Tambo,Blackall , Barcaldine , Longreach

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Because of the computer problems I have had, the blog is now not in the order in which we travelled but I will try and catch up and hopefully we will get there in the end!  On our previous trip we went to the tourist attraction there, The Wool Scour, which is basically a wool washing facility and operated from 1892 to 1972 and is now heritage listed.

Tambo

We stopped for lunch in the small town of Tambo and spotted these interesting sculptures made of driftwoodl.

 The Teddy Bear shop had a lovely bench out the front and I couldn't resist sitting on it and getting a photograph.

Blackall

The Wool Scour in Blackall

The Shearing Shed in Blackall

Huge Camp Ovens at the Wool Scour

The Wool Scour at Blackall

Blackall

Blackall

Blackall

Blackall- The Black Stump

  The Black Stump   -  (Wikipedia)  The Australian expression 'black stump' is the name for an imaginary point beyond which the country is considered remote or uncivilised, an abstract marker of the limits of established settlement

On arriving in Barcaldine we went to the Information Centre to get some info on getting our pump replaced/repaired.  We found that it was not the pump but our deep cycle batteries for our 12 volt system in the caravan, and $800 later everything was working again.!

Bottle Tree near Tambo

Barcaldine

Tree of Knowledge, Barcaldine

Tree of Knowledge

The Barcaldine Racecourse has camping with power and water for $27 per night so we headed there and found a spot  with some shade so we were happy as it was not getting quite warm during the day but the nights were cold.

We wandered around Barcaldine, the old railway station and the Tree of Knowledge, a 200 year old ghost gum that was poisoned in 2006,  The original tree was preserved and replaced on the original site which was also the site of the manifesto which led to the formation of the Australian Labour Party.

At night we went to dinner at the Shakespeare Hotel where we were entertained by a  singer, Scott Dann who told us he had sung with Dolly Parton's sister!  Anyway, he was good and we enjoyed listening to him as we had our meal.

Some of the hotels in Barcaldine

Next morning we headed off to Longreach, passing through the small town of Ilfracombe, where Ron was very excited to be able to take some more Rusty photos.  Lining the side of the main street is what is called the Tractor Mile which has a display of old engines, tractors etc. with information about most of them, as well as a shed or two with displays of bottles and other old wares.  I did the walk in a fairly short time, but Ron went up and down taking many photos and reading all the information, so I was able to sit down on a bench and enjoy the sunshine.

Ilfracombe

Also a gun collection

Ron with the 1914 MARSHALL oil powered tractor