Hebel to Dirranbandi

Tom is off - just 70k's to Dirranbandi today!

Great day – sun shining – 15 degrees. – a gentle “tailish” crosswind – long straight smooth roads – the grey nomads with their mobile apartment blocks have yet to succumb to the deteriorating southern weather – it is only the few advanced scouts that share the road with Tom.

Past plenty of road - kill

Past classic Queensland sheep properties.

Over physical grids controlling the various herd and flocks that graze the unfenced road – past a virtual grid - a dog kennel complete with a suitably restrained furry farm worker- the furry farm worked barks on Tom’s approach – his bark turns hesitant – what in the hell is this – it not a cow – it is not a sheep – it is not a caravan – its nothing like anything this furry fellow has seen before – the intensity of his bark returns – “what the hell – I might as well bark anyway” -Tom's blood pressure returns to normal levels when he notices that the canine that is so disturbed by his passing is appropriately restrained.

Tom flies along – more than 25kph to the lunch break – “this is a great day” says he – only 25k left into Dirranbandi.

 Off he heads again - and again - and again

The van and I continue along – we look to the left – we wonder how these farmers like sharing their rear boundary fences with the mighty Cubbie Station? – that gigantic “irrigation project (which) is an economic and ecological model for sustainable development in inland Australia” – their words! – not mine! – I try to think about the public relations meeting at head office that came up with those words as the opening line of their web homepage – would it be too bold to suggest that the meeting may have come about after sustained criticism of the sustainability of the Murray-Darling basin if individual upstream entities are allowed to use the water harvesting techniques deployed on Cubbie?

The weather remains perfect – the wind aiding and abetting – the sun warming and cheering.

Past the road kill and the special road kill contractors of the Balonne shire – eager but shy and retiring workers – they disappear into the woodlands as soon as vehicle or camera approaches – their diligence is surprising considering the volume of animal remnants that need to be processed.

Tom is flying – the van needs to fly if it is to be set up in time to receive him! – into Dirranbandi – the home of the croaking frog! - The annual calendar fits onto the welcome sign!

The van is received at the nice small park by a lovely lady escorted by an nervous work experience girl dressed in skirt, blouse, boots and a cowboy hat! – I have never met someone who has done their work experience at a caravan park before – the fact that someone from Dirranbandi has decided to take that opportunity I think says something about the nature of employment opportunity in the town.

Tom arrives as the final touches are being made to the van set up – huge smile - looks relaxed -  “great day” says he.

Washing - washing and a little more washing – Tom has seen a bakery sign in his way into the town – He is reluctant to leave any bakery un-visited – we walk the short distance into town.

We pass the formerly impressive Civic Centre – clearly there were funds for construction but none for maintenance – sad – unclean – Civic offices that now house a very part-time hairdresser –  a library that now shares its space with some telecommunications equipment – its importance usurped by the rural transaction centre in the main street - no sign of anyone - no sign of employer - no sign of employee - no sign of ratepayer! - a victim of council amalgamations?

The bakery is really just a suggestion of a bakery but nevertheless appropriate for a town of 700 people – it is joined by a small café – a Foodworks store - the obligatory pub – a decent hospital - a significant school and a small police presence - significant in its absence is a Chinese restaurant!

Wander past the rail station – a station that has the dubious honour of having received the very last mail train to operate.

Tom's nightmare about cat's-heads continues.

We wander past a tribute to the great Tom Dancey – aboriginal winner of the Stawell gift - we smile - Tom Dancey was also proudly claimed by Hebel!

Tom - Tom Martin - snoozes – I tour the town – the local swimming hole on the Balonne river -  the swing looks fun but the river? - grey- muddy – displaying the first blush of seasonal algae – a river in some torment – never mind – I suppose Cubbie Station will put it out of its misery just 10 kilometres or so further down on its supposed journey to the Darling.

Wander around the town – seems to be populated by relatively lowly paid farm workers – the residences reflect such income levels – the average home quality could be assessed by visualising a residence that was the average of these two neighbours.

Given that Dirranbandi is supposed to be the home of Cubbie Station I expected to see some signage in the town that would announce it's presence in the area – no sign of it! – consult Google maps – satellite image – there it is occupying the flood plain of the Balonne and Culgoa rivers stretching for almost 40 kilometres – but where are the roads – why don't they appear on Google maps? – head out in the general direction – a small road sign.

Down the road – at last the big farmer has some signage! – this is just the edge of the holding but it's Ginnery and the size of its laser formed paddocks need to be seen to be believed! - huge - huge trucks!

The biggest irrigation holding in the southern hemisphere! – just 10k’s from Dirranbandi yet the town is little more than a struggling and slightly depressing residential enclave of hard working agricultural employees – one can only imagine that the station imports its specialist services from further afield. 

Click here Tom's Strava data for the day