Mount Morgan

Just south of Rocky, we turned onto the very northern end of the Burnett Highway.  What was the first thing we saw? Another train. And the last we would see, but it was a long one.

The next stop was for fuel at Bouldercombe, but not before we noticed that the town sign had a nice strip of gabion wall across the bottom.  As we climbed the range north of Mount Morgan, we could see all the serious road repairs that had been made since the road was cut by rockslides after the heavy rains of 2011.  And yes, there were lovely gabion walls aplenty.

Partway up the range is Stopford Lookout where we stopped for a look out.  We could see Gracemere in the distance.  James Stopford was a miner and engine driver at the local mine who was dismissed by the company for his union activity.  He later became a branch executive for the Labor Party.  I discovered that there was a geocache at the lookout, but even with three of us looking, it proved elusive.

We descended into Mount Morgan and the town sign there matched the one at Bouldercombe, with its very own collection of riprap at the bottom.  I had researched the cafes as we wanted sandwiches for lunch, not greasy stuff, and the lucky winner was Mumma Kath's Kitchen. It is opposite the seriously impressive technical college building.  We had glimpsed the beautiful railway station en route but didn't have time to check it out this time.

The cheery ladies at Mumma Kath's made our sandwiches to order, and while we waited, we discovered that the cafe had a wonderful little reading nook.  We also discovered that Mount Morgan has flies.  This was the only place where we encountered a fly problem.

After we had eaten, we persuaded Mumma Kath to take our daily group photo.  Thursday's clothing theme was A Touch of Country.  This was probably our least successful attempt, but we had fun trying.

There was only a Vinnies in town and things there were dirt cheap. I bought a pair of shell earrings for a dollar. While the others were being entertained by the woman in Vinnies, I popped across the road to check out the newly refurbished streetscape.  There is bougainvillea arbour, a statue of a young man running the cutter, and a ginormous bell. 

Running the cutter is a local tradition whereby local miners would drink beer in buckets ("cutters") at the end of their shifts, and would pay a lad one penny to take these billies to the pub to be refilled for sixpence.  The tradition has been revived at the Annual Golden Mount Festival, where relay teams run the cutter from and to the statue, with each team's anchor being required to down a cutter of beer at the end.

The 1962 plaque at the Mafeking Bell says it was cast in 1900 from pennies donated by local school children to commemorate the Relief of Mafeking during the Boer War.  The troops were led by Lord Baden Powell who later founded the Boy Scout movement.  Another interesting tale for me to tell the girls.  I researched this one back in Brissie as well.  The bell was certainly cast locally in 1900, but the bit about the pennies is apparently a furphy.  Don't believe everything you read on plaques, lesson two.

Baga!

The road north from Emu Park led us through the beachside locations of Kinka, Causeway Lake, Mulambin, Kemp Beach, Rosslyn Bay, Lammermoor, Cooee Bay and finally Yeppoon, all much larger than when I was last there, but still full of happy memories. Like the time I stood on a buried anchor tag on Great Keppel and couldn't walk for a week. 

A highlight was the "house" at Kinka Beach in the shape of a whale.  I thought it must have escaped from Hervey Bay (see "A Whale of a Day" blog post from 2016) but looked it up on the Australia's Big Things list and discovered it is all that remains of Coral Life Marine Park.  It is now used for storage by the house next door, and is described as "possibly the only big thing smaller than the original".  I wasn't the only person photographing it.

The beautiful beaches were beckoning, but we had work to do.  The Salvos op shop location in Yeppoon turned out to be the office, and the second shop on our list had disappeared. We finally struck gold at Vinnies, which is huge and wonderful, even if some things are overpriced, like the beautiful Namco triple saucepan set for which they wanted $50.  I would have bought them for $20.  They are still haunting my dreams weeks later.  I photographed the girls being photobombed by a yellow bin, and then we asked directions to the Salvos.

It turned out to be the shop we liked least on the trip.  The dressing rooms were shut, but the clothes were all $2 to compensate.  They had a staff member at the door assigned to spray your hands and give you COVID instructions, and the inside was rather gloomy.  It just had a bad vibe.  I don't think anyone bought anything.

Jo was being very strict about our timing for the day, because she wanted to visit a new oppy in Biloela that closes at 3pm, so now it was back to Rocky.  On the way, we passed one of those distinctive Capricornia volcanic plugs, Which was so memorable that I couldn't remember its name.  I looked it up: Baga.  That name meant nothing to me, as I was sure I knew it as something else.  The reason for the name change became clear: it used to be Mt Jim Crow!

In Rocky the traffic was heavy and Jan wanted another couple of photos of 31 North Street, so we decided to skip the other oppies there and keep moving.  We managed to get a second look at the new "high road" south of the city, this time from the low side. It must have cost a bomb.  My research tells me they are planning a ring road around Rocky. That will probably cost an even bigger bomb.

 

The King is Dead

The Fitzroy was river number 13 and the drive to Emu Park was emu-free.  When we arrived, the wind was blowing a gale and the Singing Ship was doing just that.  A quick trip to the pub and the supermarket and we were right for the night.  Our temporary home this time was a cabin at Fisherman's Beach Holiday Park, which appeared to be full.  Everyone seems to be out and about doing their bit for Queensland tourism.  The cabin had the world's smallest shower cubicle; when I tried to wash my foot, it pushed the door open.  I also discovered that it is a good idea to pull down the blind if you are using the shower with the connecting door to the bedroom open.  The other thing the cabin had in the second bedroom was bunks.  With our injured ribs, shoulders and knee, none of us could cope with a top bunk, so we stripped it of its bedding and made up the fold-down lounge for Jo to sleep on.

Jan modelled the beautiful brown skirt that she had bought that day, and then did her domestic duties re the dinner roster. The rissoles were delicious.  Another early night meant that I was up at sunrise raring to go.  Unfortunately my walking buddies were still snoring.  I slipped out and headed for the beach.  The birdsong in the thick foliage behind the dunes was probably the best dawn chorus I have ever heard.  I wandered along the wide, empty beach then back through the streets of the town, with the Singing Ship clearly audible, suddenly realising this was my first chance to do a spot of geocaching.

The cache was hidden behind a monument to the colourful Australian politician King O'Malley, next to the town's museum. I found it quickly then wondered what O'Malley had to do with Emu Park. 

The plaque told of his arrival at Port Alma in 1888, suffering from tuberculosis, and his subsequent trip north with two fishermen to a point just south of Emu Park.  He took shelter in a cave and was found by a local aborigine called Coowonga, who fed him and nursed him back to health.  The pair walked to Rockhampton, and then separated. O'Malley then walked all the way to Adelaide, a journey of more than 1400km.  Impressive.  The old railway signs from local stations were mounted on the wall of the museum, and I noted that one of them was named Coowonga.

After I was back in Brissie, I decided to do some further research on Mr O'Malley.  He managed to get himself elected to parliament in both South Australia and Tasmania, before commencing his long stint in Federal politics.  He was famously the last survivor of Edmund Barton's 1901 government, and oversaw the design competition for the city of Canberra.  He is commemorated ironically there by King O'Malley's Irish Pub, the man who had alcohol banned in the ACT!  However, the Emu Park story seems to be completely made up, as a cover for the true reason he left America, namely because he was wanted there for embezzlement.  There are reliable reports of his being in both Sydney and Melbourne in 1888, and the man was well known for being a bullshit artist.  Don't believe everything you read on plaques, folks.

When I returned to the cabin, the girls were awake, so it was breakfast, pack and head for the local oppy, where we arrived on the stroke of 9.00.  It was a well patronised Vinnies. I even managed to find a couple of things to buy.  

We didn't see any real emus in Emu Park (as MIchael and I had done many years ago) before we left, but the town is full of metal ones, all bearing information signs about local history. 
Cute.

Day of the Trains

Gladstone was not a good hunting ground for me on our first trip seven years ago, and the same applied in 2020.  I needed to find a top to complete my outfit for the following day's theme: A Touch of Country.  We tried the Anglican first, as it had closed before we arrived last time.  Very expensive and no joy there.  Next was the big Salvos next door, which is a great shop, but no egg beater for Lesley.  

Jo found a print that she was quite taken with.  The image wasn't anything special as far as i was concerned but it was beautifully framed, right down to matte glass.  The frame alone was probably worth at least $150. The price was $6.  She ummed and ahhed but eventually had to buy it.  This then completely dominated how we could pack the car as the safety of the frame and glass became all-important. 

Vinnies was next but no eggbeater.  I remember buying the handbeater that lives in out camper there last time from their kitchen section, which since then had disappeared. There were a few saucepans out the back, but not much else.  Jan then had a deep and meaningful discussion outside with a young man about the intricacies of laying concrete.

We crossed the road to the shopping centre and bought lunch, but we weren't allowed to sit on the seats to eat it, because of COVID, so ate while we walked.  Jo had promised us a Lifeline on the north side of town but took a wrong turning.   By the time we found our way back to the correct road, we had either missed it, or it had ceased to exist.  The Gladstone-Mount Larcom Road was an eye-opener to me, as I found even more giant industrial complexes out there than the ones I already had seen south of the city.  Looking at my camera and phone reveals not a single photo taken in Gladstone this time.

But then there were the trains.  Seeing trains passing when we are travelling is always very exciting for me, because it is a rarity in the south-east.  We saw a train in the distance after we left Gin Gin and I was very excited.  Now, however, we were in coal country.  We saw so many trains that I lost count.  They were hard to photograph from a moving car, but I did my best.  There was even a track repair vehicle!  No, I am not a train nerd, just an excited observer.

Our next excitement was driving over the new elevated road over the flood plain south of Rocky. None of us had seen this before and it was certainly impressive.  Must have cost a bomb.  Next came the traditional welcome from Rockhampton's bulls. One was entire; the other wasn't.  We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn for the first time on our travels and stopped at South Rocky's giant Vinnies.

Talk about impressive! It even has a bridal section, which I have only ever seen in one oppy before, at Ipswich.  I found the missing top to complete my outfit, the second time I had done that at the last shop of the day, plus a nice hand beater (still not what I was looking for, but too nice to leave behind) and my first entry in the Quirky Book competition.  It was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, with an appropriately gruesome cover.

I then decided I needed to photograph this mightiest of oppies, and over the highway seemed the best spot to stand.  I pressed the button, crossed to the garden bed halfway across, and decided it was perfect for photography. I took my pic and looked for the button to press to take me back from whence I came, but no dice.  They weren't expecting people to stop in the middle.  I guess it is what I am used to in Brissie.  I had to watch the light sequence and the traffic and take my chances. 

Finally we were all opped out and headed for Jan's old home on North Street to see how it was looking.  It was looking mighty fine.  She and John had modified it extensively when they lived in Rocky and pretty much everything was the same except for the front fence and a hedge.  Even John's finial was still on the roof. If the owners were home, they must have been wondering who these mad women were, running up and down the lane photographing their home.

We headed back through the city centre towards the old bridge over the Fitzroy
and what did we encounter? A train!

Gin and Tannum

The Lifeline at Gin Gin turned out to have been open since 8.30. We wasted half an hour! Not big, but not bad, with a wonderful dressing room full of original art.  I found a game of Travel Monopoly, which I didn't know existed, for $2.  Not that Michael will play with me. He has only ever played Monopoly once in his life and didn't like it.  It is for refreshing my memory for such trivia questions as "What is the first railway station after you pass Go?"

Then I discovered a truly wonderful Halloween decoration, a framed photo of two Victorian women, who turn all Vampira  when looked at from another direction.  It was only $2.  Why didn't I buy it?  It was only when we were passing the Mount Perry turnoff - the same spot where Mike and I turned west twelve days earlier - that I realised it would have been the perfect Quirky Object.  I would have won for sure. I am still kicking myself.  But there was no way we were turning back.  Onward and northward!

My next task was to ring the dentist about my broken tooth.  No, I wouldn't be home till Saturday. No, I didn't want to see a different dentist. Yes, I could wait till Wednesday morning at 7.30am to see Fred, who understands what a total sook I am, and that I have absolutely no tolerance for dental pain.  Meanwhile, the sharp bit of tooth sticking up would magnetically attract my tongue and drive me crazy.

This section of the journey was over an hour and a half long. Why didn't we stop at the Lifeline at Miriam Vale, I wonder?  By the time we reached Tannum Sands, all our wounded bits made for some serious groaning after we found a park near the Salvos.  The last time I visited Tannum Sands was about forty years ago BTWC (before there were children) and my memory is of the caravan park where we camped, a shop and very little else.  There was nothing at Boyne Island.  Now, combined, they are a metropolis!

The Salvos had closed dressing rooms, but I snuck up the back and whipped off my top to try on another.  It was only when I saw movement  that I realised the side wall of the back of the shop was actually a window onto an arcade.  Jan found an awesome pair of studded suede boots that fit her perfectly, and I was consoled by finding another great Quirky Object: superhero toilet paper.  I was back in the contest.   We asked the staff where to find good coffee, and there was a cafe within easy walking distance, but it would be closing soon.

Blend has nice coffee and the girl who served us took our photo for the day.  The theme was either Dots and Dashes or Stars and Stripes.  With my star watch from Howard, and my black top from Bundaberg, I believe I satisfied ALL criteria!

On the road to Gladstone, we encountered roadworks - not for the first time - and while we sat at the red light for five minutes we discovered our theme for this trip.  Past themes have included vistas and high-viz.  Jo used the term "gabion wall".  Jan and I had never heard of this, so I did some googling.  It turns out to be the sort of construction that looks like rocks in a basket.  And it gets better; the rocks inside are called riprap!  There was actually some riprap right beside us.  Once alerted, we were on the lookout.  We discovered gabion walls and riprap are everywhere!

Bundy to Bullyard

From Apple Tree Creek, it wasn't far to Bundaberg, where we tried to avoid covering too much old ground.  The big Vinnies in a new industrial area was one we definitely hadn't seen before and it was beautifully organised, to the point where Jo declared it "sterile".  I was tempted by some interesting granddaughter-friendly fabric there but then realised I might have to actually sew it, so left it where it was.  The girls complained that it was freezing inside, but since my red, white and blue outfit had long sleeves, I had no problem.  Jo was dressed for Noosa in February.

Next was Lifeline, which I also didn't recognise.  It was good, but I didn't find any egg beaters to buy.  The little Salvos we had visited before turned out not to open on Tuesdays, and the nearby Endeavour, where Jan had found her R M Williams jeans a few years ago, was closed for good.  As most Endeavour oppies now seem to be.  However, the RSPCA was open and close to our lunch venue.   Once again I lucked out but burnt onto my retinas is the image of the vision who arrived just as we left. Dressed head to toe in purple, she is obviously a well-known local eccentric.  Sadly, I didn't get to my camera before she disappeared inside.

I should perhaps explain about the egg beater.  A few weeks ago, my egg beater broke on a Saturday, and my whisk broke on the Sunday. No problems: I would go op-shopping on Monday.  I picked up a whisk at the first shop at Geebung, and a beater at the third. It was one of those irritating ones with the handle at the side but I thought, not to worry, I'll pick one up on the Op Shop Road Trip.  By this stage, I was somewhat surprised not to have seen any egg beaters at all.  By the end of day two, I think we had been to about thirteen oppies.  If you want a whisk, however, I reckon every op shop has at least one.

Our last port of call was also new to us, the little Dorcas Anglican shop and I loved this one.  The little round cakes of soap I had paid 20c for in Childers were free here. Ripped off!  I took five.  All clothing was $1...AND the dressing room was open!  I thought I had my outfit ready for the next day, but found something even better here for my dollar investment.  I also wish to apologise to the woman behind me for the fart I left behind in the book nook.  We left, just as they were about to close at 4.30. 

I was now getting excited as we were about to cross the Burnett River.  When I am travelling long distance, I like to collect rivers.  Every river I cross is counted, and multiple crossings of the same river are noted, but only if via a different bridge. Yes, I am a geography nerd. The Burnett was river number 9 and we needed to cross it to get to our overnighter at Bullyard.  

Where the bloody hell is Bullyard?  It is a fly-speck on the map between Bundaberg and Gin Gin.  The nearest pub might be at South Kolan.  What Bullyard does have is Bungadoo Country Cottage, where we were greeted by Sharon.  It may not have had a river, but it did have a pool (not that we used it).  When we told Sharon about our road trip, she confessed that a lot of stuff inside the cottage had come from op shops. She has done well. Some of the decor was quite - dare I say it - quirky.

It was my turn to cook dinner so pasta and mushrooms was the order of the day.  After dinner, I nibbled on a leftover cracker and broke off a hunk of one of my front teeth.  Sigh...  We watched some quiz programmes on the telly and turned in early, Jan wearing her new Harry Potter nightie.

I was up at dawn stalking the sunrise, as usual.  I used the loo in the laundry so I wouldn't disturb the girls, and when I removed the plug in the tub after washing my hands I found I had a tiny frog for a friend.  Now we understood why all the plugs were in the plugholes when we arrived.  I then found jigsaws in the laundry cupboard and wondered how far I could get with a 500-piece puzzle before it was time to leave.  I learned that a tablecloth covered in roosters is not the ideal surface on which to create.  I guess I managed about a third of it.

It was then time to go, as it was nearly oppy opening time in Gin Gin.

Cheap at Childers

We had visited the BBS op shop at Howard some years before and loved it.  The Burrum Benevolent Society must do well, because the shop is very popular. Possible because everything in it is dirt cheap.  I bought five items, paying $4.20. On this Tuesday, all clothing was half-price, possibly because the dressing rooms were closed because of COVID-19.  This was situation normal down our way when the shops first reopened after lockdown, but now they have all reopened.  We were to learn that the further we travelled north, the more dressing rooms remained shut.  

Childers meant two more oppies and morning tea. Vinnies is on the western side of the highway, among the heritage buildings. I was searching for a second trophy, as this year we had decided to activate both categories - quirky object and quirky book - so the perpetual Expo 88 spoon trophy needed a friend.  It was at Vinnies that I found it, a little wooden thingy that simply says "Winner".  It cost $1.  If you wanted, you could also buy a knitted Mr Squiggle at Vinnies... or a knitted Scotsman.  I didn't.  I did love the change room there; there were two hooks, one marked Maybe and the other marked Yes!

Over the road and through the highway traffic to the Salvos we ventured, it being another brilliantly organised store that we remembered fondly from our first visit.  Here I found a true treasure. It is a wooden box divided into four sections, each containing a different Very Hungry Caterpillar wooden puzzle, of varying levels of difficulty. They are marked with the numbers 1 to 4 on the back, and I had no way of knowing if there were pieces missing. For $3, I took the chance, knowing that my granddaughter would love them.  I also bought some little round cakes of soap for 20c each, because we have a round soap dish in our laundry.

The girls headed for the Ladies, while I headed for the coffee shop and grabbed a table for three. This was my big chance to check out the puzzles.  I almost had the first caterpillar finished when a voice behind me said "Lesley, what are you doing here?" and there were Adrian and Marilyn from our 4wd club. And there was me playing with wooden puzzles for three-year-olds!  Anyway, before long all five of us were having morning tea together and Adrian kindly took our daily group photo. Tuesday's dress theme was red, white and blue. Oh, and no puzzle pieces were missing.

We don't do a lot of touristy things on our road trips, because we are Women on a MIssion, but we decided to visit the art gallery memorial to those killed in the fire at The Palace backpackers.  The art in the gallery was restricted to little photos and tiny works, because of artists working from home due to COVID, but it was still interesting.  The memorial is moving and includes a large group portrait of all who died, painted from their individual photos.  I can't show you because photography wasn't allowed.  There is also a lovely quiet courtyard out the back.

Jo was supposed to fuel up the car in Childers, but decided to continue to Apple Tree Creek, because "it's usually a bit cheaper there".   Lucky that it was, because we wouldn't have had enough fuel to get back to Childers.  I should point out that all the fuel on the trip was way cheaper than current Brisbane prices.

Bangers by the Burrum

In my rush to finish Episode Two, I forgot to mention several things.  First, the Tinana Lifeline has non-sexist children's clothes.  They are not divided into "boys" and "girls". That made things much simpler for this Grandma who often finds clothes for her granddaughter in the "boys" section.  As well, Jan's staff card from the Cooroy shop earned her a 30% discount (this doesn't work all over Queensland).

I also forgot to mention that Maryborough Vinnies had the largest and best organised kitchenware section I have ever seen in any oppy.  This photo only shows half of it.  They didn't have an egg beater, though.  And don't go looking for Le Bric a Brac in Adelaide street opposite Lifeline (which I completely forget to mention).  It apparently closed in August 2019.  Someone should tell the internet.

Anyway, back onto the road, where we headed north again and into rural Torbanlea.  Jo had booked, through Airbnb, a cottage by the Burrum River, and it was delightful.  We were met by curious goats at the fence, and we realised why when we found the goat food in a cupboard.  Jan braved the goat feeding first, then me, but Jo stayed right out of it. Things got a bit rough when the biggest goat tried to assert
his dominance, and Molly, the owner's dog, got in for her share too.

Next we spotted black-faced sheep, including lambs, one of which was less than a week old.  There was lots of bird life, and we could see the river peeping through the trees.  There were kayaks available, but we didn't have the energy, so once we had lugged the first day's haul inside, we settled down to booze and cheese on the deck. 

Jo had offered us the choice of self-catering or the nearby Howard pub for dinner, and it was lucky we chose the former, because the property owner informed us that the pub is closed on Monday nights.  We decided that we would each cook for one night and have dinner at the pub on our last night.  Jo's Torbanlea menu was sausages and veg, followed by 70s quiz questions from a book she had bought during the day.  Example: At what airport were 26 people killed in a terrorist attack in 1972?

In the morning, I woke to glorious bird song, and tippied-toed out early for a walk down by the river. I was worried I might be bowled over by goats, but there was no sign of them.  The river was calm and beautiful and I did not fall in. I came back up to the cottage to find rainbow lorikeets at the bird feeder, a doggy grave (Cassie, presumably Molly's predecessor) under a tree and a hopeful kookaburra.

The others were now awake, so we had breakfast and were on the move again at 8.50, first stop Howard.

For the record, the answer to the quiz question was Tel Aviv. I said Entebbe which was a couple of years later.  I had completely forgotten the Lod Airport attack and had to look it up.