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.

West, Centre & Flinders – Days 18 to 19 – Further West

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

It is not easy to predict the movements of the travelling public. On our first night at the Longreach Tourist Park the place was near to full. After we arrived, about mid-afternoon, the vans flooded in and flooded out again next morning. But on the second night

Sweeping plains near Winton

occupancy would have been no more than 40%. Perhaps folk had been in to complete the census. Forms were available at the office. We opted to complete it on line and couldn’t even log in. Perhaps we will try again at Alice Springs.

We left Longreach at the start of Day 18 driving towards Winton, about 180 kilometres to the North West.

North Gregory Hotel where legend has it Waltzing Matilda was first performed

Winton has always been a prosperous place but the drought has taken its toll. There are several empty shops in the main street. But the pubs continue to thrive. The Tattersals’ hotel that occupies a corner had about 20 tables set up for lunch on the pavement and more inside. Many caravans and their towing vehicles were parked in the street. Winton must be a favored lunch stop among grey nomads.

The vacant space was once occupied by The Waltzing Matilda Centre

As some of you will know, Winton lost its famous Waltzing Matilda Centre to fire a year or so ago. That was a serious blow to the town. But they have bounced back with a new museum called the Qantilda Museum. It is much smaller, as a great deal of history was lost in the fire, but deals with Winton’s two main claims to fame. Winton is the birth place of Qantas Airways and Waltzing Matilda was written by Banjo Patterson at Dagworth Station to the north of Winton and was first performed in public at Winton’s North Gregory Hotel.

Self explanatory!

The “sweeping plains” continue to Winton and beyond. Green as far as the eye can see. But in most of the pasture there are no cattle eating the lush grass. Drought plays havoc with stocking density and it takes a long time to rebuild a production herd.

The first real jump up on the way to Middleton

When we came this way last year on our way to The Centre, I said that the road from Winton to Boulia was one of the most attractive outback drives in Queensland and having done it a second time I have not changed my mind. Along the first section, until just past the multiple channels of the Diamantina River, the terrain is fairly flat. Some areas are so green with lush growth that they look like a planted crop. Then Mount Booka Booka appears to the left of the road. From there, for the next hundred kilometres or so, the road passes through the Sword Range which is mostly a series of jump ups, or mesas, with their defining crowns of red rock and slopes clad with small bushy vegetation of brilliant green.

A main channel of the Diamantina River almost full of water

Last time through we did Winton to Boulia, a distance of 360 kilometres, in a day. This time, having started the day at Longreach we have broken our journey at the lonely road side pub at Middleton. There was a town of Middleton but it is long gone and only the 130 year old hotel remains. Free camping is available over the road. Most who use the area express their appreciation by patronising the hotel.

Middleton Hotel

We went over for a drink after setting up and then later, went back for dinner. Dinner guests included a couple from Taroom in Queensland on their way to Camooweal to help run the annual drovers festival. An other couple have just travelled the Birdsville Track and were able to give us some good information on road conditions.

An old Cobb & Co coach stands outside the Middleton Hotel

The Middleton Pub is over 130 years old. The area was first explored by John McKinley who was leading a group searching for lost explorers Bourke and Wills. W Middleton was second in command. The area when opened shortly afterwards was named Middleton in his honour.

The publican and his wife are elderly but are assisted by younger family members. They were most welcoming. The menu was surprisingly extensive but we chose the “house” meal of corned beef with potato, cabbage and white sauce. The serving was generous. The facilities were basic with outside toilets and showers constructed of corrugated iron. The plumbing for the shower looked like a plumber’s nightmare but the rusty shower head was large and hot water cascaded out.

We went to sleep to the gentle lowing of cattle in a yard behind the hotel, probably waiting for a truck to take them to market.

Approaching Cawnapore Lookout

The overnight stay at Middleton produced an unexpected bonus. Soon after leaving Middleton, jump ups start to appear on the horizon. The road turned towards them and as we drew closer the morning sun illuminated the red stone caps and eroded upper reaches turning them to shades of deep red. The green vegetation that clings to the slopes takes on a brilliancy that makes it look painted on.

A path for the fitter leads to the summit if the Cawnpore jump up

A picnic shelter marks Cawnpore Lookout, a vantage point that stands above a cutting through the hills. To reach it you must scramble up a steep gravel path but the effort is well worth while. The views through 360 degrees are stunning. Those fitter than I can follow a path that leads to the very top of the jump up for even better views, I imagine. Accompanying photos illustrate.

A view from the lookout

From here the dramatic hills reduce in frequency. The final 80 kilometres or so into Boulia returns to endless green planes with scattered trees. The only dense vegetation lines the many water ways, most of which retain some of the recent rain.

Car and van from the lookout and hills to the west

The Min Min Centre in Boulia

We have reached Boulia and are in the caravan park, with the Bourke River only a few metres from the back of our van. Boulia is a small service town at the junction of Kennedy and Diamantina Developmental Roads. The Donohue Highway that leads to Alice Springs via the Plenty Highway branches off just out of town. The town has museum displays of dinosaur fossils and other items relating to the past when where Boulia stands was part of an inland sea. It also has the Min Min Experience, an animated show that tells of the mysterious Min Min Lights.

A full Bourke River at Boulia.

Weather has been brilliant. Morning temperatures have been around 10 C with day temperatures in the mid twenties. We experienced some cloud and a few spots of rain on the windscreen as we approached Middleton, but by evening the stars shone from a cloudless sky. But we have had some chilly breezes from east to south west, but they are easy to avoid or you put on something warmer.

Tomorrow we head south for Bedourie and Birdsville.

West, Centre and Flinders – Days 12 to 17 – Traveling West

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

Ducks around a roadside pond as we left Rockhampton

According to Google Maps, by the time we turn south at Boulia, we will be 1,288 kilometres by road from the coast at Yeppoon. This will have taken about eight days, so you can see that we are not in a hurry. But we will have covered about 200 extra kilometres by turning south at Barcaldine, then travelling west to Isisford and then back to the Capricorn Highway at Ilfracombe, before turning west again to Longreach.

The coastal area is relatively flat and there is no real sensation of gaining elevation as we travel towards the Central Highlands until quite some distance west of Rockhampton. At a couple of places the climb is steep but generally the country undulates with each up grade taking us higher than the last.

A commemorative plaque to Major Sir Thomas Mitchell who explored this area

After Dingo, the road flattens and points like an arrow or wavers slightly toward the ever moving horizon which may be a distant arc where sky meets the plain or the variable outline of a range of hills. We are surprised to find that we are just 20 kilometres east of Alpha, or 460 kilometres from our starting point at the coast, before we reach the summit of the Great Dividing Range. The whole 444 metres of it! We are then in the Lake Eyre catchment. We feel as though we are getting somewhere.

Our first night was spent at Duaringa, in a council sponsored camping area, which we shared with about 40 other vans and motor homes. Late in the afternoon we were visited by a representative of the local Lions Club, with a notice that they will be serving breakfast the following morning. Egg and bacon muffins were our choice, with fruit juice.

Mobile worker accommodation at Alpha

A new shopping centre has been built on the eastern fringe of Emerald, where we stopped to buy some required items. We had intended another roadside stop that night but nothing took our fancy, so we continued to the Alpha caravan park. Alpha is near to the location of the proposed coal mine that is causing some controversy at the moment. Project type accommodation units in the park suggest that some of the development team have been accommodated here.

Next we passed through Jericho, where a road side sign proclaimed that Jericho is the only town in Australia that has crystal trumpeters. Well they would, wouldn’t they?

Part of the long main street of Barcaldine

Since we left Rockhampton we have met an endless parade of caravans and motor homes. You name a brand and we have probably seen it. Strangely, there has been very little traffic, caravan or otherwise, going in our direction. When on country highways we cruise at about 80 kph. Most vans and almost all other vehicles, road trains included, travel much faster than we do, particularly when the speed limit is 110 kph. Perhaps it was because we were travelling on Saturday and Sunday. I think the lack of caravans going our way has to do with the direction in which southerners do their loops through NSW and Queensland. The majority seem to travel north inland and return home via the coast.

Inside the Tree of Knowledge memorial

Barcaldine is reached next. It has historical fame as the birth place of the Australian Labor Party. Shearers famously went on strike here in the late nineteenth century. By the look of the main street on Sunday, when we passed through, no one much has gone back to work. Caravans and motor homes lined both sides of the long main street but barely a shop was open to serve them. Is this the dead hand of unionism or high Sunday penalty rates? Or perhaps trading laws?

Set up among the trees at Barcaldine South

Barcaldine marked the temporary ending of our westward passage as we turned there to go south to Blackall. A convenient roadside rest area about 30 kilometres south provided a suitable over night stopping place. And with a bonus! Some kind soul had left a small pile of firewood right where we parked the van for the night. So we had dinner under the stars by firelight. Adding to our carbon footprint, of course! We thank the kind prior occupant.

Our one and only camp fire for the trip so far

The Barcoo River at Blackall

The following day we continued south to Blackall. This substantial town is on the Landsborough Highway and on the Barcoo River. After refueling we turned wast to travel across the rich flood plains of the Barcoo River system. Like many rivers in this area it is not a single stream but a series of channels and water holes that only flow when there is significant rainfall.

Yellow daises adorn the Barcoo flood plains

The recent rains have done their work and what was barren drought afflicted earth is now brilliantly green, with grazing stock and expanses of wild flowers. We think the flowers are daises, some white but mostly yellow. It was a very pleasant drive along a good sealed road that was almost normal double carriage way width most of the way.

Weir on the Barcoo at Isisford

At Isisford we set up the van for the night in a council supplied area beside the weir that retains some of the water in the Barcoo. We slept to the gentle rumble of water cascading over the spillway as the recent rains make their way down stream to join with the Thompson River near Jundah to become the famous Cooper Creek.

Set up on the river bank as Isisford

Inside the crocodile museum at Isisford

During the afternoon we took a walk through the small town. We were surprised to see a modern coffee shop with alfresco tables. On closer scrutiny, we realised that it was part of museum for the display of fossils of a prehistoric crocodile found in the area some years ago. The Isisford croc, scientifically known as Isisfordia Duncania (the last part for the discoverer whose surname was Duncan). The Isisford croc is believed to be the ancestor of the 20 plus species of crocodile and alligator known today.

$The road between Isisford and Ilfracombe is not as wide as that traveled the previous day$

The road between Isisford and Ilfracombe is not as wide as that traveled the previous day

A jumbo jet at the Qantas Founders Museum

The Thompson is the river at Longreach. We arrived here yesterday. We have visited and blogged about Longreach before and have previously visited its main attractions. The Qantas museum is obvious as you drive into town. A jumbo jet parked by the road in a country town can hardly be missed. The Stockman’s Hall of Fame is almost directly opposite on the other side of the highway.

The Stockmans Hall of Fame

En suit units at the caravan park. A row of what?

We are at the Longreach Tourist Park and have declared a lay day. That means that we have delayed moving on for a day. It was time for a breather after five days on the move.

West, Centre and Flinders – Days 9 to 11 – Relatively Speaking

Posted on August 6, 2016 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

My Nexus 7 tablet developed charging problems before we left home. They became worse as we travelled. I use navigation apps on the Nexus which run while we travel. Normally, because it is plugged into a 12 volt charger all day, we arrive at that days destination with the Nexus fully charged. Now it slowly goes flat during the day.

After a few tries I found a repairer in Rockhampton who was prepared to look at it. His diagnosis is that wires that connect the USB port are loose and need soldering. But on such a device the repair requires micro soldering and that is not a common process and probably not available outside of Brisbane at best. So the much loved Nexus is out of service, at least until we are back in Brisbane.

Ready to deal with the fish and chips

Fortunately I have another tablet, a Samsung Tab 3, which I received from Telstra as a reward for upgrading the data package on my phone. I have transferred the navigation apps to the Tab 3 but it has a larger screen that the Nexus so won’t fit in the frame attached to the dash board of the car. So I have had to order a larger size which, hopefully, will meet us in Longreach, on Tuesday. We will, of course, spend at least part of Tuesday night filling in our Census form.

The wet play area at Yeppoon

But back to the narrative! The distance from Gracemere to Kinka Beach is only 60 km, so even with a stop at the shops in North Rockhampton, we were at Kinka Beach by 11.30 am. Registration formalities complete, we proceeded to park the van beside the allotted concrete slab. No easy task, as there was a large tree in the way. We finally prevailed, had lunch and settled in to wait for the arrival of Sister Aileen and brother-in-law Colin and their friends Marj and Vic.

View south from Yeppoon. Rosslyn Bay is on the left

We didn’t do a great deal during the two days. An outing to Emu Park the first day to stock up on food. Ruth went with the others while I stayed behind to get my blog up to date. On day two we drove up to Yeppoon for lunch (excellent fish and chips followed by coffee) and then drove steadily back down the coast road, known as Scenic Highway, taking in the panorama of beach, ocean and islands and stopping in at the Rosslyn Bay marina, where we sat and watched what little activity there was while soaking up some wonderful sunshine. Here I write particularly on behalf of the four Victorian visitors.

Boats and residential area at Rosslyn Bay

In between, we spent a considerable amount of time chatting, as we caught up on news of the Victorian branch of our family, seated in the sunshine and protected as much as possible from a pesky chilly south westerly wind. Daytime temperatures were low to mid twenties, but overnight got down to below 10 C most nights. But that is mostly how it has been since we left home.

West, Centre and Flinders – Days 5 to 8 – Filling In Time

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

Keith and Linda. Van packed and hitched and ready to go

Our original plan, on which we set our departure date, had us meeting Keith and Linda (see previous post) further north, possibly as far north as Airlie Beach. But their progress down the coast was a bit faster than we had anticipated so we met them at Bundaberg, as most readers will already be aware.

Near the mouth of the Burnett River at Burnett Heads

When we parted with them at Burnett Heads we had five days in hand for which we had no predetermined plans. Not a problem! There are always things to look at and places to go.

Beached flood debris on Rules Beach near Baffle Creek

We decided to spend a couple of days at Agnes Water/Seventeen Seventy, but a lot of other people had made the same decision. All caravan parks were fully booked. As an alternative we chose Baffle Creek Caravan Park, located about equidistant from Bundaberg and Seventeen Seventy.

If you want other residents to talk to you at Baffle Creek Caravan Park it is best to arrive with a boat on top of your car, or at least have a conspicuous fishing rod on board. This is a fishing area and people go there to fish. We used it as a base for a day trip to Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy.

Sand banks in Round Head Creek at Seventeen Seventy

We have visited this area before and I have blogged about it. The day was near perfect. Clear skies and a gentle breeze, although up on Round Hill Head, the headland that stands above the town of Seventeen Seventy, the wind was stronger. We did a couple of walks to take in the rugged scenery and the panoramic views of the ocean provided by this vantage point, before returning to the water side park, near the Seventeen Seventy hotel, where we settled ourselves in a picnic shelter for a leisurely lunch.

A small bay on the ocean side of Round Hill Head

Boats at anchor in Round Hill Creek

The sun sets over the agricultural fields at Biloela

That took care of the first two days. For the remaining three days we decided to go inland to Biloela via Calliope and the Dawson Highway. We wanted to cross from Miriam Vale to the Boyne Valley, as an alternative road to Calliope, but tales of horrendous road conditions on the first part of that road put us off, so we stayed on the Bruce Highway.

The 70 metre chimney at Mount Morgan gold mine

We returned to the Queensland Heritage Park at Biloela for the night. In our short trip north in June we had spent a night here so were on familiar tertiary.

The logical path to the Yepoon area from Biloela took us through Mount Morgan. I think we had only driven through this historic gold town previously but our plans for a closer look were made a bit more difficult when we found that the only decent caravan park in Mount Morgan was booked out.

Mount Morgan museum display

A rear view of Mount Morgan’s first motor hurse

The old gold mine, viewed from a vantage point in the town

So we booked two nights at Gracemere, a town that is now almost a suburb of Rockhampton, but still close enough to Mount Morgan to make a day trip back. On our way through the town we drove around to get our bearings and to find mine viewing vantage points. We then visited the superb museum in the town. The vast collection of historical memorabilia is divided into categories and themes, with the mine dominating. But other sections contained material related to the hospital, armed forces, scouts and guides, religions, local aboriginal history and more.

We found that a tour of the mine was available on a daily basis so when we reached Gracemere we phoned to make a reservation for the next day.

The head equipment of the shaft that took miners to their work

Gold mining was commenced by two Morgan brothers in 1882 but the scale of operations increased in 1888 when a company was formed and more finance became available. Mining finally ceased in 1990 but there was a period in the late 1920s when the mine was closed for five years, due to flooding to extinguish a fire in the mine shafts.

The pit, one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, is now almost full of water

But it was a very successful mine for most of its one hundred year life and many fortunes were made. One example of this was Walter Hall who was an early shareholder and director. Some of his fortune was later used to found the Walter and Elisa Hall medical research foundation. This is just another example of the extent to which gold played such a dominant role in the foundations of Australia.

A model of the Mount Morgan pit displayed in the museum section of the company office

Our return to the caravan at Gracemere brought to a conclusion the brief period of filling in days. The next day we travelled to Kinka Beach, south of Yepoon, for our few days with sister Aileen and brother-in-law Colin, before we head west for the main part of this trip.

West, Centre and Flinders – Days 1 to 4 – A Bridge and Aviation History

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

Dickabram Bridge

Some time ago, someone posted somewhere, a photo of Dickabram Bridge with a comment about an adjacent peaceful camping area. I noted it for future reference. When we settled with the Keith an Linda Giles on Burnett Heads as a meeting point we were committed to yet another trip up the Bruce Highway, but we wanted an overnight stop away from highway traffic. Dickabram Rest Area was just the ticket.

The Mary River upstream of the bridge

The turn from the highway is to the left at the small town of Gunalda, about 15 km north of the intersection of the Bruce Highway with the Wide Bay (or Bunya) Highway. The road is narrow but sealed and passes through woodlands and cane fields. The bridge carries the road over the Mary River near the remains of the town of Miva. The road then joins the Bauple Woolooga Road. This makes it something of a short cut to the South Burnett area, as we found during the afternoon and evening.

The bridge in the morning fog

The bridge is heritage listed, as it is one of two of its kind in Australia. It has two lanes, one that carries road traffic and one that formally carried the railway. The line has long been closed, but the rails remain. The bridge is mainly of timber construction with a planked deck, the planks running at right angles to the direction of travel. We lived within hearing distance to a bridge planked in this manner when I was a child. They are a recipe for noise.

A cloud bank illuminated by the sun rise behind the camping area

A unique feature of the bridge is the steel tube trusses that support the centre part that is actually over the river itself. The other trusses are of timber. The bridge was opened in 1886, completing a link to Kilkivan. The structure is 191 meters long and stands 23 meters above the river. Its decking has only once been under flood waters, quite early in its life, in 1893, but many floods have raged between its trusses since then, without bringing it down.

The deck of the bridge with the rails still in place

There is not much left of Miva. Its heyday seems to have been during bridge construction, when it was one of those towns that boasted a butcher, a baker and a candle stick maker and three pubs!

The camping area was quite, except when a vehicle was crossing and that occurred frequently during the late afternoon and quite a few times during the night. We were the only residents overnight but did entertain a travelling couple to afternoon tea. We took pity on them. Their caravan was damaged and they had been waiting for two weeks for it to be repaired and were living in a cabin at Gunalda while they waited. They had visited the bridge to help fill in some time. We assisted by extending the time taken for their visit to the bridge.

Pelicans at Burnett Heads

The next day we made our way back over the bridge as we moved on to Bundaberg and Burnett Heads. As had been the case the day before, we met an endless stream of caravans coming south. We arrived at the Burnett Heads Caravan Park at about 1.30 pm to find Keith and Linda Giles two caravans ahead of us in the check in queue.

A crimson sunset

The arrangement was really about spending some time with them, but on Wednesday we went together to visit the Hinkler Hall of Aviation. Almost everyone has heard of aviator Bert Hinkler and most people know that his home was in Bundaberg. He came to fame in Europe but it all started in Bundaberg.

A tribute to Bert Hinkler at Mon Repos Beach

I had no idea that he designed and built his own glider, taking inspiration for his design from the study of the ibis. His glider actually flew a mere ten years after the Wright Brothers first successful flight, on what is now Mon Repos Beach, now better known for its popularity with the Loggerhead Turtle as a breeding ground. It was named after Hinkler’s home in England. This house now stands in the gardens at Bundaberg North, having been reconstructed brick by brick after being dismantled and moved to Bundaberg.

The beach where the first flight took place

We visited the house several years ago. Now it stands next to a large building that contains the story of Hinkler’s life and many of the aircraft, some of them replicas, with which he was involved throughout his life. He became a pilot, served with distinction during the First World War, reaching the rank of Squadron Leader, and of course was the first aviator to fly solo from England to Australia. But he was a gifted engineer and inventor. Many of his inventions are still in use today.

A Bert Hinkler cutout in front of his famous aircraft

The Hall of Aviation is an extensive building with a roof shaped in the style of an aircraft wing. Inside is an extensive display that features several aircraft but has video booths, wall mounted illustrated story boards, flight simulators and even simulators that allows visitors to experience the sensation of flying a glider of the type that Hinkler built.

The Hinkler home relocated from England

A visit is to be absolutely recommended.

A Hinkler designed amphibious airfraft

The aircraft wing shaped roof of the building

Gardens and cafe from the house balcony

Cruising yachts on the Burnett River. The rum distillery is in the background.

We returned to the city area to lunch, overlooking the Burnett River and after a bit of essential shopping returned to Burnett Heads for a second communal evening meal. This morning Keith and Linda continued their journey home to Castlemaine and we moved north to Baffle Creek for a couple of nights. We will post from Baffle Creek if anything worth reporting should occur.

Baffle Creek, incidentally, is south of the town of Seventeen Seventy. This part of Queensland is known as the Discovery Coast.

Central Highlands and Mackay – 9 to 14 June – Finch Hatton to Mackey and Home

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

Day 8

Steam rising almost vertically on a still morning as we passed Marian sugar mill

Moving on to Mackay was the main item on the day’s agenda. We drove the 70 km or so to Mackay, turning north at Marian to the Bruce Highway and approaching Mackay from the north. The morning was clear with almost no breeze. We quickly settled into the Andergrove Van Park. We have been here before so know our way around.

Birds feeding near our caravan

We arrived just before midday, set up the van and had lunch. But there were delays while we chatted with a West Australian couple, of about our vintage, who arrived at the neighboring site, as we were setting up.

Then to chores that needed our attention, so washing and a trip to the shops completed the day.

Day 9

We were visited by a group of ducks

Last night Ruth encountered some problems with access to the Internet, with her computer and pad, while trying to connect to the Internet through the mobile hot spot facility of her mobile phone. So first order of the day was to get it sorted. A young technician at the nearest Telstra shop solved the problem in about two minutes, but there was a bit of a wait for his services, so we did not return to the van until lunch time.

Sunset Beach at Shoal Point

After lunch we went for a drive to the near northern beaches. I love this part of Queensland and could easily live here. Three promontories point northward into the Coral Sea, giving ocean views to the north and to a certain extent, to the west. Each has elevated terrain at their northern extremities and locals have taken full advantage of high ground when building their homes.

Dolphin Heads from the deck at the Eimeo Hotel

We started at Shoal Point, which is furthest from Andergrove, and returned through Bucasia, Eimeo, Dolphin Heads and Blacks Beach. We called at the Eimeo Pacific Hotel for Devonshire Tea. The hotel is a beautiful old building, situated at the top of a hill at the most northern point of the promontory. It has an extensive deck with umbrella shaded tables. Views are over neighboring Dolphin Point including the Dolphin Point Resort and to the not very distant outlining islands, that are part of an island chain that runs all the way to the Whitsunday Islands.

Eimeo Hotel deck

Lamberts Beach and Mackay Harbor

We returned back south and past our caravan park to drive in the other direction to Slade Point. At the tip of the point is a car accessible observation point that provides panoramic views of Mackay Harbor and the marina with its village of high rise apartments and hotels. In the distance, to the south and east, views are to be had of the twin coal loading facilities of Hay Point and Dalrymple Bay, with their cluster of loading ships and the armada of waiting empty bulk carriers out to sea.

A yacht entering Mackay Harbor

We finished the day by driving out to the end of the harbor breakwater. The parking area there gives another view of the coal loader and waiting ships plus a view of the harbor facilities. At that time of day they were silhouetted against the setting sun. About 25 years ago I had close commercial involvement in this part of Queensland. It was fascinating to see the development that has occurred during the last quarter of a century.

Day 10

Beach at Cape Hillsborough

Today we did a tour of the more distant beach locations north of Mackay. We repeated the first few kilometres of yesterday’s trip but then cut across through the small town of Habana to the Cape Hillsborough road. The drive was through more cane fields in an area of undulating terrain where each hill top seemed to be crowned by a house.

Mountains behind the beach on Cape Hilsborough

Mountains behind the beach on Cape Hillsborough

Cape Hillsborough has a caravan park, where we stayed for a few days about six years ago. Today we parked at the picnic area in the national park for coffee before taking a walk on the beautiful beach. The beach is not beautiful in terms of brilliant white sand. The sand is grey in colour and muddy nearer the water, as the tide was out. It’s beauty comes from the rocks sculptured by waves, wind and rain over the ages, the steep hills that fringe the beach and the dramatic mountains that form a backdrop. And then there is the implied romance of off shore islands, partially obscured by haze.

Beach side houses at Ball Bay

In then, in turn, visited Ball Bay, Halliday Bay and Seaforth. These towns of varying size each has its own bay , beach and a residential area of old fishermen’s hut type houses with newer residential and holiday homes built among them. Each town has an esplanade behind the beach, a park with facilities and a swimming enclosure to keep box jellyfish and crocodiles at bay.

Birds feeding under a tap.

We lunched under a picnic shelter at Seaforth, the largest of the towns. A family, returning from the beach, stopped at a tap near to our table to wash sand off their feet. The resulting pool of fresh water was quickly taken over by ducks and seagulls that seemed to enjoy a long drink of fresh water. They showed no fear and provided us with entertainment as we had our lunch.

Empty swimming enclosure at Seaforth

This latish lunch marked the end of our outing, so we headed back to the van for some preparation for our departure next day for home.

Picnic facilities at Seaforth

Days 11, 12 & 13

We had allowed ourselves three days to travel home. The weather was deteriorating as we came south and getting colder.

Water birds being fed at the caravan park

The first day brought us to the minute town of Yaamba, which is on the highway not far north of Rockhampton, for an overnight stop in a road side parking area. Once again we had heavy traffic thundering by with trains in the distance. But we are becoming immune to truck noise and enjoyed a good night’s sleep. There was heavy rain over night but we did not hear it.

A bulk carrier on its way into the Gladstone coal terminal

For the evening of day two we had arranged to call on my former secretary from Mayne Nickless days. We had some time to spare before arriving at her home so drove into Gladstone and found a parking spot with views of the harbor and shipping activity. There we relaxed and had lunch. Two empty coal carriers were escorted to their births by tugs while we watched.

Former secretary Sandy has a brand new husband who we had not met, so we accepted an invitation to dinner and to park overnight in the spacious grounds around their house, on the northern fringe of Bundaberg. They are developing the property into a wedding reception and conference centre. The attractive property has areas of forest and lush green lawns. We enjoyed their company and the meal prepared by hubby Ian and learned much about the challenges of establishing such a business.

There was a bit more rain overnight and more as we came further south, with frequent showers passing.

On our way back south we discovered the missing caravans from our trip north. They were all coming north on the Bruce Highway. The spare spaces that we had seen in caravan parks were in process of being filled.

Central Highlands and Mackay – 6 to 8 June 2016 – From Dingo to Finch Hatton

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

Roadworks. This ravine was much deeper than it appears.

Day 5

Yet another sunny morning! There is hardly a cloud in the sky, but it is quite chilly. It is time to break out the “long johns” I think.

Much of the Fitzroy Developmental Road was quite new and easy going. Later in the day the roads became narrower and bumpier from constant use by heavy transport vehicles. There were road and bridge works under way in several places. At one point we plunged into a deep ravine and out the other side on a temporary road.

Not many hills in this area but Blackdown Tableland can be seen in the distance

We drove north from Dingo for about one hundred kilometres on the Fitzroy Developmental Road deep into the southern Bowen Basin. There is no coal mining at Dingo or any sign of it until near Middlemount , which we reached a few minutes after turning of the Fitzroy Developmental Road. From Middlemount to Dysart there are mines, but not prominent and most are well off the road. Middlemount and Dysart are both mining towns.

Public sporting facilities at Dysart

Both are modern with extensive community facilities and shopping centres that contain the shops that sell the essentials and some that sell luxuries.

Further on, we reached the longer established mining area where the mining activity is more extensive and visible. The road runs right through the middle of Peak Downs mine. Two over passes carry mining traffic over

Overburden is a sure sign of a coal mine

the highway, traffic including the huge dump trucks that carry the coal from the mine to the processing and loading facilities. We parked beside the road and while I walked around taking photos Ruth had the best seat in the house. She sat in the front of the car and watched the parade of dump trucks crossing the over pass no more than 200 metres in front of her.

A coal laden dump truck traveling from the mine to the loading facility

Coal production equipment at Peak Down Mine

Peak Downs Mine coal washing plant

The wide load turning off the highway ahead of us

Just before turning onto the Peak Downs Highway near Moranbah we came up behind a very wide load. The escorts were not interested in letting anyone get past so the journey to the junction of the road into Moranbah was a bit slow. We had visited that particular town when in the area two years ago, so we refueled and continued on the few kilometres to our

Vans parked at the Isis River camping area

stopping off point for the night beside the Isaac River.

A plaque commemorates the passing of this site by the Leichhardt expedition in 1844-45

Day 6

The weather is starting to get boring. It’s sunny and cool again but with temperatures in the mid 20s promised. The activity today was to get ourselves from Isaac River to Finch Hatton, a small town inland from Mackay, in the Pioneer Valley.

There was not much traffic going our way but there was a constant stream of oncoming traffic, most of it large trucks bound for the mining area. The Fitzroy Developmental Road that we had started out on the previous day, but left after about 100 kilometers, joins the Peak Downs Highway not far into our day’s journey. As we approached the intersection flashing yellow lights confirmed the chatter that we had been hearing on the two way radio and a truck carrying a very long bridge beam entered the road right in front of us.

About to drive through the parked convoy vehicles

We soon found that there were two more ahead, making a convoy of three over dimensional trucks and six escorts vehicles. We, and the string of vehicles behind us, knew that we could not pass, so we settled in to be part of a convoy of ever increasing length. Fortunately the large trucks up ahead were able to maintain speeds of about 80 to 90 kph so everyone was happy. This arrangement continued until the trucks pulled off for a rest break at the small town of Nebo.

That was the end of excitement for the day.

Those familiar with this end of the Peak Downs Highway might be interested to know that work is under way to bypass the steep winding section where the road climbs from the Pioneer Valley to the plateau that leads to the Bowen Basin. The work is well under way.

Driving through cane fields

The drive from Eaton to Finch Hatton is through sugar cane fields where the harvest was just getting under way. Cane harvest produces hazards on the road, particularly cane trains at level crossings, slow moving cane transport vehicles and cane harvesting machinery as it moves from farm to farm. The approach to a sugar mill is marked by that tell tale sweet smell of sugar juice. But to the ,locals the smell is the odor if liquid gold.

We drove to Finch Hatton via Marian, for fuel, and then drove through the neighboring town of Mirani. I was amazed at the extent to which suburbia has reached out from Mackay to those towns. Partly the result of housing demand from the mining boom, I suppose.

We arrived and set up in the Finch Hatton showground, which doubles as their caravan park, in time for a late lunch. We spent a lazy afternoon, mostly reading.

Day 7

Our reason for visiting Finch Hatton was to see Finch Hatton Gorge. A few years ago we drove to the start of the walks but didn’t have time to do any of them.

Finch Hatton Gorge is not a gorge in the normal expectation of gorges that are tourist attractions. It runs into a rain forest covered mountain range and its floor and sides are rain forest covered. It’s unique feature is the stream that runs through it, but more particularly two features of the stream.

There are two walks, the second being an extension of the first. The walk to reach Araluen Cascades is about 1.4 kilometres from the car park. The path winds through dense rain forest, around the heads of a number of gullies, for about 900 metres and then descends about 500 metres to the falls. A viewing platform provides an close view of the falls themselves but a staircase has been provided to access the rock pools into which the water tumbles.

I have put my video clips and images into a short video to give you an idea about the drive in to the area, the walk to the cascades and the Araluen Cascades themselves. Here it is.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjQv55Cpd4k[/youtube]

We did the walk to this point and spent 30 minutes or so just absorbing the beauty and atmosphere of the place. While there, a couple of French backpackers arrived. On our walk back we met several groups of walkers, many of who were in our age group. This is the most ambitious walk that Ruth has done since her knee replacement. She passed the challenge with flying colours.

The extension to the walk is a further 1.4 kilometre return to Wheel of Fire rock pool. We didn’t do this part but understand the feature to be a particularly large rock pool suitable for swimming. Both locations are popular with locals as swimming facilities, particularly in summer time and because they are free of crocodiles. The water looked to be well below swimming temperature to me but I suppose it is warmer in Summer.

The road winds up the mountain to Eungella village

After lunch we drove up the remainder of the Pioneer Valley and ascended the steep climb to the village of Eungella and the Eungella section of the National Park of the same name. Finch Hatton Gorge is also in the Eungella National Park. Before taking in the views from Eungella we drove on to Broken River with a objective of spotting a Platypus.

The Pioneer Valley from a Sky Window viewing area

But first we came to that 300 metre stroll known as Sky Window. I had forgotten all about it. The loop track leads to two excellent views. The first is over the mountain side where the road snakes up from the valley. The road is clearly visible from this vantage point. The second view is of the Pioneer Valley and the mountain ranges that form it. Today the view was clear with not much haze. The patch work of cane farms is quite attractive.

Our Platypus sighting

Our luck was in at Broken River. We sighted a Platypus three times before it headed for the river bank, probably going home to its burrow.

We returned to Eungella village to take in that perspective of the Pioneer Valley from a different angle before descending to the valley and returning to Finch Hatton for the night.

Just for fun, I edited some action camera videos, that we had filmed on the way up the range and coming down again, to give you an idea of what the drive is like. Here it is:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSdqdmS5JIw[/youtube]

Central Highlands and Mackay – 2 to 5 June 2016 – From Home to Dingo

Posted on June 19, 2016 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

Day 1 – Thursday 2nd June

Free campers set up for the night at Gympie

Once again we were on the Bruce Highway, travelling north. We followed the Bruce to just past Gympie, turned left into the Wide Bay Highway for 20 kilometers, turned right to pass through Woolooga and ultimately to Biggenden, where we finally turned south west to our overnight stop at Ban Ban Springs.

The distance is 301 km. The map showed the road via Woolooga as being sealed all the way but there is an unsealed strip of about 20 km that winds its way over a range. We had been encountering showers all morning. A particularly heavy deluge arrived just as we hit the gravel. The wheel ruts almost immediately became rivulets that obscured the actual road surface. I thought we were going to arrive at our stopover with a dirty van but the rain continued for long enough after we came back on the tar to give us a quite effective wash.

To preserve the memorial bridge it has been bypassed by the road

Further on, but before Biggenden, we came across (not literally) a memorial bridge, which used to be in service, but has now been preserved by the side of the realigned road. It spans Bridge Creek right beside it’s replacement. Signage claims it to be the only privately funded memorial bridge in Australia.

One of the pillar style end posts commemorate local fallen from WWI

One of the pillar style end posts that commemorate local fallen from WWI

Adjacent to the bridge, but a bit further from the road, a picnic shelter has been erected. Its one wall (three sides are open) contains material about soldiers who did not return, including a letter from a soldiers fiance seeking information about his death. At both ends of each bridge rail stand small but monumental posts of stone. One of those at the northern end lists the local fallen from the First World War while the other lists those who served and returned.

Memorabilia from WWI relating to locals who served

Light and shade on the hills as we approach Ban Ban Springs

Rain was still falling as we reached Biggenden but cleared as we drove the 36 km to Ban Ban Springs. The sun broke through as we crested a hill to illuminate an agricultural valley. Clumps of trees stood out like stage props under a spot light, while cloud shadows patterned the hills that stretched across the scene like a backdrop.

Ban Ban Springs is a roadhouse and motel at the junction of the Isis and Burnett Highways. The rest area, where caravans stop over night, is right across the road. Since arriving her I have remembered that this route is a favorite truckies short cut for heavy vehicles travelling between North Queensland and Melbourne and Adelaide. I’ll let you know how much sleep we get.

Ban Ban Springs Roadhouse

Day 2 – Friday 3rd June

The trucks did not interrupt out sleep. Traffic reduced after around 8.00 pm and we only heard the odd vehicle go by. In no time at all the sun was peeping through the overcast of cloud, something that it continued to do during the day. We encountered little of the forecast rain.

We stopped at Mundubbera for morning coffee and at Monto for lunch, on both occasions using the excellent roadside facilities provided in this area. Both include driver reviver facilities for holiday periods.

Traffic was relatively lite with not as many caravans as we expected. Caravans on the road were mainly travelling south with few moving in our direction. Caravan parks don’t seem to be busy either. Perhaps the Burnett Highway is not a popular tourist route.

The main feature of Heritage Park is the ex Expo 88 Primary Industries silo

So it is not surprising that we are in a very lightly populated park tonight. We are in the 48 hour rest area that is part of the Queensland Heritage Park in Biloela. The park is managed by a club of historic machinery enthusiasts. They have a huge display of old agricultural machinery, small and large, and displays of the kind of household memorabilia with which I shared my early years. But much of the collection is older than I am. The central building of the complex that houses much of the display is the Primary Industries pavilion from Brisbane Expo 88. I had a close association with that particular building during Expo.

Part of the Heritage Park display – including a variety of cream separators

Motor vehicles have been lovingly restored to their former glory

Transport from an era long passed

Old farm machinery with visiting caravans in the background

Wagon and wine barrels standing beside the bar in the function shed

Thunder storms are forecast for tonight but as yet only a few rain drops and no thunder. Perhaps we will sleep through the noise even if it does occur.

Day 3 – Saturday 4th June

The storm arrived at midnight and woke us with torrents of rain drumming on the roof of the van. Our first thought was for the lady travelling alone in a vehicle with a roof top tent parked next to us. My next thought was, “Did I close the window of the car after I wound it down to insert the card that opened the gate to the camping area?”. That question had to be answered so up I got, put on wet weather gear and ran around the front of the car to check. Yes, securely closed! So I dashed back into the van with wet PJ pants and black mud all over my feet. After a thorough foot wash and a change of PJs we had a cup of tea and went back to bed

Recently plowed land with house and sheds north of Biloela

The rain had gone by the morning but the mud had not. Despite a covering of recently mowed grass the mud found its way through on to boots and shoes. Black mud and mower clippings make a challenging mess when clinging to the soles of said boots and shoes.

Today’s journey has taken us north to the Capricorn Highway via the small town of Dululu, where we made the mandatory stop at the loo. The overcast sky again gave way to sunshine but an unexpected storm came back from the opposite direction to that of the storm last night. It only lasted for 15 minutes or so.

Vans in the Duaringa camping area

We had intended to reach Dingo but the camping area at Duaringa looked inviting and with plenty of space, so we decided to stay. That decision was confirmed when we found the lady with the roof top tent from the previous evening. She joined us for a cup of tea and we found out a bit about her.

Her name is Annie. She is a single middle aged lady who loves to travel and particularly in Australia, as this is her third consecutive Australian winter. She has a Nissan Patrol with all necessary gear, which she leaves here in preparation for the next visit. She has covered a great deal of Australia, particularly the outback. She left the following morning, headed for a Simpson Desert crossing.

The setting sun lights up the edge of the departing storm clouds

After the storm the setting sun broke through to produce a stunning sunset that lit up the clouds through the entire 360 degrees of the horizon.

Day 4 – Sunday 5th June

The sun rose into a clear sky again. We didn’t see a cloud all day and at the end of the day, at Dingo, the sun set, producing a brilliant strip of orange light across a flat horizon.

The view approaching Blackdown Tableland

We came on the final 36 km to Dingo, refueled and parked the van in a large parking area behind the Dingo Roadhouse. We set up, put our security arrangements in place, packed a picnic lunch and headed west on the highway for the 12 km to the turn to Blackdown Tableland National Park. The next 12 km to the foot of the mountain runs through unfenced cattle country with plenty of grazing stock that seem to prefer the roadside grass to that further away from traffic. They were healthy looking beef cattle of various breeds.

The road that runs at the base of the cliff as the summit is neared

The road runs at the base of the cliff as the summit is neared

The road to the summit of Blackdown Tableland is sealed, but steep and winding. From the time that we left the highway we could see the long Cliffs of coloured sandstone that gives this mountain its special appearance. The climb was through dense forest for much of the way but near the summit the road runs directly below the cliffs.

A gap in the cliff face beside the road

The end of the sealed road at the start of the park plateau

The end of the sealed road at the start of the park road

The sealed road ends at the information shelter but the dirt road was in good condition and adequate for the 60 kph speed limit within the park. We drove to the southern car park, which is as far as you can drive. Walks start there for what seems to be a significant waterfall but the distance and terrain was a bit much for the time we had available.

The view from the lookout that we reached

The sign for the walks that we did not do

We were thwarted in reaching a lookout by a chain locked across the access road, but did make it to the lookout that provides a view to the north and northeast. It was only a 100 meter paved walk but the view was fairly spectacular.

There is a camping area about 5 km past the information shelter where a few campers were in residence. The lengths of the walks are more suitable for campers than for day trippers unless the day trippers arrive early and are young and fit.

We finished the day by driving on to Backwater. The town is all about coal and promotes itself as the coal capital of Queensland. Apart from mining activity and coal trains the town was quiet on a Sunday afternoon.

Coal conveyor and loaded train near Blackwater

The coal trains run along beside the highway in this area. At Dingo Roadhouse there is a truck parking area, the roadhouse, the highway and a strip of vacant land between us and the twin sets of rails of the coal line. A stiff south easterly breeze had been blowing the sound away from us but when the breeze dropped as evening fell it was as if the volume had been turned up.

The entrance path and old mining equipment at Blackwater

The entrance path and old mining equipment at Backwater coal information centre

Retired underground mining equipment at Blackwater

Retired underground mining equipment at Backwater

Driving past a long coal train

The trains are rather large, typically with about 100 coal wagons and three engines, with an engine at each end and one in the centre. So as they pass, you have the rumble of wheels and the scream of electric motors. The line is electrified. Trains go by at a rate of three to four per hour. So, yes, our sleep was a bit disturbed.

A final view of Blackdown Tableland as we drive back to Blackwater

A final view of Blackdown Tableland as we drive back from Blackwater

Massed water lilies in a roadside pond near Dingo

Playing in the Sand – Fraser Island Part 5

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

Our association with Fraser Island has not been close but it has been long. We first visited almost 40 year ago. We were on holiday from Melbourne towing an early model Jayco Swan wind up van. We did the Fraser Island tour from Urangan. In those days a passenger boat took tourists across to McKenzie wharf where the tour operators kept a covered truck with seats running length ways along its tray. We jolted over sand tracks to see the main sights, including Lake McKenzie, Central Station and various other points of tourist interest.

A final look at The Pinnacles

Then, about 25 years ago, with two mates, in my 28 ft yacht “Aegis”, I set out for Lady Elliott and Lady Musgrave Islands, which are like a couple of full stops at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. By the second night we were off Sandy Cape at the northern end of Fraser Island. There we ran into a night of storms. That was challenging but not much fun. Late the next day we encountered a 40 knot northerly gale that blew us all the way back to Mooloolaba. We abandoned our plans and came home.

A fresh water stream makes its way across the beach to the ocean

The third visit was about 20 years ago. We came with friends and left our car at Urangan and travelled to the island in the back seat of their short wheel base Pajero. We stayed two nights at Kingfisher Resort, spending the intervening day being driven across the island to the eastern beach.

The first tour didn’t reach the beach and from the yacht the beach was a narrow strip of white against the green of the island’s vegetation. So, on this trip, we had our first introduction to Eli Creek, SS Maheno and Indian Head. As I recall, we had to reduce tyre pressures to get around Indian Head.

A last look back up the beach

And so, our fourth trip had reached its last day. Check out time was 10.00 am but we had to wait for the tide to recede a bit before starting home. So, while we waited, we spent most of the $20 refunded on the deposit on the amenities key on coffee.

Part of the bistro at Happy Valley

The only place of consequence that we had not visited was Happy Valley, so we made a short detour to check it out. The main store building has been rebuilt since we called there with our friends. It now includes modern flats and a complex containing store, coffee shop/cafe and a sizable bistro. The village now boasts a new holiday unit development. This looked most attractive, with its

Accommodation units at Happy Valley

proximity to those trappings of civilisation just mentioned. Just a short walk but by the time you reach the bistro your shoes would be full of sand. Oh well. You can’t have everything!

Approaching vehicles at Poyungan Rocks

Waves were still lapping at Yidney Rocks, mentioned in an earlier post, so we had to use the inland bypass. Further south the same situation appeared to be the case at Poyungan Rocks, at least when viewed from the north. So we used the bypass, only to find that, when viewed from the south, there was a clear passage between wave and rock. It was when we stopped to take a photo that we were overtaken by the avalanche of southbound vehicles featured in the second part of the video clip included in a previous post.

The coloured sands at Rainbow Beach

The final run along the beach provided some great views of the sand hills of Rainbow Beach. There was only a short wait for the ferry and we easily fitted on board. With tyre pressures at 18 psi we drove slowly into Rainbow beach to the under body car wash facility that has free air hoses for re-inflating tyres. Much quicker that the 12 volt compressor that we carry with us.

On the ferry (not our car)

With all that done we adjourned to a fish and chip lunch and then the 215 km drive home. The detailed washing and vacuuming of the vehicle will wait until the next day.

So Fraser Island gets a “thumbs up”. If we were to go back it would probably be to rent some more conventional accommodation, like a house or flat, for a week. That would give time to do some more exploring but provide time for leisurely walks along the beach and perhaps, even some fishing.

For anyone interested, the Inskip Point ferry costs $120.00 return. A Queensland National Parks pass for 1 month costs $46.65. One month is the minimum period for which a pass is available.

Five Days Playing in the Sand – Fraser Island 5 [youtube]https://youtu.be/itwnuWEmDQ8[/youtube]

Playing in the Sand – Fraser Island Part 4

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Kevin & Ruth Sheather

Rocks at the start of the climb

We went south yesterday, so its north again today. I had decided to climb Indian Head.

We left the camp as soon as the height of the tide made it safe to travel on the beach. When we arrived at the northern end of Seventy Five Mile Beach there was only one other

vehicle there and its occupant was fishing. The first part of the climb is steep and rough but then the rate of attrition eases and an easy path leads ahead. I only needed two “breather” stops on the way up, so I didn’t do too badly.

The Climb – The View to the North

The view from the top is magnificent in both directions. To the south the beach goes out of sight around a bend in the dunes but the the blue sea stretches to the horizon. To the north the beaches are shorter, divided by the small headland at the foot of which lie the Champagne Pools and then Waddy Point. Beyond Waddy Point the coast swings away to the north

The Climb – View to theSouth

so beaches past Waddy Point are not visible from Indian Head.

Having seen what lay beyond Indian Head, I was determined to get there. So, having descended from the heights, I asked questions of a couple of people who had arrived during my climb. I decided to give the loose sand that leads to the bypass behind the headland a try. The worst that could happen

Indian Head from the north

was that we would get bogged. In low range and second gear we drove onto the hard sand to give us a bit of a run up and off we went.

Whatever was I worried about? The Challenger took the whole thing in its stride. In no time we were through and onto the next beach where we paused for a cold drink and to savor the achievement and our surroundings. We then drove to the northern end and up another sandy incline to the Champagne Pools south car park. Access to the pools is by a board walk and stairs. We walked to an observation point overlooking the pools and which also gave great views back towards Indian Head.

Stais to the Champagne Pools

There are two pools. They sit together within the protection of stone walls. They are filled by the rising tide and if the tide is high enough, or the waves large enough, the surge of the breakers wash over the protective natural stone walls, flooding the pools with sea water and creating a champagne bubble effect. The backpackers love the place. The

The Champagne Pools didn’t have much champagne

opportunity to swim there is on the itinerary of every tour bus or tag-along group.

To go further north requires passage through a particularly challenging bypass behind Waddy Point, so we left that for another trip and returned the short drive from the car park to the beach to eat our lunch. We did it buffet style, standing at the back of the car on the churned sand and enjoying the cooling sea breeze. Did I tell you that the weather was perfect?

Some of the structure of SS Maheno

We still had most of the afternoon so we returned back, past our camp to revisit the SS Maheno wreck and Eli Creek, both places worth multiple visits and which had their normal level of visitors.

The information kiosk at the back of the beach informed us that SS Maheno had been a luxury liner on the Tasman Sea trade but had been retired in the mid 1930s and had been sold to Japan as scrap metal. A rare winter cyclone coincided with the tow to Japan, the tow line broke and SS Maheno ended up permanently on Fraser Island. It was used by commandos for explosive training during WWII and the RAAF used it for bombing practice at one point. But there it remains, partially buried in the sand and washed by every rising tide. And during the course of a year it is examined and photographed by tens of thousands of tourists.

Eli Creek and the foot bridge

We then moved on to Eli Creek again. The creek below the foot bridge was lined by parked vehicles, including buses, with a number of gazebos and vehicle awnings extended to provide shade for relaxing adults and playing children. Eli Creek, after it exits the sand dunes, turns along the beach for a couple of hundred metres so it provides excellent parking opportunities for its fans.

A caravan by Eli Creek

Someone, towing a large caravan to a camping spot somewhere, had pulled up beside the creek and extended the caravan awning to maximize their comfort as they whiled away some time.

Those who were not relaxing were making the pilgrimage over the foot bridge and along the board walk to indulge in the joys of floating, swimming or wading down the creek. The attached video clip shows something of the popularity of this pastime, as a group who had just arrived in three 12 seater aircraft hurried into the fray. A very good time was being had by all.

Five Days Playing in the Sand – Fraser Island 4 [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHsAprtBxJI[/youtube]

Kevin & Ruth Sheather

The Mobilesheathers – exploring Australia

Author Archives: Kevin & Ruth Sheather