Toowoomba, 30th May, 2024

 Sorry no blog yesterday so will go back for a limited report.  Nothing much really happened, just a big drive for PT from Roma to Toowoomba. Set up camp for three nights in Toowoomba. Mainly to have a look around town today and pack up the motorhome tomorrow, to return the motorhome on Saturday 1st June.  Spending the night near the airport and fly out home on Sunday. We had our first rain last night since we arrived in OZ. Fortunately the day has been fine for us to look around Toowoomba. Cooler temperatures though but good for packing up.

Going back to yesterday 29th, we thought the roads might have improved the nearer we get to the coast but no, still very bumpy, they have been like this as soon as we crossed over the border to Queensland and still continued. Hope they get better from here on. There are still road works going on with these stop start lights directing the traffic along half the road. Above photo was showing how it stops the traffic  and forms queues holding up the big rigs. Sometimes the queues are quite long. As we get nearer the coast a lot more traffic now on the roads and more built up areas passing through the small villages.

Above and below this is a very well developed park for walking, picnics and a great children’s play area.  Chinchilla is a pretty small village. This is  set back from the main highway over the train lines. Tucked away from all the highway noise. We made a coffee and got on our way again. A lot of tourists just wouldn’t know there was a village hidden away.

Continuing on our way we past cotton fields and many ploughed wheat fields getting prepared for planting.

 TOOWOOMA

It’s now the next morning 30th May after our first night in Toowoomba which is  an inland city on the Darling Downs ninety mins from Brisbane. It’s known as the Garden City and is loved for its well preserved heritage buildings, many from the art deco period, with an impressive collection of street art.

After our first night in Toowoomba. Thought it was going to be a wet day after a little rain overnight. Fortunately the cloud lifted for us as we had planned to have a look round the area. Our first stop was the Japanese Gardens.  Just charming and so lucky the sun shone for the photos.

All developed around a central pond. There would have been about three bridges crossing over the pond in different places.

Hint of the autumn colours so tranquil.

Now leaving the Japanese Gardens.

Driving around the residential areas had these lovely old trees lining their streets

Some lovely well kept gardens in these properties too. 

We were driving through these streets to take us to  Queens Park which is a heritage listed Botanic Gardens. It is a well known park that is usually a mass of colour. . Very disappointed as it is way past the flower season and has been stripped of all its annual flowers. All the garden soil has been turned over and no colour to be seen. They were just starting to re plant for next summer season to produce a mass of colour with all sorts of  different flowers. So we just had to imagine what it would look like. I have seen photos which showed how amazing it does look like in the flowering season. Unfortunately we were way too late to see this splendid show of colour.

Now walking around the inner city.  (After taking the van back to camp.)  As just can’t park an eight metre motorhome in a city, so came back into the city by Uber. Above is the Empire Theatre impressive building.

Across the road was this Old Church that caught my eye. Loved all the stone it was built of.

Mainly came back to the inner city as it is well known for its street art. I believe there are many walls painted but quite hard to find mainly down alley ways.

This is my travelling mate PT

The sun lasted long enough for us to complete what we wanted to see then the weather clouded over and a  few drops of rain. It’s just amazing that this was our first sign of rain since we landed in Australia. Everyday has been a sunny day. 

This will be my last post as one more day tomorrow in Toowoomba organising and packing up the van to return to Brisbane on Saturday after our amazing trip. Starting from Adelaide and going to finish in Brisbane in a couple days. The experience started in Adelaide and took us up through Woomera, Coober Pedy with all it’s Opal mining and underground buildings. Then we arrived at Uluṟu known as Ayers Rock. The walks through the Olga’s and not forgetting my big goal was to climb the 500 stone steps to get up to the rim of the Kings Canyon.  Finishing off with the 6km walk around the rim. But what goes up has to come down and I think coming down steps is harder than going up. Then on to Alice Springs to do the walks in The MacDonnell Range. On and upwards through Tennant Creek turning off at Three Ways to cross over along the Barkly Highway to Camooweal. Next stop  was Mt Isa to learn about this famous mining town. Continuing on across from West to East as far as Charters Towers. Then heading south to Lake Maraboon for a lovely break at the Lake’s edge. Further on down to the fantastic Carnarvon Gorge National Park. What an experience with all those walks,  another amazing experience. Going on through Roma and now at our last stop before Brisbane,Toowoomba. Now time to pack up everything and head to Brisbane on Saturday 1st June and fly home on Sunday 2nd June. What an amazing experience we have had driving in excess of 6,000km, (haven’t worked it out exactly.) we have now had four motorhome trips, three around Australia and this one up the middle. This is going to be our last motorhome trip around Oz but definitely not the end of travelling in Australia. Thank you all you readers for following us, it makes my job writing the blog a lot more worth while. Signing off now as we have a couple of busy days of organising which will be of no interest to anyone. 😎

This is our trip April/May, 2024

We travelled 6600kms and used approximately 685 lites of diesel 

Roma, 28th May, 2024

 27th May. Yesterday - Leaving Carnarvon Gorge National Park

Didn’t do a blog for the 27th so will go back to yesterday as we were leaving Carnarvon Gorge National Park. We got away at 8.00am to travel down to Roma approx 268kms so not too far.  After a couple of great nights in the Park. Didn’t do anything apart from travelling except we did the stop at Injune. Just a little old township but had this very new looking building with a big information centre one half and the other half was a flash, for this area, tearoom. We usually make a coffee in the parking bays along the highways but decided to stop and support this little community. Arriving in Roma about mid day.

Just as we were about to leave the National Park this  morning , this mum and baby were so near to us. Baby saying come on mum I want to play, jumping up to her.

Then baby would run round and round her.

Then came back ready to put its nose into mums pouch for a drink. Then she would start running around mum in circles doing its best to get mums attention. I think mum was too busy keeping an eye out for any danger. This routine went on for some time. Baby was so full of energy just running around mum.

We were now in our van leaving and the same mum and baby went over to this couple while they were having breakfast. She snuggled her nose right into this man’s arm. Waiting in anticipation for a feed. Note baby is now in her pouch. Must be tired after all that running around.

Just jumping into mums pouch. There were quite a few kangaroos running around the park. All very friendly. they usually hang around early morning or late afternoon.

 

Now leaving camp crossing the ford for the last time.

Looking down the stream while crossing over.

As we just left we were driving along the 40km road to get back to the highway. We were wondering if these mountains were the outside of the gorge, possibly.

Still leaving the area crossing another ford.

Looking down the creek very autumn colours.

As we are passing through cattle farming area we were expecting to see this site at some stage. This area we have been in is very big in cattle farming. 

The land isn’t fenced off from the road so they keep the cattle from crossing over to where they shouldn’t go by having these grids very frequently. So noisy to cross. We crossed over fifteen grids in the 40kms between camp and the main highway.

Now back onto the highway heading for Roma for two nights.

At the beginning of this blog I mentioned stopping at Injune for a coffee. Had to take this photo of the old General Store.

28th May, today in Roma.

This morning we went along to the Roma Cattle auctions for a new experience. Probably spent a couple of hours there. Started off with an hours tour getting all the facts on cattle sales. The  Roma Saleyards is the largest cattle selling centre in Australia with 300,000 to 400,000 head of cattle sold through the facility annually. Today they had just short of 8,000 cattle to sell at the auctions. Over 50 years, Roma Saleyards have seen over 11 million head of cattle sold at a value of over  $5 billion, The Maranoa region has a history based in agriculture, with Roma in particular being a hub for cattle Sales which have taken place here as early as the 1860s. This is why we have passed  many cattle station for a few days now. 

These individual pens go forever at the top of the photo you can’t see that they slip down the same distance out of sight. Forgot to take a pano to show how wide the rows went. Just under 8,000 cattle in there just today.

These pens are sold as a pen lot not individually.

The guys in the green shirts are the auctioneers. They are so busy. I just had to take a few videos it was the only way to capture it all. But as I have mentioned can’t get the blog to upload videos. The public have to stay up on the top platforms and stay well away from the auctioneers. They are practically running between pens on to the next bidding. In this photo on the left of the cattle the buyers are all standing on ground level under the roof, checking out and buying the cattle. They too are running up and down trying to keep up with the next bidding. Really all

Interesting.

These above cattle have already been sold and they are sent through these pens keeping them in the pen lot that they were sold in. As soon as one pen lot go through, the gate comes down above them to divide them off from the next group. The cattle we saw today were being sold to the farmers not for their meat. That happens on a Thursday. Tuesday is for the lucky ones to be taken to farms. So I’m glad we saw the Tuesday Auctions.

This is where the prime bulls are auctioned off one by one. None of that was going on this morning.

These trees are known as Bottle Trees as you can see why. They are everywhere in Roma, lining many of their streets.

This is the oldest tree in Roma. Huge. 

The height of it is 15m, girth 9.62m and the crown is 23m. This tree was transported from a local property to this site  in 1927.  It now stands proud by a reserve with a stream running through it. The Bottle Tree can live naturally for 200 years.

Looking down the Main Street of Roma. Took this photo to show that all the cars have to reverse into the parallel parking spaces.

Had to take a photo of this old building standing all alone and boarded up. Almost hidden behind the long grass growing around it.

We are now sitting out having a cool drink. At least I was but got up to take this photo😂 Note the little Bottle tree behind us.

A busy morning but time out this arvo. We are heading off to   Toowoomba for our last three nights to get organised and packed up to return the van on the 1st June. Then one night in a motel before flying out on 2nd June. Five years ago we started our first big motorhoming around Australia with our first stop in Toowoomba. We did this to get organised and get used to the van, to tour around the outback of Queensland and then back down to Brisbane via the coast. Bigger driving day tomorrow 353km. Few things to see around Toowoomba which we missed the first time. So the blog will still continue to the last night.

I have said that I can’t upload videos so I have just tried again and after I posted it, I went into the blog and it seemed to work. It just wouldn’t work for me last year when I tried.

Carnarvon Gorge National Park, 26th May, 2024

 We were up early as we had a huge walk ahead of us today. What a great place at Carnarvon Gorge National Park. It is 593 km north west of Brisbane, 30km long, 600m deep at the mouth. They have all these designated walks. Twelve in all and we only did three today plus the two we did yesterday. So this should tell you how big the Gorge is. Our three took us nearly six hours today, 13 kms and 20,000 steps. Fortunately we started at 7.00am when it was still a little cool. But just as well as by late morning it was getting much hotter. What an experience so glad we did at least some of it. This is how it works there is one long path, starting at the entrance to the park, which Criss-crossed Carnarvon Creek as it winds 9.7kms, ( 19.4Kms return. ) you have to return no pick ups to drive you back at the end. Ends at the waters of Big Bend. You can Explore sidetracks leading to narrow, hidden gorges and timeless rock art sites. This track is mostly flat but they seem to throw in many up and down steps along the way. Also you have to step from rock to rock across the creek and some side tracks are quite steep. The individual side walks are graded 1 to 5 on difficulty. Our two big walks were graded 3. At Big Bend the graded track system ends and the remote hiking trail of the Carnarvon Great Walk  begins. This walk is graded 3/4/5 is 87kms long and takes 6 to 7 days. Phew!!

So basically you choose what side walks you want to do then turn round at the furthest walk you want to stop at then walk all the way back to where you started doing each individual  side walk of your choice. I will explain our three walks, third one was very short, under the below photos

This was our first  and biggest crossing right at the beginning of the walk. These big boulders went right across the creek so we had to step from one boulder to the next. We were told that it makes it much easier if we could bring walking poles. This helps with the balance getting across.

When we started our walk at 7.00am the sun was just coming up over the high cliffs on the other side of the gorge. The sunrise  or sunset is always the best time to bring the colour out on the sandstone as you will see the change of colour later in the morning. The sun shining reflecting on the cliff face makes it look like gold especially in the photos.

At the start of the walk this is what we saw really beautiful. But once the sun got up higher it changed to its normal daytime colour.

Amphitheatre

After walking about 3.5kms up the main path we turned off to do our first side track about  750m into what they call the Amphitheatre which was magnificent. Hidden inside the gorge walls is a 60m deep chamber gouged from the rock by running water. The towering stone walls and natural skylight create a wonderful atmosphere. In the above photo we have now left the main track and more or less walking over uneven boulders to the entrance of the Amphitheatre. Photos just can’t show the real feel about a place. I took a video inside this enclosed area which makes it more real but unfortunately the blog won’t accept videos. 

Now approaching the entrance.

We had to climb these stairs to enter  through a narrow entrance. That’s me at the top. Easy to climb as narrow and could hold both railings. Coming down you came down backwards like coming down a ladder.

I went up first and took this photo as PT made it to the top to walk into this entrance

Looking further up through the entrance not knowing what we were going to see.

This big open enclosure is the Amphitheatre.

Once inside we looked up to a big opening up high across the top. Just amazing.

Looking up the side of the wall to the sky.

If you can imagine these two top photos joined together you will see from the bottom to the top. Too high to take it all in one photo. Unfortunately I got too much of the left side wall in. I should have moved along more to get the whole space in to give the look of it being a lot wider. Like the bottom half in the photo below.

Unfortunately I didn’t take the top half as a pano.

Looking at the slim entrance we came through with the sun shining through.

Walking out through the narrow entrance.

PT ahead nearly at the entrance. I am about to go down these short steps then have to cross over a small pool stepping over boulders

PT just going down the big steps

Half way down

Outside

Looking up to the top of the entrance as we were leaving

Now leaving the Amphitheatre for 1.5km  along a creek walk over an uneven boulder track  back to the main track.

This Kangaroo was wandering around the creek bed.

He is now ready to leap away never to be seen again.

Now back on the main track. This is the furthest that we are going on the main track so heading back down to our 2nd side track. 

One of the many crossings over the main creek. We were told before we came that it would be wise to have walking poles. But when you are only here for one big walking day wasn’t going to buy poles. Someone gave us this wooden pole as they had finished their walk and we found another one for me. They worked a treat. Amazing the difference to help balance. If you don’t have a pole you automatically feel wobbly.

Continuing along the main track. Some of the sandstone gorge wall.

Walking, walking along the main track.

Now have turn off the main track to walk 700m along a not so formed track to see the Moss Garden.

MOSS GARDEN

We have entered the Moss Garden, beneath tree ferns straining for sunlight. A small waterfall flows over a rock ledge into a pool of reflections. Here water is dripping constantly from the sandstone walls and it sustains a lush, green carpet of mosses and ferns.

The little specs in this photo is the water dripping from the moss.

All these rocks are covered in moss due to lack of sunlight.

This is the the platform we walked up to sit and enjoy the cool surroundings. Looking down the little creek where the water flows.

This gap between the two rock walls is all that lets the sun shine through.

We have left the moss pool and taking the side path beside the small creek, back to the main path.

Another crossing. I found another stick to try but realised you only really need one. So threw one away.

Still walking out on the fairly rough path and lots of up and down stairs, which made it quite a hard walk.

Back out on the main path looking back up at the stone walls of the gorge.

These are their natural colour during the day but the photos we took at the beginning of the blog is in the early morning just as the sun hits them making them that bright gold colour. That’s why it’s so good to get in early to catch the sun on the stone.

Still walking alone the main track which seemed to take for ever to get back to where we started from after nearly six hours of walking.

The midday sun is still catching some of the brightness on the walls.

As we were leaving the main walks,  these two were playing around in the park.

That’s the end of the two big walks so managed to get back to the van exhausted to drive a little down the road to our last little walk.

ROCK POOL

Just a small 200m walk from the car park. But after our big walk it was hard to get out of the van to do this 400 metre return walk.

Driving through the ford at the entrance of our camp ground called the Breeze

Camp, just as the sun was going down. Beautiful place to stay. Although exhausted we had a great day and enjoyed ever step. Really pleased we didn’t miss it due to bad weather which we haven’t had any yet. It was a brilliant day to do our 13km walks 😀

This blog has been posted a day late  due to some hiccup with the Telstra connection last night, due to the remoteness  of the Carnarvon Gorge. It’s now the 27th so no blog for today, have just been driving down to Roma for two nights.