Pass the tissues ... the end is near

After much studying of weather patterns, synoptic charts, and forecasts re rain and heat we decided to head north in an attempt to stay behind the giant rain band that was covering much of the continent and producing flooding in some of the areas that we may have needed to traverse to get home.

The countryside is simply lush, everywhere you look! Wild flowers bloom, dams are full, grass in paddocks, table drains full ...

The other interesting phenomena that we have been confronting is that many of the towns and their businesses in the northern parts where we have travelled are closing down as the heat builds. Caravan Parks are practically empty as have been the various National Parks. A lot of the smaller towns have coffee shops closed. There are decidely fewer caravans on the road also (we thought that it was a product of where we were travelling - and that may have something to do with it) - but according to the Caravan Park Managers there are just fewer travellers... this the norm ... with a slight upsurge just before christmas as people transit through to their christmas destination.

After leaving Lake Pamamaroo we headed the 560kms to Cobar for the night where we encountered a massive thunderstorm. 

We have been forced to find accommodation in Caravan Parks as the access roads to any of the National Parks or free camp areas are unsealed and either flooded or muddy. Mud is something that we want to avoid at all costs.

Next day we headed to Cunnamulla with the view of staying there. 

Cunnamulla is a quaint little town that seemed to have a good number of eclectic coffee shops but also masses of water along the roads having suffered a deluge in the preceding days.  It was not hard to imagine that with a little more rain, those long stretches of water on either side of the road would join up.  So, we drove another 2 hours to Charleville, to make it 613kms for the day. Guess what … another massive thunderstorm on both nights we were there and 36-39 degrees.

At Charleville, we visited the Secret WW2 Army base (very good indeed) – it was actually the site of a large US airbase during WW2, at one stage accommodating 3500 US Air Force personnel, as well as hiding a classified military device (the bombsight/bomb targeting machine) used in the bombing of Hiroshima. 

So clandestine that the locals were sworn to oaths of secrecy.  Charleville was chosen partly because of its dry heat (things don’t rust or corrode as much as coastal areas); it was beyond the range of Japanese bombers but within range of allied targets; was so far away/remote that it eluded detection.  It was also so far from anywhere that any plane seeking to get there would have to refuel to get back.  In addition, it was already a regular plane refueling point for planes crossing the continent.  It also welcomed the first QANTAS passenger service which was from Charleville to Cloncurry – there was already an airstrip and servicing and refueling facilities.  Who would’ve thought?  During the Battle of the Coral Sea there were over 250 B17 Bombers marshalled from here.  The locals were taught how to make camouflage nets for the planes.

We also visited the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s Museum.  The day was hot at 36 degrees and stormy.  We also checked out the Cosmos Centre, Queensland’s largest planetarium, which is all about space and space travel. 

We headed back to camp to yet another thunderstorm.  That night we attended a session at the Cosmos Centre using their telescopes – well blow me down Teddy but the skies completely cleared and we had a clear night being about to use their telescope to zoom in on various stars where we were able to see the rings of Saturn. We also did the virtual tour giving us images of planets, stars, the moon and the sun via the Hubble telescope … very impressive.

Next day we headed to Roma (270kms) but stopped at Mitchell on the way to spend some time relaxing in the artesian bath which has a naturally heated (at 38 degrees) and a cooler pool.

With only 2 days left of this adventure, we are heading to the Bunya Mountains which will give us a chance to do some walks in the rainforest but also photograph some of the fungi that may have sprung after the rain and the heat.

The Bunya Mountains are also significant in one sense as it was here that we spotted our first Tvan that started our transition from tent dwellers to Tvan Travellers! 

We are now at 23,000km since leaving home; one punctured tyre and 6.5 litres of gin and still counting!