30 April to 4 May 2016 - The first 1,000 kilometres or so...

So,  the deal was that I needed to  do about about a 1000km with the Bushtracker before returning to Kunda Park for an initial inspection, service of brakes, bearings and all that good stuff.

Decided a journey to Bundaberg would be a good start, so after a small diversion to the local weighbridge (to check out how overweight I was already.....better than I expected) on the road North, getting a feeling for how the van towed.  Not bad, but felt a little different to the Kedron, which was a very similar weight and size.

Uneventful journey & I spent the night at Bundaberg Cane Village Big 4 Caravan Park.  Had a look around (sorry no photos yet) and bought a few more bits & pieces for the van from Bunnings & all.

Set off towards Gladstone and stopped for a break at The Tiny Tea House (an old Station Master's cottage) in Rosedale.  I was just going to have a take away coffee, but the two ladies running it were very interactive and talked me into a sausage roll as well......they just looked so good and I have to confess (diet & all) that it would have to be the VERY BEST sausage roll I have ever eaten...as well as the normal sausage meat there were chunks of ham in there as well.....Yum.

Made it to Tannun Sands, small beach suburb on the outskirts of Gladstone.  Stayed overnight and had a good drive around the area.  Gladstone is probably in for pretty tough times with the downturn in the mining industry, but there were still plenty of people shopping in & around a number of new developments in the area.  Found a Dan Murphy's for a top up of the drinkable wine supplies.

Next morning I headed inland via Biloela on the road to Mundubbera.  Now some of you will be saying "Why Munduberra?" but some will know why.  Once upon a very long time ago in a place far away......That means Aberdeen in Scotland in the early 1980's.  Jean & I met this young bloke called Gordon Howie, who by some strange quirk of fate grew up in Mundubbera.  So for the last 35 years or so we have been hearing about this mythical place, and I just had to make sure it was real.....

 That's the main street.  Pretty full on at 8am in the morning.

 

 and yes it is a two pub town.

 and this is the house that Gordon grew up in.  Shame that it has seen better days, but it still survives.



I have to say that Gordon was a little surprised when I called him and told him where I was at the time.  Not sure he believed me until he saw the photos....

From Mundubbera, I turned South and drove to Yarraman via Gayndah & Lake Barambah.  If you ever wondered what remains of the Joh Bjelke-Peterson legacy, there is a dam named after him there...

 Beautiful spot.  Full of tourists as you can see.....



Spent a pleasant night in a caravan park on a Hill above Yarraman and then off I went to Landsdale......