Townsville

The Strand in Townsville is certainly a vibrant, busy place.  It is a beautiful long beach area that consists of a terrific waterpark for children, BBQ areas, various memorials, including their Cenotaph, a Coral Sea Battle Memorial and a National Servicemen's Memorial.  Townsville hosted a National Servicemen's Reunion on the weekend, a well attended event of which a friend from Tasmania attended and we'd agreed to meet while he was in Townsville.  Said mate attended a reunion there a few years back and we set off to re-visit the Thuringowa RSL Club - it is an unusual Club indeed, being way out of town, in a paddock on it's own, and certainly not easy to find, but we (he) did!  We talked to some recently discharged Diggers and enjoyed the ambience of the Club!  Activities organised for the reunion included a concert, Dawn Service, March and Memorial Service and other social functions.  The concert featured Normie Rowe and Judy Stone as well as the brilliant 1 RAR Band - a great open air concert on The Strand!  Well done Townsville!  On Sunday we attended the Dawn Service and then I got photos of him marching into Anzac Park, and while he attended the Memorial Service & BBQ after, I had to leave to get to my next planned stop, called Funny Dunny.

Funny Dunny sits about 20km off the main road and is close to the beach.  So what's funny about the dunny?  Can't say, as it is one of the modern functional composting toilets found in remote areas, so my guess is the original may have been unique.  The area is a popular recreation area with use over the years obvious.  It also, unfortunately, has those nasty little sand flies and I can state from experience that Listerine doesn't deter them.  Unfortunately I haven't yet found the Nature's Botanicals insect repellent - designated for horses but is a natural product used by stringers apparently.  It is a pleasant spot with quite a compliment of bush turkeys - start tossing out a bit of food and a dozen of them will soon gather around!  Two nites were spent here with the thought of perhaps a fish feed but they are not biting (I should have been here yesterday:  Further up by the channel - 2km up the beach - is where they are....).  It has been a good rest tho and a good test for the solar panel, which proved successful! 

Townsville!

Now in Townsville, a bit ahead of plan but the blown tyre sort of changed things:  Now running two new front tyres and much more relaxed. 

I've had some funny things happening with my photos and posting them on the web album.  Internet is sometimes on the fringe and I suspect they may appear not to be loading, so I load them again.  I think it's tidy now, hope you don't find them too boring.

I'm in a caravan park on the beach, very pleasant indeed, the plan for the evening is to sort of meander down the Strand and find a nice restaurant for tea. 

On and on

From Carnarvon Gorge I headed to Sapphire, with a stop overnight at Springsure, under an awe inspiring sandstone bluff which is floodlit at nite.  For some reason my GPS seems to think I prefer gravel roads, for it not only took me along one, but led me up the garden path to Mt. Ogg station, a dead end, and then got lost itself!  Getting dark, cows & roos sharing the road and the petrol gauge dropping like a rock, but fortunately the GPS got itself oriented again & got me out, an hour late but I filled with petrol in Rolleston and continued to Springsure (and on to Sapphire the next day).

Sapphire is a very interesting place in the gem fields, with Rubyvale just up the road.  A lot of sapphire mining and very interesting sapphires as well, but no rubies.  Sapphires come in a range of colours with orange being the most rare and yellow next.  A fossiker camped at the rest area took great delight in telling me all about it, as well as his life story - I gather it can get lonely out on the diggings, esp since there are enough paranoid fossikers with guns to pretty well prevent a lot of wandering onto neighboring claims!

Sapphires are spewed up by volcanoes, erosion then deposits them in streams which eventually get buried themselves, so the miners dig down until they hit the 'wash' layer which is the sapphire bearing belt.  They mine this, then screen & wash it to find the sapphires.  There is also topaz & zircon.  Said chap had an orange sapphire, 3 carat polished, which he told me was worth $900.  If it were cut it would yield a 1 carat gem worth the same price.  He intends to keep it and have it mounted in a ring for himself.

 Longreach was the next stop, with the Stockman's Hall of Fame firmly on the agenda, and an informative & interesting place it is!  They have a show they put on also, which is very enjoyable. 

The Qantas Museum was also visited with the tour of the Super Jumbo quite interesting and informative. 

Spinifex and Dinosaurs!

Moving on from Longreach to Winton, and the change in the vegetation is quite marked:  From rough grazing to what appears natural bush and it looks drier.  Winton is a jewel in the Outback, being well set up for tourists and having some very interesting attractions.  The main draw for me was the home of 'Waltzing Matilda' but the dinosaur discoveries were also unique as it is the only place in the world where they have footprints of what is termed 'The Dinosaur Stampede'.  An incredible sequence of circumstances resulted in this rather amazing feature.  First, was a mud flat just the right texture to capture the tracks, being located next to a creek where critters went to drink.  Then, while a lot of smaller dinosaurs were having a drink, a T. rex equivalent runs out of the bush for dinner.  The smaller dinosaurs run everywhere, leaving plenty of footprints, plus Rex's prints are very well captured.  Then just the right type of flooding to not wash the prints away yet cover them with silt happened, eventually deposits covering them to at least 70m which was then washed away again (its only took 100million years).  They were discovered but not recognised for what they were for a few years, then the penny dropped and preservation of the area of footprints undertaken.  Now there is much effort into finding and re-assembling dinosaur bones.

They are the only sequence of prints of moving dinosaurs on earth, and were studied by the animators of Jurassic Park to make their models move as they would have 100 million years ago.  They have subsequently discovered a lot of dinosaur remains in the area, many new species:  Apparently Australia was thought to have had very few dinosaurs but they now know there were a great deal of them here.  There are also many fossils of ferns, redwoods and Australian pines (araucaria).  A totally amazing and unique experience!

The Waltzing Matilda Centre is a Must See and is certainly very well done.  It goes thru the history of the song and I certainly learned much from it:  It's origins are actually Teutonic, I'd tell you more but that would ruin your visit there.  It is an iconic song to say the least.

There are also boulder opals found in the region,  while the re are very good ones to be found, most are rather ordinary:  As the Park Ranger stated, "No one I ever heard of got rich opal mining in the area.".

Not far from the Dinosaur Stampede (well, only about 70km) is Old Cork Station on the Diamantina River, so I headed off there as well - all gravel road and all pretty bumpy.  I found the River but never did find the Station House, tho only a few km from it.  I took the River Road back, not a wise move as it turned out.  That country is flat as, so any slight dip soon becomes a rather good waterflow in the rains:  Driving along at 70-80 km/hr and you suddenly dip slightly BUT in the recent floods the bottom of that dip is scoured out, causing some interesting and unique waltzes of the van!  While the song goes "...for the rain never falls on the dusty Diamantina...", it's pretty well true because the region was dry as and very dusty too:  The recent rain (probably a 1 in 100 year event) was the exception, and that only to prepare the crossings to add interest to my trip.  I might add the weather is clear, sunny and warm.

The campsite by the Long Waterhole was enjoyed for the nites in Winton, and that's it for now - time to move on again.  Rather a long blog but I've discovered I need to allow extra time in my trips for actual travel time and for collating facts, photos etc.

Qwik update as I sit in the waiting room of Barr's Tyres in Charters Towers.  On the way up from Winton a front tyre blew.  I was going to replace them when I got back to Brisbane but not really comfortable about driving all that way with no spare, given the other front tyre is well worn also.  It is amazing how many discarded tyres & tyre bits are along the highway - I  noticed every one of them!  Just to keep my paranoia up, when I went to start the vaan this morning the battery was dead.  I organised with a neighbor to charge it but it seemed fully charged, so to the obvious, and Yes, the terminals were dirty!  Should be off soon to Townsville and lunch with a Tassie mate who is there at the moment.  Tonight I'll free camp just out of Charters Towers.

Cheers all!

Carnarvon Gorge

What a fantastic place!  The Gorge cuts thru a sandstone belt with gorges leading off to the sides as well.  The vegetation varies from drier eucalypt to wet rainforest in the gullies.  The view from Boolimba Bluff takes in much of the Gorge and is well worth the steep climb up:  There is a section ONLY 300m of 1 in 3 incline which was achieved but with a few rests.  The view from the top was well worth the trip.  Mickey's Gorge was also quite spectacular, as well as a much easier walk.  I can certainly recommend a visit if the opportunity arises!

Leaving the area at 3pm for the Springsure campsite was interesting as my GPS took me thru the scenic route along the backroads, complete with getting lost and the petrol gauge getting uncomfortably low.  The road was gravel and mainly access to more out of the way stations, including Mt. Ogg where the road ended!  It was getting dark, there were cows  roo to worry about, I had no idea where I was nor did the GPPS, but suddenly the GPS figured out how to get me out and all ended well, if an extra hour longer.  Partway along I heard a conversation on the radio about dropping some plugs off with Sally, who was at the gate collecting them mail, and a few minutes later I passed a lass on an ATV:  We waved and I bet she thought "I wonder if that crazy Tasmanian knows he's lost?".  The road ran thru a valley with sandstone cliffs rising from it a little back from the road, a very pretty drive.  A few stops due to cramp, plus a few quick leaps out of bed during the night, but the view was still worth it.

I finally made it to Springsure at 7pm where the campsite was under a huge bluff, lit up with floodlights, a very nice backdrop.

The next day was a drive to Sapphire, passing thru Emerald on the way.  The day was spent affixing Anderson plugs to both batteries & the solar panel, plus helping a fellow from WA in the adjacent van switch from halogen spots to LED's.  They invited me for tea and a good chat after.  Tomorrow it's off to the gem fields & local tourist attractions:  I would guess this would be a good spot to pick up some sapphires!

Townsville Ho!

After a fortnite of life in The Big Smoke with it's temptations and hustle & bustle, it's off again on to a quieter place.  Brisbane is a beautiful city with plenty of lovely parks, great weather etc but it is still a city.  So I am taking a circuitous route to Townsville to meet up with Tasmanian friends on 10th September.  The plan is to take an inland route via Carnarvon Gorge, Emerald/Sapphire, Long Reach, Winton and then up to Hughendon, Charters Towers to Townsville.  I leave Townsville on 12th Sept and meander toward Bundaberg, where an opportunity for a weeks stay availed itself from 17-23 Sept.  Then back to Brisbane.

Determining how much power I need to produce to be reasonably independent is proving a challenge:  One fact I discovered on my last trip is that you can't count on 'free camping' when you like.  In the area I traveled many of the campsites were pay sites - while reasonable, it begs the question of  "Is the expense of being reasonably self sufficient justified?"  More information needed, this trip should help. 

In Brisbane I obtained a portable 100W solar unit to trial:  If it provides enough to keep me 3-4 days away from a power point, that should then suffice, else I will need to look at permanently mounting a panel on the roof, with perhaps an extra 105AH deep cycle battery (checked into on arrival here but VERY expensive).  So this run will provide me with additional knowledge as to the final setup.  An isolating solenoid kit was obtained as well, yet to be installed. 

The van is great for city running as it isn't much bigger than a car and fits into most parking spaces.  Dodging traffic in Brisbane was feasible and fun, although I'm sure it is a big help to have Tasmanian license plates!  Avoiding the CBD is also essential for me but it should be OK there as well, just not in peak hour.  A good GPS helps as well.  My time here has been very useful in getting bits & pieces I need, helping the family I'm staying with and indulging in pizza and ice cream.  So, the van has once again been reorganised and I am looking forward to traveling through some important historic places.  

Journey's End (for now)

Tomorrow it's back to civilisation (?!?) after eight days traveling about behind the Sunshine Coast.  I went to Borumba Dam where I thought you could camp on the waters edge, but the campground 1km from waters edge (BUMMER!).  I'd purchased a fishing license hoping to use it there but the dam access was limited - great if you have a boat as the ramp is excellent, other than that it is steep & scrubby along the banks.  The campground manager is a metallurgist (retired) and has worked around the north of Australia, with high praise for the Kimberley's but loves the northern remote areas generally.  He and his wife run  the camp, and an excellent job they do.

From there I went to the southern end of Wivenhoe dam for two nights, camped near the waters edge.  It is a very popular campground, on the waters edge but the fishing wasn't great at this time.  Lots of campers with canoes and they go out after fish and redclaw, a feral yabbie type that is quite good eating, I've been told.  So, a yabbie trap is on my list.  And now as the sun has set, I shall get my fire going again and enjoy my last evening in camp.

On the (backroads) again

Continuing the wandering - I will include names of places I visit even tho they may not mean anything to some, or in fact, be able to be found w/o a copy of Camps6 Australia Wide" BUT some of you out there said "Keep us informed of your travels".  Left Little Yabba Picnic Area for Browns Creek Campground near Eumundi, with a stop at a rest area near Kenilworth to get online and do emails.  Both of these are 'free camp' areas, thus very few facilities, certainly no power.  Three nights is the limit away from power to charge the batteries as the fridge cut off after 1 1/2 days. 

At Browns Creek, a Census lass came around, so I filled out the form: Just grey I guess, not invisible.  The Browns Creek Campsite was nearly full when I arrived reasonably early in the day, I suspect some campers didn't take much notice of the 48 hour limit.  It is also not far off the Bruce Highway, a very busy (therefore noisy) highway. 

I phoned a Grey Nomad couple in Buderim and arranged to catch up with them on Wednesday, which I did after visiting the Eumundi Market and a drive down the coast road from Noosa.  They have done a fair bit of camping in various vehicles so it was very educational for me to talk to them, as not only what areas to consider visiting, but also setting up, esp. for solar, as they had set up their current unit, a small truck with a poptop camper integrated onto it.  Overall, it is not much longer than my vehicle but has it's own dedicated dining area and bed, so there isn't the evening & morning re-arranging for sleeping & day use.  I'm jealous, of course, however my view on camping is that you are roughing it a bit:  With two people the extra 'convenience' would be essential.

 

A lot of good knowledge & experience in relation to solar power, extra water, great tips and places to camp was imparted  quickly, with enough notes to support my not-so photographic memory, BUT what I did photograph was a squirrel glider on it's nest box on their deck!  There is a family of 6-7 living there and they come out late in the evening after the kookaburras (who fancy a tasty squirrel glider) have gone to roost.  What beautiful animals they are and they bring a lot of joy to their hosts (and visitors as well!). 

 

Leaving there this morning (11 August) I set off for Borumba Campground on the Borumba Dam, but as there is no power there I stopped the night at Island Reach Camping Resort in Imbil, not far away.  Once again, the GPS 'guided' me over all nature of road whereas on the map it looks straightforward to travel on main roads.  However there was a bonus as I traveled thru a State Forest with signs pointing off to a scenic lookout well worth visiting, even if I'm not sure if I could find it again. 

 

Met my first Solo Grey Nomad today, a chap roughly my age with more stress than he can handle at the moment so he took off for a few days with three dogs.  He designs & builds houses, tho now retired, but has undertaken to build a house for his daughter, a work-in-progress interrupted by some acute health problems, thus the stress.  He did admit he is reluctant to go to Brisbane for the treatment he needs, hoping - as we mere males do - that with a bit of rest today, tomorrow we will be Superman again.  Again, he had a wealth of experience traveling and was also knowledgeable in solar power and power options generally for free camping.  He had a gas fridge he bought for $350 and reckons it cost him 80 cents/day to run.  He also has a portable solar panel and was happy to discuss it's virtues.  An interesting chap, and in the last couple of days there is much information to think about.