20120729 Qld Winton

20120729 On our way to Winton and a truck flew a rock up and cracked the windscreen, lucky it was at the bottom. It started travelling bit by bit and by the time we entered Winton it was about 6inch long but at least it wasn't in the drivers view, I wouldn't worry about fixing it until you’re ready to sell Des, just in case it happens again, good idea Lee, he said.

We spotted our first pig running a across the road and we don't have a gun, Dam.

 Sites on the way into Winton, Des and I noticed a track going around the back of these sites, we should camp in there, but we didn't.

I could have gotten some great sun set and sun rise photos, well maybe sunset.  The two red bin were put there to stuff my fly by shoot.

Driving into the town of Winton.

At Winton we parked up behind the North Gregory Hotel with free hot showers for a donation to the flying doctors, bargan.  I finally have reception for the Internet but still no phone and it's my grandson's birthday and I can't phone him, bummer. The town has a lot of history that stems around the Jolly Swagman, Qantas, Opals and the Dinosaur. 

Winton was the birthplace of the world’s greatest airline, Qantas and it is believed that the earliest meeting held by Winton locals in deciding to start their own outback airline were in the room of the North Gregory Hotel back in the 1920’s.

This North Gregory Hotel is the fourth of its name on this site as the previous three were devastated by fire.

The original hotel from 1879 to 1900, was famous as the location for the 1st live performance of Australia’s national anthem, Banjo Patterson’s, Waltzing Matilda, in 1895. Once a top notch silver service hotel they used to wear long white gloves to serve breakfast. A local suggests the first performance of Waltzing Matilda was for a banquet for the premier of Qld, but can’t confirm. According to the National Library of Australia the song was first sang at the Kynuna Hotel, north of Winton.

There are four Hotels in this small town and a RSL but no one goes there, it makes you wonder how they all survive.

Our first night out Des took me to the Tattersalls Hotel where they server $12 roast pork dinner and I must say it was yummy apart from the peas, which Des ate.

30-07-2012  Des did the washing and walked the town while I blogged until I was over it, then it was my turn to check out the shops. The shops in these town cater for everyone with everything in them and there great to browse in but not cheap to buy. One in particular was owned by an elderly guy who was a bit of a have a chat and was telling me all his woes and it took me some time to get out of there, but he was a nice old chap never the less.  I continued my tour of the town then decided to return home and remove my bike, packed my camera and rode off into the sunset, stopping here and there for a photo shoot.

Once a general store now Heritage listed it stands in Elderslie St, more than 130 years after two pioneering teamsters established the store which serviced Winton & district well through 2 W.W. It ceased operation as a general store in the 1980s, in 1992 an local community formed to utilise the building & in 1994 a craft shop was opened. Today the building is home to a life-size diorama of the fossilised dinosaur footprints at the Lark Quarry Trackways, a heritage listed site.

Herb Young's horse drawn wagon carted the last load of wool to the Winton rail head in 1936.  It was capable of carrying a load of 9 ton when yoked with 19 horses.

This sculptures stands in front of the Waltzing Matilda Centre and displays the song written by Paterson while holidaying at a nearby property Dagworth station in 1895.

Arno’s wall contains almost every household item you can imagine, the wall reaches 2 metres high and extends 70 metres. 

They are constructed of concrete & rocks from Arno’s opal mine & studded with rusted lawnmower parts, boat propellers, vintage typewriters, sewing machines & even a couple of complete motorbikes & every part of the wall has a story.

Arno was born in 1930 & spent his youth as a merchant seaman travelling the world.  He spent 4 years in the French Foreign Legion & during a 9 month stay in Roma working part time at the Vatican received his inspiration for the wall.  He immigrated to Australia in the 1960s & spent his time in Winton working his opal mine.

Des took me out for tea again only this time we stayed at the North Gregory and ended up with two guys sitting with us.  We started chatting over dinner and they were on a pig hunting trip.  I thought it was father & son but it turned out to be mates and the guy I thought was the son was 62 years old, man he looked good, Des & I had a hard time believing him, the other guy was 75 years but he looked it, even though he didn't think so.

After dinner we walked to the Tattersalls Hotel for a drink then onto the Australia.  The girl behind the bar were travelling from overseas & we had a great laugh as we patted a massive dog strolling through the bar before going home.  One good thing about these towns is all the pubs are close so it's just a stroll from one to the other.

31-07-2012  Our stay at Winton was great we really liked this town but it was time to move on so after a nice long shower we left on our next adventure heading to Longreach.