Charleville - photos

A day off is always a good chance to have a look around.

Took a drive down the Mitchell Hwy to check out the Warrego River. Looking good at Bakers Bend except for some green algae that suggest no flow. Then Dillalah Bridge, a lovely camp spot, but the river turns to billabongs. Definitely no flow!

Interesting, not a camper in sight. For that matter don't remember seeing a caravan or camper on the road either. Too hot?

Took a walk into town and took a few snaps. Charleville is a nice town, has a good feel to it.

Warrego River at Bakers Bend.

Warrego River at Dillalah Bridge.

A Lovely park in Charleville.

Hotel Corones Charleville built in better days. 

Charleville - Aussie Helpers

Monday morning in Charleville and meeting up with the Aussie Helpers. I've put my hand up to do some volunteer work helping the farming community who are trying to survive this endless drought. Not exactly sure what I'm in for but I'll give it a go. An open mind and a preparedness to do what is needed will be important.

Fundraising is a major part of any charity. But receiving and sorting donations of goods has its challenges. All sorts of donations. All sorts of things given, with the best of intentions, need sorting, inspection, evaluation, and determination as to the best way to utilize or distribute.

So my first day was spent assisting in the sorting of donated toys, all new, and taking delivery of pallets of gift boxes prepared by large corporate businesses. A new experience for me but a satisfying day with measurable achievement.

A sense of purpose, of contributing. A rewarding feeling.

Charleville - Rock Pool

Ahead of schedule. So spent a couple of nights camped at a rock pool, a lovely quiet spot, about 10km east of Charleville. Close to the road but surprisingly little traffic. Did some walking around in the scrub and took a few photos. A relaxing time watching water birds feed on yabbies.

Rock Pool -10km east of Charleville

Probably left over from early road construction.

My Internet connection.

There is a trick to getting it the right way round.
(White-necked Heron)

Drought - Erratum

It's not just farmers!

Everone suffers in the communities. Towns that have been under pressure to compete with larger centers and survive now have this financial downturn as well. Belt-tightening. Job loss. Business closures. People moving away.  

Mitchell appears to be a town in decline.

Drought

It's Australia you got to expect it!  Or you could take Donald Trump's line and say "well you knew what you were signing up for".

Extracts from BOM Monthly Climate Drought Report (Sep 2017)

Driest September on record for Murray–Darling Basin exacerbates deficiencies in eastern Australia

Rainfall in September was below average for most of Queensland...

Rainfall was very much below average (ranked in the lowest 10% of records) for a large area of the mainland southeast...

Queensland it was the tenth-driest September since records commenced in 1900...

Dry conditions have been exacerbated by exceptional warmth across most of the country...

Maxima for Queensland were the second-warmest on record for the month...

To read the full report- http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/drought/drought.shtml 

But at the very least, the rest of us should understand that farmers are doing it tough at the moment.

The Maranoa in the good days

Come to town for the green grass.

Neil Turner Weir. Just a puddle behind the wall.

Mitchell

Provisioned in Chinchilla. The original plan was to stop in the backyard of the Federal Hotel in Wallumbilla, it's off the highway but looked too busy. Not caravans but trucks, big mothers that are noisy when they start up in the middle of the night. So on-on to Muckadilla. Have stopped there before and upon arrival thought better of it. Time for change: let's try Mitchell and camp on the Maranoa River. Far more picturesque and a new experience. Might stay more than just the night, nice.

So camping at Neil Turner Weir with a handful of caravans, and there is masses of space. It seems in-season it's very popular here. An entry in Wikicamps back in July says there were 70 vans here. Hmm, something to be said for being out-of-season.

Today's trivia: Did you know the waters of the Maranoa eventually flow into the Murray River? True! Mind you there are other rivers and some minor tributaries involved. (Not much going that way at the moment).

Home tonight.

Linville - Jandowae

Jandowae: camped here 2 years ago and oh what a difference now. Then it was a full lake and a sunny day as against now an empty lake and a dreary overcast windy day. My first sign of drought after dropping down from the Bunya Mountains.

Maroochydore - Linville

Staying in one place for nearly 2 months, not healthy! But been waiting to have the MH inspected (heavy vehicle requirement) for rego purposes. Poor excuse I know. But I'm on the road again and loving that feeling.

No rush getting ready, provisions etc. although some bits were done in between showers of rain. Away by 10am with just 125km planned for the day. An easy run up the range and picturesque even in the drizzle and mist. A leisurely stop at Peachester, shotting the breeze with the locals in the cafe, enjoying lunch. Then Linville via the D'Aguilar Hwy and camping across the street from the pub at the old railway station. Will do my bit and inject some small amount into the local economy. The least I can do for the community that provides a very nice campsite.

It's late arvo and I'm injecting funds into the local community (my choice via the pub) and talking to the publican as you do (no one else there). He's playing the 'lucky tickets' and I relate a lucky tickets story from years ago at the Garradunga pub near Innisfail. He says there is a story in the Courier Mail newspaper today and it says the pub is near Ingham. Sure enough, he's right there is a story about the pub in the paper, but hey I know that pub is just north of Innisfail. Moral of this story: don't believe all you read in the paper and don't believe your local publican. He's probably taking the other side of the argument just to keep you there, drinking.

Linville Train Station and camp

Pub 

Courier Mail Newspaper