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Published: June 26th 2009
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Packed up camp and on recommendation went to the Working Museum at Birdsville. A real character ran a show on all the machines from 1970’s back to the 1800’s. Old fridges, washing machines, carbine lamp, old irons, huge biscuit tins, when you bought then by weight. It was mind boggling. Met two other Ultimate Campers and their owners, both were heading in different directions. The racetrack is just all dirt, but the Birdsville Races attract around 5,000 people come September. Apparently you have to queue for fuel when it is time to leave.
Left late morning and stopped at Chubby Creek for lunch. Continued on the road - it is a really good road, fresh crushed rock and being graded. Unfortunately when someone passed you, depending on the wind, you got covered in dust and couldn’t see the road. It was one of these times that we felt a bump and a loud bang and dear on dear, a dented rim and the tyre got pinched and alas a big hole in the side.
Half an hour later and we were back on the road to Windorah. They have a huge Solar Energy plant just outside of town. Stopped
at Cooper Creek for the night and lit a fire to cook tea by. We were camped by the river and there is a narrow bridge (with no sides) that crossed the river. The road trains started belting through there about 8pm. So glad we were traveling then, they couldn’t have stopped if someone was already on the bridge. Woke up early in the morning to rain and madly packed up before the canvas got wet. It didn’t end up being more than a heat shower, but once packed we headed off early. Saw some professional kangaroo shooters coming into town with their night’s work - about 30 kangaroos hanging on the back of the 4WD. There were about 4 of them coming in about 7am, ready to get them into the ice box.
Lots of plains/flats (with water sitting on them) on either side of Windorah, took a photo of some strange birds. Almost the height of a small emu and they jumped around when we got closer. Lots of cattle and kangaroos on the road this early in the morning - we had to keep our eyes focused.
Arrived in Longreach around lunchtime and started the
arduous process of finding a replacement tyre. First it was do you have? Then can you get? Finally, when can you get? The best was to stick to the same brand tyre and get it a day earlier in Longreach (next Tuesday or Wednesday) or wait for Thursday or Friday and Mt. Isa. So Longreach looks good and we will find things to see and do; chill out; schoolwork (even though it’s school holidays); travel blog and generally wait it out. There is quite a bit to see like the Qantas Museum, Stockman’s Hall of Fame, Cobb & Co coach ride.
Anyway, will let you know about that in the next blog - together with a photo of the hole in the tyre!
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