Hughenden, QLD.

October 11th. Reached Hughenden Noon on Saturday, every business closed. Not willing to travel any further with a 'Dodgy Tyre' as a spare, now have to stay in Hughenden till Monday morning. We are camped in the RV Camp for Self-Contained vehicles beside the Show Grounds. We are eager to continue the drive on The Kennedy Development Road towards Winton. It is very risky leaving the awning out in this town, sudden strong gusts blow out of any direction at any time. Nearly "Lost It" in a phantom Willy Willy. 

This Coolabah Tree has blazes on the trunk with inscriptions by Frederick Walker and Sir William Landsborough whilst searching for Burke and Wills.

Hughenden was on the shores of an inland sea 100 million years ago and is now part of the Dinosaur Triangle with Richmond and Winton. Jude is leading this Muttaburrasaurus for a walk through Hughenden. It is affectionately known as "Mutt".

Queensland State Government Offices.

The Wirilla Mill, this 11m Comet Wind Mill is one of only 15 manufactured. This is #11. This pump ceased to pump water in 1944 but was delivering 69 litres per stroke and about 1,000,000 litres per day with a steady breeze.

The Flinders River, the longest river in Queensland but very dry at the moment.

Another Comet Wind Mill fan, this one installed at a shelter in the Main Street, is much smaller than The Wirilla Mill.

The Otway Fly

We chose an absolutely perfect day to visit the Otway Fly and surrounding areas. These days are few and far between in the Otways but today we have been blessed. The Otway Fly has a maximum height of 47 metres above the forest floor, this height almost places you in the tree canopies but not all the way! Just imagine, in the early days the loggers were taking out trees in excess of 500 metres tall.

From the entry kiosk there is a walk of about 300 metres to the beginning of the Otway Fly, along the way there is a section named The Dinosaur Trail. Situated in the bush along the trail are models of the dinosaurs that roamed the area at different intervals of the prehistoric past.

The range of ancient reptiles is amazing.

Really happy this one is not for real.

I really don't know how reptiles with wing spans this wide could fly through these forests.

This one seems docile, something Fred Flinstone would have as a pet.

Jude took a liking to this dangerous looking beast.

I was lucky to survive this encounter, it probably had already eaten!

Lee and Jim, visiting from Perth WA, on the end of the Canter Lever at the Otway Fly. 

A view of tree ferns from far above along the Otway Fly.

Back at ground level again, we noticed several fish in this stream, they looked a lot like trout, will bring a line next visit.

Following our visit to The Otway Fly we came back to Beach Forest for a picnic lunch at this park. This steel sculpture represents the height of Mountain Ash trees logged in the early days of the pristine forest. The tallest recorded tree was of 1823 feet (approx 556 metres), logged at Buchanan. That tree was probably in excess of 2000 years old at the time of logging.