Homeward Bound

 After leaving the Tullebudgera Creek Tourist Park, we continued north along the M1 before turning onto the Logan Motorway that would take us further west towards Toowoomba.

Mr Google took us onto the Toowoomba Connection Road rather than the more accessible and newer A2 or Warrego Highway section. This connection road would be the steepest road we have ever towed our van up and over, but thankfully, the Chevy took it all in its stride.

We could have driven straight home from the Gold Coast in just a day, but we wanted to experience the changes the new Elka shock absorbers had made on some of the worst back roads we had previously driven over six months ago.

Our first night was spent camping beside the Dumaresq River in Texas, near the Queensland and New South Wales border. 

We spent just one night here before again taking more back roads through Yetman, Warialda and Bingara, where we camped for three days beside the Gwydir River.

Even though we only made minor changes to the shock absorbers' high and low compression rates, we were totally blown away by the difference between the new and the old.

We packed up in pouring rain as we headed east, passing through Delungra, Inverell and Glen Innes. The rain continued as we descended through Gibraltar Range National Park, where we experienced heavy fog with limited visibility.

We planned to camp at Cangai Bridge, one of our favourite campsites beside the Mann River, but with the rain and the dirt road access to the campsite, we continued on home.

We departed on June 3rd and returned on November 20th, having travelled 15,236 km with an average fuel consumption of 20.93 L/100 km.

Bushtracker Visit and American Car Company

 It was simply a short journey from Gootchie Creek to the RV stop at Cooroy. The only facilities available are water and a dump point; all water must be retained, and sites cost twelve dollars per night.

Our van was booked for a service that included examining the bearings and brakes and applying grease to the hitch. We always camp outside the factory gates on Enterprise Street the night before, making sure our van is the first cab of the rank.

After our service, we returned to Cooroy for a few days before heading to the Gold Coast. We were there to have new adjustable shocks fitted to our Chev Silverado. The current shock absorbers were not fit for purpose, especially when driving over the poor, undulating Queensland-sealed roads. 

We installed Canadian-made Elka shock absorbers. They are 2.5-inch reservoir shocks that can be independently adjusted for high and low compression.

After returning to the Tallebudgera Creek caravan park along the M1 Gold Coast Highway, we could immediately feel the difference.

The real test took place over the next few days as we travelled along some of the inland roads we had previously driven several months ago. These shock absorbers were very expensive, but they were a world apart from the old ones, with the proposing effect nearly gone, and this was only with minor adjustments to the compression ratios. More changes will be made over time. The rear shock absorbers, fitted with protective boot covers, shield the shafts from potential damage by rocks.

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The black knob controls high-compression changes, and the red knob controls low-compression.

Agnes Waters 1770 and Gootchie Creek Escape

It's been many years since we last visited Agnes Waters and 1770. Back then, the access road from the Bruce Highway was dirt. At that time, this area was just a sleepy spot that hadn't grown much, but it is now bursting with development. We were heading south, so this stop was brief and probably our last visit here. We stayed at The Summit in Agnes Waters and initially booked an unpowered site. However, upon arrival, it was clear that camping in that section was impossible due to the uneven ground. Thankfully, there was a powered site available for our stay.

Besides having a good look around, we shopped and enjoyed lunch on one of our days along the waterfront in 1770. I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch, especially my crumbed red emperor.

From here, we headed further south along the busy Bruce Highway to our next stay at Gootchie Creek Escape, just south of Bauple. It is a six-hundred-acre property located just over one kilometre west of the Bruce Highway. We arrived on a Thursday and chose a site along Gootchie Creek, although there are many sites on the property. The usual facilities, including showers, toilets, and a dump point, are available on site. The facilities can be seen in the background.

Sadly, our peaceful campsite was spoilt on Friday afternoon when the crowds arrived with their noisy children and loud music, which played late into the night. Fortunately, we only booked for two nights; otherwise, we would have left anyway. If you enjoy peace and quiet, I recommend camping here only during the week, not during school holidays.

Haliday Bay north of Mackay

 We shopped in Proserpine before heading south to camp at Halliday Bay, north of Mackay. We had never ventured off the main road in this area, and we were very glad we did. It’s like a little piece of paradise, featuring a small campsite with both powered and unpowered sites. Naturally, we chose the unpowered section. The site is perfect for fully self-contained caravans and motorhomes.

The on-site bar and restaurant were closed during our visit due to fewer travellers at this time of year.

Twenty-seven dollars per night unpowered, with water available, a dump point, and a lovely beach featuring a swimming enclosure to keep the stingers at bay. There's even a nine-hole golf course, but unfortunately, my golf clubs are at home, and the hired clubs leave much to be desired. Initially, our four-night stay has extended to sixteen because the area is so peaceful and quiet, although it's late in the tourist season with fewer travellers. The past weekend was busy with people from Mackay camping here, but now that it's Monday morning, we almost have the place to ourselves.

Spearfishermen and snorkellers reported that the area around the rocks on the point outside the swimming enclosure was inhabited by many sea snakes.

Another small community, situated ten kilometres north of here, also sells fuel. It features a petrol station, a small shop, and a bowling club where we enjoyed lunch on one of our days.

Covering six hundred kilometres from Halliday Bay to Agnes Waters, we decided to break the journey and stay at the pub in Marlborough, where you can camp for free as long as you purchase something from the pub. So, we both enjoyed our lunch and a beer.

Bound for the Coast

 From Julia Creek, we continued east along the Flinders Highway towards Richmond on what we can only describe as the worst road we've ever travelled, with damage on the left-hand side caused by the large B-double and triple trucks that use these roads. We stayed on the centre line whenever possible, provided we could see far enough ahead to avoid furrows created on these roads, which were never built to handle the weights of such trucks and their loads. These road conditions persisted for a further 114 kilometres until we reached Hughenden, where we camped at the free RV park — a large dirt car park the size of two football fields, with a dump point and town water. We had planned to spend two nights here, but one night was enough after walking around town and dealing with the swirling wind kicking up dust in the RV park.

The road condition heading east towards Charters Towers began to improve, making the 246-kilometre drive much more enjoyable. We stopped briefly here to refuel before continuing another twenty kilometres east to camp at a free site beside the Burdekin River at Macrossan Park, where toilets and rubbish bins are available. Again, the area was dirt, but we positioned ourselves near a large patch of grass, even though it was dry, which would help prevent us from being covered in dirt from wind and passing traffic. It was busy, likely due to the on-site toilets, and many of the permanent campsites appeared to have been in use for quite some time.

The old sandstone pylons have been replaced because the weight of trains carrying refined metals and mineral concentrate to the coast would be unable to support the additional loads.

The rest of our trip along the Flinders Highway was a pleasant drive as we headed towards the Bruce Highway. About thirty kilometres west of Townsville, at Woodstock, we turned onto a minor road that took us past properties with mango plantations. This saved us from having to travel an extra sixty kilometres.

Since leaving home in early June, the traffic has been light in the areas we've travelled through, so it was quite a shock to arrive at the Bruce Highway and be greeted by streams of traffic in both directions. The highway remained busy for the next one hundred and fifty-three kilometres until we reached Bowen. All the van parks were fully booked, even though the school holidays were nearly over, so we spent the next four nights at a farm stay twenty kilometres south-west of Bowen at Glen Erin Farmstay, costing twenty dollars a night, where bore water was available, along with a dump point, showers, and toilets.

We travelled to Airlie Beach and checked into a caravan park on Shute Harbour Road. It's been eight years since our last visit, and we were amazed by the development here. New marinas and resorts have emerged, and the Airlie Beach Hotel has been transformed into a large accommodation complex. While here, we went to Proserpine to pre-poll for the voice referendum.

                                                                    

Airlie Beach and North Queensland have been our annual escapes from winter in Canberra, where we lived for over forty years, so we have seen many changes over time. We are booked into Bushtracker on Wednesday, the eighth of November, for a van service that will include replacing the wheel bearings. We are currently organising timings and accommodation for the coming month, as it is about 1,000 kilometres from Airlie Beach to the factory at Kunda Park on the Sunshine Coast. After leaving Airlie Beach, it was just over fifty kilometres to our next four-night stop at Lake Proserpine. The only facilities here are a small kiosk selling essentials, showers, toilets, and rubbish bins. The campsite overlooks the lake, and the charge is ten dollars per person per night. Unfortunately, during our four days here, we experienced strong, gusty winds, and as often happens on our departure day, the winds have now eased.