Trip to Longreach ~ Day 3
01/10/08 19:50 Filed in: Motorcycle
Madness
Day three. Day of rest. Today I’m doing a little
riding as possible. It’s a good thing both the QANTAS
Founders Museum and the Stockman’s hall of fame are
within walking distance.
The QANTAS Founders Museum is rather excellent. I went for the package thing, minus the wing-walk. I’ve flown in enough 747’s to know what the wing looks like. This particular 747 is a 747-200, or also known as the 747 “Classic”. What differentiates this one from the 747-400’s that are flying the sky at the moment is this one still uses wire cables to control all the “stuff”. This Boeing came out of service in 2002, and I remember watching the news reports about the challenges of landing it at Longreach. Runway too short and too narrow. There is an excellent video you can watch that talks all about it, and what is also nice is the very little of John Travolta... they kept it real.
An intersting note about this plane, is one of the three engines is still flight ready. The plane was almost sold to India, in which case it would still be flying. This plane did the mercy flights to Bali after the bombings there. It also did routes to Africa and it’s very possible I, or my Dad, has flown in this very plane.
Along side the 747 is a new 707, the original jet purchased by QANTAS...the actual original, verified by part numbers. It was donated back from the Saudi’s and has been fitted out as a luxury airliner. The Queen flew in this very same plane back in 1959. The Saudi’s fitted it out with wood panel and pure gold trimmings. Some of which can still be seen, along with some crystal light fittings. Even now, it looks very luxurious with beds, showers, lounge chairs etc. Sorry no photos of the 707, it was not permitted as the plane is still owned by the Saudi’s and is actually still registered for flight.
The QANTAS museum attached is excellent and has lots of interesting stuff about the airline in the early years. As much as I like QANTAS and proud that it’s Australian, I’ll still fly Singapore or Malaysian Airlines.
Right across the road is the Stockman’s Hall of Fame. A collection of what made country Australia. Slim Dusty and Smokey Dawson are there, along with a swag of other stuff that centres around Australia’s early stockmen and how they lived.
Both of these venues took almost the whole day to see, but with a little time left this afternoon I rode out to the Iningai Nature park, just out of town toward Windorah.
At first the nature park just looked like a paddock, and I had to walk 300m out into the paddock to get to the information board. Not an unpleasant walk. I decided to do the 3.5km walk around the park. The shortest of the three or four walks. It was a nice walk, but there was nothing to see. No animals at least. I was hoping to see a couple of Brolgas but alas.
About 40mins into the walk I found out why... joggers! People use the park as a jogging track and to walk their dogs, so animals are going to steer clear. Oh well, it was a nice walk.
Here endeth Day 3. I’m heading to Charleville via Isisford and Augathella. A total of about 550kms.
The QANTAS Founders Museum is rather excellent. I went for the package thing, minus the wing-walk. I’ve flown in enough 747’s to know what the wing looks like. This particular 747 is a 747-200, or also known as the 747 “Classic”. What differentiates this one from the 747-400’s that are flying the sky at the moment is this one still uses wire cables to control all the “stuff”. This Boeing came out of service in 2002, and I remember watching the news reports about the challenges of landing it at Longreach. Runway too short and too narrow. There is an excellent video you can watch that talks all about it, and what is also nice is the very little of John Travolta... they kept it real.
An intersting note about this plane, is one of the three engines is still flight ready. The plane was almost sold to India, in which case it would still be flying. This plane did the mercy flights to Bali after the bombings there. It also did routes to Africa and it’s very possible I, or my Dad, has flown in this very plane.
Along side the 747 is a new 707, the original jet purchased by QANTAS...the actual original, verified by part numbers. It was donated back from the Saudi’s and has been fitted out as a luxury airliner. The Queen flew in this very same plane back in 1959. The Saudi’s fitted it out with wood panel and pure gold trimmings. Some of which can still be seen, along with some crystal light fittings. Even now, it looks very luxurious with beds, showers, lounge chairs etc. Sorry no photos of the 707, it was not permitted as the plane is still owned by the Saudi’s and is actually still registered for flight.
The QANTAS museum attached is excellent and has lots of interesting stuff about the airline in the early years. As much as I like QANTAS and proud that it’s Australian, I’ll still fly Singapore or Malaysian Airlines.
Right across the road is the Stockman’s Hall of Fame. A collection of what made country Australia. Slim Dusty and Smokey Dawson are there, along with a swag of other stuff that centres around Australia’s early stockmen and how they lived.
Both of these venues took almost the whole day to see, but with a little time left this afternoon I rode out to the Iningai Nature park, just out of town toward Windorah.
At first the nature park just looked like a paddock, and I had to walk 300m out into the paddock to get to the information board. Not an unpleasant walk. I decided to do the 3.5km walk around the park. The shortest of the three or four walks. It was a nice walk, but there was nothing to see. No animals at least. I was hoping to see a couple of Brolgas but alas.
About 40mins into the walk I found out why... joggers! People use the park as a jogging track and to walk their dogs, so animals are going to steer clear. Oh well, it was a nice walk.
Here endeth Day 3. I’m heading to Charleville via Isisford and Augathella. A total of about 550kms.
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