SAINT LAWRENCE to ROCKHAMPTON

A new Arrival at St Lawrence - - - - - Croc Country at St Lawrence

We are heading south to Saint Lawrence today, and have pulled into Flaggy Rock Cafe to get one of there famous Ice Cream's, what a disappointment - no flavour at all - give us a Macca's Soft Serve anytime. We were told of a good camp spot nearby at Camilla Beach, when we arrived there it looked a bit suss so San & I went for a walk to check things out - got talking to a guy camping and he told us that we could have trouble getting in as there was a lot of loose sand and we may get bogged, but he suggested we should drive further down the track to the river and if we did not like it we could turn around and come back out. Silly Bugger did not see that we had a 2 wd vehicle, so off we go only to find more sand than dirt on the track ahead and with our rig was starting to loose traction in the sand, things were looking grim, we came close to getting bogged a few times, on arriving at the river it did not look like we could turn around and poor old San was starting to pack it a bit, I reversed the van as far as I could into a small clearing and the car started to bog down so out I drove to another spot and backed down a very narrow track with Sandra giving me directions, I lost sight of her as the caravan was engulfed in the scrub with tree branches rubbing on both sides of the van, I put the car in low gear and slowly inched my way forward back onto the main track, with Sandra now back in the car we drove ever so carefully back to where we had came to get us in this predicament - on the way out a 4WD drove off into the scrub to let us pass and the look on this drivers face with mouth wide open he was amazed to see that we were driving a 2wd Vehicle, and to be able to come out with not being bogged down, Sandra said she was a bit nervous and didn't think we would make it back onto bitumen again, I just said that it was my old Truck driving experience that came through on the day.
Back on the Bruce Highway- we shot through to Clairview to another rest stop a, Jim Beam Bourbon and a Tinny or Five. Lucky for Me the Grog let me sleep like a baby but Sandra was awake most of the night with the noise of me Snoring, Trains and Truck's hooting through. Goodbye Clairview and Camilla Beach.
4/10/06. We drove into the Polo/Showgrounds at Saint Lawrence today, for a week's rest it is a free stay - there are hot showers for $1 (three minutes) and the amenities block are cleaned every day by the local council and they are spotless. This is a Top spot we will enjoy our stay here. We were having a rest and a drink & what a sight - a Man, Dog and a Donkey came strolling by with the donkey loaded up with swag and all his gear on it's back - not every day you see a sight like this, he has set up camp by a swamp about 100/mt away from us - don't' know about his choice of a camp sight as it looks like there could be snakes in there?, he has now taken off across the railway tracks with his dog behind him and they are going straight to the Pub.
Mike and Gerri have pulled in to camp nearby us, it is good to see them again, the happy hour is looking good for tonight.(And it was) .
There are Brahman Bull's and Cow's in the paddock's and also a lot of roo's, all kind's of bird life to watch as well. A big Pegasus bus towing a car trailer with a Rav4 inside has just pulled in, the driver and his wife have came over and introduced them selve's to us, there names are Pat and Anne from - Gunndagai - Pat was a Shearer in his working days and has only just retired to become a Nomad and to travel around OZ. Tonight at happy hour Gerri and Anne have discovered that they both went to the same school at Cowra, but they did not recognise each other, what a coincidence.
With a warm night we are up early 5.30 am, looked outside and the man, dog and donkey are gone, we didn't see them come back last night or leave this morning, we went to bed at 10-30pm last night, they must have had a good time at the pub.
6/10/06. Walkies with Pat and Anne to look at St Lawrence's two General Store's' you can buy anything needed for car,home,electrical appliance's, washing machine's, fridge's, freezer's, clothe's and petrol, 1 pub that is 160 year's old with plenty of character and the Beer is good & Cold as Mike and I gave it a good nudge, I enjoyed the beer and atmosphere that much, on the way back to camp Mike and I were walking along the railway track's, and I tripped on a wooden sleeper ( I wasn't drunk?) ( at least I don't think so? ) Sandra & Gerri said that they could here us coming down the track for about a half hour.
7/10/06. Drove out to the river along the wetland's to try our luck at Fishing but we could not get even a bite, I was talking to a local fisherman who told me two people were bitten by Brown Snake's a week ago and they were taken to Rockhampton Hospital by Helicopter, there are Dugong's, Dolphin's and Crocodile's in the river but we ain't hanging about to see them.
Daniel is 12 tomorrow - Happy Birthday Danny.