Day 5
Tuesday, 18th September
Longreach - Winton via Larks Quary
Longreach
Winton
Larks Quary
Winton
Distance Traveled
Today - 403 km
Total - 2291 km
Blog
It has been a very busy day today. We packed up camp and then headed up to the distance education school. It was weird having a large school with busy teachers everywhere but no students. We listened in on a year 7 class for a while. Their school day usually only went from 8 Till 12 and Monday to Thursday, since there aren't any disruptions in class. The kids get together a couple of times a year at the school or someones farm.
Next we went to the stockmans hall of fame. A huge place. It was interesting to see all the tools and equipment that I grew up with, now museum pieces. We stayed there til 12 and then off to Winton.
Just out of Longreach I got to overtake my first tripple road train... And yes there was a car coming the other way. I had to floor it.
There are dead roos all along the highways. One every 50 metres. That adds up to a lot of roos.
Once at Winton we headed off to Larks Quarry. This is the site of a large area of dinosaur footprints. A stampede.
The road out there was 110km of rough outback road.
We arrived at 3pm and found the place shut at 2pm. We were hanging around and the bloke looking after the place came over. We chatted for a while and then he offered to open up the place and also give us a guided tour. The place was very interesting.
We finished that and then did a cache out there. While walking to the cache, Rebecca slipped into a spinifix bush. She was complaining that it hurt, so I grabbed it to check it out. Ouch! Sure does hurt.
The drive back didn't seem so bad as on the way.
We got back to Winton but couldn't find a caravan park. Eventually we found one behind the pub. It was overcrowded, so we were found another up the other end of town.
We set up camp and then drove back to the pub for dinner. I had a long chat with a couple of the locals.
The entrance to the Long Distance Education School at Longreach. Still looks like a school yard.
A teaching talking to his students over the radio at the Long Distance Education School at Longreach
Stockman statue at Stockman's Hall of Fame
A bunch of tourists (us) at the Stockman's Hall of Fame.
Overtaking my 1st 3 trailer road train... and another car was suddenly coming the other way.
A few road trains parked up ahead.
Welcome to Winton. We will come back here after a quick venture to Lark Quarry
The road to Lark Quarry. Only 110 km and return of rough dirt road.
Yes, we are finally here.
Lark Quarry. This 5 million dollar shed was built to protect the stampede footprints.
Here are some of the footprints inside the shed.
Terrific landscape around Lark Quarry
More landscape in the same area
Just love this landscape. Harsh, but terrific looking.
Some fossikers in the local area. Rebecca and Me. We are actually geocaching.
More of the Lark Quarry Landscape
... and more
... and more
Closeup look at the rocks
They have an airport way out here, somewhere.