Longreach to Blackdown Tableland

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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)

The old pubs in Longreach are now tourist shops (photo from 2020)
Machinery Mile on the main street of Ifracombe has a huge collection of old machinery (photo from 2020)
Once there were 11 pubs in Barcaldine, now there are 4 (photo from 2020)

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.

The Trumpeter is a barbwire and metal sculpture by Milynda Rogers
(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)
Redbank camping area, where we wanted to stay but it’s flooded
Mural on corrugated iron around Jericho – Artist: Alice McLaughlin
The 36 car Jericho Drive-In Theatre opened in 1969 and still operates today

Sunday 15 May 2022: Jericho to Emerald 220 km

Alpha

There are 27 murals in Alpha, telling stories of rural life in the region.

Alpha’s toilet
The Railway Cargo Shed has the largest mural
A tribute to the part the railway played in the development of the district
A billiard license was granted to the Criterion Hotel, Alpha in 1910 but it has closed and ceased trading

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.

The railway building dates from the 1880s and includes the original RRR (Railway Refreshment Room)

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.

This bottle tree was planted at the Anakie Railway Siding in 1880
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
The historic Anakie Hotel (closed 2018) had to be partially rebuilt in 1971 after a disgruntled patron blew out the front section with gelignite

Emerald

Emerald Railway Station, built 1900 in the federation style of architecture
WW2 wooden bridge over the Nogoa River, new concrete bridge behind
The wooden bridge was on the Emerald parkrun until it was closed in 2020

Monday 16 May 2022: Emerald to Blackdown Tableland 170 km

Minions are a species of tiny yellow henchmen driven by the desire to serve an evil boss, though they often screw up.
And here they are lined up beside the road to Blackwater
Rusty cars in a paddock near Blackwater, purpose unknown