A very wet moving day

Hello there ,we have internet again !!!!
 We were woken by the sounds of rain dripping off the trees and falling on top of our bedroom slideout - which makes it sound like it's pouring down !! It was still dark so we tossed and turned , finally dropping back off to sleep on the odd occasion , before giving up and getting up . It was still raining , so we fiddled around gradually getting organised for todays relocation . It rained constantly , so we just went for it and got packed up and hitched up , said our goodbyes to Brian & Pam and hit the road .
 The rain continued and as usual when you do something different , you have to stop and fiddle with things . We had the kayak in its cover and put it on the roof racks of the ute - the cover started to flap on the roof , you could nearly dance to the beat !!! Finally after about ten minutes we found a rest stop , and put some extra straps around the cover - problem solved !!!
 Todays drive took us through to Monto , where we had been before and onwards to Biloela . Driving to Monto was easy being fairly flat , going past the turnoff to Cania Gorge , we started to climb and climb and climb some more - about 300 metres , up to 580m above sea level before dropping down again . The scenery changed , starting to get drier & drier - apart from the pouring rain , with more pasture and crops & less trees & forests . The soil up this way is almost black , and is used for cropping and lucerne hay . Bottle trees are starting to be more frequent now .

Some bottle trees near Monto - photos from a previous trip 

 Continuing down toward Biloela , you are driving down ridges and there are also many ridges to the left and right , all leading down to the valley that the town is situated in . We had lunch and debated where we would head to - Rockhampton , Yeppoon , Dululu - it was still raining and just on 2pm , so we went down the street and around the corner to the first caravan park we could find . They didn't think that there would be room for us , and took me for a drive around the park to see what I thought , there was a site with an old ensuite that isn't used , and a long concrete slab - that will do us just fine!!
 They weren't sure if we'd get in and around , but it was a fairly easy site to get in - I just drove past , reversed backing through the site , then forward to straighten up - Job Done !! The set up was quick , mainly due to the constant rain . We discovered we have a leak in one of the boxes beside the steps , so that was mopped up and cleaned out - another job to do !!
 Time for an early shower to warm up , then some cheese & biscuits & beer , before attacking todays and the last few days blog !  If you don't hear from us via the blog , it's usually because we don't have internet - we will catch up though !!!
 Here's todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.k_62wR73JGe0
 Just a little note - we are just on the top side of the rain event now starting , so we are quite safe - for those that are concerned about us - thank you !!

Separation Day

  Before you jump to any conclusions - I played golf , while Lyn went for a ride and some exercise !!!!

  The day started early for some , with the road crews that were staying in the dongas beside us , going to work at 6am - traffic signs rattling as they drove over the speed humps - then there was the garbage truck at 6:20 am . We snoozed again , getting up at 7:20 am . It was washing day as the forecast for today was for possible showers , with rain forecast for Thursday & Friday . 

  Seeing as we were only 30 metres from the first tee of Eidsvold Golf Course , it was easy - I will go and play all 9 holes of it and be back for lunch . Didn’t have to wait to tee off , I was the only one on the course , apart from some crows and the odd duck . The tees and greens were just that - green ! the fairways however , were not quite so fair ! There is no fairway watering until it rains , and by the look of it , it hasn’t rained for some time . It was okay though , as I hadn’t had the golf clubs out for about 4 weeks . I played the nine holes and then had some practice on the the last green for about 20 mins , before going for some lunch .

  Meanwhile Lyn had gone for a bike ride down to The Eidsvold Centenary Park and found a cycle track that takes you out to the hospital . There are also exercise machines mounted permanently in the park , so you can get a complete workout . She chatted to a man who was also using the equipment - he was pleased to see someone else using it . 

 After golf , I started talking to Brian & Pam ( from Darwin ) . Pam has just got the job as the pre  school teacher here at Eidsvold - they came down from Darwin to escape the temperature , humidity , tourists, and just for a change in scenery . They had an appointment with a property owner who was offering them some accommodation , I offered to take them out as they had to pack up their roof top tent & other stuff before they could go - they took my offer . It was 16 klms out of town , over the Burnett River and into the next driveway . I sat and waited as they talked to Roslyn and later Lindsay . Lindsay rolled up on the quad bike , so I got out and introduced myself and we chatted for a while - he is fifth generation farmer here - the property started out as an 80 acre grant in 1880 , now it is 20,000 acres !! Lindsay and Roslyn are salt of the earth people - quite refreshing in this day & age !! He then turned and said “ pleased to meet you , but I have 333 weaners to go and attend to “. With that we headed back 16klms into town .

 Lyn and I went for a wander through the golf course to Centenary Park , the creek adjacent the golf course was full of water lily’s that were starting to flower . We headed back and had a few beers with Brian & Pam and swapped stories before preparing for dinner . 

 No maps today , separation complete - reunited again !!! 

Hopefully we will have internet and phone service tomorrow . Bye for now .

Moving Day

Due to no internet or phone connection , todays blog is actually Tuesdays !! 

After having our two free nights at Murgon , we packed up and headed further up the road . We were headed to Monto , or Cania Gorge , or Biloela , or somewhere !! 

 There were two ways to get to Gayndah , so we took the longer one ( only about 10 klms ) through Goomeri , a decision we were not overly happy with after driving that section . With the RV on the back you can certainly tell when the road is less than smooth !!! , but we cant complain too much as we dont know what the other roads condition was to compare it with . 

 After Goomeri , the road led us into a valley , with a huge flat area stretching off to the high hills surrounding it - some of which were the Seven Sisters . We stopped for a loo break at Ban Ban Springs . 

We bounced and lurched our way to Gayndah , apart from the road condition , it was an easy drive as we descended from the mountains to lower ground and followed the valleys of the Burnett River.

 The vegetation was changing as we went along , the plentiful grass was still , there but instead of being one & a half metres tall , it was only half a metre tall , the trees were getting spread apart and there was more grazing land . Citrus orchards were starting to become more frequent . Stopping at The Big Orange in Gayndah , we purchased some navel oranges . The bag had 15 in it and was supposed to weigh three kilos - it was closer to 5kg - for $7 . It was time for an ice cream , so we headed outside to finish it before driving off again . The lady shop owner came out and chatted about holidays and destinations for about 15 mins , people we meet are more than happy to share their lives with us , mostly without any prompting from us !! Driving into Gayndah’s main street , we turned into a side street and stopped for a while to check emails and upload the blog . Here we were , sitting on a blue tarp in the shade of a tree , on the side of the Burnett River , beside a church !! - NO , it didn’t fall over , nor were there any lightning strikes !!!!

 On the road again to Mundubbera for lunch - it was only 57klms and we were there before we knew it . Finding a park beside ( you guessed it ) the Burnett River , we stopped near a steam engine that had covered 1.58 million kilometres - yes 1.58 million !!! - that’s a lot of train trips !!!!!

Further up the very wide river bed was the Jones Weir , with plenty of water backed up - they waterski there . There was also a set of exercise machines beside the pathway which follows the river along , so we tried several , good for a bit of a giggle !!

 Mundubbera has a lot of citrus growing as well , and the population usually expands greatly at this time of year as the pickers arrive . Three rivers join here - The Burnett , Boyne and Auburn Rivers and make the Burnett River larger as it winds it’s way to Bundaberg and out to sea . There is evidence of previous floods - not so long ago - well above the current level . In fact there are flood markers going up to 18 m - that’s a serious amount of water . Some of the road that we have driven over today has been covered by over 3m of flood water at some stage , given the amount of debris still up in the trees.

 We decided that Eidsvold would be our destination today , there is a caravan park there ( the only one ) that only charges $26 a night for a powered site , it’s beside the 9 hole golf course and close to the RM Williams Australian Bush Learning Centre that we’ll check out tomorrow . We checked in and met Brian ( the caretaker ) who immediately fell in love with our Ute and RV - he was very impressed !!! We decided we would stay for 2 nights ,  and went and set up . We needed to get a pineapple & some other things so headed up the street and found the IGA supermarket - the only one in town !! Eidsvold doesn’t appear to have a lot of shops , but has a large cattle sale yard , a timber mill , showground & race course and a lot of houses . One of theses houses happened to have a small plane sitting in the back yard - don’t we all need one !!!!

All in all today was a really good day - quite enjoyable !!!!

Here’s todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kmlMhIuiSwco

Boat Mountain

 After a cool night , we emerged at 7:15 to find another sunny day , we’re getting used to this !! There was a cool breeze , so we decided to skip the paddle and do some shopping to support the town . It was only 200m to the supermarket and another 200m to the tourist information centre - we went there first to get some local info . Back to the shopping and then the RV , before packing lunch and heading off to Boat Mountain Conservation Park - so called because it looks like the bottom of a boat upside down - there are a couple of lookouts there . 

 The drive out was through some cattle & horse farms , before we started climbing up a ridge line to fields of corn and a substantial olive grove . The road was taking us toward some towers , where there was a sign saying no caravans or motorhomes allowed , the road then started to go down hill and very steeply till we levelled out at the bottom and rolled into the carpark . It was time for the boots as we had some steps to go up ( 90 of them ) to get up to the first lookout , then approx 950m to the second lookout . The first lookout was Braithwaites Lookout , the steps got the heart rate up a little , but nothing we couldn’t handle . There are views out to the southwest & south over Murgon to the horizon . The top of Boat Mountain is 598m above sea level , so we were on the highest point for quite a distance .

  Continuing on to the top of the ridge line and wandered along to the far end of the ridge where Daniels Lookout was . Along the way , there were some views out toward Goomeri ( the next town to the east of Murgon ). The track was covered in leaf litter in most places , but where it wasn’t , the track was red gravel from the basalt - where it wasn’t gravel it was solid basalt . The ridge line was only 10m wide towards the end of the track , and fell away steeply both sides .

Before much longer we were at the lookout . There is a sign post pointing out various places in the distance - we have been lucky to have a clear day to be able to see so far . If the trees weren’t there , you would have 360 degree views of the whole area .

 Heading back down , something caught my eye in the trees above - a koala . There was quite a lot of birdlife as well , as we sat at the top of the steps , a hawk swooped in , landing in a tree about 8m away from us . 

  We drove back down the ridge to Apex Park and had some lunch while trying to get yesterdays blog done - the only real downfall we have found is the poor internet here.

 After lunch we headed back to town and around town , checking out the older houses & buildings before fuelling up . It was still early so we headed back to Wondai - about 12 klms away and had a look around there as well . There was a two story hotel there - the Cecil Hotel with wide verandahs and cast lace work on the eaves and hand rails - and many old Queenslander style houses as well. 

 We found a self serve diesel fuel pumping station on the way back to Murgon and filled up there at $1.22 a litre - cheapest we have seen for quite a while .

  There was a turnoff to Ficks Crossing Camp down the road a bit , so we turned in to have a look . It was only about 500m from the main road , and there was a picnic ground with access to Baraman Creek . You can camp there as well , but have to arrange access to the locked gate from the caretakers house nearby . There is a concrete weir that helps back up quite a large area of water - good for paddling  - it is also the creek that is downstream from Bjelke Petersen Dam and Lake Baraman . Also at the picnic ground was the weather station , check the photo it is self explanatory .

That’s it for today , here is the map link for yesterday and another for today:-

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kt19CDaS-Y6Y

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kb3_DAD5lLEk

Past the Peanuts

 Moving day is upon us , time to get up the road a bit further . Our week in Canungra has been great , with many new places visited & experienced , but it’s time to move on .

 Todays destination was to be Kingaroy , Peanut capital of Australia  - we were going to Dalby , but decided to tackle another area instead . 

 It was turning out to be a windy day , so it was going to be a good test for us - we were going to have cross winds , headwinds , and cross tail / headwinds . The first part was easy as the wind was behind us till we turned to Beaudesert , when it turned into a cross headwind - it didn’t seem to affect us at all , with the RV not moving much - I certainly wasn’t having to put any extra input into steering , until we came to the top of a ridge and were exposed to stronger winds , even then it was only a little bit of a push - much the same a when you get overtaken by a semi trailer .

 The road took us through some lovely country , and some small villages - one of which had about 30 brand new houses , all empty , and have been sitting there like that for many months - must be expecting a population explosion ?? the remainder of the village was about 10 houses , all of which were more than 50 years old . The queenslander style of building became more & more common today - houses built up off the ground on stumps / poles , to allow a breezeway underneath .

 We programmed the gps to take us to Esk as we were driving toward Ipswich , and as we approached Ipswich , it was sending us toward Brisbane - gut instinct told me it wasn’t right , so we headed straight ahead into Ipswich -( apparently there is another Esk , but it is in NSW , on the north coast ) .We stopped & reprogrammed the gps and away we went again , this time the right way - until we hit the motorway ( the gps isn’t quite up to date with the new road works !!) , it was telling us to keep on the motorway , when clearly the turnoff we wanted was off to our left , we went with common sense again - finally the gps caught up . 

 We stopped at the visitor info centre at Ferndale for a driver / loo break and to get a map that was readable , and could be followed !!! something can be said for old fashioned technology !!! Lyn started her drive and for most of the trip we seemed to be climbing - there were some downhills as well . 

  Wivenhoe Dam was full - a stark contrast from when we saw it in 2008 - at 15% !!

Arriving at Esk , we noticed changes there also . There seemed to be more shops - coffee shops mainly - and seemed to be a popular place to be on a Sunday . Continuing on , we stopped at Blackbutt for lunch , it was still windy and cool - we had to wear a JUMPER !! - so the stop wasn’t long . A change in destination was called for when we got to Kingaroy - we were going to stay at the showground , but the show is on 2nd & 3rd of May - this weekend coming - so they had closed the camping part down for a fortnight . Back to Plan A or was that B or maybe C ???? We continued up the road toward Murgon , where the caravan park had closed but the local council still allow camping , ( water but no power ) , for free - yes you read correctly - FREE for maximum stays of 48 hours . You can rent a key for $10 to get access to the showers & toilets from the information centre in town - it’s refundable when you give the key back . Lyn reversed the RV into place in one go & we unhitched & set up - there was a broad smile when I said “ it’s where it needs to be !!! “

  We then decided to go for a drive out to Bjelke Petersen Dam for a look and maybe a paddle tomorrow if the wind backs off a lot . The dam certainly wasn’t as full as Wivenhoe , and hadn’t been for quite a while given the amount of grass that had been growing between the waterline and the full level markings . 

There was some parrots - like a rosella but had more of a white head than others we have seen - a long lost relative of the ones at Moss Vale perhaps ??

 We headed back in and prepared for another cool night - forecast for 6 degrees !!

Today we have gone from about 50m above sea level to 520m asl , then back to about 430m where we are . There was a variety of soil colours from sandstone , grey , black and red - bright red - and that’s where all the peanuts & corn were growing - and there was quite a lot of that too !!!

The sun was at the right angle to illuminate the grass seed.

Here’s todays map link :- you may get it tomorrow as the internet here is painfully slow !!!

Lest we forget

  We slept through the dawn service unfortunately , having a little sleep in and getting up at 7:30 . There is the normal service for those that miss the first one at 9:20am , so we got organised and rode the bikes down to town . If we didn't ride , it would have been easier to walk than drive , as there were so many vehicles in town and so much other traffic passing through - the detour was going straight past the show ground .
 We found a spot in the shade and did some people watching . Surveying the scene in front of us , there was a highly visible police presence - we could see 15 from where we were - I dare say there may have been several more on the other side of the park . The march started with the sounds of bagpipes , first there were the service men & women from the Army , Navy & Airforce leading the way , followed by the Scottish band , then the veterans , a motorcycle veterans group , school kids , Boy Scouts & Girl Guides . There would have been more than 500 people attending - not bad for a small community .

 Speeches made , anthems sung , Amazing Grace from a solo Bagpiper , wreaths laid - it was enough to put a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye - very moving !!

 We waited for the crowds to dissipate before riding back to the show ground . Well , what a surprise , the show ground had filled up while we were gone - we had more people in the ring and quite a few down beside the creek as well - this show ground is very well used , and will be a shame to be heading off tomorrow - but there are many other roads for us to drive down !!!! 

 The rest of today has been spent cleaning , then relaxing , a ride around the show ground and then packing a few things away in preparation for tomorrow .

 We trust your Anzac Day has been a good day . 

Work then play

  Work to be done today - two house inspections and a meeting with the Property Manager .
Dare I say it , another great day dawned , but we had an overcast sky - for a few hours anyway !!! Breakfast done , we got our lunch organised and headed to Pacific Pines , to be at one of our rental properties by 9am for the first inspection . The drive in from Canungra would take us 20 mins , and we were there early , so we drove around a little bit first and looked at some of the other houses & units close to where we had to be . Mel - one of our property managers met us -we hadn't seen her for about 6 years ( she had some maternity leave ) , and she commented on how relaxed we looked - we seem to be getting that comment from a few people lately !! Anyway , the inspection went well - we have good tenants that look after the house and pay their rent and that's always good !! On to the second inspection , and we weren't expecting anything dramatic from this one either - the tenants in this one are even better - the house was pretty much looking new still , even though it is 11 years old!! - these tenants have been here for about 4 years .
 Inspections done , we head to the Property Managers Office . Rebecca also commented on how relaxed we looked - must be something in this retirement thing that agrees with us !!!

 After the meeting , we headed over to Labrador and got the bikes off the ute - there are kilometres of bike tracks around to ride on . We rode down toward Surfers , but stopped before the bridge , and headed back to the north . In all we rode about 10klms - quite pleasant , except for the asian tourists that were feeding the pelicans and seagulls at one of the most popular seafood shops . There were at least 30 pelicans and hundreds of seagulls , all over the bike track / footpath , and just imagine what happens when someone starts throwing chips into the middle of that group - CHAOS - and we were riding through it !!! I nearly ran over one seagull , and Lyn hadn't seen it and nearly ran into me . We muttered various things under our breath ( asian tourists , feeding birds , not paying any attention to anything else that's going on around them , etc , etc ) - you get the idea .

  We enjoy riding up this end as it's usually quieter , less crowded and beside the Broadwater - opposite Seaworld . Lunch was in one of the covered seating / fishing shelters beside the track . 

 Back to the ute , and off to Ashmore to look at camping gear & some other stuff , before refuelling and food shopping .
 That was our day , some work , some play . Stay tuned !!

The Lost World & Christmas Creek

 Greetings , today started again with sunny skies after a cool night - down to 8.4 degrees . Breakfast out of the way we packed the ute & headed to Beaudesert again - this time we were headed to The Lost World ( part of Lamington Nat. Park ). It is located to the west of O'Reilly's where we were a couple of days ago - only a valley or two away . Heading to the locality of Kerry , we stopped to get a photo of all this grass that I have been writing about , so here it is .

  Carrying on , we drove past Darlington Park , another camp spot with minimal fee . We were driving into the end of the valley and it looked spectacular .

  Continuing on into the valley , we crossed the Albert River several times , before coming to a gate - then the question arose - do we go through ? , is it private property ? Ahh what the hell , we're here so lets do it , and away we go - private property signs either side of the road on the fences - we were a little apprehensive to say the least - then we saw some cattle yards with 3 men working some cattle - they didn't bother with us so we carried on again , finally we arrived at another gate - this one was locked . We had arrived at THE LOST WORLD !!! 

 From here it was on foot , so we donned the boots & lunch and off we went . About 300m down the track the first obstacle arrived - a creek crossing - rock hopping across was a little hazardous , so off came the boots and we splashed our way across the cool crystal clear creek . The mountains either side were closing in , but there were still some cleared areas and around the corner we found two houses - with occupants !! 2nd obstacle arrived - time to cross the same creek , a bit further up . I decided I would rock hop my way across , so did Lyn , until a little slip led to wet shoes - she walked through the water to get across - couldn't get any wetter !! The track gradually shrank and we found ourselves in the bush - the track virtually disappeared , then there was a sign suggesting you should follow all the basic bush walking rules - topographic map , gps , notify someone , etc , etc , etc . No diplomacy here , we turned around and headed back to the ute . Heading back down the road , we turned left and crossed over into the next valley . The road had a sign to warn people not to take trucks , caravans or buses - what did we strike - a traffic control crew on top of the hill madly waving at us to stop , then waiving us through , as the semi trailer hadn't started coming up the other side yet , and would wait for us to get down . Guess what , it was an Energex pole delivery semi trailer , with one pole left to deliver , presumably up the hill somewhere . The road over the ridge was tarred , but was single lane and very steep both sides !! Then we arrived at Hillview and had lunch at a picnic spot , before heading up to Christmas Creek , and another section of Lamington Nat.Park . Hopefully this section will be better than The Lost World - we were a little underwhelmed with it !!!

 The drive in was similar to the Lost World , but we could get further up the valley this time , as the dirt road seemed to go on and on and on , before reaching the locked gate . 

 There were no creeks to walk through or rock hop over , we got to drive over it this time . Wandering past the last houses again , the track started to close down again , but this time it led us to Christmas Creek . Clambering down , we found a pristine creek , again crystal clear water and trees & vines & lantana , staghorns , elkhorns , crows nests and rock lillys . This was what we thought the Lost World would be like .

 We discovered the track actually crossed the creek and disappeared into the foliage , again we decided that we'd seen enough - this was pretty spectacular after all . Another hiker emerged from the scrub and crossed the creek to where we were , reinforcing the need for a  map , gps etc , etc that he also didn't have !!! 

 That was our day , so we headed back to the RV.

Here's todays map :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kpOCZYiiP8Zo

An easy day

  Well that wasn’t unexpected , but it wasn’t nice - we got down to 5.4 degrees - I know what you’re saying - you’ve forgotten how cold it gets in Moss Vale - Yes you’re right we have !!! and we don’t miss it at all !!!

  We discovered that it was warmer outside than inside . The sun was shining and promising another great day . The washing was done and hung out , and like lizards on a rock , we leant on the ute warming ourselves in the sun . A few more comings and goings today - just when we thought we had our side of the oval to ourselves , another van had pulled in while we were out and parked right where the previous people were , right beside us . 

  It was decided to go up to Canungra and check out the Tramway Tunnel , built by Mr Lahey in the early 1900’s , to transport the hoop pine that he was harvesting from the local valleys & hills . He built 28 klms of tramways for timber transport , taking kids to school and showing dignitries the extensive rainforest that was in the area . The tunnel was built to allow access to Coomera Valley , and the tramway was far more efficient than bullock teams. The tunnel stretched for 100m through the solid sandstone and was probably quite a feat for the time . We then drove up Darlington Range Rd for a look . An interesting drive up to the top of the ridge on the southern side of Canungra . There were some houses in positions that would have awesome views straight down the valley below , all the way to Brisbane .

 The day was turning out nicely , so we headed back to the RV to grab some lunch and head to Lake Wyaralong - between Beaudesert and Boonah . We took some short cuts through some back roads , to see if we would take the RV that way when we head off - that would be a No!! - single lanes and some gravel and very sloped shoulders made up our mind. 

 The road to Boonah from Beaudesert goes through some very flat country past the horse race course . The grass in the pastures is about 1m tall , so tall & thick the cattle don’t look like they have legs !! There are also many thoroughbred horse studs , and to our surprise many private polo fields , immaculately prepared with grandstands - one property had several polo fields !! and what looked like about 40 acres of lawn to maintain . 

  We reached the turnoff to Wyaralong Dam and turned in , the road winding along to the dam wall . There is an electric gate that closes at a set time in the afternoon and reopens in the morning. There are trails for mountain bike riding ( about 70 klms ) , a boat ramp , and a large picnic BBQ area , with gas bbqs and covered table & bench seats as well as a childrens playground . Fishing , canoeing & boating are all allowed . The dam stretches for about 15 klms towards Boonah - so there is plenty of it .

 We had a relaxed lunch and wandered around the foreshore before heading back to the ute and driving back to Beaudesert to do a little shopping . That done we headed for the RV . 

 Lyn prepared dinner , then it was time for a beer & some chilli salsa . 

 Here is today’s map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kXqZfD989Nfg

  

O'Reilly's Lamington National Park

A cool night , getting down to 12 degrees , but the sun was out so it was going to warm up . We decided to head up to Lamington National Park and have a look at O'Reilly's resort . Probably not such a clever choice , given we had just had a cool morning and we were then going to go 1klm higher than we presently are . It was decided to take jumpers with us - they may come in handy !!
 We head down town to the Tourist Information building to get some info on Lamington Nat Park - it was 9:10 am - they don't open till 9:30am , however she opened the doors early for us - how nice !!        
 We are only 36 klms away from the park , so we thought we'd be there reasonably quickly . Turns out of the 36 klms , about 34.5 is winding road - some of that is only single lane - imagine Cambewarra , Barrengarry , Macquarie Pass and Jamberoo Pass all combined and you'd be getting close .  It took us over an hour !!! The first part was easy , driving through the valley with farms all around , the next we were driving through farms , with cows & horses having free access to the road . Onwards and upwards we went climbing up one side of the valley , before going around a couple of hairpins and ending up on the other side of the ridge , in the next valley across . The road was single lane in many places , with give way signs at strategic positions , fortunately for us , we didn't meet anyone in those sections . We seemed to switch back from one side of the ridge to the other quite frequently as we climbed higher . There were views to the east & the west , it was hard to concentrate on the road - just as well Lyn was driving !! We stopped at intervals for some photos .

Looking to the west - Scenic Rim country

 Continuing on , we stopped at one lookout and found the jumpers fairly quickly - the temperature was 12 degrees according to the ute . We could see out to the ocean on the eastern side and across to the western edge of the Scenic Rim . The drive was interesting with vegetation changing regularly - there was open forest with lots of grass and grass trees , then you would go around a corner in the road and bang , straight into thick rainforest !! Just as quickly you were out of the rainforest again , until there was nothing but rainforest .

 We arrived at O'Reilly's and parked the ute , the decision to bring jumpers was a wise one as the temperature up the top was 10 degrees !!! This is the starting point for many walks , ranging from half an hour , up to 3 to 4 days . Scrub turkeys and king parrots were everywhere - they do get fed a bit .  

 We chose to walk down the border track - or the first 1 klm of it anyway , before coming back and doing the tree top walk . The forest is alive with birds - you have to be quick to see them though as they hop about the forest floor and are so well camouflaged , you can barely make them out if they are still . We did observe an eastern whip bird - wasn't concerned that we had stopped to watch it , and carried on with it's foraging . The strangler figs are amazing things , starting life high in the tree topped sending roots down to the ground , gradually strangling the life out of the host tree - there were many that had grown into huge trees , and the original host tree had died and rotted away , leaving an empty central core . There was one that had sent it's roots down and wrapped itself around a huge rock , holding it in place fortunately .

 The tree top walk was interesting - it started with a board walk and then went to the tree top walk - like a suspension bridge . The first section led us to a strangler fig that had a ladder attached to it in a couple of places , taking you up the tree about 10 metres to the first platform , then up another 5 metres to a second . There was moss growing everywhere , with lilies and orchids growing all over the branches .

 This was definitely the cheapest tree top walk we have been on - zero , nada , zip , nothing to pay . 

 There were many plants showing new growth - all different colours , and many types and colours of fungi growing also .

  Back to the ute and it was lunch time - about 1:30 pm anyway - we stood in the sun beside the ute to warm up . Speaking of the ute , we nearly lost it - the bush tried to reclaim it - we'd only been gone for about an hour & a half - check it out !!! Very fertile soil up here !!!!

 Lunch done , we headed down the road about a klm to the parking area for Morans Falls - a 4.4 klm return walk . The walk started on a bitumen track , and wound it's way back and forth across the sides of many hills , gradually taking us downwards . Finally the viewing area was in front of us and the falls were about 70 metres away . The water dropped about 60 metres to the bottom of the sheer cliff , with foliage clinging to the rock face . 

There was an extension to the walk , that takes you to the other side of the falls and has views down Morans Gorge .

  After taking in the views and having a little rest , we headed back up the track to the ute . People were still walking down as we went up . We commented that it was quite dark in places as the sun didn't hit the floor of the rainforest - by the time these people were coming back up it would be considerably darker .

 The trip back down to Canungra would take us about 50 mins without any stops . Not a fast trip by any means .

 Here is todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.klFMWTPJ-mPU

It's Happened - RAIN !!!!

The rain stopped last night , but restarted again this morning about 5am - only gentle light rain pattering on the roof . We ventured outside to see the mountains around us erupting mist from the rainforest . The mist kept coming all day . The rain came & went quite frequently throughout the day - at least while we were at the RV anyway. Our temperature went from 18.8 at 7am to 18.3 at 7pm - consistent !!

 We needed to shop and decided to time ourselves so we knew how long it will take to get to the rental properties for the inspections on Friday . We also decided to see the accountant to pay a bill - that was a good moment when we pulled up and saw the for sale sign on the building and NO accountants ??????? We made a phone call , Hmmmm , this number is no longer in use ????? fortunately they did give us another number , so we rang that . Then we got a secretary that sounded like she had just got off the plane direct from deepest , darkest Asia - she was extremely ( and I do mean Extremely !!!! ) hard to understand - finally she put the accountant on - apparently they had moved to Underwood - south of Brisbane - a month ago !!!! they had also emailed every one of their clients , to inform them of the move . My email must have been diverted via Afghanistan , Vienna , Nova Scotia and anywhere else you can think of - we still haven't got it !!!
 Okay , Accountant taken care of ,  we headed across the road to Harbour Town Factory Outlet shopping centre to get some information on the Scenic Rim . Got that so back to the car - nearly - we found a couple of shops that sell swimwear - Lyn needed new swimmers - head in to the first one - price tags were enormous $120 to $140 - we left that shop and found the Speedo shop just around the corner . Much better , we found some for $36 that were quite nice - reduced from $120 - Bargain !!  On the way to the checkout I found a swim shirt that fitted nicely - the price was even better -a whole $3 - reduced from $70 - not bad shopping we saved $151 ( not that we would have bought them at that price anyway ) .
Next task was lunch at Helensvale shopping centre , and then the shopping , then back to the RV . There were some new arrivals and some departures from the show grounds today .
 We settled in and read some of the literature we had picked up , then it was time for cheese & bickies & beer !! Before we knew it , it was tea time and then we had a short chat to Emma & Mike on the phone for about 50 mins , whilst they drove home from work .
 That your lot for today !!!!!

A day of rest

 What a great nights sleep - nice and quiet - after the birthday party stopped !!! We woke at 6:30 , but refused to give in until 7am , then got up . Storms were forecast for today 10 - 20mm of rain , but the day was great , blue skies again , although clouds were rolling in .
 We had a visit from Matt , Mel , Ella & Summer ( my nephew & family ) , who we haven't seen for a couple of years . It was good to catch up with them .
 Today was a funny day , it seemed to be a long day , yet time disappeared . A lot of people packed up & went home today , leaving the show ground much quieter . There was a group of islanders ( not exactly sure where they were from - probably Australia !!! ) , but they had a little ceremony this morning , with some singing - in that typical islander style - it was quite pleasant .

 We weren't terribly enthused to do much at all today , so we sat down after lunch and sorted through some of our treasures in the storage boxes on the RV , and through some of them out .
 It was time to do something , so we went for a walk down to the creek that borders the show ground , to check how many campers had left . Most had packed and gone , with only one tent and a caravan in that section that yesterday had 15 odd tents and another dozen caravans . We wandered into the water and enjoyed the cool running water for a while , then sat on the rocks beside the creek and absorbed the sights and smells of the creek and trees & vines .
 We continued our walk down the side of the creek , pausing at one spot to look at a small school of fish - up to 300mm long - cruising around the wider , slower flowing section . While we watched , we spotted first , one turtle just below the surface with it's head just out of the water , then there was a second , then a third , then a fourth & fifth . It pays to just stop & look & be rewarded by what you see !!!

 Time to head back to the RV , walking through another area that yesterday was covered in tents - now empty . We stopped to chat with the neighbours for about 15 mins , before the skies started to threaten - this time they did more than threaten . The wind started to pick up and spots of rain started to fall and looked like we were going to be dumped on - it rained for about 30 mins and that was it . 

 We kicked back and had some salsa & corn chips , yes , and a beer . I don't know whether we could be any more relaxed than we are at the moment - but we'll try !!