Monthly Archives: June 2014

Days 16 & 17 – Roma

Posted on Monday, June 9, 2014 by shorty

Sunday

Another cold, but not freezing, morning and again it turned into a nice sunny day.

It’s been great to stop for a few days and just relax and catch up on a few things. As a result the van has been cleaned inside and outside, washing and ironing done and all the bills are up-to-date, etc.

Seeing that it was nice weather, we went on a long walk from the caravan park over the creek and into parkland around the Big Rig centre. There were plenty of families enjoying BBQs and picnics as well as just having fun in the sun.

We spied a bridge across the creek to another parkland area and headed towards it, only to find that it was a railway bridge for The Roma Express miniature train.

The Roma Express at the Big Rig centre

As we returned to the Big Rig centre we checked out the Beam Pump Unit on display. According to the interpretive plaque, oil in the Roma district is at a considerable depth. Pumping is achieved using a beam pump unit which in turn operates a down-hole pump and the oil flows to the surface via tubing from the down-hole pump.

Beam Pump Unit

Monday (Queens Birthday Public Holiday)

Yet another beautiful day in Roma.

I had a couple of handyman type tasks to finish around the caravan and we basically took it very easy all day and enjoyed some reading.

This caravan park has evolved to service the mining and oil industry in the Roma area and the fly in fly out workforce. Ann couldn’t resist taking some photos of some of the workers’ accommodation units which are unfortunately replacing caravan sites. They are not particularly attractive but are very clean and functional. Each unit basically contains a single bed, a small ensuite bathroom, a bar fridge, a small bench and chair, a TV and a microwave. Blocks of units share an outdoor cooking and sitting area.

Workers’ Units at Big Rig Caravan Park

Workers’ Units Shared Area

Workers’ Units at Big Rig Caravan Park

After talking to a very nice and knowledgeable lady at the information centre, from Roma we are heading off to the Takarakka Bush Resort at Carnarvon Gorge for a few days. We suspect that we will be without mobile and internet coverage while we are there.

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: roma

Days 14 & 15 – St George to Roma

Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2014 by shorty

Friday

Another chilly morning that morphed into another beautiful day. After a quick walk around the caravan park and packing up, we couldn’t resist a photo of the camp kitchen – it’s the first time we’ve seen a pizza/bread baking oven at a caravan park!

Pelican Rest Caravan Park at St George

Then it was onto the Carnarvon Highway heading North. Just a couple of kilometres out of St George we came upon some stock on the road – literally. There was quite a substantial herd of cattle being driven – droved? – along the road. It makes total sense really as it saves the council having to slash the roadside, reduces fuel for bushfires, and feeds the cattle at the same time.

Cattle on the Highway near St George

Around 115 kilometres from St George we stopped at the small town of Surat for morning coffee. We stayed at Surat on our 2012 Adventure so we had a proper stop so that we could have a decent look around town. Nothing much has changed although the nearby Fisherman’s Park (Q742) free camp was a lot less busy – we couldn’t fit in last time so ended up at the caravan park.

Views of Surat

As we were leaving Surat we couldn’t help but notice a congregation of large but empty stock trucks just out of town. They had flags signifying “Drought Stock” so we wonder if they had brought stock from the drought areas around Longreach and Winton to the more grassy pastures around Surat.

Stock Trucks on the way

From Surat it was another 80 kilometres or so to Roma where we checked into the Big Rig Tourist Park. Let’s just say that is one park that has huge potential for improvement. However, after checking out the park we think that we probably have the best site, with grass and shelter from a bottle tree, so we’re quite happy here and will be here a few days. A motorhome pulled into the site next door and we spent a very pleasant afternoon in the sun chatting with Bill and Gillian from NSW.

Arriving at Roma

Saturday

We have often described our mornings as “chilly” or “crisp” but this morning there was only one to describe it – bloody freezing! The weather forecast for Roma was 5 degrees and it probably got there as it was around 8 degrees when I got up for my shower. We definitely weren’t in a hurry to get out of bed this morning!

STOP PRESS – we just heard that Roma was the coldest place in Queensland today with a minimum temperature of 2 degrees!

Eventually we emerged and put the heater to warm up a bit. After breakfast it was time to bid farewell to Bill and Gillian and head into town for morning coffee. We first did a lap around town in the Ute to get a broad picture of Roma before parking and setting off on foot. Our first stop was “Drapery No 2” which is one of two drapery stores run by a slightly eccentric person who is clearly a hoarder. Stock is piled up outside the store as well as inside, to the point where you can’t even get down some aisles because they’re so jammed full of stock. That said, the shop did have some fantastic products and Ann was certainly able to find everything that she was looking for. Definitely an adventure!

Drapers No 2 at Roma

One very distinctive aspect of Roma is all the bottle trees. There is even the heritage listed “Heroes Avenue” which celebrates the 138 local servicemen lost in WW1. Each bottle tree has a plaque commemorating one of the fallen.

Views around Roma

Eventually we ended up at the “Bakearoma” bakery/café where we enjoyed coffee and cake – non-fattening of course despite the temptations on offer.

We later took the long way home and found Miscamble Street – some fellow adventurers will know that my middle name is Miscamble – so we couldn’t resist a photo stop.

Miscamble Street

The “Big Rig” was our next destination – this is the local tourist information centre but also showcases the role that mining and gas exploration plays in the Roma district.

Views at the Big Rig

After returning to the caravan we enjoyed a delicious lunch and then spent most of the afternoon outside reading the papers and generally doing nothing much. Sometimes we just need a day like that.

We’re now inside preparing for another cold night.

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: roma, st george, surat

Day 13 – Cunnamulla to St George

Posted on Thursday, June 5, 2014 by shorty

Another leisurely start on another lovely day. We couldn’t leave Cunnamulla without another quick look around town, and to visit the Cunnamulla Fella.

Streetscape in Cunnamulla

The Cunnamulla Fella

From Cunnamulla we then had to backtrack down the Matilda Highway and after a few kilometres turned East along the Balonne Highway.

After 110 kms we stopped for coffee and a walk around at the Murra Murra Rest Area (Q711). This is a large spot with plenty of potential for free camping but only in dry weather and only if you didn’t mind sharing with stock transport. At this rest area we discovered a large rubbish pit that appeared to be full of rubbish collected along the road. There was a sign in there that would have made a great souvenir, but we couldn’t fit it in the Ute.

Murra Murra Rest Area

Continuing along the Balonne Highway we stopped for lunch at Boolba Rest Area (Q708) which is about 56 kms west of St George. This was really great and had tracks that led away from the road and would potentially be a good place to stay. Again, it would only be suitable in the dry as the red sandy soil would very quickly turn into red sticky mud.

Boolba Rest Area

Overall today we drove through several entirely different landscapes, beginning with flat grasslands, through thick scrub followed by heavily treed areas. We also noted that the roads were generally very bumpy, especially during the last leg. There was also plenty of livestock, ranging from sheep, cattle, kangaroos, emus and of course wild goats. Interestingly there was very little fencing along the road. Unfortunately there was also a lot of road kill actually on the road, not on the shoulder. At times it seemed like we were on an obstacle course. Just as well the traffic was quite light on this road.

Varying landscapes on the way to St George

We arrived at Pelican Rest Caravan Park in St George at about 2.30 pm and after setting up the van we headed back into town to have a look around. On recommendation from our friends Faye and Downunda we had coffee and cakes at “DeliCate” – a very nice café and gift shop.

Arrving in St George

DeliCate Cafe in St George

Then after walking all around town and picking up some supplies we returned to the caravan to spend time enjoying the sunshine. We have had glorious weather today and we are looking forward to even more as our adventure continues.

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: cunnamulla, st george

Day 12 – Kidman’s Camp, Bourke NSW to Cunnamulla, Qld

Posted on Wednesday, June 4, 2014 by shorty

Another beautiful day in paradise, but it was time to move on so after packing up we went for a final walk around Kidman’s Camp.

Scenes around Kidman’s Camp

Then it was back to the Mitchell Highway, due North.

Heading North from Kidman’s Camp

Coffee stop was at the Enngonia South Rest Area. Ann’s comment in our Camps 7 book from last time was that this would be a great overnight stop in dry weather, and it still applies – it was far too wet for us this time, although it obviously hadn’t stopped someone trying recently.

Enngonia South Rest Area

From the rest area we headed through Enngonia proper – it was basically a hotel and a school and a handful of houses.

Scenes of Enngonia township

Today’s drive was over a variety of road conditions across two states. We faced a combination of newly remade roads, some old and very bouncy roads, and over 8 kms of road works.

Oh no – roadworks – and I just washed the van!

Roughly 130 kms from Kidman’s Camp we crossed the border from NSW to Queensland. A bit unspectacular really, although we were interested in the fact that the Mitchell Highway changed name to the Matilda Highway.

NSW/Qld Border

A further 70 kms up the highway we stopped for a quick lunch before going the last stage to Cunnamulla. A brief stop for fuel then it off to find the caravan park. It wasn’t actually in the GPS and the map we had wasn’t quite to scale, but we got here eventually.

Arriving at Warrego Riverside Tourist Park

Warrego Riverside Tourist Park is right on the Warrego River and is clearly headed towards being another Kidman’s Camp style piece of paradise. The sites are well laid out, the amenities are great, there is a very quirky but functional undercover camp kitchen/sitting area, there is a designated happy hour area, there are fresh herbs, vegetables and fruit growing and everyone is encouraged to use them, and more. Give the trees a couple more years to get better established and this place will be an even more amazing place to stop. There seems to be plenty going in the Cunnamulla township much of which we covered last time we passed through.

Very nice amenities block

Quirky camp kitchen

Happy Hour Area

Herbs, fruit and vegies for all

After setting up camp we put up the awning and relaxed and read until it got too cool. The weather up here is basically fine sunny days in the low twenties, but very cold nights and chilly mornings.

We need to go further North!

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: bourke, cunnamulla, kidmans camp

Day 11 – Kidman’s Camp, Bourke

Posted on Tuesday, June 3, 2014 by shorty

What a beautiful morning here in paradise! I found as many excuses as I could to fiddle around outside; wash the bugs off the Ute; wash the bugs off the front of the van; make sure that the sullage hose was draining properly; etc. As long as I was in the sun I was happy!

Late morning we headed off to the Back O’ Bourke tourist information and heritage centre. We skipped the tour this time and went straight to the Café which specialises in food with an Australian heritage theme. I enjoyed a Roo Burger with Salt Bush Salad, and Ann enjoyed a rustic vegetable soup. The food is great but the ambiance and the view is what makes it extra special.

Back O’ Bourke Tourist Information & Heritage Centre

Back O’ Bourke Cafe

After lunch we drove back into Bourke as I wanted to visit the hardware store which is opposite the post office where Ann posted some letters.

We then returned to the van and sat back in the sun, relaxing.

Ah the serenity!

Tonight there was a “Poetry on a Plate” campfire dinner here at Kidman’s Camp under the stars with a local story teller, poetry and music. Great food and great entertainment and all funds go to the Fred Hollows Foundation. For those who aren’t aware, Fred Hollows is actually buried in Bourke Cemetery.

The end of another beautiful day in paradise!

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: bourke, kidmans camp

Day 10 – Cobar to Kidman’s Camp, Bourke

Posted on Monday, June 2, 2014 by shorty

It was a “crisp” morning but no rain and the promise of a nice day, so we were up and on the road early – for us anyway.

The further we move north the better the weather seems to be getting, which is a huge relief. We seem to be in cattle country now and there are plenty of cattle grids across the highway. Between grids there is often no roadside fencing so you need to watch out for livestock – cattle, sheep and goats – on the side of the road.

We made our way to the Kidman Way and drove about 100 kms to the Curraweena Rest Area (N921) where we stopped to stretch our legs and have a coffee. On a dry day there is plenty of potential for free camping, but there is way too much water around at the moment to consider that.

Plenty of Cattle Grids to Cross

Curraweena Rest Area for Coffee

We’d Love to Free Camp here in dry weather

From the rest area it was a further 60 kms to Bourke and a further 8 kms to Kidman’s Camp – our destination – so today was a short and comfortable drive. We stayed at Kidman’s Camp a couple of years ago, although everything was a bit wetter then. It seems to us to be a better option than staying at the caravan park actually in town.

Approaching Kidman’s Camp

Set-Up at Kidman’s Camp

After a full set-up with awning etc, we headed back into Bourke for lunch. We ended up at the Morralls Bakery Café which boasts award winning pies and in-house freshly roasted coffee. We can attest that both the pies and the coffee were very good!

From the Bakery we had a walk around town, starting at the Wharf. The wharf is on three levels and it’s amazing to think that it was once a busy wharf with boats coming and going. Now, all three levels are well above water level and there is a lot of debris in the river.

Old Wharf at Bourke

We also walked past an amazing colonial style building which currently houses a state government department. Quite a few other older buildings have also been restored and generally the town seems to be a lot cleaner and tidier than last time we were here.

Interesting Government Building in Bourke

Restored Building in Bourke

After doing a lap of the town centre precinct, we made the short journey back to Kidman’s Camp. This really is a tropical paradise in the wilderness. We did a lap of the camp and noticed some changes/improvements, and then settled down with a coffee in the sun under our awning. Our neighbours, also from Melbourne, joined us for a chat.

What a nice end to the day, to be followed by a glorious sunset.

Sunset from the Caravan at Kidman’s Camp, Bourke

Now we’re living the dream!

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: bourke, cobar, kidmans camp

Days 8 & 9 – Cobar

Posted on Sunday, June 1, 2014 by shorty

Saturday 31^st May 2014

Although it was raining at about 6.00 am, by the time we were ready to go out, the weather was quite fine so we headed off to explore Cobar. First off was a long walk around the main street ending up at an interesting gift shop which also served Devonshire teas. Using a local map we then went on an exploratory trip around the outskirts of town. There is an enormous amount of history around Cobar. We were very impressed by the old Cobar station and were a bit surprised that it doesn’t seem to be used by free-campers as it would appear to be much quieter and higher in wet weather than the Cornish Rest Area, for instance.

Cobar Railway Station

We also went for a walk around Cobar Heritage Miners Park which has been created as a memorial to the area’s miners and in particular the 1,500 miners who have died. Among the displays are a stamping battery used in the initial stages of processing output from the mines. There is actually a working model in the Heritage Centre which we visited on Friday and Ann pressed the button which then generated a huge amount of noise. The full scale version would have been deafening.

There is also a statue of “Rick” the miner and the actual Chesney No 1 Headframe from the Chesney mine opened in 1938.

Rick the Miner

Chesney No 1 Headframe

At this point there were a couple of rumbles of thunder and a crack of lightning so we quickly headed back to the van, arriving back just in time! Just as we shut the door to the van the heavens opened and torrential fell, along with thunder and lightning a quite a spectacular storm that lasted several hours.

We were cosy and dry in the van but the noise was so loud we couldn’t even hear the TV.

From the comfort of our van we watched many wet and weary travellers seek refuge at the caravan park until very late in the evening. We suspect that the free camps in the area were washed out. Even the concrete slab we parked on was covered by the red mud runoff from water flowing through the park.

Muddy Concrete Slab Under the Caravan after the Storm

Sunday 1^st June 2014

After more rain during the night and waking to a cold and foggy morning we decided to stay put rather than chance travelling in another storm. I went up to the office to extend our stay and I mentioned that we had been here at the same time two years ago and that the rodeo was cancelled because of the rain. The girl told me that she thought that they had moved the rodeo to September because the rodeo had to be cancelled three years in a row. I think that we’ll try a different time of year to visit Cobar next time.

By lunchtime the weather had cleared so we thought that we would venture out to enjoy a nice Sunday Roast at the Great Western Hotel. The hotel was built in 1898 and the verandah, which stretches just over 100 metres, is reportedly longest iron lace verandah in the southern hemisphere.

Great Western Hotel in Cobar

Unfortunately while the pub was open it wasn’t serving meals today so we headed off to the Cobar Bowling & Golf Club where we didn’t find a Sunday Roast but we did enjoy a delicious Thai meal instead.

Cobar Bowling and Golf Club

As the weather was closing in and getting very dark we retreated back to the caravan park for the day.

We’re all packed up and ready to leave in the morning in search of warmer and dryer weather!

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: cobar

Monthly Archives: June 2014

Days 16 & 17 – Roma

Days 14 & 15 – St George to Roma

Day 13 – Cunnamulla to St George

Day 12 – Kidman’s Camp, Bourke NSW to Cunnamulla, Qld

Day 11 – Kidman’s Camp, Bourke

Day 10 – Cobar to Kidman’s Camp, Bourke

Days 8 & 9 – Cobar

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