6 September 2012 - Roma Showgrounds, Queensland

I have become accustomed to the kookaburras marking both the beginning and the end of the day in the bush, and so it was again this morning. We had intended to sleep a little later, but once stirred, we could hear the activity of other campers readying themselves for their day of walking in the Park, particularly the children from Chinchilla.

We headed out of the park at about 8.30 am, sad to leave but thankfully sound again of limb and joint. I have written much about this wonderful National Park, hopefully enough to paint a vivid picture when I reread this in my dotage. I have not mentioned the gliders, five of Australia’s seven species, who inhabit the bush and are the subject of a decade of Tom’s study, critters we might have seen had we taken advantage of the evening tour, or the willy willies whipping up mini dust tornadoes or the roast dinners available at the camp on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights, or the seventeen species of snakes and eight of bats who live in the park, and the list goes on and on. But then if I speak of everything, you, the reader, may not bother to visit this place for yourself, so I shall not persist.

The outwards road seemed less harrowing than when we had driven in however Chris was concerned about the dust adhering to the still wet condensation. The sunlight caught the leaves of the eucalypts making them seem like deciduous tree in the autumn. It took us nearly an hour to return to the main highway, soon back on the seal and passing through the cattle lands and out onto the Carnarvon Developmental Road otherwise known as The Inland Way. We passed up over the Carnarvon Range which merges into the Great Dividing Range and noted the altitude marker at 446 metres ASL.

After about 160 kilometres from our departure, we came down over the steeper section of the range and down to Injune, still at 393 metres ASL, a small rural centre of less than 400 people, which boasts a smart new looking hall, council building and SPAR superette. It was formerly a hub for cattle and dairy industries, but now serves the burgeoning industries of gas and timber. Hundreds  of utes and 4WD complete with safety gear give evidence to the fact that coal seam gas drilling is well and truly underway in the region. The Injune Creek, the life blood of the town, was bone dry where we crossed. Days without rain here in the Western Downs are at a record high for many decades.

We used the facilities in the township then stopped up by the stockyards for a cuppa before once again venturing onto the road, now busy with the traffic referred to above and dozens and dozens of road trains. The road kill was as much as we have ever seen, but not surprising given the traffic. We saw a dingo, foxes, pigs, wallabies and roos, all at different stages of decomposition and some very recently killed; the blood still wet on the road. We had encountered several wallabies on our exit from the Park, but had pulled up in time to avoid them as they bounded across the roadway.

Another ninety kilometres and we arrived at Roma, situated on the corner of the Warrego and Carnarvon highways at 399 metres ASL. The town was incorporated in 1862, and just days ago celebrated its 150th anniversary. Perhaps that was in part a morale booster because Roma was one of the many Queensland towns severely affected by the floods of late 2010 and early this year. According to the gentleman in the Information Centre, property insurance has risen tenfold. Even if that is an exaggeration, it suggests unwelcome costs for natural occurrences that are not being challenged by man. Councils and government are still debating what should be done, based on the hope that these were once in one hundred year floods and yet surely they will come again in the cycle of Australia’s extreme weather patterns that are not the result of global warming but simply the reality of this huge awesome continent.

Roma celebrates its firsts well: in October 1900 petroleum was first discovered in Australia, in 1863 Samuel Symons Basset brought vine cuttings to Roma and Queensland’s first wine making enterprise began and Roma was named after the wife of Queensland’s first governor, to name just a few of these.

Chris attacking road grime after arrival at the Showgrounds

At the 2011 census, Roma had a population of just under 8,000; on initial inspection, it seems to have all services we may require in our short stay. We chose to stay at the showgrounds because we like to think that such patronage will encourage all such venues to welcome travellers and add to various associations’ struggling coffers. There are three other caravan parks in town, however like so many of these settlements through this part of the world that are under exploration or being mined, temporary accommodation is being prioritised by the workers over the likes of us.

As soon as we had set up, Chris attacked the grime coating the rig and is now a much happier husband. I was in awe of his vigorous efforts in the 31 degree temperatures; I sat inside and read the newspaper, the first seen in nearly a week. We will set out tomorrow and explore some of the many attractions Roma has to offer. Alan at the Visitors Centre made sure we came away well informed with what is on and what is not.