Away from the rain, on to Carnarvon Gorge

The following morning at Roma starts with an overcast sky with the possibility of more rain. I leave about 8.30 driving north toward Carnarvon National Park and Carnarvon Gorge.

Grassland and cattle country all the way, the odd road kill of Wallabies, an Echidna I see in the distance cossing the highway atr a leisurely pace so I have to go all the way to the other side of the road to avoid it. The turn-off to the park is about 150kms north of Roma. The road to get to the park is sealed except for the last 20kms of graded gravel road. I can see the escarpment of sandstone on my way in.

Escarpment of Carnarvon Gorge

A great place with quite a well equipped caravan park. I book in for 2 nights. A great camp fire that night with one family cooking their evening meal in a cast iron camp oven. Good talk and a nice atmosphere by the fire on a rather cool night.

The following morning I do my hike through the gorge and some of the side canyons to discover what is there. The trail up the gorge follows the river which it criss-crossed many times on my way up.

One of the many river crossings in the gorge

Some cloud but good weather for a hike. The forest is full of birds as I hear bird song all around me at the bottom end of the gorge. Just beautiful to be here.

Ward's Canyon

Another one of the side canyons is called The Artgallery and contains Aboriginal Rock art from thousands of years ago.




It turns out to be quite a hike with about 15kms round-trip. Absolutely worth it though.

Brisbane and my forgetful mind...

Its Monday 8.30 am. I am waiting for the people at "Springers Solar" to have an additional Solar Panel installed. I am told that the Technicians won't get here for another half hour, so I park my Motorhome in the back and check my email in the meantime. I had arrived Sunday (yesterday) afternoon and had checked into a trailer park just down the road. I had a load of washing to do, picked a good day to do that as it was warm and sunny to dry my stuff.

The installers arrived on time and went to work with me watching. All was finished by 1.00pm when I left to drive up to Noosa, a touristy kind of place, about 120km north on the coast where I wanted to spend the night.

When I get there I finally realise that I had forgotten to pickup my mail that I had forwarded from Sydney. Looks like I will have to drive back to Brisbane in the morning to do just that. Shite!!

The forecast of strong rainfall was correct, so in the morning the rain increases the closer I get to Brisbane. I pickup my mail and leave immediately to get out of town before the rush hour. I have decided to travel west as the wet is moving in from that direction this time and have made the town of Toowoomba my target for the day. It was quite warm in Brisbane, so I am quite surprised after crossing the mountain range with lots of fog, when I realise how cold it is at Toowoomba.

After picking up some supplies at the Supermarket I leave town again to drive to Crows Nest, just 35km to the North. Driving out of Toowoomba I drive through dense fog, the first I ever experienced in Australia, for several kms. It finally lifts but the wet weather is definitely moving in as it is getting darker by the minute. It looks like a cold night so I book myself into a powered site. Good choice. The rain starts and its cold as well. While I am cooking a beef curry I also turn on my heater.

It rains heavily all night. I am glad I am in a warm and dry place. In the morning all grassed areas in the park are under water, still raining heavily. I leave at 8am to drive as far west as I can, expecting sunshine further west. The sky has completely closed in, seemingly sitting at treetop height. Dark and wet!

When I arrive at Roma, skies are blue once more, such a positive sight after such a dark and wet journey.

Casino to the "Scenic Rim" (Beaudesert, Boonah and Ipswich

I have spent 2 days at Casino, mostly just relaxing. Great sunny weather but quite cool at night with temps well below 10 degrees. Definitely an advantage when you are on a powered site, my little electric heater in the morning providing nice ambient temperature inside. Once the sun is up it gets warm very quickly.





When I leave Casino I am driving north to Kyogle where some friends are doing a Retreat at a Buddhist Retreat Centre, located in the bush. At the Info Centre at Kyogle they tell me that the road in is really bad and so I decide to give the idea of a short visit there a definite miss. Instead I continue toward the border of Queensland.

View of Mt. Lindesay, just across the border of Queensland

The Scenic Rim describes a land of mountains, hills of various heights, most of it all grassland, perfect country to raise cattle which are in evidence wherever I cast my eyes. According to my book, there is a campsite near a hamlet of Darlington. Just after the township of Tamrookum I turn right toward the valley of "Lost World". The road is single lane but sealed all the way. A couple of steep climbs over mountain ridges and finally I am in the valley of "Lost World", turn left and just a few km up the road I arrive at the campsite and pick a nice spot in the sun by the windmill, along the river.

View of the countryside near "Lost World"



Looking across the river by the road


Just beautiful. All facilities are spotless and in good working order. The Ranger, David and his wife Judith, terrific people. I really love that place and decide to spend 2 nights.


The windmill next to my campspot


On Saturday morning I leave late to drive to Boonah and from there to Lake Moogerah. Again, surrounded by hills, another beautiful spot.



View across Lake Moogerah just after daybreak

My neighbors invite me to sit by their fire where we sit, solving the problems of the world before turning in for the night.


Opportunists looking for a hand-out

Tamworth to Tenterfield via Warialda, then on to Casino

Its cold in the morning at Tamworth. Pat has left early to attend a training course around 7 am. I need to turn on the heater in my home and then check my email and other internet stuff. Alison is coming up the drive to enquire about breakfast and my preferences. Well scrambled eggs sounds just about perfect. We sit on their back porch in the sun, enjoying each others company before I need to jump behind the wheel again to drive north to Warialda.

Autumn colours on the way to Tenterfield

Its grassland all the way, lots of cattle, occasionally sheep as well. I stop at Warialda for one night. Yes cold here as well, glad to be on power so I can turn on my heater. I leave the following morning to drive east to the town of Tenterfield, quite an interesting town with lots of historical things to see.

Tenterfield main road

At the Visitors Centre I check out any interesting places to check out and decide, after a cycle through town to go and see "Bald Rock", about 35km to the north the following morning.

Colour even in the side streets of Tenterfield


After Breakfast I drive out into the National Park. When I arrive mine is the only vehicle in the parking area. It is very quiet. I grab my camera and start my 2 hour walk, first on a path through Eucalypt forests but soon come to a fork in the path. I choose the steep climb straight to the top of Bald Rock. I am impressed by the size, in fact its quite a bit larger than the rock formations at The Humps in WA, I visited last year.

View from the top

This is also a giant Granite Rock, rising to 1255m above sealevel. (Tenterfield is at 880m) I zig-zag my way up its face, then on a less steep path to the top.

Granite in a multitude of shapes and sizes
Great views, some wildlife and sparse vegetation all the way to the top.

Quite amazing that rock has not fallen yet

I take the long way around to get back to the parking area, drive back to Tenterfield, re-fuel and drive east to Casino.
The road is winding its way around parts of the Dividing Range hills, so its slow going for part of the way. Casino is much closer to sealevel and so its much warmer here than at Tenterfield, a circumstance I much appreciate. After a hot shower its short sleeves and shorts again.

On to Tamworth from Lake Liddell

When I get up in the morning its about 6.30. Its quite cold and across the campground, the lake, all shrouded in mist and fog. The sun is beginning to rise, so I see the golden shine like a halo of gold across the mist covered lake. Some black swans are gliding past, its very quiet, a peaceful scene to contemplate today's drive to Tamworth.




Misty mood in the morning

Its 8.00 am by the time I drive out, heading back to the New England Highway, where I turn north to continue my journey. The whole landscape covered in mist with visibility of around 100 metres. There is some traffic on this Saturday morning. When I drive through Muswellbrook a few minutes later the town is still half asleep. A bit further up the road, looking up I can see blue sky even though I am still surrounded by heavy mist and I need to turn on my wipers every so often to clear my windscreen.

The closer I get to the town of Scone, more and more horses can be seen through the mist in the paddocks by the road, I am nearing the Horse Capital of Australia. Many of the places along the way have stands of poplars along the road or along their driveways. Naturally, this time of year they are all turning yellow leaves, so as I approach I see this golden glow through the mist, warm and inviting.


I stop at Murrurundi for a coffee and a bit of a look around. A tidy town along a river, all clean and well looked after, a few small shops selling bric-a-brac for the traveller. A couple sitting at the table next to mine, tell me they have just come from Tamworth where they had no fog this morning, only bright sunshine all the way to here.

Street scene at Murrurundi on a misty morning

When I cross the Dividing Range after Murrurundi, as expected, there is no more fog as I drive toward Tamworth, my planned stay for the night. The town lies in a large wide valley, surrounded by hills that extend to the horizon. When I arrive at Alison's house the sun is up high, about 11.30 by now, so we go sit on their back porch to catch up on the latest news from both sides. Pat, Alison's husband is doing a course, so is not expected to return home until later in the day. As it turns out, he calls to say they are having an early mark today and he will be home shortly. Good to see him again too. Alison gives me the tour around town, taking me to the lookout which gives a great view of this town of about 25000. We have a coffee and hot chocolate respectively, buy some more beer to restock my fridge before heading home again.

Its real good to be with old friends again, sharing a meal, exchanging gossip and have a few laughs along the way.

On the road again - For Real !

I had the smashed window replaced on my motor home, did some more shopping to re-fill my fridge, did some cooking, had a checkup at the Eye Hospital (all ok), so this morning at about 11.00 am I get on the road, driving the Freeway north toward Newcastle but keep to the left at Maitland using the New England Highway north-west rather than the Pacific HIghway along the coast.

With Suki in front of Eck's house as I leave

When I leave its mostly sunny with a forecast of 20 degrees in Sydney and a current temp of about 14. As I drive north clouds are moving in, getting darker with a bit of spit rain. As I turn onto the N.E. Highway things are becoming brighter as I can see plenty of blue sky in the distance, things are looking up!

I have decided to stay at a campsite out of my book at Liddell Lake and when I get there it turns out a lovely spot, off the main highway and about half way between the towns of Singleton and Muswelbrook. The lake is used by the big powerstations on the other shore. It is also teeming with wildlife, lots of ducks and black swans and many smaller birds that seem to really like living here. There are only two other campers at the site and so its very quiet, just great after all the hustle and bustle of the Big Smoke Sydney.


View across Lake Liddell

Tomorrow its on to Tamworth where I will catch up with Alison and Pat, long time friends from Sydney who have made Tamworth their home for now.

Walcha, Port Macquarie, Diamond Head and on to Harrington and Red Head, (north of Tuncurry Forster)

The drive from Walcha to Port Macquarie took me down from over 1000 metres to Sea level and the temperature is much higher than I had anticipated when I reach Port M. The following morning, after breakfast I take a long walk into town, along the foreshore, quite an enjoyable scenery along the way, the large rock bolders along the seawall all inscribed with messages, mostly to friends or relatives departed. Most of the holiday makers are gone now, school holidays over and there are usua lly only locals that I pass on the way. Yes, lots of spaces now at Trailerparks as well. When I leave Port M. the following morning, I see quite a few caravans coming the other way, going north toward higher temperatures. I am heading south as I need to have one of my side windows repaired. A flying stone from a passing vehicle on one of the dirt roads had smashed it when I came back from Barrington Tops. Luckily it did not shatter completely and I was able to tape it up so it stays in one piece for the time being.

I follow the coast road south, past Lake Cathie and the town of Laurieton and on to a campsite at Diamond Head. The last 5km going in are dirt and quite badly corrugated, so the going was slow, mostly second and third gear, but the trip was worth it, Diamond Head Camp, right on the beach with great rock formations.

Diamond Head

About a dozen other campers are there as well, some of them with small kids. The toilet facilities are good but there is no hot water, so the shower will have to wait another day.

The following morning I drive back the way I came in, one of the other travellers told me that the dirt road going south was in pretty bad shape. At the town of Kew I am back on the Pacific Highway where I turn left to go south. Just past the turn-off to Coopernook I turn left again toward the coast and the town of Harrington.

Camels for rent along the beach

The weather is turning to a friendlier look, so after checking in at the trailer park I take a long walk along the foreshore and a seawall that leads to a headland on the opposite shore. It looks like a fisherman's paradise, many a brass plaque along the way paying tribute to fishermen who have enjoyed casting a line. It is quite beautiful here, long sand dunes and dramatic clouds above.






Views along the pier at Harrington

The following morning, after returning to the Pacific Highway I drive further south but turn toward the coast again to check out Old Bar that looks interesting but turns out a bit desolate. I return to the highway, yet again to drive south, keep left to drive on the Lakes Way and then again toward the coast into Red Head where I stop at a trailer park for the night.

From Gloucester to Barrington Tops then on to Walcha

I did enjoy Gloucester very much, particularly nice to see how much this town has changed since the time since I last visited back in 1979, when it was just a non-descript small country town. Gloucester lies in a wide valley with hills and mountain bluffs on either side, a setting to look at from the distant hills, before coming into the township itself. Yes, a main street with many stylish shops and restaurants that provide tables out on the footpath.


Next to the caravan park is a beautiful walking trail along the river which I set out to explore in the morning while the morning mist is still rising. A great time to take a few photos and decide to spend another night to explore a little more. A few extra photos next morning, the morning fog adding another note as well. Yes, I quite enjoyed staying here.

The fog just beginning to lift in the morning

A little later I drive up to Barrington Tops, a road that winds its way up into the hills, quite a lot of that is dirt road, in a way, also a test how the much larger motor home will handle the climb and the less than good road conditions. As it turns out, when driving carefully quite poor road conditions can be negotiated. After following this road for well over an hour I decide to turn around, return to the main road and drive up to Walcha. On the way back I realise just how steep the drive is, so I need to stay either in second or third all the way back into the valley. Walcha has a very nice camp ground, but its quite cool, not surprising really when you consider that the town is located over 1000m above sea level. There are many wooden sculptures erected in part of the town but I did not find them too exciting.


It is quite fresh when I pack up and leave in the morning, although its sunny. My next stop is about 25km east of Walcha, a River Gorge with spectacular views down into the Gorge itself and quite a waterfall where the river cascades into the valley.




Quite a spectacular gorge with a big waterfall