Winton

We arrived in Winton on Wed 24th June and left on Saturday morning 11th July.It was wonderful to be here. Our time in Winton can be divided into sightseeing, the opening of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, BCA work at St Paul's Winton and a quick trip to Boulia.

We took a mini bus tour to Lark Quarry, 120 km south over a lot of bumpy roads. Most of the landscape around Winton is flat, but there are several large mesas (called jump-ups locally). These are flat topped hills, remnants of a former landform level. Lark Quarry is in jump-up country and is the site of a Dinosaur stampede that occurred a long time ago on the muddy shore of an old inland sea.

A large shed has been erected to preserve the footprints of one very large and many smaller dinosaurs.

Large dinosaur footprints run up the picture from the bottom to the top, near the rail. Small ones are scattered everywhere.

Water is precious here, wherever there is water, you see birds and usually visitors free camping. This is an area called Long Waterhole just outside Winton.

Yellow billed Spoonbill (left) and Royal Spoonbill at Long Waterhole. Note they are both standing on one leg

 

Sunset at Long Waterhole- spoonbills and one of several caravans that were parked for the night.

Friday 3rd July was the official opening by the Premier of Qld of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum on a jump-up a few kms east of Winton. Elliott the dinosaur was the first large dino specimen found in Australia about 10 years ago, by David Elliott, a local sheep grazier. David is the driving force behind the museum, which is in the process of becoming the centre of dinosaur research in Australia.

This photo was taken at the press conference at the opening, where three new dinosaur finds were announced (Clancy, Matilda and Banjo), all in the Winton area. David Elliott is in the tie and black hat. The Premier of Qld, Anna Bligh is just to the right of some large bones.

The most exciting event at the opening was "The Voices of Winton" singing Waltzing Matilda to open the ceremony. Bob and Sue Witten (the Anglican minister and his wife) are choir members, and Lee was invited to join for the occasion.

 

Now see Winton Part 2.