Its been two years since we were at Chaffey Dam last, stopped in for a look and met up with Nik n Off, at that time there would have been only about 30 vans there that day. This year there would be about 1500 people with about 500 vans, what a popular spot anyway we were able to find a camp site with no neighbours at the eastern end of the dam looking south to Nundle.
Camp site at Chaffey Dam
Chaffey dam looking North
Time to put the boat in and have a look around. Not much wind for a sail but I still tried . We peddled up the dam and along the far bank and found some of the local wild life
After a record pre Christmas week trade with the help of our 2 new staffers Gunner and Epson we locked the doors and headed home to prepare for the trip to N.S.W. Saturday morning we woke to drizzly rain the fist we have seen for 4 months that did not deter us we packed our Hobie Outfitter in the rain hooked up Reality (our Bushtracker van) and headed south west to the start of the Leichhart highway and on to Taroom , Miles, down to Condamine then turned onto the Meandarra road and made camp at Caliguel Lagoon 7 km from the turn-off Caliguel Lagoon takes its name from an early Pastrol Run south of Condamine. A portion of this lagoon was once home to a sheep wash pool where the sheepskin fleece was cleaned of dust and dirt by the way of swimming the sheep though the water, washing it with soap as it went
Caliguel Lagoon
We made camp for the night at the lagoon and settled down for a good nights sleep.
Meandarra
The next day Sunday we headed down to Meandarra to check out the free camp there. It is quite a good one on the banks of the river
Meandarra free camp
Meandarra
Then onto Gonndiwindi where the Leichhart highway ends, Narrabri, then on down to Wallabadah which is south of Tamworth about 10 km out of Willow Tree
Wallabadah
Wallabadah
Wallabadah is the memorial gardens for the First Fleet the names of all the convicts and seaman have been carved in stone for there respective ships.
Over the next few days we will be having Christmas at my brothers place in Newcastle then off to Camden for a day to see friends, then back on the road Saturday and back up to Nundle and on to Chaffey dam for my next post internet service permitting
The past twelve months has slipped by quickly, as they all do. We had a trip to Carnarvon Gorge mid year for a week end and a few days at Baralabah to try out our new Hobie Outfitter Kayak, they are our only breaks this year so this Christmas holiday is well earned. We plan to head to Newcastle then back up to the dams north of Tamworth for the new year. I have been busy preparing for this trip ,installing a second battery for the Weco fridge. Fitting a roof rack for the Kayak and building a box to hold the accessories for the Kayak.We are also making a zippered shade cloth curtain for the annex. Below is some shots from our two quick trips .
Three hours north of Rockhampton at the end of the lonely Marlborough stretch of the Bruce Highway is the small seaside village of Camila Beach. We had a four day weekend to check out the area and unwind, so we made camp at the free camp area that is spread for two km's south along the beach.
We had not long arrived when a camper van driven by some European tourist's drove straight into the powdery soft sand and bogged down to the axles, so we had to tow them out twice after they got bogged a second time.
The sunrises are superb as they send there rays out across the wet sand left by the giant tides that go out for a kilometer and a half to the skyline. This exposes the myriad of sea life that are left waiting for the tide to return.
Our easter trip this year was to Clermont . We got away at 2.00 on the 21 April 2011 after work and made camp the first night at Duringa a great place to stay for a free camp, we were around behind the waterfall on couch grass with no traffic noise.
Duringa Waterfall
Copperfield Stack
The next day we headed west through Emerald and up to Capella for a lunch break, it is still very wet out here from the floods earlier in the year , you dare not get off the side of the road to far as there are plenty of reminders of previous cars and trucks that have been bogged. Next stop was Clermont Caravan Park where we set up camp and erected the Annex for a few days stay.
Copperfield Store
A short drive out on the Theresa Dam road is the remains of the Copperfield mining area where the stack still remains. The old Copperfield store is close by but not open, the stores stock is still on the shelves from decades ago.
Hoods Lagoon Clermont
Another attraction for the Lesue team was Hoods Lagoon where most of the local bird life congregated. There is a good walking track around the lagoon and passes the monument to the local Anzac's and bowls club. Late afternoon at the lagoon is a photographers paradise.
Sunday morning saw us break camp and head down to Rubyvale on the back road past Theresa Creek a good spot for a free camp some day, the road is good gravel. We did not stop at Rubyvale but went onto Emerald and down to Springsure trying to find a camp for the night but no luck, so headed to the Dawson River at Moura for a free camp at the Weir.The Dawson was still in flood from earlier in the year flowing fast only two inches under the bridge.
towards Sapphire
Looking back to clermont
clermont to Gemfields road
Dawson River Rest Area
Dawson River
Dawson River
The next day we decided to stay for another night but the bloke next to us started up his noisy generator and told us he was going to run it all day, so we headed across to Duringa along the Woorabinda red dirt road to where we stayed the first night, we like this place a lot.
