So I continue, we spent 2 nights at Birds ville, then 2 nights at Innaminka, 2 nights at Tibooburra, and 1 night at Hungerford. We crisscrossed in and out of Queensland and South Australia, all on dirt roads, visiting important historical sites from explorers Burke and Wills, travels, including their burial sites, or rather the sites where they died. It's a tragic story, as they missed their support team, by hours and so perished in the outback. Most older Australians would have been schooled in the history of our early explorers, but perhaps less so with our modern curriculum.
Because of the rains, we had fabulous vistas of yellow, white and pinky mauve wildflowers as far as the eye could see, and all so Green! Most unusual. Graham the trip leader, who I traveled with,kept saying he'd never seen it like this.
We saw lots of mobs of kangaroos, not so many emus, but quite a lot, and came across a few wedge tailed eagles. They are magnificent, but hard to catch a photo of, when one is traveling. We had a few campfires for happy hour, traveling out of town to sit around a huge fire, swapping limericks about our trip, mine were pretty Bad! As the cold desert air got to us, we learnt a trick to keep Warm! Take a good shovel full of coals and place under your camp chair, wonderful heat under your bottom and warms your Back! After Graham and I split from the group at the end of the trip, we lit campfires for our morning smoko, and lunch time breaks. Within 5 minutes we had a warm fire to sit or stand around, while we drank our coffees, plunger Too! Delicious, with an Anzac biscuit. It was a very well organized trip.
After our arrival back at Charleville, I caught up with my laundry, picked up my repaired wheel nuts and restored my hubcaps to their original Beauty! And set off, heading east for a day, back to Mitchell, and then north,to injune, Rolleston and Ruby vale, via Emerald. All of these spots were filled with Grey nomads who were into gemstone fossicking. It was like the opal towns, a dozen or so jewelry shops, selling locally found Australian sapphires, mostly. I managed to restrain Myself! Some of the colours were really pretty. Next on to Clermont, where I met some lovely patchworkers, in the caravan park, who spent 3 months there as their husbands were gold prospectors, so the ladies have been meeting each other up there every year, and have joined the local group, so I did too. They had a great setup, the shire gave them a building . They left their sewing machines set up and came and went as they pleased. One of the visiting ladies I had met at Dorrigo, some years back, it's a small world when you are a Patchworkers! After a couple of days there I went on to Charters Towers, as I had my last hexagon flower to deliver from my swap group. The lady wasn't home, but her partner sent me off to her workplace, so we met and chatted for a few minutes. Then I pushed on ever northwards, heading for cairns. I had a deadline, as I was booked to fly home for my sister 70 th birthday. I drove via Greenvale and Innot Hot Springs. Another artesian pools caravan park, lovely, in the mornings the steam was rising from the creek, which was fed from the hot springs, I got almost the last site, kept getting lucky. Stayed 2 nights it was terrific to soak in 38 degree water,but jolly cold getting out and making a dash for the Showers! So finally making the last sprint to Cairns, via Mareeba in the Atherton table lands. Took me a lot of calls to find a caravan park in cairns, price ranging to 60 dollars per Night! No thank You! Finally got into top tourist park for 45.00 per night.still peak season up here. 2 nights to do my washing and pack , then out to the airport for a midnight horror flight to Perth. Not a fan of jetstar, but it's the only direct flight , so There! Then the flight was delayed, so I eventually arrive, lucky the hire car desks were still manned, I got an upgrade, again, to a Rav 4! A very nice car to sit in and drive. Spent what was left of the night at a hotel, as I had appointments in the morning, then down south to jeans. Whisked off to mum to visit on Saturday, picked up my mail, piles of it, thank you to all my hexagon swap People! Then settled into helping Kath with the catering for the birthday luncheon. 30 odd people, fork food, champagne, and gorgeous desserts. Whew! Kath did a fantastic job. Collapsed all day Monday, then off to Perth to visit John Bell for commiserating and a catchup, since his wife's funeral. It's hard, we she'd a few tears, and hugs. Then it was back to jetstar and the redeye, back to Cairns.
So I hope you are all keeping well, as I am, all the best to you until next time.
vicki
