Heading North.........

Todays the day we begin our next trip north to escape the cold here at home.  This year we are not attempting such a huge journey as last year so we are leaving a little later.  It has become very cold at home though and we are looking forward to feeling warm again soon.

Our first day on the road saw us stop just two hours away at Chiltern where we stayed for two nights.  Anderson Lake was very low but it seemed there was just enough water to keep the ducks, coots and some pelicans happy.

After setting up we visited Honeyeater picnic area.  It was extremely dry out here and for the first time we have seen Cyanide Dam completely empty.  As it was my birthday Bill took me out to dinner that night at The Black Dog Bistro.  A delicious meal was enjoyed by a big fire.

Bill braved the cold in the morning to go out to Barklys Block looking for birds.  We had a look at Green Dam during the afternoon and found lots of birds here.  The Rose Robins were having fun by the water.

Back near Honeyeater Picnic area we had a walk into an old quarry but didn't find anything at this waterhole.

The next morning we began our journey for real leaving Chiltern and making our way across the border into NSW.  Along the way we stopped for a coffee at Howlong and had a look at Burrumbuttock and Warra Warra as we passed.

We stopped for the day when we reached Yerong Creek and once set up we had a walk to see the tiny town.  The old hotel is a lovely old building but no longer operating and the Post Office built in 1926 is now a private residence.

Back at camp we were thrilled to see the oval and surrounding grounds all green from the recent rains.  Last time we were here it was all scorched dead grass.  We were visited by some gorgeous Flame Robins that night and the next morning.

From here we drove on and made our way to Mont Eagle where we stayed at Touts Lookout in the Hilltops region.  This little park, quite off the beaten track, has a spectacular view of the surrounding farmland and distant ranges.  We arrived early in the afternoon and enjoyed some time out of the car for a few hours before we hunkered down inside to avoid the cold night.

The next morning was very cold with a fog covering the valley.  Once it cleared the sun shone though it was still very chilly.  We left and drove to Grenfell where we got quite a surprise.  Bill had chosen the route just because it was a road we hadn't been on and we thought it might just be a tiny dot on the map.  Instead we found a lovely town which is said to be the birthplace of poet Henry Lawson.

Along the street are many statues and references to the man himself and the whole town was getting ready for The Henry Lawson Festival of Arts.  We also found another painted silo.

This beautiful artwork had only just been completed in January this year by street artist Heesco Khosnaran.  Painted on a disused silo it is a pictorial history of the Weddin Shire, depicting a bucolic scene with sheep and cattle in a lush green field.  Galahs flying overhead complete the scene.

After a walk through town and a coffee we continued on to Wallerawang where we stayed overnight at Lake Wallace.  Lots more people here but plenty of room for an overnight stay.

We left the next morning and made our way into Glen Davis in the Capertee Valley.  We drove straight into Coorongooba Campground and found a spot in the sun to set up.  We stayed for three days to enjoy the birds and this beautiful place.  We enjoyed the sunshine that afternoon and Bill had fun with the Superb Fairy Wrens and the Jacky Winters.

The next morning was cold and frosty but once the sun came out it was a lovely day.  We packed a picnic lunch and had a drive through the valley looking for birds.  We found Flycatchers, Eastern Yellow Robins, Southern Whiteface at different locations.

The Wrens, Yellow Thornbills, Jacky Winters and a couple of Lyrebirds were still active back at home so we spent the afternoon with them.

The next morning was a repeat of the last but we drove out the other way.  We did see lots of birds but never the ones listed as being the predominant resident.  The little Crested Shrike Tit kept Bill busy for a while.

Back at camp Bill had a few maintenance things to take care of and once they were done the campfire was lit and I got the night off.  No cooking for me.

On Saturday morning we packed up and headed out of the valley to Mudgee where we spent the night in the Showgrounds.  It was very busy as there was a Hot Air Balloon Festival on for the next week.  We hoped to see some the next morning before we left.

The forecast had been for a fine week ahead but I woke to rain in the morning.  The skies were grey and there were no balloons in sight.  Another time perhaps.  At the showgrounds there was a Dressage Event running and I think they were much happier when the rain stopped.

We packed up and left Mudgee after a bit of shopping in town and a coffee.  We stopped a little further down the road and had lunch at Anzac Park in Gulgong.

This lovely little town is a Heritage gem and it is the town that was featured on the old $10 note.  We
 wandered round after lunch and loved seeing all the old buildings.  They are very well cared for and it is a delightful place to visit.

Back in the car we continued on stopping for the night at the Gilgandra Bowling Club.  Another night off cooking here as we enjoyed a delicious Chinese Meal at the club.

Leaving the next morning we stopped at Warren for morning tea.  The roads we traveled on have been in bad condition and the Oxley Hwy was one of the worst.  As we drove into Warren we passed a beautiful wetlands and have added it to ‘our places we must come back too’ list.

Leaving here we traveled on to Nyngan.  We are on a cotton route now as the sides of the road are covered in cotton blown from the trucks.  It was very dry out here and all we could see were swirls of dust blowing in the wind.

As we drove on we could see a great brown cloud ahead and this turned out to be a huge dust storm.  With visibility very much reduced we slowed down and continued until it had passed us.  In the middle of the cloud it started to rain and of course all that did was turn the dust to a muddy smear.  Not much fun but and a lot to clean.

We continued on, without further weather events, to Bourke where we stayed the night at our usual spot at the boat ramp.  A quiet peaceful night as always.

Next morning we left our camp site and drove on towards the NSW/QLD border.  We arrived at Cunnamulla in time for lunch which we had at the very cool Gidgee Bean Cafe.  From there we made our way out to Bowra where we found a spot beside the lagoon.

Cunnamulla had missed out on a lot of the rain that caused so much devastation further north.  The last few years we have seen Bowra become drier and more barren so we hoped it would be a little better this year.

Imagine our surprise as we drove in and everything was green.  There was water in all the dams and little creeks around the property.  They had finally had some decent rain at Easter and what a difference it had made.

There were birds everywhere though with water everywhere they were not as easy to find as they are in drier conditions.

On our arrival we were pleased to see that our friend Marilyn was here as well.  It was good to see her again and we enjoyed her company for the next few days.  Bird call that night was very productive as most of the visitors had seen plenty out and about.

I do have to mention that in this part of the world the nights are freezing and so it was inside with the heater on once it got dark.

Bill got up with the birds in the very cold morning, 3 degrees, and headed out to see what he could find.  The Restless Flycatcher obliged by rising early too.  I stayed nice and warm in bed and got another couple of hours sleep.  We had coffee when he returned but it was still too cold to enjoy the great outdoors.

We packed a picnic and took ourselves for a drive further afield to see what we could find.  It was great to see so much water in the creek at Ian’s Place.  We had a good look around.  Bill got some beautiful birds but we didn’t see either of the Halls Babbler or the Chestnut Quail Thrush he was hoping to see.  The Crimson Chat was happy to pose for him though.

Back at camp we settled in until Birdcall when we caught up with Marilyn, Jack and the few others who had been here.  A quiet night in finished our first day at Bowra.

Bill didn’t get up quiet so early the next morning as it felt even colder than yesterday.  Once again I stayed home and set to some household chores.

After lunch we drove out to check other areas of the property before returning for coffee, birdcall and dinner.  The Pallid Cuckoo was busy collecting caterpillars from the ground.

Bill went back to his early morning start, the man must be mad.  I didn’t!  Once he came back we popped into town where we had lunch at The Gidgee Bean again.

Back at home Bill helped Marilyn replace a battery in her van and then it was time for birdcall, dinner and another quiet night in.

Bills last early morning for a little while.  We were leaving Bowra today but he wanted to have one last look for those elusive birds.  No luck so we have an excuse to come back again.  No excuse needed as it really is a lovely place to spend a few days communing with nature.

Once he was home we set to packing up and getting ready to head off.  We said farewell to Marilyn  and hope to see you again soon.

We stopped in Cunnamulla, lunched again in our favorite cafe, bought fuel and were just driving out when I turned and saw some artwork on the water tower in town.

We drove around the block and got some pictures of it.  In black, white and sepia the pictures painted in April this year are by Guido van Helton.  More than 50 kids shared their ideas and stories to inspire this artwork and as always it is a joy to see.

At last we were back in the car beginning our journey into Brisbane where the van and car service will happen.  We continued on to Bollon where we camped as usual at the Wallam Creek Rest area.

We left the next morning after meeting and chatting with a lovely couple from SA.  We made our way to Westmar where we stopped at the rest area there.

The weather has been getting colder as we head north instead of warmer and this afternoon was spent inside with the heater on.  Lots of other people here too but not a soul outside.

We left the next morning and drove to Moonie where we stopped for fuel before heading into Dalby to shop and get lunch.  From here we made our way to Kingaroy where we stayed at the Francis Alwyn Reserve again.  Another afternoon and evening inside with the heater on.  Sure hope this weather pattern changes soon.

We woke to a lovely sunny morning, the wind had stopped for the moment but it was just 1 deg, brrr!
We made our way into the visitor centre and then had a look at the wonderful Heritage Museum.  We learnt all about the Peanut industry in Kingaroy.

From here we drove up to the Endeavor Foundation where we had a coffee and bought some delicious peanut biscuits.  This wonderful enterprise employs many people with a variety of disabilities.   Here they learn a skill either in the factory or in the cafe and it was great to see them happy and productive members of the community.

Out here the wind had picked up and the temperature was freezing.  Back in the car we continued stopping at Nanango for a look and a walk around town.

Here we found a couple of wood carvings on the street and some wonderful murals on the walls.  Seven Mile Peter caught my eye and we found that he was a Ukranian Migrant who had spent 36 years at the Seven Mile Mine.  He supported himself by selling vegetables and eggs.  We kept on driving stopping that night at Benarkin where we found lots of other people with the same idea.

We woke to a sunny but very cold morning but thankfully the dreadful wind of yesterday seemed to have gone.   All but one of our fellow campers were still there and most left as we did around 10.00am.  Seems it takes a little longer to get started on these cold mornings!  We said goodbye to this great little camp ground after grabbing a coffee to go at the general store.

We then made our way towards Brisbane stopping for a look at Woodford.  Our next stop was at the JB sales yard at Caboulture as we had to pick up a few bits and pieces in case repairs were needed.  From there we completed our journey arriving at Lawnton mid afternoon.  The sun was shining and at last I could swap my winter jumper for a T-shirt.

It was an early start today as we had the van booked in for its annual service at Geebung.  Caravans and peak hour are not a good combination but we made it safely and were soon unhooked and ready to entertain ourselves for the day ahead.

We decided that we would head south to the Gold Coast to have a look and see if much had changed since our last visit four years ago.   The buildings are certainly getting taller.  It was a lovely day after a chilly start though I’m not sure that I would have wanted to get into the water like some of the tourists on the beach.

After a coffee and a walk around Surfers Paradise we made our way over to Pacific Fair shopping centre.  Yes, it’s big, but really just the same shops we see in all major centres.   We left soon after and returned to pick up the van.  I did like the crazy Koala, Borobi, who seems to be a mascot of sorts.

A good report from the guys and we were soon hooked up and on our way back to the show grounds at Lawnton where we are staying for a few more days.

Another very early morning and more peak hour traffic as this time we took the car into Coorparoo for a service.  Once the car was delivered we popped into the little cafe next door and enjoyed breakfast and a pretty good cup of coffee.  I’d even go as far as saying it’s the best coffee we have found since arriving in Brisbane other than the one in Cunnamulla at the Gidgee Bean Cafe.

We  caught the train over the road and took ourselves to the Caravan and Camping Show to see what was around and to pick up a couple of bits we hadn’t found elsewhere.

This Caravan here is made completely out of LEGO bricks.  As you can see it attracted  a bit of attention.  The Caravan is a replica of a 1970’s Viscount van and has just over 300,000 bricks.  Built by Ben Craig 'The Brick Builder' it was commenced in his garage during 2018.  It was then moved to the showgrounds where it was completed during the 50th anniversary of the Qld Caravan and Camping Show.

After a few hours of wandering in and out of many different vans I’m pleased to tell you that I don’t have van envy.  There is nothing I’d like to swap ours for.  They are certainly getting  fancier and heavier and more expensive but none of them have the battle scars and personality that our ‘Dust in the Wind’ has and we hope to have many more adventures with it.

We caught the train back, picked up the car and negotiated the afternoon peak hour to arrive home footsore and weary after our big day out.  We do have to return for a couple of things to be finished.

On Saturday morning we checked out the flea market at the Showgrounds then had a lazy day at home before having dinner with Brenda, David, Shanae, Brad and Shania.  A fabulous night and a delicious meal.  Thanks so much for having us.  On Sunday we spent a quiet day at home catching up on the washing and all things domestic.

At the show we had decided to get a few modifications done to the car so it was another early start to take the car back to Geebung to see how to do the new work.  Time for a GoCard as we will be on the train for the next few days.  We took the car back the next day and they fitted a new snorkel.

Yet another early morning this time back to Coorparoo to fit a new fan belt and bushes.  We enjoyed breakfast at the little cafe next door again.  Little Genovese has the best coffee and the queues outside the window certainly attest to this.  From here we caught the train into the city and.

Wednesday is market day in Brisbane  and we found a fabulous farmers market at the end of the Queen Street Mall.   Lots of stalls packed full of fresh fruit, vegetables and all sorts of delicious food.  We were good and just looked this time.

This time we decided to have a look at the Brisbane Museum which is located in City Hall.  On our arrival we found they did tours of the clock tower so we organized tickets for that and had a look around while we waited.

The clock tower tour is a fifteen minute glimpse into history.  Riding up in the original hand driven lift is great and after a few steps you are high up above the city and the clock.  Built 89 years ago City Hall was once the tallest building in Brisbane but of course that is not the case anymore.  The clock was the most modern of its time and could be heard for many miles.  No pictures from the top.

On the way down we stopped for a moment inside the clock face and could see, in the corner, the ‘master clock’ that is responsible for keeping time on track.

Back on the ground we had a look around this grand old building and were suitably impressed by the beautiful main auditorium.  The dome ceiling was just beautiful.  They certainly don’t build them like this anymore.

Soon after we were back on the train, picked up the car and delivered it back to Geebung where it will stay overnight for them to do their bit tomorrow.  Back on another train and then a short walk home saw two very weary souls have a very quiet night in!

At last we got a sleep in.  With the car already at Geebung we didn’t have to get up to take it anywhere.  We had a quiet morning at home and soon after lunch we got the phone call telling us it was ready.

We caught the train for the last time and picked the car up.  Hopefully this power upgrade will be worth the cost and the effort.  We will find out on Saturday when we hit the road again.

On Friday we prepared to leave the next day.  Washing, Shopping and the usual preparations were all done and soon we were able to sit and relax for the afternoon.  We did drive a few km down the road to have a look at this very unusual Naval Memorial.

The painted Bollard people are all dressed in different uniforms with a plaque explaining them at the foot of each one.

The water tower behind the display has also been painted with a bush scene and a Red Tailed Black Cockatoo.

And so it is here I will leave you all and we hit the road tomorrow with no plans other than to go north.  The weather has improved and is pleasant but now we just have to get out of these jeans.

until next time.........