Silver Fox is having a relapse

Yesterday we drove from Clermont to Dawson River via Capella, Emerald and Springsure. David gradually felt more tired and unwell as the day went on so I did the majority of the driving. We are now camped by the Dawson River and are having a rest day to give him a chance to recover.  Here he is in his recovery position.

I am dosing him up with panadeine and berocca, as well as tea and sympathy. We have an asthma puffer with us as well and that is helping. He claims he is well enough to drive but I am being firm. Tomorrow we will be on the road early, see how far we can get.  Maybe stay at Gayndah again if we can't make it all the way to the Sunshine Coast. This virus has really knocked him about, but Dr Blondie doesn't think he needs antibiotics again, just rest.

The drive yesterday was interesting despite all that. Look at this Corella mum and bub, they woke us up at sparrow's fart, but I forgive them.

We passed through the Peak Downs area, featuring these extraordinary peaks, that pop out of an otherwise flat landscape.

It is mostly rich grassy cropland but with lots of mining activity as well. I guess digging up coal must pay better that farming, because the mining operations are new and thriving and the agriculture seems to be fading. We spent an hour in the company of the proprietors of the Hallam Garage at Capella, waiting for power to be restored to their diesel pumps. They didn't have a good word to say about "the miners". Root of all evil, it seems.

This is Emerald, where we had lunch in the usual splendid manner, under some fragrantly flowering silk trees. It was the nicest spot in town.

This is at Springsure, assume it is a wheat silo.  We also saw massive plastic covered heaps of what appeared to be wheat. And I mean massive, the size of football fields. What a season it must have been. The grasses everywhere are seeding in an absolute profusion of types and forms.

This one is for Andrea, who is a connoisseur of cloudscapes.

And here it is through the sunglasses...well, you have to do something to amuse yourself on long drives, don't you?

Approaching Rolleston, there was all the excitement of smoke and fire beside the road.

But I think it was just a controlled burn.

In the department of weird road signs, here's another one to add to the collection.

We were happy to be thanked, but felt at something of a loss as to what we had been cooperating about...was the Queensland DMR thanking us for driving on their roads? As opposed to the paddocks? Had the fact of our survival thus far, so as to be able to read the sign, constituted enough cooperation with the road rules to warrant thanks? It's a puzzle. This trip has raised many questions.