6 June 2011 - Petrie Park, Tiaro, Queensland

Evening by the Mary River

Our camp beside the river

The last few days have passed so quickly, too full to open the laptop and apply fingers to the keyboard. The weather has been kind to us, as it is again today. We are camped beside the Mary River  currently with four other parties, however we are expecting more to come in later this afternoon. One of our fellow campers, from a motorhome he constructed himself, has just come across to pass the time of day. He told us that after 52 years of marriage he and his wife have their tasks in their small kitchen well shared; she cooks and cleans and he eats. 


When comments were made about the fish rising in the river directly below us, he told us that his wife was the fisherman; she fished with her fingers, pointing to that one or that at the fishmongers. English is not his first language, his accent and body language is quite entertaining.

On Saturday morning we lingered over breakfast and a complex Sudoko puzzle, before upping camp and heading toward Buderim. We stopped at Beerwah to purchase the Saturday newspaper and wine, then lunched at the rail side park where we had done on our last visit.

Pressing on, we spied a car park beside the Ewen Maddock Lake, yet another SEQWater reservoir (South East Queensland), pulled in and walked the gentle path through the scrub to the lake edge. This detour kept us to our ETA earlier advised to Pauline. We pulled up into their drive at 2 pm and were greeted with the warmth and hospitality habitually offered by our dear friends.

Once the caravan was backed up tightly against their own Lotus, unhitched and set up with water, we adjourned to the interior of their lovely home and picked up our chatter from where we had left off at Bathurst a couple of months ago. The rest of the afternoon passed all too quickly and it was time to head off to the local Chinese Restaurant where we enjoyed more chatter, excellent food and too much wine.

Given that our original plan was to pop by inviting ourselves to lunch, we had been been coerced to stay for the night, and now for a second night. Neil and Pauline are very persuasive, and we are easily persuaded when it comes to such excellent plans.

The charming facades in Montville

On Sunday morning we packed up eskis and thermoses and headed off in their very smart Mitsubishi 4WD, inland and upward. The hilly hinterland of the Sunshine Coast is beautiful. The roads are steep and slow, so better enjoyed in a day trip rather than dragging our heavy vans up and down dale. We passed through Nambour where we had been before, and then west to Mapleton, along high ridges past Flaxton, stopping at high look out points to survey the coast line from Moreton Island down Brisbane way up to Noosa Heads and beyond. We then travelled south to Montville where we walked about this very busy and very charming village perched on the top of the Blackall Range. Cafes and restaurants abound, either built out over cliffs from where one can dine and enjoy the panoramic views, or tucked into tree bound corners. There are a multitude of gallery’s and craft shops, boutiques where one can buy exquisite clothing and all manner of other shops and attractions. We found it all just delightful.

Pauline & I

After dragging ourselves away, we drove down to a park area on the shore of Lake Baroon, yet another water reservoir. After eating we attempted to walk the calories off with a five minute walk to a view of the spillway. However the reality is that the calorie intake this last weekend has passed any walk-off possibility.

Lunching  beside Lake Baroon; Neil, Pauline & Chris

Neil then drove us on south and west to Maleny which was as busy as Montville. It too is a village built on a steep hill, and sported as many delightful shops, galleries, cafes and the like, however lacked the almost alpine charm of Montville. We were however spellbound by the workmanship of the wood wares in one excellent outlet there.

We descended from the Hinterland, enjoying the views to the south of the Glasshouse Mountains, a series of conical peaks well inland from Bribie Island and seen from afar when one travels north on the Bruce Highway from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast.

Before returning home, Neil and Pauline gave us another tikki tour around Moollolaba, Karena and of course their own lovely Buderim.

After our shower in readiness for another evening of indulgence, Kit , Kyla and Isabella caught us on Skype and so we passed a while with them before excusing ourselves to return to our hosts. Isabella drew us a spider and proudly showed it to us, her Nana and Granddad. Not yet two, but very vocal, and I am sure well understood if we had better practice.

This morning we were packed up and ready to go by about 8.30 am. We sat about for nearly another hour over coffee, chatting with Neil and Pauline, and finally dragged ourselves away, vowing to catch up soon, somehow, somewhere….

We came directly north on the Bruce Highway and stopped at Gympie to buy fresh buns for lunch and the essential newspaper. The lily ponds just north of Gympie were our lunch place, as they had been when we did our first ever trip with the van. Then we had considered that park as an overnight place, but the recent rain had made the possible camp spots scarce. Today there were dozens of caravan travellers in for the same purposes as us, those travelling north chasing the warmer weather, and also those travelling south to attend the big Caravan and Camping Show in Brisbane that starts this coming Wednesday. Neil and Pauline will be going down on Wednesday, we decided to give it a miss.

The route toward Maryborough continuing on the Bruce Highway was only a further fifty or so kilometres, however we suspected that these free camps might be rather full; so many chasing so few places. Hence we arrived here just after two thirty and set up.