Category: Qld

Point of Interest, Qld5 Comments

A Tale of Two Tours

Itching for Hitching

We were based in Hervey Bay, Qld experiencing our first northern winter as grey nomads. There were two bucket list items that had to be ticked before we headed south again to freeze our extremities off. Whale Watching It is another perfectly clear day. We are picked up by the bus at 9:00am and board the Freedom 111 at the marina. Keith, Bill and Stacey are cheerful, professional and welcoming, telling us that we have the run of the boat whilst we are on board. The bay is, as it has been since we arrived here, perfectly flat. These are … Continue reading A Tale of Two Tours

Places, Qld, The Characters You Meet3 Comments

Morven, Qld

Itching for Hitching

As we drive we are talking about how we’re becoming overwhelmed by all of the experiences that we’ve had on this, our trip through Western Qld and as we pull up at the Augathella Road junction we see a kangaroo just standing there watching the traffic. We round the next bend into the little town of Morven and there is a crowd of people sitting in the sun having morning tea. They all wave vigorously and as we pull over a pocket rocket in yellow called Dulcie runs up to my window. It happens to be the town’s “Longest Morning … Continue reading Morven, Qld

Qld, The Pubs4 Comments

Cooktown Hotel

Itching for Hitching

The Cooktown Hotel advertises sunset on their verandah and we decide to take them up on their offer. The front door is shaded by a piece of striped canvas hanging down about a metre. We lift the canvas and enter the cool of the bar. It is busy and noisy and classic rock is still playing as it was earlier in the day, now it’s the Rolling Stones. We are greeted by a small shaggy dog with a big smile. We take our drinks up the steep wooden stairs and find half a dozen others on the verandah. There are … Continue reading Cooktown Hotel

Freedom Camp, Qld7 Comments

Service With a Smile in Gayndah

Itching for Hitching

In Gayndah, Qld there is travellers rest called Zonhoven Park beside the Burnett River just east of town. We spent a peaceful night there in 2015: It is quite a pleasant spot and there is a farm beside us. The river is about 10 metres below the park and its far bank has to be 400 metres away. There is a beautiful sunset over the river as we chat to a local lady who is out walking her dog and pleased to see us sitting outside. She says that most campers set up then lock themselves away for the night. … Continue reading Service With a Smile in Gayndah

Qld, The Characters You Meet14 Comments

The Anthropologist

Itching for Hitching

We have an unexpected surprise at happy hour when two blokes tear into the camp in an old rusty ute with a couple of dogs in the back. Craig and David are locals and they enthral the boys with their stories of life around Quilpie and Charleville. David’s ancestors bought a mob of cattle in Melbourne and drove them northward following the rivers until they reached Quilpie. These days David has 255,000 acres at Quilpie and his son runs a helicopter mustering business. Seeing a good sized crowd around the fire, Craig of Aboriginal descent, suggests that he give a … Continue reading The Anthropologist

Freedom Camp, Qld7 Comments

TYTO Wetlands

Itching for Hitching

For Free Camp Friday here’s a camp that has been built by a thoughtful town that realizes the benefits of encouraging people to stay awhile. Ingham in Qld, known as the” Italian town” is welcoming and friendly. The information centre is at the TYTO Wetlands and there is a new 48 hour free camp beside the lake. The shopping centre is only a block away and there is an excellent fishmonger on the highway, the prawns are seriously sweet and juicy. Did I mention the Italian deli in town? The name Tyto is strange but it is the name of … Continue reading TYTO Wetlands

Qld, The Pubs3 Comments

Blue Heeler Hotel

Itching for Hitching

Some pubs in the outback like the Blue Heeler Hotel in Kynuna, Qld have very narrow doors, we just assumed that people were smaller in the old days. But hell no, it was to stop you from riding your horse into the bar. Spoil sports. The Blue Heeler Hotel has been here since the 1860’s when it was a Cobb and Co coaching stop and the gnarly old floor boards look like they’re original. If that’s not enough this hotel was where the shearers celebrated during the great shearer’s strike of 1894 when they set fire to the woolshed at … Continue reading Blue Heeler Hotel

Qld, Showgrounds, When Things Just Go Wrong7 Comments

Where are we?

Itching for Hitching

The showgrounds market is just packing up for the day and the place appears to be somewhat disorganized. There are a lot of horse stables that, by the amount of fresh manure must be in regular use. The van parking area is in a fenced paddock off to one side and there must be thirty vans of all shapes and sizes, but mostly large. Beside us we have a magnificent Winnebago with slide outs and probably worth half a million dollars. On the other side is a somewhat messy van with an old bloke sitting in the sun on a straight backed … Continue reading Where are we?

Freedom Camp, Qld4 Comments

Rocky Creek

Itching for Hitching

“You are here today because of where we were yesterday”… inscription in the Rocky Creek War Memorial Park. Rocky Creek War Memorial Park near Tolga on the Atherton Tableland in Queensland is huge and when we arrive it has about sixty vans in the free camp area but there is room for many more. This is our third visit to this park and out of respect I make a point of reading every single memorial plaque. I learn that not only was this bush park once the site of a 5000 bed military hospital, but there were 2000 staff and … Continue reading Rocky Creek

Qld, The Pubs3 Comments

Club Hotel, Croydon, Qld

Itching for Hitching

Croydon is in the Gulf Country, the Gulf of Carpentaria and yep, you can call that the outback. The GPS tells us that we’re 3.3kms from Croydon but where the hell is it? We emerge from the scrub to find half a dozen wide dusty streets. This is a gold mining town whose heyday ended at the outbreak of the First World War. It now has a few houses, a pub, a take away/ store, an historic general store, a police station and the shire council. In fact the council has to provide all of the other services that are … Continue reading Club Hotel, Croydon, Qld