Australian Adventure

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Hi travel followers.

Well another two weeks has disappeared and we just wonder where they go, but here is a brief description.

From Cloncurry we headed to Mt Isa for a few days to catch the famous Mt Isa Rodeo. Apparently the biggest and richest in Australia.

From there we then headed back via Cloncurry, Mckinnlay (famous for the Crocodile Dundee "walkabout Creek Hotel") and then Kynuna on to Winton, which is part of the Australian Dinosaur trail.

While at Winton we visited the "Age of Dinosaurs" attraction and did a 110km side trip to Lark Quarry to view the only known example in the world of a Dinosaur Stampede with over 3300 fossilised dinosaur foot prints in just one section of rock that has been excavated. They believe there is over 75000 still untouched. Spectacular.

From Winton it was on to Longreach for a few days to take in the Longreach "School Of Distance Education" (the old School of the Air) which takes in an area greater the Tasmania and Victoria put together. We also visited the Qantas Museum and the Stockman's Hall of Fame which has an excellent stockman's show that they put on.

It was then on to Barcaldine for a couple of days to take in the "Tree of Knowledge" but it was a real eye opener and just a bit distressing to see this part of the country in full blown drought and all the properties forced to sell off "all" their stock, including their "breeding stock" because there is nothing but dirt left for them to eat. In one afternoon we witnessed over 20 triple trailer, double decker road trains (over 120 head per truck) hauling cattle out of the area. Also because of the severe drought, it was very sad to see so much "road kill". I.e. in many sections of the highway, in just a average100m you could see at least 200+ kangaroo carcases beside the road. There are that many, even the crows, hawks and eagles etc. can't scavenge them all.

In total contrast, once you cross the Great Dividing Range towards Emerald the grass and vegetation returns even though the locals say they are also in drought.

Hope you like this update.

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