Ilfracombe and Isisford

Just a few kilometres east of Longreach is the little town of Ilfracombe (population less than 100) whose claim to fame, according to the tourist brochures, is its Machinery Mile, a long outdoor display of farm and other machinery lining the highway into town. Sound riveting?

Well, in fact it was one of the more interesting things to see. The local history society has put together a fascinating selection of old graders, bore hole diggers, seeders, bore drain graders, tractors, trucks, tanks, wagons, fire tenders, scarifiers and odds and sods of other esoteric machinery. Horse-drawn, bullock-drawn, car-drawn - it's all here. In sheds are old cars, old washing machines, tools, tins and containers. In an old slab house, well hut really, rooms are set up with furniture of yesteryear; in another hall, a display of World War I memorabilia. And in a secure (but open for the day) shed was one man's collection of bottles with hundreds filling glass cases and shelves, and his brother's collection of old rifles. But the rest of the commercial part of town (ie one general store) was decidedly shut. The pub was open though.

Isisford, down an unsealed road about 100 kilometres was similarly shut - yes the whole town was shut, even the pub. A local looking for beer at the pub explained it was the annual Isisford Fishing Competition on a waterhole of the Barcoo River out of town - he was looking for the publican to take more beer back to the site but supposed he was out there too. So no having a look at the main drawcard in town, Isisfordia duncani, the fossil crocodile 100 million years old that was discovered locally and which is displayed in a swanky new building in the main street.

But our friendly local had given us the heads up about a great place to camp on the banks of the Barcoo just out of town. We found a secluded spot by a waterhole and what a beautiful place it was to stay.

Next morning with the fishing competition over, the town was open for business. The crocodile fossil was available for viewing ( a bargain at $2.50 each to get in), the pub was open (Soup of the Day on the blackboard proclaimed Beer with no roll), the general store was open as was an old store set up for people to wander through marvelling at the old lino on the floor, the old shop counters with milk shake mixers and old tins and packets, as well as the residence behind the shop with the bedrooms, sitting room and kitchen all furnished as if it had been abandoned back in the 1930s or 40s.

Lochern National Park was along yet more kilometres of dusty road. We passed only one car and a road train which reduced our visibility to zero till the dust settled. We must have been the only people in the Park - another waterhole, another camp. But this Park was once a station and the number of feral pigs was surprising, especially the group with several piglets disappearing rapidly into the bush as we approached. And at night too we seemed to be surrounded by feral cats with their green eyes shining in our torchlight and their caterwauling and fighting. A ranger back in the Territory told us that there was an estimated 19 million feral cats in Australia. We have seen so many, often in broad daylight, that we think it's probably pretty close to the mark. In fact on the feral front, we have seen not a single rabbit or fox - just cats and pigs.

Still it was a pretty place and we had it all to ourselves!