Wed 25th June – Day 46: Richmond -> Charters Towers

A late start for all, as we stayed up late (past 9:30!) playing ‘UNO’, such a great game with so many variations as to how it is played. This morning we packed up the trailer and then took hammer, chisel, brush and bucket down to the quarry to find a rare dinosaur fossil. The brochure in town says the area abounds in shark teeth, fish bones, belemnites, ammonites and various shells.
We spent a good couple of hours in the warm dry morning air sifting through the layers of rubble turned up by the dozers – it seemed that nearly every rock was made of shells of some sort and many contained skeletal bones of fish. The belemnites were harder to find and we finally came across them just lying in the dirt. No shark teeth for us and no new dinosaur finds but we did establish that maybe Toby doesn’t want to be a palaeontologist any more and when questioned exclaimed “it’s just such hard work!” Ah well, I could have quite happily stayed there all day and while Pete and the kids finished packing, hitched up the trailer and made motions to leave, I continued scouring the ground. They had to drag me away, have I done this in a past life?
Kronosaurus Korner Fossil Centre back in Richmond is primarily dedicated to marine reptiles and the resident Curator was happy to identify our treasures. Star attractions were the Richmond Pliosaur and the Minmi (both over 100million years old and discovered by local graziers). Everything was explained with the use of hand held audio guides so we could go at our own pace and enjoy the many hands on artifacts. Another feature of this area is the ‘moon rocks’ which can vary from golf ball to huge boulder sized. These limestone cement accumulations form around a nucleus which often turns out to be a fossil and many examples were on display in the centre and around town.
We push onwards towards Charters Towers this afternoon and I use the time to look at the internet for airline and accommodation bookings for my step-sister Heidi and Mikes wedding in November which seems so far away but I know will be here in a heartbeat.
A late arrival, we set up in the pitch black and fall into bed after a dream pot spag.
Aussie Outback Oasis Big 4 (unpowered $18/night)