We left Whangarei on the 19th June and travelled down to Lismore that night and we stayed there for a week or so. Jasmin was 6 on the 21st June and Zac's birthday is on Monday the 25th. We are having 2 parties this weekend one for Jasmin on Saturday and one for Zac on Sunday. The weather here is very cold at night, colder than Whangarei, but it is sunny in the daytime, but has a cold wind. Been busy getting the caravan ready for our departure. We had to buy a new phone as the old one we had here the battery packed up and they don't make them any more. CDMA is going out soon so we bought a G next phone it should have a better range. It takes videos, and has video talk etc all a bit complicated for me at the moment. We also bought a new camera/video and it’s got a real big VGA screen we can see without our glasses on. Still learning how to work it as well. All this modern technology is really trying me out. Still got to keep up with the times or get left behind. The sun didn't last. It is so cold both day and night. Both Zac and Jasmin had birthdays this week, so it was a busy time. Afternoon tea on 21st for Jasmin, then birthday party for her Saturday, another one for Zac on Sunday after a day at the soccer tournament then afternoon tea Monday for Zac official birthday. We left Lismore on Wednesday in the sunshine and are staying about 50 metres from the beach at Runaway Bay. The caravan park is getting taken over by the developers. The weather has been fine but really cold wind so not that pleasant. We got up at 4.45 instead of 5.45am to get ready for the marathon and met up with the troops. We watched the All blacks get beaten last night. Zac, Robert Sharleen and Jasmin ran the 2.5 km and Glen the 1/2 marathon and his mum the 10km. A great day we started off with jumpers on, then had to strip down after the sun came out temperatures went from 5 degrees to 18 by 9.30 it turned out a really nice day with no wind. We stayed in a caravan park about 6 kms from where the marathon was being run, so we walked it to see how long it would take on the day, however, after walking very quickly it took us about 50 mins and we felt it was to far for Rob to walk and then run the kids marathon with Zac. We caught the bus back to within 2 kms from the caravan park but on the walk back we went into a open home. This townhouse had magnificent views of both the ocean and the hills to the West. It had 2 bedrooms, with office and a entertainment deck, it was so nice and so it should be for only $865000 and over $900ks when you pay the sales tax and furnish it, so we flagged it away. To fill in the next day we went off in the truck to find the quickest route to the marathon in Southport. They were closing the road down in front of the caravan park so we couldn’t drive along the main highway. We found two or three different routes. We met up with Sheryl Bench at her Cafe in Harbourside shopping center, on Friday for a coffee, she's well. Then on Saturday Kevin Johnston ( a guy we knocked around with when we were young) and his partner Margaret came over to visit. They have a Coaster bus and have just bought a Metal Detector like we did last week, so we are going to go up the coast by Charters Towers to do some prospecting. We have tried to update this site several times but we can not locate a internet cafe where we can plug into. We can only get onto their Internet and collect emails. We watched with heavy hearts as the All Blacks being beaten by the Aussies, albeit we had 14 players. Up at 4.45 am on Sunday because phone had the wrong time on, so we had plenty of time to get to Southport. We met up with Sharleen and the kids and Glen left for his run then Robert, Zac,Jasmin and Sharleen went for their run and then Isabelle ran her 10 kms. So we all had lunch then we said cheerio to the family and they headed down to Sydney for a few days before heading back to Lismore. That afternoon we went out to Sanctuary Cove and Pleasant Point etc. where the average home is about 2.5 million.
Well now our trip really begins. It’s so cold at night but the days are nice. We set off on Monday morning in bright sunshine. Where are we heading who knows. We headed to Landcruiser Park where Robert has wanted to go every time we have been over here. It’s approx 300kms out of Brisbane. We tired 2 times to update this website once in Caboolture Library where you had to book to use the email and they didn’t know whether or not to let me use wireless connection so we didn’t. Then we tried again in smaller town of Kilcoy, the same thing here, but I did get on the email. They seem to be behind the times out here and we’re not very far from the big cities. To get of Landcruiser Park we had to travel on 60 kms of gravel road and then 15 kms on tracks, good enough to get our caravan down though. Just as well we bought a semi off-roader one. It was a good test for the caravan, nothing moved inside so that says something for my packing. Once inside the Park the setting was great, a real Aussie setting here amongst the gum trees, its great. There are wide open spaces and oh it’s so quiet with only the birds to interrupt the silence. There are acres and acres of land here, three large campsites and no on else here but us. It has toilets and hot showers and plenty of firewood for our campfire. Roger and Jim you would love this place. They hold all sorts of 4 WD competitions here. We had no power so this was our first night freedom camping so to speak. A large camp fire was lite and we had dinner outside by the fireside. The stars where bright and then the moon came out, what a sight. However, it was a bloody cold night, in fact we had two deveus on, a beanie and socks. We froze. Waking up the next morning to a clear fine warm day make the freezing night worth while. Off we set to try our luck on some of the tracks. They grade the tracks from, tracks, rough tracks and then extreme. We thought we would stick to the rough tracks but somehow we took the wrong turn and boy we knew about it after about 1 km. We came to this hill that we had to back down and let our tyres down and have another go. Got it on video while I was trying to guide Robert which way to go. What a ride and what a experience this was. We will come back here again. We stopped and had lunch back at the caravan and discovered we had neighbours. They had parked just about 50 metres away and had 2 other campsites to choose from but chose to camp next to us. They had a dog and three kids so it wasn’t so quiet tonight. After pizza lunch we took off in the other direction and went to the rain forest, and up telecom hill, a experience in itself. Home again, and Rob had sore shoulders because of the hard turns and maneuvering over the ruts and rocks. Had another lovely campfire and eat outside again star gazing and then early to bed because we had to head off again.
Which way to go, back the same way or turn left and see where that lead. We turned left and travelled on gravel for some 50 odd kms and came to a turnoff that was sealed but not marked to anywhere, so off we went. After about 1 hour we came across this freedom camp so we pulled in to have lunch and stayed the night. It was the Kinbombi Falls, without water. It is so dry up here there is no water around anywhere. They did have a little rain last week but it didn’t ease anything. Here we met 3 sisters and their husbands, we had dinner with them and sat around the campfire and shared stories of where we had been and found out some more places we should go. One sister was from Tasmania, one from Lismore, where Sharleen live and the other Kyolge where Sharleen's in laws live. Its a small world. Again the night was very cold, followed by another clear warm day. We thought we would go to Kilkivan and stay at the caravan park as it advertised gold fossicking and this is what we want to practice with our new detector, however, when we got there the only fossicking was at a commercial gold place and its only panning for gold, so we gave this a miss and went on. So we turned left again headed to Gayndah and then to Mundubbera, on though Eidsvold where we saw a turnoff to a dam called Wuruma Dam. This was a freedom camp and you could stay up to a month. When we got there we discovered it had only 1% of water in the dam. It is dry out here. Nothing to see but where the water is supposed to be the cows, kangaroos and other animals are grazing. It’s so interesting in its own way, to think we are camping on the edge of the water when the dam if fill. The boat ramp ( photo enclosed) is about 500mtrs long and goes nowhere.
We went for a short walk and on our way back the neighbours asked us to join them and share their fire, this we did. Happy hour started and 4.30 and then we all had dinner between 6.30 to 7pm, followed by a cuppa then Kiwi, NSW and Queensland debate. There we three lots, Pam and Brian where from Orange, Graham and Barbara form Tamworth and Barry, Pams brother. Really nice people, they are heading north like us so more than likely we’ll met up with them again. We had been putting embers under our sits at night to keep warm, however these people put goat skin on their chairs. Rob put some embers under my chair in Landcruiser Park and it really works only I had to move as my bum was getting to hot, so he put it at the back of the chair and this worked better. The next day we walked 4 kms over farmland and up and down dales to get to the dam face and walked back on the road. Had a relaxing afternoon. Usually this area where we walked would be under water, pump shed, power poles and grown trees that have died. Know new trees are shooting up. How knows when it will be fill again, it would be magnificent when it is. There were 8 campers in this park when we arrived. Everyone here had left in the morning and nobody else came until 2 girls turned up to camp in their tents about 4 pm. We got out the Metal Detector and had a play. The first thing we found was a bottle top, next we found with some difficulty a very small piece of copper wire. So we thought we had better read up and learn how to discriminate against these types of things. Another cold night but yet again well worth it when you wake up to the sun shinning in the window. We had a early departure today, today being 07 07 07 and we’re heading to a Cainia Gorge just past Monto, just a hop skip and jump. We stopped at Monto to fill up with petrol, LPG gas and a few supplies. Tried to buy some shorts, but they only have winter gear in at the moment. We bought camp oven today so we can make our own bread and cook more variety on the campfire. There are two camping grounds here so we decided to go to the furthest one in the gorge, but when we got there I just didn’t feel good about it, I don’t know why, so we turned around and came back to the first one. This is where they do have Internet where I can go on and update this information. Yes, way out here about 300 kms from Rockhampton and 100kms from Bundaberg. We have found out about a old gold mine about 50 kms from here where we can prospect so we are going there on Monday. Sunday we are walking up and in and around the gorge so we will be had it by the time the evening comes. We think we are heading towards to Charters Towers area we think as we hope to met Kevin and Margaret up there and go gold prospecting. Will sign in again in a few weeks.
**Update**
Well we did go walking up the gorge and we were both disappointed in the views. We both expected higher rock formations etc like the Carnavon Gorge, but we didn’t get it. We walked for 2 hours up the mountain to a look out that said “Giants chair” we for the life of us couldn’t see anything that resembled anything like a chair, yet alone a giants chair, and I was surprised how well I coped and my knees held up well. On the way down the other side we came to a pool called the “Fern Pool”. This was quiet nice and would be lovely if it was hot and there was some more water around, although the reflections in the pond were great. So from here on in it was a flat walk home, on the way Robert got a stick insect on his leg, this one isn't as big as the one in Lismore. After another 1/2 hour walk or so I glad to see the caravan. Rob went out about 4.30 to light the camp fire and I went over to the office to update this website. Well that was a mission. It wouldn’t go through or so I thought. I look at the front page and it hadn’t changed. I tried again and again but nothing. Boy was I brazed off. I had spent 4 hours updating and changing the site around just the day before. Rob had the fire going well, so we cooked tea and had a few others join us until about 9pm then went back to the caravan to the warm. What a cold night down to 0degrees tonight, thank goodness for the heater. I watched a little bit of tennis, the first set, but got to tired so turned it off, but I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking about the website and what could have gone wrong. Never mind, it was so cold in the morning we stayed in bed till 8.30am and then after cleaning up I went back over to try publishing this update. I looked at my site and found that all the changes I had made had worked except the home page. The lady in the office, who is dutch, said she would help me and together we got it going. To top it all off xtra had cut off my email rjraymond@xtra.co.nz when I got broadband disconnected so I couldn’t get those emails so I emailed them and they apologised and said they would put in on again straight away so here's hoping. With all that done we had lunch and then went off for one on the other walks. We took the ½ hour one first then onto the dam which is only 5% fill, had a look around then we were on our way to the 2 ½ walk to the rock overhang, we saw a side road so decide to take it and 50 kms later we were around the back of the dam. We don’t know what a drought is over in NZ and we should be really grateful we don’t have anything like this. We saw ½ doz blokes camping by a river panning for gold, or something, and several near new houses empty because of the drought. Another 20 kms we found the Burnett Highway and we were only 50 kms from the caravan park all on tarseal roads. Home about 4pm just before it gets cold and I am catching up on this diary and Rob is reading a paper 3 days old. No fire tonight its far to cold and we are both feeling tired so an early night is in store.
**Update*
Up and at it again, walking that is, to the other great walks in the park. This time we expected nothing and got something. The tracks were well maintained for quite a while then narrowed and this is were we came to some great cliffs and dripping rocks. This is very much like the moss and ferns we have back in NZ but it was more beautiful here because of the surroundings and no water or real greenery anywhere but in this one little bit of rock. It looked like someone has planted garden of moss and fern then pumped water up so it trickled down and made it grow. Onwards, towards the Overhang Rock, which was very nice as well but there was only a pond of stagnate water at the bottom. I would say in the rain or after some rain it would be great to see. We went off the beaten track as per usual and walked another km up the dry riverbed. The cliffs got higher, the types of trees and growth was different so it was well worth the effort. We could have gone on for hours but we turned around and went up to see the Dragon Cave. Well a cave is a cave is a cave. But this was a hole or an overhang not a cave. You didn’t need a light to see in it, the opening was huge, but the views from it where lovely. So all in all I would rate this walk as good but not great. Really good exercise though. If we hadn’t had enough exercise we decided to do some prospecting in the creek. I used the detector for about ½ hour and didn’t pick up a thing, not even a bottle top. The creek bed was a dry as it could be and no-one comes here so there isn’t any rubbish. On the way Rob took over the detector I did the digging. He went up the bank for some reason and then called to me to dig. Well I did and we found, no not a nugget but and old 3 inch nail, so we gave up and went back to the van. We are still learning how to read the detectors noises so we need to use it more so we can learn. Tonight we have a treat, or Robert has one, the bush poet came and they all sat around the campfire and listened to him go on. Some are really good but I came home back after about 3 poems, I had heard a lot better. Robert stayed until he finished, then he stayed some more and had a chat to quite a few other people. It was cold as I was warm inside. We decided to leave and head for a freedom camp just out of Gladstone near the river. We had a photo of the mist under the bridge, if you remember that, well this is the same place. We travelled up the Burnett Highway to Biloela where we did some shopping to restock a little and have some lunch, then on to Calliope. The park was just as we remembered and we got the same spot we had several years ago. It was quite full when we got there and we found that there is a 48-hour limit you can stay here now and it is policed. We had a great campfire that night. Rob wanted to cook scones or dumper in the camp oven so we gave it a go. WOW what how great they turned out. You can see by the photo, but the bottoms were burnt, other wise they were great. We intended to have day off travelling today a car free day as we call it. Rob went and got some more firewood for tonight and I cleaned up. Then we went into Gladstone to have a look. We bought a rack for the camp oven so that the bread or scones or cakes wouldn’t get burnt on their bottoms. Both had a haircut and a walk around the town. Checked my emails and then came back to the van. Rob lit the fire early as it was getting rather cool as the sun went down and then we had a couple John and Rose, join us and then another lady and her son. She was South African and was on a holiday here for 4 months. Her son was about 12 and they were travelling in a station wagon and living in it. They were freezing, they could not afford to stay in parks all the time, I can rough it but not like that. We cooked a stew in the camp oven and made nanna bread to go with it, it was delicious. We bought an outdoor cookbook in Gladstone with heaps of good ideas for campfire food so we are trying them out. Then Rob made some more scones and this time the bottoms didn’t burn and they were just like yours mum only I think a little nicer, if that is possible. A little bit of a different taste a little smoky I think. Whenever we have a fire it seems to attract people to congregate this is not a bad thing, we have met some real nice people. We wanted to go to Kroombit Tops National park while we were at Cania Gorge but we decided not to. However, we changed our minds because we had heard of the aeroplane Besty that had crashed up in the mountain in 1945 and was only found in 1994 and we wanted to see it. So we backtracked, not something Robert likes to do. We went to Boyne Dam. Still no water, the water level is at the level of the old dam prior to them lifting it 10 meters. It is a freedom park, it said in the book it had showers, but it didn’t but I had toilets. A small campsite but nice and sunny or so we thought. The morning sun came in the van beautifully, but the big tree stopped the sun after about 4.00pm. It cools day early afternoon. Arrived about lunch time and went for a ride up the 4WD track for about 20 kms then turned back and picked up firewood for tonight’s fire, which we didn’t have. We watched a DVD and was it horrid, but what do you expect for 2 for $10.00. Up early as we had quite a way to go up to Kroombit Tops. We went through Ubobo towards Many Peaks on the side road back towards Monto. had to light the fire, to keep warm as it was cold here as well. (Kroombit Tops National Park is between Biloela and Miriam Vale on the map and just down from Gladstone) We followed the signs, which lead us through so good roads and not so easy roads then onto the tableland road, which was like a highway. Once up to the top to find the plane was a mission. If we did not have a map given to us from the guy next door who had just come back from it, we would have taken ages to find it. First we went to the lookout, which was closed, but we went there anyway. It reminded us of Cave Creek platform only it wasn’t over the edge but very near it. So we had a quick look, what great views right over to the Pacific Ocean. The mountains and hills had the blue haze but the sun was shining on the ocean and it sparkled. We took some photos then off to find the plane site. Another WOW. Most of the plane is still in there, be it in pieces. There are four engines, the propellers, cockpit, radio, and some of the dashboard instruments and heaps of debris lying around. The engines were thrown about 100mtrs from where the plane crashed. It had an eerie feeling about it. 8 men died here as it felt like it. If this were NZ there would be a Tapu placed on the site. People are asked not to remove any items and I would say by the look of what is there and how they are in the open and easy to remove, 99% of the people who go there would not take anything.
One passenger was on his way from Darwin to Brisbane to be married in 2 days he was travelling with his best man, these 2 were British. The other 6 were crew and they were Americans helping get supplies to Darwin for the troops stationed there. After having lunch and thinking about how lucky we are that our granddads came home alive other wise we wouldn’t be here today, we left there and took the only road out. Well they said only 4 WD past a certain point and we could now see why. This was just about as bad as Landcrusier Park or maybe not quite as bad. But it was great, we saw things that we had never seen before, had a good drive up and the a great 4WD drive back to the main road in. However, we decided not to go back on the same road and took the one marked on the map we had. Well after about 1 hour we both thought maybe it would have been better to go the other way. When we finally go through and came to the cross roads, there was a sign that said NO THROUGH ROAD. You can’t believe the signage here, the roads are marked on maps, sign posted Kroombit Tops and then they say No through road. Maybe it should have read, only 4WD track. Still we are glad we backtracked and went here.
Back at the van and Rob lit the Fire. Again we had people over, but we weren’t up late tonight, warmer in bed. Next day was a day off, so we just read for while then did the washing and then went prospecting again. This time we found some tin or aluminum rock, then a lot of tent pegs. Robert panned in the creek bed, but no colour, still it passed the day. We had some people camps here that are brothers. Boy could they both talk, they asked us to join them the next day as they were going to Rundle Range National Park but we decided to go to Rockhampton instead. They come here quite a bit and said they had never struck it so cold, so it is not just us Kiwis. We didn’t get any news on the results of the All Blacks just how well the Aussies are preparing, so text Roger to find out the score. Great we won; I won’t miss the last test. We intended to get up early and get away. We got up early then decided to wash the truck with the left over creek water we had. It was really dusty so it looked a lot better once we washed it. Up and off to Rockhampton and with not much petrol left in either tank we took a gamble and wanted till Mt Larcom. When we got there we couldn’t see a servo so we had to ask at the P O. There was one just about ½ km down the main Bruce Highway. We filled up the main tank but left the sub tank until Rockhampton, hopefully it will be bit cheaper. Petrol is now 1.25 – 1.32 for premium depending of which brand of petrol you choose. When we got to Rocky we ran the Caravan Park we stayed in last time but was fill, so we ran Big 4 one and we got it, only just. The lady at the information center we called into prior to going to the van park, was really great and told us a lot of place to prospect that aren’t public knowledge, because she does a bit. Got to the park and it is lovely. They gave a bigger site than usual and the amenities are so clean and spacious. It very quiet at night, its away from the main road, just enough so you don’t hear all the traffic. Had to go down to the shopping center just down the road to stock up as we were out of nearly everything and it was a lot bigger than we thought, so spent quite a bit of time just wandering around looking. The camp here has wireless Internet so this is why I am updating this today. We went into Rockhampton Yesterday and did some research at the Library on different areas to fossick, and had a look around the town. Robert has booked in for a massage, as his shoulders are very sore after that 4 WD track the other day. Kevin and Margaret rang last night and we hope to met them in Emerald or Clermont this weekend. We head west on the A4 through Blackwater and then to Emerald then North on the 55 highway, another 100 or so km to Clermont. Clermont is a great place to fossick for gold, Emerald is more gems. From there we are going straight up to Charters Towers, unless we find gold in which case we will be staying for a while I guess.**Update**
While we were in Rockhampton we received a message from Kevin saying that the training day for the mine lab detectors was being held in Clermont on Saturday the 21st and we didn’t want to miss out. We didn’t now about this because information with all the details and our membership number etc and about these training places and times went to Sharleen's address. We had booked our caravan into get its brakes adjusted and wheel bearings checked, as you should do after 5000kms. We had to make sure then that the caravan place could do the caravan first thing Friday morning as it was some 400kms to Clermont through Emerald and we didn’t want to be traveling at night if we a could help it. So on Thursday we walked into the city only 6 kms there and 6 kms back, but a very nice walk never the less. You see a lot more walking than driving. The guy took the van in at 8am and was finished by 9.30 so we got an early start. Stopped at Emerald for lunch and who should go past but Kevin and Margaret, didn’t see us. We met them in the caravan park in Clermont about 3.30 pm and we had a roast lamb for dinner together, that Rob cooked. We had a few laughs and decided to all go out the next day in the 4WD fossicking. We packed up our lunch, and off we set to find some gold. You have to get a fossicking kit here before you can start. It costs $11.00 a week and it allows you into all the fossicking areas and gives you the maps of the areas etc, but not where you find the gold. We did this for 5 days straight and what we found was, washers, nails, buttons, bullets but no gold. We had a great time looking and lots of laughs. Margaret baked cakes and goodies for morning tea, very nice but not good for the figure. On the last day Rob decided to try to go up this pile of tidings, he thought we wouldn't make it, then he thought he'd give it a go and well we got to the top and got the belly of the truck stuck. It took Kevin and Robert ¾ hour to dig us clear. We tried 4 different fossicking places. On the second day a lady showed us just what she had just found, it was 20-gram piece of gold and it was lovely. She found it about 200 metres from where we were so that gave us hope. She was so stoked and was still shaking from the find. I went to check our emails on Wednesday night at the library and had a message from Phil and Helen Smith (robs cousin in Townsville) their son’s girlfriend Marissa was having a 21st on Saturday night and we would be welcome to come. It was being held on a 46000acre station just out of Charters Towers called Cardigan. MMMM Gold detecting or cattle station. Rob has always wanted to go and work on a cattle station so it won out. We said cheerio to Kevin and Margaret on Friday morning and we set off to Cardigan Station. Had to do some shopping in Charters Towers first and thought we would stay on the road somewhere. The directions we got from the Smiths were perfect and the station was easy to find. The station is 45 kms from Charter Towers and of that 30 odd was dirt, some rough but not to bad. We headed down the road and we didn’t see anywhere worthwhile pulling in at so went straight to the station. We met Colin and Noelene Ferguson who own the station and they told us to park next to the 3 brm home that isn’t being used at the moment so we could use the power, toilet, shower etc. They had TV in the house and we couldn’t get reception in the van so at night we would have dinner then go inside sit on the lazy boys and watch a little TV in comfort have a shower then bed. Rob told me not to get to used to this or I’d want to get a house and settle down. On the Saturday both Colin and Noelene were busy. I helped Noelene a little making the sweets for the party while Rob went out with Colin to do the water. The party was very nice and it was great to see the Smith family again. They always make us so welcome. We went off to bed about 11pm the party finished at 3am. We never heard a thing. On Sunday Daniel (Phil's son) took us around the station and down to the Burdekin River, which runs through the station. What great views and to have water like that running through your property up here is a great asset. We saw a crocodile in the river, apparently they have been trapped in here since the floods, and so even though the river looks great it’s not so good for swimming. They have these what I would term shacks down on the river where people come for the weekend. They are so different. There is 3 of them. One looks like he is going to settle there for life, concrete floor, TV aerial, radio aerial, all closed in, while another one is just a roof with some canvas sides, it has 3 cool ranges, 2 fridges and fold away beds, all out in the open. They are allowed them there as along and Colin and Noelene say so other wise they have to go. Colin and Noelene said we could stay on if we wanted to and we jumped at the chance. They offered us the 4WD 650 bike to go and have a look at the station so we went for about 2 hours and Rob lost his good sunglasses somewhere near the cows watering square. The station has these big paddocks, I mean a farm size paddock, and at the boundary of four paddocks in a square where the water is pumped up and then fed into the troughs to each paddock, so this is were all the cattle congregate during the day. It is usually to hot for them to each so they rest here and then go walking and eating in the evening and into the night. We saw heaps of wild life. They have pigs, emus, kangaroos and ample bird life. The emus aren't scared of you they just walked around the car and continued on their way after they had a good look. The Ferguson's were mustering on Monday with the helicopter and asked us if we wanted to come along. So we get on the 4WD together and we go out the back of the station and when the chopper rounds up the cattle we follow them down the fence line and keep them together. The next day Rob did some separating the cows, heifers and bulls etc, The ones with a bad attitude went to town on the truck Robert called this the mad cow syndrome, and then in the afternoon they did the calves. I couldn’t watch this. They branded them, ear clipped them, de horned them and cut their nuts out and they cooked them on the branding machine and ate them. Rob helped put the caul ones back in the paddock. All the stock work is done on bikes, no horses and no dogs. Noelene and Colin were great hosts, we learnt a lot from then. The calves are separated from their mothers and then fed hay in the pens each night and then put in a holding paddock at night then rounded up the next day and put back in the pens. This is repeated each day until they have settled and it gets them used to being rounded up and quietens them down. They had two pet magpies that fly into the kitchen and eat the cats food or whatever Colin leaves out for them. The cat doesn’t get up until the afternoon. We spent two days prospecting wherever we wanted to but again no luck but we found very tiny pieces of copper, another bullet and we are getting to understand the machine a lot more. What a great experience we had, and we are welcome to go back anytime. We left there on Friday and made our way to Fletcher Creek, after stocking up on food and petrol, and answered all the emails, which had mounted up about 38 in all. So we were in Charters Towers a little longer than we thought. Still got to Fletcher Creek about 2.30 and all the places by the river we thought had been taken. But after walking around both sides of the road where you are allowed to camp we found a great spot. We are on the rivers edge or about 5 meters away and up a slight raise so we are a bit safer if the river rising. We are right next to the little rapids. At night is sounds like the waves rolling in and is so peaceful, and it cuts out the sound of the generators. There are about 60 vans here all spread out over about a 4 acres mostly on the river edge. There are big ones and little one and all shapes and sizes, both in vans and people. It’s so peaceful. We have been here for 4 days now and we still aren’t bored. Went for a drive today to the Burdekin River and walked up the down the sand and over the granite rocks, what lovely colours. Then there are the Bassett rocks and then just ordinary rocks. Had lunch down there and collected firewood on the way home. We have to do a firewood run every two days. We cook only on the fire here in the camp oven. We have had two roast lambs, and casserole, and chicken steaks. Rob loves his fire, and we’re out there every night till about 8.30 sometimes by our selves or sometimes other people come over and we have a chinwag. Then we usually watch a DVD. We bought some at Rockhampton, 10 movies for $2.99 and another pack to 50 movies for $6.99 so you can image, you get what you pay for. We have only watched about 5 of the 10 comedy pack and 3 were good 2 were crap. Still it’s not bad for 2.99. The caravan is great and we haven’t run out of battery at all, the solar panel is putting in more than we are using each night. We are going for a drive around the block tomorrow, it’s about 200km trip. We head out toward the National Park and the Great Bassett Wall and to Lolworth all on dirt tracks, then join the main A6 at Pentland back up to Charters Towers to send this and re stock and then home to Fletchers Creek again and then maybe on Thursday or Friday we will leave here and head up to Georgetown and Mount Surprise.
Well here we are again. We did go for our 350 km drive which was quite interesting. Rob brought a net to catch Red Claw (mini crayfish) and a fishing rod. We had a few of our neighbours over on Robs birthday night around the camp fire. One couple that came were Mike and Margarette Nolen. They are about our age and interested in detecting etc as we are. I cooked Robert a banana cake, and Rob caught 3 shrimps and the neighbour gave us 3 small red claw which Rob had for entree. The next day we took Mike and Marg to the gorge which was really lovely. We had a generator next to us tonight so we are glad we left the next day. We packed up and were gone by 9.55 am. We had a very interesting trip up the Gregory Development Road. This is a narrow single bitumen road with 55mtr road trains coming at you at some speed. At every creek there is a call point. This is for the road trains to call and say they are coming on the UHF. When we arrived at these points we called as well and it did say us pulling off on the soft edges a few times. We pulled off and waited for the road trains to past when we got a reply. When we got to Greenvale we stopped for lunch and to get our gas bottle filled and water topped up. Just as we were doing this Mike and Marg came along, so we decided since we were heading in the same direction we would travel together. We found a great stop to stop overnight on the Einasleigh River. We had a big camp fire, call Rob the fire bug. Talked till 10.15 then bed. Very quiet spot only three vehicles all night. Well we had to go on 150kms of dirt road, most of this road is OK but there were patches of bad corrugations. We stopped and went to the Cooperfield Gorge at Einasleigh. The lady in the pub there was from Umurewa, she was a Turner. Went to Kaikohe high school and Umurewa Primary. She is related to the Ogles and Chapman's. Small world ahy mum. We arrived at Forsayth a small old gold town. One pub, PO and store and motor camp, Library only opened 2 hours on a Monday, one petrol pump. The caravan park was so dry there was no grass sites. It was very good value for money at $75.00 per week. The pub had meals on a Thursday night but the first Thursday night you had a choice Roast Chicken and veggies or veggies and Roast Chicken, it wasn't cooked. On Friday night the shop has Fish and Chips which is so big you can hardly eat it, very good value for money. We stayed here for two weeks and every day we went prospecting. We got up at 6 am and prospecting till about 10.45 had morning tea under the shade of a tree and a talk for about 1 hour then back to the van for lunch and rest until 4. For the first week we would go out again at 4 till 6. I got so tired after about 8 days straight we stopped going out in the afternoon. Robert got sick the day after we got there by drinking the water. We only found a small nugget on the last day we were there. It came about in a funny sort of way. We went out each day with Mike and Marg. They have done this before down in SA. and WA. We learnt so much. We had driven to Copbald Gorge today and it was great. The gorge was only very narrow and you go up in a small flat bottom boat. It was lovely, we had lunch at the Gorge then I had to sleep in a old wooden rocking chair, I didn't realize I was so tired, its hard work prospecting. Seeing it was and Thursday we decided to give the pub another shot with their meal, this time they had a choice of Roast beef or roast lamb and it was very nice. Rob paid the bill and unbeknown to me he bought a nugget of gold 1.8 grams, as a souvenir. He showed it to me later that night, and said he would trick Mike and Marg the next day. Well at the end of our Prospecting on Friday he put in amongst our fines, such as buttons, bullets, nails and even a belt buckle. Mike got all excited and got up to give me a hug and I had to say no its not true. Marg thought it wasn't as she didn't hear me yelling as she though I would. Well on Saturday we went out and took the nugget with us in a film container so we could learn the sound of gold. Well we take turns Rob and I as we only have one detector. I had just finished my 1 1/2 hours and sat down on the top of a hill (one of many around) to have a rest and play Sukudo when I heard Robert yell, I jumped up and (Stanley) I thought I had dropped the gold but shook my back pack and it rattled so keep only. He was only yelling to tell he was moving around the other side of the hill, not that he got a nugget. Well we got home had lunch and a rest then I thought I had better do some cleaning up and noticed when I unpacked the backpack, no gold. I asked Rob if he had it and he said no, then I had a thought about my sub conscience telling me I had dropped it but didn't take any notice. So I told Rob this and I was having the day off on Sunday to get packed for leaving on Monday. But this changed everything, we had to go back to where we thought I may have dropped it. I was detecting as I went and I traced my steps back the way we came home the day before. Rob went ahead to see if he could find the hill I rested on. Well I came to this hill and thought I am sure this is it, so went up to the top, looked at the rocks thought which one would I have sat on. And ah ha there it was just sitting on the top. I yelled out to Robert and we were both relived. So because it only took me 3/4 hours to find it we went further on over more hills and down valleys and Rob pointed out a little flat patch half way down the hill , I ran the detector over it and it beeped. I thought it was rubbish and said so. But after digging four inches in the hard ground and looking and looking because the beep wouldn't stop until we found this little nugget. Boy were we excited. Mike and Marg where so glad we found one. Something good comes out of something bad. Mike found 2 flakes (very small nuggets) one in each week we were there. We left Mike & Marg at Forsayth and we hope to met up with them next year as we are both heading over to the West. We really enjoyed their company. Forsayth caravan park has to be one of the most friendly camps around. We learnt so much about prospecting from so of the older prospectors, such as Toby from Canberra, and Tom from NZ know living in Aussie, who goes there every year. They shared their knowledge with us, which was appreciated. Gold detecting is not the easiest job in the world. You have to walk for miles up and down hills over rocky crests and through long grass. I was scared of snakes to start with but you get used to it. We are starting to learn what ground, kind of trees to look for. Prospect where the gold is, well do your best anyway. We set off as after 2 weeks with no shopping we nearly ran out of food so we headed off on the Monday, the road was not so bad only 35 kms of dirt. Georgetown butcher has a reputation for his great meat and we must agree. got to Mount Surprise around 2.30 pm so stayed at the Bedrock Caravan Park, which was another clean camp. We went for a swim and went for a walk up to the village. Only stayed the one night then on towards Mareeba. We drove through Ravenshoe which is a really friendly small town about the size of Kawakawa, were we had lunch and walked around the railway museum. The landscape is changing, from scrub like trees and no grass and ant hills to larger trees, more grass and we then went into the Atherton Tablelands which of course is rain forests and it was raining when we got there. It was great to see the green green grass, and the bush and even the rain. We stocked up in Mareeba and headed West to Dimbular. This is another small town on the way to Chillagoe where there are really great caves. We stayed here for 2 nights as on our rest day, we haven't had one since Fletcher Creek, we made a decision to go 21kms on the dirt to see if we could get the caravan there and if we could prospect. You get so many different stories. So off we set at noon and took our lunch with us, just meaning to be a few hours. Well as you should know by now, we did 350kms on dirt road and 4WD tracks. It was really great but we had 2 punctures within 30 minutes of each other and we were still 150kms from home. No more spares so we just hoped we would get home. Then about 50kms from home we hit a wild dog and killed it, luckily, with the roo bar it was as big as a Great Dane. Well they say it comes in threes. So this has changed our plans, with no spare tires we couldn't go to Chillagoe so we had to come back into Mareeba to get them fixed. We couldn't get them fixed in Dimbula as it was now Saturday and there is no-one open so we hitched up and went back to Mareeba and then made our way over here to Cairns. I still feel a little funny here because of the Ross River Fever I had last time I was here. Still tomorrow we are going to the Festival in the Botanic Gardens and then Monday over to Franklin Island to do some snorkeling etc. The rain has stopped and the wind should have dropped by then. Well the gardens are very nice and there was a fair going on so we had entertainment all day. Weather picked up and so we could walk to town, have dinner and walk home. Both had a great massage to get rid of all the aches and pains. Traveled down the coast until Townsville, stayed with Roberts cousins, Phil and Helen for a few days, then set off again towards Lismore. Decided to call into Clement again for a few days of gold detecting, really got the bug now. We were only there a few hours when Mike and Marg rang, the ones that stayed with us in Forsyth, and they were about 700kms away but they decided to come down and spend some time there as well. We didn't find any gold this time so we moved on and left the other two there. They found gold after we left. We headed down to Warwick just a few hours from Brisbane to have another go at finding gold. This time Robert did. Only 5.5 grams but it was a real buzz finding it. I wear it around my deck now. What a great time me had. Made our way over to Brisbane then down to Sharleen's' in Lismore for 2 weeks. While we were there we had three hail storms. The size of golf balls but 2 kms the size of tennis balls. They damaged our caravan and we have to get the roof, and 2 sides replaced. We will take it down to Melbourne when we come over in February 08. Sharleen took us up to Coolangata were we stayed to two nights before flying home to Whangarei. We stayed at the Twin Towns Apartments which is right on the border of NSW and Queensland. We had a 1 bedroom apartment. We thought we would go and have a look at the display unit and Liz showed us through a few others. One on the 6th Floor another on the 8th and then one on the 14th Floor with awesome views over the Harbour and Tweed River, which couldn't get built out like the others we saw. So when we came home we put in a offer and it finally got accepted. It took 4 weeks to engage contracts and now that we finally got it. We take over on the 14th December 2008. It is 2 bedrooms, 1 bedroom and a studio unit. We are going over to stay in it on the 25th January 2008 until the 17th February then we set off again maybe over to WA this time. Time will tell. It is our 40th Wedding Anniversary and both my bridesmaids are coming to Coolangata and maybe one of our groomsman. So we will let you now what sort of time we have all together again. I will put some photos of the apartment in the 2007 photo album as it is available to rent.Well we have been home for a couple of months now are we can't wait to get back over to Aussie and get on the road again. We would love to see you over there sometime.