20200722 Qld Augathella to Morven

20200722 We now move onto Augathella, the home of Smiley the movie that tells the story of a young Australian boy who is determined to buy a bicycle for four pounds but along the way he gets into many misadventures based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Moore Raymond. The town is slowly growing with the added addition of the painted silo and with the help of a $5 donation to camp that will go towards new amenities and showers for those travelers passing through.

Depicted on the tower that was painted by Blender Studios in February 2020 is a bullock team, a boundary rider, windmill and old man emu.

The Boundary Rider

He rode fences until sundown,

Rounding stock & ejecting strays,

He was the keeper of the Outback,

A myth of modern days.....

OLD MAN EMU

He's got a beak & feathers & things,

But poor old fella ain't got no wings....

"While the eagle's flying round & round,

I keep my two feet firmly on the ground....

I can't fly, but I'm telling you,

I can run the pants off a Kangaroo!"

~John Williamson

It is written: This water tower represents the town of Augathella which has a colourful and unique history full of bullock teams and notorious bushrangers who camped along the Warrego River. Working bullock teams provided the muscle needed in our pioneering days while Australia rode 'on a sheep's back', the wool that brought the region's prosperity rode the dusty miles from outback stations to the port on lumbering bullock wagons.

The bridge over the Warrego River

The last time here this river was full, but it's certainly a sorry site at the moment, bring on the rain Huey.

We noticed this guy running back and forth and thinking, what the hell is he doing, he's trying to take a group photo but kept getting his back, would you like me to take it for you, then Lee said to Des, I know you as they rattled of a few names that we knew and found out he now lives at Victoria Point, talk about as small world. Come and join us Brigitte, Michael's wife said, so. being one to never pass up an invitation to sit around a fire with new camper we grabbed a drink and joined them.

It's always great to meet lovely people on the road and enjoy a few drinks and a laugh but don't think you can escape me before I get a photo for my blog, so here stands Michael, Des and Lee who are on there way to Roma to camp at a station to celebrate Lee and his wife, Frances 10 year anniversary with good friends Brigitte and Michael.  

Happy Anniversary Guys

24-07-2020 We packed up and moved on to Morven for the night to charge up our batteries, grab a hot shower and catch up on my blog while we have power. 

25-07-2020 Des was told about a camp ground just before Mitchell called Fishermans Rest Campground only once there most of the good spots were taken and we need sun for the solar so we drove up the top and found a shelter with tables, perfect. We pull up a seat opened a coldie and sat back and watched the sun go down and the cold come drifting in.

The bush camp on the banks of the Maranoa River is a lovely quite but popular site, even more so once the borders were opened.

26-07-2020 It was about 1 am when the rain hit, or should I say drizzle, any sound of rain Des is packing up and heading to solid ground, we would certainly get bogged if the rain came down but lucky for us there’s a truck stop not far from here, well I guess it’s better to be safe than sorry.

We wake to a lovely sunny day and head to Mitchell so Des can cook some breaky in the park.

Even the Crows have Bin Isolation Days, as he sits waiting patiently for a snack from our left overs.

The town of Mitchell was named after the explorer Sir Thomas Mitchell who camped on and named the Maraona River in 1846 during an expedition to find an overland route from Sydney to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The Hotel Richards was established in 1938, we finally got to sit down to a lovely pub meal with great hospitality.

The Fact of the day, I cracked up laughing when I saw this sign then the barmaid told me this one.

We have beer as cold as your X girlfriend.🤣

The Historic Courthouse Hotel was built in late 1800s and she's up for sale if your looking for an escape to the outback.

After leaving Mitchell we head to Roma when we spotted a camp spot off the road, that doesn’t look like a bad camp for the night, so we promptly turned around to check it out. Walking the grounds we were pleasantly surprised to find a lovely fresh water creek.

Bungeworgorai Creek drops around 152m over its 145km length with 11 creeks and rivers flow into the Bungeworgorai Creek and makes for a great swimming hole.

Once back I go in search of wood and found a log cut just for me so I rolled it up the hill and hollowed it out then stuffed it with paper and wood ready for tonight. "NO" thinks Des, a fire means drinking, yep!

Here we were sitting in the van between some pine trees when the wind hit followed by rain then the sound of hale came poring down, thank god it didn't last long and the hale was lots, but small, but these poor buggers were running around frantically holding onto their little awnings while trying to pack up.

So there we were sitting around my great fire when this hotted up Suzuki turns in and past us heading into the bush to have some fun bush bashing, followed by an elderly couple in a modern four wheel drive.  We watched and listened as they drove down a very steep hill then proceeded to try and make it back to the top, reviving the hell out of the old Suzuki.  After about 45 minutes they pass us as we stood on the bend cheering them on, behind them was their parents who stopped for a chat, well you just made our night, excitement plus.

The Meaning of Fire

A process in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke; combustion or burning.