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.