21.07.12 Yandilla Dry Weekend

Finally the forecast was for dry weather if somewhat cloudy at the end of a perfect weather week.  We’ll take it!  Come Friday night we still hadn’t decided or even talked about where to head for the weekend which is rather unusual for us.  So do we head for some of our favourites?  Yes of course we do.  Then it’s just a matter of which one … and Yandilla wins out for Glenn, so I ring to make a booking for us.  I’m happy to go anywhere just so long as we go ... as you should be aware by now.

We are on the road by 0815 and close to Kilcoy by 0930.  We’ve still got to head up to the camp ground along a fairly slow driving road.  Glenn says he’s not going to stop for a sausage roll this time.  The day so far has been a little breezy but fine.  We are heading in the gate just before 1000 and a few clouds start to roll in.

We meet David at the camp ground turn.  He’s collecting cow droppings from off his driveway, but stops us for a chat.  I’ve noted that I can’t see anyone in the area we want to be which is what Glenn likes … to be completely and utterly alone … just us and the surrounding wildlife. David tells us that there is a few caravans from SA in the campground.

We head into our spot and are set up and relaxing by 1100.  Of course, my crazy swimming dog does exactly that the minute she’s let out of the dog box.  The water is a murky brown and fast flowing but it’s not rising or falling at this stage.  Since no rain is forecast, I can’t see it rising while we are here.  We sit and relax a bit to the sounds of David’s tractor, a few cows and heaps of birds and the resident willy wagtail.  After a while the tractor makes way for the motor bike and the cows make way for some sheep noises, so I guess they are rounding up those we saw on the way in.

Come 1200 and we are wandering up the creek to wet our feet and see if any washed in timber is dry.  Not much is.  The walk is relaxing and the sound of the creek louder than at camp.  I’ve walked off without my camera which is quite unusual and don’t really notice till Glenn points it out and we return to camp so that I may grab it. 

By this time Glenn is hungry so we go about preparing lunch and getting out our T-bones to defrost for dinner.  Glenn is having a tomato sandwich and I’m having a cream cheese one.  Both of us screwing up our noses at the others lunch.  We sit in companionable silence eating, with 3 pairs of beady little eyes travelling from one sandwich to the other.  I relent and hand over crusts, but only after the chore of sitting is completed.

Once lunch is done, there isn’t much else to do but enjoy the now very overcast and windy day.  Perhaps another wander is in order … this time downstream though.  I’ve got my gum boots on this time as the water is freezing.  Glenn has removed the runners and is in thongs and tells me that yes the water is just above freezing in temperature.  There isn’t much in the way of dry wood down this way either.  Lucky thing Glenn is a carpenter and has been doing lots of decks lately, so we have ample hardwood decking off cuts to burn.

As the day wears on, we light the fire and spend the rest of the day at camp.  Heating water for showers is high on the priority list as is throwing the ball for Telashi.  Enjoying a few drinks and each others company is a fantastic way to spend some quality time.  Some cows drop by to check out our campsite, but as I approach them, they head off the opposite direction in a hurry.  Some cute little ones in the mix.

Eventually we prepare dinner, have our showers and start cooking.  By night fall, we are fed, warm and enjoying a few more drinks and a roaring fire in the OzPig.  A hour or so later, I make a damper, but something’s awry with the flour (it’s rather lumpy for some reason) and it’s an flop … an edible one … but probably the worst damper I’ve made to date. 

We head to bed around 2100 and listen to the sound of the babbling creek which makes it so easy to fall asleep.

5.7 AH

22.07.12

Long sleep in today and a late breakfast.  All the caravans from SA leave about 0900.

Much balling of Telashi occurs today.  We can hear David running around on his motor bike.  He comes into camp about 1030 for a chat.  Apparently he has a few Taiwanese boys with him yesterday and was teaching them to round sheep.  We chat for awhile, he gives us permission to leave when we feel like it and then he heads off with some mission in mind back at the house.

We start packing things up as it always takes much longer than setting up.  Must be the cleaning we have to do … dishes, wipe out kitchen, clean down tables and chairs, sweep floor, make bed, put things away … it’s a long task (probably because we are so relaxed at this stage) but we share the work.  We’ve bought along a hand held vacuum with us this time so we can debug all our screens properly and clean out the side bins, around the bed and the battery box. 

Then it’s time for a quick bit of lunch.  With everything finally done, we drop the annex and pack the canvas away. 

It’s still just 1245 though, so we decide to go for another walk downstream to the conjunction of the split creek for a look.  Both sides are running, though the side we were on is running much more than the other.  We cross over and find where all the gravel for the road to the campground has come from.  He must have a large bucket for the tractor.  We can see where he’s come in and turned around.  There is a lot more gravel he could use in this spot.  There will be spots like this one up and down the creek I’m sure.

We head back towards the conjuncture and up the smaller side for a bit.  I’ve spotted something white that I want to check out.  Turns out it’s a very large log that’s been bleached white but it leads me to a very small waterfall and a large shallow pool that Telashi immediately jumps into.  Glenn says it’s time to head back and hitch up so we head through the paddock, passed a bush lemon and towards camp, dodging cow pellets as we go.

We hitch up and are heading out at 1415. 

Out near the meatworks at Kilcoy, Glenn spots the most interesting thing we’ve seen on a trip home before.  Mad Max.  Well the black car in the film and a blue and yellow “Interceptor”.  Well look-alikes for sure.  And I don’t think it was actually Mad Max … we follow them all the way to the Redcliffe turnoff on the Bruce Highway where they disappeared.  But not before I got Glenn to make a pass on the driver’s side so I could snap off a few thousand photos.  The driver must have seen me as he flicked the switch on the “super charger” on the front as we went passed and he kept up with us so I could take a few photos before dropping back into the traffic behind us.  What a thrill to see and follow them for so long.  Made me want to see the movie all over again and bought back memories of Mel Gibson when he was at his very best looking in my honest opinion.

8.7AH

Trip Kilometres:  282

Trip Duration:  48 hours