31st October - Elliott Beach Caravan Park

Haven't added any pictures yet of the beautiful beach and river here at Elliott Heads so here goes......picture of Carol sideways on the beach is of her demonstrating an exercise for me.....
yeah right!!!!
Beautiful walks both along the river estuary and the walking track.

26th - 31st October - Elliott Heads Caravan PArk

Have had a lovely restful stay here at Elliott Heads Caravan Park. It has been great catching up with Max & Carol and sitting and talking of an evening with a nice cool drink.  The weather has been great for most of the time, have had a couple of rainy days as well as a bit of wind, but all in all being in a singlet and getting a bit of sun has been fantastic.  Carol & I have been going for a walk  most days either along the river or the walking track.  Yesterday we went into Bundaberg for lunch at the RSL.  Then it was onto have a look at the Bundaberg Distillery and buy a few bottles of the Bundaberg Royal Liqueur which can only be bought at the Distillery.  They gave us a tasting and mine was made up as a cocktail called "Fantasy".  It was a shot of Rum, a squirt of cream and topped up with Fanta absolutely to die for......On Thursday we are heading off to Camp 451 (Wuruma Dam) with Max & Carol in tow, they were going to go down to Mooloolaba for a couple of days but have now decided to do a little free camping with us instead.

25th October - Calliope River rest Area - Elliott Heads Caravan Park

Had a really lovely free camp at Calliope River Rest Area.  It was on a part of the old Bruce Highway and the little bridge across the river is now closed. Are now heading to Elliot Heads Caravan Park for a week beside the ocean and a little rest from traveling.  Looking forward to catching up with Max & Carol and picking up my Plant Stand that was sent to their house.

24th October - Bedford Weir (Camp 327) - Calliope River Rest Area (Camp 106)

Stopped at the Blackwater International Coal Centre which incorporates some Japanese Gardens at Blackwater.  Very pretty gardens and the Centre is packed full of information and interactive displays that managed to keep us entertained for over an hour. Today our trek takes us past Bluff, Dingo & Duaringa on our way to Calliope River Rest Area. Heaps of coal trains with up to 100 carriages laden with coal, there must be an unimaginable amount of weight in each one and we have seen at least 10.  Lunch at Duaringa in a lovely little camp spot under huge Ficus trees, sprinklers going and would make a terrific "overnighter".  Still 160kms to Rockhampton and everywhere we look towards the horizon there is smoke.  Apparently there are 60 fires across QLD that are out of control according to the latest news.  We are perfectly safe as we are constantly checking where they are in relation to where we are going.  Roadworks, Roadworks, Roadworks, cannot believe the roadworks on the Bruce highway.  We only manage to go 5 kms and we are stopped to sit waiting for up to 10 minutes....This road is a disgusting death trap..... Have pulled into the free camp at Calliope River Rest Area right beside the river (see pictures) facing the river and have seen our first "ACHTUNG" Sign warning us of crocodiles.  No swimming for me here.

23rd October - Emerald - Bedford Weir (Camp 327)

Collected our mail and left Emerald for Bedford Weir.  An overnight stay tonight at a free camp right near the Blackwater Water Ski Club on the Bedford Weir.  The campsite has a Caretaker with a book swap and home made preserves as well as a garden that you can help yourself to the herbs that are growing there.  Nice quiet camp and managed a little walk down to the edge of the water for a paddle near the boat ramp. (No photos today)

22nd October - Emerald

Have had a very energetic morning washing, cleaning the van and generally catching up.  This afternoon we are going for a drive out to Rubyvale, Sapphire and Anakie to have a look around the gem fields and maybe even a fossick.  It is very hot today, 38 degrees and still a little smoky. We called into 3 different gem dealers to check out green sapphires.  Was very tempted to buy one of the lovely gems if only I had some cash on me......!!! Pictures are of a funny little house built along the front fence of the welder in Rubyvale.  The car is his advertising board, very inventive.

21st October - Stairway Historical Site - Emerald

Had a look at the Virgin Rocks Campsite and decided to keep coming onto Emerald.  We have booked into a Caravan Park and will stay here 2 nights.  Tomorrow we are going 45kms to a fossicking area to try our luck and walking into Emerald to see if our mail has arrived yet.  Good chance to catch up on everything.  Washing, cleaning etc. the boring stuff. I have also managed a little “retail therapy” today and got some fantastic bargains at Rockmans.  $5 instead of $49.95 AND I managed to get 3 tops, now that’s a bargain…….also got a couple of bright coloured jeans for ½ price (purple & bright blue) you will certainly see me coming……too good.   (No pictures from today) Had lovely Flathead fillets and salad for tea and went and sat at the picnic table in front of the caravan....THEN all of a sudden there were 1000's upon 1000's of BATS flying over our heads.  I had to evacuate to the caravan but Barry was more than happy to sit and finish his dinner.  I heard that Bats can get into your hair.....SCARY.

20th October - Mitchell - Stairway Historic Site

Decided to head up to Carnarvon Gorge today and stay 2  nights (Sat & Sun) to have a look around and do some of the walks.  Came up on the back road from Mitchell through Womblebank and then onto Injune where we had lunch and filled with fuel.  Spotted lots of wildlife on the way.  A Dingo, a huge Goanna (dead), an Emu with 6 chicks and lots of Kangaroos, both dead and alive.  Lots & lots of smoke around today because of burning off around the area.  We are now on the Carnarvon Development Road, the sun is trying very hard to poke through the smoke and it is very Hot…….Temp is expected to be 37 again today.  (Hope there is somewhere to swim at Carnarvon.)  As we drove towards Carnarvon Gorge it became so smoky that it was burning the back of my throat, then the road changed from asphalt to a corrugated gravel road with 8kms to still get to Carnarvon as well as a water crossing, we decided to “pull the pin” and go back.  There is always another time to go to the gorge, maybe by then they will have graded the road seeing it costs $35 a night to stay there.  Have found a very nice place to camp at a place called Stairway Historical Site.  Not in the camps book but nice and quiet and about 15kms before Springsure.  There are BBQ fires and a table and a little concrete bridge to get into the picnic area. Only staying one night then we are heading to Virgin Rocks Campsite not far the other side of Springsure.  We hope to be in Emerald on Monday & Tuesday to collect the mail.

19th october - Camp 658 - Neil Turner Weir (Mitchell)

Have decided to stay another day here.  It is very peaceful and the weather is fantastic.  Last night was very interesting.  The digger we are watching on the other side of the weir brought in a scrapper this afternoon.  They attempted to bring the scrapper down across the road they had made and onto the sand - bad idea....It got bogged.  It took them well into dark to remake part of the road and pull the scrapper out.  we didn't think they would be able to achieve it as the farmer (Charlie) was here watching with us and he said the river foundation was very "silty" and that they would need a huge crane to shift it. Then we looked over the other side of the caravan and could see fire in the distance lighting up the sky.  Too far away to bother us but it looked quite bright.  It is ALL happening here.......!!!!  Because of the smoke in the area the sunsets are brilliant.  The sun looks like IT is on fire. Have had a lovely swim today, walked up to the weir wall and found it much easier to get in and out of the water there.  Barry has taken my floating lilo and floated down to the weir wall.

18th October - Camp 658 - Neil Turner Weir (Mitchell)

We met a really lovely couple who pulled up beside us yesterday.  Jim & Linda who sold their house, bought a van. and are traveling around Australia for 12 months or so.  Not very old, maybe mid 40's. They left this morning for Carnarvon Gorge where we will go tomorrow.  Today has been full of excitement.....across the weir is a digger digging up the sand.  The farmer who owns the land has been on our side of the weir taking pictures and apparently talking to some Govt Dept to have them stopped.  They are apparently on HIS land.  The sand is going to be sold and he wants it..... fair enough I say. We are now taking pictures for him and emailing to him...very exciting.  Barry is in having a swim at the moment and I am heading in right after him.  Very HOT today so a swim is going to be just right.

17th October - Beautiful Sunset (Mitchell)

Some beautiful pictures of the sunset tonight.  The sun looked like it was on fire for an hour before it started to set.  Really looked spectacular, unfortunately the pictures do not do it justice...