Mt Surprise to Normanton

 Cool morning again here – 14 degrees. After breakfast I walked up to office to try & find out if Erica had had her baby yet – couldn’t get on line. No phone reception until Normanton.

On the way I heard a couple of toots & the Savannahlander train was leaving the station (7.50am). Quite a few out beside the tarck to wave them off. People stayed overnight at the cabins in our park.

We got away before 9 – only 148kms to Croydon. Scrubby savannah most of the way. ‘Ran out’ of volcanic basalt rooks & BIG & little rounded grey rocks everywhere. We passed through the Newcastle Ranges (hills!) – quite scenic. Still lots of dead kangaroos - & one feral pig – with crows, eagles (one huge one!), buzzards at them;  lots of Brahman cattle.

We stopped in Georgetown – discount petrol, vans lined up one after the other! Saw couple of big free camps – quite a few there. BIG Shed/Op Shop & Minerals shop/display there.

Stopped 20 kms out at Cumberland Chimney – last brick remnant of the gold rush days from 1880 – 90’s – early 1900’s. Thousands there – until gold ran out! BUT 2 big dams there with LOTS of water lilies open on them & prolific birdlife (pelicans, ducks etc etc). 2 free campers there already – lovely area.

Only short distance to Croydon for 2 night stay. 27 degrees – HOT!. We have a DIRT patch in the sun!!! I was not impressed. Set up, put awning out. After lunch went for walk around town – great Info Centre (History of Croydon film); original Court House, Police Station, cells, hospitals (ladies & men!), butchers, school, bank buildings all very well preserved & maintained. It is old gold mining town too – lots of Chinese here 1890’s – 14 market gardens!!!! Beer & ice cream reward for walk in the sun! Spag Bol for tea.

Loos have sign ‘please put down the lid as the local frogs enjoy a free swim’!!!

Charters Towers to Mt Surprise

We only saw one service station going out of town ($145.9 lt, on the wrong side of the road & I was sure there would be more!). So off we went with just over half a tank!

Warren still has cold but improving. We topped up with 30 lts at Blue Waters Spring Roadhouse - $1.68 a lt!!!!!! 30 lts – just in case!!!!

I was allowed to drive to Mt Surprise (300kms). We didn’t go into Lynd Junction Roadhouse & passed through Greenvale where one of Slim Dusty’s songs about the pub there. It was scrubby savannah lands, but not dry & dusty. Drought conditions south east of here around Longreach. Most of the creek & river beds are dry. Greenvale was centre for nickel mine- - closed now; all along way we could see the foundations of the railway they used to 'move' the nickel, now devoid of track!!! 

The road a mixture of new wide bitumen & narrow one car only bitumen track. Some ‘red roads’ – pink granite which is really ‘hard on the tyres’ so we were told LOTS of vans. Just out of CT huge free camp & saw tractor ploughing field surrounded by hundreds of big & little birds.

Stayed 2 nights at the Bedrock CP – completely set up 1994 – 7 by ‘local’ couple. Lovely now. Cabins as well as sheltered sites.

The next day at Mt Surprise we did the half day tour – left 8.30 back at 2pm. 19 on tour. First stop at Kalkini Volcano where we climbed up to the rim (600m) then walked around rim. It is a shield (flat) volcano, last ;blew’ 190,000 years ago sending lava trains 160kms (lava tubes). We could follow these from the ridge by the grey (lost their leaves) line of Qld bottle trees.

After yummy morning tea (home made fruit cake & Anzacs) we walked to & climbed down into the lava tubes – one 100m long, 400m long – this one dark needed torches. Quite incredible – dry, dusty not like Hawaii ones. All colours – grey, browns, reds/oranges etc.  

At night we went to the ‘Resort dinner’ – bacon & egg pie with potato bake, corn & 2 salads. Cream – choc mousse & fruit salad – yum! Afterwards there was a bush poet, we all sat around the campfire! Great!

Alva Beach – Ayr -to Charters Towers

Warren still has his awful cold & I’m still ‘clearing my sinuses’ but feeling better at last. He sent me a text to wish me happy birthday at 1.48am! 

After a lovely hot breakfast we ‘hit the road again’! Lovely to hear from family & friends.

We shopped in Ayr then on our way. Lovely drive via link road (red!) to Woodstock. We took a while to find it – NO ROAD SIGNS IN AYR COUNCIL AREA!!!!!! Maps shows it going off to left right opposite Giru – which we did & ended up in sugar can farmers’ backyard! No one to be seen – drove back & eventually found guy electrically winching cane cages off & on his truck (to take out & fill at Cane cutting then bring back to rail for train pick up!) He said ‘your looking for the Woodstock Road aren’t you’?

More market gardens being planted (beans, melons etc) as well as cane cutting in full production.

We stopped at Reid River (dry) for birthday cookies & cream frosted cup cake! Charters Towers only a little further on – another red Flinders Highway! Countryside still greenish, gum trees – but it is winter (27 degrees) don’t think I’d like to be doing it in summer!

CT quite big, well spread out. LOTS of original buildings, very well maintained & impressive  – from 1870’s gold discovery days. Beautiful old Post Office,

Great look out over town & whole area from Tower Hill. Info Centre very helpful with tours everywhere & ‘hands on’ discovery centres & displays. At least 3 caravan parks – ours beautiful & FULL! Bush poet’s recital in afternoon & ‘campers 3 course meals’ 3 times a week &15!  

We had my birthday dinner at the Sovereign Tavern – lovely. I had Trader Jacks Barramundi & Warren had Dirty Cowboys Delight!!!!  YUM!

Emerald to Sarina

Queensland roads are a real mixture. Today’s often narrow & bouncy ‘up & down’.  We passed many coal mines & set ups - villages where workers live – rows of double storey long unit blocks & individual houses; transport supplied by Greyhound buses. Many very LONG coal trains going to Hay Point Coal Terminal.

We had morning tea at Capella – lovely little town. Covered picnic tables sheds along highway – toilets, old railway station and parklands – highway lined with wonderful bottle trees!  We stopped at the memorial to the Light Horse – it is believed/claimed that the tradition of them wearing emu feathers started here after the striking shearer’s did the same here in 1891.

On to Clermont & we had lunch at a BIG free camp caravan place giving information for surrounding National Parks around Nero.

On to Sarina - 35kms south of Mackay. Our first tropical town – greeted by fields of tall sugar cane, palms & red & green leafed/flowered poinsiana? trees.

We spent 2 lovely days with Lyn & Ian Bartlett. Lyn is the daughter of late Myrtle & Frank Evans (‘leaders’ of Warren’s Youth Group yonks ago!) Ian is the manager of a ‘dunder’ plant. This is the final process is the sugar cane production. The cane is crushed to make molasses which goes on to produce sugar & other products; the waste from that goes to make ethanol  the waste from that (dunder) is piped & stored in huge tanks & with ‘other ingredients’ added to it makes superphosphate which they sell back to the sugar cane farmers to fertilize their cane crop! Full circle! Amazing!

We visited the many beaches on the coast from Sarina (16kms). We also went up to see the Hay Point terminal in operation. Also Eimeo, north of Mackay – looking out to Pentecost & Brampton Islands.

Huge housing developments all around Mackay to cope with the influx of coal industry workers – now many houses unfinished or empty due to slump in coal trade.

Warren noticed vibration in wheels while driving – had it checked out before we left. Tread had come away from wheel – new tyre fitted!

Rolleston - Springsure - Lake Maraboon (Emerald)

Rolleston was 60 kms north of Canarvon Gorge. We filled up the car ($1.45 a litre, usual for here) & I bought Codral Cold & Flu tablets!!! The house opposite the service station had BIG Qld Origin banner right along his front fence with the 9 years they had won!

On to Springsure, lovely town - parks, museum, craft shop along highway. The lady on duty said they have so many volunteers she only has a day there once a month. She said population of town had halved since downturn in coal industry. After Spingsure in impressive Mt Zambia & Minerva Hills National Park.

Short drive to Lake Maraboon Caravan Park near Fairbairn Dam - 3 times the size of Sydney Harbour. It is 17kms from Emerald. Lots of long-stayers at park (grey nomads escaping the cold south). It was 27 degrees there!
Lovely park - very popular with fishermen - red claw crabs plentiful & always on the menu.Park had a very reasonable meal delivery to your van service every night! & restaurant open at the weekend!! We wondered why the size of the dam but it supplies the coal industry (passed 11 coal mines & associated 'villages' of workers); & the cotton industry as well as surrounding towns. Dam had very wide wall, channels & spill-ways going off in all directions. Very impressive - cut down through rock strata of varying colours.
I washed & changed over our clothes (winter ones put away & summer ones out to wear!

Emerald very big town. Lots of mandarin orchards on way there - BIG bag for $5 - beautiful!
Emerald is centre of sunflower industry & had HUGE picture of van Gough's 'Sunflowers' on HUGE easal in the park!

Canarvon Gorge

Canarvon Gorge

110 kms from Injure to Canarvon Gorge - beautiful scenery with greenish brown vegetation & gum trees - but LOTS of road kill (kangaroos, all along the roads so far. We saw our first live kangaroos as we drove into CG. The view of Mount Mitchell at the far western end & the very high impressive sandstone cliffs of the gorge can be seen all along the way.

Takarakka Tourist Park a magic place to camp! Kangaroos, glider possums apostle birds, currawongs everywhere. Great talk about the walking tracks in the afternoon AND that there were platypus in the creek behind the camp kitchen!!! We saw the morning -6.45 - & evening 5.20 swimming up & down the creek – at last!!!!

We had drizzly rain overnight & in the morning. We decided to still do the walks! I walked 14 kms return to The Art Gallery, Ward’s Canyon & Moss garden. Fairly easy walk – had to cross the creek 8 times across stepping stones. The rain stopped & perfect walking weather! Birds twittering overhead, tropical rainforest levels of vegetation – just beautiful! AND then the Gallery, Caynon & Garden stops – incredible!

Warren felt happier doing the shorter walks (that we both did the next day). Baloon Cave (aboriginal drawings again on the 230 million yeas old rock that had been uplifted from the seas), Mickey Creek & the Rock Pool were like a miniature version of the LONG walk!  The last couple of km yesterday were quite a struggle.

There is no/little internet/anything reception at CG but Warren was able to get the ABC at night so we could listen to the 2^nd State of Origin match! One night we went to the Roast Dinner meal at the Resort – wonderful (lamb & pork & ALL the vegies followed by apple crumble & custard - $25. You took your own everything else!

We had 26mm of rain overnight but it cleared eventually during the day.

On our way out I saw a pair of brolgas!!!!! standing under a tree by the road.

A wonderful 3 days! – despite my awful cold!

[Still can't attach photos! I have saved them in different place from my new camera to the laptop!!!!

It's cold sitting in the 'hot'spot' by the pool so will have to look later!]

Toowoomba to Carnarvon Gorge

Toowoomba to Carnarvon Gorge

We left Toowoomba just before lunch on Sunday 14 June & travelled via Dalby & Chinchilla – both big centres. Huge areas of harvested cotton – BIG SKY country. My sore throat developing into full blown cold!

We arrived in Roma at 4.45 – showers of rain last 20kms – not a good sign for going to Carnarvon Gorge! We headed for the Big Rig Caravan Park - FULL sign outside

Warren checked & last expected people not coming until tomorrow night. So we were in, set up in the rain on the newly clay topped site – slippery as!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Neighbours solved our ‘no power in van’ problem! Warren rigged up the TV aerial for me to watch ‘The Secret River’ to find there was NO ABC reception!!!!

After a little more rain overnight, we decided with surrounding neighbours not to chance going to Carnarvon Gorge – 16 kms of dirt to get there.

After looking around Roma – place of the original natural gas & oil finds & production – found an ENORMOUS EMPORIUM with 8 aisles stacked ceiling to floor with anything you might want!!!!! We bought a ‘jam setting thermometer’ & handkerchiefs for Warren. There was everything in 4 sizes & hundreds of colours! Wonderful!

An hour’s drive to Injure – the best Information Centre ever! Free tea/coffee & yummy biscuits; plus we were able to book Canarvon Gorge stay after hearing rain had not affected road & there were camping places!!!! Opposite the Info Centre was The Church – Church of England, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and Uniting Church ALL in one – what a great progressive idea for all! 

Warwick to Toowoomba

From Tenterfield we passed through Stanthorp then stopped briefly at Allora where author of Mary Poppins had lived when her father was manager of the CBC Bank there. It was very cold in Warwick & we had to don 'parkkas' & scarves for our walk around the town centre.

We stayed at the Rose caravan park 'on the highway' so a noisy nights' sleep!

It was only a short drive from Warwick to Toowoomba to stay with friends. 

Bev (from Warren’s Overland trip) had given us their address at Top Camp on the southern rim of Toowoomba. They have lived there for 6 years but it did not come up on our GPS (nor their’s, either! – minds of their own, I reckon!). As we were driving towards town I spotted their street as we went by! Good not to have to go looking for it.

Bev & Laurie built a beautiful open plan house with 3 bedroom accommodation at one end (B&B or for church workers; ‘refugees’ unable to find somewhere for an extended stay; for family & friends), a big open living area in the middle then their bedrooms etc at other end. We loved staying the 3 nights with them.

While there we visited the Japanese Gardens, Cobb & Co Museum, did many scenic drives with valley views & cliff top panoramas - beautiful.

We drove out to nearby town of Nobby for a BIG delicious lunch at Steele Rudd’s Dad & Dave pub – full of memorabilia. While lunching 41 bikies arrived ‘on a Sunday ride’.

Sister Elizabeth Kenny (well known War nurse) was born in Nobby.

It was only a short drive from Warwick to Toowoomba. Bev (from Warren’s Overland trip) had given us their address at Top Camp on the southern rim of Toowoomba. They have lived there for 6 years but bit did not come up on our GPS (nor their’s, either! – minds of their own, I reckon!). As we were driving towards town I spotted their street as we went by! Good not to have to go looking for it.

Bev & Laurie built an open plan place with 3 bedroom accommodation at one end (B&B or for church workers; ‘refugees’ unable to find somewhere for an extended stay; for family & friends. We loved staying the 3 nights with them.

While there we visited the Japanese Gardens, Cobb & Co Museum, did many scenic drives with valley views & cliff top panoramas - beautiful.

We drove out to Nobby for a BIG delicious lunch at Steele Rudd’s Dad & Dave pub – full of memorabilia. While lunching 41 bikies arrived ‘on a Sunday ride’.

Sister Elizabeth Kenny well known War nurse) was born in Nobby.

Can't work out how to attach photos!!!!!! Hopefully will soon!

Tamworth to Tenterfield to Wallangarra

Lovely countryside on drive to Tamworth. It was 3 degrees the next morning - but we were lovely & warm with our little heater working overtime! On to Tenterfield where we stayed at our favourite 'top of the hill' caravan park. Drizzly rain overnight & next morning. Photo - interesting way to display the shells you collect along the way!
We drove out Mt Lindsay Road to see the Tank Traps Alan Royal had told us about. They are about 12 kms out in the National Park near Thunderbolts Hideout. They were part of the WW2 Brisbane Line (line from Brisbane to Adelaide) where the government were going to evacuate the population south & east to if the Japanese invaded! HUGH boulders, cement wall & rows of stumps up the hillside to 'stop the tanks'. Quite incredible!
Warren had to stop & have a look at the very impressive (now disused) brick & timber rail bridge!

On to the border town of Wallangarra where the NSW trains (4' 8 & half inch track) came in on one platform & people crossed over to the other side for the 3'6" Qld train!
On to Stanthorpe (circle drive takes you around the WW2 Soldier Settlement villages, all with WW2 battle names. Most of them only lasted to the 1980's.
Overnight at Warwick - cold!!!

Wiseman's Ferry NSW

We spent the  June Long Weekend at Wiseman's Ferry with our Caravan Group. While in the area we visited St Albans (Settler's ArmsWiseman's Ferry to Tenterfield historic hotel), Devonshire Tea at Spencer (Dunkeld Pub under THE tree), walked The Great North (convict) Road to Hangman's Rock, 'did' the school fete (one of our group won a chain saw in the raffle!) & Farmer's Market & dined at the historic Wiseman's ferry pub & Bowling Club!! A GREAT weekend - camped beside the Hawkesbury River.