Blogs from Longreach, Queensland, Australia, Oceania

Longreach is an outback town with a lot to offer. Our caravan park was located near the Stockmans Hall of Fame, and that was our first port of call to visit. We really enjoyed the museum and the Stockmans Show. A visit to the School of the Air was a must, and it was interesting watching the teachers communicate and teach their long distance students on remote stations. A vital service for the outback children to learn. In essence, an early form of Zoom. In the afternoon we visited the Qantas Museum, Longreach being the birthplace of our great Australian airline. We had a highly informative tour guide take us aboard a 747 Jumbo, a 707, a DC3 and a Super Constellation. The next night we enjoyed a River Cruise and Dinner, which was complimented by ... read more

Our maiden voyage around QLD initially took us on an unexpected journey back over the border into NSW, with a catch up planned with Tab’s parents in Lightning Ridge on June 10. Then “SURPRISE!!!” they arrived in Stanthorpe a few days before we were due to leave!! Wow, quite the journey guys, thanks for the extra kms! Many thanks too to Brad and Cheryl who opened up their home, cellar door and shared their table with us while Savina Lane became a small van park for a few days. So an enjoyable couple of weeks road-trip convoy with the four of us, plus all three ginger cats (they have Dougal) stopping the first night on the river at Texas, QLD, about 100km west of Stanthorpe, where Maria promptly threw in the yabby nets in the hope ... read more

We raced up the road to be sure of getting to the Hall of Fame on time for the 11am show. We’d booked in for the package of Show, Museum and Lunch and while we were doing it we met Nancy again, the lady from Jericho who had come over to see if Barry was OK after his fall. She also booked that package so we all sat together for the Show, which was in an outdoor arena, where we foolishly sat downwind so the dust kept coming in my eyes. The show is done by Lockie Cosser, originally from Yackandandah in Victoria. He came racing out of the side yard on an American Quarter Horse, which he out through his paces and then unsaddled to show us the different types of saddle used. The horse ... read more

We left Barcaldine a bit later than we’d planned but it’s only 134 km to Longreach so that wasn’t a problem. There were an amazing number of dead animals along the highway, in all states of decay, mainly kangaroos but also a few emus, a sheep and some wild pigs. Wherever the animals were still reasonably meaty there were heaps of carrion birds and birds of prey, including Little Eagles, Black Kites, Ravens and Crows. They would leave it to the last second to lift off the road and several times Barry had to slow down to give them time to get out of the way. They totally ignored him when he tried honking the horn. Mind you, it must be very frustrating for them to be disturbed every time they take a bite! We saw ... read more

There are older settlements in outback Queensland, but Longreach has a significant role both historically and continuing both commercially and for tourists. There is so much to do in this outback town that you need a few days to see it all. In the early development of the region, the Thomson river was a significant waterway, then eventually rail came as far as Longreach, and that improved the lives of all in the area. It's not until you read accounts of lives in these outback towns that the tyranny of distance was so severe. A person contracted typhoid fever, it took 10 days for a doctor to come, only to discover the patient died the night before. While WW I caused terrible disruption and painful loss of life, it also spawned new opportunities as service people ... read more