The things one learns on the road, even at the ripe old age of 70! Despite the fact that I've never taken an active interest in horse racing, I am old enough to vividly remember that the 'Goondiwindi Grey' was a bloody good race horse and a real crowd favourite, but the name?
Simple really....like many of his ilk this 'one mile marvel' was owned by a group of locals, a 'syndicate'. And here in Queensland, one soon learns that Goondiwindi is pronounced 'Gundiwindi'. And there you have it.....'Gunsynd', a combination of the first syllables of both words.
And the source of this knowledge and other facts about this iconic Goondi stallion.....where else but inside the halls of the local Council Chambers, housed as it is in this rather incongruous looking art deco building in Marshall Street, the main commercial street in Goondiwindi.As we passed under the chambers' portal with its stained glass window, again in the art deco style,
we were left in do doubt as to the importance of this grey horse in the eyes of the local authorities. The entire entrance hall is given over to the Gunsynd museum.
And would you believe it if I told you that his racing colours featured purple?
Gunsynd really was a champion, and one of those rare 'rags to riches' racing stories. Bought in 1969 for the miserly sum of $1,300, this real show-off of a nag went on to become one of the best horses over the distance of a mile in Australian racing history. In seven starts over this distance, he only lost one, and that by a mere half head!
He also managed a third place in a Melbourne Cup (despite being saddled with a ridiculous handicap weight......a view widely held by all in the racing fraternity at the time) and, in 72-73, was named as Australia's champion racehorse.
Apart from his incredible speed and will to win, Gunsynd's extraordinary popularity stemmed not only from his colour, which is rare on the race track, but his antics.
As I mentioned earlier, he was a real show-off. This photo says it all.
Nor was he shy around the ladies! He apparently loved being the centre of attention, and early in his career was thought to be a bit lazy. But this all changed once the starting gates clanged open. His will to win was legendary, another facet of his personality which made him a favourite with the punters. Even on those limited occasions when they 'did their dough' they knew this gutsy great grey from Goondiwindi had given his best.
And his best was pretty damn good. By the time he was retired, Gunsynd had won 29 of his starts and accumulated what was then the Australian record for prize money won.....$280,455. Not a bad investment for his owners!
This remarkable horse did much to put Goondiwindi on the map and it is little wonder that he remains one of the town's greatest 'sons'. He is the only animal to be featured on the Queensland's Icons list.
So now that we had learnt all about this famous horse, it was time to get on with a quick jaunt down Marshall Street, seen here looking west from the intersection with McLean Street.
In front of the Post Office stands a reminder of the fact that Goondiwindi is a 'crossroads' town, and also a reminder of just how long the Queensland coast is.....here we were inside the State and yet we were still closer to Adelaide than our winter destination, just south of Cairns.
Looking in the opposite direction along Marshall Street we could see further evidence of Goondiwindi's location. These are but two of the many motels to be found here, both in the CDB and on the outskirts of the town.
This is certainly the main commercial strip in the town. The tourist blurb says much about the quality and range of products on offer along Marshall Street
and indeed we did find several examples of fine emporiums in which the range of goods on offer was very good.
But we also noted another, almost contradictory fact.....here we have two 'cheapies', side by side, and they were not the only examples of this type of retail outlet we found.
These were not the only stores to be offering bargains......I was amazed Liz walked on from this outlet empty handed.
I think it fair to say that the jewel in the Marshall Street buildings crown is the Victoria Hotel.
Apart from the fact it is the largest structure by far along this strip (and in the entire town if it comes to that) its design and colour are eye catching to say the least. The new owners of this very well know pub have recently refurbished the building inside and out, and it shows.
In a very clever marketing move, they offer tours of the establishment, the 'Victoria Hotel Beer and Bullsh*t (sic) Guided Tours' where apart from all else those who stump up with the required payment can expect to be regaled with the town's history, "be shouted to a light shandy of comedy....(Bullsh*t style)" and finish with lunch and a drink on the hotel balcony.
We were sorely tempted I must admit, but time was our enemy. We did, however, pop in for an afternoon ale on the day of our arrival and met a most loquacious local from whom I suspect we learnt as much as we would have on the official tour! I just love country pubs, even one as big as this.
Mind you the Victoria does have competition for the drinking and dining dollar, and the three centrally located watering holes could not be more different in style. Almost opposite the Victoria is the much more modern establishment of the O'Shea family Royal Hotel
whilst at the other end of Marshall Street we find the 'outback' styled Queensland Hotel
where a sign on a wall makes the claim that only pubs in a border town would dare post. Yeah, sure, the 'First Pub in Queensland'.....only if one is coming in from NSW.
Oddly enough, the hotel in Camooweal, on the QLD/NT border, makes exactly the same claim, but they actually go one better....'The First and Last Pub in Queensland'. Ah well, it is a competitive world out there!
Pubs and a bakery, what would a country town be without them? Here in Marshall Street there can be no missing Goondiwindi's home of a fresh crust and a tasty pastry. We had no need for their product, so can but hope that what comes out of the ovens is as good as the artwork out the front.
Apart from the bakery and the pubs, Marshall Street boasts many food outlets, ranging from up market restaurants to cafes and coffee houses. And it was on the footpath outside one of these that I spotted this sign....we were sorely tempted but didn't need another coffee and it was far too early for the alternative!
About here I spotted another piece of local ingenuity which demanded a photographic record. Now I know floods have been a problem in the past here in Goondiwindi, but this seems to be taking things to an extreme.....an air snorkel on something this small....come on!
We wandered on down to the western end of Marshall Street and took the opportunity to look back along its very well manicured median strip
before rotating through 180 degrees to take in the sight of the town's large, and equally well maintained, Memorial Park
complete with its imposing gate pillars honouring those who served in WW2. The service men and women who went before them are remembered in the form of the 'Digger' on the plinth on the park pathway.
Those visiting Goondiwindi are encouraged to do several things, included in which is visit the town's botanical gardens, a few kilometres to the west of the main CBD. We did just that and left the Cruiser within sight of the small, rather rustic looking sound shell which faced onto the nearby lawns.
These gardens feature many Australian native plants, with particular emphasis on those of the 'eremophilia' family, species of which line one of the park roadways. For me this was just a touch 'ho hum' but then my interest was indeed quickened.
Another feature of this park is its lake complete with a central island. So? There is nothing particularly special about this I hear you sniff.
Yes there is when it is stocked with fine fresh water fish, including what are possibly the two most tasty, Yellowbelly (Callop to us South Australians) and that piscatorial prince, the Murray Cod.
Not only are the waters of this lake home to these fine table fish, there is an open invitation to catch them. Time was again the enemy....none swimming in this lake was to fall victim to a bait cast by your scribe (but it's on my MacArthur list!!)
Large shelter sheds and BBQ areas cater for those wishing to take a lunch time break from casting a line or wandering through the leafy lanes.
It's probably as well that this garden specialises in natives, plants which are better equipped than others to survive in conditions of low rainfall....as you can see from this shot, the ground here is parched, with wide cracks everywhere in the black soil.
Interestingly, as I am typing this (real date 19 June) this entire area of the country is being drenched...as we are about to experience also (we are currently at Kinka Beach just south of Yepoon on the Capricornia Coast).
But back to 'blogtime' and Goondiwindi, and one last shot of the gardens, well one of the trees at the edge of the lawn, complete with this astonishing array of burls on its trunk and limbs. We (perhaps unkindly) christened this the 'leper tree'.
Before we leave Goondiwindi, there is one last jaunt on our list, another of the 'must does' here according to the pundits...a stroll along the linear park which runs alongside the Macintyre River.
We began at the Apex Park which is adjacent to the bridge we crossed to come into town,
where there is yet another reminder of the 'Goondiwindi Grey', on this occasion complemented by a visiting filly!
One of the features of this park and walking trail are the many well made and positioned informative sign boards, from which we learnt much during our ramble. Some such as this dealt with the ecology of the river, whilst others focused on its and the town's history.
Let's begin with the river itself, and for this I can do no better than by beginning with a quote from the visitor guide.
"The explorer, Alan Cunningham [Cunningham Highway etc] discovered the Macintyre River during an expedition in 1827 when he crossed the Namoi and Gwydir and the the Macintyre Rivers. He named the river after Captain Peter Macintyre of Blairmore and Pitmacree on the Hunter River. The Macintyre family had provided Cunningham with horses and drays for the expedition and Macintyre had guided Cunningham across the Liverpool Range."
The Macintyre itself may not be viewed as anything too much out of the ordinary when it comes to Australian rivers, but that would be a mistake. It's not so much the river itself, but its part in the scheme of things which makes it significant.
Flowing off the western slopes of the Great Divide, this watercourse forms part of the NSW/QLD border.....the 'kinked' bit which extends from Stanthorpe in the granite belt west to Mungindi, at which point the border assumes a straight line further west.
At about this point, the Macintryre becomes the Barwon River, which continues to flow southwards until it too morphs into another watercourse, the Darling River, just above Bourke. And as I am sure most of you will know, the Darling joins the mighty Murray River at Wentworth whence it continues flow though South Australia to empty into the southern ocean (if the country is not in drought!)
And so, not only does the Macintryre serve to separate two States, it is an integral part of the longest continuous river system in the country.....all 3,500 kilometres of it! Now I'll bet you didn't know that....and neither did we until we visited Goondiwindi.
Like most Australian rivers, the Macintyre is subject to flooding. And, consistent with much of early Australian country settlement, where a close water source was critical to survival and development of new towns, Goondiwindi lies close to the river banks and on its floodplain. The result of this had been only too evident over the years, until, in 1958 something was done about it. I'll let the plaque tell the story.
This testament to the practical observations and subsequent engineering work of the good Edward Redmond can be found embedded in a much larger memorial which celebrates the defeat of ravages of the Macintyre.
Here we began our stroll along the linear path which runs along the top of the levee bank.
And it is not hard to see why this infrastructure was so important. Here is the river as we were seeing it today,
and here is a photo of the same spot with the river in flood when it was just squeaking under the bridge (and still rising!!)
We were off to take full advantage of this significant feature of modern Goondiwindi
but before we go too much further, there is one very important feature of the Macintyre yet to be discussed.....its irrigation value.
Goondiwindi, derived from the aboriginal word 'Goonawinna' (the resting place of birds), began its existence as a resting place on the river used by teamsters in the mid 1800's. As time went by the tents and make shift huts used for shelter gave way to small cottages until, by the 1870's the settlement boasted a store, courthouse, blacksmith shop, Chinese gardens (of course), a boarding house and a private school. Goondiwindi was on the map!
Originally sheep and cattle were the mainstay of the local economy, but that is no longer the case. Dryland and irrigated cropping now assume far greater significance. Goondiwindi is now recognised as one of Australia's premier cotton growing areas, with 65,000 hectares under annual production. Winter cereals, lucerne, fruit, vegetables, olives, corn, potatoes and medicinal herbs now all contribute to what is, in a good year, $400 million worth of product. This area is indeed thriving, much of it thanks to the waters of the Macintyre.
As we rambled along its bank we could soon see that its waters nurture more than agriculture. Here we found broad expanses of well grassed playing fields
and nearby tennis courts.
For those wishing to cater for physical improvement beyond a stroll or jog, the sports precinct includes this good gym station, complete with extensive instructions.
Like the lake in the Botanical Gardens, fish abound in the Macintyre. Whilst the riverside facilities of the local fishing club seem to have seen much better days,
the nearby boat launching ramp is in much finer fettle.
Some pretty flowering shrubs added to the enjoyment of our river ramble,
and I was more than amused by the sense of humour of the landowner situated at the end of the formal pathway, one who is obviously fed up with those who try to march on further.....right through his backyard.
The local council is equally discouraging of those who would try to take advantage of the area for a free night's camp. At a potential $3,750 for the privilege, this could be a very expensive sojourn by the river.
As could be expected, many have taken up residence adjacent to the levee bank. Some homes are far grander
than others,
and near the McLean Street end of the walkway a block of units provide riparian living for a lucky few.
Also enjoying a prime spot is the large Goondiwindi hospital,
with an adjoining reminder that this is a rural town served by that wonder of modern aviation, the rescue and retrieval helicopter (said with no writer's bias, of course!)
And so that brings to an end our short stay in Goondiwindi where we had made the most of our limited time. We had resisted the invitation to tour a cotton farm and gin (and its associated, very good, but very expensive clothing shop) and had certainly not indulged ourselves in the plethora of fine dining the town has to offer. But we had enjoyed a beer in one of the most impressive looking pubs in Australia, yarned to the locals, walked the river banks, and made the most of our very pleasant caravan park surroundings and facilities.
Our next planned stop-over was to be much different.....a tiny town with a couple of real surprises at the end of a wretchedly rough highway......no real surprise in this part of Queensland where the complaint that this State has the worst highways in Australia becomes a reality.
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