After a quick morning walk and breakfast, Wendy did a half day's work whilst Greg went for a ride. Home for mornos and an early lunch and then we set off for Lark Quarry to see the Dinosaur Stampede. This is basically a set of preserved dinosaur footprints at the edge of what used to be the convergence of two river systems some 95 million years ago. There are some really large footprinst which belong to a "Banjo" dinosaur, and then lots of little and even more littler prints from smaller dinosaurs; the smallest being the size of a chook. What they think happened was that the large dinosaur (a meat eater) was on the hunt for a meal and when the smaller ones realised this, they had nowhere to run except back at him as they were on the edge of the water. If you are interested in the story, Google it - Lark Quarry.
Before being let in to see these fossilised footprints, we were given a presentation on how they were found, how they were preserved and then shown an animation of the stampede.
We were going to go to the Tattersalls Pub for dinner tonight as we had read the reviews for Hughenden and they were not so good. However, Greg overate at lunch, and could not really justify eating out. Wendy wasn't fussed either way. We may give Hughenden a go anyway.
The road to Lark Quarry is 110 km, 60km is bitumen (either full width or one lane), with the other half being gravel and then bitumen. The only rough bits were the first 10km out of and back into town on the bitumen. We guess that during the wet season, this may not be the case.
Willie Mar's Chinese Market Garden Heritage Site
Shop
Pond in Winton's main street, maybe to mimmick a billabong?
Greg did the self-guided walking tour of the Winton Cemetery
Pics of Lark Quarry and surrounds
Lark Quarry conservation building
Some emu on our way back to Winton
Ghost Gum
Flowering Gum in full bloom
Wildflowers
Dust! There was lots more than this photo indicates. Although the road to lark Quarry was gravel in places, it was smoother than some of the bitumened road.
The road to and from Lark Quarry
Some young cattle on the side of the road
The water here in Winton is rather smelly, but this sign explains all. Once put through a filter, there is no smell and it tastes great.
Walkway to the Dinosaur Stampede
Dinosaur footprints. The drag marks were created by debris being dragged along the mud during a flood.
