21 September - Dinosaur Footprints, Japanese and Chinese Cemetery, Cable Beach; Broome

21 September 2016 – 188 148

Dinosaur Footprints, Japanese and Chinese Cemetery, Cable Beach; Broome

This morning we went to Gantheaume Point at low tide to look at the dinosaur footprints – we found two different sets and again saw heaps of cool marine life.
https://www.australiasnorthwest.com/explore/broome-dampier-peninsula/broome/dinosaur-footprints
We looked around for Anastasia’s Pool but could not be sure we found it despite finding several large rockholes.  We then headed to Cable Beach where Hayden had a swim in the beautiful but waveless beach.
https://www.australiasnorthwest.com/explore/broome-dampier-peninsula/broome/broome-beaches/cable-beach
We also saw the camels walking along the beach.  The Japanese and Chinese cemeteries were interesting to see.
https://www.australiasnorthwest.com/explore/broome-dampier-peninsula/broome/japanese-and-chinese-cemeteries 
In the afternoon Drew and I each had a massage and we all enjoyed a swim in the pool.

23 June - Marine Fossils by the Hundred

23 June 2016 – 175 577

Marine Fossils by the Hundred

This morning we had a leisurely start with a sleep in for the boys, while I watched the beautiful colours of dawn over the lake from my bed – it is a tough life!

After breakfast we went for a walk around the lake (1.2km circuit), before heading off to Kronosaurus Korner.  We spent two hours at this extensive collection of marine fossils. These were well displayed and accompanied by both information signs and a self-guided audio track. Some of the skeletons on display were amazingly close to complete – in particular the Kronosaurus queenslandicus (a marine reptile) and Minmi paravertebra (an armoured dinosaur) giving a real idea of the size, shape and structure of these ancient creatures. I found this and the Lark Quarry Stampede the best of the Australian Dinosaur Trail.

http://www.kronosauruskorner.com.au/
http://www.australiasdinosaurtrail.com/

After lunch we headed west again, stopping for the night at Fountain Springs Rest Area, about half way between Cloncurry and Mt Isa – a very popular spot filled almost to capacity.

Mum

22 June - Dinosaurs Galore!

22 June 2016 – 175 217

Dinsoaurs Galore!

First stop today was the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum – the road reopened this morning after ten days of closure due to the wet conditions and damage to the road works that were underway during the “dry season”.  
http://www.australianageofdinosaurs.com/

The Prado went through its first creek crossing since we have owned it – well done Drew!  This museum involved two tours, one of the laboratory which was very similar to Eromanga Natural History Museum, and one of the collection area, which while it had more bones than the Eromanga Natural History Museum I did not feel was as viewer friendly. 

The Age of Dinosaurs Museum has most of two dinosaurs – Matilda, a sauropod, Diamantinasaurus matildae; and Banjo, a smaller carnivorous dinosaur, Australovenator wintonensis. 

The views of the surrounding countryside were amazing! Truly beautiful country!.  Heading out of town we went fossil fossicking – we found many shells and Hayden felt he had found something far more interesting!!  Who knows what we really found. 

Next up we drove the 200+ km to Hughenden on the Kennedy Development Road to the Flinders Discovery Centre.  This included a life size skeleton of the Muttaburrasaurus – thankfully he was a herbivore.  There was also short film on the geological formation of the nearby Porcupine Gorge which was quite interesting. 
http://www.australiasdinosaurtrail.com/hughenden-local-attractions

Then on to Richmond, the third town on the Australian Dinosaur Trail.  We are camped for the night at Richmond Lakeview Caravan Park with beautiful views of the lake – lovely pink shades at sunset.  We also saw amazing flocks of birds circling around before settling in distant trees, making it appear the trees had turned white there were so many birds on them.
http://www.richmondlakeviewcaravanpark.com.au/

Mum

21 June - Stampeding Dinosaurs!!! Run!!

21 June 2016 – 174 997    

Stampeding Dinosaurs!!! Run!!

Alarm to wake us at 6am.  Heading to Lark Quarry Conservation Park this morning – 110km from Winton, half bitumen and half dirt; unfortunately the bitumen half was having roadwork done on the low points during the “dry” season when the recent rains came through, the road was open only to 4WD as the high clearance was needed to get through the detours on the road work sections. 

The location was beautiful with a great mix of soil colours with red mesa rising from the surrounding floodplains.  The track way shows footprints of one theropod (horse sized meat eater) and many many coelurosaurs (chicken sized meat eaters) and ornithopods (emu sized plant eaters) who apparently stampeded away from the approaching predator. This site is the only evidence in the world of a dinosaur stampede, with more than 3000 footprints – it is pretty amazing to look at this where it actually happened! 
http://www.dinosaurtrackways.com.au/

 

 We also did a short walk around the surrounding countryside and looked up close at the spinifex – I had been looking at these beautiful green soft looking mounds as we drove out from Winton – up close these are actually quite spiny and anything but soft, despite their appearance.  I tackled the drive back to Winton – this was my first experience of this type of driving; quite corrugated in some spots and very soft mud in others – our Prado has had its mud Christening. 

Mesa

Spinifex Mounds

After lunch, we had a walk around the town centre of Winton before heading out to the Musical Fence.  This is a tuned fence that can be played as a stringed musical instrument; there are also a number of “drum sets” made of a great variety of items, mainly metal, but some plastic. Hayden had a lot of fun making a lot of noise!! http://www.experiencewinton.com.au/places-to-see/-/asset_publisher/123iOYcLufeV/content/musical-fence

Unfortunately the Age of Dinosaurs Museum was still cut off due to the recent rain – maybe tomorrow??

Eromanga Natural History Museum and Thargomindah (Natural Sciences Loop)

Wednesday 6 April  2016 167 548 - 40°C

This morning we were up and away as quickly as possible, heading to Eromanga.  This is a small town with a mini oil refinery.  There is a Living History Museum, which had a great video with lit accompanying displays for each section of industry in the town and area – dinosaurs, oil and gas, opals and sheep, as well as the school and CWA.  

We then went to the Eromanga Natural History Museum, which has been open three weeks and is fantastic!  I think this has the potential, and the director has the passion, for this to become a major regional attraction despite its remote location.  The museum has been established to Queensland Museum standards; and yet we could see and touch real dinosaur bones! “Cooper” is the most complete skeleton, and is 4 to 6m tall and 30m long.  The staff are also working on “George” who may be a larger version of “Cooper”. Cooper is a new species and genus and is the largest species of dinosaur found in Australia to date.  The first piece was found by the then fourteen-year-old son of the museum curator, and taken to Queensland Museum for examination because it “looked interesting”.  We got to see a video of how they prepare the bones in the field with plaster casts and then got to see them working on the rock/bones in the laboratory. www.enhm.com.au/

Dinosaur big toe

Plaster covered fossils yet to be worked on

Removing the rock from around the bone

Bone encased in rock

Next, we drove through some very dry countryside where the road appeared to go forever. I hit a small bird with the windscreen and twice Drew had to brake to avoid hitting emus crossing the road.  In all our travel today, we saw six cars.  

Next stop was Thargomindah, where we had a look at the third hydropower plant built in the world (after London and Paris), which was driven by the pressure of the Artesian Bore water.  In Thargomindah people have cooling tanks for water instead of hot water systems.  The water comes out of the ground at 70°C and needs to be cooled for use.  We did not get to see it operating as it was closed for a funeral in town.

www.visitbulloo.com.au/hydro-power-plant

Lake Bindegolly National Park was our next stop.  We had planned to the stay the night here, however it was HOT and DRY, hardly any lake, and VERY MANY FLIES.  So, we decided against the walk and this as a camping spot. 

We continued toward Eulo, and stopped at the Paroo River bush camping area (off grid). Lessons we learnt: always bring bug spray, need a second small fan for Hayden, need 12V power point plug to multiple cigarette lighter plug for fans, Waeco, lights and inverter, and need a cigarette lighter plug with thick cables for the inverter, need to cover all vents against bugs.  We had a very early night as the lights just attracted MILLIONS of bugs!  Great to test out our setup off grid though.