Outback Adventure - Day 5

Outback Adventure  -  Day 5

Written on Day 6 on the train after a great lunch.

Day 5 was set to be long day with nearly 400km in a coach.
We were picked up at 07.00 and loaded on a small coach to go to the iconic bush town of Winton 180km away.

We were driven north west across the 90km wide Thompson River flood plain.  The Thompson River flows south east inland before flowing into Coopers Creek and onto Lake Eyre in South Australia through some of the most isolated country in Australia.  Then we entered the Diamontina River flood plain which also meets the Coopers Creek.  The country is dry and very isolated.  There were many kangaroos dead along our way having been cleaned up by B-doubles overnight.

About 20km before Winton we came to a low range of hills the locals call "jump ups" but more properly should be call Mesas as they are formations left when the surrounding country is eroded.  We took a 20km diversion to an attraction called The Age Of Dinosaurs.  In the area around Winton there have been many significant dinosaurs remains found and these had be taken to Brisbane for examination and of course ended up in the Brisbane museum.

Winton locals determined to set up their own dinosaur museum and laboratory.  One property owner donated 4,000 acres at the top of a jump up and the locals have built a laboratory and display center which has become a major drawcard for the area.  Incidentally they don't find dinosaurs up on jump ups but down on the plains.  The  facility is self funded and it is possible to buy a two week dinosaur exploration tour where you work alongside scientists digging up remains.  You can also pay to be trained in the laboratory extracting the bone fro the surrounding rock.  This all helps funding the ongoing operations.  We  had a tour or the laboratory and a presentation in the special area where the remains of two, previously unknown dinosaurs  are on display.  These are between 40 and 60% complete.

Next it was onto Winton for a walk around the little town  of  about 1,000 residents which is flooded by tourist in caravans and motor homes.  They are nearly all retired and STKIs (Spending The Kids Inheritance).  They are also known as Grey Nomads.

We had lunch at the Coolibah Cafe and toured the Waltzing Matilda Museum.  Winton  is where Banjo Patterson's song, Walzing Matilda, was first performed in the1890s.  The museum also has a great collection of memorabilia and made an interesting visit.

Then it was a two hour drive back to Longreach where we had a barbecue to end our outback tour.