November 3, 2024 • 34 mins
What if you could stumble upon treasures worth hundreds of dollars while enjoying a family adventure? Join us as we recount our incredible journey through Winton, the heart of Outback Queensland, where we explore a blend of natural wonders, historic charm, and unforgettable family moments. From Jasper's birthday celebrations to the thrilling tales of dinosaur discoveries, our love for Winton grows with each visit, and we're excited to share our top 10 must-see attractions with you. You'll hear about the joys and challenges of parenting on the road, and why safety, including car seat checks, remains a priority on our travels.
Our adventure kicks off with a breathtaking sunset tour of the Rangelands cattle station, guided by the charming Vicky. Experience the tranquility of the outback landscape, enriched with stories and delightful refreshments that make Winton's hospitality genuinely special. Relive the unique spirit of Winton through its historic pubs and vibrant social scene — we promise you'll want to join us in planning a pub crawl of your own. Whether it's the vibrant performances of the Crackup Sisters or the welcoming atmosphere of Tattersall's Caravan Park, Winton's community vibe is something you won't want to miss.
As we journey through the lesser-traveled roads, we uncover the unique charm that makes Winton a standout destination. From opal fossicking at Opalton to capturing the perfect selfie at Winton's iconic signs, the town is filled with delightful surprises. Join us as we explore the interactive art of the musical fence, and get ready for our upcoming opal hunting adventure. Remember, happiness is not just a destination — it's a way of travel, and we encourage everyone to dream big, cherish their loved ones, and embrace the joy in every journey.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 1 (00:46):
Welcome to Season 9, Episode 4 of the Family Travel
Australia podcast.
We are Paul, Katie and Jasperfrom the Feel Good Family.
Join us as we explore thisgreat country, Australia, its
people, places and cultures.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
And coaches.
Yes, welcome to the FamilyTravel Podcast, where we share
the latest in RV industry newsroad trip travel, caravanning
and camping, product reviews,where to go, what to do, and so
much more.
Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
This week we share our top 10 things to do in
Winton.
From dinosaurs to opal huntersand Australia's unofficial
national anthem, winton needs tobe on top of your list for an
Outback adventure like no other.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Oh, winton, we just love you.
This really is the jewel in thecrown of Outback Queensland.
And look, you are not going tofind a better town with so much
to do than what there is outhere in Winton.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Yeah, look, this is our third trip to Winton and I
hope we've got many more in theyears to come.
Our first trip was actuallyfour years ago and Jasper
celebrated his fourth birthday.
Little tacker, he justcelebrated his eighth birthday
out.
Little tacker, he justcelebrated his eighth birthday
out there.
How cool is that.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
It is very cool.
I love that it's.
One of the coolest parts, Ithink, for him about traveling
full-time around this country isthat when we think back to all
of his birthday celebrations andwhere have we been, it conjures
up all of these incrediblememories from different
locations all around the countryand it's just a very, very cool
(02:30):
thing.
I mean, who knows where he'sgoing to spend the next 5, 10,
15 birthdays of his life.
It's just awesome.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yeah, I know.
Look, we were talking aboutthis and Katie said she never
wants to let him leave.
She's going to basically chainhim to the van.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Yeah, I think so.
Is that like a little bit overthe top parenting, or any other
parents out there agree with me?
Particularly?
I think too, when you've got anonly child and the thought of
him flying the coop at somepoint, leaving us empty nesters
People go to jail for that sortof thing.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
You've got to let him go, us empty nesters People go
to jail for that sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
You've got to let them go.
Look, I'm hoping by that stagehe'll be in the front of the
Land Cruiser and you and I willbe in the back, baby, and he'll
just be touring us around thecountry Like an Uber.
Wouldn't that be awesome?
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Oh, yeah, bring it on .
Speaker 2 (03:15):
We might upgrade from the Trusty 79, though we might
need a bit more comfort in a fewyears' time.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
It is a little rough in the back, especially when
we're under tow.
And I've got the airbags up alittle more and he says nothing.
He hasn't complained.
But I think he must think thatit's just always a bit rough
ride.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Well, look, to be fair, he is sitting in the
deluxe version, as he says, ofthe car seat that he's currently
in, and so he's got bloodyairbags everywhere.
He's fully cushioned under histushy.
He asked me to sit in the backwith him a couple of weeks ago
because he wasn't feeling overlygreat and he just felt like he
needed a little bit of companyin the back, and I reckon I
(03:58):
would have lasted maybe about oh, I don't know 20 kilometers max
.
And then I said to him mate,I've got to go in the front.
I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Oh well, he's doing well and he definitely does have
a good gig, doesn't he?
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Oh yeah, he's got it sweet.
We should really get back ontoour show notes, because this
podcast is not about that.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
No, that's right.
We did have a question come inabout Jasper's car seat actually
a number of times and there areplenty of people out there who
have an opinion Some of themseem to be like an expert
opinion, Katie about Jasper'scar seat.
Yes, and look, if you're outthere and you're listening and
you're wondering, you know, ishe too big for that seat?
He's actually got about anotherinch in that seat before his
(04:43):
shoulders would hit the mark fora changeover.
So it's, yeah, I think he canuse it, you know, really up
until he grows to that height.
So it's probably the safestposition for him is in that seat
.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Oh, most certainly.
And look, this is honestlywhere we stand on this subject
and, obviously, understanding,everybody has their own opinions
and you do what's right foryour family and really that's
all you need to worry about,isn't?
It is what's going on in yourown family.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
This one really irked , Katie.
It got under your skin.
Babe, Not many things get underyour skin.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
No, look honestly, for me it is all about safety.
We live our life on the road.
We're not just doing a coupleof you know kilometres every
week, travelling to and fromtown, you know, doing the
grocery run.
Our life is on the road andplenty of these roads are, you
know, not the safe streets thatmany other people around this
(05:37):
country travel on a day-to-daybasis to and from work or to and
from school pick-ups.
So for us, safety is paramount,particularly after, you know,
we had our rollover accidentthere a couple of years ago.
We understand how quicklythings can change.
Jasper, being in this seat inhis three-point harness seatbelt
is the safest option for himand we will keep him in that
(05:59):
until he is physically too bigto actually sit in that seat,
and I mean the time is coming.
This seat is slated through toeight-year-olds.
He's just turned eight, so Iknow that.
You know he's growing acentimetre a month.
Paul, in a minute he's going tobe out of this seat.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Yeah, look, people say, oh, he's growing like a
weed.
He is absolutely shooting up atthe moment like a beanstalk.
All right, let's get on toWinton.
That's what we're here to talkabout.
Stop your complaining, kate.
All right, now the top 10.
Okay, now there's actually top20.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Oh, so much.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
And there's plenty of new things in that four years
as well.
Talk about some incredibleinvestment out here into the
region.
But they also have someincredible status across
Australia you know the home ofdinosaurs, the birthplace of
Qantas and then plenty of otherquirky verse as well.
So let's start from our top 10.
Now Australia has an unofficialanthem, of course, in Waltzing
(07:02):
Matilda by Banjo Patterson andthe museum out here.
The Waltzing Matilda Centre, isour number one attraction, for
good reason, and that is becauseit also houses the Visitor
Information Centre, the VIC.
So that's where you can get allyour information before you
actually go out and explore.
But this centre, I can'tremember the cost of it.
(07:23):
Was it $50 million?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Oh look, I don't know .
It wouldn't surprise me, it istruly exceptional.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Yeah, it really is, and it's the only museum in the
world that is dedicated entirelyto a song.
Remarkable.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
It is Now.
Look, if you've visited Wintonmany, many years ago in the past
, you may have been to theoriginal Waltzing Matilda Centre
that very tragically burneddown due to an electrical fire
and then they rebuilt in itsplace this incredible facility.
The building itself is a reasonto come and visit.
(07:58):
It is just a stunning piece ofarchitecture.
And then to see what they haveon display here inside the
Waltzing Matilda Centre Anythingand everything to do with
Waltzing Matilda is here ondisplay.
It's interactive Jasper.
The first time we took him hewas four and he loved this
(08:19):
experience, learning the lyricsto that famous song, that famous
poem Off by Heart.
And there is so much here.
Give yourself a good few hours,because outside there is also
the Quantilda Museum.
It houses an incrediblecollection of old machinery,
vehicles, relics.
(08:40):
So much interesting stuff hereto look at, on top of what is
housed inside the collection.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Yeah, look, there's been an incredible amount of
time and community support inreally curating this museum
outside the Contilda Museum, asyou said.
Also inside there, you know Ibelieve there's over 600
versions of Waltzing Matildathat have been released across
the world, so it's not just youknow Australia's unofficial
(09:09):
national anthem.
It has been famed acrossdecades by many artists, so you
can even hear a lot of thesedifferent songs, as you said,
Katie, incredibly interactivewhen you're coming back in after
you've spent.
Now you would have been atleast two to three hours by the
time you've got through the mainmuseum and then the Quantilda
Museum.
Outside there's a theatreettewhich showcases really the
(09:33):
history of the building pre andnow, when it was burnt down and
then through to this time,delivered by a visual presence
of the jolly swagmen deliveringthe history and talking through
the song.
I really love that part of it.
But as you come back into themain area you're then able to go
(09:54):
and take some time in the BanjoPatterson reading room a
beautiful piece of architecturein there as well with windows to
the outside that have oldbottles and relics in between
the window and the outside world, and then you can enter into
the Outback Art Gallery whichover time has different
travelling exhibits and at themoment it's a national portrait
(10:17):
sort of gallery and veryinteresting.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
It is.
It is fantastic, and we wouldsay make this your first stop
when you are in Winton, not onlybecause it houses the Vic and
you'll catch up with all of thegreat staff in there, who'll
give you all the information onwhat to do, what tours to book,
where to go, you know how tospend your time in town but also
, too, because this really doesset the standard for the
(10:40):
experience that you'll have intown.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Absolutely.
There is also a really fabulouscafe there oh yes, the Tuckbox
yeah, great name, isn't it?
And, of course, a souvenir shopwhere you can pick up all your
mementos and gifts for familyand friends.
All right, let's move on tonumber two.
It is Rangeland Riffs andSunset Tour.
This was our favouriteexperience as adults and,
(11:04):
whether you've got kids, it wasstill a family-friendly
experience, but, yeah,definitely one for the adults.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
I love so many things about this experience.
Number one you can only accessthis area called the Rangeland
Rifts on a tour with Vicky andthe team from Red Dirt Tours.
Now, last time we were out herein Winton, we jumped aboard
Vicky's four-wheel drive bus andhad the awesome trip the few
(11:31):
hundred kilometres out on thedirt and back to the Lark Quarry
, the Dinosaur Stampede, andthat was just a fantastic day.
So this time around we thoughtwhat else can we do with Vicky?
So we booked onto this sunsettour and it truly is a beautiful
way to spend an afternoon herein Winton, to take advantage of
(11:52):
that incredible outback sunset,but also to have access to this
private property.
Now, rangelands is a privatecattle station located just
outside the town limits ofWinton.
Again, you can only get accessto the rangelands two ways One
if you're on a tour with Vicky,or two if you're staying at the
(12:16):
new luxury accommodation thathas recently opened here at
rangelands.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Gee, I'd love to book in there.
I need a few extra dollarsthough.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yes, and a babysitter , because this accommodation is
adults only.
But on this tour we got pickedup from our accommodation and
they pick you up no matter whereyou're staying in town.
They'll pick you up on the bus,take you out to the rangelands
and this landscape.
I don't know, it's ancient andit's completely unique.
(12:48):
And of course, winton is famousfor the jump-ups or the messes.
You know these land masses thatrise up out of the ground and
you know you can get up atopsome of them and look out over
the landscape below and it'salmost like the Savannah Plains.
And we did learn from our guideon this tour that you know many
(13:11):
of the species of bush and treethat grow out on these plains.
You know hail from Africa andthat's clearly what you can
picture when you're standing uphere.
And also the thing for me ispicturing the dinosaurs roaming,
you know, millions of years ago, hundreds of millions of years
(13:34):
ago, as they did out here onthis landscape, and then the
rifts are the edges of the mess.
Are that over again?
Who knows?
Thousands, tens of thousands,hundreds of thousands, millions
of years eroded away due to theelements, the wind, the water,
(13:56):
the rain, and they've createdthis incredible environment that
you can feel like a tiny littleant environment that you can
feel like a tiny little ant hey,paul and walk down between the
crevices of these rifts that aretowering giants overhead.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Look, I love this and what you said there about
you're standing up there andlooking out across the plains
and you can picture thedinosaurs roaming.
Do you know whether it's builtor natural here in Winton and
anywhere really across OutbackQueensland.
It is like you're in a movieset and you can see why people
come out here and film from allaround the world major
(14:34):
productions, you know, studentproductions.
They have their annual VisionSplendid Outback Film Festival
out here, for good reason.
So you've got this sense oflike epic adventure when you're
standing out there, like you say, and ancient, you know I love
that.
And then, to finish it off,you're back into the bus.
(14:55):
You're up on top of therangelands now watching the
sunset.
What would you like to drink?
Sparkling wine your choice red,white variants, beautiful food
offering.
It was just so classy and sowell done.
There's even some littleseating, some bench seating,
that you can sit down if youlike, or you can wander and do
(15:18):
your own thing, and this takeson probably the last 45 minutes
to an hour of the tour beforeyou're back on the bus and
you're heading in.
We loved it.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Oh, absolutely A really beautiful experience.
It didn't feel rushed, no, wehad plenty of time and we would
highly recommend you book on toRed Dirt Tours.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Fantastic Number three Winton's Historic Pubs.
Now let's just go down the list.
Okay, you've got the Winton yes, back off the main street.
All right, let's just say youwere going to do a pub crawl.
I don't know why someone intown hasn't jumped on this as a
tour product.
I know If I lived in Winton,this is what I'd run Yep, the
(16:00):
Outback Pub Crawl.
And this is a quintessential,authentic.
Meet the characters behind thebar and become part of the
fabric of the Outback.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
That's right, and what's so bloody amazing about
this is that you can literallywalk between the pubs, so you
don't have to worry aboutdriving, you don't have to worry
about drinking.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
I call them a pub walk, katie.
I call them a pub walk for goodreason.
So the Winton, I go there first.
Okay, beautiful historic pub,and then I'd head over to
Tattersall's.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Yep, great, a great pub.
You love the interior andexterior of this pub.
By the way, we stayed straightacross the road at the
Tattersall's Caravan Park andthat meant that we barely drove
anywhere.
And then when you get on toursand someone else is driving,
it's even better.
So Tattersalls would be our hottip, especially if you want
(16:52):
just you know beautiful, cleanamenities, green grass Very rare
out here in these parts yes,and you just walk across the
road and you're at TattersallsFantastic, okay, great meals
there.
And then you walk down andyou're into the Australian yes,
okay which unfortunately wasclosed this time while we're
there, but it's on the market.
(17:13):
It'll be snapped up in a matterof months.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Oh look, I know For sure.
I think if we were looking fora little something-something on
the side not that we are, butthis would be an amazing venue.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
I never am looking for a little something,
something on the side babe.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
A little project, a little fixer-upper, this would
be an amazing venue to own.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
And we have been to the Australian on previous
visits to Winton.
I think it may be close,because last time we were there
we were met by a fairlyinebriated publican who shouted
the first round, and I thoughtthat's his seventh round for
sure.
Bless him.
He's had a few under his belt.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Yeah, bless him, but that was entertaining.
It was entertaining and this isa great pub.
And if you're looking for aproject and you think owning a
pub called the Australian inWinton, in one of the best towns
in outback Queensland, soundslike a bloody good idea, we're
up there with you.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Yes, okay, and then you'd cross the road.
Yes, there's a crossing, soyou'll feel safe no matter what
state you're in by now.
And head to the North, gregory.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Oh, yes, and this I mean step inside the movie set.
Why don't you?
That's what it's like.
This Inside the movie set, whydon't you?
That's what it's like?
This is absolutely stunning.
I mean, in fact, the entiremain street of Winton is like
you are on a movie set.
It doesn't matter which way youlook, in what direction.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
There is definitely a feel about it, and then, to
finish off, at the North Gregory, and with a little bit of luck,
gregory North is making anappearance.
That really is his name.
You know, the Australianchampion poet and bush poet is
his name.
You know, the Australianchampion poet and bush poet, and
he delivers the historycomplete of Banjo Patterson, the
famous Watson, matilda, throughhis characterization of the
(18:56):
history and everything thatyou'd want to know.
You can order a beautiful pubmeal there.
The drinks are flying, thebeer's cold, the people are
friendly.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
It's super family friendly as well.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
We were those people with the crazy kids that ran
around and were loud and, youknow, played on the grass and
probably upset all the otherpatrons, and that was us.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Yes, look, he settled down over time, isn't he?
Okay, and that would wrap upyour pub crawl and then you'd
just be back to your van for anightcap.
Awesome, love it All.
Right.
Now let's move on to numberfour, the Opal Miner.
This guy is the real OpalHunter.
(19:40):
Yes, like literally, he's inthe show.
Okay, and we're talking aboutJoe Taranto and his beautiful
wife Tash.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Oh look, you can't go past this shop front here.
It is on the main street,almost directly opposite the
Tattersall's Hotel, and if youare looking for an authentic
Opal experience, then this isthe place to stick your head
into.
And you will be overwhelmedwith the incredible beauty that
they have on display here in theshop.
And you'll be overwhelmed toknow that everything they have
on display in the shop has beenmin.
(20:03):
Be overwhelmed to know thateverything they have on display
in the shop has been mined byJoe and Tash from their private
claim out at Opalton.
These guys are incredible.
They are just beautiful people.
They will give you all of thetime of day to talk to you about
their passion for Winton, forOpalton, for Queensland's
(20:26):
Boulder Opal.
They are just I don't know,they're just awesome people.
Over the years we've formed agreat relationship with these
guys and we love stopping in andseeing them every time we're
back in Winton and look, you'lllearn lots.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Look, they're the real deal.
Yeah, I think Now there is theOpal Walk inside their store.
So you have all the beautifuljewelry on display which, again,
is very unique for these guys,because they mine it, they cut
it, they make it into jewelry,so they kind of do it all yes,
all right, and then they have ajeweler that finishes everything
(21:00):
off.
So it is beautiful,professional, you know, unique.
Every piece is unique.
Yeah, and it's Australia'snational gemstone, Katie.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Yeah, it is, and look when you do stick your head in
here.
We would definitely recommendthat you ask Joe his story,
because it is fascinating,heartwarming to think that
somebody who was so far removedfrom this opal industry made a
(21:29):
change in his life and decidedto come out and give it a crack,
and then to hear of his storyover the years, it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
It is amazing and I mean, they've been out here for
over 30 years he's been doingthis Interestingly the first
time that they actually strucksome colour, as he calls it, and
he got the bug, or the bug gothim.
There was five years of opalflowing oh can you imagine
Followed by seven years ofnothing.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Yeah, the drought.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
You've just got to think about that.
It's like imagine going to workfor seven years and not getting
paid a cent.
You just keep coming back.
How do you get out of bed?
How do you re-motivate yourselfto keep going?
Speaker 2 (22:10):
I think it's the call of the colour, though, paul,
you know, like we know just fromour little fossicking around
and I mean we head out toOpalton and we'll talk about
that in an upcoming podcast.
But it's that call of.
I've just got to keep looking.
It's just going to be heresomewhere.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Look, I've just got to keep looking.
It's just going to be heresomewhere.
Look, I've got that littletreasure hunter.
You know, back when I was eight, you know, and that's still in
me, yes, and it is in mostpeople once you let it out.
Now, besides the open walk andthe history of the mining in the
region that you can do, behindthe main front of the store
there is also a wonderful areafor fossicking for kids, where
(22:47):
Joe regularly brings in a bigwheelbarrow full of rocks dirty
rocks really, but in there somespray bottles, and he lets the
kids go through and try and findtheir little treasure.
But I tell you what they've hadsome kids find opal worth $600
to $700.
So they're very generous.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
They are they actually?
Speaker 1 (23:10):
In what they really are giving yes To travellers and
people who have the interest inwanting to learn more.
They're so giving of their time.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Yes, you took the words out of my mouth, Paul.
They are incredible people.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
All right, and there is a great interview that we do
that covers off their story withboth of them together, this
time on our YouTube channel, andjust go to our website,
thefeelgoodfamilycom, to findout more information about these
guys.
All right, number five, builtin 1918, the Heritage Building
out here, the Royal Open AirTheatre.
(23:44):
Step back in time, katie.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Oh look, this is such a beautiful building and it's
so lovely to stick your headinto and have a look around all
of the historic artefacts thatthey've been able to bring back
to life, and you can watch amovie any night of the week
during the high season here atthe Open Air Theatre.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Yes, everything from John Wayne bit of a spaghetti
western all the way through tonostalgia, the history of
theatre in Australia and aroundthe world and, yes, some other
kids' activities and happenduring school holidays as well
in this space during the day.
And of course, that wonderfulannual event of the Vision
Splendour Awesome Happens hereas well.
Yeah, okay, let's move on.
(24:28):
Number six need a laugh?
The Crackup Sisters.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Oh look, watching the journey of the Crackup Sisters.
We met these gals on our firstvisit and got to spend some time
with them and they gave ustheir vision.
You know, we're going to dothis and we're going to do that,
and we're going to build ahouse and we're going to have
this massive area where peoplecan come and watch our show and
I mean, this is not just for thekids, you know, anybody of any
(24:56):
age will absolutely love theheartwarming comedy show that
the Crackup Sisters put on.
And to come back to Winton fouryears later and to see what
they have accomplished and thatthey have in fact done all the
things that they told us theywere dreaming of creating here
in Winton Just awesome.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Yeah, and just good people.
I love the way you said gals,gals, the gals.
Do you know what it reminds meof olden day slapstick collides
with outback characters.
You know that?
Authentic Aussie larrikins.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Yes, isn't it?
Yeah, it's a whole bunch ofgood fun, and if you need a
little pick-me-up or you justfeel like you need a good giggle
, you know there's not a chanceyou can walk away from the
Crackup Sisters without feelinggood.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
No, and look, their house now is an Airbnb.
So if you're self-driver, youwant to-.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
You can sleep over, though, with the girls.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Exactly, that sounds all right.
A quirky night out of the van,that'd be the stay.
And of course they do yardtours and lots of interactive
fun for the kids, for the wholefamily, during school holidays.
And they have that welladvertised through their website
so you can check them out orfind them on Facebook.
Awesome, all right.
Number seven the famous Wintonsigns.
There's a few to choose from.
(26:11):
We love doing the rounds and atdifferent times of the day
you'll have a differentexperience.
To get the perfect selfie, orif you want to get a few shots
to send back to the family sothat they can go wow, you really
are in the middle of theoutback.
These are the signs for youSend me a sign.
Here's three.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Yeah, look, have you really been to Winton If you
haven't got a selfie in front ofthe Winton signs?
Number one, the Way Out Westsign.
Now, this is just on the veryedge of town, not far from the
Tattersalls Caravan Park.
You can actually drive yourvehicle right up onto the mound.
We time it perfectly for thatawesome sunset shot and it is a
great selfie to send back toyour friends and family.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Yes, you've got the absolutely large signage.
It's like Hollywood but it saysWinton.
Obviously I wouldn't sayHollywood, but you can pull your
rig right in there as well, onthe way out or the way in, or
like we did, we just took the 79over and got some magical
sunset shots, with the sunbouncing along the top of each
(27:12):
letter, as the drone pannedaround and Jasper kicked up the
dirt.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Yeah, it was, epic, looked like a movie.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
You know scene, didn't it Katie?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
It was awesome.
And then the third sign that wewould say you definitely need
to get a photo with is the Homeof Qantas sign, which is out
near the very quirky musicalfence, which is our number eight
.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
And look, this is a quirky art installation with a
difference, a real chance forthe kids to absolutely burn the
energy and bang out of this oldmachinery and tin and metal.
And they've got their whackingsticks with the PVC piping.
They can basically just letloose, go wild in the wild.
(27:58):
We love it.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Yeah, Recycling at its best really, it's reusing
all the old junk to make it anawesome space for kids and big
kids to.
Yeah, let some steam off.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Look, another family favourite of ours is number nine
, the Winton Pool and AquaticCentre.
We had Jasper's fourth birthdaythere as a pool party and now
we enjoyed his eighth birthdaythere as a pool party as well.
An incredible amount ofinfrastructure.
Yes, you know the money that'sbeen spent on this place for a
$2 entry is remarkable.
(28:29):
Yeah, there's slides and asplash area and then there's a
main Olympic pool and thenthere's a toddler pool, some
covered areas.
So they've done it very well.
We always enjoy our time here.
It is open in the later partsof the day and early in the
morning to beat the heat of, youknow, the sun.
Here the temperatures can getpretty high, but a great place
(28:52):
to cool off and again burn offsome energy.
Love it All right.
Number 10, the last one, ofcourse, you can't come out here
to Winton without seeing thedinosaurs.
The home of the dinosaurs is,of course, the Australian Age of
Dinosaurs.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Oh, this and again.
This is a world-class museumfacility with a whole range of
different tours on offer, so wewould definitely recommend jump
onto their website, have a lookat the tours that will suit you
and your travelling entourage,whether you're, you know, a
couple travelling or a familytogether.
They do great stuff here, andthis is a working laboratory as
(29:29):
well, and you can do a lab tourand see the staff and the
incredible volunteers who comeout here every single year and,
you know, spend endless hourschipping millimetres away from
fossilised dinosaur bones thathave been found here in Winton.
I mean, for me, when we firstvisited the Australian Age of
(29:54):
Dinosaurs.
You know, we all know dinosaursas kids, we read the books, we
watch the cartoons on TV, butthey also kind of become like
this mythical creature.
You know it's hard to reallyget in your head that these
actually were living creatureson our planet.
And then you come out here andyou see, seriously, the floor to
(30:18):
ceiling shelving of fossilsthat have been dug up from the
earth out here and you see thevolunteers working on them and
you see them on display and allof a sudden it just boom, it's
real, like it makes thesecreatures real.
Well, it certainly did for me.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
We love it and they have added to the experiences
out here at the Age of Dinosaurs.
They also co-manage the LuckQuarry.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Yes, the D stampede, and we would recommend get
yourself on to a tour again withVicky from Red Dirt and get out
there and see this incrediblefootprint phenomenon out here.
It is quite far out from WintonTown itself, hence why jumping
on Vicky's four-wheel drive busis a good idea.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Excellent.
What did you say?
It's a foot phenomenon.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
A footprint phenomenon.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
I love that, Katie.
I don't think they're going touse it in their marketing, but
it's an interesting way to putit, it is a footprint phenomenon
.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
There's like over 3,000 footprints of different
dinosaurs here.
You can actually in your mind'seye, see the chaos that is
going on and you can understandwhat's happening, with all of
the little baby dinosaurfootprints getting scattered as
the big predator dinosaur comesin hungry for lunch.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
I do love your natural enthusiasm, Katie.
It is infectious.
Thanks, Tom.
A little odd at times, but itis infectious.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
You know I have to say, I know you're winding me up
and we've banged on long enoughabout dinosaurs, but I do have
to say we thought Light Quarryand the Dinosaur Stampede was
amazing, when you really, reallyunderstand what it is.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
And we've met other people that have gone.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Yeah, it is okay.
I don't know if I'd tellanybody else to go out there and
look at it.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Discover footprints mate.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Well, it's 3,000 footprints in the ground that
you can see, every single one ofof dinosaurs that we hear.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Righto, so take.
You know you got to take orleave it, but we definitely took
it.
We loved our experience outthere.
Now the other thing that isbrand new and exciting out here
is the Gondwana Dark SkyObservatory.
Bookings are essential, soyou'll have to get onto the
website to check that out.
But that does wrap up our top10 things to do when you come
(32:41):
out to Winton.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
Oh, so awesome.
And obviously on top of thislist there is so many other
things that you can do and seewhile you are and from Winton is
so awesome, like there is somuch to see and do along the way
(33:12):
.
That's right, and you canactually get to Winton on the
bitumen.
You don't have to go, the waywe did, across the Plenty
Highway and on the dirt.
You can reach Winton fully onthe bitumen.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Absolutely, and that's really what I wanted to
share.
Was that, because people sayfully on the bitumen, absolutely
, and that's really what Iwanted to share was that people
say, oh you know, is it all offroad?
And no, it is questionable roadat times.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Sometimes the dirt is better than the bitumen.
We won't lie.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
That's true.
That's true it needs some work,but it's safe, okay, and we
haven't seen a lot of wildlifealong the fringes this journey.
You know, the emus were veryapparent when you get close to
Longreach, which we will do nextweek, but at the moment quiet
along the wildlife, so it's verysafe driving conditions.
Now, this does give me a verygood segue into our takeaway for
this week, which is rememberthat happiness is a way of
(34:06):
travel, not a destination.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Oh, I love that.
That's great.
That needs to be a bumpersticker.
It does.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
We'll put it on our website.
Katie, I'm going to get somestickers.
Mate, done All right.
Well, look, that wraps up forthis week.
Next week, we head, even moreremote, out to Opalton.
Oh, what an experience, a firstfor the feel-good.
Yes, you're going to love thatlet's go.
Opal hunting baby.
All right, I think for nowwe'll say dream big, look after
(34:36):
yourself and look after yourfamily.
And happy trails.
Happy trails, feel the journey,feel the love, feel good family
.
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Speaker 1 (00:46):
Welcome to Season 9, Episode 4 of the Family Travel
Australia podcast.
We are Paul, Katie and Jasperfrom the Feel Good Family.
Join us as we explore thisgreat country, Australia, its
people, places and cultures.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
And coaches.
Yes, welcome to the FamilyTravel Podcast, where we share
the latest in RV industry newsroad trip travel, caravanning
and camping, product reviews,where to go, what to do, and so
much more.
Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
This week we share our top 10 things to do in
Winton.
From dinosaurs to opal huntersand Australia's unofficial
national anthem, winton needs tobe on top of your list for an
Outback adventure like no other.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Oh, winton, we just love you.
This really is the jewel in thecrown of Outback Queensland.
And look, you are not going tofind a better town with so much
to do than what there is outhere in Winton.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Yeah, look, this is our third trip to Winton and I
hope we've got many more in theyears to come.
Our first trip was actuallyfour years ago and Jasper
celebrated his fourth birthday.
Little tacker, he justcelebrated his eighth birthday
out.
Little tacker, he justcelebrated his eighth birthday
out there.
How cool is that.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
It is very cool.
I love that it's.
One of the coolest parts, Ithink, for him about traveling
full-time around this country isthat when we think back to all
of his birthday celebrations andwhere have we been, it conjures
up all of these incrediblememories from different
locations all around the countryand it's just a very, very cool
(02:30):
thing.
I mean, who knows where he'sgoing to spend the next 5, 10,
15 birthdays of his life.
It's just awesome.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yeah, I know.
Look, we were talking aboutthis and Katie said she never
wants to let him leave.
She's going to basically chainhim to the van.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Yeah, I think so.
Is that like a little bit overthe top parenting, or any other
parents out there agree with me?
Particularly?
I think too, when you've got anonly child and the thought of
him flying the coop at somepoint, leaving us empty nesters
People go to jail for that sortof thing.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
You've got to let him go, us empty nesters People go
to jail for that sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
You've got to let them go.
Look, I'm hoping by that stagehe'll be in the front of the
Land Cruiser and you and I willbe in the back, baby, and he'll
just be touring us around thecountry Like an Uber.
Wouldn't that be awesome?
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Oh, yeah, bring it on .
Speaker 2 (03:15):
We might upgrade from the Trusty 79, though we might
need a bit more comfort in a fewyears' time.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
It is a little rough in the back, especially when
we're under tow.
And I've got the airbags up alittle more and he says nothing.
He hasn't complained.
But I think he must think thatit's just always a bit rough
ride.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Well, look, to be fair, he is sitting in the
deluxe version, as he says, ofthe car seat that he's currently
in, and so he's got bloodyairbags everywhere.
He's fully cushioned under histushy.
He asked me to sit in the backwith him a couple of weeks ago
because he wasn't feeling overlygreat and he just felt like he
needed a little bit of companyin the back, and I reckon I
(03:58):
would have lasted maybe about oh, I don't know 20 kilometers max
.
And then I said to him mate,I've got to go in the front.
I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Oh well, he's doing well and he definitely does have
a good gig, doesn't he?
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Oh yeah, he's got it sweet.
We should really get back ontoour show notes, because this
podcast is not about that.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
No, that's right.
We did have a question come inabout Jasper's car seat actually
a number of times and there areplenty of people out there who
have an opinion Some of themseem to be like an expert
opinion, Katie about Jasper'scar seat.
Yes, and look, if you're outthere and you're listening and
you're wondering, you know, ishe too big for that seat?
He's actually got about anotherinch in that seat before his
(04:43):
shoulders would hit the mark fora changeover.
So it's, yeah, I think he canuse it, you know, really up
until he grows to that height.
So it's probably the safestposition for him is in that seat
.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Oh, most certainly.
And look, this is honestlywhere we stand on this subject
and, obviously, understanding,everybody has their own opinions
and you do what's right foryour family and really that's
all you need to worry about,isn't?
It is what's going on in yourown family.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
This one really irked , Katie.
It got under your skin.
Babe, Not many things get underyour skin.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
No, look honestly, for me it is all about safety.
We live our life on the road.
We're not just doing a coupleof you know kilometres every
week, travelling to and fromtown, you know, doing the
grocery run.
Our life is on the road andplenty of these roads are, you
know, not the safe streets thatmany other people around this
(05:37):
country travel on a day-to-daybasis to and from work or to and
from school pick-ups.
So for us, safety is paramount,particularly after, you know,
we had our rollover accidentthere a couple of years ago.
We understand how quicklythings can change.
Jasper, being in this seat inhis three-point harness seatbelt
is the safest option for himand we will keep him in that
(05:59):
until he is physically too bigto actually sit in that seat,
and I mean the time is coming.
This seat is slated through toeight-year-olds.
He's just turned eight, so Iknow that.
You know he's growing acentimetre a month.
Paul, in a minute he's going tobe out of this seat.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Yeah, look, people say, oh, he's growing like a
weed.
He is absolutely shooting up atthe moment like a beanstalk.
All right, let's get on toWinton.
That's what we're here to talkabout.
Stop your complaining, kate.
All right, now the top 10.
Okay, now there's actually top20.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Oh, so much.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
And there's plenty of new things in that four years
as well.
Talk about some incredibleinvestment out here into the
region.
But they also have someincredible status across
Australia you know the home ofdinosaurs, the birthplace of
Qantas and then plenty of otherquirky verse as well.
So let's start from our top 10.
Now Australia has an unofficialanthem, of course, in Waltzing
(07:02):
Matilda by Banjo Patterson andthe museum out here.
The Waltzing Matilda Centre, isour number one attraction, for
good reason, and that is becauseit also houses the Visitor
Information Centre, the VIC.
So that's where you can get allyour information before you
actually go out and explore.
But this centre, I can'tremember the cost of it.
(07:23):
Was it $50 million?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Oh look, I don't know .
It wouldn't surprise me, it istruly exceptional.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Yeah, it really is, and it's the only museum in the
world that is dedicated entirelyto a song.
Remarkable.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
It is Now.
Look, if you've visited Wintonmany, many years ago in the past
, you may have been to theoriginal Waltzing Matilda Centre
that very tragically burneddown due to an electrical fire
and then they rebuilt in itsplace this incredible facility.
The building itself is a reasonto come and visit.
(07:58):
It is just a stunning piece ofarchitecture.
And then to see what they haveon display here inside the
Waltzing Matilda Centre Anythingand everything to do with
Waltzing Matilda is here ondisplay.
It's interactive Jasper.
The first time we took him hewas four and he loved this
(08:19):
experience, learning the lyricsto that famous song, that famous
poem Off by Heart.
And there is so much here.
Give yourself a good few hours,because outside there is also
the Quantilda Museum.
It houses an incrediblecollection of old machinery,
vehicles, relics.
(08:40):
So much interesting stuff hereto look at, on top of what is
housed inside the collection.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Yeah, look, there's been an incredible amount of
time and community support inreally curating this museum
outside the Contilda Museum, asyou said.
Also inside there, you know Ibelieve there's over 600
versions of Waltzing Matildathat have been released across
the world, so it's not just youknow Australia's unofficial
(09:09):
national anthem.
It has been famed acrossdecades by many artists, so you
can even hear a lot of thesedifferent songs, as you said,
Katie, incredibly interactivewhen you're coming back in after
you've spent.
Now you would have been atleast two to three hours by the
time you've got through the mainmuseum and then the Quantilda
Museum.
Outside there's a theatreettewhich showcases really the
(09:33):
history of the building pre andnow, when it was burnt down and
then through to this time,delivered by a visual presence
of the jolly swagmen deliveringthe history and talking through
the song.
I really love that part of it.
But as you come back into themain area you're then able to go
(09:54):
and take some time in the BanjoPatterson reading room a
beautiful piece of architecturein there as well with windows to
the outside that have oldbottles and relics in between
the window and the outside world, and then you can enter into
the Outback Art Gallery whichover time has different
travelling exhibits and at themoment it's a national portrait
(10:17):
sort of gallery and veryinteresting.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
It is.
It is fantastic, and we wouldsay make this your first stop
when you are in Winton, not onlybecause it houses the Vic and
you'll catch up with all of thegreat staff in there, who'll
give you all the information onwhat to do, what tours to book,
where to go, you know how tospend your time in town but also
, too, because this really doesset the standard for the
(10:40):
experience that you'll have intown.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Absolutely.
There is also a really fabulouscafe there oh yes, the Tuckbox
yeah, great name, isn't it?
And, of course, a souvenir shopwhere you can pick up all your
mementos and gifts for familyand friends.
All right, let's move on tonumber two.
It is Rangeland Riffs andSunset Tour.
This was our favouriteexperience as adults and,
(11:04):
whether you've got kids, it wasstill a family-friendly
experience, but, yeah,definitely one for the adults.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
I love so many things about this experience.
Number one you can only accessthis area called the Rangeland
Rifts on a tour with Vicky andthe team from Red Dirt Tours.
Now, last time we were out herein Winton, we jumped aboard
Vicky's four-wheel drive bus andhad the awesome trip the few
(11:31):
hundred kilometres out on thedirt and back to the Lark Quarry
, the Dinosaur Stampede, andthat was just a fantastic day.
So this time around we thoughtwhat else can we do with Vicky?
So we booked onto this sunsettour and it truly is a beautiful
way to spend an afternoon herein Winton, to take advantage of
(11:52):
that incredible outback sunset,but also to have access to this
private property.
Now, rangelands is a privatecattle station located just
outside the town limits ofWinton.
Again, you can only get accessto the rangelands two ways One
if you're on a tour with Vicky,or two if you're staying at the
(12:16):
new luxury accommodation thathas recently opened here at
rangelands.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Gee, I'd love to book in there.
I need a few extra dollarsthough.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yes, and a babysitter , because this accommodation is
adults only.
But on this tour we got pickedup from our accommodation and
they pick you up no matter whereyou're staying in town.
They'll pick you up on the bus,take you out to the rangelands
and this landscape.
I don't know, it's ancient andit's completely unique.
(12:48):
And of course, winton is famousfor the jump-ups or the messes.
You know these land masses thatrise up out of the ground and
you know you can get up atopsome of them and look out over
the landscape below and it'salmost like the Savannah Plains.
And we did learn from our guideon this tour that you know many
(13:11):
of the species of bush and treethat grow out on these plains.
You know hail from Africa andthat's clearly what you can
picture when you're standing uphere.
And also the thing for me ispicturing the dinosaurs roaming,
you know, millions of years ago, hundreds of millions of years
(13:34):
ago, as they did out here onthis landscape, and then the
rifts are the edges of the mess.
Are that over again?
Who knows?
Thousands, tens of thousands,hundreds of thousands, millions
of years eroded away due to theelements, the wind, the water,
(13:56):
the rain, and they've createdthis incredible environment that
you can feel like a tiny littleant environment that you can
feel like a tiny little ant hey,paul and walk down between the
crevices of these rifts that aretowering giants overhead.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Look, I love this and what you said there about
you're standing up there andlooking out across the plains
and you can picture thedinosaurs roaming.
Do you know whether it's builtor natural here in Winton and
anywhere really across OutbackQueensland.
It is like you're in a movieset and you can see why people
come out here and film from allaround the world major
(14:34):
productions, you know, studentproductions.
They have their annual VisionSplendid Outback Film Festival
out here, for good reason.
So you've got this sense oflike epic adventure when you're
standing out there, like you say, and ancient, you know I love
that.
And then, to finish it off,you're back into the bus.
(14:55):
You're up on top of therangelands now watching the
sunset.
What would you like to drink?
Sparkling wine your choice red,white variants, beautiful food
offering.
It was just so classy and sowell done.
There's even some littleseating, some bench seating,
that you can sit down if youlike, or you can wander and do
(15:18):
your own thing, and this takeson probably the last 45 minutes
to an hour of the tour beforeyou're back on the bus and
you're heading in.
We loved it.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Oh, absolutely A really beautiful experience.
It didn't feel rushed, no, wehad plenty of time and we would
highly recommend you book on toRed Dirt Tours.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Fantastic Number three Winton's Historic Pubs.
Now let's just go down the list.
Okay, you've got the Winton yes, back off the main street.
All right, let's just say youwere going to do a pub crawl.
I don't know why someone intown hasn't jumped on this as a
tour product.
I know If I lived in Winton,this is what I'd run Yep, the
(16:00):
Outback Pub Crawl.
And this is a quintessential,authentic.
Meet the characters behind thebar and become part of the
fabric of the Outback.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
That's right, and what's so bloody amazing about
this is that you can literallywalk between the pubs, so you
don't have to worry aboutdriving, you don't have to worry
about drinking.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
I call them a pub walk, katie.
I call them a pub walk for goodreason.
So the Winton, I go there first.
Okay, beautiful historic pub,and then I'd head over to
Tattersall's.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Yep, great, a great pub.
You love the interior andexterior of this pub.
By the way, we stayed straightacross the road at the
Tattersall's Caravan Park andthat meant that we barely drove
anywhere.
And then when you get on toursand someone else is driving,
it's even better.
So Tattersalls would be our hottip, especially if you want
(16:52):
just you know beautiful, cleanamenities, green grass Very rare
out here in these parts yes,and you just walk across the
road and you're at TattersallsFantastic, okay, great meals
there.
And then you walk down andyou're into the Australian yes,
okay which unfortunately wasclosed this time while we're
there, but it's on the market.
(17:13):
It'll be snapped up in a matterof months.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Oh look, I know For sure.
I think if we were looking fora little something-something on
the side not that we are, butthis would be an amazing venue.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
I never am looking for a little something,
something on the side babe.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
A little project, a little fixer-upper, this would
be an amazing venue to own.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
And we have been to the Australian on previous
visits to Winton.
I think it may be close,because last time we were there
we were met by a fairlyinebriated publican who shouted
the first round, and I thoughtthat's his seventh round for
sure.
Bless him.
He's had a few under his belt.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Yeah, bless him, but that was entertaining.
It was entertaining and this isa great pub.
And if you're looking for aproject and you think owning a
pub called the Australian inWinton, in one of the best towns
in outback Queensland, soundslike a bloody good idea, we're
up there with you.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Yes, okay, and then you'd cross the road.
Yes, there's a crossing, soyou'll feel safe no matter what
state you're in by now.
And head to the North, gregory.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Oh, yes, and this I mean step inside the movie set.
Why don't you?
That's what it's like.
This Inside the movie set, whydon't you?
That's what it's like?
This is absolutely stunning.
I mean, in fact, the entiremain street of Winton is like
you are on a movie set.
It doesn't matter which way youlook, in what direction.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
There is definitely a feel about it, and then, to
finish off, at the North Gregory, and with a little bit of luck,
gregory North is making anappearance.
That really is his name.
You know, the Australianchampion poet and bush poet is
his name.
You know, the Australianchampion poet and bush poet, and
he delivers the historycomplete of Banjo Patterson, the
famous Watson, matilda, throughhis characterization of the
(18:56):
history and everything thatyou'd want to know.
You can order a beautiful pubmeal there.
The drinks are flying, thebeer's cold, the people are
friendly.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
It's super family friendly as well.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
We were those people with the crazy kids that ran
around and were loud and, youknow, played on the grass and
probably upset all the otherpatrons, and that was us.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Yes, look, he settled down over time, isn't he?
Okay, and that would wrap upyour pub crawl and then you'd
just be back to your van for anightcap.
Awesome, love it All.
Right.
Now let's move on to numberfour, the Opal Miner.
This guy is the real OpalHunter.
(19:40):
Yes, like literally, he's inthe show.
Okay, and we're talking aboutJoe Taranto and his beautiful
wife Tash.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Oh look, you can't go past this shop front here.
It is on the main street,almost directly opposite the
Tattersall's Hotel, and if youare looking for an authentic
Opal experience, then this isthe place to stick your head
into.
And you will be overwhelmedwith the incredible beauty that
they have on display here in theshop.
And you'll be overwhelmed toknow that everything they have
on display in the shop has beenmin.
(20:03):
Be overwhelmed to know thateverything they have on display
in the shop has been mined byJoe and Tash from their private
claim out at Opalton.
These guys are incredible.
They are just beautiful people.
They will give you all of thetime of day to talk to you about
their passion for Winton, forOpalton, for Queensland's
(20:26):
Boulder Opal.
They are just I don't know,they're just awesome people.
Over the years we've formed agreat relationship with these
guys and we love stopping in andseeing them every time we're
back in Winton and look, you'lllearn lots.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Look, they're the real deal.
Yeah, I think Now there is theOpal Walk inside their store.
So you have all the beautifuljewelry on display which, again,
is very unique for these guys,because they mine it, they cut
it, they make it into jewelry,so they kind of do it all yes,
all right, and then they have ajeweler that finishes everything
(21:00):
off.
So it is beautiful,professional, you know, unique.
Every piece is unique.
Yeah, and it's Australia'snational gemstone, Katie.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Yeah, it is, and look when you do stick your head in
here.
We would definitely recommendthat you ask Joe his story,
because it is fascinating,heartwarming to think that
somebody who was so far removedfrom this opal industry made a
(21:29):
change in his life and decidedto come out and give it a crack,
and then to hear of his storyover the years, it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
It is amazing and I mean, they've been out here for
over 30 years he's been doingthis Interestingly the first
time that they actually strucksome colour, as he calls it, and
he got the bug, or the bug gothim.
There was five years of opalflowing oh can you imagine
Followed by seven years ofnothing.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Yeah, the drought.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
You've just got to think about that.
It's like imagine going to workfor seven years and not getting
paid a cent.
You just keep coming back.
How do you get out of bed?
How do you re-motivate yourselfto keep going?
Speaker 2 (22:10):
I think it's the call of the colour, though, paul,
you know, like we know just fromour little fossicking around
and I mean we head out toOpalton and we'll talk about
that in an upcoming podcast.
But it's that call of.
I've just got to keep looking.
It's just going to be heresomewhere.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Look, I've just got to keep looking.
It's just going to be heresomewhere.
Look, I've got that littletreasure hunter.
You know, back when I was eight, you know, and that's still in
me, yes, and it is in mostpeople once you let it out.
Now, besides the open walk andthe history of the mining in the
region that you can do, behindthe main front of the store
there is also a wonderful areafor fossicking for kids, where
(22:47):
Joe regularly brings in a bigwheelbarrow full of rocks dirty
rocks really, but in there somespray bottles, and he lets the
kids go through and try and findtheir little treasure.
But I tell you what they've hadsome kids find opal worth $600
to $700.
So they're very generous.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
They are they actually?
Speaker 1 (23:10):
In what they really are giving yes To travellers and
people who have the interest inwanting to learn more.
They're so giving of their time.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Yes, you took the words out of my mouth, Paul.
They are incredible people.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
All right, and there is a great interview that we do
that covers off their story withboth of them together, this
time on our YouTube channel, andjust go to our website,
thefeelgoodfamilycom, to findout more information about these
guys.
All right, number five, builtin 1918, the Heritage Building
out here, the Royal Open AirTheatre.
(23:44):
Step back in time, katie.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Oh look, this is such a beautiful building and it's
so lovely to stick your headinto and have a look around all
of the historic artefacts thatthey've been able to bring back
to life, and you can watch amovie any night of the week
during the high season here atthe Open Air Theatre.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Yes, everything from John Wayne bit of a spaghetti
western all the way through tonostalgia, the history of
theatre in Australia and aroundthe world and, yes, some other
kids' activities and happenduring school holidays as well
in this space during the day.
And of course, that wonderfulannual event of the Vision
Splendour Awesome Happens hereas well.
Yeah, okay, let's move on.
(24:28):
Number six need a laugh?
The Crackup Sisters.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Oh look, watching the journey of the Crackup Sisters.
We met these gals on our firstvisit and got to spend some time
with them and they gave ustheir vision.
You know, we're going to dothis and we're going to do that,
and we're going to build ahouse and we're going to have
this massive area where peoplecan come and watch our show and
I mean, this is not just for thekids, you know, anybody of any
(24:56):
age will absolutely love theheartwarming comedy show that
the Crackup Sisters put on.
And to come back to Winton fouryears later and to see what
they have accomplished and thatthey have in fact done all the
things that they told us theywere dreaming of creating here
in Winton Just awesome.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Yeah, and just good people.
I love the way you said gals,gals, the gals.
Do you know what it reminds meof olden day slapstick collides
with outback characters.
You know that?
Authentic Aussie larrikins.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Yes, isn't it?
Yeah, it's a whole bunch ofgood fun, and if you need a
little pick-me-up or you justfeel like you need a good giggle
, you know there's not a chanceyou can walk away from the
Crackup Sisters without feelinggood.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
No, and look, their house now is an Airbnb.
So if you're self-driver, youwant to-.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
You can sleep over, though, with the girls.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Exactly, that sounds all right.
A quirky night out of the van,that'd be the stay.
And of course they do yardtours and lots of interactive
fun for the kids, for the wholefamily, during school holidays.
And they have that welladvertised through their website
so you can check them out orfind them on Facebook.
Awesome, all right.
Number seven the famous Wintonsigns.
There's a few to choose from.
(26:11):
We love doing the rounds and atdifferent times of the day
you'll have a differentexperience.
To get the perfect selfie, orif you want to get a few shots
to send back to the family sothat they can go wow, you really
are in the middle of theoutback.
These are the signs for youSend me a sign.
Here's three.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Yeah, look, have you really been to Winton If you
haven't got a selfie in front ofthe Winton signs?
Number one, the Way Out Westsign.
Now, this is just on the veryedge of town, not far from the
Tattersalls Caravan Park.
You can actually drive yourvehicle right up onto the mound.
We time it perfectly for thatawesome sunset shot and it is a
great selfie to send back toyour friends and family.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Yes, you've got the absolutely large signage.
It's like Hollywood but it saysWinton.
Obviously I wouldn't sayHollywood, but you can pull your
rig right in there as well, onthe way out or the way in, or
like we did, we just took the 79over and got some magical
sunset shots, with the sunbouncing along the top of each
(27:12):
letter, as the drone pannedaround and Jasper kicked up the
dirt.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Yeah, it was, epic, looked like a movie.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
You know scene, didn't it Katie?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
It was awesome.
And then the third sign that wewould say you definitely need
to get a photo with is the Homeof Qantas sign, which is out
near the very quirky musicalfence, which is our number eight
.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
And look, this is a quirky art installation with a
difference, a real chance forthe kids to absolutely burn the
energy and bang out of this oldmachinery and tin and metal.
And they've got their whackingsticks with the PVC piping.
They can basically just letloose, go wild in the wild.
(27:58):
We love it.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Yeah, Recycling at its best really, it's reusing
all the old junk to make it anawesome space for kids and big
kids to.
Yeah, let some steam off.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Look, another family favourite of ours is number nine
, the Winton Pool and AquaticCentre.
We had Jasper's fourth birthdaythere as a pool party and now
we enjoyed his eighth birthdaythere as a pool party as well.
An incredible amount ofinfrastructure.
Yes, you know the money that'sbeen spent on this place for a
$2 entry is remarkable.
(28:29):
Yeah, there's slides and asplash area and then there's a
main Olympic pool and thenthere's a toddler pool, some
covered areas.
So they've done it very well.
We always enjoy our time here.
It is open in the later partsof the day and early in the
morning to beat the heat of, youknow, the sun.
Here the temperatures can getpretty high, but a great place
(28:52):
to cool off and again burn offsome energy.
Love it All right.
Number 10, the last one, ofcourse, you can't come out here
to Winton without seeing thedinosaurs.
The home of the dinosaurs is,of course, the Australian Age of
Dinosaurs.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Oh, this and again.
This is a world-class museumfacility with a whole range of
different tours on offer, so wewould definitely recommend jump
onto their website, have a lookat the tours that will suit you
and your travelling entourage,whether you're, you know, a
couple travelling or a familytogether.
They do great stuff here, andthis is a working laboratory as
(29:29):
well, and you can do a lab tourand see the staff and the
incredible volunteers who comeout here every single year and,
you know, spend endless hourschipping millimetres away from
fossilised dinosaur bones thathave been found here in Winton.
I mean, for me, when we firstvisited the Australian Age of
(29:54):
Dinosaurs.
You know, we all know dinosaursas kids, we read the books, we
watch the cartoons on TV, butthey also kind of become like
this mythical creature.
You know it's hard to reallyget in your head that these
actually were living creatureson our planet.
And then you come out here andyou see, seriously, the floor to
(30:18):
ceiling shelving of fossilsthat have been dug up from the
earth out here and you see thevolunteers working on them and
you see them on display and allof a sudden it just boom, it's
real, like it makes thesecreatures real.
Well, it certainly did for me.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
We love it and they have added to the experiences
out here at the Age of Dinosaurs.
They also co-manage the LuckQuarry.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Yes, the D stampede, and we would recommend get
yourself on to a tour again withVicky from Red Dirt and get out
there and see this incrediblefootprint phenomenon out here.
It is quite far out from WintonTown itself, hence why jumping
on Vicky's four-wheel drive busis a good idea.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Excellent.
What did you say?
It's a foot phenomenon.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
A footprint phenomenon.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
I love that, Katie.
I don't think they're going touse it in their marketing, but
it's an interesting way to putit, it is a footprint phenomenon
.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
There's like over 3,000 footprints of different
dinosaurs here.
You can actually in your mind'seye, see the chaos that is
going on and you can understandwhat's happening, with all of
the little baby dinosaurfootprints getting scattered as
the big predator dinosaur comesin hungry for lunch.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
I do love your natural enthusiasm, Katie.
It is infectious.
Thanks, Tom.
A little odd at times, but itis infectious.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
You know I have to say, I know you're winding me up
and we've banged on long enoughabout dinosaurs, but I do have
to say we thought Light Quarryand the Dinosaur Stampede was
amazing, when you really, reallyunderstand what it is.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
And we've met other people that have gone.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Yeah, it is okay.
I don't know if I'd tellanybody else to go out there and
look at it.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Discover footprints mate.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Well, it's 3,000 footprints in the ground that
you can see, every single one ofof dinosaurs that we hear.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Righto, so take.
You know you got to take orleave it, but we definitely took
it.
We loved our experience outthere.
Now the other thing that isbrand new and exciting out here
is the Gondwana Dark SkyObservatory.
Bookings are essential, soyou'll have to get onto the
website to check that out.
But that does wrap up our top10 things to do when you come
(32:41):
out to Winton.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
Oh, so awesome.
And obviously on top of thislist there is so many other
things that you can do and seewhile you are and from Winton is
so awesome, like there is somuch to see and do along the way
(33:12):
.
That's right, and you canactually get to Winton on the
bitumen.
You don't have to go, the waywe did, across the Plenty
Highway and on the dirt.
You can reach Winton fully onthe bitumen.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Absolutely, and that's really what I wanted to
share.
Was that, because people sayfully on the bitumen, absolutely
, and that's really what Iwanted to share was that people
say, oh you know, is it all offroad?
And no, it is questionable roadat times.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Sometimes the dirt is better than the bitumen.
We won't lie.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
That's true.
That's true it needs some work,but it's safe, okay, and we
haven't seen a lot of wildlifealong the fringes this journey.
You know, the emus were veryapparent when you get close to
Longreach, which we will do nextweek, but at the moment quiet
along the wildlife, so it's verysafe driving conditions.
Now, this does give me a verygood segue into our takeaway for
this week, which is rememberthat happiness is a way of
(34:06):
travel, not a destination.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Oh, I love that.
That's great.
That needs to be a bumpersticker.
It does.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
We'll put it on our website.
Katie, I'm going to get somestickers.
Mate, done All right.
Well, look, that wraps up forthis week.
Next week, we head, even moreremote, out to Opalton.
Oh, what an experience, a firstfor the feel-good.
Yes, you're going to love thatlet's go.
Opal hunting baby.
All right, I think for nowwe'll say dream big, look after
(34:36):
yourself and look after yourfamily.
And happy trails.
Happy trails, feel the journey,feel the love, feel good family
.
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