Blog Now Closed

Thank You for joining me on my adventures over the past few years, but it's time to close it down.
Tracey =^..^=

27.10.12 Rocky Creek Scout Camp

27.10.12
By now you’d realise that we like the peace, quiet and tranquility of our surrounds … where the only thing to disturb the silence are a forest filled with birds, wind through the trees and sounds of leaves falling on mass.  We had decided to go to a 4WD park that’s fairly local to us, but seems they are having a “Do” and we don’t really

want to camp with a park full of serious 4WD enthusiasts.  No offense to them of course, it’s the exhibition loads of people, the hawking of goods over the loud speaker, the mountains of dust being kicked up by a thousand 4WD’s all doing the same course, a pound of dogs all barking with wild abandon and not to mention the laughing and drinking into the wee hours. 

This weekend we have chosen to trip on the north side.  Of course we risk rain when we head north and it’s predicted for Sunday, so we’ll see how we go.  We are bound for a nature reserve of sorts, with over 100 acres of untamed wilderness and roughly 28 acres of scout camp.  There are a few campsites towards the rear of the property that are much smaller.  Because self sufficiency is not an issue for us, from the site map we’ve chosen 2 of these sites as potentials for us or the weekend.  The power and water are all up the front with the buildings … although a few of the rear campsites do actually have tap water.

We are on the road by 0745 and heading north up the Gateway Motorway.  The day is clear and crisp with the promise of hot and sweaty to come.  We make good time to Steve Irwin Way and Landsborough.  

After crossing the railway line and chucking a left at the second roundabout, we drive the last 2k’s in no time, arriving onsite around 0915. 
Glenn parks in the main car park and I head to the office to make our payment to Nick.  Alas, he is nowhere to be found, but help comes from all direction … he went there to look for that … I just saw him over there near that … but I find him hobbling towards the main gate.  Poor thing is on crutches with an obvious knee injury.  He remembers me and decides that we’d probably prefer to camp by the dam.  I pay him our fees and donate the change to the scout camp.  It’s a worthy cause after all.

After being given a map of the site and some directions, we head off in search of the 2 camps we’ve been looking at.  After checking out site # 2,
we head off to see what the dam site is like and encounter a problem.  The route follows the rear edge of the property along a fence line of adjoining houses … but that’s not the issue.  The track twists and turns between trees … which is our issue … we are too long to turn one particular twist in the track without a 5000 point turn … which personally I’d like to see but we don’t have all year.  So we reverse back to where we can leave the camper off the track in a spot we can hitch up again from the opposite direction.  That done, we complete the track to the dam and decide the dam is definitely where we will set up.  So it’s off again to grab the camper.  By the time we are back at site and getting things done it’s well after 1000.  It’s also hot and sweaty and slowly getting cloudier by the hour.
Once ensconced in our comfy camp chairs, I note that I can hear Steve Irwin Way very clearly and even clearer trains heading both north and south.  The trains by far being the loudest of the two … some electric, some not.

We enjoy looking at our lily pad encrusted dam and Telashi was the first to enter the water.  I jokingly say that we should check it for crocodiles as Crikey World is a short distance down the road before she gets in, but of course, we’d be too late as she’s already fully submerged and heading towards the other side.  Can’t blame her this time either as it’s really warm.

As we sit we notice that where we’ve been told to camp has lots of small seedlings planted out.  Some of which we’ve driven over and put the camper up on.  Bugger!  Once noticed, we decide they all need a good drink and set about giving them one … especially those unfortunate enough to get the bad end of our camping trip.  Whilst we are doing this, a large group of scouts go past with adults in attendance, but they must be on a mission of some sort and are soon gone, leaving us once again alone.

I’ve created some tasty rissoles for lunch, which is a recipe I’ve adapted from an asian soup.  Slap them on some bread, add sauce or salad and it makes a wonderful lunch and beats having a vegemite sandwich or piece of fruit.

After lunch we head over to check out camp # 6 and see what it’s like.  Nice big area, but needs a good mow as do the others.  We also head to the other side of the dam for better access to the water and I go for a quick dip, throw the ball for Telashi, encourage the other dogs to swim and when my drink is finished, we head back to camp.

As we are sitting enjoying the day, a 4WD is going to head past. 
I see that he’s a mobile coffee man and jokingly I ask Glenn if he’d like a coffee … Glenn thinks I’m having him on, but then the truck actually pulls up and stops.  Seems he’s off to the far reaches of the park to do some grinding and is stopping to let us know that he might be a bit noisy.  The older fellow is only too happy to make a coffee for Glenn and hot chocolate for me and he gets out all his wares and begins.  He has a genie run proper coffee machine and apparently used to run a shop in Sydney before starting the camping good life.  He says it pays for his petrol.  It’s a bit warm for drinking hot beverages, but we do regardless as it’s a rare treat.  Now he travels around Australia making coffee and “fire pits” … that’s what he’ll be grinding soon.  He’s interested in our OzPig so we show him around it.  It needed to be set up for dinner anyway.  Once the chatting is all done, he’s off and soon we can hear him grinding somewhere off in the distance.

Guess we should think about dinner.  We have a slab of Snapper to work into tonights dinner.  I’m going to bake it in some herbs & spices (ginger, garlic, thai seasoning, salt) as well as some whole spuds and then it’s a salad on the side.  Delicious!

Collecting fire wood is easy as there is heaps of fallen stuff around.  Rules state no removal of dead wood from trees (dead or alive), but ground collection is totally allowed.  We should have enough to run the Pig till bedtime. 


We go for another walk to the other side of the dam for another swim.  The day is getting warmer (read sweatier) but is more overcast than before.  I can’t smell rain yet, but I’m sure it’s going to rain before the night is over … we have headed north after all.  J

As we slowly prepare dinner and light the Pig, the clouds get heavier and heavier and I suggest putting up an end wall as the wind is really blowing.  No doubt any rain will come from that side and we’ll need some protection there.
It’s now time to heat some water for bathing.  Our kettle has had a mishap with the press down button leaving our camp forever and it now won’t whistle anymore.  It’s hard to fill with a cup without getting black in the water, so we have gone back to the old style Billy … a large tin from the kitchen at work (hot chocolate mix I think) and a fencing wire handle.  It works a treat and looks used by the time we are done.  Okay so it’s a bit black on one side and shiny everywhere else, but give it some time and the whole lot will be covered in soot.

We are eating dinner as the rain comes in … we headed north remember?  It’s a heavy sprinkle into the night and practically gone by morning.  It’s made the evening fairly cool, which is great compared to the very humid day we’ve had.  It’s always nice to fall asleep to the sound of rain on the canvas.

28.10.12
Next morning dawns overcast but clear.  The canvas hasn’t been soaked so we may be able to pack up dry after all.  That’s if it doesn’t rain again of course.  We always start slowly and today is no exception.  As we look around camp, we notice that there are some fresh creature scat … probably a kangaroo or wallaby as we’ve seen one or two.  And as we start to prepare breakfast, we notice … there has been someone walking on my kitchen!  Luckily for them, they are no longer there.  After breakfast, we ponder what the rest of our day will contain and suddenly notice a whole heap of scouts heading our way.  They settle across the dam from us and are all handed sheets of paper.  Before long we are being serenaded by 30+ kids and 8 adults … Give me a home amongst the gum trees, with lots of plum trees, a sheep or two and a kangaroo …. It’s delightful.  They aren’t so loud on the main bits, but the chorus is loud and clear.  J  Not long after they head off.


We continue to sit around camp wondering what the weather will do.  Glenn gets the radio happening to see if there will be a weather report … chance of a shower for Brisbane.  Same as yesterday.  Okay, so we’ll see how dry we can get the canvas, and then pack it up super fast if we see rain coming.  Done Deal.  Seems that most of it is touch dry, it’s just the Velcro that’s drenched of course.  So we set about getting it much drier than it currently is, then getting all else packed away for that unexpected sudden downpour.

About 1100 we decide to pack it while it’s not raining.  Our earliest pack up yet, but it’s part of the plan we’ve made.  Now we’ll lock up the car and take a long walk.  We’ve got some aboriginal grinding marks to check out.  We lead up the dogs and head off up the track in.  Taking a left hand turn at the very end of the track, we cross the mown electrical tower line and we are back where we started almost.  I believe the grinding marks are along the creek somewhere, but not 100% exactly where.
There is some bamboo growing and I’ve noted from the website that it’s heritage listed for some reason and will never be cut down.  It’s extremely tall and would be ideal for making many things.  Keeping our direction along the creek, we come to a gate and a sign.  Grinding Marks That A Way à.  Excellent. 
So we head That A Way à and within a few meters it seems we are at the end of the path.  We head onto the creek bed and suddenly the grinding marks become clear.  There is a sign on the other side describing what they are for and why they are here.  Interesting.  Trying to imagine the aborigines here without a road going past and dogs barking from nearby backyards is hard, but I give it a shot.  Nope, can’t do it.  Can’t figure out why you’d get Coach Marks in the rocks either.  We wander about for a bit, checking the other side of the path as well.   There are more marks and what might be a waterfall if there was any water actually falling.

We head back to the road and the main entrance to the Scout Camp.  We are going to wander through the whole thing on our way back to camp.  There is a huge amenities block, camp kitchen, big fire pit for sitting around and lots of logs to put in it.  Water and electricity points at intervals for camping with a van or camper, although no air-conditioners are allowed though so give that idea a miss entirely.






We pass the site of the coffee / fire pit man and admire some of his fire pits as he drives back into camp.  He’s been off somewhere in the park.  We have a brief conversation before finalising our trip through the camp.

Once back at the camper, we have some lunch and then call our trip done as it looks like it might rain once more.  We hitch up and head out.  I drop into the office to let them know we are on our way out.

Traffic down the highway is good so we make good time home and are unpacked early.  Such a pity that I can get some chores done before the sun goes down … and alas it’s back to the working week once more.

Trip Kilometres: 214
Trip Duration: 48 hours

4 comments:

High School Diploma Online said...

Great blog very nice information i really like your post. Your article its so amazing. After reading your blog i am very helpful & i really thanks full your. Keep blogging.

Kit_e said...

Thanks. No worries. Keep up the studies!

John and Smiley said...

Hi,
We loved the campsite but very dissapointed that the dog had to be tied 24 hours a day.If you dont care about your dog or dont have one this is a very nice place to be for a week or two.

Kit_e said...

Glad you liked the camp John & Smiley. We camped out "in the woods" so having the dogs loose wasn't so much of an issue (I guess) ... but we ensured they were tethered when scouts ventured by. It was a lovely campsite by the dam! Not our pick of places, but nice. Nice to hear you are in the neighbourhood though.

Post a Comment