Shifting Gears in Emerald
We rolled out of Barcaldine with a sense of shifting gears. Our overnight stop on the way to Emerald was the tiny town of Bogantungan, once a bustling railway hub. These days it’s quiet, but the Bogantungan Railway Station Museum tells a powerful story — the 1960 Medway Creek train disaster, one of Queensland’s worst rail tragedies.
From there, we wound our way into Emerald and hit a very different kind of milestone: our first Woolworths in over seven weeks. It felt oddly luxurious to walk the aisles again, even if the noise and pace of town took us by surprise. After so much time in smaller, quieter places, Emerald felt big! Busy streets, traffic lights, queues at the checkout. It made us wonder how we’ll adjust to city traffic when we hit the bigger towns!
We stayed three nights in Emerald, caught up on laundry and life admin, and then hit the road for Rolleston, another quiet overnight pause before reaching the bucket list destination we’ve been trying to get to for the past two years — Carnarvon Gorge. But that’s a story for next time.
Exploring the unbeaten paths of Australia, one adventure at a time! 🌿 Follow along as we uncover hidden gems, tackle rugged terrains, and head Off the Main Road to embrace the thrill of exploring offbeat destinations. 🚙💨
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From railway tragedy in Bogantungan to the supermarket aisles of Emerald, this leg of our trip marked the shift from outback stillness to something closer to civilisation — with Carnarvon Gorge waiting just around the bend.