Tuesday 13 January 2015

Brisbane to Bunderberg then back to the outback.....

Halfway through January and I've still to catch up on our journey since September but frankly - the internet is really unreliable so it took a back step. 

For those of you that don't know yet, our plans have changed - instead of returning home for a visit we are now coming home to settle again, Dave has secured a job with Ashburton District Council at the new EA Networks Leisure centre - (the role is very similar to his Christchurch work prior to the earthquakes) so we both felt it was an opportunity too good to turn down and that we are ready to return home.  After travelling around for a few months the lure of work and routine is there and we are too young to retire yet!  We will return to Australia in the future to continue our journey up the centre and over to Western Australia. 

It was fun to be on the road again and after enjoying lots of R&R on the coast at Mooloolaba, Noosa, Rainbow Beach, Tin Can Bay, Hervey Bay, and Elliot heads we headed North to Calliope, then inland onto Biloela with its dam and the Callide mine (a bit of a blot on the landscape).  From there we went to the wonderful Cania Gorge great walks, and wild life and did a few day trips in and around the area, then onto Monto, Mundubbera, Kingaroy, Kilcoy, Mt Mee, Woodford, Dayboro and back to the coast again.  We did many day trips on our stays and found some wonderful little country towns. Cooroy, Pomona, Kin Kin, Lake Weyba, Bjelke Peterson Dam, Biggenden, Gayndah, Paradise Dam, Childers and many more.

We have been in Brisbane house sitting and dog minding over the busy Christmas New year camping season and head back to New Zealand at the end of January.  It's been fun writing the blog - and sharing our travels, with over 3,000 views of the blog I hope some have found it interesting......

Following are some of the many photo's over the past few months. 

Beautiful Rainbow Beach
 
 
Catch ups with some of our lovely friends and fellow travellers
   
 
Gold Coast with Jimmy, Ron, Marie and family 
 
Carlo Sand blow - Rainbow beach
 
            Elliot Heads
  
 Checking for wildlife
 
 
Our lunchtime visitor - A green tree snake dropped from the tree! 
 
 
 Another of our furry friends
 
 
 Another family who we had some lovely times with Clem and Indie

 
 
      
Les on our big day trip
 
 
    
     Childers original pharmacy museum
   
      
Gladstone

 

 
Gladstone - more mining!
 
   

 
 
 
Paradise Lake

            

Cania Gorge 
 
      
 
 
 
   
Amazing sunsets 
        

Bird life



        

 

         Flora & Fauna at the Gorge

  

 

 

 
Lake Cania


 
  
 
More road signs
 

 


 

 

 
Wonderful Bunya Mountain  

 
 

  
 

 

 

 

 


The bower bird - love all things that sparkle
 
Lunch time! No feeding


 



 

My big hate - BATS - at Kilcoy Camp

 
  Hotel Cecil Murgon
 
 
Special celebration for a special birthday - Dave's 60th

 
 
     
 
Our lovely Victorian family who adopted us at our last camp at Mooloolaba

  Lilly Alex & Harry
             
 
Caravan park communal herb garden
          
 

 
Don't see much of this!  A welcome change.
 

 
Just passing the time, reading, scrabble, cards



 
 
 Stunning Montville (stepping in Mum and Dads footsteps, one of their favourite spots on the Sunshine Coast)
 
 
 Maleny - Sunshine Coast hinterland

A tropical Christmas in a very humid Brisbane
 
    
 
 Christmas Brunch with our wee dog sit girls
 
      



   

Another of our dog sits 
 
   

So it's goodbye from him and farewell from her.  See you in
New Zealand.