Headin' north to Charters

[Kym]

Hey everyone, Me'n'Hubbie are thinking about heading north to Charters Towers for a few days. I know a few of you are from there, so I thought I'd ask what you reckon would be interesting for us to look at. I think Maureen mentioned a revolving toilet a while back, but surely there's more things to do/see?

We were originally going to drive to Paronella Park, Innot Hot Springs and Undara Lava tubes, but after looking at the map ... they're soooo far away!

Any suggestions would be good.

Thanks,
Kym.

[Zondrae]

G'day Kym,

... and probably still underwater.
I was thinking about Paronella Park while the cyclone was around. I do hope they weren't flooded out again. All the restoration work would have been washed away. I am also so glad we made the trip when we did. Otherwise I may never have had the chance to tread in my Dad's footprints (so to speak), which is something I had always wanted to do.

[Kym]

Hi Zondrae, Luke from Paronella said there was some trees blown over and a lot of clean-up but little building damage. It's back in full swing again. I just don't want to drive that faaaarrrrrr ...... mind you, ten minutes into the trip, I'll be asleep and hubbie will have to drive all the way listening to the sweet music of my snoring! The trip goes really quickly for me ...

[David J Delaney]

What do ya mean soooooFaaaarr!!!..struth it's only 'just up the road' ... most things are back 'in full swing' it's the Tully. Mission Beach, Cardwell areas that are still doing it tuff.

[Maureen K Clifford]

Hi Kym -Lucky you - you will love the place.

If the old Venus Battery is open it is definitely worth a look - it is the old gold crushing plant and there is a miners cottage nearby where you can pan for gold. The revolving toilet is/was in the Stan Pollard Building which is a huge multi commodity store selling everything , it used to be a drapery story and had a flying fox machine thingy that whizzed the money from the shop assistant up to the cashiers box and the receipt and change etc would then be placed into the little box and whizzed back down. Great fun - I always loved it when I went out there once a month to work.

Nearby almost across the road is the old Stock Exchange building which is beautifully restored and home to now lots of little shops. The local gardens - Lissner gardens - have a magnificent rotunda dating back to the late 1800's? and the gardens are a shady and cool spot for a picnic. The architecture everywhere is fabulous from the humblest little tin miners huts - (they may still be standing - remember one was actually in the main street Gill Street next to a chemists) to the magnificent National Bank building and the Post office. The Hospital is worth a look at as it has a fascinating history and I remember reading not all that long ago that there is now a group doing heritage tours or walks around the town.

We used to drink at the White Horse Inn which is in the middle of town and was always a good spot and cool.

It is one of the few places I know of that still has drive in movies - How good is that.

There is also good fishing on the Burdekin river and nice little camp spots on the banks

Found this clip and according the young blokes who made it Charters Towers is a civilized place because it now has - MACCAS

http://www.charters-towers.com/local/photos.php

If you are going out there be sure to take an extra day and visit Ravenswood..It used to be a pretty rough dirt road out but that has possible changed over the years. A fabulous old gold mining town , steeped in history with two great old majestic hotels right opposite each other complete with dead set resident ghosts. One was called the Railway hotel which always amused me no end as there was no railway withing cooee - don't remember the name of the other - could have been The Imperial???

I am now coloured

[warooa]

I agree with Dave . . why drive all the way from Rocky then stop before you get to the good bits?

Ask your old mate Keats about Charters . . it's one of his homes away from home.

Marty

ps. Innot Hot Springs is up for sale/auction - got any spare coin?

[Zondrae]

hey Kym,


Aren't you going to Charters Towers at the wrong time of year. They have some poetry events there. (and at Ravenswood. I think) You should go then.