Tag Archives: nature

Day 25

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25th Wednesday
The weather is going to be bad on the west coast and not so bad on the east coast so we have decided to go east, leave tomorrow. Get the camper re packed and defrost the freezer, all packed up and will watch the weather tonight as it changes so fast, just like NZ. Well yes the weather has turned bad all over so will sit it out and see. No photos.
26th Thursday
Weather still looking bad for anywhere, so kids have said stay and do day trips as long as you need. We went for a drive along the Midland Hway down to Campbell Town, well what a fantastic place, and free camping. The town is very full of history, there are bricks all along the street both sides for the convicts, their crime, their punishment and what boat they were shipped out on, had a bite to eat and a hot drink its very cold. The bridge here is beautiful. From here we carried onto Ross, another quaint town full of history, the bridge here is well known as well. Decided we still had time to go to Oatlands, well thats just really beautiful, free camping as well, big windmill, didnt muck around for to long as it was getting bitterly cold. Carried onto to Mowbray, Aspley, Bothwell and up over the Lakes Hway, had lunch half way up where it was a bit sheltered. The air has ice in it, its snowing somewhere. Got to a place called Steppes, well cant explane how I felt, but we stopped and took a look around, it is dedicated to this family so we will go back and have a good look, its a big reserve. Then up and over the alpine range, we got sleet at Flintstone and it was landing on the window. carried on home thru Longford, fuelled up, got home at 6.15pm I got tea done for when Katie came home.
Camping at Campbell Town  Black Burn Park, Campbell Town, 48 hours camping, give back to the town where you can.DSCF4574  Ducks and geese come running over to you when you walk to the river edge.The Red Bridge, Campbell Town The Red Bridge, Campbell TownCampbell Town Camping, Campbell Town Beautiful wood carvings at the The Red Bridge, Campbell Town  Carvings at The Red bridge. These were beautifully carved, but lighting was in the wrong place.Bridge at Ross  Ross Bridge, another gorgeous town.Oatlands Camping, free for a week, no facilities but on edge of town, RV friendly town  Oatlands campingWindmill in Oatlands  OatlandsDSCF4545 DSCF4548 DSCF4557 Ross Bridge  RossDSCF4636 Streets of Ross#2 Little Cottage in Ross DSCF4617 Streets of Ross DSCF4688 Camping at Oatlands Oatlands  Oatlands. Lots to see and do in the area.Oatlands Camping#2 Down by the lower section for 3 days camping, Oatlands  Lower area for camping, OatlandsMowbray Pub Old pub at jnc Melton/MowberryDSCF4723 coming out of steppies scultpures  Highland driving, so lovely all the different Alpine type foliage.Up on the Highlands Hway  The name here means a lot to me as my father was known as Steppe, this is a big reserve and we didnt go into the sculptures it was so boggy.DSCF4715 Up on top of one of the ranges by Bothwell sign at Mowbray heading to Bothwell.

Day 12

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Wednesday 31st,  last day of the year.

Woke to  very clear skies,  going to be a hot one, waiting for breakfast to settle then walk.  Got short way and had to retreat back to the loo. So stayed home and did all my Qigong and Tai Chi. Took morning tea up to Kays and then decided we’d take the drive up the Wier and dam area, 28km up from our camp spot, taking the upper rocky river rd. Just beautiful scenery,  large rocks and the river goes all the way,  crossed over a wee bridge and people were camping there. Got to a area in shade for lunch then had a swim in the river there, not deep but cooling. Met Kay and Mark at the top of the range on our way home. Got back and took the mileage from where we walk to the camper was exactly 1 km so 2km return everyday we have done it.  One morning was too wet. Doing a fire soon to do my bread and roast veggies for tea, will have a glass of my wine that I didn’t have for birthday. Lovely fine day, 33 deg and clouds building again, seems to happen each night but so far so good, making the most of it. Asked Duck about the story for my painting Bruce did for me as Bruce has gone into town, means Dolphin dreaming.  He dreams of the mullet and when the fisherman come and take to many he splits them up so some left for him. Other two brothers have gone to town. Went to Kay and marks for a drink and we stayed awhile then came over to Harveys and Diannes group watched their fireworks,  really lovely.  Came home and sat listening to their music for awhile. Went to bed, the music did not stop until 2 pm. Great day.

IMG_8968  My gluten free damper bread, was really nice.IMG_8961  Huts in the middle of nowhere.IMG_8910  The Weir IMG_8863  Another place that’s nice and isolated.IMG_8856  Huge rocks every where, this is just one I liked.IMG_8908 Down at the weir.

Day 8 & 9

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Saturday 27th 

I’m up having a cuppa around a nice hot fire. Drizzling still, the river is up by about 6 inches so my water hole is going to be deep, We have little frogs jumping back across the grass inland direction,  dont understand, in the evening they jump towards the river, dont know where they live in between. Went for our walk, found it hard today. Zoe was driving up the road and stopped and chattered,  they had a nice xmas and came home to damage from the storm two nights ago, there thunder box blew over, ripped the seat off it. Some fences are damaged so they are having to fix them as Garry’s stock can get through. Got back from the walk and did our exercises, had a swim, the river has come up at least 12 inch now, so we are watching. Made a milo and toast, took it up to K&M but they were still in bed so came home and had it, then I decided to make a cake out of my muffin pre mix in the camp oven, even though its raining, well bugger me turned out great, then I threw in some scones and they turned out great. Very happy. Well the rain has not stopped and it’s chilly.  Kay popped over she’s had a good lazy day and sleep.  I have used my dehydrated pumpkin soup mix for tea tonight,  see what it tastes like.

Sunday 28th 

Buy gumboots,  short ones.

It has rained all night.  Still raining it’s 9.30 qld time. River has risen, Don has a stick on the bank for a marker and if the water gets to that we will be packing up. I have got heaps of uke practice done. Oh, the pumpkin soup last night was delicious,  even Don loved it so that’s saying something. I did put 2 cubes of spinach frozen into it. No walk today,  we have walked 6 days want one day off and its so wet as well. The river has been rising more and our sticks are under water. We will make a decision in the morning. Went for a drive up thru Garrys place next door and went only 10 km was lovely, people are camped down by the river there and the river is only couple of feet bankment, crazy. There are too river systems running into this one river so no wonder it’s rising as we could see it still raining up in the hills.  Went down to Kays and saw the platypus playing,  there were two that we saw. Got photos but not good enough to keep. I had a dehydrated meal for tea and Don even liked that one. Crikey. Still raining.  Batteries are doing much better now that the charger is working properly. It’s cooler and the freezer is sitting on -10 most of the day. I have put these two days together with the few photos as to wet for photography.

IMG_8732  Cant even see the rocks that the kids were sitting on few days ago.IMG_8726  Just outside our camp.DSCF3882
  The drive up the road.

Day 49

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Monday 29th

Happy birthday to my eldest son, big 50. 🙂

After getting a few things done around the camper we headed off to Cape Bowling Green, packed lunch as we know it will be an all day tiki-tour. There is camping at the National park but is pretty ordinary and heaps of midges. Went into Cungulla, what a lovely place, sat by the estuary, a lady was throwing out a round net, was dam good at it as well. Heaps of Brahminy kites and ospreys soaring, lovely to watch. Camels with dwarf cows and bulls, the cows were jet black and I didn’t get a good photo.IMG_5463  A Storm Bird or Pheasant Coucal.IMG_5474  Rocks everywhere here just like at Magnetic Island.IMG_5459  Bush after the fire, looks so nice and green new growth.IMG_5457  Part of the salt pans as we enter the road to Cape Bowling GreenIMG_5440  CamelIMG_5415  Brahminy KiteIMG_5393 Lady throwing out her net. This is at Cungulla. Salt Pans,

Day 16

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Wednesday 27

Water was so still, Jack went out for a early row. We sat around and had breakfast chatting. So peaceful. Don did some fishing, kookaburra sitting on the branch above hoping to catch something every time Don reeled in. But nothing was caught. We had 2 ring tailed opossums here last night, one was red furred, very pretty. Baby butchers, 3 baby kookaburras. We have no coverage out here so J & A shot back into Eungella to do some business. Warmed up my water for a nice hot shower. Went for a drive over to the Dam wall. Lovely picnic area for day use. There are kites flying all around us. Went for a ride in the rubber duck to the other side of dam was lovely.

StarStaX_DPP_333-DPP_340_gap_filling_CometMode  Star trails.IMG_2580  Eungella Dam wall.IMG_2579  Spillway.IMG_2510 IMG_2484 IMG_2456  Very foggy this morning.IMG_2446 IMG_2445 IMG_2444  Wonderful clean facilities.IMG_2442  One can camp anywhere here, very big area, it is paddock camping so you find what you can as far as level sites.IMG_2437  our set up.IMG_2435  More fog.IMG_2432

Earlier we could not see the other campers, so foggy.

Day 6

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Saturday 12th April

We are having a very hot day again, it was a very warm night. After breakfast we drove out to the tit bit of the lake, I refer to it as the Island, much larger than I thought, found Whistling Kites and there nest, they are getting fish from the lake. We counted 6 Kites. Checked out where coverage was for the Sat phone. Our friends are due today so that’s going to be nice. Cooked in the camp oven tonight, was yummy. Clouds are coming in so I feel we are in for rain, oh no as these roads are not derivable when wet, hope it’s not going to be much or we will be here longer, Oh, what a shame. Here are a few photos from the day.

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This is the set up we are using, nicely tucked out of the way.

IMG_9313  This is before the sun came up over the hill behind us.IMG_9315  A Darter drying it’s wingsIMG_9324  Just a relaxing view.IMG_9333  Lots of wee birds, this one is looking up sideways, so cant see his eye.IMG_9343  A Whistling Kite with a fish in it’s talonsIMG_9357  Yummy feed.IMG_9380  Not a good view, but took it to show how small the nest is for such a large bird. This is very high in the tree.IMG_9386  Another one eating it’s prey.IMG_9437  I had been watching the Kite on the left for some time, it was calling and calling, then over came the second one.IMG_9458  A Boab of some sorts.IMG_9493 Yes I think the rains are coming, can hear the odd rumbling somewhere in the distance.

Day 12

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Wednesday 12th February

Went up the Barrington Tops in NSW to a place called Polblue Camping grounds and to see the Polblue Swamps. Drove in from Scone end on the New England Highway. Went up through the Dingo gate, the road was pretty rough, we just took our time. The country side is very dry, I feel for the farmers and their animals. Here are a few images from the day.

IMG_7404 IMG_7407  Dry river bed.IMG_7410 IMG_7412 IMG_7418  Going up the Barrington Range.IMG_7425  Dingo Gate, love the gap underneath 🙂IMG_7432  Pine trees and there needles all over the ground, reminds me of NZ pine plantations. IMG_7439  Polblue camping, very large area’s.IMG_7455  This is the Polblue Swamp area, its like a big sponge. Was pretty dry and in the middle of the day.IMG_7460 IMG_7472  Another view of the swamps.IMG_7507  This is the Manning River from up the tops of Barringtons. They have a big camp area here as well.IMG_7512  On our way home via the Pheasants Creek road were all these Native Trees, they must be so old, as they were huge.IMG_7518  A wee house up the creek Rd. What stories could those walls say.IMG_7521 Love the sky in this scene.IMG_7540  Belltree’s, is a property that was home to the White Family since 1831. They have accommodation & farm stay conference center, they have all sorts, very neat and tidy property. It is still a working farm with horses.IMG_7543 This is the sign to the town. NSW

Day 12

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Thursday 2nd January 2014

Well the opossums were on the prowl again last night, we have had a baby and an adult hanging around, they make so much noise some nights.

We have another beautiful day, got to make the most of it as this is our last full day. Have had a few spots of rain, very overcast and humid, feels like another storm on the way. Just going to veggie out and spend some time getting photo’s of the baby Yellow face and mum feeding them, she has 3 babies. Only just discovered them last night, but have been watching the way the two adults were protecting this tree, now we know why.

IMG_6103 IMG_6110 I sat motionless for nearly two hours to get these photo’s so as not to disturb mum with her feeding the babies, kept an eye on them over the rest of the day and with the goanna hanging around I was concerned, obviously so were the parents and she encouraged them to fly up into the tree beside her nesting tree, well one got off track and the parents were really going to town, then I realized one was on the ground beside our toilet tent, so Don picked it up and popped it into the tree and off it went up to its mum. Here is a photo of their nest taken by Don, I was to short to reach.

IMG_8918

Went for a walk and Don saw a Rufus Fantail, what a beautiful bird, I did get some shots but not good, they are even quicker than the Grey Fantail. Here is a photo taken by Don, it is only a reference photo.

IMG_8936

Day 9

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Monday 30th

At least the nights are quiet cool considering the hot days we’er having, so that’s a blessing, once 5 am arrives it’s time for me to get up, the days are to beautiful to waste it in bed, had my morning cuppa and sat listening to the birds etc, then decided I would go down to my spot where I know the kingfishers lands to fish and I’ll set up my bird hide, leave it there while having breakfast so as not to disturb it very much. I have the water as back ground so that’s not great but will have to try anyway.

IMG_4979Kingfisher

The morning has been quiet, but while I was in the bird hide I could hear the kingfisher really going off, so pocked my head out and saw that the kingfisher was attacking the Goanna, so it must be getting to close to where the baby kingfishers are.

IMG_4982Goanna

After lunch took a walk down to the Ford to see what bird life was there but it was getting to hot even for the critters, not even much bird sounds. On my way back I saw a movement in the bush so went thru the fence to check it out, turns out to be a baby Bower bird, so cute. Mother Bower bird was watching, so took a couple of shots and slowly walked away so not to disturb them, it had obviously fallen out of the nest as it was very young.

IMG_5082Baby Bower

IMG_5100Frogs at night

Did a trial with frog shooting tonight using the Betta Beamer, it’s a flash with a defuser on it.