July 3rd Journal

July 3 - 8, 2007

July 3, 2007

After saying goodbye to our new friends, the Langes, we drove to our designated caravan repair center as Dometic, our refrigerator sponsor wanted, for the second time, to replace our refrigerator. This time because the fridge had developed a big interior crack and a deformation in the side of the freezer. As nice as it sounds to keep getting new equipment, it is a stressful thing. We are trading-in a known quantity for something similar but not tested.

Additionally, it is a big job to remove a cupboard so that we can access the rear of the fridge, unwire it, and then replace this heavy piece of equipment. Well, all went well and we were finished with the job in about two hours. We ran a few more errands, and finally headed north so that after 10 days in the Brisbane area we were officially on our way to explore Australia.

(A side note is applicable, as our concerns about the fridge were well placed. Over the course of the next two days, we found that the compressor never shut off. So in addition to draining our power we were concerned that the compressor would overheat and blow-out. When we contacted Dometic, they told us it sounded like a low level of coolant in the compressor. No problem, we’re told, just stop by another repair shop to get it filled. Except for the fact that we will not be able to get to a shop for at least the next 2 weeks as we will be in the wilderness of The Great Sandy National Park and Fraser Island for a minimum of 10 days.)

We headed off towards the north as our route is tentatively set to follow the east coast of Queensland all the way to Cape York, then west across the Northern Territory.

We got off of the highway at the Glasshouse Mountains National Park to explore the many rocky pinnacles in the area. The pinnacles are basalt cores, the remains of nearly a dozen volcanoes that once filled the landscape here. The pinnacles are very distinctive and were named by Captain James Cook when he explored the coastline in 1770. The Aboriginal people consider them sacred and have many ceremonial sites in the area. However, much of the native trees have been logged and many areas replanted with commercial timber in Forest Plantations.

In the morning we drove to the town of Noosa so that we could purchase our camping permits for the Cooloola Section of Great Sandy National Park. The park will provide us a mini preview of what we can expect on Fraser Island. There is a 40km long beach that we can drive on and a river to kayak as well as pockets of rainforest and woodlands to explore.

July 5, 2007

Driving back into town to collect a few last supplies, we spied a Laundromat and decided to do a bit of a wash before heading off into the wilderness. We bought a couple of scones (biscuits) at a local bakery, to have with breakfast. After doing our regular chores, filling water and completing our dump, we drove into the park and our destination at Harry’s Hut.

This was our first chance to use our friend Brad’s Dirty Weekends 4WD Guide. We followed his detailed route, stopping to explore a few places along the way.

On the shoreline of Lake Cootharaba, Queensland largest natural freshwater lake, we drove around the village of Boreen Point, stopping at a 19^th Century hotel, The Appollonian. The hotel was actually located in a different town and was cut up and relocated here. The reason why it was saved was due to it being a great example of Queensland architecture with 12’ verandahs and 14’ ceilings.

Moving on, we saw our first kangaroos in the grassy field of a large campground.

We detoured off to visit our first "classic" bush pub at Kin Kin, but found the pub closed for restoration. We did look at some photos dating back to the pub’s early years (just after it was built in 1914) showing the pioneering days of the district.

The road to Harry’s Hut has a sign at the entrance stating that it isn’t suitable for heavy or high vehicles – hmm. We went anyway, and to our relief found that the sign must be for vehicles heavier and higher than our Fuso. We did cross over two small wooden bridges that looked iffy, but again, no problem.

Harry’s hut got its name from its longest and final occupant. The hut was built to house timber workers in the 1950s who were harvesting the trees in the region. We came here to kayak the Noosa River. We inflated our kayak and got our things ready for an early morning departure on the river. Walking around the area we came upon our first goanna, a huge lizard.

See the goanna at the lower right?

July 6, 2007

The Noosa River drains the region and eventually flows to the ocean. More than one-third of the river’s total catchment area is protected by the national park which adds to the high water quality. What is interesting for us, is that the river flows so slowly that we can kayak upstream all morning and end the day back at our starting camp! Strange, but true. We paddled upstream until lunch, then hiked through a beautiful sandy area full of scribbly gum trees, banksia trees and spinafex grasses. We also found that in Australia clams grow on trees! Not really, but the seedpods of the banksias look just like open clamshells. After lunch we turned around and paddled downstream back to camp.

Noosa kayaking

Ozzie clams
(Banksia seed pods)

July 7, 2007

We got a late start today after deflating the kayak and packing away all of our equipment. Not being in any hurry, we didn’t mind leaving at 11:00am. We retraced our drive out from camp as the road is a 14km dead end road. Back at the main road, still recommended only for 4wd, we continued on our roundabout way to the beach. We crossed over the Noosa River where it is just a creek, before heading to the beach on an 18km sandy track called Kings Bore Road.

The guide published by the National Park Service states that we should allow one hour to drive this route. The track started out very sandy, but was nothing that our trusty Fuso couldn’t tackle. The sand driving made for a Disneyland type autopia driving experience – just stay in the tracks and the vehicle nearly steered itself. The drive was spectacular as we passed through forest with many new types of trees for us: blackbutt, tallowwood, gum trees and banksias. What made the drive difficult was that the track weaved its way through the trees, very close to the trees.

To avoid sideswiping them we had to break through the tracks so that we could give ourselves an extra precious few inches to get through. Finally, more than ¾ of the way to the beach, we got bogged in the sand for the very first time ever. And we were only inches away from hitting a tree, and had three vehicles behind us. If you’re going to do something, do it right!

As we were getting down our Maxtrax recovery devices from the rack, the fellows from the other vehicles came over to watch. As we dug out some sand from in front of the tires to place the Maxtrax, the guys pitched in to help. Well, the Maxtrax worked as well as we could have hoped as we were able to easily drive out of the bog and away from the tree.

Then before we could find a place to let the cars get around us, we found our way blocked by a tree that was about 10 inches lower than the top of our camper. There was no way to get around it, and we couldn’t turn around to go back. We were so close to the beach that we could even hear the surf crashing. Not knowing what to do, we asked our new friends, who decided that cutting down the tree was the only option. Looking around the track, we could see evidence of other trees and branches having been cut before.

We got out our Max Ax and started at the tree. Soon all of the guys were helping out and the tree soon gave way. We pulled the tree out of the road and drove on, still looking for a place to let the other vehicles get by us. Then when we did try to get off of the track, we bogged down so deep that the rear tires where buried to the axle. Again, Maxtrax to the rescue and out we came.

Unfortunately, by this time we had been on the road for over three hours and it was now dark. We didn’t want to drive through any more possible problems without being able to see them coming so we found a spot where the guys behind us could get around, said our thanks and goodbyes to all of them, and made camp right there in the middle of the road. After all, who would be coming down this tough track in the dark? Well, at about 11:30pm we were awakened by headlights and found out who: three young people out playing. So we jockeyed the vehicles around and got them by us.

July 8, 2007

We got up with the sun and checked out the final track to the beach. It wasn’t going to be easy, so it reinforced our decision not to have moved on the night before. There was a downed tree that had fallen across the track, and the track itself, or rather the chute – well, it was only a couple of inches wider than our camper, set on a very step downward angle to the beach and so deep that it was almost like driving through a tunnel! Then we had to drop off an embankment and drive across a stream to the beach.

So we chopped up the downed tree, moved it out of the way, set the Fuso in 4wd low and let it crawl down the hill. It is still amazing to think that we got down to the beach without hitting anything or doing any damage to the Fuso.

We took a much-needed break to relax, and had some breakfast on the beach watching the waves rolling onto the sand. Then it was time for some easy driving, up the hard packed sand to the end of the beach just below the Double Island Point Lighthouse. We hiked up the cliff to the lighthouse where whale spouts, dolphins and turtles could be seen.

As we headed back down the beach, the tide was starting to come in and reduced the "roadway" that we could drive on. We drove on to our designated exit point, Freshwater Creek Road, but the exit from the beach was through really soft sand with no well-defined track for us to follow. We drove past the entrance a couple of times, looking for the best spot. We picked one and then sped through the soft stuff, almost making it off the beach. Obviously almost is not good enough, and we found ourselves once more bogged in sand. Time for our Maxtrax again. This time it took four efforts with the Fuso moving about 40 feet each time. It was hot work in the sun, but because we were already high on the beach, we didn’t have to worry about getting swamped by the high tide, and we finally made it off the beach. We then drove out to Inskip Peninsula where barges depart for Fraser Island, our next destination – after we take a break to recover from all of that digging!