Blackdown Tableland - 1

Blackdown Tableland National Park is west of Rockhampton, and around 2 1/2 hours drive. This is my third trip, but Darryl has been several other times. We brought the camper-trailer, and the Isuzu pulled it up the steep road with ease. At least now the road is sealed for most of the way, (in fact it looks like all steep parts will be totally sealed this week, as they are working on it with the sealing starting next Monday). The very first trip here, many years ago, I remember slipping over on the round gravel which acted just like ball-bearings, when we stopped the car partway up to walk back to the first lookout.

The first official lookout is Horseshoe Lookout, with a very short walk to impressive views of the sandstone cliffs.

Site 6 was the one we had chosen, after poring over the website information, trying to work out sizes, overhanging gumtrees (from the photos), and direction (as we need good sun for the solar panels). As it turned out, it was a great choice, and there was really only one other which would have worked as well for us. We set up and had lunch, and the welcoming committee flew in...lots of Currawongs, and a few Kookaburras. One of the Kookaburras almost landed in Darryl's plate, but luckily I reacted in time, and no food was lost. 

After lunch we went on the walk to Officer's Pocket, now known as Mook Mook (the native name for the Owl). The walk follows down the rocky creek, past steep cliffs and waterfalls, to a view of sandstone cliffs and a distant horizon. 

Back near the camp we detoured to look at the swimming hole in the same creek, which is below the campsite.

During the night it got down to less than 0oC, as my thermometer said -0.0oC (so I don't think it goes below zero, and inside the camper was 1oC and usually outside is a couple of degrees colder. So, it was pretty cold!

Home - Day 51

Darryl headed off to Elliott Heads for repairs he needed to do at our house. I knew he would be trying to get back early in time for us to head home, and that is what happened. After over 8,000km of travel we nearly lost the bikes 30km from Rocky, when part of the weld on the frame gave way, and they went over horizontal to the ground, just being held by the front of the weld and some occy straps. It was very lucky that they didn't hit the ground as there was no damage. After tying them securely we arrived home in the afternoon. I know it is wonderful to travel, but I really enjoy getting home.

https://pixabay.com/en/home-sweet-home-sweet-home-1750278/

Crow's Nest - Nanango - Day 50

Rose early, 4:45am, to walk to the lookout, falls, and rockpools.

At the waterfall, (well, no waterfall as the creek wasn't flowing even after the heavy rain overnight), we could see platypus & turtles, (which I am sure you can't make out in this photo). 

 At the lookout over Diamond Valley we were greeted by one of the rare tiny Bursh-tailed Rock Wallabies. I was able to get photos and even some video before it hopped away. At the pools we saw another wallaby, and a large fish. I have to say, that apart from these animals this is the most disappointing National Park I have ever been in. I only saw one large gum tree, and the granite countryside was thirsty. 

We drove up through Yarraman, Nanango. At one point there was a tortoise on the side of the road. At Biggenden we stopped for lunch, then went for a tour to take photos of the various places of my childhood, when my family lived there in 1966.

Our house - the Methodist Manse at the time - in George Street - it still has the same fence

Biggenden State Primary School where I was in Grade 1

The front of Biggenden State Primary School

The Methodist Church where Dad was the Minister. To the left is the Church Hall where table-tennis was regularly played

We camped the night near our farm and there was a really spectacular sunset, as you can see.

Greenmount - Toowoomba - Crow's Nest - Day 49

Pretty much our destination today was Greenmount Cemetery, where some family are buried. We also did a detour at Stanthorpe to Pozieres to see if we could see the house that my grandfather Sid Anderson built on his Soldier Settlement block. We had no luck finding it. 

Further on the way we passed through Spring Creek and Kings Creek where nothing is left of the settlements. At Greenmount cemetery we found Ada Baldwin (nee Smith, nee Hargens) and her daughter and son-in-law's graves, but could not find her first two husbands and two other children.

Lunch was at Queen's park in Toowoomba, where we were 'entertained' by children in the electronic playground. We looked at Ravensbourne National Park as a potential camping spot, but rejected it as it was just a picnic spot on the main road, and then stopped at Crow's Nest National Park. 

There are bag showers, and smelly drop toilets. We chatted with a neighbour before the thunderstorm rolled in around 7:30pm. Darryl was snoring gently by 7:36! He really had a big day. The storm continued for a couple of hours, which was lovely to go to sleep to.