Day 138 - First Impressions

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Charters Towers - recovery day 0km

It's that thing with first impressions, you can never make them again. There is no second try. It felt a bit like that with our arrival at Charters Towers. Which wasn't the most charming and welcoming entrance to an anticipated town, with rude drivers and riding past construction sites for commercial estates. Quite a few travellers en route have raved about this place, how pretty and well worth a visit it is. When I wake up with a body signalling that some relaxation may be required, I look forward to exploring the town by foot and hopefully get a different perspective. We are both too tired to engage anything touristy (museums, guided tours), but are not afraid to take the 3km stroll into the centre. 

It seems that the town has a few identities that are visible through different features. It's certainly a town that at some point suddenly had a lot of money running through its veins. The 'gold rush' era architecture is beautifully maintained and still houses a few important institutions (like the post office). 

Then there is a strong association with the cattle industry, publically displayed by a statue of a prime example of a Droughtmaster bull (all bits included), erected by the Droughtmaster Stud Association. I mean, after all, we are in Bob Katter country. His biography has the most prominent point of sales spot in the newsagency and some of his election posters are still decorating front yards. 

I personally preferred the statue reminding visitors that one finds themselves in a country music city. I quickly take a photo of Louise doing a little hip swinging in front of it and send it to our dear friend Susan C with the request for 'The Gambler' to be played at the Boogie at Bowlo in Watervale tonight. An event we so wish we could attend.

Tuning into country


We also spend an hour in the impressive public library, which is in the former Excelsior Hotel. But given it's Saturday, by 2pm the vibe in town dies down. The CLOSED signs dominate the small cafe and shop fronts and the two buzzing places we pass by are the McDonald's and the skate park. It was difficult to ignore that behind the town's shiny facade also lay the struggles of those doing it tough and the gap between the "haves" and "haves not" was more obvious than in other towns. 

Behind the pretty facade 

We seal our rest day with a delicious dinner cooked in the camp kitchen at the caravan park. Louise is in her element, for a moment it looks like a live segment in MasterChef, with other campers stopping and watching as her culinary delights sizzle on the BBQ. 

And before the lights go out at camp Coddiwomple we send a dear thought to our friends in Watervale, boggieing the cold winter night away, while humming the tunes of the Gambler: "you've got to know when to hold'em..."





Location: Charters Towers QLD 4820, Australia

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