Spring Escape 2011

 Spring Escape 31 August 2011 to 11 September 2011

We decided to head north again this year to soak up some warmth after the cold winter. Cania Gorge beckoned again as did a visit to Emerald and the gem fields. We set off on Wednesday morning with a trip out on the Logan motorway so as to clear suburbia as quick as possible and avoid the hills of Canungra. Arrived at Esk in time for a late smoko only to discover a dead water pump in the van. I recall draining the tanks after last trip and must have overlooked turning the pump off and I guess it must have run until it ceased although it didn’t blow the fuses.

What to do? I had recalled seeing some good caravan suppliers in Caboolture so a quick check on the net led us to Solar Express where we were able to purchase a pump but no assistance in fitting as they were too busy. After a 200km detour we were almost back on track and decided to stay at what was a free stop in Kilcoy. Now $15 per night with power and showers available at no extra cost. With my sore shoulder still screaming at me I managed to fit the pump but we had difficulty getting air out of the system and wasted quite a bit of water in the process.

Next day saw us heading toward Cania again via Nanango and Kingaroy. Had to stop for fuel at Kingaroy and a mandatory bag of peanuts roasted in the shell. Rather than take our normal route through Murgon and Gayndah we decided to turn off Tingoora and went west through Proston towards Boondoomba then headed north to Mundubbera.

At the intersection of the Proston Rd and road north to Mundubbera there was a Boab tree plantation of about 50-60 trees. Quite a sight to see so many in one spot. As the day went by we decided a free camp near Eidsvold was the go so we headed for CA440 (Tolderodden rest area). No longer free and you must book and pay on line($5pn per head). What a dumb idea for wandering nomads. None the less we stayed the night and thought if the ranger came we would pay him. He did come but couldn’t take money but was not interested in any of the campers anyway.

Despite the above it was a great camp spot and we met up with a couple of other likeminded travellers, a couple from WA with a Baroma similar to ours and Des and Kath from Bargara. Would you believe they live in the same resort as Ian and Suzanne that we met at Red Rock. We all were heading to Cania and set off on Friday morning for the leisurely trip up the road with a brief stop at Monto for pain relief and a coffee.

Back at Cania and still as beautiful as we remembered. The campfire group at happy hour were just as convivial as last year, must be something in the water. Des and Kath followed us in and we settled in to a very enjoyable stay for three nights ($28pn). Aileene took in a number of the walks but I was still in a lot of pain with my shoulder. Voltarin cream and the Tens machine eased my grief which moderated by the end of our stay.



King orchid



Off again and up through Biloela and lunch at a free camp at Dululu. Good for an emergency night but not very attractive. Then north to pick up the Capricorn Highway and head west towards the gem fields. We were aiming for a free camp.  There was a god stop at Duaringa but it was bit early in the afternoon and we wanted to put more k’s behind us. Unfortunately the next two free camps were no good so we kept going to Blackwater and turned right out to Bedford Weir free camp (CA 328). So glad we did as it was really neat and tidy with a live in caretaker and only fees were by donation if you felt inclined. The weir is stocked with Barra and Saratoga but we did not bring our tackle this trip. Could have stayed longer but our schedule is too tight (damn this working responsibility).

Next morning after a leisurely start we made for Rubyvale and found a lovely caravan park CA 336) now renamed Gemseekers caravan Park at $25pn. Did a mine tour which was very informative and well worth the $13.50 fee. Next morning we set out to explore the diggings and get a feel for the locale.

Very interesting to see the diggings and the way the miners have set up their bush camps. Many of the mines seemed to be idle with the odd one for sale. Each claim is 30meters by 30 meters and there seems no orderly fashion to their plan with rough tracks meandering through them all. The locals waved but I am sure if you trespassed you might see the wrong end of a shotgun. We will definitely go back and have a go as Terry from the park said he would take us out to the workings and introduce us to a miner and show us how to fossick and loan us some gear.

The next day we had to start our journey home so back to Emerald for fuel and along the Dawson Highway. We called in to Lake Maraboon and saw the Fairburn dam. Quite a sight to see so much water in this relatively dry country. After a relatively easy day we made camp at Moura on the Dawson (CA409) a great free camp with showers and donation only facilities.

Friday dawned with weather threatening as we made our way down the Leichhardt Hwy through Theodore and Taroom and Miles. Another free camp beckoned just outside of Condamine which turned out great after the very wet day (CA 540). A great campfire warmed our bodies as we enjoyed the company of other travellers around our fire. Next morning we awoke before dawn to see a beautiful silhouette of trees mirrored on the lagoon.

Saturday took us along the back road to Dalby then off to Mt Sylvia for an overnight stop with Aileene’s sister Judy before heading home on Sunday.

Another wonderful trip with many new roads traversed and an even stronger longing for next year’s retirement plans. 2500Km in 12 days, a bit rushed but worth every minute of it.

Thunderbolt's Way May25 to 3 June 2011





Fred Wards grave at Urala NSW





We were off again on our winter escape to follow the trail of Captain Thunderbolt (Fred Ward) one of our notorious bushrangers from the 19th century. He was a horse thief who later went on to rob stage coaches but apparently never hurt anybody other than to relieve them of their valuables. He died in 1876 at age 36 years and is buried in Urala NSW. Thunderbolts way basically is a route from Goondiwindi in the north to Gloucester in the south. We headed off on Wednesday the 25th May all packed and excited at a trip that would take in roads yet travelled although most towns had been seen before. Our first free camp was to be Coolmunda Dam but the cold wind put us off so we decided to head for Texas. Here we found a great camp on outskirts of town #716 in Camps Australia (CA) on the Dumaresq River. A pretty spot but no toilets, although there was good facilities in town including free hot showers for those who did not have one on board.



After waking to a cold foggy morning we set off to Inverell to pick up the Thunderbolts Way. A short stop in this great little rural town to buy a few overlooked provisions and we headed out of town to find our next free camp. We found just the spot on the outskirts of Bundarra #140 CA on the banks of the Gwyder River. Toilets, lots of grass and a beautiful river. The next morning we had planned to move on but a visit from other campers and a new arrival convinced us to stay another night and enjoy some campfire camaraderie. There were two dear ladies ( Faye and Janice) camped just up from us and we soon found out that they were quite an adventurous pair who travelled extensively since retiring from dairy farming in the Coffs Harbour hinterland. Their husbands didn’t want to leave town so they just go off on their jaunts and enjoy free camping all over Australia. The new arrivals were Doug and Judy, off on a short trip, just like us and we soon hit it off. A post dinner fire get together was planned where we enjoyed Doug’s bird pictures and a great lesson in damper making from the ladies a few drinks and lots of good conversation.



Judy. Doug, Janice and Faye



Reluctantly we left next morning with the promise to keep in touch with our new made friends.

Our next port of Call was Urala as we wanted to see Fred Ward’s grave and his famous look out rock near where he was finally shot by a policeman. It was a shame to see such graffiti on the rocks.




Fred's lookout rocks not far from where he met his end.





From there we needed to find another free camp and this was just outside Walcha #300 CA. No facilities and a bit exposed but we had no trouble. It was bitterly cold next morning s so we headed off quite early to await the sun and make breakfast in a warmer place. A great scenic day’s travel where we intended to make Gloucester but on discovering Bretti Reserve #310 CA at the bottom of a very long and steep downhill we changed plans . It was quite beautiful despite the antiquated drop toilets and was located at the junction of the Manning and Barnard Rivers.



Bretti Reserve






Bretti Reserve river bank

 





Next morning was dull and threatening so we thought we might as well make Gloucester to do some washing and re-provision. The Gloucester Tourist park was quite pretty with heaps of deciduous trees shedding their Autumn colours but made a mess of the van and annex roof. It started to rain that day so we did little but our chores. Next morning was a bit more promising so we decided to try and see as much of Barrington Tops NP as was possible. We tried to get to Gloucester tops first but the rain had caused flooding and the causeways were too deep to risk it. We then headed through country that reminded us of the high country of southern Australia before getting into the Barrington Tops NP. It was a beautiful drive but too wet to explore on foot so we have made plans to come back in the warmer months to see it properly.

 



After two days of rain we decided to head off in search of the sun, so went inland instead of East. Through Dungog (home of the recent film festival) then Singleton and the terrible traffic, rain, trucks and grime. Stopped at Musswellbrook for lunch then off through Scone to find a free camp at Nundle. Not well described in CA but found the spot on the Peel river after a couple of k’s along a slippery dirt road  #156 CA. Small site with toilets and great scenery.





Next day we decided to chance rest of dirt road and wound our way past Chaffey Dam then the outskirts of Tamworth where we turned north. We decided that we liked Thunderbolts way so much we decided to turn off at Urala and go bush and head back to Bundarra the back way. A great decision as it was a very quiet route with little traffic and we were able to travel at a moderate pace and reduce fuel consumption considerably. A longish day but we arrived back at Bundarra to enjoy another night of peace and quiet, this time on our own.

 

Bundarra Reserve



Next morning a young local buck pulled in to finish off a pie and we got talking. He was a kangaroo shooter and we had a great chat about his trade and his life in the country. He was very similar to another young fellow who called into the same park on our first visit. This first encounter with a local had a load of fire wood on board and even offered to give us some for our fire but Doug would not hear of it and he accepted some cash and left us with a good pile of wood for the damper cooking.



I was starting to feel a tad depressed with our trip nearing its end as we left this gem of a place and headed back to Inverell.  We turned east towards Glen Innes and stopped for lunch and then headed towards Wallangarra where we aimed to stay at a free camp. Could not find it and as the day was getting long in the tooth we bit the bullet and headed for a budget caravan park at Glen Alpin.



We awoke to find a very heavy frost with ice on the windscreen and the washer pipes frozen solid. Took off before breakfast as we did not unhitch and planned to breakfast in the sun. This we managed near Warwick before heading home to give the truck an oil change and prepare the van for the next trip, the following weekend. BRING ON RETIREMENT!!!!!!!!!!!













16 May 2011 Update



BJ in the background and wee Maggie in the front



Well it has been too long since I brought this blog up to date. Since our Summer escape to the  north coast of NSW we have not done a great deal of travelling. In March we had the existing solar panels and fridge rewired and an extra 125w panel installed on the roof and I must say all is now working as it should although the 3 x 120 ah batteries are nearing the end of their useful life and will need to be replaced before we head off as full time nomads.St Patricks day took us om a trip out to Judy's little farm ( Aileene's sister) and a chance to look at her new cattle and our first little heifer "Maggie" a sweet little Murray Grey cross that we hope will find BJ attractive and give us some edible grand calves.

We assisted Judy in replacing fences lost in the flood that devastated her river flats but pleased to know that thanks to some very kind civil workers and Government assistance the paddocks have been reconstructed albeit still awaiting grass to grow.



Us with our trusted border collie Trixie at Gordon Country



Easter took us away with our neighbours Ted and Pam. We visited Gordon Country which is a 4000 acre cattle property near Goomburra national park and camped with hundreds of other bush fanatics but enjoyed it immensely.Will definitely go back in the off peak season to enjoy the the lovely bush.

Darlington Park

This past weekend took us out to Darlington  Park,( on the Kerry Rd south of Beaudessert) one of our favourite weekend escapes. We made some new friend with Milton and Kerry a lovely couple with similar aspirations of retirement travel and we hope to meet up with them again on the wallaby. .



It was a great weekend of camp fires , foraging for timber and plenty of chatter. Aileene was not a 100% with a crook back and a troublesome tummy but was much better by the trips end. Today the 16th May is our 41st wedding anniversary but after such a great week end we decided to celebrate at home with a good old baked dinner.



Darlington looking North along the Kerry Rd



We have had the Boroma now for 12 months and clocked up 5488kms and 67 nights

2011 Summer Holiday

Well we are back at Red Rock NSW for the fourth year in a row. Still a beautiful, quiet and wonderful destination for a summer escape whilst we prepare for retirement travel. Once again we have met many fellow grey nomads who have made the jump and we are now even more restless. We have befriended a couple Ian and Suzanne Stockbridge who live in Bargara. They have had a variety of rigs but now travel in a Winnebago.We have enjoyed happy hour with them each evening and hope to keep in touch.







Ian and Suzie with Aileene as we say goodbye to Red Rock



After a week in Red Rock decided to spend the rest of our break in a new camp. Came down the coast to Stuarts Point which is situated on Trial Bay just a bit north of South West Rocks. A  great little spot on the back water of the Macley River. On exploring the local area  we wish we had stayed at Grassy Head as it is closer to the surf beach.Not that we are lazy but there is a foot bridge across the river and about a 300 meter walk to the surf.  Scotts Head is also quite spectacular but a lot more built up.The whole coast is beautiful with miles of sandy beaches with hardly a soul on them.

Stuarts Point caravan park



Grassy Head beach looking north



Reunion 12 February 2011

Last Saturday we travelled to the Sunshine Coast to meet with two of Eric's old school chums. Alister Hawkins an his wife Alison ( we had not met before) and Peter Dodds. The last time we had seen each other was probably 1964 the year we finished  Highett High School. It was a great afternoon at the Buderim Hotel. We will definitely keep in touch and hopefully expand the group of reunited school mates from the Highett days.

Sunset at 1770

Our first big trip with our great newly aquired Boroma Van. We travelled out through Nanango to Cania Gorge where these pictures were taken. Then off to 1770 and Agnes Waters.



Lake Cania at Northern end of the Gorge. View from lookout after a 11km hike along forrestry trail

Beautiful historic Norfolk Island

Graham and Nora Jackman on Norfolk Is also and celebrating their 40th anniversary and would you belive also on the 16th. Shared a couple of meals with them and hope we can catch up again one day in their home state of Victoria

Arrival at Norfolk Island, May 2010 to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary