Day 21: Mon 31 Aug - Charters Towers to Emerald, 479km; total towed: 2 919km

12 - 26 degC

We were on the road just after 8am, and did not intend to travel as fa as we did. We stopped for mornos at a roadside stop and made the brews to go. We stopped again just North of Clermont for lunch as we just couldn't wait. We fully intended to stop at Clermont for the night and to have a look around however, when we finally got to Clermont, we took a drive around and after taking a few photos, decided to move on to Emerald.

Arrived at Emerald and were checked into Emerald Cabin and Caravan Village by 3:30pm. After setting up, we set off on the bikes to check out the Info Centre however, it was closed. We did the block, came home, did some exercises/stretches and then settled in to watch the TDU highlights with a black beer for Greg and a red wine for Wendy.

The road today was 25:75 good:bad; the bad was 50:50 bad:REALLY bad. It seems there is work underway to rectify this. 

A permanent next to us feeds the birds, including Kookaburras, so when we arrived so did the Rainbow Lorrikeets. As we now have bird seed on board, we were able to feed them and it was a pleasure to see the "blue'ies" again. There was a noisy Apostle Bird and a few Crested Pigeons as well.

Sign outside the van park this morning

Cheeky Bluey at Emerald

Outside the ladies loo at Charters Towers van park

New scenery for us on this trip

A whirly-gig

Long, straight, roller-coastery, road

Side of an open cut mine

Mine referred to above

A progression of history at Clermont in words and pictures

Clermont

Main street Clermont

Clermont clocktower

Clermont

Some landscape features we've not seen in a while

The Emerald Dragon eating Greg

Greg has been eaten!

The largest Vincent van Gogh picture around, in Emerald

Feeding the birds

Day 20: Sun 30 Aug - Charters Towers

14 - 25 degC

Our morning ride took us to places on the outskirts of town we had not been before when we were here last, with the exception of McDonalds for mornos (we decided to treat ourselves to a coffee and a muffin each). The muffins were so big we kept half each for dessert after lunch. Whilst Wendy came home after mornos and did some domestic stuff.  Greg continued on, meandering around this interesting town full of lovely old buildings from the goldmining days.  The light wasn't all that good for photos but he took them anyway. 

Homemade pizzas were on the menu for lunch, Wendy has got them down pat, working out the fanforced oven in the van nicely.  After a little rest Greg went off riding agian, up Tower Hill, around town and across to the old cemetry.  He seems to think that this historical cemetry has sustained more damage (looks deliberate) since we were here last.  How's that saying, you can judge a society by the way they treat their dead??  The number of very young childern in the graves is testiment to how tough times were during the gold rush.  They had a way with words back then, some lovely verse on a few of the surviving headstones. 

The remainder of the afternoon was spent relaxing crocheting, sampling some nice red wine, watching Sunday arvo footy and the highlights from the 2020 TDF on the box.  

Reception of the Charters Towers Tourist Park

Columbia Poppet Head

                                    There's gold just laying around everywhere still!!

                                Some old railway stuff near the current station.

                                        Wards Blue Store, there's lots of vacant shops in town now, sadly. 

                                                        Centataph

                                                Ex bank, now the World Theatre

                                A very smelly flying fox colony

                                Admin building at a college

                                                    The Court House

                                                            Morning ride

                                                Catholic College 

                                        Yet another disused church

                                            Surely this important cemetry deserves better. 

                                                            Afternoon ride

Our spot at Charters Towers Tourist Park

                                                        A small nugget we found!!

A Cheeky Myna having a drink from the leaking tap