Trip 2, Day 4: Hervey Bay

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We left Calliope this morning and went to Gladstone so Shan could do his calls.  While he was doing that Finn, Jack and I went to a park.  Finn befriended a little girl and they played tag for ages.  When Shan was done in Gladstone we headed to Bundaberg.

Again Finn, Jack and I played in a park while Shan worked, Finn thought it was the best day ever, two parks in two different towns. 

Then his day got even better when we headed to Hervey Bay.  Our mates Denise and Bargy have 60 acres and have an absolute menagerie.  They have two horses, guineafowl, chooks, geese, a dog, cows in the paddock, a rat, fish, crabs and a blue tongue lizard.  I actually don’t know who was more excited, Finn or me!

Our primo camping spot at Camp Bargenquast!

I became very attached to Alvin the blue tongue.   

Georgie was very proud and had us all have a hold of her pet rat, Snow Ball.  Snow Ball was initially called Snow White, until two little lumps developed near ‘her’ tail, turns out She was actually a He, hence the name change!

After we set up the camper and had a couple of drinks we headed into the Hervey Bay Boat Club for dinner.  The food there is always awesome.  

 Finn and Georgie playing on the phone at dinner.  Too Cute!

We then went back to Bargy’s and just chilled, we had such a good time there we are heading up again on the weekend for a night!  Sorry Bargy’s you cant get rid of us now!

Anyway that is day 4!

The Wanderin’ Watson’s

P.S. we are heading home tomorrow so this will be my last post for this trip – unless something totally riveting happens on the way home.  We are planning on taking the Fraser Coast Tourist Drive tomorrow to try a different road home – anytime we can avoid the Bruce Highway we do.

Trip 2, Day 3: Still Calliope Free Camp

Last night we were sitting around the fire – which was lovely.  Though every chance he got Jack would pinch our chairs.  We decided that when Shan does his calls tomorrow he will pick up a cheap seat for Jack – SPOILT MUCH?

So we all slept pretty well, Jack and Finn didn’t stir.  I woke up quite a bit and remembered that last time we stayed here the same thing happened, you see there is a bloody rooster nearby and it seems to think that as soon as it is dark he needs to wake you up, pretty much every half hour we heard “cock-a-doodle-doo”.  Note to self:  Bring Ear Plugs next time!

When Shan got up to get ready for work he nearly had a heart attack, he couldn’t see either Finn or Jack on the floor of the camper……closer inspection revealed that Jack was under Finn’s covers and Finn had pulled them over his head!  Crisis averted.

Jack decided to run off this morning to visit a trailer that had two racing Greyhounds in it, he came back quick smart when one of them barked at him!  Little sook.

Finn, Jack and I just played and chilled while Shan was at work.  When he got back in the arvo we went for a walk to get more fire wood and to throw the ball for Jack.

I ask, "Finn what is on your face?", Finn: "Nothing!", hmmmmmm

I have never seen a sign like this before, just had to take a photo of it.

Tonight we have been sitting around the fire, and wouldn’t you know it firstly Jack wouldn’t get in his new chair, he just whinged and lay in the dirt.  Then when he did get in it he made it look that uncomfortable we think we will need to invest in another chair – the $10 one just didn’t seem to do the trick!

We are off to our mates place at Hervey Bay tomorrow, so that will be fun, Finn will have the kids to play with, Jack will have the dog, Patch, to play with, and Shan and I will have Denise and Bargy!

Till then

Shae, Shan, Finn and Jack

The Wanderin’ Watson’s

P.S. The service is terrible here so you wont see this post for a day or two.

Trip 2, Day 2: Calliope free camp

I forgot to mention yesterday that when we were sitting at the pub having a drink, and Jack was up on a chair like a human, I said to Shan “can you please wipe his nose”, meaning Finn’s nose.  Shan looked at me strangely then proceeded to wipe Jack’s nose.  I thought he was taking the piss until I realised he actually thought I asked him to wipe the dog’s nose!  It was quite amusing, maybe it was one of those ‘had to be there’ moments.

So we had a pretty early night last night.  We would have stayed up later if we had a fire but oh well.

The campsites were quite close together and during the night I heard a soft voice say ‘mummy’ to which I responded ‘mmm’, then there was nothing so I went back to sleep.  Shan told me this morning that the little voice was not in fact Finn, it was our neighbours kids. 

This morning while we were pottering around packing up Finn went to play with the kids nearby.  One little girl was so sweet, she kept giving Finn shells.  She then even gave Shan and a piece of ribbon – we reckon she will go far if she knows how to butter up parents at the ripe old age of 4!

Shan and I yet again were asked about our Australian Off Road Camper, its crazy how many people ask about it!  We are stoked with it.

Anyway we got chatting while we were packing up and got side tracked, I forgot that I had put the car keys in the camper overnight for safe keeping……suffice to say we had to open the camper up a little for Shan to get to the keys.  It was actually quite funny.

After we left Woodgate Beach we decided to take the back way up to Bundaberg to avoid the highway.  We ended up going through Bundy and Shan showed me the areas worst hit by the floods earlier in the year, I tell you what it really hit there hard!

We then ended up going to 1770 and planned on eating lunch at the pub there, though luck wasn’t on our side, there were bugger all parks for cars, let alone a 4WD towing a camper.

Luckily Shan had noticed the Agnes Tavern, which is on the way into Agnes Water, we went there and there were plenty of parks.  Jack stayed in the car and had a nanna nap while we went in for lunch (yes we did open the windows and leave water!).

 

On our way into the pub Finn was fascinated by a yellow 3 wheeler motorbike, you see there was a motorbike club that had also stopped there for lunch.

 

Finn waiting for our food.

I have to say the food was awesome, Shan is sick of me raving about it….but hey I am a Gargan after all!  I actually called Dad after lunch to tell him how great it was.

After lunch we headed to where we are now, Calliope free camp.  And, yes, we did remember to stay up the top this time.  Shan, Finn and Jack have just gone for a walk while I sit here and write this.

 Finn and Jack lead the way (yes Finn is wearing his bike helmet - he insisted!)

Safety first!

 

Jack seems much more settled today, I think he has the hang of camping down pat now. 

Shan is off on work calls tomorrow so Finn, Jack and I will just hang at camp and see what adventures come our way.

Enough for today.

Shae, Shan, Finn and the fur child Jack

The Wanderin’ Watson’s

Trip 2: Day 1 Woodgate Beach

So we have taken the opportunity to come away with Shan for one of his Northern Run’s for work.

He is due in Rocky early week so we decided to leave today and have made it to Woodgate Beach.  We have been here once to check it out – briefly, and loads of our friends have stayed here before.  It is truly lovely, a real beachside town.  We are staying in the caravan park and the people who run it are so nice.

It is the second caravan park we have stayed in since we owned the Australian Off Road Camper, and even though we are not ‘roughing it’, it is so nice to be back out camping again.

When we opened the camper it smelled like smoke, reminiscent of campfires of out last trip!  Sadly we can’t have a fire here, though the mozzie coils are providing smoke for us!

The best thing about this trip so far is that we have brought our fur child on this trip, yes that’s right Jack is here with us.  When we were getting organized this morning Jack looked like a total sad sack until he realized he was coming with us.  I don’t think he has EVER jumped in the car fast enough.

Jack Roughing it!

He still seems a bit unsure of what we are doing, but a trip to the beach and some off lead time made him happy.  I even let Shan off the leash for 5 mins hahah.

So we saw the BIGGEST Grey  Roo we have ever seen.  Initially we thought it was a really dodgy stone statue someone had in their yard……then it moved!

There are so many kangaroos around here it is really cool.

When we were at the beach we had a flick of a stick bait in the surf, but with Jack, and Finn, Shannon I found it difficult to fish seriously.

When we were on the beach attempting to fish Jack discovered his first Soldier Crabs!   Too cute.

 Check out the video above!

We went to the pub at Woodgate for a couple of drinks, Jack clearly thought he was too good to sit on the floor!

 

Cheezy grin from Jack

We are headed to Calliope tomorrow and will stay there while Shan goes and does his calls in Rocky and Gladstone, then we will head to Hervey Bay to stay in the camper on a mates property.

We will keep you posted on our trip and I promise this time I will finish the trips blogs!

We are only away for 4 nights this time so surely I can manage that!

So enough for today.

Shae, Shan and Finn

The Wanderin’ Watson’s

Day......12 and 13 and home

So we didn’t actually finish the last lot of blogs!  So you all probably think we are either:

A)   Lost

B)   Never got home

C)   Won lotto (we wish)

D)   Got really slack and caught up with life back at home and work we never got around to finishing it.

If you picked C, unfortunately we can’t give you a loan, as the correct answer is D!

So after Rollingstone we hit up Carmila Beach again (it is one of my personal favorites!).

Then we went to Calliope free camp – the southern side.  Apparently most people stay on the north side, but the cool kids (aka the Wanderin’ Watson’s) stay on the south.  Shan had checked it our prior to the floods at the start of the year and it was all rolling green mowed sites.

When we arrived (post floods) it was pretty much 4wd access only.  We settled on a spot that was flat and set up…..then we realized there was another area up a hill, which  unfortunately was way nicer than where we were – it was too hard to pack up and move so we stayed where we were.   Should we go again (which we are tomorrow) we will go straight to the top!

Anyway, I will now start the blog on our current trip!