Dear family and friends,
We are travelling again, this time we are staying in Queensland, mainly in the Winton area. If you don't know Winton, it is the place where Banjo Patterson wrote the words of Waltzing Matilda. It is just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, and about 800 km west of Rockhampton.
We started from Sydney just over a month ago and went to see Peter's Mum in Wagga and then north to Bourke and then into Qld. We spent 2 nights with the Williams family. They are friends we met on our first VISE (volunteers for isolated students education) placement in 2007.
This photo shows one of several temporary lakes on their property near Wyandra. When we were there in 2007 it was drought and the lakes were just large claypans. The lakes will dry up in a few months.
The country looks really good, lots of long grass, even beside the road.
This is part of the dog (dingo) fence which runs 6,000 km from just north of Brisbane to the south coast of western Sth Australia. You can see the grass here. You may recall a photo last year of the same fence taken in a very different environment, in the desert near Coober Pedy. This photo is near Tambo, between Charleville and Blackall. In this same area you leave the catchment of the Warrego River, which runs into the Darling south of Bourke, and enter the Lake Ayre (Coopers Creek) drainage basin.
We went to Winton this year because we had arranged a small group from our church to begin the re-stumping of St Pauls Church (ie dig out and replace the foundation piers). We are BCA (Bush Church Aid) Nomads and Winton Parish is supported by BCA. The next few photos show stages in the re-stumping.
There are about 60 stumps and they are all to be replaced eventually, because of the threat of Northern White Ants.
We removed some old rotten stumps by digging down an average of 600 mm (2 feet) in hard black clay soil, with not much space. It took one man one day to dig out one stump. This photo shows Bob Witten, the minister at Winton.
The stumps are replaced with steel ones, which can be adjusted at the top. These ones are about to be cemented into place.
The cement was mixed on site and then dragged under the building on this sled. In all we finished 8 stumps and another team from our church will arrive soon with some better gear to remove stumps, so we hope they will get more done.
We also did some painting and other maintenance, and went with the minister to school scripture and to some other activities in the town, where we were able to give a Christian message. At the end of the week, we had a pot-luck dinner at the church and the local Mayor thanked the team.
The mayor on the right, is presenting a book about Winton to Rick Lewers, the minister from Engadine, who was in the work party.
That is now over two weeks ago. The Engadine work party have returned and Lee and I have been recovering and doing some odd jobs around the church, working together with some other BCA Nomads who are also camped at the back of the church. On Sunday 6th June we had church at Winton then drove 380 km west to Boulia, where Bob Witten takes a monthly service at 6 pm, then school scripture on Monday morning. Lee and I helped with scripture, it was a lovely little school, mainly aboriginal children, very happy and well run.
On the way to Boulia we saw a flock of about 60 to 70 Brolgas.
On the way back, we stopped at the Middleton Pub for lunch and a chat with Lester the barefoot Publican.
Middleton consists of one pub and a couple of falling down buildings. It is 180 km from both Boulia and Winton and there is no town in between, just a few large sheep or cattle stations.
That has brought you nearly up to date, so until next time, bye and God bless.
We would love to hear a bit of your news, please click this link and write us a short note. pcaspo@iinet.net.au
Peter and Lee.
