6-23 deg C, fine and sunny all day, with a light breeze
After breakfast we waited until it warmed up a tad then rode to Foodworks (one of two supermarkets in Longreach, the other being IGA (closed today)) for some essential resupplies. On the way home we made a detour via the bakery. Greg got a pie and peas, and Wendy a vanilla slice. Back to the van for coffee and the pie and slice. Greg's pie was not too bad, but Wendy's slice was a bit short of the best she's had around the world. At least the coffee was good.
We then had a bit of down time, before walking over to the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame for a tour of the museum. You each get a set of headphones attached to an iPod that told us all about the exhibits. We remembered the first time we visited in early 1998 that it was all a bit too interactive technology with not enough real exhibits. Today there was still a lot of technology but there were more exhibits. It's a difficult balance that museums everywhere are trying to get right. There must be a heck of a lot of real exhibits around the country that would help tell the Stockman's Story. Probably the highlight for Wendy was watching the short doco on Chainsaw, the bucking bull and those who have tried to ride him. Greg's highlight was watching a whip making demo and a fairly old bullock team film.
We were going to have lunch at the Hall, however when we exited the museum, the queue was quite long. We were both masked-up throughout the tour and weren't keen on having to queue and then eat amongst many unmasked, coughing, and sneezing patrons. We went home for lunch.
After a rest, we rode out to the Chook Pen, aka Apex Riverside Park, a donation camp on the edge of the Thomson River. The main park was full as was the overflow park, that had tripled in size since we were here about this time last year. It all appears to be turning the whole area into a dustbowl. The number of vans and tents camping in this area is staggering. We noted there is a new van park being constructed directly over the river from the Chook Pen called the Muddy Duck Tourist Park. This may ease the pressure on the environment.
Back to the van for exercises and stretches before retiring inside the van. Watched a bit of TV, another novelty after being out of TV reception for so long, whilst preparing pizzas for dinner. Blogging then bed saw the end of a lovely day.
Early morning at the QANTAS Museum
Sunrise at Longreach
Greg and Col
A few of the old vehicles here in the van park
Sculptures on the way to the Stockman's Hall Of Fame (SHF)
Santa Gertrudis bull dedicated to the men and women who developed the Australian beef cattle industry
Pioneer Woman
Walking Together
The Ringer - marks the opening of the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame in 1988
Front and entrance to the Australian Stockman's Hall Of Fame
Longford - recycled agricultural implements, chain
Hugh Sawrey's studio
Some of Hugh's sketches
Hugh Sawrey painting
One of the interactive displays, you wave at the sensors and the dogs jump up, only managed this one pic
A whip handle
Pioneer's Hut, with a very modern aircraft overhead!
Jacki Howe singlet
The long paddock
Carriage from ground level ....
... above ....
... and inside
This windmill was presented to ASHOF in 1988 by Southern Cross Machinery; 7.6m dia wheel on a 12m high platform, pumps sufficient water from 30m below ground to water 2,000 head of cattle or 20,000 head of sheep
The RFDS aircraft
Inside the centre
HM the Q in the centre
More shots of inside the centre
Had to take this fellow's photo as Greg hopes it may be a relative!
The back of the Hall
Entrance
Fountain at the Beersheba pond
The pipeline over the Thomson River has had a makeover since we were last here
The river has a lot more water in it
Evidence of the most recent floods
Shire Hall
Longreach War Memorial/ Cenotaph
