Today we decided to have a rest day in Canberra and do as little as possible.
The day started out very cold and foggy but soon developed into one of Canberra’s delightful spring days with clear blue skies and sunshine, even though it is still a little chilly. It was a great change from most of the previous week.
Beautiful clear spring day at Alivio in Canberra
Still living the dream!
Today we celebrated Fathers’ Day in Canberra with our daughter Katie and her fiancée Mick.
Although there had been a little rain overnight, when we woke up at Young things had started to dry out a bit and it promised to be an OK day (according to the local weather forecast). This has to be one of the quietest caravan parks we have ever stayed at – very little local traffic and no sounds from nearby freeways, train tracks or airports.
Getting ready to leave Young
From the caravan park we drove through the outskirts of Young and saw some of the beautiful old buildings this area has to offer before getting onto the Olympic Highway.
Views of Young
View of the Olympic Highway
At the small town of Wallendbeen we turned east onto the Burley Griffin Way towards Harden.
Views along Burley Griffin Way towards Harden
We stopped for coffee in Bertha at Harden and waved as our next door neighbours from last night went past. Again, there are some beautiful old buildings in Harden.
Views of Harden
From Harden we went through the small town of Binalong, with even more beautiful old buildings. We will have to explore this general area over a longer period of time in the future as it seems a very picturesque area with many nice small towns to visit and stay.
Views along Burley Griffin way to Binalong
Views of Binalong
More views along Burley Griffin Way
Not long after Binalong we turned onto the Hume Highway for a short time before turning off onto the Barton Highway towards Canberra. What struck us almost immediately was the amount of water in the Yass River. Like everywhere else there are signs of the recent heavy rains, although things have definitely dried out a lot and today there has been no sign of water over roads. Now that the water is gone the pot-holes are more obvious.
Views of Yass River under the Barton Highway going into Canberra
We soon reached Alivio Tourist Park, checked in and set up. Last time we were here in June there were major works under way on some of the sites and this time we were lucky enough to be on one of the newly refurbished drive-through sites, and it is so much better than before. These sites have been re-leveled with new bitumen, the garden areas have been upgraded and the services connectors upgraded as well. It appears that they are gradually working through all the caravan sites and it will be great when all sites are of an equivalent standard as the amenities and camp kitchen (and there is a nice restaurant here as well).
Alivio Tourist Park in Canberra
We have a great view across to Black Mountain lookin’ out our back door!
Looking out our backdoor at Alivio in Canberra
It was nearly time for Fathers’ Day lunch so a quick call and Mick came to pick us up. Lunch at Katie’s was delicious and we lingered a long time over the dinner table eating and catching up with the news. Later in the afternoon we shared a Skype session with our son Phil and his family, and it certainly appeared that our grand-daughters Alex and Emily were very excited to see us.
It was eventually time to return to Bertha where we settled down for a very light tea and a forecast cold night.
It was great being able to catch up with all our family on Fathers’ Day!
After a very wet and windy night, we were a little surprised to wake to a calm morning. The torrent of water through the caravan park had dried up, although the ground was still very soggy. We had a better chance to have a good look around this park and although it’s a bit old and tired, it appears that the young owners are working hard to renovate and upgrade facilities, and they are doing a great job so far.
Westview Caravan Park in Dubbo
After leaving the caravan park we made our way to the Newell Highway, and were amazed to see how busy it was. We had only just got onto the Newell when we came across an illuminated “water across the road” sign. Perhaps not a good omen but it appeared that the Newell was still the best bet for our planned destination today, so we continued on.
Busy as Bourke Street. Unwanted street sign.
Things weren’t too bad as we progressed through the small village of Tomingley, and passed the mine.
Views of Tomingley
Not surprisingly, there was still a lot of water around with creeks overflowing and rivers flowing strongly, and sheep and other livestock having to cope with wet feet.
Views along the road from Dubbo to Peak Hill
We stopped for a coffee at Peak Hill. After a walk around town we settled in next to a lovely wood fire at the antique/lolly shop/café and enjoyed a coffee, snack and chat with the owners. We then investigated the interesting “Lindner Corner” building which houses the Tourist Information Centre, plus antiques and is the local centre for arts and crafts. They have recently received a government grant and are developing a very interesting tourist stop. The lady there was also ready for a chat to tell us all about it.
View of Peak Hill Tourist Information Centre
From Peak Hill we continued down the Newell Highway to Parkes. Usually we would have stopped at the café at the “The Dish” but today we felt like something different so we continued into town.
It was then that we got some bad news – the Newell Highway was closed between Parkes and Forbes. This definitely didn’t suit our plan. There was a detour to Eugowra. From there we could go through Canowindra to Cowra, our intended overnight destination. Accordingly we headed down the Eugowra-Parkes Road and eventually Military Road. Unfortunately, at the end of Military Road, we met a council works team and another detour sign and were redirected down Escort Way into Forbes. This detour added an extra 65 kilometres to our journey from Parkes to Forbes. And we didn’t get to visit Eugowra after-all. Not happy Jan!
Views of Parkes, including statue of Sir Henry Parkes
We stopped in Forbes outside the Forbes Shire Council Water Filtration Plant for a late lunch and to determine our next best course of action. From Forbes we could either head down the Lachlan Valley Way to Cowra, or down the Henry Lawson Way to Grenfell, and from there to Cowra. After due consideration we decided that the Lachlan Valley Way had too much of a risk of flooding from the Lachlan River, so we headed down the Henry Lawson Way to Grenfell.
Views along our detour
This was an interesting drive on a relatively good road with only a couple of incidents with water across the road!
Water Hazard on Henry Lawson Way towards Grenfell
Eventually we reached Grenfell, which is a delightful town renowned as the birthplace of Henry Lawson. We were hoping to find an open coffee shop but had no luck so we had thermos coffee in Bertha instead. We now had another choice to make. From Grenfell we could go to either Cowra or Young, both being about the same distance away. As much as we like visiting Cowra, we decided to head towards Young as it would shorten tomorrow’s drive considerably.
Views of Grenfell
A quick search in Wiki Camps found a suitable caravan park in Young so off we went. There was some interesting scenery along the way.
Views along the highway into Young
Street scene in Young
Arriving in Young we set up Bertha at the Young Tourist Park and had a great chat to the couple next door in a new Sunliner Pinto motorhome. Ann then took a short walk to Aldi to pick up some supplies and we are now hunkering down for the night.
Today has been another tiring day as the rain yesterday has left a big mess in many places. Fortunately it didn’t actually rain today but it has been very cold and it is very soggy underfoot everywhere. Having a long detour of course made the day much longer. Still, we are safe and sound and making good progress on or way home.
Still enjoying the dream!
Today was the rainy day we had to have!
We went to bed last night with the sound of rain on Bertha’s roof. By the time we woke up the rain had stopped but it was obvious that a lot of rain had fallen overnight. Today was the first day in many months that I put on long pants, although a tee shirt was adequate otherwise. Despite getting an earlier start than we usually manage, most of our overnight neighbours had already gone!
Early start at Narrabri
The first section of our drive along the Newell Highway was almost boring. The sky was overcast, the road was generally flat and straight, and there was a certain monotonousness to the vegetation.
Our first stop for coffee was at the Pilliga Rest Area, which clearly showed the extent of the overnight rain. Light drizzle started just as we were leaving the rest stop, giving us a taste of what was to come.
Boring roads and wet rest area
After the coffee stop the terrain changed and became more hilly and the road more winding, with water along the road sides and lying in paddocks.
Morning scenery along the Newell Highway
At Coonabarabran we crossed the Castlereagh River which was very full, and stopped at Neilson Park for lunch. We usually stop here as there is space for large vehicles, there are tables and benches, a good toilet block, playground equipment for the kids and paths for some quite nice bush walks. It’s also an easy walk into town and a number of very nice cafes and bakeries. But not today! The ground was waterlogged and it was raining heavily, so we had lunch in Bertha.
Castlereagh River at Coonababran
Neilson Park at Coonabarabran waterlogged
On the way out of Coonabarabran through the city centre the extent of the rain was obvious. On the TV news later we heard that this area had received up to 70 mm of rain in the last 24 hours. No wonder it looked so wet!
Scenes of Coonababran
As we progressed along the Newell Highway, the paddocks appeared to get even wetter, views were obstructed by rain and mist, and there was water over the road – yes – water over the Newell Highway!
Water Across the Newell Highway!
We would have usually planned on staying at Gilgandra but the caravan park just looked too low and too wet so we continued through Gilgandra to look for somewhere to stay on higher ground.
Lots of water along the Newell Highway
River near Gilgandra
Water views of Gilgandra
Water views of Gilgandra
A couple of ‘phone calls later and we made an executive decision to stay somewhere on the high side in Dubbo. When we arrived in Dubbo the Macquarie River was flowing very strongly and there was water everywhere.
Views of Dubbo
The GPS took us to the Westview Caravan Park and a long, bitumen drive through site. The rain even stopped just as we arrived so I could hook up power and water but restarted immediately and it has continued raining since we arrived. As I write this we are experiencing strong winds and heavy rain.
Today has been quite a tiring day, even though we haven’t travelled a huge distance. Driving through rain and trying to avoid major puddles, pot-holes and trucks requires constant concentration, and trying to anticipate what some drivers want to do, even in heavy rain, takes a real effort.
But, today has highlighted one of the major advantages of travelling in a motorhome. Whenever we need to stop, all we have to do is swivel our seats and we have immediate access to kitchen, dining and bathroom facilities – without getting wet.
Still enjoying the motorhome experience!
The sky was looking a paler shade of grey when we got up but soon the sun was out and it warmed up. In fact it stayed in the mid-20s most of the day.
After getting ready and packing up Bertha, it was only a couple of minutes from the caravan park until we were on the Newell Highway and across the border in New South Wales.
The first town we drove through was Boggabilla – we didn’t actually stop but we love the sound of the name!
Views of Boggabilla
This part of the country is very flat, and there were obvious signs of recent rain with plenty of water along the sides of the road. Vegetation ranged from canola crops, wild meadows, trees surrounded by crops and/or canola, and some paddocks with cattle or sheep. Basically everywhere appeared to be lush, and green and yellow.
Views along the Newell Highway
Road conditions were generally good, and unlike our complaint yesterday about rest stops, along the Newell the situation is much improved with regular “proper” rest stops off the highway, with seats and benches, and many with toilet facilities. Unfortunately many were too soft and muddy to consider using them.
Big trucks are still an issue however the only real solution appears to be to add extra lanes to the highway system. Apart from road trains and generally large trucks, there were plenty of oversize trucks as well. On more than one occasion we saw overtaking trucks on the wrong side of the road heading straight for us. Having said that there was at least a reasonable provision of overtaking lanes which goes some way to alleviating the problem of shared highways. My general approach is to pull over as soon as I can when a truck or some-one in a hurry is behind me, and so far we have managed to stay out of trouble.
Plenty of big trucks on the Newell Highway
We stopped at Moree for a combined coffee and lunch stop, and enjoyed both at the Café Omega in the main street. A long walk followed in order to keep up our step numbers.
Arriving at Moree
Moree is known as “Artesian Water Country” and it appears that nearly every second motel and caravan park claims to have artesian pools or spas.
After lunch and our walk we continued along the Newell.
Canola and associated grain handling facilities remained the main attractions along the highway. We were particularly impressed with one grain facility which had clearly invested in solar panels.
Views along the Newell Highway
Views outside Moree
At one point along the highway we commented on the large amount of mud and dirt left on the opposite side of the highway by a truck that had obviously come off a dirt/mud road and left huge mud tracks along the highway. Just our luck that another large truck decided to overtake us and promptly spayed the front of Bertha with a lot of that mud. Visibility was so bad than we had to pull over at the next rest area to give the windscreen a really good clean.
Washing the windscreen
Soon we arrived at Narrabri. We were a bit surprised to see a few houses that looked like older style Queenslanders up on stilts, even compete with palm trees. There are some beautiful buildings in this town and there are obvious attempts to retain the heritage of the town.
Buildings around Narrabri
Street views of Narrabri
First priority was to check into the Narrabri Blue Sky Caravan Park. We stayed here a few years ago and it has a good number of drive-through sites especially for overnight stop-overs. The facilities are good and there are nice touches like the herb garden for use by visitors. Today it was a little bit damp underfoot and the managers told us that they were expecting heavy rain overnight. In fact they have cancelled the scheduled sausage sizzle for tonight due to the forecast weather. According to the local TV news, the SES is flying a helicopter into Narrabri tonight to help with expected rain and floods. Not exactly what we wanted to hear!
Once Bertha was all set up, we headed off on the short walk into town and to explore the shops, including purchasing some supplies for afternoon tea.
Back at Bertha we decided to enjoy a cup of coffee and cake at the camp kitchen. Several other travellers came over to check out the camp kitchen facilities and to have a chat.
Narrabri Blue Sky Caravan Park
We moved back to Bertha just in time as a light rain began to fall. As we finished dinner the light rain became a bit heavier, so we’ve battened down Bertha’s hatches and look forward to a night in front of the TV.
Yes, we’re still living the dream!
The sky was clear blue and there were a few clouds about when we woke up, but it was several degrees cooler than we had become used to. Looking at the weather charts it looks as though we are going to have get used to that!
Packing up was again straight forward and we turned right from the Kingaroy Showgrounds onto Bunya Highway and headed off. It wasn’t long before we hit roadworks and sat dead still for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was probably more like 15 minutes. We were at the head of the queue but there were a few big trucks lined up behind us so we pulled over when the sign was turned from Stop to Slow and let them go through. They were in a hurry but we weren’t! Then it was slow going at 40 kph for several kilometres over fresh bitumen – don’t we all love that? Once we finally got going at highway speeds Bertha developed a worrying sound from one of the rear wheels which called for immediate investigation. I can’t actually claim to have done anything specific to make that sound go away, but it did as soon as we stopped, so we could finally continue.
Actually by now we really needed a cup of coffee, so we stopped for thermos coffee in Bertha in the small village of Kumbia.
Scenes of Kumbia
Rested and refreshed, we continued down the highway through interesting and varied scenery and a few small villages until we reached Dalby.
Scenes along Bunya Highway
We came through Dalby but from a different direction on the way “up” so it was interesting to see things from a different perspective. Hoping to catch up a bit of time we had a quick lunch in Bertha but then went for a good walk around Thomas Jack Memorial Park. This is a great park supported by the community which includes open grassy areas, colourful flower beds, winding paths around a water feature with a small bridge, a large playground for the kids, and clean public amenities.
Views of Dalby
Views of Thomas Jack Memorial Park, Dalby
At Dalby we changed from the Bunya Highway to the Moonie Highway, towards Moonie. The terrain changed a bit around Dalby, with more flat land; some areas were under crops, others still only partly cleared, and we were surprised to see a considerable volume of water along the sides of the road. We also encountered lots more trucks, including tankers, road trains, and other large vehicles.
Views along Moonie Highway
Views along Moonie Highway
We stopped at Moonie for a quick stretch of the legs, and a cup of coffee. There isn’t much to Moonie at all other than it’s the intersection of the Moonie Highway and the Leichhardt Way, and a very busy intersection it is. There’s a pub, a tourist information centre and post office, a motel, and a large gravel area for trucks, caravans and motorhomes to park. We got talking with some fellow travellers and they felt, as we did, that the lack of rest areas along many Queensland roads was a real safety issue, especially with so many trucks in a hurry sharing roads with often much slower caravans and other vehicles.
Scenes of Moonie
The Leichhardt Way, however, is an “A” class road and the situation was somewhat improved with truck stops every 10 to 15 kilometres. However, unlike Victorian rest areas, the Queensland version is usually an extra strip of bitumen along the side of the road, and none have toilet blocks. Again, along the Leichhardt Way we were confronted by large and unusual vehicles, water along the road, and different types of vegetation.
Views along Leichhardt Way
Views along Leichhardt Way
We finally arrived at Goondiwindi, along with some of the trucks, and took the “scenic route” to the caravan park. There are some beautiful old buildings and structures in Goondiwindi and we will hopefully have time tomorrow morning to view more of this very nice town.
Coming Into Goondiwindi
Views around Goondiwindi
Views around Goondiwindi
Eventually we arrived at Goondiwindi Holiday Park and got set up on our site. This is an older but very clean and tidy park with plenty of sites. The amenity blocks are “ensuite” layouts with each individual unit containing shower, hand basin and toilet.
Once set up we went for a bit of a walk and discovered a rather neglected Trailblazer 5th wheeler, which we thought was unusual. There were a number of bbq/camp kitchen areas, and also a larger fire pit area where community sausage sizzles are held with proceeds going to charity. As I was trying to clean some of the bugs and tar off Bertha a fellow traveller came over and asked if he could borrow my motorhome key. It turned out that he has a Winnebago Airlie and had somehow locked his keys inside. He was hoping that the keys to our motorhome might fit his. They didn’t! His next option was to call the RACQ to see if they could help. I wished him luck.
Goondiwindi Holiday Park
Today was another great day and the weather was still pretty good. Still living the dream!
We woke to another beautiful day in paradise! We did most of the pack up yesterday, so this morning it was pretty straight-forward to disconnect water, sullage and power, and clean the windscreen. There was a minor moment of trepidation as we started Bertha’s engine for the first time in nearly 10 weeks, but she fired up first go and all was good with the world.
It was a quick drive through Maroochydore to the Bruce Highway and then a turn-off to the D’Aguilar Highway just before Caboolture. We hadn’t travelled this highway before and were looking forward to exploring somewhere new.
Views along the D’Aguilar Highway
We drove through the villages of Wamuran and Woodford before stopping at Kilcoy for a late coffee/early lunch. Kilcoy is a very welcoming little town. On entering town there is ANZAC Park on the right, which is a good looking free camp with room for maybe 15 to 20 rigs at a bit of a squeeze. There is a small amenities block with toilets and showers and external sinks for washing up dishes etc. It was very clean and inviting, and we have made a note in our camps book to consider stopping here next time we’re heading to Maroochydore. Opposite the free camp is another park with several covered seating areas – this is a day stop only and camping is not allowed.
Free Camp and Day Stop at Kilcoy
We parked Bertha in this park before having a leisurely wander around town before stopping for coffee and lunch at one of the several cafes in town. Kilcoy makes much of its RV Friendly status and welcomes visitors. The town is also very proud of its heritage and many of the building have information plaques giving the history of the building, with details of changed usage, stories of previous owners, and more. It would be easy to spend a few days at Kilcoy.
Views of Kilcoy
Views of Kilcoy
The highway was quite interesting with varying vegetation, and interesting curves and ups and downs to keep the driver awake. Although there has been some rain in this part of Queensland and there is some greenery, most of the dams are far from full and more rain is clearly needed.
One of the notable attractions was outside Kilcoy where there has been major work on consolidating the roadsides, with concrete retaining walls. There is a very steep hill to climb and then go down with a reduced speed limit of 60 kph both up and down. Some vehicles were obviously struggling to keep up – not Bertha of course who did a great job.
Retaining walls along the highway
Next stop along the highway was at the small town of Blackbutt. We parked Bertha down a side street and went for a walk around town. Blackbutt has a pub – of course – a couple of bakeries, and several other shops but is a fair bit smaller than Kilcoy. We stopped at the Visitor Info Centre and had a great chat with the volunteers on duty before heading back to Bertha for a cup of thermos coffee.
Views of Blackbutt
From Blackbutt we continued along the highway to Nanango, which was quite a surprise. This is clearly a timber town and a carved woodsman greets visitors to town. There is also a large free camp on the left, pretty well right in town, which is a bit surprising as there are at least 3 caravan parks. We didn’t stop in Nanango but it is a very interesting looking place.
Views of Nanango
It was only another 20 kilometres or so before we hit Kingaroy. Kingaroy is a much larger town and after a decent drive around we made our way to our overnight stop at the Showgrounds. This is a nice big flat area with the usual apparently random outcrops of power poles and water taps, plenty of pavilions for the annual agricultural show at the end of April, and clean but rather basic amenities. It’s relatively close to shops and would be a good place to stay for several days.
Views of Kingaroy
Set-up at Kingaroy Showgrounds
After setting up Bertha we had a good chat with our next door neighbours Denise and Bill, and their friends on the other side, Bevan and Jean. It turned out that Denise and Bill had been at the Showgrounds for a week, and had a son living in Canberra in the same suburb as Katie and Mick, and that Bevan and Jean had been at Cotton Tree only several sites from us and had left there yesterday.
Today has been another great day. After not driving Bertha for so long we didn’t want to push things but we travelled a comfortable distance and both of us enjoyed the drive. The magnificent weather has continued and we were happily sitting outside in t-shirts until after 5 o’clock.
Thoroughly enjoying the motorhome experience!
Today is our last day at Cotton Tree, Maroochydore. We’ve delayed our departure several times, and looking at the weather forecast we would love to stay here longer, but sadly all good things must come to an end and it is time to head home to Melbourne. We won’t exactly be rushing though, and hope to explore new territory and have some new adventures along the way.
Needless to say we have been having a great time. The weather has been almost perfect most days with a few cold mornings and only a couple of nights of rain. Did I say we’d love to stay here a bit longer?
One of my big adventures earlier this month was to visit the annual Ford Performance Car show held at the local Ford dealer. There was a huge turnout with a great combination of classic Fords and newer FPV Falcons and several examples of the new Mustang. The oldest Australian Ford on display was a 1965 XM Falcon and there was an example of every model of Falcon since then (only missing the earlier XK and XL models to have a complete set)!
1965 Ford Falcons at the Performance Car Show
Ford Muscle Cars at the Performance Car Show
New RHD Ford Mustang – fully optioned
If you’re interested in seeing more photos from the Ford Performance Car Show please click here to visit my Classic Car Photography website.
We seem to be very much in fun season and last weekend many roads in the Maroochydore and surrounding areas were closed for a huge fun run and we enjoyed a front row seat sitting back with our coffee while young and old huffed and puffed past.
Last Sunday night we enjoyed a larger than usual happy hour gathering to say farewell to Mr and Mrs Downunda who set off home very early on Monday morning.
As is our habit, we have done a lot of walking around Cotton Tree and Maroochydore. In fact we have probably explored more of the local area on foot than we ever did on any of our previous visits. We have found some very interesting retail outlets and an amazing range of cafes and restaurants (yes – we love our coffee but we try to do at least 10,000 steps each day to compensate).
Still, it is a bit difficult to go everywhere on foot or by public transport so we went back to Budget to hire a car and again we were upgraded to the very nice Nissan X-Trail. We had been accumulating a list of shops and other places to visit so with our list, map and GPS in hand we set off.
Last Tuesday we had lunch at the Buderim Tavern. We’ve been there before and the mountain goat like scramble up from the lower carpark is definitely worth the effort with delicious meals and views to die for. Buderim is quite high, in Queensland terms, and a bit hilly, but we enjoyed a good walk around town and a nice coffee at Café Buderim. On the way back home we made a couple of stops including a very interesting camping shop before arriving home just in time for happy hour.
The weather for the following day looked very threatening but never-the-less we headed north to Eumundi to visit the markets. We had a good walk around the older and newer halves of the market but there were a few vacant sites where stallholders could perhaps read the weather better than we could. Prior experience had shown that the weather gets hot and humid before storms, and that was how it was on Wednesday. After a delicious lunch at the air-conditioned Fig Tree Restaurant in the main street, we started to walk up the hill to the old, original market when the rain started.
Eumundi
After a quick, wet dash back to the car we headed down the Sunshine Motorway to the Coolum exit – we weren’t ready to go home yet! We went for a very interesting drive along a narrow winding road through cane fields and a variety of different homes, from older Queenslanders to modern luxury estates, ending at Coolum Beach.
The road to Coolum Beach
Arriving at Coolum Beach
The sky was still dark but it wasn’t raining so we set off for a good walk around town. Before long we had stopped to indulge in a favourite flavour combination coconut and lime gelato ice-cream (to escape the light rain of course). The rain eased so we walked by the caravan park which looked quite inviting being right on the beach and very well maintained with modern amenities. Still fine so we walked along the cliff top and caught sight of quite a few surfers enjoying the choppy seas. The yellow and red flags appeared to be only a couple of metres apart though!
Surfing in the rain at Coolum Beach
We have noticed that the Sunshine Coast councils are constantly tending and refreshing the gardens and park lands which makes it very pleasant for walkers like us. Eventually we felt weary and wet enough to head home.
Still not done with the hire car, on Thursday we drove down to Caloundra. The weather was much better and we had a good walk around town, this time without the Sunday market stalls, before stopping at a Thai restaurant right on the beach front. Apart from the views, we were fascinated by some fishermen right in front of us. They seemed to be walking backwards and forwards along the water-front with unusually long and colourful jigs on their lines. It turned out they were fishing for “black fish” and had been quite successful that day. After another walk we headed back to Maroochydore to return the hire car.
Views of Caloundra
Fishing at Caloundra
Yesterday there was another fun run, this time in support of Juvenile Diabetes. The local park had marquees and gazebos, coffee van, fairy floss machines, live music, game and activities, and hundreds of kids enjoying themselves for a good cause. Fiona the policewoman was very popular with her police car delighting all the children with siren demonstrations and photo opportunities in the police car. The weather was perfect and apart from the fun run there were families out everywhere enjoying the day!
Fun in the park at Cotton Tree
This morning we started the packing up process before joining fellow Victorians Sue and Glenn for lunch at the North Shore Tavern. Wow! Talk about value for money! Great food, great company, perfect weather – what’s not to love!? Still not really committed to packing up, we joined Sue and Glenn for coffee at The Coffee Club across the road from the caravan park. Lucky it’s so easy to pack Bertha ready for tomorrow’s departure, because we would otherwise fail!
Fantastic seafood from the Boatshed Restaurant next to the caravan park
We have relaxed to the point of unravelling over the past few months and have enjoyed loads of fresh, fantastic seafood. This really is a fantastic destination and we have already secured a booking for next year.
The weather was looking promising this morning so after breakfast we walked 150 metres or so into the Cotton Tree shopping centre to catch the 600 bus into Mooloolaba. Theoretically we could have walked there but we had decided to use our energy walking around Mooloolaba rather than walking to Mooloolaba. We’d driven through Mooloolaba several times in the past but had never had an opportunity to actually have a walk around.
After a 10 minute bus trip we were at our destination. The main drag was very busy and obviously popular with visitors. Each of the high rise apartment blocks has one or more cafes at ground level and chairs and tables all over the footpath. We certainly had plenty of choices for coffee and after a bit of a wander around we settled on Entice Café. The coffee was very good and we had a good view of the water, but there were people everywhere and it wasn’t exactly restful.
From Entice we crossed over the road to have a wander along the beach. It’s a bit unusual to comment but the structure around the public toilet block was very impressive with timber and stone, a couple of huge taps that were actually outdoor showers, seats and benches, and there was a children’s play area, and so on.
Scenes at Mooloolaba beach
Shorty at Mooloolaba
The views along the beach were also impressive. We could look out towards Point Cartwright in one direction and back towards Maroochydore in the opposite direction. The lifesavers were on duty but it was interesting to note that the flags were only about 10 metres apart. There were still a few people in the water though.
Beach views – Maroochydore in one direction and Point Cartwright in the other
After a good look at the Mooloolaba beach we headed for a walk along The Spit. It was a very pleasant walk in dappled shade but eventually we headed back towards civilisation.
Very pleasant walk along The Spit walk at Mooloolaba
We ended up at the Wharf precinct which was quite a surprise to us. There were plenty of large and small yachts and motor cruisers moored there. This is the place where whale watching tours are based, and there are also scuba diving schools and other water sport activities available. It’s also the home of ‘Underwater World’. There are several cafes in this precinct and a range of other retail outlets as well.
Scenes at the wharf at Mooloolaba
Scenes at the wharf at Mooloolaba
From the wharf area we had a bit of a walk around the back streets but eventually decided it was time for lunch so we headed back towards the main tourist area. We stopped at Bellissimo Café which overlooked the water and importantly wasn’t overly crowded. We enjoyed a delicious meal of fresh local fish with appropriate liquid refreshments.
Bellissimo Cafe – overlooking the water
All good things must come to an end at some stage so eventually we had to leave Bellissimo and make our way to a bus stop and back home to Bertha.
Another great day in paradise !
The Sunshine Coast hinterland is not, in our opinion, suitable for exploring in a motorhome. Next best option is to simply book a suitable tour and sit back and enjoy the ride and commentary. Bonus if there’s a wine tasting as you don’t have to drive home afterwards!
We were up bright and early and picked up outside Cotton Tree Caravan Park by Michael in the Con-X-ion mini-bus. Next stop, after a quick tour through Maroochydore and past the Sunshine Castle at Bli Bli was to collect a further 3 passengers.
Sunshine Castle at Bli Bli
Once we were all on board introductions were made and Michael explained how the day would work, where we would be going and so on. It turned out that there were only 3 Aussies on board – the two of us and Michael. The rest were mainly Kiwis and a few Poms. Not surprisingly there was some discussion about how things were going at the Olympics, but it was all in fun and was a great ice-breaker. Michael finished his introduction with a bit of an aboriginal dream time story about Maroochy, Coolum and Mudjimba.
First stop on our tour was the Ginger Factory at Yandina. There was plenty of time for our new friends to take the factory tour or the train-ride around the grounds, but in a case of “been there –done that” we settled for coffee and delicious ginger scones and a pleasant stroll through the glorious tropical gardens. We also had time to visit the Macadamia factory although we didn’t stop at the Pioneer Gourmet Coffee factory this time.
The Ginger Factory at Yandina
My new friend at Yandina
Views around the Ginger Factory at Yandina
Pioneer Coffee and the Nutworks Macadamia Nut Factory at Yandina
Then it was back on the bus and we were off through the back-roads accompanied by a very interesting commentary by Michael. We drove through Nambour to the Dulong Lookout. The scenery was amazing and gave a perfect indication as to how hilly (mountainous is an exaggeration) the hinterland areas are.
Dulong Lookout
Views from Dulong Lookout
From the lookout we drove through the small villages of Mapleton and Flaxton before stopping at the incredibly picturesque village of Montville, where we stopped for our lunch break. Michael had explained that the traditional industries in this area, including timber cutting, had declined over the years and some places, like Montville, had been very successful in transforming into successful tourist destinations. Walking around Montville we all agreed that this was certainly a very interesting and welcoming place. As we only had a finite time before having to get back on the bus, we chose to have a light lunch and explore rather than indulge in some of the other fine dining options available. Before long it was time to get back on the bus, but we will have to come back here another time and have a much longer and better look around.
Views around Montville
Some of the artistic detail around Montville
Views around Montville
Views around Montville
As we were leaving Montville, Michael took us past ‘Remington’s Shute’, or at least a sign to remember the place where ‘Remington’s Shute’ had been. The story was that the timber cutters would fell selected trees and drag them by bullock to Remington’s Shute where the logs would be launched to slide down the steep hill before being collected and transported from the bottom of the Shute. This saved a lot of time trying to cart the logs a considerable distance down-hill, and was a lot safer too.
Remington’s Shute (sign)
Our next stop was at Maleny Cheese factory where there was a rush to taste the many delicious cheeses made on-site. We caught a brief glimpse into the factory itself where they were making flavoured yoghurts, which are also delicious. There is a café on the premises and a small shop with more local produce, but the focus of most of our travel companions was on the cheese. A good selection of cheeses joined the ginger jam, nuts and a few things from Montville in our bag.
Maleny Cheese Factory
It was only a short drive to the village of Maleny, where we got off the bus for a quick ice-cream and a look around. Before we left Maleny Cheese, Michael had commented on a carved wooden koala, and suggested that we should have a look around the buildings in Maleny. He pointed out the carved wooden gorilla on top of the newsagency, and told us that the owner was African. A quick look at the shoe shop highlighted a carved Kiwi and advice that the owner was indeed from New Zealand. He left us to our own devices to see what other carved animals we could find. Maleny is another village which appears to have successfully transitioned from traditional industries to tourism as a way to keep the village alive.
Carved wooden sculptures around Maleny
Views around Maleny
From Maleny, Michael took us to McCarthy’s Lookout, again highlighting the magnificent views throughout this area.
McCarthy’s Lookout
McCarthy’s Lookout
Next stop was for a wine-tasting at The Big Barrel – home of Maleny mountain wines. We enjoyed a taste of several white and reds, and finished with an 8 year old Port and an 18 year old Port. Our bag was a bit heavier when we left.
The Big Barrel – home of Maleny Mountain Wines and MacLeod Brewing Company
Last destination for the tour was a quick stop at the Aussie World pub, which looks suspiciously like the well-known Ettamogga Pub, although there isn’t a car on the roof. We had time for a refreshing ale, but again decided to explore some of the other interesting shops. Aussie World itself is actually a large “fun park” but there wasn’t time to explore there. Aussie World is also a bus terminal for Con-X-ion buses and several of our fellow bus passengers transferred to other buses to take them back to their home destinations.
Aussie World Pub
Views around Aussie World
From Aussie World the bus headed back, dropping our new friends off at various hotels in Mooloolaba and finally dropping us back at Cotton Tree.
What a fantastic day we had! We would never have seen so much, or learnt so much, if we had attempted to drive ourselves, either in Bertha or something a bit smaller. As it was we were picked-up and delivered door-to-door, met a bunch of friendly and funny fellow tourists, and enjoyed a great sight-seeing and tasting tour around a beautiful part of Queensland with a very knowledgeable and entertaining bus driver. It doesn’t get much better than that!
To finish off the day, after unloading our bag of treasures in Bertha and a welcome cup of coffee, we had a brief rest before walking around to the Maroochy Surf Club for a very nice seafood dinner. After-all, we had been tasting and grazing all day but hadn’t actually had a “meal” in all that time.
Maroochy Surf Club
Still living the dream!
Shorty's RV Adventures 