About Kevin & Ruth Sheather

We are both parents, and grand parents, and will never see 70 again and recently cellebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. Ruth has retired and Kevin has done so partially but with an arrangement that allows extensive periods of travel in out Coromal Magnum off road pop top caravan towed by a 2001 3 litre turbo diesel Holden Jackaroo. We love the outback with its rugged scenary and wide open spaces but are a bit constrained by the need for regular internet to meet work committments. But we love the coastal areas as well. The purpose of this blog site is to keep interested people informed of our travels. We report in as often as we reasonably are able with recent doings. So stand by. The next trip is never too far off.

A Drive on Binns Track

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

A flock of feeding galahs

After spending the morning doing general maintenance on van and car, we decided on a drive. Gemtree Caravan Park provides mud maps for local drives. We were given a choice of two drives but one was a bit long for the time available so we set out on the shorter alternative. Both included part of the Bins Track, a favorite with the hairy chested 4WD set. It starts near the western side of the Simpson Desert, finally joining the Stuart Highway south of Tennant Creek. The folk who helped winch our travelling companion from the bog on our way to Windorah said they intended to use Binns Track to get as far north as possible.

Strange diggings near the fossicking area

This section of Bins Track turns south just 8 km east of Gemtree and, like most gravel roads, was corrugated, but not badly so. The first thing for us to look out for was a fossicking area where garnet and zircon can be found and the bush camping area nearby. There were no obvious diggings, but the ground was littered with sparkling stones, quartz and the like. The camping area is in a lightly treed paddock with no facilities. But people come in significant numbers and stay for long periods, such is the lure of gemstones.

The mountains that were our destination

Back on the Bins Track we passed through several closed gates (that had to be closed agin after our passing through) and some Indigenous land where to leave the road required a permit. The road was basically a single lane track but that didn’t mean we had it to

Typical hill in this area

ourselves. As we climbed a small hill and entered bush, on a very narrow section we met a large shiny black 4WD towing an even larger black and grey off road van. It looked a bit out of place. I pulled off the single lane track to make way and wound down my window to offer a greeting, but these luxuriously equipped adventurers just passed by with barely a glance.

Old mining equipment

Tailings from the copper mine

The hole in the hill was probably the old mine

Collapsed bore head tripod

At the end of our journey we found relics of an early copper mine. The trip had a title of “The Mad German’s Mine” but that was not really the objective. We were out for a drive through sweeping semi desert lands dotted with those rocky topped mountains so typical of this part of Australia.

Back at camp, between four vans we provided enough fire wood for a magnificent camp fire. I don’t know about the stars, though. I was too busy cooking the steak on the Barbie plate over the fire to notice.

Keeping the camp fire warm

A Changed Itinerary – Part 2

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

When I walked into the office at Tobermorey, two young people were standing near the counter, but there was no vehicle outside. It turned out that the couple had stayed at Tobermorey the previous night and had left that morning bound for Alice Springs, but 53 km along the way had rolled their car. They were both uninjured but were worried about their belongings that they had been forced to leave beside the road, when they accepted a ride back to Tobermorey in a road train. Except for the lady in the office all station staff were out mustering.

Tobermorey Homestead

In remote Australia you expect help and you give help. So we unloaded our car to make as much room as possible and the young German student and I set off to collect their possessions. That’s how I know that the accident took place 53 km along the road. The car, an aging Toyota Prado, had rolled once and landed on its wheels. Their belongings had remained in the back and two surf boards on the roof rack were undamaged. How does that work?

The wrecked Prado

The young man’s English wasn’t perfect so I had not understood about the surf boards. Surf boards heading for the Red Centre? He told me later that they were going to Cairns via Darwin. Surf boards don’t make much sense in Cairns either, but he didn’t know that.

We were scratching our heads about attaching two long surfboards to my roof rack when three 4WD vehicles pulled up. They were camping road side before Tobermorey, but would be happy to drop the surfboards off the next morning. We spent the evening with the couple, Germans studying in Sydney, trying to keep our selves warm on a rather cold night by a camp fire.

If I ever accuse anyone of speaking bull dust I will now do so with greater authority. We encountered much of it on our way to Jervois Station, our destination for the second day of our off road trip. We left Tobermorey at about 9 am after saying our goodbyes to our young friends and almost immediately met the folk delivering the surfboards.

Plenty Highway Corrugations. There were plenty of them.

We stopped at the side of the road for morning tea. A station hand, driving a utility with all manner of equipment on the back, stopped to make sure we were OK. He was on for a chat and knew about the accident, as it happened on the station for which he worked. Roads go through and not around out here.

On a deteriorating road we passed the derelict Prado and soon started to come across bull dust patches. They had hardened with the rain so were not too much of a problem. For substantial distances half the road was corrugated gravel and the other half bull dust with heavy tyre marks embedded in it. Driving through it threw us around a bit but with reduced speed the bull dust gave a better ride than the corrugated gravel.

Ruth with ants nest

A little further on, after passing huge roadside ants’ nests, we reached the point where graders were working on a highway upgrade. Two graders, working in tandem were grading long stretches and

Jervois Station on the banks of the Marshall River

producing long sections of super highway. With the improved road we reached Jervois Station earlier than expected and settled in as the sole tenant in the red dirt camping area. Jervois Station takes its name from the

Our van viewed from the bed of the river

Jervois Range to its north. The camping area and homestead are on the banks of a wide, sandy and very dry Marshall River, which flows, when it contains water in sufficient volume, south to the Hay River which in turn flows into the Simpson Desert and disappears. Jervois is best known to Simpson Desertophiles who use it as a refueling point after completing a south to north crossing.

The dry sandy bed of the Marshall River

The final leg of this first long trip over unsealed roads was 220 km to Gemtree in the Harts Range. The name of our destination suggests gem stones, a commodity for which the area is world famous. Gemtree is a caravan park that specialises as a holidays location for gem hunters. But we will not be gem hunting. After five solid days of driving the time had come for a break.

The leg to Gemtree was a relatively easy drive. The early part of the trip was, like late the previous day, freshly graded, but as we progressed onto previously graded road the more previous it got the rougher it got, to the point where I was not unhappy to reach the sealed road just before Gemtree.

The administration building at Gemtree Caravan Park

So tomorrow we may ask for one of the park’s mud maps and do a bit of a tour of the local area. Or perhaps not! But we probably will go out to find some wood to feed the fire place beside our site so that we can spend the last night of the Donohue /Plenty crossing under the incredible array of stars that are visable when there are few lights to interfere with the view.

We have produced a video that covers this segment of the trip and the segment that precedes it.

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=czHbkrloHVc

A Changed Itinerary – Part 1

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

As we listened to the patter of the rain on the roof of our van, we were aware that it was washing away our immediate plans. We have been caught before by the inability of the Department of Meteorology to predict conditions west of Toowoomba. Its predicted 5 mm of rain became 25 mm a couple of years ago and we were left wallowing in the mud of the Dowling Track. History was repeating its self.

Graeme and his motor home

The next day, on our way to Windorah, we experienced again firsthand what an inch of rain can do in this area. We had made the acquaintance by two way radio of another traveler, this one in a Winnebago motor home and had agreed to stop for lunch at the same place so that we could have a face to face chat. I chose the site of yesterday’s afternoon tea stop, but when I turned in to the proposed stopping place our wheels started to sink in the mud that had, two days earlier, been a firm parking area. New acquaintance saw what was happening and pulled off to the other side of the road and sank to his axles in even worse mud. A quick selection of 4WD had saved us. He didn’t have that option.

But we were lucky. A couple headed for the Simpson Desert, equipped with a winch, came along, so with them winching and me in the Suzuki that he was towing, giving a push, we got the motor home back into the black top. We moved a bit further along to firm ground and discovered that Graeme is travelling alone while his wife is in England. He asked if he could tag along and he stayed behind us until our paths diverged at lunch time the following day.

From the information center at Windorah and from talking to passing motorists on the two way radio, we learned that the Birdsville Developmental Road was a mess and would not be suitable for us to drive on for several days, so we turned north, spending the night in the caravan park at the Jundah Hotel, and then on to Winton. Graeme left us at Longreach.

Farmed camels near Winton

The drive from Winton to Boulia is along the first part of the Min Min Byway. Boulia has built a tourist industry on the phenomenon of the Min Min Lights, unexplained lights that some people claim to have seen at night as they have travelled the road. But since most people travel the road by day, reported sightings are rare.

Our rig beside the long road just west of Winton

To travel this road at night would be a grave mistake as it is one of the prettiest outback drives in Australia. The first part is fairly ordinary with open grass country on the higher ground and scrubby trees in the gullies, but after crossing the extensive flood plains of the Diamantina River, the road plunges into a series of mountain ranges of the “jump up” or mesa variety.

One of the many channels of the Diamintina

These are the hills that are capped with mini precipices of red sandstone from which the slopes covered with rough green grass or stunted vegetation, descend to tree clad lower slopes and gullies. The

A typical jump up or mesa

sandstone caps weather into some interesting shapes such as the one that stands above the Castle Hill Rest Area. At the western end of the series of ranges a picnic shelter has been built on hill top that provides panoramic views along the valley through which the road passes.

The isolated Middleton Hotel

There are other things of interest along the way. About half way stands the Middleton Hotel, not so named because it is half way but after an explorer who passed the spot many years before this rather elderly building was built. It is a favorite lunch stop. Perhaps that explains the Min Min Lights.

Brolgas by the road

Not far out of Boulia we stopped at a rest stop that marks the site of the long demolished Hamilton Hotel. There we received a tip to look out for brolgas at a creek beside the road. There were dozens of them in clear view. As I walked towards them for a picture they moved away, many of them performing the sort of flying dance for which they are noted.

The start of the Donohue Highway

After a night in Boulia we took on the Donohue Highway that runs west to the Northern Territory border and there becomes the Plenty Highway. These highways are our first long run on dirt roads.

Wheel tracks from recent rain

Combined they extend a about 750 km across the southern end of the Barkley Tableland. We knew that the road had been affected by the rain and were warned to watch for wheel tracks. The road was quite badly damaged on the west bound side but surprisingly good on the east bound side. So we pretended to be driving in the USA, returning to the correct side for approaching traffic, when we reached crests or when the consensus tracks changed sides.

A waterhole in the Georgia River

The main feature of this drive through far western Queensland is crossing the Georgia River. When the wet season, often augmented by a cyclone, dumps large quantities of rain south of the Gulf of Carpentaria a large proportion of the water flows down both the Georgia and Diamantina Rivers. In a wet year the flood waters reach, not directly but by various means, the vast expanse of salt pans that is Lake Eyre. The flood plains associated with these rivers are vast. It is probably not possible to visualise the sight of them in full flood without actually having seen them.

The Qld/NT border

Our destination for the day was Tobermorey Station. It is located 250 km west of Boulia and just 4 km past the Queensland /NT border. We parked the van on grass in a camping area that we almost had to ourselves. We wound our watches back by 30 minutes and I prepared myself for a restful couple of hours, but I was wrong!

Here is the video. It covers this post and the next one too.

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=czHbkrloHVc

Quilpie Number 1 Mail Route

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

Our tour vehicle at Alaric Station

In the early 1860’s Patrick “Patsy” Durack, with his brother-in-law John Costello, travelled north in search of land to claim for a cattle station. They found a group of Aborigines camped by a water hole. Somehow they found that the water hole never dried out and chose the site to build their station. They named the water hole Thylungra from the Aboriginal word for permanent water and named their venture Thylungra Station, the name that it retains to this day. This land acquisition was the real beginning of the “Kings in Grass Castles” legend and the grazing industry in the Channel Country.

During our trip around Australia in 2009 we spent a couple of nights at the caravan park at the resort at Lake Argyle, the mega sized lake on the Ord River in Western Australia’s Kimberly Region. One of the attractions was the relocated house from the Durack property, now flooded by the dam, which has been rebuilt below the wall of the dam, as a museum and memorial to the pioneers of the Northern Australian cattle industry.

A very old fridge as a mail box

We had seen the mail run tour advertised when we were in Quilpie previously, so decided to extend our stay in the town to provide time to include it in our itinerary. The tour departs on Tuesdays and Thursdays on a 430 km mail delivery route making deliveries to 10 stations to the north of Quilpie. The delivery vehicle is a 4WD 12 seater bus with a freight compartment at the rear and a trailer in tow if needed.

Alaric Station – now a veteran’s retreat

We were picked up at the caravan park at 6.45 am, collected the mail that had just arrived from the east and headed for the Adavale “black” road: black because it crosses the black soil pains of the Bullo River. A little to the east is the “red” road, so named for the soil that it crosses. The Red Road is less affected by rain, but today that was not a problem.

A tapestry on the wall of a room at Alaric Station

The first couple of stations were simply mail box drops, a drum and an ancient refrigerator, but the third was our morning tea stop. Alaric Station has become a sort of retreat for war veterans. The homestead was to be demolished but a request was made for the alternative use. Interested parties made renovations and they were open for business. Hospitality is available to veterans, their families and friends.

Modern station communications tower

There are dormitory rooms at reasonable prices and provision for caravan parking. Veterans come from all over Australia, some staying for considerable periods. The house is decorated with war time memorabilia including many historic pictures. An old windmill is decorated with the names of theaters of war and crowded with the red rooster symbol from Vietnam operations. There is a thriving vegetable garden, watered from the permanent billabong onto which the home-stead faces.

We made a quick toilet stop at Trinidad Station, to be our lunch stop, but then went further north to our most northern delivery to Budgerygar Station. To

Transferring freight from bus to shed

get there we passed through Durack Gap, a flat passage between red rock capped mountains, through which Patsy Durack drove his herd of cattle when he moved his operation to the Kimberly region.

Grazing plains with a rocky mountain backdrop

Budgerygar Station (correct spelling) is very remote with its northerly border not far south of the Welford National Park near the tiny town of Jundah, where I am writing this post. But we were met by a well dressed lady of the station, probably in her early thirties, with a young family who she is home schooling. She made easy work of tossing the large bags of animal feed that we had delivered, onto a quad bike for storage in a shed.

After examining samples of bolder opal found in the area, brought out by a young daughter of the household, we returned to Trinidad Station for lunch. On the way our driver pointed out two places where extensive excavation had taken place on mountain sides in search of bolder opals.

We were greeted by roses at Trinidad Station

Trinidad Station was operated by Margaret Pegler and her now late husband. The station is now managed by children, a common situation in the rural scene. Despite the many reports of young people leaving for the cities, a great number of properties are handed on to children. Margaret was away, returning from Brisbane that day, but we were hosted by a daughter who was visiting, from Brisbane, with her husband.

Garden at Trinidad Station.

Similar to other homesteads that we saw, Trinidad is enveloped by shady trees. Margaret is a keen gardener. We were greeted by vivid reds and yellows of perfect roses at the front gate. At the rear an extensive orchard provided evidence of the productivity of this land, when you add a little water.

And water was the common theme of much of the conversation. The drought is really hurting and the desire for relief is palpable. As we sat in our van the next day, listening to the rain on the roof, we could not help but be glad for these brave people, despite the damage that we knew the rain was doing to the dirt road to Birdsville that we had planned to travel over the next couple of days.

A home at Thylungra Station

After our lunch stop we were on our way home. There were a couple of deliveries to make but we were now on the main council road that these stations use to get to Quilpie. But there were two remaining agenda items, a visit to Thylungra Station and afternoon tea beside Thylungra waterhole.

Thylungra wool shed

At its peak about 80 people lived on Thylungra. Now the permanent residents are much fewer but the place has a certain stateliness about it. The remaining houses, including

Sheep pens inside the wool shed

the homestead, are spaced along the creek. We had access to the shearing shed, which is huge, but no longer used, as this station, like so many others, now concentrates on cattle production. But the scope of past operations is obvious.

The never dry Thylungra waterhole

Afternoon tea was served by Dave, the mailman, in the picnic shelter of the Main Roads provided rest area by Thylungra billabong. A range of beverages were on offer plus care and biscuits. It was a fitting last activity for a very pleasant and interesting day. The final leg of the journey was on the highway that links Quilpie with Windorah, so the distance sped by bringing us back to Quilpie at just after 4.30 pm. As we walked back to our van the grey clouds of tomorrow’s rain were drifting in from the west.

Here is a link to a video of this story.

www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=pXc_cD2OFos

Mount Moffatt National Park

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

On the trek into Mount Moffatt, the first real point of interest is the Slab Hut, a relic of earlier days of cattle grazing in the area. But it failed to grab our attention when our six vehicle convoy stopped to inspect this example of pioneering residential stamina. Ruth opened the caravan door to find the contents of our refrigerator on the floor with the fridge door underneath. Our consternation was quickly shared by our travelling companions with the Slab Hut fading to insignificance. Some perishables were quickly moved to spare capacity in other refrigerators while we considered what to do.

The Information Center at the Ranger Station

Our group leader quickly spied the problem. The door is hinged on a fixed pin at the bottom and a threaded pin at the top. The top pin had worked loose, allowing the door to fall off. Not a very good design in my view. Another member of the group produced a gleaming set of spanners and very soon the door was back in place and the food replaced. Then, following an inspection of the hut we continued on our way to our destination at the Dargonally Rock Pool camping area, within the Park.

The sandstone column known as Lot’s Wife.

The area of Central Queensland west of the Great Dividing Range hosts a series of sandstone mountain ranges. A substantial proportion of them are enclosed within the borders of the four areas that make up the Carnarvon Gorge National Park. The best known is the Carnarvon Gorge itself but, although more difficult to access, the Mount Moffat section runs a close second. The area is a plateau at around 700 meters with mountain peaks to more than 1,200 meters. The weather was quite cool at this time of the year.

Suspension bridge on path to the Great Walk

Vegetation is open bush land with some areas of denser growth and open grass land. In the north of the park, near the top of Carnarvon Gorge and the source of the Carnarvon Creek, there is an impressive stand of Mahogany trees that brought back memories of my roots in the timber areas of the Central Coast of New South Wales and my timber cutting father. I could almost hear the sound of the fall of the axe and the rasp of the crosscut saw. The Maranoa River also rises in this area.

Marlong Arch

The Dargonally Rock Pool camping ground is, unsurprisingly, beside a stream that would have had rock pools with more rain, but only provided a few puddles. Fortunately the National Park authorities had provided a tap and although the water was untreated it was clean and provided a valuable backup for our drinking supply. We set up our vans, camper trailers and one tent in a rough circle around the all important camp fire.

The Chimneys

The camp fire was the center of social activity, as well as the main cooking medium for some. An experienced camper brought a spike that, when driven into the ground, supported a barbecue plate and a hook from which a camp fire kettle hung over the flames. The fireplace was surrounded by logs sawn in half length wise to provide seating, to which we added comfortable chairs and tables for

Viewing area at the Toombs

meals. Food preparation included use of camp ovens for those with the required skills. Dishes prepared for community consumption in these handy devices included delicious dampers and a huge apple pie.

Aboriginal Art

The park attracts visitors because of its remoteness, its physical attractions and its history. There are two areas of significant Aboriginal art and historic sites associated with bush ranger activity.

In the late Nineteenth Century the Kenniff Brothers, the last of Queensland’s bush rangers, frequented the area, pursuing their trade of cattle stealing . An offended

Memorial to the murdered police officer

station owner and a police officer went into the hills to arrest them and were murdered by the brothers. To conceal the crime the Kenniff Brothers attempted to cremate the bodies. The bush rangers were ultimately brought to justice. The murder and cremation sites are marked on the map but we could only find the latter. The site, on flat rocks in the bed or a Creek, is marked by a memorial to the fallen police officer.

The Looking Glass

A six kilometer morning walk included the best of the Aboriginal art, which was similar to the art we had seen several years ago in the Carnarvon Gorge section of the park, possibly done by the same group. This walk included The Chimneys, a triple column of rock, a sort of mini Three Sisters and The Looking Glass, a rock formation high on a cliff top and where the center has weathered away forming a mirror like appearance and The Tombs, an Aboriginal burial site decorated with typical art work.

Marlong Plains

Lot’s Wife, a solitary pillar of sandstone and Marlong Arch, a narrow bridge of rock spanning a gap between two large rock outcrops were deeper into the park and we had checked them out the day before. On the final day we drove to the high country at the back of the park and while there walked 850 meters to Kookaburra Cave, the other Aboriginal art site.

The very top of Carnarvon Gorge

On the final night we all gathered around the camp fire, discussing all manner of things while we waited for an apple pie to cook in a camp oven. Then with custard and cream provided by others, we finished our meal with a slice of the very delicious pie.

On Monday morning, the Queen’s Birthday holiday, we packed and, now a convoy of seven vehicles, headed out of the Park towards Mitchell, where we said our farewells over a late lunch before going our separate ways. Most turned east towards home, but Ruth and I and a lone traveler have headed west for Birdsville and parts beyond. Or at least that was the intention.

Mount Moffatt is accessed from Injune on the Carnarvon Highway or Mitchell on the Warrego Highway. Both roads are via Womblebank Station that is located where the roads meet. The distance from Injune is about 150 km and it is about 200 km from Mitchell. The last 80 km or so from either starting point is unsealed and a mixture of sand, dirt and gravel.

You ave read the story, now watch the movie.

Central Queensland Plus – Days 9 to 11

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

Day 9 25th April

Tenterfield to Jackadgery 220 km

I expect Tenterfield had a dawn service today so I hope those attending were well rugged up. It was only 7 C at sunrise. As we left town, just before 10 am, spectators were gathering to watch the ANZAC march. As we reached the edge of town we met an original US army Jeep, still left hand drive, driven by an old gent in his Sunday best with the windscreen laying flat on the bonnet, like any self respecting soldier on a cold morning.

Sand banks in the Upper Clarence

We were on the Bruxner Highway heading east. Our objective was the small town of Jackadgery on the Mann River where it is crossed by the Gwydir Highway. But instead of using the New England and Gwydir Highways we were travelling via the Bruxner Highway and the Clarence Way. Unsurprisingly, the Clarence Way follows the Clarence River south from near the small town of Tabulam.

And talking of small towns, Jackadgery is really only a caravan park, without a town at all.

Day use and camping area beside the Clarence

The Clarence Way leaves the highway by a sharp switchback turn onto a badly corrugated gravel road. But not for long, as we were almost immediately confronted by a road closed sign. A bridge is under repair 12 kilometres along. So we had to retrace our path about 10 km to another road that was the official detour. It was sealed for the first 25 km. Just before this detour rejoined Clarence Way, it crosses the river over a low brige at a place that is used by locals as a recreation area. There were a number of campers and picnickers, with children playing in the shallows and kayaks on the bank. We stopped there for lunch.

The road from here was mostly gravel with some sealed areas, mostly in places where the road would be likely to flood.

We were driving through country that alternated between bush and farmland. At one point we came over the top of a hill to overlook a large event involving horses and cattle in a flat area between the road and the river. Camps had been established and there were yards and enclosures that probably belong to a cattle station. We met several horse floats heading in that direction. Probably a long weekend event.

As we travelled, cloud had been building and it became darker as the day progressed. At one point we drove on wet road with a few drops of rain on the windscreen. By the time we reached Jackadgery it had started to rain as a storm came over. But we can’t complain. The weather has been perfect.

Day 10 26th April

Old Grafton to Glen Inness Road 260 km

The lantana is in flower

Our reason for coming to Jackadgery was to drive the Old Grafton to Glen Inness Road. From its official opening in 1867 until the Gwydir Highway opened in 1964 this road was the only way to travel between the Grafton area and the region beyond the Great Dividing Range. With the completion of the new road up the Gibraltar Range the old road became simply a means of access to rural properties and national parks.

Buccarumbi Bridge over the Nymboida Rover

In more recent times it has become more of a tourist Road as word has spread of the magnificent scenery and significance of historical items along its path. The full length of the road between the two centers was about 170 kilometres but the section from where it leaves the Gwydir Highway near Grafton to where it rejoins is 128 kilometres. Our loop from Jackadgery towards Grafton, along the historic road and back to Jackadgery was 260 kilometres.

Campers at Buccarumbi Bridge

From the Grafton end, the first 30 km is typical narrow country sealed road. The road then becomes narrow gravel but it is generally in good condition and a fairly easy drive. Two wheel drive vehicles are adequate in dry conditions but 4WD a necessity if very wet.

The gravel road leads into the Nymboida Valley. Very soon you reach the Buccarumbi Bridge over the Nymboida River. This is a popular camping spot with almost every bit of flat ground playing host to a tent, caravan or camper trailer.

Piers and foundations of a flood destroyed bridge

The upper reaches of the Nymboida are popular with white water enthusiasts but the lower reaches, including after it flows into the Mann River, is more suitable for canoe and kayak touring. The 40 km distance can take 3 to 4 days and is popular with school groups. The proprietor of the Jackadgery Caravan Park provides a service by which he transports groups with their boats to Buccarumbi Bridge thus solving the problem of how to get your vehicle back. He also rents canoes and kayaks just to make it easy. Is anyone interested?

Solitory camper by the river

From this point the road follows river valleys, only taking to the high country to cross to the next valley. For much of the distance the road clings to the hillside just above the stream. Our direction of travel placed Ruth rather precariously on the edge of the road when we met an oncoming vehicle. This happened frequently. Most people want to be next to the bank so they were coming the other way.

A very old butcher shop at Dalmorton

Only a butchers shop (closed) remains of the old gold mining town of Dalmorton on the Boyd River. Like so many similar towns, Dalmorton grew rapidly, only to diminish as quickly when the gold ran out. Some kind Government department has built a large covered picnic facility, which had been commandeered by a camera club who were keeping pace with us. We moved on and enjoyed a solitary lunch beside the pristine Henry River, a little later.

The tunnel by the river

Not far past Dalmorton a stubborn buttress of rock runs to the very edge of the river. Not to be thwarted, the road builders simply dug a tunnel through it. But this was 1887 and they dug it by hand. It is one vehicle wide and of adequate height. A small caravan would fit through its 90 metre length. It is a fascinating piece of early Australian history.

The tunnel from the other side

The Henry River at our lunch stop

We crossed the bridge over the Henry River and drove as near to the stream as we could. There were six cows grazing on the opposite bank. Two walked over the bridge and the other four waded through the shallow stream. Apparently the grass is greener on the other side of a stream as well as on the other side of the fence.

I have lived on a farm, but this was the first time I had really watched a

Boyd River

cow walk. Right hind leg, left fore leg, left hind and right fore leg. Always three feet on the ground. Fascinating!

Finally we reached the Mann River and after a few kilometres along its banks we came to the camping area at the Mann River Nature Reserve. A good spot, as national parks go and well patronised by campers. The river is interesting

Campers at the Mann River Nature Reserve

here as it flows through a small gorge and over huge flat rocks.

Immediately you leave the camping area you pay the price for the easy gradients on the earlier parts of the road. In a climb of about 6 km you gain over 600 meters in altitude. It is quite a climb.

A few years ago, in a Glen Inness caravan park,we met a couple with a van but no obvious car. They had

Small gorge and river bed on the Mann River

blown a gear box towing up that incline. After climbing it, with nothing in tow, I can understand why. So to check out a suitable place to park the van in the area, as we returned along the Gwydir Highway, we drove 3 km into the Washpool National Park and found the Bellbird Camping Area with good accommodation for our size of van.

We continued to the top of the range and made our way down the twisting road back to the Mann Valley particularly enjoying the run beside the Mann River.

The evening was cool and we spent much of it sitting around our neighbour’s camp fire, getting to know a young family who we will probably never see again. Of such experiences are memorable trips made.

Day 11 27th April

Jackadgery to Home 384 km

Bridge on the Mann River at Jackadjery

We had planned to return home on 28th, hoping to spend out last night near the ocean. But the storms returned and clearly were to persist, so we kept on driving until we reached home, arriving at about 5.30 pm.

It had been an enjoyable few days. We covered some new territory, saw new sights and met new people. Towing on gravel gave no problems. Very little movement in the contents of the van even on rough sections. No breakages and no dust inside the van even after quite dusty sections. All good! We expect much more dust on our next trip.

Central Queensland Plus – Days 5 to 8

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

Day 5 – 21st April

Eidesvold to Taroom 248 km

Cracow Hotel

Clear and sunny again, a temperature range of about 16 to 29. We bought fuel early just in case the service station closed early. A leisurely breakfast and we were off to Theodore via Cracow The road is excellent, but there are roadworks for 8 kilometers before reaching Cracow, resulting in a mix old tar and fairly good gravel. Cracow is an old mining town which is now not much more than a pub, a mine and a workers camp. The pub seems to provide all services as well as beer.

Gold Mine at Cracow

But there is still community spirit. The town won the County Spirit award in 2004 and in 2010 built a small building that contains honour rolls from two World wars and quite a lot of memorabilia of soldiers and wars. Beside the building they have fashioned a cenotaph. I expect there will be a march on 25th April with many of the participants both returned service people and returned residents.

View into the Dawson Valley

Theodore was the next stop and like most towns in the area during this Easter season was almost totally closed. The town is located on the Dawson River and the Leichhardt Highway. As we approached the town we noticed telltale tufts of white fiber, a sure sign of cotton products. Before long we were driving through irrigated cotton plantations.

Main street of Theodore

We were out of bread but had to settle for bread rolls from the cafe at the service station. So while we were there we had a hamburger for lunch and headed for Isla Gorge. But we didn’t find it. There was a sign to Isla Gorge Lookout on a bend at the top of a hill with a narrow track running back at a sharp angle, but no sign of the normal National Park signage or the kind of turn you would expect from a major highway into a designated National Park. So we decided to press on. Perhaps next time.

Irrigation weir on Dawson River

So we came on to Taroom, a small agricultural town on the edge of the five kilometer wide Dawson River flood plains. At the bottom of the caravan park is the 11 meter flood mark.

A sign advises that at full flood 5 years normal water flow can pass in two days. The water in this river ends up in the Fitzroy. No wonder Rockhampton floods so badly.

We are now seeing signs of gas exploration. The caravan park is now owned by an energy company and workers accommodation takes up much of the park. And the rates have gone up.

Main street of Taroom

Day 6 – 22^nd April

Around Taroom 208 km

“Next time” came much more quickly than we thought. This morning Ruth and I decided to stay at Taroom for another night so that we can see some of the things that we did not know about and go back to find Isla Gorge National Park.

Dry Lake Murphy

The year before Taroom was founded, explorer Ludwig Leichhardt travelled through the area on his 1844 expedition. He blazed his initials and the date onto a number of trees along his route. One such tree stands in the main street of Taroom. Leichhardt crossed and named the Dawson River. Soon after, he camped beside what is now known as Lake Murphy. Today Lake Murphy was out first objective.

Picture of a flooded Lake Murphy

Seventeen kilometers back along the Leichhardt Highway and another 13 kilometres to the west, the lake is to be found in Lake Murphy Nature Reserve. The final 13 kilometres is good gravel and is on the road to the Expedition National Park, a worthwhile place to visit in its own right. Lake Murphy fills with water when the Robinson Creek overflows. It then becomes a water bird wonderland.

But Murphy’s Law was in operation. There was neither water in or water birds at the lake. But we had morning tea in what is one of the best kept picnic and camping areas that we have seen. The facilities were opened in 1994 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Leichhardt expedition. After 20 years it is still in great condition.

The under story of palms

An interesting feature of the forest that is part of this reserve is the under story of Livistona palms that grow beneath the taller eucalypts . The same natural arrangement can be seen by the highway just north of Taroom.

Isla Gorge

Isla Gorge is 45 kilometres further north from the turn to Lake Murphy. As we were not towing the van it did not take long to cover the distance. The park is the eastern extremity of the sandstone mountain ranges that cover a substantial area of inland central Queensland and includes the better known Carnarvon Gorge. The picnic and camping areas are only 1.5 km from the highway and are situated at the end of a ridge that protrudes into a valley. The point is called Isla

Isla Gorge

Gorge Lookout and gives a great view of the surrounding eroded sandstone cliffs, deep ravines and more distant mountain ranges.

The facilities for day visitors and campers are of a good quality and provide great views. A couple of the camp sites are almost on the edge of the precipice. Parents would need to keep a close eye on their children when staying in this park.

Glebe Weir

On the drive back to Taroom we did a side trip to Glebe Weir. This is an irrigation dam but is also used for fishing and boating. A small camping area has been provided near the retaining wall where there are toilets, water and power for $7 per night. There was also 4 bars reception on my Telstra phone. I could come here and still be in touch with the world.

In this area the Dawson flows through broad river flats that are not much higher than the normal level of the river. When the river floods the flats act as reservoirs that retain water and so slow its passage. It helps to explain why Rockhampton flood peaks take so long to occur and why the floods are so often very severe.

Day 7 23^rd April

Taroom to Dalby via Tara 333 km

Today was a longer drive than planned.

Decorated water storage tank at Wandoan

Out first stop was for morning tea at Wandoan. This town is a rural and gas production center, about 60 km south of Taroom and about half way to Miles. From the number of mining vehicles on the road I think the gas industry is winning over agriculture as a growth industry.

We moved on to Miles, did some grocery shopping and had lunch by the Warrego Highway. The endless flow of traffic has to be seen to be believed. If anyone has doubt about the vitality of the Queensland economy they should sit beside the highways that serve the resources and agricultural industry.

A bottle tree at the Wandoan Rest Stop

It is interesting to talk to the locals about the industry and its impact on their lives. Those who work in tourist related jobs are concerned that the industrialisation alienates tourists, particularly the conversion of caravan parks to workers camps. Tourists tend to drive past if they can’t stay in the town. Then they don’t visit the town’s attractions but drive through to the next town. Some locals are worried about pollution and damage to the environment. But most benefit. Work is easier to find and the larger towns that host gas industry development and support facilities receive a very real economic boost.

The western entrance to Miles

As mentioned earlier, we saw evidence of the passage of Ludwig Leichhardt through the Miles area. As we sat by the highway having lunch, right in front of us was a sign advising that the creek, Dogwood Creek, had been crossed at that point and had been named by Leichhardt on his 31^st birthday. He named the crossing point Dogwood Crossing.

A new motel in Miles

I had heard, over a period of time, that the town of Tara, situated about 100 kilometres south of Miles, had been a beneficiary of the gas industry to the extent that what was a town down on its luck had received a boost. So we included it in our itinerary and planned to stay there overnight. But we couldn’t find a decent caravan park so we kept on going to Dalby.

If Tara has benefited from the gas extraction industry it is not obvious in the buildings in the main street but the shops in the street do suggest that there is money being spent. Development is a bit more obvious in some of the larger centres where there are new buildings in the main streets. I’m sure that a visit to industrial areas of these towns would show solid development.

Cotton almost to the horizon

We commenced the day driving through rolling hills including crossing part of the Great Dividing Range between Wandoan and Miles. But once past Miles the terrain became absolutely flat. The wheat stubble fields looked like huge furry billiard tables reaching almost to the horizon. In more than one place we saw flood warning signs saying “Road subject to flooding for the next 20 kilometres”.

We think this crop is sorgham

There was evidence of recent rain through much of the area. There was not much barren ground and many of the roadside paddocks were stocked with cattle in good condition. When most of the animals are lying in the shade by lunch time there is plenty of feed about.

Day 8 24^th April

Dalby to Tenterfield 327 km

We decided this morning to stick as much as possible to our original itinerary, which meant that we needed to be at Tenterfield tonight. When we stopped last night we found that we had driven off and left the step to get into the caravan where we had last used it; at our final afternoon roadside stop. So first order of business today, was to buy a replacement. That done, we headed out of town.

Silos behind the Cecil Plains rest area

The first leg was to Cecil Plains, a small town about 40 km south of Dalby. I had no idea that so much cotton was grown near Dalby, but today we drove past hundreds of hectares of it; white flowers stretching almost as far as you can see and here and there harvesting equipment moving through the fields. White flowers mean harvest time. If you want to understand what broad acre farming means, come and take a look at this. Grain crops also are produced. In most cases wheat fields have not yet been ploughed but there are large areas of what we think is sorghum.

Harvest ready cotton

On arrival at Cecil Plains we discovered that the original Cecil Plains Station was where Ludwig Leichhardt first had the idea of an overland expedition to Port Essington,which was a port that had been established in Northern Territory prior to the establishment of Darwin. We also discovered that Cecil Plains claims all of the cotton grown in the area as its own as it is processed at a gin just out of the town.

A well known land mark at Millmerran

Still travelling south, we crossed the Gore Highway at Millmerran and the Cunningham Highway at Inglewood. We continued on to Texas, on the NSW border, where we stopped for lunch.

Agriculture extends south of Cecil Plains but gradually the land gives over to grazing. There are several forest areas, particularly as Texas is approached. We drove past the relatively new Millmerran power station and under its multiple power lines.

Some very flat country

Texas is, appropriately, a cattle town, but it also has a silver mine. We departed Texas to the east on the road to Stanthorpe but after 34 kilometres turned south into Glenlyon Dam Road, crossing into NSW at the mini town of Mingoola. Although the state border in this area follows a stream and the Bruxner Highway is near the border it is quite hilly so the last 50 kilometres was a slower than the earlier part of the journey.

We are at a higher altitude at Tenterfield so will probably have a fairly cold night.

Central Queensland Plus – Days 1 to 4

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

Day 1 17th April

Home to Peach Trees 126 km

Jimna store and info center and park

Packed and gone by 10 am. A short call at the ATM then Bunnings and we were on our way. A good run, except for impatient truckies to Kilcoy, where we refueled and had lunch in the park before turning north onto the Kilcoy Murgon Road.

Campers at Peach Trees Camping Area

Jimna fire tower – under threat

Civic activity is centered on preservation of the famous Jimna fire lookout tower that stands beside the main road just north of the town.

Jimna village, the fire tower and Peach Trees Camping Area are all within Jimna State Forrest. The camping area is located on Yabba Yabba Creek, which is a tributary of the Mary River, so from time to time provides some of the water that floods Gympie and Marlborough. The evidence of such excess lines the banks of the stream in the firm of flood debris.

The camping area was well occupied with Easter campers. A sign at the gate announced that the park was fully booked.

We found a spot by the creek, a good distance from other campers, although we were engaged in

Yabba Yabba Creek at Peach Trees

conversation by two strolling couples, the second of which joined us for happy hour. As if to emphasise our proximity to nature a large monitor lizard wandered by. We had been welcomed by some screeching parrots and as we chatted grey kangaroos came out of the bush to feed on the fresh grass. As our new friends were leaving, a possum casually walked between the van and the car. Back to nature!

It was a cold night and with no power we were early to bed to be lulled to sleep by the rippling stream.

Day 2 18th April

Jimna to Mount Perry 230 km

The sun came over the hill and shone into our front window, a clear signal that it was time to get up. It soon warmed up the van. Breakfast was taken outside in the sunshine. Packing complete, we said our goodbyes to our new friends and headed for the gravel road leading us north. One of the objectives of this trip is to put up some distance on unsealed roads. Our off road van has not done much work off road. I want to get more experience on dirt and gravel before we tackle more ambitious treks like Cape York and the Birdsville Track.

Ban Ban Springs Rest Area

We had about 70 km of quite good gravel Road, the first 50 of which was through hilly forest and the final 20, plus some sealed road and highway, through undulating farm country. There had been good rain through the area, so the grass was green and grazing cattle were scattered over the pastures.

The Kilcoy Murgon Road joins the Burnett Highway just south of Goomeri, so we motored on through that town, stopping 70 km further on at Ban Ban Springs for fuel and lunch. A further 12 km on we turned right towards Mingo Crossing and Mount Perry. This road alternated between tar and excellent recently graded gravel. In readiness for Easter tourists, no doubt.

Mount Perry Main Street

There is a small caravan park by the Burnett River at Mingo Crossing that was badly damaged by flood water about a year ago. It has not been restored yet so we continued on to Mount Perry, getting the last powered site in the small caravan park. Our visit has coincided with the Mount Perry “Royal” Easter Show, so things are jumping in the old town.

Leopard tank in Mount Perry main street

Our site is in the back corner of a well equipped and quiet park. No rippling stream to put us to sleep but quiet will be a good start.

Day 3 19^th April

Around Mount Perry 57 km

Mount Perry owes its genesis to copper, gold and timber. Copper was discovered in the second half of the 1800s. As the timber was cleared to access the copper its value was recognised and a timber industry commenced. Later gold was found. The problem of

North entrance – Boolboonda tunnel

getting products to market ultimately lead to a railway being built from Bundaberg. A tunnel was needed to access the Mount Perry valley so the longest unsupported rock tunnel in the Queensland rail system was built, opened in 1883 and was used until 1960. It was dug by mainly Chinese labor through the Boolboonda Range so it is known as the Boolboonda Tunnel. It is about 190 meters long and a

South entrance – Boolboonda tunnel – with light at the end

single rail width. The rails are long gone but the tunnel is now used as access to some farms and as a residence for a bent wing bat colony. We drove through and back again as have many others. There were four other vehicles there at the same time despite it being over 20 km from town.

Not far away, on the way back to town, we had noticed a winery, about 3 km along the to read to Monto. We decided to call. Wonbah

Sign at front gate – Wonbah Estate Winery

Estate has been there for about 13 years. They produce a range of wines including ports and liqueurs. They host a number of events during the year, including the chance to get your feet among the grapes in February and a Jazz & Shiraz event in August. There is space for caravans to overnight. Sounds good!

We made a modest purchase of a white, a red and a white port. We will take them home to share with family and friends.

Mount Perry from lookout

On the way back to town a short detour took us to a lookout above the town, with great views of the valley and town area. The valley is rather narrow so the town is strung out along its main street with a few short streets on either side.. From this vantage point it was off to the show grounds to see how the locals entertain themselves.

There were hundreds of motor

Action at Mount Perry show

vehicles parked inside and outside of the grounds. The area surrounding the arena was packed with horse and cattle transport vehicles. A lively program of ring events was under way, to the accompaniment of that kind of commentator that won’t stop taking while he has a microphone in his hand. People were flocking around side shows and food stalls almost uniformly dressed in long sleeve shirts, jeans and boots. But the

Camel rides at Mount Perry show

ladies dressed for the Easter bonnet competition provided contrast.

Equestrian competition is well supported throughout the area and the agricultural shows that are held on successive weekends through the area clearly provide opportunities to participate. I was interested to see the age range of female participants. Clearly it is not a sport just for the young.

Mount Perry show action

We had lunched on hot dogs and chips so after a fair bit of tramping around we went back to the van for a rest, which became a nap. There was more to come. A country show is not complete without a fireworks display. At 8pm sharp the first rocket went up. It was the precursor to 10 minutes of exciting entertainment. Most of the day’s crowds were gone but a good group of 200 or so locals were ready to party on. But we left them to it.

Old copper smelter paved area

The copper mine was in the hill behind the town with the smelter just below it. The last owners didn’t leave much equipment behind when they left, but as a sort of memorial, paving blocks cut from the slag residue have been laid over the original slag dump, with a picnic shelter in the center. Photographs depicting the history of both mine and town are on display. A gold mine is still in operation with workers bused to the site each shift. Some miners appear to be residents of the caravan park.

Day 4 20^th April

Mount Perry to Eidesvold 92 km

The days have been sunny and warm with cool clear nights, not much cloud and only light winds. It is perfect travelling and sleeping weather. I wonder if it is always like this. Is there a real estate agent in town?

The road to Eidesvold crosses and at times follows mountain ranges, for the 80 km of the journey. It is steep in places with low gear warning signs for heavy vehicles. We travelled a few slow kilometers behind a sideshow truck moving on to the next show.

Ceratodus Rail Station

At the Burnett Highway we turned right for a few hundred meters to the Ceratodus rest area, both for morning tea and to see the memorial to the railway pioneers who brought rail transport to North Burnett. The memorial take the form of the original Ceratodus railway station which has been moved to the site and supplemented with written history in the station waiting room and in an adjacent barbecue area.

Old railway bridge over the Burnett River at Ceratodus

The rest area is located on the banks of the Burnett River. We looked down at what was a very modest flow and wondered how such a puny stream could wreck such devastation on Bundaberg. The river would have been 10 meters below the bridge but flood waters had lodged limbs in the branches of trees another 10 meters above the road.

RM Williams Bush Learning center at Eidesvold

We arrived in Eidesvold at a about midday to find that no fuel was available in town and that the first fueling point in our direction of travel was at the limit of our range. The R. M. Williams Bush Learning Center allows over night stops in their grounds, so here we stayed.

The Learning Center is a combined memorial to the great R.M., an information centre and an art gallery associated with the local Mari People. It is quite new and well set up. Williams moved from South Australia to a property West of Eidesvold about mid life. The citizens of the area regard him as their own.

A bronze sculpture of R.M. Williams and horse

Williams lived well into the video era. One of the displays is a recorded interview with him. At the conclusion he is asked how he would wish to be remembered. His reply was, “That I tried”.

There was not much else open in town. Fuel is available from 7 am tomorrow. The service station owner is not trying very hard at all!

Days 29 to 32 – 14th & 17th February – Coffs Harbour, Brooms Head. Kingscliff & Home

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

We had planned to spend the last three nights at Kingscliff where our friends Jim & Frances Weir are currently ensconced, along with three other couples who we have got to know during our visits there. But it was not to be. The Surf Lifesaving folk had decided to hold a Nippers carnival at the Kingscliff SLC so the caravan park was booked out.

Ruth’s younger sister Kathy and her husband Barry have recently settled in the small town of Townsend which is located to the east of the highway adjacent to Maclean. We had arranged to call and had received an invitation to lunch.

We had packed up in rain at Coffs Harbour but the weather had improved to overcast at Townsend. If it had still been raining we probably would have, after lunch, kept on directly to home. We decided to continue along the road through Townsend to the coastal settlement of Brooms Head where we knew there was a caravan park.

Lower area at Brooms head Caravan Park.

Caravan parks are frequently in towns. Brooms Head is almost a town in a caravan park. The park stretches 1.5 km along the beach and includes part of a hill on which there are van sights with excellent views. The remainder of the town is comprised of houses, mostly holiday rental and the Brooms head general store.

The day area at Brooms head beach

High winds were forecast so we acquired a site in the lower area, in behind the sand dune that runs the length of the beach. As it turned out the winds did not reach predicted strength so we have had a comfortable stay.

The attractions here are the beach and fishing. The other points of interest are Sandon River to the south and Red Cliff to the north.

The mouth of the Sandon River

Both are fishing locations with camping facilities within the Yuraygir National Park. Surprisingly both camping areas were almost full of caravans and tents.

Sandon has a private enclave within the national park, with a few old fishing shacks. The river is quite broad, has good boat access

A lone fisherman at Sandon River

and was the sight of much fishing activity. The vegetation is typical of the low coastal areas on this part of the coast. It is about 10 km from Brooms Head.

Red Cliff headland

Red Cliff is, as its name suggests, a red cliff in the form of a headland that stands above the beach just north of Brooms Head. A National Parks provided camping area stretches along the hills behind the headland. The area is partly open and partly vegetated with camp sites cut back into the scrub to provide semi private accommodation. The area is

A group camping at Red Cliff

popular with kangaroos as well as with people. Several tame specimens were quietly grazing, mostly ignoring the humans.

Roos grazing at Red Cliff

Buzzed from above!

In the cool of the evening we walked along the beach to the other part of the caravan park. On the hill above the beach we could see a group of young blokes all looking down at the beach. We could hear a buzzing noise and looked up to see ourselves being buzzed by a radio controlled drone. We waved it its camera and the group waved back. We are

Brooms Head at low tide

always happy to help with the entertainment!

The following morning we travelled to Kingscliff near Tweed Heads where we spent the last night of the trip. With the Nippers carnival complete we were able to find a site for one night.. This is familiar ground so no need for photos.

After spending the night at Kingscliff, we arrived home at about midday on 17^th February. On 18^th Ruth saw her orthopaedic surgeon, who has given her clean bill on her knee. Her next visit is in 9 months time. On 19th, Eldest daughter Karen arrived from her stay in Tasmania to spend a month with us before returning to India. After a short stay at her India home she is off to USA for several weeks in conjunction with her work in India.

So here ends the current series of blog posts. We will keep you advised about future travel.

Until then Ruth joins me in extending our best wishes to all readers.

Kevin

Sydney 2014 – Days 26 to 28 – 11th to 13th February – Coffs Harbour

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

The headland at Coffs Harbour

There is not much to report from Coffs Harbour. The two day stop was for mostly commercial reasons as there was work to be done. But we did have time for sightseeing on the second afternoon, so we did a round trip through Nana Glen, a small town on the back road from Coffs Harbour to Grafton and a station on the north coast railway line.

Both road and railway line follow the Orara River. The road is known as the Orara Way. This small town received much publicity some years ago when actor Russell Crowe bought a rural retreat near the town. Singer Wendy Matthews did likewise a bit later. Both events received a fair amount of coverage in capital city media.

Café on the main road to Grafton

Nana Glen is really two towns, one on the railway and the other on the road. It is all quite old looking but there are signs of benefit from the Coffs harbour tourist boom. A small restaurant operates on the main road and a little further from town another restaurant/bar was promoting live music, no doubt to attract tourists from the coast. Coastal holiday makers seem to like to include a hinterland experience in their holiday.

The town has facilities including a pub and fuel supplies.

The drive that we did would be ideal for a diversion from sun and sand. We drove north, through the extensive road works that seem to have been going on for ever, for about 10 km and turned into Bucca Road. A further 20 km brought us to Nana Glen. We then turned south to travel through the small rural towns of Coramba and Karangi and back into the centre of Coffs Harbour, a round trip of a little over 60 km.

Coffs Harbour is the home of the Big Banana, but perhaps not for long. Banana production is moving away. We passed some plantations as we approached Coffs Harbour from Nana Glen but there do not seem to be many more around. And we saw no bananas at Nana Glen!

Kevin & Ruth Sheather

The Mobilesheathers – exploring Australia

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