24 November 2016 - Julia Creek to Hughenden

After an extremely hot night and one of interrupted sleep... perhaps we should explain.  Part way through the night we awoke to the biting of ants in the bed.  After much ado and with the guidance of our forensic femme fatale, Diane, we eventually got to sleep.  Still much to do today to rid us completely of the wretched little beasts.

As expected after a 41 degree day yesterday, today was warm, although travelling in an air-conditioned car, belies what is going on outside.

After crossing Julia Creek we bounced and bumped our way to Richmond 140 km away, and about halfway to our target destination of Hughenden.  

241116 Julia Creek - the creek

Sad to say the remaining distance to Hughenden was equally bumpy.  The road was wide and was being worked on in places, but it is likely they have trouble stabilising the road during construction.

The countryside was flat and dry and quite a contrast in colour to what we have seen in the south. 

241116 Countryside just east of  Julia Creek

Then we arrived in Richmond.  The bougainvillia in the main street of Richmond must have been a picture when it was in full blossom.  It was past its best.

241116 Main street through Richmond

241116 Main street in Richmond.  Sadly the bougainvillea
blossoms were past their prime

Richmond is another area heavily into dinosaurs and one of the town's features is a giant model of a Kronosaurus. Kronosaurus is a pliosaur, a short-necked marine reptile. It is thought to have grown up to 11 metres in length, and its skull alone is nearly two metres long. Its jaws contain rows of large conical teeth, the biggest of which is nearly 30 centimetres long. Its fossils have been found in the rocks deposited by the inland seas and it ranges in age from 112-98 Million years, during the Early Cretaceous Period.

241116 "Kronosaurus Korner" at Richmond

Another feature is Lake Fred Tritton, named after a former mayor of Richmond Shire. The lake has provided Richmond locals and visitors the opportunity to participate in water sports such as fishing, skiing, canoeing and jet skiing - not normally found in small remote inland communities.  

241116 Lake Fred Tritton at Richmond

241116 Lake Fred Tritton

241116 Cairn commemorating the opening of the 
fully sealed Flinders Highway in Richmond

241116 The Flinders Highway Commemoration Plaque

After shopping and having morning tea at Richmond we headed back on to the Flinders Highway.  Unsurprisingly, the flat, dry looking plains remained with us all the way to Hughenden.  We were accompanied by the railway track, which paralleled us all the way too. It was busy on the track.  We saw two trains but photographed only one.

241116 Continuing the plain land, railroad in the foreground

241116 The railway line paralleled the road all day

Hughenden is situated on the banks of the Flinders River. It was named after Hughenden Manor, the home of former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. The region around Hughenden is a major centre for the grazing of sheep and cattle. Apart from agricultural business, Hughenden also boasts a replica of the Muttaburrasaurus, a dinosaur, whose bones were discovered in 1963 near Muttaburra (220 km by road from Hughenden).

241116 Entry road to Hughenden

241116 Muttabuttasaurus model at Hughenden

Hughenden continued the high temperature debacle today but we managed a caravan site under a shady tree, and that has improved the temperature and our disposition.

Trivia for today

• The initial water used to fill Lake Fred Tritton was pumped out of the Flinders River whilst it was in flood. Today it is kept topped up as required via a sphere point to the river.  The lake is stocked with over 18 species of fish including red claw yabbies, barramundi, sooty grunter, sleepy cod, archer fish, forktail catfish and golf grunter.

• Kronosaurus was named after the god Kronos; so horrible that he ate his own children.