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North Queensland 2018
  • Rob and Pam T
  • Rob and Pam T

North Queensland 2018

This trip will start from Capricornia and take us North. We plan to make it as far as Hope Vale. Part of this trip will be an entertainment event. Leer más
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  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Viajero

    Burdekin Falls Dam

    8 de septiembre de 2018, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    The Burdekin Falls Dam was built in 1984. A whole town was built for the workers and then after the project was finished in 1987 it was all taken away. There are still a lot of concrete slabs and the caravan park left.

    The dam holds back an impressive body of water when full at capacity. It is said that it is about 4 Sydney Harbours. The water from here gravity flows down the Burdekin river to a series of locks and weirs to be used for irrigation. When Toemwnsville runs low on water from its regular supplies the shortfall is pumped from here.    Leer más

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  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Viajero

    Mount Coolon

    11 de septiembre de 2018, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Mount Coolon was the highest gold producer in Queensland in 1932. Now all that remains is the old chimney and the wreck of the steam engines that powered the battery. Nearby is the Mount Coolon hotel. The town in now little more than the pub and a self serve fuel pod.Leer más

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  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Viajero

    Lake Elphinstone - Queensland

    12 de septiembre de 2018, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Lake Elphinstone is a natural lake between Nebo and Glendon. At night one can see and hear one of the nearby mines.

    Today is actually a little cool in the wind. That does not bother the thousands of coots, many ducks and a dozen or so black swans rafting around on the water. Ever now and then the coots form a tighter group, sometimes 3-400 m long and 50m wide. Then they drift apart while they each select morsels of food.

    All the while ducks, and other water birds cruise around, seemingly among invisible coots. The right hand swimming swans monogram their presence with necks bent looking into the water while the return lane mirrors.

    A solitary stilt regularly patrols just in front of where we are in his search for food. Just in front of us a grove of spindly weeds makes a perfect hiding spot for dozens of very small birds. They behave like Reed warblers and are cohabiting with a couple of other small birds. Their happy chatter brightens up the drab call of the crows.

    Several small kingfishers take up point on a dead tree planning their next swoop on an unsuspecting small fish. Way up above the kites sweep a huge area in search of unwary prey. When they come too close the coots become nervous and the small birds engage in a communication blackout.

    Now a flotilla of coots is doing a close sortie back to where their drift began. A few have started to dunk in search of food on the bottom.    Leer más

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  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Viajero

    Notch Point

    15 de septiembre de 2018, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We shall remember Notch Point as Midge Point. We got out of the car to take a few photos and were attacked by hundreds of sandflies. The itch was almost unbearable. A wash with water only helped a little and even a shower half an hour later has not completely taken away the irritation.

    The drive in was good and the view where we stopped impressive. We had decided to cut the run in to the camping area short due to a water crossing of unknown depth. My copilot was probably not interested in testing the depth or checking the crocodile activity. We shall now cross this off our places to camp. This is despite a glowing write up of the area on a sign at Ilbilbie.    Leer más

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  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Viajero

    Cape Palmerston

    15 de septiembre de 2018, Australia ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Here we are finding to be a nice area to camp. We are staying at the caravan park in a nice open surrounding. This morning we witnessed a couple of Shellducks sitting on a high tree branch. Not a trivial accomplishment for a bird with webbed feet more suited to swimming. As they moved keeping a footing was sometimes tricky for them. Apparently this behavior is unique to these ducks.

    Today a short drive to Greenhill. Here is a substantial village with some impressive homes built. Dow to the beach it is easy to see why people like this area. It is easy to launch boats for a fishing trip or just enjoy the beach.

    A short walk from the park and you are at another beach.    Leer más

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  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Viajero

    The end of a fantastic trip.

    19 de septiembre de 2018, Australia ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Thanks to all who joined us for this trip. We had a great time with the new vehicle. No great dramas and we did so much.

    To finish this trip, here is the brief overview of that trip. Browse back to see more photos and commentary.

    Looking forward to the next trip already. Stay tuned.

    ≠======================≠

    On the second of August we headed off on a trip north for a very special music festival. Only 350 people can get tickets to go and they were sold out in just 30 minutes.

    The festival was Black Mountain Unplugged, organized by Bryce and Marnie of the Hillbilly Goats. These Apalation mountain music players are one of my wife's favourite bands. After we had our tickets we found out Lily and King were also performing. That was a huge bonus. Heaps of other great shows made it a fantastic weekend.

    We had taken over a week to get to Black Mountain with some great stops on the way. Toomulla Beach, Bonadio near Yungaburra, Birds on Baron and a free camp near Little Annand River. A morning at Tyto wetland and a night in Taylor wood caravan park that was once a naturist camp. After the last cyclone the trees were smashed and people could be seen from the road.

    This trip has been at a more relaxed pace with longer stops. After the festival, some time at Home Rule campground, Elim Beach, Lakefield and Gloria's camp, we treated ourselves to two nights in Cairns for a show. We left the van at Gloria's and stayed in a hotel. The show was The Simon and Garfunkel story.

    A few days each at Pinnarendi Station, Fletcher Creek, then Burdekin Falls dam, a few more at Lake Elphinstone and even more at Cape Palmerston. We have decided to head home from Cape Palmerston. Almost 50 days enjoying some of the best weather ever.

    The new car has been quite good to travel with. No problems apart from a mysterious glitch with the locking system. I suspect the key button was held on in my pocket and some sort of programmed failsafe was invoked. It returned to normal after we had been for a walk. No repeat incident.
    ≠======================≠    Leer más

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  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Viajero

    The Giant Hoover - A PS For The Trip

    23 de septiembre de 2018, Australia ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    The last entry for this trip was not too funny at the time, but certainly should be included.

    Every now and then while travelling something will happen that is not expected. You can get all het up or smile and think "It's great to be alive".

    My engineer friends all know what a venturi is. When they work, they really suck... Literally. The effect is caused when high pressure air encounters a low pressure. The lower pressure is drawn in to create an air flow. That's an oversimplification but basically a stream of air can suck in other air.

    We had decided to do the gravel run from Burdekin Falls Dam to Mount Coolon and then from there to Lake Elphinstone. The first section was tediously slow with epic bulldust in places. We got to Mt Coolon OK, had lunch and checked out the old mining engines and chimney.

    A quick check of the van and we continued on. A reasonable trip, a bit faster but very corrugated in places. We even spotted a couple of emus and a few other birds. Eventually we arrived late afternoon at Lake Elphinstone and parked the van.

    Then we noticed one window hatch had opened. It became a venturi and turned our van into a giant hoover. We had been vacuuming the dusty road for a good many kilometers. Dust had been sucked in the door vent and made it way out the window. Well some of it had. Much was left in the van. On the floor just inside in a heap and liberally dusted over my bed.

    It took quite a while to clean up. Not funny then but makes a good story.

    Till the next trip, au revoir.    Leer más

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    Fin del viaje
    23 de septiembre de 2018