Chinchilla

 6 - 8 March 2025

We had an early start at Myall Park Botanic Gardens so Mick could have a session at the bird hide before we set off again. Once more we checked the BoM app for the progress of Cyclone Alfred and confirmed our decision to stay at Chinchilla. There would probably be some rain, but nothing too drastic.

After a rest stop and cuppa in Condamine we continued on to Rubern Lagoons in Chinchilla - a place we had stayed at before, and enjoyed the bush like setting on the lagoon. We took the same sit as we had last time which meant we were looking towards the bush instead of a neighbour's caravan. 

Our site had a great outlook

We took the time to do a couple of jobs and to get a couple of loads of washing done before the rain set in. Late in the afternoon there was a very heavy, windy downpour and then a few lighter showers but not the massive deluges that were beginning to occur in the SE corner as the cyclone approached.

We did some shopping and were surprised to see empty shelves this far from the expected cyclone impact zone. There was no fresh fruit or vegetables, no chicken, no milk - fresh or UHT, no bottled water - it seems panic buying is still alive and kicking.

We packed up on Saturday morning still not sure where we would end up - maybe Childers or Moore Park Beach.

Warwick

15 – 17 October 2024

Some weeks before, we had decided to book a few nights at O’Reillys and needed to find somewhere not too far away to store the trailer. Calling ahead to the caravan park in Warwick, we were advised that they would be able to do that for us at no charge if we stayed before or after, so that’s where we went.

We stopped on the way to do some birding at a picnic spot near Cunningham’s Gap. When we pulled in off the highway, we realised we had been there before. We could hear the bellbirds but they were well hidden in the bush.

Continuing on we stopped at a nearby rest area for lunch but quickly changed our minds as a heavy shower of rain arrived at the same time as we did. By the time we reached Maryvale the rain had passed so we turned off the highway and had lunch in a park on the edge of town. From there it was a short drive into Warwick where we settled in to the caravan park.

I had a problem with a tooth a couple of days before and had managed to book an appointment with a local dentist so that was the highlight of my afternoon. We spent the next day sorting and repacking so that we would have all we needed when we went to O’Reillys and so the camper trailer would be tidy when we left it. We did some shopping for the essentials we would need for the next few days and had everything sorted ready to head off in the morning.

Early morning mist over the paddock
at the back of the caravan park

We packed the trailer up and moved it to the storage spot within the caravan park and then set off for three nights at O’Reilly's.

Hardings Paddock

13 – 15 October 2024

We left Chinchilla and headed towards a birding spot near Jondaryan. We stopped in Dalby to do some shopping and then continued on to a back road just out of Jondaryan. We knew we had the right spot when we saw other vehicles parked on the road nearby. Mick spent a fair while looking and then we drove back into Jondaryan for lunch.

We had booked our campsite at Hardings Paddock, and we weren’t too far away so we returned to the birding spot after lunch for another go. From there it was on to the motorway towards Toowoomba and then Ipswich. Fortunately we didn’t have to go right into Ipswich and, because it was a Sunday afternoon,  the traffic wasn’t too bad. We turned off the motorway and travelled on to Hardings Paddock.

This campground is managed by the Ipswich Council and is accessed via a locked gate. Bookings are essential, and the gate code is provided with the booking confirmation. There are toilets and picnic facilities in the campground as well as in the adjacent extensive day use area. There are a number of walking tracks as well as a couple of small dams.

We stayed for two nights and Mick enjoyed the birding opportunities. On the morning we were leaving, another of Mick’s birding friends who lives nearby, came down for a visit and they went out for a walk together while I did some packing up.

We left Hardings Paddock, another great spot, and started the journey to Warwick which would be a pit-stop rather than a destination.

Chinchilla

11 – 13 October 2024

We decided to stay in Chinchilla for no other reason than we had never stayed there before. We had made a visit to the Emergency Department of the local hospital in 2015 when Mick cut his finger very badly, but had chosen to keep moving on that time. We chose a caravan park at Rubern Lagoons that we had seen on YouTube and which looked a bit more to our liking than the caravan parks in towns. On arrival we called the caretaker as required and were shown to a great spot right by the water. There was even a firepit!

A quiet spot not far from town

Across the lake we could see the preparations being made for a function the following evening. Despite this we decided to stay for two nights anyway. We spent some time on Saturday exploring the area but mostly we relaxed – and Mick took photos of the birds that hung around the water.

The function on Saturday night was a ladies only fundraiser for the local kindy. Although we could hear all the announcements, music and laughter, we didn't find it intrusive at all. Judging by what we heard of the auction, a huge amount of money was raised. I’m fairly certain the early start – 2pm – and a very busy bar, helped considerably. I imagine there might have been a few sore heads in the morning too.

We left on Sunday morning, heading for another birding spot Mick had been told about, with a stop at Jondaryan for lunch and more birding.

Glenmorgan – Myall Park Botanic Gardens

7 – 11 October 2024

After leaving Carnarvon Gorge we finally decided that our next few nights would be at Myall Park Botanic Gardens in the Western Downs region. I had stumbled across it on WikiCamps some time ago and marked it as a possibility, and Mick had been told about it by a birding friend. We called ahead and spoke to the Caretaker, Jeff. He told us to call when we arrived, which we did.

We were both quite surprised at the great set-up at Myall Park. Jeff met us at the visitor centre/office and told us about the two sections of campground, and the facilities available. We chose where we would like to be and he took us over to find a site that would be right for us – as much shade as possible as some quiet warm days were forecast. There is an eco-toilet in this section, and it’s only a short walk to the main toilet/shower block adjacent to the "caravan" section.

Myall Park turned out to be a fabulous spot and we extended our planned 2 nights to four. There were some fellow birders camped nearby who just happened to know the friend who had put us onto this place. Birding really is small world!

Mick enjoyed mornings and afternoons at the bird hide, and despite the heat and a big storm, we had a great time. This is another place that was quite a surprise, and one we will likely return to at some stage.

We could see the storm approach
and were able to prepare

Needing to keep moving on, we set off for another spot we had heard about, this time in Chinchilla.