Days 34, 35, 36,37 & 38 Longreach Rest Day, Longreach to Winton, Winton to Hughenden
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Stockman’s Hall of Fame |
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This installation was adjacent to the QANTAS Founders Museum |
Day 34 Rest Day in Longreach
Last night was surprisingly peaceful in this very crowded caravan park. As always the crusties retired to their vans as soon as it gets dark. This left me sitting in the camp kitchen reading while I cooked dinner.
It was cold last night and I didn’t want to get out of my sleeping bag this morning until the sun was shining into my tent. With no need to pack up I had a leisurely breakfast while chatting to Lisa.
After 9:00 am I rode my bike down the Tourist Bureau and chatted with a lovely lady who was very helpful and also super impressed with my journey so far. She booked me in for the 11:45 am session at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame and then sent me to the QANTAS Founders Museum.
I did enjoy the QANTAS museum. I tried out one of the flight simulators and managed to crash the plane twice. The 1st time I didn’t get off the runway. The 2nd tIme I took off and flew successfully until I tried to return to the airport. I think I’ll leave flying to Charli’s partner Craig who is a pilot.
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Spot Tony in lycra among the cattlemen in the rodeo stand in 2014 |
I also enjoyed the Stockmans Hall of Fame. I was reminded of my visit to the Normanton Rodeo with Tony in 2013. Among the crowd of cattlemen there we were the outsiders in our Lycra while everyone else wore big hats, jeans and boots.
The gap between our lives as city dwellers and the people of the Outback is huge. The Hall of Fame does romanticise their lives but it is undeniable that they have a harder life without access to services we take for granted.
Back to town for the grocery store, the bakery and the Post Office before an afternoon in the sun. I oiled the bike chain, pumped the tires and sorted through some gear in preparation for getting back on the bike tomorrow.
Day 35 Longreach to Rest Stop 68 km from Winton 110 km
Quick exit from the caravan park this morning. I packed up and rode into town to the bakery for coffee and a pie for breakfast. I also purchased a salad roll and a can of elixir for lunch.
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Half Way |
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Uncooperative Emus |
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Thomson River just outside Longreach |
Just out of town I crossed the Thomson River where there were some emus walking just below the causeway. I parked the bike to try and get a picture. The emus were not cooperative and walked away as I approached.
Back on the bike the road turned west and stayed that way all day. There was a stiff southerly breeze that was a crosswind all day. While it did hamper me at times it also aided at others. Although my speed never exceeded 20 kph it was rarely below 15 kph.
I made steady progress throughout the morning. At 12:30 I came to a rest stop that had a gaggle of grey nomad vans. I rode up to the shelter where a couple of crusties were having lunch and asked if they minded if I shared the table.
They were quite chatty. He had some interesting opinions and kept insisting he was not one of the sheep. He liked to do his own thing. He didn’t like camping near other people because groups of people were trouble and that brought police, not that he had trouble with the police but he didn’t like being told what to do.
I was quite certain I would not camp anywhere near them if the opportunity arose. They were friendly though and I enjoyed my lunch. Before departing they gave me some muesli bars which was kind and unnecessary.
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Rest Stop sunrise |
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Set up for the night |
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Sunset across the plain |
Leaving the rest stop a sign indicated that the next stop was a further 45 km. Having already ridden 65 km already this next stop would be a possible campsite. Not my favourite place to stop but it was the right distance and I had been riding through an endless Mitchell Grass plain with very few trees and nothing to block the wind as day.
Arriving at the rest stop there was a road train with refrigerated trailers parked with its engine running. There wasn’t any nice grassy area at the back so I set up my tent next to the shelter. No chance of getting tent pegs in the ground so I used my octopus straps around some poles to secure the tent from the wind.
It didn’t seem like the sort of place that would have grey nomads staying over.
I cooked dinner in the shelter and went to bed early to read. The refrigerated road train departed at 10:15 pm leave me to enjoy the silence at last.
A beautiful clear starry night with a bright moon lighting up the Mitchell grass plain.
Day 36 Rest Stop to Winton via Australian Age of Dinosaurs Centre 90 km
A chilly morning had me still in my sleeping bag until 7:10 am. I wanted to wait until there was sun shining on my tent before emerging. Coffee and muesli watching the sunrise.
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A couple of dinosaurs! |
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My favourite dinosaur “Australovenator Wintonensis” The Southern Hunter |
With only 68 km to Winton I was looking forward to an easy day. The southerly wind picked up but was mostly a crosswind. At 11:00 am I arrived at the turn off for the Dinosaur centre. I hadn’t factored in the 11 km diversion to the south.
I was tempted to just keep going and to forget the dinosaurs however that would make going to Winton meaningless. I turned into the wind cursing the extra kms this would entail and then I saw the last 1.5 km was uphill. This was the steepest hill I have encountered since Broken Hill. I got off and walked the bike through 2 switchbacks.
Arriving at reception I paid for the tour and bought the lunch. I enjoyed the experience and got some pictures next to some dinosaur sculptures, I viewed the stampede footprints and wandered through dinosaur canyon.
At 2:00 pm I had seen enough and got back on the bike. The downhill ride was great and the tailwind pushed me back to the highway. I left and the wind became less agreeable. I slogged into town.
I went to the Winton Roadhouse caravan park and could not even get a patch of grass for my tent. Everything was booked up. I was told there might be space at 2 other locations in town so I headed in that direction.
I saw a pub that had rooms so I went in and enquired. $110 for single room with shared facilities, a bit steep but I had a bed for the night. The English lass (Mia) who took my booking did advise me not to have any food in the room as the town has a rat plague at the moment.
I showered and did a load of washing in the guest laundry. My riding clothes don’t look much cleaner but they do smell better. No dryer and it was too late to hang everything on the line so I spread the damp clothes around the room and switched on the ceiling fan.
I went downstairs for dinner and ate a too large chicken parmigiana with some ginger beer.
All the locals are complaining that it is too cold. The wind is cold but it is very pleasant in the sun. I will be happy if it continues for a few more days as it should propel me towards Hughenden.
Day 37 Winton to Stamford 153 km
Awake at 6:00 am - packed and ready to go before 7:00 am. One last thing - fill up my 5 litre water containers. I went to the guest kitchen. That was when I met Hugh a 77 year old psychologist still working 4 days a week.
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With Hugh a lovely interesting bloke |
He was drinking coffee in the kitchen and offer me a coffee so I sat down and chatted to him. He told me he originally came to this area at the age of 15 to be a jackaroo. He shared some of his stories from 15 to 21 and said that 2 droving trips he did was special times in his life.
He asked me about my trip and mentioned he had ridden the GVBR in 2007. I told him I was there with Charli on the tandem. We reminisced about riding from Philip Island to Buchan. The big downhill into the Buchan and when the news reached the Sale campground that John Howard had lost his seat in the Kevin 07 election.
I had to move on and found a tap in the guest laundry. It was bore water and tasted foul so I had to put hydralite tablets in my bottles to hide the taste when I drank it later in the day.
I purchased some toasted sandwiches for breakfast and lunch before heading out of town.
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One of many rock outcrops leaving Winton |
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No sealed shoulder here |
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Fortunately this narrow section was quite short and the road was wide most of the way. |
I was heading north with expectation that the southerly would push me along. It was slight at first as I passed some rocky outcrops before arriving in a vast Mitchell grass plain that extended in every direction all day.
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Corfield Pub - Closed |
The wind picked up and I powered along at 25 kph for most of the morning. I reached Corfield after 84 km and stopped for lunch in the rest area next to the pub. The pub was closed. This hamlet’s big event is the annual Corfield Cup races.
After lunch I intended to ride another 30 to 40 km and then find a spot to camp. At 3:30 pm I started looking but there wasn’t any place that suited me. I looked at the gps app and saw Stamford was only 31 km further on.
I recalled seeing a sign promising free camping at the back of a pub. The idea of a beer or 2, a pub meal and free camping was motivation enough. I practically time trialled the 30 km to discover only the free camping was true. I wasn’t too disappointed as it was a nice spot.
There were a couple of camper vans there that had passed me on the road. They were travelling together and had a campfire in portable fire pit. I went over to say hello after I had my dinner. They had a tripod over the fire with a huge cooking pot suspended above the flames. They were heating fat to cook chips so they could have chip butties for dinner. We had a lovely chat before I headed to public phone box to call Lisa. No mobile coverage in Stamford.
Day 38 Stamford to Hughenden 63 km
Excellent night, I slept through to 6:00 am. It was a bit chilly so I lay in my sleeping bag until 7:00. I opened the tent flap so I could watch the sunrise.
I finished what was left muesli bag but filled out the bowl with some tinned apricots. After sitting enjoying my coffee I finished packing and got on the bike.
Immediately I discovered the wind was not the nice southerly I had yesterday. Instead I had a north easterly and my legs felt like lead. It was a very long morning plodding up and down hills.
With 25 km to go my phone pinged to let me know I was within mobile range. I rang Lisa and chatted while I pedalled. A couple of times I was out of the saddle on the pedals to get up a hill. When told Lisa I was dancing on the pedals like Tadej Pogacar she didn’t believe me.
Eventually I rolled into Hughenden and straight into the caravan park. $11:00 for a tent site. The park filled up quickly. There is a music festival and horse racing this weekend here. I will only stay one night.
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Hughenden Water Tower |
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Early morning light reflected on the road and the power lines |
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Stamford sunset |
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All packed up and ready to ride |
I went to the supermarket for supplies and then to the Tourism Office. I enquired about the road to Lynd Junction. It is hilly, has an 11 km unsealed section and no places I can get water. It would take me 3 days to get to Lynd Junction. It looks like I have to turn east toward Charter Towers.
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