The year before last, floods wiped out parts of the track so the train no longer comes to Cunnamulla. It stops at Charleville.
Some 49 years ago, as an 11 year old kid, my husband and his 15 year old brother went on a boys own adventure. They caught the train by themselves from Brisbane to Cunnamulla and back.
Ian wandered about checking out the railway station and looking at each wide verandahed hotel trying to figure out where they stayed.
There's something captivating about disused railway tracks .... In another time these tracks were an important link in travel to far-flung places but sadly like this one ... too expensive to repair and most probably little need for it.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite an adventure for two young lads heading off alone but obviously they survived to tell the story and I'm sure remember it with much delight.
I agree railway tracks are captivating.
DeleteI am sure it was an important trip, Ian has spoken of it often over the years and was delighted at the opportunity to go back to that far flung part of the country again. It was the first time he had been back.
Times have changed, haven't they? Not just the railways, but the fact that if an eleven year old child 'disappeared' for an adventure for a few days, you'd be sending the police after them.
ReplyDeleteThey didn't exactly "disappear". His parents were all in on the plans for the trip. But nonetheless today you would be unlikely to let your kids do it. Now even if you did you would be expecting daily phone calls, and hourly facebook updates.
DeleteAnd did he find the hotel?
ReplyDeleteIt's a nice story, and my thoughts were almost the same as Winam's ... impossible nowadays for various reasons.
No he didn't find the hotel. Though he found the photo of the one he thinks it was in the museum. It had burnt down in the intervening years.
Delete