Rundownunder Virtual Challenge Update

Since the last Rundownunder challenge update, I’ve traversed outback Queensland and finally made it into the Northern Territory.

1st February 2022 – Kynuna

“Kynuna was established as a teamsters’ camp at a supply point for the nearby Kynuna pastoral station, at a place where five roads met the Diamantina River. The town was gazetted in 1894 and at one stage soon after had a population of around 700 people and was home to three pubs. Local legend claims that the suicide of a local shearer named Samuel Hoffmeister at Combo Waterhole near Kynuna in 1894 was the inspiration for the Banjo Paterson song “Waltzing Matilda”. Paterson was at one time engaged to Sarah Riley the daughter of a local squatter and visited the area. “Waltzing Matilda” is Australia’s most widely known bush ballad, and has been described as the country’s “unofficial national anthem”. Today, Kynuna has one pub, the Blue Heeler Hotel. The pub was built as the Kynuna Hotel in 1889.” (from Rundownunder Postcard Email)

6th March 2022 – Cloncurry

“The township of Cloncurry in North West Queensland occupies a key hub point in the Outback. Known as ‘the friendly heart of the Great North West’, Cloncurry was founded in 1867 by Ernest Henry. It was built upon copper mines in the surrounding district, which quickly led to it being one of the most prosperous towns in the Outback.

Today, Cloncurry’s core industries include grazing, copper and gold mining, transport and mining services. Qantas was conceived in Cloncurry and their aircraft hangar still stands at Cloncurry Shire Airport. The Royal Flying Doctors Service was launched Cloncurry with the first flight on 17 May 1928. The John Flynn Place Museum pay homage to this crucial part of Outback life.

Visit a working open-cut mine with the Ernest Henry Mine Tours, departing from Mary Kathleen Park every Wednesday and Friday from May to September. There is too much to see in just one day, so spend a couple of days in ‘The Curry’ and don’t miss out on seeing some of the area’s most popular attractions.

Mary Kathleen Memorial Park and Museum houses history and memorabilia on Cloncurry, Mary Kathleen and surrounding districts. A ‘must see’ is the Burke and Wills history display, including Burke’s water bottle in the Explorers Corner. The mineral and gem collection is ranked by experts as one of the most comprehensive in Australia. Also on display are Aboriginal artefacts and a portrait and breastplate of George, King of Friezland.

Cloncurry now services the sheep and cattle properties in the surrounding district and is an important sales centre for livestock.” (from Rundownunder Postcard Email)

23rd March 2022 – Mt Isa

By the time I reached Mount Isa I had made it past the 3,000km mark on the virtual journey around Australia.

“Described as the Oasis of the Outback – a gleaming mirage on the horizon for travellers from all directions – Mount Isa nestles among the ochre-red Selwyn Ranges, on the banks of the Leichhardt River. Mount Isa has grown from strength to strength over the years but the harsh picturesque landscape has barely changed, becoming one of the main draw-cards for visitors each year. Mount Isa brings out the adventurous spirit in everyone, with ample places to fish, camp, four-wheel drive, or relax and enjoy an Outback sunset. The rugged terrain is a four-wheel driver’s haven, and visitors can explore the region just as the pioneers of the region did many years ago.

The twin jewels in Mount Isa’s crown are the spectacular Lawn Hill Gorge in Boodjamulla National Park and its neighbour, the world-heritage listed Riversleigh Fossil Fields, both of which are accessed from Mount Isa. A must see while in Mount Isa is the Outback at Isa complex, incorporating the award winning Riversleigh Fossil Centre, Hard Times Mine, Sir James Foots Building, Outback Park and Visitor Information Centre. Other attractions are the School of the Air, the Royal Flying Doctors base, National Trust Tent House, Underground Hospital and Beth Anderson Museum, surface tours of Mount Isa Mines and fishing for barramundi at Lake Moondarra.

Mount Isa’s existence and its main financial base is the huge Mount Isa Mine, the world’s largest single producer of copper, silver, lead and zinc. In 1923, John Campbell Miles found a silver-lead ore outcrop and sent a sample to Cloncurry to be assessed. Miles pegged two leases and soon 500 were filled. Mount Isa Mines took over operations in 1924. This rich deposit is still producing high volumes of ore and is classed as one of the world’s great mines.” (from Rundownunder Postcard Email)

12th April 2022 – On this day I passed my brother, Malcum, who is also doing the Rundownunder challenge having started on 30th April 2018. Since I got to Brisbane, I set myself a goal of getting to the NT border before Malcum, and I managed to complete that goal with a few days to spare!

14th April 2022 – Qld / NT Border

Hello Northern Territory – NT! After travelling from my initial start in the ACT (Canberra), my Run Down Under journey has lead me across to NSW, up to QLD, and now – at 3,260kms travelled  – to the NT border. 

“A bit of history for you: There are six states in Australia: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. Each state has its own state constitution, which divides the state’s government into the same divisions of legislature, executive, and judiciary as the federal government. The six state parliaments are permitted to pass laws related to any matter that is not controlled by the Commonwealth under Section 51 of the Australian Constitution. The monarch’s powers over state matters are exercised by a Governor in each state. The head of each state government is known as the Premier.

There are two mainland territories, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT) and one offshore territory, Norfolk Island, have been granted a limited right of self-government by the federal government. In these territories, a range of governmental matters are now handled by a locally-elected parliament. Outside of government, the ACT and the Northern Territory are often treated like states because of their significant population sizes.

The closest town is one you just passed 12km back – Camooweal. The population of Camooweal is only a few hundred people. Along the main road (the Barkly Highway) there are several caravan stops or van parks which will take mobile homes and tents. There is an airstrip that is used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service to bring medical services to the town. Australian country musician Slim Dusty wrote a song entitled simply ‘Camooweal’ which features this town.” (from Rundownunder Postcard Email)

19th April 2022 – On this day I broke a previous “kms in a week” record, when I walked 79.7km in the week.

28th April 2022 – Soudan Station

Of all the cattle stations on this challenge, Soudan wins the prize for the shortest driveway. You can’t miss it – beside the Barkly highway, 130kms West of Camooweal; the place with the steam engine at the entrance. ‘Soudan Station’ is one of two outstation to Alexandria; the largest and oldest property owned by NAPCO, purchased in 1877. ‘Soudan’ is situated on the Rankin River, approximately 120km west of Camooweal. They employ 13 staff; 6 people in the stock camp, 2 bore runners, 1 grader driver, 1 cook, 1 governess, plus an Overseer and a Station Services Co-Ordinator. What follows is a description of Soudan station life from one of it’s residents…

“Living right on the Barkly Highway gives us the feeling that we are really not that isolated; the Greyhound Bus travels past 4 times a week and we get mail once every week; what more can you ask for? Like most other properties in Northern Australia, we live on rural power; which means we get all our power from a very large generator. There are advantages and disadvantages, the most obvious advantage is we never run out of power (except when the generator decides to ‘pack-it-in’, but fortunately we have a back-up generator for those situations) and the most obvious disadvantage is the noise, but you get used to it pretty quickly! The housing complex on ‘Soudan’ is quite compact, but with a beautiful river right at the doorstep there is plenty of opportunity to take break from the closeness of working and living together.

Living in a relatively isolated area, social occasions are few and far between, so when an opportunity arises to get together, that’s what we do! Over the 2015 Anzac Day long weekend ‘Soudan’ entered a cricket team in the Camooweal Commemorative Cricket Weekend. Teams were entered from around the region including other local cattle property’s, a team from the township of Camooweal and an indigenous team from Myema. It was a very enjoyable weekend; husbands were able to enjoy their favourite past times (cricket and beer), the kids were able to get in some much need ‘kids’ time, playing their own game of cricket when the pitch was free and us ladies were able to sit back and relax (a very rare past time) with a glass of wine and a chat.

After a clean sweep of the 3 matches played over Friday evening and Saturday, Soudan was in the semi-finals; unfortunately, none of our players were at their best, due predominantly to sore heads (the morning after the night before!) but also a little more specifically, their bodies were failing them! The boys played well, but not well enough, going down to Herbertvale, who ended the weekend as the final victors.” (from Rundownunder Postcard Email)

1st May 2022 – Everything came to a screeching halt!

While on a morning walk in Kyabram, Victoria, while visiting our daughter Zoe, I tripped on something while walking next to the disused railway line there, and got a rather nasty gash just below my right knee. I don’t know what I tripped on, and I don’t know what I fell on to cause the gash, but it mush have been sharp and hard to do so much damage.

I got back to Zoe’s house, and after Zoe and Rebecca looked at the wound and bandaging it up, Zoe drove me to Echuca Hospital’s Emergency Department, who cleaned out the wound as best they could and stitched up the wound. That day we drove home, and the knee was ok while I drove the car and for most of the day. By that night, however, it was sore, and in the morning I visited the doctor and was put on oral antibiotics. A few days later there was an infection, which by the end of the week had got so bad I then had to spent a week in hospital having painkillers, intravenous antibiotics, regular cleans of the wound, and eventually a ‘surgical clean’ of the wound. After that the pain started to subside, and the healing of the injury started. From the day after I acquired the injury, to about the end of May I couldn’t walk except with the assistance of crutches as the right leg couldn’t really bare any weight and the wound had to be re-dressed and re-bandaged every few days. The re-dressing and re-bandaging of the wound continued into June. The wound still isn’t healed, and it looks like it could up to another month before the wound is healed enough for me to be active, or even do simple tasks like driving or walking to the nearby shops again.

The reason for the injury? I started to feel the need to go to the toilet while on the walk, and rather than turn back to Zoe’s house (which would have been the intelligent thing to do) I decided to continue my walk and find a toilet in town. This led to me needing to find a shortcut to find the nearest toilet as the need became more urgent the longer I walked! That shortcut led me across the disused railway line previously mentioned, where the injury occurred. One dumb decision is what caused the injury and the month long ordeal that followed. As a result of that I have decided that there is no such thing as an inconsequential decision. Even decision, no matter how unimportant it might seem, can have very far reaching effects! Virtually the whole of May I spent time in hospital, was not able to exercise, or even be very active at – all the result of one dumb decision.