Back to Rubyvale

Drove around Clermont, saw their lovely lagoon with circling walkway, and the piano in the tree. Clermont, originally built down near the lagoon, suffered a disastrous flood in 1916, when the whole town was inundated and 35 people drowned.  When the waters receded, three pianos were found in trees.  The current one is a statue of sorts, a stark reminder of the depth of water which washed away the town overnight.  (Aborigines had warned them not to live there, but they knew better).  Afterwards, the town was rebuilt up the hill, only about half a kilometre away.

                                          Piano in the tree.

On towards Rubyvale, which we first visited a couple of weeks ago.  This road is the opposite side of the triangle bounded by Rubyvale, Capella and Clermont, and is the same road we'd travelled on to Theresa Creek Dam.  Some distance past the dam turnoff, we came to Theresa Creek itself, crossing it on a causeway which washed the wheels.  What a beautiful spot, with fresh flowing water and clean sandy beach.  It would be a great place to camp.A little further on, we crossed Tomahawk Creek, which is very similar.  Both these creeks are wide and tree-lined, with sandy banks- quite photogenic but you can't stop in the middle of a single lane causeway to take a photo!

Some distance further on, we came to the turnoff for Tomahawk Creek.  We'd been told about this place when we were in Sapphire a few weeks ago, and would have gone there if not for the day's rain which made the road impassable at that time.  We had morning tea by the roadside, and John got into conversation with Tommo, a passing motorist, who gave him the gen.  About twenty kilometres, he said.  So John drove down the ever-diminishing track, over cattle grids and through grazing cattle, for about the required distance.  We came to a VERY sandy part but John, a former farmer who's used to driving rough roads, took it in his stride.  Then the road forked- one way had a sign to a telephone (we were miles from anywhere and in thick bush!) so that seemed to be the major road, so to speak.

                                          Tomahawk Creek intersection.

We passed the telephone box, which must qualify as one of the most isolated in Australia.  Not a residence for miles around, and although the bush temporarily thinned out, this must be the strangest place to locate a phone- and look at the necessary accessories to make it work!

John kept on driving, and the track kept on diminishing.  We were being thrown around quite a lot so Marg had trouble keeping Ruby on her lap, and Chris and I, in the back seat, were using muscles we'd forgotten we owned in order to stay upright.  The track became quite rocky rather than sandy, by now just two little wheel strips amongst the grass, winding wildly around trees and back again.  Eventually we saw a vehicle in the distance, which proved to be owned by a father and son who are working a claim.  They were having a beer after their work and were quite happy to chat with us.  They said the track petered out altogether a short distance away- we'd taken the wrong turn back at the telephone sign.

A U-turn was indicated, and we bumped back along the excuse for a track to the intersection, if you could call it that.  We got out and wandered around, John examining the mullock heaps, Chris and I individually wandering down to the creek crossing.  The creek here (we assume it was Tomahawk Creek, but it was bone dry) was very sandy and Chris picked up a tiny stone he thought might be gold.

It was well after lunchtime by now and we had no more food with us, so we headed for our original destination, Rubyvale, arriving at the cafe at 2.30 to find the cook, exhausted from a busy day, was just going on a break.  We managed to get a bite to eat, then crossed the road to the pub for a very welcome and very cold ale.  Chris consulted an expert about his little find and was told he'd found a tiny star sapphire, which amazed all of us.  Bright yellow! Too small to have any value, unfortunately.

Then back  towards Clermont, driving in between two mountain ranges, both at some distance but clearly visible across the rolling plains.  To the east was the Peak Range, which we visited from Capella a week or so ago.  If you saw the John Doyle program on ABC on several Sundays recently, you will know that the Great Dividing Range splits in two in Queensland, the western range passing about 100 kilometres west of here, through Alpha.  They look like real mountains, unlike the Peaks which are merely individual peaks, striking though they are.

We've arranged with the Margie from the caravan park to take us out tomorrow (I've yet to see her, but Chris says she has one tooth in her top jaw- can't wait!)  She's to pick up the 5 of us (including Ruby, of course) to take us gold prospecting tomorrow.