Who says we rough it in outback Qld?

High Tea come Morning Smoko at 'Phildon' in Mitchell is a grand yet relaxed affair, with Phil and Donna as hosts.

Sitting outside in a balmy 26°C we enjoyed stimulating conversation and tasty food and drinks, with Oscar the poodle sharing his affections around the table.

Phil and Donna own and manage the Mitchell Post Office. They work well as a team and are the sort of people who thoughtfully plan every detail: from the smooth day to day running of the post office, to the choice of food, drinks and crockery for our morning smoko. Nothing is left to chance.

Yet, Phil and Donna also manage to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in and around all that they do.

Mungallala Cultural Evening:outback Qld

The small township of Mungallala is located on the Warrego Highway, between Mitchell and Charleville. From Mitchell, it takes about three quarters of an hour to drive to Mungallala, in a westerly direction -- away from the coast.

Mungallala has a pub, school, police station, fire brigade, hall and a population of under 100 people. Arid grazing country surrounds the town. This is red dirt country: cattle country.

Culture and the arts are considered important in this community. Consequently, the Mungallala Cultural Evening (held at the local hall on Friday) was well attended and offered wine, cheese and olive tasting, as well as other drinks and gourmet delights.

As people socialised, they took time to wander around the hall which was tastefully decorated with an exhibition of local arts and crafts. An extraordinary range of creative works were on display with all age groups contributing to the success of the exhibition.

Although remote, art and culture are alive and well in this part of outback Queensland.

Mitchell State School Volunteer Award Presentation in Roma

Education Queensland invited Doug and me to attend a Volunteers Award Presentation Ceremony at the White Bull Tavern at 4 p.m. -- in Roma on Thursday.

Ten volunteers was selected from schools in the Roma, Wandoan, Surat and Mitchell areas. Each volunteer received a certificate of appreciation, a box of chocolates and a handshake 'for outstanding volunteer service to their school community'. We were privileged to be the chosen volunteers from Mitchell.

During the afternoon tea that followed the presentation we enjoyed talking to various people; especially to organiser Kate Cover, our acting Mitchell School Principal Elaine, and fellow volunteer Tanya Thompson, from Surat.

As Roma is our largest service centre (one hour's drive east of Mitchell) we took the opportunity to do some shopping and banking. Driving home into the glare of the setting sun was difficult but at least the kangaroos were not grazing the roadside grasses -- it was a bit too early for them to be out and about.

There's a lot of cropping around Roma with much of it being harvested at present. Vast acres of golden grain, heavily laden road trains, silos and 'mountains' of wheat suggest a profitable year for all concerned.

Book Club popular in Mitchell outback Qld

The Courthouse in Mitchell was the venue for our Book Club meeting, held on the last Wednesday of each month, over dinner.

With the temperature around 28C, and the air dry (no wind and mosquitoes either!), we sat outside, enjoying a star-studded sky and lively discussion about our two latest books.

Our leader, Katrina Henry downloaded reviews for us to discuss. Interspersed with local news, conversation flowed freely throughout the meal, and all the while the Courthouse cat weaved its way through and around our legs.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Katrina handed us our two new books. Eagerly we scanned the front cover, read the back cover blurb and flicked through the pages, and then said our good nights as we disbursed into the balmy evening.

Fishing on the Maranoa River -- Mitchell outback Qld

The year 2011 has seen the water level in the Maranoa River remain high enough to allow small fishing boats to be put into the water at the Old Crossing. From here, boats can row (or motor) up to the bridge, stopping off at prime fishing spots to try their luck with line, tackle and bait.

People also fish from the footbridge and the riverbank with good results. Yellowbellies, bobbies and a few other less desirable fish are caught, with the highly prized cod caught only occasionally.

Fishing is a popular sport for young and old alike, and a pleasant way to spend time in a beautiful and very peaceful place.

Oolines and orchids at Wylpena: Mitchell outback Qld

Time spent with Heather and Bob Bowen at their cattle property Wylpena (a 30 minute drive west of Mitchell) is always rich in friendship and shared interests.

While Doug and Bob looked at cattle, pastures, dams and machinery, Heather and I roamed the arid hills where the oolines and orchids were flowering. It was late afternoon following a hot day. The air was still and the sky overcast with the temperature hovering around 28°C -- perfect for a walk in the ooline hills.

Heather and I share a love of native plants, birds, animals and rocks. Also, we share an interest in photography and teaching. As we wandered through the arid hills, following no particular track, Heather pointed out in the various trees and shrubs, giving them names. A new one for me was False Sandalwood (Eremophila mitchellii), a small tree covered with tiny bell-shaped, cream-coloured flowers with a strong perfume. But it was the oolines and orchids that were our prime focus.

Ooline flowers are like stars, with five tiny petals. These Gondwanan trees are a reminder of a past age when the climate was much wetter and colder in Australia. Oolines (Cadellia pentastylis) are large trees and relatively rare, occurring only in north- western New South Wales and south-west Queensland.

Back home in Heather and Bob's garden, Heather showed us a straggly nest belonging to a pair of tawny frogmouth owls. Heather's extensive garden is well-known for its grove of young ooline trees (grown by Heather from seed she collected from their property) and large selection of eucalypts and other native plants. Consequently, it's a haven for birds, butterflies and bees.

The conversations we have with Heather and Bob are full of interest and always we come away feeling richer for the experience -- and warm inside.

PS

In the photos of the orchids you can see long green pods which have formed after flowering and which contain developing seed.

The photos of the ooline flowers show the five-pointed star-like flowers.

The young ooline trees were propagated by Heather.