Leaving Longreach Qld

It is Saturday 30 June and we have moved on to Cloncurry, to a van park to catch up on some laundry and shopping and recharge various batteries (there are plenty of those!). We left Longreach yesterday and stopped overnight at Winton, in the backyard of the North Gregory Hotel, where we had dinner and watched a really good performance by a singer, who gave us the history of "Waltzing Matilda" - more on Winton next post.

Here are some final photos from Longreach:

BBQ time for our final afternoon at the LongreachWaterhole. There were about 80 rigs there this night, and we had some lovely people around us, very helpful with info on campsites and things to see.

At the showground leaving Longreach - to fill the water tanks and service the toilet

A brolga about to have a look into the van, or maybe search for some food in it until M shut the door

It looked a bit annoyed, when the door shut!

The Stockman's Hall of Fame at Longreach was worth the visit

An old coach, as used by the travelling merchant, in the Hall of Fame

More of Carnarvon NP

Here are some more photos of Carnarvon NP and Barcaldine from M's camera:
 

 A crossing on the way into Carnarvon - remember there's a 19 foot van on behind!

 Snow (from the park) helping with the wheel problem - I think I hit a cattle grid too hard.

 R and M at the (preserved) Tree of Knowledge at Barcaldine

About the Tree of Knowledge

26 June at Longreach Qld

26 June 2012 - 8th wedding anniversary for M and me.
Today we have moved on to Longreach from Alpha (in the rain). We have found our free camp about 4km NW of Longreach, on the bank of the Thompson River (which is a tributary of the Cooper Creek - we passed a sign today to indicate we have moved into the Lake Eyre Basin - isn't that something!) There are at least 30 - 40 rigs here, the signposted maximum stay is 4 days. We have spent an hour or two late this afternoon talking to the couple adjacent (Mick and Jean from Goolwa SA) who travel for 6 months of each year, all around Australia. They have given us a wealth of information about good campsites, availability of good water etc. We may stop a couple of nights here, have a look at things in Longreach, go fishing here for yellowbelly perch and perhaps organise a BBQ with our new neighbours tomorrow afternoon.

Here are some photos:

 Thompson River, adjacent to the campsite. The yellow colour isn't "dirty", just the runoff from the claypans!

 Just some of the rigs here - we are in the middle.

  

Down to the cheese and bickies, in the van

R outside the van.

At Carnarvon Gorge N.P. and on to Emerald Qld

The first significant stopover on our trip "around the block" has been Carnarvon Gorge National Park. We stayed 4 nights at Takarakka Bush Camp, walked on one day, rested the tired feet next day and did a longer walk the last day. It was well worth it.

The Moss Garden. There is a painting in these two,and it is under way!

 On the track - this spot looks easy - it wasn't all as easy! On a sign leaving the gorge were the words "Great for the soul, not so great for the feet".  So true.

 The Amphitheatre. This doesn't do it justice - it is almost totally roofed over - a great place to sing "We have come into His house" ( ...and I did!..M)

 These two photos were taken in the "Art Gallery" - aboriginal rock paintings and engravings, some that have been dated back 4000 years.

 A peaceful scene at one of the crossings of Carnarvon Creek.

This is looking straight down into one of the rock pools in Ward's Canyon. The colour is amazing.

We left Carnarvon yesterday, Sunday 24 June 2012, for Emerald to get the damaged brake drum fixed. There was "no room at the inn" (caravan parks) and as we had to be at the auto repairer early next morning we camped almost under the railway bridge near the Botanical Gardens, with many other rigs I might add!

The repairs successfully done, not too expensively, we have travelled on today, in the rain, and are snug tonight in a van park in Alpha, 160km west of Emerald. Tomorrow we go on to Barcaldine and Longreach, to see the Stockman's Hall of Fame, and whatever else we can find. A free camp "Longreach Waterhole" just the other side of Longreach is the target.

From Mungindi to Carnarvon Gorge

Day 3 took us into Queensland, through St George -

We did actually move these things up and down .. and walk along the river bank a bit, before breakfast in the van and then M's turn to drive a while.
The next overnight was at Injune Qld (in a makeshift van park "site" down the back of some buildings because the place was packed with workers on a gas pipeline job. A bush camp or rest area would have been better!)

Finally, Wednesday afternoon 20 June on our site at Takarakka Bush Camp near Carnarvon Gorge National Park,Queensland Central Highlands. Some parts of the road in were a bit rugged (shook a magnet loose in one of the brake drums,but we overcame that a bit later). We stayed here until the following Sunday and slogged our way through some long walks, but to very inspiring places. More of that in the next update.

The Beginning The Story To Here

By an injudicious button press, I have wiped out the earlier blog posts! Lets see if I can reproduce the important posts since we started on Sunday 17 June 2012.

This is from the shakedown trip to Copeton Dam (near Inverell NSW) to test all the gear.

About to pull out through the farm gate (where the van has been). M. is showing some enthusiasm!

These two are from the first night, at the 2-Mile Pub at Mungindi. The free camp beside the pub was sanctioned by the publican and ingratitude we purchased and enjoyed a very nice Yellow Tail red!

That briefly covers the lost posts (maybe the sunset says it all for them,but the photos were still there)
Let's see if we can get on with some updating of progress since.

Apologies - experiencing some technical difficulties. We will be back online soon!