Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Wed 28 Jul To Mon 2 Aug
After saying goodbye to our temporary neighbours at the Thomson river who were heading to Winton that day, we treated ourselves to a nice breakfast at the bakery in Longreach, filled up with water & petrol restocked the larder and off we went again to our next port of call, Barcaldine. We made good time and pulled into the show grounds around lunch time. We happened to get the same spot as the last time we were there, which was right under a big shady tree. So peaceful, with green grass, no dust and nobody within cooee of us. After setting up Warren washed the car and van and I did some washing. The van was in dire need of a good wash as we had been on so many dirt roads in the previous couple of weeks and as there is an unlimited supply of artesian water at Barky he made the most of it. (Barcaldine is the home of the first free flowing artesian bore in Qld which was sunk back in 1886, liquid gold they call the water). In the arvo a big horse float come caravan pulled in and offloaded two beautiful horses, I got to pat and hold on of them, what a thrill. We did not venture too far from the caravan during our stay as I had had a bad fall a couple of days prior, so I had a very sore hip and back (my sciatica was really playing up) I could not walk very far at all. We did go into town on the second day to fetch a few things and the one thing that took our eye was the monstrosity of a structure that had been built over the Tree of Knowledge. It is a real eyesore from a distance but once you get underneath it, it really is beautiful. It looks just like a real tree with all its leaves hanging down. The Ghost gum was over 180 years old before some horrible person poisoned it in 2006 and it never did recover after that. There are some things you must not miss if you ever get to Barky such as the Memorial to the Tree of Knowledge, The Australian Workers Heritage Centre, also Roses & Things (they serve a lovely Devonshire tea and is home to over 800 rose bushes). One of Barky's unique features is the 6 Hotels which line the main Street. All of these pubs are over 100 years old. Llloyd Jones Weir is a popular spot for fishing and camping, and if you feel in the mood to venture a little further there are some lovely country towns in the area that are worth visiting such as Aramac, Ilfacombe, & Muttaburra. We always love going back to Barcaldine it is one of our favourite country towns, so it was a sad goodbye on the Friday morning when we left to go on to Sapphire.
Friday Afternoon we arrived in Sapphire and rang our friends Greg & Carolyn for directions. They were camped in a bush setting just near one of the established gem mines not far from Sapphire. They had been there for 2 days and had been doing a bit of digging and specking in them thar hills. They did find a couple of good sapphires worth around $300 each in a bag of wash that they bought for $35 so they were very pleased about that, and on the Saturday Carolyn found a small stone just by going through some discarded rocks that someone else had dug out. We of course did not find a thing, we have the luck of the Irish (Buckley's & none). Did you know that sapphires come in every colour of the rainbow, I didn't know that until the other day. On Saturday night we invited Greg & Carolyn over for dinner with port & coffee to finish off a good day. We thoroughly enjoyed their company and hope to keep in touch with them. Sunday we decided to leave for Emerald as we had had enough dirt and dust to last us a lifetime (it literally gets up your nose after a while), but before we headed off we went down to the Sunday markets at Sapphire. Every man & his dog was there (no joke) where they all came from is a wonder. The stalls sold all of the same old things but all of the local miners who have claims in the area come down to sell their gems. We could have cheated and bought one of their gem stones but I thought that they were very overpriced, so instead we bought a bag of wash for $35 to seive through when we get home. You never know we might have picked a goodie with a nice gemstone or two in it. Sapphire is not a pretty place at all, it is full of make-shift dwellings, (mainly old caravans with add-ons) and they are dotted all over the place. Its like a big rabbit warren, there are large holes everywhere with mounds of dirt piled up to the side, & old machinery lying around just rusting away. Everyone is hoping to hit the big jackpot, there are people from all walks of life out there. One can stake a claim on any vacant 30sq metre patch of ground for $1200, and only pay $400 rates a year for the rest of the time they live there. It's a cheap way to live but no way could I ever live like that. After lunch we waved bye bye to Sapphire and to our friends and off we went on our merry way to Emerald.
Once we got to Emerald we went straight around to the info centre to check on powered sites at Lake Maraboon but alas, no such luck, so we decided to go a little further down the track to Springsure. About 4 ks north of the township is a massive rock called The Virgin Rock, apparently somebody saw a likeness to the Virgin Mary & Child and that's how it was named (I could not see it myself). There is a good off-road stop at the turn-off to the rock. We continued into Springsure and pulled up at the showgrounds. Very nice, green grass, no dust, plenty of room and peaceful, we were sitting having a lovely cup of tea the next morning when the circus rolled into the grounds. So we decided to go for a drive to the Minerva Hills National Park, it was a bit rough in places but not too bad as far as a 4 wheel drive track goes, & the scenery was spectacular so it well worth the drive. By the time we got back to the showgrounds the circus workers had started erecting the big-top I couldn't resist the opportunity & went a bit snap happy with the camera. The circus is called Out Of Africa and most of the troupe are Africans, they are only here to do one show and then they will pack up and leave the following day. They have no animals except for a few Shetland ponies & a couple of Llamas, so I imagine it will be an acrobatic show.
Our next stop will be The Carnarvon Gorge, we are booked in for 4 nights & we are really looking forward to it, we believe it is spectacular. I just hope my back stands the pace, it is a little better but still not 100%. Hope you have enjoyed our last jaunt and as we will be heading home soon after the Gorge, our journey is nearly at an end. I hope you will stay with us for the grand finale, I will try to keep you entertained. In the meantime stay happy and well. LOL to you all Carol & Waz xxxxxx
- comments