20220627 Qld Ilfrocombe to Blackall

June 26, 2022

20220627 Now for that 150km trip back to Longreach, stock up on supplies, top up the fuel at $235.9 a letre then head back to Ilfrocombe to camp the night. You can tell it's the school holidays due to the influx of caravan's and camper trailers monopolising the towns but my first guess was when we went to the bakery and the line was out the door, it's a busy town in Longreach, we completed our chorse and left for Ilfrocombe.

This is one hell of a Swollow's nest I found while walking the streets in Longreach.

Get off the road, it's not often they get a police escort so that tells us there's something big coming.

I've never seen a wide load that took over both lanes like this one, get off the road Des.

Langenbaker House is a good example of what the buildings were like dating from 1892, made of timber and corrugated iron, it was occupied by the original family until 1991. The veranda features latticework made from hoop iron which was once used to tie wool packs. Harry Langenbaker was one of the first teamsters to move his house to Ilfracombe where they raised 11 children. In 1921, a tragic accident occurred, leaving one of the children, Les, blind. The house and contents were kept unchanged to allow Les to find his way around the house. The Langerbaker family remained in the house until it was purchased by the Ilfracombe Shire Council.

We camped once again at the historical railway station when after dinner we ajurn to the train plank to take in the view and have a few drinks, we've kind of adopted this site whenever we're in Ilfrocombe and love sitting on the station.

We don't know what this is but it sure took our interest, it started small and kept on moving high in the sky.

Des seem to think it was Nasa setting off rockets from the NT, he herd three rockets were being launched in the NT, for what reason we have no idea, but it was certainly impressive.

Bugger me dead, Des spots a light in the distance heading towards us, look there's a train coming he said, but I was dealt full, then I watched patiently as it got closer, so this is our third time here and we have seen a cargo train pass twice so far, on different occasions of cause, and trust me, that’s rare, and, we always get a toot, exciting ha.

20220628 Waking to vans lining the streets as the caravan parks are full, even the hotel has its overflow of vans on the streets, yep its definitely school holidays. We now take off for Blackall to camp at the Barcoo River Camp, where Des can try for some yabbies, he has a secret spot that no one knows about.

Back in Blackall, home of the Black Stump, which I am yet to see

There was someone in our spot, how dare they, that's ok we just camped up from them and they we nice. Yes, he's out with his pots and bate and walking towards his secrete spot, let the waiting game begin.

20220629 Well, that’s one day down, now what to do today, maybe some window shopping, that won't take long, followed by checking out the 2nd hand shop for a jacket for Des as his zip is stuffed and he left his travel one at home, walk the town's garden, then I leave Des to go in search of the Black Stump, not his cup of tea.

Passing the school when I saw this mural on the undercover area of the school's sport arena, depicting the native flora and fauna.

I finally made it to the Black Stump, Woopie.

This site marks the original Astro station established in 1887, the circuit around Blackall was 27 miles square and contained an area of 729 square miles. The surveyors placed their theodolites on the stump for latitude and longitude observations. The stump was used rather than a set of legs because the theodolites used on such observations were of a large size. This Astro station was used as part of the principal survey to fix the position of principal towns extending from Brisbane to Boulia via Roma, Charleville and Blackall. It was designed to establish the points of important centres with which the survey work of the whole colony could be connected, and enable the mapping of Queensland on a more accurate basis. It was considered at the time that the country to the west of Blackall was 'beyond the black stump'. This piece of petrified wood replaces the original stump which was burnt out.

Interesting, but I'm confused.

Leonard Digges, an English mathematician, is credited with the invention of the theodolite around 1550.

The Mural depicts the history of the Black Stump and how it all began.

76mm Leichte Minerwerfer 1917

Their term for them was Minenwerfer, literally mine-thrower, they were initially assigned to engineer units in their siege warfare role.

"FORD V8 + MERCURY V8 1937-1948"

I had to grab a photo of this Mercury, owned by the elderly man in the cap and sitting in the passenger's seat was his cattle dog. To our amazement when he started her up, she purred like a kitten, we couldn't even hear the engine as he putted down the street.