Lloyd Jones Weir (near Barcaldine)

 5 - 6 October 2025

After a nice weekend in Charleville we headed off once again with an idea of where we might stay, depending on how we were feeling and what we found along the way. Our first stop on the route north was Augathella where we had morning tea in the park. There is a nice free camp (with showers and toilets) but it was way too early in the day to think about stopping.

We continued on along the Landsborough Highway and made our next stop at Tambo, in the park by the rather dry wetlands. It was the Sunday of a long weekend so we were expecting that some campgrounds might be quite busy. We checked out one north of Tambo but it didn't look very appealing so we continued on.

Our next stop was Lloyd Jones Weir south-west of Barcaldine. We were surprised that there weren't many people there when we arrived just after 3:00pm, so we picked a shady spot and set up camp. A few more campers arrived later in the afternoon, but it was by no means busy. It was a very pleasant place to camp for the night and if we'd had more time, and the weather hadn't been so hot, we might have stayed an extra day.

Late afternoon by the weir

We had come up with a bit of a plan which involved an early start which wasn't too diffcult. As is our habit for quick overnighters when the weather is good, we hadn't bothered with the awning, nor had we unhitched the car. We were able to get away before 7:00am,  and hoped to be able to get to Hughenden or even further,

Charleville

 3 - 5 October 2025

After three fabulous days relaxing and birding at Paddabilla it was time to move on. We didn't need to hurry so Mick spent one more morning taking photos before we packed up and headed back into Cunnamulla.

We only had a 2 hour drive from Cunnamulla in to Charleville so had a leisurely lunch in the park before heading north again. We chose a caravan park out of town where we have stayed before and opted for two nights so we could get washing and shopping done. We went for a wander along the Warrego River Walk and also a stroll around town. 

Mick never misses a chance to do some birding

Because of the bush setting, Mick was able to do a bit of birding around the cravan park so we managed to fill in our time very easily. We did need to keep moving though, so after two nights we packed up again and continued our journey north.

Paddabilla Bore (aka Eulo Bore)

 30 September - 3 October 2025

We continued west through Bollon and on to Cunnamulla where we stopped for a picnic in the park. Cunnamulla is always a good place to pull up for a rest and to pick up supplies from the small supermarket. From there we continued west the short distance to Paddabilla Bore (aka Eulo Bore).

We rarely stay in "free camps" without toilets but were prepared to make an exception for this one as it's a great spot for birding. It's also close enough to Eulo to be able to go in to empty our portable chemical toilet.

The weather was very hot so we chose a spot close to the bore with some shade. There weren't many others around and most were birders which always makes for a very pleasant stay. As usual, Mick spent most of the time out birding and chatting to others doing the same. Some were camping while others came in from Cunnamulla or Eulo for a morning or afternoon session.

Relaxing after a busy day relaxing

Despite the heat we enjoyed ourselves so much we decided to stay an extra day. We did take a drive in to Eulo to the dump point and for a very quick walk around the tiny town. We had thought we might spend a night there atthe camprgound behind the pub but decided against it once we saw it. 

While we were at Paddabilla Bore we considered our next move but found the campground we had picked out - one which had bore baths - had already closed for the season. In the end we decided not to detour further west, but to make our way north towards Charleville.

St George

 29 - 30 September 2025

We left Tenterfield and headed along the southern side of the NSW/Qld border, on the Bruxner Highway. We had a friend who, alongside her son, was taking part in the 2025 Postie Bike Challenge from Brisbane to Canberra via the Outback. We knew our route would take in part of theirs so we weren't surprised when we started to see small groups of these small motor bikes. They were generally very courteous and easy to get around. 

We passed quite a few bikes along the way into Goondiwindi where we stopped for lunch. We're not sure if we saw Kathy on the road - it's a bit hard to recognise someone who is kitted out in full safety gear including helmet. It was a really hot day and we felt for the participants, who seemed to be having a great time anyway.

After a lunch stop in the park at Goondiwindi, and a chat to one of the "Postie Bikers" we decided to press on towards St George. We made our way to the caravan park on the Balonne River where we set up with a bit of shade. We enjoyed a stroll along the river and a restful night. It was still school holidays but not at all crowded in western Queensland.

There's a lovely walking track along the river

Before leaving town we fuelled up and called in at the hardware store. We continued west along the Balonne Highway towards Cunnamulla.

Tenterfield

 26 - 29 September 2025

Our stay in Port Macquarie had been fabulous - spending time with friends, and a pelagic boat trip for Mick. The weather had been great too! It was now time to turn north and start heading back towards North Queensland. We wanted to stop in Tenterfield but weren't sure whether we'd get there in one go, or whether we might stop somewhere along way, so we set the GPS for Tenterfield and headed off.

There are a number of ways we could go, but we decided on the Gwydir Highway via Grafton. We drove north on the motorway, back through Coffs Harbour, then turned off towards Grafton. We found a rest area to make a cup of coffee, then continued to Grafton and on through the mountains.

We stopped at Hills Lookout, then continued on to Gibraltar Range Picnic Area where we had lunch. Our next stop was Raspberry Lookout which had fabulous views over the Gibraltar Range and beyond. We drove in to Washpool National Park to have a look at the campground but were put off when we saw people with unrestrained dogs in the picnic area. Dogs are not permitted and  this is one of the reasons we like camping in National Parks so much. Once we reached the top of the range we decided that we could easily get to Tenterfield so stopped in Deepwater and called ahead as we knew we would be arriving quite late.

Quite a view from Raspberry Lookout

We made it into Tenterfield late in the day and settled in to the caravan park, only to discover that our power lead was not working. It was bad timing as we had just spent two nights with a licenced electrician who might have been able to fix it for us, but without his expertise we had to buy a new one. I made it to the local hardware store with only minutes to go before closing. Uusually we would be fine without power but a very cold night was forecast and we knew we would need the heater. With an overnight temperature of 0.2°C we were glad I'd made the mad dash into town.

Mick has access to a private property that is well set up for birding just out of town, so he headed out early in the morning for a session. On his return we headed into town to do some shopping and have a look around. We had planned to stay only two nights but decided to stay and extra one, giving Mick a few more opportunities to visit one of his favourite spots. 

We had wanted to stay in Girraween National Park again but it was fully booked so we researched a few more places that might suit us, without success. It was school holidays in both Queensland and New South Wales so all the popular spots were taken. We left Tenterfield and headed towards Cunnamulla - again not really sure where we would end up for the night.

Port Macquarie

 23 - 26 September 2025

After a false start due to a lost phone, we drove south from Sapphire Beach, on the motorway towards Port Macquarie. Once again we found a rest area to have a picnic lunch and arrived at our caravan park around 1:30pm. The one we had chosen is right in town, by the breakwall. Our friends, Anne and Stephen, had already arrived from their home at Fingal Bay so we joined them once we had set up. We all went for a walk along the Hastings River towards Town Beach and discussed our plans for the next couple of days.

There's lot to see and do in Port Macquarie

The next day we all went for another walk towards Town Beach, then drove to Sea Acres Rainforest Centre. We had morning tea at the cafe before walking along the elevated boardwalk. Mick was hoping to spot the Powerful owl that makes Sea Acres it's home -  once again without success. 

Mick had to get organised for the pelagic boat trip the following day so Anne and I walked in to town to do some shopping and pick up some supplies. In the evening, after some drinks and snacks we wandered down to a nearby cafe for a light meal. The weather was perfect, but there had been some discussion that the boat trip might be cancelled. Confirmation that it would go ahead came quite late in the day, but Mick had everything ready anyway.

We had to be up early to so Mick could be at the boat for a 7:00am departure, and Anne came for the walk with us. It's a very pleasant walk along the breakwall, especially early in the morning. Anne and Stephen had to leave that morning so I had the rest of the day to myself to potter around and wander into town. 

Mick arrived home after a successful day's birding and I met a friend for a drink at the same cafe we had eaten at the day before. Sally and I worked together in Townsville more than 10 years ago so it was nice to catch up again. 

We enjoyed our three nights in Port Macquarie but it was time to move on, so we set the GPS for Tenterfield, not sure whether we would get there in one go or have an overnight stop. We headed back up the motorway and turned off towards Grafton.

Sapphire Beach

 21 - 23 September 2025

Leaving Lennox Head we stopped at one of the lookouts and saw humpback whales on their southern migration, off in the distance. We continued on through Ballina and on to the motorway southbound. We still weren't sure where we would stay but thought somewhere near Coffs Harbour would be nice. We decided to go in to Red Rock for lunch and to make up our minds.

There is a lovely and very well used parkland on the banks of the Corindi River so we stopped there for a picnic. There were so many people enjoying the sunshine, having picnics and paddling in the shallow water we wondered what it would be like closer to Coffs. We decided not to stay at Red Rock but to continue on south. We rang a couple of caravan parks and found that they were full. We hadn't realised the impact that Queensland school holidays would have on this part of the New South Wales north coast. 

Fortunately the caravan park at Sapphire Beach had room for us - and plenty more - so we headed in there and scored a good spot right near the beach. There was some bush behind us and a walking track to the sand. It's always nice to be able to hear the waves nearby. 

No crowds at Sapphire Beach

We went for a long walk on the beach and  then drove into Coffs Harbour to do some errands. Mick also carried out a small repair on the camper trailer while I did some washing. Sapphire Beach turned out to be a terrific spot to spend a few nights - close enough to town, but far enough away to be peaceful.

Our next stop would be Port Macquarie, which we were looking forward to very much as an opportunity to catch up with friends and for Mick to get out on a pelagic birding trip. We had a bit of a false start when Mick left his phone at the caravan park and we had to backtrack. Luckily we had only travelled about 1/2 hour down the road before we received a call to say it had been found - he hadn't even realised he didn't have it. So, back we went and started all over again. It was a good thing that we didn't have a long way to go that day.