November 15, 2024 • 40 mins
This week we start our adventure at The Muddy Duck campground, just outside Longreach, where the Thompson River quietly flows and the night sky feels within arm's reach. We reminisce about a family road trip across the United States in a dusty old Winnebago and draw parallels with our current adventure DownUnder. The Muddy Duck’s growing popularity speaks volumes, and we chat about their exciting expansion plans, giving you more reasons to consider this outback destination for your next camping trip.
All aboard the historic 'Silver Bullet' train for an unforgettable sunset ride that combines the charm of the Outback with passionate Aussie characters. Jasper, our little train enthusiast, keeps the journey lively with his infectious excitement. The knowledgeable staff guides us through the endless outback landscape where kangaroos and emus make their cameo appearances. As the sun dips below the horizon, a surprise karaoke session breaks out, leaving us with a train whistle as a souvenir and memories that will remain long after the journey ends.
Our road trip takes a lively turn at the Well Shot Pub in Ilfracombe, where history and entertainment collide in the best possible way. Experience the thrill of a pub game that sees young Jasper aiming for the cash-laden ceiling, adding a unique element of fun to our Outback adventure. This iconic pub, rich in heritage, sets the stage for a heartwarming fundraising event in support of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. As we prepare for new adventures, like reconnecting with friends on Keppel Island or visiting the idyllic hot springs, we invite you to join us in embracing the open road where the dreams are big, and the trails are endless.
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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 (00:48):
Welcome to Season 9, Episode 6 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 (01:10):
Yes, welcome to the Family Travel Podcast, where we
share the latest in RV industrynews road trip travel,
caravanning and camping, productreviews, where to go, what to
do, and so much more.
Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
This week we stay at the Muddy Duck, we enjoy an
authentic Outback Aussieexperience, jasper gets to drive
a heritage train and we checkout the Well Shot Pub.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Lots of fun, lots of fun out here in Outback
Queensland, and again we'rediscovering new places and new
experiences this week, which wejust absolutely love.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Yeah, as the industry has grown over the last few
years and more and more peopleare exploring the world's best
backyard Australia our backyardwe've noticed that there's a lot
more investment into theseoutback towns.
You know there's been plenty ofinfrastructure grants and
tourism grants and all sorts ofstuff, but one thing that we
(02:12):
have loved is the improvement inthe amenities and facilities,
whether that is from a roadsidestop a truckie stop you know
those 24-hour overnight stays atruckie stop you know those
24-hour overnight stays orpeople just like us.
You know Aussie families thathave taken the punt and the risk
in investing into buildingtheir own campsite and welcoming
(02:36):
people in.
And that's what has happenedhere.
10 minutes west of Longreach,as though you were heading on
out to Winton and beyond thereis the Muddy Duck.
I love this name.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah, look, it's not your usual caravan park on the
banks of Longreach's famousThompson River, and what they've
done and what they're doing isjust awesome as an alternative
offering to staying straightinto the centre of town where
all of these incredible tourismexperiences are located, but
(03:33):
you're out just far enough awayto feel really peaceful in and
amongst the bush, and weabsolutely loved this stay.
It's quite a huge property,isn't it Paul?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
It reminds me of my family all travelled together in
the US.
Over there in the United States, as a 15-year-old that's going
back a while, Dale.
Young, unaffected, innocent.
I learned a few things in theStates.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I can tell you that, katie, I bet you did.
Maybe that's for a differentkind of podcast.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
I did get to go to school there as a freshman.
We don't care what you say, arsman just talk.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yes, I bet that would have been well.
I know it was a life-changingexperience for you having all of
those experiences at such ayoung and impressionable age.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah, look, I found my self-esteem, I found some
confidence, I found my ego and Ifound that American girls are
gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, there's a song about that, isn't there?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Yes, there is.
I wish they all could be yes.
Anyways, let all could be yes,anyways, let's move on.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
How did we get from that, from Muddy?
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Duck In America.
My family traveled around in amotorhome a dusty old Winnebago
I think it was, 28 foot, slepteight.
There was nine of us, so it wasa little squishy and we got to
go to some incredible parks evenway back then, you know.
We got to go to some incredibleparks even way back then, you
know.
And they do everything largeand so this is really set up for
(05:11):
like 300 campers.
They've had a booming secondseason and have realized that
they need more to offer, so theyare currently seeking out some
more land to expand on.
So pretty amazing success.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, look, I really liked the layout that they've
put in here with the variousrows.
I suppose you could say, andyou know, depending on what row
you're on, depends on what angleyour setup is parked on.
And what I really liked aboutthis is that the sites were
(05:49):
large.
You didn't feel like you wereon top of your neighbor.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
No drive-thru.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah, that's right, they were all drive-thru, very,
very easy access hedging or somesort of Australian native
natural garden bed in between toallow for a little bit of
privacy, and I think that's onlygoing to improve as they mature
(06:14):
.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
So I mean it's looking very new at the moment,
but it's really well thought out.
They're future-proofingthemselves.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Yeah, absolutely.
They've got great amenities andfacilities in here and, as Paul
mentioned, they're expandingand they are right on the banks
of the Thompson River, so theyhave a lovely little communal
campfire area.
They also have some kayaks andpaddleboards that you can hire
(06:43):
to head out on the river as well, and they're very, very easy as
far as a range of differentwalks that you can do if you're
an active person, if you want toget out and about, go across
the river.
Actually, there's a great freecamp across well low-cost camp
(07:03):
across the river, isn't there,paul?
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Yeah, look, we do have to give this a mention
because we will stay there nexttime and possibly split our time
.
Look, we're going to get askedand we do get asked how long you
should stay in these locations,Given the world-class
experiences and the amount ofexperiences that you can do in
long reach.
(07:25):
If you can stay for threenights, you'd run around crazy
and not get it done.
If you can stay for five nights, perfect.
Still, give you some time out,some really good pace to
experience the real town, thecommunity and the characters
that come with OutbackQueensland places like this, and
(07:50):
that way you could probablypull up to Muddy Duck for a
couple of nights and you couldstay over in Apex Park, the
community campground.
It also supports the community,which is great, Pretty well.
The services there are likethis it's $10 a night or $40 for
a week.
They have a massive overflowarea.
(08:11):
Now, Muddy Duck I think it costgee, I don't know, it was up
over $50.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Yes, I think you're right.
From memory it was, I guess, onthe end of of what we generally
pay when we're staying in acaravan park.
But you know we're always happyto support the new businesses
like this and the locals youknow that are that are
absolutely giving it a crack.
(08:39):
The other reason we opted tostay here at muddy duck at this
time is because it's hot.
It's hot and we have access topower and water here at Muddy
Duck, so one of the first thingswe did when we rolled in was
hook in and get that airconditioning on.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Yeah, that's perfect, and that really is.
It comes down to what you needas a traveller.
For us, 600 amp hours oflithium batteries, 1280 watts of
solar on the roof.
We can run that air conprobably for a good few hours
before we would be needing toplug in, but sometimes it's just
(09:19):
easier.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Oh, absolutely, and particularly at this time of
year too we're coming through.
It is quickly approachingsummertime here in Australia and
in these outback parts, youknow, you can have such a wide
variance of temperature as well.
Still very cool overnight, youknow, pull the doona up kind of
(09:42):
weather which we absolutely love, and then the days heat up
extremely warm.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Yeah, there is a 20 to 25 degree Celsius variant
between low and hightemperatures quite often out
here.
Now back to the Apex Park.
So there is potable wateravailable where you can fill
your tanks.
There is no power wateravailable where you can fill
your tanks, there is no power.
There is large green grassyarea right on the banks opposite
(10:10):
Muddy Duck, something I dothink Muddy Duck could take a
leaf out of Apex book, is they?
Speaker 2 (10:19):
have a sandy beach, whereas Muddy Duck is a muddy
duck beach.
Yes, yeah, you're right, paul,because it's got that little
Apex park there on the otherside of the river.
It's a beautiful spot,particularly for families, and
we saw a lot of families overhere in this low-cost campground
, big grassy area where the kidscan run around and play, and
then that sandy bank on theshore of the river certainly
(10:40):
makes things a lot moreaccessible, a lot safer.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Definitely.
And then there's free barbecues, massive covered area and there
is this access, as you said,and it's a great fisherman's
paradise here as well.
Huge amount of species of fishthat you can catch here.
So really a wonderfulopportunity to be able to maybe
have a couple of nights overthere for low cost and then, you
(11:06):
know, do the luxurious muddyduck, plug and play.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Go and have your hot shower, darling their amenities
are second to none.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
So, look, they've really invested in it and so
yeah, good on them.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yeah, absolutely.
And look, we have to give thema little shout out.
We did arrive fairly late inthe afternoon.
They shut up at five o'clock.
Well, they certainly were atthe time we were coming through
and the beautiful staff waitedit out for us.
They were all too happy for usto arrive, which we did about 20
(11:40):
minutes later, with still bigsmiles and friendly welcomes.
So thanks very much, guys.
We had a great stay and it wasan excellent base for us to
really be able to get out andexperience a couple of things in
Longreach.
You know we're here forprobably not as long as we'd
like, but good reason to be ableto come back.
(12:01):
And, as we mentioned last week,we're just incredibly
overwhelmed with the offeringthat Longreach has for
travellers and tourists.
There are so many experiencesto choose from.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
There, sure is.
And last week we had the QantasFounders Museum, the Wing Walk
and Evening Light ShowSensational.
This week we've got somethingvery authentic Show sensational.
This week we've got somethingvery authentic the Aussie
Outback Tours, silver TailSunset Rail Dinner and Show.
Thank you, smithy and Sue, thiswas awesome.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Yeah, look, I think Smithy and Sue are as much a
part of the Australian Outback,you know, as Longreach is in
Outback Queensland.
Here they've been operatingsince the beginning of time.
It feels like you know when youget to know them and you read
their story, and what they haveon offer is truly incredible.
They obviously love what theydo and that shines across every
(13:07):
element of their experiences.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Yeah, they've created , I think, offers that include
tagalongs, you know, reallyextended long trip bus tours,
one-off special experiences,authentic Outback experiences
like what we're about to talkabout now, and around that
success, I guess, draws in areally good group of people.
(13:31):
So, either through attractinggood people or training up, you
know, the younger sort ofgeneration of presenters and you
know, and team members, theyreally are drawing out this
passion for Australia andAustralian storytelling and
that's what we loved about thiswhole experience.
So we headed into Longreach,pulled up to the beautiful
(13:55):
Heritage Railway there,longreach Railway, built back in
1916.
You come around onto theplatform and boom, there it is.
As Jasper said, it's the SylvanPullet.
This beautiful old 2000 classHeritage Motor Rail is going to
be our journey for the nextcouple of hours before the
(14:16):
dinner and show.
We loved everything about this.
Now, jasper obviously we'vementioned many times is a
ferroquinologist.
Oh, yes, good, remembering Tomremembering, which is a train
enthusiast.
He loves train spotting, heloves everything about trains
and so, geez, face was boomingand there's nothing better as a
parent to witness that joythrough your kids is there oh,
(14:40):
just, it is just magical and itit definitely rubs off on you as
a big kid, you know, and youfind that inner joy and
excitement.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
And look, it's a sweet little two carriage silver
bullet, as Jasper said, and onwe board with our free.
We even got those really greatreusable wine glasses that come
in the cooler style.
You know, you put a little lidon them, they're great for
(15:12):
camping.
So we picked ourselves up acouple of those and on we hopped
and look, we would have onlybeen on the train five or ten
minutes and the staff are comingaround.
And hats off to the staff,coming around with their menus
so that you could choose yourselection of beverages, and of
course they had everything from,you know, juices and soft
(15:32):
drinks through to beers andwines, and watching the staff
pour the wine in particular wasvery impressive.
Now I challenge you if you'reon a train and you have access
to a bottle of wine, I challengeyou to pour a glass, because
it's not an easy thing to do.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Not when you've got this old rickety girl chugging
down the tracks.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Yeah, that's right.
But look, the staff werefantastic.
As we mentioned, it always isabout the people that really
make or break an experience, nomatter how good the experience
itself is.
And we were certainly treatedwonderfully.
And the train drivers, inparticular Robert and Mick, were
(16:18):
full of excellent informationnot too much but enough to
really keep you engaged andentertained.
And we got the the history notonly of Longreach and the region
, but also the, the wildlife andthe environment, the local
culture, the history of the railyou know that we were traveling
(16:38):
on and and then we got to pullup stumps and look out over the
floodplains and watch.
If you've ever taken in anoutback sunset, you'll know it's
completely different fromanywhere in the coastal parts of
the country.
The colours, the way that thelight reflects off the landscape
(16:59):
around you just sensational.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Yeah, I love how this was created.
You know that you get thisalmost 45-minute journey out
through the floodplains, over alittle bridge over the River
Thompson and then, as you say,you pull up Stumps at halfway
mark I guess and there's a bitof a water area course that sort
(17:24):
of comes out through the scruband then, of course, with water
comes wildlife.
So they've kind of picked theright spot.
You know, kangaroo kind ofbounces in and little emus
running over there and thenthere's a wild pig that came in
and that color is just gettingricher and richer.
As the sun sets.
More drinks come out.
Rob decides well, let's have alittle bit of a karaoke
(17:47):
sing-along and put some, sometunes, uh, that that come
through the pa and reallywonderful, uh, not only for the
adults but, yeah, you know, asyou say, for the kids as well.
They really connected with eachand every traveler that was on
board.
They come around with differentoffering on souvenirs which you
(18:08):
feel kind of like you can'tresist because you're in the
moment, you're already a drinkin and sure enough, there's a
wooden train whistle handcraftedfor $12.
Let's get it, our little trainenthusiasts will love this.
Jeez, talk about a $12.
Regret, katie.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Look, let's just say he has definitely got use out of
this train whistle and heabsolutely loves it.
I'm not sure about the rest ofthe passengers on the train.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Well, you've got to think.
There's probably in total ahalf a dozen kids on this train,
all with the whistle now.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Yeah, I actually think it was a little inside
joke between Rob and Mick, thestaff on the train.
Let's see how many of thesewhistles we can sell today to
really upset the parents.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Look as conductors and commentators.
They were both great, butreally want to give a special
mention here to Rob hisengagement with Jasper, even
that he bent down to talk.
You know we see this oftenbecause I guess we've worked in
this space for so long thedifferent way to relate to kids
(19:22):
whether that's through placinginterpretive signage a little
bit lower, having sort of peekthrough windows at their height
so they can see into anenclosure, or, you know, if
you're at a science museum, buthaving people that are aware of
where kids level is at and beingable to communicate clearly
with them is a special gift.
And Rob just did this.
(19:42):
Naturally, I think he's agrandparent himself, he is, he
is.
But then to invite all of thekids, one at a time, up.
Jasper very fortunately he wasthe first one up because we were
sitting at the back of thecarriage and this would be a
good little hot tip for us isget on at the back of the
carriage on the way out and thenthat way on the way in, you're
(20:03):
right at the front, you've gotthis full view out through the
front window of this Heritagerail motor and you can see all
the action.
And then, if you've got kids,then boom, they're into the
passenger or assistant driver'sseat.
Jasper got to use the realwhistle.
Yes, that massive horn.
It blasted through him, itscared him.
(20:24):
He even knew what was coming.
He didn't know.
But then he gave it anothercrack and he got to take the
handbrake off and Rob reallythen started to engage with him.
So what do you want to be whenyou're older, jasper?
Well, I want to be a traindriver, he said.
Well, you need to get anapprentice and start talking to
him about different pathways ofemployment, which is pretty wild
(20:45):
to watch, you know, as a parentsitting back as an observer
watching your kid communicate soeasily and freely like this.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
We loved it.
Joy that was just emitting ofJasper as he was sitting up
front riding the rails with Roband talking all things trains
was just awesome.
And to also give us a moment tobe adults, kicking back, having
our lovely little platter ofcanapes that was served to every
(21:18):
guest and a glass of wine wasjust awesome to every guest and
a glass of wine was just awesome.
Now you can do this experienceon the rails as a separate
experience.
If you just want to head outfor a couple of hours in the
afternoon watch the sunset, thenyou can book this by yourself.
However, we opted to stay onand head to Smithy's Outback
(21:40):
Dinner and Show, which we hadheard so many wonderful things
about.
And so, what is fantastic?
As the sun sets, the trainstarts moving again.
It's only a few minutes beforethey pull up, basically in the
middle of nowhere, and thoseguests who are heading on to the
Outback Dinner and Show hop offthe train and are picked up by
(22:04):
a lovely coach with, again, areally lovely bus driver, who
took us a short 500 odd metresdown the road to where Smithy's
Outback Dinner and Show islocated.
And look, talk about steppinginto the pages of an Australian
bush poem.
(22:24):
I mean, this is open air,amongst the gum trees, starry
nights, you know, on the banksof the river.
Like you, couldn't have found abetter location to enjoy a meal
that is completely cooked overthe campfire.
(22:45):
You know, catering for goshPaul, how many people would have
been at the dinner.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
I would think they probably at max packs, could
have 120, 140 people there.
We probably experienced it with70.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
There you go.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
I mean right on the end of the season, so it wasn't
too busy and plenty of smilingteam members and they just
rotate as they walk you throughand they're introducing you to
every staff member and theentertainment as you're being
guided to your table Beautiful,warm, lighting, those old kind
of miners' lamps that have warm,coloured lights, if you know,
(23:25):
not that stark white.
So, yeah, very warm, welcomingyou straightaway.
Feel like, oh, this is prettyspecial.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Yes, well, even the fact that as we disembarked the
bus, we were met by Sue and someof the other staff who were
there to look after us on thenight, who were all smiling, as
Paul mentioned.
And then we got a personalintroduction to all of the other
staff members there, includingthe chef who made the meal for
(23:54):
all of us over the campfire,which just blows my mind.
I don't even know how you caterfor that many people.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
She'd get good at it, I think, when that's what
you're doing every night.
Yeah, and nailed it.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Yeah, absolutely.
And then you're sitting aroundI guess you know in the outdoors
, this lovely little shack forwant of a better word, the old
Australian tin shed kind of set,and they have various
entertainers who come in andprovide the nightly
(24:29):
entertainment for the dinner andshow.
And we were very fortunate evenRob and Mick on the train said
to have Drew Blundell performingthe night that we were at the
dinner and show and, look, he'sfantastic.
I have to be honest, neitherPaul nor I had heard of Drew
prior to this night, but hisvoice was incredible and his
(24:52):
selection of songs that heperformed for us.
You know everything, rangingfrom, you know, the famous
Australian songs that we alllove to sing to to many old
school songs that everybodyknows the words to.
He opened up for requests aswell.
Jasper put his hand up a fewtimes.
(25:12):
I think he requested CountryRoads.
He did.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Yes, and then he sang Loud and Proud, yes, and then,
exactly, I thought he justhelped, drew along with some of
the vocals.
That was very good of him.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
It was a really lovely, relaxed evening.
At no point did we feelpressured or rushed or that we
needed to be doing anything.
The staff were incrediblyattentive.
Drew was very funny, you knowhe engaged the audience in
conversation in between songs.
(25:45):
There was a great area for thekids, you know they had thought
about that as well.
Jasper spent the majority ofthe evening digging in the dirt
with the selection of Tonkatrucks and diggers and bulldozer
toys that were there for thekids to play with, and then
(26:05):
occasionally he'd come back tothe table for another mouthful
of dinner.
So that kept him extremelyhappy.
It was just a really lovelynight.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Yes, Credit to Smithy and Sue for creating the right
amount of engagement and thenside sort of entertainment to
keep the kids occupied and butnot disruptive.
You know, sort of just diggingin the sand and well back out of
the main table seating area.
(26:35):
So yeah, you really feel likethey've thought things through.
There's a full service bar withgreat selection of Aussie and
some international wines as well, and really it's all about.
Nothing's a problem.
You know, can we get youanything else?
And the food is very filling,there's plenty of it.
(26:58):
You wouldn't go for wanting anymore.
You'll be wanting to loosenyour belt.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
And I did.
My button on my jeans wasundone, and that was only after
the first dinner course.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Hello, yes, look, we just loved the whole experience.
We left not only with ourbellies full, but with our
hearts full, and I say thatbecause you are made to feel
like you're an extension oftheir family.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Yes, yes, absolutely, and I love you know.
We were greeted by Sue and theteam when we hopped off the bus
and I really love the end of thenight as well, because they
stand out there again aseverybody's boarding the bus and
Sue said to us this is notsomething special, we're just
doing for you guys.
This is something that we doevery single night when guests
(27:46):
come and join us for dinner, andthat's how they speak Guests
are just joining us for dinner.
As you said, Paul, they're anextension of our family and they
wave you off and they're socute and they're standing there
waving, waving, until the bus ispretty well out of sight.
You know, it's not that.
Oh yeah, two-second token waveand off we go.
Go and tidy up.
(28:07):
They're there, they'recommitted.
It was lovely.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Really fantastic.
And look, they are called theAussie Outback Tours Company.
If you punch that in to Google,you will find them, and then
you'll go right.
I can see now this is an empirethat these guys are creating of
, you know, really amazingauthentic Aussie experiences
(28:33):
with authentic Aussie charactersand storytellers that are
passionate about sharing thosestories.
So we'd encourage you to get onand check it out for yourself.
Whether you're heading toLongreach or further afield,
there's plenty on offer throughthese guys.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Yes, absolutely Fantastic experience.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
Now, when we were leaving you know the train, rob
said hey, by the way, there isone of the other tours tomorrow
on the Heritage Motor Rail thatheads down past the Qantas
Founders Museum, past theStockman's Hall of Fame, and we
keep on going down to the WellShot Pub in Ilfracombe and
(29:11):
there's this famous pub.
There.
We get off with the passengers,have lunch, but if you want
some really good YouTube content, meet us down there 11.30 am,
quarter to 12, every Sunday.
I don't know if they do thisany other day of the week, but
I'm pretty sure it happens onSundays and, yeah, you should
try and get down there.
(29:31):
So we were like, well, let'sdefinitely do that, I'm
intrigued now.
So we walked in it was about 20to 12, and there was all this
commotion of people and Robthere being really the
ringmaster of all the fun andactivity, and what they'd done
is they'd handed hats aroundinviting people to make a
(29:54):
donation to the RFDS, which isour charity of choice, and that
is the Royal Flying DoctorService, a free service for
every Australian that istraveling in remote regions,
outback Australia, that if youwere to come into any kind of
problem, accident, emergencysituation, the Royal Flying
(30:16):
Doctor Service.
If you can get their attention,will show up.
They'll fly you in and out, giveyou that emergency treatment
and make sure that you are wellcared for, without cost which is
remarkable to us that you knowthis service is available and
free, and so anytime that wehave an opportunity to donate or
(30:38):
to talk about the Royal FlyingDoctor service and how amazing
they are, then we do, and sothey collect all the money, and
then I think they collected like$320, I think something like
that.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
And so some people are given $2, some people are
given $50, somebody gave $100.
So you know it's up to you whatyou give.
But then it's put across thebar and then the bar changes
that into large denominations ofnotes $50 notes, $100 note, $20
notes, whatever it comes in.
And then Rob instructs anyonewho's willing to give it a go, a
(31:13):
chance to put this on, a littlelike a pin and a weighted pin,
and he gives you the instructionhow to straighten your arm,
bend your legs and then whoopeyes get it in the roof.
You know he's got the all theaussie slang going and, uh, we
watched some kids couldn't getit up there, but it seemed to be
(31:35):
.
The kids were all lining up andanyway, and we just happened to
walk in when they were kind ofgot through the kids, and and he
said little jasper watched youon YouTube last night.
Get up here, mate.
You've got this.
Now Jasper's just turned eightand so he's probably right on
that cusp of maybe being justslightly not quite strong enough
(31:55):
yet, because it's this 130 yearold pub.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Yeah, it's, it's actually.
It's a beautiful little pubwith a very interesting story of
its own, but quite unlike a lotof the pubs that you'll find in
the Northern Territory that youknow, their ceilings are full
of old bras, knickers, dustyhats and whatever else anybody
can pin up there Probablyasbestos.
Yes, the well shot.
The ceiling over the bar isfull of cash.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Yes, and so I don't know.
It'd be sort of at that five,six metre height, so you've got
really high ceilings.
130 year old heritage listedbuilding.
That was way down in Barcoldin.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
I believe yes.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
And somebody said you know what our little town needs
?
We need that pub.
So they horse-encouraged thispub and reassembled it here to
create a bit of a pub pilgrimage, to create a bit of a heartbeat
for the town, and it worked.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
Well, it was the first building in Ilfraclone, so
there you go.
It actually kicked off the town.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
I love, I love Australia for these stories.
You know, where do you hearabout this stuff, and so this is
hey Dale, let's start a town.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
We need a pub, we need a pub.
Yep, I mean, it's smart, Ihaven't got time to build one.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Let's just grab that one from over there.
Perfect, and so you know richin history this place and it
looks amazing.
Anyway, jasper's throwing andhe gets a final chance.
He's already had three goes.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
So close, oh, so close.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
And then Rob said no, no, stop, look at your arm.
Your arm's not straight enough,you're not bending in it.
Come on, jasper, come on, andhe just goes, give it.
You know, just give it to it,send it, and Jasper does his
final throw, but as he does, hekind of leaps into the air.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
And lets out this real like, oh like, exertional
grunt.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Cutteral yeah Moment and a little roar, you know, and
boom into the roof and the puberupted.
And it was so exciting to seehis little face.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Oh, it makes me emotional now, even just
recounting the story, becauseeverybody, everybody, whether
you were sitting in the mainarea where the dining was, where
this is going on, or on theother side of the bar the
patrons who were just sittinghaving a beverage Everybody was
engaged in this activity.
(34:26):
And Jasper was the spotlight,and I mean one.
I'm amazed that he willinglystepped forward and said yep,
I'll give it a go.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
He's pretty confident .
I mean, we know that and if youwatch our YouTube show you'll
be like, yeah, he's obviously.
He's grown up in an environmentwhere we're, you know, putting
ourselves out there publicly, sohe is pretty confident.
But interestingly, when he getsinto sort of larger groups it's
almost like he introverts.
He can sometimes go the otherway.
So we're not sure what we'regoing to get sometimes.
(34:56):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
And we just if that's the case.
We're just like, yeah, that'sfine, yeah, yeah, oh, definitely
, whatever you want to do, mate.
But I was really surprisedbecause this was, you know,
something that he was puttinghimself physically on the line
to do.
So, one, he put his hand up andsaid, yes.
Two, the entire pub is on theedge of their seats watching.
And three, that moment when itsticks in the roof and of course
(35:26):
you know, paul and I arefilming Paul's in front of him,
I'm sort of off to the sidebehind him and he turns around
and his little face, it just asa parent, both arms in the air,
like yeah, it's like he'scrossed a marathon finish line.
It's one of those moments, Ithink, that will define you know
, as you're growing up and yourchildhood.
(35:48):
But it's one of those momentsthat, whether he's conscious of
it or not, will absolutely leavea defining marker point on him
and having that success that dayand the encouragement of
everybody in the pub will havedone something internally to him
.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Look, I think you nailed it, Katie Encouragement,
validation and that littleself-esteem that grows into a
big self-esteem.
You cannot underestimate thepower of creating little
thinkers with really bigself-esteems.
Just encourage that self-esteemin your kids is really what we
(36:30):
would think.
You don't have to always tellthem they're great if they're
not.
Don't do that.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
No, but give them the opportunity to shine and excel,
to step up and do that offtheir own steam, will give them
an incredible self-esteem.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Oh, look, you've got to get over to our YouTube
channel if you haven't seen thisfootage already.
And look, even if you skipthrough to the end of the
episode to watch Jasper at theWell Shot Hotel, it is pure gold
, priceless content.
And look, we have to say whatthese guys are doing here.
Over the past year, they'vealready raised $28,000 for the
(37:08):
RFDS.
So look, definitely we wouldrecommend, if you don't get out
and do the sunset tour on therails that we did, then make
sure you book on to their daylunch trip down to Ilfracombe
and be a part of this at thewell shot.
You have a great lunch downthere and then you board the
train and you head back toLongreach.
(37:30):
So that in itself would be anawesome tour to do on a Sunday.
Definitely.
Go and have some lunch and abeverage at the pub and be
escorted back on the rails.
Yeah, and we had a meal there.
We loved it.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
The well shot's gorgeous and a beverage at the
pub and be escorted back on therails.
Yeah, and we had a meal there.
We loved it.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
The village was great , the well shot's gorgeous and
we discovered you can camp outthe back there.
There was a number of caravansout the back.
I think it was somewhere aroundthe $20 or $30 a night to park
up out the back.
And then, yeah, the well shot'sright there.
So sweet little town,ilfracombe, love.
And yeah, the well shots rightthere.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
So sweet little town, ilfracombe, love it, and Enews
just walking through town andwe'll talk about the machinery
mall next week's episode.
Now, look, we keep talkingabout back Queensland because as
far as a road trip, it's justgot it all.
You know, it's so fantastic.
If you want a sea change, youwant an outback change and you
want to really come out and seethe colors and the landscapes,
(38:21):
and then obviously the peoplethat have that red earth in
their blood, then make your wayout here, and it is a good segue
for me for this week's takeaway.
Sometimes the best therapy is along drive, good music and good
company.
So we would say plan your nextroad trip, even if it's only a
(38:42):
couple hours, you know out to anational park or you know
national parks, you know.
If you're living on the eastcoast of Australia, which the
majority of Australians do, youknow I don't know it'd have to
be 90% of Australia lives on theeast coast.
Within a couple of hours youare at a national park and it's
either free or low cost entryand some of the most stunning
(39:04):
landscapes anywhere in the world.
And geez, doesn't it just fillyou up when you're in these
environments.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
Oh, absolutely.
Look, there is nothing better,I think, for the soul and for
the stress levels, than to packyourself into your car.
You know, don't pack all of thebaggage, don't take your
worries with you.
You know, get the windows down,get the breeze in your hair,
get the tunes cranking.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
Look, we're a few weeks away from being out to
Keppel Island catching up withour good mate, jeff Mercer.
Jeffrey, yes, but he alwayssays it's okay to bring some
luggage, but leave the baggage.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
Oh, I love him.
I love him so much.
This man is just part of theisland.
You know we talk about theoutback people having the red
dirt in their veins.
Well, jeff Mercer certainly hasplenty of sand and salt water
running through his and I can'twait to reconnect with him and I
love that saying.
And and there's nothing truerwhen you, when you are out on a
(40:06):
road trip, and particularly outin these parts of Queensland,
you know it's easy to leave yourbaggage behind beautiful Katie,
all right.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
next week we visit our favorite Outback Farmstay of
all time and we do give ourverdict on the best Buck Holden,
outback Hotspur.
Now there are three within a40-kilometer radius that we
check out.
We're going to share ourexperience at all of them and
let you know which one we thinkcame up trumps.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
Do I have to soak in another hot spring doll, Do I?
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Yep, All right.
Well, for now we'll say dreambig and look after yourself and
look after your family.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
And happy trails.
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provided for our awesome FeelGood Family audience.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Welcome to Season 9, Episode 6 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 (01:10):
Yes, welcome to the Family Travel Podcast, where we
share the latest in RV industrynews road trip travel,
caravanning and camping, productreviews, where to go, what to
do, and so much more.
Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
This week we stay at the Muddy Duck, we enjoy an
authentic Outback Aussieexperience, jasper gets to drive
a heritage train and we checkout the Well Shot Pub.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Lots of fun, lots of fun out here in Outback
Queensland, and again we'rediscovering new places and new
experiences this week, which wejust absolutely love.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Yeah, as the industry has grown over the last few
years and more and more peopleare exploring the world's best
backyard Australia our backyardwe've noticed that there's a lot
more investment into theseoutback towns.
You know there's been plenty ofinfrastructure grants and
tourism grants and all sorts ofstuff, but one thing that we
(02:12):
have loved is the improvement inthe amenities and facilities,
whether that is from a roadsidestop a truckie stop you know
those 24-hour overnight stays atruckie stop you know those
24-hour overnight stays orpeople just like us.
You know Aussie families thathave taken the punt and the risk
in investing into buildingtheir own campsite and welcoming
(02:36):
people in.
And that's what has happenedhere.
10 minutes west of Longreach,as though you were heading on
out to Winton and beyond thereis the Muddy Duck.
I love this name.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah, look, it's not your usual caravan park on the
banks of Longreach's famousThompson River, and what they've
done and what they're doing isjust awesome as an alternative
offering to staying straightinto the centre of town where
all of these incredible tourismexperiences are located, but
(03:33):
you're out just far enough awayto feel really peaceful in and
amongst the bush, and weabsolutely loved this stay.
It's quite a huge property,isn't it Paul?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
It reminds me of my family all travelled together in
the US.
Over there in the United States, as a 15-year-old that's going
back a while, Dale.
Young, unaffected, innocent.
I learned a few things in theStates.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I can tell you that, katie, I bet you did.
Maybe that's for a differentkind of podcast.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
I did get to go to school there as a freshman.
We don't care what you say, arsman just talk.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yes, I bet that would have been well.
I know it was a life-changingexperience for you having all of
those experiences at such ayoung and impressionable age.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah, look, I found my self-esteem, I found some
confidence, I found my ego and Ifound that American girls are
gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, there's a song about that, isn't there?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Yes, there is.
I wish they all could be yes.
Anyways, let all could be yes,anyways, let's move on.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
How did we get from that, from Muddy?
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Duck In America.
My family traveled around in amotorhome a dusty old Winnebago
I think it was, 28 foot, slepteight.
There was nine of us, so it wasa little squishy and we got to
go to some incredible parks evenway back then, you know.
We got to go to some incredibleparks even way back then, you
know.
And they do everything largeand so this is really set up for
(05:11):
like 300 campers.
They've had a booming secondseason and have realized that
they need more to offer, so theyare currently seeking out some
more land to expand on.
So pretty amazing success.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, look, I really liked the layout that they've
put in here with the variousrows.
I suppose you could say, andyou know, depending on what row
you're on, depends on what angleyour setup is parked on.
And what I really liked aboutthis is that the sites were
(05:49):
large.
You didn't feel like you wereon top of your neighbor.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
No drive-thru.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah, that's right, they were all drive-thru, very,
very easy access hedging or somesort of Australian native
natural garden bed in between toallow for a little bit of
privacy, and I think that's onlygoing to improve as they mature
(06:14):
.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
So I mean it's looking very new at the moment,
but it's really well thought out.
They're future-proofingthemselves.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Yeah, absolutely.
They've got great amenities andfacilities in here and, as Paul
mentioned, they're expandingand they are right on the banks
of the Thompson River, so theyhave a lovely little communal
campfire area.
They also have some kayaks andpaddleboards that you can hire
(06:43):
to head out on the river as well, and they're very, very easy as
far as a range of differentwalks that you can do if you're
an active person, if you want toget out and about, go across
the river.
Actually, there's a great freecamp across well low-cost camp
(07:03):
across the river, isn't there,paul?
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Yeah, look, we do have to give this a mention
because we will stay there nexttime and possibly split our time
.
Look, we're going to get askedand we do get asked how long you
should stay in these locations,Given the world-class
experiences and the amount ofexperiences that you can do in
long reach.
(07:25):
If you can stay for threenights, you'd run around crazy
and not get it done.
If you can stay for five nights, perfect.
Still, give you some time out,some really good pace to
experience the real town, thecommunity and the characters
that come with OutbackQueensland places like this, and
(07:50):
that way you could probablypull up to Muddy Duck for a
couple of nights and you couldstay over in Apex Park, the
community campground.
It also supports the community,which is great, Pretty well.
The services there are likethis it's $10 a night or $40 for
a week.
They have a massive overflowarea.
(08:11):
Now, Muddy Duck I think it costgee, I don't know, it was up
over $50.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Yes, I think you're right.
From memory it was, I guess, onthe end of of what we generally
pay when we're staying in acaravan park.
But you know we're always happyto support the new businesses
like this and the locals youknow that are that are
absolutely giving it a crack.
(08:39):
The other reason we opted tostay here at muddy duck at this
time is because it's hot.
It's hot and we have access topower and water here at Muddy
Duck, so one of the first thingswe did when we rolled in was
hook in and get that airconditioning on.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Yeah, that's perfect, and that really is.
It comes down to what you needas a traveller.
For us, 600 amp hours oflithium batteries, 1280 watts of
solar on the roof.
We can run that air conprobably for a good few hours
before we would be needing toplug in, but sometimes it's just
(09:19):
easier.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Oh, absolutely, and particularly at this time of
year too we're coming through.
It is quickly approachingsummertime here in Australia and
in these outback parts, youknow, you can have such a wide
variance of temperature as well.
Still very cool overnight, youknow, pull the doona up kind of
(09:42):
weather which we absolutely love, and then the days heat up
extremely warm.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Yeah, there is a 20 to 25 degree Celsius variant
between low and hightemperatures quite often out
here.
Now back to the Apex Park.
So there is potable wateravailable where you can fill
your tanks.
There is no power wateravailable where you can fill
your tanks, there is no power.
There is large green grassyarea right on the banks opposite
(10:10):
Muddy Duck, something I dothink Muddy Duck could take a
leaf out of Apex book, is they?
Speaker 2 (10:19):
have a sandy beach, whereas Muddy Duck is a muddy
duck beach.
Yes, yeah, you're right, paul,because it's got that little
Apex park there on the otherside of the river.
It's a beautiful spot,particularly for families, and
we saw a lot of families overhere in this low-cost campground
, big grassy area where the kidscan run around and play, and
then that sandy bank on theshore of the river certainly
(10:40):
makes things a lot moreaccessible, a lot safer.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Definitely.
And then there's free barbecues, massive covered area and there
is this access, as you said,and it's a great fisherman's
paradise here as well.
Huge amount of species of fishthat you can catch here.
So really a wonderfulopportunity to be able to maybe
have a couple of nights overthere for low cost and then, you
(11:06):
know, do the luxurious muddyduck, plug and play.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Go and have your hot shower, darling their amenities
are second to none.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
So, look, they've really invested in it and so
yeah, good on them.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yeah, absolutely.
And look, we have to give thema little shout out.
We did arrive fairly late inthe afternoon.
They shut up at five o'clock.
Well, they certainly were atthe time we were coming through
and the beautiful staff waitedit out for us.
They were all too happy for usto arrive, which we did about 20
(11:40):
minutes later, with still bigsmiles and friendly welcomes.
So thanks very much, guys.
We had a great stay and it wasan excellent base for us to
really be able to get out andexperience a couple of things in
Longreach.
You know we're here forprobably not as long as we'd
like, but good reason to be ableto come back.
(12:01):
And, as we mentioned last week,we're just incredibly
overwhelmed with the offeringthat Longreach has for
travellers and tourists.
There are so many experiencesto choose from.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
There, sure is.
And last week we had the QantasFounders Museum, the Wing Walk
and Evening Light ShowSensational.
This week we've got somethingvery authentic Show sensational.
This week we've got somethingvery authentic the Aussie
Outback Tours, silver TailSunset Rail Dinner and Show.
Thank you, smithy and Sue, thiswas awesome.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Yeah, look, I think Smithy and Sue are as much a
part of the Australian Outback,you know, as Longreach is in
Outback Queensland.
Here they've been operatingsince the beginning of time.
It feels like you know when youget to know them and you read
their story, and what they haveon offer is truly incredible.
They obviously love what theydo and that shines across every
(13:07):
element of their experiences.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Yeah, they've created , I think, offers that include
tagalongs, you know, reallyextended long trip bus tours,
one-off special experiences,authentic Outback experiences
like what we're about to talkabout now, and around that
success, I guess, draws in areally good group of people.
(13:31):
So, either through attractinggood people or training up, you
know, the younger sort ofgeneration of presenters and you
know, and team members, theyreally are drawing out this
passion for Australia andAustralian storytelling and
that's what we loved about thiswhole experience.
So we headed into Longreach,pulled up to the beautiful
(13:55):
Heritage Railway there,longreach Railway, built back in
1916.
You come around onto theplatform and boom, there it is.
As Jasper said, it's the SylvanPullet.
This beautiful old 2000 classHeritage Motor Rail is going to
be our journey for the nextcouple of hours before the
(14:16):
dinner and show.
We loved everything about this.
Now, jasper obviously we'vementioned many times is a
ferroquinologist.
Oh, yes, good, remembering Tomremembering, which is a train
enthusiast.
He loves train spotting, heloves everything about trains
and so, geez, face was boomingand there's nothing better as a
parent to witness that joythrough your kids is there oh,
(14:40):
just, it is just magical and itit definitely rubs off on you as
a big kid, you know, and youfind that inner joy and
excitement.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
And look, it's a sweet little two carriage silver
bullet, as Jasper said, and onwe board with our free.
We even got those really greatreusable wine glasses that come
in the cooler style.
You know, you put a little lidon them, they're great for
(15:12):
camping.
So we picked ourselves up acouple of those and on we hopped
and look, we would have onlybeen on the train five or ten
minutes and the staff are comingaround.
And hats off to the staff,coming around with their menus
so that you could choose yourselection of beverages, and of
course they had everything from,you know, juices and soft
(15:32):
drinks through to beers andwines, and watching the staff
pour the wine in particular wasvery impressive.
Now I challenge you if you'reon a train and you have access
to a bottle of wine, I challengeyou to pour a glass, because
it's not an easy thing to do.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Not when you've got this old rickety girl chugging
down the tracks.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Yeah, that's right.
But look, the staff werefantastic.
As we mentioned, it always isabout the people that really
make or break an experience, nomatter how good the experience
itself is.
And we were certainly treatedwonderfully.
And the train drivers, inparticular Robert and Mick, were
(16:18):
full of excellent informationnot too much but enough to
really keep you engaged andentertained.
And we got the the history notonly of Longreach and the region
, but also the, the wildlife andthe environment, the local
culture, the history of the railyou know that we were traveling
(16:38):
on and and then we got to pullup stumps and look out over the
floodplains and watch.
If you've ever taken in anoutback sunset, you'll know it's
completely different fromanywhere in the coastal parts of
the country.
The colours, the way that thelight reflects off the landscape
(16:59):
around you just sensational.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Yeah, I love how this was created.
You know that you get thisalmost 45-minute journey out
through the floodplains, over alittle bridge over the River
Thompson and then, as you say,you pull up Stumps at halfway
mark I guess and there's a bitof a water area course that sort
(17:24):
of comes out through the scruband then, of course, with water
comes wildlife.
So they've kind of picked theright spot.
You know, kangaroo kind ofbounces in and little emus
running over there and thenthere's a wild pig that came in
and that color is just gettingricher and richer.
As the sun sets.
More drinks come out.
Rob decides well, let's have alittle bit of a karaoke
(17:47):
sing-along and put some, sometunes, uh, that that come
through the pa and reallywonderful, uh, not only for the
adults but, yeah, you know, asyou say, for the kids as well.
They really connected with eachand every traveler that was on
board.
They come around with differentoffering on souvenirs which you
(18:08):
feel kind of like you can'tresist because you're in the
moment, you're already a drinkin and sure enough, there's a
wooden train whistle handcraftedfor $12.
Let's get it, our little trainenthusiasts will love this.
Jeez, talk about a $12.
Regret, katie.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Look, let's just say he has definitely got use out of
this train whistle and heabsolutely loves it.
I'm not sure about the rest ofthe passengers on the train.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Well, you've got to think.
There's probably in total ahalf a dozen kids on this train,
all with the whistle now.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Yeah, I actually think it was a little inside
joke between Rob and Mick, thestaff on the train.
Let's see how many of thesewhistles we can sell today to
really upset the parents.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Look as conductors and commentators.
They were both great, butreally want to give a special
mention here to Rob hisengagement with Jasper, even
that he bent down to talk.
You know we see this oftenbecause I guess we've worked in
this space for so long thedifferent way to relate to kids
(19:22):
whether that's through placinginterpretive signage a little
bit lower, having sort of peekthrough windows at their height
so they can see into anenclosure, or, you know, if
you're at a science museum, buthaving people that are aware of
where kids level is at and beingable to communicate clearly
with them is a special gift.
And Rob just did this.
(19:42):
Naturally, I think he's agrandparent himself, he is, he
is.
But then to invite all of thekids, one at a time, up.
Jasper very fortunately he wasthe first one up because we were
sitting at the back of thecarriage and this would be a
good little hot tip for us isget on at the back of the
carriage on the way out and thenthat way on the way in, you're
(20:03):
right at the front, you've gotthis full view out through the
front window of this Heritagerail motor and you can see all
the action.
And then, if you've got kids,then boom, they're into the
passenger or assistant driver'sseat.
Jasper got to use the realwhistle.
Yes, that massive horn.
It blasted through him, itscared him.
(20:24):
He even knew what was coming.
He didn't know.
But then he gave it anothercrack and he got to take the
handbrake off and Rob reallythen started to engage with him.
So what do you want to be whenyou're older, jasper?
Well, I want to be a traindriver, he said.
Well, you need to get anapprentice and start talking to
him about different pathways ofemployment, which is pretty wild
(20:45):
to watch, you know, as a parentsitting back as an observer
watching your kid communicate soeasily and freely like this.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
We loved it.
Joy that was just emitting ofJasper as he was sitting up
front riding the rails with Roband talking all things trains
was just awesome.
And to also give us a moment tobe adults, kicking back, having
our lovely little platter ofcanapes that was served to every
(21:18):
guest and a glass of wine wasjust awesome to every guest and
a glass of wine was just awesome.
Now you can do this experienceon the rails as a separate
experience.
If you just want to head outfor a couple of hours in the
afternoon watch the sunset, thenyou can book this by yourself.
However, we opted to stay onand head to Smithy's Outback
(21:40):
Dinner and Show, which we hadheard so many wonderful things
about.
And so, what is fantastic?
As the sun sets, the trainstarts moving again.
It's only a few minutes beforethey pull up, basically in the
middle of nowhere, and thoseguests who are heading on to the
Outback Dinner and Show hop offthe train and are picked up by
(22:04):
a lovely coach with, again, areally lovely bus driver, who
took us a short 500 odd metresdown the road to where Smithy's
Outback Dinner and Show islocated.
And look, talk about steppinginto the pages of an Australian
bush poem.
(22:24):
I mean, this is open air,amongst the gum trees, starry
nights, you know, on the banksof the river.
Like you, couldn't have found abetter location to enjoy a meal
that is completely cooked overthe campfire.
(22:45):
You know, catering for goshPaul, how many people would have
been at the dinner.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
I would think they probably at max packs, could
have 120, 140 people there.
We probably experienced it with70.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
There you go.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
I mean right on the end of the season, so it wasn't
too busy and plenty of smilingteam members and they just
rotate as they walk you throughand they're introducing you to
every staff member and theentertainment as you're being
guided to your table Beautiful,warm, lighting, those old kind
of miners' lamps that have warm,coloured lights, if you know,
(23:25):
not that stark white.
So, yeah, very warm, welcomingyou straightaway.
Feel like, oh, this is prettyspecial.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Yes, well, even the fact that as we disembarked the
bus, we were met by Sue and someof the other staff who were
there to look after us on thenight, who were all smiling, as
Paul mentioned.
And then we got a personalintroduction to all of the other
staff members there, includingthe chef who made the meal for
(23:54):
all of us over the campfire,which just blows my mind.
I don't even know how you caterfor that many people.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
She'd get good at it, I think, when that's what
you're doing every night.
Yeah, and nailed it.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Yeah, absolutely.
And then you're sitting aroundI guess you know in the outdoors
, this lovely little shack forwant of a better word, the old
Australian tin shed kind of set,and they have various
entertainers who come in andprovide the nightly
(24:29):
entertainment for the dinner andshow.
And we were very fortunate evenRob and Mick on the train said
to have Drew Blundell performingthe night that we were at the
dinner and show and, look, he'sfantastic.
I have to be honest, neitherPaul nor I had heard of Drew
prior to this night, but hisvoice was incredible and his
(24:52):
selection of songs that heperformed for us.
You know everything, rangingfrom, you know, the famous
Australian songs that we alllove to sing to to many old
school songs that everybodyknows the words to.
He opened up for requests aswell.
Jasper put his hand up a fewtimes.
(25:12):
I think he requested CountryRoads.
He did.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Yes, and then he sang Loud and Proud, yes, and then,
exactly, I thought he justhelped, drew along with some of
the vocals.
That was very good of him.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
It was a really lovely, relaxed evening.
At no point did we feelpressured or rushed or that we
needed to be doing anything.
The staff were incrediblyattentive.
Drew was very funny, you knowhe engaged the audience in
conversation in between songs.
(25:45):
There was a great area for thekids, you know they had thought
about that as well.
Jasper spent the majority ofthe evening digging in the dirt
with the selection of Tonkatrucks and diggers and bulldozer
toys that were there for thekids to play with, and then
(26:05):
occasionally he'd come back tothe table for another mouthful
of dinner.
So that kept him extremelyhappy.
It was just a really lovelynight.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Yes, Credit to Smithy and Sue for creating the right
amount of engagement and thenside sort of entertainment to
keep the kids occupied and butnot disruptive.
You know, sort of just diggingin the sand and well back out of
the main table seating area.
(26:35):
So yeah, you really feel likethey've thought things through.
There's a full service bar withgreat selection of Aussie and
some international wines as well, and really it's all about.
Nothing's a problem.
You know, can we get youanything else?
And the food is very filling,there's plenty of it.
(26:58):
You wouldn't go for wanting anymore.
You'll be wanting to loosenyour belt.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
And I did.
My button on my jeans wasundone, and that was only after
the first dinner course.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Hello, yes, look, we just loved the whole experience.
We left not only with ourbellies full, but with our
hearts full, and I say thatbecause you are made to feel
like you're an extension oftheir family.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Yes, yes, absolutely, and I love you know.
We were greeted by Sue and theteam when we hopped off the bus
and I really love the end of thenight as well, because they
stand out there again aseverybody's boarding the bus and
Sue said to us this is notsomething special, we're just
doing for you guys.
This is something that we doevery single night when guests
(27:46):
come and join us for dinner, andthat's how they speak Guests
are just joining us for dinner.
As you said, Paul, they're anextension of our family and they
wave you off and they're socute and they're standing there
waving, waving, until the bus ispretty well out of sight.
You know, it's not that.
Oh yeah, two-second token waveand off we go.
Go and tidy up.
(28:07):
They're there, they'recommitted.
It was lovely.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Really fantastic.
And look, they are called theAussie Outback Tours Company.
If you punch that in to Google,you will find them, and then
you'll go right.
I can see now this is an empirethat these guys are creating of
, you know, really amazingauthentic Aussie experiences
(28:33):
with authentic Aussie charactersand storytellers that are
passionate about sharing thosestories.
So we'd encourage you to get onand check it out for yourself.
Whether you're heading toLongreach or further afield,
there's plenty on offer throughthese guys.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Yes, absolutely Fantastic experience.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
Now, when we were leaving you know the train, rob
said hey, by the way, there isone of the other tours tomorrow
on the Heritage Motor Rail thatheads down past the Qantas
Founders Museum, past theStockman's Hall of Fame, and we
keep on going down to the WellShot Pub in Ilfracombe and
(29:11):
there's this famous pub.
There.
We get off with the passengers,have lunch, but if you want
some really good YouTube content, meet us down there 11.30 am,
quarter to 12, every Sunday.
I don't know if they do thisany other day of the week, but
I'm pretty sure it happens onSundays and, yeah, you should
try and get down there.
(29:31):
So we were like, well, let'sdefinitely do that, I'm
intrigued now.
So we walked in it was about 20to 12, and there was all this
commotion of people and Robthere being really the
ringmaster of all the fun andactivity, and what they'd done
is they'd handed hats aroundinviting people to make a
(29:54):
donation to the RFDS, which isour charity of choice, and that
is the Royal Flying DoctorService, a free service for
every Australian that istraveling in remote regions,
outback Australia, that if youwere to come into any kind of
problem, accident, emergencysituation, the Royal Flying
(30:16):
Doctor Service.
If you can get their attention,will show up.
They'll fly you in and out, giveyou that emergency treatment
and make sure that you are wellcared for, without cost which is
remarkable to us that you knowthis service is available and
free, and so anytime that wehave an opportunity to donate or
(30:38):
to talk about the Royal FlyingDoctor service and how amazing
they are, then we do, and sothey collect all the money, and
then I think they collected like$320, I think something like
that.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
And so some people are given $2, some people are
given $50, somebody gave $100.
So you know it's up to you whatyou give.
But then it's put across thebar and then the bar changes
that into large denominations ofnotes $50 notes, $100 note, $20
notes, whatever it comes in.
And then Rob instructs anyonewho's willing to give it a go, a
(31:13):
chance to put this on, a littlelike a pin and a weighted pin,
and he gives you the instructionhow to straighten your arm,
bend your legs and then whoopeyes get it in the roof.
You know he's got the all theaussie slang going and, uh, we
watched some kids couldn't getit up there, but it seemed to be
(31:35):
.
The kids were all lining up andanyway, and we just happened to
walk in when they were kind ofgot through the kids, and and he
said little jasper watched youon YouTube last night.
Get up here, mate.
You've got this.
Now Jasper's just turned eightand so he's probably right on
that cusp of maybe being justslightly not quite strong enough
(31:55):
yet, because it's this 130 yearold pub.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Yeah, it's, it's actually.
It's a beautiful little pubwith a very interesting story of
its own, but quite unlike a lotof the pubs that you'll find in
the Northern Territory that youknow, their ceilings are full
of old bras, knickers, dustyhats and whatever else anybody
can pin up there Probablyasbestos.
Yes, the well shot.
The ceiling over the bar isfull of cash.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Yes, and so I don't know.
It'd be sort of at that five,six metre height, so you've got
really high ceilings.
130 year old heritage listedbuilding.
That was way down in Barcoldin.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
I believe yes.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
And somebody said you know what our little town needs
?
We need that pub.
So they horse-encouraged thispub and reassembled it here to
create a bit of a pub pilgrimage, to create a bit of a heartbeat
for the town, and it worked.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
Well, it was the first building in Ilfraclone, so
there you go.
It actually kicked off the town.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
I love, I love Australia for these stories.
You know, where do you hearabout this stuff, and so this is
hey Dale, let's start a town.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
We need a pub, we need a pub.
Yep, I mean, it's smart, Ihaven't got time to build one.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Let's just grab that one from over there.
Perfect, and so you know richin history this place and it
looks amazing.
Anyway, jasper's throwing andhe gets a final chance.
He's already had three goes.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
So close, oh, so close.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
And then Rob said no, no, stop, look at your arm.
Your arm's not straight enough,you're not bending in it.
Come on, jasper, come on, andhe just goes, give it.
You know, just give it to it,send it, and Jasper does his
final throw, but as he does, hekind of leaps into the air.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
And lets out this real like, oh like, exertional
grunt.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Cutteral yeah Moment and a little roar, you know, and
boom into the roof and the puberupted.
And it was so exciting to seehis little face.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Oh, it makes me emotional now, even just
recounting the story, becauseeverybody, everybody, whether
you were sitting in the mainarea where the dining was, where
this is going on, or on theother side of the bar the
patrons who were just sittinghaving a beverage Everybody was
engaged in this activity.
(34:26):
And Jasper was the spotlight,and I mean one.
I'm amazed that he willinglystepped forward and said yep,
I'll give it a go.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
He's pretty confident .
I mean, we know that and if youwatch our YouTube show you'll
be like, yeah, he's obviously.
He's grown up in an environmentwhere we're, you know, putting
ourselves out there publicly, sohe is pretty confident.
But interestingly, when he getsinto sort of larger groups it's
almost like he introverts.
He can sometimes go the otherway.
So we're not sure what we'regoing to get sometimes.
(34:56):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
And we just if that's the case.
We're just like, yeah, that'sfine, yeah, yeah, oh, definitely
, whatever you want to do, mate.
But I was really surprisedbecause this was, you know,
something that he was puttinghimself physically on the line
to do.
So, one, he put his hand up andsaid, yes.
Two, the entire pub is on theedge of their seats watching.
And three, that moment when itsticks in the roof and of course
(35:26):
you know, paul and I arefilming Paul's in front of him,
I'm sort of off to the sidebehind him and he turns around
and his little face, it just asa parent, both arms in the air,
like yeah, it's like he'scrossed a marathon finish line.
It's one of those moments, Ithink, that will define you know
, as you're growing up and yourchildhood.
(35:48):
But it's one of those momentsthat, whether he's conscious of
it or not, will absolutely leavea defining marker point on him
and having that success that dayand the encouragement of
everybody in the pub will havedone something internally to him
.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Look, I think you nailed it, Katie Encouragement,
validation and that littleself-esteem that grows into a
big self-esteem.
You cannot underestimate thepower of creating little
thinkers with really bigself-esteems.
Just encourage that self-esteemin your kids is really what we
(36:30):
would think.
You don't have to always tellthem they're great if they're
not.
Don't do that.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
No, but give them the opportunity to shine and excel,
to step up and do that offtheir own steam, will give them
an incredible self-esteem.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Oh, look, you've got to get over to our YouTube
channel if you haven't seen thisfootage already.
And look, even if you skipthrough to the end of the
episode to watch Jasper at theWell Shot Hotel, it is pure gold
, priceless content.
And look, we have to say whatthese guys are doing here.
Over the past year, they'vealready raised $28,000 for the
(37:08):
RFDS.
So look, definitely we wouldrecommend, if you don't get out
and do the sunset tour on therails that we did, then make
sure you book on to their daylunch trip down to Ilfracombe
and be a part of this at thewell shot.
You have a great lunch downthere and then you board the
train and you head back toLongreach.
(37:30):
So that in itself would be anawesome tour to do on a Sunday.
Definitely.
Go and have some lunch and abeverage at the pub and be
escorted back on the rails.
Yeah, and we had a meal there.
We loved it.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
The well shot's gorgeous and a beverage at the
pub and be escorted back on therails.
Yeah, and we had a meal there.
We loved it.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
The village was great , the well shot's gorgeous and
we discovered you can camp outthe back there.
There was a number of caravansout the back.
I think it was somewhere aroundthe $20 or $30 a night to park
up out the back.
And then, yeah, the well shot'sright there.
So sweet little town,ilfracombe, love.
And yeah, the well shots rightthere.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
So sweet little town, ilfracombe, love it, and Enews
just walking through town andwe'll talk about the machinery
mall next week's episode.
Now, look, we keep talkingabout back Queensland because as
far as a road trip, it's justgot it all.
You know, it's so fantastic.
If you want a sea change, youwant an outback change and you
want to really come out and seethe colors and the landscapes,
(38:21):
and then obviously the peoplethat have that red earth in
their blood, then make your wayout here, and it is a good segue
for me for this week's takeaway.
Sometimes the best therapy is along drive, good music and good
company.
So we would say plan your nextroad trip, even if it's only a
(38:42):
couple hours, you know out to anational park or you know
national parks, you know.
If you're living on the eastcoast of Australia, which the
majority of Australians do, youknow I don't know it'd have to
be 90% of Australia lives on theeast coast.
Within a couple of hours youare at a national park and it's
either free or low cost entryand some of the most stunning
(39:04):
landscapes anywhere in the world.
And geez, doesn't it just fillyou up when you're in these
environments.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
Oh, absolutely.
Look, there is nothing better,I think, for the soul and for
the stress levels, than to packyourself into your car.
You know, don't pack all of thebaggage, don't take your
worries with you.
You know, get the windows down,get the breeze in your hair,
get the tunes cranking.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
Look, we're a few weeks away from being out to
Keppel Island catching up withour good mate, jeff Mercer.
Jeffrey, yes, but he alwayssays it's okay to bring some
luggage, but leave the baggage.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
Oh, I love him.
I love him so much.
This man is just part of theisland.
You know we talk about theoutback people having the red
dirt in their veins.
Well, jeff Mercer certainly hasplenty of sand and salt water
running through his and I can'twait to reconnect with him and I
love that saying.
And and there's nothing truerwhen you, when you are out on a
(40:06):
road trip, and particularly outin these parts of Queensland,
you know it's easy to leave yourbaggage behind beautiful Katie,
all right.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
next week we visit our favorite Outback Farmstay of
all time and we do give ourverdict on the best Buck Holden,
outback Hotspur.
Now there are three within a40-kilometer radius that we
check out.
We're going to share ourexperience at all of them and
let you know which one we thinkcame up trumps.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
Do I have to soak in another hot spring doll, Do I?
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Yep, All right.
Well, for now we'll say dreambig and look after yourself and
look after your family.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
And happy trails.
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