Diving straight in

With 670km to travel, I thought today was going to be pretty much a driving day. However, that would be underselling how the day turned out somewhat.

Baby Sophie, who now finds herself big sister to Mason, ensured we all had a normal Tuesday morning 5:30am start. Not having a big pack to do, and breakfast laid on had us on the road in time for dawn start around 6:45. Chinchilla turned on a good frost to send us on our way, and fortunately being that early we got away before it got really cold.

9am had us in Roma in time for the shops to open for a few food items overlooked and likely to be scarce further west, and a diesel top-up before the western price rise.

At Morven we turned right to head north on new road for us. While we had previously been to Augathella, we had done it via Charleville on so this vast expanse of open and flat country, while typical for out here, was new to us.

 

Augathella I believe was originally known as Ellangowan. That name seems to be now only preserved in the name proudly displayed on the hotel. There may have been more information around the neat town, but we really were only there for a lunch stop and then on our way.

Tambo was on the list of places to go, and next en-route. Having called in at the old telegraph station opposite the post office I had a feeling my fears were being realised.  Tambo, for better or for worse, is recently known mostly for its famous product, the Tambo Teddies. These used to be proudly produced in the old telegraph station and sold from a little store in the front room. A radio program recently had suggested the current purveyors of the bears were looking to retire and hand over to a younger generation of bear-builders, but without much luck. The current disposition of the telegraph station as a museum seemed to confirm the demise of the teddies. Instead, it was being spruced up to celebrate the town’s 150th anniversary in only two days time, and not a hint of a bear to be found.

Tambo is a pleasant, neat little town, and so a walk down the main street to smell the roses was in order. It wasn’t long before the familiar warning sign showed we were nearing our destination. The bears were still alive and kicking!

 Flush with that success, and ready to try again after an unsuccessful attempt in Augathella, being in the middle of sheep country, I attempted another episode in my 5 year mission to introduce my family to mutton. Augathella had advertised mutton, but couldn’t deliver. Tambo didn’t advertise, but “we’ve a sheep hanging out the back if you want some!” Well, really, the call from the woman behind the counter “chop chop!” to summon the butcher was worth the price of admission on its own, but to see him appear in a shiny black top hat was delightfully unexpected. Perhaps he was dressed up for the 150th party, or perhaps he always is like this I may never know. Most importantly though, after I described for him my camp oven, he emerged with a mutton portion just perfect for the Diamantina in two days time I feel.

So onward to Blackall. Our early start had us in the local caravan park and me cooking in the camp kitchen when happy hour started, heralded by our “Golden Guitar Winner” as we were told many times, serenading us with the varied collection of country tunes all available from the 12 CDs available after the show.

Unfortunately the sweet and sour pork fillet and caramel date dessert wasn’t enough to fill hungry travellers but the fruit finished them off.