Winton QLD

May 13th 

We left Longreach and drove 179 km to Winton. We pulled up not long after 11am to the free campsite behind the North Gregory Hotel. The hotel is famous as Banjo Paterson first played "waltzing Matilda" in public in 1895 in the pub 

This free camp isn't in Camps 7 but I found it on the wikicamps app for the iPhone listing all caravan parks and camping spots over Australia with reviews, prices and photos by other travellers. We had also been told on our travels that this was the place to stay when in Winton. It's not a large site with only 16 van sites and showers and toilets available at the Pub. The Hotel has strict rules and must be followed

1) no awnings out

2) no generators

3) 6ft max between vans

4) gold coin donation upon registration at the pub

5) max of 72hrs

We pulled up and took the site to the right of this photo along the fence which looked out to Arnos Wall which contains almost every household item including the toilet and kitchen sink. It reaches 2 metres high and 70 metres in length. The wall also includes lawn mower parts, sewing machines, typewriters and motorbikes. 

Arnos Wall the view out our caravan door

We then took a drive out to the Hughenden Road to see the Diamantina Heritage Truck and Machinery

Museum. 

Behind the heritage truck museum is The Musical Fence. A rare free activity for the whole family to enjoy. The boys had a ball banging with the sticks and pipes. They even have the instructions on the fence how to play "Waltzing Matilda". We think a must see for families travelling through Winton. 



The boys having a jam session



Tuesday 14th May

Today was the day J had been waiting for, every week was "how many more days till the Dinosaurs at Winton?" We head back about 10km towards Longreach before turning right and following the dirt road 14km up the "jump up" which is a Mesa plateau to the Australian Age Of Dinosaur Museum which sits on top of the Plateau. 

J with a replica of Banjo the dinosaur first discovered in Winton

We booked in for a 10am guided tour which spends 30 minutes in the collection room then a 30 minute break which allows you to walk to the prep Laboratory and another 30 minutes here.

The collection rooms houses the fossil collection actual bones not fakes of the dinosaurs the museum has named Banjo and Matilda. This collection is the largest in the world of Australian dinosaurs. 

You are shown a couple of videos of how they discovered the bones as well how the museum started. 

J was amazed as were we that we were indeed looking at real dinosaur bones, it felt very surreal. 

The Laboratory is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and currently has about 30 years work ahead of them with the fossils that they have found so far.  The museum has Prep a dino where you can become a honorary technician after spending 10 days of training for those 12 years and older and Dig a dino where you can go to an actual dig site and help discover the bones but you must be over 18. Many of the lab technicians are retired and come up every year during winter to volunteer their time. (The museum is a non for profit organisation). 

We returned back to camp for a late lunch and afternoon sleep for A. After A woke we took a drive out to Bladensburg National Park before dinning in at the Pub for dinner

That concludes our time in Winton, we didn't do the Waltzing Matilda museum unfortunately, the boys were a bit over museums. Next stop....Hughenden