Matilda Finds a Dance Partner

Pick me!  Pick me!  I want to dance!

The 2 Travel/Sail R's returned from our one week shakedown road trip north and spent the night on Worrall Wind while we did laundry, changed oil, patched some leaks on van window stripping, dropped of stuff we decided we wouldn't need, and picked up stuff we thought we might.

A Dozen Highlights of this past week's road trip since our last blog were:

1. Our visit with friend Ken on Trim in Bundaberg, 
2. Mon Repos Turtle Reserve, 
3. Just opened R.J. Williams Learning Center in Eidsvold, 
4. Most horrific thunder and lightening storm we've ever been in, 
5. Out racing a storm cell that looked like it could turn into a tornado, 
6. Bunyas National Park
7. Awaltzing with the wallabies
8. Awalking in the rainforest,
9. Adodging killer pine cones
10. Making new friends in Kilcoy
11. Delighting in the Birds
12. Seeing our first wild Koala

Mon Repos Turtle Reserve was only a couple of kilometers from our campground outside of Bundaberg.  We plan to come back early in the season in November to see possibly three different types of turtles (green, loggerhead, and flatbacks lay their eggs.)  Out of the 7 species of turtles that have evolved out of the last 100 million years, 6 of those species can be found in Australia, Queensland.


A new learning center dedicated to an Aussie Outdoorsman and lover of nature and indigenous culture has recently opened in Eidsvold.  When fully functional it will be a wonderful asset not only to Eidsvold, but to Australia.

R. J. Williams

We spent one night in Eidsvold and according to the locals, experienced one of the worst thunder and lightening storms in their collective memories.  You know when the lightening and crack of thunder are simultaneous, that it's waaaaay toooo close!  For over and hour, we huddled in a bar-b-que picnic shelter as the lightning flashed and cracked all around us.  The water cascaded from the sky as a waterfall.  Within minutes, the gully behind our van was a river.

The following day, started off nice enough, but late in the afternoon while we were in the flatlands, a storm cell started bearing down on us.  Black tentacles were touching down to the ground and the wind was whipping up.  It looked like it could become a tornado.  Russ stepped on the gas and we fortunately got out of the way and changed direction to miss it.

Go Russ!  Go!

We decided to get out of the flat lands and head for the hills.  We got to the Bunyas National Park about dusk.  It rained all night and when we awoke the following morning, we had two dozen wallabies in the meadow with us.  What a treat!

We waited for the mist to lift, left the wide open meadow, and entered the Bunyas Pine Rain Forest.

There were posted signs to be cautious of the Bunyas Pine cones that are the size of bowling balls and weigh in at 20 lbs, much bigger and heavier than coconuts.  They fall from the trees in the fall.....yep this is fall in Australia.

We could hear them thumping and crashing occasionally as we walked quickly without lingering under the huge Bunyas trees that stick up far above the canopy of the rain forest.

Our walk was stunningly beautiful.  The rain drops twinkled on the ferns and the forest smelled fresh and earthy.

After our 4 kilometer walkabout in the forest, we ate lunch and headed back to Brisbane via a stop over in Kilcoy.  Friends Carol and Jim Barry of Colfax referred us to some of their good friends in Kilcoy who gave us an open invitation to stop by.  We did and enjoyed a lovely evening and morning with them at their home in the Queensland country side.

We were treated to a wonderful breakfast bird show and a glimpse of our first Koala in the wild.

We are just about ready to leave on the next step of our adventure.  More rain is due here in Queensland, so we are heading south where the weather looks a little drier.  We have reservations in a week from now on the ferry from Melbourne to Tasmania where we will spend the month of March.