Far from the Madding Crowd

31/07/202207/09/2022 / lynnie57 / Leave a comment

I’ve always said to John that our trip is more about the journey than the destination but now I’m not so sure that’s true. We wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the Gold Coast so stayed in two amazing bush camps this week. However the drives in to both were quite hairy. We were actually very happy to reach our destination!

The first was Jandarra Farm, previously a banana plantation that has been restored using holistic land practices. There were three camping areas, one of them elevated. Although I thought that would be the nicest I decided John would prefer not to have to pull the caravan up unnecessary hills so I booked a lower one which turned out to be just as beautiful. The scenery was magnificent with 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains. We had access to a compost toilet, bush showers and an infra-red sauna!

The drive in was interesting. We passed the cute little town of Tallebudgera and the golf club then drove along winding roads with the most lovely homes and gardens on each side. All of a sudden the road became narrower and we hit potholes and road works. We held our collective breaths as we crossed at least three of the narrowest bridges ever going over a creek, hoping the caravan would make it across. It did- just. And then we hit the rough road with steep hills and sharp corners. We prayed no-one was coming in the other direction as we didn’t think we could stop. There were two big sighs of relief when we pulled up at the farm.

We had a fabulous couple of nights here and the first we enjoyed sitting around the campfire with Tania, the owner, and Brad, a young lad with a swag who spent one night on the elevated site. John played golf at the local course while I gave myself up to the complete peace and quiet of our camp. We took a stroll down to the river but didn’t swim. Too cold for us. However we did have the infra-red sauna overlooking banana trees and a vegetable garden followed by a shower with views of the hills. Fantastic! The journey in was a little nerve-wracking but it was so worth it.

We were sad to leave this gorgeous camp but the next one was just as beautiful. I told John I’d organised for us to have three nights at another bush camp. He said ‘Great, as long as there are no more hills!” I looked back at the name of the camp – Witherin Heights Bush Camp. I really hoped the name was just a play on the book or Kate Bush song and not an indication of how high up it was.

The drive through the Hinterland was just beautiful but it was extremely mountainous and I could hear John cursing me under his breath. I don’t think he enjoyed the scenery as much as I did. It didn’t help that I directed him onto the wrong track on arrival at the camp and he had to back up the caravan along a narrow dirt road with a ditch on either side. Oops.

The owner, Terry, asked us if we wanted to camp at the top although there was road noise or continue down to the mid level or lower level. I couldn’t believe it when John said we’d go lower down. I don’t think he thought it through because the road was horrendous – narrow and rocky with sheer drops at many spots; there were hairpin bends and big holes in the road. It made the last one look like kids’ stuff. (John has now decided he likes caravan parks where we are squashed in with everyone else. Hopefully he will get over that quickly).

When we arrived at the mid-level camp, John said it might be nicer further down! I thought it looked lovely where we were but further down there was a perfect camping spot overlooking the valley. So he manoeuvred the van across a muddy track to set up.

Wow! What a place. Each campsite was huge with no-one else in sight. A portaloo and fireplace were provided at each site but otherwise it was just an amazing view, the noisy kookaburras and the cows that occasionally strolled by. There was nothing to do but collect wood for the campfire and relax.

It seems crazy that in some bush camps such as this one, there is no power or water. We rely completely on our own water and solar but there is often excellent TV reception! So here John got to enjoy the remoteness of our camp but didn’t have to miss the football or the Commonwealth Games!

The next morning we left camp and drove into the local town of Canungra to have a look around. And we were very impressed! I counted at least six cafes and all had five stars on Google. There were a few vintage clothes shops, a fabulous book and art shop plus quaint gift shops. In fact, we walked up a side street and discovered a couple of gift shops in homes and a very cute cafe in the back garden of a house. We enjoyed a lovely coffee and homemade date scone there then a browse through their vintage shop – inside the home. They even had items for sale in the bathroom!

On our return we did little but enjoy the ambience of the camp. It was very peaceful. We read and collected more firewood. However, at the back of our minds there was the thought of the drive back up the hill with the caravan. We decided to have the last night on the top level so we could drive out easily on the Monday morning as we had the caravan booked in for repairs on the Gold Coast.

So on Sunday morning we packed up and connected the van to the car. We agreed I’d walk up alerting John to the dangers on the track. We didn’t have to go far for the first one! John drove up the steep hill and onto the dirt track which had very deep 30cm or so grooves made from previous cars in the rain. He tried to avoid the grooves and stay to the side of the track but the van’s left wheel caught in the ditch and dragged the van and car sideways causing the kitchen flap to fly open and some fruit and veg to spill onto the track. It could have been breakables I know. I picked them up and secured the latch to the kitchen. John drove on around bends and up steep hills avoiding wandering stock. One of the hairpin bends seemed impossible to get around with a hill on one side and ditch on the other and it took him a few goes to get the van around. But the van wheel slipped onto the edge of the ditch and the caravan started to tip over and slide taking the car with it. My heart was in my mouth as I yelled at John to stop but he yelled back that he had to keep going so he, the car and the van struggled slowly up the hill slipping close to the edge and dropping into pot holes. It was so frightening watching from outside. I had to run past them to open the gate so that John could put his foot flat on the accelerator and get all the way up.

When we met up at the top of the hill our hearts were thumping and I was sweating from the exertion of running uphill! But we were safely at the top and easily reversed into a very flat camp-site close to a compost toilet and the road. We couldn’t have cared less about the traffic noise!

I think we were both secretly happy that the day was overcast and chilly so we had an excuse to stay in the van and read. Of course when we had recovered we were able to enjoy yet another lovely view from this site and chat to the – not cows this time, but goats!

At least we could sleep well knowing that we wouldn’t have to negotiate that track and could, instead, drive quietly out onto the road back to Nerang, just half an hour away, to drop off the van. We were looking forward to catching up with friends Linda and Barry from our days in Mandurah, and seeing Tambourine Mountain where they live.

From a Soaking on the Sunshine Coast to Glorious Days on the Gold Coast

29/07/202207/09/2022 / lynnie57 / 1 Comment

Unfortunately we didn’t get to see Noosa at its best. It was pouring with rain when we packed up to head into town. We could see Noosa would be stunning on a sunny day, but not this day. Due to the rain, we hadn’t been able to have breakfast at the van so, as we drove down the coast, we kept an eye out for not just a cafe but also somewhere to park with the van. After a few false starts, we found a double parking bay opposite a potentially lovely cafe. We felt dryer and warmer after a nice breakfast.

With the weather as it was, there was no point in following the scenic route so we just set the GPS to take us directly to Samford, out of Brisbane, where my friend Sue-Ellen lives. In fact it was a lovely drive particularly as we neared Samford. It’s been more than thirty years since I visited Sue here (although we have caught up in between in Melbourne and Sydney when visits coincided) and I really hoped the area hadn’t been built up and become just a suburb of Brisbane. Certainly there were more homes but they were all beautiful with acreage around them. Sue’s home sits up high on ten acres and is the epitome of a stylish and comfortable country home with a veranda overlooking the bush. We loved it.

It was wonderful to see Sue again after so many years. (We met in our early twenties when we shared a house with two others in Parramatta but since then have always lived in different states or countries). She made us so welcome and insisted on cooking a delicious dinner for us both nights. John pottered around on the first day while Sue and I talked non stop, catching up on all the news; but the following day, with the sun finally shining, Sue took us out for a drive around the local area. We had lovely lunch at the Lifestyle Garden Centre close by and nosed around the delightful ‘Baffies Oan Books’ before buying a book each. The garden centre was very nice with a beautiful gift shop too. But most special was the Horse Tearoom set out for horse riders and their ponies to rest. A few riders were taking advantage of relaxing with a coffee while their companions chomped on the grass alongside them.

Then it was back to Sue’s for a glass or three of wine and a chat in front of the open wood fire before dinner.

Too soon it was time to move on again so the next day we said our goodbyes to Sue and Bella, her lovely dog, with promises of not leaving it so long before our next catch up. We headed off in the sunshine towards Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

The drive out of Samford was beautiful and we were looking forward to having a look at Brisbane thinking that, being a Sunday, it would be quiet and there would be plenty parking. Wrong! The city was bustling and South Bank chock-a-block. It looked lovely but we were not going to be able to park so we kept moving south towards the Gold Coast which we knew wouldn’t be any quieter.

The traffic was thick as we drove into Surfers’ Paradise. I wanted to stop and look around because I was there in 1982 with my parents when they visited me from Scotland. They had loved it. I knew it would be more built up and it certainly was. The charm it had back then was less but we still enjoyed walking around.

Later we drove into Southport which was also very built up and busy. Of course this is the area for theme parks so we knew what to expect. The high rises didn’t look out of place, they just screamed ‘Gold Coast’. The beach was lovely and stretched all the way back to Surfers’ Paradise. The Surf Life Savers were patrolling the beach which was dotted with sunbathers and swimmers. It was a lovely day but definitely not hot enough for us to even put our toes in the water. Instead we opted for a cappuccino in a nearby Cafe.

Unsurprisingly we had trouble booking into a caravan park. We prefer to be away from the hustle and bustle but there are no free camps here. I finally managed to get us into a very quiet park in Advancetown near Nerang. We booked in for three nights to give us time to look around the Gold Coast.

After a good night’s sleep, we continued down the coast stopping at Palm Beach. This was more òur kind of place: it is a much smaller and quieter version of Surfers’ Paradise and Southport with great cafes and bars as well as the lovely beach. (John loved the shop names- Hunky Dory (the fish shop) and Well Bread Cafe and Pastries are two that come to mind). Families were enjoying the water – swimming, kayaking, using stand up paddle boards and so on. It had a lovely holiday-feel but with room to move around (and park!) We felt this was a far better option for people like us who liked the old Surfers’ Paradise before it grew so big.

Before moving on, we took a drive up to the Hinze Dam near the caravan park which supplies water to the Gold Coast area, and had a wander around. It was certainly worth the visit.

With a few days up our sleeves before our caravan was booked in for some warranty work on the Gold Coast, we decided to head inland away from the crowds and check out the Hinterland region.

The Fraser Coast

24/07/202207/09/2022 / lynnie57 / 2 Comments

We drove south, taking time to look around Gladstone. I remembered it as being industrial but I was surprised at how nice it is – it is clean, not too busy and has a nice ‘feel’ to it. Not what I pictured at all.

Our next main stop was going to be Bundaberg but we found a lovely camp about 14kms north of the town called Wyper Scout Camp which charged $5 per person per night and had clean toilets, showers and a camp kitchen (not that we use camp kitchens very often). We had a lovely stay there.

The weather was lovely so we started our day in Bundaberg at the Botanical Gardens. If we had realised how large and beautiful it was, we would have set more time aside. As it was, we spent a couple of hours there and thoroughly enjoyed our walk through the Japanese and Chinese Gardens and around one of the lakes. There were so many birds as well as turtles and fish. We spotted quite a few Eastern Water Dragon lizards too.

We dragged ourselves away from the gardens to check out the Bundaberg Rum Distillery and book a tour. I wasn’t that interested to be honest as I’m not a fan of rum but I went along because John rarely complains about all the places I drag him. However it was an interesting tour and I really enjoyed the two drinks included in our ticket. John had the top shelf rums and I had the salted caramel and the coffee and chocolate liqueurs. Delicious!

Bundaberg was a lovely city. Like Gladstone, it was very clean and spacious. Roads were wide and it was easy to get around. We were impressed.

We were particularly looking forward to visiting Hervey Bay. For some reason I thought it would be a small town but it was huge! The Esplanade was lovely but we are just not fans of big towns and busy places. However, we stayed in one of the (very busy) caravan parks for three nights and booked a 4wd tour to Fraser Island.

Thirty three years ago I visited Fraser Island and thought I was in paradise. The clear, blue water, white sand and green rainforest made this remote island magical. I remember the dingoes roaming around us and looking at the shipwrecked Maheno on an empty beach. I was really looking forward to sharing the experience again with John.

Well Fraser Island has ‘progressed’. There are resorts and towns. Tour buses ferry tourists from barges that regularly sail from the mainland and line up outside the resorts where passengers line up inside for a prepared buffet lunch. Everywhere we went there were bus-loads of people doing the same tour and looking at the same things we were. On top of that, the weather was pretty miserable; wet and cold. Don’t get me wrong, it was a very good tour but Fraser Island has lost its magic for me. Sadly it is very commercialised now and we saw only one dingo. Obviously they are keeping away from the hoardes of visitors .

It was a full day tour – we were collected from the caravan park at 7am and dropped back around 7pm, and the buffet lunch was included. A lot was certainly packed into the day including the barge over and back, a rough trek from the west coast to the east, a drive along 75 mile Beach, a visit to the shipwreck, a walk through Eli Creek, we saw the coloured sands at Rainbow Beach, Lake McKenzie and had a guided walk through the rainforest. It was a great day.

The steam ship SS Maheno was built in 1905 and sailed a regular route between Sydney and Auckland until she was commissioned as a hospital ship in Europe during the First World War. It was shipwrecked here in 1935 during a cyclone.

We woke to pouring rain the following day and drove through it to Noosa where we hoped to meet up with our Tasmanian friends, Joanne and Dan, three year old Theo, and Jo’s mum, Wendy. We camped at a small park for self contained vans twenty minutes out of town and drove in to see our friends. It was a lovely catch up. It has been a few years since we have seen Jo and Wendy, and it was great to meet Dan and little Theo.

The next morning we packed up in the rain and headed into town for breakfast before making our way towards Brisbane to see another dear friend.

From Tully to Townsville

17/07/202217/07/2022 / lynnie57 / Leave a comment

We left Cairns reluctantly and headed south towards Townsville with no real plan on where to stop for the night. Wikicamps hasn’t let us down yet so we didn’t think about it until around 3pm. We like to camp no later than four o’clock so that we have enough light to set up camp, cook dinner and relax.

On the way we called into Tullly. We didnt stay long but it was interesting to see their display on the history of their sugar cane industry.

We headed to a camp at TYTO in Ingham which had good reviews. We pulled into the car park at the Visitors’ Centre and booked in for the night. It cost us $15 and we had to be fully self contained. No cooking was allowed outside which was a problem for us having an outside kitchen. Luckily we had been a bit naughty and had something at a bakery in Ayr on the way through so we had a little cheese platter inside the van with a red wine. This was a lovely camp right on the wetlands. So peaceful and pretty. We had a good sleep – as we always do.

It was chilly in the morning (for us) so we donned track pants and jumpers and walked across the boardwalk to a little training cafe for a nice, hot breakfast. (We didn’t want to get out our muesli in case we got into trouble!). The scenery was beautiful and there were lots of birds enjoying the wetlands.

From ingham we drove to Townsville where we had arranged to camp for a couple of nights at John’s friend’s place which turned out to be quite close to the city. It was great to see Darrell again and he seemed to really enjoy having us to stay: he insisted on cooking dinner both evenings.

Townsville was not at all what we expected. It was clean, easy to navigate through, and not terribly big. We strolled along The Strand enjoying the holiday feel of the place – the beach, the pier, the cafes and families out enjoying the sunshine. We could understand why people enjoyed living here.

Later we drove up to the top of Castle Hill to check out the view of the city. We were surprised at how many people were walking up! At the top, there were several paths and lookouts with different vantage points. We certainly got a very clear picture of what Townsville is like.

We really were impressed with Townsville which I felt was a very liveable city. And we had a lovely visit with Darrell and Lorraine. John and Darrell enjoyed talking about the old days over a few beers. We hope he might come back over to WA some time soon but he seems perfectly happy where he is.

So off we went again heading towards Airlie Beach where we thought we would spend a few days. We drove first of all into Proserpine to check out a free camp but it was full up. What a shock we got when we arrived at Airlie Beach! It was absolutely packed with tourists. All the caravan parks were full to the brim despite the school holidays here in Queensland being over. With Victoria, in particular, being so cold, it seemed that most Victorians were coming north and filling up the caravan parks. We did eventually find a private property that took in vans at a cheap rate to help wildlife.

We were not impressed with Airlie Beach purely because we couldn’t find a place to park. It was much too busy for us. Proserpine was nicer and not as busy. We enjoyed a coffee at the bakery there and watched the world go by.

Our next stop was Rockhampton but on the way we stayed at a nice free camp at Marlborough. The following day we detoured to walk around Yeppoon which was very pretty but, again, really busy. We did enjoy a coffee and brownie at a nice little cafe called The Alley. (I’m wondering if you recognise a pattern here?)

We arrived into Rockhampton in the early afternoon and settled into the Riverfront Caravan Park, the only Park with vacancies in the whole of the town. The best part of Rockhampton for us was catching up with friends and fellow travellers, Sue and Ross who ended up in town for the same night as us. They camped their van next to us and we shared travel stories over dinner. It was great to see them and we plan to catch up again in New South Wales later in the year.

Catch up in Cairns with the Kids

15/07/202215/07/2022 / lynnie57 / Leave a comment

⚠️ Spoiler alert. Lots of photos of grandchildren. ⚠️

We hadn’t seen Kyran, Vanessa, Tommy and Joey since Nhulunbuy and we were looking forward to catching up with them. They had booked a holiday in Cairns for about ten days, seven of them with Vanessa’s parents visiting from Melbourne. We didn’t want to intrude on their time with Terri and Bob but, since we would be in Queensland anyway, there was no way I was going to miss a chance on seeing our grandchildren again. We organised to meet them for the weekend before Vanessa’s mum and dad arrived. Vanessa had booked a hotel on the Esplanade while we booked into First City Caravilla Park just ten minutes away.

We had a wonderful couple of days with them, taking Tommy to IPlay, Muddy’s Water Park and the Lagoon. We met up with friends of theirs too and enjoyed lunch at the Hemingway Brewery followed by cocktails at Wolf Lane Gin Distillery.

John and I had spent some time in Cairns while having our car and caravan fixed but it was completely different being here with family. And the weather was glorious. We were very sad to leave them, particularly Tommy who was turning six a few days later, and Joey who, at eight months, is always happy. But it was time for us to hit the road and for them to get on with their holiday. It was a bonus having this extra time together.

Iplay

Muddy’s Water Park

We Can See Clearly Now (the rain has gone)

14/07/202214/07/2022 / lynnie57 / Leave a comment

We didn’t know where to head to from Yungaburra as we still had a couple of weeks before meeting Kyran, Vanessa and the children in Cairns. At the last minute I put an advertisement on the Facebook Notice Board for the town of Innisfail offering our services for house and/or pet sitting. Being close to school holidays I didn’t expect a response but actually got several replies. The first off the rank was a couple who were hoping to head off on holiday but couldn’t find anyone to look after their two dogs. We said we’d be happy to do it. They offered us free camping with the use of their laundry and bathroom in exchange for feeding Rocky and Zarli, a blue and red heeler respectively.

We met Nicole and Phil at their business- Picnics Country Crafts in Innisfail. Nicole took us up to the property in South Johnson to meet the dogs and set up camp. We just keep landing on our feet! Their place was a stunning 30 acres of green fields surrounded by sugar cane and banana plantations with beautiful mountains in the distance. And just 15 minutes out of Innisfail.

We stayed ten nights here. It was so lovely and peaceful, and the dogs were great – friendly and easy to look after. The only problem was it rained every day! Thankfully we didn’t experience floods which they did in NSW and parts of southern Queensland. It was even raining in Gove! The unseasonal weather affected the Northern Territory and right down the east coast.

I admit we used the wet days to catch up on our reading, and were quite lazy. However, we did go out to explore the local area, having to watch out for cane trains along the way. Like Babinda, and all this area in fact, we had to share bridges and roads with them, and kept a close eye out for trains crossing the road in front of us. We loved driving past the sugar cane and banana plantations especially when work was happening, for example when the cane was being cut. The sugar mill was just down the road in South Johnson.

We made use of the book exchange at the local post office and discovered a lovely little cafe, Flow to Grow, which we frequented a few times to break up the rainy days.

At the end of our ten nights’ stay, Nicole and Phil took us out to dinner at a great Chinese Restaurant (Gumloon) in Innisfail. The food was delicious and the conversation flowed well. We had a lovely evening and were very appreciative of both the dinner and our stay at their gorgeous property.

Paronella Park

Friends told us not to miss Paronella Park and, since it was just 8kms from our camp, we decided that would be our next stop. The forecast promised drier weather to come. Our ticket included free camping although there was only an unpowered site left. That didn’t worry us. We booked in for the night tour but it was absolutely pouring down with rain and we had to cancel.

We awoke to lovely sunshine the next morning so we were able to do the morning tour which was good. We actually knew nothing about the Park and found it all very interesting. The park itself was beautiful with the castle ruins, waterfall, lots of walking trails and little bridges over streams. There was plenty wildlife too – kangaroos, wild birds, eels in the water plus barramundi and turtles that hung around us wanting to be fed.

Mission Beach and their weekend markets was on our to do list and we did head down there from South Johnson to catch up with a friend, Glossy (who later had us over to her house for a wonderful dinner). It was so wet that we didn’t stay long but agreed we would go back. And we did, after Paronella Park, on a beautiful, sunny day and loved it, particularly South Mission Beach where we didn’t know whether to look at the beach or the lovely houses opposite. We camped for a night at Mission Beach in the council caravan park which was right on the beach!

From Mission Beach, we were going north again back to Cairns and decided to break the journey at the lovely Babinda Boulders Free Camp.

On the way to Babinda, we pulled in at Josephine Falls. It was so beautiful.

And then it was off to Cairns to see the kids!

Our Top Twelve Travelling Tips

04/07/202204/07/2022 / lynnie57 / 6 Comments

There is no doubt about it. We brought too much stuff. Our van is full of things we might need one day on our trip – like winter clothes and extra rugs which haven’t seen the light of day since we left. (But it is sure to be cold when we head south very soon). We also had to give away our rather large but comfortable camp chairs and John’s golf buggy which just took up far too much room in the boot of the car. We learned as we went along!

In our first month of travelling, I listed items we felt were essentials. More than 13 months in and I’m updating that list! Some are still on there but others we found were not as vital as we first thought. Now we have a much clearer picture of what are our must haves. This list is in no particular order and I should point out that if I name brands, it is because that is what we like or have. We don’t get any money for mentioning them!!!!!

Birthday Calendar

A friend gave me this idea (thank you Nicole). Knowing we would be away for at least a year, I made a birthday calendar through Photobookshop putting each member of our family’s photo on their particular birthday. It hangs on a hook in our caravan and is easy to see birthdays that are coming up.

2. Cheese Board

My daughter gave me a cheese board identical to this one for Mothers’ Day a couple of years ago. I used it lots at home but wasn’t going to bring it as I thought it was a bit heavy plus I didn’t want it to get damaged. At the last minute I put it in as it fitted nicely in the caravan kitchen cupboard. I’m so glad we did; we use it all the time. We use the underside for chopping vegetables etc and the top as a cheese platter, particularly when we are having Happy Hour with other campers. Some nights we don’t feel like cooking dinner and just have a glass of wine and do a cheese board.

3. Wine Glasses will Travel

Talking of wine, our family must have felt wine glasses were an important ‘must have’ on this trip. And they were right. John was given the red wine glasses in the tin by Kyran and Vanessa. They are terrific to drink out of and safe in their tin when we are driving on even rough roads. Tayler bought us the stainless steel wine glasses, which she bought from Kmart just before we left home. They are also great and, of course, unbreakable. Cheers!

4. Wiki Camps App

We would not be without the Wiki Camps app when we are camping. We depend on the recommendations of other travellers for nice free camps, good caravan parks, worthwhile museums, cafes and points of interest as well as finding out what camping sites are ones to avoid. This app has saved us a lot of time and money. We try to give back by also reviewing some of the places we visit. If you are planning a trip, do yourself a favour and download this app then use it. It is very user friendly.

5. Toiletries

These toiletries from Seed and Sprout were also a gift and they have been really handy while travelling. The soap bag is great. I just put in a fresh cake of soap when the previous one is almost finished, and use the bag as a sponge. No mess. No waste. It hangs particularly well in the inside and outside caravan showers and in the caravan park shower cubicles that have limited shelf space.

The little tin contains soap, shampoo and conditioner (the one pictured is from the website and is deodorant). I don’t use it all the time but when the caravan park shower cubicles are small, it’s easier to carry this little tin than cumbersome bottles. Besides, the products are lovely to use.

6. Bigger Tins

These tins are great for keeping pasta, rice, leftovers and so on. I also use them for packed lunches, morning tea, nuts and dried fruit in the car. The lids are really secure so I also use the round ones for liquids as they don’t spill or fall over. So versatile. Most of these are from Seed and Sprout. In one set there is a small tin where I keep $1 and $2 coins for the caravan park washing machines. In fact we started saving these coins months before we left on our holiday.

7. Squishy storage containers, bucket and basin

I love that these fold down and save so much space. We use the basin every day for washing dishes and the bucket lots for cleaning. We have a set of different coloured and sized storage containers which stack really well and squash flat when not in use. I keep all my muesli ingredients in them as they are very light. Definitely make life easier.

8. Yeti Coffee Cups and Wine Tumblers

These have been a great discovery. A bit pricey but well worth it. We make a coffee in the Yeti mugs at breakfast and I drink mine as we are travelling. John prefers to have his when we stop a couple of hours later and he finds the coffee still too hot to drink! The wine tumblers keep my gin and tonic or white wine lovely and cold on balmy evenings. We love that the magnetic lids slide shut too. We like these so much that we actually now also have the stubby holder, larger coffee mugs and a one gallon water bottle. Highly recommend.

9. A Good Torch

I bought a Wanderer torch from BCF before we left. It cost about $120 but I thought it was probably going to be worth the money. We had so many cheap torches that would never work when we needed them. It was a good buy. It is solid and reliable and has never let us down. There is a setting where it flashes on and off which might be useful if we get into any trouble.

10. Tins of Cutlery

I bought each of us a cutlery set in a tin from Tyfords in Dongara before we left but I wasn’t really sure if it was a good idea. Turns out it was. Each tin contains one fork, knife, spoon, straw and chop sticks. We use them every day. They pack away easily and neatly. I really like the idea of having our own little set of cutlery especially when we are in a group. Love them!

11. Doormat

A small piece of artificial grass on the step of the caravan and another piece on the ground as a doormat has really helped keep the red dirt at bay. Thanks Richard!

12. String Bags

I bought three string bags for our trip but I wish I’d bought a few more. We use them in the ensuite in the van to hold loo rolls and around the kitchen to hold fruit and veg. But I need a couple to keep in the car for shopping and another couple to take my pjs and towels to the shower block and also to take my laundry to the washing machine! Can’t have too many string bags!

Loos and showers of the Outback

30/06/202215/09/2022 / lynnie57 / Leave a comment

Sign for the ladies rest room at a roadhouse

Toilet and shower at Pender Bay- I couldn’t see over to see out but I’m sure others could see over to see in!

Toilet and shower at the best camp ground in Derby!

Toilet at “Over the Range Mechanics’, Gibb River Road

Our caravan outdoor shower (we have an inside one too)

Down the Rabbit Hole at Yungaburra

20/06/202203/07/2022 / lynnie57 / Leave a comment

Yungaburra is a very quaint and picturesque town in the Atherton Tablelands with a very welcoming feel throughout. Yet another little town that goes to great lengths to look lovely and entice travellers to stop and explore. And explore we did.

I think the first thing that attracted us to Yungaburra were the beautiful hanging baskets of colourful flowers all down the main street and beyond. Next the beautiful, well maintained parks and gardens, and the cute, interesting looking buildings, shops and cafes throughout town. We spent quite some time enjoying the unique gift shops, the huge book shop which took up a whole shed, the lovely littie Visitors Centre, the op shop and the art gallery where we found an artist at work. She explained that several artists use this space to create and that the owner runs art classes for young and old, beginners and experienced artists, as well as the disabled and anyone else interested in learning to paint. And the ‘At the Art Garage’ has been running for several years.

We lost count of the number of cafes we could choose from but, when John went to the barber, I popped in for afternoon tea at the Whistle Stop Cafe, a lovely cafe with a very attractive walled garden area. I couldn’t resist it. When the young lady brought my coffee I asked her if they actually serve fried green tomatoes. She looked confused and said “others have asked me that question but I don’t understand “. So I explained that the Whistle Stop Cafe was the main setting in one of my favourite movies “Fried Green Tomatoes”. I was a bit surprised the staff didn’t know that fact.

The next day we popped into another interesting looking coffee shop – Mad Hatterz Cafe. That was fun; such a funky little Cafe with excellent coffee and scones. (The day after we went back and had yummy beef burgundy pot pies for lunch!)

The countryside around Yungaburra is lovely with natural rainforest, hills and farmland. There are also several crater lakes left over from extinct volcanoes. We spent a morning driving around the lakes enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Close to town there were several viewing platforms along Peterson Creek from which to look for platypuses but we were unlucky. We were fortunate though to see both the Curtain and Cathedral Fig Trees which were quite spectacular.

As we drove around the Danbulla National Park, we came across a pair of chimneys sitting in the middle of nowhere. It seems that this area was set out for soldier settlement after the First World War and this is all that remains of a house built by a soldier in the 1920s.

We camped at a lovely quiet caravan park on Lake Tinaroo. Opposite the park is the Avenue of Honour, a tribute to Australian soldiers who fought in Afghanistan, and we found it to be a particularly beautiful and peaceful tribute.

Before leaving this beautiful area, we popped into Atherton which, coincidentally, had a Vintage Car Show on at the local school. John particularly enjoyed taking photos and sharing stories about some of the cars his dad, his friends or he owned in the past. It was an enjoyable couple of hours.

Then we called into a museum in a little place called Tolga. The volunteers enthusiastically shared the town’s history with us as we checked out their displays. The museum focused on the old railway and on their war experiences. As we learned in Ravenshoe, this whole area was used to train soldiers in jungle warfare to help prepare them for Papua New Guinea. This museum was definitely worthwhile visiting, just like every museum in every little town we’ve been in.

We loved the little towns of Yungaburra and Tolga and their beautiful surroundings. We would have hated to miss out on seeing them.

‘Oasis on Barron’

16/06/202203/07/2022 / lynnie57 / 2 Comments

By the time we arrived at our next camp, John had found someone in Cairns who would squeeze us in to fix our wheel the following week. What a relief. We still have to have our windscreen wipers fixed on 21st June in Cairns (that was booked over a month ago and was the first free day) so we wanted to stay around the Cairns area. We had also decided to stay longer to be able to catch up with Kyran, Vanessa, Tommy and Joey when they visit Cairns early in July. Not only that but we are having some warranty work done on our van on 1st August on the Gold Coast. We are not used to having to plan so far ahead!

Annette answered my ad for a housesitter. They offered us free camping with power and water (plus access to their house if we needed it though all we needed was use of the washing machine and fabulous rainwater shower outside). This was in return for feeding Storm their Great Dane, and Marley their cat on the evenings they had to work away.

They live on “Oasis on Barron”, ten beautiful acres about 16kms out of Mareeba (an hour from Cairns). It is so lovely that they have started hiring out their garden for weddings and other special events. (Barron makes reference to the Barron River that runs through the property).

We were able to use this lovely garden as a base to explore the area. I wasn’t that keen on Mareeba although it was very convenient for us to get medicines, shopping and our flu needles. (We had our fourth covid jags in Babinda). I was really impressed with the town library which had been moved out of town and ended up being a 4km walk. I also had a wander through the book shop and markets while John played golf. We also spent too much time at Coffee Works which serves the best hot chocolate and has a lovely gift shop. The biggest surprise was the Visitors’ Centre which had a great cafe and a wonderful museum with displays about the town’s history. Once again, another little town proud of its past.

We had both been to Kuranda many years ago and looked forward to returning. It was only forty minutes from our camp so we decided to leave the car at Kuranda and take the Skyrail down to Cairns and back. We would have come back on the Kuranda train but the terminus for each were kilometres apart. It was a lovely day and we thoroughly enjoyed wandering around the markets and shops. We both remembered the markets in the rainforest but the shops were new to us.

The skyrail was terrific – the views over the top of the trees, the Barron Falls and then the view of some of Cairns. John commented that we couldn’t see the floor of the rainforest, the trees were so thick.

It has been a delightful two weeks’ stay here at Annette and Dan’s beautiful property and we’ve enjoyed spending time with Storm. Tomorrow we are heading towards Atherton and Yungaburra to have a look around and we are looking forward to that.

Cassowary Coast – Camping at Babinda and Etty Bay

13/06/202203/07/2022 / lynnie57 / 2 Comments

John managed to talk to someone in Townsville who might be able to fix our wheel so we decided on a very slow trip down there with plenty stops. John was quite stressed driving and stopping often to tighten the nuts on the caravan wheel. I thought he needed somewhere peaceful to camp so I checked my trusty old Wiki Camps app and saw one that sounded nice in a place called Babinda not too far south of us.

The drive was very pretty with mountains in the distance and both sugar cane and banana plantations on either side of the road.

As we neared the farm, we came to an interesting, single lane bridge across the Russell River which is shared by both cars and cane sugar locomotives during the sugarcane season (June to November). Apparently there is a resident crocodile called Clyde in the river that suns itself on the sandy bank. We didn’t see him. There is also a deer farm here.

The Babinda Rainforest Farm is a private property about 12kms out of the township, with the rainforest as a stunning backdrop. The owners charge $18 per night for self contained vans only. We stayed for two nights and were the only ones there – unless you count the alpacas, chooks, dogs and geese! We had access to lovely, fresh, mountain spring water to drink and to swim in as the creek, which passed by our camp, had a swimming hole. Unfortunately the water was icy! I could have jumped in after I walked their very steep climb to a lookout through the rainforest. I was exhausted and eaten alive by mozzies. Otherwise we had a wonderful, peaceful stay there; it was just beautiful. It was also a great base to explore the area.

No, we didn’t have a bath – although it was tempting!

Someone had recommended we visit the Babinda Boulders so we thought we’d do a quick visit then wander through the town. It turned out not to be such a quick visit as it was unexpectedly lovely with walks by the river and waterfalls. A few people swam but we didn’t. However I saw my first platypus in the wild! It was ducking and diving in the water, having a lovely time and we had a lovely time watching it.

There was also some interesting information about an air crash during the war on Mount Bartle Frere behind us.

The township of Babinda is lovely, somewhere else I could live! We love these old buildings in the main street and the Queenslanders in the back streets set up high in front of the rainforest.

Of course we called into the Golf Club and John enjoyed nine holes with some locals

We were a bit sad to leave our beautiful camp in Babinda but we headed off to Etty Bay for a couple of nights that I hoped would also be relaxing.

It was! The caravan park was right on the beach and we had a lovely campsite with very nice neighbours again. And we had a regular visitor. A cassowary must have liked the smell of John’s cooking because he kept coming back! And he took off with our avocado which John took off him.

As well as cassowaries wandering through the caravan park, there was also a big monitor lizard that looked very much at home.

This Monitor Lizard was quite at home at Etty Bay!*

We used to love the sunsets from our verandah in Dongara and I wanted to get up early to see the sunrise on the other side of the country. It didn’t disappoint.

Once again it was hard to drag ourselves away from this beautiful spot. We were turning around and going north again. We needed to stay in the area to have our wheel and windscreen wipers fixed. I’d put an advertisement into the Grey Nomads Times to see if anyone needed housesitters but, with such short notice, I didn’t really expect a response. However Annette contacted me. She and her husband had to go away for a week or two for work but had no-one to feed their cat, Marley, and Great Dane, Storm. So we headed off to their place near Mareeba.

*My photo of this lizard wasn’t very clear so I exchanged it for this one from the internet

Books Lynn is reading on our trip

09/06/202228/09/2022 / lynnie57 / 4 Comments

That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”

– Jhumpa Lahiri

Books John is reading on the big lap

09/06/202215/09/2022 / lynnie57 / Leave a comment

"I love the way that each book — any book — is its own journey. You open it, and off you go…" 
– Sharon Creech

Another scare and the Good Samaritans who saved us

03/06/202203/07/2022 / lynnie57 / 6 Comments

Driving south from Port Douglas, we were feeling quite relaxed and comfortable with our decision not to tackle the rough roads to Cape York. The sun was shining and the view was lovely. The Captain Cook Highway we were on was getting busier and we noticed beach side caravan parks were full. This is peak season in Queensland.

As we drove the highway negotiating the traffic, we felt a sudden shaking in the car. John managed to pull over as he thought we had a flat tyre – again. But everything looked fine. He said he would pull off at the next street but as we took off, one of our caravan wheels went rolling past us! Luckily we weren’t going fast. We had to pull up on the side of the left hand lane but still in the way of traffic. With our hazard warning lights on, we checked the damage and looked for the wheel. It had sheared off with all the studs and nuts too but they were nowhere to be found.

Within a few minutes people were stopping to see how they could help but there was nothing they could do. We rang the RAC but held on for ever trying to get roadside assistance. Then a young man, Mat, stopped and wouldn’t take no for an answer. He was sure he could fix things at least temporarily. He took off to his home nearby and came back with a jack and tools then set to work. While he was gone, another man, John, a pastor, stopped to help then took off. He returned with some witches’ hats and orange netting which he set up to keep us all safe. (While Mat worked on the van, John and I had been directing traffic around him). Very soon after, a Mobile Caravan Repair Van pulled up. Alex had been driving home in the other direction and turned back to see how he could help. Next thing we knew a police car arrived with its lights flashing. Two young police officers wanted to assist too. They helped direct the traffic around us. We really were overwhelmed with the kindness of these Palm Cove locals who could not do enough for us.

Our Good Samaritans

Before long the Main Roads people and another group responsible for the flow of traffic on that stretch of highway had joined us. They cordoned off the area we were in and stayed until we could leave which was a couple of hours later when we were able to organise a tow truck. Despite Mat’s hard work, the wheel would not stay on the van.

Pastor John

Pastor John stopped and helped even though he was due to officiate at a wedding later in the afternoon. He left it until the very last minute and was covered in grease before he left us.

Mat

Mat, a Phys Ed Teacher at the local high school, insisted he could do something to help. He runs a YouTube channel on travelling and fishing the Cape York Peninsula. Obviously his 4wding experiences benefitted us today. I had seen his videos before and checked them out again. Definitely worth watching. Have a look here https://youtube.com/c/MatTwentyEight

Alex

Alex is a contractor for a caravan mobile repair company and he went over and above in his duties of getting us back on the road. And always with patience and good humour. He also organised us a campsite when all the caravan parks in the area were full. Not just a campsite but the best campsite for miles.

The Police

The two police officers were very kind and helpful. In the evening they found us in the caravan park to make sure we were all right!

Palm Cove Caravan Park

This was a lovely park opposite the beach in beautiful Palm Cove. They were fully booked through to September but, after a word from Alex, they fitted us into the best site in the whole park. The staff were exceptionally nice to us and even found space to allow us to stay longer than the three days allocated if we needed to. We didn’t but we did end up having a lovely few days here even though we had a slanty sleep the first night!

Crickette and Rob

I think Crickette must have noticed how tired and dejected we were when we arrived with the tow truck at the caravan park. They were our new neighbours. She immediately offered to make us a g and t! Once we got ourselves organised we did join them for a drink. In fact we had drinks with them the following evening too. We laughed lots as we exchanged camping stories. They really took our mind off our problems.

We really liked Palm Cove. It was like a mini Port Douglas. Although we are not very keen on busy, touristy places, it was a nice change to have a variety of lovely cafes and bars to choose from. They were all situated on the promenade overlooking the beach. In fact we found a great little Cafe called Espresso that had the best pancakes and banana bread, and we enjoyed a ‘Cheeky Guinness Pie’ at O’Donnell’s Irish Pub. The caravan park was also on the promenade which was handy. It was a pretty good place to be “stuck”!

We still need work done on the wheel so taking it easy until we find a workshop that has staff! We are very grateful to all those who helped us. Pastor John told me later that he used the incident in his sermon on the weekend, talking about Good Samaritans. I hope he remembered to include himself.

Living and Loving the Grey Nomad Life!

31/05/202203/07/2022 / lynnie57 / Leave a comment

For some years now I have subscribed to the ‘Grey Nomads’ website and newsletter. It’s a must for older people on the road as it’s full of useful information. I particularly enjoy reading the classifieds and about the Grey Nomad characters on the road. I love to see where they’ve been and what kind of vans they travel in. Well this month, John and I are the featured Grey Nomad characters on the road!

If you are travelling or interested in travelling, check out their website at http://thegreynomads.com.au

Flannerys' Footprints

Our photos are our footprints.

Author: lynnie57

Far from the Madding Crowd

From a Soaking on the Sunshine Coast to Glorious Days on the Gold Coast

The Fraser Coast

From Tully to Townsville

Catch up in Cairns with the Kids

We Can See Clearly Now (the rain has gone)

Our Top Twelve Travelling Tips

Loos and showers of the Outback

Down the Rabbit Hole at Yungaburra

‘Oasis on Barron’

Cassowary Coast – Camping at Babinda and Etty Bay

Books Lynn is reading on our trip

Books John is reading on the big lap

Another scare and the Good Samaritans who saved us

Living and Loving the Grey Nomad Life!

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