SCRATCH SCRATCH Scratch scratch

Beware the sand flies of QLD beaches.  Three days minimum - scratch scratch scratch.  Sure cures (so I was advised) include Listerine, Dettol & baby oil (50-50), vinegar - all of which were at the shops, meanwhile I was mile away in the very pleasant setting of Boulder Creek Rest Area, a free camp by a mountain stream.  It is ~50km west of Mackay, up yet another gravel road and difficult to find - the first time:  It was pretty crowded tho, as many keep returning. 

Kev was camped next to me and was working on his fridge, as it wasn't working on gas.  I guess I helped him but he showed me how to unblock the gas jet, which apparently will sometimes get blocked from waxes in the gas.  He's been on the wallaby track a while and explained that things going wrong are to be expected, which comment was confirmed by the lady on his other side, a great grandmother who's been traveling solo for quite a few years.  Russ & Bev were happy to discuss their stove made from a 9kg gas bottle and it was a very versatile unit indeed!  It had a plate, grill and a camp oven that fitted snuggly into it.  An ingenious and practical recycling to say the least.  Many campers also had dogs with them so I got in a bit of dog walking as well, although they were small and not really happy about rock hopping across the creek - unlike Big Red.  Two pleasant nites (bar 'scratch scratch scratch') were spent there, then moving on to Gin Gin - near Bundaberg - for a nite.  I left early to be sure to get a spot, as many campsites fill quickly but Gin Gin is huge!  Also popular.  I wanted to be close to the Don Pancho Resort, Bargara, where I'd booked in for a week from 17 Sept. 

From Townsville to Bundaberg was interesting, especially after the wide flats of the outback.  There are more hills which appear to be remnants of volcanoes or some ancient geographic uplifts.  Eons of erosion have produced flats and where there is access to water (artesians, mainly, I believe, although some of the rivers could supply irrigation) cane is the main crop.  I also saw some banana plantations and even a few paddocks of corn.  Between the major cities there isn't much so as soon as the petrol gauge gets to 1/2, I look for the next servo, usually a roadhouse.  Away from towns and access to water there is a lot of rough grazing and bushland.  The roads are generally good but there are roadworks everywhere repairing damage from the devastating floods a few months ago.  Along the coast the traffic is very heavy but moves steadily:  In the outback I'd travel at 80-90 km/hr and move over when approached by the odd faster vehicle but on the coast there is always someone behind so I travel at or just under the speed limit and continually get passed!  But I get there, and "there" currently is Bargara, near the sea and now to get on with enjoying my week!