Mount Moffatt Easter trip, day 3 and 4



Got up reasonably early and the wind meant that it was a little chilly so we had a bit of a breakfast campfire. Had some coffee and cooked some bacon and eggs in a wrap for brekky. Got cleaned up and changed and headed off for a drive around nine am. We drove back almost to the entrance to the park to do the longish (roughly 6 Km) walk around the Looking Glass, The Tombs and the Chimneys. I took it relatively slow and flew the drone a few times. Even gave it a test to see if it could navigate through the lightly forested path and follow me. It performed fine and in bypass mode was able to go around trees and keep following me without any input from the controller. We paused at the aboriginal art site and rested in the shade. 

Then finished the walk back past the Chimneys and back to the car park. 

On the drive back to camp we took a different track and looped past the information Centre and Rangers buildings. The others headed back to camp and I continued on to look at the West Branch campsite. It's a quite nice open grassy area with space for quite a few campers. Then on the way back I took a side track down to the Incineration Site where some of the local bushrangers/criminals had burned a policeman's body to hide the evidence of his death. This track was much more interesting to drive than the main roads through the park. Then back to camp for a late lunch followed by a very lazy afternoon around camp. Then more nibbles around the camp fire, I ate too many nibbles and didn't feel like dinner, so we kept sitting around the fire for awhile. 

I got the tripod out as the galactic Centre of the Milky Way was visible in the sky as the nearly full moon had yet to rise. 

Then back to the fire where Josh and I continued chatting after the others had wandered off to bed. Finally, we crashed a bit after nine pm. 

Another early morning, although the wind had dropped off so it wasn't as chilly. Had coffee and another bacon and eggs roll and then did a leisurely pack up. There had been no dew overnight so the gazebo was nice and dry to pack away. Nik and Lukas wanted to get back home early so they headed off about six thirty am. The rest of us were ready to go a little after eight thirty am. After driving out of the park we took a different, slightly shorter route back to Injune. The road initially was a little narrower than the main road in but it ended being a more interesting drive. Kemsley needed some diesel in Injune whereas as Josh and I both with long range fuel tanks and were fine to get back to Roma. While he refueled I got caught up on what had happened in the world over the last few days when we had no internet. Then an easy run into Roma, where we all refueled at the United on the east side of town and had some lunch. Then it was a long haul back home. The others stopped for a toilet break a bit before Dalby but as I was heading to Caloundra rather the Gold Coast I continued on to Dalby and the headed north east out towards Yarraman, where I had a quick toilet and the drink stop. Then onto Kilcoy, Peachester, Beerwah, Landsborough and then the final drive into Caloundra. 

All up it was thoroughly enjoyable long weekend, the weather was perfect, there was lots to see in the park and the camp fires were wonderful. 

Bye Jeff.

Mount Moffatt Easter trip, day 1 and 2



Got up with the alarm at 5am and did the final packing of the car and headed off around 5:30 am. A nice easy drive up to meet the others at the Ampol at Blacksoil, along with about 40,000,000 bikers heading off on an Easter ride. Had a quick coffee and bacon and egg roll and when Kemsley and Lise, Josh, and Nik and Lukas arrived and refreshed themselves we started driving west. We had a reasonably easy drive except for a couple of clumps of caravans which seem to need to travel very close together, not leaving sufficient safe space for people overtaking. We refueled in Roma and had some lunch in the Park on the north side of the town. Then it was another nice easy drive to Injune where Nik had to refuel his Jimny and also, fill up a couple of jerry cans of unleaded fuel as he only has a pretty small fuel tank. Then we headed off to the national park via the back roads, a bit over half the 150 or so Km was via gravel/dirt roads some of which were in the process of being graded and upgraded. Then we made our way up to the Rotary Shelter Shed campground where we had managed to book all the camp sites for our group. We set up camp with a nice lookout to the North and watched the sun set with a cold drink and a campfire. 

It was then an early night in bed as we had been driving all day. 

We woke to beautiful clear blue skies with a cool north easterly breeze. After breakfast and a chat we went out for a drive to explore the park. First off was a short walk in to Lots Wife and then a slightly longer walk to Kookaburra Cave to view the aboriginal art work. 

Then onto Marlong Arch for another relatively short walk. 

After all this exercise we headed back to camp and had some lunch. After a chat we decided to go for a drive up to the Top Shelter Shed lookout to see if it would be a nice spot to view the sunset. It was indeed a nice spot, and we continued on this track out to the Mahogany Forest and then onto the end of the track at the Head of Carnarvon Creek. There was a muddy patch or two along the way. After that we headed back to camp and whiled away a few hours before gathering up the drinks and nibbles and headed up to the Top Shelter Shed to view the sunset. It was a very pleasant way to watch the sun go down. 

Then back to camp for dinner and a chat around the camp fire. And finally off to bed with a coolish wind blowing. The night sky was spectacular until the full moon came out and washed out the stars. 

Bye Jeff.