RETURN TO DIARY

Welcome back,

The first week in August had strong winds so fishing was not the best but we tried. A couple of fellow campers took pity on us and gave us a mulloway they caught. We were fishing in the same place as they caught their fish but we moved as it was pretty rough. We should have waited as about 2 hours later the tide stopped, the wind dropped and the mulloway were on the bite for an hour.

View from Stannage camping area at sunset and low tide.

We headed down to Yeppoon to catch up with John and Rosie (June at Sapphire). We had a lot of gossip and many a meal together over the week that we stayed there. John was slicing the zebra stone he had bought in WA so I joined his Lapidary club and faceted a piece of Crystal Quartz (4.5 carats) that Trevor and Lyn had previously given to me at Sapphire.

Quartz crystal tumbled, the crystal shaped and the pavillion cut, the final polished stone.

I also, under instruction from John, cabbed a piece of Matrix Sandy had found earlier at Andamooka. Cabbing is shaping and polishing and is used on stones and opals.

On the left the matrix treated ready for shaping. On the right the final product.

Later we will try setting these pieces into some jewellery, meanwhile we get ides from the markets we go to.

Rosie invited me to the art class she attends and I had my first lesson on decorative art (folk art). I learnt a few things such as making sperm shapes S (Rosie's description, not mine) which I will have to practice. Also how to keep the paint from drying out on a sponge covered in baking paper. 

While at Yeppoon John attached a ring to the sapphire we had polished last month and Sandy is now proudly wearing it every other day.

I sold my Christies Honda Battery Charger at Bundaberg. It does a wonderful job charging the batteries quickly but it was so noisy. I still have a GMC Bunnings $89 generator which is still going strong with nearly 200 hours of use. Later I may purchase a 30/50 amp battery charger which will run off this generator and charge the batteries just as quick.

Arrived at the Gold Coast. So many people!!!! We took a day trip to the mountains driving into the Tamborine National Park and walking to Cameron Falls in the Knoll section. A lot of bushfire smoke in the air this week and the views were somewhat hazy.

Views from a lookout thru the smoke haze to Surfers Paradise's high rise accommodation.

After a coffee and hot chocolate in Lamington National Park we walked to Bellbird Lookout. Unfortunately the rangers had been tree lopping in this area and covered a direction sign. We followed a wrong track for 15 minutes before turning around. We found the right track and the lookout only to see more smoky haze. The rainforest, wallabies, and birds were nice to see.

Bellbird Lookout in Lamington National Park

We have now crossed over into NSW and have camped at Hastings on the beach. A nice park with views to the ocean from our camp spot. Rain, rain and more rain. When it stops we will get out and do something. Meanwhile we just read a book, play on the computer, get the financials up to date and talk to other campers.

We hope the rain will lighten and more sunny days will appear this spring on the northern coast of NSW as we head south.

We caught the ABC Four Corners program on the Ningaloo Coast. Its a pity that the current conservation being done by the pastoral owners and campers alike were not emphasized and the message was that only the Government/Calm could look after it. What a lot of bull**** ! Sandy's still fuming.

Live life to the fullest.

Peter and Sandy