for about 30 years.

Greg cut down the two almond trees that have not been happy for some years. That gives Geoff a few more spots for new trees. He is very worried about the cold winter and how his new trees will survive. If it is not the cold it is the heat of summer that makes growing things a little dodgy.

After struggling with a flat tyre on the wheelbarrow Greg decided to fix it. It took us some time to find the pump but eventually we did. That made work much easier.

Ev brought in lots of cut wood for the stove and did a bit of splitting. We now have a lovely lot in the dry ready for a wet visit.

We were able to spread the 'new' carpet where it was needed in the loungeroom and lit the camp fire so we could sit around it.

There was a family of weebills nesting in the Persoonia (?) and they were fun to watch flitting in and out. There were also lots of wrens in the crabapple in the orchard yard. They were enjoying the protection it gave from the gusty wind.

After so much work I taught Greg and Ev about 'wall pushups'. They relieved all the aches and pains quite well.

We also smoothed out the floor near the chimnea after I had a fall tripping over the concrete plinth and giving myself a rock-shaped bruise on my bad leg. All well though except the bruise will last a while. We sorted out a place to store our linen so that others can find it too.

Thank you Greg and Ev for so much hard work. We achieved a lot but did not stay long after lunch on Tuesday as the wind was very gusty and cold making life quite miserable after great weather on Monday.

Visitors from near and far

Recently I've had a few visitors staying: Pernilla from Sweden and Sanghee and Ian from Brisbane.

Pernilla and I enjoyed a quiet day together and some fun with the girls.

Sanghee and Ian joined us for breakfast at Carss Park and a play in the park and on the beach.

I then took them to the city to see 'Betty's Sydney' - Customs House and its model of the city then Surrey's Tree in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

I then went home and left them to their own tour of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. After getting lost on the way home we enjoyed time together before they had to leave the next morning.