Hughenden to Charters Towers

We left Winton as I have already said and first travelled to the Dinosaur place and then onto Hughenden.  This was meant to be a one night stop but we stayed two nights.  We went to Porcupine Gorge, first to the lookout at the top and then to where we could climb down to the bottom.

Today we travelled to Charters Towers, arrived around lunch time and were going to drive on but decided to stay instead.

By the way the last two days it has been 26 degrees.

This photo taken at the top of the Gorge

This was taken at the bottom after we had walked down.

Tony with his head in a dinosaur taken in Winton

Boulia to Winton and Hughenden

We left Boulia and headed for Winton, arrived mid afternoon, parked the van and then headed to town to get some meat and vegies.  Spent the rest of the night relaxing, had a great dinner - rib eye fillet.  This caravan park does put on a roast every night (beef only) and we had that at another caravan park once and it was tough so we cooked our own.  They also put on entertainment and the two nights we were there they had the Poet of Many Hats and no we didn't attend.

Went to the Dinosaur Stampede which is at Lark Quarry Conservation Park approx. 110 kms out of town.  This is the only known dinosaur stampede known on earth.

When we left Winton, we headed down to the Dinosaur Centre where they have found more dinosaurs than anywhere in the world.  We didn't do the tour as we did it a couple of years ago but wanted to see the new centre.  We then headed back to town and onto Hughenden.

When they made Jurassic Park they hired a palaeontologist ? and they came here to check how the dinosaurs walked.

This photo shows how far below the surface the prints were

This is a large footprint

There are lots of small prints here

 

 

Tony has some better photos that he took with his camera but they take a long time to download.

 

Julie & Tony

Birdsville to Boulia

We spent two nights in Birdsville, have been to the Birdsville Hotel, Bakery, the remains of the Royal Hotel, out to the cemetery and also big red (sand hill)

We left this morning rather quickly as the sky was getting quite dark and the temperature dropped quite a lot.  Asked at the desk at the caravan park and was told looks like a sand storm coming so we were out of there and headed north as it wasn't going there.

Arrived late this afternoon in Boulia, will stay one night and then onto Winton.

Inside the Birdsville Hotel

Out the front of the hotel

Tony at the bottom of big red

Julie at the top of big red



 



 

Most people drive their cars up and down and across the top but we walked up and down.  The other side behind me is the Simpson Desert.

 

The Royal Hotel



Upwey to Hamilton Island the Long Way

We left Upwey at approx. 1.45 on Saturday and stopped in Charlton where we had dinner in the pub and sat by the open fire with a red whilst it was cooking.

Our next stop was Mildura where we were going to go to Mungo National Park and on enquiring at the information place were told that we can't drive to the Walls of China, even though we did a few years ago.  They seem to have upgraded the area and it has now become a money making venture so you have to go on a tour which we didn't do.

Our next stop was Broken Hill for one night and then onto Tibooburra where we had dinner in the Family Hotel - checked out the one that wouldn't feed us last time and still the same people running it so we decided not to go there.

Left Tibooburra via Warri Gate and headed to Innamincka, we were going to have morning tea at Warri Gate but when we got there found out it was just that a gate.  We continued on and stopped later on the side of the dirt road and then again for lunch. 

One night at Innamincka camping at the Common Camp Ground - pit toilets only and no showers, there is an ablution block in town (about 1 k away) where you can get a shower for $2 for three minutes.

Left Innamincka via Walters Crossing and then onto the Birdsville Track and we are now in Birdsville.  Today the weather has been 19 degrees but it is starting to get cold as it is 7 pm.  Most of the way the weather has been cold except for today.

Warri Gate

 

Cattle Drive