We left Carnarvon Gorge with a couple of options open to us. The first entailed heading west to the mountains above the gorge, around 300km, or the alternative was to head towards the coast. The votes were cast, and with the temperatures due to soar into the 40s in the central districts, the outcome was a foregone conclusion. The coast it was.
We diverted past Lake Nuga Nuga. We had considered camping here, so were curious to see what was here. This is the largest natural lake in Queensland yet the lake was full of dead timber which puzzled us. That said, it was a haven of birdlife and it would have been stunning at sunset or sunrise. Unfortunately we were enjoying our morning tea and the temperature was well above 30 degrees, so we retreated to the comfort of Rocky's airconditioning and continued up the Arcadia Valley.
Lake Nuga Nuga
We continued driving east and seriously considered camping near the Krombit Tops National Park. Unfortunately the tracks in the park are not trailer friendly (very steep and windy), so we continued east through towns such as Banana and Biloela.
The coast was getting closer, but we decided we would be best served by pulling up earlier than pushing through into dusk. Wikicamps gave us a few options on the Boyne River - and the best part was they were free camps on the banks of Lake Awoonga, Gladstone's water supply.
We pulled up around 4pm at Boynedale Free Camp, and the Little Fisherman was itching to try to catch some Redclaw. Unfortunately it seemed the camp was full of like minded people, and Redclaw in this vicinity were decidely lacking (or smart). It was a pleasant spot for our overnight stop, but the boy's wanted to get to the coast.
From Boynedale we hit the road early for no other reason than everyone was up and itching to get to the coast. We headed south and wound through Blackmans Pass to Mirramvale before continuing to the coast at Agnes Waters and 1770 (aka Town of Seventeen Seventy).
Our initial plan was to set up camp at 1770 for a few nights before heading south of Agnes Waters to Deepwater National Park. Driving through 1770 we decided that we weren't ready for a caravan park stay yet. It all seemed a little more developed than I remembered from previous visits, and crowded too. It was a none to subtle reminder that we are fast approaching the peak holiday season in the most populated part of the country.
We decided to regroup and spend a few moments rethinking our strategy for the next week. With good phone signal in Agnes Waters, Mum set herself up with the iPad to do some serious online research, whilst I took the boys to the beach for a swim.
Our swim was shortlived as a massive Tiger Shark was spotted offshore. I think the shark was looking for turtles which are nesting at the moment, but we didn't want to test the theory. So with the beach closed, we made the most of the park playground and picnic tables.
We decided that nearby Deepwater National Park was worth booking a campsite for a few nights. There are two main camping areas, but the northern one is 4WD only - and this sounded like us. We lowered tyre pressures (one of Matilda's wheels was suspiciously already lowered to 18psi) and drove in behind the dunes to a fantastic bush camp. It had no facilities, and not many other people making it a perfect place to hold up and relax for a few days.
The beach near our camp wasn't really a swimming beach, but the sand was perfect for building a fort. The boys had a great time holding at waves at bay as they furiously worked on their fort walls. Needless to say they slept well!
And so we spent the next few days seriously relaxing. It was a time to enjoy long walks on the beach (in the cool of the mornings). Of course the little people don't understand the concept of relaxing walks on the beach...
Burning off some energy
The flipside of having some down time is that it was time to catch up on some schoolwork. Despite all the wonderful experiences the boys are experiencing, we do need to keep the basic Maths and English skills ticking along.
The Long Arm of the Education Department reaches even here!
The only drama of the camp was having to change Matilda's right tyre. We seeemed to have developed a slow leak, and it was time to change to the spare. I cannot complain, it is Matilda's first flat tyre in nearly 50 000km of travelling.
And so now it is time to relax and enjoy this magic part of the coast. The weather may be hot and windy, but tucked in behind the beach we are enjoying the shelter of the coastal vegetation. It is nice to be able to do nothing for a while.
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