Bigger than Texas

Twice as big, actually - Queensland, that is. It's certainly felt it today, with 5 hours' driving, from Barcaldine (Barcy) where we had a closer look at the grandiosly-named Tree of Knowledge under which the Labor Party began to twinkle in the eyes of striking shearers in 1891, though its actual conception came later. We were shown round the Australian Workers Heritage Centre by Bonnie, who's a true-blue Labor supporter, except that should be true-red. There was a lot to see but we had to hit the road to Blackall.

So had scores of roos, sadly - it was carnage out there, emphasis on the car. You really wouldn't want to hit one, they're so big (even unbloated by the heat) but the road trains would hardly notice, all 50 metres and 80-odd wheels of them.

Now it's another 3.5 hours to Charleville for the night, through a wide landscape of blue sky, golden Mitchell grass, cabbage-smelling gidgee trees and splendid solitary bottle trees.

PS The nasty smears in the photo are just that: ex-butterflies sadly smashed on the windscreen. As well as a plague of locusts, there's been a - what would it be? - benediction of butterflies since the drought broke.