Day 6 – Longreach to Hughenden

As it was Sunday morning, I woke to the alarm at 5:30 and then tuned my portable radio into “Australia All Over”. I was reluctant to get up as I thought I could still hear the rain and I was warm and comfortable in bed. At 6:30 energy took over from lethargy and so I got up and had my shower and got dressed. I walked over to the Post Office and posted entries for the magazines (and stamps) off to Kerry, then came back and had breakfast. Lynn had her shower and got dressed and had her breakfast. Then we packed up and packed ARTIE up. Eventually, after everything had been checked a few times, we left about 8:30. I had hoped for clear skies and sunshine, but alas it was still overcast, a few showers and wet roadsides everywhere. Coming into Winton I had hoped again for dry conditions but the rain of the last few days meant all unsealed roads were closed to traffic. We parked in Winton and walked up and down the main street. All was the same as I remembered it, except for the gaping hole where the Waltzing Matilda Centre had been. With the road to Lark Quarry closed and little to see, we had a snack at the local bakery (Lynn should start up a blog on local bakeries) and returned to ARTIE and drove down to the musical fence. The entry road had been cut up and was muddy, so I tried to get a position so Lynn wouldn’t have to go through the mud – which required low range, first gear, and prompted the people already there to think they may have to tow me out (I didn’t have the heart to tell them that a Prado was supposed to rescue Nissans, not the other way around). All was completed successfully so Lynn played on the fence. Getting out was easier as I just kept ARTIE in low range and first gear until we were on the sealed roadway. Then we headed off to Hughenden. The Kennedy Development road in Winton Shire was reasonably narrow, so I slowed down when caravans approached – many of them didn’t and so the tyres and underbody on the left got regular coatings of mud. Once into the Flinders Shire, the road was wider and so I didn’t have to take precautions when passing. We went to call in at Corfield, but the “Closed” sign decided us to go on. We arrived at Hughenden about 2 p.m. and went to enquire at the Visitor Information Centre. The lady on duty rang up the caravan park and they had one site left, but weren’t sure if it was firm enough to be satisfactory. She offered to put us up for the night if it wasn’t! We got to the park and I recognised Jodi as being on when I came through with SUZI. She sort of remembered and looked me up and found me there in May last year. I took the site and walked back to confirm and her daughter was amazed at the card and photo. Lynn and I set up the tent and put enough in to stop it blowing away, then drove out to Porcupine Gorge and the lookout. Then we drove up to the park and the view over the “Pyramid” rock. Both spectacles were very good, but the walk down into the gorge would have made the pyramid view better. The lateness of the hour and finishing the walk in darkness made sure our decision was to go back to the caravan park, park ARTIE and walk over to the pub for a counter tea. We listened to “Killing Floor” by Lee Child on the way in (it will take a few days to get through it all). We asked patrons at the pub and meals started at 6, so we parked ARTIE and strolled through the gathering gloom. The meal was good and we chatted to some Queenslanders from Warwick (the husband had just retired) and swapped noted on parks and places to see. Then it was a stroll back, change and hop into bed – although “hop” is perhaps not the word – contort and struggle may be better. The weather was warmer so it was very pleasant dropping off to sleep.