27th June to 17th July 2012

27^th June 2012

We had another trip into Mackay to have our car battery (main starter battery) replaced as the old one is showing distinct signs of being on its last legs and is about 4.5 years old so we can’t complain.  We went to Mackay in order to replace it with the same model AC Delco battery in the hope that it serves us as well as the last one.  Whilst in Mackay we also acquired a Digiframe scanner to make scanning easier without having to retrieve our scanner/printer from under our bed.  We can save it to a USB flash drive until we need to get the printer out.  When the printer/scanner dies we will buy a much smaller printer only which will make life a lot easier for storage in the caravan.

30^th June 2012

Barry assisted Mark and Jeane to unload a trailer full of pavers that they had been fortunate enough to get for nothing from someone they know in Salonika who simply wanted rid of them.

1^st July 2012

Barry assisted Mark and Jeane to collect two more trailer loads of pavers and unload in their garden.  Mark did a rough count of one trailer load which amounted to 360 so we estimate that they must have collected in excess of 1080 plus an extra four rows on the last trailer load that amounted to 48 plus 280 in the back of the ute.  All together we loaded and unloaded at least 1408 pavers.  Barry could be presented with the design and locations of where to lay the pavers when we return there in the last week of September to look after the place whilst they are on leave in Adelaide.

2^nd July 2012

We left Mark and Jeane’s place for the last time on this occasion and headed for Home Hill Comfort Stop where we stopped for 2 nights on our previous trip to the Atherton Tablelands. As we left we realised that the caravan brake’s control unit wasn’t working properly and was not seated in its cradle.   Barry re-seated the unit but it still didn’t register that the van was connected.  We decide to proceed cautiously and have an auto electrician check it out in Mackay  but were soon having to make a serious stopping event and nearly didn’t because the car brakes were trying to stop 5 tonnes instead of 2.5 tonnes with no help from the van brakes.  We pulled into a convenient parking area alongside a motel/bottle shop and Barry had another attempt at repair with some success.  It now operates the van brakes as designed but doesn’t indicate whether the caravan is connected or not.  The only people that could have messed with it are the Nissan mechanics in Mackay despite not having any reason to do so.  We have told them that we are not too pleased but haven’t had a reply yet.

3^rd July 2012

We left Home Hill and crossed the Burdekin River via the Silver Link Bridge which is quite a spectacular bridge, and headed for Innisfail.  We parked up for the day at the rest stop on the junction of the Bruce Highway and the Palmerston Highway in the exact same spot as on our stop here last year.  On the recommendation of the woman in the Visitors Centre we drove out to Flying Fish Point to the cafe for fish and chips but we can’t recommend it to others. We also noticed that one caravan tyre was looking rather soft so Barry pumped it up with the under bonnet compressor in the hope that was all that was needed.

4^th July 2012

We found the tyre completely flat this morning so Barry put the spare on and took the offending tyre into Innisfail where it was repaired and has now become our spare.  We then moved on to a Memorial Park free campsite 10kms north of Atherton and about 15kms from tomorrows destination Camping grounds at Granite Gorge near Mareeba where we will set up our van and the tent for Richard, Jack and Rory to join us again for their school holidays.  They fly into Cairns on Saturday which gives us a couple of days to sort everything out before they get here.

5^th July 2012

We found that up here on the Atherton Tablelands is very cold with a biting wind so have decided to rearrange our original idea of staying at Granite Gorge and moved back down to Innisfail which is significantly warmer.  The pump that moves our water from the tanks to the taps has decided to play up so we now have to find somewhere for spare parts or replacement as required

6^TH July 2012

Now that we are back in Innisfail it has chosen to rain which lives up to its nickname of Rain City but according to the weather reports it is raining everywhere along the coast.  After the rain stopped Barry removed the water pump and disassembled it to check the diaphragm and pressure switch but found nothing wrong, but at least he now knows how it works and what spares may be needed in the future.  He discovered that the water wasn’t getting to the pump because one air vent to the top of the tanks was blocked stopping air entering the tank.  If no air goes in then the water can’t come out but once he had cleared that everything worked okay.  It is unfortunate that the pump is mounted in a difficult access position under the bed.

7^th July 2012 collect them

We set up the tent and beds in readiness for Richard and the kids and in the afternoon drove to Cairns airport to collect them.  It rained for the whole of the return journey and into the night.

8^th July 2012

 It has rained all day and into the night again plus water is getting into the tent from below because of a puddle forming in the uneven concrete pad that we placed it on.

 9^th July 2012

During a slight break in the constant drizzle we moved the tent to another complete pad behind our van which has solved the water problem and also placed a large over the centre section of the tent and extended out over the doorway to provide a dry-ish area for them to remove their shoes before tramping mud into the tent.

10^th July 2012

We took a chance on the weather being slightly better elsewhere so packed a lunch and drove 146kms to Innot Hot Springs so that the kids could swim in warm water which kept them occupied for several hours.  On the way back we turned in to Millstream Falls and felt the volume of water going over the Falls was greater than when we last saw them after rain last year.  As we descended from the table lands past Millaa Millaa we were fortunate enough to have a Cassowary wander across the road ahead of us and wait long enough to have its photo taken.  It was the first time Richard and the kids had seen one in the wild, and our second time.  We heard on the news in the evening that Innisfail now holds the State record for the highest rainfall in July since records began with 145mm in the a 24 hour period.  That was achieved with rain all day followed by torrential rain all night.

11^th July 2012

Last night continued the rain pattern although reduced, and is still raining today.

12^th July 2012

The weather has cleared slightly which allowed Richard and the kids to go to the Innisfail Annual Show in the afternoon

13^th July2012

We drove through to Granite Gorge where we were supposed to be camping with Richard and the kids and they were suitably impressed and payed to stay there for the final week of the holiday despite having already paid for that week in Innisfail.  It would be most unusual if they refund any of the money.  On the way back to Innisfail we drove through Lake Eacham National park in the hope of seeing some Musky Rat Kangaroos without success but the Lake was impressive and we did find a Red Bellied Black Snake, and we also called into the Curtain Fig Tree.  On arrival back in the camp we took the tent down whilst it was dry, in readiness for the move in 2 days time.

14^th July 2012

Taking the tent down worked well as it is raining again today which inspired a couple of games of Tenpin Bowling and then made a start to pack up the campsite prior to tomorrow’s departure.  Much to our surprise the park owners did refund a sizeable amount of our payment covering the next week proving that some park owners are reasonable despite being business people.

15^th July 2012

We finalised the packing and moved up to the tablelands with a stop at Malanda for Breakfast in the Dairy/Visitor centre and then at the Malanda Falls before heading for Granite Gorge near Mareeba.  By the time the camp was set up it was getting late so we drove the long way round into Mareeba for a meal but managed to find the short way back.

16^th July 2012

We drove into Mareeba Visitor Centre to check out the Historical Walk that takes you through the coal mining period that ended with a gas explosion killing 74 people, and explained the building of Tinaroo Dam to form the Tinaroo Lake that we camped alongside when we were on the Tablelands last year.  It was built to irrigate the Tobacco industry that developed in the Mareeba area and now irrigates the sugar cane, mangoes and banana crops.  And also includes a small heritage village.

17^th July 2012

We drove out to Karanda for the kids to see the Barron Falls which unfortunately was not in full flow because they had not received as much rainfall as Innisfail, but was still good and had a train pull in at the viewing station as we arrived.  We then took them to another lookout with a view to Cairns and the coast before moving into the Karanda towns to visit the Butterfly Park.  After lunch in the town’s central park, Richard and the kids went to the Bird Park whilst we wandered through the Heritage Market before driving to the Wildlife Park but it was decided that it was far too expensive for the benefit of feeding a few Wallabies and Roos which we can do at Granite Gorge on a daily basis for no cost.

13th June to 26th June 2012

13^th June 2012

Our first leisurely day at Mark and Jeane’s allowed Barry the opportunity to do a few little jobs on the caravan and help Mark dig some post holes for a ‘sleeper’ wall to create tiers in the vegie garden.

15^th June 2012

We drove into Mackay to have our cracked windscreen replaced which was long overdue as it also had a couple of chips in it and was quite sandblasted which split up headlights and direct sunlight, but a crack appeared after being hit by a stone in Emerald.

17^th June 2012

Barry moved a load of rocks to the culvert in the driveway ready to help Mark build a stone wall up to the culvert buttress where the bank is being eroded away.  The cement mixer is electric so we will take our generator down the driveway to run it.

19^th June 2012

The car went in for its 120,000km service and bought some more LED lights for the caravan which has now completed the change of lights in all of the main fittings so now the 9 LEDs use 16 watts whereas the original Quartz Halogen lights used 54 watts if they are all on at the same time.  That rarely happens, as we usually only have the kitchen/dining area lights on so the draw on the battery will now only be 6 watts when we use the free camp sites with no power.  The LEDs are much brighter and brighter than the originals and give a white light rather than a yellowish light so the lighting is much improved despite the lower current draw. We collected the car in the afternoon and were informed that there are some jobs that needed doing that will cost about $2000 if we let them do it, so Barry well do much of it himself.

20^th June 2012

We rose early to visit the local Pathology clinic for our annual blood tests to keep a check on our progress.  After a late breakfast Barry helped Mark with the stonework wall under the culvert and at the end of the day it looked pretty good, which is more than we can say about the cement mixer that fell of the trailer on the way back to the house.

22^nd June 2012

Barry went with Mark to Mackay and bought replacement brake pads for our car which cost a total of $150 for both front and rear brakes whereas Nissan wanted $185 just for the front pads.  In the afternoon we both went with Mark to Sarina Golf Club for a round of golf. We both played extremely badly as a result of a year’s break since our last game, however, the course is a really good challenge and a good hard 5.5kms walk with several steep hills to negotiate.  We both ended up fairly exhausted with aching legs.

 23rd June 2012

Jeane went to a garage sale in Salonika and came home with a garden chair which Barry modified and fitted onto their ride on mow in place of the original uncomfortable broken down one.  The seat is now slightly higher, further back and has a high backrest and is much more comfortable and convenient for Jeane’s long legs.  Barry was going to replace the brake pads on the car but the weather wasn’t really good enough to do it outside as the car is too high to go into the garage.

24^th June 2012

Once again the weather isn’t suitable for working on the car as there is s biting cold wind along with persistent drizzle.

25^th June 2012

The wind has gone and by the afternoon the drizzle had stopped as well so Barry replaced the rear brake pads.  Once the first wheel and calliper were off it started drizzling again but the commitment had been made so Barry completed the job before coming inside completely soaked.

26^th June 2012

Once again the weather looked acceptable so Barry proceeded to replace the front brake pads but once again the weather turned sour and rained reasonably hard but again the commitment had been made and the job was finished even though the water that ran down from the house accumulated in a puddle right where Barry was working on the first wheel.  The rain eventually stopped whilst he did the second wheel and all brakes are now fitted with new pads with a total cost of $150 compared with Nissan’s quote of around $700 fitted.

26^th May 2012

The rain has gone but it is still cold.  We drove out to Brindabella Nursery Rose Gardens to see the gardens that weren’t exactly at its best but still colourful. 

We returned to the caravan for lunch and then left Foxy at home and visited the Cobb & Co Museum which is an excellent display of carriages of all shapes and size.  It also has a blacksmith school for interested folk to learn the skills of wrought iron work and a workshop actively making wooden wagon wheels and carriages.  From there we intended going to the Japanese Gardens attached to the University, but diverted for another photo opportunity at Picnic Point Lookout as it is a brighter day. 


 This achieved we departed for the Japanese Gardens which are really delightful but still not as good as the one in Dubbo.  There was an array of autumn colour from the deciduous trees and plenty of reflections in the Lake with its numerous bridges and Bonsai trees.

27^TH May 2012

Down to 3 degrees last night but we survived to enjoy a warm pleasant day with a drive to the infamous Wivenhoe Dam via Esk.  We stopped off at the Hampton Visitor centre for more information on the Dam and also stopped off at a Gus Beutels Lookout on the way.  We stopped at a park and had our picnic lunch in Esk after driving through the town to see if it had anything special to take a photo of but nothing showed. The Dam has picnic areas on both sides but neither offer descent views of the Dam wall or the slipway, and the view across the lake was very ordinary.  There was a sign to the slipway viewing area but it was barricaded off, so we assume it was damaged during the January floods. The dam is unlike the usual concave concrete wall as it is a rock embankment 2.3 metres long with concrete spillways through it.  It is designed to hold 1.16million megalitres of water for urban use and then has the capacity to hold a further 1.42 million megalitres of flood water to as a measure to stop Brisbane flooding.  Further upstream is Somerset Dam that also holds back flood water which has a controlled release to Wivenhoe Dam which has controlled release to maintain the Brisbane River. The Dam was completed 1984 as a result of previous floods and had been successful until the excessive rain during the 28 days prior to 6^th January which came close to the dam level which has built-in fuses that break out and let water through when the water reaches that height.   After that the wall is designed to collapse which would be interesting from a distance.  The trip to the Dam was not really worth the effort, or fuel, but was a pleasant drive circuitous drive through the Lockyer valley.  It also gave Foxy a short walk at both the Lookout and the Dam, which were both ‘No Dog’ areas so she enjoyed them all the more.

28th May 2012

On odd occasions, and only at night, the flick type tap on our kitchen sink leaks water across the work surface so Barry removed it and inspected the seals which appear to be okay but are nearly 3 years old and therefore must be worn to some extent.  We visited a Reece plumbing shop in the hope of acquiring a seal kit but being a no-name brand they couldn’t sensibly match it.  It was no pointless contacting Jayco as they change their fittings according to where they can find the best prices to keep their costs done. Consequently we bought a new tap that we know we can replace the seals in, which also has a slightly shorter swivel spout that is less intrusive over the sink.  We also bought a pair of braided hose extenders so Barry has re-routed the inlet hoses and moved the filter that goes to the drinks tap so that it and the inlet and outlet hose are all in one group which has provide much more storage space in the under sink cupboard.

29^th May 2012

We drove to the State Rose Gardens in Newtown Park which was not the best time for viewing roses but the general layout was good and still provoked a few photos as some of the roses were bravely hanging on.  We followed this up with the recommended heritage walk around the Newtown suburb which frankly was just a 40 minute walk past a lot of old houses.  The ones of note according to the literature were the ones in the worst state of repair with several that should be demolished.  We continued with a recommended drive to view more points of interest which also amounted to very little as most of the houses were in the middle of huge land blocks and screened by foliage so gave up and returned to the showgrounds.

31^st May 2012

We took a longer drive today to Dalby because the Navman was having a bad hair day but we did make it via a nondescript route through the middle of nothing.   We stopped in Dalby for more information from the Visitor Centre and then walked around the surrounding park and water feature before continuing on to the Bunya Mountains via Bell.  The road through the mountain national park was quite narrow and very twisty and steep inn places. And we eventually arrived at a parking area that offered a variety of walks with one offering several waterfalls.  We had Foxy with us so we didn’t do any of them plus the threat of rain was a put off as well but we have decided to move to the Kingeroy area when we leave Toowoomba and return for the Bunya Mountain Waterfall trip from there without Foxy.  We also decided to drive on to Perseverance Dam and Cressbrook Lake before heading home which would save another long trip.  The Dam was nothing to write about and the Lake only offered boating and picnic facilities which were not going to be used today because of the miserable weather.   The down side to this was the $2.50 per car entry fee for a quick look around, but during that time we did get some photos of kangaroos and deer which we have not seen in the wild before

1^st June 2012

This morning Barry walked up to one of the many venues within the showgrounds and took photos of numerous old motorbikes that apparently belonged to a collector whose family knew nothing about it.  Since his death they have found these bikes under cover in a shed and have put them up for auction in the showgrounds.  We both attended the auction towards its end and heard one bike sell for $35,000 and then watched the prize pickings sell for $160,000.  It was an Indian motorcycle that was successfully used to break the world land speed record in 1914 for under 1000cc sized engines.  It used a ‘V’ twin cylinder engine with 4 valves per cylinder, which in those days was a major engineering feat, and held the record for 40 years.  A plastic box about the size of a milk crate that was half full of Indian motorcycle literature sold for $750.

2^nd June 2012

The rain has returned along with some wind but the showground has provided some local entertainment with a model train exhibition that kept us occupied for more than 1.5 hours.  There was at least a dozen displays by both individuals and clubs and covered several rail gauges with some displays using several simultaneously  in mock mine sites, etc.  Our only complaint was that most of it depicted USA or UK scenarios rather than an Australian flavour.  The most impressive display that covered the largest area and also had the biggest gauge was created completely with Lego, and therefore the most colourful, and appealing to the kids.  There was also a small active display of Fair equipment, rather than trains, created with Meccano which also had a plea for more Meccano at any price as it is hard to find these days.   Some displays were replicas of specific railway stations along with same scale cars and buildings and one really clever display was of a London underground station.  Our estimate is that many of the displays would have cost many thousands of dollars to build, but most serious hobbies cost a fair bit of money.  Many of the train engines cost in excess of $200, then there is the cost of the carriages, track, trees, cars and buildings and the boards and trestles to build it on, and the space to do it.  One sideshow attraction that really impressed us was a guy drawing pictures on pieces of Pine wood by burning it on with a soldering iron and then sealing it with 2 pack epoxy resin.  Whilst it looked easy it would need a steady hand and lots of practise to achieve the shading that creates the sense of perspective, just as you would with a pencil, and it probably helps if you are naturally artistic.   We had intended walking around the city centre to photograph some of the attractive buildings but the weather has put a stop to that idea.

3^rd June 2012

We were supposed to move out today but this morning’s weather is no better than yesterday so have decided to enjoy the wet conditions here rather than somewhere else.  In the afternoon the weather improved well enough to take the city centre walk that we missed out on yesterday, which included the better architecture and parks.

4^th June 2012

The weather is now better than was forecast so we moved on to Kingaroy with a photo stop at Nanango and on to the small township of  Kumbia where we intended stopping for the night at a freebee park but when we arrived it was full and so was the local caravan park.  We backtracked 17km to another freebee place beside a river and settled for the night.  In the morning we returned to Kumbia which was now almost empty and set up the camp.  We then headed off to do the promised walk in the Bunya Mountains and called in at the resort/restaurant for lunch.   We chatted with some other people whilst eating our lunch and were told about an interesting church in Bell and when we returned to the car we decided visit this church instead of doing the walk as the temperature was very cold with a bitter wind.  It had been 3 degrees overnight.  On the way we stopped to admire the scenery a few times either at lookouts or simply by stopping in the road, and included one stop to try and capture a photo of a wedge tailed eagle in flight but without success.  When we arrived at Kumbia we realised it was the same place we had stopped at for lunch on our previous trip to the mountains but we hadn’t visited the church despite being impressed with the building as a funeral was in progress.  The building looks very similar to many small country churches but has been painted yellow and attracts attention and the inside has been decorated with biblical murals between the windows and behind the altar and present a beautiful visual delight even to non-believers like Barry.  There is also a really beautiful biblical garden attached to the church.

6^th June 2012

Last night the temperature was much better at 4 degrees plus the wind has gone so there is less chill factor.  We went back to the Bunya Mountains for a second attack at one or some of the walks despite finding on arrival that despite the warmer weather the mountain tops were still within the clouds making things a bit damp.  We tackled the Barkers Creek Lookout circuit which took us to the base of Paradise Falls and then on to the base of Little Falls followed by Big Falls and Barkers Lookout, the last two being a waste of time as the falls was a long way away across the other side of the valley, and the small amount of water that came over the falls made it hard to spot, and the lookout offered nothing.  There wasn’t a lot of water at any of the falls as being at the top of the mountain there isn’t much catchment area for them, and none were really long drops other than Big Falls, but they all had their individual appeal.   We also passed a few small un-named falls on the remaining circuit back to the car.  After that 5.2km walk we drove to the picnic area and had our lunch before setting off on the Scenic Circuit which took us to Tim Shea’s Falls and on to Pine Gorge Lookout which had a Power Station in the distance, and then on to Festoon Falls which was on a short offshoot track.  We then finished the 4km circuit back to the car and another cuppa before heading home. 

7^th June 2012

We packed up and headed in the general direction of Monto and eventually camped at Coominglah range rest area which is nothing special but free.

8^th June 2012

We moved on to Biloela with the intention of heading towards Rockhampton to join the Bruce Highway to Sarina to meet up with Mark and Jeane again before heading to the Atherton Tablelands again.  However, at Biloela we changed direction and made for Emerald but stopped at Rolleston as that is the nearest dog friendly Caravan Park to the Carnarvon Gorge despite being 100km away.

9^th June 2012

Because of the national park problem foxy was left at home whilst we drove to the Carnarvon Gorge and walked to the Moss Garden which is quite a picturesque area including a small waterfall.  To get there we had to cross the river via stepping stones twice and a third time to get back to the main track to continue on to Ward’s Canyon.  To get to this canyon required crossing the river on stepping stones another two times and several more kilometres but was well worth the effort.  The canyon is very beautiful and narrow with a small stream running through it to a small waterfall on the way in.  The return journey naturally required the two river crossings, plus the final crossing before reaching the carpark area.  The overall walk was about 10kms including quite a few steps both up and down.  The Carnarvon Gorge should be nearly as high on peoples’ agendas as the Karijini Gorges despite the remoteness of both and if possible spend about 3 days to see all there is.

10^th June 2012

We returned to Carnarvon Gorge to check out Baloon Cave which is really only an overhang with some interesting rock colouring and a small area of aboriginal art.  We moved on to Mickey Creek Gorge which is an off shoot prior to actually getting into Carnarvon Gorge which also has its own offshoot Warrumbah Gorge.  We walked along Mickey Creek Gorge as far as we could go, including several creek crossings, which was quite a way after the official track ended but it wasn’t particularly good.   We backtracked to the offshoot Gorge and again the official track ended within 600 metres but we continued on for quite a way with more water crossings until we came to the bit we really wanted to see.  Here the gorge became very narrow and difficult to pass along a narrow ledge whilst negotiating a bulging piece of rock from the side wall.  Barry’s legs wouldn’t fold up sufficiently to allow him to get past but Merry managed to progress for quite a way into the narrowing gorge until she could almost touch both sides simultaneously.   On our return to the car we headed homeward but stopped at a campsite with a restaurant for a late lunch but the pathetic lack of service and extreme pricing decided us to leave and go home for an early dinner.

11^th June 2012

Having given Carnarvon Gorge a pretty good going over, although the is more to see if you can walk the extra distance which really requires a stay at the campground or resort so you have the extra time to allow it.  We couldn’t do that because they don’t take dogs so we had to travel 100km each way from Rolleston which makes the amount of walking too short to reach the far end of the gorge.  With going back for a second trip to the offshoot gorges we were using up a lot of fuel but we got to see  a fair bit and managed about twelve stepping stone crossing without incident.  There were also three creek crossings to negotiate in order to get there and adding to the excitement and just after the first one is the remains of an American Dakota that crashed on the way from Darwin to Brisbane in an electrical storm killing 5 Americans and 14 Australian army and air force personnel.  We packed up and moved on to Emerald for a night prior to what should be the final push to Mark and Jeanne’s in Sarina.  We took a stroll round Emerald town centre to photograph the ‘Art work’ and railway station before strolling around the very ordinary Botanic Gardens alongside the river which is currently at a high level and fast flowing.

12^th June 2012

We started out on our push to Sarina with travel stop at the small town of Capella which was brought about by the memorial statue of the Light Horse brigade ‘emu’ Squad, so named because of the emu feather in their hats.  It has two large backing plates of steel with Horse riders cut out to let the light through, both slightly curved around the main 3 dimensional life size figure of horse and man standing together, all within a well kept circular garden which in turn was part of the park walk through the town.  Our next lunch stop was in a roadside rest area alongside a coal mine entrance before driving of the Sarina Range to Sarina and our destination for the day.  We could see immediately that Mark and Jeane have made some very significant improvements to their property with fencing across the vegie patch several more flower beds all edge with large diameter rope from the tugs that Mark works on.  Mark’s father had visited and built a small pond at the front of the house which attracts the birds.

9th may to 25th May 2012

9^th May 2012

We did some necessary shopping in the morning and drove 60 odd kilometres along the Cunningham Highway to see what the Cunningham Gap was all about.  However, we turned off a bit before we got there to check out Spicer’s Gap and the Governor’s Chair.  Both of these Gaps are chosen routes for the bullocks and carts to travel through the Great Dividing Range with Spicer’s Gap chosen to be the safer way.  Even then they had to drag tree trunks behind the carts to slow them down on the highly dangerous descents, whereas at the Cunningham Gap the carts had to be lowered on ropes.  Governor’s Chair was the name given to the rock at the edge of a sheer drop that provides a view out across the valley, rather than something to sit on.  A short distance before the abrupt end to this road is Moss’s Well which is a small watering point for those that need it but looks like a flooded hole in the ground at the moment.  A short way before that is a campground alongside a pioneer’s cemetery that now only contains a cairn in remembrance of the pioneers as the area was burnt out in a bushfire.   We returned to the main road and continued to the Cunningham Gap expecting a Gap such as the on the approach to Alice Springs but that didn’t happen, it is just regular road through the mountains with only the odd spot that allows a view over the valley, but with nowhere to stop to enjoy it, and therefore very disappointing.  There is a picnic area part way down the descent which offers a few long distance walks which didn’t take as it was getting too late.  At Spicer’s Gap and this picnic area the Bell birds were very evident with their bell like calls, but there so many of them all around us that it was impossible to determine where any individual bird was to try and spot it.

11^th May 2012

We rose earlier than usual by arrangement and headed for the Great Dividing Range again via Boonah which is an old German founded town with a tree line town centre which is a one way street to create parking space that that you still have to be lucky to obtain.  We did manage to grab one but had a fair walk back through the town to a pleasant cafe for morning cuppa and muffin.   We continued on to the Waterfall route which took us up a very steep winding road which bans trucks, buses and caravans, and as we found out was very sensible.  We stopped a Carr’s lookout for while and few other unofficial spots to admire the views and then reached Queen Mary waterfall carpark and picnic spot.  We had our picnic lunch in the picnic spot despite being slightly early for us, and chatted with another couple having their lunch.  There is a short walking circuit at these falls one takes you around the cliff top and has a lookout platform on the carpark side of the falls that has been allowed to become overgrown in front of the falls so that you only see a small amount of the outer surface of the water.  However, this is close to a bridge across the river that lets you view the falls on the other side with a clear view of the complete drop from a viewing platform.  There is a second longer walk from the carpark that takes you down to the base of the falls via steps and a zigzag track.  There is a bridge across the river at the base which is in line with the spray from the falls so is not the best spot to stop and admire, or photograph, them from but is the best view.  It was here that Merry’s camera informed her that the battery had decided to give up, so she climbed back up to the carpark for her spare battery and then back down again. 

This single drop waterfall is on the Condamine River which eventually joins the Murray River that finds the sea in South Australia.  After crossing the bridge the track is just a longer, gentler slope to the second lookout prior to crossing the bridge and the short walk back to the carpark.  Alongside this bridge is a short unofficial track beside the river to a rather pretty pool with mini-falls dropping into it.  As always we took the longer 2km walk via the base as we prefer to see the base of the falls if we can and enjoy the workout it provides, and we get to see as much as possible despite the hard work.

We moved on along the road to a roadside parking area with a viewing platform to look at Dagg’s Falls which were very similar to Queen Mary Falls in as much as it is also single drop and on the same river, but there was no way down to the base.  This only took a few minutes and we moved on to another parking area with picnic tables and BBQ facilities associated with Brown’s falls.  This involved walking through a tunnel under the road alongside the creek and proceeded along the track past a sign recommending this track for ‘able bodied persons only’ until you are forced to cross the creek via stepping stone with water flowing over most of them and very slippery.  We managed this with wet feet by almost crawling and moved on around a bend only to find we now had to cross back via more stepping stones.  This time we found a convenient, broken tree branch to use as a stave to steady us as we crossed in two short stages. 

As we progressed along the side of the creek we came across some small pretty falls and eventually another creek crossing for access to the main fall.  This crossing was easier but required a bit of clambering over rocks, as did the final approach to the clear view of the fall that involved a lot of mud due to the spray.  The creek was probably fuller a week or so ago after the rainy spell which probably caused the mud initially but we clambered around it.  The falls is also a single drop and would have looked even better straight after the rain but getting there would be pretty gruelling.  As it was, for us it was a challenge but was well worth the effort although Merry came out with a bruised knee on one leg and some small cuts on the rear of the other which we suspect came from a slight tangle with a vine with spiteful thorns on it. 

13^th May2012

We went to the Amberley RAAF base and visited the Heritage Museum which is free and opens on the second Sunday of each month, or by arrangement for small groups.  It is home to a Boston that has been completely restored after being recovered from a swamp in New Guinea.  There are 2 hangars the first of which houses the twin prop Boston bomber, several helicopters, the front of an F-111 with steps to present a view into the open cockpit and numerous piston engines.  All exhibits have been restored to virtually new condition by dedicated RAAF volunteers, or retained from new.  The other hangar is more up to date with a Canberra Bomber, several jet fighters including a complete F-111 and more engines of the jet turbine type, including one from an F-111.

Outside there is a twin prop Caribou A4-236 troop carrier with the back open to allow internal access to the uncomfortable seating, the stainless steel cable that the troops clip their parachute ripcords to as they jump plus a view into the cockpit, and a Sabre jet fighter that still bears the damage incurred when it hit power cables whilst on a low flying mission and four F-111s.  There were TV screens in several areas showing video of the various planes in action during their wartime environment and plenty of visual displays.  It took us about 1.5 hours to check it all out and it was an interesting experience, and they are working towards enlarging it as they are currently restoring more planes, etc.  It was free, but in the final analysis, and if we could choose to revisit any of the aviation museums that we have visited so far regardless of entry costs, it would be Darwin, Perth and then Amberley.   

15^th May 2012

Earlier in the year we visited Brisbane and the South Bank and were impressed with the amount of restoration that had been achieved since the flood.  We went back today see the finished job as the ‘Beach” was still being rebuilt along with some of the pathways.  We drove out to Rosewood train station ‘Park & Ride’ and caught the train to Ipswich where we changed trains to continue the journey to Roma Street station where we changed trains again to go to South Bank.  The 35 km journey took 2 hours which somewhat amazed us with the train stopping at every station which seems be about every kilometre.   We walked from the far end of South Bank where the maritime museum is through along the path with the arches of bougainvillea that seem like a guard of honour to the little cafe strip for a coffee.  We left there and headed   to the nearby road to post a birthday card and then turned back to the waterside walk and kids’ water play area.  After taking a few photos we moved on to ‘The Beach’ which was now completed and being a reasonably pleasant day had a good number of people in bather sunbathing and swimming.  The night time temperatures in Brisbane have been around 9 degrees with 25 degrees during the day and this was getting on towards mid day.  The night time temperature in Ipswich was 2 degrees and the coldest May night in 6 years with a prediction of 1 degree for tonight.  

The Beach is basically on open air pool with several pronounced areas of varying depths and surrounded by sand to represent a beach as Brisbane is slightly inland.  Like seaside beaches, this beach has permanent lifeguards on duty along with the yellow flags.  It appears to be reasonably popular now despite being the early stages of winter so it should be as crowded as Bondi Beach in the summer.   We continued on past the Ferris wheel and entertainment centre and crossed the river to the pedestrian Mall precinct to do a bit of shopping, and go to the visitors centre for a town map.  We had decided to catch the train back to Rosewood from Brisbane Central station rather than return to the South Bank station as we where now on the other side of the river.  The map was required to help us find the station but the woman in the centre directed us anyway, and with that information in mind wandered through arcades and squares for a look around as we meandered toward the station.  We arrived in the station in perfect time to catch a train just before it departed for Ipswich where we changed again with only a short wait, so the return journey was quite a lot quicker with only one train change.  We actually spent more time travelling on the trains than we spent in Brisbane but we achieved what we wanted to see.

18^th May 2012

We drove out to Cunningham’s lookout which faces westward towards the gap before driving to Cunningham’s Gap, and at the peak turned into a parking area which offered a look at Cunningham’s monument and a choice of a 3.5km, a 9.5km or 1.5km walk.  We took the 1.5 km walk that took us on a circuit via a lookout that faces eastward.  After the short but pleasant walk we drove down the western side of the mountain to a picnic area where we had lunch whilst listening to the ringing sounds of the bell birds which are actually Bell Miners.  We then moved on to Mooganah Dam which is an extremely picturesque spot with barbeque facilities and a kiosk and allows access over the dam wall to 3km walk each way in the national park to the top of the mountain. 

The dam wall is quite big although we have seen much bigger but is still impressive, and although the water was not flowing over the spillway there was a pipe through the wall with a valve that was at least partially open spraying water out into the river below.  The river level is kept up to a predetermined level by a weir about 0.5 km downstream which has a lower picnic area alongside the captive waterway.  We walked across the wall but didn’t do the mountain walk and then used the kiosk facility for something to go with our afternoon cuppa.  We then drove out to the lookout at Boonah that presents a great view out over the town and countryside.  The lookout is an attraction in its own right as it has an attractive foliage arch forming an entrance and includes a drinking fountain. 

21^st May 2012

We finalised the packing that we started yesterday and moved on to Warwick involving another trip along the Cunningham Highway and hauling the caravan over the Great Dividing Range.  The caravan park that we chose to stay at is our only option as it is the only one that allows dogs, and the road into it is at a lower level to the highway causing the bottom of the vans chassis to ground as we turned into it.  This dragged the pole carrier clamp backwards and destroyed the pole carrier bracket.  Fortunately we had a spare one so the afternoon was spent setting up the new camp and replacing the bracket instead of checking out the town.  The caravan park is very ordinary and as the road turned back to run parallel with the highway is subject to a lot of road noise, but fortunately we will only be here for a few days before heading northward for warmer temperatures.

22^nd May 2012

We drove down to the Condamine River to take a few photos of the river and the statues in the riverside park before moving on into the town centre and Visitor Centre for a heritage walk map. The river side has parkland on both sides with sports field behind that which is a change from the usual riverside properties hogging the view, but apparently the area is subject to significant flooding in the heavy rain period.   The town centre is very pleasant with tree lined streets which are beginning to change colour with the approach of winter.   There are also flower beds on all of the corners and roundabouts to compliment the tree colours and the sandstone buildings. 

The sandstone from the local quarry is hard sandstone and has a variety of attractive coloured bands running through it.  We did the town centre walk to see the sandstone buildings and then the outer walk for the outlying buildings, one of which used to be a convent and is now a stunning part of ‘Assumption School’.  We followed that up with a walk along one side of the river to the road bridge and along the other side back to the car, about 5kms all together.  To give us more time to enjoy the town we bought lunch at a coffee bar opposite the town park, and because all of the days’ activities allowed Foxy to enjoy them as well, we arrived back home with a happy, but weary dog.

23^rd May 2012

We packed up and moved out and joined the main road by exiting the caravan road on the wrong side of the road and turning to the right to avoid the hump that caused the damage on the way in.  We then called into a garage and took on a small amount of fuel but mainly to use the garage as a means of turning round to head for slightly warmer night time temperatures in Toowoomba  With being on the plateau  on the Great Dividing Range our barometer has changed from the high side of ‘Change’ (1016hpa) to well below ‘Stormy’ (950hpa) which should indicate a cyclone, despite there not being a cloud in the sky, so the atmospheric pressure has dropped considerably due to the extra height.  We are camping at the Toowoomba Showgrounds because it is the only place we can camp with a dog as all the regular caravan parks are ‘No pets’ but it is cheaper here so that is a slight bonus.  The ablution block is pretty ordinary so we will stick to our own ensuite and there is a reasonable view across a small lake.  The ground is on a two way slope which isn’t the best but manageable for a few days.

24^th May 2012

The night time temperature in Toowoomba are warmer but today the temperature is subdued by a bitter wind and we have been forced to put jumpers on for the first time in a long time.  We drove into town to the visitors centre for directions to several of the attractions that we have seen in their literature. 

We drove about 1km to Lake Annand which is an attractive man-made lake in the centre of a very pleasant park land with several bridges over the water and a variable height fountain at one end.  The trees in the park are starting to turn orange and red prior to dropping their leaves as it is that time of year and add colour to the scenery.  It was more sheltered in the park and we could remove our jumpers.  We then drove to Picnic Point Lookout that offers magnificent views of the Lockyer Valley where many lives were lost and townships destroyed during the floods.  There is a restaurant beside this lookout which was a convenient place, and time, for lunch which became our dinner as the meal was quite large.

25^th May 2012

The wind has dropped and given way to rain which is supposed to last all day but clear for the weekend

21st April to 6th May 2012

21^st April 2012

Finally we have started doing some of the tourist things with a trip to Haig Street Quarry Bushland where we were able to take a 2km walk with Foxy around an old disused quarry.  This was open bushland rather than rainforest with a large pond in what was the deepest part of the quarry pit.  At highest point of the track was lookout over the quarry with a distant view of the ‘Scenic Rim’ volcanic outcrop, which is basically the border with NSW, with the more distant Great Dividing Range behind them.

25^th April 2012

We celebrated Anzac Day with an hour long walk around Springfield Lake Park which appears to be a man-made lake on a water course with a rather expensive housing estate built around it.  A short part of the walk involved walking through some of the estate roads but most was either through bushland alongside the water course or around the lake itself.  There was also a fair sized shopping centre across the road.  The Amberley RAAF base had an open day but we didn’t go to it as you’re not allowed to take photographs so there wasn’t much point.  However, they did have one F18 doing numerous flyovers although it was quite high and still didn’t allow really clear shots of the plane due to the speed, but we did improve on what we had already achieved.

28^th April 2012

We had intended catching a bus and train into Brisbane and South Bank yesterday to see how much has been done with the rebuilding after their floods last year.  What we saw when we there late in the year was very impressive, however, the weather turn to wet and cold and not ideal for standing around at bus stops and train stations and walking along South Bank was not a good option.  The weather is currently worse in Brisbane than it is in Ipswich and is predicted to be much the same for the rest of the week so that trip and others might not happen.

30^th April 2012

The weather was reasonable once more so we drove into Ipswich with the intention of checking out the heritage buildings but Merry was given a medical appointment in the middle of the afternoon which interfered with the arrangement so we only got to pay a visit to Limestone monument opposite Queens Park.  This provided a good view out over the town before revisiting the Visitor Centre for more information.   Merry then attended her appointment which left little time for more site seeing, but we drove out to the small township of Rosewood to check on the car parking facility at the railway station as we feel that would be a better option for catching the train into Brisbane rather than using several buses just to get to the train station in Ipswich.  We don’t want to leave the car parked all day at the Ipswich Park and Ride area as we are led to believe it has a slightly bad reputation.

6^th May 2012

We now have cold nights and pleasant days so we went into Ipswich and took advantage of free Sunday parking to allow us to walk around the town to check the Heritage buildings and also  drive around to check on the highlighted, and impressive Queenslander houses.  With having to drive to various locations to view the houses and a couple of moves in town it all took about four hours, and gave us a reasonable walk.

2nd April to 20th April 2012

2^nd April 2012

It has been about 3 days since it last rained and we have been waiting this time to allow the Trachyte Circuit Track to dry out before we attempt it. Today is the day as it is another dry warm day but the track still has half a dozen wet areas but they were passable without any trouble or gathering mud.   The track is a 6.5 kilometre circuit which uses about 1 kilometre of the circuit track around the base of Mount Tibrogargan which we tackled about a week ago.  It is rated as a grade 4 track although we didn’t rate it as that difficult as it is reasonably flat with only a few hilly bits with loose gravel surfaces, and not many steps. 

About a third of the way round, there is a 100 metre diversion uphill and the bulk of the track's steps to Jack Ferris’s Lookout which offers a view of Mount Tibberoowuccum which you don’t get to see from anywhere else, with Mount Beerburrum in the background.  Whilst on the ‘Lookout’ we were actually standing on the bare Trachyte Rock that makes up the bulk of these volcanic remnants. 




The track meanders through plantation pine forest and natural open forest with “Golden Candlestick’ Banksia scattered amongst it.  It also hosts many 'scribble gums' so named because of the markings caused by ants, and also some very cancerous looking trees.  It is home to the Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo but we could only hear but not see them.





At about the two thirds of the circuit we came across a small fenced off area which at first we thought was an old mine shaft but may have been the entrance hole to the caves that are noted on the circuit map in the carpark.  Either way, this hole in the ground was full of water.  Further round the track we had to use stepping stones to cross Tibrogargan Creek a short distance before joining the base circuit track which returned us to the carpark.  We completed the trip including the diversion to the lookout in 2 hours and 10 minutes.   The part of the combined tracks that is close to Mount Tibrogargan is in a National Park so Foxy couldn’t accompany us on this walk even though we didn’t see any wild life, other than one individual that couldn’t work out which of the 3 car parks he had left his car in, and wanted to know which was the shortest way back to it.  As we walked the final stretch on the base track to the car we could hear a few people calling instructions to each other as they attempted to climb the virtually sheer eastern face of the mountain, but the tree line prevented us from seeing them.

6^th April 2012

We had to drive out to Bribie Island road to collect a canvas annex extension that we were having made to our design and replaces the cheap tarpaulin, and then did some shopping in Caboolture.  As we were leaving, we went round to the Arboretum again and did the 2.5km walk and exercise equipment, but this time when we crossed the suspension bridge we continued on the other side past the sports complex to push it up to a 3.5 km walk.

9^th April 2012

We packed up and moved to Willowbank Village Park in the Ipswich area.

12^th April 2012

Since being in the Ipswich area we have had fine weather during the day and chilly nights, which is typical of the more inland areas.   We have also discovered that it is fairly close to the Amberley RAAF Base which is home to the F18 super hornet fighter aircraft that replaced the F111 and are somewhat noisy during take-off and are accompanied by some other huge cargo planes that fortunately make less noise despite having four engines rather than two. 

They must use different runways as the hornets stay below the tree line along the side of the caravan park and are a long way away by the time they are visible, whereas the cargo planes sometimes take-off and come almost directly overhead.  The good news is that they don’t fly at night.  As yet we don't have a worthwhile photo of the super hornets due to the distance when they become visible, and their speed makes the focal length change so rapidly it is impossible for the camera to focus.


The  park is also close to the Cunningham Highway which also gets quite noisy at times but is not a problem at night.  We haven’t done any of the tourist activities yet but hope to visit Queen Mary Falls soon which has two other falls close by.    

13^th April 2012

We took a drive around by the Amberley RAAF base but only managed to view the offices and accommodation.  There was nowhere that presented a view of the runways to allow a close photo opportunity which is unfortunate as the super hornets move too fast for good air born distant shots from the caravan park.

16^th April 2012

It appears that the RAAF must work a 5 day week as there were no aircraft movements during the weekend.  The fine weather didn’t stay around for long and has now turned to dull grey days with showers and it is predicted to extend throughout the week with possible storms.

20^th April 2012

The predicted bad weather didn’t happen, or at least not here but apparently it was driven south and caused problems in NSW.

23rd to 29th March 2012

23^rd March 2012

Since the 16^th March the weather has been so wet and miserable we haven’t been out and about other than for shopping and a visit to a canvas works with a diagram of an addition to our awning that we want made up.  This will replace the tarpaulin that we currently use and will improve the look and be much stronger.  Size wise it is a compromise between the really big tarp that we used when Richard and his kids were with us on the Gold Coast, which is hard to put up and not too good in wind.  However, it is wider than a regular 3 metre long tarp by nearly half a metre, and improves the sun shade, or rain protection, area outside the front door of the annex. 

The last week has been rainy every day with yesterday being the worst of it as the Sunshine Coast was hit with torrential downpours in some areas with 150mm of rain in one hour.  Fortunately that was north of here where they had severe flash flooding.  We have had a lot of rain but were probably only on the outer edge of the depression with being in the Glass House Mountain area, which is further south and slightly inland. 

26^th March 2012

We drove into the township of Glass House Mountains, parked the car and took Foxy for a walk over the railway bridge and through the residential area on the other side of the track.  This eventually took us to a new estate and the end of the walk in that direction so we backtracked into the older area and took a chance on turning down an alleyway in 6the believe that it would cut off a corner and return us to the original road back to the railway.  It didn’t, instead it to a deadend but with access to a park and some woodland with signs of recent flooding,  and then joined a short street alongside the bowls club.   This came out onto a road that we didn’t recognise but could see the railway station at the end of the road to our left which guided us back to the car.  It was only a 35 minute walk but Foxy hadn’t been out for a walk for several days and we all needed the exercise.

27^th March 2012

We drove into Caboolture to the Visitors Centre and grabbed some literature regarding dog exercise areas to check if Centenary park allowed s dogs which turned out to be a ‘Yes’ so Foxy was happy. Whilst parked at the visitor centre we took a stroll around part of the town centre for a few photo opportunities, and then proceeded  to the park.   

The park has a series of manmade lakes in it at varying height so that they cascade down to the lowest one which is closest to the Caboolture River.  This lowest lake still had water about five centimetres above it wall due to the recent rains, and is presumably pumped back to the top lake and topped up from the river when required. 

The park also has 6 separate wedding areas scattered around these lakes for people that want an outdoor wedding, but the way the weather has been for the last couple of months that wouldn’t have been many.  We walked through several of the wedding areas and their respective gardens, and over some bridges in the general direction of the river, using some of the exercise equipment on the way.  Interesting to note that the lakes had the required mandatory shopping trolleys dumped in them. 

On the other side of the park is a concrete path along the side of the river which was ultimately led to the sporting complex and a suspension bridge across the river.  The bridge allowed views along the river in both directions and also had ‘Start and Finish’ marking so obviously is used in some sort of event for walkers or runners.  The views along the river were nothing spectacular, with a pipeline crossing it that was not much above the water level, so the river can’t cater for cruises or any form of boating within reach of the town.  The road bridge is also very low across the river even allowing for the river being high at the moment.  We circumnavigated the sporting complex and made our way back to the car via more lakes, ducks, wedding areas and bridges.

29^th March 2012

We drove through Caboolture and parked by the Arboretum which is on the other side of the river and near the suspension bridge that we had walked onto a few days earlier.  We walked down the zigzag path and out onto board walk bridge that took us across a river inlet and then took the lower of the two paths offered on the other side. This meandered alongside the inlet until it eventually rejoined the alternate higher path and then continued around the end of the inlet and up to rejoin the main road that we were parked on.  We walked back past the car for about half a kilometre and crossed the river on the suspension.  We then started out again from the ‘Start/finish’ line and followed the path again as it was marked with the distance walked, every 0.1 of a kilometre.  It took us back over the inlet and this time over the higher path and turned off to the right before it joined the lower path that now took us out through open land for some distance to rejoin the main road.  On the way we used the public exercise equipment that was available at various stages of the journey.  At the end of the path was the instruction to ‘turn round’ and retraced our steps back to the suspension bridge gaving us the opportunity to use the exercise equipment again.  With the original walk plus the official 2.5 kilometre walk we estimate the overall walk to be about 3.5 kilometres giving us and Foxy a pleasant workout.  Foxy has reached an age were doesn't seem to handle the walks with the ease that she used to.  She walked the return trip to Montezuma Falls in Tasmania which was a 5 hour walk but she seems happy to settle for an hour now that she is several years older.  Our location and rain hasn't allowed her to have as many regular walk as she was accustomed to which has probably decreased her fittness.