Day 7: Today I’ve been to three great places but none are in the ‘I’ve been everywhere” song. This did not stop me having an enjoyable time at each destination.

Lets start at Winton…

The Musical Fence

Winton is another small outback town but one with many claims to fame. For instance, it is the birthplace to QANTAS and Waltzing Matilda and also home to the Musical Fence (I kid you not) and the Matilda Motel where I stayed the night. The clean and tidy motel is run by Neville and Lorraine who moved outback from the Gold Coast some 13 years ago to enjoy the friendliness of a small town.

Lorraine advised me that I actually stayed in a room just two doors down from where Slim Dusty, the Australian country singer had stayed. Whilst staying, he apparently was writing an album and recording the songs on tape when the tape broke and was discarded. Lorraine’s son has since repaired the said take and has it as a keep sake.

I also learnt about the Water Shed from Lorraine. When this was first mentioned I though it was a shed where the water was kept. This is not the case! Apparently the water shed is where the water naturally collects in a district. In Winton this happens to be in a State Park and therefore the water can not be used by the towns people. Instead they have to rely on bore water.

Lorraine at the Matilda Motel

I also asked Lorraine if she had not seen the Min Min lights she had not, but her husband had – more on that later!

Some 170KM after Winton is Middleton, the only place to grab a break and a coffee between Winton and Boulia. The town started life as a coach staging post and now consists of just the Middleton Hotel where Val, the Landlady (pictured at the top of the page), will greet you. Middleton is a desolate place truly in the middle of nowhere. I stay for my cuppa before heading off to Boulia and my Min Min light experience…!

Vintage cars in Winton