There was some more chatting (as you can see we often do) with some other travellers and then we set off for our day trip out to Bladensburg National Park.
Bladensburg was one if the original stations of the Winton district grazing thousands of sheep and has run upto 10000 head of cattle.
The park was purchase by QLD NP and wildlife in 1993 and is apparently yet to be fully developed.
Firstly we drove out to the old homestead (also the current ranger station is here) - as this NP was originally a property - and had a look around this site.
Pictured below id the meat house where meat was hung to dry:
We had originally planned to do the "Route of the River Gums" (we will do this on another trip to this area no doubt) - but ended up going to Scrammy Gorge and waterhole and the Scrammy lookout. These sites have been named after a boundary rider "Scrammy Jack" - so named after his hand was crushed by a wagon wheel. Scrammy is an old english term meaning "left-handed".
Scrammy Gorge is formed by rain water coursing down crevices where rock figs cling with tendril-like roots. In time the crevices have widened and erosion undermines sandstone beneath harder caprock until eventually large blocks have tumbled into the gorge.
Ruth at Scrammy Gorge:
In the background here you see the Octopus tree - a ghost gum sculpted by rugged conditions.
Moores posing for a shot at Scrammy Gorge:
Scrammy Waterhole is rocky-bottomed and is around 2m deep and is said to rarely dry up completely.:
The Cairn built by Ruth - looks a bit like a gnome don't you think!!
We also found some interesting artefacts around the area of the Scrammy Waterhole - like this piece of metal:
This was an awesome drive - especially Scrammy Lookout - which gave us a panoramic view over the channel country in this area.
Unfortunately i do not think that the pictures can ever do jusice to such panorama - you just have to be there to experience how awesome it is. The vastness just has a presence of its own that you must be there to feel.
Also the track to the lookout had some rough sections that had us in '4wd' mode - even getting into low range for one particular rocky section.
That was a bit of fun and excitement for the morning - especially for Ruth driving the Hilux pictured below:
We saw lots of wildlife along this drive - including many wallabies and some emus, wedge tailed eagles and a dingo that we think we disturbed in its stalking of some emus.
Cindy managed to snap this great photo of one of the wedge-tailed eagles we saw- he just seemed to be posing for her high up in the tree. what a magestic creature they are!!!
At lunch near the Scrammy waterhole we also spied a little lizard that was scurrying along the ground. He stopped as soon as he spotted us and was then incredibly difficult to find as he was so well camouflaged against the rocky ground in the area.
BUT - eagle eye Cindy spied him again and managed to snap some great photos.
Can you spot him here??
Back in town in the afternoon we caught up on some needed shopping for the next 4-5 days of remote travel to Carisbrooke Station and into Diamantina National Park.
We decided to have the special at the pub for dinner. Eating out 2x nights in a row - what luxury!!!
As you can tell they did get there money's worth out of us for a free campsite.
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