Blogs from Barcaldine, Queensland, Australia, Oceania

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Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Barcaldine June 4th 2022

Lara Wetlands is a 15,000 acre station stay and is 28 kilometres south of Barcaldine. There are unlimited semi off grid sites located around a central lagoon, along with a hot artesian pool, hot showers and flush toilets. The sunsets are stunning, as is the birdlife on the lagoon. Bikes and kayaks are free, and we took the opportunity to use both. It was here that we met Colin and Lindsey, an older couple from Erina NSW. Lindsey was a patient from the health clinic where Kim worked at in Erina, and we caught up with them at a few of our future caravan park stays. Whilst we were there we enjoyed a Country and Western Concert, and home cooked damper. The cooks even provided a special GF damper for Kim. A very relaxing stay in ... read more
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Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Barcaldine June 2nd 2022

Being the son from a long line of Blacksmiths, it was important for me to stand under the Tree of Knowledge in Barcaldine, the place where the great shearers strike of 1891 took place, all of whom were subsequently jailed for over a decade. It is the birthplace of the Australian Labor Party and the beginning of the workers conditions that we all take for granted today in Australia. Unfortunately, the Tree of Knowledge was poisoned in 2006, however, it has been preserved under a large timber structure. We visited the historic Australian Workers Heritage Centre, which contained many old buildings, vehicles and antique items collected from around the district. It would be remiss of me not to mention Roses n Things Caravan Park where we stayed in Barcaldine. A small eleven site park, it boasts ... read more
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Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Barcaldine May 13th 2015

Well what a very exciting day. We started driving at 6 am from Bourke. We knew there would be some issues with Kangaroos on the road for the first few hours. Well this is an understatement. I nearly hit three or four Kangaroos and I am talking only metres away from each one. All of them crossed in front of me while we were driving at100 km an hour. I had to prise my hands free from the steering wheel after those first hours. Plenty of emus and also hawks and eagles. My sister and eh husband hit an eagle with their windscreen. Also the road trains which have three large trailers each with twelve wheels. So scary to pass them. Paul's Troopy went really well (this is the one that Paul and I had been ... read more
Cabin at Baracladine
Troopy

Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Barcaldine August 5th 2014

We decided to stay another day so I got started on the never-ending washing. The machines are set for cold wash so they were only $3 each wash (I had three washes so $9 again). While I was waiting for them to finish, I sang in the laundry, which felt really good. I do it there so the washing machines drown out the sound (at least that’s what I thought – turns out everyone can still hear me!) As I finished one song the cleaner popped her head in and told me not to stop. She was enjoying it and had been walking up and down extra quietly while doing her work so she didn’t disturb me (as if it would). Then while I was hanging up the washing several other people came to say they’d ... read more
A Typical Telegraph Office
School Days - Old Style
The Echidna Next Door

Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Barcaldine August 4th 2014

Barry left me to sleep in today after staying up half the night trying to finish the blog typing so it was a late start. It is really windy and I thought I heard rain during the night. Turns out it was the seeds and twigs from the tree beside us dropping onto the roof. This can create a problem when retracting the slide-out as they get caught in the seals. While I was getting the inside ready for travel, Barry hooked the van up and readied the outside. Then I came out to help him as he wanted to clear the slide-out roof. I was surprised that he’d hooked the van up as last time he’d used the tray of the ute to climb on so he could see above the slide-out. He decided he ... read more
Inside the Tree of Knowledge Canopy
Inside St Helena Gaol, near Brisbane
A Tribute to the Hard-Working Shearers

Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Barcaldine July 13th 2012

We’ve traveled almost due north for a while now, and we have been on the middle of the line defining low rainfall to occasional rainfall. This has marked a return to the best part of our Australian odyssey - a return to the songs and poetry of the Australian Outback. We are about level with Rockhampton on the Capricorn Coast, but 650km inland, about halfway to the Northern Territory border. From Dubbo, we stayed at Bourke (Back o’ Bourke), Cunnumulla, (the Cunnumulla fella), Charleville (the vortex guns), and Blackall (beyond the black stump). The common element of these towns is the rural decline, attempts to grow alternative crops once the golden age of wool was over, and the effects of Government incentives and constraints. They recognize that tourists are a major part of their survival and ... read more
Narromine
Bourke
Cotton harvest

Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Barcaldine September 26th 2011

Monday 26th September – today is the birthday of young Charlie Brown who lives in Tewkesbury. We hope you had a great birthday, Charlie. With this blog we have reached the milestone of 200 blogs – for those who have read every one – good on you!! Thanks very much for staying with us on our journey around Aus. We are still remarkably enthusiastic, mainly because we are always coming across more and more fantastic places to write about. Today it is the turn of Ilfracombe (again) and Barcaldine. We were in no rush today as, even with a planned stop and picnic lunch at Ilfracombe, Barcaldine is no more than 110 kilometers from Longreach so we knew we would arrive in good time. In fact, we had contemplated going on to Blackall today, another 110 ... read more
Ilfracombe 'Hub of the West'
'Machinery Mile' stretches through the village and into the distance
This is a tank and dam excavator

Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Barcaldine November 5th 2009

In November 2009, Dad and I went to Barcaldine for a couple of days. He had organised a 50-year school reunion for those that had finished Grade 10 in 1959. ... read more
Torrens Creek Pub
Emus
Aramac

Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Barcaldine June 10th 2009

Firstly I would like to share with you my experience of outback entertainment that I was exposed to last night ... It is a long standing tradition at Nardoo Station to have a sing song round the very large camp fire ... it is something that you can’t get out of, I promise you ! Now first the pleasant experience, Jeff the brother of the station owners is a beaut singer / songwriter of outback yarns made into song ... one particular song about his late Father certainly got the tear ducts going ... Then the unpleasant experience ... A couple from my home state of WA ( namely Esperance) arrived with large sign writing on their 4WD .. “Country Singing Duet” ... I feel that they must have stolen someone else’s vehicle !! To say ... read more

Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Barcaldine September 14th 2007

I have just traveled out west for my work and could not resist taking some pictures along the way. This year there has been quite a bit of rain in some parts of the country and this has allowed the wild flowers to bloom in some spots for the first time in 8 years, These flowers are all by the side of the road in a 20 kilometre stretch between Jericho and Barcaldine. These towns are in Central Queensland about 700 kilometres inland from Rockhampton. They make such a contrast to the red earth, gum trees and sparse shrubbery that you usually see out there ... read more
Our National plant
Look Closely
Tall ones




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