Or as I like to call it “Qualia Outback McKinlay”. (If you haven’t heard of Qualia you can check it out HERE). Yes my friends we are stuck in all the heavy rain that has been getting about in North Queensland and we have pulled up at The Walkabout Creek Hotel in McKinlay.
We waved our boys goodbye after dropping both Harry and Tom at boarding school last week and left Brisbane on Wednesday. The three day drive should have seen us arriving home around Friday or Saturday but here we are 4 nights later stuck at McKinlay (in between Winton and Cloncurry). It was a tearful goodbye – but those tears were all coming from Clancy who was very sad to say goodbye to his brothers.
We left Tambo on Thursday and planned on getting to Mt Isa that day. When we arrived in Longreach we ran into another School of the Air family – Casey, Shane & their daughter Riley – who were on their way back from dropping their daughter at school in Brisbane for the first tim too – Harry’s school mate actually – such a small world. We all knew there had been rain around and roads were closing so we didn’t muck around, we motored to try and make it through McKinlay before the road shut again but…. no such luck. This is what greeted us when we arrived…
Thankfully this gave Clancy a little playmate with Riley so they were happy. Unfortunately they decided to head back down to Blackall the next day so it was goodbye Riley – but thankfully there was another family stranded here with 3 kids. So I told Clancy to go and make friends with them…
Since then it has rained and rained and rained and rained. It hasn’t let up. The river has risen but seems to be falling now (we are on day 4 here). Thankfully we are stranded at a pretty great place – you have to see the silver lining in these situations don’t you – otherwise you might just cry. We are stranded with a great bunch of people and a fantastic pub with great owners – Frank & Debbie…
Oh and did I mention the Coles and Woolworths trucks that are also stranded here? Not only is there loads of cold beer and wine in the pub there is also heaps of food in these trucks. Woolworths have donated pallets of food that would otherwise go bad so we are definitely not going hungry. While the shelves in the Mt Isa supermarkets have been empty we have been eating like kings.
Thanks so much to Woolworths for letting us bust into this truck. The meat is sensational and we are just so grateful.
This resort here at Qualia Outback McKinlay goes alright. The breakfast buffet was pretty impressive this morning with some lovely yoghurt and juice that was kindly pulled out of the Coles truck!!! So thank you to you too Coles, the kids sure did love the yoghurt.
I guess you could say there is a swim up bar too with all the water lying around.
We have had to split into 2 rooms – I prefer to call them “studio apartments” and we have made Clancy a little nest on the floor.
Each morning I go to the Day Spa (others may call it a communal bathroom) for my shower and pop a bit of face on – I mean just because we are stranded in the middle of nowhere is no reason to drop ones standards. A quick spray of Chanel and I am ready for the day. Holiday Chards is still in full swing with my natural drying hair – no use blow drying in this wet weather. It is quite the sight let me tell you.
The entertainment here at Qualia Outback McKinlay Walkabout Creek Hotel is pretty impressive too. Jessey Jackson was on her way back up to Darwin from the Tamworth Country Music Festival. She is such a great sport. Jessey has pulled out all of her gear which means each night we have had live entertainment. I mean why would you want to go anywhere else? The beer is cold, there is loads of Chardy and the company is pretty good too. Oh and this rain is magnificent. As DD (for those of you who are new around here DD is my Mum) would say “Better to be born lucky than rich”. And as Harry would say “yes because if you are born lucky then you can get rich” ha ha ha.
I reckon we are doing ok. There is no point dwelling on things or wishing you could get the hell out of here or trying to go somewhere else. There isn’t anywhere else to go and I don’t think we would be looked after this well anywhere else.
Kelly & James have been amazing with the kids and even put on Netflix for them today to watch a movie. So it turns out the Walkabout Creek Resort even has a kids club!
So we just need to sit it out patiently and make the best of a bad situation. I mean things could be far worse. We could be stranded in our car, with no air-con, no food, no bathroom and no Qualia Outback McKinlay aka Walkabout Creek Hotel.
Thanks so much to Frank, Debbie, James, Kelly & Patrick for looking after us so well and thanks to everyone we are stuck here with – you have all been really great sports. Now lets just hope that this rain eventually reaches us in the NT otherwise it will be very sad when we do get out of here.
We are heading into our 4th night here and don’t know when we will be able to leave, things aren’t looking promising. There has just been so much rain around (which is brilliant) so we will just sit patiently and ride it out.
So tell me – are you stuck in the floods too? Where are you?
Did you do boarding school drop off for the first time? How did it go?
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I’ve been watching all the rain going on up there and hoping it was reaching you guys! Fingers crossed! It’s bush fires down here! Crazy!
Sounds like being stranded isn’t too bad !?!
Stay safe!
Fires and Floods, crazy isn’t it, one extreme to the other. We are safe and happy so can’t complain. Still raining heavily.
We have had a lot of hot weather here in Sydney lately and everyone is complaining. Guess we shouldn’t be considering your situation. Sounds like you all going ok. Fingers crossed it subsides sooner than later and you can get home. So hard with Clancy as well but looks like he has a few friends. Keep dry and hopefully when you finally get home it’s rained there. Thanks for update. At least you have the internet😀🌈
Hi Kerry, hope you have some cooler weather! Nice and cool up here, still raining heavily!!!!
Not stranded but my son can’t get back to Gallipoli to start work. He was in an accident 4 months ago and is cleared now to return to work. Enjoy your extended holiday and you’ll be home soon.
Yep we are in the same boat. Still stranded here at McKinlay. Has rained all night and still raining heavily now.
Long time reader, first time to comment. What a fabulous attitude to have to being stranded. So positive and lovely to read. Hope you get out soon!
Hi Melanie and thanks so much for commenting! So great to hear from you!!! Has rained all night and still raining heavily (and has been all day) …. right now off to find my flippers and snorkel. ha ha ha.
Wow, what a story and adventure! Yeeey for the rain, I hope it reaches all dry areas and put an end to this terrible drought. Sorry you guys are stuck there but least you are stranded in safe place with lots of goodies and little Clancy have new friends so he can cheer up after leaving his brothers in Brisbane. It won’t be easy for him on his own now but I guess he will join them in couple of years..??
Thank you for the lovely read and photos, it is wonderful world there.
Stay safe and please keep us posted 🙂
Oh Stefi we are so lucky to be where we are and this rain is so fabulous. Clancy is loving his friends and will be so lonely when we go home. We are getting quite used to our new home ha ha ha.
Great News about the rain & you certainly have made the best of it so far! I have two lads waiting it out in Winton. They are now losing enthusiasm after arriving in Winton on Thursday morning and holed up in a motel for the 4th day…looking like a few more…..They are heading home to a property 80km out of Adelaide River NT and just missed getting to Cloncurry before the road closed by a few hours! Patience my dear boys! Hopefully not much longer….
Hi Tanya, we certainly feel very blessed to be where we are, in a great little community with people to chat to, a well stocked bar and all of those goodies from the Woolworths and Coles truck. Nothing to complain about here. Rained all night and still raining heavily (and has been all day) no end in sight…. heading into night 5!!!
Reading your story reminded me of when my sister lived in the NT.,and my Dad was going up for a visit, taking an old army jeep up for them…. He got stranded in a pub somewhere for 10 or so days and had a fabulous time. (That was before the internet) Anyway, he got going again and had lovely memories of what could have been a terrible situation. Great attitude! Stay safe
That story sounds very familiar, ha ha ha. Got to look on the bright side. We are so fortunate to be held up here. The rain is just amazing.
I wouldn’t say stranded as I live here in Cairns but the food starting to get scarce. My sister lives in Townsville and managed to get out for her holiday on one of the only flights yesterday. She had just moved suburb 3wks ago and where they used to live is inundated. Enjoy your water front holiday and I hope you can get back home soon cause I bet you are all dying to and be out of limbo. That rain isn’t working in your favour but at least it is finally raining, even if it has seen to dump way more than is needed in one go, maybe on the catch up.
Hi Anne, Oh the water in Townsville was just terrible. So many houses under. Glad your sister is ok.
Hi Chardy please be sure to say hello to Jim Brown who is also stranded there in the Ausremovals truck. Tell him his wife is doing the work down here that he has failed to show up for. Glad that you have all had plenty of food drink hot showers and entertainment. It could have been so much worse. Regards Iris Preston.
So sorry I have only just seen this message. Jim was a lovely guy. It sure could have been so much worse, we were very lucky to be there.