29th December 2010

After leaving the Country Style tourist Accomodation Park this morning we stopped in at the driver reviver at Woolangarra and then put our lives and our watches onto "Silly Time"

We called into Tenterfield and our first stop was the tourist information centre to get directions to an Auto Electrician - yes the fridge still wasn't working on battery.  As the only one was on holidays we decided to check out one in Inverall.
Of course we had to make a stop at the TENTERFIELD SADDLER but neither PETER ALLAN nor LIZA MINELLI  were in attendance today.
I found a lovely wall hanging which I may attempt to copy one day - we'll see.

 We then went on to do some scrub bashing to have a look at THUNDERBOLT'S CAVE and after lunch checked out a strawberry farm where there was a large garden of red hot pokers which we don't get in the tropics. I am sure Shel would love them.

 Stuart knelt to get a photo of the flowere and got a bite from the largest ants I have ever seen.  There were hundreds of them

 Just on the outskirts of Glen Innes is Australia's answer to Stone Henge - Australian standing stones which have a very strong Celtic significance.  There was also a replica of King Arthur's sword which Stuart gallantly tried to remove with very little success.

 There was a little walkway up to the photo shooting area and they had placed a seat there just for me.

 It was then time to move on to a free camp on the outskirts of Tenterfield called BEARDY WATERS WOODLAND PARK which doesn't have a lot of flat ground but is very nice.

26th December 2010

We arrived at the Casey residence about 11am on Boxing Day to the rain and mud and a hug from Pat and Shel. While Stuart did the necessary things like hooking up the power and making sure the fridge worked etc, I did more necessary things like getting a glass of champagne.

As Pat, Greg and Matty had stayed over on Christmas night, the boys settled in to watch the English Cricket Team embarrass the Aussies on TV and us girls looked at old photos of us as kids.



Yes you would laugh if you were looking at ourself aged under 12!!

  As we were getting food organised for tea Shel tripped over my leg and we both ended up ricocheting off the lounge chair and in under the Christmas tree. Yes it sounds funny but an ambulance was called and Shel spent 2 nights in hospital with a suspected cracked rib.

We left there on the 27th and went on to Ipswich to say a quick hello again to Brett, Katrina and the kids and then on to Warwick. We went through a lot of rain and miles and miles of water in the paddocks both sides of the road til we got to 30 kms out of Ipswich

Large vehicles were getting through so we did to and went about another 20 kms down the road til a little creek with a lot of water turned us around. We thought the best thing to do was to go back to Ipswich and try again on Tuesday 28th (Our Wedding Anniversary). We got to the same crossing 30 kms out at Warrill View and the police turned all around as the road to Warwick was closed for at least 2 days.


We eventually went through Ipswich (again) and on to Toowoomba and then into Warwick. There was only the one holdup and that was about 14kms before Warwick where pads of bitumen about 1.25 mtrs across were broken up and lifted off the road and thrown into the table drains. There were 7 kms of traffic lined up on the other side waiting to get through.

 Warwick was another disaster story. We were detoured around the entry into town as it was totally inundated with water. The centre of town was above water and the south western road was good but a lot of people were homeless during last night.

From there we came through to Stanthorpe and called in to the Castle Glen Winery to stock up. Our intention was to free camp at a rest spot just 2 kms out of Stanthorpe but it has been declared a no camp zone and so we went on another 7 kms out to a Caravan Park and for $20 got a good site and a bag of stone fruit from the owner.

The COUNTRY STYLE TOURIST ACCOMODATION PARK on the banks of the Dumaresq River  was rather basic as parks go and the site had power but no water but a lovely creek and dam right beside it.

CHRISTMAS 2010

Saturday Dec 18th

They say the best laid plans will go astray if they can.................


My hopes to get away on Friday were dashed when we couldn’t pick up the “Beast” (Stuart’s Iveco) until after 2 pm from the repairer. We loaded up, hitched up, and towed onto the front lawn amidst a huge fight across the road with the neighbours. After about a half an hour of pushing and shoving I rang the police to be told that I was the third. Pretty soon there were 4 vehicles and about 7 officers sorting out the he saids she saids and then they quietened down for a while.

We slept in the van, up at 5am and after a quick cuppa were on the road with the neighbours still loud across the road and the speedo not working in the Beast . Stuart dropped me off at Nana’s (ex Mother In Law) for morning tea and he headed to get the dash problem fixed.

Tracy (my daughter) and I picked up lunch and by the time we got back Stuart and the beast had returned.

We had a very uneventful trip out to Biloela arriving about 3.15pm and as country people do a lady at the servo saw the caravan and asked us it we were in town for the market. No said I but we could be if you give us enough information about it we might be, so here we are at the White Cockatoo Caravan Park and going to do the market tomorrow morning.

It”s pretty warm here in downtown Biloela and was building up to a storm which just hit with thunder and a fairly heavy shower. As we came into Biloela we passed fields of leuckena which is a cattle feed and sorghum. For those of you who went to Expo in 1988 you will be interested in the fact that Biloela has the big Grain Silo that was at Expo.



Wednesday 22nd December


Driving from Biloela to Monto was an incredible sight. The surrounding countryside was so lush and green. It was then into Monto and Driver Reviver and lunch.

We stayed at our first free camp for the trip at the CLAUDE WARTON WEIR just 4 kms north of Gayndah. We arrived about 4pm, set up and got tea organised and sat in the shade on the trees on the side of the weir with our cheese and bickies and wine accompanied by some kookaburras and a million dragonflies and for Mias information none of them had pins stuck in them.


Claude Warton Weir



Our Camp site at Claude Warton Weir

We pulled into Goomeri for morning tea and picked up some cheese at the little cheese factory there and then on our way between Goomeri and Nanango there was water everywhere and at one spot it was across the road for about 100 mitres and there were small vehicles waiting to cross on both sides. We had no trouble crossing and then a few other vehicles crossed safely. As we followed the road around the Bjelke Petersen Dam we were amazed at the amount of water in the catchment. The spillway was open and water was gushing out with a huge spray and considering the fact that there was only 4% in the dam prior to this rain this is incredible.

We arrived at Brett and Katrina’s at about 3 on Tuesday afternoon to a welcoming committee of 2 (Mia and Eithen) looking very pleased to see us. The kids needed to have a look all around the inside of the van and at one stage were going to sleep in there too. We did the Santa thing and they loved the presents from Aunty Tracy and Uncle Bob and also from Stuart and I.

Eithen with his present from Aunty Tracy and Uncle Bob

Mia with her present from Grandma and Stu Stu



Eithen wrapping his present for Grandma


We got away from there about 10am as I had a doctors appointment to get the OK on my knee so after the Xray and the dr’s appointment we headed for the Gold Coast to pick up liquorice stock and get a few things tweaked in the van at Gold Coast Caravans. By the way the Doctor was very pleased with my knee and said I should be back on the dance floor soon.

As we couldn’t get anything done to the van this afternoon we are staying at the JACOB’S WELL TOURIST PARK at a cost of $35 for the night then it will be back to the van place and then into Brisbane for the 3 nights stay over Christmas

Friday 24th December




We booked into the NEWMARKET GARDENS CARAVAN PARK yesterday afternoon after getting the few things fixed on the Lotus and in the process we found out that after 3 different auto electricians had “fixed” the previous persons work we still had no power to the fridge through the battery and the brake lights kept coming on and we had no caravan brakes. Lester from Lotus fixed them up as best he could and we have his auto electrician going over it fully sometime between Christmas and New Year.
Andrew and Tom picked us up and we went to the Paddington Tavern for dinner. The meal was lovely and well priced as Andrew had 2-4-1 vouchers.



A nice surprise at around 4.30 pm when along came Santa through the park with about 10 helpers and handed each van owner a bottle of wine for Christmas.



Stuart with his present from Santa




Saturday 25th December

Tom picked us up at 11am and we were driven to their home for a very sumptous Christmas Lunch.
Much eating, drinking and merriment was had by all.  Andrew was chef for the day and I would say a better meal couldn't be had at any restaurant.  Absolutely incredible.
Andrew and Tom's friend Helen was also a guest for lunch along with a friend of hers Eric who was on his own for Christmas and lives on a yacht.


Stuart, Lesley, Andrew and Tom



Tom, Helen and Andrew

Eric, Tom, Andrew, Me and Helen's hand finishing off dessert

 At about 5pm we all adjourned to Helens apartment which overlooks the Brisbane River to round off a wonderful day


Andrew, Eugene, Nick, Me, Eric, Helen and Tom




View from Helens balcony



A taxi ride home at about 8.30 rounded off a great day.