As I have mentioned previously, blogging does take time. Free time can become an item which is in short supply when pushing to cover considerable distances (by my 'old fart' standards at least), particularly when overnight stops are limited to one or two nights in any one place. So it has been from the time we left Injune.
But we have finally arrived at Lake Tinaroo on the Atherton Tableland, our new home for two weeks. We have now travelled over 3,500 kms to get here.
For the first time since leaving home the Weber Baby Q has emerged from under the bed and has been connected to the van gas supply, the large table is set under the awning, the Waco is gurgling away on a corner of the slab and we are enjoying the relative luxury of waking each morning knowing that there will be no packing and moving (other than sightseeing, that is) for some days.
And with the onset of the forecast drizzle, low overcast skies the and south-easterly wind which is driving all this moisture up onto the tableland from the coast, the kayak will remain where it is and the aquatic creatures of Lake Tinaroo continue to be safe from my predation(for the moment at least). This morning has dawned as the perfect day to appease my writer's conscience, which has been an increasingly strident little voice in my head, and regale you with the tale of our travels north from Injune.
An author's note at this point.....my photographic efforts have been somewhat restricted during this period, and, in those cases where we have rested in an area previously visited and reported on last year (e.g. Charters Towers), I have taken the view that there is no point in repeating myself, other than if we make a new discovery which we think may be of interest or of which we want a record. So, to any who are new to the readership, let me invite you to scroll back to last year if you so desire.
Our trip into Emerald was uneventful and our site in the Emerald Cabin and Caravan Village (just for you, Neil) was functional if nothing else. The large, drive-though sites in this park are definitely of the 'cheek by jowl' variety with a set up which means each van's awning area directly overlooks the neighbour's vehicle. As I said....functional, and frankly, that was all we wanted. In fairness, however, most of the rest of the park is delightfully green and shaded.
I have often thought that Sunday is a very good day on which to visit a country town from a photographic perspective. A lack of traffic is a dual boon.....little to dodge and little in the way. Mind you, my efforts in Emerald were a little thin because we spent much of our limited time engaged in a recce of other nearby places of interest. But I did prowl the heart of the town for an hour or so, which I have to say featured lovely street gardens and trees.
Unlike many towns in which the central clock tower is a war memorial, this in Emerald was erected by one of the local gentry in memory of his wife. Expansive, I thought.
The performing arts centre and gallery stands opposite the clock tower, whilst the local war memorial and town hall are features of the next intersection.
As I noted previously, this central area of Emerald does boast wide streets and inviting gardens,
but it was evident to us that this part of town is under severe commercial pressure. Our approach into Emerald from the south had taken us past a number of very large commercial development areas replete with all the usual suspects.....Harvey Norman, Bunnings, Woolworths etc, etc. It was clear that Emerald is expanding rapidly and I was keen to discover what it was that was driving this business development.
This brought a surprise, and another lesson in the dangers of supposition. Given that the town is located in an area noted for its gem production (more of Rubyvale and Sapphire later) one would be forgiven for the assumption that Emerald's name was gem related, as I had, for some time. Not so. The town, which was established in 1879 as a base for the construction of a westward reaching railway, was named after a nearby hill which was covered with lush, emerald coloured vegetation. So there...what is in a name...traps for young players often.
The town remains a hub for several major rail networks. It houses a major airport (and it is large), a hospital and a number of varied educational institutions in additional to all the business which support the varied primary industries which take advantage of the rich soil of the area. Indeed the area is a veritable agricultural cornucopia. The mining of coal, sapphires and other gems has now become secondary to the production of cotton, maize, cereal crops, sorghum, sunflower, fruits, peanuts, native flowers and beef. Unlike the town's name, this information came as no surprise. We had noted the vast fields of sunflower and sorghum, in particular, as we drove in.
The importance of the sunflower industry to Emerald has been recognised with the erection of the world's largest reproduction of Van Gogh's famous painting in Morton Park. For the record, this oddity (to us at least, but not an opinion we voiced I have to add) stands 25 metres high and certainly commands attention.
There is little doubt that Emerald's growth from a small, regional railway and mining base to the somewhat sprawling, but clearly flourishing centre it now is, was due primarily to the decision taken by the British Food Corporation in 1948 to grow sorghum in the area.
The nearby Fairbairn dam, with its storage capacity of nearly 1.5 million megalitres now supports this and other agricultural ventures in the Emerald area. This photo does little to capture the vast expanse of the retained water, known as Lake Maraboon, on which all manner of aquatic activities are conducted including skiing, fishing and sailing.
We had previously heard much of the caravan park situated on the shores of Lake Maraboon, and our recce certainly supported the good things we had heard. Unfortunately it is not pet friendly, but our enquiries with the office staff (together with our polite, but firm admonitions about this management position) left us hopeful that this embargo may be reversed in the foreseeable future. We hope so. A stay of a month at least was our agreed position if this becomes a reality.
In the course of our somewhat frantic scurry through the surrounds of Emerald, we visited the nearby gem towns of Sapphire and Rubyvale where, quite unlike their larger cousin, these two mining and fossicking hamlets presented exactly as we had expected. In fact, there were real similarities to the sights around Coober Pedy in this area. Rusted, discarded mining equipment, mullock heaps, open cut workings and accommodation of vastly varying standards of domestic convenience, dotted the landscape. Both townships (Rubyvale more-so) bristled with gem shops of a singularly quaint appearance and the expected 'come and see us...we won't be beaten' signage, and both contained a number of most acceptable caravan parks, pubs and general stores, notable amongst which was a liquor bottle shop located, according to its advertising sign, as being sited directed on the Tropic of Capricorn. My scepticism was later blunted when a close look at the map confirmed that this was most probably so!
Our time constraints prompted me to leave the camera firmly in the glove-box. I knew once I started we would be there for hours that we did not have. This area is also firmly on our 'General MacArthur' list.
Back in Emerald I was keen to snap the local railway station, a building of real charm which reflects the importance of the railway to the early life of the town.
And just as we were doing so, another treat. We had spent a number of periods during our stay in Longreach last year looking for a glimpse of the 'Spirit of the Outback', a 'Ghan' equivalent, which runs between Brisbane and Longreach twice a week. We had no luck in Longreach, but lo and behold, the very train lumbered out of the station as we watched. Yes, I know, a train is a train...and indeed you are right...but it closed a travelling loop for us!
Before we leave Emerald, let me introduce a note of caravaning controversy, or at least, show a prime example of why we have adopted our stance in relation to the practice of 'free camping'. This is a subject which can arouse considerable passion, on both sides of the debate.
Our view is simple...whilst we are more than adequately equipped to do so, our idea of sitting at a free campsite is to do so if the site offers views and tranquillity not otherwise locally available, or is in some way, unique. Many others, however, take up the free camping option as a matter of economic necessity, or are just niggards. And they often pay a penalty in terms of noise and crowding, as the free camp on the entrance road to Emerald demonstrates.
In this (obviously) late afternoon shot you can see vans clustered together on a bitumen car park which otherwise serves patrons of the adjacent botanic gardens, and a couple of others on the nearby grassed slopes. Unfortunately I was unable to get into a position to adequately show the crowding in the park area, and the extraordinary tilts some of those on the slopes were prepared to endure (it is very important for van fridge operation that vans are level), but believe me, in the later afternoon, when the 'freebie seekers' flock in to roost, this is a place of chaos and discomfort. And this is without the noise coming from the nearby highway bridge into town, one which carries constant traffic. No power or water, plenty of crowding and noise, and all for the sake of a saving of $28.00. Why would you?
I have read articles in which the advocates of this form of nomadic life argue that without the availability of such sites, they could not afford to travel, and indeed some boast of never staying in caravan parks. Our view is simple.....if this is a travel necessity, you can't afford to be doing it.
And so, with this small spot of scorn, we leave Emerald for the short hop of just over 100 kms to Clermont, where we decided to break the otherwise very long haul from Emerald to Charters Towers.
Our pre-booked site in the only caravan park in the small, but pretty town, provided a mooring challenge or two, but, as with every challenge comes an opportunity, and Liz and I took this to practice what has now become our parking norm......she drives whilst I direct.
We have found this to be the system, of the several options available, which works very well for us. Liz is adept at looking straight ahead (this sounds odd, but is critical) whilst moving either back or forward and turning the steering wheel precisely as I direct, and, with all due humility, I can report that over the years I have developed a reasonable skill in giving these directions.
We were heartened as we came to a final stop in Clermont to be approached by a nearby permanent resident who had been watching our efforts with barely disguised interest (I think I have mentioned before, casting a critical eye over the mooring efforts of new arrivals is a universal sport in caravan parks). She knew our site was difficult, particularly for a van of our length (in fact we fitted lengthways with less than a foot at either end) and was lavish in her praise. What a nice way to begin our short stay in Clermont.!
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