20120727 Qld Burke & Wills R.H, Cloncurry & McKinlay
20120727 Travelling to Cloncurry and our first stop was Burk & Wills Roadhouse, you can camp at the back of the hotel but it was still early and there's nothing to hang around for so we drove on and camped at Terry Smith Lookout, just a look out.
The first sign of settlers as we enter Burke & Wills Roadhouse after travelling over 300ks of nothing but land and the occasional tree.
28-07-2012 We woke to a cold and windy day and headed for Cloncurry when we saw a sign for a rodeo, we sooo won’t to see a real country rodeo, we should find out where it’s on Des? When we reached Cloncurry we asked one of the locals, ya it alright it behind the old hotel that’s closed down which was back the way we had just come, arr well never mind.
We stock up and left in search of water which apparently is difficult to get in this town. Stopping at the information centre Des asked about water, yep down the back at the sink that's drinking water, gee that was easy, we were told they only gave you 20gal. Didn't find much in Cloncurry to hang around for so we left to check out the Walkabout Hotel in McKinley.
Gotta love the lay back atmosphere of the cattle, check out this old bull scratching it's back on the tree truck.
"Get off the road Des" one of the many wide loads along the way.
McKinlay was named after the McKinlay River which was discovered and named by the explorer John McKinlay who arrived in New South Wales in 1836 and by 1861 had become such an adept bushman that he was chosen to lead the South Australian Burke Relief Expedition to search for the missing Burk and Wills.
Check out how Diesel was spelt in those days
It may be 100 years old but the hotel is full of movie history, photographs, props and memorabilia from Paul Hogan’s popular movie.
This was one of the many jokes that lined the wall, sorry girls this cracked me up. God created the orgasm so that woman can moan even when they are happy.
Now that's what I call a man sheering sheep, Yum! Yum!
Kynuna was established in the 1860s and in its early days boasted three hotels, it was a staging post for Cobb & Co coaches. Today Kynuna has just one hotel, the famous Blue Heeler Hotel. Kynuna is most famous for its link with Banjo Paterson and the ‘Waltzing Matilda’ poem. Folklore has it that Bob MacPherson (owner of Dagworth Station) told Banjo the story of the suicide of Samuel Hoffmeister beside the Combo waterhole, 13 kl upstream of the Diamantina River, in 1894.
Hoffmeister had reportedly been one of the striking shearers involved in the burning down of the Dagworth Woolshed. This story together with other stories which Paterson heard inspired him to write ‘Waltzing Matilda’, at Dagworth. Christine MacPherson, Paterson’s then fiancée, adapted a popular Scottish tune ‘Craiglea’ to become the original music for ‘Waltzing Matilda’.
Combo Waterhole a few kilometres south of Kynuna, is reportedly the site of the famous billabong in Australia’s national folk song. Anyone with a pen can write there name or a message of the great times had at the Blue Heeler Hotel.
We drove onto a rest area up the road and parked up near the shelter. Being the only campers parked up we made the most, so after dinner we set the music up outside and sang and danced in the bloody cold of the night, Des had me laughing all night, he can be such a clown some times. We were starting to freeze to death it had to have been below zero so bed it was, we had a great night and slept well.
A fly by shoot of the ant nest out here and there everywhere.
I'm still trying to catch a decent shoot of an Eagle and this one was on the road as we entered Birk & Wills Roadhouse, once we stopped, I ran back to get a clearer shoot, but the bugger didn’t return.
The first sign of settlers as we enter Burke & Wills Roadhouse after travelling over 300ks of nothing but land and the occasional tree. 
See it's just a Roadhouse
28-07-2012 We woke to a cold and windy day and headed for Cloncurry when we saw a sign for a rodeo, we sooo won’t to see a real country rodeo, we should find out where it’s on Des? When we reached Cloncurry we asked one of the locals, ya it alright it behind the old hotel that’s closed down which was back the way we had just come, arr well never mind.
On the way to Cloncurry one of the many narrow bridges you pass.
Entering the main street of Cloncurry.
We stock up and left in search of water which apparently is difficult to get in this town. Stopping at the information centre Des asked about water, yep down the back at the sink that's drinking water, gee that was easy, we were told they only gave you 20gal. Didn't find much in Cloncurry to hang around for so we left to check out the Walkabout Hotel in McKinley.
Gotta love the lay back atmosphere of the cattle, check out this old bull scratching it's back on the tree truck.
"Get off the road Des" one of the many wide loads along the way.McKinlay was named after the McKinlay River which was discovered and named by the explorer John McKinlay who arrived in New South Wales in 1836 and by 1861 had become such an adept bushman that he was chosen to lead the South Australian Burke Relief Expedition to search for the missing Burk and Wills.
Tucked down the street behind this old patrol bowser was where the Walkabout Hotel once stood, due the traffic passing it by it was moved to its present location on the Matilda Highway.
Check out how Diesel was spelt in those days
Like many of its counterparts along the track this little town, established more than 100 years ago was a staging post for Cobb & Co coaches and a social gathering point for the graziers whose vast properties surrounded it.
Looks like it could have been a Butcher but it makes for a great Black & White photo.
The farm shacks are still very much part of the history that is still present in this quite untouched town.
Up until the movie the hotel was known as the Federal McKinlay Hotel and sold for $290.000 shortly after the first movie was released.
One of Australian’s most famous hotel, it was featured in the Crocodile Dundee movies and it is a subtle combination of the outback.
One of the many sign's left behind from the movie.
It may be 100 years old but the hotel is full of movie history, photographs, props and memorabilia from Paul Hogan’s popular movie.
This was one of the many jokes that lined the wall, sorry girls this cracked me up. God created the orgasm so that woman can moan even when they are happy.
Now that's what I call a man sheering sheep, Yum! Yum!
Driving onto the Blue Heeler Hotel we were going to stay the night but we drove onto a rest area up the road.
Kynuna was established in the 1860s and in its early days boasted three hotels, it was a staging post for Cobb & Co coaches. Today Kynuna has just one hotel, the famous Blue Heeler Hotel. Kynuna is most famous for its link with Banjo Paterson and the ‘Waltzing Matilda’ poem. Folklore has it that Bob MacPherson (owner of Dagworth Station) told Banjo the story of the suicide of Samuel Hoffmeister beside the Combo waterhole, 13 kl upstream of the Diamantina River, in 1894.
Hoffmeister had reportedly been one of the striking shearers involved in the burning down of the Dagworth Woolshed. This story together with other stories which Paterson heard inspired him to write ‘Waltzing Matilda’, at Dagworth. Christine MacPherson, Paterson’s then fiancée, adapted a popular Scottish tune ‘Craiglea’ to become the original music for ‘Waltzing Matilda’. 
Combo Waterhole a few kilometres south of Kynuna, is reportedly the site of the famous billabong in Australia’s national folk song. Anyone with a pen can write there name or a message of the great times had at the Blue Heeler Hotel.
We drove onto a rest area up the road and parked up near the shelter. Being the only campers parked up we made the most, so after dinner we set the music up outside and sang and danced in the bloody cold of the night, Des had me laughing all night, he can be such a clown some times. We were starting to freeze to death it had to have been below zero so bed it was, we had a great night and slept well.
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