BALANCE RESTORED AT HEIFER CREEK

When I left Gordon at Warwick, I was uncertain as to what to do next. It was as if, since entering Queensland, I had been on a roller coaster. And now, that roller coaster was not slowing down… it was grinding to a halt! I knew I needed somewhere to write up my blog, rest my aching body and just regain my balance. It was going to be a rest stop at Allora, but like so many, that was only a 24 hour one. I needed longer. My next little dot on the map was Theiss Memorial at Heifer Creek. Free camp, toilets, picnic area, no phone/ wifi signal, just peace and quiet. Well it was worth a try. The drive was a soothing one. No longer on a major road, this one wound through lush forest and over hills. I saw a creek running alongside at some stage, burbling its way over rock and crevice, and then blocks of striated rockface begun to surge out of the earth next to me and tower into the sky. And suddenly .... there it was to the right of me.

To say I was pleasantly surprised was a massive understatement. It was a big, grassy area interspersed with wide branching trees whose delicate frond like leaves were so plentiful they gracefully offered shade to any RV that needed it. As I drove in I saw that the campgrounds sat in a horseshoe of steep cliff walls, clothed in tall trees and other foliage. Huge rocks jutted out here and there as Nature showed her true artistry. It was a small piece of true Natural Beauty. I found myself wishing I could paint, knew my limitations all too well on that score. I stayed there two days with many other caravans and campers, but still the tranquility remained and my balance with the World was gradually restored.

Diploma of Master Dumpster

From there, my original proposed route, was going to take me around Brisbane. But at Heifer Creek I thought better of it. Long, busy roads, no rest stops, no cheaper areas to stay, no thank you.  The City could keep its’ glamorous and expensive sights and attractions for now. Instead I travelled up to Gatton. This is a great place with a town Centre that’s easy to get around, boasting plenty of shops, a really wonderful park with drinking water and Information Centre at the west end of town, and best of all a dump point! Believe me… it was time! The dump point did take some

finding however, possibly due to my own, by now, disoriented sense of direction, AND lack of signage on the main road. But I refused to give up… I really needed that dump point. Once found, it was all sorted in 5minutes, as I am now a qualified Master Dumpster. Except for one thing. No water hose. Now I have been meaning to sort out my own portable hose for a while, as the fittings don’t seem to match all taps. This was one of those taps. Here’s the thing though, the more you travel the more adaptable you become, the more you find ways around things. Especially when travelling on your own. No hose? No worries. I had a bucket! Took a little longer but all good in the end. Maybe this now qualifies me as Expert Master Dumpster?

ooooooops!

After that came the long haul. No matter which route I took I was looking at 200kms. So I thought it best to stick to major highways and go to Ipswitch then take the M5 up to the M1 as I wanted to start the Sunshine Coast at Caloundra. Bad idea. Anyone else doing this, take my advice, stay on the inland highways. Go up to Mt Glorious or even as Far as Kilroy and then turn back towards the coast. MUCH better scenery, MUCH better, less congested roads, MANY more RV stops.  And, if you are like me… it’s so much easier not to get lost or go on the wrong road! Let’s just say I had a few ‘glitches’ along the way and leave it at that.

By the time I got to the turn off for Glass House Mountains and the Australia Zoo, I was past it. These wonderful places would have to wait for another day. Instead I headed for the nearest Free RV stop I could find on Wikicamps near Caloundra. A place on the Steve Irwin Way, just off the Motorway at Glenview (on Wikicamps it Came up as Jowarra Park Area).  All I can say is the number of weary travelers and RVs I found here says a lot for the lack of 24hr rest stops on main highways in Queensland. The place was packed! Cars, motorhomes, Caravans, campervans…. Everything. And on BOTH sides

of the road. Come on Queensland Highways, do something to help us poor travelers and make the roads safer! Give us more Rest Stops. But, as one these beleaguered travelers, I muscled my way through to the back of the area (thanking God for the small size of the Grey Chihuahua) and parked her up for the night. I was actually worried I had pushed my poor Chihuahua too far and too hard on this leg, as not only had I had to maintain high speeds on the highway but also there were some very steep and winding hills around Brisbane she’d had to maneuver.  Oh and the few times I’d maybe got us lost.

Bit close Mate!

At any rate both she and I were glad just to settle for the night. It had been a 265km journey. And I would like to say we got a wonderful rest, but I can’t. We got hemmed in by some really awful backpackers. I make the distinction here that these were AWFUL ones because I have found some wonderful ones in the past who I’ve not only been happy to spend my time with, but made some good friends too. But then they respected the land and the people around them. These stayed up till midnight banging doors, chattering loudly, and dumping their rubbish outside their cars/ vans. OK the wild turkeys appreciated the next morning as they rummaged through the leftovers. I did not. And BTW at least two of these boguns were Aussies! I left for Caloundra, and the start of my Sunshine Coast trip, early.

Failure is not the worst that can happen. Not trying is

The Grey Chihuahua