Family time

Hello again everyone,

we have been very lucky to have Liz and Al visit us at this little oasis for a week.

what a great opportunity for us and them.

We managed to get two days off to join them.

 We had a great time doing a variety of activities from canoeing the Lawn Hill Gorge, to exploring an old chinese market garden and cave to the escarpment tour with Les. They also got onto the Century Zinc mine tour, of course Al did some fishing and spent some time down at the creek having BBQ lunch and drinks and sunset on "Harry's hill"

Other than that exciting news, the place has become very busy now, heaps of tourists and bus tour groups, so we are both on the go all the time,

Les doing plenty of tours and Susan overloaded in Reception of course.

We have booked three days off to go to the Mt Isa Rodeo 8-10 Aug so looking forward to that.

Will throw some pics in to check out.

Look Mum, it's Indiana Jones!

 

Sam and Opal Ah Bow's memorial from the Chinese market garden

 

Grass and Termite mounds from Harry's Hill

 

Sunset from Harry's Hill

 

Say no more

Lawn Hill Gorge

 Indarri Falls

 

Lunch and drinks by the creek

Liz and Al at the Nat Park

 

Liz and Susan

 

Very friendly dragonfly

That's all for now folks

Pic time

 

Channel Billed Cuckoo

 

 New boat to run along the creek, we had a run couple of nights ago, looking for crocs, but no luck

 Dam near here along the Riversleigh fossil site road

Jabiru at the dam

 Black kite in flight

 

Les driving along Lawn Hill Creek part of the road, (Alternate Savannah Way)

This is in Lawn Hill Station, part of Lawn Hill Riversleigh Pastoral Holding Company.

It is 6475 sq klms, currently running about 47,000 head of cattle, mainly Brahman.

 

Friendly visitor to our camp area, Agile Wallaby, sometimes called the "Pretty Face Wallaby"

 Indarri Falls in Lawn Hill Gorge

Another of Susan's friends just down on the walking track

Well all for now, the only sad thing that happened was of course Queensland's loss last night

Have to make up for it next two games

QUEENSLANDER!!

 

Helo world

Hello again

We haven’t had exciting news like our last entry, but things are starting to pick up here.

Getting tour groups in which keeps us tour guides busy as they like to do the tours, particularly the Riversleigh fossil site.

Les has been doing quite a few escarpment tours over the last two weeks. It is a four and a half hour trip out through the Lawn Hill cattle station, and up onto an escarpment on the range, quite a great trip, take the Landcruiser Troopie and max of six guests, which is a good number, keeps it more personal.

We  travel along a bit of the Savannnah Way then through the station tracks and get to the top and have morning/afternoon tea.

The customers seem to enjoy it as we talk about the history of the area, Lawn Hill Station, Adels Grove and a variety of vegetation.

It includes creek crossings, both wet and dry, and some steep 4WDing to get to the top.

Susan has been doing reception and some kitchen hand work on the roster.

We had a variety of problems with the DVD player in the van, received  a new one under warranty and installed it. Seems the new one is not to great either, still having problems, so they are going to send another one for us to try!

We did order a larger antenna to use for our laptop and Les’s phone as it has a connection point.

We are now able to phone and use internet from our van, so we don’t have to go to the Nat Park or the creek to use them.

We leave the phone connected during the day, so if anyone wants to phone you can leave a message as by the time we get back from dinner and washing dishes if it’s our turn, it can be 8.30ish. Susan is happy with that. We watched the Broncos last night in our friends van as he has satellite dish, we don’t much to Suzies disgust.

The tv at the dinner deck normally only plays slide shows of the area, but Rod allows the State of Origin to be played cos he’s a true Queenslander!

We nearly have our full complement of staff now, think only one more couple to arrive

Will send some pics soon

Snakes,snakes

24 April

Been rather quiet over the past week or so.

Couple of days ago, Rod, the owner/manager was called down to our little “beach” area as there was a rather large Olive Python between a couple of logs.

Rod went and picked it up and relocated it.

However, Rod was once again called down to the beach area as another Python had been seen nearby. Sure enough. Another one hanging around and tried to get away into the bamboo, but Rod managed to get him and take him up to the reception area for people to have a look.

He would have been at least 3 metres, good size.

25 April

Rod and Michelle organised for our own dawn service at 5.30, even though the sun hadn’t risen yet.

They parked their Cruiser beside the flag pole and broadcast the ABC service from Canberra. There was a gathering of 20 people for the service. Rod’s father was in WW2 and Rod had a very old photo of him and placed it at the base of the pole. Good to see we had a service at least. Rod and Michelle’s two children had put together a small wreath with the teacher who is also living here with her husband.

We had finished dinner and headed back to our van torch in hand so Susan can chase of the numerous toads. When we arrived at the van and walked into the annex, Susan was chasing a toad out of the annex and then yelled, it’s a python. Sure enough there was a rather large Olive Python in the annex and was up in Les’s work shirt and sniffing gloves that were hanging on the hanger.

Susan was rather distressed and headed straight back to the dining room to phone Rod at the house to come and get it. Rod came down with a cage and settle the snaked and put it in the cage and took it. At this point Les had stayed at the van to monitor the snake till Rod arrived. It must have been at least 2.5m and the body was quite thick.

Les went back to the dining room and discovered Susan with our friends John and Dianne having a red, naturally.

Certainly an experience for Susan to say the least.

We had a couple of showers overnight, but nothing too much.

One of the campers down in the Grove came up to the office to advise a dead croc was wedged against a tree in the creek and was smelling rather bad.

Rod and Keith went out in a canoe and dragged it back up the creek and pulled it onto the bank where the pigs had been ferreting around.

Apparently the crocs eat the toads and it poisons them, which is sad, the dwarf crocs in the Territory  are eating them also and it is becoming a real issue 

The owners daughter, Charlee has two pet "Childrens Pythons" which she carries around and shows guests now and again. Their names are Chocolate and Chip. This photo is her with one of them.

This one of the "great Bower Birds which is nesting near us.

 And this is a "Red Winged Parrot"

Here is our Home Sweet Home

A few photos from around ADELS Grove to show a bit of the area

this one below is "The Shack" which is a takeaway  which they have started this year

 This is the front office, reception where Susan is working most of the time

Susan on the bridge across Lawn Hill Creek which runs through the campgrounds

 

Some of the tents which are semi permanent, they are taken down during the wet.  

 

Cheers for now, will update again when we can 

Hello again

Hi everyone, have some photos for you this time round.

we have had a mixed easter weekend for customers, busy but not overly, still floaters traveling thru at the moment.

Seems it will be quieter now for few weeks



Susan in our little creek spot on our rdo, very relaxing

Brolgas on our way down to Riversleigh fossil site where Les was doing his first solo tour with a small group, including Susan!

Les explaining some of the info  inside the man made cave at Riversleigh showing the detail about how the fossils formed.

Gregory river crossing down from Riversleigh, where we had morning tea after the tour. great spot.

Doesn't it look like Les knows what he is talking about??

 

Roadside rest area towards Cloncurry, caught the road train in the shot

 Our camp set up at Adels Grove, we are on a small hill on our own, very cumfy.

This is the "Great Bower Bird" nest set up just near us, the male collects various coloured items and rocks and adorns the entrances to attract the female.

Had our last big yahoo before we left, went to Day on the Green with Kel and Justin, (which they bought for us).

Well folks, that's about it for now, regards to all.