Adel’s Grove

After our two nights in Mount Isa we drove up to Adel’s Grove – next to Lawn Hill Gorge (Boodjamulla National Park). We had enjoyed our very short visit here 9 years ago when we lived in Mount Isa and were looking forward to spending a little more time here. We found the camp site very dusty and it was difficult keeping everyone clean. It was also incredibly somky at night, so much so that it was hard to breathe in the camper and we kept waking up from the smoke in our lungs. We were camped in the Grove part of the park and the smoke from everyone’s fires would stay trapped under the trees as the air cooled each night. Other than that, the gorge itself was delightful and everyone loved swimming out to the pontoon and using the rope swing.

Collecting fire wood

Comparing their heights to all the ant hills.

On the way to Lawn Hill, we stopped at the Riversleigh Fossil Fields. There are fossils in the rocks that you can touch and information signs to tell you the animal they belong to.

Looking awesome from the lookout at Riversleigh.

Swimming at the pontoon at Adel’s Grove.

We hired a canoe for a couple of hours and canoed right up the gorge. It was amazing! And we saw a very well fed freshwater croc sunning himself on the bank. It was a little tense in the canoe at times as the kids moving would cause the canoe to wobble quite a bit, and knowing that if we all went in there was only gorge walls (no edge to climb out).

Mount Isa

The next leg of our journey was from Winton to Mount Isa. We had to stop at the Blue Heeler Hotel at Kynuna to get a stubby cooler for Dad. When we stopped the wind was strong and icy cold. The pub had just opened and we bought a lemonade and stood beside the lovely open fire they had going.

Blue Heeler Hotel, Kynuna

We also stopped in at the ‘ghost’ town of Mary Kathleen on the way. The town was thriving when the Uranium mine was operating in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Now there is just remnants left and nature has taken over.

 

We spent two days in Mount Isa. Caught up with a friend, did some grocery shopping and washing. Harry and Belle enjoyed the Hard Times Mine Tour. We had a great tour guide, a bloke named Steve. He had some great stories of his times working in the mines. I really enjoyed learning about underground mining and experiencing what it is like for the miners to work in the dark all day.

Mount Isa

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs!!

We have spent the last two nights in Winton and I got to do two of things that I have always wanted to do. Lark Quarry and the Australian Age of Dinosaurs. I have always loved dinosaurs so this was pretty exciting for me. We did the tour at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs and learned that they only dig for 3 weeks a year because of the amount of fossils that they find at one time. We watched the bones being prepped by tiny drills in the working laboratory. After that we got to look in the collection room and see the dinosaur bones laid out. It was all fascinating and a great experience. The next day we drove out to Lark Quarry to see the dinosaur stampede (footprints preserved in the mud and then covered in silt over time). It took about and hour and a half to drive from Winton, as the road is not sealed the whole way. It was wonderful to see the footprints in real life after seeing the cast at the Queensland Museum. You could really imagine the dinosaurs running around in the mud.

We stayed at the Matilda Country Tourist Park in Winton and enjoyed the nightly entertainment of the bush poets. The kids really enjoyed the shows as well, although we had to do a bit of explaining as to what some of it meant. They include the kids in the show each night and both Harry and Belle got up and joined in.

Other things we did in Winton was to visit the musical fence (a place where the kids can bash and bang things with sticks!) and to look at Arno’s Wall (a wall made out of rock, concrete and all sorts of other things).

Lots of emus wandering around.

Very dry in some parts.

Banjo – carnivorous dinsoaur

Fossilised leaf

Working laboratory

Banjo’s bones laid out

Banjo

Footprints at Lark Quarry

At the musical fence

A motorbike built into Arno’s wall.

Now on to Mt Isa!

On the outer Barcoo……

Our first day of driving was fairly uneventful, just a long time in the car. We had planned to leave by 6:30, but ended up leaving at 5:20. This meant that we made great time and rather than stopping at Morven for the night we kept going and made it to Tambo by 5pm. After 12 hours in the car, everyone was very tired and hungry. We had planned on cooking burritos for tea, but unfortunately the gas wouldn’t work and it was getting dark. Luckily there were two pubs across the road from the caravan park! We ate at the Carrangarra Hotel, which was excellent food, well priced and VERY welcome after a long day in the car (close to 900 kms)

We stopped for morning tea on the way at Chinchilla

The sunrise at Tambo Mill Caravan Park, Tambo

Very dry about 35 kms south of Longreach

We stopped in Ilfracombe (between Barcaldine and Longreach). Harry and I followed the signs to “Bottle Collection”. We were amazed by the extent of the collection – everything from fossils to buttons to sewing machines! Harry loved it.

 

Here is Clayton at the Royal Flying Doctor Service display at the Stockmans Hall of Fame. Kids look suitably impressed!! We all really enjoyed the whole Hall of Fame. A wonderful collection of Australian History.

Sunset at Longreach and our set-up at Longreach Caravan Park.

Road Kill Bingo!!

 

A great idea from Jem! Road kill bingo. An interesting way for the kids to pass the time in the car. I’ve made three different bingo cards so they can rotate through them each day. I’m thinking first to make a row?! Maybe a prize for the winner?

Aussie Road Kill (download the PDF)

Letters Home

 

Thanks so much Rose and Jem! The kids can’t wait to send you back letters, drawings and postcards along the way. The addition of stamps in the gift is wonderful and very thoughtful – we now just need to find a post box to pop your letters in.

Trip Preparation–less than 3 weeks to go

 

This is the plan for the first part of our trip!

Other preparations include preparing the 4WD, thinking about food options, starting to pack a few items and organising a house and dog sitter.