5th August Roma to Mitchell – Outback Queensland

I stayed over night in Roma. I decided to look around the town. What I particularly like is the boab trees, they are the most amazing trees. I remembered from 20 years ago on my trip around Australia. They look very fat at the bottom and sprout into bushy trees, they are ancient without doubt.

i went for a wander around Roma. I walked into the main part of town, there is around 3 or more pubs. I was reflecting on the country culture, people use the pub as a meeting place. I feel quite comfortable waltzing in. Speaking of Waltzing I believe Charleville maybe the birthplace of Waltzing Matilda (insert here no it is Winton) which is a song about a bushman who goes down to a billabong (drinking hole) and has his swag on his back. Looking at the country here they were hardy men. The indigenous were incredible. I am thinking a lot about their country and how amazing to really know how to live on the land. Anyway, I walk around and see guys with big hats on, they look like cowboys, I do know there are rodeo’s in this part of the world and cattle yards and mustering. The guys do seem a little shy. Yet looking around you can see they have mod cons that the city folk have. The world has indeed become smaller.

I walked past a newspaper the Western Star. I just popped into say hello. The lady on reception had a speech impediment, I was pleased to see her employed and spoke to her like I would anyone. Being a clown you look beyond appearances, and I was wise to as she was very much with the program. I then spoke to a young journalist. Just a gut feeling to see if they would write a story. I told her I am a world peace clown travelling Australia and explained my story and my world trip etc. I told her I wanted to clown in schools and had contacted a few schools in Roma, but they didn’t take my offer on. I said to her I am open to any offers, I could clown for people feeling sad, or work with kids, or maybe go to a hospital. I’ve just contacted the flying doctor service, so clowns can fly hey. Cross fingers on that one. I also want to do distance learning. Kids get on two way radio and do school from a distance. I thought it might be fun to do that as well. She was impressed and I showed her a link to a story in Mindfood that had been done on me. I told her to get background from there and I will send her the story without her having to recall everything I am saying. So she said she would publish it, she inquired if I would come back. I said I could if people wanted me to. I am open on this trip.

Anyway, I walked around and noticed people smiling at me, country folk are like this, they are open. I love that, more my type of people. Then I saw some Oxfam people interviewing people on the street. I was marvelling at how Oxfam gets around. Anyway, one of the people was particularly switched on, his name was Ajay and he was from India, he told me he came from Bangalore. He was extremely intelligent and really a modern young man. He talked about community, the importance of caring for community, giving to the poor, that no-one should be in poverty. I said you should get a group of people and go down to the CEO at the coal plant and ask them to donate to a program to help local communities in Africa. The warming in Africa, hottest drough on record (63 years), I would suspect it is due to global warming. So why not the coal companies be good corporate citizens. I also told him to not dislike those who differ, even those who he thinks are destroying the earth. We have to be patient with people until they get the reality. Many cling to what they know and they figure why not just exploit it until gone. I also mentioned there are many who are changing and deciding to live sustainably. I find most people good and I don’t want to fight anyone. I told him about being a clown. I also asked if I could interview him. He said not on behalf of Oxfam, I said no problem, as yourself. I am going to interview people across Australia and get their views on peace, happiness and nature and more. Whatever interests them. We had a great chat. I will upload to Youtube when I get a dedicated connection this broadband is not that good, it sucks up the credit. So I will only blog and check emails until I get somewhere where I can do more. So stay tuned.

I then made my way back to my car. I had on the way also been to Queensland Parks and Forests, to find out about national parks, I may try and camp there only $5 per night, they said I can set up at the side of the road, so that is good when I need to.

I jumped in the car and thought I may try and head for Charleville, further west. It is about 3 hours drive (300km). I drove along and it is flat country. I kept thinking about Argentina and the moment I looked out the bus window and saw flat land and thought of Australia. I really felt the connection to my own country. I felt it so strongly and the desire to know the land better. I looked at the flat plains and white scrub with trees peppered, I thought about the original salt bush which covered 3/4 of the country. I looked at the roads, felt them actually, with the flooding here, some feel like you are riding a wave, I actually had fun going up and down on the roads. I also watch the trucks some are two carriages, as I get deeper into the desert the roadtrains will be there, 3 carriages. They are long to over take but the roads are long and straight so you just need zip in the car. My car is pretty good I can hit 120 km very easily and 140 if I need to. I am conscious of all the kangaroo carcasus on the side of the road and how many are being killed. I am told there are emu’s in this part of the world. Trying to be responsible as I drive. It is beautiful looking out to the horizon, the clouds, blue sky the freedom I feel. I can go anywhere, stop anytime, no arguments, just with myself I feel so much peace and happiness.

I came up to the town of Mitchell and noticed a sign for a caravan park. I thought I will check out the prices. I get there and the manager says $10 per night for an unpowered camp sight, around $50 for a caravan overnight van. I had a think about it and thought I will. I have to pitch my tent for the first time, not sure how easy or difficult it will be so better to be here.

I then get a tour in a golf buggy around this little park. A friendly bloke with his name on his t-shirt drives me around showing me the amenities. He is smiling I am travelling alone and as a clown. We have a laugh together. I actually met a nice couple with kids in the manager’s office. They were talking about the biggest mine in the Southern Hemisphere being built here. He was saying with bitterness that ‘no it won’t affect the town, there won’t be more miners and prices rising’. So I enquired a bit into that. It is an interesting juxtaposition given the government is introducing the carbon tax to move the economy away from coal and any industry that produces CO2 yet they are approving a coal mine. The money or the gold (Al Gore) comes to mind. Looks like the gold won.

Anyway on the way I am told there is a bush poet here. He will give a poetry rendition at 4.30pm, I tell him I am a poet. He yells out to the poet that he has a poet in the little golf buggy and I wave. He asks if I am in the country poets association. I look a bit dumb, didn’t know there was one. I just smiled and said no.

So I go and set up my 4 man tent. It is big. Not quite as straight forward as I thought. It has a mozy (mosquito) netting that you have to put up first with the tent poles. Then you have a fly that goes over the top. It was huge actually. I can fit a table and chair in there, so I have a good little office.

Anyway, went and joined a few people by the fire to hear this bush poet. He was bloody fantastic, have to say that. I recorded him, that will go up to Youtube. He told me he was on Red Faces. This used to be a very popular and funny show in Melbourne. One of the segments was Red Faces, Red Symonds compares this part and he is known for being the guitarist in Skyhooks a popular band in the 1970s. He is particularly tough, bit like the bad guy and really gives contestants a ribbing (difficult time). They get some really bad acts but they always get good ones as well. They showcase talent. Anyway, this guy was on the show and he is a brilliant Australian Poet, better than Banjo Patterson (famous Australian bush poet). He spoke off the top of his head and he was brilliant and extremely funny. I recorded him telling me about his life and how he raised his 3 children by himself. He travelled around and spoke his poetry and had been invited many places. It was so lovely laughing with older folk around the fire. I really felt that sense of community.

Anyway, just cooked my dinner on the BBQ in the great outdoors. Will do some more research on this area so you get a feel for the history. It has been a wonderful stay here. I have met some lovely people a oncology nurse from Brisbane, a guy and his family from the Gold Coast a couple travelling around (not sure where from) and a lovely older couple from Dorrigo in New South Wales, they come here every year. They say the price of the caravan park has gone up and they are noticing people (regulars) aren’t coming back. Very sad he felt. He said that he gets into a game with the GPS where you do a treasure hunt. Apparently there were clues close to where he was camped and he walked to the bridge to find the treasure. He said there was a 9 foot black snake. He said it was huge. Apparently later that day a snake was seen dead on the road. I felt sorry for the snake and said to him, they are such wonderful creatures, amazing how they can slither so quickly. I said we are afraid of them as we are not raised to know their behaviour. I was thinking of Steve Irwin and his courage with crocs, he had no fear as he knew them. We are very domesticated so we worry we will get bitten. Yes some snakes here are deadly but my attitude is what can you do. If they get anti venom to you quick enough you are saved, otherwise you get paralysed and pass away. It isn’t going to stop me going for walks, but I will be vigilant, don’t really want to be bitten and try the flying doctor as a patient. The old fellow I spoke to also told me he is self sufficient and has tried to implement everything the government as said about thermal water, coil lights (low energy) and he has two gardens he said for food. I said you may need it in the future. Another guy told me don’t you believe what the papers say we are in recession. You can tell on the Gold Coast, there is less work. He said a year ago they couldn’t get enough staff. The Gold Coast for those who don’t know is the Miami of Queensland. It is all high rises on the beach front. There are water canals and it is a rich person’s playground. The buildings are all accommodation and it is expensive. The topic came up because he made a joke about not living on the coast as he may get shot. Apparently 50 odd gun crimes in the last 6 months. I asked him why, he said drugs and unemployment. He is thinking of moving his kids to this area, out in the bush. I said they will have a better life in the country air. The gold coast is all hype. Another lady said to me the games kids play actually hype them up and takes ages to calm them down. We sort of toyed with the idea of somehow teaching kids to calm down. This lady was saying that these days they have ipods and gadgets and so much noise. They never have any time to think. What she loves about coming here is she can think. I said reflection is very important, I said most of my time now I am reflecting. I am not working only doing the clowning and peace work. Which is not work for me, it is my calling. I am doing what makes me happy. I want to be part of the solution not the problem.

I noticed the water when I was in Roma has a sulphur smell, I think it is bore water (no not yawning bored but hard water, we call it bore water). I think there are high salt contents. I will check it out. Certainly if I was my hair it won’t lather, so I will know that way. I am having a coffee now and can smell it again. No-one is saying don’t drink it. Actually thinking about that more deeply they did mention there are natural spas here. That means there is sulphur, so where is it coming from. My mission tomorrow will be to work that out. My first thought it underground water, hotsprings. I remember in New Zealand in Rotarua, they have the largest hotsprings in the world. It is all sulphur, I wonder if that is volcanic. So let me get back to you on that one.

 
Mohandas Gandhi

“If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.”

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