Welcome to Cindy and David's 2022 Adventures
13 Tennant Creek to Maroochydore
Gardners Falls at Melane. This was a mystery tour inland from Maroochydore and we really did get lost on the way back to Cottontree. Made a wrong turn somewhere and ended up on a track following the Mary River and onto Obi Obi road which afforded the most spectacular views at sunset while crossing the mountains near Nambour. Saved of course by the trusty Toyota's navigation system!
Fishermans monument at Maloolabah. We went on to a delicious lunch of seafood chowder at the Maloolabah Fish Markets.
Drove to Caloundra lookout up on the hill overlooking the foreshore
Arrived at my brothers house in Glenwood 35km north of Gympie early enough to have lunch prepared by Laura. Parked the van in the driveway and stayed long enough to fix a few things that needed attention in the van.
Moved the van to Cotton Tree in Maroochydore, our most favourite caravan park, so that we could fetch Sandy and Julia from the airport before driving Sandy to Mike and Laura for a family re-union
A drive in the Golf cart was the highlight of the three days holiday for Julia. Everything Mike owns has a story. A couple of years ago the bearings gave way while we were hooning in the forestry paths. Mike sourced spare parts on the internet to repair the buggy. While fixing the mechanics, he gypo'ed the govenor and took delight in telling me that he can now can get wheelspin. Always the thrill-seaker.
Gayndah caravan park overflow part suited us perfectly. Once again we were able to have no close neighbours. The river was flowing strongly due to recent rains along the eastern seaboard.
David tried this path to the river hoping to find a fishing spot but too fast running, too much gooey mud and no real safe spot.
David tried this path to the river hoping to find a fishing spot but too fast running, too much gooey mud and no real safe spot.
The frame for the back of Sybil's Ute that I welded together in the shed behind the pub in Tennant Creek. Syb has befriended the publican who offered to let me use his TIG welding equipment and his shed.
On our return to Tennant Creek Sybil was back at work and we had some hours to spare so visited the airport. One very efficient young man was in charge, he checked in the passengers, sorted and packed their luggage in the plane when it arrived, after removing those passengers' luggage and delivering it to them back in the airport building. He then waited until the signal from the plane's team and escorted the outdoing passengers to the aircraft, saw them off and came inside to start all over again. Not too busy then. That particular flight was the Tennant Creek to Darwin return. Presumably the other flight out would be Tennant Creek/Alice Springs. Smart little plane.
Decided not to rush through Barcaldine on our usual one nighter, we stayed two nights and spent a very pleasant day exploring this very pleasant town. It also gave us information as to why Queenslanders are so Labor oriented. This tree was the meeting place of the first group of shearers to rebel against bad pay and conditions. The information plaques in the area are very detailed and convincing that they had a very valid case and so the Labor party is said to have formed right there at that tree which as you can see has been carefully preserved.
Straight ahead! And so it goes for MANY kilometres! The outback has dried out considerably since we came through this way a few weeks ago.
The sight of a train in the outback is always an event because there aren't that many! We drove many miles along the Ghan line and nary a sight of it and this is a twice weekly train "the Spirit of the Outback" from Brisbane to Longreach which drew in at Barcaldine during our time there.
Monument to the shearers.
Errol Gray, long known to us from Sawtell, is travelling around Australia with his "missus" and entertaining at various caravan parks along the way and here he is at Barcaldine.
One last Sunset in the desert just west of Tennant Creek preparing our "Rail Graffiti" at the Ghan railway crossing
A plaque remembering those killed in an plane crash near TC
Moura River near Banana on the approach to Biloela
Lake Maraboon is just south of Emarald. We had been to Emerald and Rubyvale on a pevious trip so opted to stay at the lake instead
Maroochydore town looking back across the river from Cottontree caravan park beach
Gardners Falls at Melane.
