We were greeted to a classic Queensland winter’s day as we left Blackwater for Blackdown Tableland.

We asked some locals about the road, ‘Hey guys what have you herd?”

Passing through grazing country, we made our way to the tableland and up the narrow winding road to the top of the range. We were warned it would be cold and it didn’t disappoint with an 11 degree maximum temperature.

The view from the lookout at the top of the escarpment looking north.

The view north-west across the sandstone outcrops.

We did a 4.2 km walk trough rocky gullies and wildflowers to the Two Mile Falls.

The cabbage palms throughout the generally dry forests are a distinctive feature.

Although the wildflowers were yet to reach their peak, there was enough to keep our amateur botanists interested.

Returning to the plains below, we were reminded of the huge scale of machinery with this dragline bucket at the International Coal Centre in Blackwater.

Emerald Railway Station

The Big Van Gogh in Emerald

Travelling west to Emerald and then north-west to Clermont, the scrubby brigalow opened up to the agricultural land of Peak Downs. Sunflowers, sorghum and other crops in fields as far as the eye can see were framed by the Peak Range, a row of volcanic peaks.

Our eagle-eyed bird spotter saw a wedge-tailed eagle then several bustards. We were then treated to a flyover of several bustards (one shown above) – they are quite large with a wingspan of 2.3 metres – magnificent!

After a blinding journey directly into the sun, we arrived at Clermont just after sunset – returning after 35 years absence – nothing much had changed – all looked the same but with different people – it was like being in an alternate reality of the same place.

Capella Street, Clermont.

The Commercial Hotel