28th May - We're off to Marlborough

We're heading south now, we've done the Bruce Highway a number of times, so we decide to give the old highway a go this time, from Sarina to Marlborough.   Cal reckoned the Marlborough pub was great for camping out back and a good feed.   We asked a few people what this road was like, they all used the same word.  It's pretty "undulating"??    At the servo in Mackay when we filled up, a bloke in next bay got chatting, reckoned he and his missus set off from Brisbane a month ago and had unexpected $10000 car expenses (out of the $14000 for their 6 month trip).  He's looking for a job now in Mackay....

Goes to show when we think you got it tough there is always someone out there doing it tougher, at least it took us 11 months to do $10000 on the car.    Quite a few big properties on this stretch along with mountain ranges.   Here's the Lotus Creek Roadhouse, we are amazed it is still going.   Due to short staff they are closed between 7 and 9am and 2 and 4pm.  Caravan and camping ground out back had one van in for the night.  

A lot of creek crossings on this road and all those people were right, it is  pretty undulating in places.    I like that word I might use it again.  We have also heard from some travellers that road works south of Rocky are horrendous, so much so adding 2-3 hours to a trip to Mackay.  Another good reason to stay off the Bruce as much as possible.    Not much traffic out this way which is always a good thing.    

The things you find in the middle of nowhere.    Croydon Commemorative Park - 1956 Olympic Torch Relay.   On 12th November 1956 under unique conditions, the combined dedication and determination of torch bearers, convoy officials, section organisers and the communities of Mackay, St Lawrence and Rockhampton ensured the transfer of the Olympic flame from Mackay section (H. Rasmussen) to Rockhampton section (P.F. Ryan) on its journey to Olympic stadium in Melbourne.   There you go!

Getting late in the day and there was some roo kill on this stretch of road, we did see one live target on the road, so it was good to finally get to Marlborough.   We only left Mackay at lunch time so Marlborough worked out well for an overnighter.  The camp ground out the back of the pub is very spacious, quite a few travellers pull up for the night.   A bit of a mix, a few vans a couple camper trailers, an A-Van, a 4WD tent and a couple of swags camped out.  

It was only $5 a head for the camp, no power available, but we got hot showers and dunnies.  The grub at the pub was pretty good too.  $14 for rissoles, chips and vegies - we shared the meal and it was more than enough for two.   The walls are adorned with signatures of happy travellers and visitors.   Next morning a flock of ducks flew over heading north for the winter, I managed a couple of pics - there must have been 50 or more fly over, awesome sight.

We did a bike ride around town, didn't take long as it is only a small town.  It does have all the facilities here though including a primary school, cop shop, ambo service etc.    This is part of a pretty huge rock they have on display in the Lions Park.   This is an example of chrysoprase seaming.  Chrsoprase is a gemstone variety of chalcedony that contains smalll quantities of nickel.  It has been a valued gem since antiquity worn by Cleopatra and Alexander the Great and other famous figures.  Today, it is still a highly sort after gem on the international markets.   

This would have to be one of the smallest lock ups in Australia.    Not a bad country setting, looked like they have a big exercise yard next door.   Though one would imagine it doesn't get used much these days, but then again you never know.  We can recommend a stopover at the Marlborough pub. The mural on the front wall is that of the famous rodeo bull "Chainsaw".  The most famous Brahman Bull in Australian Rodeo history is Chainsaw. He had an expansive career of over 10 years on the circuit. Being one of the toughest and roughest bulls to ride, only nine cowboys were ever successful on Chainsaw.

Chainsaw won Australia’s Bull of the year a world record of eight times from 1987 to 1994 becoming a legend in rodeo and bull riding circuit around Australia.   Chainsaw had a unique a powerful bucking style that was hard to track and predict and even though Chainsaw was not a large bull, these abilities made it difficult for cowboys to ride.   Cowboys tried to study Chainsaw movements without success, Chainsaw had the ability to shift direction and do whatever it takes to throw the rider to the ground.   Chainsaw was notorious for a sideways jump with all four feet out to one side and turning back to the right all at the same time.

 This manoeuvre was almost impossible for left handed cowboys and made it difficult to anticipate the next move. With each successful buck, Chainsaw has an added personality by taking a swipe at the failed cowboy and charge to the middle of the pit before doing a victory lap in front of a chanting crowd.  A minute silence was given to Chainsaw when he passed, this reflected the respect he had received from the Rodeo Crowds and Cowboys. Today there has been no other Bull that has matched this famous King Brahman Bull.   Yeehah to Chainsaw!!

26th - 27th May - Mackay

It has been showering here for the last two weeks and Friday and Saturday were yukky, rainy, cold days.   We took the folks to the General Gordon for lunch on Saturday and did some bits at the shopping centre.  The arvo was just rug up and vege out weather.   Watched a couple good ol classics - Out of Africa and The Green Mile, both tear jerkers.   Sunday came and what a beautiful day it was.   Another job for my Darl, helping dad and neighbor Rigsy put in a gate on the boundary fence.    Mum thinks that's getting a bit too cosy with the neighbors, after 25 years you should be cosy with your neighbors.

While my Darl toiled in the sunshine, I went into town, picked up Maree and did a bit of sightseeing and lunch.   This is Mackay harbour, how it has changed over the years.   When I left in 1990 this was just a beach as far as the eye could see and a lone surf life saving building would have been to the right of this picture.  Now it is a busy marina complex with restaurants, bars, multi storey motel and unit complexes.  Further down to the left is now the surf club and a number of private mansions aline the foreshore.

I was keen to see weather my favorite characters (when I was a kid) were still in the parkland behind the marina.   They have been repositioned but are still all there.  Freddy Flinstone still standing tall by the Old Shoe.  It has had a colorful paint job, I remember when I was a kid thinking how high it was to get up on the shoe and climb the rungs (shoelaces).  It was a tonne of fun, but now there is signs up saying Do Not Climb on the Monuments, how ridiculous.

I can tell the kids still climb up here, good one!

The Pine Islet Lighthouse was relocated to the Marina in 2002.  It was constructed in 1885 on Pine Islet in the Percy Isles some 120 kms ESE of Mackay.   The manned lighthouse operated for just on a century to 1985 when as part of the Federal Government's policy for automation and unmanning, the kerosene powered light was extinguished.   This lighthouse was the last operational kerosene light in Australia.   Mackay is quite a beautiful place, but it is pretty manic with people/traffic these days, due to the increased mining industry.

Though we didn't do too much this trip, some other great spots to visit while in Mackay are Eungella National Park, Eimeo Beach Hotel, Cape Hillsborough and some of the beautiful beaches - Seaforth, Campwin Beach, Bucasia and Sarina beach.   Now these artworks on the path between the Pioneer River and the revamped and extended Caneland Shopping centre have created a stir amongst locals, they reckon they are an eye sore and ugly.  They are supposed to represent buoys - I say get a grip Mackay people and get with the times.  Nothing like a bit of colour to jazz up the landscape.    

The end of a great stay with the folks.   We're on the road again for the last leg of our journey..... so stay tuned for the last week of the adventures!

Nearly forgot, one last pic of this beautiful carpet snake my Darl found in the old bird aviary when he was pulling it down.  He transferred it to the old chook pen down under the mango tree, so he had a new home.   Mum you better not venture down there. 

20th to 25th May - Mackay

My Darl still working on the car, not sure what is going on here, wheels off, under the car, those ramps have come in real handy.  It wasn't until the last month or so that we have actually used them to level up the trailer.....yep all that way and we have spend some lop sided nights.   The weather ain't half bad here, showers of rain from time to time and minimums of 16-17 deg - this is nice autumn weather, not long for winter now.

Mum's got a great photo calendar on the wall featuring Jack, some great photos, couldn't help myself to take some photos of the photos.  This is one of my favorites.   Jack come to visit with his nana and grandad - full of questions, or just one WHY??

The time is flying here - my Darl got in and destroyed an old aviary come fernery out back here for dad.   The hardest work he has done in the last 11 months.   Feeling a bit sore and a bit of bark off, we went out to Sarina for the night with Cath, Cal and Pat (Cath's mum).  Pat has a great home on a hill with a beautiful view, only trouble was it was raining heavily in morning so didn't get to take any pics of this.  Here's Cath out front of the house her and Cal are renovating before moving in.   A cosy 1 bedroom cottage, over 100 years old.

Heading home from Sarina we take a back road, through the cane fields and come across this old pub - the General Gordon built in 1886, presently owned by two sisters, Michelle and Estelle.  It was a rainy, windy, cold wintery day today.   Had a couple drinks here with the cheeky locals.   We saw a photo on the wall here, of one we took at our friends at Tom Price, a pic of a snake swallowing a wallaby from the side of a gorge at Karajini - only it was labelled here as being from Winjana Gorge?.....Now I'm confused.  A coat of paint wouldn't go astray here.

The cane crushing season starts on Monday 28th May.   We're starting to see signs of this with the empty bins all lined up at the sidings, locos going past the back of the folks place, some small patches of cane already harvested, probably to give the mills a run before the full onset.  This pic of Racecourse mill and sugar refinery.  Up until several years ago farmers burnt the cane before harvesting, it used to be a real spectacle, but they stopped burning due to environmental reasons.  I used to love catching the cane blacks when I was a kid.

Oh here's my Darl again, now he's got the compressor out blowing the red dust out of the car.... like I said if anyone can do it my Darl can.  He must be getting close after working on the car for the past 10 days or so.  This week he has also painted the under side of the car, it doesn't have that sandblasted look any more.  Also pleased to report the tent is holding up well with all this rain, no leaks to speak of.

We joined some friends at the Shamrock pub in town to watch the SOO match on Wednesday night.   My Darl volunteered to drive so I enjoyed a few drinks with Maree, Sid and others.  Another win to us!!

19th May - Mackay

Happy Birthday to me!!   Decided to have a few friends over for tea and a few drinks.   Managed to prize dad's car out of the shed so we could set up in there.   Dad, Steve and Ann hooking in to the feast.   Note the snake skin hanging from a beam in the shed, there was another one close by.   Pleased to report no live sightings on the night.  

My best mate from school Cath and Cal, enjoying a few drinks and camping the night.

Mum and dad waiting for their sweets.   Compliments of mum, she whipped up a couple of tasty tarts, caramel and a family favorite Frangipani pie.  

It's handy having a clock on the wall, we can keep track of the time..... more importantly dad knows when it's morning tea and lunch time in his daily routine.  The girls from left Glenys, moi, Cath, Andrea and Maree.

Ian hasn't changed over the years, still noddin' off after one too many rumbos, but it might have something to do with the huge handle glass I gave him.   BIG glass, BIG drink! 

13th-18th May Emerald To Mackay

Travelling on from Emerald we go through Sunflower country - it's beautiful fields of gold, though I should've got my Darl to stop so I could take a decent photo, this one on the fly by.   All farming land through here, not a bad drive really.  New territory, for me anyway, we are on the Gregory Highway, we have travelled the Bruce Highway and the Fitzroy Development Road to Mackay previously.  Darl has travelled through this area before but I haven't. 

We arrive at Clermont and stop for a break.  Not a bad little town I thought.  There is a piano in the middle tree (a steel replica) marking the point where a real piano got stuck in a tree during the 1916 floods which practically destroyed the town.  Gold lured early settlers to the area in 1861 and after the floods of 1916 the town had to be relocated to a more elevated site where it now stands today. 

A closer view of the piano

That's a lot of water, the marker on the tree trunk is the level of the 1916 floods.  Just goes to show that these flood events have been happening for hundreds of years really.  This  is a memorial to all those lost lives.   A plaque lists some of the known casualities, including Duck Sing, Moo Sing and Herbert Wing-Long - true! and the persons not identified included 3 boys, 1 swagman (I wonder if he was under the Coolabah tree) and 1 woman.  Three bodies were not recovered - a total of 60 people lost their lives.   

Part of Hood's Lagoon, which has a long history of being the focus of communities living in the area.  Members of the Wangan aboriginal tribe camped and hunted along its banks.   White settlement followed in the path of explorer Ludwig Leichhardt in the 1850's.  Pastoralists and shepherds camped in the vicinity of the water hole known as Hoods Lagoon, the name being taken from one of the owners of the pastoral run on which the Lagoon was situated.

At the top end of town this is one of four murals painted on railway wagons, each of which with a theme depicting history, crops, mining, cattle.  All murals painted by Glen Gillard in 1999 and repainted by him in 2010.   Another bloke here admired my Darl's motorbike sitting pride of place in the back of the ute.    It has attracted quite a bit of attention on our drive around the block.   They always ask if it's for sale, but my Darl reckons not.....

Heading out of Clermont eastward now to Mackay, this will be interesting as we are travelling on the notorious Peak Downs Highway.   Notorious as one of the most dangerous roads in Queensland, so many accidents over the years, resulting quite a number of injuries and deaths.  A glimpse of a mining operation along the road side. 

The landscape was unusual all these "knobs" jutting out on the horizon.   All belonging to the Peak Ranges National Park.    That says it all.  It was quite unexpected really, I was just thinking this will be a pretty boring drive as far as scenery goes. 

It's Sunday, not too much traffic on the roads today, just as well - the roads are like riding the high seas, up and down between Clermont and Coppabella.  

Trucks ahead??

This is pretty much the last road train we will be seeing for the trip, the roads have been hectic with these all through the west from Warwick up to here. 

We got to my sister Lyn's place at Coppabella about mid arvo and decided to spend the night, just 1 1/2 hours to the folks at Pleystowe near Mackay.    Had a quiet time but it was great to catch up with Lyn, Ray, nieces Jess and Aimee and my adorable 4 year old great nephew Jack, here in his new Fire Fighter jacket.   He reckons he is going to be a fireman when he grows up.

We got to upgrade tonight and slept in Lyn and Ray's pop up caravan.   Heaven!!   I have my own side of bed to get out on, instead of climbing over my Darl in the camper.  It is a nice little set up, kitchenette down one end, dining table in the middle with lounge and aircon unit.  

This wagon greets travelers to the township of Coppabella.    This town established between 1971 and 1984 and is wholly owned and operated by Queensland Rail.   One of these wagons seen here holds 59.9 tonnes coal, fully loaded weighs 73 tonnes.  Normal length of trains 136 wagons plus 4 electric locos is 1.8 kms - total train/wagon weight 10400 tonnes.  That's one heavy load......

We got to my mum and dad's on Monday morning.  Howard and Andrea come to visit and check out our travelling rig.  They've recently moved from Rocky to here.  So it's great to catch up, we'll be having a get together on Saturday night here and Howard won't be able to make it as he's off to work at one of the mines tomorrow.

From the folks back yard, locos are starting to move again with the commencement of the cane crushing season.   

Darl spent all week pampering his baby (not me the car!) - He washed it 3 times in his first attempt to rid the ute of red dust.... I reckon he will have to give it a few more goes yet.

The butcher bird's getting cheeky.   Yep the folks feed these little fellas and the maggies from the dining room.  Sometimes they get a little excited and really make themselves at home, venturing in to the lounge when they don't get fed on demand.   We haven't done a great deal this week at, getting used to the idea that we will be back home soon and back to reality, it's not sitting well at present.

It's that time of year again when dad starts to plant his vegie patch.   He has all the toys to do it, plows have come a long way since the days of War Horse, if anyone has seen that movie, will know what I mean.  Dad plants a variety of vegies including peas, beans, spuds, lettuce, garlic, onion, beetroot, tomatoes, broccoli and more - it's the way to go and most can be frozen in his huge deep freeze.  He has mandarin, orange, lemonade, mulberry, macadamia nut, custard apple, mango trees also on their 3/4 acre patch of dirt.

12th May - Emerald

As we hit the highway it wasn't long before we come across these eagles on a road kill.  Of all the wedge tail eagles we have seen out here it wasn't till we get almost home that I manage to take a photo, of sorts.    The wedge tail eagle is Australia's largest bird of prey and can grow up to 105cm in height and weigh up to 4kgs (male) or 5.2kgs (female).   They have a wedge shape tail, feathered legs to the end of their toes and a wing span of around 2.3m - an awesome creature.

The best dunny sign I have seen all trip and believe me we have seen some.   Apparently there was good reason for this sign being put up.   The owners of the Rolleston servo decided to do up the dingy loos, spic and span, white and clean.    They used to leave open 24/7 in case anyone needed a loo when filling up at the self serve after hours or just passing through town, that was until only a month after renovating, the owner arrived in morning to find both men/ladies loo had been horribly vandalised.    Hence now the loos are shut after hours.   Some people are just grots.

The Rolleston pub where we had a quick lunch. The steak
sanga was nice but the filling kinda slipped out, bit messy but still good.

 The Planet Inn first opened in 1862 in Brown Town (as it was known before changing name to Rolleston).  In 1912 the new licencee, Charlie Nicholson  demolished the building to rebuild a more spacious and comfortable hotel they renamed "Planet Hotel".  Unfortunately poor Charlie died before construction was completed and the business was carried on by his wife.  The boys around these parts wear, wrangler shirts, RM jeans, big belts and THONGS! Must be their week-end wear......

We passed through Springsure, this town being 322 metres (1057 feet) above sea level and is one of the few inland towns to have a "sea breeze" or, as it is locally known,  the "nine o'clock breeze".  The unusual escarpment  overlooking the town is called Mount Zamia. A noticeable feature on the eastern side of the range is known as the Virgin Rock (left in this pic).  Inside the niche of the rock is a weathered likeness of the Virgin Mary holding her child.

Emerald, named not after the gem, but for the lush green pastures that once surrounded the town.   Emerald is the hub of the Central Highlands area.  A feature of the town, the historic railway built in 1900 and restored in 1986, features wrought iron lacework and pillared portico.  Emerald's primary industries include coal, sapphire and gem mining, cotton, wheat, maize, sorghum, oats, barley, sunflower, soybean, beef, aquaculture, citrus, grapes, avos, mangoes, native flowers, peanuts and many more small crops.  Busy little place!

No, this isn't the shopping centre car park, this is the 20 hour free camp near the botanic gardens.  Nestled between the busy highway and the railway line, there were quite a few tents here too, it must be a safe place.   We opted for power tonight, stayed at a very nice van park here.  The Botanic Gardens situated on the banks of the Nogoa River covers an area of 42 hectares.  We went for a ride through part of the gardens, piles of plant rubbish visible signs of the clean up after floods hit the area not that long ago.

Once famous as a major sunflower producer, Emerald is now home to the world's biggest Van Gogh 'Sunflower' painting on an easel, located in Morton Park.  The superstructure is 25 metres high with approximately 13.6 tonnes of steel involved in its construction.    This park is by the info centre which is the first 'straw bale' visitor info centre in Qld.  Yep apparently the walls are made from bales of straw.    Not that we didn't see as it was closed when we were there.

The Centenary of Federation Mosaic Pathway leads you through 100 years, in 100 metres, of Emerald's colourful history.  It runs alongside the Pioneer Cottage Complex which showcases a small historical village, including a lockup, church and museum.     This mosaic part of the "Creation" section.  "In the Dreamtime all the earth lay sleeping.  Nothing grew. Nothing moved. Everything was quiet and still. The animals, birds and reptiles lay sleeping under the earth's crust."

On leaving town, we were directed off the road to make way for a "wide load".   Okey dokey, considering this wide load took up the entire width of our side of the road, we have no option.  It is pretty awesome how they transport these monster machines.