The first part of our trip was a bit of a sprint. We wanted to get into the Northern Territory as soon as possible, to give ourselves as much winter there as possible. Getting there required us to go through Central Western Queensland. We had done some of it before and knew we could pick other pieces up in the future.
We were spent a little more time exploring after some poor planning meaning our arrival in Mount Isa would clash with the rodeo. The few extra days on this leg of the journey were well spent.
Lake Maraboon
First stop was Lake Maraboon, outside Emerald. Lake Maraboon is a huge dam built to provide irrigation water to the area. In our time it was well down in water, ironic given how much water seems to be washing around the rest of the country.
We took the opportunity to use our bikes to see the lookouts, soaked up a beautiful sunset or two and generally relaxed. Others were keen on the fishing and red claw, but we skipped that one.
Gemfields
Not far from Lake Maraboon is the Gemfields. A collection of small towns (very small these days) built around the mining of sapphires and zircons. We made a day trip to explore the little towns but the focus was to visit the underground sapphire mine for a tour and some fossicking.
The mine tour was enlightening. An enterprising soul built the tourist mine back in the 80s, but in doing so genuinely mined the claim. It showed just how hard it was to make a living on the gemfields. Deep shafts were required to reach the wash layer and before the wash is then slowly brought to the surface. The mine was built over a couple of original shafts and tummy tunnels, which demonstrate that it was even harder when gems were first discovered.
Our fossicking was the cheats version. We paid our money for a bucket of wash and a demonstration on how to extract the gems. It was more than enough for us and after an hour or sifting, rinsing, separating and careful examination we had a small pile of gems. Nothing of any real value, but they were pretty to look and at addictive to find.
Barcaldine
Next stop was Barcaldine. Home to the tree of knowledge and the Australian Workers Heritage Museum, it’s a beautiful little town. We hit those two main attractions and explored town a little more. We found a short walk along the lagoon (very beautiful at sunset) and a stunning information centre that was reborn from an old pub. The renovation of the old pub is something to be admired and has made that building on of the most beautiful in town.
Winton
The final stop in our central west travels was Winton. We had elected to skip Longreach (having visited before) and wanted to give the girls the full dinosaur experience. We’d built it up to them for days and wanted to be sure we didn’t disappoint.
Lark Quarry
We choose to do the Lark Quarry Dinosaur Stampede first. It’s not an attraction that is easily accessed, getting there required an hour and a half of driving (each way) over predominantly gravel roads. The attraction is seen by tour only, but to be honest the way they set the scene, tell the story and explain the stampede makes the tour well worth it. There are also two walks available from Lark Quarry, a short walk to get a taste for the landscape and a longer one that lets you really explore. We were running out of time some only took the short option. The long drive home was time over twilight, it made us cautious of the animals. We saw plenty, but fortunately hit none. It did however give us some amazing birdlife activity, spotting both an emu and numerous flocks of wild budgies.
Australian Age of Dinosaurs
The Australian Age of Dinosaurs was our second day. The excitement of yesterday’s dinosaur efforts was still present. Today’s experience was very different, giving us the opportunity to see the entire fossil process. We learned about excavation, protection, extraction from the rock, protection, evaluation, conservation and display. They shared the story of Banjo and Matilda (as the first two specimens are named). They showed us the new specimens found since our first visit. Based upon how many specimens are still to be examined, more yet might be found.
We had been looking forward to their two new large displays – the dinosaur trackways (another set of preserved footprints) and the dinosaur garden (statues, boardwalks and plants) that could be explored at your own pace. This was a hit as we could take our time a little. They had just finished their Dark Sky Observatory as well, but a full moon meant there would be no star gazing for us.
Waltzing Matilda Centre
Last time we visited, the Waltzing Matilda Centre had burned down. In the time between visits, it had been rebuilt. We wanted to see it and made the visit. The rebuilt centre is an incredible asset and brilliantly tells not only the story of Banjo Patterson, his writing of that famous poem and its 100 years of history. It also tells both the Indigenous and colonial history of the area in a beautiful and engaging way.
Our final activity in Winton was a drive. Christian has only two modes (on and off) and when there is something to do and we aren’t doing it, he gets annoying. We collectively relented and went for a drive. The drive was through Bladensburg National Park, following the Route of the River Gums. It took us through the old homestead, rivers, creeks, waterholes, a stunning gorge and waterfalls. It was late in the day but it was worth it. A hidden gem in this outback town.
