We left Charleville reluctantly as we really enjoyed our stay, but on we go. The next stop was to be Muckadilla, but as we drove through the town we decided that there might be something better further on so as Ross says when you are driving a big rig it's a bit hard to do a u turn so out with the Camps and caravan park books and looking furiously for something not too far away. I find a camp 12kms west of Roma, sounds interesting! It's called Caravan and Camping Museum Farm Stay. Ross is tired so this is it. Museum is right. The whole place was a museum, back many years ago, but there was power, there were toilets and a shower,plus lots of room. We have our own shower and toilet so we hook up to power, cook some tea, switch on the tele and settle down. Looking through the window we see a short figure, but stout stature pushing a wheelbarrow laden with wood towards what we learned later was a donkey, which is an old way of heating water, which was for the campers, by this time there were at least 8 vans. This person then came around to collect the $20 for camping there. This person was an old lady, whom we had observed not just once but several times fill the "donkey" with fuel so we would have hot water. it seems to me it's a hard way to earn a bit of extra money.
12 June We leave the museum and travel confidently on to Taroom to The Taroom Village Resort We reach Taroom and turn up the street that leads to the caravan park. Mmm! No Signs! Nothing that looks even remotely like a Caravan Park. We have to buy some bread and milk so we park and walk over to the Taroom IGA. While there I ask where the caravan park is. We don't have one anymore she says. It was a disgrace and it was shut down! I ask if there are any camping spots or parks close she says no but the young fellow stacking shelves says go to the Polo Crosse oval and gives us directions. Hot water, showers, power, toilets and plenty of room with a caretaker a very nice elderly man who shows you to where you can hook up and the bonus was just $15 a night. No TV Reception except Channel 2! Lucky we brought the hard drive
Saturday13th June Today we drove to Mount Morgan and have booked in at the caravan park for 7 days at $17 a day. No phone reception, but TV is good and Internet not bad. The Jeep is due for its 10,000 km service so Ross will book it in at Rockhampton on Monday.
Sunday 14th June raining today. Hopefully some areas in drought are getting some of this. It takes so long for the Internet to load here that I only do the important things like travel research and the Blog. The photos attached are from previous entries to the blog. The abandoned pub was fascinating. The owners went broke so they took their clothes and left. Through the windows we could see all the tables set for service. The bottles of spirits still half full on the counter. Apparently the former owners are in a heap of trouble as they were given money by the Historical Preservation Society to repair the roof and used it to build some specialty shops which consequently failed. Ross took the photos through a broken window. The information was told to us on the tour we took with the caravan park at Charleville. The most peculiar photo is the fire escape on the verandah of the old Charleville hotel. Looks like that is acceptable today!!!
June 19th
We have spent a few days catching up with Ross's brother Alan and his wife Alma. We got the Jeep its 10000 km service yesterday. We have been to Stockland shopping mall 3 times and spent some money, mostly on clothes.We were going for a drive to Yepoon, but as the weather has been almost continuous rain till yesterday we decided that it wasn't necessary as we saw Yepoon last time we were here. Today we will leave here and go to Emerald for the night. It will be good to be somewhere different and to get decent Internet reception. I am writing this at 5am as there is not much interference at this time.
June 19th 8pm
Arrived in Emerald this afternoon after an uneventful 279kms. Park is very full and no TV reception, but the internet works well and we wish we had free camped but as I have washing to get done this is where we have to be till Sunday.