If it’s Tuesday* It must be Roma!

On Sunday’s you can shoot a cannon down McDowall Street with no fear of striking anyone, for Roma’s main street after 12.30pm on a Saturday is like weekends in Perth used to be 30 years ago.
But on Monday the highways and streets are filled with the clattering rattle of cattle trucks and the airport arrivals is filled with cattle buyers; for on Tuesdays the posse of buyers and bovines muster at the Roma sales yards for the weekly store sales* when thousands of weaners, heifers, steers, cows and bullocks change hands.
And once that’s all over the streets and highways are once again filled with the clattering rattle of cattle trucks while the cattlemen socialise over a steak sandwich. The bovines destined for their new yarding somewhere up bush and the buyers fly home with thirsts slaked.

Queensland’s Roma is an important thriving hub for cattle, crops, coal, oil and coal-seam gas production. With the arterial roads in this part of the world reflecting those industries, wide loads of heavy stuff that support gas production and hundreds of gaseous 2 storey rattling trucks plying their trade from farm gate to market. The grey nomadic population has slowed to a trickle.
*cattle sales are held twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Today we moved to the quiet little town of Condamine and catch up with a friendly Qld grey nomad couple we met at Eighty Mile Beach.

Roma has Bottle trees and not to be confused with WA's Boab tress. Bottle trees are native to this area and used with dramatic effect as an avenue of honour remembering the WW1 fallen from the district.
Roma has Bottle trees and not to be confused with WA’s Boab tress. Bottle trees are native to this area and used with dramatic effect as an avenue of honour remembering the district’s WW1 fallen.
Heavenly rays alight on the flowers prepared for Sunday services in St Paul's Anglican Church.
Heavenly rays alight on the flowers prepared for Sunday services in St Paul’s Anglican Church.
Where there's cows there's always Cowboys
Where there’s cows there’s always Cowboys
Today 7,000 of these went under a clap of the hands in deference to a fall of the hammer.
Today 7,000 of these went under a clap of the hands in deference to a fall of the hammer.
Plenty of stock agents on hand for the auction. Note, not hammer to be seen.
Plenty of stock agents on hand for the auction. Note, no hammer to be seen.

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