July
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| Warego at 4 mile camp | Our fire last night | |
Thursday the
1st of July We enjoyed the fire last night it was warm on a cold evening it being the last day of June, It was warm during the night so much so we were able to shed a blanket. We packed and then drove the Motorhome to the highway and then used the Suzuki to go back into Charleville for a few items and filled up with fuel. Back and hooked on and then proceeded to the 27 mile fishing hole. When we arrived the area has to much bush and buffalo grass if it rained we would get bogged easily so we headed off towards Augathella. The day was still overcast and the highway was busy with caravans heading north and road trains heading south. On arrival we drove down into the town centre and found that there were little or no change since we were here some years ago. |
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| Welcome to Augathella | Colourful Butterfly at Barbie | Old style barbecue at fishing club |
We went to the other
side of the Warego River for lunch near what they call the fishing club.
It was excellent with plenty of seating and water, the barbecue itself
is an old combustion stove and by burning wood it not only heats the top
for cooking also both sides of the ovens, you could probably cook a roast
or bread. We had our lunch and then unhooked the car and went along the
riverbank looking for a camp site to settle in for the weekend. There
were no suitable sites so we decided to go a further 40 kilometre's towards
Tambo to the designated rest area. On arrival we were surprised on the amount of room available especially since it was obvious that if it rained we would not become bogged. We set up the satellite dish to watch the Carlton V Brisbane match tonight. We then introduced ourselves to a recent arrivals who had cut firewood and they invited us to join them by their fire. They indicated that they were on the way home from Broome heading for the Gold Coast. Our happy hour today was a little more subdued. When the sun finally dipped over the horizon it started to get cool again so we came inside to have our evening meal and watch a bit of television prior to the football commencing. Then off to bed to read our books. Kilometre's travelled 126 |
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Friday the 2nd of July |
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| Camp at Rest Area | Liz doing craft work | Lighting the firepot |
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Saturday the 3rd of June It rained most of the night though we slept through most of it, on arising this morning we were surprised by the amount of caravans that had come in after dark last night, especially given the conditions on the road. At last the sun was shining and there was a cold southerly breeze though the solar panels were doing there job once again. We were to just relax and enjoy the sunshine and read our books out of the breeze this morning and then we were to talk to many of the happy campers that arrived in the rest area. One of the road transport Pilots had came in very early this morning and when he attempted to start his vehicle it just wouldn't get going. He came over to our camp and spent a few hours whilst waiting for the Qact to arrive to lend assistance. After three hours he was told that the assistance wouldn't be arriving for it was to far for the truck to travel from Blackall. Eventually a truck arrived from Charleville some five hours after he first sought assistance. We wished him well and he was on his way and once the vehicle is repaired off to the W.A.-S.A. border to escort a 4.3 metre wide load to Melbourne. Lunch time and then again out to enjoy the sunshine, Liz was to do her craft work and just relaxed, I set up the campfire to cook our meal of roast pork for our evening meal. |
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| Camp oven roast pork | Vegetables for our meal | Beautiful meal of pork and veggies |
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Lit the campfire at around 2pm to obtain a
bed of coals for our cooking, the trouble was the wood was to  wet
or green and it took some time before we were ready to cook. Out came
the camp oven and in went the pork and in no time at all you could hear
was the sizzle of the roast cooking not to mention the wonderful smell
lingering around the camp.We ate outside in the cooling air and enjoyed a wonderful meal. There is no doubt that even on the road travelling you can still get a good meal together. After our meal and clean up plus pack the campfire and stow in the Suzuki we lit a fire to sit around for a couple of hours which was great with the Droughtmaster cattle coming to the fence to check us out. Then we went inside to watch the Collingwood V West Coast footy match. It was cooling down again, the radio late this afternoon indicated that those communities below Longreach could expect a frost tomorrow morning, which means us. Then it was time for bed for we are moving on in the morning, hopefully getting closer to the warmer weather, again tonight we will require another blanket on the bed. |
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| Highway stretching out in the distance | The first Boab Tree we have seen |
Sunday the 4th of July |
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| Tambo Teddy Bear House | Main Street of Tambo | Gravel road from Tamba to Alpha |
We checked
out the famous Tambo Teddy Bear House which was closed and being a Sunday
there very few shops open in the town including the information centre.
It is a very clean town and it is obvious they have put a lot of work
in to make it that way. The police station was not open so I rang a police
mobile number and requested a condition report on the Tambo to Alpha road.
We were told it was in good condition being repaired after the recent
rains. Given this, we decided to take that route as it is one we have
not travelled before, topped up with diesel at $1.39.9 a litre and headed
off. The road was single bitumen and after about 20 kilometre's the gravel began and for the next 15 kilometre's the gravel road was good and then back onto the bitumen again. Though the next 10 kilometre's of gravel road was not to good and as we had come this far we just slowed down and dropped down a gear and took it easy. Then onto the bitumen again all the while the road to date had been undulating with some beautiful scenery, when I could take my eyes off the road that is. As we are stocked up with water Liz wants to do a full wash before we arrive at Alpha so we have decided to make a bush camp for a couple of days. We found a spot at a gravel pit about 100 metres off the bitumen road and set up in the warm sun though the southerly was still blowing, the temperature at 3pm was 24 degrees which is great. We are not far off the Tropic of Capricorn where the warmer weather for Queensland usually commences as we head north. Out with the satellite dish and we were watching the Sydney V Richmond game which Richmond won by 4 points. As usual as the darkness descended you could feel the cold of the evening arriving, so tonight we will watch a bit of Television and then read our books, which we have plenty of. Kilometre's travelled 188 |
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| Liz hanging out washing | Evening meal cooking on fire |
Monday the 5th
of July Not much doing today as we relax in our bush camp, there was little wind and the day was excellent with a brilliant blue sky and would remain that way all day. I stayed in bed until after 9am the latest for awhile. Liz wanted to do a wash given that at the moment we have plenty of water on board. We strung a line between the small trees and then made a centre pole to support the line and the washing was completed and hung out to dry. Then we sat around enjoying the sunshine and reading our books, the temperature was to climb to 25 degrees which quite nice. There was little traffic on the road today and no caravans or other RV vehicles just a few cars and trucks carting earthmoving equipment. We were to cook our evening meal in the camp oven and we just had a small fire and as usual as soon as the sun disappeared the cool of the evening descends upon us. We will watch satellite television tonight and no doubt finish reading in bed. We like this bush camp so much we have decided to extend our stay another day. |
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| Cattle come to visit near our camp | Cattle move to road near camp |
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Tuesday the 6th of July |
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| Bitumen meets gravel road | The best section of gravel | Alpha the town of Murals |
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Thursday the 8th of July We never had a lot of sleep last night listening to the rain tumble down on the roof of the motorhome, normally we would find it most soothing though on this occasion it occurred to us that we may have to spend another day and night where we are rather than get bogged. Out of bed at 6:30am to pack away gear, top up the generator with the last of the fuel and then disconnected the satellite dish and the Suzuki. We had discussed the towing of the Suzuki and decided that given the condition of the gravel road sections that Liz would drive the car. It was no problem to get the Suzuki onto the bitumen though it sank a couple of times, this gave us an idea where to place the motorhome. It was decided that the best way to get to the bitumen was to reverse for 10 metres and then hopefully jump the drain. Started up and with Liz standing where I had to reverse away we went, goodness gracious it only sunk once and not increasing the revs on the motor was to help I believed. Then the the gutter which was deep and soft, with a hump and jump the motorhome was on the bitumen, only one problem it was facing back towards Tambo and not Alpha. With a lot of backing and filling it was turned around, looking back at where we were parked I believe we were very lucky to get out as the rain came down again and made it markedly worse. Not heavy just constant, we drove to the end of this bitumen section of the road and then stopped to have breakfast at 8:30am. Liz had a UHF radio so we able to keep in contact there turned out to be three sections of gravel and bitumen with the last section into Alpha of 18 kilometre's. On one section I felt the Motorhome went into slide which luckily was corrected and from then it didn't take much to recognise the bad patches of course the Suzuki took it all in its stride. We were to see many mobs of Kangaroos along the way and many farms and stations which looked great even given the rain. Strange over the 80 odd kilometre's to Alpha we never encountered another vehicle. When we finally arrived at Alpha we were discover just how dirty the both vehicles were so we were directed to the truck wash and the high pressure hoses quickly removed the slush and mud that had attached itself to the vehicles, though not the ground in dirt. Since the motorhome had not been washed since leaving home we then used soapy water and a broom to clean the outside, what a difference it made. Though we didn't wash the  Suzuki.
Being a bit tired we forgot to take before and after pictures.We then had a look around Alpha, a town that prides itself on its wall murals a whole 24 of them spread around the town, which is quite small. We then bought a loaf of bread and then decided to head of down the road in the rain. Forgive me someone for I have sinned and find we are set up in the Alpha caravan park, our first this trip and hopefully our last. When Liz suggested it I didn't take much convincing. This allowed us stand under the showers for a long period now and in the morning, make bread in the breadmaker and use the washing machines which you still have to pay $3 a machine and $3 to use the drier and save on gas using electrical appliances. We then went for a walk into the village which is small. Most of the business's are in the same street so we had a look in the supermarket whose prices were very high. |
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| Mural at the butchery | Ceramic at the Cafe | Ceramic dancing Emu's |
Then to the Hotel and
had a few beers with the locals and other workers that are drilling for
coal and by all reports they are confidant of good finds. Then a few Jackaroo's
came in off the stations and it was good to hear how they work and how
big the stations are. Then off to the local cafe to buy fish & chips
for our evening meal, and they were very nice indeed. We then settled in to watch the television and make another loaf of bread to take in morning when we leave. Kilometre's travelled 82 |
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| Murals in the town of Alpha Queensland | ||
Friday the 9th
of July We phoned Mick & Anne last night and found they had experienced the rain and mud as we have in the last couple of days. They indicated that they were in Barcaldine at the moment and intended to drive to Alpha this morning, given this we decided to stay again today and meet up with them again. We took it easy this morning just doing a little cleaning of the vehicles and topping up our water tanks, then we walked into the main street and purchased the paper and took the time to have a look at the many Murals around the town and then we went into the Bakery and we were somewhat surprised at the prices. We purchased three pies and two cream buns for lunch and then moved onto the butchers, we purchased sausages, mince and steak the first two we had cryovaced for future use. Back to camp and had our lunch and Mick & Anne arrived and we chewed the fat catching up with the happenings in the period since we seen them last. Their gear was dirty with mud and they set about cleaning the gear and re-packing, we cleaned the car and the windows of the motorhome and before we knew it happy hour had arrived and as usual it went very quickly. Liz & Anne sauntered off to the cafe and purchased fish & chips for our evening meal again which we had along with salad. We continued the happy hour and finally came inside to watch the Collingwood V Port Adelaide game which Collingwood won and the we were off to bed after a good day especially the extra bonus of seeing the sun for most of the day which was a pleasant change. |
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| Heading into hilly country | Cheeky Lorikeets at Sapphire | Sifting for Sapphires |
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Saturday the
10th of July Awoke to a sunny cloudless day, packed up our camp had our showers and we were on the road at 9am, it wasn't long before we left the sunny weather and entered into cloudy weather with the odd sprinkling of rain. We were pushing a pretty heavy head wind. We were climbing and it was interesting to note the flowering wattles along the way as we threaded our way through the mountains. Finally we came to the turnoff to Sapphire and ten kilometre's later we pulled into the rest area and set up. Later it was to become very crowded and luckily there were no arguments though I do not believe I have seen so many generators going at the one time. We had our lunch a little late and then we drove over to Rubyvale in the Suzuki and had a look around. We dropped into an area where they sold buckets of rocks for $10, there were about twenty 
people sifting through their buckets. We stopped at one table and a woman
explained what to look for showing us the difference between rocks and
sapphires. She had a small pile of sapphires which just looked like road
metal. I was to pick out what I thought was sapphire to be told that I
had selected arsenic rock, not to be licked under any circumstances. We stopped off at a sapphire dealer and saw sapphire jewelry up to $15,000 yes that right and the stones didn't look all that big. Back to camp and John & Jenny had returned from their fossicking with no success. We sat around comparing notes on where we had been since we had seen other last. Joined Mick to watch the Geelong V Hawthorn match which Geelong won by 2 points. Then it was time for happy hour and Mick, Anne, John, Jenny and ourselves came together and we were joined by a couple of New Zealanders who had a hire and drive motorhome looking around Australia. They gave a good run down on New Zealand and the RV scene. Cooked our meal on Mick's pig and sat around until it was time to go in and watch the St Kilda V Brisbane game and as usual I am getting upset the way that my team St Kilda is playing up until half time. After the match off to bed to read and sleep after a full on day. Kilometre's travelled 143 |
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| Our camp at Sapphire | Market stalls Sapphire | Miners cottage Rubyvale |
Saturday the
11th of July A nice warm sunny day with no wind and just a few clouds in the sky today. We hopped out of bed at 7am and before we had breakfast we decided to wash the grime and dirt of the Suzuki, before the sun became to hot, which we did with buckets of water from our supply and then had our brekkie and cleaned up around the camp. The day was so warm that out came the shorts and t-shirt for the first time this trip which was great. We then went down to the market stalls that opened at 7am and went through to 12noon. |
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| Liz looking for Sapphires | Gae checking Liz's stones | Guinea fowl at Sapphire |
The stalls ranged from
Jewelry containing Sapphire's to nice coloured Zircon and heaps of bric
a brac plus hardware and fruit and vegetables. It took us over an hour
just to look at what was on display and we bought fruit and vegetables
and a few clothes. Back to camp and then after talking to John & Jenny and Mick & Anne we decided to go back to the Miners Hut at Rubyvale. On arrival we all purchased a bucket of dirt and then were shown how to sieve and wash before we looked for Sapphires and Zircon. It was interesting to note that using the wash bought all the sapphire and zircon in to the middle of the tray. Liz having more patience than me thus took the small fines and I the large stones. Of course Liz in her usual manner started to find both Sapphire and Zircon straight away, some were small and other a little larger though it would be true to say that there were no large stones. Mick & Anne and John & Jenny were successful also, Jenny at the end of the day had the largest of the Sapphire. Liz was to have one of her sapphires come in at over 8 carets. along with a lot of smaller stones both sapphire and zircon. In all it was a great way to while away a few hours with the bucket costing $10 along with a cup of tea or coffee bought around to you as well. It provided for cheap entertainment for the day. On the way back to camp we stopped at another travelling vegetable truck and bought custard fruit, capsicum and mandarins and apples Before we knew it happy hour had arrived and as Mick & Anne are moving on towards Rockhampton tomorrow we had a rather festive happy hour. We cooked our meal outside on the firepot and after our meal we all sat around enjoying each others company and looking up at the stars which are quite brilliant tonight. It was great to be able to sit by the fire and not be forced indoors by the chill of the night. A great day was had by all. |
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| Foggy Morning at Sapphire | Liz feeding Lorikeets at Camp | Graves Hill Fossicking area boundary |
Monday the 12th
of June After a warm night we were surprised to awake to a very foggy morning which was to stay around until midday. Rather 
than use our shower facilities we went down to the show ground and found
nice hot showers which we enjoyed immensely. Back in camp the lorikeets
arrived and Liz was to feed them bringing many in to feed, of course once
the feed had gone they were to leave to see what they could scrounge off
other happy campers. Anne was to have them sitting on her arm and hanging
off her cardigan and shirt.Then it was time for Mick & Anne to pack their camp, hook up and hit the road towards the coast, we bid each other farewell for it will be unusual if we meet them again before we head down the road towards home. Topped up all the water drums and then Liz was to do a little washing whilst I pulled out the firepot preparing it to cook our meal this evening. |
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| Reward fossicking area boundary | Typical home of a miner | Wild bush flowers |
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John & Jenny were to invite us to
go with them out to the various fossicking areas, we were to take up the
offer and sat in the back seat of their Chevy. It would be true to say
that the houses in Sapphire were of a suitable standard many being just
sheds chucked together and others built to good standards. Now when you
go out onto the mining leases that is another story most of the living
quarters are of a low standard nearing squalid conditions. It would appear
miners spend more on their fossicking machinery than housing. We were to drive through Big Bessie, Graves Hill and the Reward fossicking areas, the countryside is undulating and apparently the Sapphire is found in the old river beds that have dried up over the centuries. Everywhere you look there is bush and white poles indicating the lease boundaries owned by various people, some are digging down just a few metres and others have sunk shafts down into the ground looking for the various gems. There appears to be 
a small population of full time miners and those who come only for the
winter period and then go home during summer.We were to spot some very nice looking bush flowers that blended in well with the different coloured greens of the bush, we were to stop and talk to a bloke that indicated that he had been on his lease for the last ten years and still lives in the double decker bus that he drove in at that time, he assured us that the bus motor is still in good order and still functions. Stopped and John gathered his mining equipment together and set about doing a little fossicking and washing of the sapphire bearing material, Liz assisted in sorting out the stones and found a few pieces of sapphire. John was to collect a bucket full of material to take back to camp to check out. It was a pleasant drive and very interesting to see how miners work and live out on the leases. Back home for lunch which was a little late today before opting to have a poppy nap the first for some time during the afternoon. Happy hour was alcohol free and then we cooked our evening meal on the firepot and ate inside and decided to stay inside tonight and watch a bit of television before we head off to bed. A very satisfying day. |
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| Jim operating Willowby | Jim looking for Sapphires | Mel helping Liz sort the missed Sapphires |
Tuesday the 13th
of July Another fog this morning clearing away to a fine day after about 10:30am, the only problem is that the fog is hindering the solar panels from working in what is the best time of day for charge the batteries. We have decided again to return to the Miners Hut in Rubyvale to buy a bucket of Sapphire wash and check out our luck once again. John & Jenny decided to go out to the Reward fossicking field to try their luck digging for their own wash. We did not leave the camp until the sun had broken through the fog. It is a waste of time looking for Sapphires and Zircons without the sun to show the stones that we are looking for. When we arrived there were at least ten vehicles there and after choosing a bucket and paying our $10 we chose our table to sort the wash on. Poured the sapphire wash into the sieve dish and then into the willowby to wash the clay and dirt away. By doing this the Sapphire goes to the centre of the pebbles and is easy to see, zircon try to hide so a bit more effort is required. We were a bit worried for the first two sieves produced little sapphire. And as luck would have it the last two sieves produced the most sapphires. Of course we were to have our cups of tea during the sifting and then Mel came over and re-checked the small pebbles again and as usual Mel was to find a few sapphires that we had missed. |
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| Michael sorting Sapphires | Crossing Tropic of Capricorn | Campfire after our evening meal |
Off to the
sorting office and Michael was to inform us that among the sapphires we
found one was a nice star sapphire and a black sapphire which he said
would cut and polish up to a nice standard. We were to find large sapphire
bombs which we are assured will polish up well. Again for the price we had three hours of entertainment and also the opportunity to meet other people seeking the same. Most did not treat seriously the search for Sapphires whilst a few were very serious. We left and drove around Rubyvale looking at the houses and lean to's, caravans and all sorts of accommodation the locals use. Off to the supermarket and bought some hash browns for later down the track. We noted that we were crossing the Tropic of Capricorn every time we drove over to Rubyvale from Sapphire and have noted that this is the highest point in Queensland that we will be; before we start heading south to the coast and then homeward bound. We still have some one thousand kilometre's to reach the coast to see Liz's sister and drop in to see Dad before heading inland again. After lunch Liz was to walk up to the post office to find that it closes at 1pm each day with the exception of friday and the local internet cafe will not allow you to plug your laptop into their system so again the loading of this diary onto the net is some time away. When John & Jenny returned to camp they bought a heap of wood for our fire tonight, their efforts looking for sapphire was not as good as they had hoped and will return tomorrow to try their luck again. Only a cuppa for happy hour again this afternoon and then it was time to our evening meal after which we stoked up the fire and sat around with the lights off looking up at the brilliant stars before retiring to bed for the night, another good day most enjoyed. |
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| River digging for Sapphire | Sapphire mining equipment on river bed |
Wednesday the
14th of July Looked like rain this morning with the heavy cloud coming from the south, however later in the day it cleared away and became very warm. We had a drive around the town and for the first time noticed just how many sellers and buyers are in the town of Sapphire. Most of the Sapphire professionally mined is sold to Thailand and to Germany. We had noted the amount of people actually mining the dry river bed behind the caravan park looking for gems, so we drove down to have a look see. We did not have our camera with us so we went home for lunch and just relaxed and started packing our things away for our travels tomorrow to Emerald. We then were to drive back down into the river bed again and on this occasion all the mining gear was there though no one was working it. The day was warm at 26 degrees so we can only assume they go back to their camp for a siesta. Took a few photo's and then back to camp and rekindled the fire to cook our silverside for our evening meal. There were five caravans arrive and filled the area pretty well to the point that we think we are in a caravan park, like us they are moving on in the morning to where, we did not ask. Happy hour arrived and John & Jenny had arrived back from their mining exploits with a few good Sapphires and also bought more wood for our fire this evening. After cooking our meal I emptied our firepot into the new fireplace and then packed the gear away in the Suzuki. We had our meal outside in the cool evening and it was very nice and tender along with the vegetables not to mention the big onion. We had ten happy campers plus two children join us around our camp fire where we swapped information on camping areas and what others had experienced before arriving here today. So after a pleasant couple of hours around the fire we retired to the motorhome to watch a bit of television and complete this diary of course. |
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| Crops along highway | Crop of Sorghum | Jim at Internet Cafe uploading diary |
Thursday the
15th of July No fog or wind just a fine sunny, cloudless day greeted us this morning. There were five caravans who left at around 7am to further their travels north, we did not have a lot of packing to do so we had breakfast and said farewell to John and Jenny who are leaving for Clermont to seek their rich's in gold by prospecting and then back to Sapphire later to continue seeking out Sapphires. We broke camp at 8:45pm and connected the Suzuki to the motorhome and then we were on our way to Emerald. On reaching the highway the wind rose and of course we are once again heading into it, the road was undulating with a few large hill's though the road was relatively smooth. There was plenty of traffic about heading in both directions and about 20 kilometre's out from Emerald we came across cropping country, the first crops we couldn't recognise though we were to note Sorghum and Sun flower's. Needless to say they must also crop cotton for the evidence of that was laying along both sides of the highway verges. Before we knew it we had arrived in Emerald and went straight into the showground's and set up, unhooked the Suzuki and then drove up to city centre which we were to recognise from our visit here some years ago. What a shock to come onto twin road lanes along with roundabouts and then traffic lights something that we are not used to during the past six weeks or so. Woolworths was the first stop to replenish the larder, so to speak, then Crazy Clarke's and a few specialty stores. Back to camp and had lunch and then back into town to visit the tourist information centre and then the Internet Cafe where I loaded up the past weeks of the journey diary. We noted the cost of fuel is lower than we have paid for awhile so re-fuelled the Suzuki and generator drum then onto to the Coles Shopping centre. There was another Crazy Clarke's store so we went in and bought a new door mat and then whilst I looked in Coles where I purchased a chicken to cook down the track and a Pecan Custard Danish as a bit of a treat and our junk tucker fix for this week. Liz was to look in Target and other small specialty shops where she made several purchases. Back to camp and had happy hour with a new group of people and found out the local gossip. It would appear that several have been in the show grounds for several weeks. I set up the dish, even though there are plenty of local stations including digital, so we can watch the Marngrook Footie show tonight. and then off to bed after a really good day which turned out to be a warm 25 degrees with just a touch of humidity. Kilometre's travelled 56 |
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| D11T Caterpillar Dozer overshadowing Suzuki | Welcome sign into Emerald |
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Friday the 16th of July What a cold night and an equally cold morning, so much so I did not hesitate to wear my trakkies plus pullover and discard the shorts. We had breakfast and showered to warm the body and then Liz cut a picnic lunch for later and we headed out to the highly advertised clearance sale by Harvey Norman at the Ag-Quip site just out of Emerald. We didn't think that prices had been reduced by much and in one case of a computer the so called reduced price was higher than the price stuck to the machine. We didn't stay long at all, then we made our way back to the Suzuki and took a photo parked beside a Caterpillar D11T which made the car look small. What would the machine weigh ? we don't know other than the blade had 28-1/2 tonne written on the blade which was massive, it would certainly push a lot of whatever. |
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| Lake overflow plus our old overnight camp in 1999 | Mountain Ranges across from Lake Maraboon | |
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We then proceeded to travel to Lake Maraboon
which is held back by the Fairbairn Dam, along the way there was plenty
of cropping land no doubt irrigated by the dam waters. The town water
supply for Emerald is also taken from the dam, it is only 18 kilometre's
from town so we arrived in no time at all. We had been this way in 1999
and noted there had been little change, even the area we camped overnight
is still there overlooking the overflow channel from the lake. Though
we must say that the water level in 1999 was much lower than it is today.
The views across the lake are fantastic especially the mountain ranges
in the back ground. We pulled into an area where the signage indicates
how many fingerlings the local fishing club has over the years released
into the lake. It would be true to say that the figure would be in the
millions. The fish restocked were Golden Perch (Yellow Bellies) Murray
Cod just to name two for there are 8 species released not including Red
Claw crayfish as they call them here. Needless to say there is no freedom camping in the area due to the Caravan Park which goes close to the waters edge and Scout and Ski club who do the same, the latter two you are not allowed to access the lake through there respective conclave's. We stopped and had our lunch at one of the many picnic tables in the park grounds which also boasts a free gas barbecue to use, it would be true to say that the locals would flock to this place in the summer months to seek relief from the heat. We were joined by many species of birds trying to get a feed from us which we reluctantly did and then we drove around the complex admiring the views and watching the fisherman launch their boats and go to the other side of the lake. We noted that not one of them wore a life jacket as they travelled on the water. We did the circle rather than go over our tracks again and arrived back in Emerald and dropped into Super Cheap to get some diesel treatment for the motorhome and then the paper and then home to relax for the rest of the afternoon and keep out of the cold wind that is blowing. Tonight we will watch the footie with Adelaide V Geelong and then off to bed. It has been another enjoyable day with the exception of the cold weather. |
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| Highway on way to Springsure | Camp at gravel pit |
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Saturday
the 17th of July A bit of change this morning after another cold night, we went and had our showers and then breakfast then packed up ready to leave the showground's. It was 10:30am before we left and drove around to the Woollies service station to top up with diesel, it was the cheapest yet since we have been on the mainland at $1.27.9 a litre. The day was beautiful totally blue sky with little wind and warming quickly, before we knew it we had bid Emerald farewell and turned onto the highway towards Springsure. The going was easy and we could see in the distance the mountain range that we have to climb and alongside the highway were large grain silo's and sheds. The paddocks were sown down to crops of some description and we can only assume that it may be cotton or wheat. It certainly adds to the beauty of the countryside with this deep green crop and the many channels for water now doubt from the Fairbairn dam. As we want to pull up early to watch the St Kilda V Collingwood footie match we started looking for a suitable place and it wasn't long before we came across a very large gravel pit just 36 kilometre's from Emerald. We decided to set up here and out came the satellite dish and then out with the awning to hang out the washing that Liz had completed and then time for lunch and relax until the footie match. It is going to be an interesting game for of the two teams playing I barrack for the first and Liz for the latter team, whoever wins this afternoon will go to the top of the ladder and the loser back into third place. Postscript: Collingwood beat St Kilda by 47 points and now sits on top of the ladder with St Kilda dropping to third. Kilometre's travelled 36 Sunday the 18th of July  A pleasant, sunny morning and we decided over breakfast to stay another day in the gravel pit and do a bit of cleaning and repairs. Refueled the generator and then Liz did a bit of washing and up went the cloths line and the gentle breeze and sun ensured that the washing dried pretty quickly. Out came the chainsaw and cut a bit of wood for our fire to boil the kettle and cook our meals during the day. Lunch quickly arrived and then we sat out in the sun in our shorts and I in my singlet for the sun was warm. We read our books and and watched the traffic which is about 100 metres from our camp pass us by, plenty of caravans still heading north though just a few heading south like us. 2pm started the generator and watched the Sydney V Carlton football game which Sydney was to win easily which cements their place in the eight leading up to the finals Then outside to take in the last of the sun of the day, stoked up the fire to cook our meal tonight and around 8:30pm came inside and watched a bit of tellie before retiring for the night |
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| Entering Cropping Country | Queensland Coal Train | Virgin Rock Springsure |
Monday the 19th
of July Other than a train going by at about 2am it was another warm restful night, packed up and then had our breakfast and we were on our way to Springsure. When we left the camp we were to see hills and mountains in the distance. Under those mountains was hectare after hectare of crops of some description; in fact as far as our eye could see from the highway. We were to see a coal train on its way to the coastal ports no doubt destined for oversea's country's, it really blended into the cropping country. It wasn't long before we were climbing up through the mountains and down a few gears and luckily there was no wind, though we could spot high level fog in the distance. We were to recognise some of the mountains especially the Virgin Rock as it is known which in the Mt Zamia region. They say that inside is a niche in the Virgin rock that contains a weathered likeness of the Virgin Mary holding her child, we have never seen this even when we were here in 2006. Springsure has not changed at all which could be said in relation to a lot of outback towns. We went to the tourist information centre and gathered information on Springsure and our next town of Rolleston in central Queensland. We went to the showground's and were rather shocked to see that they were charging $25 for a powered site and $17.50 for unpowered, one of the workers we came across was of the same opinion as us and that for what was on offer was highly priced. He indicated that we could use the showers and take on water and then told us of a few rest areas out of town. We had showers and topped up with water and then headed out towards Rolleston. We immediately were climbing rather steeply up the mountain ranges and then we when we reached the top an excellent panorama opened out before us, did I take a photo? no, I was to busy dealing with the 6% downhill grade that had the exhaust brakes on the motorhome working flat out. Once at the bottom farming land opened before us and there were plenty of cattle to be seen. We were climbing a hill and at the top we both agreed that this was a gravel pit we stopped in for a few days some years ago. So in we came and the large mounds of blue metal and gravel were no longer there. There was newly dumped gravel there with a loader and trailer nearby. A worker pulled into pick up the trailer and I had a good chinwag and discovered that the roads had taken a hard pounding in the torrential rains around Christmas and they were still repairing them, he was to tell us of a large truck stop at the bottom of this hill with toilets, we elected to stay here. Liz hung out the washing and we settled in to read our books in the shade for the sun in between clouds was very warm and at 6:30 I am still in shorts and singlet, Liz has her shorts and top on. Checking the television we found that we had good digital signals so we left the satellite dish inside and will watch tellie later or read our books before going off to bed. Kilometre's travelled 84 |
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| Crops on Carnarvon Road | Creek at water crossing | Suzuki about to go through water course |
Tuesday
the 20th of July A warm night though a chilly wind this morning as we packed away and on the road at 9am, we were pushing a headwind and the going was slow due to the hilly nature of the highway. The cropping country was still with us and given the recent rains one can assume that they could expect a good return on their crop this year. In addition to the crops it was obvious that cattle featured heavily on farms. On the way we spoke about the fact that we had been in this area of Queensland in both 1998 and 2006, in 1998 we had attended the national club rally at Roma and took the opportunity to take up a booking on a bus to have a look at Carnarvon Gorge. As we will not be heading down to Roma on this occasion we decided that subject to price we would book into the caravan park at Rolleston and then unhook the Suzuki and go to the gorge some 200 plus kilometers return. We stayed at the caravan park for $20 for the night including power, it was very basic with the showers having only concrete floor and we had to block up to get the motorhome level so that will give an idea of the quality of the park. Liz was to make sandwich's and drinks and we were on our way some 60 kilometre's down the Capricorn Development Road which is a really good duel lane highway. We then had to turn in and go a further 44 kilometre's of which the last 14 kilometre's was gravel plus going over many watercourses on the way in. |
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| Joey suckling mother Kangaroo | Liz crossing rock pathway | A sample of the many steps and stairs |
We arrived
around 1pm and even though we haven't been here for 12 years the changes
were noticeable straight away, for instance where we stopped in the bus
in 98 this area now hosts a Eco Lodge and there is no camping in the area
it is now some 6 kilometre's back on the road to the turnoff. Once we
worked out where we want to go we settled in amongst the many palm trees
to have our lunch. The signs are very clear DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS! Whilst
we were eating our lunch two kangaroos were very close by and weren't
worried about our presence with the joey suckling his mother. As we are very unfit we decided to walk only to the Moss Garden about 6 kilometre's return. We headed off and straight away we had to cross the creek on the very large stones that made the pathway. Oh my gosh! stairs and more stairs and steps along the track, they have moved the track away from the creek and in doing so it requires a lot more effort today. That 6 kilometre's return felt more like 15 kilometre's walking on flat road. The scenery along the way was wonderful and before we knew it, though a little worse for wear, we had arrived at the turn off to the Moss Gardens. It stated 650 metres to the gardens and quite frankly it felt like two kilometre's with the many steps and stairs along the way and again the scenery was spectacular especially with the sandstone cliffs and blue sky's in the background. |
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| Moss Gardens signage | Colourful scenery along the way | Waterfall from the moss and clefts in rock's |
The Moss
Gardens are hard to describe other than to say the walk was worthwhile
the small waterfall and the amount of moss clinging to the sandstone sides
of the mountain to about 10 metres up is really magnificent. The sandstone
above this mark was as dry as, though through the moss walls water was
seeping and falling like rain. As the signage states the moss becomes
a excellent water filter. There is no doubt that the water is very pure
just like the air in the gorge proper, very sweet indeed. We were to spend
some time in the Moss Garden and then the long walk back, it was to late
to walk to the Amphitheatre which was only another kilometre up the track.
When we arrived back to the car park we were both stiff with all the climbing
and steps and stairs along the way. Liz and I had a drink, being so thirsty and watched the kangaroos come in to feed on the very green grass around the picnic area. It was time to head back so along the way we encountered a lot of happy campers coming into camp in the Gorge for the night or longer. Back on the highway it was easy going and before we knew it we were approaching Rolleston. We agreed that we were both a bit buggered and would not need a large meal tonight, we stopped off at the general store and purchased Hikkien Noodles to cook some soup for our meal. The base was Vegetable stock with added celery and carrots the noodles and then we put marinara in the soup bowl and there you have it. It was excellent and as a matter of fact I pigged out on two bowls mate! We are both stiff so off to the showers and then back to watch video's for we could not receive television and I couldn't be bothered putting up the satellite dish. Kilometre's travelled 36 (Please note we do not record the kilometre's travelled in the Suzuki only the Motorhome.) |
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| Hills and more hills | Passed by a Road Train | Dawson River near our camp |
Wednesday the
21st of July Showered, filled with water, then Liz was to use the washing machines and then we were on the road, we were both feeling a bit sore in our leg muscles this morning. Farewell to Rolleston and then along the Dawson Highway towards Moura on a cool though sunny morning. We seemed to be climbing all the time and the road was rough in places and good in others, no doubt due to the floods of recent times, we thought we were on a roller coaster the way the highway climbed and became undulating along the way. We were to see a lot of Brahman cattle and then excellent crops along the way and then we were able to identify wheat in the paddocks for the first time. There is no doubt that recent rains have given these crops a real boost. Then it happened not one cattle road train it was eight cattle road trains that passed us by and given the width of the highway we had to be over as hard as we could to allow them to pass. Each truck left behind its own distinctive smell and on one road train one of the cattle had it head out the side of the trailer. It wasn't long and they were all past and they pulled away they must have been doing at least 100kph. We were pushing a head wind and the climbing had us arriving at the top of the Expedition Range and the down we went which made it easier going, we were to see plenty of gravel pits on the way though we opted to push on to the Dawson River rest area. We finally arrived and gee it looked more like a caravan park than a rest area, they were packed as tight as sardines, we were to find a spot near the road and set up putting out a clothes line and then we found that we had a damaged step up into the motorhome so an hour later it was fixed with grinding and drilling a new hole to make it fit. We never had lunch until 1:30 pm and after that we drove into Moura which is a coal mining town we drove around and then went into the supermarket bought some tim tams at $1.99 and then a newspaper and then onto Mitre 11, there were no bargains there so we went back to camp. Our leg muscles are still a bit tight so I had a poppy nap and then we went over to a couple of Tassie campers and had happy hour and a good discussion about where we both lived and where we had been to date. Back for our meal for at 6pm for it was really cool outside and it was time for tea and then we watched a bit of tellie for we had set up the satellite dish for there was very poor normal local tellie. Kilometre's travelled 152 |
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| Coal loader Moura | Dump truck awaiting loading | Man made mulloch hills |
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Thursday the 22nd of July |
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| Welcome to Banana | Banana the old bullock |
Friday the 23rd
of July A bloody cold night mate, though the sun was to shine early.That cold sou-easter was not very nice at all. Packed up and had a bit of a chat to a couple of happy campers who were heading for the gem fields around Sapphire. Liz and the woman were to show their sapphires, of course the woman's were from previous visits to the area. On our way pushing a head wind and then the sun was coming in through the front window which warmed things up a little. We did not stop in Moura just continued on for the fuel in Banana was 4 cents a litre cheaper for diesel, past the mines we saw yesterday and the huge man made hills of mulloch which astounds us as to the many kilometre's they go for. The road though bitumen was a bit rough and I found it easier to straddle the middle line for it was a better ride. Before we knew it we were in Banana where we re-filled the auxiliary diesel tank at $1.29.9 a litre, Liz posted off a few letters to home and then we had a look in the park and there was old Banana the bullock who the town is named after and then we were on our way. |
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| Welcome to Biloela | Dawson highway between crops | Our camp at Yawgi rest area |
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The head wind was still persisting and the
highway though reasonable was climbing all the time, which resulted in
many gear changes along the way. We were to see the Callide power station
and coal mine in the distance, we can only assume that they generate a
lot of power for central Queensland and the surrounding coal mines. We
finally arrived at Biloela parked up and went walkabout and of course
into Crazy Clarke's and then Woolworths had a cuppa and then on our way
out of Biloela towards our next rest area camp some 50 kilometre's down
the highway. The going was good for the highway had swung around and now had that cold wind on our side, the highway threaded its way through a lot of ploughed paddocks and was flat going. We started climbing and at the top of the hill was the Yawgi Rest Area and we pulled in and decided this is where we will stop for few days to watch the AFL Football. It didn't take much time to set up and surprisingly there were no other happy campers here and at 6:30pm we were still on our own. The wind was to blow a bucket under the motorhome and as Liz retrieved she yelled that the diesel tank was leaking. I had a look and sure enough there were two drips and as I had nothing on board to solve the problem we unhooked the Suzuki and drove back to Biloela and Supercheap Auto's and purchased a product that indicated that it could fix the problem without draining the tank. Back to camp and followed the instructions and hopefully fixed the problem, it would appear by the look of the shiny metal that we have had stones hit the tank pretty hard and made to pin holes, at least on this occasion it did not damage the pipe between the two tanks. Tomorrow will show if the repair is working. The satellite dish is set up and tonight we will watch the St Kilda V Hawthorn footie game and hopefully the Saints will prevail. Postscript: St Kilda and Hawthorn fought to a draw! Kilometre's travelled 111 Saturday the 24th of July This morning we still had the rest area to ourselves, though it was overcast with glimpse of sun. Liz was to do a little washing and then  we
decided to give the Suzuki another wash for it was a little dirty.We did not disconnect it from the motorhome just carried buckets of water, bore water of course, then sponged it down and sluiced with clean water. Being bore water meant that the whole body had to be wiped down with a chamois. Time for lunch as the day was warming we sat out and enjoyed the views of the hills to our rear and the traffic heading along the highway in both directions. There were plenty of happy campers that came in and had their lunch and then back on the road. During the afternoon we had two motorhome's and a caravan arrive and set up, there being so much room in the rest area they are well away from us. 2pm arrived and on went the generator and on with the television to watch the Collingwood V Richmond game. Needless to say that Liz was quite animated as the game progressed and the first half was a no contest with Collingwood doing as it wished with the young inexperienced Richmond. Liz set up her mascots "Rocka" the magpie and "Tassie" the tasmanian devil on the couch and now and again she would talk to them both. Postscript: Collingwood by a country mile, 82 points was the winning margin. Today I think we saw the grand final champions in action if they can retain that form. We now have 4 motorhome's and 1 caravan stopping here tonight, as dusk falls upon us the sky's are still cloudy though the wind has dropped and it is warm. Tonight we will watch the West Coast V Carlton game before going off to bed. |
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| Repair to Diesel Tank | Camp area Yawgi Rest Area |
Sunday the 25th
of July A nice sunny morning with few clouds about, it was nice and warm so shorts and singlet were the order of the day. That is, until later in the afternoon when the rain clouds appeared, the weather forecast indicated that between Biloela and Monto showers were expected. I had a cold shower in the toilet block and needless to say I wasn't under the cold water for long, though it did the job and I felt rejuvenated. Liz opted to have a warm shower in the motorhome. We had our lunch and then started tidying things up and Liz was to point out a few loose screws and other little jobs that I had neglected over the past months which I repaired. I rechecked the repairs to the diesel tank and found that no leaks appeared so hopefully this repair will suffice until we arrive home in September. The area was clear of happy campers and they started arriving at around 3pm and we currently have two whiz bangs, three caravans and two motorhome's and no doubt we have others arrive after dark. Why they are on the road that late in the day I find a little strange and silly really. At the moment we are battening down the hatch's, so to speak, for we can see the rain around the hills and we suspect it will only a matter of time before it arrives here where we are. The sky's are really dark and the wind is blowing in our direction, the only thing I will have to move is the generator for everything is now indoors. We took down the clothes line and then I gave the generator an oil change, its amazing how little oil it takes refill the sump. We settled in to watch the Melbourne V Sydney game, Melbourne won by 73 points which was a real surprise. Then swapped to the Western Australian channel and watched the last quarter of the Fremantle V Western Bulldogs, the latter won the game by 82 points another upset. Had our evening meal and settled in to watch a bit of television before going off to bed. We are back on the road tomorrow and with a bit of luck we will have dry roads or the nice clean Suzuki will be covered with road grime. |
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| Back on the road to Monto | Murals at Monto | Old machinery shed |
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Monday the 26th of July The radio this morning indicated that heavy rain was predicted for both Biloela and Monto, we just happen to be between the two towns. It was very overcast threatening rain though we were not to experience any during the day. On the road and the first section was easy going and smooth then as we climbed the mountains the road became very rough and at times we were down into 2nd gear. The land was very dry and no doubt they haven't had the rain that other parts of Queensland experienced recently. The cattle were very lean and they were eating brown grass though the water holes appeared to contain enough water. We climbed one mountain range and when on top we saw signs indicating that trucks should use 1st gear for the decline was 7% and it was to occur in two sections I came down in 3rd gear with the exhaust brakes doing there job. We finally came down onto flat land though the bitumen road was still rough with the motorhome pitching and rolling and every now and again we would be jolted in our seats. We finally arrived at Monto and even though we haven't been here for some years we were to recognise a lot of the landmarks. We stopped at the historical society's display and spent a hour or so looking at the old machinery and other memorabilia that takes you back some centuries. A very realistic display and well preserved display we were to leave a donation to assist them in their maintenance and upgrade. We drove into the main street of Monto and bought a paper and then filled with diesel and hit the road towards Eidsvold. |
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| Wuruma Dam | Parrots Bathing | Kookaburra drinking from lid |
We left
Monto bound for Eidsvold and as yet the rain that has been predicted hasn't
arrived. The first ten kilometre's was flat and easy going and then we
were climbing again. Along the way we were to see plenty of cropping country
and cattle. As we neared Eidsvold we decided to turn off and go and see
if we could camp at the Wuruma Dam. The road along the way was single
bitumen in places though serviceable, we were lucky that we were not to
strike any traffic along the way. We were to go through a small town whose building made you feel that you had stepped back a few centuries; we must stop on the way out and take a few photo's. Finally we arrived after travelling 27 kilometre's and what a pleasant surprise to see so much camping ground from the lake back up the hill near the toilets. We elected to set up half way up the hill where we could get a good overview of the whole area and there is plenty of space between us and other happy campers. After setting up we relaxed over looking the lake held back by the dam and we noted the prolific birdlife in area. Liz was to put water in a garbage tin lid and many of the birds came into drink and many to have a bath. There were bush pigeons, colourful parrots, minor birds and one kookaburra who, on its arrival cleared the other birds out whilst he took over the lid. We have decided to stay another night so out came the campfire and we were to cook our meal by the fire while the sun was dropping down over the hills. Whilst cooking our meal we had a visit by a couple from Western Australia who were heading for the gem fields so we indicated how we had fared and what gems Liz had gained, which Liz will show them tomorrow. As usual no sun and the chill of the evening arrives so we went indoors and ate our meal and watched tellie for the satellite dish had been set up. We couldn't believe it when setting up and turning on the television I had fluked the satellite without doing any other adjustments. Kilometre's travelled 160 |
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| Big Kangaroo grazing | Driving around the lake | Happy Campers by the lake |
Tuesday the 27th
of July Totally overcast sky's threatening rain this morning, again the weather forecast was for rain and luckily it went all around us and hopefully we will dodge it over the next few days as we travel to the coast. During the night I awoke after hearing thumps, it took awhile to wake to the fact that it was Kangaroos hopping around eating the nice green grass around the motorhome. They were to leave their droppings around to let us know they had visited. We were to see a mob of Kangaroos grazing down below us later on and we took a picture of the big buck out on its own he had to over 2 metres in height. Its amazing how each morning there is so much to do around the camp from fueling the generator and Liz doing a small hand wash and cleaning up etc. We hopped into the Suzuki and elected to drive around the lake, the boat ramp is high and dry at least 10 metres higher than the current water level and as we drove over a small ditch I was somewhat surprised to find the car had only three wheels on the ground. Slipped into four wheel drive and the three wheels pulled us up the bank until the fourth wheel was on the ground again. We were looking for the dam face and we never found it, there was plenty of birdlife on the lake though the ducks were skittish and therefore hard to take a photo of. We came across six buoys on the surface we suppose that they were yabby traps for there was a boat pulled up on the bank nearby. A late lunch and then we settled in to read our books in the rather chilly weather during the afternoon with the sun not able to penetrate the clouds at all, needless to say the solar panels did not charge the house battery's during the day. I packed away our campfire and other gear we had out for we wish get on the road a little earlier in the morning for we need to travel many kilometre's over the next two days. We had silverside for our meal this evening and then we watched tellie for awhile, when we finished I dismantled the satellite dish and put the generator away to give us a reasonably early start in the morning, then off to bed after a very relaxing day. |
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| Stepping back in time | Liz off to get newspaper | Gayndah Town Hall |
Wednesday
the 28th of July We were out of bed at 5:30 am this morning and boy was it dark, we were frightened to go back to sleep for we may have slept in. We did not have a lot to do this morning so we had our breakfast and then at 7 am were on our way out of the camp area. I have to say it is pleasant here especially where we were for it looks out all over the lake and its surrounds. Liz was to drive the one kilometre out to the bitumen to keep the dust off the car and then we hooked up and were on our way. We first had to go through Abercorn a very small town where you thought you had stepped back centuries for the houses appeared to be from that era. It must be said that the houses including the church were well maintained. Before long we had come onto the Burnett Highway heading towards Eidsvold, we noted the roads appeared wet though we had not yet struck rain. On our arrival Liz was to go and get the newspaper and we then reacquainted ourselves with the town before moving on. We were heading over very hilly country which requires non stop gear changes and there was no doubt it was going to be an energy sapping drive for the road was also a little rough even though it was bitumen. We were to stop at Gayndah to get fuel at $1.32.9 a litre, these old country towns have some beautiful old building and an excellent example is the Gayndah Town Hall and its remarkable that irrespective of the town they seem to use the same colour scheme on their buildings. On our way and wouldn't you know it the diesel was 4 cents a litre cheaper 10 kilometre's down the highway, oh well them's the breaks. Then our next stop was at Nanango for our lunch for it was now noon so we have been driving for nearly five hours and due to the hills and heavy climbing we only averaged 60 kilometre's per hour. We were to strike plenty of drizzly rain before the heavens opened. We had a walk around the town centre of Nanango and then purchased fish & chips for lunch which we had back at the motorhome washed down with a cup of tea, very nice indeed. |
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| Driving in heavy rain | 6.5 metre wide load | Goomeri Emporium |
Leaving
Nanango we came across many farms and including a deer farm on the flats
in what looked like very fertile country and luckily we were on flat highway
for we came across a 6.5 metre wide wide load that took nearly all the
road as it passed, we had pulled off the road as far as we could. The
wide load was a huge dump truck less its outside rear wheels off to a
mine site somewhere. We are in coal country and power stations supplying
power into the grid. The rain was now getting heavier and of course the
Suzuki was receiving all the grime from the road via the Motorhome. The road was to get hilly again and we came across two descents of 10% over 6 kilometre's long in both instances and then we were to have a pit stop at Goomeri and noted the old fashioned Town and Country Emporium in the town. We were driving through citrus country and some towns stated they were the home of the big Mandarin or the big Orange. We were to pull up at roadside stall and buy 4.5 kilo of mandarins for $6, of course once underway again we had to sample one and they were nice and juicy. We finally arrived in Blackbutt and though we didn't stop as we were only 5 kilometre's from our campsite for the night. We finally arrived at Benarken and pulled into the First Settlers Park rest area a nice flat ground with power and toilets and shower and all for free! We were lucky to get the last power point and then set up and because of the distance from the power to the motorhome we had to join two cords together and securely wrapped the join in a plastic bag to waterproof them, out came the bread maker and a loaf of bread is now cooking. We were lucky for when we set up the rain had ceased though at the moment it is falling steadily on the roof and will surely rock us to sleep this evening. I am tired at the moment for the amount of gear changes, rain and the condition of the road in many areas made the trip heavier than it should have been. We have television both analogue and digital and a good picture so the satellite dish was left unpacked. Oh well! Time for happy hour and I will sink a few tonight then an early night once we have had our evening meal. P. S. Liz is worried that we may become bogged and delay her visit to her sisters place at Redcliffe. Kilometre's travelled 349 |
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| Rest Area Benarken | Quaint Benarken Store | Very dry pastures |
Thursday the
29th of July The rain bucketed down last night the heaviest we have experienced to date, what I found amazing was how quick the water was soaked up leaving no boggy parts at all. We were to speak to our fellow campers from last night and I was to recognise one of the blokes, with a bit of prompting and he having an exceptional memory we were to discover that we first met at the Bon Bon rest area on the highway to Darwin five years ago. What a memory for an old bloke he was even able to call by my first name which staggered me, oh for his memory. What prompted him was that he recognised our motorhome, needless to say we had a good old chat. We bid everyone farewell and then we bid Benarken and its quaint country store farewell and we headed back to the highway. The rain had stopped though the hilly country hadn't so again plenty of gear work until we came across flat country where the grass was very brown and the cattle who were mostly white really stood out. |
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| Rain Forest coming down Pass | Woodford | Kerry's 60th Birthday |
We were climbing once
again and then we had go down a very steep descent which meant we were
back into 3rd gear with the exhaust brakes being used, though the scenery
was exceptional more like the west coast of Tassie. Out of nowhere rain
forest appeared which was beautiful which made up for the boring slow
drive down the hill. Needless to say it started raining in this area which
had the wipers going constantly. Before we knew it we were in Kilcoy and
it had changed very little, we were surprised to find that the rest area
only had one happy camper there. We elected not to stop for we have been
here on three previous occasions. More climbing out of the town and passed
the very large abattoir which must have had at least two hundred cars
in their car park; so we could only assume that it must be the largest
employer in the area. The traffic was now getting more constant and on a couple of occasions we had to pull off the road to let the trucks and cars past. We finally arrived at Woodford and were surprised by the amount of young people around the hotel and shops. We were to find out they were there for a Music Festival this weekend and that explained the large police presence. We went into the bakery and sat down and gorged down two pies for me and Liz one and then a cappuccino each completed our lunch. We purchased a cake and candles for Kerry's birthday today. Back on the road and were back into city traffic with plenty of traffic lights which would always go red just as we arrived at them. Luckily the G.P.S. was to warn us of red light camera's and 40 kph speed limit near schools. We suffered again the old problem of fellow drivers around us not understanding that you just can't pull up the motorhome as easily as a car, I would leave enough space in front of us to brake and then in would dart a car which at times had me really standing on the brakes. One hair raising moment was at lights when the car in front moved off and then stalled just as I was winding up in first gear which meant hard braking and then she moved off in the wrong gear and stalled again before finally getting underway and I noted it was hire and drive car. Here was an accident waiting to happen luckily it wasn't to be us. We pulled in at the service station at Deception Bay and refueled at $1.28.9 cents a litre, Liz was to indicate that this time last year at the same location we paid 11cents a litre than today. That is what we found this year irrespective of which state we were in the result was the same. We finally arrived at Woody Point and were welcomed by Kerry and Julie, Glen and Tina and Mark and Katherine who were visiting their parents from Victoria. We had an extended happy hour and then ordered in Pizza's for our evening meal, they were everywhere at least 11 pizza's plus garlic bread and then it was time to light the cake for Kerry to blow out and then a hearty rendition of Happy Birthday for his 60th. Off to bed and we didn't take any rocking for it had been another full on enjoyable day. Kilometre's Travelled 139 |
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| Marina at Scarborough | Along beach front Redcliffe | Pelicans on breakwater Woody Point |
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Friday
the 30th of July We awoke to a fog though the temperature was quite warm, after breakfast Liz was to do a bit of washing and then we went looking for a Bunnings store which we found at Deception Bay. They did not have what we were looking for so we then drove on the tourist drive which took us around the waterfront and past some excellent houses and even they have had housing canals built. The houses on the canals were plush and of course had the mandatory yacht or motor boat moored at the front. This would have to be where the money is. Around the beach front and there a few houses on the waters edge though generally speaking they were across the road allowing for  some
beautiful waterside public parks. There were plenty of people out and
about enjoying the warm weather which is now 25 degrees and though a little
cloud it did not block the sun to any extent.When we finally arrived at Woody point we were to see pelicans sunning themselves on the breakwater for the boat launching ramp with the Hornibrook bridge as a back drop. Unfortunately they are dismantling the original wooden bridge due to safety concerns they now have two concrete bridges for to and from traffic. Home for lunch and as no one was home we went down the waterside and bought hamburgers, pluto pup and chips plus drinks and then sat in the park in the shade of course and enjoyed whilst looking at the excellent panorama that opened up before us. All told we drove in the Suzuki for 64 kilometre's looking at the sights around the Redcliffe Peninsula. Happy hour arrived and we took it easy given that we are going out for a meal tonight. Then we were off to Sizzlers for our meal and what a meal it was along with the salad's and sweets it was a meal and half we were certainly more than satisfied. Back home to watch the football and found that I had to put up the satellite dish for the football wasn't on until very late tonight. St Kilda V Essendon and in the early part of the game the bombers lead by 42 points in the first quarter and the lead was to blow out by 59 points until St Kilda reeled it back to 33 points. A very frustrating game. |
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| Pine forests Bruce Highway | Ettamogah Pub near highway | Turnoff to Eumundi |
Saturday
the 31st of July Not a cloud in the sky when we set off to go to the Eumundi Markets some 120 kilometre's away from where we are staying. It was a pleasant drive in the Suzuki once we had reached the Bruce Highway heading north. There was plenty of traffic on the road so the two lanes of the highway were congested especially when reaching a slip road where other traffic would join us. We were to quickly clear the housing and industrial areas and the Pine forests were the norm they went for kilometre after kilometre and as far back as you could see. We then came across the Ettamogah Pub alongside the highway which we visited some years ago and we thought we would drop in on the way back. The flowering wattle along the way was a splendid back drop to the cloudless blue sky's and the outside temperature was a humid 25 degrees. Given the distance from Woody Point we seemed to take no time at all to reach Eumundi and their famous markets. There were plenty of parking spaces and then we went into the markets proper. By the signage there appeared to be a bit of rivalry due to the main market being called the "Eumundi original Markets" Putting all that aside there were goods of every description along with fruit and vegetables though no boys toys such as tools. We wandered from row to row with the girls buying a few items and after two hours we descended upon the coffee shop to rest our weary legs and take in a cappuccino each, even Oscar, Mark and Katherine's dog had a nice cup of cold water. We then checked out the new markets and they virtually had the same type of products. We were to come across Carolanne and two other people whose names elude me that come down to Tassie each year to dodge the humid heat of Queensland, we had a good old natter and wished each other well as we parted. There is nothing wrong with the grey nomad fraternity. |
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| Eumundi Markets | At Ettamogah Pub | Inside Ettamogah Pub |
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In all we spent over three hours looking
at the products and one thing was noticeable.You could not bargain or
barter it was the listed price or nothing on two items I opted for the
latter. As we were so close to Noosa we decided to drive in and have a look around and have a late lunch, we first ended up at Noosa North where the ferry goes across to Fraser island and we we noted the amount of four wheel drive vehicles awaiting the ferry and the amount of water craft of all descriptions moored in the lee of the island. Then I fed Noosa Heads into the G.P.S. and away we went and when it had finally finished it had us in the the Noosa town centre so we turned it off and followed the signs and wouldn't you know it there was not a vacant parking spot to be found anywhere and after a couple of drive around's we gave it away and headed for the eastern beach's to find exactly the same problem. So we set the co-ordinates for home and we were pleasantly surprised when it did not take us directly back to the Bruce Highway. We found ourselves on the old Sunshine Coast highway that being the original, so we were driving around the edge of the ocean and able to see the beautiful beaches and the houses some right on the beach. We were not to come inland once in the next hour as we worked our way down to Maroochydore before heading back onto the Bruce Highway. For once we thanked the G.P.S. for taking us upon the scenic route by the sea and then bringing us out just before the Ettamogah Pub. We took the slip road off the highway and found ample parking by the pub and parked up. I had forgot to load my SD card into the camera and it told me that the internal 
memory of the camera was full. So I had to ask Katherine to take a few
photos of the pub etc for me.We were to order our meal and wouldn't you know it; to order you had to climb to the third floor what a nuisance, you have to laugh at the pub the way they have built the lean into the structure and the huge poles in the interior holding the pub up. There is plenty of memorabilia and cartoons which keeps you amused whilst your meal is delivered to you on the bottom floor or as we had elected outside in the warm air, for it was still a humid 25 degrees and now overcast. We had our meals around 2:30pm which were huge and the back on the highway for home. The going was easy really even though the traffic was becoming dense heading into Brisbane, in no time at all we were turning into Anzac Avenue and then into our street and home. A very enjoyable trip something we would not have done in the motorhome. Collingwood at the moment is thrashing Carlton therefore Liz is a very happy person and Collingwood will no doubt win by a large margin. We will light the barbie tonight though we will not want much to eat given the lateness and large size of our lunch today, we will relax have an extended happy hour and then off to bed. What a wonderful day. Of course being the last day of the month, doesn't time fly when you are having fun! |
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