Day 5

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Judy's Trekabout

Wednesday 24th Happy birthday to me.

Up at 5.30 am and it’s lovely and fresh. Having a peaceful cuppa looking at the river, listening to the birds, what more could I want, money cant buy this. Did my Tai Chi, had breakfast, read for awhile, then did our walk up the hill. Was hot. Came back and fell into the river, so nice. Zoe was helping the mob to set up camp further along, as we have had a lot of rain and be safer up where they are now going to be. Just had lunch and waiting for lunch to settle then in the river again. I have had 3 ducks already and only 1 pm. Clouds are forming so something is building somewhere for a storm. Well at about 3 pm we could here thunder over the hills behind, then at 4 pm few spits then it hit us, winds started and got real strong and swirling, very frightening, we were hanging onto everything, toilet blew over, branches falling over further up the river, lasted about 15 min. Then just normal rain, we could not even see the other side of the river. After securing everything Don went over and checked on the brothers and their gazebo was cactus so Don helped straighten it up. Their toilet had gone over as did the couple in the caravan. I have a lot of drying to do when the sun shines. Didn’t get tea finished until 7 pm. We are all safe so that’s all that matters. Good night sleep.

The rains and winds, the river has been rising.

Toilet shelter over.

Horses are happy in our swimming hole.

The rapids, the kids were having so much fun and the adults I might add.

Cicada that had just metamorphosed.

The hill that we walk up every day and back to camp, 2 km return.

the track in the paddock that we start our walk on, very green.

Owner trying to get the paddock finished to plant the Sorghum before the next rains.

Day 4

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Judy's Trekabout

Tuesday 23rd

Very chilly last night. Woke up early and got up at 5 am. Did my tai chi early and then I noticed the parrots were sitting eating the thistles watching, no camera in hand. 😦 I have moved the solar panels around to get the sun when its up over the hill, found coverage this morning on sat phone as the sky is clear, would not work yesterday as the cloud cover was thick. The owners came down and said they’d heard from my daughter she is coming out to camp with her husband. Had 3 swims yesterday. We went for a brisk walk up the hill and back. We have met three guys camping next to us in the paddock and its Davids birthday, the eldest of the three I think, we have enjoyed their company and Davids guitar playing. Emptied toilet today. Going to get Kay to move up past us be more quiet for them. The river is high and the animals cross over at our swimming hole.

Day 3

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Judy's Trekabout

Monday 22nd

Woke to a beautiful fine day. Still cloudy. Birds everywhere. The family’s that have the reserved site have arrived. The chap that owns the land was telling us that they come several times a year. By afternoon some more people arrived and have parked just the other side of Kays site so we will suggest to her she take the one up from us. One of the men is an aboriginal artist and has some of his clothing items here for the wife, really beautiful work, I asked him to tell me the story of the painting and it was real good. Went for a walk along the river bank but got to hot so I came back for lunch. Went for another swim the water was warmer than the air out of the water. Got the fire going and heated tea up, was nice curried sausages and veggies. Easy meal. Started cooling down once that sun went down.

In the river.

Crimson Rosella

We are camped way back there in the background on right.

Day 1 & 2

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Judy's Trekabout

Saturday 20th December

Got away about 11.30 am. Good price for fuel, filled up everything, at $1.30 a litre and 4 cents discount a litre, was great.

Stopped at Logan river just before Beaudesert and had lunch.
Carried on down the Mt Lindsay highway, real lovely drive and over the ranges into Urbinville, and out to the Bruxner highway. Our turn off was not that far away and then we carried on down to the river where we are going to camp. Just had a wee bit of rain so have retreated into the camper, early to bed.

Sunday 21st.

Woke to a lovely overcast morning, sitting by the river having morning cuppa, I’m in heaven.

We had a opossum visit last night. Horses, cows a big bull and calves, just lovely. Its 6.08 am.
Have had a busy and good day. Turned out fine. Looked further up the road at the other camp spots, all nice but where we are better for view of river and closer to swimming hole.
A couple dropped into look at the camping area and popped over for a chat. Good chatting with locals as you learn more.
Late this afternoon I could hear thunder in the distance, sure enough it slowly moved over us, few spits of rain and thats it. Cools the air, but the flies are bad.
Collected heaps of fire wood.

Day 72

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Judy's Trekabout

Wednesday 22nd.

The place is buzzing with birds nesting, even the Sacred kingfisher is calling and chirping all day. Got it going into it’s nest, and sat very still. Don found a wee nest in the branches while having morning tea, we could hear this bird, didn’t know what it was, we could see it protecting this area, then we saw it, A Pale Yellow Robin, so tiny and the nest is real small, I would never have seen it in the leaves.There are Red backed Wrens as well, could stay here another week. Grrrr, gotta go tomorrow, so this is our last night of actual camping, staying a few nights at friends on our way home. Wont be long and I’ll be planing the next adventure, 🙂 It’s been a fantastic 3 months and a pleasure to share it on my website, and thanks for all the likes.

Pale Yellow Robin and nest. Sacred Kingfisher going to nest, in top of hole.

Day 71

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Judy's Trekabout

Tuesday 21st

Well we are had a real relaxing day, this place is so quiet and peaceful, heaps of birds and we are all set up, got the fire going and did roast veggies in the camp oven, and had sausages with them in the tin foil in the coals, got the washing soaking for tomorrow to hang out.

Pale-headed Rosella’s the were also nesting.

Galah’s nesting, we could hear the babies calling.

Several Roo’s would be out feeding on the lush green grass. Milky way at Judds, Mars is the star yellow in the middle.

Day 70

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Judy's Trekabout

Monday 20th

Happy birthday to my G/Daughter.

We got packed up before the heat came as we are heading towards Judds Lagoon, got to Morven and did a drive around, they had 6 powered sites, not a lot of shade for this heat, but a real lovely spot to stay if one needed. Got to Roma grabbed a few bits to last us while at Judds. Made good time and have decided to set up until Thursday, only 3 other campers, there is still water in the lagoons, heaps of birds, we’ll have fun. Just a few photos along the Warrego H’way to Judds.

Coming into Roma. Quick shot out the car window.

Day 69

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Judy's Trekabout

Sunday 19th

So nice here we have decided to stay another night. A very hot day so we are not going to do a lot. Caught up with the other people staying here, from Victoria. Did a bit of tiding up for packing tomorrow. I did some Infra-red photography in the middle of the day, bit of fun.

Sky was quiet dark no moon up until early hours of the morning, milky way very low in sky but still had fun. In the process of the image I played with the stars. This photo shows where the two Arks meet slightly. I think this is what one calls them, please correct me if i;m wrong. Infra-red image of the paddock we stayed in.

Day 68

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Judy's Trekabout

Saturday 18th

Went into town and went to look at camping store, boy they have heaps in there. Got to 38 deg, not nice, spent most of the day under the trees. Loved the time at the observatory and seeing the stars, galaxy, mars etc through the Telescope. Magic, I will never look at the sky in the same way again. We have heaps of Apostle birds and gave them a container of water, they don’t stop drinking and swimming in it, forever topping it up. Only night shots, was to hot during the day.

Milky way.

Star trails with car trails in it. Couldn’t get away from them.

Day 67

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Judy's Trekabout

Friday 17th

Graham, the owner of the Bush Camp at Charlieville does bus trips around the town and shows where the floods came to, what they are doing about it, all the points of interest in Charlieville and much more, so yes we did the trip. Very interesting indeed. Got back to our camp 2 1/2 hours later and had lunch, then went up to the Cosmos Center. Spent hours in there, so much to see. Booked into the Observatory for tomorrow night. Had tea out at the RSL with some friends of mine, very flash place. Came back and did star trails.

This is where we stayed, they have a caravan park up the other end of the farm, we wanted the paddock. At the caravan park Graham has mattress that go on the star beds, great for star gazing. They use this in the camp kitchen up at the van park. Entrance into airport and Observatory, Cosmos Center and information Center all in one. Cosmos Center Star trails from the paddock where we are staying.