S.W. Qld and N.S.W. Roadtrip - April 2020
A new car and a new road trip - this time heading out west to explore the country where my husband's ancestors once lived. After a very wet start to the year, we hoped the weather would be kind to us, and it was. We squeezed our two weeks away in between two major heavy rain weather events, and enjoyed beautiful sunshine under glorious blue western skies.
We hit the road early on Easter Monday and made our first stop at Miles to stretch our legs and find coffee. Next stop was the magnificently named Muckadilla with its beautiful pub, and then on a short distance to our first night's stop, Mitchell.
We hit the road early on Easter Monday and made our first stop at Miles to stretch our legs and find coffee. Next stop was the magnificently named Muckadilla with its beautiful pub, and then on a short distance to our first night's stop, Mitchell.
Being a public holiday, Mitchell was deserted when we arrived. After checking into our motel I stretched my legs with a walk around town and a hike along the river walking trail. Only one pub remains open, and this, like many other businesses in town are struggling to survive due to a shortage of workers. "Staff Wanted" signs were in many windows, not just in Mitchell as we were about to discover, but in all the other western towns we visited.
Mitchell is situated on the banks on the Maranoa River, and its economy relies heavily on agriculture, tourism, and primary production such as cattle, sheep, and cypress pine milling. Mitchell was named after Sir Thomas Mitchell who camped on and named the Maranoa River in 1846 during an expedition to find an overland route from Sydney to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Mitchell is situated on the banks on the Maranoa River, and its economy relies heavily on agriculture, tourism, and primary production such as cattle, sheep, and cypress pine milling. Mitchell was named after Sir Thomas Mitchell who camped on and named the Maranoa River in 1846 during an expedition to find an overland route from Sydney to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
With very little choice of an evening meal, we were able to buy the last two pies from the local service station, but they tasted pretty damn good After a sound night's sleep I put on my walking shoes and enjoyed discovering more of the town and its surrounds in the early morning as the moon set and the sun rose. These western towns look so beautiful in the clear morning light, and sound so lovely as the quiet gives way to bird song. This is my favourite time of day.
About an hour west of Mitchell we stopped for breakfast at the small town of Morven, which was once a popular spot for bullock teams on the road between Mitchell and Charleville. It is a typical western town with clean streets and historical pride captured in its museum, War Memorial, murals and other outdoor art.
Charleville was only another hour's drive west, and we had booked into the famous Corones Hotel for a couple of nights. Corones Hotel (built in 1924) has retained many of its internal timber fittings and is listed on the Queensland heritage register. The Corones Hall, beside the hotel, was used as a large dance hall in the town, and Reg's mum who was born in Charleville, often spoke with fond memories of socialising here.. We stayed in an upstairs room opening onto the wide verandah, which was a great spot to enjoy a drink and look over the town as the sun set.
My husband's parents have history in Charleville, and we were able to find relatives both above, and below ground from both branches of his family.
The well cared for cemetery was a wonderful place to explore, and the caretaker was a fountain of knowledge. He helped us find everyone we were looking for. |
Wyandra lies about half way between Charleville and Cunnamulla and was once a centre for local grazing properties. Today it is a tiny spot with a few remaining houses and a colourful post office, come corner store.
Cunnamulla, another western township connected to Reg's family history, was our next port of call. It was created by Cobb & Co. on September 3, 1879, when the first coach drove through from Bourke. While wool growing and beef production are still the main industries, irrigated table grape farming, organic wheat and organic lamb production and goat farming are newer industries.
Reg's great-grandfather was a Cobb & Co driver in the district in the 1880s and we were keen to look up this aspect of history in the excellent local museum and Visitor's Centre. We were after a particular Century Celebration Booklet in which his name appears, but the volunteer workers couldn't find it, so they phoned an elderly lady who they knew had a copy. She brought it down and insisted we borrow it for a few days while we went further west, happily trusting us to return it on our way back through town. How kind and helpful and trusting are these wonderful people of small outback towns.
Reg's great-grandfather was a Cobb & Co driver in the district in the 1880s and we were keen to look up this aspect of history in the excellent local museum and Visitor's Centre. We were after a particular Century Celebration Booklet in which his name appears, but the volunteer workers couldn't find it, so they phoned an elderly lady who they knew had a copy. She brought it down and insisted we borrow it for a few days while we went further west, happily trusting us to return it on our way back through town. How kind and helpful and trusting are these wonderful people of small outback towns.
The Eulo Queen Hotel in the main street was named after Isabel Gray. On 1 September 1889 she acquired the freehold and hotel and billiard licences of the Royal Mail Hotel, Eulo. With her husband, she also conducted a store and butcher's shop. About this time the legend of the 'Eulo Queen' began. Opal miners came to drink at the pub and it was through this connection that Isabel accumulated a collection of opals which were reputedly worth over £4000. Throughout the far west of Queensland she became known as the 'Eulo Queen'.
We stayed at one of the hotel's cabins for a couple of nights and enjoyed some very delicious meals and one or two cold beers. I am sure Reg's ancestors would have also sidled up to the bar here back in the day.
We stayed at one of the hotel's cabins for a couple of nights and enjoyed some very delicious meals and one or two cold beers. I am sure Reg's ancestors would have also sidled up to the bar here back in the day.
Eulo's Artesian Mud Baths were a welcome stop at the end of a long day's drive. The town is known for its ancient artesian springs where water oozes to the surface as milky grey mud. Estimated to be 20,000 years old, rich in silica, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc, the silky feeling mud comes from deep beneath the surface of the earth.
Set within a thatched walled private enclosure, we soaked in stretch baths filled with warm artesian water impregnated with clay. We then pat on a milky grey mud pack and let it dry on our skin before soaking again, all the while enjoying snacks and drinks as the sun set spectacularly. After a final shower we walked back into town as night moved in.
Set within a thatched walled private enclosure, we soaked in stretch baths filled with warm artesian water impregnated with clay. We then pat on a milky grey mud pack and let it dry on our skin before soaking again, all the while enjoying snacks and drinks as the sun set spectacularly. After a final shower we walked back into town as night moved in.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Eulo. It may have been a tiny town, but there was plenty to do. We headed back east aiming for St George, which was a slight change in plan due to areas to the south being in flood. After returning the Centenary Book to the sweet old lady in Cunnamulla, we drove till our next break at Bollon, then onto St George.
St George is on the Balonne River and provides services to the surrounding wheat, sheep and cotton farmers. In recent times, fruits, grapes, vegetables and beef have enriched the local economy. We stayed overnight, then turned south towards N.S.W.
46 kilometres south of St George we made a stop at the Nindigully Hotel, Queensland's "oldest pub in its original condition and location" Well, one can't not have a drink in Qld's oldest pub, so we went in.
From Nindigully we continued south to check out the silo art in Thallon. This is a spectacular sight, but luckily for us and thanks to the local publican, we were able to discover some more impressive hidden art done by Drapl and the Zookeeper. We stopped for coffee at the Francis Hotel, and the publican, who looked a lot like Jimeoin, told us to take a rutted dirt track down to the old railway bridge to find some magnificent portraits painted on the bridge pylons. They were magnificent, done of two well loved local characters known as Colly and The Pom. The pub even sells bottles of wine named after them.
The publican was very entertaining and full of knowledge. He had his dog perform a number of tricks for us before we left. We wished we had planned an overnight stay as this little gem of a town has much to offer.
The publican was very entertaining and full of knowledge. He had his dog perform a number of tricks for us before we left. We wished we had planned an overnight stay as this little gem of a town has much to offer.
The Thallon silos mural showcases icons of the district in the Moonie River and one of the amazing sun sets. It also recognises members of Thallon’s Indigenous Community by the inclusion of a scarred tree and celebrates the area’s agricultural base. The design titled 'The Watering Hole’ was developed by the Artists Joel Fergie (The Zookeeper) and Travis Vinson (Drapl) in consultation with the Thallon Community.
After Thallon we drove the short distance south to the border town on Mungindi, where we had booked for the night. The town seemed deserted and we wondered why on earth we had decided to stay here. It turned out to be a good decision however, as the next morning's ANZAC service was wonderful. People turned up in droves for the dawn service, and afterwards we were invited to a free breakfast put on by the town. We met many interesting people and ended up departing later than we had planned.
It felt strange being outside Qld after two years of Covid and border closures, but the road ahead beckoned and we made Narrabri by lunchtime. We planned to stay here four nights, and were surprised that the motels were heavily booked. Luckily we were able to get into an excellent one opposite the RSL Club, though with ANZAC ceremonies still in progress we could not get the car in till later in the day.
Narrabri is the administrative heart of a agricultural shire. It is the centre of a major cotton growing industry and boasts other agricultural industries such as wheat, beef and lamb. The town was settled by European graziers on the banks of the Namoi River in the mid-1800s. Reg's Wheeler ancestors settled in this area in the early 1880s. His grandfather (who now rests in the Charleville Cemetery) grew up with his family near Wee Waa, which is about 60 kilometres west of Narrabri.
We enjoyed a lovely day at Wee Waa, exploring the town, the cemetery (where we found scores of relations), and the historical society and museum. They were very helpful in adding to my research of the Wheeler family.
Wee Waa developed as a centre of justice for the region and soon became a supply centre for rural settlers in the vicinity. Grazing of cattle and sheep was initially the main industry, but as land was cleared and developed, cereal crops became a valuable crop. In addition to holding the distinction of “oldest town on the Namoi”, today Wee Waa is Australia’s Cotton Capital.
Wee Waa developed as a centre of justice for the region and soon became a supply centre for rural settlers in the vicinity. Grazing of cattle and sheep was initially the main industry, but as land was cleared and developed, cereal crops became a valuable crop. In addition to holding the distinction of “oldest town on the Namoi”, today Wee Waa is Australia’s Cotton Capital.
After our four days in Narrabri we decided to head home via a path we had not taken before. We drove through Kaputar National Park on the Narrabri-Bingara Road and enjoyed beautiful scenery along the way. We made a stop to take the short walk to the spectacular Sawn Rock and were not disappointed by its grandeur.
We stopped at Bingara for morning tea. It was a delightful town which we plan to revisit one day. Then it was on to Inverell, Glen Innes, Tenterfield and Casino, where we hoped to spend the night. After long, straight flat roads and landscapes of the west, it was a very different type of scenery travelling through beautiful autumn colours and green mountains.
We didn't stay at Casino as every last bed was taken up by flood victims of the area. Many homes had been devastated by the recent catastrophic floods. We ended up plodding on via Kyogle and Beaudesert to make it all the way home after nightfall. It was a long last day on the road, and we were sorry to pass through so many beautiful towns without spending more time, but it was good to be home.
We stopped at Bingara for morning tea. It was a delightful town which we plan to revisit one day. Then it was on to Inverell, Glen Innes, Tenterfield and Casino, where we hoped to spend the night. After long, straight flat roads and landscapes of the west, it was a very different type of scenery travelling through beautiful autumn colours and green mountains.
We didn't stay at Casino as every last bed was taken up by flood victims of the area. Many homes had been devastated by the recent catastrophic floods. We ended up plodding on via Kyogle and Beaudesert to make it all the way home after nightfall. It was a long last day on the road, and we were sorry to pass through so many beautiful towns without spending more time, but it was good to be home.
Our two weeks away felt like much longer due to the vast distances we travelled and the many landscapes and experiences we encountered. I love this land of multisyllabic place names, quirky pubs, tiny tidy towns full of interesting murals and sculptures, warm, friendly people, and endless skies.