Day 8 8th September 2012 - Yeppoon (rest day)

Relaxing morning at campsite. Then drive to Yeppoon and walk along the foreshore path and shopping precinct.

Lovely walk at Yeppoon

Made a dinner booking at the Yeppoon Yacht Club to celebrate the week's successful trip.

The beautiful foreshore at Yeppoon

Cheers to celebrate a wonderful week

Sunset over Yeppoon



Day 7 7th September 2012 - Dululu to Yeppoon

Distance 128 kms  

Up early 6.30, cold shower, big bowl of oats & dried cranberries, a cup of tea, tidy and pack up and then left at 7.30 for Mt Morgan (about 30 km from Dululu). 

Gill parked her van then jumped into the trusty Hi-Ace and we drove into town to the bakery for coffee and a sultana bun. Then drove up to where the old mine is and then on to the lookout where we got a great view over the 2 chimneys and the brown scarred earth of where the mines were. Then a drive to the old Mt Morgen railway station museum.

A quick stop at the suspension bridge and then 2 kms down Bryant's Road to the Big Dam - very picturesque and I love the brightly painted picnic tables and benches. One set was purple and green, another red and yellow. Every set was painted in 2 different bright hues which made for a friendly picnic place.

Then back on the road heading to Rockhampton which was around 35 kms. The drive over the Mt Morgan Range was stunning with steep very windy descents and beautiful views mostly having to travel at 40km per hr. Then the trick of finding the scenic rim route to Emu Park where the memorial to Captain Cook the singing ship is located on a hill above the beautiful coastline.

Then on to Causeway Top Tourist Park to check in and set up camp for the next 2 nights. A walk on the beach with Gill and Sooty and then the washing needed to be done.

Mt Morgan - pollution of waterway

View from Mt Morgan look-out over historical mine site

The ride down the Mt Morgan range

Scenic Mt Morgan Range ride





Arrival at Emu Park

At Emu Park - the end of Stage 1

Dinner at BYO Fish & chips restaurant nearby. 3 fisherman's baskets and I decided to go with the wild barramundi chips & veges. All great and enjoyed with a bottle of Secret Stone. Back to the camping ground for tea & a choc chip biscuit. Then bed.

Day 6 6th September 2012 - Cania Gorge to Dululu

Distance 170kms  

Cania Gorge to Dululu (Aboriginal for soft) via Biloela (Aboriginal for cockatoo).   Boys left at 6.30 for Biloela. Gill & I packed up and then drove to Cania Dam lookout and to picnic ground. It was very peaceful over the lake.

Met 'a local family' on the road to Cania Dam

Left from camping ground just after 9am and saw the guys just before Biloela. They had miscalculated the distance and it was 97kms. Had coffee and amazing pancake stack with banana berries maple syrup & ice cream. Mobile phone coverage at last so I sent Sebastian (son) a message.

Walter & Steve saw wild pigs, emus and wallabies and were followed by a group of cockatoos during the trip from Cania Gorge to Biloela. I did some shopping - fruit, sticky date pudding & custard, milk and veges whilst Gill caught up on some phone calls.

Petrol stop then on the road again to Dululu. 40kms on and then a lunch stop by the road overlooking Callipe mining area with white excavated hills in the distance.

Then the last 35kms to the rest area. Quick drive to the local to pick up the key ($10) for power box & toilet / shower amenities key.

Windy and lots warmer.

The guys arrived had showers then off to the local for a few drinks and a chat with the locals - local teacher's aide and grain farmer's wife - 350 acres of wheat to be harvested in 6 weeks. Photo of local identity on wall who died of cancer 8 years ago. Every year 200 motor bikers ride through and celebrate and the local school caters as a fund raiser. Bikers camp in park opposite the pub. Another teacher arrived also to pick up mail from the pub and she is the only teacher at Westward which is 35 kms up the highway of a 12 pupil school. It appears to be a close warm community.

The people you meet - the Cania Gorge road

The Dululu pub

Beautiful sunset over Dululu

Back to rest area - brilliant sunset red golden ball but behind trees so very difficult to photograph. Pork chops & veges for dinner. Then sticky date puddings & custard for desert. Tea and choc chip biscuits. Wind has dropped. Then bed  - we are all ready for an early night.

Day 5 5th September 2012 - Cania Gorge (rest day)

Delicious bacon & eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes cooked by Steve in Camp kitchen.

5.2 km walk saw Big Foot rock then to Big Chair Look-out, Fern pool where we heard frogs - a beautiful circuit walk.

Amazing cooked breakfast - thanks Steve

Back to camp for coffee and then Gill and I prepared a big fruit salad which we had with yogurt. A nice rest for an hour and then Gill & I walked 1.2 kms to Cania Gorge National Park. We started off on the Dripping Rock walk then on to Overhanging Boulder. Met Luke (a fellow camper) on the track and he joined us for the remaining walks.The colours of the rocks were brilliant oranges / yellows / light greens - amazing with ferns and huge mossy boulders.

Back to main track and then on to Dragon Rock, Gorge look out and Bloodwood Cave. Finally we followed Three Moon Creek via the Picnic Circuit back to the picnic area and the last 1.2 km walk back to the campground arriving back at 5.15pm. A nice relaxing glass of wine & some cheese, a hot shower and then prepared macroni in Steve & Gill's electric frypan. Played Sequence - a fun strategy game. Great day ! 

Beautiful Fern Gully

The end of the circuit walk

Overhanging Rock - so tranquil

Another beautiful part of Overhanging Rock walk

Day 4 4th September 2012 - Mundubbera to Cania Gorge

Distance 148 kms  

Mundubbera to Cania Gorge via Monto. Petrol stop $35 for just over a qtr of a tank. Up at 6.45 guys left at 6.30 - they were planning on coffee at Eidsvold.

We drove around 80kms met them around 35kms past Eidsvold where we sat on the side of the road & had coffee overlooking the yellow grasslands. Then on to Monto for us to buy groceries for the 2 night stay at Cania Gorge.

Challenging walk up to track high above the campgrounds and even more challenging on the downward climb down from the water tanks above. 

A nice glass of wine & then to the camp fire. Off to camp kitchen to cook BBQ dinner. Steaks were fantastic with potatoes, coleslaw, mixed salad & beetroot - all in all a very enjoyable meal.

Back to campfire for bush poetry - a very entertaining local poet reciting traditional & local Australian poems. Cold night.

Challenging walk to above Cania Gorge camping ground

The boys rode 148km ride - easy landscape to ride mainly cattle grazing land in valleys - grain growing land. Very little traffic. Cattle trucks give heaps of warning and keep a big clearance before overtaking.





Local bush poet at Cania Gorge camp ground

Day 3 3rd September 2012 - Murgon to Mundubbera

Distance 164kms  

Barambah - Mundubbera (via Ban Ban Springs and Gayndah)

Left at 8.15 (boys left around 6.30am)

90 kms to Ban Ban Springs for morning tea. Ban Ban Springs was a lovely place. Blue Kingfisher on tree above the waterhole. The spring was bubbling and there were many beautiful coloured rocks visible in the pristine clear water.

27kms to Gayndah where we did a grocery shop and I bought a plastic electric kettle for $5.

Drove about 20kms past Gayndah and saw the boys. Stopped by the road side for lunch. Used Steve's phone to call Samuel (our eldest son - a pro triathlete) to wish him well for his upcoming race in China.

Kingfisher at Ban Ban Springs

This bird was keen to check out Walter's bike

The beauty of Ban Ban Springs

Last 30kms to Mundubbera. The Showgrounds were deserted and the contact was not home so went to info centre and decided to splash out and stay at 3 Rivers Camping Resort which had a swimming pool. Walter enjoyed a swim and Gill and I cooled off our feet and legs. Icecream time and then a walk into town. Chicken with feta and penne pasta & salad for dinner. Camping $29

Day 2 September 2nd 2012 - Blackbutt to Murgon

Distance 90kms

Up early around 6ish. It was bitterly cold with frost on the ground. Walter & Steve left at 7.10am for the 90kms trip Blackbutt via Nanango (fuel stop $55 for 33 litre half tank) to Murgon (We stayed 10 km out at Barambah Camping Ground)

Arrived around 11.45 and the boys very soon after. Sandwich for lunch. Enjoyed a nice glass of wine to celebrate Fathers Day. Afternoon nap. Planned tomorrow's route. Then a bush walk (white walk) to the look-out and then blue-walk around the pretty dam where the gum tree reflections were beautiful. Camp fire at 5pm and a chance to chat with fellow travellers.

Roast prepared by Steve & Gill in large electric fry pan before camp fire. Pork, roasted veges - beetroot, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and onions . Delicious

Sat around outside the caravan for tea & choc macadamias & yogurt cranberries.

Late afternoon reflections at Barambah Camping Ground dam

Camp fire chat

Checking tomorrow's route

Day 1 - September 1st 2012 - Brisbane to Blackbutt

Distance 161kms

Walter left at 6am to cycle to Ferny Grove Railway Station to meet Steve there. Deanne left at around 8am. Passed the Smiddie peloton just past Wynn Road turnoff at 8.20am. Saw an eagle over soaring over the Dayboro Road as did the boys too when we talked about what we had seen. I caught up with the guys about 5 kms before Mt Mee. 

Quick stop at Mt Mee lookout and then on to Woodford for orgasmic Danishes and coffee. The guys left at 10.20 and Gill and I checked out the local shops and museum.


We left Woodford around 11.30 and drove the 20kms to Kilcoy. Quick map check and we took the D'Agular Highway and headed towards Kingaroy. Another quick lunch stop with the boys at a truckie stop / servo. 


From there just a 30km long steep climb over the Blackbutt Range and into Backbutt to the Showgrounds camping site. Total of 161 kms with the guys arriving at around 2.30pm. The girls arrived at 2pm and proceeded to find the ideal site with power and to wrestle with putting up a shade tarp structure in intermittently gusty windy conditions.

Wine & cheese at the camping ground before walking in to town to the iconic country RSL for amazing steaks and the boys had the hugest pork chops I had ever seen. Bedtime had the added bonus of listening to an Eagles concert which also included good old Aussie hits. Very cold night.
Camping $16.



Samford - the beginning of the trip

Mt Mee

Oceanview Lookout



Lunch stop past Kilcoy





Gill & Steve

We are preparing for the first stage of our trip which starts in 2 weeks time (1st September) Gill & Steve are joining us for this test trip Brisbane to Rockhampton. Steve & Walter are cycling and Gill is driving & towing their caravan whilst Deanne is trying out the Toyota Hi Ace campervan. Walter has been doing some solid rides the last couple of weeks. 110-165 km per day solo as well as rides with Steve. (650km this week)