Muckadilla and Roma

Our last day of the trip was from Miles to home via Muckadilla and Roma.

Back when Robin was about 15, we stayed a night when there was no accomodation in nearby Roma. All the motels were full because of a soccer tournament. We were the only customers initially so Robin was allowed to sit up at the bar. Great excitement!

Sadly, the pub burnt down in 2019, but a new building has been erected with a similar layout. My friend Geoff and I visited the pub in 2010 and you can see photos here.

There is no longer a 'Bench of Bullshit'. No doubt, it is sorely needed.

Back when Robin and I visited, this lady ran the pub. When I asked her if she had any trouble from the local cow cockies on Friday nights, she gave me a look and declared slowly ' I have absolutely no trouble'. She could deal with anything! I ordered a steak and as usual, asked for medium rare. She gave me another look which said 'you will get the steak just as I like to cook it'. Quite a lady.

Don't worry about it. It's more scared of you.

A bottle tree survived the fire. They are popular in this area.

Roma is only about 30 minutes away and we came across a distillery. Intrigued, we decided to visit. Notice the bottle tree at the end of the path.

It turned out to be an artwork made of wire.

Inside the shed with the tasting area at the end.

Along with the usual gin, vodka etc, they also make a single malt whiskey which they mature in sherry and bourbon barrels.

We stopped at the Roma cemetery. Some of my relatives on my mother's side are buried in the unmarked plot to the left of the two leaning grave stones.

The plot has deteriorated since I last visited.

There is a marker for each body. I presume one of them is my grandfather who died when my mother was very young. He would also be the brother of the man who drove the dray in Winton.

It's winter in Australia, so the grass is brown.

Start walking at this marker and you will find the grave.

Later that morning, we came across this grove of bottle trees named Jack Coe Park, just south of Boondooma. Australia has some wonderful place names.

We really enjoyed the trip. Marianne has been wanting to go out west for some time and she finally was able to scratch that itch. The only thing she really did not like were the road trains. Imagine meeting this on a two-lane highway. Three trailers are common, but four is rare. Our Honda looks so small.

Fossil Preparation Laboratory at the 'Age of Dinosaurs'

 We returned to the Museum the next morning after a very cold night. We discovered when we returned from the picture theatre that the heater in our room did not work! Needless to say, we snuggled.

The Jump-Up off in the distance (about 10 km). 

Fortunately, we came at the right time of year so we didn't have to do the 'Aussie Salute'.

Entrance to the Laboratory.

Beginning display of fossils.

A tour guide led us into the main storage area.

Numerous fossils were on display.

Bigger fossils are carefully wrapped and then encased in a hardened plaster.

Actual dinosaur bones that we were allowed to touch. You don't do that every day.

The major large finds are all given names.

An ancient crocodile. You can read about Chookie here.

It's painstaking work. Definitely not for me.

Part of a tree branch from the time of the dinosaurs. There was plenty of water back then and trees grew to enormous heights.

Volunteers removing the dirt and dust from specimens.

A case ready to be broken open.

I reckon Marianne and Robin should give this a go. I spoke to one of the volunteers who comes for a week every year. You are given a whole five minutes training, mostly involving how to turn the tool on and off and where to point it at. They spend about six hours a day feeling really good about themselves for doing something very useful. I would not feel so good.

I can't imagine being presented with something like this and being expected to clean it up.

A view from the Jump-Up as we drove down the hill.

It was Census Day in Australia, so the forms awaited us at our motel. The next morning, a young Polish lady who cleaned rooms at the motel collected the forms. Many backpackers in Oz come on work visas where they are required to spend time in the outback as well as in the big cities. Consequently, most staff in the tourist industry are foreign.

The Royal open air picture theatre

Winton is an amazing little town out in the middle of nowhere and has several wonderful attractions. It's the birthplace of Qantas, the site of the first performance of 'Waltzing Matilda' and still has one of the few remaining open-air picture theatres in the world.

Several patrons waiting patiently for the theatre to open at 7pm.

Earlier in the day, I had wandered inside and you can see the lack of ceiling and the old canvas chairs.

A revolving spotlight cast these lights on the pavement.

I tried out a chair. Note that at 7pm I was just wearing a T-shirt.

A huge flock of noisy galahs gathered on the electricity wires. This is just a few of the flock of hundreds.

At 7pm we paid $20 each and selected our seats. The theatre emphasizes a fifties experience so they show old advertisements accompanied by famous film songs of the period such as 'Moon River'.

The program started with 'God Save the Queen'. Back in the 50's and 60's, everybody would have stood, but not now. There was an interesting short film about the history of the theatre, followed by some advertisements. We were then treated to some cartoons including Popeye and the Three Stooges. I enjoyed the latter, but Marianne has a higher level of taste. The program ended at 8:30 and it had become so cold that we were glad to leave.

On alternate nights, they usually show a real film and John Wayne films are popular.

It's all very basic, but fun.

Did I mention it got cold? Really cold! We had brought our own blanket along, but they do provide them. It's fun to look up at the stars in the cold night air.

We had dinner at the old pub across the road. At 6:30 pm, no jackets and it's quite warm. Two hours later, you shiver even with a heavy jacket on.

Next morning, we stopped to look at the historic dray in the main street.

I had visited Winton back in 2011 when I did a train trip to Longreach and posted a photo of the dray in my blog. My sister Anne told me that Herb Young was our mother's great-uncle/guardian Herbert Young.