GOOD NEWS: Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways re-opening

Submitted: Thursday, Apr 05, 2012 at 00:55
ThreadID: 127959 Views:8439 Replies:11 FollowUps:5
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I am elated to announce that The Dinosaur Stampede at Lark Quarry Conservation Park will be re-opened on Thursday 5 April for the 2012 season.

Tour times at the Dinosaur Stampede are at 10.00 am, 12 noon and 2.00 pm daily. Entry into the Trackways for 2012 is $12.00 adult, $11.00 concession and $30.00 family. We recommend allowing approx 1.5 to 2 hours travel (as 55 kilometres is sealed and 55 kilometres unsealed; but well maintained). Please ensure that you have food and water as there is no canteen available at the Trackways. If you are purchasing your tickets at the Dinosaur Stampede at Lark Quarry Conservation Park please have cash as EFTPOS is not available. The Dinosaur Stampede National Monument at Lark Quarry Conservation Park is opened daily excluding Christmas and Boxing Day.

Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways near Winton was closed to the public due to a safety issue with the building in October 2011. This unique site of dinosaur footprint trackways is of world significance, and a climate controlled building was constructed over the fragile footprints set in clay. It was at the time of the closure feared that it may not be open in time for 2012 tourist season.

Motherhen
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Reply By: B & T with BT - Thursday, Apr 05, 2012 at 05:27

Thursday, Apr 05, 2012 at 05:27
Thank you for that information. I was unaware of its closure and we will be going there in May after leaving Longreach

Many thanks
Teresa
AnswerID: 584026

Reply By: Dreams Come True - Monday, Apr 09, 2012 at 17:18

Monday, Apr 09, 2012 at 17:18
Hi Motherhen

Have you been to Lark Quarry? Was it worth the 2 hour drive? We are looking to go in May.

AnswerID: 584027

Reply By: Trish n Phil - Monday, Apr 09, 2012 at 17:42

Monday, Apr 09, 2012 at 17:42
Todd and Sally
We visited Lark Quarry three years ago and is well worth the travel time, and check the tour times as the imformation that is given by the guide is really interesting.
BUT we then travelled NW from Lark Quarry and camped at Old Cork station waterhole for five days. A great place to set up the BT and one of the highlights of our trip.
Regards
Phil.
AnswerID: 584028

Reply By: Cowcockies - Monday, Apr 09, 2012 at 21:40

Monday, Apr 09, 2012 at 21:40
Hi,
We based the van at the water hole in the Bladensburg NP, June 2011, and spent several days. An easy drive to Lark Hill from there, and interesting places to visit within the park. The roads South and West from Lark Hill were restricted by flood damage.

Regards David & Sue
AnswerID: 584029

Follow Up By: grumpyolephartz - Tuesday, Apr 10, 2012 at 08:10

Tuesday, Apr 10, 2012 at 08:10
Interesting handle, David and Sue. Heather says that being our 'stock in trade' is probably what made us grumpy. I know another one half an hour to the North of us too with a BT.

Cheers John
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FollowupID: 854316

Reply By: Motherhen & Rooster - Monday, Apr 09, 2012 at 22:19

Monday, Apr 09, 2012 at 22:19
We were not sure if it would be worth visiting, but it was really quite an experience. When the discovery first hit the headlines, my husband said he would love to go there but probably never would. Oh yes we will, i said. So when taking our 2009 tour, I planned that if we made it as far as Queensland, that Lark Quarry and the other fossil sites would be our priority.

Last year there was an excellent documentary on ABC which is no longer available on line. It showed the science behind identifying the animals, calculating their size and the speed of the predator, including going to other site around the world for added proof. That the footprints of this event were preserved is amazing, and that they were discovered for us to look at even more so.

Although the broadcast is not there, a brief summary and a few photos are: ABC on Lark Quarry

Current tour times in opening post. It is cheaper to purchase a "Shinplaster" ticket at the Matilda Centre which covers entry to the Matilda Centre (allow a full day), Lark Quarry and a number of other attractions in Winton.

Mh
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Follow Up By: grumpyolephartz - Tuesday, Apr 10, 2012 at 07:59

Tuesday, Apr 10, 2012 at 07:59
Interesting Mutha, when we went we had with us a friend who didn't want to go to "tourist things" and he put Lark Quarry into that basket. His good wife was keen, particularly seeing we had been to Gemfest - "tourist thing" in my eyes.

The disinterested friend turned out to be very interested when he actually got there and hear the patter from the guide. It was well worth the trip. Since then we have all been to Richmond, Queensland and want to go back there too.

Sunday nights at 7.30pm on the ABC there has been and there is still the last episode to come of The Time Travellers Guide and that has been great in providing background to lots of Australian pre-history. The previous program including Lark Quarry is at ABC iView That is the 3rd of the series and the final next Sunday.

We want to buy the DVD when it comes out, and would love to take our grandchildren to Lark Quarry and the dinosaur triangle, including Richmond. The spirit of that place is fantastic.

The property owner from Winton who made so many of the earlier discoveries featured this last episode of the Time Travellers Guide, but so many of the scientists who can give us our Australian prehistory. It has been fascinating to watch.
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Follow Up By: Motherhen & Rooster - Tuesday, Apr 10, 2012 at 20:53

Tuesday, Apr 10, 2012 at 20:53
Hi John

Our son alerted us to the programme on Sunday night not long after it started; first time i have watched anything on television for years. We will watch the earlier two on computer from the link and follow the series next week. Your grandchildren will love the area too.

We did a loop but did not include Richmond as we couldn't fit everything into our time frame. Boulia was a very different and fascinating experience - i just uploaded my travelogue on it last night.

As the Lark Quarry broadcast from last year which was so good has expired, i would love to be able to get hold of a copy and watch it again; it was the very best (watched via computer after the broadcast).

Mh


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Reply By: Boystoy - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2012 at 05:48

Wednesday, Apr 11, 2012 at 05:48
Hi Mh & Rooster,

We visited this site in 2008. Definately worth the trip. We took the BT with us then continued on to Carisbrook Station, (not fat away) for a tour & to park the BT.
Don't know if Carisbrook is still open, but if so it has some spectacular scenery, & is also worth a visit.

Neil
A Bushtracker (or BT) is a "Boys Toy"

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Follow Up By: Motherhen & Rooster - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2012 at 05:56

Wednesday, Apr 11, 2012 at 05:56
Hi Neil

It appears that Carisbrook is open Carisbrook Station Farm Stay. It looks like a good place to stay. We stayed in Winton, but a station stay would have been preferable for us.

Mh
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Reply By: Dreams Come True - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2012 at 19:08

Wednesday, Apr 11, 2012 at 19:08
Well sounds like we might be spending more time at Winton then Longreach which is going to be our destination, whats a couple of extra hundred k's when you have a whole 4 wks off work. Any other ideas for the area .

Thanks
Sally
AnswerID: 584032

Reply By: Motherhen & Rooster - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2012 at 21:12

Wednesday, Apr 11, 2012 at 21:12
Hi Sally

Boulia was a special experience; a small and welcoming outback town. Here you see marine fossils that are real, not copies in museums, and if you are lucky and Dinosaur Dick Suter is still there, he and his brother uncovered most of them and he is a real outback character that loves a chat. I have recently uploaded a travelogue on Boulia, with Winton and Lark Quarry still in the making to appear soon. I find it amazing that events 100 millions years ago and more (some nautiloids are up to 500 million years old) were preserved by a quirk of nature, and not uncovered until our generation - just for us to see and experience.

It is also home to the Min Min Experience; an interactive theatre about the Min Min Light which is well worth seeing. I was once a bit sceptical about the Min Min, but I have good reason to believe in it now; more coming on that later.

Mh
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Reply By: Luvntravln - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2012 at 23:08

Wednesday, Apr 11, 2012 at 23:08
Sounds like a good place to visit next year either coming ongoing to the Muster hopefully in the Center!
AnswerID: 584034

Reply By: aubs. - Tuesday, Apr 24, 2012 at 06:21

Tuesday, Apr 24, 2012 at 06:21
Well we can now say been there and done that, we took the BT all the way to Lark Quarry without any need, we could have left it at the long waterhole.

The Quarry is different and we were lucky to have Bill all to ourselves and he gave a great introduction of the stampede, I would say a 8/10 rating.

The following morning we went out to the muesum and that was first class 9/10. We took the full tour and visited the lab, if you are lucky enough and George takes the tour, he is the Steve Erwin of Winton, a national treasure in himself and all of about 25 to 30 y/o

All I can say is if you have the chance DO IT!
AnswerID: 584035

Follow Up By: Motherhen & Rooster - Tuesday, Apr 24, 2012 at 07:34

Tuesday, Apr 24, 2012 at 07:34
Is that at The Age of Dinosaurs Aubs? We missed that one.
Motherhen

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Reply By: aubs. - Tuesday, Apr 24, 2012 at 17:18

Tuesday, Apr 24, 2012 at 17:18
Yes, The Age of Dino's it enhanced the Lark Quarry visit and made it more revelant, we went to the Quarry first and even though Bill did a fantastic job it lacked the awe inspiring wow factor

But after the museum visit the jigsaw puzzle was coming together, doing the dig (about June) and then spending some time extracting the fossil from the host rock you would have the whole experience.

Image Could Not Be Found

This is my best pic from the Quarry

AnswerID: 584036

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