30th April 2018–Charters Towers

Distance: 393 km
Fuel: 39 L

Went for a walk after breakfast to the main street of Clermont and bought bread  at the local bakery .

No rush to leave because there are no stops on this journey except Belyando Crossing roadhouse if I get a sudden urge for expensive food or fuel (it is the middle of nowhere – approximately 170km north of Clermont and 220km south of Charters Towers). The only other land marks are turn offs to stations (farms) and mines.

Pretty easy drive - one hard application of brakes to allow two kangaroos cross the road. I tried to save the video  of the dopey things but ended up ejecting the memory card by mistake.

Bumpy road!

I did stop at Belyando Crossing and I did pay $6 for a packet of chicken nuggets. It is the least interesting roadhouse in Australia that I have been to; small selection of food, a caravan park and some picnic tables. Unfortunately there was a parked road train with a load of cattle and the picnic tables were down wind of it.

Arrived at Charters Towers after 1pm, set up and went for drive round town.   Took the inevitable drive up Tower Hill , went past the Stock Exchange and other historic buildings but only spent an hour looking about before returning to the caravan park. I was only here last June so there was little that was new – except for a concrete walking track up Tower Hill perhaps; I don’t remember it being there before.

Really only needed fuel.

To see more of Charters Towers  >>>Click Here<<< and >>>Here<<<  for lots of pictures and notes about  my last visit.

29th April 2018–Clermont

Distance: 258 km
Fuel: 57 L

Was woken up at 1.40am by some of the park residents returning from their Saturday night frolic, not a problem, it was Saturday night and I went straight back to sleep.

Set off at about 8.30am which seems to be my ‘usual’ time. Only 250km today, because Charters Towers or even the roadhouse at Belyando Crossing is just too much driving to do comfortably in one day.

Stopped at one lookout on the way to view the Staircase Ranges - could see why they are so named but frankly it is not particularly spectacular.

Next stop was Springsure and the Virgin Rock. Have actually stopped here several times before.

Called into Emerald for fuel.

I have been to Clermont a few times but previously stayed at a local motel, there seems to be only one caravan park but there appeared to be plenty of space though it filled up more as the afternoon went on.

After setting up the camper (I had to reverse into place for the first time this trip) went for a drive to see what Clermont has to offer.  Apart from mining the town is famous for the 1916 flood when many people were killed and the whole town was subsequently relocated to higher ground.

Reminders of the 1916 flood are well signposted.

!8th March 2018–Peak Hill

Distance: 334 km
Fuel: 31 L

Change of mind

It had been my intention to stay at Narromine tonight but as I drove it was obvious that I was going to arrive far too early – ie before noon – so I decided to press on an extra 55km to Peak Hill.

Nevertire is somewhere I never tire of stopping just to stretch my legs (and photograph the sign).

According to BOM the temperature in Peak Hill is going to be 40’C but as I drove not only did the temperature rise but also did the wind. It was a hot dry wind, I doubt the humidity was over 15% but the wind didn’t relent once. where ever there was a bare paddock there was a dust cloud visible for miles. I drove with my sidelights on the whole way. I am hoping that as the wind was behind me it resulted in better fuel consumption.

Peak Hills was hot… After checking in – when I was given a handout of local attractions – my set up was very quick because the park even provided a TV connector. The site was shady but it was the wind that was hot so the shade didn’t provide much relief; anyway it was time to look around.

Another day, another gold mine…

The first port of call had to be the Peak Hill Gold Experience only a couple of blocks from the caravan park.

Then I drove out to the Bogan River Weir a few kms out of town.

I had a look at the local attractions including St Josephs Church designed and built by its first priest.

By now the day had reached its predicted 40’C so it was time to seek air conditioned comfort and where better than the local Ex Services Club where I spent an enjoyable  couple of hours. I decided against waiting there until the dining room opened at 6pm as there was the danger that by then I would be incapable of ordering a meal so I returned to the caravan park to start writing this (and recharge my phone).

.

The meal at the club was not bad I had a Char Kuey Teow, if I had a complaint it was that it wasn't spicy enough.

17th March 2018–Cobar

Distance: 294 km
Fuel: 32 L

Left Hillston at just after 9am as is becoming a habit. The weather forecast was for a heat wave all over the state this weekend.

I had intended to stop at the old mining town of Mount Hope but it seemed very disappointing. There was the pub and a few modern metal sheds but no sign at all of the old township so I moved on.

The land was very dry and I saw lots of wild life at the side of the road as I drove; kangaroos resting in the shade of a tree, many goats scuttling across the road ahead  and the occasional emu.

I stopped at a rest area about 50km outside Cobar which was once a gold mining area. The rest area had some mementos of that time.

When I arrived in Cobar itself it was only midday so there was plenty of time to find the caravan park ($38 for a site - by far the most expensive place I have stayed at) and then find the tourist office.

Visited a couple of mine lookouts in the area. Everywhere there was old workings and deeps shafts.

I also visited a local reservoir; a Mecca for bird watchers – nothing better illustrates the town’s desperate need for water. The islands in the map are high and dry.

It was a very hot day fortunately humidity was only about 15% but even after the sun went down the temperature didn't drop much.