2010 On the road: October 2010

Rainbow Beach, Fraser Island, Tweed Heads, Casino

A friendly visitor as a start

Well hello once more, this time we are coming to you from Casino no not the gambling place but Casino NSW, we have moved out of QLD without much of a change in regards of the weather and both Bianka and I are getting pretty cheesed off with it, we did have a few nice days but the rain is still persistent, then again so is it every where else, only consolation is it is warmer here than down south.

Since my last blog we stayed at Rainbow Beach where a few silly people tried to drive at the wrong time of the day ie. High tide and this is the result,interesting thing is that there were 2 cars and the next day the yellow van had disappeared

Nissan Patrol and Yellow Toyota Van

This is what the waves can do to a Nisson Patrol

No yellow van and the patrol is being buried

We did a day tour to Fraser Island great day and well worth doing, we were picked up by four a wheel drive bus from the RBB then on to the ferry.

Ferries to Fraser Island

Moving along the beach

Comfortable seating

twenty minutes later then down the sandy beach along the water ( glad it is their bus and not our prado what with the salt water and sand etc.) some good solid sand but also some not so solid, 60+Ks north to Central Station to drop off some people and take some on board,

The inside track on Fraser Island all sand

then into the interior for a walk through a Rain Forrest,

Rain Forrest

Rain Forres

Rain Forrest Mushroom Growth

a swim at Lake McKenzie

Lake McKenzie beach

A joy to swim in crystal clear water,

A paddle on the beach very white sand

and incredibly it is the cleanest clearest fresh water I have swam in, very interesting remembering that we are on an Island sarounded by salt and ocean etc. some interesting facts rain water is collected he high in the hills (and yes there are quiet big hills here all sand) that water can take 60 years to filter through the sand before it will reach some of the lakes dotted around Fraser island or lake McKenzie the one I swam in, it was warm really nice.

Back to Central Station for a nice hot lunch, then 30 more Ks up the beach to an old Cruise ship the Maheno Wreck,

Cruise ship the Maheno Wreck,

this foundered there a long time ago obviously for photo shoots, don't know what they will show once it has rusted completely away and it won't be long.

Stopped at the Cathedrals the coulerd sands

Photo shoot at the colored sands

then for a swim this time at Eli Creek

Tour buses everywhere

Walkways at Eli creek

which runs into the sea again the water was fresh and warm, by this time it was almost 3pm and we had a 90Km drive back along the beach we were lucky enough to see a few Dingoes on the beach,

Dingoes on the beach

back to the ferry, after a great day.

Leaving Rain Bow Beach we headed for Esk and stayed there for almost a week, rain and more rain to the point that lake Wivenhoe nearby

Lake Wivenhoe full to the brim

The gates and Spillway at Lake Wivenhoe

Massive amounts of water being drained

this creates a spray 50 meters high

Spray from the release of water

Almost like having a shower

Spray seen from the road

is the lake that supplies drinking water to Brisbane, the river is so full that the Brisbane river spills over and floods and

Flooding of the Brisbane River with all that water going out to sea

floods outlaying areas, this time with so much rain they managed to controll it, thus some great photo's .

It was here due to a pretty severe rain storm that Ian and Merilyn Dryden lost their awning.

The park in Esk with lots of water

This is what a little rain can do

After our stay here we headed south again for our rendezvous with Judy and Max in Tweed Heads and spent a pleasant week with them sight seeing ie Nimbin, Brunswick Head both Hippy communities from way back and still is today ,managed to catch up with Wanda and Teresa over a nice Bbq.

Nimbin local hippy transport

Hippy Shops

Local Nimbin rules

Reminds me of the Far east (Bali maybe?)

The Bring a Bong shop with Max, Judy and Bianka heading for it?

left our friends and are now in Casino for a few days

Kyogle township in bloom with Jacaranda's

Mount Lindsay resembling a Castle in Edinburgh

The Falls at Tooloom is also a Free camp

Tomorrow off to Woolgoolga near Coffs Harbour.

Friendly visitors where ever we go

Sig & Bianka

Mt Carbine to Rockhampton

Wow have I let the time go by, we left Mt Carbine on or around the 20th of August and are now half way through October and what a few month it has been, what with the weather, we have sat many a day in front of the van watching the rain pelt down and I mean pelt down, sometimes to the point we thought we would get stuck with the van in low lying spots.

Mind we also have had many a nice day but some of those days where humid and unpleasant while others where great, all I know we have had a lot of rain but I guess it was still warm not like in the south where it is cold Brrrr.

Since leaving Mt. Carbine we traveled approx 326K visiting Mareeba (Rodeo ground) again while there we drove to Chillagoe to the Mine & Smelter Ruins,

Click on picture to read for Information

This is one big slag heap

The main furnaces at Chilago smelter

Chilago Smelter Stacks one of many

Smelter stack note center of photo where the stack starts at the furnace and runs up the hill to the upright Stack making this the longest chimney in the southern Hemisphere

Chillegoe Boulders

How does this boulder balance like that?

How? looks like it is about to topple

Chilego boulders

Cairns (to fix our CV step that I nearly ripped of), then:

Balbinda Free Camp

Great spot at Babimba prior to the onslaught of rain

Bucketing rain like this for four days

Rivers of water

Great to have awning we at a time like this


Note the water flowing down, day after we had to evacuate this spot due to slippery and muddy grass

The Boulders water flow prior to the rain nice and serene

After 2 days rain, wet and wild

Josephine falls after the rain

Josephine falls at its best after the rain

Weather let up a bit, so we moved on to Innisfail into a CP to dry out and a chiropractor for my back stayed for a few days here, this town is Sugarcane and Sugar factory drove to a few places the weather stayed kinder, not as much rain,visited a few Beaches one particular Ellis Beach as we where told a Cassowary visits the beach here but as usual no luck all we got was this Goanna strutting its stuff .

Booked into Parranella Park, a must as there are only 16 Sites and the entry price is includes this, a little wet again, spend all day walking this amazing mans Castle which he build with his own hands over so many years out of concrete it really is a must to see

Parannella Park.

Click on to to enlarge for a great read of this interesting Park

The stair Case

Micro Bat in the love tunnel

Micro bats

Feeding the Turtles

The main Castle from the rear

Fountains fed by the Falls

the change rooms for the ladies and gents of the day so they could swim, play tennis etc

the falls from the picnic area

Greatspot for a photo

The falls and swing bridge this waterfall feedsthe fountain runs a power generator and provides water to the entire astate.

The grand staircase to the ball room

Gardens around the Castle

The Castle from a different angle build by this remarkable man

The grand Ballroom pity it burned down years ago

A Rhinoceros beetle thought I would trow this in here

The house he lived in

The gardens and the Generator half way up the wall

Teresa Falls named after one of his daughters

Kori Trees ally

The picnic spot, each table is designed to have a uninterrupted view of the falls by putting each at a different height

The castle at Night

After Paranella park Mission Beach:

Finally the opportunity to swim, Dunk Island in the back ground

Missiom Beach

Swimming at last

After Mission Beach we free camped for almost a month, Balgal Beach, Toomulla Beach, Bushy Parker free camp and Blue Waters free camp, just a sample:

Balgal Beach

Bushy park

Home Hill Free camp ( middle of town on the street and notice the van is leveled by having the wheels on the curb)

As you can see even staying out of the sun relaxing is in the street at Homehill

Caravan camping this way is greatt as the only cost you have is for food, Solar panels provide the power for everything you need to run, ie Weaco fridge, lights, TV etc. and in these free camps in this region, one is able to disconnect and go sight seeing, mind you there are limits to how long one can stay, this ranges from 24 to 72 hoursafter this you move on and go to the next one, rangers come around and take rego numberand do fine you if you over stay, or so the story goes.

So you arrive after the the ranger has been, this than gives you twice 48 hrs. and if there is a weekend in there you are even able to stay for a week or more.

Its great fun to shift from place to place most of your neighbors do the same.

Anyway onto Townsville: