We only saw one service station going out of town ($145.9
lt, on the wrong side of the road & I was sure there would be more!). So off
we went with just over half a tank!
I was allowed to drive to Mt Surprise (300kms). We didn’t go
into Lynd Junction Roadhouse & passed through Greenvale where one of Slim
Dusty’s songs about the pub there. It was scrubby savannah lands, but not dry
& dusty. Drought conditions south east of here around Longreach. Most of
the creek & river beds are dry. Greenvale was centre for nickel mine- - closed now; all along way we could see the foundations of the railway they used to 'move' the nickel, now devoid of track!!!
The road a mixture of new wide bitumen & narrow one car
only bitumen track. Some ‘red roads’ – pink granite which is really ‘hard on
the tyres’ so we were told LOTS of vans. Just out of CT huge free camp &
saw tractor ploughing field surrounded by hundreds of big & little birds.
Stayed 2 nights at the Bedrock CP – completely set up 1994 –
7 by ‘local’ couple. Lovely now. Cabins as well as sheltered sites.
The next day at Mt Surprise we did the half day tour – left
8.30 back at 2pm. 19 on tour. First stop at Kalkini Volcano where we climbed up
to the rim (600m) then walked around rim. It is a shield (flat) volcano, last
;blew’ 190,000 years ago sending lava trains 160kms (lava tubes). We could
follow these from the ridge by the grey (lost their leaves) line of Qld bottle
trees.
After yummy morning tea (home made fruit cake & Anzacs)
we walked to & climbed down into the lava tubes – one 100m long, 400m long
– this one dark needed torches. Quite incredible – dry, dusty not like Hawaii ones. All colours
– grey, browns, reds/oranges etc.
At night we went to the ‘Resort dinner’ – bacon & egg
pie with potato bake, corn & 2 salads. Cream – choc mousse & fruit
salad – yum! Afterwards there was a bush poet, we all sat around the campfire!
Great!
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