31 July 2021
Sandstone Park - Carnarvon
27 July 2021
Virgin Rock Rest Area - Springsure
Part 4 of our 2021Adventure
Accommodation Virgin Rock Rest Area
Our Rating:
Cost: FOC
Camp Fires: Allowed
Images of Springsure
Travelling with: Fiona Ellis
Virgin Rock, which is situated four kilometres from Springsure is on the eastern side of Mount Zamia and has a naturally formed likeness to the Virgin Mary and Child. The spectacular cliffs are floodlit at night and can be viewed from the Lions Park. The formation is amazing and a must see when travelling to Carnarvon Gorge. This free campgfround offers toilets and it is dog friendley
25 July 2021
Blue Gem Tourist Park - Sapphire
July 23rd to 26th
Part 3 of our 2021Adventure
Accommodation Blue Gem Tourist Park
Our Rating:
Cost: $33.00 per night Powered Site
Camp Fires: Allowed (Fire Pit)
Image Gallery of Sapphire
Travelling with: Fiona Ellis
We started the day with a cup of coffee and said goodbye to Katrina and Rod before heading to our next destination, Saffire, for some Fossicking. We stopped at the local bakery in Blackwater, but the pie and sausage roll were terrible, so we'll make a note not to stop there again. We then went to Emerald to stock up on food, beer, and fuel before heading west. The main roads were bumpy, and we felt every little dip and bump as we were carrying 2.5 tonnes of van. We checked into the Blue Gem Tourist Park, where we would be staying for the next three nights. We were pleased to discover that we could have a campfire in the park as long as we had our own fire pit and it was off the ground. The girl at the counter was helpful and gave us all the information we needed about fires.
SO today we learnt the art of searching for sapphires, in Sapphire
1 Pour some of the dirt from the bucket into a special double sieve so you can shake the excess dust out
2 Put the sieve into the dunking contraption called a Willoughby
3/Spend some time washing the dirt and mud off your rocks
4 Take you seive full of wet roacks to the table and flip them out like a pancake
5 Grab your tweezers and start pulling out the sapphires
6 Goto the bank, deposit funds, contact your boss and say we are not coming back to work
Saturday 14th July - Day 8
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We had an amazing few days in Sapphire/Rubyvale. It was a bucket list item for you us to go fossicking, and after two days of doing the tourist fossicking, we headed out on a tag-a-long tour to a private plot to do the real thing. It was hard work, but Kat managed to score a pretty nice star sapphire, as you can see in the picture after it was cleaned up. We had a blast We hooked up with Keith from Fascination Gems & Crystals, a Kiwi bloke who has been fossicking in the region for over 30 years. It cost $50 per person and all equipment was supplied. We were told to meet him on the main highway at the rest area at 8:00 am, and he would lead you to the dig site.
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Fossicking Tag along Tours |
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22 July 2021
Private House - Blackwater
Part 2 of our 2021Adventure
Accommodation Private Home(fiona's sisterhouse)
Our Rating:
Cost:
Camp Fires:
Travelling with: Fiona Ellis
ICE on the winshield, fingers turning blue, but we had to be in Biloela by 8:30am to get thiese llights fixed.
Early Start at -3 Degrees | Ranger Hooked Ready to Roll |
21 July 2021
BIG4 Tourist Park - Cania Gorge
July 17th - 22nd
Part 2 of our 2021Adventure
My Feet | The Locals |
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Decission to be Made
2/ Steffi and Nick both have offered us their cars to use. (I dont think they wanted us home) - Possible???
3 / Pack up and go home.... Noooooooooo
We decided to borrow Steffi's car, but I needed to go back to Hervey Bay to have someone fit the electric brakes and check the wiring. Now we can finally enjoy our holidays and explore Cania Gorge. Our first adventure was a 1.5km walk to the Two Storey Caves and then a 500m Picnic Walk around the car park before lunch.
I woke up early to take my Prado down to Monto to see if the Monto Auto RACQ mechanic could fix it. If he couldn't, I would have to go back to Hervey Bay. Unfortunately, he changed the fuel filter but it still wouldn't start. The mechanic told me that it might be an expensive fix, costing around $3,000 to $4,000.
I decided to go back with him and get my Ranger. He offered to bring it back for me since he had to come back anyway. On the way, I told Kat and Fiona the news and they came to get me. We emptied out the Prado and put everything in the back of the Landcruiser. We then went to town to have a look around and enjoy some morning tea.
While leaving Monto, we stumbled upon the Historical Museum. Although it wasn't open, we could still explore it and learn about the region's history. It was an awesome look back in time.
We made our way back to the campsite after a long day and were ready to unwind with some drinks and snacks. The Big 4 Cania Gorge was a beautiful spot surrounded by wildlife, including kangaroos, lorikeets, cockatoos, and king parrots. Fiona was really enjoying getting up close to the animals and embracing her love for nature. It felt like we were in our own little wildlife reserve.
04 July 2021
Standown Park - Kia Ora (near Gympie)
Accommodation: Standown Park
Our Rating: 3.5/5
Cost: $20 pn - Fires only in communal areas
Image of Standown Park
Traveling with : Fiona Ellis , Steve and Melinda Conlan