LONGREACH - 21.6.2014

We arrived in Longreach and booked into the Top Tourist C'van park, all three of us in a row.

There were brolgas in the adjoining paddock, this one accepting bread out of the hand!

We stocked up on supplies and investigated the town. Our first stop was The Stockman's Hall Of Fame which pays tribute to Australia's pioneering legends and outlines the history of the Outback. The displays, artefacts, films and maps are engrossing and we went back the next day to see the things we missed. We watched the Outback Horse show which celebrates the contribution of the horse to the nation's history and demonstrates horsemanship skills. It was comical in parts. It's well worth the time.

On our first night we had Ken's brother Peter, wife Fiona and children Lucy and Patrick for dinner and then went to their house the next night. It was lovely to see them and great for Ken and Peter who had not seen each other for ages.

We did a tour of the Longreach School Of Distance Education, where incidentally, Fiona is a teacher. We were able to watch a teacher delivering a lesson via computer, as she sat in a sound-proofed, 'fish-bowl' and spoke to her students, whom we could also see on her dual screens. We also saw the very well equipped library when carries books for parents and children to borrow, as well as videos, maps and all the other things a well stocked library has. There is also accommodation for families when they get together at the school.

Fi in her prep room at the School of the Air.

Below are some terrific student art works.

Snake

Echidna

Birds

We had a hugely entertaining night at the pub where there was an Elvis impersonator Steve Kelleher. He apparently won this year's best at the annual Elvis Festival at Parkes and we really enjoyed his performance, singing along to all the old songs. He even requested talented members from the audience to join him!! The roast dinner was generous and tasty too.

The bougainvillea throughout the town was flowering brilliantly, often hedged with mixed colours which were stunning.

This lovely old building once was an ambulance station and is now an art and craft venue.

Glenn and I checked out the very sad golf course too. No water or grass! We all patronised St. Vinnies and came away with useful replacements for red dirt stained clothing and then found treasures in the hardware store. Glenn was particularly happy with a wire griller (like Ken's) which he'd been looking for! Retail therapy for all of us.