Itinerary Day 1: Gympie to Mapleton (via Flaxton) - 113km Day 2: Mapleton Day 3: Mapleton to Forest Glen - 24km Day 4 and 5: Forest Glen Day 6: Forest Glen to Noosa Heads - 55km Day 7 and 8: Noosa Heads Day 9: Noosa Heads to Mulgildie - 416km Day 10: Mulgildie to Biloela - 111km Day 11: Biloela Day 12: Biloela to Cania Gorge - 109km Day 13 to 18: Cania Gorge Day 19: Cania Gorge to Gympie - 378km Incidental mileage without 'van in tow - 268km |
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SANTA TRIP HITS HEAVY RAIN DEAR
WE dubbed it the 'Santa Run' ... that time of year when our trusty Jayco transforms into a pseudo sleigh and the car metamorphoses into reindeer.
With the caravan packed to overflowing with brightly wrapped Christmas presents we headed into central Queensland to visit grandchildren at Biloela for lots of festive cheer.
The three-week pre-Christmas trip also took in Mapleton, Forest Glen, Noosa Heads and the wonderful Big 4 caravan resort in Cania Gorge. When pitched, our 'van was adorned with Christmas lights and tinsel. Yes, we certainly got into the spirit of things!
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| Warning sign at Mapleton |
We clocked 1474 kilometres and our Ford Falcon AU, hauling an 18ft Jayco Westport full shower 'van, swallowed 243 litres of petrol, averaging 6.04 kilometres a litre.
With fuel costing between 72.1 cents (thank you Woolworths!) and 89.8 cents a litre we forked out an average of $13.32c for every 100 kilometres travelled.
The journey began with a short hop to Flaxton which involved a very steep climb up the range from Nambour ... first gear for much of the way. We deposited our three cats at a local cattery and stayed for two nights at the nearby Lillyponds Caravan Park. At $21 a night, little expensive for the facilities offered.
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| A soggy stay at Forest Glen |
Then back down the range
to the Big 4 Forest Glen site where most of our three days were spent inside the 'van
sheltering from torrential rain! A nice site, but I award it a black mark for not having a
dump point. We were expected to drive almost to the coast to empty our toilet. Not good
enough for a four-and-a-half star site.
Day Six saw us braving more torrential rain and gusting side winds as we drove along the
Sunshine Coast Motorway to Noosa Heads and the caravan park at Munna Point.
Positioned on the banks of Noosa River,
the site's amenities blocks were among the cleanest we have ever seen and there was an
endless stream of hot water available. Shame about some of the inconsiderate campers and
caravanners this site seems to attract.
It never rains but what it pours ... and our planned 500km drive from Noosa to Biloela
certainly proved the point! After battling hours of heavy rain, thunderstorms and flooded
roads we decided to call it a day at Mulgildie rest area just south of Monto on the
Burnett Highway. The evening news revealed that 200mm of rain had swamped the area that
day!
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| Biloela offered easy parking while we shopped at Woolworths |
Luckily the skies had cleared for the next day's 111km drive over the Coominglah Range into Biloela.
Before leaving we did the usual courtesy bit when staying at rest areas ... we shopped at the local store. Unfortunately we couldn't wait until lunchtime when the local pub serves up a roast meal for the ridiculous price of $3.95!
Our stay in Biloela was a grandparent's delight as we did the usual Christmas activities with two very energetic and excited youngsters. Unfortunately the time whizzed past and we were soon retracing our route south, this time stopping off at Cania Gorge for a week's rest and recuperation.
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| Big 4's Jim Walker at bird feeding in Cania Gorge |
We stayed at the wonderful Big 4 site where everyone is welcomed like family. The owners do a magnificent job to ensure your stay is enjoyable and memorable. Bird feeding and free movies on the big screen under the stars are a bonus.
Day 19 saw us
winding up the steadies and heading south again. The roads were very quiet and we had a
pleasant 378km drive home, stopping at Ban Ban Springs roadhouse for lunch ... egg and
chips plus fish and chips for less than eight bucks. Got to be a bargain!
Covering less than 1500km in three weeks meant this was a leisurely trip along quiet roads for much of the time.
A few words of criticism about the Burnett Highway (Highway 17) are in order, I think. This inland road has been promoted as an alternative route for southerners heading to Rockhampton and the north coast. Maybe it is quieter and more scenic than the coast-hugging Bruce Highway, but many sections of the highway leave a lot to be desired.
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| A Cania Gorge 'local' drops by for a visit |
Collapsed edges and narrow stretches mean you have to keep your wits about you, particularly with a caravan in tow. There's little room for error ... especially when heavy trucks approach from the opposite direction.
It was made even more precarious for us when we hit a particularly nasty spell of bad weather. Luckily, Queensland's Main Roads Department had reversed its ban on overnight stays at some roadside rest areas and we were able to abandon driving and park up for the night as lightning and thunder echoed around us.
This would not have been possible a few months earlier when the ban was in force. We would have had to struggle on in the atrocious and dangerous conditions to find a commercial site where we would have had to fork out top dollars for just a few hours.
