OPAL MINER PROSPECTOR

TURTLE ON MY TOE

Traveling in the western Queensland region through the summer months, you would expect the day time temperatures to reach 142 f or 60 c+. Daytime traveling in these temperatures in an old Land Rover is not fun at all. At the time I was living in Junda and working the opal fiends 47 miles out of town. The town then had one pub, one store, a post office police station and the shire council. The population was around 100 counting the dogs and cats. At the time, it was cheaper to travel to Quilpie for shopping every two weeks or so 200 plus miles away. That is where this short story comes from. About 34 miles from Junda, on the road to Quilpie, you would cross the Barcoo River. At Retreat, there is some water holes here that are quite a welcoming sight in thoes summer months. This day was no exception and arriving it was clothes off and into that water hole. After cooling down some, the other half and Ilaid belly down enjoying the coolness and little shade from the few trees. Often the little fish would nibble your toes and other parts of the body. We never took too much notice of this, but today was a little different. With a loud holler and out of that water quicker than ever, I discovered upon landing on the bank, a rather large turtle latched onto my toe's! After some plying with a screwdriver, I managed to free it.Then headed of home with a rather large set of toes.