Dinosaurs & Camels

 The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum is about 25km out of Winton. Home Page (australianageofdinosaurs.com) We purchased a VIP Pass so that we could do the tours on offer at the museum and also go to Lark Quarry. Also purchasing the tour for the Gondwana Stars Observatory. 

We began with our first tour on at the Fossil Preparation Lab, this was a very interesting tour learning about the discovery David Elliot made of an odd looking rock has ultimately resulted in the area becoming known for its fossils and the discovery of Australian Dinosaurs, best known "Banjo" and "Matilda" but also others.

The Fossil Preparation Lab has volunteers (as well as employees) working on uncovering bones from dig sites, you will usually see them busy at work. There is over 10 years worth of work to get done now, so if you have time and think you would maybe like this opportunity at some stage contact the AAOD museum and speak to them about the Prep-a-Dino experience and perhaps go on to become and Honorary Technician. Australian Age of Dinosaurs | Prep-A-Dino  

Once we had finished here we went back up to Reception and onto the Collection Room tour, where we saw Banjo and Matilda's bones and watched a presentation on them.
After that it was on to the Jump Up for the March of the Titanosaurs exhibition, an amazing look at an actual prints of dinosaurs that has been moved to the area from where it was discovered - to keep it preserved in a specially built building that keeps the temperature at a stable 25'c. 

The large piece of earth was moved to the area over a three year period and it is wonderful that we can view this 95 million years after it occurred!

Once the tour had finished of this we were free to go and look at Dinosaur Canyon, a great walk with replicas of dinosaurs in the environment. When you are given the books for this tour there are "rubbing" pages as there are plates at different sections. You are provided with pencils so that you are able to do this and even the big kids enjoy this activity. You return to reception and it is a great opportunity to look at the shop (many great gift/souvenirs here) and have something to eat and drink at the Cretaceous Cafe whilst enjoying the view.                                                                                                                                              

We were fortunate enough to be in Winton for the Camel Races on the Saturday and after the AAOD tours, we headed to watch a race! It was quite an event! They also had some novelty races for everyone to participate in too. In the evening we were picked up from where we were staying by Vicki from Red Dirt Tours Red Dirt Tours - Red Dirt Tours - Winton Day Tours to go to the Gondwana Stars Observatory Tour, this is up at the Jump Up at AAOD and the area is Australia's first International Dark Sky Sanctuary Australian Age of Dinosaurs | The Dark Sky It is in this tour you will come to begin to understand the history of the stars we see today, how far they are away and have the opportunity to see some through the telescopes or special binoculars! Even to see the surface of the moon. Make sure to bring warm clothing as it can get quite cool up there at night! It was a wonderful experience and very informative. 

The next day we headed 110km from Winton to Lark Quarry Conservation Park. Homepage – Dinosaur Stampede (dinosaurtrackways.com.au)  Check the road conditions with the the AAOD museum or the Tourist Information Centre - it had only been recently regraded before we travelled on it. The first approximately 50km from Winton is sealed road and from then on it is a mix of graded road and sealed road. Be aware that it is a no fence area for most of it so you need to be aware of cattle grazing and we also saw a Kangaroo and joey as they went across the road in front of us. Road Trains can also be found on this road. This all being said we found both the journey to and from the Quarry fine. Once there we went on the Stampede Tours, the building has been built around the only known Dinosaur Stampede site on the planet! If the March of the Titanosaurs had not impressed us (which obviously it had) this was on the next level! To know a dinosaur of "Banjo's" species was involved (because his foot skeleton fits the footprints found here so it is with great certainty they believe this).

The tour begins with an audio/visual presentation of the history of how it was discovered and how the building came to be built over it and then you get to see it whilst the tour guide explains the various footprints and shows you which are which!

After the tour it is a good opportunity to grab a drink and then go for a walk to the lookout and then around the Spinifex walk back to the carpark. For those with time and energy there is a longer 3.5km walk that you can do.

Keep your eye out for wildlife too, few very small lizards can be spied if you are looking!