Day 44 Tuesday 21/7/2026 Mulambin, windy 17 – 22
Woody always gets up early. With shopping to do and knowing that Drake’s IGA opens at 7:00, he drives down to Drakes at Emu Park. Realising that he’s forgotten his phone he returns to the park and sets off again, this time in the other direction, for Yeppoon, forgetting that their supermarkets don’t open until 8:30. Now he’s not a happy camper, he grumbles off to wash the car.
While all this is going on, the BM and I walk over to Kemp Beach and take a short walk up Bluff Point where there’s a good view of the beach. There are loads of green ant nests in the shrubbery and in trying to explain these little guys I upset them and we’ve now got angry ants everywhere. I’ll bet that broke the boredom for her of hearing about ant house building methods. Back at the horse paddock the BM tests her aging joints while doing an equine gender check. Why? Heaven knows.
It’s still a little windy but the sun is shining so we take a drive up to Byfield National Park. “Oh, there’s the road to Upper Stoney” I shout, we swing in and it swiftly turns to gravel. Quick as a wink, Woody throws the car into reverse while muttering about having just washed the car.
A few k’s up the road and we spot the turning for Red Rock campground, once more there’s gravel but only about a km. After we’ve checked out this pretty little campground it’s back on the bitumen and we spot a 50km sign, a house, a school and heaps of parked cars. We’re here, at the Byfield General Store and where did all those cars come from?
As we park the now dusty car, a family with 5 noisy little tackers arrive and a refrigerated delivery truck. As we sit in the open-air cafe overhung with tropical greenery, talking is impossible as the truck engine burbles, the fridge unit drones, and the kids scream with delight. Woody is muttering something about being seen and not heard. As always, the burgers are good, even though I end up with runny egg all over my face from the brekkie burger.
On the way back, we drop Woody off to add a few more steps to his daily count and the BM and I tour the Rosslyn Bay Marina. We’re in luck, we spot an osprey on its nest high up atop a car park light.
Happy hour is at our van and Woody cooks pizzas for dinner.
Accom: $56.00
Fuel: $66.32, 30.72ltr, (2.159)
