Sunshine Coast - Hinterland

We didn't travel too far, we called in at Petrie Park CAW5 #138 but it was already crowded out so we went and checked out Tiaro Memorial Park #139 which is in town. 3 other campers were already set up and there was plenty of space for us, we refilled our water tanks and invited to join the others for happy hour which we did. As we sat around chatting another Bushtracker towed by a V8 Toyota Ute came in, Bruno & Michelle if my memory is correct are known as GORN on the Bushtracker Owners Forum once they got set up they joined us all, a nice mixed group of people from different walks of life, the conversations came easily and it was a nice evening.

The next morning 'GORN' showed us some of their fossicking finds, the gold certainly got my interest! I am going to have to give our detector a work out when we get down to Victorian Gold Country. After saying our goodbyes we moved on 63klms to CAW5 #147 Chatsworth Park, 6klms north of Gympie. It was Sunday and we were waiting to see a Toyota Dealer in town the next morning as a fuel warning light had come on in the Ute.

We spent the day watching the comings & goings and the traffic drive by, that evening the heavens opened up and the rain poured down. No sleeping in when in Qld, the sun comes up early and the birds come alive earlier, i was ready to head into Gympie Toyota when i watched a large motorhome attempt a U turn across some wet ground, I didn't like it's chances and i was correct and down it went. As i was leaving i stopped to see if a tow would help, no tow hooks on the front of the motorhome just a couple of steel brackets, the owner asked if i would give it a go which i did but i wasn't going to stuff my car up by trying too hard, a couple of slow pulls just caused the metal brackets to bend and when the owner then told me he would phone RACQ i left him to it.




The fuel warning light was just a new fuel filter required and i was soon back at camp, the motorhome had left after being winched out by RACQ. Whist Vickie went and did some shopping i got the van packed and ready to head off when she got back.

Destination was Kenilworth Showgrounds CAW5 #166, this is a top spot, $12 per night with power, green grass and superb views of the hills beyond. Not only that it's a short walk into town and the Cheese & Yogurt Factory. Getting our van parked into the position Vickie wanted it caused me to have a mental melt down, who would have thought it would be so hard to get the van straight, door facing the green grass, not too far under the tree's ..... it certainly did my head in more so because i just couldn't work out why it was pissing me off so much, i have reversed our van into some incredibly tight spots and here i was with all the space in the World.





Getting all past that we really liked the Showgrounds, i went for a drive to Sound In Motion Nambour to arrange a time and price to have a Reverse Camera & Screen fitted. Following my GPS maps I drove via Malaney on Bli Bli road which turned into a detour which then took me up the hills via a one way very steep road, leaving Nambour the GPS directed me the same way except the road was one way, it then re-directed me down a dirt road for 12klms before it came to a dead end! By this time i had enough and accepted defeat, i turned around and headed back to Nambour and along the Bruce Highway to Kennilworth. That 1st Bourban & Coke when i got back was a beauty!!

The next day i had to do it all again as the car was getting the camera & screen fitted, i didn't even bother finding the shortest way and just headed straight to the highway. With that job done it was onto Stegbar in Maroochydore to organize a new shower screen and surround for the Van. Vickie had never liked the white screen and wanted it changed to something that suited the decor better and that was to be black. Another job out of the way it was onto Cooroy and visit SunState Hobie, we were looking at changing our inflatable Hobie to another plastic. Unfortunately Mal the owner wasn't there so i left our inflatable so he could check it out and phone me.

Left Kenilworth the next morning and drove down to Maroochydore where we would be parked out front of some friends home, they live at the end of a court with a lovely park, plenty of space for us and it gave us the local address to enable Stegbar to come out and measure and then fit the new shower screen, also the van needed to be assessed by our Insurance company for repairs so that was another job out of the way.

As usual our luck fails us, Vickie's eye condition has returned and required a visit to a Optometrist who confirmed that she has had another bleed behind the retina and needed to see a Specialist straight away. 10 minutes later she was in the office of an Orthomologist who also confirmed she needed to start having Avastin injections in her eye again to reduce the blood, at $600 an injection we are on the roundabout again.

The next day we drove back to Cooroy and met up with Mal at SunState Hobie, Mal is one of if not the biggest retailer of Hobie Kayaks in Australia, Mal helped us out when our Inflatable developed a fault and replaced it under warranty, so having a good experience with him was enough for me to return and give him the opportunity to quote on a trade in and change over for a new Hobie Revolution. We already own a Hobie Outback and very happy with it but i chose the Revo this time as they have a good reputation for handling the white water, faster and easier to paddle. Before deciding i took the demo out for a quick paddle / peddle on Lake McDonald, it confirmed what i had heard and decision was made. Mal made the changeover at a price we couldn't refuse, he took the time to explain things that Ranger Camping hadn't and even fitted two Scotty rod holder brackets. If your in the market for a near new Hobie Inflatable 12is contact SunState Hobie and speak to Mal.

The new shower screen turned up and brightened Vickie up until being told by the installer the perspex was scratched and would need to be replaced and that couldn't be done till next week. Now with two Hobie Kayaks i needed to change our Rhino Roof Bars to wider one's, anyone interested in 3 x 1500mm Rhino Aero Bars contact me.

So here we are, our Mates have gone to the Gold Coast on a pre arranged trip and we have spent the day at Eumundi Markets, a dog has just been abandoned in the street [according to Vick] so i can predict more anguish.

Any photo's will be uploaded later.