It would appear I had a stowaway. When I went to the bottom cupboard beside my bed to get shoes I found they had mouse poo in them. There had been a cute little field mouse around the van at Running Creek a week earlier. James had tried to catch it on several occasions, then it found it's way into the barbecue and I almost caught it when I opened the lid. It must have hitched a ride to Tara. I bought a couple of cheap timber and wire mouse traps at the local supermarket but all I succeeded in doing was frightening the crap out of myself trying to set them, then feeding the mouse peanut butter. On Monday morning before we left Tara, Karen and I went into town to shop and I bought a couple of the more expensive plastic traps and set them up in the shoe cupboard and storage tunnel.
We took our time packing up after the Camel Races. There was no rush given we weren't traveling far. By midday were done, and I was relieved to find that my Stone Stomper fitted perfectly when I hitched the van onto the Jeep. We did have a couple of glitches however. Firstly, Karen hurt her wrist when the drill she was using to wind up her jockey wheel jammed and wrenched her wrist. Then one of my stabilizer legs dropped down while I was driving over some rough ground on the way to the gate, dug into the ground and twisted. It then would not lock in the up position. Bugger! I called Karen on the radio and she followed behind me the short distance up the road to a garage where a very kind man who wouldn't take any money had a look and advised me it was stuffed. It would have to be replaced. I couldn't travel with it down, so he used a few cable ties to secure it in the up position. That would get me to a caravan repairer in Emerald.
In the days prior Karen and I had tossed around our options about where to make our first stop on the way to Carnarvon Gorge. We had booked to stay at Sandstone Park which was close to the gorge for a few nights later in the week. Our main concern was getting in anywhere for the Monday night - free or otherwise - given we were in a pack of two thousand odd vehicles heading outbound from Tara at the same time. After long deliberation we decided to go to Bill's place.
Bill had introduced himself to us on Saturday night while we were enjoying one of the bands. He was a local and lived on a property out past The Gums. It was about 60 km west. We'd exchanged numbers and had subsequently talked to him on the phone several times. He was well known in the area and seemed like a really nice, genuine bloke. He had invited us to camp at his place. That morning he gave us some simple directions to a point where he would meet us and guide us in. His house was on several thousand acres and not exactly easy to get to. After about an hour he saw us coming and radioed for us to pull up at the white ute on the side of the road. We had a bit of a chat and both Karen and I felt really comfortable with him. But then we followed him for miles and bloody miles on dusty, bumpy roads in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Not a house to be seen anywhere. Mmm - I was getting a little perplexed. I would have no hope of finding my way out of there. Karen was following Bill's truck and communicating on the radio, and I was following Karen. I didn't want to express my concerns on the radio and when I tried to call her on the phone there was no reception. Shit. When we finally arrived at the house I was more than relieved to see there was an adjacent homestead that was clearly inhabited and we did have phone signal. In no time at all we were sitting on the porch with Bill sipping beers feeling very much at ease. Oh - and as I discovered shortly after arrival the new plastic trap had worked - RIP little mouse - born at Running Creek Parkland died at Bill's place.
By late afternoon we had knocked over a bottle of French Champagne (nice one Bill), done a couple of loads of washing and Bill had removed my broken stabilizer leg and replaced it with one off his caravan. How bloody nice is that! (Thanks Bill). I went for a wander and took some snaps of the stunning outback sunset then we stuck a leg of lamb in the webber, prepared some veggies and shared a big platter of nibbles before enjoying a delicious dinner. James and Ellie chilled on Bill's couch while we chatted away listening to Keith Urban.
The following day Bill took us for a run 'just down the road' (150 km) to Goondiwindi for lunch. Home of the famous racehorse Gunsynd aka The Goondiwindi Grey, the town is really lovely. While Bill tended to some business Karen and I popped into the chemist. Karen's wrist was very sore, red and swollen so she showed it to the pharmacist who advised her to go to the hospital. Bugger! Lunch ended up being Bill and me while Karen spent a couple of hours in casualty. As it turned out it was only soft tissue damage - a relief I must say.
BILL'S PLACE scores a 5 out of 5 for me. Possibly a 10 for Karen.
By lunchtime the next day we were back on the road enroute to Carnarvon Gorge. It was a good six hour trip so we broke it into two and booked Ups and Downs Farmstay which was a little past Roma. The going was pretty slow with roads that had us porpoising scarily as soon as we got close to 90kmph, and massive kangaroo roadkill which, though it occurs mostly at night, is still a bit of a threat by day. We took a break at Surat arriving at our destination around 4pm. It was well off the highway so very quiet, but a strange, in an interesting kind of way, place. At dusk a big communal fire was lit by the rustic camp kitchen, which was great as Karen and I didn't have to use our wood (I always carry enough for 2 or 3 fires) and the conversation around the pit with a dozen or so fellow campers was pretty interesting.
UPS AND DOWNS FARM STAY gets a 2.5. I would go back again as it is quiet and it feels safe. The communal fire pit is a bonus, particularly if you are traveling alone. The amenities are clean but smelly. Not sure about the pig!
The Carnarvon Highway, like many of the Queensland roads, is in parts not bad to drive on and in other sections bloody awful. As soon as you think it's good and settle on a decent speed you hit a dip and frighten the crap out of yourself. It makes for pretty slow travel, the upsides being lower fuel burn and time to take in the scenery. Between Injune, where we had a coffee break, and Carnarvon Gorge the landscape changed from the dry, flat country we had been experiencing for days to pockets of lush, subtropical vegetation with towering sandstone ridges and rocky outcrops.
Sandstone Park was not what I expected. It is a fairly flat and barren area located atop a ridge with 360 degree views over timbered grazing land surrounded by hills and the yellow and pink escarpments of Carnarvon Gorge. It's certainly spectacular if not somewhat exposed which certainly translated to high winds. On our second night we genuinely thought the vans might blow over. The amount of movement and the sound of roaring wind when laying in bed was pretty scary.
SANDSTONE PARK, CARNARVON GORGE gets a 3.5 from me. The sites are unbelievably huge...you could fit 6 vans on each and there are only 38. The views are to die for. It's the only dog friendly park within miles of the actual gorge, it has kennels, rubbish bins, dump point and you can have a bloody big fire AND use their timber for free. But....It has no shade, is extremely exposed to weather, has half a dozen portaloos and that's it. $23 per person per night.
The first day we set up and settled in. Day two we left James and Ellie tethered to the vans while we did the short walks to Mickey Creek and the Rock Pools. Bill had decided to join us Friday, so we hung around camp in the afternoon until he arrived. A born and bred Queenslander, he had never been to the gorge.
Saturday the three of us hit the Main Walking Track at 10.30. James and Ellie had been put in a pen together beside the office building at a cost of $20 for the day. Our plan was to try and do the 5.4 km walk to the Art Gallery then on the way back down the gorge go off the track to see Wards Canyon, the Amphitheatre and the Moss Garden. The total distance 14 km. We packed water, morning tea and lunch. By and large the hike was not difficult, though there were quite a few water crossings and lots of steps up and down. It was sooo worth the effort. All four points of interest were completely different and just amazing. I think the Moss Garden may have been my favorite. We were all totally buggered by the time we finished at 4pm.
James and Ellie squealed with delight when we picked them up. Poor babies. The wind was blowing a gale back at camp so no fire. Bugger! Fortunately Karen had put beef cheeks in the slow cooker before we left so we all sat in my van and shared a yummy dinner, a very nice red and listened to Van Morrison. Nice!
Sunday we had a flight in a helicopter booked for the three of us to see the gorge from the sky. We were really looking forward to it. We got there at 9.15 and met with another couple who had a booking at 9. No pilot! Half an hour later the other couple had a text to say he couldn't get out of Toowoomba due weather. Flights canceled...bugger! Ah well. Maybe tomorrow for Karen and me but not for Bill. He has to head home. Hope to see you again Bill....good luck and thanks.
We took our time packing up after the Camel Races. There was no rush given we weren't traveling far. By midday were done, and I was relieved to find that my Stone Stomper fitted perfectly when I hitched the van onto the Jeep. We did have a couple of glitches however. Firstly, Karen hurt her wrist when the drill she was using to wind up her jockey wheel jammed and wrenched her wrist. Then one of my stabilizer legs dropped down while I was driving over some rough ground on the way to the gate, dug into the ground and twisted. It then would not lock in the up position. Bugger! I called Karen on the radio and she followed behind me the short distance up the road to a garage where a very kind man who wouldn't take any money had a look and advised me it was stuffed. It would have to be replaced. I couldn't travel with it down, so he used a few cable ties to secure it in the up position. That would get me to a caravan repairer in Emerald.
In the days prior Karen and I had tossed around our options about where to make our first stop on the way to Carnarvon Gorge. We had booked to stay at Sandstone Park which was close to the gorge for a few nights later in the week. Our main concern was getting in anywhere for the Monday night - free or otherwise - given we were in a pack of two thousand odd vehicles heading outbound from Tara at the same time. After long deliberation we decided to go to Bill's place.
Bill had introduced himself to us on Saturday night while we were enjoying one of the bands. He was a local and lived on a property out past The Gums. It was about 60 km west. We'd exchanged numbers and had subsequently talked to him on the phone several times. He was well known in the area and seemed like a really nice, genuine bloke. He had invited us to camp at his place. That morning he gave us some simple directions to a point where he would meet us and guide us in. His house was on several thousand acres and not exactly easy to get to. After about an hour he saw us coming and radioed for us to pull up at the white ute on the side of the road. We had a bit of a chat and both Karen and I felt really comfortable with him. But then we followed him for miles and bloody miles on dusty, bumpy roads in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Not a house to be seen anywhere. Mmm - I was getting a little perplexed. I would have no hope of finding my way out of there. Karen was following Bill's truck and communicating on the radio, and I was following Karen. I didn't want to express my concerns on the radio and when I tried to call her on the phone there was no reception. Shit. When we finally arrived at the house I was more than relieved to see there was an adjacent homestead that was clearly inhabited and we did have phone signal. In no time at all we were sitting on the porch with Bill sipping beers feeling very much at ease. Oh - and as I discovered shortly after arrival the new plastic trap had worked - RIP little mouse - born at Running Creek Parkland died at Bill's place.
By late afternoon we had knocked over a bottle of French Champagne (nice one Bill), done a couple of loads of washing and Bill had removed my broken stabilizer leg and replaced it with one off his caravan. How bloody nice is that! (Thanks Bill). I went for a wander and took some snaps of the stunning outback sunset then we stuck a leg of lamb in the webber, prepared some veggies and shared a big platter of nibbles before enjoying a delicious dinner. James and Ellie chilled on Bill's couch while we chatted away listening to Keith Urban.
The following day Bill took us for a run 'just down the road' (150 km) to Goondiwindi for lunch. Home of the famous racehorse Gunsynd aka The Goondiwindi Grey, the town is really lovely. While Bill tended to some business Karen and I popped into the chemist. Karen's wrist was very sore, red and swollen so she showed it to the pharmacist who advised her to go to the hospital. Bugger! Lunch ended up being Bill and me while Karen spent a couple of hours in casualty. As it turned out it was only soft tissue damage - a relief I must say.
BILL'S PLACE scores a 5 out of 5 for me. Possibly a 10 for Karen.
By lunchtime the next day we were back on the road enroute to Carnarvon Gorge. It was a good six hour trip so we broke it into two and booked Ups and Downs Farmstay which was a little past Roma. The going was pretty slow with roads that had us porpoising scarily as soon as we got close to 90kmph, and massive kangaroo roadkill which, though it occurs mostly at night, is still a bit of a threat by day. We took a break at Surat arriving at our destination around 4pm. It was well off the highway so very quiet, but a strange, in an interesting kind of way, place. At dusk a big communal fire was lit by the rustic camp kitchen, which was great as Karen and I didn't have to use our wood (I always carry enough for 2 or 3 fires) and the conversation around the pit with a dozen or so fellow campers was pretty interesting.
UPS AND DOWNS FARM STAY gets a 2.5. I would go back again as it is quiet and it feels safe. The communal fire pit is a bonus, particularly if you are traveling alone. The amenities are clean but smelly. Not sure about the pig!
The Carnarvon Highway, like many of the Queensland roads, is in parts not bad to drive on and in other sections bloody awful. As soon as you think it's good and settle on a decent speed you hit a dip and frighten the crap out of yourself. It makes for pretty slow travel, the upsides being lower fuel burn and time to take in the scenery. Between Injune, where we had a coffee break, and Carnarvon Gorge the landscape changed from the dry, flat country we had been experiencing for days to pockets of lush, subtropical vegetation with towering sandstone ridges and rocky outcrops.
Sandstone Park was not what I expected. It is a fairly flat and barren area located atop a ridge with 360 degree views over timbered grazing land surrounded by hills and the yellow and pink escarpments of Carnarvon Gorge. It's certainly spectacular if not somewhat exposed which certainly translated to high winds. On our second night we genuinely thought the vans might blow over. The amount of movement and the sound of roaring wind when laying in bed was pretty scary.
SANDSTONE PARK, CARNARVON GORGE gets a 3.5 from me. The sites are unbelievably huge...you could fit 6 vans on each and there are only 38. The views are to die for. It's the only dog friendly park within miles of the actual gorge, it has kennels, rubbish bins, dump point and you can have a bloody big fire AND use their timber for free. But....It has no shade, is extremely exposed to weather, has half a dozen portaloos and that's it. $23 per person per night.
The first day we set up and settled in. Day two we left James and Ellie tethered to the vans while we did the short walks to Mickey Creek and the Rock Pools. Bill had decided to join us Friday, so we hung around camp in the afternoon until he arrived. A born and bred Queenslander, he had never been to the gorge.
Saturday the three of us hit the Main Walking Track at 10.30. James and Ellie had been put in a pen together beside the office building at a cost of $20 for the day. Our plan was to try and do the 5.4 km walk to the Art Gallery then on the way back down the gorge go off the track to see Wards Canyon, the Amphitheatre and the Moss Garden. The total distance 14 km. We packed water, morning tea and lunch. By and large the hike was not difficult, though there were quite a few water crossings and lots of steps up and down. It was sooo worth the effort. All four points of interest were completely different and just amazing. I think the Moss Garden may have been my favorite. We were all totally buggered by the time we finished at 4pm.
James and Ellie squealed with delight when we picked them up. Poor babies. The wind was blowing a gale back at camp so no fire. Bugger! Fortunately Karen had put beef cheeks in the slow cooker before we left so we all sat in my van and shared a yummy dinner, a very nice red and listened to Van Morrison. Nice!
Sunday we had a flight in a helicopter booked for the three of us to see the gorge from the sky. We were really looking forward to it. We got there at 9.15 and met with another couple who had a booking at 9. No pilot! Half an hour later the other couple had a text to say he couldn't get out of Toowoomba due weather. Flights canceled...bugger! Ah well. Maybe tomorrow for Karen and me but not for Bill. He has to head home. Hope to see you again Bill....good luck and thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment