Enjoyable stay about 30kms south of Townsville on a property owned & operated by a lovely Christian couple. During the 2 days we… revisited Castle Hill; enjoyed a great seafood lunch on the Esplanade to celebrate my birthday; did a big shop, sorted out a minor caravan aerial issue and attended the local Uniting Church Sunday service following an invitation extended by our hosts Jean & Brian.
The freedom, flexibility, choice, peace and cost savings staying at “off grid” sites is our preferred way for travelling around Australia. Adequate electricity production (solar) and battery storage is an important prerequisite for travelling this way. Our caravan has a total of 1,060w of solar panels on the roof which is complemented with a portable solar panel (200w). This portable solar panel is being replaced with a larger 300w panel to help with production during the winter season ie short daylight days. This level of solar production supports many electrical uses ie all the usual 12v applications (lights, TV, sound system, water pump, personal devices recharge) plus with the inverter, many 240v appliances eg induction cooking; washing machine; air conditioning; Starlink; microwave and if there is enough power generated, heating our water instead of using gas.
Pushing further north and the temperatures are rising 😁! Couldn’t resist stopping at the Big Mango at morning tea stop to buy a mango sorbet… Yum! 😋
What a little gem… spacious, peaceful site and the bonus was the presentation, exotic fruits/ bush tucker tasting and tour given by Nick (property owner). We also bought some of the yummy produce!
Welcome to QUEENSLAND…
Arrived late afternoon after a non eventful 5 hour drive. Beautiful location, so peaceful and a good base to access Byfield National Park and beaches within 4WD close proximity.
And the weather for day #1 was absolutely perfect for a 4WD challenge to Stockyard Point Headland and a drive down onto the beach for lunch and a well earned swim. It was such a great day.
As inviting as it looked the water temperature was too cold so there was no swimming ☹️. Instead we did a circular walk and chatted to a fellow travelling couple who were staying in the adjacent campground.
Upper Stony Creek
It doesn’t get much better than this. Just 6 sites spread over a large area, all with fire pits. Canoes, swimming, walks, lots of birds all for $30/night for 2 people.
A very special evening spent with Jenny and Brian at their 2 day glamping location. It was such a great privilege to share a bbq meal together. Jen and Brian have been through so much, yet their faith in our Lord Jesus has never been stronger.
Our 3rd time staying at this Hipcamp site. It provides no facilities but is in close proximity to Jennifer’s Mum, Brian and Jenny and where we choose to have caravan warranty work and services done. What it does provide is a large open space for a few campers where you can relax, have a fire and enjoy the peaceful bush setting 😊🙏.
Taking videos and photos while flying the drone provides a unique perspective. No better example than capturing whales as they migrate north. The screenshot below (drone was returning from filming at this point) is the flight path & telemetry including remaining battery time/capacity; current speed; height (above my home position -“H”); distance from H (max. distance from H this flight was 1,926m); no. of satellites:27 (needs to be at least 12 for accurate GPS navigation & drone control); elapsed and total flight time; remote control signal strength etc. When flying, the flight telemetry is overlaid on the live HQ video being streamed back to me (that’s how I control/ see what the drone “sees” + 4k video capture to onboard drone SD card for subsequent editing).
… and then the editing!
For any couple who needs to park their van knows that it can be a stressful time. This caravan park’s solution… they offer, with their tractor, to park your van. Great service.
Another day to capture these majestic creatures of the ocean.
Coffee at Kingscliff Surf Club in beautiful sunshine, watching more whales go by, followed by lunch at one of their favourite cafes.
Finally, finally I was able capture some very special footage. It was such a wonderful experience and one that I shall remember for many years to come.
While waiting for a whale to pass, positioned on the headland with the camera ready for the rear moment shot (for me at least), I took a few photos of the coast.
Sunset… so peaceful!
Such a peaceful site, in a beautiful valley 10 minutes west of Coffs. Harbour.
After so much wet weather we were keen to go for a decent morning walk… Coffs Creek Walk
The afternoon light was perfect for a visit to Sealy lookout
