Arley's Video Blog #4

In this instalment of Arley's travelling tales, he shows us around a 600acre rural Queensland cattle farm and takes up inland to Cania Gorge. Bastian even makes a cameo!

Heading Inland: Cania Gorge

We had been following the coast road for our entire trip, with the kids soaking up the sun and sea as we made our way up North, but after hearing about Cania Gorge from some fellow campers (hailed as one of Queensland's best kept secrets) it was time to head inland and see what all the fuss was about.

We knew the drive into the gorge was about 3 hours north west of Bundaberg, but after a longer than expected lunch stop over at Luke's old work friend's farm at Bucca, we didn't hit the road until around 3:30pm. This wouldn't have been a big drama, except for the small fact that we really didn't have too much of an idea of where the gorge was (except for what Google maps was telling us, but phone reception died about an hour into our journey). I may have swore once (or twice) when after driving through the last of the small country towns along the way, Monto, our thin road turned from tar to dirt, the sun began to set and on top of that, signs warning of unfenced cattle along the roadside started popping up everywhere!

I seriously questioned Luke as to whether it was too late to turn back, but our sense of adventure got the better of us (plus we were starting to get hungry!) so we pushed on, past the friendly locals who couldn't care less that our caravan (now containing three overtired and restless kids) was hurtling down the dirt road with a dust cloud streaming from behind.

But when we finally arrived at the Big 4 Cania Gorge Holiday Park, it was like seeing a mirage in the middle of a hot and desolate desert. Nestled in the middle of the Cania Gorge National Park, the place was absolutely packed with people spilling out of each site, walking with torches, crowding around fires, kids riding bikes on dusk, a big outdoor theatre set up laughing, music! The place was like a mini festival in the middle of absolutely nowhere!! Needless to say, that after checking in and remembering that QLD had a long weekend so most of the campers were enjoying the extra day off, we forgot the hairy drive and were just as excited as the swarms of kids walking around with untoasted marshmellows on their sticks!

So all chances of giving the kids an early dinner (of baked beans sandwiches after the day we'd had!) and getting them off to bed early was dashed - instead we joined the holiday makers and wandered the camping ground, breathing in the smell of burning firewood and looking up in awe at the clear, star-spotted sky, which looks 100 times more impressive when surrounded by bush in the country.

The next day, we got a better look at our home away from home for the next few nights and I must say, after over half the campers had cleared out and headed back to work, the place felt like it was all ours. With bush all around, the wildlife was abundant, with wallabies roaming freely about the place (and being chased by Bassie who thought he might be able to 'ride' one), so many birds that we actually lost count of the different types, the rare and beautiful Bettongs that came out at night and hopped right past you on the way to the toilet block and more. The kids were in their element and finally Luke and I felt like this was really 'camping'.

But real camping these days, also comes with plenty of added extras, and despite being in the middle of a Gorge and kilometres from anywhere, this Big 4 caravan park had one of the best water parks we had seen, tennis courts, jumping pillows, a make-shift golf course and some terrific organised activities like a damper and billy tea morning in the big tin shed for all the guests, outdoor movie nights under the stars and daily bird feedings on dusk.

We kept up the schooling on the road and I think anyone would agree that doing your year one reader with king parrots looking over your shoulder is pretty special. I've loved this time with the kids, where Bastian is happy to play with play dough and whatever else is lying about, while Arley does his readers and maths and other bits and pieces and Sage, never wanting to miss out, wants to do some 'schoolwork' as well. But sometimes trying to get Arley to jump off his bike for more than five minutes and concentrate is difficult and at Cania Gorge, even I found it hard to focus with the beauty all around us! We did have a special guest drop by and present the kids with 'merit' awards for trying so hard whilst on the road, which made them laugh - Welcome Principal Tonkin!

 
Just down the road from the Big 4 is Lake Cania, a man-made lake that sits on the banks of Three Moon Creek and is stocked with yellowbelly, silver perch and Australian Bass. A popular fishing spot with professional comps hosted here, the kids swam in the warm water and met the caretaker and his dog Ernie, who they wanted to smuggle into the back of our van and take home!

But the main reason people make the trek to this beautiful part of Queensland is for the gorge itself. A remnant of the Brigalow Belt natural region, the sandstone rock formations are impressive and there are a bunch of bush walks that showcase the caves, natural pools and changing landscape of the area. We took on a few of the shorter walks with the kids and visited the Dripping Rocks and The Overhang Rock. And just as the kids started piping up, "Are we there yet?" towards the end of our walk, a yellow bellied tree snake conveniently blocked the path ahead and provided much entertainment as we waiting for it to finally get a wriggle on and let us pass! 

It's the little things that kids love though, and the joy of a load of firewood being delivered to our site, and the promise of our own bonfire just outside our door with a few marshmellows to roast, was the biggest drawcard to heading off the beaten track. And with a glass of red in hand, the kids snoring in their beds and looking up at the stars, Luke and I were just as glad that we hit the dirt roads and found this little gem as well. 

  

Bundy Country: From Bagara to Bucca

You can practically smell the sweet, sweet scent of sugar as you drive into Bundaberg, home of the famous Bundaberg Rum but also it's own ginger beer and Bundaberg Sugar, of course! The landscape starts to change too in the Bundy region - the soil is more fertile and along with the paddocks of sugar cane growing (we had to explain hundreds of times to the kids how the lumpy brown stuff that they sprinkle on their porridge starts out looking much like a weed...) there's also fruit orchards and fresh flowers and strawberry farms covering the land.

We explored the bustling country town that's built along the Burnett River and is a major centre for any smaller towns in and around the region. Luke and I have been here before but with the kids in tow, there would be no Bundy Rum tours this time, so we chose to stay on the coast at Bagara, just 13km past Bundaberg. This sleepy seaside community has a huge caravan park right on the patrolled beach, with a skate park, bike tracks, playground and wandering wildlife, perfect to keep the kids amused. We rode our bikes along the flat bike path all the way into town and after grabbing a coffee and watching the kids climb all over the sea-themed playground on the water's edge, we hit the sand and searched for shells and hermit crabs in the rocky pools that make up the main beach.

 

The weather is still being extremely kind to us on our trip, with most days hovering around the 27-29 degree mark, and the kids seem to be thriving on the fresh air and slow days. Bastian has gotten into the flow and rarely protests now, when I sneak him into his bed at one end of the caravan and pop on the fan so he can snooze the morning of sea and salt and bike riding away. And I admit, most days I nod off with him, until another little hand grabs me by the foot and reminds me that it is their 'rest time' too and would I mind putting on a movie for them to chill out to? It's a tough life this caravanning life! 

But it hasn't been all fun and games with still Luke working each week day, balancing his online business All Things Stainless (www.allthingsstainless.com.au) with our holiday adventures and me giving the home-schooling thing a go, with daily scheduled time for school work and reading for Arley, and Sage insisting on being in on the action with her own 'school work' to do!    

An unexpected treat for us on our last day in the area, was being invited for a long, home-cooked country lunch at some former work customers of Luke's from his former life when he worked as a software engineer over a decade ago! Tina and Neil showed us the sights of their 600acre beef cattle farm, which is a hidden piece of paradise about 30 minutes from Bundaberg in the rural town of Bucca. 

Luke took the kids for a tour of the farm on the Quadbikes, a first time for all, and Arley in particular, was beyond impressed with both the beautiful cows that Tina and Neil breed and the power and speed of the Quad! I know what he wants for Christmas and it's never going to happen, son....! 

I wandered through Tina's lush garden full of water features and sculptured hedges and salivated over her incredible vegetable and herb gardens and fruit trees. The combination of fertile volcanic soil and access to underground water supplies means Tina says she rarely has to shop in town for produce, and instead grows all her own fresh food at home (beef, pork and chicken included!). To say I was jealous was an understatement. 

The generosity of this lovely couple and their son and his family who also joined us, was quite overwhelming, as Tina laid out a lunch spread of baked chickens, pork, roasted and steamed veggies and more, followed by home made custard, lemon meringue pie, apple pie and ice cream, all served under their old fig tree with love. After being on the road for a little while now and sometimes feeling like it is just the five of us Tonkins against the world, this get-together with such kind-hearted people was just what we all needed to remind us of our dear family and friends and make us appreciate the country hospitality and lifestyles of those that call this part of Queensland home! Thanks again Tina and Neil!  

Arley's Video Blog #3

Arley is on the road again and keen to share the next leg of our adventure with his school mates back in Newcastle and everyone else following our travels!

Sage's Video Blog #1

Not one to let Arley have all the reporting fun, Sage has compiled her very own little video overview of our adventure so far, especially for her preschool friends back at home (and you, of course!).

So here's our trip so far from the eyes of a four-year-old...

Fraser Island: White sands, bumpy roads and beach highways

On our previous trip around Australia, we skipped Fraser Island on our itinerary (mainly because the 1974 VW Kombi we travelled in was as far away from a 4WD as you can get!), but this time around, we decided to take the Ranger for a spin on the sand.

We planned to take a day trip over to the island to see what all the fuss was about, mostly because lugging all the gear for the three kids over and back for a few nights was just a bit much and also because Luke is still technically "working" each day, so internet connection is crucial! We booked our ticket on the ferry and a couple that we met in Hervey Bay asked whether they could tag along with us because they were nervous of driving off-road (ironic as Luke's "she'll be right mate" attitude was as far from their "Be prepared!" motto as possible but lucky for us, they had a tyre pressure release gauge, shovels, tow ropes, and most probably a dingo trap and emergency satellite beacon as well packed and ready if any of this stuff should be needed and no, it wasn't).

We drove our car onto the ferry at River Heads, about 20 minutes from Hervey Bay and the kids probably liked this part as much as the Island itself! A car on a boat? Bassie was in transport heaven and sat in the drivers seat of the car for much of the 40 minute trip with a big smile on his face. Once we arrived at Wanggoolba Creek, it was action stations and straight onto the sandy roads. The kids thought the bumps and lumps were funny in the beginning but soon got a bit sick of the dips and dives. Driving through the rainforest sections of the middle of the island was a nice distraction however, before we arrived at the stunning Lake McKenzie.

Walking past the many dingo signs, warning of their presence on the island and how food should only be eating in the fenced areas, we were overwhelmed with the beauty of Lake McKenzie when it finally came into view. A 'perched' lake, containing only rainwater and no groundwater with soft, pure white sand, its not hard to be impressed with this amazing natural wonder which is surrounded by dense bush. Surprisingly warm, we loved swimming in the aqua water and the kids played for ages in the clean, soft sand. When the tour buses turned up however, the feeling of being somewhere pretty remote and pretty untouched was dashed - add a hundred backpackers and Lake McKenzie resembled Bondi Beach!

Back in the car and we took the inland road over to the beach past Lake Wabby, but geepas, 20 kilometres on the map can take up longer than an hour to drive with some pretty big dips and bumps. Most of the roads were single lane tracks which meant always being on the look out for on-coming cars and finding a spot to pull off into the bush so they could pass - our relatively new car got a few scratches as a memento of the trip! And despite the wild 4WD ride, Bassie managed to nod off and slept for almost an hour as his poor little head went back and forth, back and forth until we reached 75 Mile Beach.   

We were pretty surprised about how long it actually took to cross the island and with a return ferry deadline, we decided to drive straight up to Eli Creek, a favourite tourist spot. It was much smoother driving on the sand, and we actually had tour buses fly past us (and shared the beach with landing aeroplanes) and even went past a parked policeman in a 4WD monitoring the 80km per hour speed limit and doing the odd breath test I imagine. The kids thought driving through the little creek crossings were fun and Luke didn't have too bad a time of it either!

Arriving at Eli Creek and the place was really packed, with 4WD's lining the creek and visitors setting up tents and picnic rugs, some for a short stop off like us and other's who were camping on the island, settling in for the day. We made the 5 minute walk along a wooden boardwalk to the start of the freshwater spring where you can jump in and ride the natural current in the freshwater all the way down to the beach. The water was crystal clear but freezing!! Arley and Sage were undeterred and rode the current again and again on their boards. I found it interesting to discover that this site was extremely important to the traditional Aboriginal Butchulla people of Fraser Island who used to meet and baptised their children there. What a different scene it is today. 

We had just enough time to drive another 10 minutes up the beach and check out the shipwrecked Maheno, which came ashore in cyclonic weather in 1935. The vibrant colours of the wreck were amazing and the kids loved reading about how and why the ship came to be on the island. 

Smashing it along the 75 Mile sandy Beach all the way to the Eurong turn off, where there's a resort and a few tiny shops (but all looking like they need a but if TLC), it was time to get back to board the ferry. We didn't see any dingos (and truthfully not too many people do) on our visit, but we did get a taste of some of the other wildlife as we bid farewell to the island on sunset - Midges. Or they got a taste of us, more like it! These tiny black sand flies were out in swarms as the sun went down and in seconds we had an unexpected momento from our exciting and adventurous day on Fraser Island - tiny little red bites all over our legs! Next time we'll fork out the $5 at the over-priced takeaway shop and get a postcard instead!