Brisbane to Stanthorpe

The Van and Car have been given the once over and are now ready for the highway again.  We are happy with the standard of both services and the price of one.  While in Brisbane we caught up with our daughter and son in law and managed to coincide a visit to their city unit with the visit to South Bank by the Queen – she gets around pretty well and was remarkably popular.  Personally I was more interested in seeing my two grand-daughters and had some fun with them.  We also learned that our son purchased a house in Mudgee for his family when they move in December to take a job in a new mine opening up nearby – same company as where he works now in CQ.  They are excited and it will be a wonderful experience for them.  We look forward to visiting them early next year.

We were grateful for spending a few days with friends in the Bayside.  Their business is going well and their delightful young son was very entertaining.  Of course we needed some hardware while we there and were updated on all the latest industry goss.

We picked up the vehicles, shelled out heaps of hard earned, and pulled into Caboolture 15 km’s up the road for a rest.  After some net searching the next morning we purchased a satellite dish from a business 2 minutes the other side of the motorway from the van park.  They offered a very good deal on the latest gear and were very helpful and pleasant.  SATPLUS at Caboolture – they also sell solar panels and inverters for hundreds less than the chain stores.  We signed up on line and now have free to air digital channels anywhere in Australia.

A slow drive out through Woodford, along the dam and through Sommerset township to Esk.  We elected to camp beside Wivenhoe Dam and were pleased we did.  Lumley Hill Camp is about 30 minutes out of Esk and is on a hilly point overlooking the lake.  Very quiet and peaceful; no traffic at all, plenty of pelicans, kookaburras, and roos.  Excellent facilities with easy sites, large clean amenities and power and water for a low camp fee ($21 / night).  We went back into Esk and stocked up on meat and fresh fruit and veges from a real butcher and green grocer.  There are 2 antique shops in Esk and one is closing down, 50% off everything.  He had a huge amount of old stuff but non suitable for a van, thank goodness!!  We headed off towards Stanthorpe via Fernvale (stocking up on the best pies ever), Rosewood, Aratula (cheapest diesel for a while at 142.9), Cunninghams Gap and Warwick.  As we climbed the hill the country changed dramatically and the rich dark soils are full of veges and fruit trees or thick green grass.  The rose plants in Warwick grow like weeds and are covered in blooms at the moment.  There is a major Campdraft and Rodeo on this week so everything booked out and on to Stanthorpe it was.  We have booked in for a week at the Top of the Town park.  It is really well presented, new amenities, lovely gardens and green, large sites – recommended.  

Sunset at 1770

Tin Can Bay

Rainbow Beach Camp

Tree fatter than Garry

Komdalilla Falls Mapleton

Madelaine, Will & Isobel playing trains

Madelaine & Shaneens new Xmas display

Fish & Chips at Hamilton

Esk

Wivenhoe Camp

Cobb & Co display Rosewood

On Cunninghams Gap road

Tieri to Brisbane

Tieri – Brisbane

Apologies for the break in our updates. We suffered a breakdown of our new Telstra dongle and have only picked up a new one when we arrived in Brisbane.

House sitting duties were concluded with the return of Son and Daughter-in-law to their children after they had a great holiday in Italy.  Thanks for the Italian gifts.  I managed to progress but not complete the ‘red tape’ battle for the Tieri Country Club Inc. 

We departed Tieri for Dysart, after a couple of days at our other son’s place.  Another couple of days saying goodbye to our other grandchildren, and then on to Yeppoon so Carol could at last show off the van to her Mother. A catch up with Carols brother & sister and our old friends from Rocky saw us heading off for our first stop with no final destination decided. 

We spent several great days relaxing at the Town of 1770 in a van park on the water.  The park has changed for the better in the 25 odd years since we first went there for Easter.  It is one of the few places on the east coast of Australia where the sun sets over the water (of Bustard Bay).  Some good photos were taken to assist the memory.  Garry also got to wet a line even though the result was some less hungry fish still enjoying the water.  I recommend the 1770 Camping Ground for location, views, large shady sites, and clean facilities.  We then took the less travelled coastal back roads to Rainbow Beach – again in a large shady site on the waters edge of Tin Can Bay at Rainbow Waters Park.  The park is a couple of km’s out of town at the end of

Carlo Road

(why we chose it) and is on the bay side of Inskip Point away from the open ocean breezes (winds).  The park is 23 acres with a grassed area with cabins and a large treed area down the back overlooking the Bay still with power and water.  Fishing was good (according to the neighbors) but we were without the necessary tinny although we did see a keen fishermen wading a couple of hundred metres offshore into knee deep water to try their luck.  We were surprised how good this park was and it is definitely the quietest place we have stayed yet.  I must mention the sandflys!! Tiny little buggers you can hardly see and don’t feel biting but the bites drive you nuts for days later.  Lotion required!!!

Next we headed for the back of the Sunshine Coast for a couple of nights looking for a few things for the van.  Ended up not shopping but went for a couple of walks through the rainforest to see Kondalilla Falls.  Lovely shot walks and great views from the hilltops.  We did notice how much the Real Estate prices in and around the Sunshine Coast have fallen this year.  There seems to be good value compared to other places.  We have moved on to Brisbane and have put the van in for its service – nearly 12 months old already.  We are staying with friends for a few days and will see our daughter and son in law again.  He is down for work.

We plan to leave Brisbane for parts south by mid next week.