It should be called 2016 Not The Top End Trip.  We had intended doing the Gibb River Road and Savannah Way but they will have to wait for another opportunity. Outback Queensland is very interesting so it’s a pretty good consolation prize. 
The highlight at Winton, instead of being the scenery was the busker/bush poet who entertained us after a roast dinner at the caravan park. He was the best we have ever heard, very clever, even with costume changes and multi-accents.  Next stop was Longreach where we had been before so we didn’t do the usual tourist things.  A highlight here was brolgas wandering through the caravan park as though they owned it; beautiful, graceful birds who were not afraid of people.  We did have to buy new car batteries here because our 6-year old original batteries eventually died.

From Longreach we took a short drive on a narrow, single-lane road to Isisford, with lots of water still in low areas everywhere and side roads still being muddy from last week’s rain.  We camped at Oma Waterhole on the Barcoo River, about 16 km from Isisford, where we had a couple of fine, sunny days and cold nights. The river was still in flood but down about 3 metres from its peak so there was lots of grey clay mud – reminded us of Renmark river banks. 

Another one lane road brought us to the tiny town of Jericho where we camped at Redbank Waterhole, about 4 metres from the warter’s edge. Although quite a few vans were here this is a very good camp and we’ll return for a few days after we come back from Melbourne. 
The trip to Maroochydore was to be about 1,000 km which we did in 3 days – 550 km to Lawgi rest area, south-east of Emerald, 350 km to Kilkivan bush camp and caravan park (another very good bush park with grass, shady trees, birds, and a beaut roast dinner), and finally 100 km yesterday to Maroochydore.  We spent a few hours at the beach with Bevan, Jo, Rufus and Harvey.  When we decided to use this as our base for a Melbourne flight we had not realised that they would be here so that was a bonus.  We are looking forward to tomorrow when we’ll fly south to the cold weather to spend time with all the grand children. 
That’s all for now. Hope everyone remains safe and well. From Ted and Jo