With final goodbyes to our friends we headed south to Gin Gin. We pulled into the showgrounds and booked for a week. What a great place to stay, wide open spaces, lots of grass, plenty of room and a short distance to walk to town.
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| Moodaran Dam |
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| Irrigation Channel to the Bundaberg Cane Fields |
Walked into Gin Gin town and did an inspection of the town. Through the centre of the town there is a great display of the history of the district while at the same time creating a barrier between the traffic.
John and Trysha left Rocy today and headed to Agnes Waters so that left Bob and Deidre in Rocky by themselves.
15 SEPTEMBER
Markets today held in the Historical Village so off we went to check them out. It is great how the community utilise something that is already set up. Markets were fun, plenty of fresh vegies and some hand craft. We bought a large bag of sweet potatoes for $2.
Gin Gin is still in the sugar growing area on the outskirts of the Bundaberg sugar growing area. Very lush and extensive food bowl. Wherever you go there are cane trains and trucks with huge loads of cane, all exciting to see. We saw our first cane harvester as well.
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| Sugar Cane due to be harvested |
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| Cane processing Factory |
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| Cane Train |
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| Cane carriages of to factory. Red flag denotes rear end?? |
Deidre and Bob arrived at the showgrounds today and are staying for a few days.
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| Deidre & Bob parked beside us. |
Deidre and I walked into town to check out a fabric shop I had spotted but not much there. In the afternoon D had the machine out and two ladies staying close by came to chat, one of them was from Bunbury and was a quilter.
19 SEPTEMBER
John and Trysha called into the showgrounds on their way south to Gympie. John has a long list of repairs for Performax to attend to with the 5th Wheeler. They are then on their way to Sydney for 3 weeks for ops etc. It was great to see them and lots of catching up. Not sure where our paths will cross again.
20 SEPTEMBER
Our week is up and as there is a rodeo on this weekend we have to leave. D & B and us will travel together until we get to Howard, another fabric shop beacons.
The first stop is Childers where we had morning tea in a lovely little park. From there we went to Howard and spent quite some time oohing and oowing at all the fabric. Deidre and I lost ourselves amongst 2 large shops of fabric. We said our goodbyes to D & B as they were staying on at Burrum River and we were booked in at Poona.
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| The bay looking towards Frazer Island. |
21 SEPTEMBER
Machine out today and started on humbags that I hope to sell at the Boonah Rally. Being with Deidre has given me some motivation so we will see how much I can get done. Went for a walk round the area in the afternoon, very hot and humid with plenty if midges. While Trysha was with us no one worried about the midgies but now no Trysha they have found yummy Lois.
22 SEPTEMBER
School holidays started so now lots of kids at the park. We are parked out with the permanents and next door to us is a patch worker so lots of show and tell. Another walk around town today.
23 SEPTEMBER
Day of sewing. Made humbags and serviette holders, happy with the results.
24 SEPTEMBER
Off to Maryborough and met up with D & B who came in from Burrum River, had a look around the shops, very old town with lots of historic buildings. We left D & B and headed out to Hervey Bay, not an ideal day for the beach, howling easterly, sky was dull and overcast but there were still lots of people in the water.
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| How the poor people spend their money at Hervey Bay. |
Just got home and inside when there was the pitter patter of raindrops, thunder and lightening and then the rain. First decent rain since leaving Dongara.
25 SEPTEMBER
Tried my hand at creating pinwheel bags and look at the result. More showers off and on and thunder and lightening.
26 SEPTEMBER
Last day today so pack up time and thankfully the rain has stopped. We are off to Standown Park (near Gympie) tomorrow
27 SEPTEMBER
Very short trip today, along the coast to Standown. This is a lovely park originally developed for Vietnam Vets. At 4pm every day Happy Hour and who ever wants to, goes to chat, exchange places travelled and some of the local characters tell stories.
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| Standown Park |
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| Veterans Memorial at Standown Park |
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| Parked at Standown Park,(Left) |
Gympie is on our list today. Off to Performax to get parts for the van, bought two doors, one to cover shelves over bench and the other to cover shelves in bedroom. Hopefully this will tidy up the messy areas.
Found a large shopping centre in Gympie, had a good look round and then home on bike. Gympie is set on hills so roads are very up and down.
29 SEPTEMBER
Tin Can Bay held a festival today so off we went to check out the social life and find a beach.Quite a big gathering, plenty of children (School hols), nothing different so decided to check out the beach, another disappointment, muddy flats and mangroves.
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| Tincan Bay Festival |
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| Rainbow Beach |
Home today rather drizzly weather.
1 OCTOBER
Went for a walk with Joy through the pine plantation and spotted roos and Blue Wrens.
Mike mended some small holes we had on our roof.
2 OCTOBER
Weather doubtful so off in the truck through the Mary Valley. When we were in Gympie 5 years ago there was a lot of controversy about building a dam and filling in the valley. So glad people power won as the valley is lovely and full of history. From Gympie you can catch a steam train either in the morning or afternoon and visit the refurbished stations. We opted for the road and it was a lovely drive through the steep hills. Called into some of the villages: Dagun- small but quaint,
Amamoor a little bigger and then Kandanga and bigger again. All of these villages are small but catered for the tourist trade. Our last stop was Imbil, what a lovely village, had lunch and wandered through the 2 shops. Both Kandanga and Imbil have great off road parking. On the way home headed out towards the Bruce Highway and finally got to see pineapples growing in a paddock but not how they are harvested.
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| Heading towards Mary Valley |
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| Pineapple Paddock |
4 OCTOBER
Look out Kingaroy here we come. Had a great trip through the hills, amazing how the scenery changes. Five years ago we passed through this area after picking up our van and heading back to WA. First day Mike had towed the van so we weren't up to appreciating the scenery so this time we did.
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| Towards Kingaroy |
Stopped at Kilkivan and walked up both sides of the road. Checked out antique shops- thank goodness we don't have room in van for goodies. Found a park at the Kingaroy showgrounds,lovely spot with plenty of room. We are now in peanut country.
5 OCTOBER
Bike off and we did a scenic trip round Kingaroy.
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| Kingaroy from lookout |
Bathurst, Mike glued to TV so I set up machine outside and made handbags.
8 OCTOBER
Off to the Bunya Mountains today, what a fantastic trip, road was narrow and windy and oh the trees were majestic.
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| Roads to Bunya Mountains |
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| Bunya Pine |
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| Hoop Pine |
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| Hoop Pine. Same tree |
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| From top of Bunya Mountains |
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| One of many Strangler Figs |
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| Another One |
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| Festoon Falls |
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| King Parrot |
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| Crimson Rosella |
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| Male Satin Bower Bird |
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| Female Satin Bower Bird |
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| Bowerbird Display, Bower to left. |
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| Brush Turkey |
The Bower Bird had a nest nearby and all the blue bits from bottle tops, plastic spoons to bottles with lids were all scattered around the nest.
From Bunya we headed to Maidenwell where I climbed down to Cooma Falls.
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| Cooma Falls |
Sewing, finishing off goodies to sell at the Boonah Rally.
11 OCTOBER
Off to Esk today. It was a lovely drive through the hills.
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| Old Railway Station Esk |
Esk is a lovely little town, did the shops and topped up the van ready for Boonah.
14 OCTOBER
Off to Boonah a day early. Had a picturesque drive through the hills and we were amazed at the size of the Wivenhoe Dam. This was the dam that caused a lot of controversy at the time of the Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley floods. The main road goes over the dam wall and one can see why there was a lot of anxious times for the people in the valley.
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| On Wivenhoe Dam |
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| Going to Boonah |
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| Parked at Rally |
