Blackbraes National Park - 05 - 08/07/2024

Last weekend, we took a trip out to Blackbraes National Park.  We were accompanied by my big brother and sister in law (Terry and Kim).

Blackbraes is situated about 170km North of Hughenden in the Basalt country of Lyndhurst, Q.

We went out via Hervey Range and up the Gregory Development Road and down the Kennedy Development Road (towards Hughenden).  Stopped at the Greenvale Roadhouse for smoko along the way.  Can recommend the hot chips.  Roads were pleasingly quite good all the way.  

Aerial view of the road southward from Moonstone Campground

 

Surprised to see sealed roads all the way with the exception of the last 2-3 km to the entrance of the National Park.  However the road surface was compacted and quite a smooth surface.

We decided to camp at Moonstone Campsite - just open area amongst the local population of Ironbark woodlands.  We arrived to an uninhabited campground so had first choice of sites.  By nightfall, about half dozen other overnight campers had pulled in and left the next day.

Weather was heavily overcast for most of our 3 night stay with a little misty rainfall if you could call it that.

We took the opportunity to check out the surrounds of the National Park.  Drove out to the campground within the park - Emu Swamp.  The road is advised as 4WD only and I wouldn't take a caravan in there.  Two creek crossings to get to it - one is very rocky bottom of Copperfield River but if you take it easy with high clearance, it's fine but the other crossing is a short/sharp ditch which I'd be hesitant to tow a van through.

Smoko - cuppa and shortbreads

Emu Swamp

 

We ventured out along Dulthara Road past Blackbraes Station homestead which, these days, is the NP Ranger Station I believe.  Out along this road you can walk to the edge of an extinct volcanic crater.

Volcanic Crater - would have liked to go a bit higher but the winds were too strong!

Ironbark scrub

Dulthara Rd to the craters

Moonstone Campground, where we parked up, is only about 150m off the main road.  The majority of the traffic along the road consisted of motorhome, caravans and trucks.  It didn't bother us as there wasn't all that much of it.

That's a Wrap! 07/01/2024 to 15/05/2024

So, after a little over 4 eventful months on the road, we've made it home safe and mostly sound.

A few stats for those interested....

Nights on the road: 130

Accommodation Costs:  $3370 at an average cost of $20.48 per night.

Free Campsites:  27;  40 nights

Most expensive Accommodation: $70/night at Yarrawonga, Vic

Distance travelled: 16,935 km

Fuel used: 2,438 L at a cost of $4,485

Diesel Price ranged from $1.80/L (Townsville) to $2.21/L (Armidale)

Average economy: 14.9 L/100km

I started blogging our travels back in 2007 for the benefit of my dear Mum and Dad as they never had the chance to travel to the reaches of the globe that we've had.  Given they've both passed on now, I often consider not doing it but it's too late to stop now.  It's quite a workload to document and produce such content but now I feel obliged.

Hopefully those of you following us along on our travels have enjoyed this trip.  I appreciate, probably not as much as we have but hope you have found it interesting.

Stay tuned for our next adventure wherever that may take us.

 

 

Deepwater to Toowoomba - 04-05/05/2024

Well, as our adventure draws to a close, we will spend the next week or so with some family time with my Aunty Bet in Toowoomba and time to farewell my Aunty Ailsa in Brisbane tomorrow.

 

Crossing the border at Wallangara

Then we'll track towards home.

After leaving Armidale, we enjoyed one final bush camp overnight at Deepwater River between Glen Innes and Tenterfield.  A great secluded free camp spot in the scrub.  When we arrived we had the choice of wherever we wanted to go.  By nightfall a few other campers had rocked up but the area is so big, we could barely see anyone else through the bush and the camp ground is only a couple of k's off the New England Highway. 

 

Along the way from our last camp, we diverted to the east a little to a place, 'Drake Village' to do a check of the cemetery there in search of my Great Great Grandfather.  His death certificate states he died there.  Again came up empty there too.

A view along the way to Drake Village from Tenterfield

Glen Innes

 

Back on track, we passed through Tenterfield which we visited a couple of years ago.  Stopped to grab a few photos of 'Deloraine', an historic sandstone house on Clarence St, Tenterfield.  

Clarence St, Tenterfield

 

 

Armidale - 02-03/05/2024

We dropped into Armidale for a couple of days.  I have some family history here.  My great grandfather was born in Armidale and, in 1882 following the death of his birth mother (at the age of 35), a court order 'issued' him and his 4 siblings (2 brothers and 2 sisters) to different families - he was 5 years old at the time.  Then, he showed up in Central Qld with a differently spelt surname at his wedding in 1901.

The courthouse of 1882 still stands proudly in the centre of town

 

After a couple of hours traipsing around the Armidale Cemetery, I came up with nothing.  I'd hoped to find my great great grandmother's grave at least.  There are a few other sites of interest in the region to be investigated.   Time doesn't permit right now, so I'll leave those to another day.

Armidale, like all of this region, is basking in the colours of autumn - just beautiful everywhere!

Uralla - St Joseph's

The street through the centre of the cemetery

New England Highway - 29/04/2024 - 01/05/2024

We headed north towards Qld via the New England Highway (A15).  After leaving the Sydney surrounds, we stopped overnight on Lake Liddell which is man made lake just south of Muswellbrook.  The lake was built for cooling the decommissioned Liddell Power Station and also nearby Bayswater Power Station.  

Lake Liddell is a low cost ($8 per person per night - unpowered) campground.  You can also opt for a powered site - we went unpowered.

Decommissioned Liddell Power Station

 

Fiery sunrise across the lake

 

Since a week or so ago, I've been eager to see and capture the comet visible in the early evening western sky but so far nothing but cloudy skies.  I shall keep trying.  Lake Liddell proved to be no different.

Onwards from there, we chose to stay a couple of nights in Tamworth.

We did the tourist thing checking out the sights of Tamworth.  We visited the Information Centre which is the site of the Country Music and Guitar Museum.

The big Golden Guitar at the Infor Centre

Jimmy Little

Slim Dusty

Brian May (Queen)

Paul Stanley (Kiss)

John Williamson

To celebrate our 42nd Anniversary, we went for a delicious lunch at the 'Courthouse Hotel', a popular spot for the locals - so that's always a good measure of what to expect.