Charters Towers

Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th September

 

 

Scenic Route

We decided to cut across country to get to Charters Towers from Eungella, and this was a very scenic and long route!! We drove all day and decided to bush camp on the roadside just south of the town.

 

Bush Camp

Bush camping allowed Simon the opportunity to use his new chainsaw, (a father’s day present), for the first time. The camp was lovely, with lots of dead wood that could be chopped into logs for the fire.

You can only play with my new toy if I can hold it too!

Chainsaw madness

The camp...in the middle of nowhere!

The boys became expert fire builders and this is their work

The cows were attracted by the noise of the chainsaw!

Camp Oven Stew

 

We cooked one of the best camp dinners of the whole trip on the fire that night, beef stew! We found that if we used the tripod it didn’t burn on the bottom so easily, and of course the coals on top of the pot create the oven effect.

Beef stew cooking with coals on top of the pot

Aussie Outback Oasis

Although we had planned to see Charters Towers on the way through the following day, we sustained some side wall damage on the tyre and decided to stop at the local Big 4 for the following night to give us time to sort things out. This is one of the most authentic Big 4 sites that we have stayed in, managing to combine natural bush surroundings with modern facilities and entertainment for the kids. I loved their take on the ‘bush kitchen’ with fire pit and pizza oven to boot!! It’s very rare in a commercial campsite to be allowed fires so this was a little gem!

Original and authentic bush feel

Fire pit area

The bush kitchen

Our spacious site

Charters Towers

 

Charters Towers was originally a gold rush town and it’s prosperity was legendary, at one time in it’s history it was the second largest city in the state of Qld. Locally known as ‘The World’ it reached it’s peak in 1900 when there were 892 hotels in the city, today there are (sadly) only 8!! We visited the town on a sleepy Sunday soaked up the historic atmosphere visiting the Stock Exchange Building, Towers Hill lookout and WWII bunkers.

 

 

View of 'the World' aka Charters Towers

Drive in Movies

We spent the evening re-living yester year at Tors drive in movies. We were a bit confused about where to park but direction was at hand and the kids enjoyed ‘The Expendables 3’ although it was a bit of an endurance challenge for me! Tors show a movie double bill, but it was way past our usual bedtime by 9pm so we only stayed for the one!