Day 9 - Winton to Mount Isa

Day 9 - Winton to Mount Isa

I thought that it is about time to put a map indicating what I've done so far. Here it is.

Sydney to Mount Isa

The nights here are very, very cold. This morning it was 6 degC




Cold, cold...



Just before leaving I saw this baby Harley.

The road leaving Winton is interesting. It starts with full vegetation and then slowly and clearly, as it approaches Cloncurry it became barren and dry.

Nice, barren landscape

Some beautiful rock formations, the one on the left, I mean.

The flat area is spotted with small short and flat mountains, the aborigines call them 'jumps'


The 'Jumps' in the horizon

After leaving Winton, thre was a sign indicasting petrol at 180km, when I arrived this service station, it's pumps were faulty (for some time apparently) and there was a caravan there that didn't think they'd make it to the next town.

Caravans in trouble

Of course I didn't have a problem, as my range is now near 600 km, so I can now even travel for a full day and will not need refuelling (i.e. Sunday).

I stopped at this very old Roadhouse, outside there were 3 huge brolgas.




The 'Blue Heeler' Roadhouse, on the Matilda Highway

Brolgas

On the way, I saw this sign, for all the ones out there that didn't believe me about the lengh of the Road Trains.

Here it is closer, in case you missed it

Termite city, a huge quantity of termite mounds, they were everywhere. Termites, anyone?

Another view of the termites

 On the way, I found this Memorial to Burke and Wills. Apparently they passed this area. The story of Burke and Wills is very close to my heart. One of the first books I read about Australia, before choosing this country as my own, was the one describing their fateful journey. since then I wanted to travel this wonderful country.

This is a memorial conmemorating Burke and Wills

When I arrived at Cloncurry, I went to visit a friend of mine that was working at the Oasis Hotel. Her name is Shelly.

Some interesting contraption at the Oasis. I would love to try one of these.

Do they have anything against the irish?

In case you are wondering; a gidgee is a type of wood found on the Acacia trees.



Finally got to the 'Isa' Apparently now I am a real aussie.

I might be a real aussie now, but I am also really tired and this night I will splurge in a bit of cabin luxury. I miss a soft comfy bed.

Day 8 - Barcaldine to Winton

Day 8 - Barcaldine to Winton

Left the Camping at Barcaldine with regret, this place is really nice, if you're ever in this area, come to camp here; and try to arrive before 4PM, there is a show at this time where they make dampers with music and storytelling.




The camping at Barcaldine

Nice road, better than I expected. The things I noticed the most was the amount of roadkill and how the vegetation is becaming increasingly sparse and arid.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, respects the speed limit of 110kmh, it's eerie, it's like it's expected and tolerated.

The Road Trains are also becoming  bigger, up unitl now they had 3 trailers, apparetnly from here they will have 4, and exceed the 50 metres.



This is how you know you are behind a Road Train. It's not easy to overtake them. it takes for ever.



All creatures, big and small. This is a 3-trailer one, maybe later I'll catch a photo of a 4-trailer. This is however, scary enough for me. I am not looking forward to face the bigger ones.

On the way to Winton I made a stop in Longreach, there is a museum there dedicated to the founders of Qantas. Apparently Qantas was first formed in this area.




Entry to Longreach



This is the first 747 delivered to Qantas, it is now a museum piece



Did I say something about big and small creatures?

Getting closer to Winton, the heat also starts to show. Look at how they keep the chocolates here in the shops.

Chocolates kept in fridges

On the way here, I noticed how the farmers control the sheep. They don't use horses any more, but motorbikes, look at this.

XXI Century horse

Finally arrived in Winton, somewhat earler than expected, but this is the result of indecent speeds. In any case, I cannot continue, because if I did so, I wouldn't reach the next town before dusk. After dusk is when all the animals come out, and at that time, only the Road Trains can brave the road, they are the ones making all the roadkill.

In the area surrounding Winton, they have found a lot of fossils and dinosaur bones, there is a craze here about dinosaurs, just look at the Council rubbish bins

Before the end of the day, I had a little time to visit some of the museums and attractions of Winton, here is the tracks from dinosaurs, called the 'stampede', the tracks became fossilised in the clay and they covered with sand. This is what they look like




Dinosaur tracks on the fossilised mud

I also had a cold beer at the local pub, which incredibly has a lot of history, in fact, it was compleely destroyed and re-built 3 times.



The 'famous' North Gregory Hotel

For the night, I booked into the Matilda Tourist Park, nice neat place (and very cheap)


I booked into the Matilda Country Tourist Park and tonight they had a show with 2 poetry-comedians



One of the comedians brought her father to the stage, you can see where she got it from. Very funny.

Their names are Mel and Susie.

I found that I had to add some spare fuel, just in case. With 27 litres now, at 5 l/100km, I now have a range of about 600km, which is reassuring.

Another interesting bit of trivia about Winton is that the water here smells like rotten eggs, I found that this is because the water here is artesian and comes mixed with sulphur, which is a gas that gives this smell. The water is drinkable though, but the smell turns you off.