QLD Whats happening, QLD .....

[Drover]

Did Anzac day at Winton couple of years back, really good day .......... bluddy long march for us old fella's though................ Charleville and Quilpie do good ones as well......
We look like heading off at start of April so will know if heading west or south at end of 1st week as Temora Flying Day is on the 12th, so Anzac Day down there somewhere or out west, my old navy mate who goes to the flying days with me is at a Country Music do that weekend so might leave it till Sept .......... weather, river levels/flow will determine a lot of things.... that flat country the water can lay over the roads for weeks...


. ................. Bunch of old blokes Winton ANZAC Day 21.




Fella needs a shave....

 

[poor but proud]

Can only hope so...total bummer really as we had planned to go through Bollon just after Easter heading out through St George, Bollon, Cunnamulla, up to Charleville, across to Quilpie etc...up as far as Winton. Sounds similar to your journey Drover.
Any "must sees" out that way...nice free camps?

If you go a little further west to eulo (stop at pub or free camp on paroo river) then up to yowah ( free camp or van park) continue up to quilpie via duck creek opal field ( camp at pub) or go west from eulo to thargominda then out to nocundra pub (free camp on lagoon or site at pub) we then did a day trip to Burke and wills dig tree leaving our van at the nocundra pub.then to Eromanga ( great Dino fossil museum) then to quilpie .then the back way to Longreach via windorah.jundah.stonehenge if you do get to Winton the world of dinosaurs is a must see plan to be there all day not just a few hours that is all sealed roads except for the few km from the main road to dig tree there is also a causeway crossing on the way in that hangs up any van without exceptional rear clearance

 

[DRW]

Damn you people, I made the decision to go back to Karumba for winter, I also wanted to go the the outback festivals but they’re too early now reading your posts I want to go out west again!!!! I think next year might give Karumba a break but go to Julie Creek dirt n dust festival then to Hughenden outback festival the out where you guys a talking, who knows so much to see such little time (and money)

 

[Drover]

Don't forget then:

Winton Opal festival 11-12 July 25 and the Winton Festival of Speed in August both Ive been wanting to get to and the Outback Festival in Sept ............. I sort of like Winton ................... though nowadays I like running out there before the crowds roll up into QLD, though the buggas are moving earlier and earlier each year it seems .................... even out west of me camps that would be near empty seem to have a few there...............

Yesterday near Kilkivan came across some poor bugga who flipped his van, tug stayed upright but rig on its side, got away on a down hill run........... if we hadn't stopped at Goomeri for walkies probably would have seen it as the dust was still settlinig sort of thing...

 

[DRW]

Don't forget then:

Winton Opal festival 11-12 July 25 and the Winton Festival of Speed in August both Ive been wanting to get to and the Outback Festival in Sept ............. I sort of like Winton ................... though nowadays I like running out there before the crowds roll up into QLD, though the buggas are moving earlier and earlier each year it seems .................... even out west of me camps that would be near empty seem to have a few there...............

Yesterday near Kilkivan came across some poor bugga who flipped his van, tug stayed upright but rig on its side, got away on a down hill run........... if we hadn't stopped at Goomeri for walkies probably would have seen it as the dust was still settlinig sort of thing...

Thanks Ian
It’s looks like we will catch one of these, thinking of either going via of back via Winton any way. Dates for Karumba changed yesterday from July back to June so the opal festival will be well timed.
I still can’t understand why or how a van can getaway from you going downhill, maybe because we’ve had heavy haulage experience I don’t know but the roads out in that area aren’t the worst in the world
Cheers Dave

 

[Drover]

I do try to find out the Why but as you know numerous factors and I think I have saved some situations ,van/semi, because of just an instinctive action by the time I realized things could have hit the fan, it was all over and just some dust in the mirrors, the feet and hands have done their thing before I knew it............... whatever it is I'm thankful ......................................

I also like the Gem Fest at Sapphire thats usually in August but as usual we never know where we are until we get there so never book and any meet ups is on short notice but it seems my recent thoughts of Red Dirt and Sand which pushed the sounds Merlin Engines away could all be overridden by the call of Grandchildren so Canberra might be on the cards, if so then I can hear Pratt and Whitneys getting louder, most annoying as my Mate won't be there, could entice one of my boys to come over though and I was having nice thoughts of red dirt and sand, with a stop at Toompine and a soak at Yowah .............................. Though the beauty of retirement is I can extend the tour .................. but its a bluddy long drive....

 

[Hitting the road]

I still can’t understand why or how a van can getaway from you going downhill, maybe because we’ve had heavy haulage experience...

I struggle with the whys as well...maybe it is the background in truck driving. I have had some hair raising experiences while being pushed by 100 tonne myself...maybe thats why having under 3T behind me moving occasionally is a bit of a non event?

The Wide Bay Highway from Goomeri through Kilkivan to the Roundabout is a pretty good piece of road imo, travelled it many times with and without the van....and in the heavy stuff.

Hmmm...Pratt & Whitneys wailing...just glorious. I only ever had a Lycoming or a Continental spinning the props up front of the Cessnas and Pipers I flew back in the day. I still enjoy going to any Fly In or Exhibition though...and love watching and listening to any Warbird!

 

[Drover]

Once upon a time I discovered a runway/taxiway hardstand on a weekend was a wonderful place to learn driving skills, a shorty 'Cruiser in a slide can be terrifying though, so long as no tyre marks left, lights knocked out or other damage meant no Courts Martial ............................ I have found a van to be more hassle than any 40ft trailer, well other than a single axle trailer, now they have a mind of their own worse than any van.............

I do like Air Shows but once it was small crowds of plane nuts, now its every man and his dog .................... I wish I could post a small vid I have of a Boomerang doing a low pass, the distinct howl is music.

 

[DRW]

Once upon a time I discovered a runway/taxiway hardstand on a weekend was a wonderful place to learn driving skills, a shorty 'Cruiser in a slide can be terrifying though, so long as no tyre marks left, lights knocked out or other damage meant no Courts Martial ............................ I have found a van to be more hassle than any 40ft trailer, well other than a single axle trailer, now they have a mind of their own worse than any van.............

I do like Air Shows but once it was small crowds of plane nuts, now its every man and his dog .................... I wish I could post a small vid I have of a Boomerang doing a low pass, the distinct howl is music.

I’m a plan nut myself we used to go to the air shows at Albatross when I was a kid, but as you said way too many people now and I just can’t deal with crowds anymore. And I still maintain a 40’ trailer is easier to park than a caravan lol

 

[Drover]

Sunday 2/3/25 ;0600 thankfully while Fraser island and Innskip have been cleared of campers, Innskip a bit damp underfoot as usual, the Cyclone Plot is looking like it will miss us, just windy but not gale force ....................... Certainly hope the thing turns East Mon/Tue and not West though............... be in lash up and stow mode if I was south of Noosa though it could be a bit rough. ......................

............... Plot on MetEye as of 0600 2/3/25

 

[Hitting the road]

Its a bit windy up here at Hervey Bay, but not a bad day...28 degrees with bits of sun poking through here and there...

 

[DRW]

Blow a dog off a chain in Bargara and we’re booked into Coolum for a week starting Tuesday, they said they need 7 days notice to cancel and refund my $68 per night already paid for!!!! I’ll decide tomorrow they did say the might give me a refund in extenuating circumstances

 

[Drover]

Blow a dog off a chain in Bargara and we’re booked into Coolum for a week starting Tuesday, they said they need 7 days notice to cancel and refund my $68 per night already paid for!!!! I’ll decide tomorrow they did say the might give me a refund in extenuating circumstances

I'd get in now going by BoM they might not be there on Thursday .................. Lol,lol..................... it will probably be lots of wind and as it goes to a what we once called a Tropical Low, just dump a zillion gallons on us all...................
Actually give it a day and they might tell coastal campers to pack up and go like they have around here as you might have the breakers at your door.... ....

Blowing more than fleas off the dog today here, so have packed up the patio gear as I will roll up the blinds, don't want to be stuffing around tonight if it gets to some bigger gusts ............. have always thought about some tie downs on the van slab, they might get upped on The List of jobs I think..... eye bolts in concrete and a couple of 8 ton straps off the chassis should hold or at least show the insurance mob I tried....................

 

[Johnanbev]

I'd get in now going by BoM they might not be there on Thursday .................. Lol,lol..................... it will probably be lots of wind and as it goes to a what we once called a Tropical Low, just dump a zillion gallons on us all...................
Actually give it a day and they might tell coastal campers to pack up and go like they have around here as you might have the breakers at your door.... ....

Blowing more than fleas off the dog today here, so have packed up the patio gear as I will roll up the blinds, don't want to be stuffing around tonight if it gets to some bigger gusts ............. have always thought about some tie downs on the van slab, they might get upped on The List of jobs I think..... eye bolts in concrete and a couple of 8 ton straps off the chassis should hold or at least show the insurance mob I tried....................

The 4 day forecast track indicates it will be centred over Brisbane on Thursday, might be a bit wet!

 

[Drover]

Yucky, just had a look at BoM's MetEye forecast track, now crossing at Caloundra 0400 Friday, hope it fizzes out before then....... the wind forecast for my place as of Thursday is not nice at all, it will be batten down the hatches big time .....

BOMs MetEye forecast 0429 aest 3/3/25 ................ track is in Zulu time so add 10 hrs to the times shown.http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/meteye/

 

[Hitting the road]

This morning in Hervey Bay it is sunny and hardly any wind...nice. The storm has moved South enough I guess to lessen it's impact here...any monster waves generated are being blocked by Fraser, so waters are quite calm too...

 

[DRW]

It’s nice here in Bargara today also but according to BOM they have Coolum as a potential cyclone Thursday and lots of rain, I’m just waiting on a call back from the park, if we did go there’s a chance we’d be evacuated anyway

 

[poor but proud]

you have more chance picking powerball or lotto then trying to predict what a cyclone is going to do ,especially as all the new met buildings have fixed glass so they cant put their hand out to see if it is raining

 

[Drover]

Walked outside this morning 0530, the weather rock was dry, when I chucked rock in air it dropped straight down, no big wind, palm frond is waving gently, nice day for a fish ???????????????? Rainbow Beach though will be renamed Rainbow Rock, beach has been evacuated I think.............

At Innskip Point the road from the round about to the Fraser Barge has been washed away and I imagine some remodelling of some camps has happened and we still have a few days or more of big swells ..............