Monday, 5 September 2016

Heading South


Travelling  East To Miles from Roma
 
local wild life


gotta love these floppy eared cows with humps and saggy necks, Brahmans I think.
All totally oblivious of the mad truckies and grey nomads they were holding up
 
there were even horses amongst the cows,
oh yeah, more ROAD TRAINS!!!!

Main street of Miles, typical country town from around here, plenty of cowboys, I wasn't game to take a picture of one.

another small town , Condamine

Moonie Cross Roads

there is oil around here 

Moonie Crossroad Hotel and Rosies "Café" great food and some "characters" around here

good read!
gotta read this about a plane that landed on the highway, asked where he was , ordered coffee and then took off 

 we took the right road



main st Goondawindi 

Gunsynd The Goondiwindi Grey and us




Macintyre River, old bridge, QLD & NSW border
Driving into Moree
Main street - very nice country town
driving into the caravan park - guess where we're going soon as we set up?

that's right, into the pools

we had a choice, 35,  37 or 39 degrees, did them all, hottest first.

that's not us with the hats

this was a huge park, bit tight, but good place to stay in Moree

on the road again, driving to Coonabarrabran, plenty of water around they just had a pretty big downpour, roads wee flooded yesterday, going down now, lucky for us
just north of Narrabri, hotel under renovation, trench around it full of water

nice town but bigger than Moree, stopped for coffee
 
Arrived, going to see the stars tonight
 ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
our caravan park, by tonight it will be chock a block

nice scenery on tourist drive around the"planets"
 


 Telescopic Domes at Warrumbungle Observatory

one of the "planets" on the drive,......... Jupiter

Clock tower in the main St Coonabarabran.......gotta love that name! 
Inside the Telescopic Dome

Inside the Telescopic Dome

Inside the Telescopic Dome
 
This was a fantastic experience, we looked at Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, Stars, Star signs, Moon, Milky Way and countless sightings in space. We also just managed to see the "Silver Dollar Galaxy" which is 30 million light years away from us.
 
There were just 6 of us to experience this 90 minute almost personal space tour given us by an Astronomer with such passion that we considered ourselves very privileged

We went home from here very satisfied but FROZEN, it was a very cold but a clear still night.
 
Continuing on our journey down through NSW, we spotted              this place in West Wyalong, couldn't resist the photo.

 
Not much stopping us now, looks like we are well and truly on our way home. not rushing though, will be in touch.

 
 

Monday, 29 August 2016

Charters Towers to Central Outback to Roma

Heading towards Charters Towers
 
Termite Mounds along the way they were everywhere
 
 you can see rows of Termite Mounds behind trees on the left

Fletchers Creek free camp just North of Charters Towers


Fletcher Creek running through the camp
sunset at Fletcher creek

 Fletcher Creek camp
Main street Charters Towers
 

White Mountains National Park on the Great Dividing Range

and again

and again
 
Arrived at Hughenden for a 2 night stay
 

Hughenden Caravan Park

Life size replica of dinosaur Muttaburrasaurus Langdoni, the real thing would have weighed about 25 tonnes 
Grand Hotel Hughenden, fenced off with cyclone fencing, hopefully to be restored, very impressive but unsafe as it is
 

A day visiting Porcupine Gorge and Pyramid Lookout

 




Great View
Bad View
 
Better View


 
 
original grave supposedly untouched
 




one side
the other side





pretty big day, did some walking, some rock climbing,
and back for a nights rest before another days driving and dodging roadtrains on our way to the next camp

on our way to Winton, not much to see for about 3 hours, except for several cars and vans and some ROAD TRAINS !!!!!!!

we made it to Winton and lunch
Main street outback Winton
 


stayed long enough for lunch and a good look around, couldn't handle the busy lifestyle so we moved on for another 2 to 3 hour interesting drive and yeah, more ROAD TRAINS !!!!!!

Going through Longreach to Ilfracombe, 20 more k's to our next park, we got a couple of days to come back for a good look here 
Ilfracombe caravan park

Happy hour Shed
everybody in the shed is HAPPY 
what a great place

Sharon at Tropic of Capricorn, Longreach

the silo next door 
Me, the Brahman Steer and Henry the Collie at the Stockman's Hall of Fame Longreach

Thomsons River Longreach, just had the best rain in 3 years about 70ml in 1 day


 Qantas Museum Longreach 


original hangar
Longreach Railway Station

above the exit Ilfracombe caravan park on our way out
On our way to Charleville and guess what! more ROAD TRAINS!!!!!

Blackall, merino country 

the big Merino

Blackall

 

Main St Tambo



Bottle tree in the main St,Tambo

Main St Tambo

Main St Tambo
Not sure about this, might be the original ROAD TRAIN, Ha Ha
 
 
Going into Charleville, plenty of red dirt
Stayed here for 1 night, on the red dirt, soil still wet and mushy from rain a week ago
 
Charleville Pub 
Morven on our way to Roma



 Arrived at Roma a bit easier drive than the last few legs, not as many road trains, hoping not to see any more after Roma.
Will be here for 3 or 4 days.
ducks in the pond Roma discovery centre

Slab Hut Roma discovery centre 


Slab Hut Roma discovery centre 

war memorial 
 
                                            The Big Rig in the background
 

old oil pump

Anglican Church Roma, stained glass windows all around, were imported from England 

Large Pipe organ Anglican Church Roma

Anglican Church Roma 

Large windmill - Roma

old steam engine at Wallumbilla

Wallumbilla 

big rock, forgot the significance, might have to go back one day to find out
 
this guy has been following us around for nearly three months
 
 
"Arrivederci Roma"
off to greener pastures a little bit East and then heading South towards you know where!