Day 43 Charters Towers

It seems that being Sunday most of Charters Towers is shut which surprises travellers used to finding even small towns keen to attract business. We went back to the Dog Park for a while where all but one person was passing through the town.

Yesterday morning when we were in the shopping area there were small groups of students in uniform, the boys wearing boaters. It seemed that they were out shopping and later we saw a Coaster type bus driving them away. There are big adverts around the town promoting private schools and ads on the regional radio so I think that the students were boarders at one of the schools. The biggest I’ve noticed is the Catholic College. I was also surprised to see a fairly small church with a very big metal bell tower, probably a modified structure from a mine. The church was originally a Lutheran one but says now it’s a Church of Christ.

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We drove out to the Burdekin Weir which was a lovely spot with picnic facilities. As we were leaving cars were coming in so I think it’s a popular place on Sundays.

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On the way back we spotted another good Station name and also what I think is a Bustard. There were also the remains of a testing platform for calibrating planes’ guns. Metal plates were embedded in the base to hold the plane and there was a target 300 yards away. It was used by the US Airforce. They were preparing for the Battle of the Coral Sea.

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On our way “home” we saw the statue of the Droughtmaster Bull and the country singers which we first saw when we were driving into Charters Towers about 7 or 8 years ago.

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To end the day we took another run up Tower Hill and the Prado Pilot had a play in the sandy tracks around the numerous bunkers and mine workings.

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