Gismo Queen and her King

Day 14 - Kilkivan to Taabinga - Saturday 11th May 2024

Happy Heavenly Birthday to my Dad, born 88 years ago today.

We awoke to a rain shower in Kilkivan but it soon cleared and the sun came out. An efficient morning with breakfast, dishes, hook up and departure all before 10:30am!

First stop was Goomeri, where I had looked up where we might get water and we decided on the Showgrounds so we could have elevenses while we were there. We were very surprised - although in hindsight, we shouldn't have been as this has happened to us before - to be charged $10 to fill with water! It's only $20 to stay the night with power and water!!! Never mind, we were already there and it all goes back to the local community.

Back on the road heading south again and bound for Kingaroy. I had found this free camp about 5km south of Kingaroy and off a side road so we were aiming for that and it is a gem! On the rating scale devised by us and fellow campers, (we could call it the NJGTGJ scale if that rolled off the tongue easier), this one ticks many boxes - water, pleasant views, can have a fire (with firewood able to be sourced), and the ambience is great when the cars aren't going past (it is a rural road so there aren't too many of them), it's completely free, it's flat.....

First task was to cook lunch - chicken schnitzels are a favourite of ours when camping and I'd picked up some at the Kilkivan butcher the other day so that was today's menu. Fortified after lunch, we decided today was the day to try the new electric chainsaw. So Tracey donned boots and long pants/jumper,and went down the riverbank in search of suitable fallen limbs. It was warm work dragging them back up the steep bank but after a couple of trips, we had a collection. To work the new Stihl went and it went well! Super quiet, don't have to start/stop it, safe because as soon as your fingers are off the trigger it stops - and it went through the logs like a hot knife through butter. Soon the pile of firewood was decent and the chainsawing was done.

The radar showed some rain coming through before dinner so we lit the fire early to have it burning hot enough to last through the rain. We managed a good hour and a half in front of the fire before the rain started, when we retreated indoors for dinner. By 8:00pm, the fire was revved up again and we are out here ready for our cup of tea fireside.

posted by Tracey @ 8:54 pm