9th & 10th July Now to Mt Surprise

On the road at 8.30 for 237k. Quite a bit of the road is single lane sealed and the last part has been hilly, rocky land, still painfully dry and the cattle still painfully thin. We had to stop at Georgetown because there was no 'dump site' (portable toilet emptying facility) in Croydon, then we fuelled up at $1.38, wow.

We are staying 2 nights here at Jo & Joe Lockyers caravan Park 'Bedrock Village Caravan Park' it is just lovely. They came here 20 years ago and started by buying 9 acres of rocks and noxious weeds and built a house then had the idea of a Caravan Park. Just themselves and 2 labourers aged 3 & 4!.

They have created a little Oasis here and have volunteer staff (paid while here) who keep coming back each season from all over Australia. They do tours of the out back areas to Undara Lava Tubes & Gold Mining areas, but pretty expensive as to be expected.

10th

Another perfect day, we went for a drive to the Airport where the Flying Doctor comes once every 2 weeks! There is a Medical Clinic, a General Store, 2 fuel stations, Gem Store, and a population of 162. We also drove past a river that actually had water in it, something quite unusual as even big river beds have been dry. This little town even has homes with gardens ands flowers!

We have clocked up 4038k so far! Fossicking for gem stones is the thing here. Sorry but I can't  get excited about uncut, unpolished rock and gravel, I want mine all done up beautifully, ready to wear as rings, necklaces or ear rings! Drat, my Boss/beloved won't come to the party! I did buy a little, the operative word is little, shovel of polished 'Gems' for the princely sum of $6.50.

 

They are quite pretty but this amount wouldn't fill an eggcup!

We fill up every opportunity and this is right at our entrance

This is the sign that you have arrived

If we had just driven into town & not booked we would have been able to cut the site fee in half. Trouble is you don't know these things beforehand ....... The park over the road is $16 per night ... O well, can't win them all!

This one is very good.

And so it is goodbye to 'Flintstone Territory '

The owners and staff are raising funds to revisit a group they helped last year. Now they want to raise $4000 towards air fare for the staff who will volunteer their time to paint & repair buildings in this village. What a great idea.