Day 3 -- Richmond

The contrast with Charters Towers is total.  Richmond is a compact little town, just 4 streets running north and south for under a km.  homes are lowset and modest .. Lots of gardens and shrubbery to alleviate the harsh climate.  The few shops and 2 pubs are old and plain.  But it seems to be a vibrant community with a nice swimming pool, library, floodlit footy oval, CWA and RSL and a senior citizens retirement centre.  It took e less Han 10 minutes to drive slowly past all the town's buildings.

There was frost outside the town this morning, and the local wooden church was an icebox at 9am Mass.  All 12 of us ... The priest certainly wouldn't be living on the collection!  Then a visit to the town's main attraction : Kronosaurus Corner.  This large complex houses and very comprehensive display of dinosaur fossils discovered in the area.  An audio guide gives clear explanations of each exhibit.  One can also watch the staff at work removing fossils from the rock that captured them, using acid baths and manual tools.  One would need extreme patience to do such delicate work.

Over 100 million years ago all of central Queensland was covered by the Erimanga Sea at depths up to 60 metres.  Marine life flourished and it was at this time that marine dinosaurs swam the area.  As the sea eventually drained away into the Gulf of Carpentaria stranded sea creatures were buried in the sea bed which over millennia was then covered with rock and soil.  Today this area is rich in fossil remains that are still being uncovered after accidental discovery.  The largest was Kronosaurus Queènslandicus which grew to over 11 metres in length, out sizing T Rex considerably.  They have an almost complete fossil of one on display here. Later in the day I drove 12 km out of town to a fossil hunting area -- a local quarry where fossil remnants are frequently uncovered.  Met a chap from NSW who visits very year to dig around.  He was carefully exposing a fish fossil about 35 cm long.  Would just be leaving it there as he didn't have the equipment to cut out the entire rock slab for removal.

Opposite my motel is the Cambridge Downs Store replica.  This is a copy of the original homestead that was built in the 1880s on the nearby sheep station.  It is solidly built of flagstone rocks, with strong bars on windows to keep "invaders" out.  When a new and larger homestead was built this became a store and post office.  The replica houses a museum of household equipment from that period.

A feature of the town is its artificial lake, Lake Fred Tritton.  1.2 km around, it allows for swimming, fishing, water skiing and canoeing -- as well as barbecues on the shore and a nice lit walk around it.  Is a fine recreational asset for the townsfolk so far from the sea.  I have crossed many rivers and creeks in the past couple of days .. Yet to see a drop of water anywhere!  Richmond has bore water that is treated to cool and "soften" it .. Still takes a lot of work to get a soap lather in the shower.  Tonight after dinner at local pub I have strolled around the lake .. Very pleasant though breeze getting pretty cool.

Included in today's photos are some road signs .. I think they tell one a lot about the nature of the country out here .. "A broad brown land" I think the poet described it.  Photos are here.