Back to the van
We did it. We left Gayndah!
With a sad goodbye to our new friends we headed out for the Town of 1770. It's called that because it's the year that Cook first landed in Queensland, and so they call this place the birthplace of Queensland. After a 4 hour drive (including a pie stop) we found it, and discovered that there wasn't much to find. It's a beautiful little place but consists of about 4 roads, a caravan park and a big load of building work. In a few years it'll probably be quite a significant tourist town but for now it's peaceful and quiet.
We had a couple of nights there and spent our time exploring the nearby town of Agnes Water, considering whether to do a boat cruise out to the southern great barrier reef, hire a boat and bob around the river and do a spot of fishing, jump in an amphibious vehicle that looks like a giant ice cream van or just relax around the caravan park and get used to life in the van again. In the end, we realised that to keep Matilda's warranty valid we would have to get her serviced asap and so we chose to save the money - just in case.
As we packed up to leave 1770 we got chatting to a couple in a caravan next to us who must have taken a liking to us as they gave us a genuine invite to stay with them in Tamworth, west of Sydney, when we're back down that way. We may well take them up on it later in the year...
Another hour and a half north took us to the port city of Gladstone. An odd but pleasant place that has a port (the least surprising part), a normal city/town centre and then some huge industrial works dotted around. It's a bizarre mixture but it all seems to work quite well together. We booked the car in for it's service and then headed to a town 20 minutes back down the road called Tannum, where we've been staying.
Last night we got chatting to an Aussie family, and the parents had done the full circle of Oz a few years back so they gave us all sorts of tips and advice. It also happened that Chris - the Dad - happened to be an ex-Mitssubishi mechanic so he gave us a few very useful pointers on the van too. Speaking of which, the van's in the garage right now being serviced and possibly having the tappets adjusted (a knocking engine being Matilda's latest ailment).
So that leads us to where we are now, sitting in a library in Gladstone on a wet but mild Friday morning. Assuming we get the van back today, we'll be back on the road heading northwards towards the Whitsundays, which everyone says is beautiful, even if it is still raining.
Piccie time!
Fraser Island from the air:
Eli Creek, Fraser Island
Dingo, Fraser Island:
The SS Maheno shipwreck, Fraser Island:
Kev, about to swim with the catfish in Lake Wabby, Fraser Island:
Charlotte in the crystal clear waters of Lake MacKenzie, Fraser Island:
Charlotte's surprise birthday party, organised by Leila and Adam in Gayndah:
BBQ at Mackonnels Lookout (from L to R - Kev, Charlotte, Tracey, Rodney, Rowan, Chloe, Luke, Heeya, Julie and Adam):
With a sad goodbye to our new friends we headed out for the Town of 1770. It's called that because it's the year that Cook first landed in Queensland, and so they call this place the birthplace of Queensland. After a 4 hour drive (including a pie stop) we found it, and discovered that there wasn't much to find. It's a beautiful little place but consists of about 4 roads, a caravan park and a big load of building work. In a few years it'll probably be quite a significant tourist town but for now it's peaceful and quiet.
We had a couple of nights there and spent our time exploring the nearby town of Agnes Water, considering whether to do a boat cruise out to the southern great barrier reef, hire a boat and bob around the river and do a spot of fishing, jump in an amphibious vehicle that looks like a giant ice cream van or just relax around the caravan park and get used to life in the van again. In the end, we realised that to keep Matilda's warranty valid we would have to get her serviced asap and so we chose to save the money - just in case.
As we packed up to leave 1770 we got chatting to a couple in a caravan next to us who must have taken a liking to us as they gave us a genuine invite to stay with them in Tamworth, west of Sydney, when we're back down that way. We may well take them up on it later in the year...
Another hour and a half north took us to the port city of Gladstone. An odd but pleasant place that has a port (the least surprising part), a normal city/town centre and then some huge industrial works dotted around. It's a bizarre mixture but it all seems to work quite well together. We booked the car in for it's service and then headed to a town 20 minutes back down the road called Tannum, where we've been staying.
Last night we got chatting to an Aussie family, and the parents had done the full circle of Oz a few years back so they gave us all sorts of tips and advice. It also happened that Chris - the Dad - happened to be an ex-Mitssubishi mechanic so he gave us a few very useful pointers on the van too. Speaking of which, the van's in the garage right now being serviced and possibly having the tappets adjusted (a knocking engine being Matilda's latest ailment).
So that leads us to where we are now, sitting in a library in Gladstone on a wet but mild Friday morning. Assuming we get the van back today, we'll be back on the road heading northwards towards the Whitsundays, which everyone says is beautiful, even if it is still raining.
Piccie time!
Fraser Island from the air:
Eli Creek, Fraser Island
Dingo, Fraser Island:
The SS Maheno shipwreck, Fraser Island:
Kev, about to swim with the catfish in Lake Wabby, Fraser Island:
Charlotte in the crystal clear waters of Lake MacKenzie, Fraser Island:
Charlotte's surprise birthday party, organised by Leila and Adam in Gayndah:
BBQ at Mackonnels Lookout (from L to R - Kev, Charlotte, Tracey, Rodney, Rowan, Chloe, Luke, Heeya, Julie and Adam):
posted by Kev & Charlotte at
5:12 PM
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