Slept fairly well until hurty at 4am.
Breakfast was a lot better this morning (scrambled eggs, not the vinegary nastiness of yesterday's poached eggs (that were very firm in the middle), and I also asked for hash browns and got them! Win! Except mum pinched one heh).
Headed out of Mount Isa after breakfast.
Didn't get to stop at the monument to the Kalkadoon aboriginals who were massacred on "Battle Mountain", or see a Burke and Wills monument, because, you know, we're on a tour and don't have time to do that sort of thing.
Pretty coloured sky near Mt Isa
Countryside off the Barkly Highway
But did stop at a lookout over Cloncurry to see the town.
Ernest Henry Bridge over the Cloncurry River
View to Cloncurry from the lookout
Rocky outcrop near Cloncurry
Photo by Mum
In Cloncurry we went to the John Flynn Place museum in town, which was quite an interesting museum for John Flynn and the RFDS. Could easily have spent a lot more time there.
Sign outside John Flynn Place
Photo of John Flynn
Traeger portable pedal transceiver 1936 model. The operator would use the pedals to generate electricity to power the radio
Another pedal generator component
View of the John Flynn Place Museum from upstairs
Australian banknotes and coins honouring John Flynn
The diagram of a Flying Doctors plane, pedal generator and Where Does it Hurt chart used on the Australian $20 note
1924 Dodge
Photo by Mum
Quarter scale model of De Havilland DH50A VH-UER Victory
Kept on driving, and stopped at the Walkabout Creek Hotel, as used in Crocodile Dundee (although it's been moved from its original location to the main highway). It would have been nice to support the pub by having a beer there, but we didn't have time, because, you know, we're on a tour.
Roadside mailbox and flat landscape
Crocodile Dundee's Walkabout Creek Hotel
Interior of the Walkabout Creek Hotel
Interior of the Walkabout Creek Hotel
Interior of the Walkabout Creek Hotel
So kept going a bit further up the road to the Blue Heeler Hotel for lunch. They did some very nice locally-made quiches and sandwiches.
Blue Heeler Pub
Do not write on the walls sign
Penny graffitiing the walls of the Blue Heller Pub
The writing's on the wall
Info board for the first pub performance of Banjo Patterson's Waltzing Matilda
Photo by Mum
Kynuna Surf Life Saving Club boat. Yeup.
Shaz and Lynda at the Blue Heeler Pub
Photo by Mum
Then kept on driving.
Cattle in a line heading for the water hole
Storm over the outback
Rocky mound off the Landsborough Highway
Storm over the outback
Emus off the Landsborough Highway
The countryside was *very* dry and in some places looked to be overgrazed, and saw some dead cattle too :(
During the long drive we had a game of Bobs and Dollys which was a bit of fun. We were up the back so didn't get much of a look-in. But I did get a couple that noone else did.
Arrived in Winton mid-late afternoon and went to the Waltzing Matilda Centre. This was another interesting museum that was partly to do with the Waltzing Matilda song, a little bit on Qantas and the Flying Doctors, some on Winton itself, but a whole heap of stuff on old-style life in the country. Heaps and heaps of artifacts that gave me an urge to collect *everything* because it will be looked at in a hundred years time with nostalgia. Because how would we have old crap to look at today unless someone had hoarded it away for decades? hrmm :) Again, could have easily spent a *lot* longer there.
Waltzing Matilda Centre
Banjo Patterson statue
The wheelie bins in Winton were all in giant dinosaur feet
Waltzing Matilda sound and light show
Rainbow outside the Waltzing Matilda Centre
Furphy water cart
Steam locomotive at Winton Waltzing Matilda Centre
Photo by Mum
Antique bottles
Antique bottles
Quarter scale model of Qantas AVRO 504K
Winton
Elderslie Street, Winton
Waltzing Matilda Centre
Then we went out to the Musical Fence on the outskirts of town which was all a bit of silliness.
The Musical Fence
Percussion objects at the Musical Fence
Me playing drums at the Musical Fence
Photo by Mum
John and Shaz playing at the Musical Fence
Qantas origin memorial celebrating 80 years since formation of Qantas in Winton
Sunset clouds at the Musical Fence
And then finally back to the motel to dump our stuff and go have dinner. I had prawns, lamb, and a snickers brownie. It was all very good except the brownie which was a little dry.
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