Carnarvon Gorge, Queensland

Time to do a little bit of catch up on our Blog. We have been without Internet access for the last several days except for a few hours. We are now stationed in Charters Towers with full access again.

Thursday morning has us up early and on the road North again from Roma. The road was fairly quiet and in good condition. We stopped for morning tea and a stretch at Injune. They have a nice Visitor Centre with a cafe there. The countryside has changed a bit, with a lot more green and a bit more hills. We completed a fairly steep descent prior to getting to the Gorge turnoff. Glad we weren't going the other way as would have been a good test for the Jeep pulling the caravan to the top. Takarakka Bush Resort is located about 40 Km off the Carnarvon Highway with the last 13 Km gravel. Lots of flood-ways, cattle grids to cross, and cattle on the road so we took our time. We arrived at the Bush Resort at noon and got a huge site with quite a bit of shade. The Resort is fairly expensive at $35/night but lovely big sites separated by logs and trees. We could have easily parked two of our van and Jeep in the site we were given.

The host that checked us in ran us through some of the walks available and gave us some good advice as to how to approach our stay. After some lunch we headed out on a couple of short walks at Mickeys Creek and Warrumba Gorge. Warrumba is the right fork on the walk and was spectacular. Water way narrows to a very narrow canyon which you can walk through. You can touch both sides in some parts and it is about 40 metres high. The walls are covered in green moss and the water is crystal clear.I had to walk through the water to get to the end which was quite dark and cool. The pictures had to be brightened up on the computer to see, so hopefully will show OK. Well worth the effort and only 1.5 hours to complete. Lots of Cycads, Staghorns, Pandanus Palms, and ferns along both walks.

The next morning saw us up early and taking on the main walk in the park. This one is about 14 Km and takes about 5 hours to complete. There is very little breeze in the Gorge and it gets very hot. We were a bit early in the season which has the disadvantage of being quite hot. The big advantage was that there were very few other walkers. As such we were able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Gorge almost alone. The recommended strategy is to start early and walk directly to the furthest point in the Gorge you are planning to visit. You then make your way back venturing into the various side walks that lead to the really impressive sights of the Gorge. Our farthest destination was the Art Gallery and it took us about 2 hours to get there. The main path is quite good with lots of ups and downs and numerous river crossing where rocks are strategically placed. We also spotted a few parrots and a butterfly or two.

The Art Gallery is an Aboriginal Art area which involves a bit of climbing to reach. The final ascent is a set of stone steps up through two huge rocks. The art display involves a number of stencils/paintings and sculptures or carvings along a huge sandstone rock wall. I'm not the biggest fan of Aboriginal art but found this display quite impressive. We had the place to ourselves for a quarter of an hour and because of the setting it really did feel like a spiritual destination.We made our way down to the main path again and began to head back the way we had originally come.

 Our next significant stop was Ward's Canyon. This involved a fairly steep climb to a small waterfall. More impressive however was the section on top and behind the waterfall. You walk into a small gorge with rock overhanging the walk way. Beautiful clear creek with Tree Ferns and King Ferns. The King Ferns are very rare! The temperature was significantly cooler and we again enjoyed several minutes alone observing the Canyon.

After returning to the main trail we journey a few kilometres before turning off towards the Amphitheatre. This one involved quite a walk with a number of steep climbs. At the very end of the trail there is a series of metal ladders that lead you up to the entrance to the Amphitheatre. Sandra needed quite a bit of encouragement as she dislikes ladders and heights. Fortunately, she was a brave girl as the reward was well worth it. You end up in a natural rock Amphitheatre with a water pond and lots of moss/lichen growth. The walls completely enclose you rising to a circle of sky. We enjoyed 10 minutes alone enjoying the peace and quiet. Beautiful!

After returning to the main trail our last excursion was to the Moss Garden. This one involved about 600 meters of mostly climbing stone steps etc. The legs were burning by this one but once again the effort was worthwhile. Ended up in another secluded opening where the water was continually leaking out of the rock walls. This led to the walls being covered in moss/lichen which was continually dripping water. Spent about 15 minutes enjoying this one all by ourselves and regaining a bit of energy to complete the trek back to the Visitor Centre.

Another 3.5 Km back to the Visitor Center brought our 14 Km walk to an end. Thank goodness as I don't think either of us could have handled too much more. The afternoon was pretty quiet and relaxing as we recovered from our efforts.

We had planned Saturday as a recovery day which was probably a good decision. Neither of us was suffering too much but I think having an easy day was in order. We did a couple of quite short walks in the morning to the Rock Pool and Baloon Cave. Only a few km in total and not too challenging. Baloon Cave is another Aboriginal art display. Not nearly as impressive as the Art Gallery but is the only walk that is wheelchair accessible. The Rock Pool walk was not that well marked and the path was a bit overgrown in areas. Water appeared stagnant and we wouldn't recommend swimming there.
We did a bit of organizing and cleaning during the afternoon between rests.

Sunday morning we were up early again as we were tackling Boolimba Bluff. While only 7 Km return, this trail was rated as Category 4 and contains approximately 1000 step/stairs/ladders rungs. We weren't too sure how Sandra would handle the Ladders so we arranged to do the walk with another camper named Frank that we had met. If Sandra couldn't make it to the top, I would have a hiking partner to finish the walk with. We got away from the Visitor Centre by 7 AM and made good progress for the first few kilometres. While there were lots of climbing and steps it turned out there was only 300 metres of very steep terrain/steps/ladders. This was quite an effort and required a number of stops to catch our breath and drink water. Sandra handled it like an old pro and we made it to the top of this section with no problems. The final part of the walk was mainly flat on top of the bluff which led to the lookout point. We made it in just over an hour and enjoyed 15 minutes alone soaking in the view and physically recovering. We passed a few other climbers on the way back down. The down hill journey was fairly difficult as well as was quite jarring going down the steps. We made it back to our cars without incident and less than 3 hours.

We had a relaxing afternoon and had Frank over for drinks at 5. We packed up most of the campsite in the late afternoon so we could get a good start for Emerald on Monday.

We had booked an Astronomers tour for Sunday evening. Phil who manages the Takarakka Bush Resort was our tour guide for the evening. He has a fairly impressive computerized telescope setup on top of a hill with outdoor seating. Was a beautifully clear night and there were thousands of stars on offer. Enjoyed an hour and a half learning about the solar system and viewing a number of solar phenomenon through the telescope. Among other things we saw a Nebula, a dead star, a dying star, Magellan cloud, and Jupiter. Jupiter was quite impressive as we could make out all 4 of its Moons and the stripes around it. Phil was very informative and the tour was money well spent. Highly recommended!

Carnarvon Gorge is a beautiful place to visit and would recommend it highly with a few caveats. The real wonders of the Gorge can only be seen with a fair amount of effort and walking. While not terribly difficult it would be challenging for a number of people. We met a number of people during our trip that weren't able to take part in the walks or did only a few small ones with considerable difficulty. There are no really easy walks and most involve climbing and river crossings. The other unfortunate but unavoidable fact is that there is only one way into and out of the Gorge so you can't really break up the large 14 Km walk we did into two shorter walks (as would involve a lot of repetition and backtracking). That being said the effort is well worth it for those that are physically able! I've included a picture of the walking trails with the walks we completed below.

Just realized I have forgotten my all important amenities rating for the Takarakka Bush Resort. The amenities were quite good and fairly clean. Sandra reckons the cleaner could be upgraded. We'll give them a 3 Star although could easily be 3.5 or 4 with a bit more effort. The Bush Resort itself is beautiful and would be at least a 4 Star.

Roma, Queensland

Tuesday morning sees us leaving St. George and heading north towards Roma. We are still getting used to the one hour time change so up and on the road early again. Stopped at Surat for a stretch and morning tea. Lovely memorial park where we had a walk around while we enjoyed our morning snack. The road was good and not very crowded so we make good time. Arrived in Roma around 11am and got set up at the "Ups & Downs Farm Stay". Located about 9 KM north of Roma at Orange Hill. We got a powered site for $20/night. Well laid out area with en-suite style amenities block and a rustic camp kitchen area. Not much shade so handy to have the air conditioning. Amenities are basic but clean with a 3 Star rating.

After some lunch we headed into the Big Rig Tourist Information Centre. Picked up some local information as well as about Carnarvon Gorge which is our next stop. The volunteer at the Visitor Centre informed us that the Roma Sales which are the largest Stockyard sales in the Southern Hemisphere were on today. We jumped back in the car and headed out to the sale-yard. Quite the experience as the sale was in full force. Thousands of cattle being mustered into thousands of pens for sale. We had a good view from above the pens where we watched the drafting (sorting cattle into different sex, sizes, breeds, etc) It was organized mayhem with a series of gates and enclosures being utilized by several cowhands. Some of the cattle, particularly the Brahma bulls, were less than cooperative. The scale of the operation was impressive with some 7000 head of cattle typically passing through the operation on sale day.

We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon back at the farm trying to keep cool. Met the owner who took us for a brief tour on his 4 wheel drive buggy. Enjoyed a nice BBQ Steak dinner to finish off the day.

Wednesday morning we were up early again and returned to the Visitor Centre. Enjoyed a nice 3 KM walk along the the Bungil Creek, called the "Adungadoo Pathway". A lot of it was shaded with huge gum trees with quite a bit of bird life. Got some nice pictures of baby Kookaburras just learning to laugh. We then made a trip to Woolworths to restock our supplies for Carnarvon Gorge. Topped up with Diesel on the way back to the Caravan.

Took a drive with the Jeep down around the dam on the property after lunch. Lots of water and bird life. We ended up on a narrow berm which apparently was only designed for the buggy. Water from the Dam was on one side with rather steep banks on the other. Sandra ended up walking ahead guiding me for some of it.  Got to give the Quadra lift suspension and 4WD a bit of a test as well. A bit nerve wracking but we made it to the end and back. Nothing like a little bit of excitement to add to the enjoyment of our adventure. That may not be my travelling partner's view of our field trip.

Our host Robert gave 4 of the guests a tour of the farm this afternoon. $5 each which was fairly reasonable as was about 45 minutes. Got to see much of the 400 acre farm with a variety of bird life and farm animals. Robert is quite the character and seems like a typical Aussie bloke from the bush trying to make ends meet. Was good fun!

We are on the road again in the morning heading to Carnarvon Gorge. This promises to be the first nature highlight of our current adventure. We are booked in for 4 nights at Takarakka Bush Resort at present. Looking forward to lots of great walks, fantastic scenery, and photo opportunities. We aren't sure how good our communication options will be during our stay. Doesn't look like there will be mobile coverage so we may be taking a bit of a break from electronic communication. See you on the other side!

St George, Queensland

Sunday morning saw us on the road from Lightning Ridge heading towards St George in Queensland. We managed to get packed up fairly quickly while the temperature was still only hot! Got away by about 9:30. We had a very quick stop in Hebel for a stretch and again near Dirranbandi. Didn't appear to be much of interest at either stop. I was a bit disappointed with the Hebel Hotel as turned out to be just a very rundown old pub. For some reason I was expecting something more.

We pulled into St George around lunch time taking into consideration the time change at the border.
We booked into the Kamarooka Tourist Park which is located on the northern side of town off the main street. It is a relatively small caravan park but had some pull through sites. The owner helped guide us into one with some shade which was appreciated.

The park is very tidy and green. The amenities are a bit older but spotless. Unfortunately, no flower vases or hair dryers so I will only be able to give them 4 Stars. Probably being a bit tough but was definitely spoiled in Lightning Ridge.The swimming pool is quite small but spotless and very refreshing. Very nice park and would highly recommend! We got setup and took a drive down to the Jack Taylor Weir/bridge on the Balonne River. Their is a surprising amount of water in the river and the town has really done up the riverside area with parkland all along the river. Lots of BBQ areas, seating, and trees. Some lovely monuments to Mitchell, War Memorials, and some war pilots.





The town has been flooded several times with the biggest one being in 2012 when the water level reached 13.95 meters. There is a marker reflecting the various flood levels which has unfortunately been vandalized.



We took a drive along the river before heading out to Beardmore Dam. This was a lovely area that unfortunately is not really accessible to the public anymore. The Dam was sold off to private enterprise recently and they have removed most of the public access. A shame because it would have been a great area for family day use and overnight camping at one point. We returned home and enjoyed a few quiet drinks in the shade along with a few dips in the pool to cool down.


Monday morning we took a good walk along the River and back along the main street. River-walk is beautiful with lots of shade and rest areas. Took us just over an hour to complete the round trip. Ran into one of the town Councillors outside the Shire Council who welcomed us to St George and chatted with us for 5 minutes or so. Love the small town friendliness found in the regional areas of Australia.

Spent most of the remaining morning doing laundry, Caravan cleanup, and a few small repairs. Surprising how you still have to do this when you are travelling. Felt good to get everything clean and ready for our next segment of the trip. On the advice of the owner of the caravan park, we visited the "Unique Egg" after lunch. Another unexpected gem of a tourist attraction. The artist who is now in his 80s carves Emu eggs. I was a bit skeptical of what we were getting ourselves into but was pleasantly surprised! I've included a number of pictures that Sandra took below. They will give you an idea of the level of art but really must be seen to be appreciated. Each egg takes about 100 hours to complete! We ended up buying the artists biography as well as he had a very interesting life story.

Caught up with some phone calls and Blog work Monday afternoon while Sandra finished the laundry. We are off to Roma in the morning. Signing off for now!

Lightning Ridge- The Journey begins!

Our new rig(s)

Those of you that have followed our previous Adventure may notice that both the car and caravan are new. Upgraded to the Jeep for a bit more towing power and higher ball weight capabilities than the Pajero. Very happy with the Jeep so far! The caravan was a bit more complicated. We took our original Retreat caravan in for some additional repairs resulting from our accident in Western Australia upon our return. Imagine our surprise when 7th Street Caravans called to tell us our van was a write off. Turns out the frame was bent from the original accident and was getting progressively worse. We had noticed doors not closing properly and some gaps under our cupboards etc. as we completed our first trip. After a fair amount of frustration with the insurance company we received a brand new replacement Retreat van. Unfortunately, this van continually leaked from the roof over our bed. After 4 major leakages and 3 new mattresses we said enough is enough. The service we received from Retreat Caravans was deplorable and we would highly recommend against anyone purchasing a caravan from this company. Thankfully our dealer, 7th Street Caravans, stepped up to the plate and offered us a replacement van from any of the other manufacturers they sold. After much consideration we chose a Vacationer van made by Opal. Similar floor plan to our original van, but we believe it is a better quality, more solidly built van than the Retreat. So far so good. A couple of small problems that have all been handled quickly and professionally by 7th Street Caravans. We would highly recommend 7th Street Caravans to people considering a new caravan.

We had a nice visit with our girls in Heddon Greta for a few days. Enjoyed a late family celebration of Justine's and my birthday. The girls got their hair cut on Tuesday while I spent part of the day at Viatek catching up. Tuesday afternoon was filled with Grocery shopping, Fuel top up, and general preparations. Said our goodbyes to Justine Tuesday afternoon, and Steph and Tim Wednesday morning.

Narrabri Showground

Wednesday morning saw us get an early start at 8 AM. Had a good drive through the Hunter Valley with stops at Aberdeen and Gunnedah for short breaks/lunch. Arrived in Narrabri just after 2 PM and decided to stay at the Showground. The price was a reasonable $12 for an non powered site with a large open area available for camping. Powered site was an additional $6. Very hot with limited shade. Thankfully there was a bit of a breeze and some shade where we could setup our camp chairs for the late afternoon. Enjoyed a quiet afternoon with a few cold drinks and an easy dinner. The amenity block was a fair walk from where we parked but that didn't bother us. For those interested they were basic but clean. Say 3 Stars out of 5 for those interested!

Burren Junction Baths

Thursday morning saw us up early and on the road by 8 AM again. Enjoyed an uneventful trip to Lightning Ridge from there. The roads were narrow with no shoulders but still posted at 110KM/Hr in most places. Thankfully there wasn't much traffic and I was able to travel at my regular 90-95 without any issues. We stopped at the Artesian Bore pool at Burren Junction for morning tea and a stretch. They had a reasonable looking free camp behind the pools but would have been hot. The pools were closed while we were there for maintenance.

 Just outside Lightning Ridge we were greeted by a large

Stanley

Opal Caravan Park

sculpture called Stanley. We arrived in Lightning Ridge before lunch and checked into the Opal Caravan Park. This is a Top Tourist and slightly more expensive than the other local caravan parks. Was really well rated and it would appear deservedly so. Nice large, pull through caravan sites with some shade. A bit different as all the sites are packed gravel. Easy to get setup and level because of this although pounding in tent pegs is a bit of a challenge. They actually supply a drill at the office to do this if required. We managed to pound ours in without the drill but took a little more work that usual. Quite a large caravan park but we've been advised they are fully booked out for Easter Weekend. Apparently Lightning Ridge is a tourist hotspot. Who would have thought? Once we got setup we enjoyed the lovely pool in the afternoon where we met some fellow travelers. The amenities are beautiful and spotless. Even had hair dryers and flower vases in the Men's Room. Our first 5 Star Amenity award of 2016!!!

Nettleton's First Shaft 1902

Thursday saw us doing some laundry and grocery shopping. Also did a number of car tours around Lightning Ridge. They have 4 self drive tours with different color car doors. We got lost on the first Red door tour but enjoyed the Green door one where we ended up at a lovely lookout and one of the first opal shafts. As you can see from our pictures OH&S hasn't reared it's ugly head in Lighting Ridge. We also enjoyed a visit to John Murray's art gallery. Interesting art work with a bit of Aussie Bush humour mixed in. Worth a visit.

Old Shaft

Sturdy Shaft Ladder???

Friday morning saw us up early and taking part in a bus tour of the local area. Our guide Larry was a local opal miner who drives the tour bus 3 days a week to make ends meet. Very knowledgeable about the local area and provided good incite into what makes people chase the dream of becoming rich by mining Opals. Took us through a number of the opal camps located on the various ridges throughout Lightning Ridge. A real variety of housing standards with an emphasis on the unusual. I've attached a few example below including an original camp house from the early 1900. Hard to imagine people can live here with the extreme heat and no modern conveniences. Note that a couple of them are constructed out of bottles or cans!

 <Amigo's Castle

Fred Bodel Original homestead >







The tour included tea and scones at the tour office where we received further information on the variety and grades of Opals as well as the cutting and polishing of them. This was followed by a visit to an open cut mine and additional opal fields.

We finished off the tour with a visit to "The Chamber of the Black Hand". Sounds ominous, but it is really an old Opal mine where the owner has been busy carving sculptures in the sandstone layers above the Opal level. The artist, Ron Canlin, never succeeded financially with his Opal mining but has a thriving tourist business with his carvings. Hard to describe in writing but not to be missed if you come to Lightning Ridge. I've included some of his work below but really needs to be seen in person.

Enjoyed a quiet late afternoon cooling off in the pool. Enjoyed a few drinks with people we met from Queensland and Victoria. I'll sign off for now as tomorrow sees us on the road to St. George in Queensland.

Just realized I had forgotten to include Sandra's beautiful sunrise photo. This was taken just outside our caravan door on Saturday morning! Wow!

The Adventure Begins Once More!

Almost exactly 5 years after our original Adventure began, Sandra and I are hitting the road again!

Hard to believe that so much time has passed since we finished our first Stage/Lap in mid 2012. After 3.5 years back at work, I officially retired at the end of July 2015. Thanks to the staff and management at Viatek Newcastle for welcoming me back, and making my last years of employment very enjoyable and rewarding. They even bought me a second retirement gift! What a Great bunch of people!

We've downsized to a smaller home in Harrington NSW late in 2014, and have been playing plenty of Golf on the course we now back onto. It is a beautiful community and we have met many new friends already. We will certainly miss our home and friends while we are on our journey.

However, one of the main reasons for moving, was to allow us greater freedom to travel. So after a final weekend in the Newcastle area visiting family we are off for Stage Two on March 2nd. I won't give our full itinerary away now, but it will be a combination of old and new from our first trip. Back to some of our favorite spots in the Northern Territory and the Kimberly, although closer to the Wet Season than the Dry Season. A few more rugged adventures off the beaten track are also in our plans (weather/road dependent). We've bought a tent to enable a bit more flexibility for these locations, much to the shock of our Daughters! 

Hopefully we will enjoy a lot of great adventures and surprises (pleasant ones) during our trip. We look forward to a raft of new memories and great photos to show for our efforts. I'll try and keep it interesting for anyone that wants to follow along.

My Administration friends at Viatek have reminded me to keep reporting on the Amenity status of our various stays. They found these reviews quite humorous but I believe many seasoned travelers would understand the importance of a clean shower & toilet! As such I may even come up with a rating system of some sort to keep the office girls amused and astute travelers educated. I can envision a future blockbuster book deal even now! Imagine the fun I could have with the Book's Name. Stay Tuned!

I will say goodbye for now. For those of you that would like to join our journey, I will begin providing updates on our travels next week.