Day 68 Friday 14/8/2026 Maryborough to Kandanga, 7 – 22

It was a nippy night but, we wake to a glorious morning with clear blue skies.

It’s sad to be leaving Maryborough as it is a town that begs to be explored.

We roll on down through farmlands, sugar, avocadoes, bushland and stands of bamboo. Tiaro (tie row) is busy as always with both a renowned butcher shop and Christmas shop. Nearby is the town of Bauple, which is the home of the Macadamia nut. As a kid we called them Bauple nuts and cursed them for being so hard to crack. The Bruce Highway is long, but it’s now duplicated from Gympie down to the NSW border. No longer the ‘goat track’ that my dad used to call it.

Arriving at Kandanga Country Club we’re greeted with “G’day darls”, sold a 3year membership which gives us a 10% discount on our accommodation for only $2 and we buy a stubby holder. Onya darls.

The campground is between the bowling green and the cow paddock and seems to have tripled in size since we first came here n 2017. Anyway, we have a treed spot overlooking a bunch of contented coos.

Now those coos. They’re all brown with a few Brahman features, which I’m assuming means that they are Aussie Droughtmasters, but what would I know about cows, except for one gorgeous lass who I dub Miss Daisy, as she looks like she’s dressed for a day at the Melbourne Cup. She is covered in black and white sploshes and spots and her forelegs are shiny black from hoof to knee, like a pair of new boots.

We both take walks around the town checking what has changed and what hasn’t since our last visit. One of the hidden features of town is the crazily narrow footpath that goes up and down with a camber that aims to toss you into the gutter way below.

By evening the campground is almost full. We have some leftover curry for dinner before wandering over to the clubhouse for a nightcap. The club is looking good and packed with drinkers and diners. We buy raffle tickets and, miss out on the meat tray. But we do learn about the trials of the local dairy industry who are up against retailers who buy their milk from Victoria at a cheaper price. It seems that dairy folk in all states are being stitched up, and fuel miles are being wasted in the process. It’s a good night and a cold one.

Accom: $30.00, Towing Kms: 114Kms