{"id":7406,"date":"2026-04-05T12:34:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T12:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/?p=7406"},"modified":"2026-04-05T12:34:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T12:34:13","slug":"19-still-in-longreach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/?p=7406","title":{"rendered":"19. STILL IN LONGREACH!"},"content":{"rendered":"

The other main attraction in Longreach is the Qantas Founders Museum, established in 1996.\u00a0 The Queensland And Northern Territory Air Service was started here by two WW1 veteran pilots and an aero-engineer who saw a business opportunity in an air transport service.\u00a0 The early planes were a little unreliable, rather prone to breaking down … crashing even … and, at the outset, had space for just one passenger!\u00a0 In fact the service started in Winton, but moved to Longreach in 1922 when the hangar which now houses a lot of the exhibits was completed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Another superb museum.\u00a0 We actually visited three times.\u00a0 It’s just across the road from our accommodation – an easy five minute stroll!\u00a0 The first time was just for breakfast (and to book our visit times.)\u00a0 The package we selected included a guided tour (without a walk on the wings of the Jumbo jet) and a nocturnal sound and light show.\u00a0 We had to schedule the night visit carefully.\u00a0 They need a minimum audience of six people!\u00a0 And there are so few tourists about!<\/p>\n

Outside, there are several planes which have been collected variously around the world, lovingly restored to air-worthiness and flown to Longreach.\u00a0 The collection of aircraft assembled under the airpark roof structure includes a Douglas DC-3 …<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

…\u00a0 a PBY Catalina Flying Boat …<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

… a Boeing 707-138 – the City of Canberra …<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

… as owned and flown by John Travolta!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This is the flight deck of the City of Canberra …<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Lurking in a “corner” of the airpark is The City of Bunbury, a Boeing 747-200.\u00a0 Having flown over 82 million kms for Qantas, in November 2002, it became the largest aircraft ever to land at Longreach.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Jumbo is a long way up without an air-bridge!\u00a0 In the cockpit more than 40 feet off the ground there is a dazzling display of controls.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I estimate there are over 500 indicator lights and switches overhead.\u00a0 There are 40 or more dials and at least another 100 assorted switches and indicators on the dashboard.\u00a0 Then there about 150 more buttons and warning lights plus about 20 levers between the pilots seats (where the ashtray would be in the family car).\u00a0 Oh, and two steering wheels (yokes) and at least four foot pedals to steer the plane when on the ground.<\/p>\n

And … not only that.\u00a0 When this plane came into service,\u00a0 the crew included a flight engineer who had their own collection of 534 dials, indicators, switches and knobs!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I make that a total of 1,350 “bits and pieces” to keep this plane in the air.\u00a0 In modern day jets, virtually all of these controls and indicators have been replaced by a couple of TV screens, four i-pads and a built-in sat nav!\u00a0 The flight engineers are now all redundant!<\/p>\n

This particular 747 has three engines on the port wing!\u00a0 The inboard one demonstrates how these massive units are transported across the world.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And talking of engines … here we are in the typical tourist pose!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

“Luminescent Longreach”, is a light show projected onto the aircraft bodies in the Airpark.\u00a0 It happens at night after sunset and tells the story of the origin and development of the company.\u00a0 There were six of us booked for the show, but the other two punters didn’t show.\u00a0 So, after a respectable hesitation, the show proceeded as a private event for the four of us!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Fabulous.\u00a0 Not to be missed.<\/p>\n

Jeff had booked an evening cruise on the Thomson River with “Smithy’s”, ages before we came to Australia.\u00a0 We had now been told that it was VERY likely to be cancelled.\u00a0 It was.\u00a0 Alan Smith made alternative arrangements.\u00a0 But first, a trip to see the boat and river which would have been involved.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The boat was securely moored to its floating pontoon, but the river was already full to the top of the banks and beginning to spread.\u00a0 The team had removed the toilet block, lock, stock and barrel into storage in town.\u00a0 All that remained was the concrete plinth on which they had stood!<\/p>\n

The shed where Smithy’s puts on evening shows was going under …<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But Alan Smith had an alternative plan for us.\u00a0 Instead of an aquatic adventure up the river …<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

… we were to be entertained at Rosebank Station, where Alan lives with his wife Sue.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

About 10 km south of town, this 17,000 acre sheep and cattle property has had some famous guests.\u00a0 Including Princess Alexandra in 1959.\u00a0 Her portrait hangs proudly in what was her bedroom!\u00a0 We all used her bathroom …<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sue put on a fine selection of nibbles, and the champagne flowed freely.\u00a0 Alan told stories of life on the property and how it had changed over the years.\u00a0 We sat around what might have been the campfire (had there been a fire) as the sunset came and went.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A very interesting alternative to battling up a flooding river!\u00a0 Well done Smithy!<\/p>\n

For the first time ever in Australia (and that includes 27 previous visits) we hadn’t seen a single kangaroo or wallaby on this trip.\u00a0 Robin had given one a glancing blow with his car one evening.\u00a0 But we weren’t with him.\u00a0 Our total blank on the kangaroo front was broken at Longreach.\u00a0 One morning we spotted a family behind our cabin.\u00a0 Then we saw them every day lurking in the bushes on the property.\u00a0 Common as muck!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We also clocked a bunch of emus (known as a mob) and a few camels (known, surprisingly, as a flock!) on our expedition to Winton.<\/p>\n

Now it’s time to check out the medical facilities of Longreach.\u00a0 Glenda has been suffering with chronic tummy pains for a while.\u00a0 We need some strong pain killers.\u00a0 Our host, Ron suggests we try the local hospital.\u00a0 Of course, everything in Longreach is “local”.\u00a0 He rings up to find out how busy they are.\u00a0 Not too bad.\u00a0 Five minutes down the road and over the railway track\u00a0 and we are in a huge carpark with at least 50 spaces.\u00a0 Free of course.\u00a0 At reception we filled in two forms and showed our Medicare numbers.\u00a0 Ten minutes later Glenda was ensconced on a bed being interrogated by a nurse and a doctor.\u00a0 She had their full attention … for an hour!\u00a0 Uninterrupted!\u00a0 They put a heat pad on her stomach, checked her blood pressure, took blood and urine samples, had detailed discussions about the problem, dosed her with cocaine (or some pain-killing substitutes) and wrote a prescription for more of the same.\u00a0 Then we waited.\u00a0 “What are we waiting for?”\u00a0 “Test results!”\u00a0 Obviously!\u00a0 The hospital has its own dedicated analytical lab.\u00a0 I had a quick visit.\u00a0 VERY impressive!\u00a0 All results came back within 30 minutes.\u00a0 Treatment decided.\u00a0 Prescription issued.\u00a0 The hospital has it’s own pharmacy.\u00a0 Very useful.\u00a0 Total cost of the entire experience – $25, about \u00a313 (for the tablets).\u00a0 How have we got it so so wrong in the UK?<\/p>\n

With medications sorted, it’s now time for another “road trip”.\u00a0 This time we are heading east.\u00a0 To Ilfracombe.\u00a0 \u00a0Really close, just 20 minutes drive on another basically straight road with just two noticeable bends.\u00a0 Ifracombe is noted for two things – the Wellshot Tavern and the “Great Machinery Mile”.\u00a0 The latter can’t be missed.\u00a0 It’s an open-air display of a range of antique agricultural machinery (much of it painted in all sorts of weird colours) from the local area spread alongside the Landsborough Highway within the town.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The tavern takes its name from the Wellshot Station which in 1876 measured well over a million acres – almost the same size as the county of Devon.\u00a0 (Incidentally, Devon boasts two cities, about 80 notable towns and hundreds of villages!)\u00a0 The townships of both Longreach and Ilfracombe were established within the bounds of the original property when about a third of Wellshot land was “resumed” by the authorities in the 1890s under a Land Act.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We hit the pub conveniently just before lunchtime.\u00a0 Time for a drink at the bar …<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Followed by fish and chips all round!<\/p>\n

The road eastward was closed by flooding at Barcaldine over 100 km away.\u00a0 The truckers were marooned for at least 36 hours.\u00a0 They chose, very sensibly, to stop in Ilfracombe.\u00a0 Next to the pub.\u00a0 Where they had access to a washing machine – oh, and food and beer.\u00a0 This was a better place to wait for flood abatement than next to the actual flooded road in the middle of nowhere with no washing machine!\u00a0 Or beer!<\/p>\n

The road opposite the tavern was basically a lorry park, although what you see in the photo below was just two of the road trains.\u00a0 Several others were parked in a side street.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

What we didn’t know in advance was that there was a third attraction in town.\u00a0 In Memorial Park, a short walk from the tavern, there is a thermal spa.\u00a0 This is fed by warm artesian water from a 1000 metre deep bore.\u00a0 Had we known we would have brought our togs.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But then again we would have been disappointed because the spa was securely fenced in.\u00a0 And securely padlocked.\u00a0 We never did find out how to access the pool.\u00a0 But of course, there were only four tourists and six truckers in town.\u00a0 Barely worth anyone opening up!\u00a0 Anyway, we have our own hot water baths behind our cabin – but we didn’t even try them out!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Jeff and Laurel hosted our last evening meal in their cabin – and very nice it was too!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

At the end of our time in Longreach, the flooding really got a good grip.\u00a0 The road to Winton was closed to traffic as a precaution, but the water never actually covered the road.\u00a0 The land is so flat here that the water just spreads out over the paddocks.\u00a0 The Thomson River is normally about 50 m wide.\u00a0 But as we flew out, the water was lapping at the doors of the lowest lying houses in town and was reputed to be up to nine kilometres wide.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

An aerial view as we left on our little Dash 8 turbo-prop.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Of course all this water is on its way to Kati Thanda (Lake Eyre to you and me).\u00a0 The lake stands a really good chance of being full to the brim later this year.\u00a0 It’ll take up to eight weeks for this flood-water to travel the last 800 km or so to it’s final destination.\u00a0 Lake Eyre is an endorheic lake – defined as a terminal water body within a closed drainage basin that has no outlet to rivers or oceans, losing water solely through evaporation or seepage.<\/p>\n

Our flight back to the east coast “civilisation” (and guaranteed availability of fresh bananas) was made really enjoyable by the large bottle of red wine expertly handled by two delightful attendants.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Victoria from Boccarina (Sunshine Coast) and Torika from Nandi (Fiji).\u00a0 Well done ladies!\u00a0 They made sure we had enough to eat and drink AND they gave us a very useful tip.\u00a0 When we have to serve Tim Tams on a flight, we should ALWAYS start from the back of the plane.\u00a0 They NEVER put enough biscuits on board for everyone.\u00a0 Commencing service from the rear means that when they run out, the passengers at the front of the plane have no idea of what they are missing!<\/p>\n

Good advice!\u00a0 But we were already in the back rows of the plane!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The other main attraction in Longreach is the Qantas Founders Museum, established in 1996.\u00a0 The Queensland And Northern Territory Air Service was started here by two WW1 veteran pilots and an aero-engineer who saw a business opportunity in an air… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vietnam-and-australia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7406"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7472,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7406\/revisions\/7472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}