The Drrons do some low flying heading West

[drron]

First stop the Information centre.really friendly and helpful staff.they also had a display of Yowah opals and mrsdrron picked up a set of ear rings.
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Outside stits the Cunnamulla Fella.
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And there is a song about him.So singalong with Slim Dusty.

Cunnamulla also has a painted Water Tower.Not everyone happy with it.Cost $100,000 and depicts a pair of truants.
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[drron]

We were staying in the Country Way motel.Because of Covid no meal service including breakfast.Pay on arrival.Small room but comfortable.
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TV was minute.
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Mrsdrron asked where was the best place to eat."well there is a fancy restaurant at the end of the main street or we just go over the road as it's nice and simple."
So we went to the fancy restaurant.That next.

 

[drron]

So we went to the fancy restaurant.But a hotel on each corner at the end of the street.I got out and went into the Warrego hotel.Let us just say that the decor was less than inspiring.
looked over the road and thought this must be it.Photo taken after the meal as it looked like the heavens were going to open.
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They did the covid precautions really well and when the dining room was full and a couple of in house guests came in they were told they would have to have room service.The boss brought around the clip board for the sign in details and waited whilst we filled it in -no writing Mickey Mouse here.And there hasn't been a case of covid for well over 500Km from here.
When we had done that I asked for a menu.She said it is on the TV.I thought that is upmarket.But this is what i found.
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At that point the Heavens did open up and a spectacular sound and light show.
Now service was very slow.meals were coming out 1 table at a time.fortunately we were the 5th table to be seated.Probably 30 minutes and we each got a plate of garlic bread.I attacked mine before it reached the table.
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Mrsdrron had the salmon which was way overcooked and dry.
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I ordered the fillet mignon.It wasn't a fillet or indeed a scotch fillet.A nondescript piece of steak with 2 rashers of bacon placed around the edges.It was however cooked to medium rare as I asked for.
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We decided we didn't need to wait for dessert as the rain had stopped.

The really sad thing about the night was that this place had only white customers.At the Warrego they were mostly indigenous.

 

[drron]

Day 3 and off to Thargomindah.The Warrego river was a little high but all roads were said to be open.
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On the road.
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67Km later we pull into the village of Eulo.We stop as there is an opal shop.This is the school.
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And this is the opal shop.
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Mrsdrron was not tempted.

 

[drron]

The plan was to make a diversion to Yowah to look over their offerings of opal.Now in this pic I spotted something crossing the road.A little grey spot in the distance.
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You need good eyes in the outback as this is what it was.
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Brolgas.impressive birds.
A short distance later our first encounter with water on the road but no problem.
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[drron]

The next animals were easier to spot.
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But a bit further on we spotted a caravan by the side of the road and another pulling up.
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NSW plates.this fellow came over to talk saying you are obviously locals what do you think.No we are from the Sunshine Coast.It is already 0.5 metres over the road,fast flowing and rising so we are turning around.

 

[drron]

This is what it is like on the Eulo Quilpie road.A lot of the way it is one lane bitumen but more is being widened.20 years ago this was all unsealed.
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Back on the highway and it started to rain heavily.
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Fortunately it had nearly stopped at this place.
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Lake Bindegolly.

About | Lake Bindegolly National Park

Features, conservation and tourism information for Lake Bindegolly

parks.des.qld.gov.au

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[Pushka]

Brolgas! I've never seen one before.

 

[drron]

Beautiful birds.I have seen them up in the gulf country and in Townsville.Saw another the next day but it was a bit quicker.
Back to the lake.There is an endangered tree here the Acacia Ammophila.Some right next to the car park.
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this is the third major rain event out here in the last 3 months so the place looks really good with some flowers as well.
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[drron]

Looking out over the lake after we had our usual lunch of apples and water.
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Another lookout on the other side of the lakes but a bit muddy.
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Back on the road and plenty of water.
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And early into Thargomindah.The car now looked like it had been in the outback.
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And even though the nearest covid case was 850Km east in Toowoomba they still followed the rules out here.
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[drron]

Too early to check in so decided to look around town.first stop the airport as the plane was in.
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Interesting entry to the terminal done with local kids drawings.
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There were no passengers on the days flight out.

 

[drron]

Now a bit of trivia.This building just near the airport is famous.The picture was taken from the airport.
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It is Thargomindah's first power station.It's output made Thargomindah the first town in Australia to have street lighting powered by Hydro-electricity.It came from the use of water from the Great Artesian Basin.In fact it was the third place in the world with hydro-electric power for street lighting after Paris and London.

Drilling for electricity? Thargomindah's hydroelectric dream 1898

At the end of the 19th Century Thargomindah in the far south-west of Queensland was one of the few places in Australia that enjoyed the benefits of reticulated water and electric street lighting. How was it that this isolated community reveled in modern luxuries that much larger towns and cities...

www.slq.qld.gov.au

It continued to be the towns electricity source until 1951 when they switched to diesel generators.in 1988 they were connected to the grid.the plant is still in working order.
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[craven morehead]

The plan was to make a diversion to Yowah to look over their offerings of opal.Now in this pic I spotted something crossing the road.A little grey spot in the distance.
View attachment 225043.

You need good eyes in the outback as this is what it was.
View attachment 225044.View attachment 225045.

View attachment 225046.View attachment 225047.

Brolgas.impressive birds.
A short distance later our first encounter with water on the road but no problem.
View attachment 225048.

Where I live in CQ our local pub is called " The Brolga "

 

[craven morehead]

Brolgas! I've never seen one before.

Beautiful birds, see them often around our area.

 

[drron]

There is a collection of old machinery around the power house.Not able to walk around much as too much water.
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The original Artesian bore.
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A willie wagtail was keeping warm by flying out and hovering over the warm bore water.It was a max of 13C that day.
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Normally at this time of year the hut is openand they run the machinery but these are strange times.but I could look through the window.
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[drron]

Next a visit to the old gaol.
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The 2 characters tell you a tall tale.It must have been mighty uncomfortable in summer.

 

[drron]

The next stop was the Leahy house just across the road from the old gaol.Built by John Leahy who owned the Thargomindah paper as well as a cordial factory, the Royal hotel and an interest in a brewery.Went on to become a QLD politician ending up as Speaker from 1907 until his death in 1909.He sold the house to Sir Sidney Kidman.

Historical Leahy House – Visit Bulloo

Leahy House was built after 1885 when the Deed of Grant was made to the Thargomindah Newspaper Company in 1885, which was owned by John and Patrick Leahy. The r

www.explorebulloo.com.au

Again not manned but door open.You can get a swipe card at the Tourist Information for audio visual extras but a lot of information in the displays.
Certainly not a grand house.
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The early history of Thargomindah.
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[drron]

A little bit of interest to aviation buffs.
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Though by the 40s Thargomindah was a shadow of it's former self.In 1946 the Duchess of Gloucester visited.She was the wife of the Governor general.
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The population had fallen to just 70.It had been 3000 at the peak.The Paper's ran it as Duchess visits Ghost town.
.https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/50258477

 

[drron]

Next was the old hospital.In the yard was sometng appropriate for the weather.
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But I wouldn't like to be up the Bulloo in that.
First the out buildings.
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[drron]

The Spartan interiors.
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In 1905 the resident doctor was the grandfather of a prominent Brisbane physician.
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The local indigenous people prepared for a corroboree.
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The main part of the hospital.
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And the Mortuary.
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We then drove past the old Town hall which is now a private residence.
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