- Joined
- May 12, 2014
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Not sure if posting in the right place but I am into local history and have got a copy of this wonderful book with gps coordanants. I want to share a story of finding an old battery, called Rocky Bluff, between Atherton and Muchillba on the Walsh River. I have been camping on the Walsh for years and even with Coordanants it has taken years and a lot of google earth to find this old town as the claim to fame is that no horse and cart ever set foot in the town as its in the bottom of a gorge with very steep sides.
I did several trips on the quad and followed a few spur lines down into the valley on the quad, It was steep and hard going I and nearly gave up till I found 1 lone chimney brick in some rocks. On foot i walked up stream and found a whopping great dam wall some 50m wide and then walked up a ridge till I found the old battery. I went home and tried to find the old rail line in where they steam winched the carriages up and down the steep valley side on google earth. I went back again through Herberton and Watsonville into the back of the old Arborn mine though the back of Stanery hills and followed a spur till I found a cutting. I fond a steep decline and the wire ropes from the steam winches are still there. I cautiously rode down and found the old stumps and remnants of the town as well as the old chimneys from the battery. I had to cross over the rocks on the quad and find the other original track as the decline was to steep to ride back up. Any way I really enjoyed researching and finding this and have also cleared alot of other tracks for quads including the OLD Cairns Track and the Track from the Tablelands down into Tooheys Ck. Any way here are some photographs
Any way for those in FNQ, Angor to Zillmanton is worth the $60 and is well researched with many good photos. A credit to the Author
I did several trips on the quad and followed a few spur lines down into the valley on the quad, It was steep and hard going I and nearly gave up till I found 1 lone chimney brick in some rocks. On foot i walked up stream and found a whopping great dam wall some 50m wide and then walked up a ridge till I found the old battery. I went home and tried to find the old rail line in where they steam winched the carriages up and down the steep valley side on google earth. I went back again through Herberton and Watsonville into the back of the old Arborn mine though the back of Stanery hills and followed a spur till I found a cutting. I fond a steep decline and the wire ropes from the steam winches are still there. I cautiously rode down and found the old stumps and remnants of the town as well as the old chimneys from the battery. I had to cross over the rocks on the quad and find the other original track as the decline was to steep to ride back up. Any way I really enjoyed researching and finding this and have also cleared alot of other tracks for quads including the OLD Cairns Track and the Track from the Tablelands down into Tooheys Ck. Any way here are some photographs
Any way for those in FNQ, Angor to Zillmanton is worth the $60 and is well researched with many good photos. A credit to the Author
but anything to do with pioneer history and I am in awe. They were tough buggers back then. We owe a great deal to our forebears. Thanks so much for the photos and your tenacity in getting there. Cheers, Rick
