Travelling Around Australia: November 2011

13th September 2011 to 14^th November 2011

Well it’s been awhile and as reported in my previous blog, I hoped when I went home to Victoria that my Mighty Cats would be in the Grand Final. Well as you know they were and they won, and although I wasn’t able to secure tickets to the match, I had a fantastic day. What a team... the greatest. I had a great week of celebrations and catching up with the family.

Before we left Mackay on 29^th October we spent a weekend in Airlie Beach with Darren and Tracy. If you’ve never been there, put it on the list of places to holiday. It is a really beautiful spot. For those of you who have been there, you’ll know what I mean. The weekend we were there they had the Reef Festival, so we were entertained by night markets, carnivals and fireworks. For the first time in many years I played the clowns and ate fairy floss. We had a beautiful dinner at the Chinese restaurant, The WOK INN, on Friday night and enjoyed the fireworks spectacular from the balcony of our room which overlooked the foreshore. On the way home Darren took us to the Cedar Creek Waterfall, and although it was a very pretty spot, unfortunately the water wasn’t flowing.

After 12 weeks in Mackay, thank you again and again Tracy and Darren, we headed off on 29^th October to go to Emerald, which is 400 kms south of Mackay and about 250 kms inland from Rockhampton. We arrived at the Higher Ground Homestay camping area on a very very hot afternoon. This is a private property with access for 4WD vehicles only to the banks of the Nogoa River about 1km from the house. There are no facilities, which suit us as we are self sufficient, and it is so peaceful with only the sounds of wildlife and the water rippling over the rocky bed of the river breaking the silence. The day we set up was so hot that we had to keep taking our tops off, dipping them in the river and putting them back on wet to stay cool. After finally setting up we were able to take a dip in the refreshing river, which flows very quickly, but has a nice deep hole perfect for swimming. Every day has been hot and we have lived in our bathers getting in and out of the water all day long.

Emerald is known as the hub of the Central Highlands and the gateway to the sapphire gemfields, with Sapphire, Rubyvale and Anakie about 40 kms west, all gem fossicking areas. The town itself is not named after the gem, but after a lush emerald green hill, Emerald Downs Hill, just north of the town. It supplies 25% of Queensland’s cotton and has many primary industries including coal, gem mining, citrus, grapes, native flowers and many small crops. It was once famous as a major sunflower producer and is now home to the world’s biggest Van Gogh Sunflower painting on an easel in Morton Park. The structure is 25 metres high and has about 13.6 tonnes of steel in it construction.

Fairbairn Dam is located only 2 kms from where we are camped. It holds the body of water known as Lake Maraboon, which feeds the Nogoa River. This huge expanse of water is 3 times the size of Sydney Harbour and is very popular with locals for swimming, fishing and other water sports. It also has a caravan park nearby for tourists.

The only other campers near us are four French brothers, Jean Luc, Yenn, Herve and Alain who are travelling Australia for a year and are in this area looking for work. They have secured a job, grape picking which they like despite the hard work. We cooked dinner for them on 2 occasions and they were very grateful, thanking us with a bottle of scotch and a bunch of flowers. We have enjoyed their company for a few drinks and although some words have been lost in translation, we have had plenty of laughs. Poor buggers bought Ginger Beer in the supermarket because it was so cheap, thinking that it was alcohol and then drank the lot with no effect, ha ha. We have taught them a bit of Aussie slang as well as some rhyming slang. They find us very welcoming and funny and write everything down so as not to forget. Of course I have enjoyed the double kisses on my cheeks and the hugs they offer!

Five young Aussies also camped here for one night and we had a few drinks with them. Brendan, Rachel, Larissa, Nathan and Carla are headed to Roma and hopefully we’ll meet up with them on the 19^th November at the Roma races. Roma is about 400 kms south of here and maybe our next stop.

Water from the dam has been released into the river on which we are camped and the level has risen by about 40 cms in the past 4 days or so. Prior to that the swimming was easy as there was a nice shallow part to enter into and then we could swim a little way upstream. But due to the release of the water, the river is flowing much more quickly and the current is strong. Greg fashioned a rope across the river and attached another one so that we could get in and out easier and now we can haul ourselves along the rope against the current and hold onto the rope that crosses the river to prevent us from being pushed downstream. So much fun!

Instead of the 6 days we first intended staying here, we will now be staying until Monday 14^th November. We have really enjoyed the peacefulness of this camping spot, with not much to do but relax by swimming, kayaking, yabbying, reading and playing cards. The weather has been perfect, 34 degrees everyday... it has really been the perfect camping spot.

Cheers til next time.