30 November 2016 - Emu Park to Maryborough

It was a big drive today - 435km.  We have the home tail wind really driving us homeward. 

Having walked around Emu Park last evening, we had little to do but hit the road.  We have been this road before so there was nothing really new.  For this reason we did not take the roads into Bundaberg, Burrum Heads, Gladstone, Hervey Bay etc.  

We are now into an increasingly busy road system and everyone wants to do the maximum speed limit, so we are left with little choice than to join them or get run over.  This is a far call from driving out west, where we were able to dawdle our way along at a speed that was of our own selection.  Still, it did not take long to get back into the groove.

301116 Traffic - Ugh! in Rockhampton

301116 Rockhampton, beef capital of Australia

Driving at speed amongst traffic does not provide a good environment for taking photographs, as some of the following photographs show. 

301116 Balustrading on the bridge over the
Fitzroy River at Rockhampton

301116 The Burrum River from the bridge - lucky to get it at
100km/h with a semi pushing from behind

The countryside between Rockhampton and Marlborough is pretty ho hum and it was not until we reached Gin Gin and Childers that visions splendid reappeared - fields of sugar cane, a coffee plantation and macadamia nut orchards.

301116 Back with the cane near Gin Gin

301116 More cane near Wallaville

301116 Coffee near Wallaville

301116 Macadamia nut orchard near Childers

Gin Gin was a very busy place.

301116 Beehive of activity at Gin Gin

We did meet an interesting character who somehow found his way into the van.  This was one of two. The other got away.

301116 On the caravan floor.  How did it get in?

301116 different colour in the sun - almost translucent

The frog was real.  The giraffe was realistic.

301116 This is a long story at Gin Gin

Blossoms also caught our eye today.  We first noted these as we crossed a bridge.  Along both sides of the creek bed, trees were blanketed in a creeper covered in brilliant yellow blossoms.  We could not photograph from the bridge so we pulled up at a parking area and shot away.

301116 The creeper was truly spectacular

301116 And the creeper was everywhere

301116 Tree in blossom.  Note the yellow 
creeper on the RHS

As this penultimate blog goes to bed, we are being threatened by thunder, lightning and so far, only a few spots of rain. While it wasn't too hot today, a storm would probably help lower the temperature and bring a smile to the locals.

Tonight is our final night out, before we head for home.  Tomorrow's blog - some statistics.