Moved into a caravan park in town this morning so we can top up batteries etc. After setting up we're off to the Sockman's Hall of Fame. Spent a couple of hours roaming around this place which has such a large and varied array of information and displays.
Jude and I really liked the "Unsung Heroes" displays around the walls, like the one about Jim Harris who spent his life working on stations and shearing. He did however find time to marry and have twelve sons and eight daughters. All twelve sons became shearers and went contracting with Dad - they were able to command an entire shed - must have been quite a site.
Of the many interesting stuff there is these portraits of RM Williams actually done in intricate embroidery - can't imagine the hours that went into it.
Another of interest this Rodeo champion saddle etc - once again great workmanship.
While there we attended the Bushman Show held in a small arena just outside the main buildings. There we met Luke who was a wonderful host full of cheek and good yarns as he rode bareback on his horse. After telling us a few tall stories he asked for volunteers, yours truly included. We had various bells to use as buzzers while he asked some general knowledge questions - if we were wrong we had the whip cracked just behind us - a bit of fun.
Next Luke picked out a woman in the audience who had never ridden a horse and proceeded to say she was going to ride this horse who'd never been ridden. The horse lay down pretending illness and Luke was literally lying all over him. Then he introduced us to his camel and talked about the role camels played in the pioneering days.
Then he had his dog bring eight large bullocks from a yard around he back - hitched them up and proceeded to get them to drag a log from nearby onto a wagon - all this in a very small area - a taste of the old bullock teams.
After going back to the van for some lunch Sean and I headed to the Powerhouse Museum. Here we saw the old powerhouse (stopped working 1985) and the various machines used to drive it - huge diesel powered monsters with thousands of moving parts - apparently putting out plenty of noise when going.
Then back to the caravan park where there was a cockatoo show. This guy and his birds do a show twice a week during the season. They performed various feats including riding the bike on the wire and going down the slippery dip. He also had some snake friends - always a hit with the kids.
Sean and I went for a swim in the not so warm pool.
Then Jude and Sean went to the Longreach Scout meeting at the scout hall adjacent to the caravan park. After initially not wanting to go, Sean had a great time playing a team game trying to retrieve a bottle from the middle of a circle as well as leg wrestling.
They also had a look at a collection of scout memorabilia they have in the hall including a whole heap of badges - in all they enjoyed themselves a lot.
The Campbells
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