Friday, 4 October 2024
An interesting night with the bar fridge standing in as my bedside table. Bernie had a plush red velvet throne-like chair on his side. I’m always bemused by small rooms that try too hard to pack in too much furniture … and don’t actually provide you with what would be practical. Like bedside tables and power points on both sides of the bed. Lucky that after learning from experience we packed an extension lead for this trip. Bernie was able to run that from the wall on my side of the bed and plug in all his electrical devices for charging balancing them on the arm of the chair.
So, the HUGE bathroom was entered via a set of double doors and hung with fringed green velvet drapes. The bathroom was in a lean-to addition that was probably originally a verandah that had been enclosed?? Anyway, back to the drapes. Returning to the bedroom from the bathroom we felt like movie stars … Enter, stage centre, ha, ha. Checking in last night we had been told that the hotel’s No. 1 Rule is close the bathroom doors or the steam will set off the smoke alarm and they are all linked so you will set of ALL the smoke alarms. OK, we closed the doors, we opened the bathroom window, we turned on the world’s oldest, noisiest extraction fan and showered without causing any calamity. Phew!
We re-packed the vehicles and set of to Cunnamulla’s painted water tower since we didn’t drive past it yesterday. This must have been a challenging tall and skinny canvas for artist Guido Van Helten (who also painted the silos at Coonaplyn, South Australia to paint. The water tower is a pair with the water tower at Charleville. The towers depict the children of Cunnamulla and Charleville coming together for their biannual grand final football match, of the NRL variety of course.
Setting the Satnavs for Wyandra we headed out of town only to drive past the Cunnamulla Railway Station with its metal work statue(s) of the Cunnamulla Brass Band out the front, so we had to stop for another photo op. The railway station operated between 1898 and 1994. After burning down in the 1930s the station was rebuilt on a budget. This meant that the lacework on the verandah of the original building was not reinstated. The sculptures were crafted by talented local Rhys Teelow and installed in 2021.
Continuing north along the Mitchell Highway we made our first leg stretching stop in Wyandra, looking for the town’s Heritage Trail and the Gladstone Hotel. We pulled up in front of the Post Office and General Store its signs beseeching travellers to come in and spend some money so that the business can survive.
Next thing the proprietor was out the front door calling us in and encouraging us to spend some money. Cathy had a birthday card to post but already had the postage on it otherwise she could have bought a stamp or a book of stamps. We browsed through the VAST collection of wares – salt and pepper shakers to hardware, phone chargers, books and games and everything in between but nothing that we NEEDED.
We didn’t NEED morning tea either but felt obligated to buy something to stimulate Wilandra’s economy. Three of us succumbed to the Devonshire tea, two of us purchased coffees and Cathy and Bernie bought a Nippy’s strawberry milk and a Coke Zero respectively. We ate our deliciously light and airy scones with jam and cream at an outdoor table in the shade amongst the metal work animals.
While we were eating our morning tea the postman arrived and started ferrying parcels to his vehicle. We got a bit excited that the birthday card was going to be on its way south almost immediately. So many parcels of all shapes and sizes were being carried to the van that Steve joked that there must be an Amazon shed close by shipping its stuff allover Australia from Wilandra, ha, ha. Cathy ended up asking about the frequency of his run and he told her that he does the parcel run twice each week. However, the letters are collected by someone who comes up from Cunnamulla and the collection schedule was unclear. But Cathy hopes here birthday card will be delivered on time. Fingers crossed!
From the PO we walked along the street to the pub. According to Google Maps we were looking for the blue painted Gladstone Hotel. Hmmn, it’s been re-painted and re-branded now the grey painted (boring!) Wilandra Hotel and not currently operating. We continued around the block noting a classic old cottage and the War Memorial on our way. From the township we drove out to the Wyandra Beach, a sandy patch on the western bank of the Warrego River where locals enjoy fishing, picnics and bushwalking.
Having done our bit to keep Wylandra’s economy afloat we continued north to Charleville. With activities already booked for Saturday morning and Saturday evening we headed to the Visitor Information Centre to find out about some touristy things to do this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon. Leaving with a number of suggestions we drove into the centre of town to Heinemann’s Bakery and Coffee Shop. After the huge wrap this bakery received in the Matilda Country Magazine it was a little disappointing. We were looking forward to big, juicy salad rolls but had to settle for pre-packed white bread ham, cheese and tomato sandwiches.
After eating we crossed Alfred Street to Charleville’s Historic House. The house started life as the town’s first bank in 1888. Today it is the oldest building in Alfred Street and houses a treasure trove or memorabilia from the past. Although there is a degree of sameness to all these history museums nearly all of them hold one or two items that we’ve never seen before which makes them worthwhile to check out.
After the Historic House we drove to the Graham Andrews Parkland to sit in the BIG Red Chair, as you do! With that experience under our belts, we walked to the Steiger Vortex Rainmaking Guns. These guns were originally invented to prevent destructive hailstorms in a wine growing region in Austria. Clement Wragge, the Queensland Government’s meteorologist, saw the technology and felt that the guns could be the answer to ending the drought in Queensland in 1901/02.
Six guns were trialed in September 1902. They were spaced in two rows over a kilometre apart and fired into clouds at two-minute intervals. The experiment was an epic failure, and no rain fell to break the drought. Many critics felt that it also spelt the beginning of the end of Clement’s career in meteorology.
Back into town to check out the second water tank mural by Guido Van Helten. As it was only 2.30pm we decided that we could make the 3.00pm guided tour at the Charleville Bilby Experience rather than try to fit in a self-guided experience tomorrow. So glad we decided to do the guided tour as Belinda gave an excellent tour where were learnt all about Parks & Wildlife Officers, Peter McRae and Frank Manthey, known fondly as The Bilby Brothers, founded the Save the Billy Fund in 1999 and set out to save the greater bilby from extinction. Although they have both now passed away the fund continues to prosper and the bilby population has grown.
After picking up a few supplies from the IGA supermarket we checked in at the Waltzing Matilda Motor Inn on Alfred Street. Another good room with more space than last night’s boutique hotel. We have a bedside table each BUT had to break out the extension cord again to power/recharge all our devices.
The owner recommended the Cattle Camp Hotel 100 metres along the street for dinner. When we arrived, it was heaving. Well, it IS Friday night, and we timed our arrival during the meat raffle! A lovely couple from Emerald (QLD) heading for the Barossa Valley saw us standing around looking for a table and called us over to their table shuffling themselves around to fit us in. Originally from SA, Ian had his Brisbane Lions polo shirt on, so he and Bernie were soon taking about the AFL Grand Final.
