Boulia to Longreach

From Boulia we all went our separate ways - Hack and Jody left early while Terry & Joan and ourselves visited the wash down bay to get some of the dust off the car and the vans.  After the "clean up" they headed to Mt Isa whilst we travelled via the Hamilton Hotel ruins and onto the Middleton Hotel. We stopped at the Hamilton ruins for morning coffee and I decided to pump up a caravan tyre which was loosing pressure.  To do this I plugged the compressor into the Anderson plug at the back of the car after removing the caravan Anderson plug connection, yep you guessed it, I forgot to plug it back in before we left - about 20 km up the track I remembered, too late, the only remaining connection was 2 bare wires!! We continued on to the Middleton pub and grabbed a hamburger and really nice cold beer for an early lunch.  Hamburger was delicious - the old fashioned burger with beetroot, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, egg!!

Midddleton Hotel

Enjoying our hamburger on the front verandah

Across the road is the Hilton Hotel

This is another perspective of the Hilton Hotel

Drove onto Collingwood Cemetary Water Hole about 50 km before Winton where we camped the night - so peaceful as we were the only ones there!  On the track in we spotted at least 7 Broglas but of course did not stop for a photo and they were not there when we drove out next morning!

Our camp at Collingwood Cemetary waterhole, Helen overlooking the waterhole

This monument marks the cementary and the town of Collingwood abandoned in 1900

Drove into Winton and got message that Ray and Carol were in the area - by the time we called them they were near where we had parked!!  Caught up for coffee and a chat - great to see them again.  Went to have a look at the Waltzing Matilda Centre but had heard mixed reports and decided to give it a miss - perhaps come back another time.  Bumped into Hack and Jody who were just about to go in for a look - they had seen it before it burnt down.  Arrived in Longreach around 3pm and called into the Longreach Tyre Centre as Van tyre had a slow leak (just as well I bought the Tyre Pressure Management Gauge - which Helen just rolled her eyes when I showed her!!).  Another valuable "gadget" purchase of mine!  The tyre was fixed in no time - the culprit a rivett head.  Then a quick trip around the corner to the auto electrician and the Anderson plug was fixed, great service, thanks Longreach Auto Electrician. Booked into Longreach Tourist Park for 2 nights so we can power up phones etc!  Also booked into the Kinnon & Co Starlight's Cruise, as we had heard great reports. Helen was happy to get washing up to date plus stocked up on some food items at the local IGA before we headed off late afternoon on the Cruise.