Day 70 Thursday Aug 14th 2014 Ilfracombe to Longreach We wake to a bright orange sunrise and the air smells of the bush. Within an hour the wind is howling from the east, dusty and unpleasant. We drive the grand … Continue reading It’s a long way to the top, Day 70 – Longreach
Day 69 Wednesday Aug 13th 2014 Ilfracombe There are clouds gathering and rain is forecast but the locals are reluctant to talk about it. They’re in the midst of the worst drought in 100 years. The town has an artesian … Continue reading It’s a long way to the top, Day 69 – The movable towns of Qld
Day 67 Monday Aug 11th 2014 Winton to Ilfracombe The clouds haven’t been given back to us yet. The long straight road is flanked by the railway line and Mitchell grass to the horizon. The road is littered with kangaroo … Continue reading It’s a long way to the top, Day 67 – Ilfracombe
Day 66 Sunday August 10th 2014 Winton The Winton Hotel is the oldest in town and there are saddles hanging above the bar. From pack horse saddles to racing saddles. The bright yellow Australian Hotel is cheery with tables on … Continue reading It’s a long way to the top, Day 66 – Falling for Winton
Day 65 Saturday Aug 9th 2014 Winton Winton has a population of about 1000. The main street has replica heritage streetlamps and a centre strip of lawns and trees, even a water feature depicting the original town site of Pelican … Continue reading It’s a long way to the top, Day 65 – Winton, dinosaur country
Day 64 Friday Aug 8th 2014 Kynuna to Winton Our peaceful night was punctuated by the increasing then fading roar of road trains as they thundered through the night. By 6:30am the roadhouse is open for business again and trading … Continue reading It’s a long way to the top, Day 64 – Waltzing with Matilda in our hearts
Day 63 Thursday Aug 7th 2014 Mt Isa to Kynuna The road to Cloncurry is busy with vans and horse floats heading to The Isa. We go out to the Cloncurry airfield to see where the first Qantas flight (Longreach … Continue reading It’s a long way to the top, Day 63 – Kynuna
Day 62 Wednesday Aug 6th 2014 Mt Isa It is warm and wet. We drive past Buchanan Park, the rodeo ground. It is already a quarter full of rodeo people, horses and ponies. This year will be the 56th Mt … Continue reading It’s a long way to the top, Day 62 – Rodeo in Readiness
Day 61 Tuesday Aug 5th 2014 Mt Isa It is a bright, clear and chilly morning. We visit the underground hospital which the miners tunnelled into the hillside during the war. With bare rock walls and an earthen floor it … Continue reading It’s a long way to the top, Day 61 – Mary Kathleen
Day 60 Monday Aug 4th 2014 Mt Isa At 8:00am it’s only 4 degrees and it’s hard to get out of bed. We take the Jeep to O’Brien’s Windscreens and the chap assures us that the crack won’t get any … Continue reading It’s a long way to the top, Day 60 – Lake Mondarra
itchingforhitching 