Hi to all

When I last spoke to you, we were still in Bourke, and hanging out for the muffin afternoon at the caravan park.  I have to tell you, they were worth the wait.  Of course I only had 1..........

The weather in Bourke for the last 2 days we were there was great.  We finally hit 20C.  Just doesn't get any better than this, yeh sure.  When I went to bed on the last night, you could hear some thunder rumbling somewhere, no it wasn't from my belly full of muffins.  Anyway, overnight the heavens opened up and it poured all night.  Got up in the morning and we were now in Lake Bourke.  What a great time I had hitching up the van that morning.  Overnight they had 31mm of rain and another 4mm whilst I was hitching up.  Lets get out of here. 

Moved off from Lake Bourke and heading towards the little outback country town of Cunnamulla.  It was a drive of about 260k's.  The drive was just incredible for the amount of roadkill.  I thought that Tasmania was bad, but I think this was worse.

Not only do we have to watch out for the live animals running across the road trying to commit suicide, but we now have to watch out for huge kangaroo carcasses on the road.  It was like driving in a slalom course at one stage.  It would not be an exaggeration to say there were hundreds of dead roos.  I had no intention of running over a carcass so it was a worrying drive.  Of course, before we left the park, I heard a horror story from another vanner, of him running over a roo carcass a couple of days ago, and of him ripping out his 7 pin plug to the van and wrecking some wiring.  Not to mention roo guts all over everything.  How awesome would that be. 

Anyway made it to Cunnamulla and I must say, it was a lovely little outback country town.  It has a very large indigenous population but the town has a well cared for look about it.  It has fantastic sporting facilities, for such a small town, and very friendly people.

 

Took some photos of 'The Cunnamulla Fella', a fictitious character made famous in a Slim Dusty song.  They also have a lovely fountain at one of the main roundabouts, being their tribute to our war past.  Went for a heritage walk around the town and checked out 'the robbers tree'.  Way back in the 1870s a local villain held up the bank, and after a struggle with a shopkeeper, he thought he had made good his escape by hiding up a huge tree.  Alas, he was captured and hung.  How sad.  He was the last man to be hung in Queensland.

 

Maybe could give him a tip why he got caught

Checked out the first catholic school in the area.  It was opened in 1914 so that the local children could get a catholic education.  For a building that is 100 years old, it is in really good condition. 

Went for a bit of a nature hike through the scrub and, surprise surprise, we found lots of kangaroos in the bush.  I actually forgot what a live one looked like.

 

After a couple of days relaxing at Cunnamulla, and nights spent around a fire, gazing at a magnificent carpet of stars, it was time to head off to Charlieville.  The drive was actually quite relaxing, apart from the dreaded roadkill, but at least we saw no live animals attempting suicide.  We have even got a bit of a system going.  If you look far enough ahead you can normally see a flock of crows on the road, having a bit of a picnic.  That is a good sign that you have to avoid roadkill very soon. 

Anyway, enough of that for now.

Barry and Deb.