05.01.13
I’d been researching all the SEQ scout camps to find a
few we could stay at and found one less than an hour away. On contacting the gentleman running Guanaba
at the last possible minute, we found that he had a cancellation that morning
and was only too happy to let us hire out his facility.
Having no idea what the site was like other than what
can be seen on Google, we agreed to his terms and conditions. We’d need to pick up the key some 30k’s from our
destination and it’s further down the highway than we really need to go, but if
it gets us in the gate all well and good.
We are on the road around 0800 and bound for the
residential address of the key holder.
I’ve been told if no-one is home to check the letter box and this is
where I find it. I deposit our fees in
its place and send a text once back in the car to alert them. We negotiate our way out of suburbia and make
a bee line for our next destination as best we can without having a straight
line to get there.
1 hour after our departure from home we are onsite –
can’t get better than that really - and find the gate already unlocked. I open the gate and allow the ute and trailer
to get off the road. Back in the car and
we slowly make our way towards the Scout Den to see what awaits us.
The track in doesn’t allow us to see what’s ahead
until we cross a branch of the creek and everything opens up before us.
Initially we see a large open grassed area and up
above that the Den. We pull up on the
grassy area and decide to investigate the entire site on foot before we make a
decision on where we will set up.
Heading up to the Den, we notice the road going right
past the scout camp over yonder. I see the amenities
block behind the Den and head that way for a look. Toilets and shower for both boys and girls –
but you do need to bring your own gas supply if you require those showers to be
hot. Water is pumped up to some tanks
from the creek, but please do be sparing with its use none the less, as at the
time of our visit, the creek was all but dry.
Heading further back up the hill, we notice some more
tanks, a power pole for use and even further away is the bush chapel and it’s a
very nicely laid out one.
We head back down to the campground to decide on where
the camper is going to be positioned.
I’m leaving this decision entirely up to Glenn. We could camp anywhere on the driveway as it
has some lovely grassed areas, but we would like some privacy so have chosen to
camp below the Den on the large grassed area.
It’s furthest from the road and beside the dry creek.
Glenn chooses the location and we set up. Solar panels go out and there isn’t much else
to do but explore the creek. We decide
on having some lunch and sitting for a bit as it’s really muggy today. Probably due to being overcast and we believe
there is potential for some rain … albeit not much.
Whilst relaxing, another car drives in. I imagined we’d be alone, but that’s
okay. Turns out it’s another Scout Group
person who’s come in to do a few things around the camp as he believed it to be
empty. He’s a very chatty fellow and we
spend the next hour having a guided tour of the premises which was rather
nice. We didn’t plan on opening the Den
or showers, but he’s done so because he’s checking that the last tenant left
them pristine, so this is the perfect opportunity for some photos. Once his checks are through, he mentions that
the only water we’ll find in the creek should be below the bush chapel, so we
plan to find this as he drives off.
Alone once more we decide to wander the creek and see
if there is any water in it. Wandering
through the lower section, we run out of grass and find pathways leading into
the bush. We take the one that runs parallel
with the creek and when it peters out, we follow the creek for a short distance
and find a small pool of water. Telashi
is straight in of course and we find it is just deeper than her shoulder in
some parts. A water dragon escapes the
area heading up to the bush chapel which is indeed directly above us. We follow the creek for a bit longer and find
another small pool before it becomes too hard for Jack. He and I turn back whilst the others head on
for a few minutes.
Once they rejoin us, we stop for another quick doggie
swim and then head slowly back to camp.
We have a ½ chicken to defrost and some coals to work on for
dinner.
This trip will involve a lot of sitting around doing
not much. It’s too hot to do anything
else and there isn’t all that much to do here with no water in the creek. We throw the ball for Telashi, then the
Frisbee and finally just do nothing much for awhile.
We notice that there are houses all around with
horses, cows, dogs and that the road (although not a highway by any means) has
a constant flow of traffic in and out (say 10 – 15 cars an hour). A few people stop at the park on the opposite
side of the creek, but no one picnics.
We head over the creek to check out the park, but it’s not very
exciting. No play equipment or tables
& chairs … just green lawn and trees.
We investigate the wood pile for anything we can
use. It’s all huge rounds that need a
good chop up before being able to use them, so Glenn gets to it. We plan to use the fireplace near our camp
which reminds me of a fire place in a picnic area or national park with its
large metal surround, it’s flip over hot plate and bars limiting the size of
timber we can use. It’s mounted on a
large cement “tank” which makes everything rather easy to reach. I help Glenn bring over the timber he’s cut
and we get the fire started.
While we are awaiting some nice coals, we get the
vegies prepared and I decide we also need cake.
Mud Cake. I get this organised and then there is nothing to do but await
some coals, and throw the ball for the dog, perhaps a short walk, a doze in the
comfortable chairs, or other such relaxing stuff.
And this is how our day progresses to its end.
During the later part of the afternoon, I notice some
Tawny Frogmouths have flown into a tree above our camp so we try to get some
good photos of them. They give us something
else to look at for awhile before flying off in search of dinner.
We put up a privacy wall towards the road so we can
have showers and also to keep any rain out of the camper doorway during the
night.
Then we relax in front of the fire’s last embers of
the night and hit the hay.
4.6AH
06.01.13
Next day dawns rather gloomy and we did get some rain
over night, although calling it rain seems a bit overenthusiastic. Of course the canvas is wet, so we’ll have to
wait for it to dry a bit before we can shut up shop. What better way to do that than by a
leisurely stroll here and there around the campsite.
Today we do about as much as yesterday, which includes
going up to the swimming hole a few times.
We check out the facilities once more to ensure the photos are good and
take shots of some signage as well.
Dishes get down and things get packed away. We get a few short showers, but nothing
really canvas drowning. Glenn gives the
Velcro a once over and we decide to pack it away before a big black cloud heads
our way. Of course, once away, the sun
shines like never before and the clouds disappear as if by magic. Okay that’s a slight exaggeration, but you
get what I mean I’m sure.
We wander up to the front of the property today and
have a good look at the creek up that way.
No water, no change. We are
finding these large “nuts” everywhere about the place and when wearing thongs,
you certainly notice them under foot, although raking the campsite did not
happen as they weren’t in that area luckily.
Lunchtime is upon us before we realise and we eat
under the shade of trees. After cleaning
up, we make our final preparations and make our way home, returning back to
the suburban house to drop off the key first of course. It is a bit earlier than we normally head
off, but we have things to do at home and the weather isn’t making us feel like
staying either as it’s alternating between showers and sun. Besides an early mark isn’t such a bad thing
on occasion.
9.1AHTrip Kilometres: 158
Trip Duration: 48 hours
Afterword: I’m
sorry it’s taken me so long, but it’s been rather hard to write this blog. A
week after returning from Guanaba, Jacks arthritis got worse, he injured
himself through the night and the vet could do nothing to help him. As a result, this would be Jacks last trip
with us.
Rest In Peace my gentle friend.
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