A few Pubs

A few random photos of Hotels in the Outback and the train Station in Longreach, Queensland.

Julia Creek Hotel.  We had driven for miles or km before we came across Julia Creek, there wasn't a great deal there apart from another Hotel, a few houses and a shop so we continued on. There are about 511 people in the Creek.  Also there is a Caravan Park which we never even looked for as we were in our car.  It was a very lonely road we didn't even see another car but we did see a train going west, the train driver tooted and we waved madly as it was good to see someone :)

We have photos of the McKinley Pub in Queensland where from the Movie Crocodile Dundee went to the Pub called Walkabout Creek Hotel.  Another lonely road in what seemed the middle of no where.  Population about 178 people.

 

The Railway

The Abt. Railway in Queenstown was owned by the Mt. Lyell Company in Queenstown.

Back when I lived in Queenstown for 4 years, every Christmas we would have a school picnic and travel on the Steam train in open carriages to Strahan which is on the West Coast of Tasmania also.  It was great fun. The passage of the railway was over huge wooden bridges and with very steep mountains either side and deep drops, an absolute scenic route.
Then many years later the railway was restored as it is today.

Carriage made of Sassafras

  

Dubbil Barril a Station along the way.

In February 2013 the Federal Group who leased the railway many years later announced that it would be terminating its lease of the railway in April 2013. The company said that a downturn in business and a need for investment in infrastructure had caused the railway to no longer be viable. The Tasmanian government responded by estimating that maintaining the railway would cost $15 to $20 million, and that the government alone could not fund it.

Following track rehabilitation work, the railway re-opened between Queenstown and Dubbil Barril on 6 January 2014, while rehabilitation of the section through to Strahan continues.