RICHMOND

Where Hughenden was on the edge of the ancient inland Eromangan Sea and has many dinosaur fossils, Richmond was under water, so the exhibition centre, Kronosaurus Korner, contains mostly fossils of gigantic marine creatures, as well as ammonites, belamnites, etc., etc.

There's a real sense of fossil fever around these parts.  Most finds have been discovered by farmers going about their everyday business out in the station paddocks when they turn over a rock and see a fossil, or notice a fossilized nose sticking out of the side of a creek bed.  It must be exciting to make such a find.  With such heightened awareness, fossils are coming in thick and fast and the palaeontologists just can't keep up.  There's an area outside Richmond where the public can search, but I'm afraid I'm fossiled out for the time being at least.

At the risk of repeating myself, we're impressed by the amount of effort these towns put into providing exhibitions, information centres, recreational facilities and general beautification of streets, parks, etc. Richmond has a Bush Tucker Garden, set out beside the lake, where trees and plants are labelled and their traditional uses by aboriginal people are explained.

We're driving to Mt Isa tomorrow where we'll prop for a few days.