FULL CIRCLE

Six months ago, after visiting our Care Outreach friends near Miles, we headed to Roma, then turned north to Injune, without even stopping in Roma. Several years previously we ‘farm-sat’ a property west of Injune. We contacted the owner and she said Come on out. When we arrived, Lynne [there are two of us!] had specially made a cake for morning tea ... as you do in the country! Her husband had died since we were there, and she is running the farm herself now with some family and neighbourly assistance. It was great to revisit, as we really enjoyed being able to help out in their situation.

We continued north, past Carnarvon Gorge, to Springsure, Emerald, and Longreach. We found the great free camp on the Thompson River, and stayed for three days. The highlight at Longreach was an arranged meeting with Jill and Ian Ezzy and their friends, at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame.

My considered opinion of the Stockman’s Hall of Fame, though, is that it’s lost some of its vibrancy. I’m not sure why. Its fantastic library has been relegated to an outbuilding, as has Hugh Sawry’s paintings. There’s nowhere to sit and read the books. Hugh was a mover and shaker with getting the Hall set up. Admittedly, Dick Smith has funded a good new film, but other things seem a bit tired. And, for lunch there was almost nothing to choose from ... and we were there for early lunch.

Then it was on to Winton, Hughenden and Mt. Isa where we had a great dinner with Arthur Robinson, ex Goodlife.

Why hadn't I written about it then? Well, my laptop and I kept having differences of opinion, and it wouldn't let me access my BLOG. I suppose the laptop was old, if something 8 years of age can be considered OLD. It couldn't cope with the newer software programs ... so I had to buy a new laptop.

Meanwhile John had difficulties with his IPad ... but the free wi-fi at Mt. Isa library enabled us to eventually get that sorted into a working model.

I wanted an Apple laptop, to sync with our other Apple equipment, but they don’t have those in Mt. Isa. I’ll get one in Katherine, I thought, as I remembered the nice man in the computer shop there who helped me out a few years ago. When we arrived, the business had expanded exponentially, but they still didn’t have Apples. Gotta go to Darwin for them, the nice young assistant explained. He and his sister, who was working there too, came from Maroochydore! We weren’t going to Darwin, as we had a rendezvous with W.A. friends at Fitzroy Crossing or Halls Creek. So I settled for a good deal on a Toshiba PC, with Windows 8.1. Now I was on an even steeper learning curve!

It was only when we got to Broome, weeks later, that I was able to access my emails, internet and BLOG all on the new laptop, and the old one could be put away ... although John still needs it to record books he has read.

So I didn’t BLOG about the Avon Downs free stop, or the station stay at Banka Banka with the pet heifer, or my completing the Grade 3 walk around Edith Falls, north of Katherine. I didn't write about the magnificent red cliffs near the Victoria River, or our great 3 nights at Wyndham with Fuzzy, the tame donkey, who came for breakfast each morning. Or our visit [finally I succumbed] to El Questro on the Gibb River Road.

The BLOG began at the beautiful Fossil Downs Station, at Fitzroy Crossing.

We've traveled mainly outback N.T., W.A., S.A., N.S.W. and back into Queensland.

Now we have come FULL CIRCLE and are back in ROMA, staying at the Pistol and Skeet Shooting Club. Very friendly people here. It’s the second-biggest shooting club in Australia, after Wagga. We went into the big Supermarket this morning ... and met one of our Care Outreach ‘advisers’ – we must be getting closer to home.

We've met up with old friends; we've made new friends, but now we’re looking forward to seeing our ‘Coast’ friends. It won't be long.

*** It was great that Ed & Bronwyn Gerlach spent a day/night with us behind the Drillham Hall and helped with Care Outreach.