Sunday 15 September 2019 - Beaudesert

The Swap Meet noise stopped about 9.30 last night. The food van behind us served food during the evening to stall holders who were setting up and camping there over night. Voices woke us up and when I checked the time it was 4.00 am. What are they doing up and there already? As the time passed the noise increased and by 6 am it was full of people finishing their set up procedure. 6.20 am (Ian looked at the clock) the music started blaring and 7 am the gates opened and the people streamed in. By 8.30 am I was sitting out under the awning listening to the band who were now playing 70’s and 80’s music. Go Skyhooks and Little River Band. As well as the Swap Meet there was also a show and shine so Ian had wandered over to check out the cars on display. He also did a tour of the junk, sorry, items for sale.

One car that took his interest was a 1972 Ford which was still owned by the original owner.  He owned the car for 47 years.  I'm sure there are not too many people that hold on to a car that long.

He returned about 10 am and we set off on the 30 minute drive to Logan Village. Friends are living at a lifestyle resort there. We had not seen their home so we called in for a coffee and checked out their house and also the facilities that they can use by living there. Very nice with pool, spa, tennis court, theatre, bowling green, billiards room, craft room, library and meeting room. They have a rock and roll club, hiking group and there is also a small gym. We then went over to the local pub and had lunch, which was very nice. Back to their place for a bit more catching up before the 30 minute drive back to the van. We arrived back at about 5 pm and thankfully, 98 % of the Swap Meet had already been packed up.

Early night as we had been awake since 4 am.

Saturday 14 September 2019 - Beaudesert

Another cold night and cool start to the morning with an extra layer of clothing required until after breakfast.  An easy drive through the ranges. Wasn't particularly windy just up and down.   At one point Miss Google gave us a choice of two ways so we selected the secondary road rather than the highway.  The road was good and the traffic very light, until we came to an intersection which we had to cross.  Only trouble was it was the highway to Brisbane and had four lanes of traffic.  There was no way we would get a big enough break in the traffic to get across all four lanes.  There was an area between the two north bound and two south bound lanes but only enough room for a car to wait not a car and caravan.  So we decided to turn left and it took awhile for enough of a break in the traffic on the two north bound lanes to do that.  We travelled up to the first exit off the highway and there was an overpass for us to use to cross the highway and we continued on.   We arrived at Beaudesert but accidently drove past the driveway to the caravan park.  We drove up the road until we were able to turn around.  Coming back we noticed the showgrounds which had signs up advertising the Swap Meet which is on tomorrow.  We thought it had been lucky we had rang and booked a site at the Caravan Park earlier in the week as it will be full with the Swap Meet.  We arrived at the Caravan Park to find that it backs onto the showgrounds and there is just a wire fence between us and the Swap Meet.  Set up behind us is a food stall with a hired cool room unit that is running.  Hope by night time we become so accustomed to the hum of it that we will be able to sleep through it!   They must have opened the gates to the Swap Meet at 12 for people to set up as there has been a steady stream of traffic and banging with people setting up their stalls.  It also looks like they can camp there tonight as there are a few caravans and tents as well.  

Views from the back of our van of the people starting to set up for the Swap Meet.

We drove down the street and had a look around but there was nothing that took our fancy.  Returned to the park and chatted to our neighbours who used to own a Caravan Park at Mission Beach.  They said it was very busy and the gentleman told us that he wasn't good with the public so he was left to do maintenance around the park and have little or no contact with the public, which was left to his wife.   We told him that he reminded us of someone we knew who was better at doing the odd jobs around the place than dealing with customer queries.   Not naming names here but you will know if it is you!  

Friday 13 September 2019 - Esk

Something is wrong.  Got up this morning and had to put a cardigan on.  It got cold through the night and we had to get an extra blanket.  Slow pack up as we don't have far to go today.  It had now warmed up so packed the cardigan away and off we set.   Nice drive over the Ranges.  Arrived at Esk and set up.  Although we did not have a drive through site the park let us stayed hitched and to use some of the site behind us.  There were 4 of us like this.   

After lunch we walked down to the main street and did a lap either side of the street.   The main attraction is an old pub that has been turned into a trading post.  There is a coffee shop, clothes shop, craft shop in some of the downstairs room.  The rest of the old pub including the entire upstairs (which use to be bedrooms for the pub) are full of antique furniture, old crockery, books, records, vases, money boxes, just about anything you could think of.

Below is the view we enjoyed.

After returning from the street we chatted with our neighbours.

Thursday 12 September 2019 - Kingaroy

Noisy night or maybe I should say noisy early morning.  We have some guys that do tree lopping staying opposite us and they got up at 4.30 banging around before driving off at 5.30.  Quiet for awhile before the early morning risers at 6.30.    

We went down to McDonalds for breakfast before heading off for a drive to Mount  Wooroolin Lookout, about four kilometres west of Kingaroy. Established in 1988 as a bicentennial project by Kingaroy Shire Council, the area features a grassed area with picnic tables and wood barbecues.  The elevated viewing platform offers 360 degree panoramic views of the surrounding countryside: Coolabunia Hill, the Bunya Mountains, and Tarong Power Station, which generates approximately one fifth of Queensland’s power.   

Thought about going to the observatory but it wasn't opened last night or tonight.  Next idea was to visit the Lavender Farm but that is only open on weekends.  

Back to town and another wander around the centre of town, grabbed some groceries and back to the van for a quiet afternoon.

Wednesday 11 September 2019 - Kingaroy

Packed up this morning and had an uneventful drive to Kingaroy.  We are staying at the Showgrounds and it is busy.  There are a group of bowlers here for a tournament and the Speedway is here on the weekend and a few people have arrived already for that.   There was about 3 powered sites left when we arrived at 11 am.   We set up and had lunch before venturing down to town for a look.   There is a shopping centre with Big W, Best & Less, Millers, specialty stores and Woolworths.   We also walked around the  main block in the centre of town and I only saw one empty shop, a bit different to a lot of other towns.  After Ian had a haircut we returned to the van.   Ian decided to have an early shower and wandered off, returning 10 minutes later complaining there was no hot water.  He showered in the van and then walked down to the office to let them know.   40 minutes later I went down for a shower and ran into a worker from the showgrounds who told me there would be plenty of hot water as he had just changed the gas bottle.   And there was.   I returned to the van and as we now have internet and phone coverage have spent time preparing and posting these blog entries.

Tuesday 10 September 2019 – Kilkivan

A lazy day today. Some washing and that was about it. I was hanging out the washing and a parrot flew up to me. I crouched down and it came right up to me, obviously expecting something to eat. I went back in the van and looked out the window and two parrots were sitting on the ground cover under the awning. I took some biscuit crumbs out to feed them and all of a sudden joining the 2 parrots were 4 magpies. I escaped back inside until they flew away. 

Tonight there were only 3 vans and 1 tent on the lower level and we had the upper level to ourselves.

Monday 9 September 2019 – Kilkivan

Windy again today. Not sure about how much work the owners do around the park. Very little cleaning done on the weekend and the bins are in need of being emptied. This morning we decided to drive into Kilkivan for a coffee and to get some phone service to check our messages and emails.   Before heading into town we drove to Mt Clara Copper Smelter Chimney.  It was built in 1873 and only operated until 1875.  The smelter remains  were renovated in 1978 by the Shiare Council.  

Back into the car and into town where we had coffee and scones while getting a hit of modern technology.  Returned a couple of phone calls then decided to go for a drive to Dickebramm Bridge, a historic road and railway bridge over the Mary River. The directions we had been given by the caravan park left a lot to be desired and Miss Google Maps moved one of the towns we were meant to travel through 6 km down the road. The last intersection in our instructions was meant to be a T intersection with us turning right, instead we found a normal intersection at which we still turned right. There was also a sign saying the road was closed for bridge works. We, wrongly as it turned out, presumed we would still be able to see the bridge just not go across it. When we got there the road was closed about 300 metres from the bridge and all you could see was trucks and roadwork equipment. Turned around and started to return the way we had come. We had noticed a sign for Fernhill Park Fishing and Camping Ground, so we decided to go and have a look so the 50 km we had driven to get there were not totally wasted. The sign said it was 7 km down a dirt road. At the 7 km mark we still had seen nothing to indicate a Camping Ground anywhere. We decided to give it 1 km more. Still finding nothing we pulled up on a driveway to turn around. As I looked down the driveway I noticed a sign on the gate stating it was Fernhill Park. The gate was chained and padlocked. I then noticed a closed sign on the ground where it had fallen off a tree. I am not sure if it is closed for good or for some other reason. Oh well another wasted trip. Turned around to return to the Caravan Park to laze the rest of the day away.