On the Road Again – Toying with Bruce

Day 27 Saturday 4/7/2026 Kenilworth to Maryborough, Qld, sunny 0 – 23

We take the back road north past Imbil and Kandanga, then the navigator (Muggins me) misses the interchange to the freeway by about one second. Missed it, by that much. Eew, with a van on the back and a busy back road, a U turn is not worth contemplating. With 2 GPS and a fairly decent knowledge of the area it’s a nuisance because the highway now bypasses Gympie. Not to worry, we’ll pick up the old Bruce highway just outside of Gympie. Oh shit! Mrs Google on the phone has just taken us over the top of the old Bruce Highway and seems hellbent on taking us to Tin Can Bay. In the back streets of town, the driver is muttering obscenities while the disgraced navigator is now guiding him onto the southbound lane of the old Bruce highway. Well, at least we’re on it. Still cursing, the driver manages a quick side street exit and executes a perfect three-point turn getting us onto the northbound lane. Meanwhile the 2 GPS are shouting opposing directions at each other. The human navigator has now gone silent, with embarrassment. We tootle up the old Bruce towards the new Bruce and then the phone rings, bloody hell! Is this the ‘adventure’ part of travelling?

The Maryborough showgrounds are in full swing with events, and thankfully we’ve booked online. The facilities have been upgraded, right down to the electronic toilet door lock. After lunch we’re keen to see what all the excitement is about. Red dust is flying from a metal clad arena and it sounds like a million wasps have been let loose. They’re racing remote controlled cars and it is serious stuff. Each uniformed team has a pit crew tent and spare parts are laid out on tables in ‘pit lane’ it all seems deadly serious.

There’s another serious competition at the equestrian end of the park where focused young women and their equally focused steeds compete in the dressage.