We got off to a late start this morning as our first stop was to be the Flaggy Rock Exotic Fruit Garden, so we had a sleep in and just hung around the van in paradise until about 10 o’clock.
Flaggy Rock Exotic Fruit Garden was less than a kilometre away and was a great place to stop. We both enjoyed delicious ice-creams and then finished off with great coffees. Then we went on a bit of a walk around the garden which was filled with all sorts of exotic fruits, as the name implied. There was also a separate Outback Gem Display and Tourist Information Centre which was very interesting as well.
Welcome to Flaggy Rock Exotic Fruit Garden
Delicious Icecreams
Outback Gem and Tourist Info Centre
Flaggy Rock Exotic Fruit Garden
On the recommendation of a fellow traveller, our next stop was only about 60 kms away at the St Lawrence Recreation Reserve where we stopped for lunch. What an amazing place it was. It seems to be basically stock yards, possibly disused, but with plenty of room for free campers and facilities including undercover shelters and coin in the slot showers. Even at lunch time, there were plenty of vans already comfortably set-up with awnings and solar panels out. One van was even doing a load of washing! A local sporting club is holding a community sausage sizzle on Saturday night as a fund raiser so it would be interesting to see the interaction between campers and locals in that situation.
Plenty of room at St Lawrence Free Camp
St Lawrence would have been a great place to stay for at least one night, but unfortunately an electronic problem with the fifth wheeler has re-occurred so we ruled out another night free camping and decided to head for a caravan park with power. Ann hit the phone and after a few calls was able to find a suitable site at a Family Park in Rockhampton.
So it was further down the Bruce Highway and more roadworks to the Riverside Tourist Park in Rockhampton. The site here is perfect for a big rig such as ours and is right on the banks of the Fitzroy River. Signs in the park do suggest that crocodiles might be around so we will be a bit cautious walking around at night. Hopefully we’ll find an auto-electrician tomorrow – the park manager has given us some suggestions.
Interestingly there is another Trailblazer 5th wheeler here at the park, and a chap we were talking to said that there had been another 3 or 4 Trailblazers here in the last 3 weeks. This is quite amazing as in nearly 4 years of travelling we have only ever seen one other Trailblazer, and that was at Katherine.
Lamb koftas for tea – with views to die for!
Great Site at Rockhampton
Night Views Across Fitzroy River from our Trailblazer
Night Views Across Fitzroy River from our Trailblazer
Shorty's RV Adventures 