Thomson River

 A section of the Thomson River that flows past Longreach is deep, wide and permanent. Such a feature is called a "reach" and this is a long reach.  It contains small turtles and yellowfin.  We took a trip up the river one evening.

We came across the "Pride of the Murray" a paddle steamer that had been transported by road from Echuca to Longreach, refitted with diesel electric motors and was cruising the river.

Following the cruise we were given a barbeque dinner.  I had a chance to try the local beverage, and entertainment was provided by one of the local characters - he was great!.

Qantas Museum

Qantas first offered its services in Longreach so it now houses the Qantas Museum (not assisted in any way by Qantas!).  It was a surprisingly interesting display and guided tour of the planes on display.  Included was one of the original DC3s and a Super Constellation.

The plane that changed the face of air travel the jet, Boeing 707 was on display but the prize exhibit was the Boeing 747 that we saw through.

There was also a display of historic vehicles and equipment related to the industry.

Station Life

 One evening we visited a Station to hear about the life of a fourth generation family on the land.  Wine and nibble around a campfire kept us happy.

One of the Station owners gave us a little of their history before a barbeque dinner in the (repurposed) shearing shed.

Around the Town

 Longreach is like many other country towns.  It features genial locals, the standard range of stores, high prices and lots of twin cab and tray back utes.

The Railway Station is old and still in use.

Qantas Airways started in the town and a replica of the original Booking Office is the current Tourist Info Centre.

The Tropic of Capricorn passes through the town so it can get warm.

The local Womens' Health Centre knows how to advertise.  There are clearly some big women in the town!

Stockman’s Hall of Fame

 We were on a tour so we were obliged to visit the Stockman’s Hall of Fame.  We were pleasantly surprised.  It was certainly “commercial” but interesting exhibits and information were presented.

Exhibits covered the history and culture of the stockman and the support structures of the livestock industry from the early days.

The exhibits included a prominent display of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Our entry included a live performance and demonstration that was entertaining and surprisingly informative.

School of Distance Education

 We visited the Longreach School of Distance Education (with some reservations) and were fascinated with their presentation.  Their catchment area was larger than the state of Victoria, and they were very innovative in their program offerings.  It looked like any other school.

The Parents Group run tours to raise money for the school. In doing so, they give an insight into life on a station and how they deal with the isolation and support their children’s education.

Longreach

 For our stay in Longreach, we decided to do accommodation a little differently.  We tried Glamping in the outback on the Mitchell Grass Plains.

The tents were spacious and had all the amenities including an outdoor bath on a rear porch.

The features of the area were the Mitchell Grass plains that are green from the recent rain and prime cattle feed.

The dark clear skies were also something to behold.

Around Brisbane

 Brisbane is certainly an impressive and lively city.  Our only complaint would be the lack of sensitivity to their local history shown in the rampant development.

We visited the Commissariat Store, one of the original buildings built in 1829 to support the original Penal Colony and since developed as government offices etc.

New boardwalks have been built along the river to replace those washed away in the floods.  From them you can see plenty of very expensive housing that is still vulnerable to future floods.

St John’s Cathedral

 Not far from our hotel was the imposing St John’s Anglican Cathedral.  It was started in 1901 but renovations were only completed a few years ago.

The modern stained glass windows threw rainbow hues all over the church.  It was made from local stone and the roof is stone not wood.  The only one in the Southern Hemisphere.