We are having so much fun that we haven't been able to keep the blog up to date so this entry will be in segments so that we don't miss any of the exciting places we have been.

Yeppoon We didn't stay in Rockhampton but chose to go out to the coast and stay at Yeppoon which is on the beach. We stayed in a caravan park that allowed us access to go to the beach, into town and also to travel down the coast a little bit to see some more of the beach. Yeppoon is certainly developing with a fantastic coffee strip and ample shopping. Fran and Bert did a day trip into Rockhampton

Mt Morgan, Dululu We decided to travel inland again to see some of the pasture land and to escape some pretty horrible weather that was threatening the coast. Mt Morgan was a gold mining town back at the end of the 1800s and it now processes the tailings which is very lucrative. The town is up in the mountains out of Rockhampton and we had to climb a very steep road with sheer drops over the side. Both Fran and I agreed that it was pretty treacherous and particularly as we, being passengers, were on the drop side. Anyway we made it safely to Mt Morgan and went out to a magnificent dam where we had morning tea.

We camped at a very small town called Dululu - very popular with the grey nomads as that night there were heaps of us camped. Not much else about the town - not even a shop much to Fran's and my disappointment.

Baralaba Now this was an interesting place. We camped at Fred Hewitt Weir for 3 days (mainly because that awful weather from the coast caught up with us) and so we sat until it passed over. During our time here we went to the local pub to have pig-on-a-spit with roast vegies to help send off one of the locals who was joining the grey nomads and travelling. The local butcher was the organiser and so we decided to pay him a visit the next day. His meat was fantastic but he needs to take a lesson on how to carve......that's coming from a butcher's daughter! Anyway, I tried once again to catch a fish but it's too cold for barra and the rest of the fish were on holidays.

Gladstone The Calliope River runs inland from Gladstone and this is where we camped for 2 days while we travelled into Gladstone. What a fantastic camping spot and we would have liked to have stayed for much longer but they strictly police the 2 day limit for camping. None-the-less we made the most of it. Gladstone must have to be the most progressive town we have come across in our trip. They are developing 3 liquid natural gas plants out on Herron Island and have all the shipping facilities set up for loading it onto to tankers and taking overseas.Full operation will take place early in 2015. They also export coal which is transported to the port from the outlying coal mines. They can load 3 coal tankers at once putting in 6.5 thousand tonnes an hour into each tanker. There are bauxite and cyanide plants and facitilies.

The town planning is fantastic as they have tried to keep all the industry in one area and have developed housing estates well away from the port area. The prevailing winds mean that none of the dust etc fall on top of the residential areas. Lots of shopping!

When we had to move from the Calliope River we only travelled down the road to the next free camping area at Boyne River and continued the Gladstone experience. We booked a coffee cruise which took us out onto the harbour area to see firsthand how the LNG, coal and marina worked. Loved the tour!

Bundaberg You have probably had the drink, well we have seen the town......oh and also had the drink in the town! Yes, we did the Bundaberg Rum Tour. Fabulous! We were shown how rum is made, told about the history of Bundaberg Rum ( it's burnt down twice!) and then been allowed to sample the finished products. So at 11 o'clock in the morning we were sitting at the bar knocking back our 2 freebies. They make this liqueur to die for and you can only buy it from the Bundy Bond store so of course we have stocked up...well at least for a few months. We stayed at a little free camp just out of Bundy before travelling on. On our way we called into Agnes Waters and 1770, towns out on the beach. Nice but small and no doubt they will develop before our next trip over here and be as popular as Port Douglas!

Childers We called into Childers to see the memorial they have erected to the 15 backpackers who died in the fire at the Palace Hotel 14 years ago. Twins from Lake Grace were killed in the fire. There is a glass wall in the art gallery that has a section for each person killed. There are about 10 photos in each illuminated box. An artist has also painted a picture of the 15 people in a farm setting with their faces copied from photos provided by the families of the backpackers. What a tragic event! Childers is a wonderful town to visit with its authentic architecture and buildings and a very bustling township.

Maryborough Well that weather really caught up with us here and even though we had plans to see Maryborough and then camp further south we were forced to book into a caravan park for the night. Not all that bad really (even though the caravan park left a lot to be desired......and a very grumpy owner/manager) because we phoned for a free pick up to the RSL club for tea. Well! what a meal and entertainment. We were also able to watch (on Foxtel) the Eagles and Melbourne which we won of course. At 11 o'clock we were driven back to the van park and we all agreed it was a fabulous night out.

Next morning we did the tourist bit and walked around the town. By far this town would have to be the best for architecture, buildings and gardens. I have included quite a few photos of these in the photo album as it is the best way to portray the town.

Next stop is Kingaroy (Joh BP country) and lots of great spots in between.