Roma, Bingara and Home

       

                                           Large Bottle Tree in Roma

Our trip was almost over and John and I had intended to have a few days at Hawks Nest however family matters brought us home earlier. We put in a couple of longer days on the road so our only stopovers were Roma Qld and Bingara NSW.  

Roma has some nice bottle trees, no relation to the Boab Tree. We have stayed in Roma before and remembered the old winery next to the caravan park. It is now shut so any chance of photos of the old building didn't happen. Unfortunately it is in disrepair.

John and I drove through some lovely countryside during those last two days. Both days we drove 550 klms per day. We passed through Goondiwindi, entering the New South Wales border as you leave the town. 

       

                                                        The Blue Moon at Roma

       

                                                      Old garage at North Star

      

                                                   Sunset at Bingara NSW

Our last camp was at Bingara on the Gywdir River a place we have stayed on a previous trip. We had a long day but never boring and went to bed early so as to be on the road early on our last day. 

     

                                         country scenery on our last day on the road

      

                                                           Barraba NSW

     

                                                           Unusual cloud formation

I helped with the driving this trip, the hi lux is easy to drive. I didn't do anywhere near the 14,500 klms total  that we traveled around Australia but just drove enough to give John a break occasionally. 

We have some great memories during our nine weeks holiday plus hundreds of photos. Elaine and Bob were good travel companions and most of those weeks they were with us. We shared many laughs and happy hours.

      

     

    

  

              

                                    

Hughenden, Charters Towers and Clermont

       

                                                       Sunrise in Hughenden

John and I had two nights in Hughenden so we could have a look at the local area. We know soon we will have to turn south for home. 

Hughenden is deep in dinosaur country along with Richmond and Winton. John and I have been to Lark Quarry near Winton and learnt a lot about the dinosaur age in Australia

       

                                           .Mutta the dinosaur in Hughenden's Main Street. 

     

                                      The Coolibah tree in Hughenden. 

       

                           A bustard strolling across the road as we drove out of Hughenden

      

                                     The Federation Rotunda built from two windmills

Charters Towers was our next overnight stop. We have been there before so just drove up to the outlook over the town and settled into the park for the night.

     

                                       The White Mountains NP on the way to Charters Towers

      

   

                                                        Lookout over Charters Towers

On the way to Clermont I noticed a flock of Brolgas in a paddock. It's the most I have seen in one area. 

Clermont is another mining town with a sad history. The town was built on a flood prone area and a devastating cyclone followed by a massive flood swept through the town in 1916 killing 65 people. The town was rebuilt on higher ground. A replica  piano in a tree is a sobering reminder of mother nature's  force.

                                    

                                                        The piano in the tree

                                     

               

          

    

                                                          Theresa Creek dam out of Clermont. 

  

           

   

                                                 The Murals in Clermont

         

                                                      Hood's Lagoon in Clermont. 

John and I head to Rolleston tomorrow for an overnight stop.

Katherine, Mataranka, Cape Crawford, Barkly Homestead , Corella Creek

                      

                                            Black Cockatoos at Daly Waters. 

Katherine was a stopover to do grocery shopping and have a night at the caravan park. 

Mataranka was an oasis in the dry. Lovely hot springs and palm trees. We stayed one night and moved on while Bob and Elaine relaxed for a second night. John and I called into Daly Waters pub to take a few photos and saw a flock of black cockatoos having a good old feed in the trees.

         

                                                                       Mataranka 

John and I stayed at the Hi way roadhouse before heading onto the Carpenteria Highway to Cape Crawford for one night. The Heartbreak Hotel is an isolated roadhouse and caravan park about 375 klms from the Barkly Highway and 100klms from Booraloora. Both highways into Cape Crawford are mostly single lane roads occasionally spreading out into two lanes. The Tablelands Highway back to Barkly Homestead gave us our best wildlife spotting so far. In the fist hour or so we saw eagles, wild pigs. A brumby, a bustard and a wild dog. 

       

                                              Brumby hiding from us

       

    

                                      An Australian Bustard or plains turkey

        

                                                Wild pig

        

                                               Single lane road, the Tablelands Highway

We met up with Elaine and Bob for one night at Barkly Homestead, saying goodbye again while we went on to a free camp 50 klms east of Mt Isa, after crossing into Queensland near Camoweal. It was a great camp the WW 11 airfield site. It had toilets, a dump point and shade. Lots of caravans and motor homes stayed with us but in no way were we crowded. Cooking on the gas at a free camp has become more familiar and even though it was hot it cooled down at night. A couple that were camped near us owned a coffee truck so we set off the next morning with hot cups of cappuccinos!

                                 

                                                        Coffee on the go!

We tried to book Richmond for a night but the park was booked out. We saw Corella Creek country stay in the camps book and we rang to ask if there was a site available. We got a pleasant surprise when we turned up at an animal rescue cum caravan park. Only three lots of us camped there but probably a good number as there was only one shower and toilet to share. Luckily we have our own on board.

      

                                                        Having a joey cuddle

      

                                                Making friends with Scruffy the goat

       

                                                       Helping hands at feed time

       

                                       The Corella Creek Country Store and Stay

                  

 There were animals everywhere and chooks, geese, turkeys and ducks. They had some goats and little joeys plus a black lamb who was very cute. I had a chance to feed him and cuddle a joey in a pouch. 

       

                                               Baa baa black sheep, this was his name! 

We rang ahead to Hughenden this morning and booked into the park for two nights. We only had a 220 klms drive today so took our time and stopped in Richmond for a morning cuppa at the lake. 

Timber Creek. NT

          

      

One of my favourite places in Australia is the Kimberley region. Timber Creek in the Victoria River area is a little town with a couple of garages and caravan parks. We have been twice before and wanted Elaine and Bob to experience the croc feeding in the park and also the sunset river cruise. For a while there it didn't look like the cruise was running. They needed at least eight people to go but luckily got 26 in the end.

         

   

The three and a half hour cruise is by fast boat about 70klms return up the river and back, stopping at a pontoon for hot and cold finger food and nibbles. Neville our bus plus boat guy, is very knowledgeable of the area having lived there most of his life and having a business in this small town.

We saw lots of crocs both salties and freshies. Neville feeds the sea eagles and kites, we all liked the wildlife sightings. I was thrilled to get a good photo of a jabiru, I felt I was really now in the Northern Territory. 

Sunset was lovely with the majestic red  mountains behind and the colours reflected in the water.

       

                                                    Sea Eagle

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                                                              Jabiru                                    

       

      

       

                                                          A saltwater croc

The two nights at Timber Creek went fast, we had seen the croc feeding the first afternoon and then the cruise the second evening. Bob drove us out a two lookouts not far from town on our second day and we took some nice photos. We enjoyed a coffee and cakes in the Croc Shop run by Neville and his wife. I bought another book on the life of an early pioneer to the outback. I think I had got one last time I came through. 

     

                                                                 The Victoria River

We left Timber Creek about the same time as an army convoy from Bradshw Traing Feild as we headed towards Victoria River Roadhouse and to Katherine for one night. The Katherine rodeo and show was on not far from the park we stayed in so we heard the fireworks and music coming from that venue. 

     

      

         

   

   

   

                                       

Kununurra

        

                                                         Lake Argyle

John and I have been to the Kimberley region three times now and each time we find new things to experience. We stayed at the Discovery Holiday Park for three night. It's on Lake Kununnurra, we were told the bats were a problem but we coped with them ok even hearing the chatter at 3am and the smells. 

The park put on a Barra and beef night while we were there and the funds raised go to Care Flight. The meal was delicious. 

Our favourite tour we have done was the triple J tour on the Ord river. The four of us had a great day. We were picked up at 11.30 am and taken by bus to Lake Argyle first, a trip of 70klms then a fast boat ride down the Ord River back to Kununurra, 55klms away. Our guide stopped the boat to show us crocs and bird life along the river and explained the Ord river system to us. Kununurra is a big irrigation area growing a lot of sandalwood and fruit crops. 

We were dropped off after the cruise at the boat jetty at our park.

          

                                                                      The Ord River

           

    

                                                              Our cruise boat

We also drove out to Mimima NP the following day to see the mini Bungle Bungles. The rock markings are similar to the Bungle Bungles. It was a pleasant walking along the boardwalk. The park is close to town.

                                    

                                                        

        

                                                                         Mimima NP

All four of us enjoyed Kununarra, of course we shopped for groceries and got scripts made up at the chemist as we knew our next stop Timber Creek would be a bit more isolated.

    

        

    

Wyndham

        

                                                       On the way to Parry's Creek Farm

We had decided to stay two nights at Parry's Creek Farm, it was 7 klms off the highway but on a well maintained gravel road. It was a shame the property was dry and dusty. They hadn't had rain for six months. It was a pretty place with a billabong surrounded by cabins. 

I haven't seen so many boabs in one area. They were as far as the eye could see. 

John had a swim in the pool and filled in the afternoon walking around to see if he could find any wildlife. Kangaroos were around in the mornings. There was a billabong worth seeing off the road into the farm. John and I decided we wanted to see it but unfortunately a Bob and Elaine don't have a 4wd and as we found out the road in was very rough. 

         

                                                        At Parry's Creek Farm

The Marglu Billabong has been one of the highlights of this trip. The road leading up to a lookout before getting to the billabong was not one I would want to do again but it was worth every corregation and small rocks to view this beautiful place. 

        

                                                         Our camp sites

           

                                                         Rocky road to the lookout

Once at the lookout and the ruins of the old Telegraph Station, the whole vista was incredible.  The boabs were standing as sentinels as you entered the last bit of the road down the hill and along to the billabong. Another better road joined the one we had travelled so slowly on. 

The whole area was a lot bigger than I had imagined. We saw brolgas immediately and magpie geese.  Also a large group of Pelicans gracefully sliding on the clear water.  We entered the bird hide to take more photos and sat and took in the chattering of the birds and just enjoyed the whole experience.

         

                                                             From the lookout

         

                                               Brolgas and crocs in the foreground

          

                                                                     Magpie Geese

          

            After leaving the billabong we drove in Wyndham and up to the Five Rivers Lookout over the Cambridge Gulf. It's a high steep and winding 3 klms up to the lookout but the view is amazing.

        

    

                                                  Five Rivers lookout at Wyndham 

We spent an hour or so there before looking around the town and heading back to Parry's Creek.