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:-
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