Out on the plains the brolgas are dancing ..

I wondered how much we would see today on the drive from Carnarvon to Rubyvale, turns out I have plenty to report back on. There is a memorial on the Carnarvon road to the US and Australian servicemen killed in a plane crash south of Springsure in 1943 - the memorial is the wreckage of the Douglas C47A Skytrrain.

Not long after we left the memorial, we came across two brolgas within metres of the roadside. I've never before seen them this close in the wild.

Just outside Springsure is Mt Zamia and Virgin Rock. Locals say you see the image of Mary and child in the rock recess.  You can't see it too clearly in my picture:

Campers at Carnarvon had told us to go see Lake Maraboon and Fairbairn Dam - many of them were travelling there next to camp. The lake is enormous and it was fun to take the motorhome over the dam wall and spillway.

We also stopped at Emerald to stock up on fuel and supplies. They like to keep their "big things" classier out here - Van Gogh no less:

The Emerald botanic gardens beside the riverbank was a nice (albeit noisy) lunch stop. There were plenty of corellas and cockatoos about.

We might try our hand at gem fossicking tomorrow.