Known locally as the "Silver Link" it not only connects the towns of Ayr and Home Hill, but forms a vital transport link between the North and the South,Before the high level bridge was completed in 1957. The Burdekin River was impassable for much of the annual wet season. This hampered trade and limited economic development in North Queensland. The silver link is an impressive 1103 metres long and is the only bridge in Australia built without a firm Foothole.
If you are lucky enough to be in the Burdekin during crushing season (June to Nov) the brilliant orange glow of a cane fire, and the evening sky becomes simply breathtaking.
Try to get along to see this magnificent show. The Burdekin is one of the last remaining areas in Australia where green cane is burnt before harvesting to remove excess leaves known as cane trash. With flames jumping into the air it is a feast for the eyes. The ash from the cane is thrown high into the sky often travelling hundreds of metres even kilometres before spiralling down to earth. Locals commonly refer to this as "Burdekin Snow". Water, Sunshine, rich farmland the Burdekin has got all the ingredients to make it the sugar producing capital of Australia. The area is named as such because of the Burdekin River.
Camped up at Lake Elphinstone
The local Craft Group
We left Ayr on Saturday morning and drove inland to Lake Elphinstone where we joined fellow motorhomers for the weekend. Namely Carol & Graham, Julie and Peter and new friends Patty and Laurie. The lake is absolutely beautiful and a very popular spot for the locals. Many boats with skiers attached and jet skies zoomed up and down the lake. The shores were packed with campers and picnickers. We had a lovely BBQ for fathers day with a few of us having a little bit too much scotch & sambucca and a few secrets came out of the woodwork of some of our misspent youth
.
Skiers on the Lake
Monday we headed off towards Comet a very small town east of Emerald. We took the short cut through Moorabah but had to travel 6kms along a dirt track. Not very good for the bus very corrugated I almost wish I had the washing in a bucket on the floor it would have been very well agitated. We stopped in Emerald for lunch and picked up our Father's Day Mail. Thank you all for your phone calls and gifts. Dh is sharing his chocolate bag with me as he was requested. We arrived in Comet about 2oclock and met up with friends from WA Maureen and Mike. They are working and living in Comet and have been settled here for about a year now. We are parked near them on a horse farm. The owners do the Rodeo circuit and today we are being given the privilege of watching them do their roping practice. Their little 5 year daughter Dakota also rides in the rodeo on her horse Budge. There are about a dozen horses on the property as well as the steer used for roping. We leave tomorrow to go to Rockhampton and will probably drive from there in the car to meet up with my brother and SIL who are over here in the Gold Coast from WA for a holiday. We are looking forward to catching up with them. I have also booked our flights home. We will be home on the 14th Dec for 5 weeks hope to catch up with everybody then.
No comments:
Post a Comment