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September 2013
01 September 2013
A peaceful night and we moved on towards Ingham passing through Cardwell which is still rebuilding two years after the last cyclone. Passing Hinchinbrook Estate where there are some very nice looking houses we began to climb the range hoping to be able to get a good look and some photos of Hinchinbrook Island but we were to be denied by the road works to realign the range.
Just before Ingham we took a detour out to Lucinda for a look. Almost there and we came across a two vehicle crash that must have just happened, and with plenty of people there to assist we didn't add to the numbers.
We arrived in the little town of Lucinda where there is a very long jetty, 5.76 kilometers (allegedly the longest offshore sugar loading jetty in the world which actually follows the curvature of the earth). It is there to take the raw sugar processed at the Victoria Mill near Ingham out to be loaded onto ships for export.
The Sugar loading jetty with Hinchinbrook Island in the background
Into Ingham for fuel and a look before heading out through the cane fields to Wallsman Falls, the longest single drop falls in Queensland. The road up to the falls was 15 km of very steep, winding road and we were in first and second gear quite a bit to get through the hairpin bends and steep climbs. We eventually arrived at the top, found a parking spot amongst all the Juicy Vans and other campers and then walked over to the lookout.
Wallsman Falls from the lookout
We returned to AJ for lunch and then packed up with some water, food and valuables, headed off down the 2km long path through the rainforest and bush to the bottom. We were fairly tired when we got there and we still had to get back up!
The falls from the bottom which between the two shades of light and the spray off the falls were a bit of a challenge to photograph especially without filters.
The water column also changes shape depending on how much wind blows at the time and sometimes small rainbows form at the bottom when the sun is there.
It was a good job we had plenty of photography to do whilst down there as it allowed us time to recover and to prepare for the trip back up to the carpark. Eventually we were ready and slowly began to climb up the narrow, rock strewn path ducking under and sliding over fallen trees and yes, we stopped and rested at three of the benches strategically placed for the trip back up.
A quick check of the camping area and then we made our way back down the winding narrow road to a gravel pit at the start of the National Park but eventually settled on a spot another 5 kilometers on that we had noticed on the way up which was next to a creek. Just after arrival a ute went past with the obligatory pig dogs in the cage on the back and a minute or so later it came back and pulled into where we were parked, the driver informing us that a 3.5m croc had been seen in the creek 2 years ago and that we needed to go careful if we were going for a swim. No chance of that now but we really think he was just checking on who it was camped there, but...you can never be too careful.
02 September 2013
We're not sure if it was the exercise yesterday or the fact that the road had no traffic on it but after taking some time to shut the body down we both slept very well. A cloudy start to the day again but it cleared as we headed back into Ingham and out the other side towards Jourma Falls which Joanne had read about in one of the tourist booklets.
We found the place okay and parked thinking the falls were not very far away and by the time we had got to the viewing platform we must have walked at least a kilometer, up the hill, down and through the creeks which had more boulders in it than water and then zig zagging up for 450m to the viewing platform. All we can say about these falls is that you need to be there after the wet season as it would be spectacular. The falls are layered meaning you see some water coming over the top, then it disappears into the rocks and comes out again a bit lower and then the same repeats two or three more times until it heads down through the rock pools and boulders where we had come through on the way up. Of course the problem in or after the wet would be getting there in the first place as there are two creek crossings on the road and then getting through the creek nearer the falls.
Heading off again we took the road to Little Crystal Creek where there is a road bridge that was built in 1932 by the unemployed for two bob a day. The bridge and creek are about half way on the way up to the small town of Paluma, but the road is fairly steep and very narrow, just wide enough for us and a small car to pass with care, so of course what do we meet as we come around a hairpin bend? A 40 seater bus! Thankfully we had nobody behind us and were able to reverse about 150m to where the road was a little wider and he could squeeze past.
We arrived at the carpark for the bridge and picnic area and headed down for a look. On the way down we could hear people enjoying the water and it turned out the backpacker wagons at the carpark belonged to two couples, the males of which were jumping off the rocks into the water. This went on for a bit and then they all decided to sit in the sun on the rocks and spoil the view. This of course necessitated me having to yell out and ask them to get out of the way so I could get some shots without them and their gear in them, which they reluctantly did. So with the view of the bridge and the falls all to myself I managed to get some shots before moving up to the small falls a little higher up.
The Bridge, lower falls and rock pool
The falls at the top which is about 6 feet high and feeds down into another rock pool and then down under the bridge
Leaving our backpacker friends to play we considered going onto Paluma but another 9km of that road was enough to make us forget it and so we headed back down to the highway and off towards Townsville again.
We stopped in at Rollestone and had a look at the free camps there and where we had camped when we cycled though, but it was pretty darned full so we decided to continue on. A check on wikicamps showed either Toomulla near the beach or Bluewater as possible campsites for tonight. We had camped at Bluewater before and it was not much so decided to try Toomulla instead. A few kilometers off the highway we came into town and found about a dozen campers all set up on a nice grassed area and with a few reasonable spots left, so we picked one and set up camp for the rest of the day.
The afternoon was spent relaxing, talking to other campers and a nice walk and paddle along the beach which is just 50m the other side of the coastal bush. It was so relaxing drifting off to sleep with a cool sea breeze blowing in the window and the sound of the ocean lapping at the shore.
04 September 2013
Yesterday turned out to be another day off so we spent the day relaxing and catching up on a few things, then this morning when we awoke the skies were grey and uninviting so we set off towards Townsville where we spent some time shopping and then inspecting the new Avida Winnebago's and getting some items we required at the local RV shop.
Shopping and research over we drove out of town heading South. Heaps of roadwork's and a very strong wind from the front and then the side meant for an interesting trip and after crossing the Burdekin River we ended up at the Home Hill showgrounds where we have taken up a site with power and water for $10. There is a comfort stop in town where RV's are allowed to stop for free which is hugely popular and an excellent facility but we decided to support the showgrounds so that the council will also keep them open to cheap accommodation. There must have been around 8 rigs at the comfort stop and there are 18 rigs here with us.
The weather isn't that great and as there is a strong wind warning for the rest of today and tomorrow we might just stop here another day.
05 September 2013
Around 2am this morning I awoke and could hear water running so decided to get up and check that our hose had not let go during the night. A quick check outside showed that our hose was intact at both ends, but the sprinkler had been left going and so thongs were no good at keeping the feet dry. Back to bed and I could still hear the water running so got up again and torch in hand took a trip along the taps to see if someone else was the culprit, but no, all of them were in tact and the water sounded like it was running outside of the property. The cold light of day revealing it was the cane farm behind us filling the water tower that feeds the cane.
Joanne went for a walk to explore town so I reversed nearer to the fence and the taps then got up on the roof to give it a thorough clean followed by the rest of the motorhome. After lunch I sent into town to find a socket big enough to be able to change the sacrificial anode in the hot water service but couldn't find one so that job will have to wait for a bit.
The wind is very strong again today and the showgrounds are starting to fill up with people not wanting to fight the wind, and some of them must be afraid of the boogie man with how close they are parking not only to us (close enough to hear Joanne snore :) but others as well so that might be a topic for happy hour if the chance arises.
06 September 2013
Happy Hour last night was a pleasant experience and the topic of close parking didn't arise as the intended recipients walked past the 25 or so of us at happy hour and went to visit another camper. Never the less the time we spent there was enjoyable and we retired for a quiet night and awoke this morning to another windy day.
We left town and headed towards Bowen, straight into the wind. Passing the rest area at Gunthalunga where we had camped on the trikes we made our way into Bowen through the many veggie growing areas where there row upon row of corn, tomatoes and capsicum to keep most chefs busy for a lifetime. Morning tea was at Queens Beach but it wasn't much of a beach and then we headed off again.
Passing through some pleasant Qld bush we eventually arrived at Collinsville where there is a 72 hour free camp in town. The town is quite small and starting to struggle as the local coal mine has recently put quite a few workers off. The wind is still quite strong so it is good to stop early to save fuel. Hopefully the wind will have abated tin the morning and we can move on towards Elphinstone Lake where we are told there is a great camping spot next to the water.
07 September 2013
Collinsville turned out to be a good campsite and despite being in town it was quiet. Fueling up we started out for what was supposed to be a short, easy day's drive to the Lake, but things got slightly strange when we got the the turn off of the Colinsville/Elphinstone Road.
The very old signs said it was a no through road and it was dirt not sealed as shown on our GPS and maps, one of which was a very recent one and after discounting it and going down the highway some more we came back to it rather than go to Mt Coolan. The road was quite interesting and we were crawling along at no more than 30km/h due to the rocks and rough surface, the dry creek crossings and general conditions. The scenery however was quite nice.
Some of the better road
Passing through three cattle properties things were progressing rather well until around 35 km's in when we came to two brand new "No Through Road" signs and turned a corner to find a gate across the road and a dirty great big hole in the ground and coal mine being made! Oh well.
Back on the highway we resigned ourselves to going to Mt Coolan and headed off and then we came to the NEW Collinsville to Elphinstone Road which was sealed and which came out at the main gate to the Newlands Coal mine and where the old road would have come out. We stopped in at Glenden to have a look and found it to be a mining camp/town and so drove out again.
Eventually arriving at Lake Elphinstone we found around 30 other campers here and of course all the good waterside spots taken. We managed to find a good spot overlooking the lake and settled in.
The view from our campsite
The lake is a very popular spot for the locals to come and use their powerboats and with toilets and showers, a very good spot for long term free camping.
08 September 2013
As we all know some days just don't go to plan and today was one of those. We left our campsite at the lake and headed off towards Moranbah and beyond. Once again the road had been moved because of a coal mine and the signs said no entry. Then as we were reversing a man towing a boat told us that the signs meant nothing and that everyone goes through and he would be following us, so off we went.
Just after passing the Burton Gorge Station gate there was a loud bang and cloud of dust from the back of the motorhome. Slowing to a stop checking the back showed we had thrown a shoe. The drivers side inside tyre had peeled the tread off and it was stuck underneath but the tyre was still inflated. We're not sure what caused it but it doesn't really matter as it now has to be fixed. Thankfully there was a driveway to a cattle yard right where we were so we reversed into it and began the repair.
Investigation underneath showed the thrown tread had flung around and almost ripped the mud flap off and had bent the metal flap it is attached to, but it was not over yet. With the jack underneath we tried to get the wheel nuts undone but only one would budge and then only just. Try after try failed to loosen them so a call to RV Help was made and before long we were talking to the RACQ people in Nebo.
The damage
While help was on its way the farmer came along with a B-double cattle truck to pick up stock. He was okay with us being there and managed to get past us and off to muster his cattle. Help finally arrived some two and a half hours later and even they struggled to get the wheel nuts off. So, another call to RV Help and they sent out a truck from Moranbah to pick us up.
Well at least we'll save fuel this way
Kevin delivered us to the Moranbah caravan park where we discussed the best way to tackle things with Kevin's boss Ted. Settled and plugged in we will sort things out tomorrow.
11 September 2013
Seems nothing happens too quick in Moranbah despite it being (or is it because it is) a mining town and as it turns out life was not meant to be easy. We managed to drive the half a kilometer to the local tyre shop to have the spare put on and a replacement fitted but they have no replacements the right size!
While we were at the tyre shop we did a check on all of our tyres and decided that as they are all showing enough signs of wear and tear we would replace all six rather than just the spare, so while we wait for the replacements to come from Townsville we have stayed in the caravan park and managed to get some other jobs done in the meantime. One of those jobs was to replace the S bend in the plumbing from the shower and the other was the re-fitting of the mud flap both of which were smashed by the tyre tread as it let go.
With luck the new tyres will arrive today and we will have them fitted and be on our way, and that was exactly what happened. A call to the tyre place around 11 am resulted in our getting them fitted and by 2pm we were on our way heading towards Mackay for a front wheel alignment, because despite Moranbah being a mining town there was nobody who could do the job for us.
On our way East we stopped at Coppabella to check out where we had camped on our cycle trip and then a look around Nebo where we noticed that the nice little town we cycled into back in 2002 had grown quite a lot thanks to the mining boom around here. Leaving Nebo we were headed for a free camp at the Retreat Hotel when we spied a nice big gravel pit and pulled into that with the intention of staying the night but then changed our minds and went to the free camp at the hotel anyway. A check with the staff as to where we could park and we were told to park where we wanted to and by the way there are free hot showers, free washing machine and dryers, free tea and coffee in the hotel and, wait for it, museli for a free breakfast!
12 September 2013
Well today certainly didn't turn out or end the way we thought it would but that is life in the fast lane. Our campsite at the Retreat Hotel was okay, slightly noisy with mining traffic going past quite a lot but for the price and amenities on offer beggars can't be choosers.
We arrived in Mackay and found the wheel alignment place and checked we were still booked in for 1pm. Then it was a look around town and a few errands before parking outside he place and waiting for 1pm to arrive. A check before the alignment showed we needed a few replacement parts to ensure the alignment would be rock solid, and so the hunt was on for the parts but no such luck. Being a VW the parts are not readily available in Mackay and therefore it was a case of wait a while to see if they can be located as after market or in some other VW place around the country and freighted to us. So it was a case of pay the inspection fee, leave and to wait for a phone call.
We had heard that there was free camping at the tourist information center so we went there and asked. Not officially was the word but if we did nothing to attract attention we could park in the car park no problems - "and I can tell you we don't lock the toilets" were the words that confirmed no meant yes. So, we found ourselves a spot around 3pm and continued our day relaxing and watching TV still waiting on a phone call.
Everything was good until we went to bed and turned the TV off and then realised that the BP service station nearby was playing music over the pumps and of course it was loud! Then, as there was light around the building and free music some of the local car enthusiasts came and parked in the car park. They were not causing any harm but they were talking and laughing a bit and that along with the music mean 't sleep was a tad hard to come by. So around midnight we decided to leave and go to a gravel pit nearby that we had commented on as we passed it earlier. Of course that was near the railway track but even with the occasional train it was better than the tourist information centre.
13 September 2013
Despite the lack of good sleep we were awake early and decided that as we had not heard anything about the parts we would head off and get the work done when we get nearer to work, which starts at the end of the month. On he way South we received a call to say some of the parts would take a minimum of 4 days to come from Brisbane and some had to come from Singapore which was 4 weeks!!!
So with a tailwind we continued down the highway and after arriving at the free camp at St Lawrence decided that we had done enough for the day. The town is a very small concern (similar to Talwood) but has a great free camp complete with $1 showers, dump point, water, shade, and plenty of room. The sun is quite hot today but there is a beautiful sea breeze blowing and that is keeping things cool.
14 September 2013
What a nice campsite St Lawrence is. Last night was very peaceful and quiet which made up for the lack of sleep the night before.
Joanne snapped this shot of the nearby lilly pond on her morning walk
Back on the highway there was nothing much to note or see except that at some stage there had been quite a lot of roadwork's and its a very pleasant and easy drive.
Arriving in Rockhampton we found a very busy city going about its Saturday routine. We fueled and then got out of town as quick as we could headed for Mount Morgan an old gold mining town up in the hills and quite a pleasant place. We stopped at the old railway station to get some local information and then headed out to the dam for lunch.
Lunch over there was time for a drive around town which was interesting from the perspective that the place looked like it was quite run down and in need of another gold boom. The mine on the edge of town is closed and is only accessible by a mine tour. Looking over town and the mine from the lookout showed the mine and buildings still in place but in as much need of repair as the shops in the street.
Moving on we eventually found our way to Dululu and took up a spot in the bush behind the tennis courts along with around a dozen other campers, some we have camped with before at Home Hill and yesterday at St Lawrence. There is a fairly strong breeze blowing which was a nice tailwind coming here and the temperature is 33.5 degrees!
15 September 2013
Happy Hour last night was a pleasant affair and held at the covered in seating area and right next to a very, very large fire pit. No fire was the consensus because of the strong wind blowing and the fact that at 5pm it was still 28 degrees!
We had a very leisurely pack up this morning after bacon and eggs for breaky while listening to Macca on the ABC and headed off towards Biloela which is somewhere we have often heard about but have never been to. On the way we were passing through cropping and dairy farm country, the crops being wheat and barley with the wheat already turned brown and not far off being harvested. A mob of Emu's off in the distance and in the middle of a wheat paddock made for a nice sight.
Emu's in the wheat
Arriving in Biloela we found the town also enjoying a lazy Sunday. It's quite a large town but the only thing of note was the magnificent mural on the side of the large water tank which depicts "The Spirit of the Land".
Leaving Biloela we made our way through more and more cropping until we arrived at the top of a hill and the Lawgi Hall which is at the gateway to the Callide Valley, and where we have set up camp for the day. The wok is out and the TV on for us to watch Landline which has become as much a part of Sunday as listening to Macca on the radio in the morning.
Tonight's beautiful sunset taken during happy hour over a few red wines with fellow campers
16 September 2013
Another great campsite which was made all the better for the cool breeze blowing through the motorhome after a hot 34 deg day. Moving on we were headed for Eidsvold and Mundubbera as part of our plan to be in Toowoomba for the work on AJ.
Stopping for morning tea in Mulgildie where we parked next to the Mulgildie Bunyip which according to the sign is an animal in aboriginal folklore that lives in a labyrinth of tunnels that connect waterhole's and rivers.
Leaving the Bunyip to entertain other travelers we moved on towards Eidsvold where we found the R. M Williams centre in the tourist information center. R. M Williams for those who don't know was a cattle and bushman who made stock whips and boots to a very high standard and to own an original is to own an amazing piece of Australiana.
North of Eidsvold we passed areas where evidence of the floods was still around and where trees were dead and rubbish still in the tops of them, many higher than AJ.
Arriving in Mundubbera we took a drive around town to see what had changed since we were here to help Blaze Aid and the local farmers back in March before taking up a spot in the showgrounds.
A phone call this afternoon confirmed what we thought was going to happen with the upcoming wheat harvest - it's going to be early and we start back at Talwood at the end of the month, so it looks like the touring and exploring will be over for a bit in the near future and by the time we go back to work we will have had 3 months off.
17 September 2013
Overnight rain brought back memories of being in town to help Blazeaid help fix the place after the rain and floods and thankfully this time there was only 9 ml which was just enough rain to wash the dust off the motorhome and help the grass go green again.
Leaving town we passed through many small towns including Gayndah, Murgon and Wondai and passing through more crops and cattle farms before ending up in a small town called Tingoora. Town is not much but they do have an old cricket oval opposite the pub and where they allow people to stop overnight. We set up camp and settled in and later on were joined by a couple in a caravan.
18 September 2013
Leaving Tingoora after a peaceful and slightly cooler night we were quickly in Kingaroy Queensland's Peanut Capital. Some quick shopping and we were on our way towards Kumbia, home of Alice Greenup the author of a book we had read (Educating Alice) after seeing her interviewed when we were in Moree.
Moving on we turned off and headed up into the Bunya Mountains. Up was definitely the word with first and second gears getting a fair workout with a road that was not only narrow but with gradients often between 15 and 20%. The sign said the road was not suitable for caravans and trucks with trailers and meeting oncoming traffic was just a case of slowing to a crawl or stopping while they passed.
No views of the surrounding countryside were available on the way up because of the forest, much of it filled with Bunya Pines. There are three campsites in the National Park with many bush walks linking them and waterfalls, but we were not exploring them today.
We stopped at Dandbah where there are private residences and a tourist/ranger station and campsite to allow the vehicle and driver to rest while enjoying morning tea before coming out of the forest and heading down the mountains via a very narrow winding road with plenty of hairpin bends. Arriving at the bottom of the mountain we were in dairy country and after a few bits of gravel road were near Jondaryan where we worked earlier this year on the Sorghum harvest. Morning tea was at Cain Creek which used to be a RAAF airbase during WWII and where there is a Canberra Bomber on poles to commemorate that base. An inspection of the aircraft found the nose wheel still turns at the touch of a hand.
Onto Oakey and lunch was one of the best Curry Meat Pies we have had and it was tempting to have another but we had a Vanilla Slice and Ginger Coconut slice to polish off so a second pie was not going to fit. So with the motorhome service and work on tomorrow we made our way to the Toowoomba Showgrounds for the night but not before we stopped at Fraser RV for some accessories and a quick check of their motorhome stock.
20 September 2013
Yesterday we spent the day at The Motor Shoppe where James did the necessary work on AJ to replace the ball joints, shock absorbers and a broken sway bar bracket as well as a full service. Being late we took up the offer to stay on the empty block next door and to plug into power for the night.
This morning we left and headed off to the shops to top up with food and wine before heading over to the showgrounds to use the dump point, put the shopping away and to have lunch before getting the wheel alignment done and heading out of town towards Surat for the weekend to pay a visit to friends.
Passing through more crops we were getting battered by a strong side wind as we made our way across the flat open ground that produces wheat, sorghum, barley and cotton. Passing through Cecil Plains we enjoyed a newly sealed road as we made our way to Tara where we have taken up a powered spot for $5. Arriving in time for happy hour it was nice to spend time with some other campers and then the local caravan park manager and his wife came down to have a yarn and collect the money. It's a pretty good deal here with your $5 paying for three nights before the price goes to $15 a night thereafter.
21 September 2013
Left Tara this morning and took the drive through The Gums, Glenmorgan and some very, very dry countryside before arriving in Surat where we spent time with Vince and Janelle and even had a visit to see Julie and Shorty the manager and her husband from the GrainFlow site here and where we had our first season on the wheat harvest.
With a BBQ and catch up with old friends planned for tomorrow we found our way down to the river in the dark and took up a spot with around 25 other campers at the free camp for the night.
22 September 2013
After a lazy morning with eggs and bacon for breaky we broke camp and went up to the shed where Vince and Janelle have their caravan and so began the festivities with those people returning for this years wheat harvest at Surat, all of whom we have worked with before. The rest of the day was spent sitting around talking, eating and drinking before Joanne drove us back down to the river to camp for the night.
23 September 2013
As many of the others went to work we slept in and then took the return trip to Toowoomba to have a noise in the front end checked out. During the recent front end work we had been unable to obtain new sway bar rubbers and had made some up to get by until the right ones were delivered but it appeared that the ones we made up were not really good enough and as a result we were not sure if this new noise coming from the front was them or something else, so after a call to Stephen at The Motor Shoppe we decided to go back to Toowoomba for them to check and hopefully confirm what we thought it was, especially as this week was our last chance to get things done before we start work again at Talwood.
An an uneventful trip back to Toowoomba saw us arrive just after lunch and to be greeted with the arrival of the new rubbers that we required. Stephen was going to post them to us at Talwood for me to fit but seeing that we were there they fitted them for us instead. A test proved it was the fill in rubbers causing the noise and so off we went again this time completely happy and with all the work completed.
Heading for Goondiwindi we decided to check out a campsite on wikicamps which boasted a nice quiet campsite next to a river with plenty of birdlife by the name of Passmore Reserve not far out of Clifton. On arrival we knew we had found tonight's campsite and although the river was not quite what we thought it might be (see below), it was nice enough and we took up residence next to the water, a sheltered table and some very nice looking trees.
More of a creek than a river but still very nice and, right outside of our door.
Our campsite with the creek passing along behind us
Sitting here typing this the silence is beautifully deafening. This should be an excellent camp and it will be interesting to see if there are any photographic opportunities tonight.
24 September 2013
It was hard but we left our beautifully quiet campsite and headed off with a very strong and gusty wide wind towards Goondiwindi. Today's temperature reached 36 deg C and with the strong Northerly wind blowing it was quite hot. The bush around here is tinder dry and it will take very little to spark a fire that will be huge.
We arrived in Gundy some 3 months after our last visit and after some shopping and getting the washing we drove over to the water park and enjoyed a long shower in the amenities (saved using our own water) before heading over to the truck stop for fuel and to camp for the night.
25 September 2013
Awake early we decided to take AJ over to the truck wash bay and let loose with the suds and high pressure cleaner to clean as much grime and grit off as possible, followed by a wax. Once that was over we drove back over to the water park and after a nice breakfast overlooking the river went into town and topped up on some food shopping before heading out to Talwood where we took up a spot at the free camp for the day. There are a number of people here set up with their caravans and annexes and who may be fellow harvest workers.
An inspection of our alternative camp for the harvest revealed it was still okay with the owners and there was power and water there for us so tomorrow morning will see us move to our permanent spot for the next few weeks.
26 September 2013
After a lazy morning we moved over to our new camp for the duration of the harvest on the spare block next to the Talwood store.
Our harvest campsite complete with flushing outside toilet, clothes line, power water, TV reception on the wok and
a short walk across the lawn to the store for ice creams - what more could we want!?
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