The drive to Charters Towers – day 3 heading east from Boodjamulla – was the easiest of the outback roads to date.  And not because we shared the 250 km drive (yes, I have finally gotten behind the wheel of our 14-metre rig), but there were no road works, no “development” aspect to the road, and no varied speed limits except for the occasional tiny roadside town consisting of a pub and motel. Charters Towers is another gold boom town when the population swell made it QLDs 2nd largest city. Some of its wealth has remained, evidenced by the number of heritage buildings and the city’s commitment to the arts.  We parked our butts at the Big4 Aussie Oasis, and indeed, an oasis it is.  I sit here outdoors at dusk with a near full moon lighting my table, a gentle consistent breeze, mild (read: not hot) temperatures with low humidity, and nary a fly, mosquito or ant. It’s such a welcome relief it brings a tear to my eye.  In our 2-night stay we met two other Jayco Silverline owners here and it was a hoot to find some kindred spirits and share a few war stories. Sometimes we find the caravan crowd a bit tiresome but usually no one stays in any one place long enough to become a burden. It makes this lifestyle worth more than you might imagine.

When we left Adels Grove we had the final leg of unsealed road ahead of us. It wasn’t any harder returning to Gregory Downs but we reduced tire pressure.  The trip took a little longer because we had to stop for 45 minutes to reinflate the tire pressure on all 8 tires once we got back on the sealed road. From that point it was generally a development road to Julia Creek, population 400.  There we stopped for the night and found the welcome at the CP to be one of the friendlier. There was unlimited wifi (a first for us) and it was a a thrill to have A/C.  The town of JC indicates a real pride of ownership and is actually quite interesting.  The info center has some terrific exhibits depicting life in the area. They also undertake the care and feeding of one Julia Creek Dunnart, a mouse-size marsupial found only in this region. It doesn’t require water because it lives on moisture-filled worms, and the female gestation period is 13 days when it can bear as many as 8 young. Imagine that, ladies!

This particular route to Townsville is known as the Dinosaur Trail. Around 100 million years ago the area was covered by an inland sea that was populated by some incredible marine life. Of course these creatures died off and their fossils have been discovered in a triangular area near the “trail”. Richmond’s museum has an unbelievably intact life-size exhibit of an Eromangasaurus and Hughenden has a Muttaburrasaurus. We spent a night at Hughenden and enjoyed their “10,000 steps a day” walking paths around town.