Lightning Ridge

'Though you've roamed the whole world over, seen most all there is to see,There are scenes you've never dreamed of, in the stone of mystery'.
Laurie Hudson, Cumborah Postmaster 1947-1965

Lightning Ridge, located in outback NSW on the world's richest deposit of black opal, is a place that abounds with colourful characters, barrels of dreams, opportunities and experiences!
'The Ridge', as it is known to the locals, will welcome you with classic, country hospitality but it will certainly not be "more of the same".

We are a unique bunch out here and pride ourselves on a wonderful eccentricity; it is something about the pioneering spirit that developed this area. Many visitors become so enamoured with the place that a 3 day holiday can turn into a lifetime of pleasure for those, who become so captivated that they stay.

Famous for the elusive and distinctive Black Opal, which is unique to the area, The Ridge is also famous as a thriving frontier town full of the iconic Australian characters - travellers are reminded that the Australian spirit is not a thing of folklore and that The Ridge is as unique as the Black Opal is elusive.

You can experience sculptures underground, bottle-houses, antique lamps, castles, an astronomers' monument, unusual gardens; can visit hills named 'Lunatic', 'Pig' and 'Bald'; can do a pub crawl to 'The Club in the Scrub', 'The Glengarry Hilton' and 'Sheepyard Inn'; also can tour underground opal mines. And how do you find all these things? Just follow the Car Door Explorer Tours. Although this may not make sense now, it will, when you come out and experience the opal fields and Lightning Ridge.

Lightning Ridge is easily accessible by road from Sydney (720km), Brisbane (750km) and Melbourne (1,200km) and is also serviced by CountryLink.

The Ridge is perfectly located to incorporate into other journeys through Outback NSW and Queensland.

     

Glengarry Hilton a Pub in the middle of the Mine Fields.

Amigo's amazing hand-made Castle

One of many carvings in 1st level of "Chambers of the Black Hand" mine, 40 ft below the ground.

Another Carving, it happens to be of Herman Warren's ex neighbour from Earlwood. Herman has been in Lightning Ridge for over 40 years and owns the Opal Cave shop and many other things.

Another Carving

Under ground Mine

The Grawin Hotel another Pub in the Mine Fields

The cook's van at the Hotel Grawin

Part of the Mine Fields

We went fossicking for a short time and found a very small piece of Black Opal.
We are now heading home through Gunnedah, Denman(a lovely small town in the middle of wine country in the upper Hunter Valley) this will be the last entry of this trip in our blog.

Charleville, Bourke

On the way to Charleville we went through Ilfracombe, where their museum lined the main road with old farm machinery and steam engines.

We were intrigued by the name of the Hotel who's name was Wellshot Hotel dating from 1890
The interior contains memorabilia from the height of the wool-station era.

Wellshot Hotel                                         

We had a 1 night stop in Blackall, where the town water supply comes from the Artesian Basin 1000 ft below the surface, it comes out of the tap warm and stinks of sulphur.

Next we stayed over in Charleville, the information centre is a good place to visit where they had a celestrial presentation, we visited the national parks research centre to look at the endangered species of the Yellow Footed Wallabies.

Each night the caravan park puts on a meal cooked in a camp oven or  a spit roast, ours was a camp oven night, we had beef stew, apple crumble and the real billy tea cooked on the open fire.

After dinner we all contributed to a fun raising yabbie race with the profits going to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, our yabbie did not finish, went to sleep just short of the winning post.

Camp ovens

Food line

Yabbie Race

   On the way to Bourke we stayed over night in Cunnamulla

The survival of Cunnamulla was undoubtedly linked to the reliable water supply provided by the Warrego River (in fact the word 'Cunnamulla' is widely accepted to be an Aboriginal term meaning either 'big waterhole' or 'long stretch of water') and to the arrival of the railway in 1899. Today it is still an important rail head for the surrounding area, being the end of the branch line which runs south from Charleville.

While there is little to tempt the curious traveller in Cunnamulla the town has a distinct old world charm. The hotels in the main street have remained unchanged for over half a century, the shops still have a pre-supermarket feel to them, and the tree-lined streets evoke the world of the country town long past.

The Cunnamulla Man (a poem written by Banjo Patterson)

Bourke is a wonderful community established in 1861 on the banks of the Darling River. Historically, the town was a vital link for agriculture in the west and larger cities to the east. Today the town welcomes all visitors with a smile and G'day.

Bourke and the surrounds have a multitude of activities for visitors, ranging from cruising the Darling river to watching the eagles soar at Mount Oxley. Our established township offers pubs and clubs, coffee & gift shops, chemist, motor repairs and supermarkets. We also boast a new hospital facility and established community health services.

As you get closer to Bourke tune to one of our local radio stations at 585 AM and 106.5 FM. 

May's Bend

In 1955 this was the scene for the movie Robbery Under Arms, starring Peter Finch.

Darling River

Old Bridge with new Bridge in the Background

 Back O'Bourke Exhibition Centre

Fred Hollows is buried in Bourke and his life's work is featured in Exhibition Centre.

Longreach

 Longreach is sometimes called the capital of the outback, it is home to the famous Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame, Qantas Founders Outback Heritage Museum.
While driving around Longreach, you'll notice that the streets are all named after birds. The streets that run east-west are named after waterbirds and those that run north-south are named after land birds.
We spent most of the day at the Stockman's Hall of Fame it is known for its marvellous museum.
We had lunch there and watched the Outback Stockman's Show, which tells the story of the modern stockman through the eyes of Luke Thomas, a horse breaker, drover, bush poet and raconteur.
The Qantas Founders Museum is a modern world class facility built around the heritage listed original 1922 Qantas hanger. The museum is dedicated to the evolving story of Australia's leading airline.
There is also a tour available of the Boeings 707 "City of Canberra", and 747 "Bunbury'
Kinnon and Co's Station Store is a treasure trove of Hats, Leather goods and historic nostalgia, also there is Starlight's Spectacular, an old-time midday tent show with live acts incorporating animals, stockman, poetry and comedy.
Longreach is an enjoyable nice town.

                    Stockman's Hall of Fame

Qantas Founders Museum

Cloncurry-Winton-Longreach

CLONCURRY

Few places in Australia can claim to be as influential in shaping Australia's identity as Cloncurry. Birthplace  of the Royal Flying Doctor Service and destination of the first Qantas flight, this town celebrates outback life the true Australian way. The Curry-as it is affectionately known by locals-is a hub point of the outback, sitting on the junction of the Matilda Highway and the Overlander's Way (Flinders Highway). The town is nestled on the banks of the Cloncurry River and is about 120km east of Mount Isa and 400km south of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Just out of Cloncurry is Hogan's Walkabout Creek Hotel.

WINTON

Winton is located in Central Western Queensland on the Landsborough Highway, 180 Km north west of Longreach and 472 Km south east of Mount Isa. Winton  is approx. 1500 Km from Brisbane.

Winton has a rich history with links to the Great Shearers' Strike, Waltzing Matilda and Qantas, but today the town is almost as well known for something far more ancient--dinosaurs.

Winton is the place that A B (Banjo) Paterson wrote our national song in 1895, whilst visiting Dagworth Station. Legend has it that the first public performance of Waltzing Matilda happened at Winton's North Gregory Hotel on 6th April, 1895.

Qantas registered as a company in Winton on 16th November, 1920. This was followed by its first Board Meeting on 10th February, 1921. The local expression is that Qantas was conceived in Cloncurry, born in Winton and grew up in Longreach.

Winton is home to the world's largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils and the site of the biggest fossil preparation laboratory in the Southern hemisphere. Over 3,300 fossilised footprints are on display, housed in an award winning ecologically sustainable complex, Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways.     

Dinosaur footprints

some of the fossils

Careful cleaning around Dinosaur Fossils

Waltzing Matilda's 1st performance was in this        Hotel

Heritage listed general store

                                                                                                              

Derby to Katherine

We haven't added to our blog because, we were returning to Katherine, Daly Waters over the same road and stopping at the same places as we did on the way to Broome.
Next stop is Cape Crawford situated in the Gulf country at the intersection of the Carpentaria and Tablelands Highway. Home of the Heartbreak Hotel and the Lost City which covers 8 square kilometres and is dotted with towering sandstone formations, which remind observers of sky scrappers.

Heartbreak Hotel Cape Crawford

We then travelled to the Barkly Homestead over the tablelands highway, the scenery changed constantly however, what we will remember most of all will be the wide open plains that has to be seen to be believe as far to the left and as far to the right to the horizon not a tree nor a hill to be seen.

Barkly Homestead-Roadhouse

Next we stayed at Camooweal, which is the gateway to the Northern Territory/Queensland. Camooweal is now considered a "Suburb" of Mt Isa, such is the vastness of the region, and the huge jurisdiction of the Mount Isa City Council operates. The Barkly Highway between Mount Isa and Camooweal is considered the  longest main street in the world at 188 kilometres long.

Camooweal main street

Camooweal

Mount Isa is one of the biggest cities in the world with an area of 41,000 square kilometres and a population of around 20,000, this region is described as the Oasis in the Outback surrounded by red hills and containing an abundance of minerals, Mount Isa has been well endowed with good fortune. Set in the Selwyn Ranges within rock formations hundreds of millions of years old.
Today Mt. Isa is a booming mining city, but in 1942 the Japanese had bombed Darwin resulting in heavy casualties and  it was feared that Mount Isa could be the next target. With this in mind Mount Isa Hospital Board decided that an underground hospital was needed to care for patients and handle casualties in the event of and attack. Fortunately, it never needed to be used for the purpose for which it was built.
We visited the Irish Club for dinner one night, a very impressive club, it was advertised as the biggest Irish Club in the world.

Mount Isa Mine

Open cut Mine

Mount Isa from Lookout

Underground Hospital

Underground Hospital

Underground Hospital

Lake Moondarra, Mount Isa

Peacock at Lake Moondarra

We are now in Cloncurry in 1867 copper was discovered in the region by early pastoralist, Ernest Henry.
The Great Australia Mine still exists today as a working icon of Cloncurry's prosperous past and present.
The caravan park owner is holding a sausage sizzle tonight with donations going to charity.

Chinaman Creek Dam, Cloncurry