Seaduced's Web Diary - Seaduced makes camp for the first time

Seaduced makes camp for the first time - Agnes Water QLD

Seaduced

John & Jane Craven

Sun 21 Dec 2014 21:42

Today has been something of an adventure! When we were planning this trip at the outset, we would have had about 6 weeks to get to Sydney for New Year's Eve but, as things stand now with the extended trip home, we now have 9 days including Xmas. The total mileage is 1200, so we have divided this into 4 days driving of 300 miles each day. Our first day will take us to Agnes Water and 1770, the latter was the place where Captain Cook made his second landfall here in Oz, in 1770.
The day started out well, we both got up early, 5.30am, still jet lagged, and set off at 8am. Throughout Queensland there is a 'driver reviver' scheme of manned rest stops giving out free coffee and snacks. We ended up making our first stop here after about 2 hours driving and hardly seeing a town at all - it is just huge open spaces and any towns that you do see, you have driven through before you realise they are there as they are so small! Just as we left the rest stop, we noticed that the small chip in the windscreen, which happened about 50miles from Mackay was travelling at an alarming rate across the windscreen - a great start to a 3 month journey. We rang the car hire company and were advised that as we were on the way to Rocky, (Rockhampton), we should get if fixed there. They gave us an address, which we put in the satnav, and when we arrived, it was shut! Every windscreen place in Rocky was shut! So we had no choice but to move on and hope for the best. We managed to get to the site and the lady in charge arranged for a new windscreen to be delivered on Monday morning - result!

Oops!!

The really cool thing was that within 5 minutes of arrival we had seen the campsite kangaroo family, mummy, this years joey and last years joey, the first live kangas we have seen. They look really cute. Where we are camped, next to the garden, is one of their favourite places, so we may get chance to see them again.

How cute is this?

Next challenge, pitch the tent. Surprisingly, all went very smoothly, and within 20 minutes, we were all done. Then it was a case of unloading the car and making the place feel like home. 2 minor issues threatened to de-rail our first night, the BBQ we bought didn't fit the gas cylinders we had been sold to go with it, and the lantern had a large sticker on the light itself saying 'charge for at least 15 hours before use' - brilliant! However, the campsites here are well set up and we could use the BBQ in the camp kitchen and eat there as well, so no problem, we just need to get the gas issue sorted on our next trip to Noosa.

Our home for the next few months - quite cosy isn't it?

What with all he excitement, we were both exhausted and went to bed early, sleeping like logs, apart from one mid-night trip to the loos, until the sun came blasting through the tent at 6.30am. Now time for exploring where we are.
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