Charleville

Only had to travel for about 180klms today so we arrived here at Charleville by lunch time. After setting up we went for a drive around the town, very typical country outback. We rocked up to the bowls club and have our names down for a game tomorrow morning. I will be keeping my eye out for any brown snakes as they caught one slithering across the rink this morning, they said it was unusual as they are usually in hibernation now. We dropped into the Cosmos centre and booked into their night viewing for tomorrow night, so lets hope it is a clear sky like tonight. Tonight we enjoyed a meal of red wine stew & mashed potatoes that had been cooked in the camp oven along with damper and then to finish up with apple crumble and custard. It was pretty good value for $15 ahead.

We had been sitting outside having a drink this afternoon and Bazza went inside the van to find we had a guest curled up on the couch, a very friendly ginger cat that seemed very much at home.

Mitchell.......cont

Today was spent catching up on the housekeeping and RR ! Not only do we have a nice clean bed to get into tonight, both Bazza and I have enjoyed a couple of very long soaks in the 38 degree artisan spa so we are squeaky clean as well. The ankle felt so much better after a good hot soak ! Wish we could put a bore down 3klms and get lovely hot artisan water at home, I certainly would look like a prawn then.

Barry came across a little green frog trying to hitch a ride on our vehicle, so he very kindly was releasing it into the wild, when the bush poet came upon them, the next thing he knew Garry the poet was into another poem about a frog The Prince.

Since around 6pm tonight we have been having a good down poor of rain, so much was running off the awning we were able to fill up our drinking water containers with lovely fresh water. We have been lucky with our drinking water so far, have only had to buy it once as have been to a couple of places where we have had access to collected rain water.

Mitchell

After spending last night at a roadside free camp at Warra we have now arrived at Mitchell, after travelling through very dry countryside and on a very straight bumpy sealed road. The road trains have helped with the deterioration of the road, many of them are carrying cattle. I now keep my window closed when driving, as I received a little shower from a passing cattle truck, yuk ! Bazza had to clean the windscreen when we stopped as it was getting quiet hard to see through.
The contrast in some paddocks from the dry grass to a lush green of newly sown crops is quiet remarkable.
We stopped in at the Chinchilla Weir for morning tea, there were many caravans out there as it has free powered campsites, a lovely spot will definitely return there sometime to spend a couple of days. We also passed through Miles and had our lunch at the Roma Big Rig information centre where they usually have a night show of the Big Oil Rig.
Today when we arrived here at the caravan park I quickly did a load of washing as it had been a few days since I last had a chance to do any. Then we sat around a fire pit and listened to a bush poet, he was quiet amazing how he can remember so many poems and yarns. Tomorrow we plan to go to the artisan spa here at Mitchell looking forward to soaking our bones in some hot water !

KILKIVAN

Tuesday we left Cooroy after a lovely relaxing stay enjoying the campfire, quiet and good company. The lamb roast was just the best, we all enjoyed it very much looking forward to cooking in the camp oven again soon. On Monday we spent the afternoon in at Noosa after walking along Hasting Street and the Boardwalk we found ourselves a lovely spot on the Noosa River not far from a very popular fish & chips shop. We had decided to have a late lunch around 3pm then we would not have to have an evening meal (Bazza's stomach was touching his back bone by mid afternoon) it was very enjoyable.

We travelled as far as Gympie where we found a car wash that we were able to drive the caravan into, as by this time it was looking pretty shabby! We had washed the car while we were at Noosa, so after $13 we had a van that looks like someone still loves it. It took both of us working flat chat to get it somewhere near clean, not worth being too fussy as it will not stay this way for too long at least we can enjoy it for a couple of days.

We spent the night at Kilkivan Campground it was a lovely place to stay about 6klm in off the hwy, so it was very quiet. The relief caretakers Alan & Fran were a great couple and very hospitable with a Happy Hour around their campfire, just the place to hear the history of the area. The cemetery just up the road was actually the dead centre of the town until flooding had the Town relocated about 8klms away. The Campground used to be the local school, and some of the sites are situated on the old tennis courts, it was also a gold & copper mining area with some mines still working. Alan also entertained us was a few songs and played his guitar. makes you wish that we had some musical ability.In the toilet there was a sign "Green Frog Country" please close the lid, I was always wary when lifting the lid just in case the was a resident frog.

Today we have travelled through Kingaroy & Dalby and we are at a little roadside free camp at Warra which is about 40klms before Chinchilla. We had been going to stop at Dalby but thought we would go a little further, maybe we should have stopped as 20klms out of Dalby we had a large stone hit the windscreen and now have a large star crack on the passengers side. Last time we were on the road we had to replace the windscreen when we got home, so looks like we will be getting another one.

Cooroy.....cont

We have spent the last few days in this lovely quiet campsite at Rob and Elaine's property, tonight we are having our lamb roast cooked in the camp oven with all the vegies. Yesterday we had a very enjoyable game of bowls at the Cooroy Bowls Club, unfortunately we were not on the winning team. Thursday we went into Noosa Heads and Noosaville for a look around and did a little shopping, was able to get the new baby (boy) that is on the way a couple of things they are so very cute.

The weather yesterday was lovely just what we have been looking for, today is very different a chilly wind and overcast. Will have to rug up soon and go and enjoy the fire !