Saturday 14 May 2022: 20 km west of Longreach to Jericho 250 km
We stopped in Longreach long enough to do our washing and shopping. Then continued on via Ifracombe and Barcaldine (2020 trip here)



Jericho
The Jordan River was named after Harry Jordan, an early settler. The railway station (and subsequent town) was named Jericho in 1885 because it was the first station west of Jordan Creek (a reference to the Biblical town of Jericho being to the west of Jordan River). We spent the night at the showgrounds as the very attractive riverside spot was still closed after the rain.

(In the Biblical story, the Israelite marched around the walls of Jericho for six days and blew their trumpets on the seventh day and watched as the city walls collapsed)



Sunday 15 May 2022: Jericho to Emerald 220 km
Alpha
There are 27 murals in Alpha, telling stories of rural life in the region.


A tribute to the part the railway played in the development of the district


Life-size barbed wire bull by local artist Scrapmetalsheila in Alpha
Bogantungan
Bogantungan was once a thriving railway town. In the early 1880s, it had 28 hotels, several churches, numerous businesses and sporting clubs, and a racecourse. Now there’s just a couple of houses off the highway.

Anakie
By 1902, the area around Anakie was becoming known for sapphire mines. It still attracts fossickers and hosts Australia’s largest sapphire exhibition each August.

Local men enlisted for WW1 carved their initials while they waited for the train. They tree has grown and now the initials AR are about 5 meters higher

Emerald


The wooden bridge was on the Emerald parkrun until it was closed in 2020
Monday 16 May 2022: Emerald to Blackdown Tableland 170 km

And here they are lined up beside the road to Blackwater
