Kay & Darryl's Caravan Trip 2014: June 2014

St George

Off to St George following the Castelreagh Highway and stopping for morning tea at Hebel the first town just inside the QLD border. A small town with a general store and a quaint pub.

Hotel at Hebel just over the QLD Border

An Explanation of the Rural Recession

It all started in back in 66 when they changed pounds to dollars ---That doubled me overdraft. Then they brought in kilograms instead of pounds ---

me wool clip dropped by half. After that they changed rain to millimeters ---

And we haven't had an inch of rain since. If that was enough they brought in Celsius and we never got over 40 degrees--- No wonder me wheat wouldn't grow. Then they changed acres to hectares--- And I ended up with only half the land I had. By this time I'd had enough and decided to sell out. I put the property in the agents hands and then they changed miles to kilometers.

Now I'm too far out for anyone to buy the bloody place.

Roadside Letter Boxes

Arrived at St George where we booked into the Pelicans Rest Caravan Park. St George is quite a large town on the Balonne River.

Bakers Van at St George

Chris and I where once more expected to cooked dinner.We decided on curried sausages, but cooked in the camp kitchen. The next day Chris & Shirley headed for Roma and Kay and I travelled toward Bundaberg through Dalby.

Staying overnight at Dalby we experienced more rain during the night and a cold morning. The road in front of our site was like a Lake. On the road by 7:30am the next morning we made very good time and upon reaching Biggenden in the early afternoon we decided to push on and make it to Moore Park a day early.

Bundaberg Moore Park

The next 3 days were spent with Kay’s cousin Ian and wife Liz. A bit of shopping in Bundaberg (new jeans and a top for Darryl). Ian and Liz run a computer business so we gave my netbook a service and doubled it’s RAM. Now a whole 2 MEG.

Yeppoon

Leaving Moore Park we headed for Yeppoon and once again making good time we did the trip in 1 day arriving a day early. This was good timing as the park had fish and chips tea so we did not have to cook.

Looking over Keppel Bay from the top of walking track

Beaches for Walking

Fruit of the Pandanous Palm

Spending 10 days at Yeppoon we mostly relaxed and enjoyed the warm weather (mid twenty degrees). Walking on the beach and a few walking tracks through national parks. We did a walk of about 3 KMS around and over a high volcanic plug at the oceans edge. We watched Green Turtles swimming and feeding just below us from a lookout called Turtle Lookout. This far north provides plenty of bird watching ( the feathered variety). Some of those observed included a Nankeen Kestrel , Plovers and Curlews.

Green Turtle

Nankeen Kestrel

Beach Curlews

Masked Lapwing or Spur Wing Plover

Blue Faced Honeyeater

Our time in Yeppoon has been extended partly because Shirley, Chris and Kay have all been struck with a severe flu type of cold and partly because we are enjoying walks along the beach and basically doing nothing. Whenever we do any walks we usually finish with Mango Smoothies for Kay Chris and Shirley and an Iced Coffee for me. Whatever the reason for staying Yeppoon is a good area to waste time and we set out on this holiday to take it easy. Chris has given me 2 bowls introduction lessons. The first on the grass at the back of the park to show me the basic concept. The second at the Emu Park Bowls Club Green. Not too sure about my future as a bowler. but I nearly bought a set of bowls at Vinnies for $35.

Today (Wednesday 2nd July) was a real hoot. Chris and I were interviewed by ABC TV for a news item about holidaying in QLD. Must watch tonight and see if they include us in the report.
Yes we featured in the ABC news for Queensland. Chris even got a speaking role. I just provided the eye candy.
Click on this link to view the ABC News Video.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-02/grey-nomads-head-a-little-further-north/5567520?section=qld

Beach Scenery Yeppoon

Tomorrow we leave Yeppoon and head toward the Discovery Coast. Tannum Sands Agnes Water and 1770.

Wilcannia

From Menindee we back tracked to broken Hill where we had a coffee break and topped up our shopping ( chuck steak for a camp oven stew) and fuel. Back on the Barrier Highway and heading for Cobar and Bourke. We planned to roadside camp overnight along the way. Alas we passed the best free campsite very early in the day and they became progressively worse. Just when we thought we had no alternative but a long haul to Cobar we came across an old truck on the side of the road advertising a new caravan park ‘Warrawong’. Kay, Googled the name and found it was a new park 3kms East of Wilcannia (smart phones are the best thing since sliced bread). Staying 2 nights in a brand new caravan park on the bank of the Darling River. The park has only just opened this Easter and has the best amenities block we have seen anywhere. There are 25 power sites and unlimited unpowered sites along the river bank. Good news for travellers as Wilcannia was a place not to stop at. This now saves a rather long driving stretch from Broken Hill to Cobar.

The Billabong at the caravan Park

A bonus for Chris and me was a camp fire pit complete with wood (camp oven stew tonight). A talk with the lady managing the park informed us that Wilcannia is trying to lift it's image with travellers. This town has had a bad image in past years and usually bypassed by caravanners.

The Camp Kitchen

Darling River bank where the unpowered sites are located

The next morning we set off on a day trip to White Cliffs. There is not a lot can be said about White Cliffs it is a cross between Coober Pedy and Andamooka. If you have never been to these places you are not missing much. But we did get a great cup of coffee at the underground motel dining room. The countryside is dotted with shafts and mullock heaps and dubious opal sellers. Being there on the Saturday of the long weekend we found the visitor centre and National Parks Information closed. We found this unusual and disappointing.