Ken was well set up by the time I arrived at Julia Creek. He had set up at the free camp, while I was due a night at a caravan park to top up everything and do a bunch of washing. The running repairs on the van seemed to be holding. I’ve got her bookedContinue reading “Adele Grove”
Category Archives: QLD
Back Roads North Part 2
Up at sparrows fart and straight into Muttaburra. With the daytime temperatures now regularly in the thirties, the new rule is Go Hard Go Early. Back through the ‘treacherous’ cattle grid. The Brahmin cattle had hung around hoping for a repeat performance, but I wasn’t giving them an encore. Muttaburra is another dinosaur town, madeContinue reading “Back Roads North Part 2”
Back Roads North Part 1
Straight up, this hasn’t been my best week. Along the way, there were “incidents and accidents, hints and allegations” that I’ll get to in due course. Suffice to say, I’ve been somewhat bruised by a mixture of misfortune and reckless optimism. However, it all started so well. All systems go as I pulled out ofContinue reading “Back Roads North Part 1”
Lloyd Jones Weir – Barcaldine
Ken and I push on, heading towards Barcaldine. About 40klms west of Sapphire one of those Rest Area signs popped up, offering relief about 10klm further on. Now, I had no expectations other than a loo. It was not roadside but an arrow pointing down a hill, sight unseen. Not sure what to expect, butContinue reading “Lloyd Jones Weir – Barcaldine”
The Gemfields
With town names like Emerald, Sapphire and Rubyvale, our eyes lit up like emeralds, sapphires and rubies. With no equipment other than a pair of boots to kick the ground and a flashlight to pick up the sparkle, this was going to be a fossick in the park, so to speak. We spent a nightContinue reading “The Gemfields”
Blackwater
Blackwater is in the heart of the Bowen Basin, the largest coal deposit in the southern hemisphere. Not only is it in the heart, coal IS the heart (and soul) of Blackwater. Imagine a pie cut into four pieces, representing as far as the eye can see. Two of the pieces opposite each other areContinue reading “Blackwater”
Bedford Weir
Man, I’m over the ‘big smoke’. As nice as Rocky is, I feel like a caged lion, freedom on the road only days away. So to fill in time, I decided to paint the weekend away and renaissance the bathroom. A tad less daunting than the kitchen, but apart from another tin of undercoat, IContinue reading “Bedford Weir”
Rockhampton
Bouldercombe was only about 20 minutes from Rockhampton. My home for 10 days was a handkerchief of land behind the ‘Bouldy’, a hotel not legally abandoned, but closed for several years, it’s backyard a refuge for a couple of permanents and a clutch of overnighters. It was once a much larger campground, but most wasContinue reading “Rockhampton”
Mt Morgan
Back on the road and heading towards Rockhampton. First stop was Biloela. Described by the media as a ‘small’ outback town in Central Queensland, it’s a lot bigger than you’d think. It got me thinking about a way to easily describe the size of a destination. Came up with this little table; Hamlet = pub,Continue reading “Mt Morgan”
The Scenic Rim
My last ‘catch-up-with-mate’ stay was also my launch pad for six months exploring more of Queensland. Dale and Amanda live at Mt Tambourine, on the eastern side of The Scenic Rim. The Scenic Rim was formed over a period of 3 million years about 23 million years ago, and is the remnants of a hugeContinue reading “The Scenic Rim”