Continuing the trip north, we travel through Monto (overnight free camp), Biloela, Moura (free camp), Rolleston, Springsure (overnight free camp at Virgin Rock) and then finally into Emerald for a couple of nights.

Monto is close to the Cania Gorge and Cania Dam, where we spent a week or so last year with friends Alan and Anne fishing and catching redclaw.

Biloela is named after the aboriginal word for the white cockatoo.

Virgin Rock, one of our overnight stops is 4 Kms north of Springsure. It is on the eastern side of Mount Zamia and has a naturally formed likeness to the Virgin Mary and Child (looked just like a normal rock to us !!). The spectacular cliffs are floodlit at night.

Next stop Emerald.

Nothing really to report in terms of success at the Queensland State Veterans Championships over two days at Bargara. Except Siobhan did get s second on one of the two days.

It is that time of year again. Temperatures getting down to the mid teens at home means it is time to be chasing the sun and warmer climes in far north Queensland.

The caravan has undergone some major refurbishments after being hit by a hailstorm on our last trip in Nelson Bay.

Our first major stop on the way up north will be Bargara, just outside Bundaberg but we will do a couple of overnight free camp stops on the way just to check that everything in the caravan is working OK. First stop is Tiaro followed by Childers.

Tiaro is known as the home of the Mary River Turtle, one of Australia’s largest turtles. Specimens in excess of 50 cm in length have been recorded. A unique feature of the male Mary River turtle is the tail, which can measure almost two-thirds of the carapace length.  The turtle is occasionally informally referred to as the green haired turtle due to the fact that many specimens are covered with growing strands of algae which resemble hair.

Childers has an interesting history – in the early times of the sugar industry, thousands of Pacific Islanders were imported into the area as sugar cane workers. These people were known as Kanakas and were not always willingly imported. There is still a rich South Pacific Island culture in and around Childers.

And so on to a regular stop of ours – the Bargara Beach Caravan Park, for a weeks stay and to play in the Queensland Vets State Championships – more of that later.