Thursday 30 November 2017

Biloela, Queensland.

Biloela had open cut mines then went into agriculture.  There are about 5,800 people in the Shire.
Water is a problem for the area so a dam was begun in 1963 called Callide Dam and Power Station but due to low rain fall the dam is hardly ever full.


The Caravan at Biloela


The pool and eating area at the Caravan Park.




Shopping area, supermarket opposite which was lovely.


The below photo is dry creek.


Wednesday 29 November 2017

Biloela, Queensland

Beautiful Hibiscus flower taken on our holiday in Winter.
Taken with my phone.



Leaving Mundubbera in Queensland was exciting after the mishap  of the caravan, we were on our way to Biloela in Queensland.  Weather was warmer so lighter clothes at last in our past winter.


Stayed in a lovely caravan park with an en-suite - all the sites had en-suites.
We last stayed in Biloela in 2008 and it was in this town that I was called back to Tasmania as my late mother became ill.  Flew home alone and saw my mum before she died 10 days after my arrival. My husband had to drive back to Tasmania by himself that year. So this year it was wonderful to return to Biloela once again.

This past winter we arrived to a buzz of the country folk telling us there was a Field Day and were we going - it was for two days so we did go on the Sunday morning and we had a ball.
Some of the photos I took with my phone of the goings on.


Particularly enjoyed watching the plowing as I can recall my late Grandfather doing the same. He preferred the old way to a tractor :)






Threshing Drum machine above it was used to thresh grain.












This was a tractor race to see who could go the slowest without stalling - interesting to watch.


Monday 27 November 2017

Mundubbera, Queensland.

The morning we left Mundubbera, Queensland it was foggy - these two photos were taken from the back of the Motel.  The other two on a clear morning.

We were excited to be on our way once again.







The view out the back of the Motel


First night in Mundubbera we heard a familiar sound so walked behind the Motel and in the distance were bats!


Friday 24 November 2017

Mundubbera, Queensland.

Mundubbera means Footsteps in the trees or Meeting Place of the waters in local Aboriginal language.

European settlement took place in the late 1840's.  Closer settlement, involving migrants from Germany, Britain and the Netherlands, did not take place until the early 1900's and the town was established in it's existing site prior to World War1.  The railway arrived in 1914.  Mundubbera Post Office opened by July 1, 1912.

Henry Zipf planted the first citrus orchards in 1933 and established Mundubbera as a major producer of export citrus.

This Mandarin is in a caravan park not far from the Motel.


Trusting soles in Mudubbera with this sign in the main street.
Walked around inside the shop not a sole about.




This mural is in the main street, a water tank certainly not an eyesore.


The above sign was in the toilet on the glass of the motel.


The Motel.




On the way to the dinning room.
Below the outside dinning room, we ate in the inside dinning room.


The building was L shaped so there was another wing to the left.


Wednesday 22 November 2017

Things happen!

Travelling along from Millmerran to Mundubbera Queensland on July 11, 2017 in winter with a little warmer weather.
You can see by looking at the map, the red area is part of the road we took which is a sealed road but bumpy.  We went through Dalby up to Mundubbera.
Had to make a quick trip to Bundaberg near the sea on the right above Maryborough.
The trip to Bundaberg from Mundubbera was about 500 klms round trip, we did this on July 12.


The sealed road was really bumpy in many parts along that highway, no mobile phone signal even in a couple of towns that we passed through.
Then trouble happened about 107 klms from Mundubbera.
Husband saw smoke coming from the back of the caravan, he stopped as quickly and safely as he could, I jumped out (totally forgot how old I was) all was alright.  Discovered that a 'SPRING' had broken on the passenger site of the caravan.  'Things happen'

So a few people stopped one was a farmer and he helped us out.  We have RACT, (Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania) there is usually one in each State of Australia or equivalent. I had the insurance in my name, the farmer drove me down a lane to a farm house he owned and let me use the Landline.
The RACQ (Q is for Queensland) man came, towed the caravan to his place, hence the next day trip to Bunderberg to get 4 new springs to be on the safe side.
The RACQ man was a mechanic also so he fitted the new springs.
We stayed in a Motel for 3 nights with RACT paying for our accommodation of up to $100.00 per night, the account was well over that but that didn't matter.  We had to pay for our food but we had beautiful meals in the dinning room and something different each night.
Breakfast in bed :) and lunch in the small town.
A holiday within a holiday and it was different.

We were told that many caravans break springs on that road and others in Queensland, so that made us feel a little better.  Got over it very quickly and had a good time in Mundubbera.


You can see the lean on the left side at the back.


What a lovely man the RACQ man was and is.  We are still friends and keep in touch.


Driving behind in our vehicle looking out the front window and took the photo.

Monday 20 November 2017

Millmerran Village Caravan Park, Q'land.

Can't recall ever showing many photos of a caravan park, know I've shown just a couple here and there, this time I'm going to show more because I think this park is different, but then they all are.

How do we find Caravan Parks that are the good to stay in - well there is an App for the mobile phone or iPad, iPhone's called 'Wikicamps Australia', it's the bible for travellers cost is small.
Can lookup caravan parks or free camps in the area you are in and read what is available such as, TV, mobile phone, wifi, and ever so much more with the users putting input which comes in extremely handy.  Wikicamps even has a map of the town or city to show you how to get to the caravan park.
Millmerran has two caravan parks and I chose the Millmerran Village Caravan Park.

Photos of some of the park.








Most caravan parks have a Camp Kitchen which has a Fridge, Kettle, Hotplates, Frypan, Toaster and so on so one can cook a meal, some have a TV they are all different.  Many people who tent go to the camp kitchen, some people don't like to cook in their caravans or outside of their vans.  We have never cooked in a camp kitchen as yet.










Friday 17 November 2017

Millmerrin, Queensland.

Another small town we have never been to.  The Caravan Park was excellent with a view of a Lake.

Millmerran is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland.  The town has a population of 1,570 people.  208 klms West of Brisbane.

Millmerran is near a lookout commonly used by the local Aboriginal population prior to European settlement and the town's name is believed to be derived from two words - "meel" meaning 'eye' and 'merran' meaning 'to look out'.  European settlement in the Millmerran area began in 1841 when the Gore brothers established the vast Yandilla Station.  Yandilla station covered and estimated 1,780 square kilometers (890 sq mile) and hosted it's own school with 20 to 30 students, telegraph station and store.  Closer settlement began after the passing of the Crown Lands Alienation Act in 1876, which allowed Edward Walpole to select a portion of Yandilla station.  In 1881, Walpole established a general store on the site of what was known at the time as Back Creek, and a receiving office was opened with that name on July 8, 1883.  It was elevated to the status of a post office, and the name changed to Domville, on June 1, 1889.  The name was again changed to Millmerran on November 16, 1894.


An older style home - a Queenslander.




When away on holiday we often eat vanilla slices we had some here and they were beautiful.




The lovely well kept park in Millmerrin.
Below a scene adjacent to the town.