Central Highlands

1/9/2018 Saturday R & R woke about 6:00am so RA decided to get out and start her diary from the day before.  Shortly after 7:00am, R & R had coffee and breakfast before packing down as they wanted to be in Biloela 27kms north before 9:30am to make sure reception was good for Facetiming their son, Z.  It was very pretty country, with dry open cattle farming on undulating to hilly land where crops and irrigation could be seen especially near creeks and rivers.  As it turned out they were in Biloela at the information centre just on 9:00am where they were given a map with points of interest and they were able to enquire about a particular fodder crop they had seen while driving.  Turns out it is called Leucaena and was brought to Australia from Mexico in the 1800s.  It is equivalent to lupins for its protein content but is extremely hardy and drought resistant.  Cattle need the fodder to be spaced with adequate grasses as it can be toxic causing them to lose their hair.  Other crops grown in the area include: wheat, oats, safflower, mung beans, sorghum, cotton and herbs.  After an initial hiccup with connection R & R chatted happily with their son, Z, for about an hour before popping into an op shop.  About 11:00am RL drove south 10kms back to Thangool and then another 7kms out to Mt Scoria and its conservation park.  Its rare rock formation, long six-sided basalt columns, was once the core of a volcano, and stands 150m above the surrounding park which is already 150m above sea level.  R & R enjoyed the walk around the back through the vine thicket and over the black rocks. There they saw many of the blue winged kookaburras.  They have the same call and are easily distinguished from the common kookaburra by, not only their blue wing but, the disproportionately small size of their head compared to their body.  R & R rang to say Happy Birthday to R, their four-year old grandson.  On the way back to Biloela, they stopped to take a photo of cattle feeding on the leucaena crop at the same time as a lad was putting them through a gate from one paddock to another. At 12:45, RL headed west on Dawson Highway, by passing the opportunity to drive out to its coal and power station.  Knowing it was going to be a long afternoon R & R listened to “The Potato Factory” in between stops.  They drove through undulating to hilly open cattle farming country with the road running 250-300m and a good view of the warm smoky haze all round.  They passed two dead black feral pigs.  At 1:20pm they refuelled at Banana, only 47kms later.   Banana, a town where no bananas were grown, is part of the Banana Shire and there is actually a property called Banana Station.  Beyond that R & R saw coal mines (Dawson Coal) on both sides of the road, a railway, power station, QNP Gas operations most of the way (about 19kms) to Moura where on the outskirts of town there were many SMQ (not sure about that – maybe SPQ – single person’s quarters). R & R also saw a log truck which they had not seen for a while.  At 1:45pm, they stopped for lunch and rang RL’s brother G to see how he was going.  RL set off for Rollestone, over the Dawson River, about an hour later with a distance of 170kms on a road that was quite bouncy.  At one point a bush turkey stood in the middle of the road, near Roundstone State Forest which was a pretty part of the drive, and was most tardy at moving, so it was just a swell that RL had slowed for it.  RL dove past a sign which read Welcome to the Central Highlands where the paddocks were less well treed with more grasses and open where trees were in clusters and cattle fed.  Sometimes there were paddocks of the Leucaena crop.  R & R had seen some cotton fluff on the side of the road ever since Biloela but had not seen a single crop as they drove but then they realized that at this time of the year the crop would be low and green.  The countryside became quite hilly to 500m in the Expedition Ranges and there were a few places where there was green on the verges indicating that it had rained there recently.  There were a couple of green crops but no sign of irrigation and a couple of other paddocks were just brown soil.  R & R stopped briefly in Rollestone, where there was a coal mine, power station and railway, about 4:30pm before continuing the last 70kms to Springsure for their planned rest area.  At first it was flat open grassed cattle country but it became more mountainous where trees were taller with the Carnarvon State Forest to the east and Mt Sirus at 532m on the west.  R & R passed the Staircase Range Lookout as it was getting late in the day.  With the sun lowering in the north western sky RL commented on how the telephone wires looped like the silver threads of spider webs.  RL spotted a dead snake.  It was about 5:30pm when R & R arrived at Virgin Rock rest area.  It was one of those wow moments for high above the camping area were huge rocky cliffs.  It was only later that RL learned that they are flood lit after dark.  RL rang his brother, S while RA cooked dinner.  After dinner they admired the cliff face before reading and writing a while.  R & R had seen a sign that the last section of Dawson Highway was a Droving Route but they had seen no sign of it.  At the toilet block there was a sign for itinerant work available for droving … momentarily, RA wondered if she might have any useful skills.

2/9/2018 Sunday R & R woke about 6:00am to 9*C and had a leisurely breakfast and tidied up to be ready for 8:00am Mass in Springsure.  They were delighted to be able to share morning tea with them and chatted for quite a while to a nonagenarian whose family cattle farm was now in its fourth generation. No doubt he had seen many dry and wet seasons in his life time but he was able to cite weather record since the 1860s which R & R thought was pretty impressive.  R & R returned to the camper which was no longer smelling of gas as they sometimes do when they run out and have been switched from one bottle to another.  R & R changed into shorts as the day had warmed considerably. Having realized that the cliff face was part of the Minerva Hills National Park and that there was a road with several lookouts, vantage spots and a couple of trails, they had decided to stay for the day, go to the park and not shift camper.  In that way they would be able to enjoy a not too busy Father’s Day.  Leaving the camper behind at 10:00am, the park was easily accessed by returning the couple of kilometres into Springure and then 3-4kms along the Dawson Developmental Road before the turn off. From there the road was unsurfaced, not suitable for caravans and was signed warning of minimum maintenance and the need to drive to conditions.  RL engaged 4WD and, considering the steepness and winding nature of the terrain, drove carefully over the corrugated sections and even more carefully over the really tough bits with either ruts or rocks.  It was slow moving at less than 10km/hr in sections and almost impossible for RA to write any notes.  RA was acutely aware that, in a couple of instances, the Ute pointed so steeply upwards that nothing but blue sky could be seen in front, with the warm dry wind blowing yellow sand across the ridge.  She was appreciative of the few sealed sections, maybe even less than 100m, which gave temporary relief to the rocking and swaying motion of the Ute.  RL drove all of the tracks: Springsure Lookout, Fred’s Gorge, Eclipse Gap, Skyline Lookout and Norwood Creek.  R & R took photos and chatted with a young family at Eclipse Gap.  They were out celebrating Father’s Day.  They casually recommended doing the walk trail at Skyline and its two lookouts because the further lookout is a really good spot to see the Virgin if you look carefully.  It had not really crossed R & R’s mind that Virgin Rock actually referred to the Virgin Mary.  So, R & R walked the 800m trail in the midday sun.  It was lovely in the breeze at the top to look into the bundles of black rock jumbled together, to look out over the valleys below, to read and contemplate the origins of the cliffs and gorges, see the lightly wooded hills where Mitchell grasses thrive in the harsh conditions on nutrient poor soil, smell the sweet lemon scented gums and to sit on top of the world receiving and sending messages and chatting with the children on Father’s Day.  Mt Zamia at 559m and Mt Boorambool at 602m featured as the two tallest hills in the park.  R & R were not quite sure where or what to look for about the Virgin and were not really convinced. It had taken R & R nearly three hours to drive about 30kms and walk about 2km by the time they returned to the sealed highway.  RL turned north and drove 10kms as they had seen a sign about a Wills site.  When they arrived at the turn off, it indicated that the road to the Wills site was 21kms unsealed.  Neither RL or his wife was keen on that, since they did not even know what it was about.  Instead they returned to the camper, but not before taking a closer look at the Virgin from ground level at the rest area.  Sure enough!  There on the face of the most southern cliff was what could be perceived as the figure of a woman standing much like the Virgin depicted in a grotto, commonly seen in church gardens. Contented with that R & R had a late lunch about 2:10pm followed by a cat nap.  It was a warm 26*C at 3:30pm so they planned on spending a while reading and writing at one of the tables under shelter in the pleasant breeze.  Two hours later neither had written or read a word as they got chatting with a fellow camper who was doing a motor cycle road trip on his own.  It was a comfortable conversation and a pleasant way to pass the afternoon.  RA was able to watch the light behind him on the Virgin and it was clear that she was more visible in certain light than others; clearer in the middle of the day than either morning or evening.  R & R also looked into the Wills story.  The Wills Massacre, Cullin-la-ringo Massacre or Wills Tragedy are different names given to an event when in 1861, 19 white people, including women and children were murdered by aboriginals just north of Springsure in the Minerva Hills.  This lead to retaliation where aboriginals were tracked down and murdered and to the building of Rainworth Fort in 1862.  The building was a store, a shelter from fire and a place for protection in the event of attack by aboriginals.  The site of the massacre and the building stand as a reminder of time which came to be referred to as Australian Frontier War.  RL helped his wife make dinner before looking at maps to come up with a vague plan.  Then they did the reading and writing they may have done earlier.  It certainly had been an interesting day … for you never know what you might learn … just by listening carefully.

 

3/9/2018 Monday RL did not sleep too well though he was not sure why.  It was about 7:00am when R & R got out of bed.  They had breakfast and looked through maps again.  About 8:00am they began to tidy up.  RL needed to sort out a couple of bits that had come to grief in the bumpy drive they had been on, the day before in the Minerva Hills; the gas bottle needed securing and the charging unit had come off the Thumper Pack.  So, it was 9:15am before they left Virgin Rock north on Gregory Highway for Emerald.  The road switched between being very flat and undulating where, when it was flat, there were paddocks of crops, irrigation and ploughed ground, and in other places, cattle feed on good grasses with tall trees.  The hills from the Minerva Hills National Park could be seen near and then further away for the first 15km or so: Red Hill 413m, Crystal Hill 343m, St Peter and Mt Minerva.  RL passed Minerva Coal Mine and noted that there was a railway running along beside the road.  Further, at Gindie there were several large grain silos on the rail as well.  R & R had decided that it would be worth the trouble of driving the loop road to Emerald via the Fairbairn Dam and Lake Maraboon which they had seen on the map.  It had looked quite large in area and they did not want to arrive in Emerald to find out that they had missed something and would then have to weigh up the time and effort of going back.  As it turned out the distance from Springsure to Emerald was about 66kms while the loop via the dam ended up being about 85kms – not much more.  Transpires that it is the second largest dam in Queensland and is about three times as big as Sydney Harbour.  Built in 1972, it created the opportunity for a system of channels (3) which supports crops and orchards as well as the coal mining industry and is a favourite with the locals for fishing because red claw cray could be caught there.  The wall and spill way are what make the dam while the body of water itself is called Maraboon meaning “where the black duck fly”. R & R went first to the lookout where they engaged in conversation with a guy who had worked in the area a long time.  He said he had never seen it so low, possibly as low as 16%.  RL then drove to the recreation area where they watched a boat head out fishing as they drunk their cup of coffee shortly after 10:00am.  RL drove over the dam wall and past the Fairbairn State Forest where R & R saw a couple of eagles, before the country opened up first to cattle then to crops, some on trellises and orchards.  Each paddock of orange orchard, including the verge to the road, was surrounded by a type of fir or pine which RL presumed was to act as a wind break. Shortly after, the road came to the highway just west of Emerald where R & R popped into the information centre.  Within minutes they had parked the Ute and detached the camper at the Emerald Botanic Gardens free camping rest area.  R & R took a walk all the way to the end of the gardens on one side of the Nogoa River with a view to walking the other side in the morning.  As they neared the river to look for a good photo spot, they spotted a lung fish, which surprised by their presence, jumped up and dived down in a flash.  About 12:45pm, R & R went to the nearest shopping plaza where they were able to get RL’s glasses fixed.  One of the tiny screws holding the glass in place had sheared off a few days before and RL really missed having them.  Fortunately, the lady at the optometrist was able to sort it all out, so they went off and did their shopping.  The Ute was parked under cover, so R & R first ate lunch right there, and then walked down town taking in all the public art and op shops.  The most noteworthy of the public art in Emerald was the giant copy of Van Gogh’s Sunflower Painting on an easel.  It stands 25m and is the world’s largest Van Gogh painting.  And why that painting as opposed to any other?  Emerald was once a major sunflower producer. R & R also enjoyed the centenary pathway mosaics which depicted the history of the area.  On their way back, R & R popped over the road to admire the beautifully restored railway station, with its pillars and wrought iron lacework, that had been built in 1900. It was 29*C, really rather warm for hiking it around town.  A couple of hours later, R & R were back at the Ute and then at the camper.  After setting up they took quite a while to sort out the shopping because RL had to sort out the problem with the gas ignition of the fridge.  They helped each other to sort out the stored supplies in the blue esky which they had not been into for about a week.  Both also noticed the latch on the door was looking like it might just break at any time. All done, R & R had coffee before RL read and RA sorted out stuff on the ipad.  RL helped cook dinner.  S, their daughter rang while they were eating.  At one point a train thundered by on the rail overhead making conversation difficult.  The free camp was situated in a car park near the Botanic Gardens on the old highway under the rail and road bridges.  Later RL rang his sister, E.  RL read and RA wrote a while before quitting.  R & R were both relieved that RL’s glasses problem was so easily fixed … neither wanted to contemplate the idea of getting a new pair … while on the road.

4/9/2018 Tuesday R & R slept relatively well and they were up just a little before 7:00am to an already warm 17*C.  There was a high chance of rain so RL was keen to breakfast and set down as soon as possible, just in case.  Shortly after 8:00am, R & R walked under the bridge and along the other side of the river to take in some more botanic gardens.  They were pleasantly surprised by the changes in the landscapes and the vegetation.  One moment they were in open warm dry woodland and the next in dense cool green rainforest.  They were also taken by the outdoor chapel, the yarning pit inscription and the Federation Pillars; columns with paintings depicting the history of Emerald.  Within the hour they had returned to the Ute and RL was determined to head downtown to Big W.  It was a bit of a mystery why to RA.  RL wanted to see if they had any ladies’ watches!  So together they picked one for $10 which hopefully would replace RA’s play watch which had died recently.  They also popped into the 2 op shops they did not see they day before.  RA was lucky enough to get a pair of brand new thongs for half price; down to 50 cents!  RL returned to the camper and they hitched up and had a cup of coffee before leaving Emerald.  Shortly before 11:00am, R & R headed west to Anakie 44 kms on the Capricorn Highway.  It was their plan, rather than just head 50kms north to Capella, to take the gemfields loop across to Anakie then north through Sapphire and Rubyvale and then head to Capella.  At least the first 10kms from town was farmed with crops like sorghum using irrigation, some of it being cotton.  R & R had seen a truck loaded with cotton bales driving south through Emerald.  Then the countryside was more undulating through the Fairbairn State Forest before returning to cattle stations.  Some of the land appeared to be being allowed to regenerate.  R & R turned 1km south into the little township of Anakie and were pleased to stop at the old railway station built in 1884 and see its dam dug by pick and shovel to a depth of 6m at its deepest.  They were even more taken by the 130 year old bottle tree in the station yards which bears the carved initials of loved ones parting as their young men went off to war.  R & R read some of the interpretive signs and had a cup of coffee while they rang their daughter, H, for her birthday.  Her door bell was ringing and she was heading out so they agreed to try again later.  After crossing over the highway and heading north 9kms, it was not long before R & R arrived in Sapphire, where there was a free camp at which R & R might have stayed.  The country side was rather scrubby with horses as well as cattle.  As it was still relatively early, 12:30pm, and because Rubyvale was only about another 8kms they decided to keep moving but not before popping into a couple of the gem stores there.  R & R were not inclined to go on a fossicking tour or to venture off alone fossicking but RA was tempted to buy a bag for washing.  There were large $20 bags which contained all sizes of gravel but there were also $5 bags (much smaller) which had all the larger rocks removed.  The rocks from the smaller bags could be dampened and placed on a mirror.  Then, the ones that glisten can be picked out with a tweezer. RL was not keen to try his luck on either of them.  The area surrounding Sapphire and Rubyvale has a grid at both ends of the highway and is called the Miners Common which allows residents to have a few head of cattle roaming an unfenced area of 4,500 hectares that includes the townships.  Mine workings, holes and mounds as well as machinery and equipment could be seen most of the way between the two towns. After eating lunch, R & R went into a sapphire jeweller’s shop where the owner explained how seemingly dull uninteresting black rock is actually sapphire by shining a light under it.  RA deliberated a while before choosing a heart shaped pendant with several blue sapphires in it.  All the jewellers were keen to point out that not all sapphires are blue!  It was about 2:00pm when R & R headed for Capella 62kms north east on a winding and bendy road with suggested speeds of as low as 40km/hr, through scrubby countryside that supported cattle farming. They passed through Kettle State Forest and after about 25kms the scenery was more open with less trees.  R & R noticed some peaks to the distant eastern skyline and observed that some were pointed or conical and others were flat.  It was still 24*C with a 16km/hr wind.  RL passed a sign which said sheep yards but they had not seen any sheep.  Some of the land was better grassed and treed than other sections while others, again, showed signs of regrowth, either after fire or flood or perhaps even being purposefully let unstocked.  The last 5kms before Capella had some cleared land with cropping and ploughing and there was a farm producing performance horses.  Just before 3:00pm, R & R took a break at Capella and rang their daughter, H, again.  They went for a walk up the main street and back down along the avenue of bottle trees.  There, they saw the monument to the Light Horsemen as it is believed that the origin of the feather in the hat originated at Peak Downs.  Peak Downs was the name of a station in the area but got its name from the peaks (the ones R & R had seen while driving) which were originally named by Leichhardt.  They set off again, another 50kms to Clermont where the BP Roadhouse offered free camping.  At first there was a lot of cropping, cereals as well as sorghum and lots of cotton before returning to open cattle country.  R & R had seen a thistle plant that must be a weed but unlike the thistle in WA that has the traditional pink/purple scotch flower, it has a single rose-like flower in a primrose yellow colour.  At 4:15pm RL pulled into the camping area behind the Clermont BP and had a look around.  The expectation was that campers would patronize the business but it was not necessary.  R & R had a shower and put a wash in the laundry.  As the only drier was still in use RL strung a line between the Ute and a nearby tree.  In the near dark they hung it and hoped for the best.  RL was a little more than annoyed to find that the door latch had sheared off again.  RL helped RA prepare dinner after which they read and wrote.  RL rang his sister, R, and chatted for a while. Having travelled 170kms in the day, R & R had seen a quick glimpse of the sapphire gemfields … and RL had given RA a special one of her own.