North Queensland, Finch Hatton Gorge, and Eungella National Park.

After 4 days out in the country at the General Gordon pub near Mackay and going in daily to town, we went to go to the Museum and Library but found it was Show Day, which meant a holiday in this town, so the whole town was closed. Fortunately the Canelands Mall was open, and having lunch at the Sushi train cafe took me back to travels in Japan in the 90s.

  

We are in the heart of sugar cane growing country and it was the start of the harvesting season.

 

And here is one of the sugar cane processing plants. I’m told it’s mostly steam that comes out of the smoke stacks.

The brown smoke is in fact a nearby burn off of the cane fields, they burn the stubble.

On Show Day with not a lot open we decided on a whim to check out Port Mackay and found the breakwater.

A most impressive piece of roading with a cycleway/walkway.

I may have been the first unicyle rider on this breakwater, and it’s certainly the first time I’ve overtaken a yacht while riding my unicycle.

We bought some bamboo boxes from Kmart for storage in the caravan cupboards and visited the local Mens Shed in Iona West.

Here is Vic doing the work (trimming up the bottoms) for me as I wasn’t allowed on any of the machines. It felt so weird and strange to watch someone else do this job for me! This shed is purely a woodworking Shed, open two half days per week and some Saturdays. Thanks Guys.

We took off west and inland towards Eungella National Park hoping to see Platypus in the wild.

First stop was Finch Hatton Gorge where we stayed at Wazza’s Platypus Bush camp. 

What a camping spot...



Road kill of a different variety!

There was a nice pool, I visited often but no platypus to be seen by me! 

Further inland and up a good hill is Eungella National Park,  below is the view from the Sky Window walkway.

We arrived mid afternoon at Broken River, a reputed great place to see Platypus, and noted the signs saying early mornings and late afternoons were the best times to see what everyone comes here to see ... the Platypus!

We were very lucky, as one was quietly feeding about 3 metres from the riverbank.

The Platypus is one of Australia’s and the world’s unique animals.

It has webbed feet like a frog...

a bill like a duck....

venom like a snake...

and lays eggs like a bird.

They can handle the tropical heat of Queensland and the freezing temperatures of Tasmania.

Their nose is made up of sensor rods which pick up vibrations from its prey of shrimp and other such crustaceans.

They have spikes on each back leg which inject poison which is only for self defence and is not life-threatening to humans.

They have skin flaps which cover their eyes, ears and nose when diving under water. 

They live in borrows up to 100 feet long in the riverbanks and have two layers of fur to withstand the freezing cold in Tasmania.

Upon returning to camp at a Rodeo Ground in Gargett I chatted to a couple of locals servicing their sugar cane harvester in the field (at the end of a day’s  cutting) and thereby found out some paddock facts like...

A new harvester costs around $750,000 and they are either fitted with D8 dozer tracks or rubber pneumatic tyres. The farmer I talked to, cuts his own cane and travels at 5mph to cut 40 bins per day, while a contract cutter travels at 10mph and cuts up to 120 bins. Each bin weighs 6 tonnes of chopped cane and the bin empty is 1 tonne.

And now we continue our lazy jaunt northwards towards Townsville where we have booked in to attend a CMCA rally called Dam Fine Rally for 4 days with 300 other Grey Nomads. But before that we visit Bowen and Ayr.

Cheers from Northern Queensland, where it’s definitely getting hotter with each 100kms we travel north.

Stay safe and be creative ...it’s where all the fun is!

Jimu & Christine.

No Worries!

North to Central Queensland Blog 3

As we headed away from Monto I spotted these signs, totally appropriate for the current situation we find ourselves in!

Amen to this message .... one I try to live up to every day!

We were told about Lawgi Heritage Park, on the road north towards Rockhampton.

We had to drive through these long horned cattle to get into the parkup, they also had a Buffalo and some Clydesdale draught horses. 

The Buffalo was having a doze, by the Dozer ... both looked pretty ferocious!

The parking was free, if you paid to go into his Heritage Museum (more like a shed).

A farm made wooden bandsaw, mostly for cutting meat (I think). 

This area grew cotton so a lot of the old rusty machinery was to do with cotton.

I saw this fine collection of saws .... all well past their use by date.

Christine found a facebook group called HAFT, which is short for “Helping Australian Framers & Travellers”.

This group offers travellers free stays on farms for work/help around rural Australia. 

We found Lynda and Ricky’s post and contacted them in advance as we were going past their 3000 acre farm just off the Bruce Highway.

We both helped with weeding in the garden and I also helped with drenching and putting the rubber rings on a few of their lambs.

They also breed quail for eggs and for sale.

These are Dorper sheep, a self wool shedding breed, mainly for meat.

We are getting well up into the tropical areas of Queensland now, as these are Star fruit as this tree shows.

Ricky & I went out marking a walking track and here he is doing a McGyver with a screw on his jandals which came adrift.

Later on we cut up some oil drums, regulation Queensland safety footware, he is wearing safety glasses and ear plugs (tick, tick).

Checking the cattle run.....there should be 19 in this paddock (probably a 200 acre paddock).

The wet season is more than wet ... 4-5 inches of rain most days for several months. Ricky says he has seen horses bogged.

This plant I’m told used to be called Black Boys, but is not allowed to be called this any more and has been changed to Grass Trees.

You need a licence to take these and sell for up to $150 each ...

hmmm ...  selling these, Ricky could be more profitable than beef? 

This is spear grass, it’s well named as it spears and sticks to nearly anything,

 I made the mistake of wearing socks on the day we walked through this stuff, and now I realise that’s why Ricky wears jandals around the farm.

Christine and Lynda ... the ladies with smiles to match their personalities.

My legendary hat, ...the number of comments about this hat is pretty incredible and it is a real people meeter!
 
So now refreshed and both relaxed we headed up the highway past Sarina .. 

avoid the Pie shop ... which sells the worst spinach and feta pastie in Australia!

Further North we stopped at a little country pub in the cane fields called General Gordon where there is camping for $10/night, just 20km south of Mackay.

This is a big sugar cane area and this is how they harvest the sugar cane.

 And the sugar cane plant, the brown smoke is actually behind in a nearby burn off, of the cane fields stubble (I think?)

With daily side trips into Mackay, still trying to get on top of organising both the caravan and the Ute....

it’s amazing how much of the day just gets eaten up.

I bought some little bamboo boxes for the caravan and managed to get Vic at the Mackay Menz shed called Iona West Mens Shed, to trim them up a bit!

On a whim we head out to Port Mackay and the Breakwater. 

This turned out to be a highlight, and an impressive structure  it was on Mackay’s show day which was a public holiday.

So we are now up to date blog-wise, we’re heading inland now towards Finch Hatton Gorge and Eungella National Park which is up higher so will be a lot cooler.

Hope you all are well and having fun.

Cheers from tropical Queensland.

Jimu & Christine.

Heading North Starting the trip...Proper!

We headed out of Brisbane heading for Bundaberg where our first service was booked.

Both still recovering from a good dose of Aussie Flu it was good to have our diesel heater and big brush (stone guard) fitted and starting out again!

I committed a cardinal sin ... in a moment of complete stupidity I filled up our diesel tank with 29 litres of petrol.

 We were in Mapleton at the BP pump ...arrrrgggh!!!!

I did not start the engine and had to get the “Wrong Fuel Rescue” guy to come (from Brisbane, he took 2 hrs to get to us) and pump us out and refill the tank with diesel.  

This sign was at the Maleny Showgrounds....and a sad state of affairs.

We visited the Gin Gin show ...still can’t really get over the colour of the earth!

Man that’s some powerful log cutter!

The kiddy corner of the Show...kids love patting the animals in every country!

These are Brahman Cattle...

I took some photos then the farmer came up and chatted to me about the breed and the various problems with droughts and feeding grain to cattle!

Onward towards Bundaberg where we had booked the caravan in for its first service at the Jayco Dealer.

Very near there was a local gokart event going on .. a competitive Kart these days is all off the peg and costs around $11,000, a bit different from when I used to race them in the 1970’s.

Onwards back down to see our friends in Maryborough again. 

Ross and Rene kindly let us park in their yard for a few days while I tickled up various things in the caravan and the canopy.  

I put some shelves into the wardrobe beside the bed.

The Mary River floods quite regularly and they usually get 2 to 3 hours of warning as it floods up country first.

Maryborough is famous for the home of creators of Mary Poppins, PL Travis was the author and was born in Maryborough.

Even the Stop/Go pedestrian lights have Mary Poppins imagery.

Ross manages to sneak into the photo showing the true Australian outfit! 

While at the other end of the spectrum.......

Sundays in the local park with train rides and real steam funk!

 The table in the caravan was very wobbly and getting more so...

.... I made this shim and knocked it into place then tightened the bolt

Don’t yah just love the Aussie vernacular ... seen at Super Cheap Auto.

 We headed out to Biggenden, only a short distance west of Maryborough.

The caravan parking was right next to the Men’s Shed and as luck would have it they were open the next morning.

They have Tree Men dus Trees in Biggenden ...below is living proof.

The Men’s Shed is in one of the old Biggenden railways station buildings.

Ron kindly pointed out the sign below saying  “Every Mens Shed should have one of these”

Being of a Scottish delicate nature, I asked the obvious question.... “What’s a Dilligaf?”

The reply ..... “Do I Look Like I Give A F....k”

Off we headed to watch a little country horse riding and other type events at Dallarnil, Qld.

The chainsaw a log into posts race....if you’re under 50 it’s 5 posts to cut out... and only 4 posts if you’re over 50.

 Ready...steady...Go!

Only one guy over 50 (below) won by a country mile ... or half a century!

Kids races ... all the fun of the fair!

Big Sis is taking little Bro on the race.....

Come on ... no I don’t want to ... yes you do!

 No I don’t.....



Onward to another place we visited last time, Eidsvold where the RM Williams centre 

displays the history of his work in stockwork and leather work, and  clothing. 

Below was the toilets messages and inhabitants.



Didn’t work.....

The Aboriginal Centre in Eidsvold, was closed as I walked past at 7am, however these paintings on the doors caught my eye.

Onwards towards Monto we stopped for a little Market day on a Saturday morning at Mulgildie.

I asked at the pub, which had a sign out for its Art Gallery and was told it’s all over the pub, just walk down the hallways.

 What a blast from the past ... all the bedspreads and chair covers were in fabulous crochet work!

And the colours guaranteed to give you a good night’s sleep.

I was most impressed and was told the Hotel is also for sale.....

Christine was not impressed at all...for some reason!

At Monto and a few happy hour events participated in, we headed out without the caravan to explore the Cania National Park area.

There was a dam fine Dam there....Ahh ...it was so peaceful out there.....

The quiet clack of knitting needles soothed the wildlife beautifully.

We watched the pelicans doing what only Pelicans can do.

What a magnificent bow wave!

With the fern there, this could well be New Zealand.

So here ended the second Aussie blog.

Hope you are fit and well and being creative.

Cheers 

Jimu & Christine