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.
