From Barcaldine, we headed back to Emerald to camp overnight and shop for some supplies. We camped in a rest area under the bridge right beside the river. This is a popular rest area / camp site because it is within easy reach of the highway and just walking distance from shops. Camping is free but there is no power or shower. Just as well we were not camped here during the flooding earlier this year as we would have been under about 10 or 12 metres of water!!! The damage caused by the flooding was very evident as we drove around the thriving mining towns.
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| Highway bridge on the left. Train on the right. |
Clermont
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| Clermont's very old Commercial Hotel |
First stop on this route was Clermont. 110 kms from Emerald, Clermont was famous during the gold rush period. The discovery of gold in 1861 was responsible for the establishment of the town. In 1916 Clermont was devastated by floods and the town was relocated to a higher site nearby. Today, visitors can still see the remains of the original town site.
The Piano in the Tree, in Capricorn Street is a quirky reminder of the height of the floodwaters. The Clermont Museum has historical artefacts and is home to many machinery displays, it's located off the Peak Downs Highway just outside Clermont.
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| These is our spot - meters away from the lake. |
We tried to camp at the town's showground but Theresa Creek Dam was highly recomended by one of the locals. The dam was constructed in 1983 by the Blair Athol Coal Project. Blair Athol is one of the many coal mines around the town. We drove 22 km southwest of Clermont to the site and as we got to the top of the hill, we were surprised to see how many campers were there. Surprisingly we thought "Camp" has all the sites listed but how come they did not include this one. The site is amazingly beautiful! I should say the site is one of my favorites so far. Initially we thought there won't be any room for us but the site is huge and I would say the biggest camp we have stayed at so far. It has all the facilities except for power. Camping is $10 per night.
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| Theresa Creek Dam - camping is $10 per night. |
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| campers along the dam's bank |
From Barcaldine, we headed back to Emerald to camp overnight and shop for some supplies. We camped in a rest area under the bridge right beside the river. This is a popular rest area / camp site because it is within easy reach of the highway and just walking distance from shops. Camping is free but there is no power or shower. Just as well we were not camped here during the flooding earlier this year as we would have been under about 10 or 12 metres of water!!! The damage caused by the flooding was very evident as we drove around the thriving mining towns. 
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