After the two rallies - third week

Sunday 28 October 2018

Barbara, who had come with us to Maryborough, but was also on her way home, left us on Sunday.  Patricia and I visited and 'old' friend from Russell Island, who now lives in Maryborough with her daughter, Debbie.  We had been there before, but it was nice to see them again and know that they are doing well.

It was a very hot day and Patricia and I were both quite tired when we came back, so both of us had a little nap in our respective vehicles.  I just had a rest, but Patricia slept and unbeknown to her had 'overheated'.  When she came to the house she was still groggy and not doing well.  I tried her to cool herself down with wet cloths, but she didn't improve, so Annie decided to call an ambulance, just to be safe.  The young man was very patient and kind and did some tests as a precaution, but she was gradually doing better and was not taken to hospital.

She was very cross with herself as Annie had had visitors that afternoon who played the ukulele.  All of them were going to have a jam session (Patricia plays the ukulele too), but of course, that didn't happen.

After dinner the sky turned black and we had a storm coming towards us very fast.  Knowing what can happen if things go wrong I wanted to get away from under the trees and moved my camper to an open spot.  However, in a hurry to outrun the storm I had forgotten to close the windows first and by the time I got to them everything was already soaking wet.  Bed and all...  Luckily it was a very warm night and I didn't need all the bedlinen, so slept well and the next day everything dried quickly.

Monday 29 October 2018

Sunday was my last day at Annie's and I left Monday morning after morning tea with Ian.  I'd said goodbye to Patricia and Annie as they had to go to a ukulele class.

My next visit was with one of the ladies from the 5Ws whom I had messaged before.  I didn't have far to go as Eris also lived in Maryborough.  We had coffee and a lovely muffin at her place and than she took me into town to show me a few places.  Not having told her that I had been the day before, we saw similar spots, but of course, as we walked I had a lot more time to take in all the sites, which was quite enjoyable.  

A huge fig tree sending out its roots

Jacaranda season, and this is only a small one

Visiting Mary Poppins again

Eris and Mary

A kookaburra on a post....

....and on the ground

From Maryborough we went to Hervey Bay on the coast and met Desley, also a 5W meber.  Together we had coffee and cake at Enzo's, a beach side restaurant.

Marion, Eris and Desley

Then it was time to say goodbye again as I had to make my way to Gympie before dark. I stayed at Chatswood Park (#159) where I had stayed before.  A nice rest area, albeit a bit close to the highway.

Tuesday 30 October 2018

I love Gympie and would have liked to spend some time near the lakes or otherwise, but could only drive through this time as I had promised to be at Maroochydore to meet yet again a few people.

I arrived at The Coffee Club a bit after 10 am and met Louise who was already waiting.  The group of people I was to have morning tea with were Solo members.  Shortly after me Gary, Sue and .... (name forgotten) joined us.  

I left just after 12 pm as my parking spot (very lucky to have found one in the middle of a busy town) allowed me only 2 hours, but it was enough, because I was to meet the group again in a few weeks time.

A nice drive led me through Buderim and Peachester (where I had a break for lunch) and at the end of the afternoon I arrived at Cruize Park (#499) for my overnight stay.

It was lovely to see the country up here so green again after the rains.  Down south it was only brown, brown and ..... brown!

Wednesday 31 October 2018

Early in the morning I went for a short walk with the aim to look for a geocache, but there were too many campers around, so I didn't really give it a go.

On my way back I spoke to a young French couple from Strassbourg (no, not in French!;-)) who were here for a year to see Australia.  They have given themselves plenty of time as opposed to those who come here to see the country in 3 weeks! 

I left the campsite at approx. 9.30 am and did some shopping at IGA in Kilkoy.

After Kilkoy my GPS sent me via an unusual road to Toogoolawah: Gregors Creek Road, which was a most scenic drive which I enjoyed very much.  

 I had a morning tea break near Toogoolawah at Pol Crandle Park (#506).  I had stayed at Toogoolawah with the BSW not so long ago, but now it looked worse for wear after the recent devastating bushfires in the area.

I passed through Esk as well, another little town that I like much, and stopped to buy a postage stamp, so I could send my card off to the Netherlands, and bought a few more puzzle solving books.  I like to have them handy in the camper for the odd spare moment.

I made a detour via the Atkinson Dam for lunch at the lake.  I had been there before and back then the water level was already low, but this time it was even worse.  We need more rain still...

The rest of the trip was a pleasure too, in particular now everything looks so green and healthy again.  The Lockyer Valley that I passed through is more or less Brisbane's salad bowl and it is evident when you see all the crops: zucchini, corn, sweet potato, silverbeet, cauliflower, pumpkin, etc.  A great sight.

I made good time the rest of the way and arrived at Gatton RV Park where I found a dump point and got set up for the night.  The park has no number as such, because I found it through the CMCA app instead of in the Camps Australia book which I normally use.  For location purposes it's William Kemp Park on the Lockyer Creek. 

Thursday 1 November 2018

I forgot to take pictures of the campsite, but have a few that I took later in the day when I went in search of a few caches.  I had not yet been to Gatton, but I liked the town.  

A few early workers woke me up very early with their machines, so I got up and had breakfast and sat in the early morning sun to play my Wordfeud.  After that I went for a walk.  First two caches nearby (well, nearby is not far if you compare it with a walk to Perth!), but I made it, albeit not without blisters on my heels.  It really is too hot in summer for long walks if you are soft-skinned.

#2003 - The End Of The Line 2 (cache)

#2004 - Hallowed Ground (cache)

I still had to walk a bit further as I needed to post my card and the post office was in the centre of town.  My mother would have scolded me if she would have seen me folding down the back of my shoes and walk in them like I would walk on slippers.  "Wrecking your good shoes!" she would have said, but it did the trick and the shoes survived! :-)

A few impressions of the walk through town (but forgot the RV Park)

It's hard to believe that this narrow, but deep,
creek would have flooded in 2011, but it did.

the Range in the distance

I knew there to be two more caches, but as they were not within walking distance I decided to leave after lunch and drive there so I could walk the short distance then.

As it was, they were close to an attractive lake and a complex in which the VIC with a coffee shop, public library, and the Queensland Transport Museum were housed.  I gave the museum a miss as I wasn't in the mood for it.  

I took some photos in the Visitors Centre, but will not post all of them so as not to be too boring...

war history

The walk around the lake was pleasant, in particular now I was wearing my slippers rather than walking shoes.  The small islands in the lakes were teeming with birds: ibis, egrets, water fowl, ducks, and numerous others that I couldn't see, but did hear.

The two caches that I found were:

#2005 - Sign of an Olympian (cache)

#2006 - Gad About Gatton (cache)

Glad with the day's results I got back to the camper and drove to Kevin's place in Regency Downs where I would stay the night.

Kevin knew I was coming and arrived home a bit earlier than he had done of late and so we had dinner and a chat before it was bedtime again.

I would leave the next morning to go to Mulgowie, a bit more to the south, where I was going to spend a weekend with the BSW group.  A separate post will follow in due time.