Bogantungan to Emerald after a walk down across the creek and back along the highway - and using the book exchange at a house across the road from the park.
After leaving Bogantungan we started to leave the 'flat' country and headed up into Queensland's Central Highlands.
We called into the Information Centre at Emerald to pick up some information on Blackdown Tabletops National Park, our destination tomorrow. It was then off to Emerald Shopping Centre for coffee, cake and fuel.
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| Emerald |
We decided to have lunch at Blackwater. Just prior to the town Wikicamps told us of 'Old Cars In a Paddock' just off the road. We called in and were impressed. No signage or reference to why it is there but just lots of old cars along the road outside a business. Couldn't even work out what the business was. There you go!
Back on the road and lunch at the Lions' Park in Blackwater. Thought about calling in at the Coal Centre but decided not today. Blackwater considers itself the Coal Capital of Queensland and is in the coal area called the Bowen Basin, part of the huge expansion of coal mining (along with the Galilee Basin further west) that has so divided the Australian community on jobs versus the environment. Not a lot of evidence of mining just here, apart from the mine vehicles running around and the coal trains on the railway line - and I guess the affluence that mining has brought to the area compared to the smaller towns west of Emerald - Jericho and Alpha (which I guess will be hoping for similar affluence from the development of Galilee Basin). You can see why it's such a divide. Benefits now compared to the damage we are doing to the environment. Global warming is a reality and when are we going to do something about adressing the problem so that we leave a livable planet for future generations? Big decisions to be made.
A nice park for lunch. Very tidy! Lots of flags flying. Apparently one of the largest displays of flags in the world, each flag being a representative of one of the 37 nationalities who have laboured together to establish the district’s coal industry.
On to Dingo to a cute, "low-key" little caravan park run by Jennie who puts on a happy hour around a campfire most nights where she entertains with 60s/70s songs. We must have nearly had everyone camped in the park in attendance - some ordering pizzas from the pizza van just down the road.
We did a load of washing, $4 a load pay at the office. Ditto $4 for the dryer.
