Home Hill, Airlie Beach, Seaforth

Spent a week at Ravenswood - pay 5 and get 2 days free. Lovely break from travelling.

On to Home Hill showgrounds - $15 powered or $12 unpowered. Kiwi couple running it and met another kiwi couple there as well. The free camp behind the Comfort stop is VERY popular. Was full by 2pm. The rest area at the southern end of town is also used as an overnighter it seems.

Stopped at a roadside fruit truck and tried a dragon fruit - deep red and delicious. I hear on the radio that they grow like a weed and climb trees so that even if you kill the base they can still live off their aerial roots!

Stopped at Lake Proserpine Kanga Camp for one night. More of a kids school camp with cabins but OK. No view of the lake - it is further down the road. Had an interesting drive in. Stupid GPS! Took me along Up River Rd then wanted me to ford a river. Seal ran out and a good dirt road took me through cane fields then through a paddock to a Water treatment plant. Luckily there was a man there who said I take the rocky ford over the river and go through the gate back to the right road. Had a look and decided that it was simply not sensible with a caravan. Steep dirt track up to the gate etc, so went back to Spruce Road and over the river to the Crystal Brook road.  The camp gets many phone calls from lost campers - maybe a sign on Spruce Road would help!

Stopped at a CP in Airlie Beach for 3 days. So many backpackers in town. Much bigger than I expected and plenty of shopping. Big apartment blocks hanging on the hillsides. Treated myself to a Hot Rock seafood lunch one day. Stayed an extra day as there was heavy rain! Was thinking about doing something here with my granddaughter but all so expensive and geared for young adventurers, diving, sailing or flying. Even to go see crocodiles will be $200!
Spent a few days at Boulder Creek with friends. Have traded my soprano Uke for a tenor one - much easier to play so lots of music here with 2 other players.
Had 2 weeks gramping with my granddaughter. A week at Lake Elphinstone (new toilet block) and several nomad friends who adopted her. Weather was a bit temperamental for a few days but managed a campfire and cooking. Then a lovely quiet drive on up via Collinsville and back into madness from Bowen down to Glen Erin Farmstay CP 10 km south. Lovely spot. Communal campfire, and damper every evening for Happy Hour. Spent 4 days there. A few hours in Bowen - haircuts etc. and found a graphic place - finally got 'branded' with La Vida!

Then a night at Airlie Beach CP and another at Boulder Creek. Heavy rain that night and the creek is a bit cold for swimming! Has been fun having someone to play cards with.
Back at Seaforth for a few days catching up with washing and getting the caravan 'back to normal' ready for wandering south again.

Ravenswood

Came to Ravenswood for a few days and stayed - a whole week! Council run showground, power water, lovely hot showers. Drove to Burdekin Dam - 80km one day - nothing but a Caravan Park down there. Interesting to drive across the base of the dam - only possible when it is not spilling. what a shame there is no camping around the dam - 2 areas with toilets, covered picnic tables and plenty of room.

Dam is used for irrigation. Gravel road past there to Mt Coolan.

Lovely drive to the dam through stations. Very good sealed road, with the edges mown - or grazed maybe. Saw lots of mobs of cattle. I think it may be weaning time. Very little feed but the cattle looked content, and there is water in dams.

Interesting museum shop in town - along with 2 pubs, PO/General store, school. Chatting to a lady who is Painting tiles to cover the park's concrete tables. Hundreds of old bottles, some lovely pottery for sale, and the strange little hairless cat - forgotten what sort it is, but very playful. Reminded me of Golem (Lord of the Rings)

Got fuel at the PO. Old-fashioned pump - had to turn a knob then push a lever to get it to work.

About 30 members of a CMCA group here. Had happy hours with them and joined them for dinner at the pub one night. Also a sausage sizzle at the pub to support a group walking 100km for cancer - Ravenswood to Ayr.

Then Sundays entertainment - pig weigh-in! Fund raiser for the school. What a lovely family day that was. Station families brought their kids to town. Several stalls (homemade cakes!) and a well supported auction and a big Lions Club kitchen & bar of course.

 Lots of pigs. Not edible they say - too full of disease, so they are all buried after the competition. Not caught for eating either - thousands of wild ones but living on carrion too much.

A few of the hunters entered their dogs in the high jump. Got to 2.2m. Also the 'Fastest Eater' - a scoop of dognuts in a bowl and hope the dog is REALLY hungry - or a gobbler.

The highlight event for me was the kids trying to catch a rooster. They looked like bantam ones and were very fast. The first ran under the stall, the next ran into the adult spectators, and the third just flew straight up into a tree!

Winton, Hughenden, Charters Towers

 From Longreach I travelled to Winton through  very dry flat plains. Third year of drought.

Parked behind the North Gregory pub for 2 nights - $10 per night and shower and toilet available. Very hospitable people at the pub, although we were rather 'cosy' in the tight camping area. Had a BBQ dinner and the free wine. Interesting town. Definitely an 'Arkwright' (Searles) shop over the road - needed some time to see everything. Bakery, lovely dress shop with all the right gear for the recent races, 3 pubs, great cafe with internet access and of course - 

ARNO's Wall. What a great use for all that junk one can collect. I presume it is open sometimes to see the rest inside. 

Found a girl who does massage so that was a bonus. Got an extra 15 minutes in exchange for helping her kids on the guitar. Joined another couple one evening playing their uke and guitar.

 Turned north at Winton and headed towards Hughenden. Once again very long straight roads through dry flood plains, but a bit more feed up this way. The cattle seem to be coping, and saw a few sheep as well. Stopped at Corfield camp for 2 nights and spent very pleasant evenings chatting to Liz at the Community owned pub set up in the local hall across the road. Only 4 people in town! Very good prices for drinks, and had her home-made lasagne for dinner one night. 

The camp is not big, but very clean toilets, and the area is well fenced although a calf did wander through one day to eat the bit of green lawn.

Was interested to see power lines all along the roads here. Quite unusual in the country I find.

Chatted to a lovely solo lady who stopped for coffee - will catch up again somewhere.

On to Hughenden. Didnt stop - got fuel then another 40 km to Prairie Hotel camp. Found a spot under the only tree and beside the 'free ' shower they have set up in a tent with a hose, tap and shower head hanging in the tree. The camp was full the first night and most of us went to the pub for drinks and dinner. Lovely old furniture, and  lots to look at.

Met a couple who used to live in my home town - knew so many people in the district so had a great catch-up with them.

Next stop was Pentlands Caravan Park - only $15 single. Good chance to catch up on computer with power and good internet. Have come over the Great Divide again but missed the Lookout I stopped at 3 years ago. Was wondering why a car was backing down the road on the other side - and realised too late where he was heading! There has been a fire through the area.