We arrived back home yesterday (23/9). It is clear that we have to do a lot of gardening to get the  place tip-top again.

All in all we have had a great 10 weeks.

They even have a Dragon Boat club

Coast Guard

It was another glorious day when we set out to explore the hinterland of the Rainbow Beach and Noosa areas. We turned south from the Gympie road toward Kin Kin. The road is in good condition with bitumen through the fertile valleys and gravel through the rolling hills. Rain forests adorn the hills and market gardeners are active in the valleys.

Rolling Hills

Gravel road mountain pass

Long road

Farm house in the green valley

We came across a quiet little valley where the forest had been cleared and a rest area had been developed. We walked into the rainforest for a few hundred meters along a track and took some pictures of the tree canopy. It felt like another world.

Rest area in them thar hills

Inside the rain forrest

Filtered light under the green canopy

We eventually came across Kin Kin which turned out to be a charming little old village where one could sense the history of the area.  This history started with timber cutting and eventually moved on to dairy and small produce farming.  A coffee and some cake later we continued through this historically rich area on to Pomona. Behind Pomona a ‘Volcanic Plug’ overlooks the town. Volcanic plugs were formed by volcanic events some 5 million years ago. They are literally ‘Magma pimples’ that have been squeezed onto the earth’s surface by pressure increases pushing on cooling lava.

For more information visit the following sites:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kin_Kin

http://www.inkinkin.net/

http://www.noosacountrydrive.com.au/country-drive-villages/kin-kin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomona,_Queensland

The ‘Country Life’ hotel at Kin Kin

Churches to be found at every place

The General store

A galery of historical pictures at the General Store

The Art school at Kin Kin

The products of the Art school (insect)

Along the way we drove through several other villages on our way home. We returned late in the day to our caravan park.

The plasma plug overlooking Pomona

…and the Locals are very friendly.

FFF – Fresh Flathead Fillets

After lunch a walk along the coast at Tin Can

Bay

Wherever you look the views are stunning.

Low tide up the creek

A cove filled with boats

My son came up from Brisbane for a few days. The weather was just too good to not take advantage of.  We decided to have a late lunch at the Marina. After an enjoyable time we   sort of slipped into going for a sunset cruise. That was the best decision we made that day.

The Marina

No 3 son

As we approached the harbor we were once again impressed by the panorama in front of us.  The boat was spacious and allowed everybody plenty of room to spread out in.  Tin Can looks great from the bay/sea. There are boats aplenty that are moored in the channel.  All in all, the Fraser coast is a place we will visit again in the next few years.

By the time we got back the sun was creeping below  the horizon.

Tin Can Bay harbor and Sea Rescue

Pontoon

Tin Can Bay from the channel

Men’s secret business

The ‘old’ man

Sun / Sea magic

The Bay

It was time for another visit to Rainbow Beach. This is a wonderful destination fo9r sun tanning, fishing, hiking, swimming and beach driving. There is a café strip and a bakery to look after the early morning cravings. We drove on the beach to one of the departure points for the Fraser Island ferry. The scenery is always stunning, beautiful and sunny.

Almost like heaven.

Getting onto the beach.

4wd, beach, surf = Happy Chappy

Life’s a beach.

Later we drove around the village as it is nestled on the hillside. Once again there are great views. Later we got to sit on one of the very high dunes above the beach.

Great view

Happy

Also happy

Some of us were very tired by the time we got home.

Boy, the beach does not half make you tired!

Fraser island

  Even here you have to watch out for the crocodiles. This is not too far south for crocks.

Crock signs even here

Tinnanbar is green and gardens are tended by the locals. This place is so remote that it is serviced by the Queensland rural remote library service. The scenery is stunning sub tropical.  Just a bit further on there is a camping area at Hedley Point.

Lush gardens

Good to see the family is having fun. Dawn is recovering slowly.

Lexi frolicking in the shallow water

Looks like our girl is bouncing back

suhjhdd

Nature’s art galery, a palm trunk

Live is a beach

  Around the corner at Hedley Point the camping and fishing is great.

Great camping spot

Billie the Schnauzer

Our ‘Smiley Face’  Caravan Park

Tin Can Bay Marina

The restaurant at the marina serves a great hot coffee and the locals are very friendly. The food is good as well.

After spending a good many days here at this remote Queensland location, (Tin Can Bay), we decided to a look around and explore some of the smaller places on the mainland just opposite Fraser Island. I am amazed at the number of little dwellings scattered along the inlets, creeks and sand peninsulas. Little villages have sprung up amongst the bays. The beaches are speckled with mangrove coves which change into sub-tropical vegetation. Paper bark trees give  way to Blue Gums and large Palms. Houses range from older shacks to some large and modern constructs. Tinnies are to be seen at many places. It is clear that many people come here to do some serious fishing.

Local vegetation

Clumps of palms growing around paper bark trees and gums.

Local vegetation.

Hervey Bay

This town has grown extensively in the last 10 or so years, but once you get past the new development the beach-side is fantastic. The Foreshore is stunning with beautiful views across the bay to Fraser island. The beach has numerous jetties to walk on and there is a big Marina development at the southern end of the bay.

Jetty at Hervey Bay

Tree Bottom growing out of the ground; Gum tree or Bum tree?

The best by far is the foreshore and esplanade itself. It looks like a botanical garden. The natural vegetation has been preserved and the debris has been cleaned up. The pathways are paved and very wide. There are many picnic areas with benches and playgrounds for the children as well as public amenities.

The sitting tree

Esplanade

Esplanade

Strolling down th stairs onto the beach at Hervey bay

Easy life amongst the mangroves up a creek somewhere around Tin Can

Livin on the boat in the mangrove swamps

I could do with that one

Huckleberry Finn existence. On the mud-flat at low tide

Idyllic life in the creeks

We have been looking at some of the older houses that have sprung up over time close to the mangroves. Some are full of charm and character. One of these ‘Swamp Shacks’ is shown below.

Swamp shack at the edge of the mangroves

More swamp shack

    Whilst cycling around the area one meets the inevitable flock of Pelicans waiting for a feed when the fishermen return.

Waiting for the fishing boats and a feed

The next thing I have to line up (hope you get the pun), is some fishing. At low tide the mud/sand flats are exposed. So I will get my yabby pump and a bucket to find some bait for a fishing trip.

Mangrove closeup

I say again and again: ‘The gods laugh at the best laid plans of mice and men’!

A case and point is what happened today. We have been having a chilled holiday at Tin Can Bay.  Temperature is a steady 26C. The last 2 days we were going to exercise and explore. Haha; no chance of that. I was having troubles with the door of the caravan. Some of the Bakelite handles have been crumbling and needed replacement. In steps ‘Mr Fixit’ namely myself. After 1.5 Days of frustrating endeavour I have to admit I am beat; done, knocked out and exhausted! I admit that I need to cop it on the chin and get ‘The man’ who knows how to fix it. In the mean time I feel very simple.

Note cracked plastic (bakalite) fitting

I get in touch with the local caravan shop and deliver the caravan for a repair job for the door lock. For the last 2 days I have been sleeping with a door that does not close. So, by 4:00am in the morning,  I shiver my way to the heater and switch that on. I also use the electric blanket;  unheard of in Qld.

Would not think it gets cold at night; not Trentham cold.

An hour later this guy phones to tell me that the door is fixed. I ask him what the problem was and this guy tells me that I put the door lock/handle together wrong. His advice was ‘don’t fix it yourself but get someone who knows what they are doing’.  Well that makes me feel stupid once again. When I get there he tells me that I should have come to him in the first place; would have saved myself some money.

Anyway, I asked him if he could turn the caravan around in his driveway so that I could tow the van out. He answers ‘why don’t you just hitch it up and reverse it out. To my embarrassment my wife chirps in about Queensland men being real men; very funny. The day just got worse and worse.

I park my ute in front of the caravan to hitch up the caravan. So this Queenslander just picks up the caravan hitch;;; with one hand and plonks it onto my tow-ball and connects it all up Then he jumps into my ute and reverses the whole rig out of his yard in 10 seconds. My wife continues to talk about Queensland men and that Victorians are pussies. I shake his hand and thank him and he has this superior smirk on his face.

He picked up the caravan at the tow hitch with just one hand

Caravan weighs about 1750 kg loaded

The only saving grace is that I will be sleeping in a warm caravan tonight. (J)