Day 9 (I think - starting to lose track)
Depart Longreach about 8.20am
Arrive Winton about 1.30 pm
180 kms

Stops:
- Australian Age of Dinosaurs (15kms east of Winton)

We got a good start from Longreach, and travelled more of the flat and straight Landsborough Highway towards Winton.

The Australian Age of Dinosaurs exhibit is located about 10kms up a gravel road (which was in pretty good condition to be honest), with the turn off located about 12kms east of Winton. The museum is located at the top of a Mesa (also known as a "jump up"), a flat topped "hill" that literally pops up out of the landscape. The views from the top were breathtaking.

The story behind why the museum is there is amazing - a local farmer who found dinosaur bones on his property about 13 years ago, and who has managed to get the right experts involved, to enable the bones to be displayed for the public to see. It's run as a not for profit / charity, and people PAY to go and spend days / weeks participating in dino digs, and helping to preserve what they find. The tour included a lap through the lab - looking at some very seizable dino bones, and watching volunteers work painstakingly at chipping the rock from the bones.

After the tour, we made our way into Winton (the only place so far that we've not had phone service). We booked into a caravan park, and dropped the camper trailer before heading into town to the Waltzing Matilda Centre. We had bought the "Winton Gold Pass" which will get us into the sights we are planning to see at a fairly discounted price, compared to buying individual entries.

The Waltzing Matilda centre is dedicated to he history of the song, as well as other momentos to outback life over the years. The billabong that features in the song, is said to be the Combo Waterhole (which is another 100kms+ up the road, and which we will unfortunately not get to). Winton's link is that the song was said to have been first performed at the town's North Gregory Hotel.

After a wander through the centre, we headed back to set up camp, before returning to town and having dinner at the North Gregory Hotel.

It is interesting that 16years ago when we passed through Winton, none of these major dinosaur finds had been uncovered. Yet today, the tourism that is associated with the dinosaur relics, is central to Winton's identity.

The Waltzing Matilda centre also was not here the last time we passed through, although after a quick chat at the visitors centre, some of my de ja vu was explained by the fact that some of the outside exhibits had in fact been here longer than the Centre, and so probably some elements of the museum pre-date the current centre format.

Tomorrow we are heading out to Lark Quarry, where the dinosaur trackways have been uncovered. A real view into he past!