Pompey’s 2024 Great Barrier Reef Trip

[Pompey]

Having spent the last few days cleaning both truck and van (and it’s still got red mud on both in places!) I began preparing for this trip. First up i rotated the tyres on the van, putting the two spares on. This proved to be a problem. My rattle gun, which has a 1,600Nm capacity (almost as much as a 6.7 HO!) could not undo 2 of the wheel nuts. So I grabbed my 600mm long breaker bar, that can undo anything, put a 6} extension on it, and proceeded to break the extension bar. So I grabbed another extension bar, and really started to apply some torque. Only for a large bang as the end of the breaker bar snapped off and flew at high speed into the walll of the shed. Geez, I thought, now I’m buggered! So I had a bit of a think, and checked the charge of the battery. It was at about half. So I put it on the charge, and when it was fully charged I tried again. This time they came off easily.

One of the tyres I took off had a puncture, so I got that fixed. As the van will be much lighter for this trip, by about half a tonne, I reduced pressures from 60 to 55psi. There had been significant stone chips on the chassis of the van, so I sprayed bitumous paint the full length of each side on the outside.

The truck too will be much lighter. I will not be carrying Jerry cans, so that saves around 200kgs. I have though decided to take the second spare, so I loaded that in, along with tools. I reduced tyre pressures by 5 psi all round. The rubber floor mats have been replaced with carpet ones.

Even though I have reduced tyre pressures all round, I’m still not certain I’ll run them as they now are. Currently the front of the truck is 55psi and the rear is 60.

 

[Pompey]

It’s coming up to 6am, and I’m about to get up and head off on this trip. Looking forward to it

 

[Winterized]

Safe travels, looking forward to seeing a travel log grow in this thread!

 

[prioinv]

I’ll be following along. Safe travels.

 

[Pompey]

Day 1 was a pleasant but long day following an early start. We left home at 0745 with fog coming and going all the way to Warwick. We re-fuelled there and headed to Toowoomba. It was somewhat frustrating with very slow vehicles holding up traffic. Then when we finally got to the overtaking lane, one of them pulls out in front of me as I’m about to overtake him. And he just sat there still doing 20 below the limit. North of Toowoomba we headed towards Dalby and we came across numerous road trains coming the other way. We topped up at Dalby with fuel and stopped for morning tea.

From here the roads deteriorated significantly. The scenery was still pleasant but finding a place to stop for lunch became a challenge. Eventually we found a place stop, and had lunch. Only to find when leaving that where we stopped for lunch was a no stopping zone!

The road north became quite lumpy and less than pleasant. The road then narrowed to a single lane. There was the odd hairy moment with oncoming vehicles but nothing serious.

We arrived at the Mundubbera Showgrounds and set up. It seems a nice enough town, perhaps worthy of a couple of nights but we will be moving on tomorrow.

 

[Pompey]

So day 2 got off to a fairly cool start. We were told when we arrived that someone would come around to collect the fee for staying there by late afternoon, but no one turned up. As today’s drive was only half the distance of yesterday, we got up a bit later. Then, as I was about to drive off the lady turned up to collect the money.

The drive north was through at times very pleasant scenery. Totally different of course to the Plenty Hwy trip of a few weeks ago, and due to be very different again when we get to the coast.

There were some steep hills we had to climb and descend, but they provided no difficulties. The trusty Ford turbo diesel V8 just ate them up effortlessly. It was the narrow roads that slowed us down. Often just single lane width, safety dictated ignoring the 100 speed limit. Often I’d be going between 60 and 70. Which was just as well when on one straight stretch of road we saw the familiar “dip” sign. But this was a dip unlike any I have ever seen on a public road. It was very steep, you go down quite a few metres very quickly then hit the other side which is just as steep. The bottom is just 3-4 metres long. I had no doubt that if you hit this at the 100kmh speed limit you’d become airborne and have a very nasty crash landing. I couldn’t believe the only warning was the “dip” sign. Totally misleading. We emerged unscathed.

We arrived at our stay for the night. It’s pleasant and by arriving early we can just relax after such a long day yesterday. The says are getting warmer, too. At home, we had temperatures with maxs of 12-14. Now it’s 24-25. Tomorrow we cross the Tropic of Capricorn, this time on the coast so humidity will probably be higher. So a more typical tropical climate than in the outback.

 

[Pompey]

Finally we arrived in Rocky, at the southern end of the GBR. It was a relatively easy drive- a bit of anti climax really. That’s because the drop off the GDR, with large warning signs advising those towing caravans to use caution was the most insignificant of any range crossing I’d ever done. There was one very steep section for about 400 metres, if that. I kept expecting to find the main descent when I’d already done it. Next 5hing I know I’m 5Kms from Rocky and we must be near sea level.

Rockhampton is a bit of a culture shock. It’s not a town, but a city. And that means traffic lights and congestion. Oh joy, oh joy!

We are staying at caravan park, which is quite ok for a caravan park. We did some shopping and will do more tomorrow, as well as doing some sightseeing.

A couple of annoying faults with the van. The induction cooktop inside the van no longer works. Fortunately it’s a combination induction and gas cooktop, so we use the gas. Alternatively, there is the outside kitchen which also has an induction cooktop and that one is still working.

It will be nice having a few nights in one place, without having to pack up every morning. Now to make the most of it.

Sadly last night my mate Dom contacted me to say that he had suffered a stroke. Dom was with me on my first ever big trip back in 87. Nasty stuff strokes and the news was a bit of a shock to say the least. He’s ok but it’s early days and hopefully he will recover enough to lead a normal life. Fingers crossed.

 

[Modman]

Nasty stuff strokes and the news was a bit of a shock to say the least. He’s ok but it’s early days and hopefully he will recover enough to lead a normal life. Fingers crossed

Sorry to hear this. Prayers for him and hopefully they recognized the symptoms quickly, which can make a big difference in recovery.

 

[Winterized]

Best wishes to your friend for a substantial recovery. Significant recovery is possible over time. I've observed the effects of strokes in multiple friends and family members and that's a big part of my motivation to control blood pressure and maintain decent weight and health.

Still enjoying seeing the reports of your journey.

 

[Pompey]

Today we started exploring the Capricornia Coast. First stop was the tourist information centre. Loaded up with information on places to see, we headed off to the river (Fitzroy River) for a pleasant lunch by the riverside. The whole area has been really well developed and is very impressive. There are historic buildings which have been restored and used for cafes etc. The river itself is a rather unpleasant muddy brown, so I can only assume this is the result of flooding upstream.

From there we headed out of town to St Christopher’s Chapel. Built during WW2 when 70,000 US servicemen were located around the district. Today, it is a memorial for US servicemen. The plaque says it’s the only such chapel of its type in the world.

From there, we headed out to Emu Park. The name doesn’t inspire thoughts of an attractive location, but it most certainly is. We first went a park over looking Lake Keppel. A stunning view with the water showing stunning shades of blue. From there, we went and saw the ANZAC memorial. There’s a glass wall, with images of soldiers storming Gallipolli and the landing craft yet perfectly done to line up with the actual beach and water of Lake Keppel behind it. Brilliant.

Travelling north, we stopped along the way at various points, and also looked both left and right at the water views around us. The last lookout overlooked Lake Keppel, with views out to Great Keppel Island and North Keppel Island.

Overall, our first day sightseeing was very good indeed. And such a contrast to the beauty of the Southern Ocean last year and the beauty of the outback last month. A land of incredible contrasts.

 

[Pompey]

Some more photos

 

[Modman]

Interesting! I'll be in Lowell, MI next week - home of the gent that holds the High Jump and Shotput records listed on the beams...

 

[Lunch Box 🥩🍔]

Some more photos

View attachment 162680View attachment 162681View attachment 162682View attachment 162683View attachment 162684View attachment 162685View attachment 162686View attachment 162687View attachment 162688View attachment 162689View attachment 162690View attachment 162691View attachment 162692View attachment 162693View attachment 162694View attachment 162695View attachment 162696View attachment 162697View attachment 162698View attachment 162699View attachment 162700View attachment 162701View attachment 162702

These pictures are incredible, thank you for sharing.

 

[Pompey]

We visited the historic steam tram this morning, and I even took a short ride on it. It utilises a small part of the original line. The service ceased due to the high cost of running steam trams.

Later we went for a scenic view and the drive up was longer than I expected. The views, however, were worth it.

Tomorrow is our last day in Rocky. On Tuesday we head north to Sarina, south of Mackay, for a single night. Then we head further north to Airlie Beach near Proserpine.

 

[Pompey]

Our last day in Rocky was mostly spent at the Botanical Gardens. It’s quite amazing how in a city of relatively small size such impressive places exist. Much of the Gardens is dedicated to the service men and women going back as far as the Boer War. There are special dedications to those lost on HMAS Sydney, in particular those from around Rockhampton, and the Vietnam War. And of course there is a memorial for those lost in the Battle of Long Tan. The loss of HMAS Sydney was the single biggest naval disaster of the war. There is a further dedication to the 41st division of the US Army.

Students of history will know that the US teamed up with the Australian army under Sir John Monash back in July 1918. The 2 countries have fought together in every major war since then, so it’s fitting that there is a memorial here. Having been to a number of Australian memorials in France and Belgium, I imagine it must be of some consolation to the relatives of the American soldiers killed during WW2 that there is a memorial in another country honouring them.

I’ve enjoyed Rockhampton, except for the traffic, and look forward to tomorrow as we head north.

 

[Pompey]

We left Rockhampton at 0800 and resumed our journey north. Three times we had wide loads heading towards us, and the pilot of one of them wished us a good holiday. How nice such a small but considerate comment can be. There were hardly any overtaking lanes in the 300kms between Rocky and Sarina. There are though plenty of long straight sections yet most drivers wouldn’t overtake me, even though I was doing 90 in a 110 zone. I did pull over to let the trucks by though.

We entered sugar cane country today, and there is what looked like a sugar mill in Sarina.

The GDR comes quite close to the coast on the road here. Once again, I wishing for a geologist to be on board because it looks like the range itself might extend out into the sea.

We are quite impressed with the caravan park. I was a bit dubious about it but it’s actually quite nice. It’s called Tropicana and with all the palm trees and its location it’s an appropriate name.

The only difficulty was the uneven terrain. I had to put boards under the drivers side wheels to even the van up, plus unhitch the van to raise the front of the van. I didn’t remove the chains or the breakaway. I did though pull the handbrake as hard as I could, plus chock the front of each front wheel. It seemed stable, but after 20 minutes in the van, it rolled backwards. The chains stopped the van rolling down into some trees. Eventually I moved the van to a slightly different spot and it’s now pretty level.

We are only here a night. Originally we were going to stay longer but when I did a search of things to do, there weren’t that many of interest so I made it a one nighter.

Tomorrow we head to Airlie Beach, stopping at Mackay to pick up some chairs we ordered in Rocky. Hopefully I can find a place to park

 

[Pompey]

It was only a short drive to Airle Beach. Much of it was one road work site after another, which gets annoying. We had lunch at Proserpine, then headed on to Airlie Beach. Airlie Beach is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands.

I must say that going through the township, the colour of the water is breathtaking. It’s a hell of a lovely place and it was then that I realised I was seeing part of what is perhaps the most amazing natural beauty in the world. I certainly look forward to the glass bottom boat tour I organised for Friday.

The caravan park we are staying in is on the other (south) side of town- you approach Airlie Beach from the north or north west. At first, I didn’t think there was enough swing room to thread the needle of getting the van in, but it went in much easier than expected. It was the first really tight spot I’ve had to reverse into- not an issue when bush camping.

Having set up, we chatted with one of our neighbours, where we discussed the fact we were right next to the airport, I assume for sea planes, and they take off right over the top of us. And my neighbour on the other side runs a caravan mechanical workshop, out of his own caravan, which is less than ideal. Apparently he is moving on “soon”.

So that’s where we are now. Tomorrow we start exploring.

 

[Pompey]

Today we drove around the township to check out the views. The hillsides are very steep indeed, some are near vertical. The roads going up to the houses are pretty steep as well. I saw one sign saying the road was a 24% gradient. Good luck mowing the footpath! I feel for anyone in a non turbo diesel Landcruiser- they’d need to use low range first to get up the hill unladen.

Lunch was at an open air cafe with views of beach. Of course, it’s a beach with no waves thanks to the GBR. The atmosphere was very touristy but good nevertheless. The place is packed out- our caravan park is full and I believe most if not all the others are too. Then there are the hotels and so on. The weather is fantastic. It’s warm and so pleasant- I was worried about humidity but it’s just not an issue. I’ve been up this way at Christmas time and it was just unbearable.

All trip everyone comes up to me and talks about the truck. They all love it. I’ve never owned a vehicle before where so many people come up to tell me how much they admire it. A bloke with a 4 year old Landcruiser was just one who approached me today. He was surprised how much better fuel economy I was getting. He bought land in a prime spot here in the 90’s for $130k. From what he described, it’s worth 10, maybe 20 times that. It gives an idea of just how popular this place has become.

 

[Pompey]

it is looking as though this trip may have to finish early. A family member had a fall this morning, resulting in a fractured pelvis. It’s most likely I will start heading home on Sunday once we get more medical advice. We had just finished a tour of the reef in a glass bottom boat and were on shore when the incident occurred. Due to the seriousness of the injury I won’t be updating this thread again unless by some fluke of medicine we are able to continue. I’m feeling somewhat distressed at this time and I thank those who have shown interest in our travels.

 

[Bull]

Thanks you for taking the time to post your travel picture and narrative - hope all goes well for you and your injured family member.