Saturday 12 May: Finch Hatton Gorge reveals its Wheels of Fire

Author: Mrs A

Location: Finch Hatton Gorge

An early morning cycle was in order, so we jumped on our bikes for an explore. It was another blue-sky day as we pedalled out of the showground. The air was fresh and cool (for Queensland) – around 16 degrees centigrade as we set off, but soon warming up.

We are in sugar cane growing country, and the valley is full of small farms, gentle rolling hills and river crossings. All around us, the peaks of Eungella National Park make for a spectacular backdrop, taking our breath away with every corner turned.

It was just a short 9km ride, concluding with a wade across the knee deep and quickly flowing Cattle Creek behind the showground, returning us to Finch Hatton for breakfast.

Once again, Miss Tassie felt adventurous and set off with me in tow for a walk around the farm equipment and empty bull cages – so many enticing smells and interesting nooks and crannies for her to explore.After she’d had her exercise and adventure, it was our turn again, jumping into the car for a short 20 minute drive up into Finch Hatton Gorge itself.

We set off through the rainforest on our hike up to the Wheels of Fire waterfall, named after the spectacular blooms of the trees surrounding the falls, not the falls themselves. It was an uphill hike, and so we were quite warm by the time we arrived (though Mr A’s feet were cool after having slipped into the creek rather than balance over the stepping stones!). We decided to jump in for a swim – whew! It was icy cold – you certainly knew you were alive!We hiked back down and finished off with a diversion to Araluen Falls, recognising them from a hike on our honeymoon. Still warming up after our initial swim we decided not to jump into these.We drove back via a local organic cafe for a late lunch – delicious food, if very slow service…we were ready to eat our own arms off by the time it arrived – just over 5km under our belts, but 25 floors of climbing!We drove back the scenic route, returning to camp for a relaxing afternoon, fresh tagliatelle with bolognaise and a couple of glasses of Shiraz. A fine end to a great day.

Thursday 10 & Friday 11 May: Musings on Finch Hatton

Author: Mr A

Location: Mackay and inland up to the Mackay Highlands, Finch Hatton & Eungella (pronounced young-gallah) National Park

Thursday

There’s always some maintenance, repairs or reorganising to do on the truck or the Zone, and today we ticked a few more off. Things like putting a Velcro strip acros the front of cupboard to prevent the contents tipping out after some bumpy roads. A very good idea courtesy of Mrs A.

It seems the residents of Mackay are not big on fresh veggies or Arthouse movies. Let me explain. We did try to go veggie shopping, but in the whole of Mackay there’s only one shop, which was very ordinary. I exclude Coles and Woolies from the definition of “fresh vegetables”. What a contrast to Bundaberg with its local market gardening scene. Perhaps the soil is different around Mackay? Sugar cane certainly loves it!

We are both big fans of Tim Winton, and were very excited to go and see the movie based on his bestelling book Breath. We were amazed to see only one other couple in the cinema. This is Australia’s greatest living author by any measure, but garnered no interest in Mackay.

Friday

Packed and off, we only had a short trip today into the hinterland, heading for a place we have visited before, Eungella National Park. We honeymooned in the Whitsundays 16 years ago and took an impromptu trip down from Airlie Beach to this area since it is the place you are most likely in Australia to see platypus in the wild. And we did.

We had chosen a showground as our base again, in the small settlement of Finch Hatton. Pulling in we were immediately taken with the place. The green paddocks framed by the lushly forested hills.
We left Tas for a much needed afternoon nap after her power sleep on the drive up, and headed up the range in the Cruiser. What a drive! Ben and Bev Mitchell – all credit to you for pulling your Zone up here! The views at the top were magnificent.


So we popped into the Information Centre and got the low down of where the platypus might be spotted. She pointed to the bridge about 50 metres away! We immediately saw a little fellah cruising around.

Turtles were also about, and one of our favourite birds the kingfisher.
What a spot!

We headed back and Miss Tassie was ready to come out for an explore – she took us on a stroll around the cattle sheds, tractors and hay bales, all apparently full of irresistible smells.We decided to go to the pub for dinner. Not bad…always some interesting characters about in these country pubs, and plenty of local knowledge to tap into. It feels like a very friendly little community.

Tuesday 8 & Wednesday 9 May: Heading back to the coast

Author: Mrs A

Location: From Springsure to Mackay via Clermont, Queensland

Tuesday morning, Mr A woke enthusiastically at 6.30am and set about washing and cleaning the caravan and car – within an hour he had been offered several jobs doing the same for other travellers…I must take note for future – when in need of extra wine funds, send Mr A out to work. With gleaming luxury apartment and tug, we set off on our way.

Our first stop was the settlement of Emerald, no prizes for guessing what was mined there (or the nearby towns of Rubyvale or Sapphire). We visited the ‘award winning bakery’ to find a loaf of bread for lunch – the thick cut wholemeal bread may as well have been thin cut white bread – it tasted like it had come out of a bread maker. Very ordinary and not a shadow on our friend Andy’s awesome baking.

So on we drove, heading to the town of Clermont, for no other reason than it was half way to Mackay.

We set up on an unpowered site at the local caravan park – a pretty basic site in a dusty paddock at the back of the caravan park. The park was pretty busy, apparently mostly full of people there to try their hand at mining, panning for gold or working for the local mining companies. I now know where the term ‘Rough diamond’ comes from.

I made some Bliss Balls and we relaxed for the afternoon, making plans for the coming days and enjoying the local birdlife – wedge tailed eagles soaring overhead, often chased by crows and other smaller birds, as well as pale faced rosellas, musk and rainbow lorikeets and honeyeaters flitting around the trees.

Wednesday’s morning saw us pull away around 9am and begin heading for the coast, travelling through busy coal mining country, full of specifically built characterless towns, oversized machinery, many, many white utes, all driving with purpose, and long coal laden trains heading for the port.

Temperatures in their 30s dropped to the mid 20s as we neared the coastal breezes, and the settlement of Mackay. Neither of us had really visited this town before. We stayed in a nearby national park 16 years ago on our honeymoon, but otherwise had no expectations of this coastal town.

It’s clear that mining and the growing of sugarcane play a big part in the community and success of the town, with fields of sugar lining the roadsides as you enter. We dropped the caravan at a Big4 park so Tassie could get some rest while we ran around doing some tasks – first of all a replacement lid for our toilet at a caravan shop, then collecting parcels at the city centre post office (our latest Vinomofo wine supplies – yay!), and finally some bits and pieces at the supermarket.

We weren’t back long before it was time to shower and catch a taxi into town for our night out at the local Indian. Mr A had suggested I might be keen for a night off cooking, and I jumped at the chance for an evening away from the stove and an opportunity to smarten up and brush my hair!

The Indian restaurant we chose was #3 on TripAdvisor, but despite that we had low expectations given our previous experiences. Fortunately we were pleasantly surprised by a delicious menu and great wine – the wine list apparently influenced by Qantas’ choices! They all worked well with the predominantly North Indian flavours.We had a couple of delicious dishes – a Chilli Chicken and a Lamb Balti, accompanied by little pappadoms and some cumin and pea basmati rice. The wine we selected was an Italian Sangiovese from Tuscany. A great night. We decided to stay in Mackay tomorrow night too, feeling the need for a day off travelling.

Monday 7 May: Lookouts around Springsure

Author: Mr A

Location: Carnarvon Gorge to Springsure

We left our grandstand view at Carnarvon Gorge with some brilliant memories, and pointed the truck back across the Queensland central tablelands. We were aiming for a small town of Springsure, because it has a showground that had good camping facilities, and a laundry. The latter was much needed after the dusty conditions we experienced at the Gorge.

Springsure is a small town with its claim to fame sadly being that it is the site of the largest massacre of Europeans by Aborigines in Australia – 19 men, women and children. Depending which version of history you read, the Queensland government then basically seem to give carte blanche for tens of thousands of Aborigines to be slaughtered in the years that followed European expansion.

We pulled up to find a great showground, all nicely mowed with power and water points dotted across huge sites. We soon had our washing in, the Zone cleaned out, and off for a drive. We wanted to explore the nearby Minerva Hills National Park as it had a series of lookouts with apparently great views across the town and surrounding plains. It was pretty bumpy track, but of course the Cruiser romped through, and we stopped at the first lookout over “Fred’s Gorge” Not sure who Fred was but he sure has a beautiful view named after him.Then it was a short drive and a scramble up the next lookout which had views right across the plains to the north and east. You are constantly reminded of what a vast country we live in at moments like this.The final lookout was another window to a vast landscape, one we would be heading through tomorrow.

Sunday 6 May: Birds, Turtles, Gliders & Platypus

Author: Mrs A

Location: Carnarvon National Park, Qld

After several early starts, Sunday morning began much slower, and we decided to enjoy a leisurely breakfast while enjoying our view. Tassie of course made the most of us being there, and after her customary explore of our site, settled down on a cushion in the sunshine.We decided a slower pace all round was required for today, and set off to do a 7km walk down in the gorge. We started with a trail called the Nature Walk, an easy stroll along Carnarvon Creek, occasionally crossing via stepping stones, and tagged on another walk to the Rock Pool, a large natural swimming hole further along.The Pied Currawongs were plentiful, and sat in their dozens up in the canopy gorging on tree fruit and whooping and whistling their delight. If you have never heard this sound, I would check out the little snippet of video I recorded while we were walking along, purely to capture it (Click here: Currawongs calling in Carnarvon Gorge) it was incredible.

Little Straited Thornbills, tiny little yellow, mottled birds flitted around the trees on the water’s edge hunting for insects, almost impossible to photograph. And under the water, we spotted a short necked turtle, hunting in the shallows – definitely impossible to photograph!Little red backed fairy wrens were often seen hopping around the trees, their feathers glowing in the sunlight. It was a stunning afternoon’s walk, with barely another soul seen.After seeing someone jump into the waters at the Rock Pool, we decided against going for a dip…we’d heard enough profanities for one day!Instead, we returned to camp for a relax and read before an early dinner. We had more walking ahead.

Michelle and Simon are two experts who have worked in the gorge for a number of years, taking visitors on tours, bringing the scenery and wildlife to life. Simon had presented the introductory talk when we arrived on Friday, and Michelle was who met us and half a dozen other couples after sunset that evening.

She brought along binoculars and herself had a powerful torch with an orange light filter. Yes, we were going spotlighting. Mr A and I saw a brush tailed possum and two black brumbies (wild horses) on our drive down, so had high hopes for the evening. It didn’t take long for us to find our first beast – a chattering call from the treetops drawing us into the woodland and allowing us to see our first Yellow Bellied Glider.

At first, a glider looks similar to a possum, being furry with a long tail, but its main difference is the stretch of skin reaching from its wrists to its ankles, allowing it to deftly glide from tree to tree. The tail is not used at all in climbing, more of a tool for balance and perhaps as a rudder while in the air. We watched her as she travelled from tree to tree, feeding on the sugary sap from the trunks, and hunting for nectar among the flowers.Down at the creek it was seconds before we spotted a Platypus swimming along, hunting for larvae under the water. Just magical, and I gave up trying to capture an image! Across in the gorge, it was a Greater Glider’s eye-shine which captured our attention, sitting on the side of an old gum tree letting his diet of eucalyptus leaves digest.

Our torchlight walk finished around 9pm with a sighting of a little burrowing frog who had emerged from the sand, no bigger than a 10 cent piece, it was amazing nobody trod on him. Michelle’s knowledge about everything was incredible – there was not a question she couldn’t answer, she clearly knew her stuff. A fabulous evening, and great conclusion to our stay at the gorge.

Saturday 5 May: Hiking in Carnarvon Gorge

Author: Mr A

Location: Carnarvon Gorge, Qld Highlands

The dawn broke over this spectacular landscape, and after a quick cuppa (of course), we were off and at ’em. It was only a short drive to the trail head and we were walking by 7.30 am, determined to do most of our hike in the cool of the early to mid morning.We had decided to repeat the walk we did when we came here years ago, the “recommended” medium distance hike of 14.5km (9 miles) which took in several of the major sites in the Gorge. We were pleased to be ahead of the crowds, we remembered on our last trip it was pretty frenetic. This time there were very few people around, and the sounds of the birds and the water cascading over the rocks the only noises to break the early morning stillness.We hopped over the first water crossings, the views down the watercourse with the sandstone walls towering imposingly in the background were amazing. This is a special place, and we’re so glad it is being looked after well.

We briskly hiked up as far as what’s called the Art Gallery.A spectacular display of aboriginal stencil art dating back to…well take your pick really…the estimates vary here but these have been carbon dated back twenty thousand years at least. The initial simplicity of the paintings belies the complexity of the messages they contain, would be my summary. The information boards tell a sketchy story of what the art work would mean to those who painted it, and the countless generations of aboriginals who came after. It’s such a spine tingling experience standing looking at artwork that predates almost any other in the world.

The gorge shows signs of habitation for over 20,000 years, quite “recent” compared to the 50,000 year dating of artefacts such as the axe head found in Arnhem Land and recently dated using a range of new techniques that have ever increasing reliability. If you’re interested in this field then sign up for the free newsletter “SAPIENS”, which has all the latest anthropological research and discoveries in it.

We started to retrace our steps back down the gorge and then took another side path to Ward’s Canyon named after a couple of brothers who were possum hunters and used the gorge to base themselves in. Guess their surname… this cool gorge contains central Queensland’s last stand of King Ferns.From here, we continued back to another diversion, taking us to what’s called the Amphitheatre. You need to climb up some ladders into a narrow cave, which then widens out into this massive…well..natural amphitheatre. We were the only people in there and the brooding silence off the massive walls was quite something.We enjoyed lunch on the banks of Carnarvon Creek before continuing back.So back at the car, with legs feeling the kilometres and 35 flights of stairs equaivelent, I realised I was not hiking fit!

Mrs A soon put a spring back in our stride with mixing some damper dough which I then baked in the Weber. Then it was Thai chicken green curry, still with so many fresh veg that we had brought in Bundaberg.

We slept well after watching the moon rise over the landscape…just magical.

Thursday 3 & Friday 4 May: Deeper into Queensland we travel

Author: Mrs A

Thursday: Ceratodus Rest Area to Moura, Qld

We left bright and early heading further inland, calling first at a little settlement called Eidsvold where we filled up with water and emptied the toilet, before continuing. We drove through a virtual ghost town, Cracow, where shop after shop was closed down and boarded up, just a few houses, a little museum and a community hall remained. It’s amazing how any little settlement like this survives, hanging on to the remnants of the mining life that once sustained them.

From Cracow we continued on to Theodore, a slightly bigger settlement with a small pub, an IGA supermarket and a bowling club. It is also a self proclaimed RV friendly town, offering cheek by jowl free camping alongside the main park in town. We stopped there for a break and a cup of tea, but didn’t fancy staying longer.

We continued on to another free camp, just past Moura, another tiny town, with a new hospital in the making and a thriving coffee and snack truck. Our camp was alongside the Dawson River, and when we pulled up was not too busy, allowing everyone plenty of space to park hitched up. There were toilets (one male, one female) and showers, but a lot of people for these limited facilities. I’d estimate there were around 25 different parties camped there, mostly in caravans but the odd tent or two.Miss Tassie jumped out of the car enthusiastic for an explore, but was quickly scared back into the caravan by a pair of yapping dogs in the van behind us. She chose not to come out again.The owner of aforementioned dogs came over to apologise and explain that his fur children lived with cats and were not threatening Tassie, just saying hello. They were holidaying at this spot for 10 days. One night was more than enough for us – while at face value the riverside camp looked pretty enough, the road trains thundering just metres away along the highway from 4am onwards were not ideal.

Friday: Moura to Carnarvon Gorge, Qld

We set off early again, on the road just after 7am. The scenery really opened up, with beautiful rolling hills, roadways lined with pink tipped grasses, lime greens and creams blending into the stunning spotted gum trees. Fields of beef cattle stretched off into the distance, as the hills began rise steeper, with craggy sandstone walls rising up before us. The road surface was shocking, as though someone had poured tar over a field without first smoothing it!

Our first stop for the day was the little settlement of Rolleston where we had planned to do a final top up of water and clean out the toilet. It was there we discovered a most unfortunate accident – Mr A had forgotten to replace the cap on the toilet after emptying it yesterday. While this had no consequence when we were driving with it empty yesterday, today’s bumpy road had ensured the night’s contents (number 1s only, that’s our rule!) spilled out everywhere! What a nightmare! So an hour of cleaning followed, thankfully while there was plenty of water around. Trusty duct tape will have to do the trick until we pick up a new cap in Mackay later next week.

Eventually we arrived in Carnarvon Gorge at its newest campground, Sandstone Park. It has only been open a year, and boasts 360 degree views of the gorges, perched high up on a hill. It’s not too pricey either, at $28 per caravan at the moment, immaculate port-a-loos, firewood and bins. There is no power or water, but that is why we have filled up our tanks and have plenty of solar panels.We selected a spot with no nearby neighbours and plenty of views, and got settled in. Miss Tassie had a good look around and gave it her tick of approval before retiring to bed.

After lunch we drove down to the National Parks office to have a read about the wildlife, and did a short walk along the nature trail. A pair of pale faced rosellas flew by along the creek, followed by some red winged parrots. It all bodes well for tomorrow’s walk in the gorge.At 4.30pm there was a talk by a local expert about the gorge’s history and the wildlife we can expect to see. There are extensive examples of Aboriginal spray painting artwork here, much of which has been dated back 20,000 years. We are looking forward to seeing that. It was a great talk, and we’re feeling extra enthusiastic about our hike in the morning.

We returned to camp as the sun set, admiring the incredible views from our high point.

Tuesday 1 & Weds 2 May: We’re going bush…finally!

Author: Mr A

Tuesday 1 May: Woodgate to Bundaberg to South Colan, Queensland

We headed out from our cosy camp behind the pub with some happy memories of Woodgate, and steered a course for Bundaberg. We had our Zone booked in for the diesel air heater to be repaired. Zone had a look at it during the service and tried some basic things like draining the diesel and repriming it, but to no avail. So we arrived at Dempster’s Caravan and Appliance Repairs, organised by Zone.

We left the van with them and headed off for a much needed grocery shop before we headed inland for a couple of weeks, where we usually find fresh food is a rarer find than a Scotsman’s wallet. I spotted a “Fresh Fruit and Veg” sign on a very down at heel looking shop but decided to pull up on the principle that “anywhere is better than Woolies”. And it sure was! The quality and price was fantastic, and we loaded up big time.It was haircut time for me and with some trepidation I walked into the “Hair Dinkum” salon where “no appointments needed”. For the bargain price of $22’s I was shorn and sent on my way 10 minutes later. Catherine didn’t laugh too hard when she saw me so I took that as a good sign.

We collected the Zone mid afternoon and were told the fault was that the heater was just full of dirt. The exhaust pipes are apparently prone to taking up a lot of dust, and those in the know cover them while travelling in the outback. I’m now in the know.

We only had a short drive out of Bundaberg to our camp for the night – Platypus Park Riverside Retreat. It had been recommended by some other Zoners we had met. We owe them…it was amazing. We were given the code to an electric gate and guided through landscaped gardens by the very amiable host Colin.We parked on his manicured lawn with a view right across the Burnett river. We had power and water if we needed it. There is access to toilets and showers in their guest house. Colin and his wife have created this resort style facility where they host weddings, as well as offering holiday accommodation in a villa.

We settled in for the night watching the sun go down across the river. Magical.

Wednesday 2 May: South Colan to Ceratodus, Queensland

We were up as the dawn broke to head off in a double kayak that is put at the disposal of campers – no extra charge. We pushed off into the Burnett river and headed down a small tributary where Colin said we might see platypus. Well we didn’t see them but we did a multitude of water dragons, looking pretty silly as they do bobbing along on their stumpy legs, then a bright blue azure kingfisher darted in front of us and landed on a branch with one eye on his next breakfast morsel and one eye on us. An Eastern Great Egret stood regally admiring his kingdom, what a majestic bird.As for the platypus, well we saw plenty of bubbles that we imagined was them rooting around in the mud, as they do, but not a glimpse for us. We were happy with the other wildlife on display in this beautiful river.

We had a chat with Colin before we left and he told us a little about how he and his wife Julie had grown the business stage by stage. A really great achievement, and I would encourage anyone who wants a 5 star camping site to head his way. You will pay for it (currently $20 p/person per night), but in return you will have a memorable camp in a beautiful location – and free kayaks!Even our Burmese princess gave the place a big paws up.

But it was time to head out, we weren’t quite sure where we were staying tonight, it was times to head bush and get out of the caravan park booking constraints. We had a fantastic drive up the range into the hills behind Bundaberg, it was really fab scenery and we both experienced this sense of euphoria that we were heading deeper into the country and away from the popular spots on the coast.We diverted off the highway to check out Boolboonda Tunnell, all 192 metres of it – and its claim to fame twofold. Its the longest unsupported tunnel in Australia, and its home to a massive bat colony. Wandering through it was pretty smelly, and those bats were going crazy flying around our heads.We stopped for lunch at a rest area and Tas just couldn’t wait to get out and start bounding around again. What a little energiser cat she is turning into! By late afternoon we found another rest area to camp at just as we turned onto the Barnett Highway, good old WikiCamps. Again Tas was straight out the car and exploring,

There were already several vans there and no sooner had we set up than we were invited over to join three couples for sundowners. Chatting with six total strangers, sharing laughs and learning lots, the sky turning orange and the birds chattering away as they settled down for the night. Yes…we’re in the country and it’s wonderful.

Sunday 29 & Monday 30 April: Embracing the Woodgate serenity

Author: Mrs A

Location: Woodgate Beach, Queensland

Sunday – Distance walked: 7.5km

We are joined only by one other caravan here at the Woodgate Beach Hotel, making for a very serene campsite. The whole village is extremely quiet, especially now the weekenders have disappeared back to work.

Despite the beautiful blue sky days reaching into the mid 20s, the strong southerly wind has continued the blow, putting us off swimming and preventing exploration by Packraft. So Sunday morning saw us head off on foot to explore the beach, heading north from where we are staying.The tide goes out a long way, leaving mirror-like reflections across the sand, and a surreal feeling you are walking amongst the clouds. We walked barefoot, splashing through the warm waters at the edge. For the most part, there was not another person on the beach.There were many little blue swimmer crabs, most of which ran in their dozens for cover when they spotted us coming, burying themselves in the soft sand. And birds, huge flocks of cormorants, terns and gulls, resting on the sandbanks. In the distance we could see four whistling kites, two of which were constantly fighting and swooping – probably juveniles, jostling for top spot.We reached the mouth of Theodolite Creek, wishing we had our Packrafts to allow us to cross, but instead enjoyed the peaceful ambience a while, before ambling back to camp, into a headwind this time, a little harder going.

We had a relaxed afternoon, I did a little painting while Mr A read, before having a final explore on our bikes as the sun set.Mr A got talking to a local resident, an elderly man who had purchased his dream retirement home on an estate here. Our exploration of Woodgate had revealed there are no shops – just the pub where we are staying and a cafe and takeaway near the caravan park.

The nearest grocery shops are 45km south of here. There are also no hospitals or doctors nearby, no police or services – a very pretty yet isolated place to retire, particularly given this resident’s wife has since taken ill and is now receiving care elsewhere. I think he is now regretting his decision to stay. It’s a beautiful place to visit but we wouldn’t want to live here.

Monday – Distance paddled: 3km!

Another beautiful day dawned so we decided to head up to Theodolite Creek to see whether it was sheltered enough to do a little paddle in the Packrafts. We could see a couple of people fishing from kayaks, so decided to give it a try.We paddled upstream, feeling like we were on a treadmill, constantly battling the outgoing tide. Once we had reached a particularly shallow area full of stingrays speeding along just under the water’s surface, we decided to just roll with it, and put our feet up and let the current take us back. There’s not much more relaxing than that – an extremely meditative experience of just watching shapes in the clouds, drifting with the stream.

After all that exertion (ha ha) we returned to camp to commence packing up. We head off tomorrow, briefly to Bundaberg to complete some tasks, then start our move inland. This will be our last glimpse of the ocean for a couple of weeks.

Friday 27 & Saturday 28 April: Goodbye Hervey Bay and hello Woodgate Beach

Author: Mr A

Friday

Our last day in Hervey Bay, we decided we should at least take a look around the surrounding area as we hadn’t left the town. We drove up the coast to the picturesque (well relatively so by Australian standards) fishing settlement of Burrum Heads. Mainly holiday rentals and a caravan park, the river was pretty broad and would have been fun to explore if we had our big kayak with us. The brisk southerly that had blown up meant getting the packrafts out would have been a struggle.

Saturday

It was time pack up and head up the coast, actually as the crow flies just the other side of the river, but we had to do a big circuit inland to get there as there was no bridge across. Oh to have an amphibious rig. I did Google “amphibious motorhome” the other day and its quite amazing what’s out there already. If you have the money of course.

But back in the real world, by lunch time we were pulling up at the Woodgate Hotel. We had heard good things about the spot from a fellow Zoner so thought we would give it a try. The small campground behind the pub was really well laid out. Power and water all nice and convenient, and a brand new shower and toilet block. We decided to put up the fly screen tent, not that the flies were about, just to give us some extra space and a bit of a novelty.After a lovely salad for lunch, it was time for a read for me, quickly followed by a nap, I’d had another 5am wake up this morning.

Our usual bike explore was called for, along the path by the beach. A beach that actually scored in the top 10 “best Australia beaches”. It did look pretty lovely, even with the fresh southerly still blowing up the normally calm waters of the bay into white caps.There are some pretty swanky houses here, a mix of holiday rentals and retirees we would guess by the demographic of the residents we saw.Just over 10km. under our belts, Ms Tasmania decided to take a pre-dinner stroll – returning at full gallop to the “safe Zone” once the magpies and minor birds had spotted her and let their feelings known shouting “Cat! Cat! Cat!” (or so it sounds like to us!).For dinner we decided to test out the pub’s very predictable menu. We shared a plate of oysters. I asked where they were from which threw the kitchen into a hubub – apparently no one has asked that before. For main Mrs A had a nicely done Red Emperor with chips and salad, and I had the locally caught Barra. Very nice…even though the pub has all the atmosphere of a bus shelter. Nothing unusual about that of course – situation normal in Australia.