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.

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

Tin Can Bay is a tranquil village with plenty to do. Located at the southern end of the southern tip of the World Heritage listed Fraser Island. The town adjoins the great Sandy Strait and offers a sheltered paradise for birdwatching, sailing, cruising on a houseboat or fishing.

20/7 We have slowly set up camp bit by bit. We are planning to stay here for a good few weeks and need to be organised. Part of that organisation is exercise. On This trip I have taken along one of my bikes and have taken my first ride in a long time. I did only 20km, but that is better than nothing. I explored the inlets and the point of Tin Can Bay where all the boats are moored. There is even a Marina here with Chandlers and boat repair facilities.

There are some great restaurants serving good fresh seafood….

Looks and feels tropical

Our home for a while/

Camp with caravan, on-suit, and annex (yet to be deployed)

Finally some cycling

Mangroves everywhere

boats stranded on the mudbanks

During the low tide boats are resting on the mudflats. During high tide everything floats.

Irish Boat

They even have a Dragon Boat club

Coast Guard

The caravan park for boats

On 19/7 we spent some time at Rainbow Beach. Situated some 25 km away from Tin Can Bay It is a vibrant beach resort that delivers on miles of sandy beaches that are patrolled by life guards. There is a Backpackers  that caters for many younger people. A few kilometres further at Inskip Point there  is a regular ferry service to the southern tip of Fraser Island. Along the way there is bush camping for many kilometres between the road and the sea.

Rainbow Beach has many shops, supermarkets, and industrial estate and other services available to the visitor. This includes horseride , Kayaking,  bushwalking and cycling. There are many surfing spots along the miles of beaches. There are several access points to the beaches where 4×4 access is allowed.

Trawler returning home

Ferry to Fraser

Gimme some sun I need a tan

Stormy waters to Frase Island

Once again I was up before sunrise, packed up and headed off. By the time I reached the Stuart highway the sun was rising and I headed south to Alice Springs. About 40 km further I saw a wondrous sight. The sun was at the back of me and I saw a bright light reflecting from the road ahead. It looked like a copper color rod lying across the road, reflecting the sun. I slowed down to get a better look thinking that somebody might have dropped part of their load.

As I got closer the color changed to bronze and I saw that this was no rod, but rather something with a ‘Z’ shape stretching across the national highway from the middle of my lane, across the white middle line,back  into my lane and across the other lane terminating in a small neck and much bigger head that was raised above the grass verge on the side of the road. It was an awesome sight of a King Brown that was around 5 meters long. Needless to say I did not stop for a pic (scared), but also swerved to avoid running over this magnificent creature.

The road continued forever and south of Tennant Creek I stopped at the Devil’s Marbles. This landmark is right beside the highway.

See more images at:  https://www.google.com.au/search?q=devils+marbles&biw=1366&bih=639&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0CEgQ7AlqFQoTCJuIocPyhMkCFcTfpgodvyUEMw

After a short break I came across a 4wd that had rolled, the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. That served as a reminder of the dangers of long distance driving and the need to have regular stops. I was getting very tired and eventually pulled of the road for a few hundred meters to set up camp for the night. I was an hour away from Alice Springs.

The next morning I drove through Alice and headed for Coober Pedy. Many hours later I reached Coober Pedy and refueled. 22 km south is a lesser known gravel road that turns east and reaches the famous William Creek 163 km further on. William Creek is situated on the Oodnadatta track which is one of the famous Australian outback tracks. This is also the location of the internationally famous William Creek Hotel. It is famous for its superb steaks and the fact that it is situated on Lake Eyre.  Lake Eyre in turn is famous for standing at 12 meters below sea level. There is a very basic caravan park cum camp ground.

The bar and associated decorations

I spent an hour in the bar before enjoying a brilliant steak in the dining room. The bar had been cleaned up from the previous time I had been there.

The next morning I headed south along the Oodnadatta track along lake Eyre which was sparkling as it reflected the light of the rising sun.

Dazzling Lake Eyre

An hour or so later I turned west again on the road to Olympic Dam which is a massive BHP mine. Another 25 km or so I reached the very neat town of Roxby Downs. See https://www.google.com.au/?gws_rd=ssl#q=roxby+downs

This town had been developed for the workers at Olympic Dam.

I continued towards the Stuart highway and reached the town of Woomera. This is the town where many missile tests took place in the 50s and 60s. The word ‘Woomera is from the aboriginal and means ‘spear thrower’. See my pics below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woomera_(spear-thrower)

Just before I reached the highway I took the pic below as my farewell to the red dirt country.

The last of the Red Dirt

I was keen to be on my way and heading to Burra in South Australia. I had heard from a few sources that the Burra Hotel served a mighty fine fare. I had a few more hundred km to go and arrived there in the late afternoon. After settling down I was amused to see a line of geese parading along the river in the caravan park. That evening I had my meal and have to say: ‘I can vouch for the food at the Burra Hotel’.

Getting Home

The next morning I set off on the last leg from Burra to the Victorian highland a trip of 810 km.

This took me 10 hours to complete including stops. After all this time it was good to be back

• 4 Weeks  -  10500 Kilometers:
• Home – Alice Springs – Tanami Track – Broome – Gibb River Road – Kimberley – Katherine – Home.         What a trip!!!!

The next morning I drove the 100 km from Wyndham to Kununarra dodging the large Nickel road trains that transport the ore from the mine in the Kimberley to the Wyndham harbor. The total unit has four wagons filled with more than 40 tons of ore each; a truly daunting sight when it comes thundering towards you. I slowed down every time and pulled off the road. Close to Kununarra  a long bridge fords the Ord river.

I stopped at Kununarra. This is a really pleasant town with lush green vegetation, good roads and services and its own lake, Lake Kununarra. There is much fishing being done as well as boating and water skiing.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Lake+Kununurra,+Kununurra+WA+6743/@-15.808885,128.7047026,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x2c998cab21689ee9:0x52f3228531800e34

Lake Argyle is a further 50 km from Kununarra. I did that in quick time as the road is all bitumen and reached the caravan park in the early afternoon. Lake Argyle has resulted from the damming of the Ord River and was built in the late 1960s. It is more than seven times the size of Sydney harbor up to the Parramatta River. The lake measures something like 45 km by 25 km. This is the largest man-made lake in Australia.

For some interesting links on Lake Argyle, see below.

http://www.lakeargyle.com/

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

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=lake+argyle&biw=1366&bih=639&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0CDkQsARqFQoTCNuoqOzt9sgCFYfGpgod8dkBeA&dpr=1#imgrc=cJHCTK8jFCAI3M%3Ak

It is a really great park with tall trees offering shady sites. The park has a horizon pool that is situated on a hill overlooking a section of the lake. I enjoyed walking through the park and admiring the wide variety of caravans parked there; all shapes and sizes from camper trailers to massive off road caravans.

You can see forever

My humble tent in the shade

I decided to do the Lake Argyle cruise, an all day cruise, to get to know the history and engineering feat that created this biggest manmade lake in Australia. I purchased a ticket and lined up for the cruise the next morning at the office. We were taken by bus to the boat launch which is some 4 km away.

Our guide introduced himself and helped us board a large catamaran, the ‘Kimberley Durack’. Once the Ord River had been dammed and the project had been completed the lake was allowed to fill up. This process of rising water levels has created more than a 100 islands. Some of them have Euros living on them. They are marsupials like Kangaroos, only smaller. They occur only in the northern regions of Australia.

Miles of water and islands

A Euro trapped on an island

Many islands are occupied by fresh water crocodiles. The islands look magnificent as the sun sets across the water. Some islands have great looking geology. In one instance the island is bespeckled with small lava pipes that look like a bunch of caves in the hillside. Many trees had Hawks, Falcons and other birds of prey sitting in them.

Crocks (Freshies) are everywhere

Lava pipes

In the evening our guide stopped the boat in 30 foot of water so that we might enjoy the sunset and the braver ones were invited to take a swim in the lake (amongst the Freshies).  The water was pleasantly warm. A beer and snacks were also served. We returned to our camp after sunset having enjoyed a day that most of us would never forget.

The hills light up in ocher in the evening sun

El Questro is a very large property on which there are many spectacular spots that tourists visit. I did not have time to take in all of them. I will cover those that I had a look at.

The next morning I continued north along the Gibb River road. There were a number of Jump Ups to be negotiated. These are climbs to the top of mountain ranges many of which seem to run east to west. The final one offered a splendid view across the next valley. One could see right across the next valley to the upper reaches of Cambridge Gulf and the town of Wyndham. This town is a Nickle ore export harbor. I could also see a number of major rivers emptying into the Gulf.

View across Cambridge Gulf to Wyndham

A while later I reached the turnoff to El Questro.  Another good many kilometers I reached the grounds of this tourist resort and was impressed by how well developed it was. Great caravan and camping facilities. The general visitor area is impressive as well. The general visitor cannot get to the upmarket facilities.

After a while I carried on touring and went on to El Questro Gorge and to Zebedee Springs.Both destinations are spectacular. As I entered these gorges I could feel the air becoming warmer and more humid. It was like stepping into the sub-tropics. Palms replaced the normal vegetation and the water in the streams became clearer and warmer. Both these gorges were similar in the type of rock and vegetation. It was close to two km up the gorge to get to the spring. Many people were doing the same thing. The water at the spring came bubbling out of the rocks and measured 32 degrees Centigrade. The natural rock formations have created a number of pools where tourists enjoy a natural spa bath.

El Questro tour bus crossing the Pentecost River

Clear water

Start of Zebedee Springs gorge

Tropical climate, palms and stream with deep pools

The water comes out the ground at 32C.

Nothing like a swim!

On the return trip I had to negotiate the Pentecost River once more. That got the adrenaline going as the water was touching the top of the bonnet and I did not have a snorkel on my Patrol. I was aware that if the vehicle stopped I would have to wade through chest high water that was the home to many crocks.

Pentecost River, wider than 50 meters

Somewhere in there Crocks are lurking

Just across the Gibb river road is the turn off for Emma Gorge. This place is sensational. After walking half an hour up a hot canyon I reached this great pool that has a river trickling down an escarpment. The icy water is very refreshing and most people have a swim before heading back.

Canyon walls closing in

Petrified river bed; see the ripples on what was sand once

Yours truly having a swim

I returned to the Gibb River road and completed the last section to the Kununurra – Wyndham road. I decided to spend the night at the Wyndham caravan park which offers shady sites and clean facilities. Wyndham is located on the Cambridge Gulf. It has a large Nickle ore loading facility.

Wyndham ore loading facility.

Cambridge Gulf

Queen Victoria Head

The road is getting rougher with more bends and steep climbs to be negotiated in the process of getting through a raft of mountain ranges and spectacular hills. Every now and then one comes across random bush fires that burn out of control. It seems that aboriginals still light fires to burn off the scrub for the next season. Every time one crosses hills, the mountain ranges and valleys are visible for many miles ahead. This serves as a reminder that the Kimberley is definitely not a flat country. A good few rivers are to be crossed; I would not want to do this in the wet season. The road would be unnavigable. Once in a while a road train has to be dodged so one has to drive with care.

Heaps of mountain ranges

What a rock wall!

A few hundred clicks further is the Mt. Barnett Roadhouse. This serves as a ‘half way house’ as there is a store and fuel is available.  They cater for overnighting of various sorts. Another good distance further is the turn-off to Kalumburu. The Gibb River road makes a right hand turn and continues to El Questro. The road to Kalumburu is very bad and rough. However it takes in the Drysedale River, Drysedale station, Mitchell plateau and falls. Kalumburu itself is some distance from the coast where you will find the scenic Honeymoon bay. I decided to give this fantastic area a miss and leave it for another trip because of time constraints. Several times I left the road to pursue tracks and explore the country side. There are many gorges in this country, some of which are very deep. Some of the rivers that are crossed have very long pools that just invite one for a swim to cool off from the heat. It is then that I remembered the Salties and so turned up the air condition instead. As a rule nobody drives at night in the Outback. It is too dangerous. No cattle properties are fenced around the road and the cattle roam freely. By the late afternoon I pulled off the road and set up camp next to a river. Some other weary travelers joined me and once again turned in for a well-deserved rest after a day’s travel and a fire.

Deep rock walls down to the river in the chasm

If you follow the rift it looks as if the land has been ripped apart