Welcome to my 2014 Blog.
I was slow getting started because the Internet connection at the Barham Caravan Park was woeful.I left my home at Illawaara nr Stawell, Vic. last Friday and spent the long weekend with my friends from the Gippsland Gypsies branch of the Australian Caravan Club and we had a great time with Happy Hours in the camp kitchen with a huge log fire every evening. We went to the huge Murrumbit Market where I picked up a six DVD set of a complete series of 'Bones' for just $25. I've watched one DVD so far and that was four episodes.
We all tagged along to a place where they ran a restored 1912 water pump for us. It was originally run on gas from a charcoal burning unit but now it uses lpg. It was a mighty engine and was lovingly restored by a local chaps who also entertained us by playing a saw!
Tuesday, 10th, June and Wednesday 11th, June.
I've been on the road since then and free camped Tuesday and Wednesday nights just up quiet tracks seldom used. Not one car passed the first night and just a few last night
Thursday, 12th of June,.
I'm at lovely Lake Broadwater about 20km south of Dalby in Queensland.
The lake is pretty full but the first time we camped here it was just a mud-hole in the centre with no birds around.
This camp is fantastic value - $5.60 a head/night and lovely hot showers, immaculate toilet block and great views.
Last night my neighbors from Pomona invited me to share their lovely fire and as the evening was a little chilly I was pleased to accept.
Friday the 13th June
Leaving camp in sunshine it soon turned grey and drizzly with patches of hard rain. Tom (my Tom Tom GPS) took me an interesting cross country route that skirted Kingaroy and brought me on to the Bruce Highway just before Tiaro. Then it was straightforward getting through Maryborough and on to Point Vernon in Hervey Bay where it was great to catch uo with old friends Ray and Jeanette.
Ray and I used to play music together in Melbourne many, many years ago and so we had a lot to talk about. He runs a big band workshop here in the Bay and still practises the trombone for an hour every day.
Monday 16th June
Nothing very newsworthy has happened since arriving here in Hervey Bay except lots of reminiscing about people we used to know back in the old days playing music in Melbourne.
When I first visited this area about forty years ago it was a pleasant seaside village of about 6,ooo people. Now it's a bustling city and a major holiday destination. Fortunately Ray and Jeanette live at Point Vernon - a much quieter neighborhood with little traffic.
Tuesday, 17th JuneI'll be putting on weight if I stay here much longer .Last night Ray made three beautiful pizzas from scratch. He made the bases dough in the breadmaker and then Jeanette put on the toppings including a special Hawaiian one just for me. Delicious!
We had fish and chips the night before and the shop was flat out. No wonder because we asked for two flake and there were about five pieces of lovely thick fish just for J and me - I had one piece cold for breakfast - I know you will say yuk but I like it. Today I've got two slices of cold pizza for breakfast.
It was a lovely day for a walk so in the afternoon I headed off down the road to the sea - not too fsr from R&J's home. I came upon this old tree and sat on it a while watching three boisterous dogs play in the shallow water.
At night I went with Ray to his big band rehearsal in a beautiful big church. I hadn't played in a big band for many years so It was a steep re-learning curve but very enjoyable.
Wednesday, 18th, June
After leaving Ray and Jeanette I had a long journey ahead - about 30km to the Maryborough Showgrounds where there were an incredible number of ACC members already on their sites. It's a spacious area and my site is quite handy to the ablution block so that's a bonus.
It was good meeting up with so many old friends plus some new ones at Happy Hour including quite a few from my New Zealand trip earlier thia year.
The scooter was a bit hard to get off the carrier and then I discovered the rear tyre was flat and that had caused it to bottom on the cross pieces of the ramp. I carry a compressor so soon had it shipshape.I hadn't ridden it for about eight months so it felt a bit odd at first.
I'll be here until Monday and the cost for six nights plus a barbeque was only $95 - very reasonable I thought. I'll get a picture of the setting tomorrow.
Thursday, 19th, June
This has been a bit of a housekeeping day. Some time ago I tipped a jar of Moccona coffee over in a plastic box where I keep a lot of things that I often use. The coffee got damp and stuck to the bottom of jars and tins so today the box came our and I eventually managed to get the coffee dissolved and scraped from the bax and its contents.
i hadn't had my hot ozzie barby out this trip so I got it set up and cooked some chicken wings and scallop potatoes for dinner. They had a few fires going in containers at Happy Hour today but with such a large group they didn't have too much effect. After tea some of the Sunshine Nomads invited me to join them for drinks and a chat around their fire. Most of them were on the New Zealand trip and another couple were old friends from a tagalong a couple of years back.
I forgot to take the picture I promised yesterday.
Friday, 20th June
Here's the pic!
There are about 82 units here at the Showgrounds - that translates to about 160 people and we are having a great time catching up with old friends and making new ones.
Tonight the Sunshine Nomads are going out to a hotel for dinner and have invited me to join them - they have arranged a courtesy bus to take us so no worries about breath tests.
It was a lovely night out even though they changed the bus pick up point and couldn't contact me to let me know. The bus picked me up OK although I was panicking a bit thinking I was going to miss the bus.
The bar staff at the pub were flat out and the young bloke serving me was clueless. When I asked for a Hanwood port he poured a large glass full but only charged me $3.50! I think I shocked everyone when I drank it all and was still on my feet and coherent!
Saturday, 21st June
Perfect weather and a perfect day. I spent a lot of it reading and talking to old and new friends.The scooter got an airing in the morning checking out where we were to have our dinner.
A bit peckish at lunchtime so I made some small pancakes using my Hot Ozzie BBQ and usibg a mandarin for juice. Lovely.
As usual a great happy hour followed by the dinner catered by our Wide Bay branch who did a great job with sausages and a salad selection. They topped it off with apple tart and ice cream,
Brian and Rob then entertained us but our advancing age must have been showing as people hurried off to bed leaving our two entertainers singing to an almost empty room!
Sunday, 22nd, June
Another relaxing day without a great deal of activity. Old friends Ron and Brenda arrived plus Kesley
from Cairns who is keen for a get-together when I'm up on the Tableland in a few weeks.
In the even a few of us went to the Sportsman's Club although we missed the club on the outskirts of Maryborough and had to retrace our steps after quite a few km. The Sunday night special of a feed of fish, chips and salad for just $5.50 plus sticky date pudding for $2.50 must be bargain of the year.
Whe we got back I managed to watch the Austrian Grand Pix and what an exciting race it was with the Mercedes due taking 1st and 2nd but with Williams giving them a run for their money.
Monday, 23rd, June
This was packing u day and moving on although a lot of members were staying on a while. I had a shock when I looked at Yemmy's fuel guage - it was showing empty so I headed into Maryborough and filled up as I knew it was 80km to Biggenden - first town of my route today. It took 75+ litres and capacity is 76!
It was a marvellous trip today - sun and blue skies. quiet undulating country roads with hardly any traffic and a wonderful sense of freedom to go where I liked and when I liked. I settled on Isla Gorge National Park as my destination. Many years ago Vi and I spent a couple of nights here. We had a campfire and cooked lovely country-killed steaks over the coals. During one evening a possum joined us - - Vi called it Mrs Poss and said she was looking for food for her babies. Sounded feasible!
I'm on almost the same spot tonight but it was chops from home for dinner. When I Googled this place it showed no mobile cover but when I tried to ring Sue it worked fine and the Internet is OK as well
Today there were quite a lot of one way bridges - you have to be careful and watch who has to give way. Sorry - I chopped the top off the sign but the sun was in my eyes and I couldn't see the phone screen.
Tomorrow I'll try to get a shot of this lovely place
Tuesday,24th, June
After a fitful nights sleep I awoke to a lovely pink sunrise - not colourful enough for a pic but nice to see.
After a wake-up coffee and a chat to neighbor, Carl, I cooked bacon and an egg in bread. Yummy - and so thought the magpie who came to clean the hotplate!
Internet reception is good here so I did some writing for the ACC Newsletter and a few other computer things.
After breakfast I went for a rocky walk to get some views. I was much younger when I was here last and walked further but today's effort was still enjoyable and I managed a few shots of the Timbered Gorge.
And there was Yemmy hiding in the trees!
...and there he is when you get closer.
........ and another great view from the carpark
I thought I'd finished blogging for tonight - but then this came along.
Wednesday, 25th, June
Today started with another spectacular sunrise and ended with a similar sunset with everyone except me grabbing their careras. I reckoned last night's was enough!
Today saw me driving through beef country most of the day - not surprising as Rockhampton is considered Australia's beef capital. It was an interesting drive and from Mt Morgan I descended a long, steep and winding hill with memories of years ago when we'd gone down with no caravan brakes after a wheel came off near Monto. Much less exciting today!
I had lunch at a Red Rooster in Rocky to save cooking tonight and arrived here at St Lawrence around 3pm. This is a free caming spot at the Polo Ground and it was packed. The free stop at Waverly Creek on the highway has been renovated and extended aand it looked pretty full as I drove past.
A man sold me raffle tickets for a tray with barramundi, two cans of beer and some meat. The funds are to help improve facilities here so I bought 3 for $5. I been talking to daughter Jackie on my mobile and said I must go to the raffle draw.I got there just as the first number was called - mine! I'm calling on frieends in Mackay in the morning so I may offer the fish to them as it's big.
Thursday, 26th - Friday 27th - Saturday 28th June
Internet reception has been bad here at lovely Smalleys Beach so I've been unable to update this blog till now. (Sat am.)
A cyclone and gales have made a mess of some treas and erosion has changed the high water mark. A lot of sand has gone as well.
I called on Tony and Denyse on Thursday and it was great to catch up. Tony loves fish so the barra was appreciated.
The scenery up here is great - this is just one hill on the way
Today I rode the scooter into Seaforth for shopping - a good ride of about 20km. Re-charging the battery takes a lot of current so I'll wait until I'm on power for that.
A couple of families with noisy children have just moved in next door so the peace and quiet have gone!
The view from my site is good - even on the edge of dark with the tide out..
..... but it's better with the tide in!
The rest of June was spent relaxing, writing my September 'On the Wallaby' and doing other computer stuff besides sharing happy hours with Vida, a nice ex-Kiwi wo shared my site for a few nights.
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