Thurs, 27th Sept, 2018 Broadwater Waterhole, Thomson River, near Muttaburra to Bush camp by Bulloo River, Quilpie, Qld (sightseeing)

Warmer night. 6.30am 21 degrees, light breeze and clear sky. Lots of birds singing.

Back to Muttaburra. Got some water for the clothes washing from a park. It was artesian and quite hot.

Across Landsborough River then the Thomson River (left branch). Took a photo crossing the Thomson River – all of which were dry. Only single lane bridges across these rivers.

Another camp area is available up the river called The Pump Hole. Finally we crossed the Thomson River (south branch).

Bitumen to Aramac. We have seen it all now – two workers whipper snippering the edge of the bitumen and then we passed another two in their truck heading back to the others. Maybe it is to keep the roos away from the side of the road. More scrubby trees around here.

An emu meandered its way across the road near a wetland area – must be an artesian spring there.

Open grazing land again.

Following the leaning power poles – they mustn’t be able to get them to stay straight in the black soil.

An artesian bore was flowing as we came into Aramac. It was originally known as Marathon and is the oldest town in the central west. It was renamed after Robert Ramsay Mackenzie, the first explorer to the area who carved his name (R R Mac) on a tree, which was found by explorer William Landsborough, so Aramac was named.

An old home with new technology.

It is home of the White Bull.

One plaque was about The Myth  – One thousand head of cattle and an imported white bull were stolen from Bowen Downs, collected in yards, claimed at many locations along the Thomson River, and driven through unknown country to South Australia by Captain Starlight. This was the inspiration for Rolf Bolderwood’s story, ‘Robbery Under Arms’ which immortalised the feats of a number of different bushrangers under the name of Captain Starlight.

The other side had The History – Henry Readford was one of many stealing cattle from Bowen Downs which stretched from north of Muttaburra, nearly to Aramac, and to south of Longreach. In March 1870 he and four associates took advantage of floods to put together at least 600 head of cattle and an imported white bull which they drove 800 miles in around 3 months along the Strzelecki Track to South Australia. The bull and two cows branded LC were sold for stores and the remainder of the cattle sold at Blachewater Station. Readford was brought to trial in Roma on the 11^th February, 1873 with the white bull present for evidence. The verdict was ‘not guilty’ to which Judge Blakeney replied “I thank God that the verdict is yours Gentlemen, and not mine”.

Nice old places and quaint little ones.

There is a Tramway Museum and lots of history plaques to explore one day.

Over Aramac Creek. Only one lane bitumen so Steve got completely off the road when two buses headed towards us. Don’t need any chips in our new windscreen.

Spotted some more camels wandering – got a bum shot! Lots of roos resting in the shade of the occasional tree.

Long straight road.

Nearing Barcaldine we spot our first sheep.

Stopped for a cuppa in Barcaldine in a different park to where we stopped on our way over.  The service station opposite was 157.9c/l. We drove down the road a bit to the 24hr fuel depot – 3 companies to choose from. We went with Puma as they don’t advertise their fuel price on the bowser until you pay for the fuel. It was 155.9 – I would have thought it would be cheaper than that.

Onto Landsborough Highway – new wide bitumen and 110km/hr speed limit. We wonder who named the creeks here – Wet Rocky Creek, which is dry and sandy. Then there was Dry Rocky Creek, which was dry and sandy too. Passed a huge dead pig on the roadside. Glad we have our windows up.

Into Blackall which is celebrating its 150^th birthday this year. The historic Woolscour is a great historical tourist attraction. We visited it with the boys 15 years ago. In 1892 Jack Howe also set his two shearing records in Blackall.

I checked out the road condition down to Quilipe at the Information Centre. We were going to have lunch in Ram Park beside it but they turned the sprinklers on.

Bottle trees in the middle of the streets.

Headed around to the Black Stump. A new one has been created and installed this year. Great mural behind it.

The coolabah tree in the school yard.

The petrified wood stump is next to it.

Here’s the 2003 photo of me with the boys and the petrified stump with the old version of the mural.

Beyond the Black Stump.

No sprinklers on at Anzac Park so we stopped there.

Onto a narrow bumpy bitumen road for 26km as we head to Adavale. We reckon they laid the bitumen straight on top of the gravel without any base!!

Back onto the dirt which was no different to the bitumen. Lots of scrubby trees then cleared areas. Cattle and sheep country but we have only seen a few cattle. A dingo was strung up from a branch in the tree – I wonder if they think that will keep the dingoes away!!

Mt Lonebreak and a flat hill beside it which has no name on the Hema. First hills we have seen in a while. Into red soil country now.

More ridges appearing as we head south. Spotted two roos under a tree then an emu decided to race beside us. We won. At last we spot some sheep (110km north of Adavale).

Another emu wanted to race us. We are running parallel with a new wild dog fence.

Through a gap in a range.

Nice view back and to where we are going.

Through more hills. Bitumen for a steep straight climb up and over a hill/ridge then back on the dirt (80km north of Adavale). Still scrubby tree country.

A couple of road-wide bull dust holes had us travelling in the table drain.

Into white soil for a bit then a mixture of white and red soils as we go up and down rolling hills. New sign showing the way to Hell Hole Gorge National Park. I don’t have a road marked on the map so it must just have been opened.

Into Adavale. Plenty of room between neighbours. The last one on the street is called Billy Goat Hill – no hills here.

Stopped at the Town Hall for a cuppa and to read all the information provided. I read the first opal find was north of here. There is also BBQ and toilet facilities for overnight camping for a donation to the RFDS.

We checked out the police station museum. Tried to keep quiet so not to disturb the chap in the corner. Lots of newspaper clippings and information on the wall.

We have become soft with our 4WDs, air conditioning, suspension etc when you look at what people travelled in back then.

Reading the policeman’s story we noticed there is a team of men who maintain the wild dog fence.

Past the hotel and a cute old building called ‘The Hut’.

The new police station. He has chooks, geese and a big black dog.

There is water about, obviously from an artesian spring nearby.

A hut near the creek has canoes and I read the church is now the fishing shack. The creek is made up of lots of channels – hence all this area is called the Channel Country.

Turned off to head down to Quilpie. We came upon some roadworks. Lovely new bitumen but we had to take the dirt detour.  Back on the bitumen which some cattle were wandering across.

Gravel road again. Same looking country as where we detect in WA – no gold here though. Alternated between bitumen and gravel down to the Diamantina Development Road. Turned west towards Quilpie. A naughty sheep has gotten through the fence. He tried to get back through as we drove up but bounced off. He was ok so we left him to figure it out for himself. A couple more escapees were down the road.

Turned off and drove across the causeway at the end of a waterhole of the Bulloo River. It was milky brown too.

One other camper nearby. He had a rooster walking around his camp – fancy taking that with you!  Found a spot to camp. Hung out our washing that had been bouncing around on the back of the truck. Nice warm breeze so it should dry quickly.

Steve collected some firewood while I updated my map. You can see where we stopped south of Longreach on our way up to Cairns.

Had drinks overlooking the waterhole. Still taking photos that I think Mum would have liked to paint. Gave her and Dad a call.

The rooster came by and pecked around Steve. Obviously he isn’t the other camper’s pet. Probably someone from town got some chooks and when this one started crowing, dumped him out here.

He flew up into the tree beside us and let out a cockle-doodle doo so Steve got up and shooed him away.

The breeze dropped about 6.30 so we cooked dinner on the fire. We sat back from it as it is still quite warm. Played some more Skipbo while we had our cuppas.

Heard the rooster in the distance so hopefully he will stay away.