The Leaving of Lakes Entrance
When we left Lakes Entrance it had stopped raining just long enough for us to get packed up. The canvas was damp but not soaking. The camp site was very wet and we were paddling in the grass so it was time to go.This was becoming deja vous.. We had checked the weather radar on the internet and Bega looked like the place to head for then make tracks to Canberra from there..
Almost as soon as we left Lakes Entrance it started to rain very heavenly but Bega was a way off yet and things could change. We crossed over into Snowy River Country and as we neared Bega we checked out the campsites and sadly they were all flooded and there was no way we could set up at any of them.
Almost as soon as we left Lakes Entrance it started to rain very heavenly but Bega was a way off yet and things could change. We crossed over into Snowy River Country and as we neared Bega we checked out the campsites and sadly they were all flooded and there was no way we could set up at any of them.
Looking back on it ...
It was really funny but at the time I was so glad Greg was with me as I would not have stayed there on my own.
The Motels name I wont mention but it was in Rosedale
It was really funny but at the time I was so glad Greg was with me as I would not have stayed there on my own.
The Motels name I wont mention but it was in Rosedale
Southward Bound
After lengthy discussions about which way and where we decided to stick to the plan and continue on South to Melbourne as the Caravan and Camping show was on there and we wanted to catch up with a friend who was having a 60th Birthday party and as an added bonus the weather was fine. Hopefully it would stay that way for a while. As we drove along Greg made a comment that all the Caravans were going in the opposite direction. Did they know something we didn't?
Mmmm! Can't see any one around.. I could get lucky here
Something smells really good in there.
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We made some calls to try and get a caravan site for a couple of nights but everything that was any good was booked out because of the show. We managed to get a spot at Crystal Brook Caravan Park which was very very squashy. We took the spot and just had to make the best of it. WE were lucky to get that at such short notice. It was all Gravel and Bitumen. Rather like a car park with Campers and Caravans on it but with not as much space as cars have between them. 'Twas quite an experience.
As usual Greg managed to put on a smiley face.This time with a banana. We did have the added pleasure of some cheeky little visitors. This cheeky little chap decided to check out the pantry to see what he could find for supper. It's a pity that he made so much noise or he might have got away with it. He managed to pull out a loaf of bread and eat some of it. They are so cute What can you do? We couldn't harm or scare one so we did the sensible thing and keep all the food in the car while we were there Still no one looking.. I'll use the ladder to get up there
Ooops!.. I think I might have been sprung
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Leaving Crystal Brook
We only stayed here for a couple of days. Just to see the Caravan and Camping Show which by the way was Huge. I thought our show in Perth was large but this one dwarfed it. We were there from opening till closing and still didn't get to see everything.
I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to go back for a second day
I got my answer with out him even moving his lips. Those
multifunctional bananas can come in very handy sometimes
Lol..
Greg had had enough and wanted to move on. Fair enough.
So with nothing else to hold us here, we headed off in the
direction of The Great Ocean Road via the city of Melbourne
I got my answer with out him even moving his lips. Those
multifunctional bananas can come in very handy sometimes
Lol..
Greg had had enough and wanted to move on. Fair enough.
So with nothing else to hold us here, we headed off in the
direction of The Great Ocean Road via the city of Melbourne
We approached Melbourne from the North and drove through the City across the West Gate Bridge which spanned the Yarra River and was quite impressive. There was a fantastic view from the bridge right over the city and many surrounding suburbs..
The Northern Suburbs were very similar to the older Northern suburbs in Perth with lots of different styles of homes (mainly large homes) all mixed in together. |
As we passed over the bridge I noticed that industry and residential were also all in together, At least that's how it seemed from where we were looking down. The Rod Laver Arena made a significant mark on the landscape. Awesome sight to see and very space age.
There was a refinery right in the centre perched on the side of the Yarra River. One would normally expect to see Oil Refineries on the coast line or out in the middle of nowhere away from heavily populated areas. There was also a grain Silo up in the Northern Suburbs with people living very close to it.
There was a refinery right in the centre perched on the side of the Yarra River. One would normally expect to see Oil Refineries on the coast line or out in the middle of nowhere away from heavily populated areas. There was also a grain Silo up in the Northern Suburbs with people living very close to it.
I got to see my first Melbourne Tram. Some might say "So What" but I got very excited when I spotted it as Melbourne is famous for its Trams.. The countryside surrounding the city is magnificent and we were looking forward to getting through it and getting on to that Great Ocean Road. |
The Great Ocean Road
Now let's see.........What else can we check out while we are here....I Know... The Cape Otway LIghthouse
The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse was commissioned after the loss of more than 350 lives when Cataraqui ran aground onto a reef off King Island in 1845. . Cape Otway became the favoured site,
The Light station's first keepers and their and families were hard-working and incredibly resourceful people. They had to be to cope with the isolation. Supplies were delivered just twice a year by boat. They kept the light lit, rescued shipwrecked victims and risked their own lives in the process. The Telegraph Station has recently been refurbished and been turned into a kind of museum with illustrations around the walls showing the early residents and how they lived houses the story of the station and its people. There is even an old Morse Code device tapping away as you enter. It was very good.
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The western coast of Victoria has claimed more shipwrecks than any other stretch of Australian coastline. The hostile weather conditions saw hundreds of lives lost. Most of the ships foundered due to human error and bad weather.
The old Radar Station
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Otway Fly Treetop Adventures
King Parrot
The Otway Fly Treetop Walk is a 1 hour rainforest walk of approx 2km in total and features a high steel structure for some of that time forming a treetop canopy walkway that takes you right into the treetops. It’s the longest and tallest walkway of its type in the world!
It was late when we got there and didn't really know it was going to be as long as that , plus we were tired and didn't want to spend $48.00 to walk in the rainforest.
So we sat and had an ice cream each and watched the parrots playing in the trees instead.
We were moving tomorrow and had some things to sort out first.
Meanwhile... Back at camp
When we got back to camp a school group of teenage hikers were just arriving after an arduous very long walk that day . They had undertaken to do part of the Great Ocean Walk which included some beach hiking carrying full packs. This was the last day and they were exhausted and out of water. The water at the camp was not drinkable and one of the boys was very dehydrated so we gave them one of our 20 litre containers of water as we were moving on and could refill it when we got to our next stop. They had water purifying tablets with them but they didn't want to wait for them to activate so that saw them over for a few hours.
They were a really nice bunch of people but one of them forgot his tent so the teacher in charge had to sacrifice his tent for his student.. the poor thing had to sleep under a tarpaulin.
The weather forecast was not good and he was concerned so we gave him our 3 man tent to use. ...
As it happened it was just as well that we did as the weather turned bad and the wind came up and the thunder started and it was a dreadful night... luckily all the hikers managed to stay dry... most importantly the teacher was dry. He was such a caring person putting the welfare of his students way ahead of his own. That seems to be a dying breed these days.
Huff and Puff and Blow the tent down
Earlier I mentioned about some one wanting to camp in the dirt under a pine tree. Well yes that person does exist. A young German couple parked next to us in the dirt and pine needles and put up a 2 man tent.Another 2 metres to the left and they could have had nice lush grass..( It takes all sorts )
During the night it started to blow down and they got wet.
They had forgotten their tent pegs so when the wind started to blow they had to hold on to it from inside... We took pity on them too and they ended with with some of our tent pegs.
We felt like a Nanna and Grandad to all these young people. They wanted to be all grown up, but still need and oldie around to patch things up when it goes wrong. It felt nice though..being able to help them out and to see them so thankful for it..It made us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Back to Normal
Well we were awake a lot in the night because of the rain and the winds. Once again it seemed like deja vous. We had enjoyed the nice weather for 3 whole days and now it was back to same old pattern. It would be easy to just throw in the towel and give up but the weather just HAS to get better... it HAS to..
We packed up the wet canvas and moved on to a caravan site called Macedon Caravan just North East of Melbourne today..It is not far from the 60th Birthday Party we going to on Saturday.
It pelted down with rain all the way, we are there now and it is now 10pm and we have been here since 2.30 this afternoon and it hasn't stopped raining since we arrived..As I type the Camper is rocking and rolling with the buffeting wind.
So here we are at Macedon and looking forward to a sunny day tomorrow. I want to go shopping and buy something new to wear to the party..It will give me some else to talk about apart from the weather..
We packed up the wet canvas and moved on to a caravan site called Macedon Caravan just North East of Melbourne today..It is not far from the 60th Birthday Party we going to on Saturday.
It pelted down with rain all the way, we are there now and it is now 10pm and we have been here since 2.30 this afternoon and it hasn't stopped raining since we arrived..As I type the Camper is rocking and rolling with the buffeting wind.
So here we are at Macedon and looking forward to a sunny day tomorrow. I want to go shopping and buy something new to wear to the party..It will give me some else to talk about apart from the weather..
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This what I wanted to look like
18th March It was an excellent night and it was so good to see Bill and Donna again and get to meet their family and friends. Hopefully they email me some photos They kindly put us up for the night and we didn't get to bed until 3.45am. That was last night and today we have been suffering.. |
I went looking for something new to wear but for some strange reason what I liked, didn't seem to like me. I ended up saving my money and making the most of what I had in the camper. As it happened it was a casual night anyway so I could have worn anything and felt quite at home It's amazing how good one can look with very little effort.
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But reality can be very cruel
18th March We went and had a nap when we got back. A nice greasy take away fish and chips worked wonders and we are feeling a lot better now. We were going to move on tomorrow but we will wait until Tuesday now so that we can go visit Hanging Rock and the surrounding areas tomorrow. |
HANGING ROCK IN THE MACEDON RANGES
Mount Macedon
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It is about and hours drive North of Melbourne and on the way there we saw lots of historic stone buildings, and plenty of great views of Mount Macedon along the way .There were many wineries and fresh farm produce shops but we didn't stop at any.
Hanging Rock (Mt. Diogenes) is 6 million years old..and is a rare volcanic formation . It is famous for the Hanging Rock Cup & Races, and the setting of the world renown novel & film Picnic at Hanging Rock. |
Mount Macedon
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Holbrook
Greg up the Sub playing Sailors
It was about 6pm when we got to Holbrook .... commonly known as 'Submarine Town'..We managed to find a lovely Caravan Park there with lovely lush green grass and spotlessly clean...It was going to be a one nighter as a friend had told us of a very nice free camping ground about 100kms further along the road. It would give a chance to check out the Submarine Info and the museum in town.
Holbrook was formerly known as Germanton. At the beginning of World War1 News of the extraordinary bravery by LEUT Holbrook and his crew prompted the locals here to rename the town so it became 'Holbrook'
It seems strange that a farming community 400 kms from the nearest seaport have a life-size submarine?
In the main street of the township, lies the relic of the DE-commissioned OTWAY, about 90 metres from bow to stem, also a life size torpedo and a 115 model of a World War 1 submarine.
Holbrook's unique link with submarines began during World War 1 when the town's forefathers believed Germanton was no longer an appropriate name for the town. On 13 December 1914, Lieutenant Holbrook, RX, had taken the British submarine HMS B 11 on a hazardous journey into the Dardanelles to torpedo and sink the Turkish battleship MESSUDIYEH. In a primitive petrol engine submarine whose battery power limited her to six knots underwater for only one hour.
LEUT Holbrook braved minefields, surface patrols and Turkish artillery. After the sinking, B 11, with a shattered compass, scraped along the bottom of the channel literally feeling its way out. LEUT Holbrook, RX, was awarded the Victoria Cross (V.C.) and the French Legion of Honour. Holbrook has become Australia's only town to be named after a V.C. winner.
Norman Holbrook was born in 1888 at Southsea, Hampshire, UK and died at Midhurst, Sussex, UK in 1976.
It seems strange that a farming community 400 kms from the nearest seaport have a life-size submarine?
In the main street of the township, lies the relic of the DE-commissioned OTWAY, about 90 metres from bow to stem, also a life size torpedo and a 115 model of a World War 1 submarine.
Holbrook's unique link with submarines began during World War 1 when the town's forefathers believed Germanton was no longer an appropriate name for the town. On 13 December 1914, Lieutenant Holbrook, RX, had taken the British submarine HMS B 11 on a hazardous journey into the Dardanelles to torpedo and sink the Turkish battleship MESSUDIYEH. In a primitive petrol engine submarine whose battery power limited her to six knots underwater for only one hour.
LEUT Holbrook braved minefields, surface patrols and Turkish artillery. After the sinking, B 11, with a shattered compass, scraped along the bottom of the channel literally feeling its way out. LEUT Holbrook, RX, was awarded the Victoria Cross (V.C.) and the French Legion of Honour. Holbrook has become Australia's only town to be named after a V.C. winner.
Norman Holbrook was born in 1888 at Southsea, Hampshire, UK and died at Midhurst, Sussex, UK in 1976.
A great challenge for this small community is the construction of a museum housing photographs, submarine components and mock areas of a submarine interior such as engine room, galley and living quarter. The project is manned by volunteers who do a great job. Parts being drop into place by a crane
The Torpedo Shoots
Even the 'Little Boys Room was extremely Little
All in all it was a very nice morning but there was nothing else to keep us there so we pressed on to a free camp on the riverside that had been recommended by a friend. Free camps are always a surprise. As Forest Gump would say "Life is like a ...Bla bla bla" You know the rest. |
A picture of the Otway when it was first brought to Holbrook to be displayed
We visited the museum and learned all about the Otway. We were able to go into the Control room and get a feel of how it was for the sub mariners. The Submarine was dismantled and parts of the interior are being re assembled in the museum . It is very well done and most enjoyable
Seagulls Ahoy!!
Tiny little bunk beds with miniscule lockers. The Submariners would have had to be short in stature or be very uncomfortable.. No good for Greg
The back end of the The Otway
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The Otway in its Glory
The Road To Canberra
We found the free camp which was quite nice nestled on the side of the Murrambidgee River but decided to give it a miss. The camping area was quite nice but the downside was the fact that it was positioned all around a sports field. Camping on the oval was not permitted.. just around the edge. All we needed was a local team or a school group to come and use it and it would have been rather awkward not to mention very noisy. We didn't want to take that chance so we pressed on to Canberra and ended up at the exhibition grounds. It was the cheapest camping in Canberra but still quite expensive for what it was. Well we wanted to see Canberra and catch up with our friends Tony and Ronda who we met way back at Baradine. (The Pink Fairy Cake Man)
Tony and Ronda
Tony and Ronda travel in a converted Greyhound bus. Tony has done all the work himself and he lives in it full time. Ronda is a traveling companion. The inside of the bus is amazing. He has done a great job on it. It has all the Mod cons. Including a 42 inch Plasma TV in the living area and a smaller one in the bedroom. Even an Office recess.
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BBQ area
Happy Hour
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There is one place that every visitor to Canberra goes and it is of course is Parliament House. We did a tour of the building and grounds and we were quite impressed with the architecture and the general classiness of the place. Foreign Dignitaries would be equally impressed I'm sure of that.
We had an appointment with Julia Gillard but she she didn't turn up.
We were going to treat her to a meat pie as well.
Ah well That was her loss..
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THE ROYAL MINT
We also took a tour of The Royal Mint. Now that was an interesting couple of hours watching the coin makers press all the coins and learning how the coins are designed and produced right through to circulation.
From here the hopper shakes them into a coin counter and they are then sorted into bags ready for the coin presses.
Isn't it amazing?
Isn't it amazing?
They must have problems getting good staff as the best they had was this old fart in a wig who was pushing buttons to make it work
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
The Birds
You can keep all the political stuff and all that goes along with it. My favourite place in Canberra was The Walk In Aviary. I could happily have stayed there all day but alas things we had to do and places to go... We were moving on the following day and had some preparation to do. Check out these photos... there were many as you can imagine but these are my personal favourites..
What a great Day!!
There were so many different species but only a few would actually stay still long to be photographed
There were so many different species but only a few would actually stay still long to be photographed
OYAY OYAY OYAY !!
ANOTHER SATISFIED CUSTOMER
ANOTHER SATISFIED CUSTOMER
Absolutely!! The photo says it all..It was Delightful and such nice people who run it.
24th March-Time to move on
Canberra was very nice but we had seen all we wanted to and we wanted to and it was turning very cold and windy. Not very Nice at all! We drove straight to Sydney and checked into Lane Cove River Tourist Park. It is a very nice place.
They have a special section for Camper Trailers which is a good idea as they are geared up for it. There is nothing worse than trying to peg in to a concrete slab..
We were given a site next to a lady 'Enid' who is a permanent resident and has lived in her Caravan for 29 years. It was very well cared for and her gardens were immaculate. Unfortunately there are only 7 permanents left now. All of them are retirees. As they go they will not be replacing them They will have to sell the homes and have them removed from the site. Enid is such a nice lady and she was of great help to us when we were setting up.
Thank you Enid.. You are a Gem..
They have a special section for Camper Trailers which is a good idea as they are geared up for it. There is nothing worse than trying to peg in to a concrete slab..
We were given a site next to a lady 'Enid' who is a permanent resident and has lived in her Caravan for 29 years. It was very well cared for and her gardens were immaculate. Unfortunately there are only 7 permanents left now. All of them are retirees. As they go they will not be replacing them They will have to sell the homes and have them removed from the site. Enid is such a nice lady and she was of great help to us when we were setting up.
Thank you Enid.. You are a Gem..
Our site next to Enids place
SYDNEY
The first day there was a little rainy (Surprise Surprise) so we opted to take a drive around the surrounding areas rather than walk in the city..I knew Sydney was big but had no idea just HOW big. The traffic on the road was horrendous and so many stop lights. There seemed to be an awful lot of Offices even in the suburbs.
Stepping out from the train station was quite a shock . The hustle and bustle, the noise, the people, the traffic, the buskers, the ferries coming in and out .You name it , it was there. set about doing the touristy thing.First thing we caught the ferry to Manly for lunch. Of course we took some photos from the deck on the way over...
The Iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge
How about some more of the Opera House then?
It's hard not to keep snapping away as there are so may angles to it all .
It's OK... There is not one Greg in front of the Opera House.... In fact no more Opera House and no more Bridge photos
We took the train in twice and did it all over again but the second time we did all the ferries and spent most of the day cruising around for $2.50.. Not bad eh?
OOOPS! Sorry.
Just this one of some people climbing the Bridge. You can just about see them all up on the top
Just this one of some people climbing the Bridge. You can just about see them all up on the top
We spent two days seeing as much as we could without killing ourselves. The Ferry' also took us to The Eastern Suburbs stopping at several places on the way round including Rose Bay, Watson's Bay, Garden Island Military Base and more. It was lovely. We were totally exhausted when we got back to camp and decided to stay another day just to unwind, do the laundry and take a breath before setting off again.
BROKE
Broke Fordwich is a stunningly beautiful area of hills and plains . It is famous for its peaceful rural ambiance.. It is flanked by the Brokenback mountain and Hunter Mountain ranges and the Wollemi and Yengo National Parks. The village of Broke is situated right in the centre of this region which was first inhabited b the Wanaruah Aboriginal Tribe thousands of years ago.They left behind many cave paintings the most famous one being "Baiame Cave"
YELLOW ROCK
The Europeans settled here in the early 1800's . John Laxand was granted 8000 acres of land where he built his home. Broke was named in 1830 after Charles Broke Vere and the town soon flourished as it was on the convict trail north from Sydney.
This is one of the oldest wine growing areas in Australia and plantings date back to the 1820's.
There is a massive Yellow Rock escarpment that stands grandly on guard above Broke Village. It is a local icon and is known as 'Yellow Rock'. Unfortunately the Gas Company has bought all the land that surrounds it and they plan to start drilling there very soon. They have now locked the gates to the Yellow Rock and tourists and visitors are no longer allowed to go and look at it. The locals are up in arms about the drilling especially here in such a beautiful area and the fight will continue through the courts. I wish them well in the quest to stop it going ahead.
This is one of the oldest wine growing areas in Australia and plantings date back to the 1820's.
There is a massive Yellow Rock escarpment that stands grandly on guard above Broke Village. It is a local icon and is known as 'Yellow Rock'. Unfortunately the Gas Company has bought all the land that surrounds it and they plan to start drilling there very soon. They have now locked the gates to the Yellow Rock and tourists and visitors are no longer allowed to go and look at it. The locals are up in arms about the drilling especially here in such a beautiful area and the fight will continue through the courts. I wish them well in the quest to stop it going ahead.
McNamara Park
This is our camping site.
McNamara Park. It is a very nice place and best of all it is a free camp.
We almost had it to ourselves .
McNamara Park. It is a very nice place and best of all it is a free camp.
We almost had it to ourselves .
St Andrews Anglican Church just opposite the park is beautifully lit up at night. We can see the light through the trees.
TERRY
Going back to when we were at Wagga Wagga we had a chance meeting at a free camp we were checking out with a guy named Terry. We had noticed his camper trailer there and we had never seen one before and it appealed to us. It is the Conqueror UEV-490 and we have fallen in love with it. We spent quite a while talking to Terry about his travels and how the Conqueror performs and he was very helpful and showed us around. We exchanged phone numbers and cards, thanked him and went on our way back to Oura where we were camped.
Well as we were setting up we thought we saw him pull in into the park so Greg called him and sure enough it WAS him and he drove back and set up by us thereby marking the beginning of a great friendship. We fell in love with the Conqueror all over again. We spent the next few days getting to know Terry and he us.. It was such good fun and he had a huge knowledge about off road driving and touring that he shared with us plus all the handy hints to make life easier while on the road.
Well as we were setting up we thought we saw him pull in into the park so Greg called him and sure enough it WAS him and he drove back and set up by us thereby marking the beginning of a great friendship. We fell in love with the Conqueror all over again. We spent the next few days getting to know Terry and he us.. It was such good fun and he had a huge knowledge about off road driving and touring that he shared with us plus all the handy hints to make life easier while on the road.
We had farewell drinks with Terry the night before he left and Greg did one of his timed photographs that accidentally took 6 shots by surprise. You had to be there..Greg didn't quite make it back in time for the first pic, it was a funny moment. One of many funny moments we had. What a nice people we meet on our travels.. We are very lucky.
Evil Stare
We are still here at Broke and 2 caravans have pulled into Terrys spot. I think they must have been born as Siamese Twins.. They were going to stick themselves about a metre from us. There is all this space... why do some people have to do that.. Maybe they are frightened of the dark. An evil stare did the trick... they moved further away...Somehow I can't see us having drinks with them .
We leave tomorrow and catch up with some other friends we met on the road at Repton. We are meeting them for lunch near where they are living at Dungog, about 100 kms from here...
We leave tomorrow and catch up with some other friends we met on the road at Repton. We are meeting them for lunch near where they are living at Dungog, about 100 kms from here...
ALL CHANGE
We got talking to some other travelers and they told us that the place we were heading to next ,was packed out already, mainly with families and lots of young children because of the Easter weekend coming up. We decided to stay put where we were as it really was a nice place and nice and quiet too. We managed to catch up with Gordon an Jo at Dungog and it was lovely to see them again. That was on the Wednesday and then on on the Thursday we found out that a Motor Home Club was coming in and there could be 40 Motor Homes, and arrive they did but not 40.. probably only about 12. and they let every one know they were there and tried to take over the place with their gatherings. Sometimes situating their circle of chairs right in front of other campers setups that had no connection to their club. The general census was that they were arrogant and inconsiderate people who cared only for themselves. If we ever get a Motor Home we will NOT be joining that Club. Most of them had gone by Sunday afternoon and it was all back to normal. We had got friendly with a couple called Peter and Carol and we had a few fun Happy Hours with them. We will keep in touch.
We drove to Macquarie Lakes on Saturday, about 100 kms from camp to catch up with some other friends we had met on the road . We met them way back last year at Silverton, and again spent some time in Tamworth with them. We hope to catch up again somewhere in Queensland. They made us very welcome in their home and we had a great day.
Thank you Pat and Rod.
We drove to Macquarie Lakes on Saturday, about 100 kms from camp to catch up with some other friends we had met on the road . We met them way back last year at Silverton, and again spent some time in Tamworth with them. We hope to catch up again somewhere in Queensland. They made us very welcome in their home and we had a great day.
Thank you Pat and Rod.
Easter Sunday we took a drive into the heart of the Hunter Valley and checked out some of the wineries. There are 100's of them and they are all very swish and well presented. Most of them have Restaurants as well. There are cheese Factories and quaint little crafty places every where. We enjoyed it so much we did it again on Easter Monday. Of course everywhere was busy but that was nice. The hustle and bustle and the sunshine made for a great atmosphere and what nice friendly kind of people work in these places..The Hunter Valley has done it right... We will certainly call back this way when we next travel to the area.
ETC ETC ETC!!
There were so many but my favourite sign/logo was this one at GunDog Hunter Cellar
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The hills are covered with vines where you look..
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We had a really peaceful relaxing time at Broke but it was time to go.
The one thing we wont miss about the place was our creepy cheeky little visitors. Each day they appeared on our floor and were very reluctant to go.. They are by all accounts stingers and can give you a nasty Zap.... YUKK!
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The weather had turned very cold and windy and we were up bright and early to head off to our next stop which was a place called Mother of Ducks Lagoon. As we neared it seemed like quite a nice place. The camping area was all along the edge of the water but there was no one around... We wondered why and when we got out of the car to check it out we found out.. It was freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezing and the wind just cut into us...It was a shame as it was really pretty... No Worries... we had other places on our list so we wasted no time and headed of to our next choice which was a free camp at Maidenwell. We had a bee in our bonnet about wanting to free camp for a while. When we got there it turned out to be a car park on the edge of steep embankment with room for maybe 3 small tents. Certainly not our Camper.. so it was on wards and upwards to choice number 3. A place called Nobby..It was ticked in our camp book so it had to be OK..
In the morning in the cold light of day, The town of Nobby was really quite a quaint little place.
It is an historic little nook in S.E Queensland. With famous names like Steele Rudd and Sister Kenny it is a little bit like stepping back in history
Steele Rudd (real name: Hoey Davis),was the author of Dad and Dave, and remembered by the old timers of this town The historic Rudds Pub remains.
Then there”s Sister Kenny, the ”saint” who worked with polio treatments prior to the development of a vaccine. A memorial stands near the Hotel in her honour. I was surprised at just how much history I saw just by taking a stroll along the main street. The shopfronts are from another era..
Not unlike their campground..
It is an historic little nook in S.E Queensland. With famous names like Steele Rudd and Sister Kenny it is a little bit like stepping back in history
Steele Rudd (real name: Hoey Davis),was the author of Dad and Dave, and remembered by the old timers of this town The historic Rudds Pub remains.
Then there”s Sister Kenny, the ”saint” who worked with polio treatments prior to the development of a vaccine. A memorial stands near the Hotel in her honour. I was surprised at just how much history I saw just by taking a stroll along the main street. The shopfronts are from another era..
Not unlike their campground..
Well these few photos more or less wrap it up for Nobby.
There are a few other old buildings, even an Arts School. The town survives on the local Industry and when looking into the real estate agents (General Store) window I notice the house prices in town were around $250-300,000. |
Next Stop - Nanango
Nanango is on the D'Aguilar Hy about 170 kms North of Brisbane.
The town features impressive chainsaw sculptures which reflect the town's history in timber-felling, farming and mining. It has a very long history and a great deal of it is preserved in its buildings. There are lots of potteries and art galleries and a museum.
The town features impressive chainsaw sculptures which reflect the town's history in timber-felling, farming and mining. It has a very long history and a great deal of it is preserved in its buildings. There are lots of potteries and art galleries and a museum.
While we were there it just so happened to be the weekend of the Nanango Show. It was a smaller version of the Royal Shows we see in all the main Cities here in Australia.
We will unfortunately miss out on the Country Music festival in September. Nanango was first settled by Europeans in 1847 Goodes Inn was the first commercial building in the town was built by the prospectors beside the waterhole.. The original settlement near the waterhole was called Noogoonida by the aborigines. It means place where the waters gather together. The discovery of gold at the Seven Mile Diggings in the late 1800s created an increase in the population the Gold Rush was short lived and today's main industries are Power Generating and Coal Mining, Meat Production, Milling, Natural Medicine, Art, Craft Work and Tourism. We had hoped to camp at Seven Mile Diggings but when we got there we found a 'No Camping' sign had been put up so we went back into town and found a nice Caravan Park for a few days until we head off to Caloundra on Sunday. |
The Lions Park
There is a very nice Lions Park that we visited and it has lots of sculptures that mark historical events in the town.
Being Lions Club Members our selves it is of special interest to us to see the Lions Logo at these parks and know that the Lions have raised the money to sponsor the construction and landscaping of so many recreational parks such as this one.
Being Lions Club Members our selves it is of special interest to us to see the Lions Logo at these parks and know that the Lions have raised the money to sponsor the construction and landscaping of so many recreational parks such as this one.
Meanwhile back at camp we had a whole batch of cheeky little visitors call by for dinner
Scaly Breasted Lorikeet
Scaly Breasted Lorikeet
Young Pied Butcher Bird
Greg, They are here again
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Scaly Breasted and Rainbow Lorikeets
Share and Share alike
More Lorikeets
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Scaly Breasted Lorikeet
Rainbow Lorikeets
Grey Crowned Babbler
Yes Jack .They seem to like us
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North to Caloundra
Silly Mailbox at Nanango
If it were not for the fact that we had to get some warranty work done on the Camper we would not have come back to Caloundra. As nice as it is it is a very busy commercialised tourist town.
We picked up the Camper here August 2011 and thought we would not have to come back this way for a long time but as bad luck would have it here we are. Them's the breaks I guess.
We were hoping to have been up Fraser Island way by now but we have had a delay because of diverting back to here.
On the good side we are staying in a very nice cabin for 5 nights which is kindly being paid for by Australian Off Road Campers as they had to have the camper empty and in their workshop for a few days.
The camper has been in the factory sine Monday 16th. Greg has just gone to pick it up and hopefully all will be well.
It is now Lunchtime Thursday 19th April and we will be loading it back up when he gets back and then heading North tomorrow to places as yet unknown. We have not yet decided where we are setting up tomorrow night but it will be somewhere on the road to Fraser Island. That seems to be the way it has become. It is more exciting and more fun too when we have no commitments and can be free spirits. There are no photos of us in Caloundra to post as we haven't taken any. We have just been hanging out locally and generally enjoying the facilities available here at the resort. All the places of interest in this area are very commercialised (Australia Zoo etc.) and very very expensive. We saw Dubbo Zoo and that would take a lot of beating so we decided to give it a miss this time around. We will put the money we saved ( estimated to be around $300 all up for two people for a day at the Zoo) toward Fraser and the Great Barrier Reef. I am unbelievably excited abut that.
We did take a pic of a silly mailbox though just as we were driving out of camp at Nanango. Some people have such good imaginations. ---------->>>
Greg is just back with the camper and it is all fixed up. Apparently at some time on our travels...Rodents had got in and had been having a party in the electrical box and chewed away some of the wiring that affected the battery charger. We knew we had a mouse problem at Illaroo but took measures to eradicate them. We assumed all was OK.. but obviously the damage was done before we discovered them.
From now on part of our itinerary will be traps and baits..gotta keep those sneaky little visitors at bay.
But they still gotta go
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19th April...Hervey Bay bound and very excited
We set off quite early for Tin Can Bay as our neighbours in the cabin in next to us said it was a nice place to stay on the way to Hervey Bay. We called ahead to be sure there were vacancies and it wasn't a problem. When we arrived at the Caravan Park we were shown around but there was no where for us to set up. All the sites were extremely small , sloping and lumpy up on banks of dirt. The only one that would have fitted our camper on it was on the street verge in front of the cafe where a slab had been put in order to squeeze in another camper. There were some other people there in the same situation and they recommended Rainbow Beach free camp right on the waters edge. It sounded great and wasn't far so off we went to Rainbow Beach. It really was a very nice place nestled in the sand dunes again... no where to set up so we decided to just head straight to Hervey Bay which would be our Gateway to Fraser Island.
We don't really like Caravan Parks but when you are coastal there is not much choice and found a nice one right on the waters edge. We stayed at Pialba Caravan Park and were lucky enough to get a Beachfront Site...Wow what a lovely spot.
This is the view of our site from the beach.There are many different species of birds that visit those trees along the bank. I hope to get some photos of some of them during our stay. We will be visiting Fraser Island while we are here...
Tide going out
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The beach here is lovely. The tide goes out a very long way and goes out very quickly. It comes in equally as quick. When you are paddling in the shallows you can see the water line creeping up the beach inching its way to high tide. There are no waves until high tide and even then, just small lapping breakers rippling almost like a lake...
Tide coming back in again
Hey! Let me tell you this is all riveting stuff.
The beach was covered in thousands of tiny hermit crabs. All of them had different coloured shells and some were quite large but the majority were small like the one in the photo or even smaller.
It's quite hard to see them because they are constantly moving around but those little critters are very very small. |
Captain James Cook first sighted the Hervey Bay area in 1770.
Rounding Sandy Cape, he initially believed that Fraser Island was joined to the mainland so Cook proclaimed the area “Herveys Bay” after Augustus Hervey, the then, Lord of the Admiralty.
Matthew Flinders landed at Sandy Cape in 1802 and was responsible for mapping much of the Bay.
The indigenous Butchulla people are the traditional owners of the land and many streets and landmarks in Hervey Bay have Aboriginal names. Today it is very much a tourist town with lots of restaurants and hotels and numerous tourist parks. The whole place is really well looked after and very tidy. I love the place..
Rounding Sandy Cape, he initially believed that Fraser Island was joined to the mainland so Cook proclaimed the area “Herveys Bay” after Augustus Hervey, the then, Lord of the Admiralty.
Matthew Flinders landed at Sandy Cape in 1802 and was responsible for mapping much of the Bay.
The indigenous Butchulla people are the traditional owners of the land and many streets and landmarks in Hervey Bay have Aboriginal names. Today it is very much a tourist town with lots of restaurants and hotels and numerous tourist parks. The whole place is really well looked after and very tidy. I love the place..
As luck would have it there was a Triathlon taking place on the Sunday and neither of us had ever seen a Triathalon in 'Real Life' before so it was very interesting to be able to see it all first hand as the whole thing took place all around us and we saw most of it..
Our 4WD Bus
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When we arrived at Fraser Island, about 40 minutes later it was still raining but the wind had dropped and it wasn't as cold. We all transferred to our appropriate 4WD buses. Some day trippers and some , like us, 2 day, 1 night trippers. Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world stretching over 123 kms in length and 22 kms at its widest point. It is also the only place in the world where tall rainforests are found growing on sand dunes. Its World Heritage Listing ranks it with Australia's Uluru, Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef and is a place of exceptional beauty, with its long uninterrupted beaches , and over 100 freshwater lakes, most of them clear and blue with white sandy beaches. Old rainforests grow in sand along the creeks. |
There are no Bitumen Roads on the Island. All Roads are soft sand and only 4WD vehicles are permitted ashore . The only bituminous areas are round the resorts. Even with all the constant driving over the sandy roads they still remain very soft and powdery, hardly compressed at all. We actually saw 2 Dingos on our way to our first stop. The Dingos on Fraser Island are pure bred Dingos, the only ones in all of Australia and were brought ashore by travelers from Asian countries way back in the last century. It is estimated that only 120 of them remain.
After the rainforest and the lake we made our way to the Eurong Beach Resort. for a buffet lunch.. this was also the place where we were spending the night. After lunch we checked in to our room and embarked on the next leg of the the your which was Lake Wabby via Hammer-stone Sand-blow. Very tough going as it was ll very soft sand.. and of course, as usual it was raining .
Lake Wabby is termed a barrage lake, which means that it is formed by the damming action of a sandblow blocking the waters of a natural spring. Unlike the other lakes on the island it has several varieties of fish. It is also a good example of the sandblow phenomenon, that gradually encroaches the waters of Wabby as it makes gradual progress westward across the island The storm was coming in and we we getting very wet. All back on the bus and back to the Resort for a hot shower and a nice glass of wine.
Steve the Driver
Our Driver/Tour Guide was Steve.
He was very good...a no nonsense, very down to earth and easy to get along with kind of guy who had lived all his life in the area and knew Fraser Island like the back of his hand.
He was and still is a very interesting person to know, but as you can see he carries a ladies umbrella which is a bit of a worry. Especially as all the tour group got soaking wet with no umbrellas at all.
Somehow as if by magic, Steve came out of it all at the end without a hair out place... The rest of us however.. Well we were looking like drowned rats..
Even the two Swedish girls got their T Shirts wet, and would you believe none of he guys even noticed............You don't believe that??
NO... neither did I.
But I suppose had it been Swedish Men I may have taken more notice
I may be getting on in years but I'm not dead yet.
He was very good...a no nonsense, very down to earth and easy to get along with kind of guy who had lived all his life in the area and knew Fraser Island like the back of his hand.
He was and still is a very interesting person to know, but as you can see he carries a ladies umbrella which is a bit of a worry. Especially as all the tour group got soaking wet with no umbrellas at all.
Somehow as if by magic, Steve came out of it all at the end without a hair out place... The rest of us however.. Well we were looking like drowned rats..
Even the two Swedish girls got their T Shirts wet, and would you believe none of he guys even noticed............You don't believe that??
NO... neither did I.
But I suppose had it been Swedish Men I may have taken more notice
I may be getting on in years but I'm not dead yet.
The Dinner was excellent and we spent the evening with some very nice people. Our young Triathlete friend, his British tourist room mate Sam and a couple who had been sitting opposite us on the bus...Kaye and Karl..great fun people.
After a good nights sleep we had another rainy day to look forward to. The only problem with the rain was that is was misty too and it marred our views of a lot of things. but the mere fact the we were THERE was a great buzz ...
After a good nights sleep we had another rainy day to look forward to. The only problem with the rain was that is was misty too and it marred our views of a lot of things. but the mere fact the we were THERE was a great buzz ...
There are signs warning tourists that if they went any closer than 3 metre from the wreck or touched it they would be up for a $300 fine. It was definitely a 'Look, don't touch' wreck but even knowing that there were still some irresponsible people walking inside and helping to speed up he deterioration process. Pity the Ranger wasn't around to catch them...
The word Maheno means ‘island’ in Maori. The Maheno was built in Scotland in 1904 and weighed a massive 5323 tonnes. It also held the blue ribbon in trans-Atlantic crossing for several years after she was launched. The Maheno was then used as a hospital ship in WW 1. It was then sold to the Japanese and the company made the decision to sell the huge brass propellers from under the still-working Maheno. The reason behind this was to fund the towing of the Maheno by a ship named the Ottawa back to Osaka, Japan. Once in Japan the Maheno was to be melted down and be sold as scrap metal. It was on this journey that the Maheno was hit by an unseasonal cyclone off the coast of Fraser. There are some stories that the Japanese crew were afraid to go ashore as they believed that he local Aboriginals were cannibals.
Attempts were made to re float her but without success and it eventually abandoned on what is now known as 75 mile beach and used for target practice by the the Australian Air Force
Attempts were made to re float her but without success and it eventually abandoned on what is now known as 75 mile beach and used for target practice by the the Australian Air Force
Eli Creek
Driving on the beach was felt really good. There were times when we actually drove through the water on the edge of the ocean.Next stop was Eli Creek. Eli Creek lies on the eastern side of Fraser ancient rainforest valley at Central Station. It is fed by a natural a water table that is exposed to the outside elements several kms inland. Eli Creek produces up to 80 million litres of water per day. This water takes up to 100 years to be filtered through the sand. By the time the water reaches the mouth of Eli Creek, it may have traveled from one of the sand dunes on the island which are 200 metres above sea level.It is possible that some of this water may not have been exposed to the outside environment for hundreds of years. The water is so buoyant and so pure that you can just lie down in it and it will float you down stream to the beach.
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Champagne Pools
We had to climb down to the pools along a boardwalk but the ocean was so rough that unfortunately when we got there the pools were not accessible. They are just North of Indian Head, along 75-mile beach. These pools are a swimming holes where the ocean crashes over the rocks into shallow sandy pools. The foaming water is where the name Champagne Pools comes from.
The day we visited it was far too dangerous to go into the pools but the rocky bay was very pretty and it was great watching the waves crash over the rocks. A couple of brave souls decided to get wet but not us..I can swim but there was no way I was going to risk that.
Below are photos of the Champagne Pools and the bay that it is situated in
After the Champagne pools we knew we only had one more official stop and that was the Pinnacles. We had passed them on the way up but it was a little crowded there so our driver Steve decided to pick it up on the way back which was a good idea as we more or less had the place to ourselves..
The Pinnacles
The Coloured Sands of Fraser Island are known as the Pinnacles, The have been sculptured by nature over millions of years and are one of Fraser Islands natural wonders. The coloured cliffs of red, yellow, brown, yellow and orange sands are quite spectacular especially when wet as the moisture deepens the colours of the sands.Natural erosion has formed the cliffs into a series of pinnacles. They reminded me somewhat of a miniature version of the Bungle Bungles in the Kimberly.
Now that it is time to leave this wonderful place, the Sun has decided to peep through the clouds,,
We were scheduled to go back to the Resort after this and headed off back down the beach. Then amazingly as if they knew it was our last chance to see them up close and personal they appeared from behind a sand dune. The bus topped and we all got out...this was amazing...WILD FRASER ISLAND DINGOS and they came right up close to us.
We had been warned not to touch them or feed them .. we could photograph them but never to kneel down to take a picture as that is a sign of submitting to a Dingo and they may try an nip you if you do that. There were two small children on the tour and they were told to take the children back into the bus away from the wild dogs
They were very interested in some old plastic tubs washed up on the sand. They stood and looked at us, as if to pose for a photos, then as quick as they had arrived they left and headed off north to join their pack. What a buzz that was
From here it was all back on the bus, a quick beer at the Beach Bar and then all back on the Ferry to Hervey Bay had a quick shower back at camp and then went to dinner with Maurice at the pub opposite the Caravan Site. We were shattered and left him there to have a few more beers with the guys. Maybe even girls too.He didn't seem short of female attention.
The next day was Anzac Day and our last day before moving on . It was very quiet everywhere and most things were closed for business. We just relaxed around the camper and prepared to get packed up. It was a great day to photograph the birds here that became regular cheeky little visitors. What a joy they were.
The next day was Anzac Day and our last day before moving on . It was very quiet everywhere and most things were closed for business. We just relaxed around the camper and prepared to get packed up. It was a great day to photograph the birds here that became regular cheeky little visitors. What a joy they were.
Rainbow Lorikeets, Pied Butcher Bird and a Black Chinned Honey Eater ..
A Nice game of Happy Families
It looks like some kind of pecking order is evolving
OH MAMMA!..We can see what the Pecking Order is.
26th April-Agnes Water, 1770 and Great Barrier Reef are calling us
Leaving Hervey Bay was smooth and we were away quite early and on our way to a place called Agnes Water. There was a free camp that had been recommended by someone that we would look at before checking into a Caravan Park. We arrived at the free camp (Workman's Camp) but it was very crowded and in total shade which would cause a problem for our Solar panel if we were to be there for a length of time. We decided to go instead to the Caravan Park on the beach and pay the price to do so. The Park was right on the beach and over looked the Coral Sea that stretched right out to the horizon. It is so blue that it doesn't look real.....a well kept secret indeed.
Captain James Cook first stepped ashore here in 1770. That is how the village of 1770 got it's name. He was the first European to land here in a place that would later be known as Queensland. Hence also the term Discovery Coast for this whole stretch of coastline. The twin towns of 1770 and Agnes Water are situated North of Fraser Island and South of The Whit Sundays and have remained remarkably unspoilt by urbaniation this area seems to attract the hippie and surfie lifestyle type of person and visitors seeking peaceful seclusion surrounded by natural beauty. Both 1770 and Agnes Water are known as Environmentally friendly villages
GREAT BARRIER REEF
Our first priority was to get booked onto a boat trip out to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. We went with the Lady Musgrave full day tour out to Lady Musgrave Island. The weather had been unpredictable so instead of going on the Monday we were advised to take the Sunday s the forecast was more favourable
Here comes The Lady Musgrave boat to pick us up at low tide and take us out to the Island
From the moment that we set foot on the pontoon things were happening. The fish feeding as soon as we arrived ensured that plenty of marine life would be in the area for us ' Sunday Snorkelers' to see.
The fish feeding, although we had seen it before in various places is always a treat and never fails to excite.
This was just the beginning..
I could not wait to get into the wetsuit, don the face mask, snorkel and fins and get into the water with them.
Before that we decided to to take a 30 minute walking tour of Lady Musgrave Island
I could not wait to get into the wetsuit, don the face mask, snorkel and fins and get into the water with them.
Before that we decided to to take a 30 minute walking tour of Lady Musgrave Island
Lady Musgrave Island
Lady Musgrave Island
Lady Musgrave Island is the southern most cay in the Capricorn Cays National Park. It is covered by Pisonias and Sheoak trees with Pandanus palms to fill in gaps..
The surrounding reef is includes a large lagoon. The lagoon supports many species of marine life including Turtles.
Generally the reef running surrounding the lagoon has a high coral cover . We were going to snorkel on the western side of the reef, inside the lagoon. Those more adventurous would be venturing beyond but not us old farts. Anyway we had to see the Island first and we were ferried there in a small glass bottomed boat that allowed us to view all the marine life that we were shortly to see in the flesh.
Miss Lady Musgrave Island 2012
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Lady Musgrave Island supports a moderate sized green turtle rookery and a small but stable loggerhead turtle rookery. Between November and February, female turtles come ashore at night to nest. Hatch lings emerge 8-12 weeks later, using the lightest area of the night sky to make their way into the sea.
The turtles that use Lady Musgrave Island and Reef are an extremely important component of the turtle populations of the southern Great Barrier Reef. |
With Mr Musgrave Island 2012
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Snorkeling
Off I go..
The Coral cays and reefs of the Capricorn Bunker Group claimed to be some of the most pristine in the entire Barrier Reef System with the town of 1770 being the closest mainland access port. |
We don't have an underwater camera and were not able to get one at the tour operators booking office. All they had was 36mm throw away type and they only took 27 shots. We wanted a digital one so we had to give that a miss and make sure that we get one before our next snorkeling experience. There is a big town on our to Airlie Beach so we will get what we want there for sure.
All the photos are taken either through the surface of the water or through the glass from the semi submersible that we went out in as part of the tour. It was amazing. |
.The migrating Humpback Whales move between July and November to new breeding grounds along the Queensland Coast.
The Reef was just totally breathtaking and this was just one tiny part of it. We really need a few days out on the reef to get into the ambiance of it without being on a time schedule. We are going to try and get onto a sailing ship when we get to Proserpine and spend a few days out in the Whit Sundays exploring the reefs.
It is hard to believe that underneath that stunningly blue surface lies another world that the majority of people don't know exists and never get to see. We count our selves very fortunate to have been able witness a miracle of nature in the making.
The trip back on the boat was windy, rough and cold. There were several people suffering with motion sickness. Luckily for us we don't have that problem but we were cold as we were seated outside but the scenery as we approached the harbour 1770 made it all worthwhile.
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There are more than 350 species of Coral and 1500 species of fish including Manta Rays, Turtles, and Dolphins. The migrating Humpback Whales move between July and November to new breeding grounds along the Queensland Coast.
The Turtles nest between November and March. That is when Campers are not allowed as the Turtle Egg Hatching is very delicate. A female Turtle will be 30 years old before she is ready to mate. She will then lay around 200 eggs. Only one of those hatch lings will survive. This is why they are so highly protected.
These reefs were so much more beautiful than these pictures show. Next time we will definitely make sure we have an underwater camera with us
Well we had done the Island, done the Glass Bottomed Boat and the Semi Submersible. We snorkeled and swam and ate and ate and ate. There was certainly no shortage of food. so the only thing let to do go back to 1770 before it got dark.
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As we rounded the entrance to the inlet at 1770, the sun had started to set.
It was very romantic with all the sailing boats moored on the glassy smooth water with the suns rays behind them
It was very romantic with all the sailing boats moored on the glassy smooth water with the suns rays behind them
A perfect end to a perfect day
We had a couple more days at Agnes Water and just relaxed and soaked up some sunshine before packing up once again and carrying on north to Calliope Reserve situated on the riverside at Calliope Historical Village...
Continued on Part 4...Discovery Coast
Continued on Part 4...Discovery Coast
STAY TUNED