22^nd May 2018 Brisbane to Mundubbera

We left home later than planned today as Beth had been sick yesterday so not all the packing was done. Anyway being semi-grey nomads time has no meaning we have all day to achieve our plans!

Just as we were about to leave there was a rumbling noise around the neighbourhood as the weekly garbage truck was working in a nearby street. We waited a few minutes before he came past our place and collected our bin and we asked how long before he returned down the other side. Fifteen minutes was the reply so that was our window to get the van out, complete the final checks and get out of the area. Neighbour hood streets are so narrow these days we didn’t want to be in his way when he came to get the bins from the opposite side of our street. We had the van and car linked together so the timeframe was achievable. Today we pulled the caravan out from beside our house with the car which made the process quicker. Previously we have used a remote control jockey wheel so our confidence must be growing.

All the final checks complete driver and co-pilot were all in place and we handed for the highway and pointed the vehicles in a northerly direction – time on the clock being 10:15am.

Beth was feeling a lot better than yesterday although not 100%.

We reached Gympie and just north of the town was the turnoff to Kilkivan. We had stayed at a campground near here on our maiden voyage so the road was familiar. As we left the outskirts of Kilkivan we saw a sign to Gayndah our stopping place for a break. This road was a shortcut but the bitumen ranged from stretching both lanes to only a single lane of bitumen. The unintended shortcut did save us having to travel onto Gomeri then back out along the Burnett Highway so it all worked out well in the end.

Joining the Burnett Highway we continued into Gaynda where we stopped at the Big Orange café for a comfort stop and a bite to eat. It was just after 2pm and Beth was starting to feel a bit worse. Caused more by the bumpy road since leaving the Bruce Highway and definitely not my driving techniques. We stopped about 15-20 mins before continuing the last 40+ kilometres to our resting place for day one.

Pam, Wayne,Lorraine and Glen were also heading to the same place but as they only had to come from Bundaberg they were there ahead of us.

It was about 3pm (did I say earlier that time meant nothing?) when we checked in and drove to our campsite. Now one benefit of arriving last is that the other campers helped with the parking and setup of our van so it wasn’t long before we were setup for our one night stay.

Tomorrow we hitch van and car again and head to …..  You’ll have to read tomorrow’s exciting installment.

23^rd May 2018 Mundubbera, Monto to Caina Gorge

A cold start this morning saw us dive out of bed and get the heater going. Not so far to travel today but we were ready to leave around 9:30 so the three car and caravan convoy left Mundubbera and headed north. About 110 k’s later we pulled into Monto to refuel both cars and travellers. Cars first at the Puma Roadhouse then a short detour to see the house that Beth’s brother Brian and his wife lived in when he was working at Monto. Back to the central business district and here we appreciated the special parking areas for cars and caravans. Lunch was found at the local bakery and eaten at a picnic table looking out over the fields.

On the road again for the short 40k sprint to Cania Gorge camping ground, checking in and parking the vans. Here Wayne was connecting his water hose to the tap when the whole tap came off in his hand and he was left with a spout of water rising above the van.

We were all very jealous of his water feature and suddenly his site was a water front site!!

The park workers arrived and eventually turned off the water to that site, however the ground was too wet to stay there so Wayne had to hitch the van back onto the car and move to a nearby site.  Eventually we were all settled in so it was time for a walk around the park precinct before the daily feeding of local bird life. Tonight there were lorikeets, galahs and cockatoos. There was a lot of noise but fortunately no “presents” from the wildlife.

Back to the vans for tea and settling in for the evening.

Beth isn’t still well and the afternoons seem to be worse for her. It will be interesting to see if she improves with a rest day tomorrow.

24^th May 2018 Caina Gorge

No driving with caravans attached today so after a quiet breakfast and a little housework, e headed to the main dining room at the caravan park for a treat.  The park has a range of treats on various nights and days during the week and today (Thursday) the treat is billy tea and damper served at 10am sharp.  They say sharp because the damper goes quickly and both were a very lovely treat.

After morning tea all three couples took a drive just up the road to Cania Lake, stopping at the lookout first then down to the lakeside.  Here the gentlemen left the ladies while we drove back down the road to the starting point for a walk into the Shamrock Mine. The walk was 600 meters each way and the mine site included an example of a rock crusher and washer which separated the gold from other rock and a little further up the hill was a mine shaft.  Some of these shafts reached 180 meters in depth and we dropped a stone down this shaft and listened for it hitting the bottom – we are still waiting for the sound so it must have been deep. After walking into this site from the car park we felt for the miners who had to walk a lot further and carrying a lot more than the bottle of water each of us had.  No wonder the mine shafts were so small there would not have been any fat miners!!

Returning to the campsite (after collecting the ladies) for a light lunch before driving out again this time heading down the road towards the main highway and stopping at the picnic spot which was the departure point for many of the Cania Gorge bushwalking tracks.  We had decided to tackle the track to Dripping Rock and the Overhang, a round trip of 3.2 kilometers. We shouldn’t have any trouble reaching that 10000 step target today!!

Again the gentlemen set off this time accompanied by Pam who came as far as the Dripping Rock 2.4 (kilometer return trip).  Because we stopped to take photos the inward journey took nearly an hour, however the return was much shorter – maybe it was the thought of a hot drink and afternoon tea waiting for us.

Returning again to the caravan park where we settled in for the evening which tonight included some time around a campfire lit by one of our neighbours.  We sat around enjoying the fire and wildlife that came out for about 1 ½ hours before turning in for the night.

25^th May 2018 Caina Gorge to Lake Callide (Biloela)

This morning we packed up the caravans and hitched them to our cars before heading out of the gorge back to the Burnett Highway and turning north.  Destination today was Lake Callide Retreat Park about 13 kilometers past Biloela.  Total distance was only about 2 hours so we were parked and setup again by lunchtime.  This afternoon we travelled back into Biloela to do some shopping before back to the explore the park and surrounding area before the day ended with a beautiful sunset.

26^th May 2018 Lake Callide

Today was another day of rest but no bushwalks planned for today instead a quick trip into Biloela to refuel the car as we went with Pam and Wayne yesterday then back to camp for morning tea and chat around the caravans.  Today was windy so the vans gave us some shelter.

For lunch we cooked some sausages and took them down to the lake side picnic area and sat watching the water views.  There were some boats on the lake including a boat towing a tube – although they didn’t last long on the lake because of the windy conditions.

This afternoon talk was around our future holiday bucket list and although nothing was planned in concrete there are a lot of places yet to be crossed off!!

27^th May 2018 Lake Callide to Mount Morgan

Packing up the vans and hitching up the cars must be getting easier the more we do it as we headed out from the park ½ hour ahead of schedule.

Most of the road was open and flat so easy driving for cars and vans.  The trip to Mt Morgan took just short of an hour and after checking in we were parking and setting up camp once again.

Lunch today was at one of the hotels in town for a beautiful meal of roast pork and veggies, followed by a walk down the main street to help with the calories.

Back at the campsite for more chat before the appointed time of 4:30 when the camp site owners fired up the fire pit and prepared something special for all campers to enjoy. Tonight they prepared pizzas and shared them around the gathered campers gathered in the camp kitchen.  It was a lovely environment with food, fire and chatting.

28^th May 2018 Mount Morgan

Today was a day to explore Mount Morgan.  Originally settled by the Morgan brothers who founded the Mount Morgan mine.  The mine produced gold and iron ore over the years and at its peak the open cut mine was the largest “hole in the ground” in the southern hemisphere.  Today the return from production outweighs the cost of production so the mine remains silent at the moment.

Leaving our campsite around 9:30 we drove through the main streets stopping at a replica suspension bridge, many of which used to span the river to allow the miners to walk from the town to the mine and return.

We then moved onto a lovely oasis in the bush, locally known as Dam number 7.  This is a lovely picnic area with a large children’s playground overlooking the dam.  We sat at a picnic table overlooking the dam for morning tea.  Around 11:15 we left Glen and Lorraine at the park while we headed back into Mt Morgan to the famous pie shop to buy some lunch, before returning to the dam to eat the fantastic pies.

Through a former colleague at Queensland Rail, Glen had a contact who now conducted tours of the mine.  He booked us onto the 1pm Mine Tour which left from the Mt Morgan rail station. Don’t bother waiting there for a train because they don’t run anymore.

The tour started with a drive around the town while “Johno” told us all the history of the boom times in Mt Morgan.  The tour then went to a nearby lookout before moving onto the mine site.  A tour of one of the mine buildings showed us some of the early setup of offices as well as some photographs of the miners and the mine in progress.

Back on the bus again we travelled around the mine sight finishing at the time of the open cut pit.  Once the largest open cut mine in the southern hemisphere it is now holding a lot of water from the mine that is too acidic to release.  The Qld government has a program that uses lime to reduce the acidity however it is not yet at levels that can be released into the river system.

Returning to our campsite we waited until it was time for happy hour again around the campfire.  Tonight our hosts provided spring rolls and sausage rolls, while enjoying the company of other campers – great opportunity to learn from the experiences of other travelers – what a fantastic place.

Tomorrow we break camp and head to the coast.

 29^th May 2018 Mount Morgan to Yeppoon

Breaking camp shortly after 9am we waited until 9:30 to say goodbye to our hosts, however they hadn’t returned from taking their daughter to school so we had to push on.

The drive to Yeppoon included lovely scenery ranging from bushland, open fields and mountain ranges before reaching the outskirts of Rockhampton and driving onto the coast and Yeppoon.  We arrived about 11:15 and checked in then started the process of parking the vans on the sites and setting up before lunch. Our sites were right on the beach-front so tonight we can go to sleep with the waves lapping on the beach.

This afternoon we went to the nearby shops to get some supplies before a walk along the beach right in front of the caravan park.  The tide goes out a long way leaving a very flat and sandy beach that is so easy to walk on.  Showers, a full moon rise and tea finished the day.

30^th May 2018 Yeppoon

Today dawned as a beautiful blue sky day with only a breath of wind, so after breakfast we planned our days outing.  Glen had a tour planned out that included a drive up the aptly named Hill Street to a lookout that gave us nearly 270 degree views of the coastline.

Next was a lovely drive out to Emu Bay with several scenic stops along the way that showed us various parts of the coastline including the marina where the ferry to Great Keppel island departs from.  One portion of the road was washed away in a recent cyclone and is still being repaired so there is a detour in place that takes drives through parts of suburbia.  I’m sure those residents will be glad when the road is completed and thre is less traffic through their streets.

Morning Tea was at a picnic spot on the road called Causeway Lake before continuing onto Emu Bay.

We visited the ANZAC memorial that had been built to commemorate 100 years since the Gallipoli campaign and the walk finished at the Singing Ship which commemorates Captain Cook’s voyage to Australia and in particular his grounding on the Great Barrier Reef.

According to the local “tummy time” lunch was needed so we made a donation to the local economy in place for a few steak and chicken burgers before heading back to Kerr Park near the ANZAC Memorial.

After a leisurely lunch we returned to our campsite for a quiet afternoon that concluded with another beach walk along the wide low tide beach in front of our caravan park.

31^st May 2018 Yeppoon

Today was our third day at Yeppoon and yet another blue sky day, we have been blessed with fantastic weather during this trip.

This morning we did some shopping at a nearby shopping centre for supplies that were running a little low as well as refueling the cars for the next part of our journey.

All three couples then met for lunch at a nearby club Spinakers.  As well as the lovely views across the bay from the outdoor dining tables the other attraction was the lunch specials meals for $10!!

This afternoon another opportunity to relax and chat while enjoying views and sunshine – who wouldn’t be retired with a caravan??

1^st June 2018 Yeppoon to Agnes Water

Sad day for a few reasons today.

1. Leaving Yeppoon and our absolute beachfront site
2. Glen and Lorraine leave our tour group today and head back to their home in Rockhampton
3. We point the cars into a southern direction and start the run home – although we are going to take another five days to get home.

They say that practise makes perfect and this seems true regarding the caravan packup process as it is getting easier and quicker.

Ready before 9am we waited until a larger car and van had pulled out from the park before we hitched up, said our final goodbyes to Glen and Lorraine before heading back into Rockhampton, rejoined the A1 highway and headed south.  It wasn’t long before we came across the first of a few road works on the highway, some slowed us down to a stop waiting for a green light to proceed, while others just slowed us down.

By 12 noon we had reached Miriam Vale which is where we turn off the A1 toward Agnes Water.  We decided to stop for lunch so pulled up on the roadside near a park for a bite to eat.  Moving on we arrived at our campground around 1:30 then went through the process of checking in, surveying the sites to see how best to position the vans then drive onto the sites and setup.

With all those tasks completed we walked to the caravan park cafe to buy and ice-cream then enjoy the beach views.  A walk on the beach and sitting on the beach finished off the day.

2^nd June 2018 Agnes Water

We woke to another beautiful sunny morning so after breakfast we sat outside our caravan under the annex enjoying the sunshine.

This morning we took the short drive to the township of 1770 and the lookout overlooking Bustard Bay.  From the lookout there were two short walks to lookout spots right on the point so we walked to both lookouts – the longest walk was 700 meters.  Both lookouts gave us wonderful views and photo opportunities of the coastline.

Back in the car again we drove through 1770 and past Agnes Water to another bush walk that had been recommended to us by a couple at the Mt Morgan campfire. Paperbark Walk, as you could guess, was a bushwalk through a stand of paperbark trees.  It was a very beautiful walk and highly recommended.  One part of the walk is across a waterway and the path is made up of short concrete pillars spaced apart to form stepping stones.  The ladies in our group didn’t feel too secure trying to cross on these stones so they returned to the waiting area while the men completed the walk before returning to our caravan park for lunch.

This afternoon was rest time for some and a time for enjoying the sun before a short walk to sit on the beach and enjoy the winter sunshine.

While we were enjoying the scenery a couple came onto the beach walking hand in hand.  He must have had something wrong with one leg because it wasn’t long before he got down on one knee.  We soon realised that this was a proposal to his girlfriend.  She was shocked but managed a yes amongst some tears and lots of hugs.  A few of us on the beach clapped and cheered.

A beach walk for Wayne and Richard finished the afternoon before we returned to our respective vans for the evening.

3^rd June 2018 Agnes Water to Woodgate

A cooler start to the day today greeted us as we finished breakfast and ventured out of our metal cocoons to start the pack-up process once again.  We seem to be getting quicker each time so obviously practice makes perfect.

Leaving the park about 9am we continued our southerly journey through to Bundaberg.  We didn’t have to rejoin the A1 as there was a well maintained back road between these two places.  A stop to refuel in Bundaberg before continuing on to Woodgate.  As Beth grew up in Bundaberg the memories came back and there were some places pointed out as we drove through.

Arriving at Woodgate we had time to set-up the vans before lunch, then a walk along the beach.  We found some seats and a table and sat watching the view and the massive 50 cm surf rolling onto the beach.

Returning to the park and time for showers before venturing out to the local bowls club – not for a game but for a Chinese All You Can Eat buffet. 

4^th June 2018 Woodgate

Today dawn clear and bright – so I believe, I must confess that I didn’t see the dawn myself. After breakfast we did some exploring of the Woodgate area, mainly the Esplanade by driving from one end to the other.

We visited the local shopping centre which comprised of a supermarket, real estate agent, pharmacy, ladies cloths shop and hardware store. I’ll leave it up to you to guess who went where!!

Back at the campsite it was nearing lunchtime and the fish and chips from the cafe that is part of the caravan park had been highly recommended – so we found a table in part sun and shade and ordered. Needless to say our lunch hour became more than one hour!!

This afternoon some preparations for the final packup before a walk along Woodgate Beach closed out the day.

5^th June 2018 Woodgate to Brisbane

I guess if you don’t go home you can’t start another holiday, so this morning we packed and hitched up for the final leg of this holiday.

Pam and Beth’s mum had been staying at Hervey Bay with Brian and Ross so timings were made to meet Ross at Torbanlea BP Roadhouse to pick up Mum so that Pam and Wayne could bring her home.

A short stop at Gympie for lunch then our final goodbyes to Pam and Wayne as they were heading to Dakabin while we planned to unhitch the caravan at Heidi and Jason’s property before coming home to Warner.

We have had a wonderful trip that included bush and coastal scenery, a touch of the outback and beachside camping and some fantastic memories to review and relive.

Now – where to next!!!!!!