Road Trip to Cairns....and a Little Beyond. Part I, 8-11th August.

This covers the first 4 days of a (roughly) planned road trip to Cairns in far north Queensland.

The plan is to get to the Cairns area in the fewest number of days and then (sort of) slow down a bit with a not so slow trip back home. 

As can be seen on the maps below, the distance between over-night stops, with the odd photo stop here and there, are all full day drives. We had fine weather for the 4 days all the way to Charters Towers.

This is not a collection of photos of us, but more or less photos of what we saw.

Click on photos to enlarge.

The first 4 days.

Lunch stop near Braefield on the Kamilaroi Highway.

Little House on the Canola.

Quirindi, from Who'd a Thought It Lookout.

New South Wales Xplorer, is a 5 car train which splits at Werris Creek.
This is the 2 car section which goes to Moree. Each car is powered
by a horizontal, 6-cylinder turbocharged Cummins KTA-19R diesel engine
 developing 383 kW (513 hp).

An old sheep-shearing shed near Edgeroi, NSW.

Looking back along the rail tracks to the wheat silos at Edgeroi.

Not much left of the little village of Neeworra. A 'wine shanty' was built here (mid 1890's)
 and served as the mail exchange station for the coaches operating between Moree
and Mungindi. Most people moved to Mungindi in 1938, the shanty burnt down in 1962.

They both led to the same dunny (little house / toilet).

What more could you ask for?

Baron River at Mungindi.

Picnic area next to the Baron River at Mungindi.

Facilities at the 'One ton Peg' (at rear, right).

The One Ton Post stands was a erected by JB Cameron to mark the end of
the arduous two year task of surveying the straight section of the
Queensland/New South Wales border, from Cameron Corner to the Barwon River.
 Following the completion of the survey from Barringun to Cameron Corner,
JB Cameron then set out to survey the 199.5 miles east from Barrigun to the
 Barwon River. The One Ton Post was placed on the west bank of the Barwon
River near Mungindi to mark the end of the survey of the 29th parallel
(degree of latitude) in October 1881.

'The Fencers Hut'

What more do you need for that one night stop-over.

'Free Beer Tomorrow'     'Nindigully Pub (hotel)'

Nindigully Pub, outback Queensland.

The picnic area at the Nindigully Pub had been done up since our last visit in 2012.

Cattle used to cross this bridge over the Moonie River to get to the stock route on the other side.

The Postbox was looking up to see if it was going to rain again.

I think I know what needs repairs. Roma

Looks like closing time for good.

Bright wall coverings where we had dinner that night.

An avenue in Roma, Queensland, was planted with Bottle Trees between
1918 and 1920, each tree representing one of 93 local men killed in World War I.

Roma's Largest Bottle Tree.  This Bottle tree was transported to its current location
from a local property in 1927. The tree was mature when it was moved here and
is now over 100 years old. The Bottle Tree (Brachychiton rupestre) is in the
 same family as the Illawarra Flame Tree.

School of fArts Hotel and the Queen's Arms Hotel,  Roma.

A town on the move at Injune, Qld  There were 10 trucks, each with 2 trailers, with accommodation rooms, water, generator, spare truck, 1st aid and office, enough for a small mining town aboard.

Palm Trees line the Carnarvon Creek which runs through Carnarvon Gorge.

Cycads and Palms at Carnarvon Gorge.

It was warm enough for this Lace Monitor to come out.

The rare 'flying turtle' of Carnarvon Gorge .......................

................... turned out to be just a couple of well placed leaves.

Wreckage of a C47B Dakota aircraft which crashed here during a violent storm
on the 16- 11-1943 while en route from Darwin to Brisbane. No American or
 Australian personnel aboard survived.

There's a lot of sky out here.

The Travellers Bicentennial Scenic Lookout, near Capella. was situated on a
 small crest so the view wasn't the greatest.  Covers Lords Table Mountain south to Roper Peak.

This boy was munching on the grass just over the fence.

Commercial Hotel, Clermont.

Clermont Artslink's "Pimp yo' Pan" painted goldpan competition.

Clermont Artslink's "Pimp yo' Pan" painted goldpan competition.

Clermont murals.

Hood’s Lagoon in Centenary Park, Clermont.

Not a garden, just wild scrub (wattles and grass) along the highway after good rains.

Not a garden, just wild scrub (wattles and grass) along the highway after good rains.

The countryside around here.

Charters Towers, looking east from Towers Hill.

WWII Bunkers at Towers Hill. During the Second World War, five American air bases,
totalling 15,000 personnel, were established in Charters Towers as a defence
against the perceived threat of a Japanese invasion. The Royal Australian Air Force
 and the Australian Army were also present in the area.

Smelter ruins on Towers Hill.

Allied Rock Wallaby on Tower Hill, Charters Towers.

(top left, clockwise) Buildings in Mossman St., The Telegraph Office was
designed by AB Brady and built in 1892.  The clock tower was added in 1898,
The Zara Clark Museum, which was a general merchant's shop built in 1888,
Stock Exchange Arcade in Charters Towers - an 1888 building restored.

Looking down Gill St.  (the girl on the left now has a photo of me)

(top left, clockwise) Built in 1891, Australian Bank of Commerce is now the World Theatre,
The Bank of New South Wales, built in 1889, is now Wherry House,
City Hall in Charters Towers built in 1891 originally housed the Queensland National Bank,
The Royal Private Hotel established in 1888.

Arthur Titley Centre Mural

Gold was discovered by chance at Towers Hill on Christmas Eve 1871 by 12-year-old Aboriginal boy,

The building was constructed c1909 for Daking-Smith and Co., drapers, furnishers
and boot merchants. Stan Pollard commenced working at Daking-Smith & Co.'s store
 in 1912 at the age of sixteen and by 1934 was able to purchase the Daking-Smith building
in partnership with John Hall. Stan Pollard & Co. conducted business at the 'Big Store'
 until 16 January 1993 when the building was leased to Fossey's.
Now it is a Target Country store.

Lynn returning with supplies from the bakehouse.

The Church of Christ, Charters Towers was constructed in 1885-7 as the first Lutheran Church in Charters Towers.
After 1915 when the church was sold, the building became used as the Charters Towers Church of Christ.

Some of the birds seen during the first 4 days.

(top left, clockwise) Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Red-browed Finch, Red-rumped Parrots,
 Red-rumped Parrot, and Laughing Kookaburra.

(top left, clockwise) Rainbow Lorikeet, Spotted Bowerbird, Peaceful Dove,
 Magpie Geese and Pied Currawong.

(top left, clockwise) Pale-headed Rosella, Magpie Lark (Pee Wee), Bustard,
 Galah and Nankeen Kestrel.

(top left, clockwise) Brolgas, Great Egret, Little Black Cormorant, Darter and Apostlebird .

(top left, clockwise) Black Kite, Figbird, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Red-backed Fairy Wren
and Masked Lapwing (northern race).

Sunset from Towers Hill.

Cameras:  Canon PowerShot SX60 HS and Sony DSC-W690.