An early start for us this morning and it is the coldest morning on this trip since Burra with Central Queensland experiencing a cold snap. It was 6C at 8am.
We are spending the day going back in time to take in life experiences from the 1800’s and early 1900’s in Outback Australia.
Outback Pioneers is run by Kinnon & Co and we are spending the day with them with a Cobb & Co Stagecoach ride on one of the original mail routes to the south of Longreach.
We started out in the middle of town in one of 2 Cobb & Co stagecoaches pulled by 5 horses each. Its more than a ride with commentary on the whole Cobb & Co story in Australia.
We experienced the bumps, dust and rocks inside the coach but not as much as the family that got to sit up on top at the back.
Returning back in town, the up top family had the dust blown off them with a petrol blower.
Next was a Cobb & Co smoko with tea and scones before hitting the old time cinema to see “Smiley gets a gun“. It is a 1958 film of a young Aussie larikan set in a small country town.
The final part of this mornings entertainment was the “The Harry Redford Old Time Tent Show“. It was old time theatre using farm animals including horses, ducks, donkey and a cow.
All the activities this morning were run by the two Kinnon lads, Lane and Jeremy. Of course there is a old time store with modern prices, run by Mum Kinnon.
There was a break at lunchtime and it gave us a chance to check out the town of Longreach, do some supply shopping and grab some bits and pieces to repair little electrical things.
Later in the afternoon, we were picked up by a modern coach driven by Dad Kinnon. Tonight’s entertainment was the “Starlight’s Cruise Experience“.
After a number of different stops around town, the final destination was the Thomson River for a sunset cruise.
There were 2 boats, the Thomson Belle Paddlesteamer and Thomson Princess. We were allocated the Princess skippered by Lane with Jeremy skippering the Belle.
The cruise took us upstream with drinks (BYO) and nibbles with more commentary on the region and river.
It was then time to cruise back downstream and into the sunset.
Back on land it was time for a stockmans dinner cooked on the campfire. Dinner was stew, mash potato and bread followed by apple pie and cream for desert.
An old stockmen and bush poet, Scotty, entertained us with yarns and poems, some of his own and some of Banjo Patterson’s.
Following dinner, it was time for a movie. This time it was a movie on the life and times of Captain Starlight and his time in the Channel Country and in particular his big cattle duffing.
Billy Tea and Damper finished off the night after the movie.
It was a good day and would recommend it to anyone coming through Longreach.
