We woke to a nice blue sky with a few puffy white clouds. The forecast top temperature today is in the low 20s.
After a leisurely start we did something unusual for us and started our day with coffee at one of Barcaldine’s bakeries. The coffee was OK but the service was sooooo slooooooow! We should probably have done our usual thing and got going and stopped for coffee in Bertha further along the road.
We soon came across some roadworks warning signs but fortunately they weren’t working today. However, it looks as though sections of the highway are being widened, which would be great. There has certainly been a lot of grading along both sides of the road. The other alternative thought is that this may simply be drainage works for upcoming floods.
Another interesting sight along this stretch of highway are the ‘Fatigue Zone’ signs. The theory is that if you are kept mentally stimulated then you won’t fall asleep, so the signs pose questions to drivers, offer a hint or two, and then provide the quiz answers. The ‘Fatigue Zone’ signs are hard to ignore and they do get you in after a while.
Newly graded road & ‘Fatigue Zone’ signs
Our first stop for the day was at Blackall, where we stopped opposite the Memorial Gardens and had a light lunch in Bertha. Blackall is celebrated as the home of Jackie Howe, the legendary sheep-shearer, and is also home to the Historic Wool-scour and The Black Stump. We had a very good look around Blackall several years ago and actually stayed at the free-camp in town, so today we only drove around to identify any changes.
Views of Blackall
Continuing along the highway we soon arrived at Tambo, where we decided we would stay the night. Tambo is a nice little town and its claim to fame is that is the site of the first QANTAS crash. There is also the popular ‘World Famous Tambo Teddies’ shop. It also goes without saying that there are a few heritage hotels and other buildings.
Views around Tambo
After scouting around town and checking out the several caravan parks, we drove a short way out of town to the free-camp at Stubby Bend. We stayed here in 2012.
As we only drove just over 200 kilometres today we arrived at our camp site in the early afternoon, so after setting up (not a big job at a free-camp) we got out our chairs and enjoyed coffee and reading outside. Compared to the last time we were here this place is a lot more popular and vans have been arriving all afternoon. Our site near the creek is, we think, one of the better sites but the vans keep coming and still keep finding places to set-up.
Views of Stubby Bend free-camp
Eventually the sun went down and it was cooling down quickly so we went inside and Ann whipped up a delicious dinner.
Sunset at Stubby Bend, Tambo
Another great day enjoying a couple of smaller Queensland country towns.
Still thoroughly enjoying the Motorhome Experience!
Shorty's RV Adventures 