Thurs, 5th July, 2018 Graves Hill Fossicking Area, near Sapphire to Macrossan Park, 22km east of Charters Towers, Qld (sightseeing)

7am 16 degrees, a bit cloudy. Packed up our truck as more clouds came over. Some other birds came down for a drink from the dirty ‘wash’ water.

Said our farewells. Will see them in Cairns in September.

Into Sapphire. Lots of jewellery stores here too.

Some older signs are cracking up but you can still read them. This one is about the Miners’ Common.

Will have to come back here to follow the trails around the area. As the weather is closing in again we decided to keep going. Stopped at the Tropic of Capricorn sign between Sapphire and Rubyvale near the Pub in the Scrub. The benches are still there.

Another board about the machinery mining era. Interesting bit about when they sealed the road as there could be gemstones underneath. So they dug it up and sealed it behind them.

As we headed into Rubyvale we spotted ‘Buckingham Palace’- in need of some TLC. It was an old miner’s cottage.

They have great information boards around here.

A lot of the buildings have used the boulders in their walls.

Headed north towards more grey clouds. We had put shorts on hoping for warmer weather as we head north!! Through State Forest where cattle are grazing then into open grazing land. The grey clouds are spitting on us.

An old truck as we head into Capella.

Pulled up at the park in Capella for a cuppa. Should have left the long pants on – back on with the jumper. Nice murals on the toilets with beautiful big fig trees lining the street.

Cute ‘postcards’ too. Lots of information. Kaylene rang – looking forward to going for walks when we get home.

Erica had said to check out the train in the park which was used in Ravenshoe but we couldn’t find it. Checked out the railway station and found some history but no train.

Found some bottle trees.

Continued on the Gregory Developmental Road past a big coal mine bucket.

Black soil country. Lonely tree in a big paddock of lovely green shoots.

Peak Range to our right in the distance. Zoomed in on a flat topped one – volcano?

Into Clermont – interesting choice of colours.

Checked out the info boards and the 1916 Flood height indicator.

Crossed over Hoods Lagoon and drove down to the park. Went for a walk along the foreshore.

Found a fabulous memorial to local lad Billy Sing.

Around to the railway station where murals have been painted on railway wagons depicting the district’s history.

Found the Minelab shop so Steve could get a new handle for his detector as the shop in Cairns has closed. The Forestry Dept has opened up some new areas for ‘fossickers’ around this area.

It is a lovely neat town with lovely old Queenslander styled homes. We went back to the other side of Hoods Lagoon to have lunch in the old ‘horse stable’ near a big windmill.

Walked along and found a boat depicting two men, Ernest Perkins and Constable Shepherd, saving people during the 1916 flood.

Back to where we first stopped to check out a piano in a tree. It was also a memorial to the flood as a piano did end up 32 feet up in a tree.

More info about Clermont.

Hard to imagine living in those conditions.

The museum is on the way out of town but we didn’t stop.

Back onto the main road heading to Charters Towers. The sun is peeking through the clouds. Past the turn off to Blair Athol Coal Mine. Further along the road has been relocated (according to our Hema) around the Clermont Coal Mine. Big tailings hill then we run alongside a conveyor belt.

We are a bit worried about the power poles around here – they seem to be leaning over. Very bumpy road too.

1.30pm the sky is clearing and the sun is beaming down warming us up. Continued through flat grazing country. More bumpy road. We remember coming back from Bathurst with Louis in the motorhome along these road and we all remember bouncing around over these roads.

Past Mazeppa National Park – only area with trees on it. I wonder what’s there that they made it a National Park.

Start of the 110km speed zone so hopefully that means the road will improve. Luckily it did.

Belyando Crossing with a roadhouse by the creek. Sky nearly clear now – do you think we are hankering for warmer weather!!

Got the music going and we are playing get the song in the first few beats. Steve is very good with his favourite songs.

Lots of gold mines marked on the Hema as we head towards Charters Towers. A poppet head and wagon in the park as we head into town.

We turned onto the Flinders Highway heading to Townsville. We decided to camp tonight by the Burdekin River, 22km east of Charters Towers. Across the road bridge looking at the railway bridge over the Burdekin River.

Looks like it is popular free camp but there is plenty of room. We decided to go under the old bridge and camp under the new railway line. A chap said there are only two trains. Lovely old archway.

Parked up for the night.

Walked through the arch to take photos of the old bridge.

Walked down to the water.

Wandered through the other campers and up to the toilets. Information about Ludwig Leichhardt and the area.

Just caught the end of the sunset.

Steve spotted another plaque and replica blaze of Leichhardt and his camp by the river back in 1845. How different it would have been.

Back to camp for a late drink. Our route for today.

Lovely twilight. Lots of cricket making a racket.

I texted the boys letting them know we will be home soon and will cook tea Sunday night so we can catch up. All good from Jon but Dan and Fran are in Brisbane having a holiday so will catch up with them later.

Played a few games of Skipbo after dinner. I won for a change. A trained zoomed by but it all very quiet. Heard the engine but no noise from the long line of wagons. No clickerty-clack.