Coopers Creek to Longreach

Day 16—Wednesday, 10^th July

Single Lane Bridge Over Cooper Creek near Windorah

After breakfast, headed off across Cooper Creek’s one lane bridge, into Winton. As usual, first call at the Info Centre. As with many of these centres, this one too was part museum, part community centre, so we had a good wander around. Helen bought a dammit Doll?

Something that makes Windorah unique, is their Solar Farm, five huge mirror dishes, each dish contains 112 mirrors measuring 1100mms square. The mirrors concentrate the sunlight onto a panel of cells, which is converted into electricity, which is then fed into the town’s power network.

So, onwards towards Helen’s favourite destination about 60kms up the highway towards Longreach. This was a small town called Stonehenge! Nothing like that other better known Stonehenge but a visit out of curiosity. The Community/Info Centre was of some interest, mainly because it had internet access which we made use of to send some cash home, for firewood. To mark the visit, we decided on lunch at the pub, bacon and egg burger for me and a pie for Helen, with a good cold one to wash it all down.

We were almost done when the publican came by and asked how was lunch, then where do you come from. The usual explanation cause nobody knows where Nyora is, right, Should have learned from our earlier experience! It went somthing like: “I know where Nyora is, I was born in Inverloch”. “My family owned pubs at various times and places, including the one at Loch”! The name was Beaton. Again, how small a world. Must be a big change, moving to a town with a population of thirty, six of them school children!

We finally reached Longreach around 4.00pm and got set up. Dinner was a sausage sizzle at the campfire, listening to a country singer.

Day 17—Thursday, 11^th July

In the morning, a drive into town for a wander and to check out prices on 22” TV’s. We also found a garage that can do the service on the Patrol in the morning. That might mean another night. At the Info Centre, we were referred to Desert Channels for  a copy of a map of the Cooper Basin that we took a fancy too. A great store to tour, is Kinnons & Co., a gift shop come leather goods shop. Best visited when you’ve left your wallet at home! During our wanders, we decided to lash out on a new TV. The brand unfamiliar but it ticks a couple of boxes, such as external power supply and built in DVD player. External power supply means we can connect directly to the 12v supply in the van.

After returning to the van and a sandwich, we drove down the highway to the Hall of Fame and forked out another $100 for a two day ticket to the museum and dinner and show at the Catleman’s Bar & Grill. So the rest of the day was spent going through the Hall of Fame Museum. Dinner was a fixed menu, rump steak, chips and vege and delicious.

The Stockman's Hall of Fame

The stockman dinner show was by Lachie Cossor from Yackandandah, a half hour mix of whip cracking and riding skills, including all three of Lachie’s daughters, ranging from nine years to fifteen all excellent riders. After the show, dinner as above was served.

Day 18—Friday, 12th July

Early out and into Longreach with the Patrol, then a 2km walk back to the van for shower and breakfast. We had discovered a shortcut to the Hall of Fame from the back of the caravan park so we headed back there for another visit. You check in at the reception desk and get wrist banded in the day’s colour.

Since we’d enjoyed the Stockman’s Show last night, we booked in for the extended version at 11am and then took a wander through the Hugh Sawrey Art Gallery.

The one hour extended show was much enjoyed, although now without the three girls, probably at school! Today the show included horse training as well as dogs working sheep. I reckon the sheep were pretty well trained too. Also on display was Jigsaw a huge cross bred bull from a Brahman bull and a cross Hereford/Friesian cow.

Lachie Cosser and Jigsaw

 After walking back to the van and some lunch we strolled back into town to collect the Patrol, another $300.00 injection into the local economy. Getting over that, we then pulled into the Caltex service station to fill up, another $215.00.

Here for the first time since Dubbo, we were able to top up the LPG too. Over the last couple of diesel only fills, the fuel economy blew out from 16l/100k to 20l/100k, so the saving on dual diesel/gas is noticeable. But out here the cost of LPG at $1.00 per litre, compared to an average of $0.60 at home, reduces the gap. Although, as the cost of diesel increases, it’s all relative.

Back at the van, we sat outside for a little happy hour and were joined by our neighbours, a couple from Horsham. One delight at this caravan park is the unafraid, not tame, presence of a pair of Brolga’s which management advise not to feed.