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On the way to Longreach I stopped along the roadside to try my luck at photographing some wild nature. As I stalked stealthily through the bush I felt that I was being watched ... by more than one ..
The Longreach water supply comes from this very muddy looking waterhole. The filtration plant must be pretty damn good. I hope it is, because we filled our water tanks with "town water".
This is what happens when the council puts up a sign like "free camping".
Now where the hell is mine?
The amenities were somewhat in need of a good cleaning - but at least they supply pretty & colourful bars of soap.
Hang on! that soap is breathing!
One of our first stops in Longreach was Gaby's Unisex Hair Design. I wanted to get my hair cut but I couldn't decide which one to cut. Finally, Connie decided to get her hair coloured and trimmed.
This turned out to be interesting - we struck up a conversation with Jamie [left] who works on a cattle station called Deavonport Downs. Jamie was the complete opposite to what we thought a "jilleroo" should be. You might meet Jamie through our Facebook pages.
The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame needs no explanation. Many Aussies have visited this interesting place, but for those who haven't you will find all the info on the web page .. www.stockmanshalloffame.com.au
a "must see".
If you are going to wait for a train at Ilfracombe you'll need some provisions and a pillow.
But don't be too fussy about which provisions you want because the general store is not like Woolworths.
Just kidding... the local shop in Ilfracombe sells milk!
If you took the time to check it out, you will find
that the Wellshot Hotel has a great variety of grog to choose from. Connie agreed - but
had a little trouble finding the caravan park afterwards.
Connie talked me into going to the pub for a stickybeak and it was definitely interesting. I've noticed that the upper-class pubs around the Aussie outback use a lot of corrugated iron - plus great pieces of three inch thick polished timber for the bar tops.
The ceiling of the Wellshot hotel is covered with $5 and $10 notes (why ???) and old hats that have been left behind by the drunken patrons. I was told that the "Wellshot Station" was once the LARGEST SHEEP STATION IN AUSTRALIA.
There seems to be no end to the funny stories about drivers trying to reverse into a parking spot with their wives guiding them. You can imagine the stories that this motorhome has produced.
This old Ilfracombe house has a remarkable history. In 1899 Harry Langenbaker (a teamster) and his wife Mary Ann brought this house to Ilfracombe, on a bullock cart, from another town to the east [yes that's right, the house and all the belongings .. on a bullock cart]. They brought up eleven children in the house and it wasn't until many years later that the council told Harry to install a bath and a septic tank. He installed the bath but refused to use it, instead they continued to use the rusty old tin bath they had brought from the east (the new one still has the original installation instructions stuck on the inside). Mary Ann lived there until she died in 1964. The youngest son Bernard lived there until 1991.
The old -->
The new <--
I lost track of the full story, but one of the family [probably Bernard] purchased this Hudson Roadster and kept it in a tin shed at the back of the house.
Well, isn't the car at the top of the priority list!
These emus are not overly concerned that the road trains thunder past them just a few meters away - but they soon get skittish if you walk anywhere near them.
Some facts..
The first artesian bore in Queensland flowed near Cunamulla in 1887
The first hot water bore in Ilfracombe produced "a powerful jet of hot water" in 1897.
Over 1500 artesian bores have been drilled throughout the basin.
The water temperature varies between bores but can be up to boiling point.
It is believed that the water may have been underground for up to 2 million years.
I relaxed in the spa pictured above at Ilfracombe and had to get out after ten minutes because it was so hot. The water actually comes from 2 kilometers away and is re-heated at the pool (hell! why?).
If you try to use a road that is "closed" you'll get a hefty fine. You will probably sink into the soft ground and leave huge holes in the road. It also costs a bundle to come and dig you out.
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