Glebe Weir - Chinchilla Weir - Millmerran, SOUTH QUEENSLAND

Sunday I posted my weekly blog (which always takes quite a bit of time), then browsed maps and Camps 7, researched online and viewed our next potential camping spots on Google Earth. What a fantastic tool! We use it heaps to decide if a bush camp will suit us. It kinda freaks me out when it zooms in from a satellite image of Earth to a specific destination such as a street address. It happens so quickly - sort of surreal. It was late morning by the time we had blogged, done the Nomads Notes journal entry and decided our next destination would be Chinchilla Weir. We'll go have a look and if it has phone coverage, which Brian needs at the moment for work, and it's a nice spot, we'll probably stay till Friday at least. By Saturday we want to have TV reception so we can watch Bathurst (V8 Supercar racing). I doubt we'll get that there.

Before lunch we jumped in the Beast and went down to the Dawson River for a fish. It was much cooler sitting beside the river than up at the van. While Brian read (he devours books -  thanks kids for our Kindles!), James and I fished. The river was fairly small, shallow and fast-flowing, so I didn't really expect to catch anything. It was lovely though to just sit and take in the sights, sounds and smells of the bush. There was a light perfume in the air - a mix of eucalyptus and something sweet, perhaps a blossom of some sort. It was delightful. All of a sudden I felt a bite, gave a jerk on the rod and voila....a fish! It was a good size too. It looked like some kind of Bream. When we examined it we could see that it was a fat female, full of roe no doubt, so she got thrown back. Aside from that I had one nibble.

After that we drove back toward the highway for a few kilometers and collected a load of wood. Even though it was in the mid thirties I planned to make bread on the fire that afternoon, and we always like to carry at least two night's worth of fires when we move.  Late in the day I made a savory damper, Brian cooked a roast lamb dinner in the Baby Q and we enjoyed a balmy evening watching our last sunset over Glebe Weir - with, of course, a roaring fire (bush TV) for entertainment.

When we jumped in the Beast at eight Monday morning to head south to Chinchilla the outside temperature reading was 23 degrees. Within half an hour it was 28. It was going to be a warm one. At Taroom we drove to the lookout where we'd noticed a tap when last there. A check of the water quality showed it to be excellent, so we filled the van along with 2 X 20 litre containers. That gave us 200 litres on board. A good week's supply with careful use.

From Taroom we followed the Leichardt Highway for 124 km to Miles, passing through the townships of Wandoan, Gulaguba and Kowguran. We made a ten kilometer detour at Miles to have a look at Gil Weir. It was a rather average spot though with no boat ramp, so we gave it a miss. From Miles we headed east along the Warrego Highway to Columboola, Baking Board, then Chinchilla, just 45 km away. By the time we arrived there it was a little before midday and the temperature gauge was showing 38 degrees.

Chinchilla looked like quite a nice river-side town, larger than we expected (pop 5500) with signs of recent growth. The Kogan Creek Power Station (and other coal and gas projects) have begun to inject a lot of cash into the town and it is experiencing mass growth and development. Traditionally (since it's establishment in 1887) agriculture was the mainstay of the community, with beef and pork production, wool growing, and horticulture underwriting the local economy. As soon as we drove into Chinchilla we noticed just about every other vehicle was a white company 4WD Utes with orange lights on top, and when we arrived at the weir there were lots of very fancy power boats cruising around. A sure sign of mining money!

                                                 The carpark at the very busy aerodrome

There were lots of vans and camps already set up in the area the council has designated for camping, but being early we managed to find a great location right on the water's edge. The weir was alive with boating and skiing activity, due, no doubt, to the high temperature and the fact it was a public holiday. We were both surprised that we felt totally comfortable operating in 38 degrees. It's amazing how we must have acclimatized to the heat. It is so much easier to handle without humidity.

In the afternoon we pulled the wood out of the back of the Beast so Brian could get the trailer out, then he unloaded the boat and got it all set up. It was so busy on the ramp and in the water that we didn't bother launching. We figured it would be much quieter Tuesday. A neighbour came over while Brian was tinkering with the tinnie and cautioned us to be careful with our wood pile - there were two Red-bellied Black snakes living in tree roots going into the water just a few feet away. They might find our wood pile inviting. That sure got our attention - and certainly meant we'd be keeping a very close rein on James. We tried to find the snakes, but with no luck. We did, however, get visited by a couple of curious lizards. We made sure James understood they were a no-no as far as investigating went. He was quite happy though, particularly when I took him down by the ramp for a swim.

James insisted he needed to go outside at some ungodly hour Tuesday morning. I tried to put clothes on quietly so as not to wake Brian and managed to get my shorts on back the front. Of course the zip was not going to do up over my rather ample expanse of bottom so I ended up going out into the dark with it bare and pretty well exposed. That would have been ok if we just went to the front of the van as I planned, but James took off and I had to follow. So glad it was dark! He found a big patch of grass and proceeded to graze like a cow for 15 minutes. With multiple camps in the immediate vicinity I decided it would be wise to pop into the nearby dunny and rearranged my attire, which was a good thing cos he then lead me all around the camp, refusing to come back inside. I guess he thought he was going to throw up. I was not happy! When I finally got back to bed we were woken up just after five by the drone of traffic noise on the country road running past the dam. It was a fair distance away, but the breeze must have been from that direction. It turned out to be a continuous stream of the company Utes heading out to the mine and power station. By 6am it was completely quiet again, not that I was able to get back to sleep. We'd make sure to shut the windows on that side of the van before bed in future and I would get James to the vet. It's very rare for him to go out in the night.

We drove into town early and after a lot of searching found the one and only vet clinic. They were great. James got a good check over and was found to be a picture of health. Maybe he did have a bit of concussion from his fall the week before - or maybe it's travel sickness - who knows. At least there's nothing major wrong. By the time we got back to the weir it was blowing a bloody gale. Bugger! So much for putting the tinnie in. As the afternoon wore on the wind blew harder and harder. The van was rocking like crazy and we just about lost the awning when we decided it should be rolled up or it would tear. We fired up the genny to power our laptops and spent a few hours shut in the van. It was just too uncomfortable outside. When we got sick of that we drove back into town and put $20 through a one cent poker machine at the pub, coming out an hour later with $50. Lucky eh!

The wind had died down by the time we got back so I lit a fire while Brian hitched the boat to the Beast and got all the fishing gear ready. We were determined to go fishing even though the forecast was for more wind Wednesday. We would get up at first light, take our travel mugs with coffee and hit the water before the wind came up.

We were on the water before 6am. It was like glass. There wasn't a breath of wind, and although the air had an early morning chill about it the sun was beautifully warming. It was idyllic. The scenery around Chinchilla Weir is really picturesque. With the water level at close to 100% there were no muddy banks like Glebe. The array of vegetation that grows right to the water's edge varies from bushland to reeds to dense native shrubbery. From the boat ramp several arms of the weir branch out, each one different to the others. There are open expanses of water (great for water skiing) and wooded sections with little inlets here and there. And the bird-life is amazing.

Sipping on our coffees, we threw our lines in and just let the tinnie drift. The water was quite shallow, even in the middle of the main arms. All around us fish were jumping. There were splashes going off like mini-bombs all over the place. Some of the fish got right out of the water and were a good size. At one point we drifted toward a bank that had fallen trees hanging over the water and came across a Water Monitor resting on a branch. He was a good meter in length. As we watched him we noticed a Red-bellied Black snake sunning itself right on the bank behind him. Fantastic!

The fishing, sadly, was bad. In two hours we got one miserable bite...a  big ugly smelly Carp which Brian disposed of, as required by law. Not another nibble. Bugger! We gave up and returned to the ramp all the richer for the experience, if not the catch. We were not too disheartened however  - there were other sections of the weir to be explored and other bait we could try.

Mid-morning we headed off in the Beast to see if we could find the mine and power station. We followed in the direction of the peak hour traffic and eventually spotted a tall chimney stack several kilometers across wheat fields. We zigged and zagged along half a dozen country roads before eventually getting there to find a huge monolith sitting in a paddock in the middle of no-where. My research revealed the following information from CS Energy:

Kogan Creek Power Station was officially opened in 2007, making it the newest addition to CS Energy's diverse power portfolio. The coal-fired power station can provide up to 750 megawatts of baseload electricity - enough to power almost 1 million Australian homes. The power station contains the largest single generating unit in Australia and has one of the lowest environmental impacts of any coal-fired power station nationwide, with low levels of water consumption and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

The neighbouring Kogan Creek Coal Mine supplies coal to the power station via a four kilometre overland conveyor belt. The power station is also the site of the Kogan Creek Solar Boost Project, which will showcase how renewable and conventional electricity generation technologies can be integrated. CS Energy will install a solar thermal addition at the power station to increase its capacity and improve plant efficiency.



On the way home we drove out onto the Warrego Highway, through Brigalow (population 40) to Chinchilla, then completed the circuit back to the weir.

Around 4pm we decided to have another go at fishing. The day had remained calm and despite there being perhaps 20 or so other camps around us, there was no activity on the water at all - not even day trippers. We changed bait from prawns to worms, relocated several times and spent another two hours with our lines in. Nothing....absolutely not one tiny nibble. We were a little disheartened by this time, so pulled the tinnie out, lit a fire and enjoyed a few drinks while watching the sun go down. Just another day in paradise......albeit a fishless one!

The first thing we noticed when we stirred around 5.30 Thursday was smoke. We could smell it and as the sun rose the sky took on a hazy appearance. It could have been burning off, in Queensland that happens a lot. We don't listen to news so we didn't find out why. The smoke haze hung around all day.

There were some food crumbs left on the table outside which attracted a family of Blue-faced Honey Eaters. They scraped and pecked the surface of the table clean and seemed to be calling for more. When I put the early morning kettle on I broke up a piece of bread and scattered it for them, much to their apparent delight. Even when James went outside and sat beside the table (with strict instructions not to chase them) they continued happily with their feeding and chatting. I think if you were to spend time with them they would become tame enough to hand feed. They are not at all timid.

We did the normal morning thing - reading, journal entry, costs for the previous day, photo editing and filing etc. then Brian got stuck into some work. By ten we were ready to go into Chinchilla for a coffee at Jamaica Blue, and were just about to leave when a guy camping across the way came over for a chat. He and his wife had sold their house and businesses and were on the road for the next few years. They were traveling in a Jayco Expanda (small, no annex) with their four kids aged from seven to two years old, home schooling the two older girls. The youngest, a boy, suffered from kidney failure and he required daily treatments and procedures which they managed. His medical file was sent from hospital to hospital as they moved. They were going to stay at the weir for a few days as they had an upcoming appointment in Brisbane. His attitude was 'life's too short' - they wanted real quality time with their family while they could. We thought they were pretty gutsy.

In Chinchilla we bought an oval plastic laundry basket with holes in it. I wasn't happy with the way we had James set up in the Beast. His 'car seat' was a dog bed sitting on top of a pillow thing which was perched on our golf bags laying (secured) across the back seat. Even though he wears a harness, the bed, with him in it, tended to slide off. My idea was to secure the basket with the centre seat belt by threading it through the holes, then make a bed for him in it. That way it wouldn't be able to move and he would have sides to his 'car seat' to keep him from sliding out. It would still sit on the golf bags as there was nowhere else for them to go, and they provided height anyway so he could see out of the windows. We also bought a 20 meter, 15 amp power lead so we could join it to the other two leads we had to give us enough length (60 meters) to plug into a power point that had become available at the weir.

After shopping we went and checked out the golf course. It's a 9 hole course in lovely condition with grass greens. I walked over one and it was a bit fluffy but otherwise really well maintained. The undulating, tree-line fairways showed tinges of green too - not bad given the area is in drought. I would have loved a game but Brian wasn't so keen to play that afternoon. He agreed on a morning game if we decided to stay a few more days. That would depend on whether we could get TV coverage once we plugged into power. Bathurst was the priority.

From there we headed out of town to a monument to Cactoblastis, which is referred to as 'Chinchilla's Environmental Miracle'. Apparently Prickly Pear (which was introduced by the First Fleet in 1788 to produce cochineal dye) was spreading through the area at a rate of 1000 acres per day by the 1920's with horrific consequences for land owners. Scientists were sent to the abroad to see if they could find an insect that ate it, and found Cactoblastis Cactorum, a moth whose caterpillar eats prickly pear. After testing to make sure it wouldn't have effects on other plants, Cactoblastis was released into the environment in 1926. A rearing program at the Chinchilla Field Station (among others) was established to obtain sufficient insect numbers to have an impact. Within ten years the caterpillars had apparently cleared an estimated 11 million hectares of prickly pear. The remains of the Chinchilla field station 'The Shed', can be seen in the paddock behind the monument.

We plugged into power when we got back to the van, pulled the TV out from under the bed and tuned it in. The reception was not good - Bugger!. Brian spent the rest of the day re-loading the tinnie on the Beast and generally getting ready to leave Friday. We phoned a caravan park at Millmerran, some 200 km south-east and was advised they had excellent channel 7 reception.....tomorrow's destination and a weekend of Bathurstmania!

The cheeky Blue-faced Honey Eaters were flying at the caravan window at first light Friday - presumably hassling for breakfast. I got out of bed and gave them some crumbs. They really are quite bold - and very entertaining. We were packed up and on the road before eight. It was a bit sad to leave Chinchilla Weir. It is definitely one of the best free camps we have stayed at. James got to try out his new car set. I'm not sure he was overly impressed, but it did seem to do the trick.

Rather than take the Warrego Highway to Dalby we opted for a back road. It was a quiet run through scrubby, flat country. At Dalby we stopped for coffee and did a grocery shop to stock up on supplies. It is a decent sized town with major supermarkets and stores like Harvey Norman. Millmerran was about 100 km south-east, once again on minor roads. We could have gone via Toowoomba, but that was too much like the burbs. We went through the quaint little town of Cecil Plains instead, passing through open farm country with massive wheat (I think) fields.

Millmerran is in the Darling Downs region of Queensland. The town is situated on the Gore Highway, 208 kilometres west of Brisbane. It has a population of  around 1,500. It's an old, neat little place with a pretty golf course, a short main street with a pub, and a tavern tucked in the far back corner of town adjacent to the caravan park. We arrived just after midday and chose a site away from other caravans with plenty of space around it. I only paid for one night. I wanted to make sure the TV reception was ok before we committed to staying the weekend. As soon as we were parked the TV got plugged in and we had Bathurst in all its glory blazing clearly across the screen. You beauty!

Friday's Bathurst coverage went until 3pm, after which we took a tour around town before driving out to Yarramalong Weir. It is a free camp 25 km north of Millmerran. We had considered staying there but weren't too sure if we'd get TV reception, and even if we did it would mean running the generator half of Saturday and all day Sunday. Not only that but the last time I did a load of washing was almost two weeks ago and the laundry basket was overflowing. I needed washing machines. There were a dozen or so camps set up on the banks of the weir. There was a fairly extensive area suitable to get a van into, quite pretty with high water levels and a boat ramp. It would be a good free camp option if we are in the area at some time in the future, or even for a couple of days next week.

Before dinner I took James for a wander to check out the tavern behind the caravan park. I poked my head in the door and was greeted by a big, country-style bloke behind the bar who insisted I come in and have 'a bloody good look'. While James sat on the deck outside we chatted, and when I noticed there was VB on tap I knew I just had to get Brian. A few minutes later we were seated at the bar with a chardy and a beer swapping yarns with Geoff, who turned out to be the owner. Among other things we talked about how tough it is for country pubs to survive in this over-regulated day and age. Geoff felt pretty strongly that it was something of a travesty, given they have historically been the life-blood of small towns. He had some great ideas about collecting memorabilia and anecdotal stories from pubs that have closed up shop, many with over 100 years of operation, losing the characters and memories that are part of Australia's bush heritage. He talked about establishing a sort of 'dead pub memorial' at his tavern where people could contribute information. We eventually headed back to the van for a very late dinner, assuring Geoff that we would be back to continue our very interesting conversation later in the weekend.

Saturday. In a flurry of activity we did four loads of washing, cleaned the van inside and out ....... and watched Bathurst on TV from 11am till 5pm. Bliss!


This photo of me was taken as I was waiting to drive a V8 Supercar around seven laps of Sandown. My 60th. birthday present!

Yeppoon - Glebe Weir (Taroom), QUEENSLAND

Brian's daughter Natalie and son-in-law, Scott were flying to Brisbane Sunday. Scott and his rescue helicopter crew had been nominated for the Pride of Australia Heroism Award for their incredible efforts during the floods earlier in the year. The announcement of the award recipients for Queensland was to be made Monday. Grumpy and I had the pleasure of looking after grandaughters, Isla and Halle, for a couple of days.

We bid farewell to Nat and Scott around 9.30, then planned our day. I was keen to show Brian and the kids the Double Head lookouts, so we headed there first. It was a lovely start to the day, a bit of a walk and the chance for the girls to explore something new. It is really a stunning spot and everyone enjoyed the breathtaking views over Rosslyn Harbour. Fan Rock and the blow hole was also a hit.

A dip in the pool at our caravan park scored the next vote. I joined the kids in the water and we had a great time - swimming races, somersaults, shoulder stands, catapults - it was a hoot! The rest of our day consisted of more swimming, both in the pool and down at Kemp beach. James had a a great time playing fetch in the water with Halle and Isla. It was a real battle between him and Halle as to who could swim to the ball fastest. The water was a perfect temperature. I could have stayed in for hours, though we couldn't convince Grumpy to take the plunge. Back at the van we pulled out the Yahtzee. It took the girls no time at all to learn the game which was excellent. I love playing it but could never get Brian into it. We had a few games before packing it, and the kids up to go back home. Poor little Jasper had been left alone all day and Isla was concerned about his welfare. He was so delighted to see us....a wriggling, bouncing little bundle of excitement. Puppies are sooo gorgeous.

Monday we took the girls to the Esplanade for morning coffees and fanta spiders (the good thing about being a 'visiting' grandparent is you can say yes to everything), then drove up to Bangalee, the northern most Yeppoon 'locality'. Bangalee is the nearest spot to Yeppoon where you can access the beach via 4WD. The tide was out and the sand was perfect for driving on. Brian didn't even bother to reduce the tyre pressure in the Beast. We drove north along the beach for 12 kilometers until we reached Fishing Creek and could go no further. It was a lovely, pristine area with tidal sand pools that were shallow and warm to the point of being hot. We all donned bathers and splashed around before heading out into the deeper water of the Coral Sea to body surf the small waves. ..... it was just lovely.

 By the time we got off the beach it was midday and we were all starving, so we headed back to the van for lunch and a few games of Yahtzee. Isla and Halle talked Grumpy into taking them to the pool, which he did, really enjoying playing around with them in the water. When they got back from the pool the girls decided to give James a bath. He wasn't overly impressed but suffered in silence until they hopped in the tub with him, at which point he opted out.

When Nat arrived to pick up the kids we celebrated Scott (the pilot) and his chopper crew being awarded Queensland State Pride of Australia medals in the category of heroism. What a fantastic achievement! The boys now go onto the national awards ceremony in Sydney in November. They really deserve the acknowledgement for the amazing job they did winching a baby to safety from the roof of a car in floodwaters by placing him in a bag earlier in the year. That same day they risked their own lives flying in perilous conditions to save nine people trapped by flood.  

We planned to leave Yeppoon Wednesday and head to Glebe Weir, so Tuesday was earmarked for packing up and stocking up. After a coffee we drove into Rockhampton to get grog at Dan Murphys and buy a collapsible trolley at Bunnings. Brian wanted something to move 20 litre water bottles and the generator. Carrying heavy stuff plays havoc with his back. While there I looked at mobile phones. I wanted to find one with a super large screen so that I can use it like an Ipad and a really good camera so that I don't have to lug my large one everywhere. I still have more research to do.

By the time we got home to the van we had been gone over 4 hours, and apart from a couple of breaks James had been in the Beast all that time. He also had quite a big fall from his car seat when it tipped him out going around a corner (I should have had his harness on) and he hit the door with a hard thud. As soon as he got out of the car he started eating grass, then throwing up, then runny bum. Poor little bugger was really crook. We were not sure if it was heat stress, carsickness, concussion from the fall or he eaten something nasty earlier in the day. Whatever it was he looked positively green for hours. I checked him thoroughly for ticks and kept a very close eye on him till he started to come good around dinner time.

The shopping had to be done in the afternoon so Brian stayed back with James while I did it. Nat had asked us to go to the pub with them for dinner but there was no way we were going to leave James shut either in the van or in the Beast. That could be very ugly! The best idea was for them to come to us. That ended up being a great option. I lit a fire in the big public fire pit adjacent to one of the camp BBQ areas and we had a lovely last evening with the family.

Wednesday morning we packed up, hitched the van to the Beast and drove into Yeppoon to have coffee with Nat, Scott and the kids. James, thank goodness, was much better. Scott brought his Pride of Australia Medal to show us. It was absolutely stunning. Made of solid silver and depicting the five stars of the Southern Cross, it was surprisingly large, heavy and beautifully crafted. The award box also included a miniature version of the medal in a tie pin. The girls are so proud of having a dad who is a hero and rightly so. We are all proud of him.

We left Yeppoon at 10am with about 350 km of travel ahead of us - our destination Glebe Weir. From Rocky we headed South-west on the Burnett Hwy, passing through the townships of Bouldercombe and Mount Morgan before turning onto the Leichardt Hwy at Dululu. We stopped to make a sandwich and give James a break at Banana. It was incredible how much drier the heat was inland compared to the coast. The country-side was brown and dry - so different from the lushness of the Capricorn Coast. We continued south to Theodore where we grabbed fresh bread and oil for the generator, past Isla Gorge (which we planned to go back and visit in the coming days), travelling 66 km to the Glebe Weir turnoff. The weir was 26 km along a narrow bitumen strip that passed through privately owned grazing country which was well-stocked. We had to slow down multiple times for cattle, many with new calves, wandering along the road. We even came across a litter of four wild puppies that were maybe 5 or 6 months old on the side of the road. They looked so gorgeous, but I know what huge damage they do to stock in Queensland.

Our decision to go to Glebe was pretty random. We didn't know anything about it other than the small amount of detail provided in Camps 7. The only plan we had in mind was to start heading south to be back in Victoria for Elise and Jim's wedding on November 30, and it was the closest waterway with a free camp to Yeppoon. When we arrived we pulled up and went for a walk to suss out the best spot. There were only 5 or 6 other camps set up, which surprised us a bit given it was school holidays. There were plenty of choices and even power boxes dotted around the area. We picked a site around the corner from all the other campers, under some trees and as close to the water as we could. We even managed to plug into power by connecting two extension leads together. Excellent! By 4pm we were relaxing outside under the awning in a beautiful, remote  bush environment, in gorgeous warm weather with not a soul in sight. Ah what bliss!

It was very windy and rather cold when the sun woke us up just after five on Thursday morning. It felt great to see bush from every window and hear only the sounds of the birds and wind. We stayed in bed for ages, Brian reading his Kindle, me on my laptop and James snuggled in between us. Another good thing about Glebe Weir is that we have network coverage. That, combined with the availability of power and water means we could stay for ages. The water is from a bore and while it is crystal clear it does have a sulphury smell, so we probably won't put it in our tanks.

The weir was going down as we watched - literally! The water lines on the banks indicated it was dropping at a rate of maybe half a meter per day. That was bad news for any notion of boating we may have had. The end of launching ramp was way out of the water and while we probably could have manoeuvred it in, there was no way of telling how deep the weir was or how difficult it might be to retrieve it after a few days. Mud islands were appearing in various spots all along the waterway, growing in size by the hour. Fishing from the banks was a bit tricky too as the mud was thick and deep for several meters from the water's edge.

                                                Water level Thursday

James and I went and explored the Dawson River downstream of the weir after breaky. It was flowing well and while not large enough for the tinnie it looked like a good spot to fish. Later in the day we all drove to the river, following tracks in at a couple of different spots. We figured we'd throw a few lines in after we'd picked up some bait. That would mean a trip into Taroom, 54 kilometers away. We'd do that Friday. We were more than happy to spend our first full day at Glebe pretty much just pottering. Brian actually had a few aircraft sales deals on the go, so he needed to spend quite a bit of time on his phone and computer.

As the day wore on it warmed up significantly, sitting on 30 degrees from mid-morning through until dusk. Even after dark it stayed warm. There was a howling gale from the west that blew pretty much all day, though it didn't stop me from lighting my nightly fire (much to Brian's angst). I just kept it small and made sure it was well clear of surrounding fuel. While I was doing that Brian pre-occupied himself with checking the axle alignment on the van. The back two tyres were scrubbing out - the outside of the left hand tyre and inside of the right hand tyre. He measured the distance between the front and rear wheels and found two centimeters difference left to right. What to do? He figured we should start by contacting Jayco - it must be a manufacturing problem. It's out of warranty so they probably won't accept responsibility, but we assume they'll point us in the right direction with respect to rectification.

Brian got stuck into work for a couple of hours Friday morning while James and I walked. We wanted to get into Taroom before lunch to refuel the Beast, get bait and buy a coffee plunger (if we could find one in a town of 800 residents). It was midday when we arrived there, just in time for a cappy and a bite at BJ's Coffee Shop. We had a walk around the main street, managed to get everything we wanted and did a sightseeing tour of the place. The Dawson River runs alongside the town but there was very little water in it after a long dry season. It's apparently a big river after the Wet, and we could imagine how much prettier Taroom would be then - green and lush rather than dry and parched. The nicest feature of the town was the plantings of Queensland Bottle Trees along the main street and at the lookout.

On the way back to the van we called into Chain Lagoons, a camp/rest area a couple of kilometers off the highway. It was quite pretty with lots of wild palms through the bush. As expected there was very little water - just a series of swampy mud-holes. A bit further north we turned off the highway again to check out the Lake Murphy Conservation Reserve. It had a lovely little camping and picnic area set, once again, among palm thickets and bushland, but we couldn't find a way to access the lake.

Given we were out on the highway we decided to go past the turnoff to Glebe Weir and retrace our steps north for 35 km to Isla Gorge. It was well worth the trip. Isla Gorge National Park is a complex maze of gorges and isolated sandstone monoliths. Soft sandstone has eroded into a breathtaking panorama of cliffs, peaks, overhangs, tunnels and arches. The rock apparently changes from yellow to orange and pink with the angle of the sun, but we only saw it in the full light of afternoon.

Being a National Park, James had to stay in the car. It was pretty warm so we couldn't leave him too long, There are lots of different walks that you can do but we just did a fairly short one on a narrow, ridge-top track with steep drops either side. It ran from the carpark to a peak a few hundred meters away. We walked along it taking in the stunning views, not only over the rugged gorges but also across the distant countryside. On the way back I almost stepped on a small snake that slithered across in front of me.

It was close to 4 by the time we got back to the weir after stopping to collect a load of fire-wood along the roadside. The rest of the day we spent sitting out in the beautiful weather just pottering, reading, chatting, playing ball with James and generally enjoying our life!

The weather was getting warmer by the day. The forecast showed the temperatures increasing by a couple of degrees each day to a high of 38 degrees by Monday. Humidity was quite low - 20% or thereabouts, so it was a really comfortable, dry heat. By contrast, the level of the weir was going down. It was being rapidly released downstream - presumably for irrigation purposes. Nevertheless we were enjoying the solitude and rustic aspect of Glebe, even if we couldn't fish in the dam. It certainly wasn't at its most attractive with large expanses of muddy banks, but the bird life on the water, particularly the Pelicans and Snake Birds, was abundant. There were also cheeky Apostle Birds who played with us, a variety of stunning parrots, Kookaburras, Galahs and Kingfishers - they are just beautiful. It was only a short walk to the downstream side of the wall anyway, and we could always throw a line in the river.

                                                  Water level Sunday

It was a long weekend in Queensland so we expected an influx of campers Friday or Saturday, but that didn't happen. We were still the only ones at the end of the camping area, around the corner and out of sight of the handful of vans closer to the entrance and boat ramp. We were pleased about that. We do enjoy our privacy. Surprising that after almost 7 months on the road, in each other's company 24/7, we aren't seeking other companionship. I think we both must tend to introversion!

Saturday was rather productive - at an extremely relaxed pace I must add. The Beast got a thorough wash, the flyscreens in the van which clog up with dust at an amazing rate were treated to a super-duper clean, as were the inside and outside of all the windows. The outside of the van, on the other hand, was disgusting. It was covered in mud and grime, mostly due to the huge amount of roadworks on-route. We figured that before we left Glebe we would tow it to the bore water tap and give it a good clean.

Our plan is to head south Monday to Chinchilla/Condamine area - quite a short leg. There are several free camps both at Chinchilla Weir and around the Condamine River. Brian is keen to find a spot where he can put the tinnie in for a few days. We also want to find a vet. James has something going on with his ears and despite me putting Epi-otic ear drops in them for three days he is really uncomfortable and constantly shaking his head. He's eating ok but he's just not himself. I hope he isn't suffering some kind of concussion from his fall on Tuesday!

Yeppoon (for the second time), QUEENSLAND

Our Saturday night at Bundoora Dam was noisy thanks to a selfish bogan who decided to run his generator 24/7. He started it on his arrival and we expected, as is the norm in free camps, that it would stop by 9pm at the very latest. But no. There were also coal trains running intermittently through the night on the track beside the dam, then the nearby mine either cranked up, or the wind changed so we could hear it, at 4am. All in all a restless night! That saw us up early and on the road before eight, heading to Yeppoon.

After passing through Middlemount we turned South on the Fitzroy Development Road, a major route that would take us to the Capricorn Highway, then East to Rockhampton. Sunday must be the day large equipment is trucked around Queensland. We passed four lots of escorted convoys heading North, the lead vehicle in each case calling us on channel 40 to give the width and number of loads following. The last of these convoys was big. The lead pilot vehicle was followed by a police car that stopped us and directed we park as far off the bitumen as possible, then a second police car, second pilot vehicle, third police car then a prime mover with an eight meter wide load, pilot vehicle, second prime mover with the same load and finally a trailing pilot vehicle. How much would it cost to move equipment like that.....massive eh? One of the truckies commented on radio chat that not only was the load wide but it was over 200 tonne. The logistics of the move with respect to navigating bridges etc must have been amazing.

We stopped at Dingo to refuel, then had a good run on the Capricorn through to Rocky and on to Yeppoon, 40 km North-east. We were set up at Cool Waters by 1pm, having driven 371 km for the day. While neither of us like caravan park life, particularly when it's 'sardine can school holidays', it was good to be settled in with plenty of time for Brian to prepare to fly to Melbourne the next morning to attend his father's funeral on Wednesday. The remainder of our day was consumed by blog-posting, work for Brian, then a fairly brief catch up with Brian's daughter Nat and his grandkids. It was also lovely to meet the new addition to their family - Jasper, a 13 week-old black Cavoodle. Very cuddly and cute!

Brian's flight to Melbourne left at 10.30am Monday. Unfortunately there's no direct flight Rocky-Melbourne, which meant a stopover at Brisbane. He would arrive around 3.30. The drive from Yeppoon to the airport was 50 km or thereabouts, but given our experience departing Melbourne the previous Wednesday where we queued for almost an hour to check in (Tiger, mind you), he wanted to allow plenty of time. We left just before eight, dropping in for cappuccinos on the esplanade at Yeppoon before heading to Rocky. James decided he would come too.

We dropped Brian off feeling a bit sad that he would be gone until Saturday, before doing a spot of shopping. James stayed in the car, which (I believe) is illegal in Qld. In the northern heat dogs can kark it pretty quickly when shut in a hot car. I parked in shade, put the windows down a bit and shopped quickly. It would have been better to go in an underground carpark, but with the boat on the Beast there's always a risk of getting stuck. The last place we called into was a large pet department store, so James came in. He must have thought it was a kennel (probably the smells) and he was going to be left again. He wanted to be picked up the whole time we were there and couldn't get out of the place quickly enough once he had been fitted with a new collar.

By midday we were back at the van and I spent the entire afternoon Spring Cleaning. Aside from that James got a couple of walks, I pulled the TV out from under the bed (only the third or fourth time it's been out in 6 months), we had an early dinner and went to bed. Boring eh! It could be a long six days.....

James and I hit the beach for a lovely long walk a bit before 10am Tuesday. We drove to Farnborough Beach which is the northern extension of the Yeppoon Esplanade waterfront. With the tide out the firm sand goes for miles and is a great track to do some power walking while soaking up the sun. James, as usual, had a ball bounding through the waves.

I really like Yeppoon. From Zilzie in the south to Banglee, the northern-most 'suburb' of Yeppoon, a beach front stretch of around 30 km, there are maybe a dozen residential pockets called 'localities'. They are all individually named,  though really the only two townships are Yeppoon and Emu Park. which is adjacent to Zilzie. Most of the homes have been built on the hills along the coastline to take advantage of the gorgeous Capricorn Coast views across to the Keppel Island group. There are multiple bays separated by headlands between Yeppoon and Emu Park, so there are heaps of different options as far a beach walk or a swim goes.

Yeppoon itself is a town of around 14,000 residents and retains a small town sort of feel, albeit a bit touristy. There are some great little boutiques and good restaurants in the main drag and on the Esplanade, as well as a couple of shopping complexes built in more recent times back behind the town centre. There is quite a bit of holiday accommodation as well as 6 or 7 caravan parks dotted along the Scenic Highway that runs (with lovely views) between Yeppoon and Emu Park. There are three golf courses, the biggest being the Mercure Capricorn Resort complex which has two stunning, very upmarket 18 holers. Yeppoon also has climate in its favour. It's average day temp is 25.8, the coolest month being August at 21.1 average, and the warmest January at 29.3 degrees. The night monthly temperatures  range from 23.0 to 11.7 with an annual average of 18.5 degrees. It does get a bit of rain - an average of 1042 mm/pa spread over 115 days, mostly as you would expect in December, January and February. but it is south of the cyclone areas so not likely to get hit by a big one.

In the afternoon I left James in the van and browsed the clothing boutiques in Yeppoon. I found a pretty, bright tangerine summer frock that I though would be perfect for my niece, Elise's wedding, in November. It is in Victoria.....I'd better make sure I have a cold weather back up outfit or a big coat!

Wednesday, September 25th - the day of Fred's funeral. Brian was down with his family at Mirboo North in Victoria. Even though Fred was 95 years old and had been in care for some years, the loss of a parent is a huge event in a person's life. My dad was younger than Fred, but passed away in almost the exact same circumstances on September 30th. 2010. It was a happy/sad time for me and now, I suspect, for Brian. I spent a lot of the day pondering life and hoping Brian and his mum and sisters were doing ok.

When it's just James and me we like to do a lot of walking on the beach, in bathers (me...not him), in the sun. I know the sun bit is bad, but I love it. Always have - and no skin cancers to date in my (almost) 62 years - touch wood! We went back to Farnborough Beach and walked further then Tuesday. The weather was just perfect and I sooo love the Capricorn Coast scenery.

The rest of the day was more Spring Cleaning. When I knew Brian would be heading to Melbourne I made a list of all the bits and pieces I wanted to fix, change, tidy up, chuck out etc. It's amazing how, after six months on the road, the van is still a work in progress in terms of what we do and don't need and where it best fits. And the inside of the van - the flyscreens, windows, vents, cupboards, drawers and under the bed - get full of dust and crap from being on the road. I also did three loads of washing so when Brian gets back late Saturday we can hit the road again quickly - maybe Monday - after spending time with Nat (who also flew down for the funeral), Scott, Isla and Halle. A happy family day Sunday is probably just what Grumpy will need!

I decided to play a few holes of golf by myself Thursday morning. After taking James for a stroll down to the Causeway Lake onto which Coolwaters backs, I left him in the van with instructions; 'be a good boy, I'll be back soon". He settled onto the bed, a bit put out that we were not heading to the beach for our usual walk. I promised him we would do that later. By 7.30 I was teeing off at the Yeppoon golf course.

My first few holes were pretty average, which was to be expected given my lack of practise since taking on the role of Grey Nomad. Not to worry, there was hardly anyone around (just lots of kangaroos), the course was in lovely condition and I was sure to improve. But no! Sadly, my game went from ordinary to tragic. On the 7th I put my second drive into the dam. I dropped another ball and 'plop' that went in too. Then, to rub salt into my wounds, I discovered there were no more balls in my bag. Bugger! I spent ages trying to find a ball - any ball - in the dam, but without luck. Disgruntled and dripping with sweat from the humidity (and frustration) I trudged up the 9th and back to the car. I hate golf!

The days were warming up and by the time I got back to the van the temperature was pushing up into the high twenties. Time to hit the beach. Kemp Beach was only a couple of kilometers from the caravan park and long enough for us to get in a good walk, so much to James' delight we headed off. We walked, played ball and swam for ages. The water was just beautiful. It was almost warm. Kemp Beach is another really pretty spot in the Yeppoon area. It is situated between two headlands, Bluff Point and Double Head. Not far off shore is a small, craggy island called Bluff Rock. There are bush walks on both headlands.

Once I'd exhausted James I dropped him back to the van and returned to explore Double Head, the other side of which sits Rosslyn Bay Harbour. A 400 meter track zigzags up the hill through vine thickets and overhanging trees. At the top the vegetation changes totally to open tussock grassland dotted with grass trees. There are two fantastic lookouts - one that provides spectacular views over Rosslyn Bay Harbour and north to Yeppoon while the other looks over an ancient geographical feature known as Fan Rock. The fracturing of rock into hexagonal columns occurred during lava cooling and does resemble a fan. At the bottom sits a blow hole. I had timed my walk to coincide with high tide hoping the blow hole would be blowing, but the sea level was way below what would be required to make it work. I reckon it would need a king tide.

On Friday James and I went to Emu Park for our walk . There are several different beaches to choose from heading south along the coast, but we elected to drive past them and walk from the Singing Ship sculpture that stands on the point at the end of Emu Park's main street. It's a lovely monument to Captain Cook that has wires which vibrate to make music in the wind.

The stretch of beach was a couple of kilometers long and there was hardly anyone there. As we got toward the bluff at the far end two big dogs and a little one decided to charge James. I hate that. They were probably ok as they were with a young mum and dad and two little kids, but you just never know. I scooped him up only to find myself being jumped on as they tried to get to James. The owners were a hundred meters or so away so I yelled at them (a bit angrily). The guy called the dogs but one of the big ones was really intent on getting to James. He scratched my legs as he jumped up. It was a kinda scary. Eventually it retreated, but it did upset our walk.

Back at camp I decided on a new Spring Cleaning project - the inside of the Beast. It hadn't had a real clean since we started our travels in March and was unbelievably messy, with all sorts of junk thrown in the back and a ton of dirt and dust. I pulled everything out, then got sick of cleaning, so decided while Brian was away to go to the Capricorn Caves. Brian suffers claustrophobia, so there was no way he was interested in climbing into holes underground. It was about 50 km away and I got there in time for the last tour at 4pm. It was great.

                                                 Entrance to The Caves

The Caves were first discovered in 1882 by Norwegian migrant John Olsen. He went on to claim the land under a lease hold title and open the attraction publicly in 1884. Today it is one of the largest privately owned cave system in Australia. The attraction is still open to the public and is one of the longest-running tourist attractions in Queensland. Our tour took us through the passageways of ten cave chambers, including one that weddings and small concerts are held in. The guide played Amazing Grace on the sound system and the acoustics were brilliant. There were spear-like stalactites draped from the ceiling, ancient flowstones, limestone 'corals' and a maze of very old, narrow stairways, boardwalks and tunnels. To exit the caves we had to go through a really tight, zigzagging passageway that would have caused Brian to have a major panic attack. To top it off, there were two long, high and very swaying suspension bridges to be crossed just before the end. He would have freaked!

                                              The exit tunnel - it got MUCH narrower

It was after six by the time I got back to the van, so Spring Cleaning the Beast was postponed until Saturday. James needed a cuddle after being left alone and I needed a glass of wine!

Saturday was the first day in Yeppoon that there had been any sign of weather. The sky was overcast at dawn and remained so all day with the odd shower. I was up well before six and had the Beast at the car-wash to use the coin-operated vacuum cleaner by seven. I sucked out an unbelievable amount of dog hair, dust, dirt and gravel, ending up in a lather of sweat. The humidity according to the gauge in the van when I got back was 83 percent. It took me close to four hours to finish cleaning the inside of the Beast by the time I had done the windows and scrubbed the mats.

The second job on my list for the day was James. He was treated to a hair cut, followed by a bath. That was another task that took ages. The electric clippers decided not to clip. I read the instruction manual and came to the conclusion that the blades were out of alignment. I pulled it apart and re-positioned the blades three times before I got it right. The end result was a lovely, even hair cut. By the time James had had a bath he looked and smelt delightful. Hopefully Brian would be impressed with my efforts for the day.

Brian was due back in Rocky around 3. He called to say his flight out of Melbourne was delayed, which was a problem as he only had 30 minutes between interconnecting flights at Brisbane. He arrived at the departure gate in Brisbane just in time to watch his aircraft push back. Bugger! Virgin gave him a seat on the next flight. That would have him landing, so he informed me, around 4.45. I left Coolwaters a bit late having become a bit pre-occupied with the footy grand final between Fremantle and Hawthorn. I was hoping Freo would win, but by the time I headed off to pick up Brian the scores were favouring the Hawks.

I hadn't long been in the car when Brian called to say his flight had landed early and he was dripping wet. A thunderstorm had hit Rocky just as the passengers were getting off. He had to walk across the tarmac in pouring rain and I was still a good half hour away. Bugger - I just wasn't Brian's day! And to make matters worse Hawthorn won the Grand Final.

Cairns - Ravenshoe - Balyando Crossing - Bundoora Dam, NORTH QUEENSLAND

After a week in Melbourne we flew out in the rain on Wednesday afternoon . We'd spent fantastic time with family and friends - me meeting the new addition to the family as well as Emma, Pete, Fiona and Sophie, while Brian caught up with some flying, his kids and parents. His 95 year old dad took quite ill the day he visited, so he was glad of the chance to spend time with him.

We were happy to arrive back in Cairns and to step off the plane into a warm, tropical evening. I couldn't wait to pick up James next morning. We were both really keen to get back on the road and continue our travels.

                                                          Cairns Esplanade

Next morning started with breaky on The Esplanade,  just a couple of blocks from the apartment we'd stayed in overnight. By 8am we were on Mandy's doorstep to collect James. He was pretty happy to see us and vice verca! She did a great job of providing the TLC our precious little 'princess' demanded. "He's such a sensitive little fellow" she commented. He was a bit frosty with us as we drove to the Cairns Airport for Brian to check out an aircraft for a client - no wagging tail, just big "I hate you for what you've put me through" eyes.

We were at Jayco to pick up the van by 9.30, then on to do a big shop to stock up supplies before heading out toward Atherton, South-west of Cairns. We were planning a slow trek South so as to be back in Northern Victoria for a wedding on November 30th. The drive through the valley and up onto the Tablelands was spectacular. The winding road climbed from sea level to 1000 meters, with lovely views. We had would do a short day of travel so we could pack all the supplies away and let James settle back into his old life, but around midday, as we approached Lake Eacham where we planned to overnight, Brian's sister called to say his father had just passed away. While it was a shock, it was not unexpected. Brian was so pleased that he had seen his dad a few days earlier.

The news changed our travel plans - at least in the immediate short term. We decided the best course of action was to get to Yeppoon as quickly as possible so Brian and his oldest daughter Natalie (who lives there) could fly back to Melbourne together for the funeral. James and I would stay at Cool Waters, the caravan park we'd stayed at when in Yeppoon a couple of months earlier. Brian wanted to get a flight on Monday, which would give us three days to travel the 1300 odd kilometers. Given we had already departed the main route to Atherton to go to Lake Eacham, we decided to by-pass Atherton completely and continue on to Ravenshoe via back roads. That proved to be interesting! We ended up on a narrow, one vehicle road that wound its way through the lush farmland of the Tablelands. It was lucky no-one came in the opposite direction - in many spots we wouldn't have been able to pass. After a very slow drive we arrived at Ravenshoe in time for a very late lunch.

We had a look at our maps and came to the conclusion that while it would be a couple of hundred km shorter to go to Yeppoon via the Bruce Highway on the coast, we might find it quicker traveling to stay inland, away from traffic and roadworks. Also, we could follow our original plan to a degree and see Charters Towers. We had a brief drive around the sleepy little village of Ravenshoe which is, by the way, Queensland's highest town, before going to Archer Creek Rest Area 16 kilometers West. The next potential spot to overnight was a couple of hours further on. That would have us setting up too late and put us out of phone range. Brian had calls to make to family etc and we needed to book flights for Brian and accommodation for James and me in Yeppoon. With school holidays starting Friday that could prove tricky.

Archer Creek looked like a reasonable spot. There were half a dozen or so campers there when we arrived, but it was spacious and we were able to park away from others, in some shade, and leave the van connected. The temperature was in the 30's, so the three of us went for a walk down to the creek at the back of the camp area. The lovely crystal-clear stream babbled over rocky outcrops and James couldn't get in quickly enough. We threw the ball out and he burnt up masses of energy swimming against the current to retrieve it multiple times.

Just before dusk I got a fire going. The high Tablelands air was cooling rapidly. Suddenly a bloke walked up behind Brian as he was sitting reading and grabbed him around the neck. Brian got a heck of a surprise, even more so when he saw it was a dear friend, John Williams, who was traveling in the opposite direction and had stopped to overnight at Archer Creek as well. What a coincidence! It couldn't have been better timing. John and his wife Joy joined us by the fire for dinner and gave Brian a real lift on a day that would no doubt be etched in his mind forever.

We bid farewell to John and Joy at 8am Friday morning, planning to cover at least 500 kilometers for the day. I opened the back door of the Beast for James to climb in but he had other ideas. He insisted on a walk down toward the creek. Strange, I thought, he must need to go to the toilet. I followed him down the track and he started sniffing around in the grass. Then it became clear what his urgency was. The ball! He'd left it in the grass the afternoon before. He grabbed it and when we got back to the car he happily got in.

The Kennedy Highway heading South-west was a good stretch of road for 95 km before branching just short of the Undarra Lava Tubes. The Gulf Development Road (Savannah Way) continued West for 500 km to Normanton, Karumba and the Gulf of Carpentaria. We took the Kennedy Development Road travelling 98 km South-west to The Lynd Junction. The road alternated between a single lane and dual lane carriage-way, but the surface was good and it was relatively flat and straight, so we could sit on our usual 97kph indicated. We only had to get on the gravel shoulder for on-coming traffic a couple of times. We re-fueled at the Oasis Roadhouse just past the junction. The fuel price was good at $1.61/ltr but man, the lady behind the counter was a grumpy old bag.

At the Junction we turned South-east onto the Gregory Development Road which was pretty much the same as the Kennedy Dev Rd. I drove that leg for the 250 km into Charters Towers. About 40 km out of CT we passed the Fletcher Creek Rest Area. It looked fantastic. It was a huge open bushland space that allowed for free camping all along the banks of a quite substantial waterway. If we hadn't been in a hurry we would have probably spent a couple of days there.

At Charters Towers we stopped for a short wander around the historic town. The town centre and surrounding area has heaps of Heritage Listed sites. According to Wikipedia it was founded in 1870 when gold was first discovered. Its gold production became uneconomic in the 20th Century, so it died down a bit. Recent mining exploration however has resulted in a bit of a re-birth. It has been estimated that there now exists more gold underground in the area than the total removed during the Gold Rush in Australia. Citigold Corporation Limited is the key player in CT's mining game with gold being mined from two major deposits. It plans to open three more mines directly under the city and expects to extract gold at the rate of 250,000 ounces per year. If we'd had more time we would have spent a couple of days in the area - not to worry there's always next time!

                                                     Main Street at Charters Towers

We were back on the road by 2.30, continuing on the Gregory Dev Rd which turned into a lovely wide, smooth highway South of CT. Our aim was the Cape River Rest Area, 112 km further on. When we arrived there it was right on the highway which had become much busier with a fair bit of road train activity. Balyando Crossing was only another 85 km South, so we continued on, hoping to find a spot further off the road. We arrived at Balyando Roadhouse with 22 litres of fuel left in the Beast, filled him up (at $2.05/litre would you believe!), and paid $15 for an unpowered site right down the back near the dry creek bed. It was quite a pretty place - very basic with a lovely bushy 'outback' feel. By 6pm we were sitting out in the 30 degree dusk awaiting the full moon to rise. We had knocked off over  650 km for the day - one of our biggest yet in over 6 months of travel!

                                                 Camp at Balyando

Saturday we planned for around 300 km, unsure of whether we would overnight at Emerald, where we had been several months ago, or Bundoora Dam. The latter would add fifty or so kilometers to our overall trip and meant we would bypass Emerald on a road we weren't sure of. We decided we would have a chat with the locals at Capella to get the low-down on the dam before making a decision.

Clermont was the first town on-route - 166 kilometers south of Balyando. We hit the road at 8.15 in beautiful weather and cruised along comfortably until some fifty or so kilometers out of Clermont. Without warning the road turned into an invisible roller-coaster that just about saw us airborne. The Beast stabilized itself with no drama and Brian backed off on the speed. The dips in the road, however, worsened and we got lurched around a few more times before eventually slowing down to 80kph and accepting a safe, but still rolling ride. As we came around a bend in the road approaching Clermont a huge mullock heap loomed ahead of us out of the flat landscape. Coal mining is apparently the town's economic mainstay and Clermont serves as a hub for the mines in the area. This was one of the big ones! We stopped in the small main street for a walk around to explore and take photos of some colorful murals. We also had really nice coffee and cake.

                                The mullock heap went for miles - conveyor on the left

Capella was sixty kilometers further South. The Gregory's road surface  became smooth and even again, thank goodness. We called into the local newsagency to ask about Bundoora Dam and were advised the road out to it and then on to meet the Capricorn Highway just past Blackwater was good. Also the dam was a great spot to camp. Decision made - we would bypass Emerald. The dam is owned by Capricorn Mines and is largely known of and used by locals rather than tourists. We initially drove straight past the access track and had to double back. There was no signage at all and if it hadn't been for the explicit detail in 'Camps 7' we would never have found it. When we did it was a hive of activity.

Queensland school holidays had started the day before and there were tents and caravans set up all along the foreshore. The dam was alive with power boats, skiers, jet skis and kids playing in the shallows. We found ourselves a spot back from the water with lovely views, left the caravan hitched to the Beast and kicked back for a relaxing afternoon. It was quite hot so James spent most of his time in the water. Doggy heaven! It cooled toward evening so at dusk we lit a fire and immersed ourselves in the environment. Tomorrow we would be back on the coast dealing with traffic lights, caravan parks and suburbia. Monday Brian would be flying out of Rockhampton to attend his father's funeral in Leongatha (Victoria) on Wednesday.