The road from Walgett to Lightning Ridge looks knew but man it’s rough, even a guy who stopped for some water for in alpaca said he could only travel 70km’s because of how rough it is. We stopped at Stanley-The big Emu to camp the night when I herd Des chatting away, and bugger me dead a guy called out saying is that Des Cathcart and it turned out to be an old friend he hasn’t seen in over 40 years, Pedro and his wife Kay who only just down the road in good old Birkdale. Once we set up out comes the beer and we sat chatted for a bit before they left for Lightning Ridge where they were camped.
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Well! Well, the people you meet in the middle of bum fuck, it’s hard to believe it’s been over 40 years so you imagine they had heaps to catch up on.
Check out these pair of old farts I can just imagine the stories they could tell of the mischief they got up to in their younger days. |
This plaque marks the spot where Lightning Ridge apparently got its name, it was around 1870, a shepherd, his dog and 600 sheep were struck dead by lightning here. From then on the area was unofficially known as Lightning Ridge, the village was proclaimed in 1908.
An idea was conceived and Stanley’s home was to be the Birdsville Track as a tribute to a pioneer but due to the distance, remoteness and beaurocracy Stanley got moved on and what better place to take on the giant Emu than Lightning Ridge. Known for it’s positive “can-do” community spirit that’s built on mate ship, volunteers came forward and helped turn this possibility into a reality. Stanley stands proudly on the site of The Ridge that Lightning Ridge was named after - built by the generosity of the people of Lightning Ridge. Stanley now faces in the direction of Birdsville - his spiritual home - and is proof that what is too hard for others, is easy for the Ridge!.
"DHINAWAN - EMU"
It takes the role of father, mother, teacher and provider, the female emu lays the eggs and the male emu sits on the nest until hatching, they rare the chicks until they're able to fend for themselves. Between April and early June is emu laying season and in the night sky a huge dark shape in the form of an emu will appear. Its head can be seen just under the Southern Cross and the body throughout the Milky Way, this is to let Aboriginal people know it's time to go out bush to find the eggs for food, ensuring not to take all of them, it is important to leave some for the next emu generation cycle.
The strangest night light I’ve ever seen, For Night Toilet Use.
Its 11:02am and we just entered sunny Queensland
20230614 We’re not far from the small town of Hebel with a long history that goes back to Cobb & Co and the Kelly gang who once lived in Hebel under a new identity after escaping a siege where Ned Kelly was captured. The Pub was built in 1894 as a Cobb & Co changing station but at that time it was called the Commercial Hotel, it quickly became the leading coach service in Australia and expanded into Queensland in 1865. At its peak, Cobb & Co. coaches travelled 44,800 kms per week and used 6,000 horses each day.
Every afternoon the pub lit a fire out the front where everyone mingled to keep warm, it’s amazing how freezing it gets but that doesn’t seem to deter anyone from drinking a cold beer.
Sign your cap, hat, shirt, bra or what ever you like and hang it on the pub wall, but the main thing is to have a good time in one of Queenslands Outback Pubs.
If only these walls talk, just imagine the tails it could tell from all over the world.
If you visit the Hebel check out our sign of when we last visited the old outback pub where the fun begins.
At least there are still some places left that have a sense of humour.
The pub is decorated in quirky note’s and sayings to keep you amused for ever and the toilet door in just one of many.
This is one way to replace a glass window and much more appealing.
Just another one of those quirky gadgets in the bar, it’s 20 to five somewhere in the world.
Our last night here and we had a hoot standing around the fire as freezing as it was, but that didn’t stop us from making the most of our time here.
It’s a bit of a strange set but it works in Hebel, across the road from the pub in the General Store where all the pub meals are cooked, just place your order, return to the pub and wait for your buzzer to go off, collect your meal and enjoy it where ever you like, the choice is yours.
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