Made it down to Bargara, on the coast out from Bundaberg, from the free camp beside the Calliope River in good time, despite a bit of a braking problem with the truck. The Big 4 at Bargara is very spacious with nice shady trees, it’s their ‘Breeze’ brand…..doesn’t quite live up to the ritzier Big 4s that have rows of huts blocking the views of mere vanners, along with jumping castles, water parks and hoards of kids running amoke. So it suits us fine, nice red cloud sunset before settling in for the night.

Allthego decided to drop into the local Isuzu dealer and get them to look at the brakes. Fortunately, they fitted us into their schedule, brakes got a going over and were fixed up satisfactorily to allow the journey to continue. Homealone put the parachute away, but it took up a day of our time in Bargara.

We have been around the Bundaberg region a few times now and little seems to change. Sugar cane, macadamias, tomatoes, strawberries and root vegetables. It is one of Queensland’s food bowls on rich volcanic soils. And of course it is home to the iconic Bundaberg Rum and Bundaberg Ginger Beer. Allthego is keen on the latter but the Rum is not really his scene, except for the banana and toffee infused liqueur version. Really good drizzled on a banana split!

A developing trend for caravan parks is to get the local food trucks to set up shop in the grounds on selected evenings. Generally, the usual sort of fast food stuff. The park here though has tied up the local South African food truck, in national colours, with some quite tasty pre and post diner nibbles. Especially, the samosas.

We had a short drive around the Burnett Heads area, this is where Bundaberg’s river meets the sea. An old area undergoing redevelopment, some nice houses along the sea front.

We have also had some in camp excitement with a python devouring a possum one evening next to our campsite. Could have trod on it when wandering off to the bathroom. It was not a big python, but it still cleaned the possum up quite quickly and then slipped away to digest it.

The sea here is supposed to be free of those jelly fish threats to life of more northern waters, so Allthego decided to go off and have a swim in the surf. Although they have been found further south on the inside of Fraser Island. Surf is a loose term as it was very gentle, the water lukewarm. A northerly was blowing , whipping the sea up a bit and as everyone knows brings in the blue bottles. A stray one latched onto Allthego causing some agitation.

Allthego, with the usual display of stoicism, made a quick return to camp for ice relief and some sympathy. Good as gold after an hour or two. I trust my readers will excuse the photo, just wanted it for the record! Things come in threes: brakes, snakes and blue bottles.

We are now back in Brisbane having stopped overnight at a free camp, near Gunalda, north of Gympie. Got to get the maps out now to see where we might be off to next. We have learnt one thing though on this trip, going north in February can be a little warm. Best we reckon to wait till towards the end of March or early April when things cool off .