Rolleston - Springsure - Lake Maraboon (Emerald)

Rolleston was 60 kms north of Canarvon Gorge. We filled up the car ($1.45 a litre, usual for here) & I bought Codral Cold & Flu tablets!!! The house opposite the service station had BIG Qld Origin banner right along his front fence with the 9 years they had won!

On to Springsure, lovely town - parks, museum, craft shop along highway. The lady on duty said they have so many volunteers she only has a day there once a month. She said population of town had halved since downturn in coal industry. After Spingsure in impressive Mt Zambia & Minerva Hills National Park.

Short drive to Lake Maraboon Caravan Park near Fairbairn Dam - 3 times the size of Sydney Harbour. It is 17kms from Emerald. Lots of long-stayers at park (grey nomads escaping the cold south). It was 27 degrees there!
Lovely park - very popular with fishermen - red claw crabs plentiful & always on the menu.Park had a very reasonable meal delivery to your van service every night! & restaurant open at the weekend!! We wondered why the size of the dam but it supplies the coal industry (passed 11 coal mines & associated 'villages' of workers); & the cotton industry as well as surrounding towns. Dam had very wide wall, channels & spill-ways going off in all directions. Very impressive - cut down through rock strata of varying colours.
I washed & changed over our clothes (winter ones put away & summer ones out to wear!

Emerald very big town. Lots of mandarin orchards on way there - BIG bag for $5 - beautiful!
Emerald is centre of sunflower industry & had HUGE picture of van Gough's 'Sunflowers' on HUGE easal in the park!