Winton

5 - 7 May

We decided to have a couple of nights in a motel in Winton as a treat for my birthday - and because it was getting too hot to camp. Even though it was nearly the end of autumn, the temperatures were in the low thirties during the day. We had a look around and chose the Outback Motel - close to the shops and pubs, recently updated and reasonably priced. We were able to check in straight away, even thought it was only lunchtime.

We spent the afternoon wandering through the shops (well, it didn't really take that long) and catching up on washing, reading and processing photos - all in air conditioned comfort.

A pair of Brolgas were hanging around the motel hoping for a hand out.

In the morning we made the short trip (about 28 km) to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs - a showcase for the local prehistoric inhabitants. This centre has only been open for a few years and has evolved out of a farmer's passion for the fossilised dinosaur bones he was finding on his property. David and Judy Elliott have embraced their unique finds and have lead the development of this special exhibit.

The building housing the collection room, gift shop and cafe is well designed, borrowing from the surrounding environment.

A view from the top of the jump up.

Visitors are taken on two guided tours - the collection room and the laboratory. This is the only place you can see the specimens being prepared. Each tour takes about 30 minutes with a 30 minute break in between.

On the day we visited, the 10.00 tour was of the collection room where real (not replica) fossils of "Banjo" (a theropod dinosaur) and "Matilda" (a sauropod dinosaur) are on display. Each is the first of its type of dinosaur to be found. The enthusiasm and passion of our young guide was amazing. It seems when you work in the museum, you are also part of the team going into the field collecting specimens and then preparing them back in the lab. No wonder there is so much enthusiasm among the staff.

The fossilised leg bones of Matilda contrasting with the thigh bone of a Brahman bull.

Grace was our ebullient guide in the collection room.

The 11.00 tour was to the laboratory, where you get to see the giant casings containing yet to be processed bones (and other fossils). The centre has an extensive and well set up volunteer program. It was a real treat to see them at work and chat to them about their passion.  Australian Age of Dinosaurs is a non-for- profit organisation and registered charity.

Guide Carlin talks us through the displays in the lab shed.

He prefers to work on delicate fossils such as small crabs and shells.

Volunteers at their delicate and painstaking work, removing the surrounding stone from ancient fossils.

Carlin shows us how it's done (slowly and carefully!).

Now there's another dinosaur in Christie's life.

This is a very interesting way to to spend a few hours and in a beautifully rugged setting.