Longreach to Boulia

No room at any of the caravan parks which didn't appeal anyway as they were dirty and very crowded. So found a motel room near the start of town. Most places were fully booked. We went to the Stockmen's Hall of Fame, which was expensive at $32 a head and felt that much of it was amateurish quality that you could find at any country museum. Its a fine looking building with resident artist.

The lanscape between Longreach and Winton looked like meadowland and the greenest we've ever seen it.

We thought we might stop at Middleton, halfway between Winton and Boulia, but the area around the pub was univiting and windswept so we kept going. This road took us across the top of the Channel Country at the top reaches of the Diamentina River. All the crossings had water in them and there was water lying all over the land - very wet.

Last night we stayed in the Caravan Park in Boulia besides the Burke River. The river was up to the top of its banks and there was water under the bridge!

We went to the pub for dinner - crumbed steak, the secial of the day. This is a Queensland specialty and available at all outback hotels. A crew of musterers were at the pub and had been there since midday drinking vodkas and orange. So they were yahooing and leaping around the place and calling out for female company. The two Swedish bar tenders were singularly unimpressed. The station on which they all worked is called Oxley and was about 50 klms nth of Boulia. Apparently they drove home in the dark after about 10pm.

Back at the camper we thought we would introduce ourselves to some people, friends of the managers who were staying in tin sheds near our campsite. This was a great idea as they had a warm fire going and lots of story telling.

A rest day today in Boulia.