Fantastic Voyage

We spent a few days over the long weekend at a gorgeous free camping area. Calliope camping spot is very popular as there must have been well over 100 camping units scattered along the river and throughout the approx. 3km square forested grounds. We were so impressed at the fact that this area was equipped with toilets and sinks and basically was more scenic, lovely, and quiet than any of the places which we had paid for up until this point. The nights here were still freezing but the sun was warm during the day which allowed for us to bask and do a little exploring around the area. We slept for free at Calliope until we could stand our smell no longer. The van just wasn’t big enough for the two of us and OUR STINK! It was time to spend some money and get ourselves a place with a shower. Our next stretch of travel took us through the city of Rockhampton. Rocky is a larger city and therefore we made sure we took care of all the business needed, before pushing on to more isolated areas. Now that we were essentially permanently camping, Brandon was going through some serious withdrawal (it had been 5 months), he needed to get his hands on a guitar. We stopped at a major music shop in Rocky where he treated himself to something in our snack-bracket, a Martinez classical guitar. Now that we could supply ourselves with music for entertainment without battery or electricity, we were ready to embrace the “Van Lifestyle” and pushed on.

Continuing north we were aiming for the Alva Beach Holiday Park. At this point we were hunting for a quiet beach where we could hopefully hang our hats for a while and catch up on some sun. We selected this park because it wasn’t far off the highway and it advertised being within 300 meters of the beach. Seeing as our van is our current home, finding the right camping park can be like relocating to a beachfront apartment for us. We were in search of a realistic place to “live”, I guess. The owners were kind and bubbly and their facilities were kept immaculately. After 2 nights here with a good day on the beach, we thought the weather was still a little cold. We needed to find the perfect mix between proximity to common conveniences and beach seclusion. The plan was to drive. We needed to cover some ground and cross into the Tropical North where we could almost guarantee sunny weather. We agreed that Bowen was worth a look so we stopped along the way. We parked at a gorgeous deserted coastline where we sat back and took it all in over some muesli and yogurt. We spent the afternoon wandering and discovering the many interesting creatures living on the rocky shoreline. We carried on this afternoon just past Mackay, where we came to a stop at Black’s Beach. Pulling in here we were immediately impressed with the absolute beachfront of Seawinds Caravan park. We woke early and enjoyed our morning coffee as we sat in the sand. The views and beach were beautiful but we were torn about staying as the wind was fierce and rather chilly. As this area was still experiencing unseasonably cool weather, we would keep on truckin. Our, trustee camping guide recommended a place right on the beach which was a free-stay site so we thought we had to check it out. We arrived in the town of Rollingstone and located the rest stop at Balgal Beach. There were many people parked within the overnight area but we found a great spot in the front row only 100 meters to the beach. This stop in particular made us appreciate the lifestyle over here. We met a nice couple in their later years; after all, grey haired folk are “our people” these days. Seeing as we are avoiding the mega-touristic backpacker stops, we find ourselves moving from spot to spot with the older crowd. The great thing about retirement here is that you can get yourself a home on wheels and relocate as you choose based the seasons. There are countless free places to stop or camp, meaning that for them, there is very little cost of living. One thing for sure, if you spend any time surrounded by the touring crowd in Australia, it doesn’t take long to see that they are living it. We were limited to 48hours at Balgal and we would have loved to stay longer. We had our first serving of scrumptious fish and chips from the restaurant/general store, The Fisherman’s Landing. After 2 solid days of sun we were off. We were headed to Paluma Range National Park which is described as one of the most scenic drives in all of Queensland. The road was high and winding and through the walls of trees and vines along the narrow road, we could see miles of the seamless coastline. As we approached Paluma Village high in the mountains, we thought, we probably should have filled up on petrol before coming all this way…We noticed a sign for gas located another 30km away in Hidden Valley. We figured we would go the extra distance now and then once we turned around we would stop and visit, explore the area, and walk about. It seemed much further than 30 k, as it does when you fear you may run out of gas. The road narrowed to what was not much more than a bumpy dirt path. We expected there to be some sort of sign posted but we found ourselves driving in no-mans land, with only a couple simple shacks in sight. The places out there looked abandoned or condemned, and for a moment we worried we would be chased off the land by a shot-gun yielding bush man. Lucky for us we found the isolated Hidden Valley Eco-Lodge which was the only source of fuel in the entire area. The owner of the lodge greeted us when we pulled in for a fill. He explained a bit about his property and how they are a zero carbon footprint resort. He explained a bit about their use of solar power which went right over our heads so he invited us to see the set-up. He showed us their panels and power conversion room which was educational and fascinating. He explained how he and his wife had lived out there for 20 years without power but now with their solar power capabilities they have electricity 24hours a day. We visited a bit with the man, he explained how one of his sons was living in Western Canada and that he had been to visit and just loved our country. As duty-called, he had to excuse himself and therefore we were rolling again. Back through the wild we made it to Paluma Village. We stopped at a park where we used the facilities and when we returned to the van, she wouldn’t start. This wasn’t good. There were a couple Aussie men lunching in the park so we asked them if they could be of assistance to us poor tourists. Lucky for us, we caught them just as they were about to head back to work. They pulled up, gave us a boost, and within minutes we were both back on our planned route. Unsure of the exact cause of our flat battery, our solution was to drive to our next destination without stopping. We arrived at Taylor’s Beach and were glad to leave our car-troubles behind us.