On our way to Croydon, we stay near the Gilbert River. A long one-laned bridge crosses over it, so it's a good thing this highway does not get used too much.
During our drive today, we spotted a large eagle scoop up a red-black snake - a fantastic sight to see!
Croydon is a small town of under-300 people. It was established in the 1880s and quickly became a goldrush town. Back then its population reached 7,000.
Today, many old buildings remain and the town has is rightfully proud of its agricultural, mining and cultural history (Chinese people came to Croydon during the town's heyday and were an invaluable source of work and food - in fact, it seems to me, that Croydon would not have thrived if the Chinese were not busily growing vegetables and working in the gold mines).
There is now a "Town Walk" that visitors can enjoy, and people come here to explore the rich history both on foot and also by watching a very interesting and interactive video in the Visitors Centre (which includes a short clip of a very rough, broad-accented, Aussie bloke talking about his Chinese grandfather, and whose name is "Wong").
The Club Hotel has been lovingly painted in a brilliant, enormous mural which runs end-to-end along the inside wall of the balcony. A local character sits and chats to passersby, exclaiming, "Hey you there! Come here! I've got a joke for ya!!" and laughs loudly whether you stop or walk on. Jase cautiously approached this raucous bloke, and before the guy had a chance to start his joke, Jase piped up with is own. Well, you should have heard the thunderous roar of laughter from this local character! "hey mate, I tellya what! I'm gonna start usin' your bloody joke!!"
Some buildings have been restored and are open for tourists to wander through, such as the old courthouse, which has a push-button audio reinactment of a D&D trial (the woman got three months jail, which, surprisingly enough, is the same sentence she would have got if she had sold opium). The old jail and policeman's residence are also still standing, and these functional buildings help you to imagine how things would have been over 100 years ago.
There is a general store in town which looks as though it has not changed in a century. Deep wooden shelves hold tinned vegetables and baked beans, and the friendliness of the staff is unsurpassed. There is also a kind of 'museum' which winds and meanders around the shop.
Smells of sticky sweet beef ribs wafted through the shop, and, although they had been prepared for another order, the shopkeeper was only too happy to give Jase and I a piece of rib each, free, just to stop our drooling! We stayed for lunch of course, and gorged ourselves on a scrumptious hamburger-with-the-lot, with fries on the side. The lovely lady also gave us a little chocolate brownie for our dessert. As if we needed it after ribs and burgers and fries!
Want to explore an old town and delve into its colourful history, while meeting some pretty colourful characters along the way? Come to Croydon!!
Finally, a quick walk through the town cemetery. I liked the simplicity of these Chinese headstones.
