Dinosaur Track Ways

Pretty, but not as Pretty as the Cawnpore Hills


Yesterday we drove out 110ks from Winton to see the dinosaur track ways at Lark Qarry. I didn't know what to expect, so was suprised by the HUGE building we came across.

Apparently 95 million years ago when the area was a lush, tropical lake, many small dinosaurs (chook and emu sized) came down to drink. A huge dinosaur came down to eat them and caused a stampede. The footprints were covered over the years by layers of silt and discovered in 1960. Study began in 1970 and the beautiful big building was put over them in 2002. There are 3200 sets of prints uncovered so far and evidence there are more to be discovered but they are leaving them as is in case the exposed ones deteriorate in coming generations! All pretty interesting.
Dinosaur Trackways


The drive out was good too and on the way back we took a detour to Nareen Jump Up (a local word for an escarpment) and the long waterhole which will be the scene of a yabby derby over the festival. It was amazing to drive all the say out to Lark Quarry and then realise we were actually up top on tableland-it was quite a long way down the jump up.

Last night we went over to have a "roast" dinner that the park puts on every night from May to September. Russ was a bit put out that we didn't get any pumpkin and not even the potatoes were roasted! They had a bush poet performing (she won the last festival's bush poet competition) and we wished we'd made a get away before she started. If she won, I'd hate to hear the others.

Today we drove to Longreach, did a little shopping, ate some lunch and headed on to Barcaldine (a further 105ks). We'd decided not to visit the QANTAS museum or Stockmen's Hall of Fame so thought we could give Longreach a miss. I had wanted to do a wing walk on the jumbo at QANTAS, but the cost of $80 put me off!

We are in a nice little park with not many staying, and were told to pick our site and feel free to spread ourselves out. They put on billy tea and damper every night and (joy oh joy) they have found a BUSH POET to perform. I'm sure if we don't go, they'll hunt us up to do so, so I think we're trapped again!

Driving along the road today we couldn't get over how many stupid kangaroos, wallabies, emus, sheep and birds of prey there must be because we've seen so much road kill it's unbelievable. And just as the stench starts to clear, you pass the next one. It's been a very smelly drive.

I was excited to pass the road to The Outer Barcoo (it's a poem by Banjo Patterson) today.