Blog 48 - 24th August to 6th September 2014

Sunday 24th August - we leave St George this morning, after chatting to several other travellers - including one who tells Di about "doodle art", where you draw a shape then fill it with doodlings. We drive north to Surat and have a quick look around, before turning east towards Tara where we stop for lunch. The roads out in this area are really effected by the black soil moving around over the years, and the tar roads are some of the worst we have ever encountered. Just before we get to Dalby, we turn-off to Lake Broadwater and set-up our camp besides the lake

- but unfortunately it is cold and wet - not warm and sunny. We go for a wander along the shore and collect firewood for a cold evening.

Monday 25th - after a hot shower and then some brekkie, we pack again, and drive into Dalby. We continue out the other side of town, and take the turn-off to Bunyah Mountains, which becomes a very steep and winding road - not suitable for trucks, buses, caravans or trailers - but we drive up it anyway - 1st gear for quite a lot of it. After several months of dry and dusty desert landscapes, we are now in lush rainforest and on top of a mountain. We camp at Dandabah and go for a short 4km walk through the forest

and out to a lookout

- then have scones and coffee at the cafe. A bloody cold night, and you cannot have fires here - bummer.

Tuesday 26th - after a slow start watching all the birds

and wallabies fossicking for a feed, we drive a bit further along the mountain range to do a few more walks. We first stop at Paradise to walk to some waterfalls, and then continue to Westcott to walk to Koondaii lookout for great views off to the west.

Back to camp at Dandabah for lunch, and then a relaxing afternoon. Another freezing night without a fireplace.

Wednesday 27th - we pack the camper and head towards Kingaroy, where we will stay with Bob and Paula, our friends who we met last year at the top of Cape York.

They have offered us a room in their brand new house for a few nights, and we are keen to catch-up with them. With lots of rain this morning, their front yard is a mud pit, and all red and gooey from the soil in the area. We chat for a while, and enjoy a wonderful dinner and some wine - it is great to catch-up.

Thursday 28th - Paula has made us all bacon and eggs for breakfast. And Bob has devised a plan where he will get me working in the garden with him for several hours. We make some garden beds and move some soil - not hard work, but easier with 2 of us doing it. Di goes for a short walk around the area, and decides that Bob and Paula have one of the nicest houses, and certainly the best view over the Bunyah Mountains. Di cooks minestrone soup for dinner, and we polish off another bottle of red.

Friday 29th - scrambled eggs for breakfast today, then some more work in the garden, before a nice healthy lunch. Then it is time for us to leave, and we say our goodbyes - it was wonderful to see them both again, and we will keep in contact. We head north just up the road to Wondai - the annual show and rodeo is on tomorrow and after 17 months, we have not yet been to a rodeo. We decide to camp at the caravan park in town, and go to the RSL club for dinner and to watch the footy.

Saturday 30th - after brekkie and a hot shower, we make our way to the showgrounds and pay our $10 entry fee and get our wrist band. Right near where we park the car, they are having chainsaw racing, so we watch a few heats, where each competitor has to cut 3 slabs from within a 4 inch section - 1 up, 1 down, and 1 starting in the middle then up and down.

Each competitor is assessed for keeping within the bands, and also having complete slabs - very funny to watch, but also very quick. We wander around the stalls, past the rides, and into the exhibitions. First were the chickens, in all shapes and sizes you could imagine. Then the cows and bulls, and then to the dog show, where again, all shapes and sizes were on display. Then the art and crafts exhibitions, the minibike jumping team put on a show,

the wood-turning and carving, and the band playing while we had some lunch. Then back to see some more chainsaw racing, this time with a vertical log, and they get 30 seconds to cut slabs off the top, but they must all remain stacked on top of each other - the winner got 21 complete slabs in the time. Back to town to relax for a bit, and to rug up with more warm clothes before heading out to the rodeo. We got there just after 6.30pm and managed to get a seat in the stands. Just after 7.00pm the event got underway, firstly with the young guys, and then more experienced as the night went on. How you convince anyone to sit on the back of an angry bull is beyond me - you have to be crazy to start with!!!! Mind you, the rodeo clowns aren't much better - their job is to distract the bulls from going after the riders when they get thrown off.

 Several guys got injured, with the ambo's attending several times for the worst of them. It was a really fun night, and something we had been meaning to see for a long, long time - great to actually see one in a small town.

Sunday 31st - last day of winter, and we need to be in Maroochydore tomorrow afternoon, so we head off east towards the coast. We go through Murgon, and then Gympie, where we have some lunch. Then we find a free spot a bit further south at Kandanga, where we camp on the grass for the night. A short walk around town before dinner, then we sit around the communal fireplace chatting with other campers into the evening.

Monday 1st Sept - we leave Kandanga, and drive to the Sunshine Coast via some back roads, and also via Maleny, which we really liked last year. We stop at a lookout with magnificent views over the Glasshouse Mountains,

and then into town for a coffee and to visit some art galleries. We arrive at Travelander mid-afternoon to get a new mattress and get a few other minor things fixed, and then head off to the Glasshouse Mountains caravan park for the night.

Tuesday 2nd - over the last 2 days, I had noticed the brakes on the car were not working well, and knowing the pads were getting very low, we booked in to get them fixed at Warwick that afternoon. So we left the Glasshouse area and went west to Kilcoy, and then south around Lake Sommerset,

before driving besides Lake Wivenhoe (which flooded Brisbane several years ago). Then through Gatton and Lowood and down to Warwick where we dropped the camper at the caravan park and then took the car back to get new brakes. While they fitted the front set, we wandered around town, had a late lunch, and went to the info centre and art gallery. Back to camp for a very cold night, but we settled into the camp kitchen which was quite a bit warmer.

Wednesday 3rd - up early to have the car back to the mechanics by 7.00am, and then a brisk run across town back to camp. We waited around for many hours, and after lunch we got the car back and paid the bill. We leave town at 2.00pm and drive to Tooloom Falls via Killarney - very windy road, and very few flat sections - both up and down hill, and also very bumpy again. And finally into NSW.

We camp in a great spot with the falls only about 100 metres away. We collect wood for the fire, and settle in close to it on another cold night.

Thursday 4th - today we go out exploring the area, leaving the camper set-up at the falls. We drive to Urbenville, then Woodenbong, and then along the Falls Drive. We stop at Browns Falls and go for a 600 metre walk along the creek. Next stop is a lookout at the top of Daggs Falls, before we continue to the carpark at Queen Mary Falls. We decide to do the 2km walk down to the base of the falls,

and then back up and walk across the top of the falls back to the car and to the cafe for lunch - lots of birds feeding just out the front. Next stop is Carr's Lookout, with amazing views out over the valley.

Back through Rathdowney and past Mount Lindsay (with smoke from some burning off),

and Woodenbong, and back to camp - we collect some wood along the way for tonights fire. A really nice day spent exploring and seeing some awesome places.

Friday 5th - we leave Tooloom Falls, and head towards Kyogle, where we each get haircuts, buy some scones and cake, and I get a red, white and blue footy jersey of the Kyogle Turkeys - very similar to Sydney Roosters (go the chookies!!!). We then take Di to the hospital to have a tick removed from her back (eeewwww, yuck). Next stop was Nimbin, where we had some lunch. Then onto Mullumbimby where we set-up camp at the showground for 2 nights. We go into town to do some shopping. Lots more winding, steep roads today, but beautiful scenery.

Saturday 6th - another day exploring, this time we drive north to Tweed Heads, and then wind our way back down the coast to Ballina. It is our first time seeing the ocean in many months (and lots and lots of red dirt!!!) We park at the lookout at Rainbow Bay

and then to Fingal Bay to the lighthouse. Then to Brunswick Heads where we wandered through the markets and had lunch in town. Then to Byron Bay, and up to the lighthouse - great views over the coast, but really windy.

 

Continued down the coast along the back roads to Ballina, and then back along the highway to Mullumbimby. Another nice day exploring small towns and areas we usually just rush past to get to somewhere.

Tomorrow we will hopefully keep heading south (depends on the rain) and then maybe go inland to continue explorng - there are still so many places in NSW we have not been to.

More to come soon.

Di and Hammo