Whilst In Cue...

There are towns we have come across in our travels that really get under our skin. They leave such an impression that we long to return and immerse ourselves in their characters. They are the frontier towns that walk to the beat of their own drums. Cooktown is one. Cue is another.

For the average punter hurtling up the Great Northern Highway in the quest for winter warmth, Cue could quite easily be missed. The main drag, Austin Street, is resplendent with beautiful old buildings as well as some less than desirable cobbled together shops that have one thing in common. Most of them are empty. Bell's Emporium may or may not be open for groceries, liquor and other essentials. The Queen of the Murchison Guesthouse and Cafe are struggling at present as one half of their husband and wife team has had to go to the Big Smoke. The roadhouse continues to do a roaring trade, regardless of the fortunes of other town establishments. And the Cue Tourist Park enjoys a steady stream of visitors as Cue is conveniently at the finish line of a long drive from Perth.

Colin and Janelle began to learn the tools of the caravan park trade while in Alice Springs. They pulled up in their rig and were immediately offered work...Now they manage the Cue Tourist Park, with the help of their fearsome Shitz Tzu.

We have now been residents for four days. We were to move on to Meekatharra tomorrow, but we have decided to stay the fifth night. Our Facebook buddy and larger than life woman of mystery, Anna Johnson, who owns and operates the world-famous Made In Meeka, has just had a knee replacement. Before Michael breathes on her, we want to check that his throat virus is not contagious. The idea of giving a hacking cough to Anna, who is already suffering, would not be in anybody's Best Interests.

Hence, we are visiting the Nursing Post in the morning, before returning to Day Dawn for some final fossicking.

I understand the urge some travellers have to move on as quickly as possible, but a day or two in Cue might be a good idea after trekking up from the Big Smoke. Even if one isn't into mining or rusty metal, there is still plenty to enjoy. The historic town walk is a charming wander through thirteen points of interest. Laser cut statues featuring camels, a mustering team, the local beer delivery by goat and cart, the miner with his wheelbarrow and a resident drawing water from a well. The drives a little further out of Cue - deserted towns with romantic names - Big Bell and Day Dawn; fascinating rock art at Walga Rock; the ghosts of the old cemetery; the former popular picnic hub of Milly Soak can easily fill an entire day. Add to the mix an iconic pub and the always entertaining roadhouse and you have all the ingredients of a wonderful stopover.

The people who call Cue home are also a remarkable bunch. Steve, who lives opposite the Fire Station. is restoring one of Cue's venerable old dwellings. Janelle and Colin, our hosts at the Cue Tourist Park, had travelled together all over Australia. Joyce and Darryl who run the Queen of the Murchison Guesthouse had chosen to come from a Pilbara cattle station.

Today, we ventured out to Walga Rock, less than fifty kilometres from Cue, driving over very good gravel roads. We passed through Austin Downs station and by mining operations, both the current and the silenced.

The rock formations outside the flatness of Cue are truly extraordinary. They rise out of the Goldfields scrub, like a scene from one of Shane Moad's incredible paintings. Walga Rock is just one of several distinctive features. And certainly most impressive.

Walga Rock is two kilometres long. Its cave's paintings are known for being an enigma. The aborigine artworks are joined by a depiction of what appears to be a European sailing ship. Theories abound about a shipwrecked sailor being taken in by a tribe. How that sailor or sailors ended up over four hundred kilometres inland is anybody's guess.

We climbed to the top. The views were stupendous. We descended before our legs turned wibbly-wobbly. Apparently, we walked the equivalent of at least fifteen flights of stairs.

I'm glad I didn't know that before we started...

Camel train sculpture...

The old Cue Gaol...

Sculpture tree at the Cue tourist park...

Police Station built from local stone...

Beer delivery by boy and goat...

Muster...

Masonic Lodge/Addams Family Mansion (!)...

Miners silhouettes...

Top of the hill...

Rotunda at the site of Cue's first well...

Memorial Park...

The Soldier Honoured...

Cue Shire Chambers and Photographic Memorabilia...

Parkland? No, the Murchison after rain!

Walga Rock - Michael and Karen on various devices...

The sailing ship...

The other artwork...

Rob and Karen's ragdoll, Harley...up a tree...

Harley on the ground...

Images of our Walga Rock climb...

Local stickybeak...

From Far Cue, With Love...

The rain kept up for most of the night. Tucked into our cosy caravan cocoon within Digger, I slept really well apart from a few odd dreams - a kerfuffle about cooking meat properly and being unable to find my bedroom within a confusing building. Perhaps I was transported to Hogwarts for a short stay.

Michael was misery personified this morning. Headache, sore throat and copious amounts of gunge were all cramping his style. So I dosed him up with panadol, more horseshit herbal supplements and lozenges. I pottered around, making porridge and placing items inside all watertight doors and hatches. Dishes were washed, clothes pulled on and all emphasis was on departing. In the fullness of time.

I met caravan park manager (Bill, I think) on his rubbish rounds and apologised for our failure to launch by ten o'clock. No worries, he responded, as long as you're out by lunch! Good bloke. The Mt Magnet caravan park had provided us with a very pleasant stopover. Edge of town, modern facilities, not a whiff of any bad odours, roomy bays and shade.

We were ready to leave by eleven. The caravan park was almost deserted. This is where we differ from other Grey Nomads. We have watched with amusement as they pack up and push off as early as possible, even this morning with weather that was not clement. They seem to plan where they are going to stop for morning tea and lunch. They are off the road by four. On Tuesday, we arrived in Beacon in the dark because we had made a number of impromptu stops and caught the magnificent sunset on Michael's camera.

So, as we were preparing to finally leave, we noticed a newly arrived rig driving all over the caravan park. We were perplexed. Maybe we were in the way? I went over to the driver's side and enquired whether we were a problem. "I'm just trying to find a spot that satisfies the wife" was his deadpan reply. I smiled and retreated into Lily's passenger seat. I proceeded to ask Michael to shoot me the minute I began planning morning tea and lunch spots and needed to be satisfied within a caravan park...

We had booked for four nights in Cue, only eighty kilometres up the highway. We weren't in a hurry to leave Mt Magnet before we returned to the Mt Magnet Hardware and Muzz Buzz. Jamie and Cora, the proprietors, run the Best Hardware Store in the Murchison. We took them up on their offer of a free milk crate and a toilet seat. This will be fashioned into our new camping facility. Plus a spray attachment for the hose. I also collected the paper, the Women's Weekly and the local newsletter. We motored all of five hundred metres up the road to fill up with fuel and buy sandwiches for lunch. Which we ate in Lily rather than stopping at a designated location.

Michael had previously noted the location of what appeared to be ruins, high on a ridge at a deserted mining centre named Austin. Having fortified ourselves we lunch, we pulled off the highway and began a gentle climb to the top. Enroute we passed the remains of old mining operations, mullock heaps (the remains of mining) and numerous shafts. We knew we were in the vicinity of active mining, so we did not stray from our goal.

High above the salt lake was the remnants of at least six dwellings constructed with the local stone. Michael had heard that the miners at Austin were Welsh and used to building with any material at hand. Although tiny, one contained a fireplace and shelves all built out of the banded rock. They were obviously built to provide the best conditions for both the cold of winter and the heat of summer. Apparently, one of the houses had the associated mineshaft directly underneath.

On the other side of the highway was Lennonville. With a population of three thousand at the turn of the twentieth century, the town met its demise through the exhaustion of the gold reserves and an inferno. By 1909, Lennonville had been abandoned. All that is left is the crumbling railway platform.

We arrived in Cue mid-afternoon. The drizzle had recommenced so we scurried around, completing power, water and stabiliser setup before retiring inside.

Dinner will be reheated shortly. We are both on our second glasses of red. Michael is remarkably improved after a very lowkey and relaxing day.

And tomorrow, we are staying put. YAY!

Jamie Kennedy, Mt Magnet Hardware Proprietor to the Stars

Gemma and Norm at Mt Magnet Post Office, Lotteries, gifts, toys, superhero outfits and escape ware (!)

Tourism information at Austin...

Austin mine shaft...

Austin foundations - probably from a stamp head battery...

Another view of the foundations...

Stone huts of the top of the ridge at Austin...

View of Lily and Digger...0

Inside...

Looking out the window...

Splish, Splash, Splosh, We're Having A Wash!

We woke to very threatening skies and whipping winds in Beacon. We were slow to get going. We knew we wanted to leave ahead of the rain band, but breakfast, washing up and packing stuff away all had priority. As we left Beacon, the rain was pitter-pattering. We were still confident that we could tackle the gravel of Maroubra Road to Paynes Find, which should have cut a good chunk of travelling time. The caravan park manager, who also ran the Beacon General Store assured us that Maroubra Road had been quite fine the previous day.

The rain became heavier. Maroubra Road was showing an ugly side. Slosh, mud and water. I was a tad nervous. Michael was enjoying the trip more, as he was experienced at this kind of adventure driving. That was until Digger began dancing from side to side. Lily and Michael then engaged in a frenetic quickstep, hurtling from left to right and back again. By this stage, I was more than a bit PANICKED.

Michael and Lily wrestled control back and straightened Digger out of his skid. We drove cautiously for the rest of the trip. Michael was brilliant. He'd had plenty of practice navigating the wet and the mud in any number of vehicles, but never with a two and a half tonne caravan in tow. He remained calm and confident in his abilities. Apart from a few squeaks and the odd episode of hyperventilating, I held myself more or less together. Nevertheless, we were delighted to make Paynes Find after a hair-raising three hours. In one piece.

Toilet breaks, a chat with some other roadhouse visitors and we left for Mount Magnet. The awful truth had been revealed. We'd discovered that we'd left the padded toilet seat at home. This is a real issue. Looking at some agreeable camping in remote spaces, neither Michael nor I were capable of squatting to perform number twos. Hence, the need for a camping toilet seat. If anywhere would stock one, the Mount Magnet hardware store was in with a good chance.

We arrived just before dark. There was no camping toilet seat at the Mount Magnet hardware shop. However, they did suggest a possible alternative, involving a milk crate, a hacksaw and a plastic toilet seat. We said we'd sleep on it.

The Mount Magnet Caravan Park was pretty full. Bill organised us a powered site and we finished setting up just as the rain began pelting down. We've had dinner, a few vinos and are toasty warm inside Digger. The telly has sprung into life.

And Digger and Lily are having a well-deserved wash.

Fun and games on Maroubra Road

Finally at Paynes Find

A couple of fellow travellers...

Sunset en route to Mount Magnet...