Damper and Golden syrup - Blackall

Ah!  Blackall  --- we nearly missed this little gem, only someone talking to us at Longreach said we would be impressed with the town and they were right

It is so pretty,  full of trees, trees down  the central reservations of the streets, huge wide streets, loads of green areas, a 50metre heated swim pool and a lovely spa at 38 degrees. Houses,,  on big 1/4 acre blocks - as life used to be, so peaceful and special - and country.

 Therefore David was delighted to see a real 'frost' this morning when we took the dogs for a walk about 8am, but no matter, we will be swimming this afternoon.  Temps here in the winter range from 6 to 28 degrees c. and in the summer it gets up to 40 degrees.......

Blackall c/van park is a gem, very friendly and a wonderful roast  beef meal with roast spuds and 4 veg. cooked in the camp oven over an open camp fire most evenings from May to August.  The meat was so tender and then -  hot damper to die for plus lashings of golden syrup and butter  - that was so good and to finish tea from a billy can.  That was after 'happy hour' as well........ so hard.

Blackall's water is supplied from 3 artesian bores and bursts to the surface at a hot 58 degrees celcius and is pure, uncontaminated drinking water.  It comes from the Great Artesian Basin. The water flows from the basin under its own pressure and bores are usually drilled to a depth of 800m.  There are no hot water cylinders in Blackall as it is more important to have a means of cooling water.  The only  c/van park where the laundery has had hot water to go into the w/mc's rather than cold water.

Blackall was explored in 1846 by Thomas Mitchell, sits on the Barcoo rver and is on the Matilda hwy.  Has a current pop. of 1500 but quite an interesting history.  In 1875 had a pop of 45, 2 hotels, courthouse and a lockup - sort o speaks for itself really.  In 1892 boasted 272 tents, 127 tin houses, 385 wooden houses 4 brick homes and 19 drays.

In 1931 became a shire and the pop. rose to 3291 in 1964.  Amagamation came again in 2008 when Blackall amagalmated with Tampo Shire Ccl and became the Blackall-Tampo regional ccl.

This whole area is really nice and would come back here again and love to stay longer.