We left our easter home and started heading north. Our goal for the day was Cania Gorge national park, a touch north of Monto.

However by 1’0clock we were only halfway so I decided to do a over night stop at Boondooma Homestead. Only the second overnighter for the trip so far.

Boondooma Homestead is a museum and heritage complex. You think we would be over the historic stuff by now and you would be correct. But I am glad we did stop. It’s a lovely little spot with friendly caretakers and only $7 a night. I don’t think I could spend a week there but for a overnight stop perfect.

The next day we got going early and made it to Cania Gorge with out any drama’s. Taking back roads where possible.

I have only been to Cania gorge once and that was with Peta on one of our first ever holidays together. This was before we got married. Peta was at university and I was a apprentice. We traveled up the coast to Rockhamption then west to Emerald than down the inland route home. Staying at Cania gorge as our last stop before heading home. We did take photo’s of that trip. However this was before digital camera’s were readily available and and a lot of what was taken were terrible photo’s. I don’t have any of Cania gorge. I do have photo’s of other parts of the trip which you we see later on.

Alec and I stayed at the Cania gorge tourist retreat. The same caravan park that Peta and I stayed at so many years ago. It is located on the edge of the park with easy access to the walks in the National Park. We stayed four days but could of stayed longer. So much to see and do. We did a couple of walks. One of the walks we did I have a very distinct memory of doing it with Peta. It funny what you remember sometimes.

Our big adventure of our stay at Cania gorge was the drive up to the nearby Kroombit Tops forest reserve and national park.

This sandstone escarpment risers up above the surrounding farm land, and is a great spot to escape the heat. It is also home to the extremely rare Kroombit tinker frog and the silver-headed antechinus. A new species of marsupial discovered in 2013. However the park is more widely know for the the crash site of the WW2 bomber Beautiful Betsy. The plane was lost in 1945 while on a flight from Darwin to Brisbane. It was only found in 1994 by a park ranger checking the results of a control burn off.

I was under the impression that it was a hard four wheel track to get to the crash site. That might of been years ago. Now there is a loop road with one section open to four wheel drives and subs, that get you to the crash site. The other half of the loop is open to high clearance four wheel drive only. This can be driven instead of back tracking the way you came in.
A lot of effort has been put into the crash site. There is a self guided walking track with information boards position around the site.

After our walk around the crash site we tackled the other half of the loop track. It was little underwhelming really. Except for a couple of tricky down hill sections and the odd rough patch. It was a easy drive. If you were driving a Toyota it might of been a adventure. Most likely broken a CV or something silly.

To get back down from Krommbit tops I had a couple of options. We could go down the same way we came up or we could take a more exciting route called the Razorback track. Even it’s name sounds cool but when it’s a four wheel track only. Well how can a man resist.

This tracks follow the ridge line down the western side of the park. This was a great drive with some amazing views. The first part of the track followed the ridge top with out descending much.

Once we started going down it was low range first gear all the way.

It toke much longer than anticipated, it was five o’clock by the time we got to the bottom. We still had a hour a least to get back to camp. So I decided to drive to the town of Biloela which was closer, and grab some dinner for Alec and myself. By the time we got home it was late. Alec slept most the way back to camp after dinner. He was so tired he hardly stirred when I carried him to bed. It was a big day but well worth it.

 

After a days rest we were both ready to start heading further north.

Cool truck of the week

We had a large four wheel drive truck stay in the caravan park. I was amazed by this beast and something that I can only ever dream of having. It wasn’t till I got closer that I realised I had seen this truck before. Peta and I had seen this truck on our 2011 cape york trip. It was with two other trucks camping at Moreton Telegraph station.

 

Small country town moment of the week.

After leaving the woolshed we started heading north. After a little bit I decided to stop at a little town called Jandowae to get fuel.
The only fuel available was at a old service station with self serve pumps including payment. You had to go to a console in the wall, input you pump number, input the amount of fuel needed and scan you credit card. Then the pump would turn on. This process did not seem to work for me and after a couple attempts a bloke walks out of the old shop and gives me a hand.
Any way, a long story short he obviously didn’t have much on and we stood at the bowser for at least 20 mins having a chat. Alec was asleep in the car the whole time luckily. The conversation only stopped when the local police showed up needed some assistance. The guys runs a small engine repair shop out of the building. There was bits of bikes and engines lying all over the place. I bet nothing gets done in a hurry. Thats was one of the reasons we didn’t get to Cania gorge that day.

Picture of the week