We
have been planning a trip to the 'Red Centre' for some years, and
this year we are doing it! We had the car and the van serviced so we
were ready to head off. We left home at lunchtime and headed to
Loganholme to pick up a wheel lock, a little out of the way, but it
is what it is! After getting the lock, Peter noticed the brakes were
running hot, so phoned the service guys. They told Peter to adjust a
few things, and brakes fixed – so far. So we headed along the
Warrego Highway, through the Lockyer Valley – known as the 'salad
bowl' of Queensland - past many vegetable paddocks. We didn't get as
far as Gatton, when the Fuel Filter light came on. Another phone call
to service guys. We had to get the filter changed. Luckily there was
a service centre in Gatton, but unluckily the service guys had all gone
home – it was just before 4pm! We needed to find an overnight camp.
There are two free camps, one in Gatton and the other about 8kms east
of Gatton. We chose that one, and we are so glad we did. It was
absolutely beautiful. Lake Clarendon Dam supplies water to the
Central Lockyer irrigation scheme, that supports the local producers. It
was completed in 1992 and is located on the Lockyer Creek. It is very
low at the moment, we are in a drought, and the dam is less than two percent full.
One needs to be fully self-contained, although there is a new toilet
block on site. It was cold overnight and in the morning, but the day
turned out beautiful. The next morning a
short stop in Gatton to get the filter changed meant we needed to
unhitch so we went to the other free camp. I stayed with the van
while Peter took the car into the service place. This camp was an open park area and very close to walk to town.
We continued on
through the Lockyer Valley and up the Great Dividing Range to
Toowoomba, through Dalby, the regional centre of the
Western Downs, and the many many road works. Our original plan was
to stay a couple of nights at Bowenville Reserve about 14 km east of
Dalby, but plans change. We arrived at Chinchilla early afternoon.
What an exciting trip! We did the Ghan rail trip a couple of years ago and opted to have a week in Alice Spings, doing a 5 day coach trip with AT Kings all around the area. Saw Uluru in the morning, in the evening with the sun set, and up close, such a wonderful sight, as were the other Olgas. Then back at Alice for the last couple of days the rain came down and we saw the local river flowing, which doesn't happen very often we were told. And there is a quilt shop in Alice Springs too, as I discovered.
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