Tara Lagoon (beside the showground where we stayed)

The sun set on the final leg of our journey in Tara on Sunday evening.We thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment, market stalls and food from different nations during what was billed as Tara’s “Festival of Culture and Camel Races”. At Friday evening’s Spanish Fiesta we were entertained by Flamenco dancers and two wonderful Spanish guitarists while we ate our dinner.

The camel races commenced on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. with six races on both days of the weekend. The saddle was worn behind the hump and some camels ran very very fast, some very very slow and some even turned around and ran the wrong way.

In the straight during the first race

The winning jockey sits on her saddle behind the hump

The majority of the jockeys were female and it was a great spectacle to see a camel thundering down the straight with the jockeys vying for the winning post. I never had a bet as there was no such thing as a handicap and clearly the bigger camels seemed to have the advantage. The bookies weren't giving anything away as no matter who won they couldn't lose with the odds they had spread across each race.

Great Company

Saturday evening’s entertainment ran from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. with my favourite half hour performed by the group The Twine. The remainder of my Saturday evening was spent enjoying a clear sky full of thousands of shining stars and a waxing moon while I drank a salubrious red wine. This year's actual Melbourne Cup was on display for photograph opportunities on Saturday evening and Sunday.

On Monday morning we got off to a fairly early start (for us) at about 8:30 a.m. and drove the 360 klms home reminiscing on what was a fabulous four week trip and feeling very thankful for the wonderful friends we shared it with. To those heading off to Mount Tamborine next weekend, travel safely.

Sincere thanks to Liz for all her researching before our trip and a great big thanks to Marie, Joy, Liz and Shell for your company during the first three weeks. When's our next trip?

L to R: Marie, Lyn, Joy, Liz and Shell

Luv

Lyn

Opera Time

Hello all

Lack of Internet connectivity lately has meant another gap between updates and I hope this posting finds all family and friends still well and happy.

Since my last post.................

We left beautiful Wuruma Dam and headed to Bell via an overnight stop at Goomeri showgrounds. From there we drove through Wondai where we visited the Timber Industry Museum and the adjacent Woodcrafters' Workshop. We met some of the resident woodcrafters and chatted with them about their work while enjoying their display of every type of timber you would care to name.

Peter learns about timber

Outside the workshop stands a sculpture of bullocks and a bullocky, created by world renowned Swiss artist Kurt Kueng, when he was a resident of the area. Inside the museum is a magnificent diorama of a bullocky's wagon camp that Kurt and his wife created. I recommend a visit to the museum and workshop if you are near Wondai. It's an interesting display which captures the region's heritage very well and demonstrates how vital timber is to the economy of the South Burnett region.

By last Saturday our group had grown to 28 with the arrival of more of our caravaning family. We camped at Bells and Whistles Caravan Park at Bell for two nights and on Friday night all enjoyed lovely pizza cooked by Helen the proprietor of the park in her recently opened cafe.

Waiting for our pizza

On Saturday morning we all headed out to Jimbour Station well before the opera commenced at 2:00 p.m. to give us plenty of time to visit all the stalls and purchase and enjoy lunch, wine and live music.

L to R: Darryl, Joy, Ray, Lyn, Jan, Trev, Mike, Gail, Marie, Peter, Maureen, John, Shell, Gary, Bryan, Liz, Anna, Bill, Ruth, Joel, Mike, Dawn, Narelle, Barry, Lorraine, Paul, Merrilyn, Alan

By my estimates there were about 8000 people picnicing and enjoying the wonderful Opera at Jimbour sponsored by the Queensland Music Festival. The show was billed as “an afternoon of stunning entertainment, bound to delight serious opera aficionados and first-time audience members alike”.

Some of our group in the crowd

It did not disappoint. I also learnt something new when I heard Tobias Cole sing and opened my program to discover he is a “counter tenor”. I'd never heard of the title. He had the purest soprano voice I've ever heard from a male. Other stars were soprano, Sara Macliver and bass baritone James Clayton. These people are so lucky to be blessed with beautiful singing voices.

Tobias Cole and Sara Macliver

On Sunday Marie & Peter and Shell & Gary headed home (to pack and get organised for their separate overseas trips) leaving 24 of us to continue on to the camel races in Tara. It was sad to see them go as I really enjoyed their company for the three weeks we were together. We miss you guys so much.

From Bell we drove about 130 klms and free-camped for two nights on the banks of Chinchilla Weir after coming a full circle over the past three weeks. Our campfires at the weir saw camp ovens full of roast chicken and vegetables, lamb shanks and various other meals while Liz successfully cooked date scones over the flames. Paul's guitar and Lorraine's assortment of 'musical instruments' distributed to each of us, made for a very enjoyable musical evening around the fire. Paul has a great voice.

Paul (a friend of Mike and Gail) entertains us at Chinchilla Weir

After Chinchilla Weir we spent a night at Caliguel Lagoons about 7 klms from the town of Condamine. The next day we drove to Meandarra (this name means 'place of water') and stopped for a few hours on the banks of Brigalow Creek.

Brigalow Creek - Meandarra

The creek-side camping area in Meandarra is huge and for the princely sum of $5 for the first night and no charge thereafter, you can use the hot showers, toilets, dump point and fill your water tanks as often as needed. Brigalow Creek is a tributary of the Condamine River and I enjoyed a wonderful walk along its banks where I lost count of the number of birds, some of which included sulphur-crested cockatoos, blue-faced honeyeaters, noisy friarbirds, pale headed rosellas, willie wagtails, cranes, wild duck, apostle birds and others I have forgotten. We then drove the 60 klms to Tara where we are now camped in the showground awaiting the weekend of camel racing.

The proliferation of prickly pear has been much greater on this leg of the journey and I was interested to read that prickly pear, which is indigenous to the Americas, was introduced via the First Fleet at Port Jackson in 1788 to establish a cochineal industry. It's also been a very different countryside out this way, looking a lot drier despite the summer rain. I guess we haven't had any rain for a while now so the countryside needs a top-up in the near future.

This evening we're heading over to the centre of the action, just across the racetrack, for a Spanish Fiesta to enjoy Spanish food as one of the activities on offer. There are loads of caravans here already and we're all looking forward to the weekend. I've visited some of the camels in their enclosures and find it extremely hard to pick what might be a "winner". I think I better have a chat to a cameleer or two and see if I can get some insider tips.

Time for a cuppa and then I'll pick up my crochet hook and enjoy talking with a few friends while enjoying this wonderful country.

It's a hard life!

Love to everyone.

Lyn

P.S. As I have no phone coverage until at least Monday, would someone in the family please phone Mum and read this to her.

Gorges, Gold and Dams

It's been a while between blogs due to lack of Internet connectivity,so I hope this posting finds you well. Ray and I both continue to keep well and we are enjoying our very comfortable van and this trip with friends.

After leaving Glebe Weir we travelled to Theodore via Isla Gorge, where a short bushwalk gave us exceptional views of the gorge on both sides. There is a free camping area in Theodore, wedged between the Dawson River and Castle Creek but it was too crowded so we opted for the showgrounds instead. Theodore is “the town that water built”, as it was the first area irrigated in Queensland. Cotton fields are visible on both sides of the town and cattle roam the paddocks. Theodore was evacuated twice during our summer of floods. It's a lovely little town but the only town I know of where you go to the Post Office to buy your fruit and vegetables, and to the newsagent to buy fresh chickens!

Main Street of Cracow

Whilst camping in Theodore we took a day trip to what is now almost the ghost town of Cracow. There's only one trading business and that's the infamous Cracow Hotel. The town was once home to 3000 people but now only around 240 work in the gold mine, most of them on a fly-in, fly-out basis. Fortunately Newcrest Mining Limited has transformed Cracow's old police station and court house into the Cracow Gold Mining Heritage Centre which displays much of the history of Cracow and the story of the goldfields.

Shell and Gary Craig outside the Cracow Gold Mining Heritage Centre

Our friend Shell Craig had the opportunity to walk down the streets of the town where her Mum and Dad met and married. Imagine her surprise when she saw a photo of her Dad in the video which was screening in the heritage centre. Newcrest Mining Limited has also erected a free camping area behind the heritage centre complete with three concrete slabs, power, showers and toilets. You can walk to the pub from it!

Peter finds a mussel

On the drive back from Cracow to Theodore, we sought out a couple of water holes, popular with the locals. This is where the real evidence of the strength of the Dawson River in full flood, is obvious. Flood debris showed the unbelievable height the water reached, whilst the flattened trees enabled us to imagine the full force of the water. We found shells from huge fresh water mussels washed down in the floods. In another area we were pleasantly surprised to find tall palm trees on both sides of a very long creek bank.

Drag Line at Dawson Coal Mine (Moura)

After camping in Theodore we headed off to Moura for a couple of nights of free camping beside the Dawson River (about 7 klms out of town). On the drive into Moura we viewed the operations of the Dawson Coal Mine from a viewing platform where we saw the giant drag line and the huge dump trucks slowing travelling up-hill whilst loaded down with coal. We were even treated to a free dinner one evening, when the local Baptist church held a sausage sizzle “for the campers by the river”. I attended, armed with a huge glass of red.

Sandstone Cliffs of Cania Gorge

Cania Gorge with its rugged sandstone cliffs, was our next stop. The colours of the sandstone cliffs reminded me of the setting sun. We camped in the picturesque Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat for two nights and appreciated having running water, electricity and other facilities so we could all do our washing. Ray and I were very happy to return to Cania Gorge, as we first visited the area on a day trip from Monto at the end of January when we said we'd like to return for a longer stay.

Lake Cania at the End of the Gorge

Three Moon Creek flows from the gorge to the southern side of Monto and we enjoyed bushwalking through the area and seeing the creek, caves, sheltered gorges and various wildlife up close. The highlight for us was the walk to Dripping Rock.

Kangaroo with Joey at Wuruma Dam

Our next two nights were spent free camping at Wuruma Dam which is about an hour's drive south of Monto. This beautiful dam has cattle grazing all around and we saw plenty of kangaroos near the spillway. One kangaroo with a joey in its pouch actually posed for me to take a photo. At night the sun sets over the dam and the reflections, day and night, have to be seen to be believed. I've marked this spot as one of my favourites.

Sunset at Wuruma Dam

Whilst in the area of Monto, Ray and I were able to catch up with our very dear long time friend, Daffy Dagg who recently turned 93. Sadly, her husband Gordon passed away at the end of March this year.

We are now camping in the showgrounds at Goomeri for one night before we head off to Bell tomorrow morning. It's only two more sleeps until Opera in the Vineyard at Jimbour House.

On this section of our trip, we've enjoyed some lovely fresh home baking and it seems that the ovens in our vans are perfect for cooking yummies to share for morning and/or afternoon tea. We've had scones with jam and cream (Gary), date muffins (me), date scones (Liz), carrot cake and a delicious chocolate cake (Joy) and fruit slice (Marie).

The weather is absolutely beautiful during the day but still very cold early in the mornings and during the evenings. We continue to enjoy our campfires. I hope all family and friends are well and happy. We are all so very fortunate to live in such a beautiful country.

Until next time

Love

Lyn

Bush Camping at Its Best

This blog has been set up to record our caravan trip to the 2011 bi-annual “Opera in the Vineyard” at Jimbour House and the annual camel races at Tara.

We are currently meandering and zig-zagging our way to Bell in time for the music festival at Jimbour House on Saturday 30 July. Our travelling companions are Liz and Bryan, Marie and Peter, Joy and Darryl and Shell and Gary. Liz has done a wonderful job of researching spots to bush camp and we have already enjoyed several of these.

Our trip commenced on Sunday 10 July after two days at the July Jayco Owners' Caravan Club rally at Murphy's Creek Escape, not far from Helidon at the bottom of the Toowoomba range. This property was severely affected by the January floods but thanks to assistance from strangers, is now back in full operation.

Our first night on the road was spent bush camping at Bowenville Reserve which is located between Oakey and Dalby. The reserve is a big open area accessed via the turnoff to Bowenville township. Toilet facilities are available and campfires are permitted in containers off the ground.

On Monday we headed off to Round Water Hole just outside Chinchilla. On the way we stopped at Warra for a cuppa and were surprised to see the very old Warra Hotel still open for business. Round Water Hole is a very handy overnight bush camp. There are no facilities here, but the under cover picnic tables and seats were well used for dining and socialising.

Shell, Ray, Bryan & Marie Around Our Campfire at Round Water Hole

Tuesday and Wednesday nights were spent at Judd's Lagoon at Yuleba. This is a beautiful spot with a very picturesque creek flowing past it. Bird life abounds around the lagoon and there is not a sound to be heard other than the bird calls, as the spot is well off the beaten track. I could have stayed here much longer!

Judd's Lagoon

From Yuleba we travelled to Wallumbilla and camped at the showgrounds enjoying the luxury of mains pressure water, toilets and power. What a treat after four nights of bush camping!!!! Wallumbilla opens the showgrounds to travellers for a “donation” which is a wonderful way to get people to spend money in the small town. We did our bit for the local economy and joined old Jayco friends Robyn and Wayne Taylor, who have a cattle property out of town, for dinner at the very old and lovely Federal Hotel.

On Friday we headed off to Taroom and parked our van in our old friends Pam and Blue's yard, while the other four vans camped in the caravan park directly opposite. Having known Pam and Blue for 35+ years, we had a lot of catching up to do over some very enjoyable food and drink. One of our group turned 65 on Saturday so Pam, Blue and the 10 of us headed to the Taroom Bowls Club to celebrate.

Glebe Weir Spillway

Sunday morning saw us depart for Glebe Weir about 60 klms outside Taroom where we have stayed for the past three days. It is a beautiful spot with toilet facilities and power. Some fellow campers caught a huge haul of yellowbelly fish that afternoon and gave us enough for dinner for the twelve of us. It was the first time most of us have filleted, cooked and eaten yellowbelly. It was so fresh, it melted in our mouths. Glebe Weir is currently very full with plenty of water pouring over the spillway. The devastation caused by the January floods is very evident as most of the trees within the path of the water still have no foliage.

Glebe Weir (taken from the spillway)

Joy and Darryl Preparing Yellowbelly for the BBQ

The weather for the first four or five days was extremely cold at night and in the mornings. I found the mornings coldest and it was so hard to get out of bed, that I didn't (for quite a while). Thank goodness for my thermals, beanie, gloves etc. I must say though that this is great weather for camping as there are no mosquitoes or bugs around and the skies have been amazingly blue and clear, made even more enticing by a waxing moon providing light for us at night. Full moon was extra special this month.

We are so very lucky to be able to enjoy what nature provides and to do it in the company of good friends. We've had no reception on our Optus mobiles but our friends using Telstra have no problems. Luckily I use Telstra mobile broadband, so I've had no trouble with the Internet.

Ray and I are both well and send our love to family and friends. Keep well and happy. Take care until next blog.

Love

Lyn