Big Footprints

Dinosaurs to mining magnets to croc country

At the end of July we ventured deep into dinosaur country, stopping at Winton, a pretty little town north-west of Longreach. It's famous for the Dinosaur Stampede at Lark Quarry Conservation Park and also for being the first place that Waltzing Matilda was performed. Sadly, the Waltzing Matilda Centre which housed much of the original material burnt down in June and many artefacts were destroyed.

We partied at the North Gregory Hotel on Friday night (July 31), enjoying the live music and pool table. The resident muso had a penchant for Charley Pride and Merle Haggard - this country music is growing on me. Garry stumped up for a game of pool, roped me in as a partner and they couldn't get rid of us. Great night.

Garry in action, being keenly watched by (from left) Precious - a roustabout - Andrew - a shearer - and Monique - daughter of Precious. 

Saturday we got back into tourist mode and made the 110km trek to Lark Quarry to see the dinosaur stampede. An amazing chance discovery where you can see a large dinosaur stalking smaller fellas and breaking into a gallop as his prey flees. A moment in time 95 million years ago. More than 3000 footprints have been painstakingly uncovered but it is estimated another 80,000 are still under the hillside. A huge insulated shed now protects what's on show.

The three-toed footprint of the stalking theropod. Can you see it?

An artist's depiction of how the landscape looked 95 million years ago.

How it looks today.
 Garry saw the Taliban hiding in the hills, I saw Mexican bandidos. Neither made an appearance.

"Garry, why are you doing a pee in the middle of the road?"

"Because I can!" Bad boy.

A (dry) pub crawl between Winton and Cloncurry.

The Blue Heeler Hotel, close to the billabong that inspired Banjo Patterson.

Walkabout Creek Hotel which featured in Paul Hogan's Crocodile Dundee. Underwhelming.

Chinaman's Creek Dam near Cloncurry. We hadn't realised how much we missed seeing water.

Mary Kathleen was the site of a thriving town that serviced a nearby uranium mine between 1954 and 1984. When the mine closed all the buildings were dismantled and sold. It is quite eerie to see the cement slabs for the shopping centre, school and homes and imagine a whole community wiped out. The bush is reclaiming the land.

Garry worked at Mt Isa 41 years ago so a bit of a trip down memory lane for him. He only lasted three months in the mine workshop before he was asked to move on. "Son, you don't fit here. You work too fast and too hard!"

Isa is dominated by the mine but is looking good. The town was gearing up for the rodeo this weekend (August 7-9) so was awash with big hats, horse floats and utes prickling with gear.

Garry outside what he thinks was the dormitory in which he lived for three months.

Industrious little chaps. An ant hill graveyard on the road between Cloncurry and Karumba. 

A quick pit stop at the Burke and Wills Roadhouse on our way to Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria.

 Most notable thing was the sign in the loo asking that you close the door because brown snakes love the cool, dank space. 

Croc tucker. A replica of the largest crocodile ever caught in the world.

 Krys was 28ft4in (8.63m) and found near Normanton in 1957. To see his massive torso is gob smacking.