Hervey Bay to Rockhampton (414Km)
Accommodation: FardooleysBush Camp
Our Rating: 10/10
Cost: $10 pn
Campfires: Yes
Image Gallery: Rockhampton
Travelling with: Fiona Ellis, Steve
& Mel Conlan
Camp Description
Peter and
Robyn are offering their property as a camping site for motor homers,
caravaners, and campers. The unpowered campsites provide a stunning view of
Rockhampton. You can enjoy happy hour at Fardooleys Bar or chat with other
campers at the communal fire pit. The facilities include flushing toilets and
hot showers. It is requested to take all rubbish home with you as there is no
dump point available. The owners are very friendly and welcoming.
On Saturday, August 6th, we gathered at home at 7:00 am to begin our journey towards our first destination, Rockhampton. As is our custom on all northbound trips, we made our first stop at the GIN GIN bakery, which is a couple of hours' drive away and a great place to take a break. We have never been disappointed with the food there. We had planned to stay at the Caves Show Grounds, but despite trying to call them repeatedly over the last few days, no one answered. Therefore, we started looking for an alternative place to stay. Katrina remembered seeing a private campground on Facebook, so we searched for it and called them from the Callope Rest Stop. Luckily, they had room for our three vans for two nights. We had an amazing bush camping experience at Fardooleys Bush Camp with friendly hosts, Robyn and Peter. Every night, we all gathered around the campfire to enjoy a few drinks. If you want to know about the area and its happenings, Robyn is the person to ask as she knows everything. On the first afternoon, we relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful sunsets from the top of the little plateau we were on. Sunday, August 7th was our day of exploring Rockhampton. We visited the Rockhampton Zoo, Koorana Crocodile Farm, and Capricorn Caves. The limestone caves are one of the largest privately owned cave systems in Australia. It was first discovered in 1881 by Norwegian migrant John Olsen. He went on to claim the land under a leasehold title and opened the attraction publicly in 1884. The property was later reclassified to freehold land and is today one of the largest privately owned cave systems in Australia. The attraction is open to the public and is one of the longest-running tourist attractions in Queensland. The tour was informative and well-organized, but the highlight for me was when they played Jeff Buckley's song "Hallelujah." The sound echoed beautifully through the cave system, and they claim that it surpasses any man-made sound system. It truly was an amazing experience. We also visited the Rockhampton Zoo, which was free to enter, but visitors were encouraged to leave a donation. We made the meerkats and chimpanzees our top priorities for viewing, as they were our favorites, but there were many other animals to observe. We also went to Koorana Crocodile Farm, which is a farm approved by the Australian Government and operates under their strategic conservation program. It was established in November 1981 as the first commercial crocodile farm in Queensland. John and Lillian Lever had the skills to capture crocodiles alive and saw it as a service to the community as rogue crocodiles were proving to be a danger to people. It was also the only way for them to get breeding stock. The alternative was to have them put down (shot), which did not sit well with them. During those early years, they removed over 100 crocodiles from areas of public recreation and residential areas. We also had the opportunity to hold a baby crocodile, and its skin was surprisingly soft! I can see why people use it for handbags.
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