Emerald to Katherine 2016.

Roses n' Things Caravan Park.

We left Emerald on a cool drizzly morning, heading east across the Drummond ranges towards our next short stop at Barcaldine. It is hard to imagine, that being this far inland, we are still crossing the Great Dividing Range! The further we drove the wetter it became, and we were soon driving in steady rain. There has been no shortage of rain in Central Queensland, and the unseasonal winter rain is a blessing for farmers who have faced 7 long years of drought. The countryside is tinged with green, and paddocks have a good covering of grass.

Lots of wide open spaces.

We stopped in the small town of Alpha for an early lunch. It seemed like another hundred caravanners had the same idea!! It was cold and bleak, and the only places in town to get food are the pub or the bakery! We chose the dumpy old bakery, which had a few aluminum tables and chairs along the footpath, and there were some good smells wafting out the door. The baker was as old as the building, but promised us he'd "baked enough bloody pies to know what he was doing!!", and he was right!! Washed down with a warm fluid remotely resembling coffee, it did the trick!! We called our caravanning friends Al & Sue Gray, from Engadine, who we met three years back on our trip to the Horizontal Waterfalls, and who are a few days ahead of us, on their way to the Kimberley. We plan to catch up and travel together for a few days. They told us they were stuck at Longreach, where the highways in all directions have been cut by some heavy rain. We agreed to keep in touch, and weather permitting, planned to meet up in a few days time at Winton.

Road Closed at Barcaldine.

Waiting for the water to recede.

We arrived in Barcaldine early afternoon. There was water everywhere, and the last few floodways we crossed, we reckoned would not be passable within an hour or two. In town, the streets were lined with parked cars, caravans, trucks and buses. Every spare piece of ground had something parked on it! Thank God we had booked a caravan park. This trip we were booked at a very small family run park, called Roses n' Things, in the back streets of town away from the truck noise of the highways. We had stopped at this delightful café and gift shop on an earlier trip. Unfortunately, the café was shut as the owner was away on family business, but the caravan park is lovely, with lots of green grass and friendly people. We stayed for two nights, the first one listening to the rain pattering on the roof. In the morning we awoke to a beautiful clear day.

Flooded roads.

Mud covered cars.

We headed into town to find out the latest road news. Town was still packed! In fact I think more people had arrived! The road to Longreach was due to be opened after lunch, which is what happened, and the slow procession started off a little after 1.00pm. Barky, as the locals call it, is a lovely little town. Birthplace of the Australian Labour Party, following the great shearer's strike of the 1890's, it has some excellent shrines to the labour movement. The famous Tree of Knowledge, beside the railway station, was poisoned years ago, but the dead skeletal outline remains, enshrined in a huge timber box structure, that dominates the main street of town! We spoke with Al & Sue again, and we agreed that we would each leave our respective towns first thing in the morning, and meet up at Winton that evening. Al took care of the booking.

Flooded Dawson River Longreach.

Road Trains waiting.

We were on the road bright and early. All along the way there was water lying about, and it was a cautious drive dodging a few puddles and potholes. Twice we had to stop to travel across shallow water on a floodway, and quite near to Longreach, in fact just after the quaint little town of Ilfracombe which was packed, we encountered a major roadwork, repairing a section of the highway that had been washed away by the floodwaters. In Longreach, we stopped at the famous Matilda Bakery for a coffee. The streets of Longreach were jammed with cars and caravans covered in red mud! The trouble up here when it rains suddenly, is that the red soil turns to mud with the consistency of glue. There were cars with so much mud under the mudguards, that there was only enough room for the wheels to rotate! All those people who choose to "free camp" off the beaten track, can finish up with an horrendous cleaning job!! Just north west of Longreach is a very popular free camp along the Dawson River. It gets packed. Everyone in there, and there were dozens of them, were isolated when the track out became a bog! With more rain forecast at the weekend, an enterprising local had turned up with a big tractor, and was offering to drag you out for $70.00!! So much for "free" camping!!

Tatersall's Hotel Winton.

Back on the Dinosaur Trail.

We made it into Winton around 1.30pm. We saw Al & Sue strolling down the not so long main street of town. We were booked into the Tatersall's Hotel Van Park, right in town. We quickly got settled into the very crowded caravan park, and Sue had the kettle on in no time. There is something very special about meeting up with friends along the way. We have made some great friends, and Al & Sue are two of the best. We wandered through town, which now sadly is still without the Waltzing Matilda Centre, which was destroyed by fire in 2015. Thankfully, this icon of the outback is to be rebuilt, starting later this year. Winton has a lot of history centred around the founding of Qantas, the Dinosaur Trail and of course Banjo Patterson wrote Waltzing Matilda on a visit here. But a little known piece of local history surrounds the building of Arno's Wall, which is right in town. Apparently, his place was surrounded by mountains of junk, collected from all over. In fact, Arno claimed he had a motor from everything on the planet that had ever had a motor. To get rid of the "junk", he built a wall around his substantial piece of property, using mortar and all his special things!! Quite a sight!!

Happy Hour with Sue & Al.

Part of Arno's Wall, Winton.

That night, we decided to have dinner across the road at the Tattersall's Hotel. We asked if we needed to book, and were told they only took bookings for tables of 8 or more, but we should be ok. We Happy Houred at the caravans first, then wandered over to the pub around 6.30pm. The place was packed. Not a spare seat in the joint! Al found us a shared table in a back room. Already at the table, were a young local couple with their daughter, and they were happy for us to join them. They owned a cattle property 80kms out of town, and were on their way to pick up another daughter who was away at boarding school. We had a wonderful night talking to these incredible people who farm in such inhospitable country. They told us of the drought, and how they had to sell most of their cattle, and even though cattle prices are high, it means cattle are very expensive when it is time to restock. The recent rain will help them a lot. They have been hand feeding cattle for years!! They told us about how the kids do Distance Education up until they are old enough to go to High School, then it is off to boarding school in Townsville. You can only admire the attitude and fighting spirit of these incredible people.

Dinner with Sue & Al.

After a great Mixed Grill, as only the Outback Pubs can prepare, we adjourned to the bar, where the entertainment was in full swing. The entertainer was "Sax and The Single Girl", a tiny little gal just over 5 feet tall, and I'm guessing on the northern side of 50. She started her one Gal show at 6.00pm and did not draw breath, other than to blow in her saxophone, until 9.45pm. She put on one heck of a show, playing everything from classical to AC/DC, and singing along to boot!! On top of the entertainment were two of the best young barmaids I have ever seen. They were quick witted and played up to the crowd like crazy. They were worth their weight in bar sales!!

At The Blue Heeler Pub.

The next day we just lazed around, catching up with Al & Sue and getting to know each other. They have travelled quite a lot, and are a wealth of information on places and things to do. They tend to just wander in a general area, mixing free camping with caravan parks. On this trip they will be going as far west as Kununurra, but there is no plan for them. Al works it out a few days at a time. He just knows, they have to be in the Barossa Valley by the end of August for his sister's 40th Wedding Anniversary!!

A cuppa along the road.

From Winton we moved on to wards Cloncurry. Neither of us had stayed in Cloncurry, but we have both passed through a number of times. Along the way, there are two of Australia's iconic pubs. We decided to have our morning cuppa at the first of these, The Blue Heeler Hotel. It is a rambling old tin shed, with lots of history, starting as many of these old pubs did, as a Cobb & Co stop. The roof inside the bar is lined with caps donated by patrons. There is a caravan park out back, but we had read it was a dustbowl, and it was, even after the rain!! It was too early for a beer, so we just had a wander, though the staff were quick to remind us, no pay no use of facilities!!

At the Walkabout Hotel/

Having a beer with Mick Dundee.

Next stop about an hour up the road was the Walkabout Hotel, made famous as the Office of Mick Dundee in Crocodile Dundee. Can you believe it was 30 years ago!! The pub has been living off the movie ever since, and many of the movie set props are still at the pub. There are signs everywhere about no cameras unless you buy a drink, and how the poor owner has to pay for the upkeep so don't be lousy and buy a drink. I'm not sure that is really necessary, and in my opinion probably turns away more trade than it generates. This time Carolyn & I did buy a drink and had a good look around, as it was our first visit. It brought back great memories of the film that probably started the modern commercial Australian movie industry.

Remember the old truck?

The Blue Heeler Hotel.

We got to Cloncurry, and at last it was really getting warm. The unseasonal cold was behind us at last. Cloncurry is a mining town. The large Mary Kathleen mine has been producing tin lead and zinc for years. There is also a strong rural community. We went for a walk into town, and found out where the best pizzas in town were made. It was at the Hotel/Motel, and no home delivery! We phoned at 6.00pm and were told there would be an hour wait and they would call. At 7.15pm Al & I headed into town to see how things were progressing. The place was really busy, and the chef was going crazy!! No more pizza orders!!! The dining room was full as well, and his sad story had me reaching for a hanky! The young girl bravely retrieved our pizzas from the kitchen, and it turned out they were pretty good, washed down with a glass of red!

Mt. Isa from the Lookout.

In the morning we were back behind the wheel and headed just a short trip of 120kms, to Mt. Isa. It was Show weekend in The Isa, but sadly, more rain was forecast. The drive between Cloncurry and Mt. Isa is one of the prettiest drives you will find. It winds its way through rocky hills and tree lined valleys. After the recent rains, everything is so clean and fresh, and those true outback colours of Red Green Grey and Blue just dominate! We arrived, again thankful of having booked ahead. Under ominous black clouds we got settled in for a few days. Carolyn & I are staying for 4 days while Al & Sue will be spending a week. We have been having too much fun along the way, and are running out of time to get to Broome. No sooner had we gotten set up, and the heavens opened. It bucketed down for several hours.

Dinner at The Overlander Hotel.

This is our fourth visit to The Isa as the locals call it. The mine dominates the western end of town. We have done most of the main attractions. We had intended to do the show, but the rain put an end to that! The locals were going crazy over the prices at the show, with some rides as much as $30.00!! I'd expect a meal served with that!! We caught up on our shopping, did our laundry, drove around the sights, enjoyed a lazy Sunday breakfast at the Coffee Club in town, which remains very good. After the rain, the weather was fine but cold. So much for hot balmy nights! We were rugged up under the awning in track pants and jumpers, as night time temperatures were down to 6 again!! On the Monday, along with most of the other Nomads in town, we decided to do our Pre Poll Vote for the Federal election. There is an Electoral Commission Office in Mt. Isa, but judging by size, they get 4 visitors a year, except in election years when the Grey Nomads are travelling!! That filled in much of the morning, and that afternoon we finished restocking for the days ahead, and headed over the road from the caravan park, to the Overlander Hotel, for a farewell meal with Al & Sue. We have had a great week with them, and really enjoy their company, and will miss them.

The famous mine.

Leaving Mt. Isa, you start a trek across some of the most remote country we travel. The road is good, but it is incredibly flat, with few towns, and mostly just Roadhouses, selling expensive food and fuel, and offering "Caravan Park" facilities at silly prices. This is where we find the Camps Australia Wide book, and Wiki Camps App, invaluable. The app in particular is fantastic, as it gives us up to the minute reviews and comments on stops along the way, from free camps, to roadhouses, to food prices to fuel prices. Our plan is to "free camp our way to Katherine. Our first stop is Camooweal, the first or last town in Queensland, depending on your direction of travel. We topped up the fuel, at $1.46 per litre compared with $1.21 at The Isa. We stopped at the pub for coffee, attracted by the hand written "Great Coffee" sign outside. The blank look on the face of young Aboriginal girl behind the bar, when Carolyn ordered a latte, should have been a hint, but we missed it!! It came with little marshmallows floating in a sea of cocoa powder. My flat white resembled coffee!!

Pit stop at Avon Downs.

V8 Supercar Transporter.

Our lunch stop was at Avon Downs, just across the border in the Northern Territory. There is a remote police station here, apparently manned by three policemen, who are there to offer police services to a large local Aboriginal Community. Since leaving Mt. Isa, we have been passing the huge V8 Supercar Transporters at regular intervals. They have been racing in Darwin over the past weekend and are now headed for Townsville. Some very impressive rigs, and a change from the regular flow of Road Trains.

Barkly Homestead.

Free camp at Frewena.

Mid afternoon we stopped at iconic Barkly Homestead to refuel. It is notorious for its fuel prices, which this time were $1.79 per litre. I topped up enough to get us to the next fuel spot. We had decided we would free camp the night at either Frewena Bore or Bore 41, both of which were getting good reports on Wiki Camps. It turned out to be Frewena, as by 4.00pm we had had enough and there was space! We settled in to watch an incredible sunset, surrounded by the silence of the great Australian bush. After a delicious meal, we settled in to watch some telly. After about 20 minutes, the Inverter which runs the TV Foxtel Box, started to scream and then shut down. We tried again with the same result! Out came the manuals, and a little reading seemed to indicate the cause would be our batteries not holding charge. With the batteries now 3.5 years old, this made sense, so it looked like new batteries coming up. Every else was working fine, only the TV Foxtel box was affected, so it was a night of reading!!

Miles & miles of nothing!

Doing nothing at Dunmarra.

The immediate problem, meant a change of plans. With The State of Origin Footy on tonight, we needed power!! No way were we going to be ripped off for batteries at a roadhouse, even if they had them. We arrived at the Threeways Roadhouse for morning tea, and a passable coffee. Fuel here was $1.68, so again just a top up. We had internet, so consulted Wiki Camps, and chose the quaintly named Dunmarra Wayside Inn & Roadhouse as our stop for the night. We phoned, they don't take bookings, but as we planned to be there by 2.00pm they indicated we would have no trouble getting in. What a lovely place it turned out to be. They had a camp host running the caravan park, and other than the fact he was a Manly supporter, I couldn't fault him!! He put us on the best spot in the park! We talked football for a good while, and then set ourselves up under the trees to read our books. It was 30 degrees, and warm again at last. By 5.00pm the place was full.

Moving house in the outback!

Sadly the footy was another lost series!! This is a great Queensland side. My Manly mate and I consoled ourselves in the morning, and Carolyn & I decided on breakfast at the Roadhouse Diner. Carolyn went for spaghetti on toast at $7.60. John went for the sausages bacon and eggs at $14.50. The Big Breakfast has been redefined!! My Platter, not plate, came out laden with three thick sausages, three eggs, three rashers of bacon, tomato and toast!!! It was delicious. Carolyn's spaghetti was also a generous serve, and we waddled out the door!! We refueled, filling the tank, as the price was $1.46, but because we stayed the night, we got an extra 15 cents per litre discount!! This is a real little gem along the road from Threeways to Katherine.

Settled in at Shady Lane.

Low Level Bridge Katherine.

With the likelihood of new batteries, we decided to push straight on to Katherine. This decision was further enhanced when we got to Mataranka and found the place packed. We have never seen so many caravans on the road. We have heard about it, but never experienced it. We decided to phone ahead and book a caravan park. Originally we were just going to turn up, as there are at least six large parks in Katherine. The first two parks I called were full. At the third attempt, we got in at the park we stayed in last time. We were trying to find something closer to town. Shady Lane Tourist Park is very nice. It really lives up to its name. The owners have been here for 18 years, and are the most lovely and helpful people. The park is up for sale, and it will be sad to see them go. We have a lovely large site, shady, but still allowing us good satellite reception. The temperature is now regularly 30 degrees plus. We have finally hit the tropics!!!

Plenty of reminders!

Not your average school!

The owners gave me the name of an auto electrician, who came by and confirmed our batteries were on the way out. I went into town, and found the AutoPro shop where he told me they would look after me on price, and they did. I swapped over the two very heavy batteries, and we should now be ready to free camp again, with TV!! We are just having a nice lazy time. Again, we have done all the tourist things, so have just driven around reacquainting ourselves with the town, and seeing if there have been many changes. There haven't. There is a large Aboriginal population in Katherine. A trip into town is always an interesting event in Katherine!! There is a market in town every Saturday this time of year. We dropped by, and picked up a couple of fresh fruit items. We aren't buying too much here, as we will soon cross the border into WA, and they confiscate all fruit and veggies, no exceptions!! Katherine is a nice town. There is something about it we like.