Surat

I was up early this morning and decided to go for a brisk walk to try to warm up.   I tried my luck at the platypus pool.  To my surprise there were two platypus in full view.  I watched them, mesmerised, for about 20 minutes.  Of course it was Murphy’s Law that this was the only time I’d come out without my camera.   I popped back to the van to get the camera and Jack (the only one awake) came back with me to check out the platypus.  He got a brief glimpse before a couple of noisy kids came by and scared them both away.

After a hot breakfast and some hot milo to thaw us out, we packed up and headed toward Surat.  It seems it was too cold to brush our hair this morning...

With a stop at Roma for fuel and lunch on the road, it was a pretty uneventful trip.  We arrived at our bush camp on the banks of the Balonne River in Surat at about 2pm.  After unpacking we rode our bikes into town for a look around.

 

The Visitor Information Centre is housed in the original Cobb & Co Changing Station, and the building also houses a regional art gallery, social history museum, 25 000 litre freshwater aquarium and public library.  The last Cobb & Co coach service in Australia ran from Surat to Yuleba on 14^th August 1924.

After supporting the local community by spending up on coffee, cake and icecreams at the Wagon Wheel Café, and meeting an ‘interesting’ local character named Tom, we headed home to light the campfire (yup, it’s freezing again!) and finish off some leftovers for dinner.

Tonight we roasted spuds on the fire and finished up with milo and Tim Tams.  Now for the thermals…