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Sailing the Whitsunday Islands, located between the Great Barrier Reef and the Australian mainland is a very popular activity of sea going, island hopping, kayaking, boarding, relaxing, boating, sailing, yachting Australians …. and people from many other parts of the world.  Sailing the Whitsundays is something Nancy and I have often talked about and had a great interest in doing.  We agreed that sailing the islands in either a monohull or catamaran would be the way to do it.  However, there was a doubt on one of our parts regarding my ability to safely operate and navigate a large sailboat over this vast and rugged part of the Australian coast.  I did not want to hire a Captain.  We came up with a solution both of us were happy with.  We would get a boat big enough for the two of us and the five people in our son Andy’s family.  The doubters or faint of heart members of the groups were comfortable with the combined sailing capabilities of Andy and myself and it looked like we had a window of opportunity over the last two weeks of the young folk’s Summer School break, in mid to late January.  I found a company willing to lease us a 12 Meter (40 Foot) Catamaran for the period and we were ready to go.  This all occurred during the September through December period. So where are the Whitsundays you ask? Lemme show you.

So now you know where we went. Now a bit about the boat. The Catamaran, “Mandala”, was offered for charter by Carter Yachts Australia, located in Arlie Beach, Queensland.  The Mandala has four staterooms, two bathrooms with showers, (one on each side servicing two of the four staterooms), a large galley/living area, a large outdoor seating area, and air conditioning in the main galley.  Plus it had a large flat area, part of which was a net, in front to use for relaxing.  We figured it would meet our needs.  Nancy and I got one bedroom and the five other Rumpel’s got the other three bedrooms.  All bathrooms were available for all to avoid long waits.  Here’s some pictures of the Mandala that I borrowed from their website.

The time that passed between September and 9 January was used to complete our planning and preparation. First, Andy and I needed to present our sailing qualifications to the charter company for their review and approval.  This helped satisfy the state government and insurance company requirements.  Then everyone had to submit a list of height, weight, shoe size, and IQ to be fitted for sting suits, flippers, goggles, snorkel tubes, and a paddle board and a kayak.  Lastly we needed to decide how we were going to feed this small crowd over the seven days and nights we would be sailing.  The charter company recommended we review the Whitsunday Provisioning website.

Mandala has a fairly generous freezer and refrigerator.  One option we looked at was making a list of what we needed for the 49 dinners, 49 lunches, 49 breakfasts, as well as morning and afternoon tea, and snacks and drinks for all in between.  We would then descend upon a grocery store when we got to Arlie beach (A five hundred kilometer drive), buy all the stuff, and bring it on board the night before we sailed.  The charter company allowed us to board Mandala the afternoon before our charter started and stow our gear, food, and kids, as well as spend the night on board before Andy and I would attend a 4 hour brief the next morning before we sailed.  The next option was to prepare all the meals at home, before we left, package them, and bring them with us.  The third choice was to use WhitSunday Provisioning which offered three levels of provisioning with the highest level being Breakfast, Morning Tea, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, and Dinner being provided for each day for each person.  They had a planned menu that listed what foods you would have for each eating event, and instructions how to prepare it.  Everything was fresh and eating/dietary restrictions were accounted for.

Not knowing if we would find all the groceries we planned to buy when we arrived, nor how expensive they would be in this high density tourist area ruled out option one.  I didn’t really feel like (call me fussy) dealing with 98 precooked meals as well cereals, juices, bread, chips, etc for breakfast, teas, and snacks, then eating what would equate to eating leftovers for the week, ruled out option two.  Whitsunday Provisioning was our choice.  Bring your own drinks and extra snacks, everything else was there, fresh, packaged by meal, and ready to go.  I’m sure it was most likely a bit more expensive, but not knowing the cost of groceries in Arlie Beach, and getting everything at one time in one place was well worth the cost if it was more.  That took care of provisioning.  Lorna, at Whitsunday Provisioning was exceptionally helpful, cooperative, and had a great deal of advice.  She made it obvious that our needs would be met … and they were.

We had everything pretty well nailed down by the holidays so all we needed to do was enjoy Christmas and New Years, then get packed and ready to go.  We would leave early on the morning of the 9th of January and get to Arlie Beach by mid afternoon … and that’s pretty much how it happened.  So  here’s the story … and a few pictures.

9 January, 2024 – We hit the Bruce Highway (A1) just outside of Tannum Sands and headed north.  We were on the road within 15 minutes of our proposed departure time, traffic was light, and the weather was cloudy but not raining.  We made occasional pit stops for food, fuel, and relief but stayed pretty much on schedule.  Around noon we started picking up rain showers that were squally at times but kept pressing on.  At MacKay, Andy and Candy decided to stop and feed the family, Nancy and I elected to press on, get to the boat, check in, unload our stuff in case Andy and Candy were late and needed a car to pick up some groceries they had ordered from a local grocer in Arlie Beach.  As it turned out, Andy and Candy elected not to eat in, did a pit stop, got some carry-out and were on the road about 30 minutes behind of us.  We drove through some really heavy rain storms, including road flooding, but made it safely.  We had just checked in and were finishing unloading our car into a cart when they arrived,  It was still fairly early so they unloaded as well and we all hauled our stuff out to the pier where Mandala awaited us.  We had about two hours to unload, unpack, find places for all our stuff, get a briefing on how to live through the night on the boat, get to the grocer, and find some ice … as well as pick up our diving gear and make sure it fit.  We then ordered pizzas for everyone, relaxed on board our yacht, and enjoyed a relaxing dinner.  It was an early up the next morning for our departure prep, pre departure orientation and operating instructions so we went to bed early.  Let me mention here that when you are north of the tropic of Capricorn, in the middle of January, it is HOT.  Mandala did have air conditioning but very little of it got into the staterooms.  Consequently we quickly learned to take advantage of the sea breezes and wind direction.  Helpful but still a tad on the warm side.

10 January – The day has arrived!!!  The adults were up before six seeking coffee and cool air.  The younger ones were sleeping in.  It was raining outside but looked like it might stop  in a while.  Our briefing was scheduled to start at 8 and our provisions were supposed to arrive before ten.  Our guidance was we were to be out of our spot before 10.  We were enjoying some morning coffee and some cookies one of the Mom’s had brought when Lorna from Whitsunday Provisioning showed up with a massive cart filled with boxes of produce, and many styrofoam boxes of frozen products.  All we had to do was transfer it onto Mandala, and the Mom’s find room for it all in the fridge, freezer, cupboards, and stow spaces.  Whilst Nancy and Candy were stashing the food products, Steve, from the Charter Company showed up to start our brief.

Steve was a self proclaimed surfer who worked a couple months a year briefing people who rented or chartered yachts for the many yacht leasing companies in Arlie beach.  He had been sailing the Whitsundays for many years or had listened to enough briefings to have a standard spiel about where to go what to do, and what not to do.  Most of it was common sense but then I would guess there are many people who charter these yachts who don’t possess that attribute.  He did make a big impression on the folks who knew little about sailing and that proved to be the hurtle Andy and I had to deal with each time we made a decision regarding the boat.  “Steve said we needed to do this”, or “Steve said we needed to go here” … jeez, it was like tides, depths, currents, and winds were something we had never heard of.  I finally figured out Steve sought admiration and his limitless knowledge was most assuredly a source of admiration from a few of our party.  He ate that up like a self licking ice cream cone and it was only when Andy or I asked a question that he would focus back on what he was trying to tell us.  

At ten we sailed, with Steve, to do mooring, anchoring, starting, stopping, and man-overboard exercises so we would know what to do if we moored, anchored or someone fell overboard.  I guess he figured the certifications Andy and I had from the American Sailing Association didn’t cover those remote or unimportant events.  Finally, by noon, he called it done, jumped in the dingy we had been towing all morning, and left in a cloud of dust … or something. 

In all honesty, I think he was seriously concerned that we all enjoyed a safe vacation, he just didn’t read his audience very well.  Mostly lost the ones who needed the info and spent too much time telling things to people who had no idea what he was talking about and couldn’t remember what he said a day or two later but were fascinated with what he had to say..

We continued on and motored across a rather expansive bay and tied up to a mooring ball in a sheltered cove.  Part of Steve’s briefing included the types of Jelly Fish that live in the waters around the Whitsundays.  He emphasized a certain type that was smaller than your finger nail, you could not feel it when it stung you, and there were no side effects until a hour or so later.  Then pains immobilized your arms, stomach and back.  You had to be rushed (by Helicopter) to a medical facility that could treat you.  Most people survived, if treated quickly enough.  I asked him how many cases of these horrible stings occurred last year here in the Whitsunday’s.  His answer was a vague, “maybe 4 or 5 out of the two million visitors they had last year”.  More people than that had been struck by lightening but he had made his point.  Now everyone was afraid to go in the water.  We had sting suits, boots, etc.  Finally the younger Rumpel family took our tender/dingy and drove over to the Island we were moored next to and did a little jungle hike (no danger there!)  They did see, and we saw a few times after, wild goats that lived on these islands.  I explained to them that the goats had walked across the ice during the glacial period to get from the mainland to the island.  My input was greeted with skepticism but no one else had a better answer.  I will stick to my story.

Okay!!  So now we are on the boat, fully checked out, fairly settled in, and ready to explore the Whitsundays.  The things to do were, sail or motor to and around the various islands, explore the islands on shore (several had hiking trails to lookout points on top), snorkel to view the coral reefs, fish, kayak, paddle board, or just chill out on the boat enjoying the breeze and tranquility.  We had the boat for a week so there was ample opportunity to do all of the above … and we did.

In order to keep the galley from getting over crowded or the same people being stuck with cooking all the time I made up a roster for the kitchen. We had six adults so two were in charge of KP each day. Worked out each person worked two days during the trip. Christian, our Grandson had “Fish Watch” every day, and Andy and myself, in addition ot doing our share of the KP, alternated being Skipper and First Mate.

Looking at my pictures I find the scenery a bit redundant so rather than do this post day by day, the rest of it will be a summary of the days we were sailing the Whitsundays.  Steve did tell us that the coral reefs had been killed by a severe storm a few years back and were in the process of regenerating.  That kinda killed the coral viewing part but people in our group did snorkel, some reported seeing coral.  So, here are the rest of the photos.  Many of the pictures are of the islands with many trees and rocky shores. The beaches are not sand but actuall coral that has broken off and washed ashore. Enjoy.

Australia sold one of its islands to China. Here is China’s attempt to build a resort on that Island. It appears finished but no one was there.

We docked at a resort on Hamilton Island (HI) for two days. We had originally planned to dock there just one day but everyone was kinda salted out and wanted to enjoy a little shore time so we extended a day. We ate at the resort, swam at the resort pool (no jelly fish), and spent the time kinda recharging.

Here are some photos I took at Hamilton Island. There are no private cars on Hamilton Island. Golf carts are the principle mode of travel and you can rent them, or just take one of a couple buses that take you around the island. The resort there is big and there are other establishments to provide food, drink, and souvenirs.

So that was our trip. We made reservations at a hotel in a town named MacKay that was about an hour south of Arlie Beach. We turned in the boat, transferred all our gear, and headed south to MacKay. The reason for the hotel was two fold. One, we were all tired and a six hour trip on a hot road after getting off and unloading the boat was just asking for problems. The other was everyone wanted to take a long hot shower, maybe swim in a freshwater pool, relax for a while, have a nice dinner, and drive home the next day. That’s what we did and it all worked out fine. Had a nice family dinner right at the hotel dining room and turned in early. Driving this far north is a challenge because of all the big mining equipment they move around. The roads are all narrow two lane roads with passing zones every ten miles or so. Here’s a sign I saw along the way that highlighted the problems.

And they all drive on the wrong side of the road!!!! Thanks for coming along. Next trip to Thailand, India, Nepal, and Indonesia.

We finally got our new Caravan. Campers, of any kind, are in big demand here in Oz and the waiting lists for new ones are long. We picked ours up in October and have finally both found the time to set it up so we would have everything we need while traveling. It’s been fun setting it up and getting it ready. Australia has very strict laws about towing trailers so we had a lot to learn and many “T’s” to cross and “I’s” to dot.

We decided our first formal trip would be to Cairns in northern Queensland, about 1200 kilometers (720 miles) north of where we live.

We planned the trip following the A1 or Bruce Highway with overnight stays in Mackay, Townsville, and Cairns, with our stay in Cairns being two nights. Looking to mix in a little exploring we decided to find a more inland route to return by. We selected the Gregory Development Highway for that adventure. Development highways are part of a larger plan for Queensland highway development. Some are paved, some not. The Gregory, at least the part we traveled on was all paved and a fairly decent road. If you recall previous posts I describe how quickly paving ends once you depart a main road. This road was all paved but just recently so there are stories on the internet about how treacherous it is. Took a great deal of research but decided to take the road to The Lynd from Cairns, then down to Charters Towers where we planned to spend the night. Then on down to Emerald and Biloela where we planned to spend the second night. Range was a big factor in these choices because once you are inland on these Development Roads there can be stretches of six to seven-hundred kilometers of no facilities. Running out of gas along these roads is not a good thing. To tip the scales in our favor I purchased and mounted on the caravan, two twenty liter (5 Gallon) fuel containers. This extended our range for another 250 to 300 Kilometres. We have a Hyundai Tucson Diesel which normally gets exceptional milage. Howerver, once you start towing a two ton caravan, the milage drops radically, it actually doubles our gas consumption. That’s what made the fuel cans so important.

Anyhow, we got all that figured out, loaded up everything we thought we would need and headed north.

We arrived in Mackay early in the afternoon so we took our time setting up making sure we did it all correctly. Of immediate and obvious importance was the Air Conditioning we had elected to have installed in our caravan. We were traveling north but towards the equator not away from it. It is also getting into late Spring so Summer is starting to show up with high temps and very high humidity. About half way to MacKay we crossed the tropic of Capricorn … as a matter of fact, the area we traveled is called The Capricorn Region. The air conditioning worked good and was very welcome.

Once we got set up, we drove downtown and walked along the old main street to the Thursday afternoon market. It was just being set up so we settled in at a small river side Bistro and thought about what we would do for dinner.

It turns out we decided to have a selection of share servings the Bistro offered so we had plenty, a good variety, and a nice dinner. Back to the campground and our first night of sleep in the caravan.

I guess this would be a good time to mention that I did not take a lot of pictures along the way. I kept my focus on driving the Tucson and keeping the trailer in tow on the narrow, two lane road that had a fair amount of traffic on it. Besides, they would look just like the hundreds of window shots I’ve posted from our earlier trips. One thing I did notice. As we went north, everything became more tropical, lush, and green. As I mentioned, they were harvesting the Sugar Cane so there was a great deal of activity with that. Long ago they set up a series of narrow gauge railroad tracks that go all through the fields and eventually to the processing plant. There were hundreds of little cars specially designed to haul the cane on it was cut.

We left MacKay moderately early headed north to Townsville. While the area along the way to MacKay from home was mostly crops and farmland, much of the second leg from MacKay to Townsville was dry and rocky. The area is called the dry tropics and it is that. There were some sugar can fields that were being harvested but not many cattle and more rocky terrain. The east coast of Australia, especially Queensland, has several small mountain chains that run the length of the state. They start about 30 to 50 kilometers in from the coast and occur every 20 to 30 kilometers creating valleys that run north and south parallel to the coast line. There are three or four of those chains, then the land goes flat across what is called the Outback.

Townsville is largely a military town with a large Army installation there. The city is bigger than Gladstone and bigger than MacKay. Each of these cities are located on a major river that runs into the Coral Sea. The cities were originally established where larger ships could dock and unload and smaller ships or boats could take supplies, stock, and people inland. We went to the local K-Mart to buy a couple pillows. We found the ones we brought to be a bit shy of what we found comfortable. We made dinner at the caravan, took a walk, and turned in.

Made it to Cairns early in the afternoon, checked into the campground, set up, and set out for downtown. Located on the coast, Cairns is noted as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and all it has to offer. We wanted to see the park and businesses along the sea.

The next day we went Platypus hunting. There is a small town about 40 kilometers west that has two Platypus viewing platforms. It is hailed as the best place in Australia to see Platypus. These unusual and bashful animals are very difficult to find and see, plus they have become very rare. The drive there was over one of those mountain ranges I mentioned earlier. It was 40 kilometers of uphll curves followed by downhill curves. It was one of the ways we had considered for our trip home. Anyhow, we made it to the town, found the platforms and spent about 45 minutes to an hour at each one trying to see a Platypus.

We never did see a Platypus. As I said, they are difficult to see and like looking for any wild creatures, sometimes they are just not there. Anyhow, there is a wild life park on a different route back to Cairns that we stopped at. The visit included a ride on a “DUCK” (just like Wisconsin Dells!” and a walking tour of the animals.

So that was the game park. Nice afternoon … nothing real glamorous but well presented. We left the park and returned to Cairns following the second route. Had to cross the mountains again but better road, fewer curves. Decided this was the way we were going when we left tomorrow. Meanwhile, when we got back to the city we again went downtown looking for dinner.

We had a wonderful dinner at a Greek Restaurant that we found. Our server was a young lady from Germany that was working her way around the world. Had a nice time and a great meal. The owner was even familiar with Hella’s in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

The next morning we packed up and headed out for home. We made it all the way to Charters Towers the first day. Long trip but absolutely nothing to do along the way. We stopped at every Roadhouse we came to (two of them) and filled up with fuel.. Spent the night in a nice campground, had dinner downtown at a hotel pub. Charters Towers is a very old mining town. The town, like most small towns in Australia, was well kept, clean, and pleasant.

After filling up with fuel in the morning we headed south towards Emerald, our planned second stop. As we got near to Emerald, it was still early and we were anxious to get home so we decided to go all the way to our house. We did, a long day, a little over 900 kilometers, but we made it safely home.

That was our first trip in our Caravan and our first long trip since we moved here. Many more to come. Stay tuned and Thanks for coming along..

Brisbane is the Capitol of Queensland and the third largest city in Australia (Sydney and Melbourne being 1 and 2 respectively). It hosts a population of just over 2.6 million people. It is the only really large city in Queensland with other populations centers having significantly less people.

I had some business in Brisbane so Nancy and I decided to make a weekend of it. We were able to get a room at the Royal Albert hotel right down town so we were all set.

Friday morning we got a Nine AM start and completed the 505 kilometer (just over 300 miles) drive Friday afternoon checking into our hotel and getting settled. We walked about a bit later in the afternoon to get a feel for the “Vibe” of downtown. It is a very active city and the sidewalks were packed with people all weekend. After I completed my business late Saturday morning we decided to a bit of serious looking about and, after putting on our walking shoes, departed to see the sights and participate in the life of Brisbane. Here are a bunch of pictures from our walk.

Soth Bank was very nice with so many things to do. The weather had warmed up a bit so people were out in droves to get some fresh air and sunshine. We had two really good dinners (neither was a Parmy). One Friday evening and one Saturday night. Our hotel was over a hundred years old and was an interesting, and enjoyable place to stay. We had a nice roomy room that was quiet … what more can you ask for?

Sunday morning we got up, attended mass at a parish where the priest we came to know in Coomera now presides. Always good seeing old friends. He is not old, is from Nigeria, and a very interesting man. After church we drove back to Tannum Sands, stopped by Andy and Candy’s for a quick catchup, and went home. It was a very nice weekend which we intend to repeat sometime in the near future. Hope you liked the pictures.

In late June, Nancy and I were getting tired of unpacking, hanging, arranging, etc in our new home so we decided to take in a little local color. Mount Larcom is a small community North of Tannum Sands and is basically a small town along the only highway that leads north along the coast. They do put on an impressive Fall fair (they do it in the Fall because of the heat during the summer is unbearable) so we decided to go there and see what it is all about, We spent about six or seven hours there. Took a couple breaks because it was still quite warm, walked through the animal barns, and wandered through the midway. The festival was much like a county or state fair where you have displays of equipment, animal shows and judging, and contests. Plenty of food, fun, and entertainment. Take a look:

So that was our day at Mt Larcom. We will go again next year. Interesting things to see and do. Hope you liked it … we did.

K’Gari is the new, socially correct name for Fraser Island. We went there several years ago to celebrate an anniversary and had a very nice time. Now, while we patiently wait (maybe not too patiently actually) for our Caravan to be ready, we decided to take a few days and go there again for some sightseeing and relaxation.

Fraser Island, at 125 kilometers long and 25 kilometers wide and with 120 kilometers of beaches, is the largest sand island in the world and is home to its own eco system. It hosts Lake McKensie which is a beautiful clear lake located well inland on the island. The lake has no source of water other than rainfall but continues to be clear and full.

I will add a few pictures here but most of them will be added to my larger post for our first trip to Fraser. That way I won’t have a redundant post. It has not changed a great deal so the old and new pictures will compliment each other. I’ll rename it K’Gari. Those pictures that follow here are just a few “teasers” to give you a taste of what we did over our three day stay there.

We had three events planned and booked for our stay. We were scheduled to arrive mid afternoon on Tuesday so we booked a Sunset Cruise for Tuesday evening (can’t do that until sunset right?). Then on Wednesday we booked a day long rental of a Suzuki Jimney, a small jeep like four wheel drive vehicle, that we planned to tour some of the hotspots on the island. Then on Thursday we booked a half day whale watching cruise from seven-thirty till noon. We had did the Jimney thing before but the two cruises were new. I got a bunch of pictures from all three events but you will need to go to my K’Gari post to see those.

Tuesday we checked in at the center, checked our luggage, parked our car in the secure parking provided, and caught the ferry to K’Gari. A pleasant 45 minute voyage on a car ferry. Many people bring their own cars, campers, camping gear, etc so the ferry takes all comers. We arrived at Kingfish Bay Resort right on time, our room was ready so we dumped our stuff and set out to look around. To be able to rent a vehicle on the Island you must attend a briefing that tells you of all the dangers, perils, and fixes available while you drive around. The roads are sand, deeply rutted, narrow, steep in places, and difficult to drive on. No worries … its all fun. Because we had time we knocked out the briefing Tuesday afternoon rather than waste touring time on Wednesday. We finished the briefing in time to walk down to the pier, have an afternoon toddy, and board the sunset cruise boat.

So we cruised up and back down the west side of the island. They served some nibblies and wine, we saw a few boats, and of course, the sunset. Pleasant evening. Nice cruise.

When we returned to the dock, Nancy and I made our way up to one of the dining areas that was open. Had a little dinner and proceeded back to our room. We have a big day planned for tomorrow in our Jimney

Wednesday morning we got up early, dressed in our finest four wheeling clothes and went up to the resort for breakfast. The rooms at the resort are spread out along a large ridge facing the bay. There are covered, board walkways connecting all the rooms and the resort lobby. Breakfast was included.

After breakfast we went over and picked up the Jimney. Another, not quite as long, briefing on how to operate the vehicle (jeez) and we were off.

We explored many of the roads. They were all very narrow so you had to find a place to get off to meet other vehicles, or let faster ones pass. We went to the east side of the island and drove up and down the beach, we stopped off at an old timber camp, visited Lake McKensie, and stopped for a treat at a resort on the east side. It was a fun day. We had dinner and called it a day after a brief stop at the hotel lobby. We had an early up on Thursday because we had to catch the seven-thirty whale watching cruise.

Thursday morning found us at breakfast early and walking down to the pier to catch our boat. We were not real excited about this tour because we have been on a number of other ones and the whales never got very close to the boat. But, it was a half day at sea, the weather is still cool but sunny. After all, it is the middle of winter.

That was our whale watching cruise. We saw a number of whales, males fighting, a Mom and baby, and a curious guy that kept us entertained for quite a while. Best whale cruise EVER!!

We had a special dinner that night at the resort. They have a dining room that seats reservations only and has some specialty dishes. Had a lovely, tasty dinner to finish off our three days on the Island.

Friday morning we got up, had breakfast, checked out, and caught the ferry back to the mainland. Bailed out our car, loaded up our bags, and headed north to home. Four hours later we were back in Tannum sands with all kinds of fine memories.

As I mentioned before, there are many more pictures. They will all be in a post called 2023 K’Gari. Some from our first trip and many new ones from this trip. Go back to the menu and find 2023 K’Gari … you might not be disappointed.

We left Ubobo on Sunday morning right after church so we could get home and make the turn to leave Monday morning for Hervey Bay. So Monday morning we got up, packed, loaded the car and headed south to Hervey Bay … a three to four hour trip. No hurries, no worries!!

Hervey Bay is a small town located on the Sunshine Coast between Brisbane and Gladstone. We have reservations to catch the noon ferry to Fraser Island (K’Gari) on Tuesday and we decided to get in the area the day before instead of worrying about being delayed and missing our ferry. We spent the night in a nice Motel and went “downtown” for dinner.

So the next morning, Tuesday, we got up, had some coffee, and drove the short way to where the Kings Bay Resort Check-in Center was located. See you there.

We have got to know and associate with a number of people in Tannum Sands. Many of them are from the church we go to. Each year this church, which is quite active, holds a camping weekend in a small town called Ubobo. Ubobo is located in the Boyne Valley (See Boyne Valley Drive) along route 69 and has about twelve people that live there. The church we attend in Tannum Sands, is part of a larger Parish that includes a number of small towns around the area. The main church or Parish, Star of the Sea, is located in Gladstone. Two priests are assigned there and they conduct services at all the little churches each weekend on a complex schedule. Ubobo has one of those churches and a Mass is said there once a month on the third Sunday. Our campout was scheduled for that third Sunday and the weekend culminated with all of us joining the parishioners from Ubobo in celebrating their monthly Mass. The campout was not a religious outing, it was just a social outing that ended on Sunday morning.

The weekend started Friday afternoon as people started to show up. Nancy and I were invited so we went as well. We are still waiting for the Caravan (Camping Trailer) we ordered so we slept in a small room in a large “dorm” type facility. The Dorm was actually and old rail station where passengers could get a bed to rest for a while. The train does not go there anymore but the Dorm remains. The city put a campground beside it and they call it a Discovery Center.

Anyhow, we had a lovely time. Australians love to play games so there were card games galore, Chinese checkers, board games and I introduced them to Horse Shoe Pitching. I have a fine set of horse shoes that our Son Andrew bought me for Father’s Day some years ago so I brought that and two stakes along.

Friday afternoon was spent getting settled in, acquainted, etc. Friday night dinner was a collection of dishes everyone brought to share. Saturday morning we took a trip to an old abandoned rail line that went through some tunnels. The tracks have been taken up and a path made so it was comfortable walking.

The tunnels were interesting. Nancy and I intend to go back and explore a bit more. There are supposed to be some high trestles farther along. But for now … Back to the camp.

Saturday night we heated up a couple grills and everyone grilled whatever they brought for dinner. We were supposed to have a big bonfire but the local Ranger said it was too dry and too windy so there were to be no big fires … only in fireplaces. A couple folks made Damper which is an Australian camp bed made over an open fire or a special pot. Quite good and many varieties.

Sunday morning everyone got up and had some version of breakfast. Then we all filed over to the little church for Mass.

We had a very nice service. Everyone hung around a bit after. Some went back for lunch before going home, we left as we needed to get ready for our trip to Fraser Island, now known as K’Gari on Monday morning.

The campout was very pleasant. A great opportunity to get to know folks better, do some relaxing, learn more about our new home.

This was a Sunday afternoon picnic that we all went on. All being Nancy and myself, Andy, Candy, Cathy, and Christian. Candy thought we would all enjoy seeing Awoonga and doing a few “Snags” (a special hot dog type sausage that Australians love grilling) on the grills they have in the day use areas around the lake. So, we loaded up the cars and drove out. The lake is beautiful with a very nice drive around it. It also hosts a Fishery where they grow many of the fish they stock Awoonga Lake, and other lakes, with. We didn’t take many pictures this time but in the near future I’m sure we will go out again and I will supplement this post with new pictures. These pictures are of two types of birds that have come to love picnickers (Like Yogi and Boo Boo Bear). The first is the Kookaburra. Yup, the one that sits in the old gum tree. They are a carnivorous bird and enjoy eating picnic snacks … and snags I guess. I had never seen more than one or two at a time but on this trip, we had at least five stop by, all at one time, in hopes we would feed them. They really do have an unusual song. Try googling Kookaburra and see if there is a sound recording of them. The other bird that came by was the Blue Faced Honey eater. We see them every so often but not commonly, quite beautiful. Lastly, as we left the lake we came across a couple Wallabies beside the road to see us off.

It was a pleasant outing. Thanks for the idea Candy. Awoonga Lake is quite large and offers many camping and outdoor opportunities. I have no doubt it will become a favorite.

On our trip to the Boyne Valley I mentioned we started in Calliope and followed Hiway 69 south. Well, just a little ways down that road and just into the Boyne Valley is a turnoff to Kroombit Tops National Park … only 70 Kilometers away from the turnoff. Our destination today was Kroombit Tops National Park so we took the turn and headed west. Very interesting drive and a very interesting park.

National Parks in Australia are not like National Parks in the US. There is no big gate with a visitors center, ticket sales, maps, and talks. Australian National Parks are very natural and the original state of the geography, roads, flora and fauna are not messed with. They are an opportunity to visit Australia as it was before tourism. There are roads, and a few signs, but little else. Areas are set aside for camping but few facilities, and there are hiking trails that are marked and calibrated (you know how far you are going to walk before you leave).

I hate to do this but to give the park it’s due, I have copied some info from the Queensland National Park site … I thnk it describes the diversity and natural environment of Australia’s National Parks. There are many of them, some well marked and popular, others hard to find. Australia does not spend a great deal of money on them and each state is responsible for the parks in their state. I’m not sure what Kroombit means or where the name came from. My guess is that it is an Aboriginal word. A very interesting aspect of the park is the WWII Bomber that crashed in the park in 1945 and was not found for 50 years. I did not know of it when we went there and we didn’t have tme to make the drive to it when we saw the signs. A sure trip in the future.

Kroombit Tops began forming about 215 million years ago when volcanoes erupted and a great circular caldera, or crater, about 40km across collapsed beneath them. About 25 million years later, the area was covered by ocean, covering the volcanic rock with sand beds that were eventually compressed to form sandstone.
Over time, the surrounding countryside eroded away but the tough volcanic rocks capped with sandstone resisted erosion, forming the high plateau of Kroombit Tops. The steep slopes and exposed 100m high sandstone cliffs can be seen along the east and north-east boundaries of the park.
Over millions of years, streams draining to the west and south have carved narrow valleys in the hard volcanic rocks, creating steep-sided gullies and deep gorges where rainforests now grow. The Kroombit, Dry and Callide creeks all flow west into the agricultural Callide Valley while the Munholme and Three Moon creeks flow south into the Burnett River via Cania Dam.
Climate
Because Kroombit Tops stands about 900m above surrounding areas to the east, the weather it experiences is much cooler and wetter—a ‘temperate island’ in the subtropics. Temperatures are generally 5 to 10ºC cooler than the surrounding lowlands and can be quite cold in winter, especially at night.
On average, 1800mm of rain falls here each year, whereas nearby Gladstone receives just 1020mm. There is also a marked difference in rainfall across the plateau reflecting differences in elevation, aspect, and the influence of the escarpment. Rainfall is higher in the east and south-east, and lower in the west and north-west. Summer storms with destructive winds are common in the surrounding area, often causing branches to fall from large trees.
Plants
Kroombit Tops supports a wide variety of plants—more than 850 species. Three species are found only on this plateau and many are listed as rare or threatened. Vegetation communities change as you move from the south-east to the north-west.
In the wetter south-eastern sandstone country, blackbutt forests dominate, while subtropical rainforests grow around Three Moon and Munholme creeks. Piccabeen palms, brush box, coachwood and white beech, which are normally found further south in temperate rainforests, can be found here.
On the park’s eastern slopes and broad valley floors, open Sydney blue gum forests, pink bloodwood and rough-barked apple trees flourish. Sydney blue gum is another southern species normally found along the coast from south-east Queensland to Batemans Bay in southern New South Wales. It was one of the main trees harvested at Kroombit Tops from 1969 to 1995.
Further west the vegetation changes to drier white mahogany, grey gum and ironbark woodlands. In rocky areas, a stunted form of brush box locally known as ‘supplejack’ grows. This thin whip-like variety of brush box is very different from the towering subtropical rainforest form.
Dry rainforest grows in fire-resistant gullies on the drier western slopes. Look for the distinctive hoop pines towering above the canopy. Some individuals can grow as tall as 40–50m. In the far west, hoop pine forests merge with a dry bottle tree community.
Animals
Kroombit Tops’ varied vegetation and topography shelters diverse wildlife—71 mammal species, 165 bird species, 70 reptile species, 30 amphibians and numerous insect and spider species thrive here. Two species of frog are found nowhere else. Many animals are at the northern or southern limit of their distribution or are genetically distinct populations.
Mammals
Most of Kroombit Tops’ mammals are difficult to see because they live in caves or are active only at night. However, a sharp eye during a walk or drive at night might surprise you. Rufous bettongs are often seen at night in grassy areas, often feeding beside the road on new plant growth, while swamp wallabies are common in shrubby forest. Kroombit’s caves and trees provide roosting sites for more than 20 species of insectivorous bats. Tree hollows provide nests for short-eared possums (also called bobucks or mountain brushtail possums) and five species of gliders, the most common being the greater glider.
In dry woodlands and open forests, insects and spiders provide food for the mouse-like common dunnart. Herbert’s rock-wallabies bound around the escarpments overlooking the Boyne Valley and rocky outcrops along Kroombit Creek and upper Callide Creek. They are difficult to spot because they are secretive and well camouflaged, but you might see their droppings—cylindrical with a small point at one end—in rocky areas. On cool days if you are quiet, you may see them in the morning or afternoon sunning themselves on north-facing rocks.
The silver-headed antechinus was first discovered at Kroombit and has since been found only at Blackdown and Bulburin.
Birds
Large colourful parrots such as Australian king-parrots perch high on dead branches above the forest canopy. Pairs of little lorikeets and flocks of scaly-breasted and rainbow lorikeets screech harshly through the forest. Glossy-black cockatoos feed on forest she-oaks. Wedge-tailed eagles soar above and peregrine falcons nest on escarpment cliffs. At night, powerful owls perch in tall Sydney blue gums, hunting for possums and gliders.
In the rainforest you can often hear the cat-like call of green catbirds and the noisy ‘rustling taffeta’ flight of paradise riflebirds, both at the northern extent of their range. In the canopy the cicadabirds compete with the vocal chorus of cicadas. At night you may hear a sooty owl calling, like the sound of a falling bomb.
On the ground in open woodland you might see squatter pigeons, with their characteristic black and white striped facial pattern. Superb and wompoo fruit-doves favour rainforest habitats.
Reptiles
Among Kroombit Tops’ reptiles are some that usually occur only south of Gympie. (Gympie is a town about 100 Kilomters north of Brisbane on Hiway 1) Burrowing lizards Saiphos equalis relies on moist forest types such as rainforest and tall open forest; Stephens’ banded snakes are found in both rainforest and dry rocky forest. Diurnal lizards Ctenotus arcanus are dependent on rocky outcrops. These animals are relics from a time when moist forests extended all the way from north-eastern New South Wales to Kroombit Tops.
At the southern limit of their range, black-headed pythons are easily identified by their shiny jet black head and contrasting brown-banded body. They are one of the few snakes that eat venomous snakes.
You may encounter eastern water dragons, lace monitors or red-bellied black snakes sunning themselves by creeks, or small darting lizards on rocky ledges.
Frogs
Kroombit tinker frogs (Named after the park NOT vice versa) are the park’s most endangered animal. Nowhere else in the world can you hear their unusual call—a series of sharp, metallic ‘tinks’. These small frogs live under rocks and in leaf litter in small areas of gully rainforests along the eastern escarpment of Kroombit Tops. Unlike many frogs, they appear not to need surface water to breed, although eggs and tadpoles have never been found in the wild. Instead, it is thought they breed in small underground pools of water, perhaps as small as half a cup.
Kroombit is also home to a second species of endemic frog, the Kroombit treefrog Litoria kroombitensis. If you stop at the Kroombit Creek crossing in spring and summer, turn off your car engine and listen. You might hear male frogs calling to females. Can you distinguish the ‘wreeak ik ik’ of cascade treefrogs, the slow ‘chuck-uk’ of tusked frogs or the loud ‘wark’ of the great barred frogs?
Small, bright green cascade treefrogs are common in Kroombit’s rainforest creeks. They spend much of their life high up in trees, but come down to the rainforest’s middle fern layer to attract mates to the stream in breeding season. Like many frogs and reptiles at Kroombit, this species is usually found further south and the Kroombit population is genetically distinct from populations in south-east Queensland.
Culture and history
Connections over time
Indigenous people have maintained a strong and continuing association with Kroombit Tops for thousands for years. Since gold was discovered in the district around 1870, settlers have mined minerals, grazed sheep and cattle, and harvested timber here.
A road built between 1964 and 1968 opened Kroombit Tops for logging. From 1969 to 1995 hoop pines and hardwoods such as Sydney blue gum, white mahogany and blackbutt were harvested for timber.
Beautiful Betsy WWII Liberator bomber
A WWII Liberator bomber crashed at Kroombit Tops in 1945 and lay undiscovered for nearly 50 years. The area is now managed as a heritage site, and all parts of the wreck are protected.

Hope you are still awake!! Here’s some photos we took during our drive to Kroombit Tops Look-out.

A most interesting place that Nancy and I want to revisit once Summer gets here and everything greens up. It’s about an hour from our house.

That’s it for Kroombit National Park. Hope you enjoyed the tour and “Thanks For Coming Along.”

Several people we have met, since we arrived here, have mentioned having or knowing people who ranch or live in the Boyne Valley. Being curious we decided to look it up and see what it might offer as far as sights of interest, etc. Turns out that the Boyne Valley is a little ways south of Tannum Sands and inland over the first range of foothills. That range of foothills, and the next range in create the Boyne Vally which is quite large.

We decided, in spite of of being an overcast and drizzly day, to drive out to and through the Boyne valley and see what it is like. It is not uncommon to be overcast and drizzly here early in the day and clear and dry by ten or eleven so the weather was not a worry. We loaded up the Tucson and off we went. Here is a map of the area (The Boyne Valley is shown in the middle outline) and there is a red line that marks our path. the trip was just shy of 400 Kilometers and took us much of the day. Of course we stopped every so often and we were in no hurry. It turned into a beautiful day.

That got us through the valley. We started the climb out and found that when we got to the top we were entering the Burnett region. Recently, when we drove down to Brisbane we decided to take a back road and it was through the Burnett region. This trip however, we swung back north along the A3 highway to get back home. Still interesting.

It was a great trip. We hadn’t done a road trip just for fun in a while and it was nice to get out. Looking forward to the next one. See you then.