Just Browsing Marv_mart Trip to Qld-NSW 2017

[Marv_mart]

Hi Pandas, getting ready for our trip away this year. NZ is now sadly but a distant memory.
A 4 week trip to Kinka Beach, Bundaberg, Mooloolaba, Port Macquarie via Broken Hill. Intend to leave on 24th June. We know this is going to overlap Qld and NSW school holidays. We will be sticking to the coast as much as we can as we make our way slowly down the East coast as far as Port Macquarie before cutting back West to Adelaide. We have done this trip down the East coast before (2014) but stopping at different places along the way this time apart from Bundee, Mooloolaba.
Any advice welcome. Booked a few of the popular spots to avoid missing out.
Marv will definitely be along for the ride and we definitely won't miss the expected Adelaide cold, wet winter and only 3 AFL matches at Adel Oval! Lol.

 

[Dobbie]

Yeppoon? If so, the caravan park on Farnborough rd (Beachside cp I think) is good but avoid the wind if you can.

Better still, if you're more into the quieter free camping, Byfield national park, just north of Yepppon, is beautiful but no jumping castles etc.

 

[Marv_mart]

We are retired not so grey but nomads. We liked the Island View CP at Kinka Beach last time we were up that way. Will see if they have a spot free. Really enjoyed it there last time. Try to avoid places with lots of kids, ours are all grown up with their own families so prefer it quiet and peaceful. I know it's school hols but the time interval suits us.
Thanks for the advice.

 

[Marv_mart]

Ok, long time in the planning, finally time to collect the van, plug it in to get the fridge to the right temp and load it up. One day to go and we are off. Will keep a travel blog, probably not as detailed as previous blogs but at least, for my own benefit, will post the stats and the best pics of memorable places.
First leg will be to Broken Hill via Clare, Burra and Yunta (fuel).
Will post from there on Saturday.

The original idea was to escape the Winter wet and cold.
Well it has been cold in the mornings but not wet. 1mm of rain for June so far (avg 75mm) and day temperatures in the high teens. Farmers here in SA have not been able to plant their crops and if no or little rain falls in the next two weeks, the whole year will be wasted, any crops that have been planted will shrivel!
Will also be a chance too test out the battery monitor and the exhaust fans on the fridge I installed about two weeks ago.

This is screen shot from the remote battery monitor and shows van battery details. The dips are the consumption overnight as the battery keeps the sensors running. I was surprised by these dips as the fridge is currently on 240V and no lights, just gas sensor and 12V/USB points active. Everything else including water pump off.

All fueled and gassed up and ready to go.
My next post will be on Saturday from BH!
Marvin will definitely be there somewhere!

 

[Drover]

Looking forward to your updates.

 

[Marv_mart]

Adelaide to Broken Hill
Dist: 533km @ ~17.1l/100km
Fuel: 82.2l @ 127.8¢/l
We were quite surprised by the number of farmers who had actually managed to sow their crops with early signs of germination, hope they get follow up rains soon or it might be all lost.
Very low cloud around Spalding meant that there were rare opportunities for pics.
Still very gloomy here in Broken Hill. So many goats on the side of the road as we were coming into town!
A quick setup and then a trip into town for a few picks before sunset.

A pics from around BH.
The miners memorial at the top of the 'Hill"
And a view of BH from the top

Ok Cobar tomorrow, hopefully better internet access, so slow here.
PS: no Marvin this time, he stayed back in the van!

 

[1DayIll]

I really do need to get to this part of Australia!

 

[Marv_mart]

Broken Hill to Cobar
Dist: 476 km @ 14.7l/100km. Went from 17.4 to 14.7l/100km just by reducing my cruising speed to 95kph!
Should mean I can get 500km per fill towing the Sea Dragon, that will save a bit. Little traffic so going at 95kph isn't slowing anybody down and there are lots of passing opportunities on this route.
Fuel: 69.83 l @ 135.9¢/l =$94.90 for the fill
Cobar is quite a small little town on the road between BH and Gilgandra, tomorrow's overnight stop.
After Gilgandra we start heading North on the Newell Hwy towards Goondawindi.
We intend staying well West of the mountains until we need to cut across to Rockhampton.
Cobar
Very tidy CP, clean, excellent amenities. Severe water shortage here so we are again using our own supplies.
By the 5:00pm, the CP was full so if you are coming this way, get in by 3:30pm or book ahead.
Quick spin around town takes but a few minutes, as usual a few of the historic buildings impressed.
We stopped for a break about 180km out for a drink and a salad roll on our way in from BH and what do expect to see, more bloody goats! They are rife, seems like they are in plague proportions!
Not sure how they intend to control them!

Other than the goats, the landscape was fairly bleak but noticed much heavier shrubland and trees as we neared Cobar

The obligatory buildings of course for SWMBO
The local court house and the RC church behind it.

This is a quick shot of the Cobar CP just before it got too dark.
Well worth staying here if coming thru this way.

Next stop, a short hop to Gilgandra tomorrow.
Two long hops followed by a short one to recuperate.
Still 4 days before we get to Yapoon/Emu Bay/Kinka Beach

 

[Marv_mart]

Cobar to Coonabarabran
Yes I know I said we would stop overnight in Gilgandra but by traveling an extra 97km today it will cut tomorrow's trip down from 445km to 395km, much better.
Dist: 398km @ 15.9l/100km. Not bad. Still sitting on 95kph but a few more hills cope with. Really glad that NSW govt have installed quite a few passing lanes coming over the hills into Coonabarabran, so much safer.
Fuel: 63.22l @ 138.9¢/l. I think it might be a bit cheaper in Qld, I will wait and see
Now for some pics.
The first few are from Siding Spring Observatory just outside Coonabarabran in the Warrumbungal NP
The first two are on the way up. The locals delight in mounting these sculptures by their front gates and many also have their own telescopes.

The next few from the observatory

A great vantage point to view the valley below

Marvin got a bit home sick, he just kept saying 'Phone Home'. See if you can spot him.

The final shot of the Observatory as we headed back to the John Oxley CP at the northern end of town

Well off to Goondawindi tomorrow. Marv

 

[Marv_mart]

Coonabarabran to Goondawindi
Dist: 413km @ 14.8l/100km
Fuel: 61.16l @ 125.9¢/l
Nice easy trip today, lots of overtaking lanes. Made it in good time.
Great little coffee shop in Moree and of course lots of cotton.
Love the Art Deco conversion of this old shop!
Don't know why we grow cotton in water starved Australia!

Goondawindi
Goondawindi has a few Art Deco buildings of its own.

So far already from Adelaide!
The construction of the MacIntyre bridge and associated levee has saved the town from previously heavy flooding, the one in 1956 immortalized in sculptures and plaques. That 10m record was broken in 2010 by an 11m monster.

The most noticeable building has to be the Victoria Hotel in the Main Street.

Well off to Possum Park tomorrow, just a few km north of Giles. This will be the last stop before reaching our first main stop at Kinka Beach on the coast from Rockhampton on Thursday.

 

[chartrock]

We are at Emu Park just out of Rockie, pulling out Friday morning.

 

[Drover]

Goondiwindi is a lot better since the bypass years ago and you will enjoy Possum Park, when you get to Dulacca you can turn right and go to Rocky via Mt Morgan and a big windy downhill trek or straight ahead to the highway and a reasonably flat blat to the big Smoke.

 

[Marv_mart]

We are at Emu Park just out of Rockie, pulling out Friday morning.

We will be at Kinka Beach/Emu Park (Island View CP) on Thursday early afternoon and will be there for two days.
DM me and we might be able to catch up!
Will update the travelogue once settled in the CP, two days worth.
Marv

 

[Marv_mart]

Goondawindi to Miles
Dist: 226 km (+20km to Possum Park) @ 16.7l/100km
Fuel: 37.78l @ 121.9¢/l
Not a bad trip except for parts of the road are very bumpy, had to slow to 85-90kph in those bits.
Miles is obviously a big fuel stop for many and gave us time to have a capuccino and a snack.
20km up the road is Possum Park. Very quirky converted WWII ammunition storage area.
Possum Park
The old couple who bought the place back in '86 have converted some of the old bunkers to guest accommodation and some of the other bunkers to a Games room and a Dining Room
The bunkers were all dug out by hand, pick and shovel, hand mixed concrete floor, Nissan Hut style roof, topped with another 8" of concrete and then covered with the soil dug out in the first place. They measure ~8m across by 20m long.

They have also managed to get hold of some old Qld Railway carriages and have also converted them to accommodation.

There is also plenty of spots for people with caravans like us, about 10 or so arrived on the same afternoon we got there. Their current project is to convert and old TAA jet into accommodation, finished in Sept they say (won't say which year). They seem to love doing this kind of stuff.

We love the quirky nature of this place and would suggest that it is well worth a visit.
We took a 4.....km walk around and visited all 16 of the old Munitions Bunkers. A good change from sitting in the Beast for the last 5 days.

All of them being used for storage, plane parts, sheep feed, whatever.
If you are up this way, do call in. Enjoyed a great campfire chat with other travelers so remember your marshmallows!
Tomorrow is Kinka Beach via Banana for fuel and Rockhampton
PS: Marvin is in some of those pics if you can find him! (Hint: flying carriages!)

 

[Marv_mart]

Possum Park to Kinka Beach
Dist: 235km to Banana and a further 196km to Kinka Beach via Rockhampton @ 15.9l/100km
A few climbs before finally reaching Rockhampton and its famous Bulls. The Beast had to drop a gear or two for some of the hills, a bit like yesterday hence the fuel consumption varied a bit
Fuel: 45.31l @ 125.9¢/l. That was for the Miles to Banana leg between fillups.
Settled in by 2:30pm at the Island View CP at Kinka Beach, first time we were able to put out the awning since we started as this will be the first of our 2 or more day stopovers.
Will cruise around tomorrow, take a few pics of course and enjoy the warm weather at last. Surely beats the -2°C we had at Goondawindi where we had icicles in the water filter when we packed up in the morning.
Will hopefully catch up with @chartrock currently at Emu Park just up the road and heading North tomorrow.
Will be great to put another face to a name! More tomorrow, Marv

 

[Marv_mart]

Kinka Beach

Very nice Caravan Park ****
After catching up with @chartrock and his lovely wife this morning and swapping a few yarns they were heading off North to eventually reach Cape York we went off to explore Emu Park and Yeppoon.
Fantastic to catch up and put another face to a name.
Emu Park is a very nice town well worth a visit.
They have done a fantastic job developing their Anzac memorial. Many hours must have been spent putting this all together.

A very fitting memorial to our diggers

If you line up the image on this glass photo of Anzac cove with the local horizon, it brings so much realism to the scene. The singing sails were humming away nicely as we looked across the bay to the Keppel islands

The panorama below is directly across the bay from Emu Park.

We finished our visit here with a cappuccino and Eclair before heading north to explore Yeppoon and the coastal Scenic Drive. I think we have chosen the best CP along here. This one and the CP in Emu Park would be my recommendation for any traveler heading up this way.
The local chooks of course make sure there are no crumbs or insects left to bother the campers.
I was just waiting for that precious googie to drop but my wait was in vain.....

I've got 5 surrounding me now, is this a raid?
Well I think we will escape safely and get to Bundaberg without a scratch or being too henpecked. Marv

 

[Glen Bundesen]

We have just returned from a visit to Rocky and the Coast. My parents had the old shop and flats which were opposite the entrance to Bell Park. It has all been replaced by the big IGA on the corner. I can remember going to sleep listening to the Singing Ship!
My brother still lives in Emu Park and we were down there quite often while we were staying in Rocky. Took my sister in law out for a coffee at the Causeway and went for a trip up to Stoney Creek - well worth the drive.

 

[chartrock]

Left Emu Park and headed to Kinka Beach to meet @Marv_mart and the lovely Mrs MM who made us welcome with a cup of coffee. A good chat and we moved on. Got caught up with an army convoy which kept our pace down a bit but found when the convoy turned off for Shoalwater Bay, that they were being held up by an old bus which was motoring along at 65-75 Km/h and would not pull over to let traffic pass. We followed him for more than 40 Km before he pulled over. Eventually arrived at Flaggy Rock, a $10 a night camp ground with toilets and a shower and loads of space.

 

[Marv_mart]

Kinka Beach to Bundaberg
Dist: 316km. Because of the difficulty of getting into a Servo when heading South out of Rockhampton, we stopped for fuel at an easily accessible BP at Marmor. We have used this place before.
Fuel stops: Miles to Marmor: (Includes our stop over at Kinka and 47km touring around)
Dist: 353 km @16.0 1l/100km
Fuel: 56.49l @ 121.9¢/l
Marmor to Bundaberg:
Dist: 278km @16.6 l/100km. Had to sit on 100kph for a while so as not to block a swarm of traffic.
Fuel: 46.01l @ 127.9¢/l
Cane Village B4
We have been to this CP before. Medium size, very neat, clean peaceful park, would be my recommendation. It is at the southern end of town near the airport but still quiet. The park at Bargara, the sea side playground for this area seems huge, packed with lots of kids too busy for us grey nomads.
Bargara
Went for a day trip to Bargara, just 20km ENE of Bundaberg is the place to go if you want the beach.
Bundaberg itself is inland on the Burnett River. Lots of cane fields of course.
Bargara is very busy with tourists (lol) on Sunday. Just up the road is Mon Repos, the turtle sanctuary and other seaside havens Coral Cove, Elliott Heads and Burnett Heads.
On the way out to Bargara you can visit the Bundaberg Rum distillery, the Bert Hinkler aviation museum and of course the Bundaberg Ginger Beer factory. We have been to all three before (See Marv's previous travelogue to NT, Qld, NSW from 2014) Just had to stop at the Bundaberg factory to stock up on Ginger Beer for me and Creaming Soda for SWMBO. Beautifully kept gardens surround their beer barrel tasting hall. Fantastic guided tours also available on week days. Got a few more samples of other flavours while we were at it.

Wandered along the busy esplanade at Bargara, stopping for a cappuccino and lunch before heading back to camp.

What a beautiful mild sunny day, so different to what poor old Adelaide is having this week!
Next port of call will be Mooloolaba for 3 days. Hope the weather stays like this. Marv

 

[Drover]

Did you go for a ride on the Cane Train at the Botanic Gardens ? Fantastic set up there. It is a nice Park bit squeezy for 22ft of Big Mal so big vans do need to book.....

We love to stay at Elliot Heads even though at this time of year it is full of Victorians for about 3 mths straight........if you are going to head to Hervey Bay at all make sure you refuel at Maryborough or you could pay around 10 to 15c/lt more.