Queensland - Brisbane & Mt Moffat National Park (September 2019)

In August we managed to get away a bit longer: A full seven days, instead of five, approved by the powers to be! Mind you we have been working non stop for the past eight weeks, running double shifts in restaurant and motel as it was peak season - just saying!

We are staying at a friend’s on the outskirts of Brisbane, visiting the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Time to finalise our wedding arrangements for Jan 07, 2020. It’s the 20th anniversary of our commitment ceremony in Sydney’s Botanical Garden. This time it will 32 levels above Queensland’s bustling capital. Finally we will allowed to use terms on endearment such as Hubby (Gatte), Fluffy Bum (Hasi) and Schnuckiputz without fearing that the other one can run away screaming. The interviewer was attentive, personable and rather pleasant. What a great surprise! Turns out that she will be our celebrant In January as well.

Metropole, a café on the second floor of the registry, will be a great venue to down some bubbles afterwards.

We chose public transport to visit the city as traffic on this 30 k’ stretch can be horrific and parking fees are just astronomical. Having said this, trains and busses are not really a viable alternative in this urban sprawl. No wonder no one is interested in giving up their personal transportation rather accepting to crawl from one traffic jam to the next.

On the way back we had a good look at a camper trailer in Southbrissie. Mars Campers is building some pretty clever tow-abouts. Their forward folding models reveal a fine canvas pop up covering the sleeping quarters and a spacious sitting area. Could double up as a comfy reception room for our wedding - especially when the annex is added. The annex is not a must but makes a great addition to keep the slide out kitchen under cover. Easy! As we are currently stationary rather than on the move we will wait with the purchase. Perhaps a wedding present?

Our first official holiday stop is Mt Moffatt National Park. Just 600 Kilometers down the road. The park is part of Queenland’s sand stone wilderness with scenic hills and rock formations, great hiking trails and magnificent views.

Mt Moffat National Park

We scared a family of emu’s just outside our camp. I read that it’s the male that hatches the eggs and raises the chicks while the ladies do secret woman’s business. Cute, eh? And then they grow up!

Dromius novaeholandiae with chicks (by how.com)

I attached a link to a fab movie showing you what emus look like had they real arms: https://youtu.be/4a363kSSe34 .

Mt Moffatt is part of the 3.000 square kilometres large Carnarvon National Park. We are big fans having already visited the spectacular Carnarvon and Santa Rosa sections, so this remote part completes the cycle. Once a cattle station, Mt Moffat ended up in financial troubles and in the end was donated to the budding national park. It is accessible via a 150 k gravel road, most likely the reason why we did nor run into anyone but emus and roos. Not even the park ranger were around in their flash uniforms.

Are gravel roads really that difficult to navigate? Not if you have access to a real car with decent clearance otherwise stick to the black top.

Gravel roads are sometimes flattened by graders with a massive blade, followed by a packer or two and some water. And then they they deteriorate again as fast as they have been built up and develop this curios wave pattern (see photo). You may slowly wave your way through the troughs and ridges, but experts advise to lower the tyre pressure, and to adjust the speed. Ideally the vehicle will slide across the top at somewhere between 60 and 80 kph. Or more. Or less. Depending on how much rattling you are able to bear - or the vehicle. Generally always something gives, falls off the dash board, drops onto the road, breaks or gets lost: Particularly important screws, fittings and covers, sometimes glasses, dentures and hair pieces. After this trip I seriously considered forwarding my dentist bills to the relevant traffic authorities…

Gravel roads are sometimes flattened by graders with a massive blade, followed by a packer or two and some water. And then they they deteriorate again as fast as they have been built up and develop this curios wave pattern (see photo above). You may slowly weave your way through the troughs and ridges, but experts advise to lower the tyre pressure, and to adjust the speed. Ideally the vehicle will slide across the top at somewhere between 60 and 80 kph. Or more. Or less. Depending on how much rattling you are able to bear - or the vehicle. Generally always something gives, falls off the dash board, drops onto the road, breaks or gets lost: Particularly important screws, fittings and covers, sometimes glasses, dentures and hair pieces. After this trip I seriously considered forwarding my dentist bills to the relevant traffic authorities…

On the other hand it is quite an achievement surviving two to three hundred kilometres of corrugated road without throwing up.

The weather at the head waters of the Maranoa River is amazing: Blue skies, 25 degrees, a mild breeze. And the night get’s you. We are not prepared for frost - Our winter sleeping bags are having a comfy time at home. Log fire and Jim Beam are great but do not maintain that toasty feeling past sunset ….

Below a couple of pics of our trip, some using our brand new flying gizmo. It is so much fun to fly - once you know how to use it, that is. Instead of crawling on all fours catching that different perspective, we are now taking to the sky. The world does look different from a birds eye view. Mind you, we are a long shot away from that money spinning block buster movie. The only things spinning at the moment are the rotor blades.

Because of our friend Peter, there are now goggles too, a kind of electronic under water specs. As with diving goggles one tends hold the breath with some of the more spectacular stunts. And as with real flights, it is possible to get fabulously motion sick too. Great way to keep the calorie intake at bay - Haha!

After a couple of really cold nights we decide to swap solitude for warmth and defrost a bit further down the Maranoa River just outside Mitchell. Maranoa is the indigenous word for duck egg (sorry master emu!).

Isn’t it a spectacular view? Most of the river is sandy and dry, but at Michell there is a weir where the river bed has been dug out and that creates an amazing year-round fishing and camping spot. As with most inland rivers this one is murky brown. Bathing is not really an option unless you enjoy a game of “Guess what just bit me”.

Finally Paul at our last camp. Great place, and a beautiful oasis in the middle of the Outback.

Any takers? CU there….

#australia #outbacktravels #tourismqueensland