Melbourne to Longreach

Hi to all our friends,

I am just learning to use this site, so photos first & chat after the photo's.

Tree of Knowledge in Barcaldine

Ian west of the Black Stump

Pretty house in Charleville

Wool Scourer @ Blackall

Scrub Fowl @ Nardoo Station

The boarder between NSW & QLD

Bridge @ North Bourke on the Darling River

Willandra Homestead west of Hillston

Creek @ Mt Grenfell historic site west of Cobar

Griffith

Jerilderie Lake

Well do I have a lot to tell you all.

We left Melbourne on Friday 17th July & arrived in Jerilderie NSW, to stay 2 nights but ended up being 3 as Marilyn was sick. walked around the lake on Saturday arvo went to museum etc: 

Monday 20th, we headed of to Griffith. Whilst there we popped over to Leeton to learn about Rice growing @ SunRice. View a winery, art & craft gallery & the pioneer museum, & lots of shops of course. One morning Ian noticed liquid dripping from under the truck. You guessed it a Fuel Leak in the new tank!!!! We had to have the tank emptied (as it was full 250Lt's) & dropped to get it fixed. An all day affair. Next day the truck would not do over 60km pH. It took 2 days to find that the flexible fuel line had been crushed in a Z. Ian made a repair with metal screw clips over the bends. (we have to drive carefully now) We also had to have new shockers fitted  while in Griffith. I got to visit a beaut patchwork shop, only purchased a book.

Friday 31st July, we moved onto Hillston for 2 nights. Toured the town in 2 minutes, then the Cotton Gin but it was too late as nobody working. On Saturday we drove out 60km to the Willandra National Park. This was once a large marino sheep stud with 100,000 plus sheep on it. The parks people now have it, the homestead is beautifully & still look after, had a great drive around the track & saw lots of Kangaroo's, birds & 1 Emu.

Sunday 2nd August, we went to Cobar for a few days. We took our bikes & did the Historical Walk round town. Visited the mine, watched the weather balloon launched @ 9.15am with a tour of the weather station. We also went to another Mt Grenfell Historic Site, this time to see rock art & it was just fantastic with a little creek at the bottom of the hill. Lots of feral goats on the road in.

Thursday 6Th August, we headed for Bourke & decided to stay @ the Kidman's Camp C.P. 7km north of town. Lots of boarded & shuttered shops & house windows (not a good feel to this town). Visited Fred Hollows grave, the steam engine, great art gallery, back of Bourke centre which was very informative about the history of Bourke & area. Took a bus tour to the Cotton Gin, Citrus farm, Cotton & Wheat Farm which was very informative & a ride on the paddle boat on the Darling River. We enjoyed our stay there @ the park we went to a BBQ with bush poet (he was sick) no poetry that night. It was quite an experience buying wine in Bourke. As you have to go to a window and ask for the bottle in the IGA window, you cannot buy casks of wine anywhere. In Hotels you prove that you are a visitor or have a car waiting to take the liquor home with you. 

Tuesday 11th August, we where on the move again to Cunnamulla QLD, but decided to stay at Nardoo Station over night. Had to stop @ Barringun for lunch & photo of boarder. Funny truck stop, owners wife in jail & he seemed  not that all concerned. We topped in the town for coffee & cake at a photographic gallery & craft store. This proved  to be a good choice. Nardoo Station was a bit dusty with caves crying all night as they had just be taken from mum, but the stay was fine with a big fire & a chat under the starry sky.

Wednesday 12th August, we are off to Charleville for a few days R&R. Stayed @ Bailys Bar & the first thing to do is fix the fuel line on the truck, replace the light globe on the outside of the van that was glued on & the connection for the power awning that fell apart. Not a good start but the days got better. We visited the Cosmos Centre (star gazing) really good info centre as well, flying doctor, Bilby watching. We went riding round town again & Ian managed to get a flat on his rear!! so I had to come to his rescue again. The park had a spit roast lamb one day, camp oven stews another. 

Monday 17th August, Blackall was our next stop for 2 nights, we did a guided tour of the Wool scourer & grounds this was a very interesting place. 20 sheep stand in the shearing shed, form there straight through to the scourer, many stations in the area put there wool through here. Steam driven engines drove all the plant, a bore for the hot water & rail line direct to the warehouse to collect the wool bails for shipment overseas. Lots of info on the shearers strike & the formation of the union & the ALF (Australian Labour Federation). Swim at the artisan spa/pool very relaxing.

Wednesday 19th August, We arrived in Barculdine & set up, had lunch (we where that early) then of sight seeing. The "TREE OF KNOWLEDGE" what a mess of that the government has made $5.5m for a big cube round it.  Australian Union Heritage Centre was very interesting. A look at the shoe grounds & a peep in the fabric shop (very little peep).  

More on Longreach in the next post.