Walking with Dinosaurs!

Wednesday 5^th August

No wind today & temperature in mid-twenties. By all accounts our family & friends in Tasmania are going through a real cold spell. This morning the car went in for tyre therapy & we also did some washing & a general clean-up of EKO. We also cleaned up & repacked the car. This afternoon we did some banking & late afternoon we did a cruise on the Thomson River plus enjoyed a camp oven dinner & show at Smithy’s.

Thursday 6^th August

Got away a bit early & into Longreach for breakfast & to stock up on provisions. Then it was off to the doctor as I had woken up with a sore eye. The doctor believed I had a small ulcer on my eye. I was given a local anaesthetic & he scraped my eye & discovered it was not an ulcer but appeared to be a minute seed. Anyway now having drops every 2 hours & will see Colin Mckenzie on my return to Tassie to ensure everything is okay.

We then travelled to Winton where we intend to spend the next 4 nights.

Friday 7^th August

We are settled into Matilda country & this morning we went into the Visitor Information Centre. We had a wander about town before temporarily residing at the town library which had a fast FREE WI FI service. (Can I just say how much we appreciate your comments & observations either on our blog or via Chezza’s Facebook?) Then it was off to the local bakery for a cuppa & cake (Cheryl was with me so I was allowed to have cake! (lol)) Before heading back to EKO for lunch.

After lunch we headed out to the Australian Age of Dinosaur Museum which is a little ways out of Winton – it is just amazing what this area was thought to be like 95,000,000years ago. The guided tour of the dinosaur exhibition & actual laboratory are well worth it if you are ever out this way.

At night the caravan park puts on a comedic duo – Mel & Susie…..it was a g00d way to end a great day.

Saturday 8^th August

Today was a day I had really been looking forward & a major reason why Winton was on our travel plans. We visited “the Dinosaur Stampede” which is a world heritage listed site & the only one in the world. It is 95,000,000 years old & located approximately 110 km south of Winton in the middle of nowhere. It was a fantastic tour & it is quite unbelievable that this arid, unforgiving landscape could have been an incredibly fertile place located approximately where Tasmania now is.

Back to the caravan park we went after checking out a fishing spot & free camp & about an hour later my brother Michael & Erica arrived. Michael was checking up on Stephen because Mum & Dad had asked him to!!!! We enjoyed an evening meal in the North Gregory Hotel which was the site of the first public performance of ‘Waltzing Matilda”.

Sunday 9^th August

In the morning after Michael & I had done an early walk around town we then took the girls into town for a few photos before heading out to the “Long Waterhole” for a picnic & fish. Our picnic was to include cream buns ion the outback! There was not much water & it was quite hot but we took refuge in some shade & set up a rod for Erica & Cheryl to fish. Michael determined that Stephen & he were to be the “SUPPPORT CREW”   i.e. putting the prawns on the hooks, fixing tangles etc. Cheryl had a couple of bites & finally succeeded in catching one. It was amazingly white & such a contrast to the muddy water she caught it in. I should point out that Michael is claiming joint fish catching ownership as he put the prawn on the hook.

We had a lovely stir fry tea & enjoyed an entertaining evening of bush poetry.