In the Outback.
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Lots of red dirt roads, gum trees and wide open spaces!
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Taking the inland route northwards. |
First we visited Byron Head lighthouse and the most easterley point on mainland Australia.
A cloudy windy day but the views were great.
Up ahead loomed the skyscrapers of the Gold Coast and Brisbane. |
We turned westward towards Ipswich and Toomoomba. At the small town of Gatton we pulled up at a Yamaha shop and found a new mate from the A4DE, Geoff Udy.
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So that night we spent yarning with his wife Louise up at his place on the ridge.
He had a familiar jacket in his wardrobe! Hands up any one who remebers the Pernod SWM team!!
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Along the Warrego highway dodging the road trains! |
The highway past through towns with familiar names or unusual ones. Hampton-Goombungee-Dalby
Through the big town of Roma, gateway to the outback so we filled up with supplies and fuel!
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Then it was tiime to check out a huge bottle tree! |
The scenery had changed, big fields for growing cereals, cotton or grazing cattle.
Lunch stop was beside the Warrego river-the river of sand! |
The traffic had thinned out but the the size of the vehicles had increased! Road trains! 53.5 metres long, usually three trailers, 62 wheels-BIG!
We would slow down and pull over- give way to size is the rule out here! |
On the dirt roads these trucks raise a storm and the towns need a sign asking them to shake of the dust!
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In Charleville we visited the Vortex guns that had been designed to create rain-a much needed resource!
They did not work but have been kept as historic artifacts! |
Another stop along the Landsborough Highway was at Blackall to visit the only steam driven wool scour.
Still in working order we found the complex very interesting, |
After nights spent beside the road we pulled into Longreach for a weeks rest and enjoyed the evening sing song.
This area depends on the processing of quality wool for export and there was a sheep shearing competition being held.
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At the evening Pro-rodeo we watched bull riding, bucking broncos and steer wrestling-all good outback sports!
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Visitors driving into Longreach are amazed to see a huge Jumbo jet parked beside the road.
It is not often you can park your Yamaha underneath the nose of a 747!
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Qantas began operations here in 1927 and the original hangar forms part of an excellent Founders Museum.
The flying doctor service also began up here at Cloncurry and the School of the air has a station in town. |
Longreach is home to the Stockmans Hall of Fame and this facility shows how the pioneers settled the land and raised the stock.
We took a ride in a replica of a Cobb and Co stage coach!
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The Waltzing Matilda Museum and dinasour footprints. |
We were once again in the tropics as we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn! The highway had changed its name to the Matilda highway. In the town of Winton we just had to visit the only museum in the world that is about a song! |
The North Gregory hotel has a free camping place and here we provided some shade for Gerda, a Dutch cyclist we had met back in Longreach.
She is cycling around the world!
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Out at Lark Quarry some 90 million years ago several varieties of dinasour had a bit of a stampede!
The footprints they left in the mud which turned to stone have been excavated and are on display. |
Having been told the 110km dirt road was rough we went by motorbike but found the road too smooth!
Of course we did not have enough fuel to complete the trip and Dot was left by a billabong in the shade of a coolibah tree.
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Jim rode off into town to fill the fuel can and Dot collected rocks and took photos.
At the town museum we found this strange truck-someone forgot to build the rest of the RV! |
The town also has a dinasour museum and the litter bins are disguised as feet!
The area is also famous for boulder opals, |
Walkabout Creek hotel and the end of the road. |
We had to drink a pint of cold beer at that famous pub at Walkabout Creek.
No sign of Dundee or Wal! |
There are some seriously BIG crocodiles up here!
Also a few other big things!
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The Aussies also go in for big off roaders and complex camping trailers!
These tractors were part of a rally that had arrived in Normanton from Cape Leewin in the south west and were heading for Cape York in the far north east!
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The Gulflander train leaves Normanton regularly for trips along an old mine railway and carries lots of tourists!
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Now we were coming to the end of the road in Karumba and once again could see the ocean. |
Everyone comes to watch the sunsets at the Gulf of Carpentaria!
Oh and do a bit of fishing (there is not much else to do up here) |
Across to the tropical forests on the coast at Cairns! |
Along the Savannah Way eastward we pulled into a tourist complex at Undara and camped in the bush.
Lots of rocks and native trees and termite mounds up here in the hills.
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The Collins family have been here since the 1880's and have looked after the flora and fuana and this place has won many tourism awards. .
We were not too sure that the old railway carriages used as accomodation fitted into the landscape! |
We joined a tour out to see the huge lava tubes in the National park. Left behind when the Undara volcana oozed outwards huge rivers of lava wound down the hillsides.
As the outer layer cooled the inner tube rolled on and the whole lot left these huge tubes-most unusual!
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As we continued east the dirt roads were left behind. Gone were the wide open plains and the long straight roads through the bush!
Now we were up in the Tablelands amongst farmland with ploughed fields, crops and wind turbines!
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Misty moutains, wet tropical forests and a lovely narrow road that wound down from Atherton to the coast.
Another World Heritage site part of a large area in Northern Queensland that includes the coastal rain forest and the Great Barrier Reef. |
Once again we were walking along palm fringed beaches beside the azure blue Coral Sea-paradise revisited.
It was back in 1992 that we fist visited Palm Cove just north of Cairns-we were back! |
Tropical rainforest and Cape Tribulation! |
Now the campsites were next to the beach.
We camped at Wonga beach and went out riding to see the sights!
We crossed on the Daintree river ferry and followed the road through the World Heritage rain forest.
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The Daintree National park discovery centre gives visitors a chance to walk through the forest and up into the canopy without damaging the plants and trees.
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We visited some of the lovely beaches and stopped to admire the biew at the Alexander lookout.
Burgers and fries in Daintree village before heading back to camp.
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Next day we went for a proper ride along the Cape Tribulation track towards Bloomfield to try out the new saddle bags fitted to Jims bike-
we had to do a mod on the track! Note the stick keeping the side panel off the exhaust pipe! |
The BMW club were having a tour up to Cape York and 110 beemers were out on the track!
We enjoyed their camaraderie and wondered if this rider would get many offers!
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The track was not too difficult to ride and most of the creeks were low in water.
This trailer was burnt out and still smouldering as we passed by!
Jim checked out the freezer for a hot dog! |
The big shy cassowary bird inhabits this region and we were lucky to see a male and chick beside the road-but they are too dangerous to get close so this is a pic of the one in the info centre!
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The birds are rare and get killed on the road as this amusing before and after sign clearly shows ! |
A few other signs made us smile-
a picture says it all! |
We make a trip by motorbike up Cape York to the tip of Australia.
Along the old telegraph track to the tip.
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