Life Begins At...

The Retiree Magazine Summer 2011-12

Life Begins At.....

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QUEENSLAND TRAVEL Toowoomba to Blackall After a night or two in Toowoomba, spend the day driving past country bars and native wildlife, and on to Blackall. A sunset welcome into town will not disappoint. On a clear night, the sky is lit with stars, which gleam down upon ghost gums and blue gums situated along the Barcoo River. One of Australia's finest poets, Banjo Patterson, made mention of this river in lyrical verse: 'On the outer Barcoo, where churches are few / and men of religion are scanty / On a road seldom crossed save by folk who are lost / One Michael Magee had a shanty.' Now, that doesn't sound too encouraging for the area, but Blackall certainly celebrates the life-giving nature of the river. Many of its streets are named after bird species and other animals that dwell by and near the river. The town's main water supply comes from The Great Artesian Basin. Just east of Blackall lies 'Black's Palace', one of Central Queensland's most important Aboriginal sites. Elegantly marked on impressive gorge walls – which run 600 metres long – are over 9,000 paintings and petroglyphs. Sadly, this sacred area has now been closed to the general public to preserve its integrity. If you are searching for a direct link to Australia's pioneering era, then you should visit the Blackall Wool Scour, which remains the last steam operated wool washing plant in Australia. You also cannot leave Blackall without paying homage to the local legend, Jack Howe, who in 1892 managed to shear 321 sheep in seven hours and 40 minutes. Obviously, this is a record that still stands today, so a quirky little sculpture was erected in 1988, just outside the Tattersall's Hotel. To get his sheep-shearing hands prepared, he practised clenching a squishy ball for hours on end. It might be a good idea to spend a few nights in Blackall, as it will take you around nine hours and 30 minutes to drive here. b w o m THE RETIREE SUMMER 63 tm T o o a o o o b o w t B a o a o l o B c T a l k ll k l c a a k a l c l T a l o m o w b a o o t o m b B a l a t o c B a l a c l l k T a l o l o o o k w o o m b a t w o o o B

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