The road from Roma to Charleville had a lot of road works. The longest we had to wait was 25 mins. The road is being updated and repaired following the 2010 floods.
The trip from Chinchilla to Charleville was suppose to take about 5 and a half hours. It took 6 and a half hours.
We choose the Bailey Bar Top Tourist Park. It was the only caravan park we pre-booked.
It was great. Clean, staff were friendly and helpful, AND it was quiet.
We booked for three nights and that was about right.
Here is Peter getting organised. Look at the red dirt on the front - we followed a water truck.
The caravan park has camp fire meals some nights. Peter and Jonnie had them. I made a chicken salad.
Jonnie got confused with the names of the toilets- he said the names were different - and we had to explain it to him.
The first morning we went to the free weather station tour. It started at 8.45 and went until 10.15. It was very interesting. Jonnie loved it and was told about a different Australian website for weather, which he spent most of the afternoon on.
First we watched the recording of all the outside instruments with explanation of how they were recorded before computers and how they are recorded now.
Then we went inside to look at a weather balloon and to hear about how it works.
At 9.15 each morning the balloon is automatically released from this machine.
It was really quick. We came back the next morning to video tape it.
Once inside again we were able to see the information the balloon was sending back.
Jon looking at a weather balloon.
Next stop was the information centre and the Cosmos Centre.
At the Cosmos Centre we were unable to book a night tour as the 7.30 tours were booked out, so we did the day tour and got to hold real meteorites and play interactive games. Not a bad way to spend a few hours. Could have done that at home, but the meteorite talk was interesting.
After Cosmos we went to a park to see the rain making guns.
Here is Peter on one of the many old machinery items in the park.
Apparently the guns didn't work and there was no rain.
That afternoon Peter and I did a tour of the Corones Hotel. It is in need of repair, but very interesting.
The tour guide we had was lovely and I would recommend the tour.
Beautiful stain glass windows and ceiling decorations.
This is where the 1990 floods rose to in the hotel.
The bar is one of the longest in Australia.
We heard a very interesting history of the Corones family.
This was originally a dance hall that also catered to the US Soldiers stationed here in Charleville.
Papa Corones also built this dwelling out the back to house his staff.
The upstairs mens smoking room that was converted to the families lounge room.
It was just like a museum.
.... and of course a sewing machine.
This is the room that Amy Johnson stayed in. She asked for a bath filled with champagne.
And got it. The bath looked awful - I wouldn't stay there and I wouldn't have a bath in that bath - yuck.
An old icebox
View from the hotel verandah looking towards the levy bank.
We had a great day.
Allison
No comments:
Post a Comment