Winton to Charters Towers (480km)

Another day on the road. In the morning we leave the very basic campground in Winton to the Big4 Aussie Outback Oasis campground in Charters Towers. The first part of the journey takes us onto the Kennedy Developmental road.

This is a narrow road (but tarmac) that we follow for 250km to Hughenden.

On our way there are Emus.

The outback landscape offers little change but is non the less impressive.

Alongside the road there are the remains of a train track. From time to time there are the remains of a railway bridge.


In the middle of nowhere is the small settlement Corfield where they have a horse race with 50.000 AUD price money. One wonders where the spectators will come from? By the way, the race was just onthe day when we came along. However, not much on, yet.

Another big road train on this narrow road.

This is compared a small one, we had road trains with up to four trailors.
From the Kennedy Developmental road there are many gravel roads to small outback settlements and farms.

Another three hours later driving on the Flinders Highway we reach our todays destination. The kids enjoy the jumping pillow and a bath in the pool. Later we have fresh made stone oven baked pizzas.

(c) Dirk Frantzen 2012 — published via iPad

Position:Dr George Ellis Dr,Richmond Hill,Australien

Longreach to Winton (180km)

Only a short distance to travel today. In front of the campground at the highway there is a petrol station where we refill. On the other side of the road many road trains stop for a coffee at the station.

Before we leave, we have another stop at Longraches mainroad.

Jonah is so keen to get a real outback hat - so we go to a real outback wears store to get him one.

Jonah loves his new hat.

And now we are back on the road, the landscape gets again more boring.

On our way we see an Australian Greyhound bus - this is one for Jeremia ;)
Winton is another small Queensland outback settlement with two attractions. One are dinosaurs found in the region. However, to see the original footprints one would need to travel another 110km - on gravel road. Not an option for our motorhome.

The other is the Waltzing Mathilda Heritage Museum. This is all about Australias famous national song. How it all began and started o bome popular.


The museum also displays a lot of heritage items from the region, similar to the Historical Museum in Gympie.



There is also a copy of the dinosaur footprints.

At 3pm we are already on our quite dusty campground. The kids enjoy the pool for the rest of the day. I am bothered with uploading this blog for the last two days with very slow and instable 3G connection. Requires lots of patience...
(c) Dirk Frantzen 2012 — published via iPad

Position:Dump Rd,Corfield,Australien

Quantas Founders Museum (02.08.2012)

Today we stay in Longreach with its 3200 population to do a full day visit to the Quantas Founders Museum. The airline Quantas was actually founded here in the outback.

But first thing in the morning we go to the camp kitchen to see the almost tame Brolga - the Australian Cranes. They can be handfed.


The Quantas Founders Museum is right at Longreachs Airport.

The museum consists of a big hall, the original Q.U.A.N.T.A.S. Hangar and an open space.

In the hall there are various items on display including two 1:1 replica planes from the 1910-20th.

One is an AVRO the other one is the first plane Q.U.A.N.T.A.S. built on their own - they were the only airline building there own planes. It is an early licensed version of a De Havilland with a small passenger compartment.

Outside ther are a 747 and a 707 which can both be visited with a tour guide.


They also offer wing tours on the 747.

One can stand in one of the large engines of the 747.

The 707 is painted in old Quantas colours but the interior is of a private jet of the 80th.

The plane was used by The Jackson Five on one of their tours.




Cockpit of the 707.

Joshua in a private compartment of the 707.

A DC3.

The first Quantas hangar.

And another De Havilland in the hangar. This one has a cabin for 7 passengers with sliding windows for "aircondition" and the first plane ever ith a toilet.


G'day Longreach!

(c) Dirk Frantzen 2012 — published via iPad

Position:Airport,Longreach,Australien

Alpha to Longreach (01.08.2012)

After breakfast we are back on the road in direction of Longreach where we will stay for two nights. On the highway we decide to ignore the small petrol station in Alpha and instead refill in Jericho - a wrong decision.

Jericho is a small town of less than 500 population and has a small train station. Just, we have not seen a running train in the past 3 days - although the rails were always alongside the road.

The only petrol station we found was a single pump in front of the general store. No diesel! Mhhh, now we will run short on diesel...

...with less than 5 litres remining we reach the next settlement, Barcaldine.
Here we take the first of two stations. The cattle truck driver was lucily almost finished - he filled more than 200 litres.He explains that Jericho had another pump at a garage on a side road - no signs directing there, though.

Barcaldine is a town with a population of 1000. Next to the station there is the "tree of wisdom", some small shops and a hotel. No supermarket since Emerald.

The landscape now changes from forest with small trees...

To the typical outback vegetation. Between April and October there is little to no rain at all.
With 150 killed kangaroos along the road we arrive at our campground in Longreach at lunchtime.

We all enjoy the heated spas.

While the next day they were freezing cold.

In the afternoon we visit The Australian Stockmen's Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Center. Here the history of the white mens settlement in Australias outback is displayed. Besides the vitae of famous explorers of the country, there are many histories of 'normal' individual settlers being told.

Also the history of the Flying Doctors is explained - Josh and Jonah "flying" a flying doctors plane.

On our way back to the campground we have a quick look at Longreachs train station. It contains one of the smallest museums I have ever seen - one tiny small room.

At 6pm the sun is down and a wonderful moon is out.

(c) Dirk Frantzen 2012 — published via iPad

Position:Longreach Tocal Rd,Longreach,Australien