We are now at Roma. Have made it down from Winton over the last few days, calling in at Isisford to see a fossilized ancestor of the modern crocodile. We have had a night along the way at Blackall and then Morven. This is country over which we have travelled before. The towns don’t change much but the land does. Last time it was pretty green. This time,  pretty brown and dusty.

Between Cloncurry and Winton we stopped in at 2 great Australian icons. Walkabout Creek Hotel at McKinlay and the billabong thought to be the basis of Banjo Patterson’s ‘Waltzing Matilda, near Kyuna.  The billabong  was at the end of a long dusty road and a 1 k walk, accompanied by hoards of flies. We abandoned our plans for a quiet picnic under the shade of a coolibah tree.

On the way to the Billabong

Homealone on the short walk to the Billabong

An old swaggy by the Billabong

Walkabout Creek Hotel being famous, as we all know, for where Mick Dundee (aka Paul Hogan) had his regular drink.

Mick Dundee’s watering hole, not a such a long way.

We leave here now for the final leg home to Brisbane. We will have traveled just over 10,000 k on this trip without a ‘bleep’ from the car or van and not a drop of rain in just under 8 weeks

PS  I spoke too soon, it is now raining. Most of the night. Homealone is not impressed, but it is great for the farmers and graziers out here. The van is a little wet and messy to pack up. We will get there though!