Monday, 5 September 2022

Chapter 12 - Finale - The Way Home

Day 103 – Tuesday 6 September – Yeppoon Rest Day

It was a slow start to the day. Washing machine was started at 7:45 am, shower happened, washing was hung out, breakfast occurred. 

Around 11:30 we got motivated to go and buy some food - as we need to eat. Not sure that is a correct statement.

Shopping happened. Lunch followed. The bed then looked so good that I grabbed a book and read for a while. I did not sleep.

Happy hour happened with Kay & Darryl, before we returned to cook two pork chops, with vegies.

Our family of Kookaburras returned to serenade us - all four of them. It is not a good photo, as it was too dark. Hopefully you get the idea.





Day 104 – Wednesday 7 September – Last Full Day in Yeppoon 

The day started gloomy, but warm. It chopped and changed all morning, as both camps (Kay/Darryl and us) started to prepare for our departure tomorrow.

As late morning approached we readied ourselves for our last meal at the marina - for this trip anyway. 

A superb lunch came and went. While at the marina, a diesel top-up was on the agenda. Tyre pressure was also checked.  

We also noticed that the 2022 Variety Bash wind-up was at the Marina. There were lots of interesting colours and shapes on the many vehicles. Some of the folk involved are staying in the same caravan park as us. 

The following photo shows a few of the cars. I think the first photo shows a 1928 Oldsmobile - Model F-28.






Happy Hour happened, then a snack dinner. The day was done. It was an early night.

Day 105 – Thursday 8 September – Going South 

It is always sweet and sour when a great holiday comes to an end - and we are fast approaching that point. However after an early night there was time and motivation to get my last beach-sunrise photo of the trip.

As I sat on the beach at 5:55 am my phone indicated that it was 19 degrees, although the sea breeze made it feel a little cooler. The wind direction and the forecast made for choppy waves and cloudy skies - a good start.

The second photo is a close up of the first photo.



There was time to get back into bed with the laptop before it was time for a shower.

We drove out of the Yeppoon park around 8:40 am and had a mere 165 km to drive - an easy day. We soon passed through Rockhampton. By the time we had settled into a routine we were starting to notice the busy train line on our left-hand side.

Within around 40 km we saw two loaded coal trains heading south to Gladstone, two empty coal trains heading back to the central Queensland coal mines, two goods trains and a train loaded with new concrete sleepers.

It was interesting to note that the coal trains had electric locos.


We had planned to stay at an excellent free camp at Calliope – making it a short day. However, the heavy rains yesterday made is an unwise selection. So on we pressed.

Plenty of road works were on offer.

We stopped at the Boyne river rest area. However we decided that it was too cosy and chose to move on. Kay & Darryl decided to stay so we said our goodbyes. Before we departed we visited the “Retro CafĂ©” and bought four fresh jam donuts. Yum. That was lunch.

We had a coffee at Gin Gin (and resisted the temptation of a 'pulled pork pie') and then headed through even more road works before finally stopping at Apple Tree Creek – around 200 metres from the pub.

We drove around 375 km for the day.


Day 106 – Friday 9 September – Apple Tree Creek to Beenleigh

The start of our sixteenth week was gloomy, what with rain over night and the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth. The rain continued, off and on, for most of the morning.

The first phase was the drive to Gympie, home of the famous "Gympie Muster" - an annual musical and activity extravaganza. We endured a lot of road works in that short distance. We drove around Gympie but could not find a place to park so we headed south - stopping soon after for a cuppa.

After leaving Gympie we drove onto the M1 motorway, which effectively means that there is a motorway nearly all the way from Gympie to Melbourne - a distance of 1920 km. It will be interesting to see how much is actually motorway, and how much is a gap between two bits of motorway. Stay tuned on that one.

The motorway was mostly an excellent road and before long we were on the edges of Brisbane - where we stopped for a diesel top-up and some lunch.

Not long after we stopped at a noisy free camp site beside the motorway - and not far from the Beenleigh Rum Distillery.

We went for a walk around the adjacent Hugh Muntz Park and saw an Australasian Darter, an Australian White Ibis, a tree full of bats and a few rainbow lorikeets. It was a pleasant walk.





In two days we have moved 730 km closer to home.


Day 107 – Saturday 10 September – Beenleigh to Kempsey

I went for a walk, in thick fog, around 6:30 am and found a noisy minor looking for breakfast in a knot hole in a large gum tree.

We hit the motorway 2 minutes after leaving our camp site and headed south around 7:50 am. 

Except for a 20 km break in the motorway though Coffs Harbour, and a deviation into Sawtell for a superb steak pie for lunch, we were on the motorway virtually all day - all 460 km of it. That makes 640 km of motorway, out of 660 km since Gympie. 98% of it is a magnificent road, and 95% of the scenery is breathtaking. We saw the sea a number of times.

We left the motorway and headed 10 km into Kempsey, to camp at the showgrounds. It was sunny and 23 degrees.


Day 108 – Sunday 11 September – Kempsey to Budgewoi

Our trek south continued just after 8am, with the motorway continuing to be a great road. We stopped for a cuppa and continued on. The motorway had another break as we skirted Newcastle.

I had a shudder as we crossed a bridge, just south of Newcastle - far too narrow for modern traffic. The bridge has a sharp right-hand turn at the far end. Last time we crossed this bridge, a truck squeezed me such that the mirror on one side touched the truck, and the mirror on the other side touched a bridge girder. I was thankful that Shirley was asleep.


We moved on, not really impressed at the close foliage on both sides of the road. They seemed a fire danger to us. This is a common theme of the major road between Brisbane and Sydney.


We arrived at the tiny town of Budgewoi, which is nestled between Lake Munmorah to the north, Lake Budgewoi to the south and the ocean to the east. The caravan park was a picturesque spot with us having a site in view of Lake Munmorah.


Above: Lake Munmorah from our caravan
Below: Our local beach

We visited our local beach (above) and then headed back to camp. 

I later decided that a sunset photo was a chance. However I had to walk 10 metres into the sandy lake Munmorah to get the right angle. A couple from Ballarat watched with interest.


Shirley conjured up some great spaghetti bolognaise for dinner.

Day 109 – Monday 12 September – "The Entrance"

The day started sunny and mild and just got better and better. We did a load of washing and went for a drive. 

Our first stop was the Norah Head lighthouse, which has been magnificently restored. In the days of kerosene powered lights the lighthouse keeper would practice emergency descents by rope outside the lighthouse - in the case of a fire in the lighthouse. Not for the faint hearted.

We also spotted a "New Holland Honeyeater" who was happy to pose in multiple positions.



We then drove to "The Entrance", a town not visited by us since the late 1980's on a family holiday. It has not lost any of its charm.

Views from our lunch venue.
Above: The Entrance itself
Below: The bridge from north to south

We drove to "Toowoon Bay" and checked out the excellent beach for youngsters.


We relaxed for a while and packed various things ready for the departure tomorrow.


Day 110 – Tuesday 13 September – "The Entrance" to Yass

We had a sleep in and did not get away until 8:45 am. Not long after we were back on the motorway and stayed there all day until we decided to call it a day - at Yass. It was a trip of around 385 km - with a head wind for most of the way.

The M2/M7 Sydney ring road was superb. It seemed strange getting through Sydney without any stops at all.

We had intended to do a 'free camp' but an overnight forecast of zero forced us to find a powered site - so the Yass Showgrounds was it.  

We have travelled around 1350 km down the motorway from Gympie, with the only gaps being around 20 km at both Coffs Harbour and Newcastle and a very short break at some other small town. We have about 570 km of motorway to go.

Today was just as scenic as previous days as we travelled through the hills around the Hawkesbury River.

We gave up counting trucks. They seemed to be the most common form of vehicle on the road, particularly south of Sydney.

I suspect that today (or definitely tomorrow) will be the last time that I wear shorts for a while.


Day 111 – Wednesday 14 September – Yass to Benalla

Our shorts are now gone.
And our jeans are back on.

And that says it all. It was 2 degrees when we woke, 6 degrees when we got out of bed and 9 degrees when we hit the road at 9am. A late start, but the day was fully planned and choreographed. It later turned into a beautiful Spring day, reaching around 18 degrees at Wodonga - with no wind.

Again it was a scenic drive - although the wooded coastal areas of northern NSW had turned into rolling plains of farm pastures. Sheep became a lot more common, as did the yellow canola crops. 

We had a head wind for the first couple of hours, then a tail wind for the rest of the day. We stopped for a coffee at Tarcutta, then lunch at Wodonga - and a diesel top-up. It had been 835 km since our last fuel stop. 

We parked beside Belvoir Park Lake in Wodonga and had a sandwich. It is a lovely spot for a rest. It was typical of the countryside we have travelled through since Cairns - wet. Most dams, rivers and lakes that we have seen along the coast and inland along the Hume Motorway have been full - or in flood. Most ground that we have walked on has been wet, sometimes saturated. 

Below: Belvoir Park Lake


We drove the remaining 110 km to Benalla, passing the Winton Solar Farm. It was huge and may be the biggest we have seen around Australia - and we have seen a lot of them.

According to their website it is a 85-megawatt Solar Farm project, and will provide clean energy to over 52,000 homes.

We set up camp and drove into Benalla to admire the great street art. I have a couple of samples below, but please click here to see more.


Above: This is my favourite and is featured on the front page of the Benalla tourist brochure

Below: The blossom is real and a small example of the many trees we have seen in blossom over the last two days.


We have seen much of the art work before, but it is an impressive part of Benalla. It was a quiet evening.


Day 112 – Thursday 15 September – Home

It was a miserable start to the day as we packed up for the final time this trip - in the rain - and headed to Melbourne. For some reason we seemed in a hurry and were on the road just after 8am.

We had a coffee at the half way mark and arrived home around 10:45.

The rain had stopped before we got home so unpacking the caravan was OK, and done smartly. The washing machine hid in the corner as it knew what was about to happen.

We were pleasantly surprised by the great humour of the garden custodian - Glenda, our neighbour - who had looked after a few statues very well. As locals would know this was because of the chilly winter.

Pete the Pelican was particularly susceptible to the cold and got special treatment. Fortunately he was not given a Collingwood scarf. The booties were a nice touch, as was the plastic rain-coat.




So our time on the road has ended. It has been a great trip for many reasons.

The motorway did extend from Gympie to the outskirts of Melbourne except for parts of Coffs Harbour, Newcastle and a small town somewhere - a trip of around 1930 km. 

It was at least two lanes each way for all of the above route. It is also a scenic route to drive - although it has a lot more hills than the inland route.

We were welcomed home by friends and family.

It is too early to plan for next year............

Trip Summary and Wrap-Up

  • We were away for 112 days, just on 16 weeks.
  • We travelled 18040 km, around 161 per day - including the road trip to Port Douglas.
  • We used around 3100 litres of diesel at an average cost of $2.06 (Last year the average was $1.42).
  • We stopped at 42 venues - not counting the Port Douglas leg - at an average cost of $36 per day - the same as last year.
  • We had a hell of a lot of fun, while seeing some of the great parts of our great country.
  • Our mishaps were minor and did not define our holiday.

Trip Highlights

  • Port Douglas road trip and wedding
  • Darwin - time with family & fireworks
  • Famous National Parks - Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kakadu, Litchfield
  • Less famous national parks
  • Artesian hot pools
  • Some great free camps
  • Walks on many beaches
  • Time with good friends
  • Fresh Queensland fruit
  • Kakadu cruises 
  • Indigenous Rock Art
  • Mango smoothies at multiple places
  • Birds, birds & birds


*** This BLOG is Now Complete - Last updated 9:40 am 16 September 2022 ***


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Monday, 22 August 2022

Chapter 11 - Port Douglas Wedding

Day 95 – Monday 29 August – North from Yeppoon

It was a very busy start to the day. The caravan had to be packed up and put in storage. The fridge was clean and off and empty.

Port Douglas was 1162 km away, and we started that journey - without the caravan - around 9 am. We picked up Amanda and headed, first west, then north. We had a full tank of fuel, lollies to suck, water to drink, and (most importantly) our clothes for the wedding.

The 3-person Kelly road trip had commenced..................

The trip was 362 km for the day. Amanda drove the middle third and I drove the first and third section. Morning tea was at Marlborough, where Amanda took over the driving, and lunch was at Clairview - where we had a sandwich lunch overlooking the ocean - and I returned to the driving position.

While I was driving we had the music off my phone. When Amanda was driving we had her music. It worked well, not that we had much time to listen to music - with near-non-stop conversation.

Our first major stop was at Sarina where we visited the Sarina Sugar Shed. Amanda bought a tasting paddle of locally produced drinks - including a rum liqueur, butternut schnapps and Limecello. 

The ladies enjoyed the drinks while the driver looked on. An investment was made.


We drove the short distance to Mackay and checked in to our motel. Amanda and I had been counting caravans/campers/motorhomes and along the 250 km of road into Mackay we counted 150 tourist rigs.

After chilling out for a while we went for a drive and saw the sights of Mackay including Marina Beach - which was overcast and windy - and justification for a 'bad hair' day. Luckily I have not got much.



After a short break back at camp we headed to the Austral Hotel for a superb bistro dinner.


Day 96 – Tuesday 30 August – Mackay to Forrest Beach

Some photos, then some verse about yesterday and today.



Above: Vanilla Slice at Proserpine
Below: Amanda's interesting photo at Townsville
Lower: An indication of the poor weather
Even lower: Amanda's First Brolga in the wild
Bottom: Pizza for Amanda and me




Yesterday

We said good bye to Yeppoon
There are some places we need to see - and soon

At Sarina we did stop
For liqueur tasting at the Sugar Shop

At Mackay we made our bed
To first dine then rest our weary head

Today over 525 km

Proserpine had the great pie shop
For vanilla slices we did shop

Next stop was the beach at Bowen
Although a gale it was a blowin'

Amanda drove the next leg to Ayr
While I try to manage the navigator's chair

While Shirley knitted a bonnet
I was able to write this sonnet

We stopped for a pie at Ayr
While the rain quickly made a mess of our hair

Caravan after caravan we did see
As grey nomads from home they did flee

Much road work was the cause for delay
As a ruined schedule caused some dismay

The most common sight was sugar cane
Which would have been enjoying the widespread rain

We ended the day at Forrest Beach
The weather was so bad the beach we could not reach.

Twenty metres to the Bistro, we did walk
Over pizza and pasta we continued our talk.


Day 97– Wednesday 31 August – Forrest Beach to Port Douglas

The unit faced the beach to the east, so I was ready for sunrise. A look out the curtains looked promising. So I donned the bare minimum of clothes needed on the beach at 6:15 with a 21 degree temperature.

Alas my optimism was unjustified, as cloud ensured that the sun stayed hidden. As promised I did NOT wake Amanda. However I walked the 40 metres to the beach and took a photo.


We headed to Lucinda via Ingham to see the longest jetty in the southern hemisphere, at 5.7 km. It is long enough to bend with the contour of the earth. The following photos gives you an idea.  It is used to load raw sugar onto ships.


After that we headed north and had a coffee stop at Cardwell overlooking the ocean. Amanda took another beach selfie of the three of us.

We pressed on to Innisfail where we bought diesel - our first for 1200 km. Not a bad run - without the caravan. Amanda and I shared the driving as we moved north.

By now Amanda was an 'expert' in sugar cane.........

We arrived in Cairns in time for a look around before heading to the airport. Two additional passengers were added to the 'tribe' - Wooly & Bodo (names withheld to protect the 'innocent'). The car was packed such that one suitcase was added to the roof rack. Dan Murphy's was bypassed as there was no room for any purchases.

There was non-stop conversation for the next 65 km, and not much intake of the lovely scenery along the coastal road.

We arrived at our rental house in Port Douglas around 3pm and soon had coffee and cold drinks happening. 

It was a great place with lots of bedrooms, four fridges and one pool, and the occasional gecko.

Shopping happened for food and drinks. 

The pool was used. 

The BBQ was lit.


Father & Daughter in the Pool

I was so tired that the blog had to wait for 24 hours. We were in bed at 8:55 and I was asleep by 8:56. I think we had dinner in there somewhere.


Day 98– Thursday 1 September – Daintree & Cape Tribulation

The first day of Spring meant an early start as Amanda, Wooly & Bodo had booked a 9:15 am cruise on the Daintree River. So we departed Port Douglas at 8am and had them at the departure point on time. Shirley and I enjoyed a peaceful coffee at the Daintree Village while they looked for crocs.

Amanda, Wooly & Bodo were the only passengers on the cruise.


Above: A large croc that we could see from the departure point
Below: Amanda, Wooly & Bodo had a 'personal' tour - with on-lookers


We paid our $45 and had a ferry crossing over the Daintree River. 


Not long after we stopped at the Daintree Ice-Creamery and had the 'special'. The feedback was unanimous - Yum. We also admired the flowers and the local exotic fruit trees - that are used to make the ice-cream. Note the small pineapple.



On we pressed to Cape Tribulation and the obligatory photo on the beach - below the storm clouds.

Below L to R: Wooly, Bodo, Chris, Amanda & Shirley


The local wetlands & mangroves between the beach and the carpark contained many small crabs - around 5 to 8 cm across.


Our preferred place for lunch was closed so we tried the bistro at "PK's Jungle Village" and we all had superb seafood for lunch - burgers, fish n chips, seafood basket.

We headed home via the ferry, stopping to buy some cheap avocados at a roadside stall.

The drive home was just as noisy, arriving back at camp about 3:30 pm. It had been a long but enjoyable day. Shirley and I got a coffee. The others donned pool gear, got a grog and headed to the pool. I updated the blog.

We had a hamburger for dinner.

Again, it was not a late night. Again, I did not read.


Day 99– Friday 2 September – "The Wedding"

The day started with rain at 7am - not a good start with a beach wedding 8 hours away. I had my breakfast alone on the deck. Amanda was first to appear, just before 8am.

After breakfast we wandered around Port Douglas, did a bit of window shopping and had a look from the Lookout.


Word came though that the 3pm beach wedding had been changed to a 1:30 pm pool side wedding. We got dressed up and arrived in time to get a poolside seat at the "Pullman Sea Temple". It is a magnificent place.


The Kelly Gang in the wedding & reception area - pool in the background

We took our seats before time and took in the sights. The bride was fashionably 25 minutes late. It was a 'fun & entertaining' ceremony. 

There were group photos afterwards, as the rain started to fall. It was estimated that the 'bowls people' photo contained 65 to 75% of all guests. The 'Kelly Gang' also featured in the list of official photos - with the Bride & Groom. Hopefully I will get a copy. Phones and cameras were banned during the ceremony.

There was a two hour gap between photos and reception so the 'Kelly Gang' returned to our lodgings for coffee and stronger stuff.

We were back at the Pullman Sea Temple for the start of pre-dinner drinks and canapes at 5pm. We moved to the reception area at 6pm, for four hours of food, drinks, speeches and lots of fun. It was a balmy 26 degrees.

The bride and groom lead with the fun with perpetual broad smiles, sparking eyes and demonstrated skill at filling bubbly glasses.


Shirley and I visited the dance floor a couple of times - the inviting pool was only a pane of glass away.

Just after 10 pm, the reception moved to the 'after party' room about 10 metres away. Shirley and I stayed for a short time, then (like many our age) drifted to the car and home. We sat in our air conditioned lounge room before the bed became a better option.

The younger brigade stayed for an additional 90 minutes (or so) and then conned a ride home with one of the other guests. They claim that the only sound in the house, when they arrived home, was snoring.


Day 100 – Saturday 3 September – "The Day After the Wedding"

I was first to emerge around 8:30, and the first to cook bacon & egg on the BBQ. The others emerged over the next 90 minutes, with the BBQ being repeatedly turned on and off.

By mid morning we were ready for a walk on Four Mile Beach - with the sun shining. We walked to where the wedding would have been, had it not been raining.


It was then time for an ice-cream, in lieu of lunch. So that is what we did.


We decided to revisit the Lookout to get a photo with sunshine.


It was then back to base and a swim in the pool, so that is what we did.

Today was declared 'Father's Day' as Amanda gets dropped off at Cairns airport at 9am tomorrow. A table at Hemingway Brewery was booked for beers and drinks, for the 5 of us. The view was great, overlooking the Marina.


I tried a glass of "The Prospector" beer and it was excellent.

Dinner was Red Emperor and a glass of shiraz. Both were very good, particularly the fish.



We were home by 7 pm, in time to relax and do some early packing for our departure tomorrow. Our sole Collingwood supporter was not overly impressed with the football result. It was still 23 degrees at 7:30 pm.


Day 101 – Sunday 4 September – Heading South on Father's Day

It was the first time that I had ever driven 600+ km on Father's Day.

The car was packed, five people were strapped in, and we left Port Douglas at 8am. We had eaten the food and drank the grog but the car seemed to have less spare space - so the roof rack was employed for the trip to the airport.

Two little bits of trivia. First, my favourite dry biscuit is an Arnott's Savoy. Second, you cannot buy a Savoy in Queensland. So Amanda, Wooly and Bodo came to Queensland armed with packets of Savoys - for me. 

It is the little things that count.


Above: Fully loaded Prado
Below: Savoys packed into 'tool' storage


We had to stop and get a photo of the baby Eastern Ospreys on their nest - a nest that featured in my blog of last year.


Along the road to Cairns we had to stop and get a photo of the man-made cairns that were beside the road. Amanda took the opportunity to get the last daughter-father selfie of the trip.


It was a noisy drive to Cairns Airport as we dissected the last few days of fun and laughter. Amanda and Wooly headed into the terminal for their Melbourne flight, and Bodo was dropped at the Cairns Hilton - for a few extra days of warm sunshine.

At 9:15 Shirley and I left Cairns for our long drive back to Yeppoon.

We travelled a total of 615 km via Cairns, Innisfail (coffee), Tully, Cardwell, Ingham (diesel), Townsville (lunch) and Ayr (ice-cream). We had regular stops for caffeine & food intake - arriving in Bowen at 4:45 pm.

We sat and had a cold drink then went for a walk around the Queens Beach Tourist Park. I then headed to the beach and got the following sunset photo. 


We cooked our remaining bacon, egg, tomato and bread rolls on the BBQ for our dinner.


Day 102 – Monday 5 September – Back to Base (Wrap Up)

There is not much to report about today, apart from a wrap up of the last eight days. As Lennon & McCartney would say "Eight Days a Week".

Today we drove a mere 560 km from Bowen, through Proserpine (Vanilla slice purchase), Mackay, Sarina (some shopping), Clairview (beachside lunch) and Yeppoon. We departed at 7:50 am and drove into the Yeppoon caravan park around 3:15 pm. It did not take long to move the caravan from the storage area back to site 54.

We drove through maybe 20 road works sites, all had speed limits, a few had red lights, a couple were long enough for a nano-nap. A few seemed to have no work planned or in action.

Anyway we are back to base camp after a 2740 km, eight day, seven night family/wedding road trip. We slept in four different beds. We had three passengers, Amanda, Bodo and Wooly (the latter both called Lauren). Amanda was also a welcome co-driver.

We ate too much. We drank too much. We laughed a hellava lot. We told tall stories. We heard tall stories. 

We attended a wedding that would be hard to surpass. The bride and groom made sure that everyone had a ball (or their 'minders' did).

We stayed four night in one of our favourite Aussie holiday destinations - Port Douglas.

I had four ladies who made a fuss of me for Father's Day, plus a number of others who had electronic contacts to ensure my day was first class. I love them all.

The last eight days have been very busy and very tiring - but an extremely enjoyable time for Shirley and me.

We ended the day with Happy Hour with Kay and Darryl, before a rissole for dinner and an early night.


This chapter is complete.
We have 3 nights in Yeppoon then we point the caravan south. Maybe tomorrow/Tuesday we will discuss how quick we move and what route we will follow.

Last updated at 9:20 am on Wednesday 7 September.


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Chapter 12 - Finale - The Way Home

Day 103 – Tuesday 6 September – Yeppoon Rest Day It was a slow start to the day. Washing machine was started at 7:45 am, shower happened, wa...