Finishing off our 2022 travels with a short blog covering a third 2022 Queensland trip, visiting friends, attending a rally, beach camping and music festivals; in keeping with a change to shorter trips for the new grandparents.
This is the map of our route to Queensland and the location of the two folk festivals close to Sydney.The Kiama Folk Festival was a great day’s entertainment in September – we drove down in Belle, went to the festival at 10am and got back to Belle at 11pm. All the caravan parks were full so we slept in the street..Getting back into the festival groove, we went to the Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival in October.Kangaroo Valley is a beautiful location for the festival and we had a sunny weekend. Again there was no camping space available so we parked in the street near the gate at 4pm on Friday and did not move Belle until 4pm on Sunday. Was very convenient for us and no one told us to move on.Lots of colorful and talented acts (including the Trippie Hippie Band), plus they say it isn’t a real festival unless you have Morris dancers!!
A few things in Queensland came together about the same time so we made our third trip to Queensland in five months. In spite of various treks up the highway along the coast, we are still finding new places to camp and explore, as well as enjoying visits with friends along the way and in Queensland.
An Anna Bay sunset when we visited Jenny and Kevin. Had a good visit and enjoyed takeaway Thai that night but both of us suffered ‘bad guts’ in the morning while Jenny & Kevin were unscathed. That slowed us down for a few days as we drove north.We enjoyed Grassy Head on an earlier visit so happy to see it again. I enjoyed a walk on that lovely beach.Kingscliffe Beach was our next stop – this time in a caravan park on the beachfront, and also close to restaurants and shops. Enjoyed a beach walk but not up to visiting any restaurants yet!Here we are at the Explorer Motorhome Rally in Kenilworth, Queensland – complete with our name tags. One of the reasons for this trip. A few years ago, if anyone would have told me we’d voluntarily go to a rally, I would have said they were crazy! Times change.These drone pictures captured the 83 Explorer MHs parked in the showground, and the area we were parked in. Our organisers were very good at setting us up in an ordered fashion, so we had room for games and gatherings in the centre.
For us the rally was a chance to hang out with people who share our love of 4WD Explorer Motorhome travel (ie catchup with old friends & make new ones), as well as lots of interesting sessions about equipment, adventurous tracks, 4WD training and recovery gear, practical first aid tailored for our age group and travel vehicles, and a show and tell session where people shared their practical travel tips. Dick did a session on his travel app, WhereUbeen, which is now listed on the App store. Our friends Steve & Denise have recently ordered an Explorer MH, so they were there in their tent, (which looked a bit out of place), and they got lots of useful info about their new MH. We also had time to explore Kenilworth, home of the Kenilworth Dairy and a very nice dress shop (and not much else). Then some visiting in Mooloolaba and Noosa.
A nice lunch out in Tewantin/Noosa with Pamela. She knows all the good restaurants!Another good visit with Allan and Barbara. Our favorite driveway camping, plus more walking and shopping as well as Dick’s pizza for dinner.Enjoyed a night camped on this lovely beach north of Noosa after a 20 kms drive along the sand (Dick’s favorite fun driving).Belle booked in for a service at Explorer which is conveniently located close to our friends Steve & Denise, who built their new house a few years ago. We enjoyed our stay and appreciated all the features they’ve incorporated in their new house (a big step up from Belle).Fingal Head, where we camped for three nights, just off the beach above and from the headland we had a view of Cook Island (charted by James Cook in 1770) and the basalt columns from a lava flow, which was called ‘ The Giants Causeway’ after the one between Northern Ireland and Western Scotland. I think I read that the local aboriginal people called these rocks ‘echidna’.Celebrating the anniversary of when we met 12 years ago. Found a fabulous restaurant, Tweed River House at Murwillumbah. Good food and nice views to match.Camped at Smokey Cape, right beside this beach. Another good beach walk.The final camp at Treachery Camp, Seal Rocks and our first real rain on the trip. A large part of the camping area was flooded.
This Queensland trip was 2673 kms over 18 days and was a pleasant, warm break from Sydney. All are well at home, with the twins, Seb and Jake, now progressing well with their walking and Ruby at 6 months is very close to crawling. Sending best wishes to all!
Exciting times, both in the country and holding Grand kids !
Give us a ring when you are back in town and free for dinner….
It,s been a while and things happen….
Hi Pat and Dick,
I’ve just done something fairly similar myself and am reading tour blog in CP in Urunga. I’ll be home on Monday and will prepare my blog eventually.
It sounds like you had a lovely time and the drone photos of the rally are fantastic.
What a shame it rained while you were at Treachery. Isn’t it great there?
Thank you for sending me the link and talk soon.
L
F
Hi Pat, really enjoyed your latest despatch, it was great to catch up with you & Dick on your way home.
Exciting times, both in the country and holding Grand kids !
Give us a ring when you are back in town and free for dinner….
It,s been a while and things happen….
Hi Pat and Dick,
I’ve just done something fairly similar myself and am reading tour blog in CP in Urunga. I’ll be home on Monday and will prepare my blog eventually.
It sounds like you had a lovely time and the drone photos of the rally are fantastic.
What a shame it rained while you were at Treachery. Isn’t it great there?
Thank you for sending me the link and talk soon.
L
F