Life is full of contrasts.

The past few days have been full of contrasts. After staying at a lovely campsite in Rockhampton we move east to the coast to visit the beach one last time before heading into the hinterland and prospecting country. The coast between Yeppoon and Emu Park is literally empty. Kilometres of greyish sand with white dunes and the ocean in the distance. When I say in “in the distance” I mean about 500m away. When the tide goes out here, it really goes a long way! When Andre and the kids went in for a swim, I could barely make them out in the distance and certainly couldn’t see them when they were in the water. In addition the campsite and the surrounding areas are sub tropical, lush and green. We had a lovely time there. The kids found some dunes and had a ball sliding down into the pool of warm water at their base. Beaches bring us together as a family, with something there for everyone. Tal and Rennie played beautifully together, not always the case, and Andre and I commented on how well they got on. The sand was so good for building sandcastles, that Andre was able to stack them into a large pyramid – very impressive! At the campsite we at last met a family very similar to ourselves. They are from Belgrave and are travelling for three months with their four children. They have a four-wheel drive and a camper trailer that unpacks into a substantial tent area, with a kitchen. This means they can go places we never could, but lack the comfort and permanence that we do. Each has it’s own drawbacks and advantages. So we had a lovely time with Bernie, Jim, Grace, Rose, Lily and Oscar. Hey guys, if you are reading this… thanks for the time, conversation and tips. Great to meet others with similar aspirations for their family. From there we headed inland, back through Rocky to check out the slot cars one last time, but alas they were closed on Mondays. Foiled! We met briefly with Matt, had lunch and were on our way for one of the longest days we have had for a while. As we drove inland things just got drier and drier. We decided to spend the night at a free campsite, well off the beaten track close to a weir in Blaalala??. When we got there, we were surprised to see how popular a spot it was. All retired couples, many of who were from the south up for the winter. Before the sun went down they all got together for drinks and a game of what I termed Frisbee bowls – definitely a seniors club if ever there was one. Feeling a little young for the company, we moved on the next morning driving on to Banana – not named after the fruit, but a bullock of legend – and on to Rolleston, through miles and miles of open, arid nothing. This was the first open, straight(ish), quiet stretch of road that we have really hit, so it seemed as good a time as any for me to have a go at driving the bus. Yee Haa! I have finally done it and we all lived to tell the tale. Being over a year now since I passed my truck licence and with the bus and trailer being at least twice the length of the truck I learnt in, I have to say I have not been looking forward to the day I finally get behind the drivers wheel. However, I do want to be able to drive the old girl. Boy was it scary. I had to use all my weight to push down and change gear, or not as the case may be! My feet dangling just above the pedals made me feel the enormity of what I was in control of. For the first 15 minutes my sweaty hands were clamped onto the steering wheel with my heart pounding. Each time I passed a truck I held my breath and my eyes were glued to the road. Andre had to remind me to wave. What a nerve-racking experience! Eventually I began to change the gears a lot more smoothly and was able to judge when to change too. At last I was able to relax a little bit, but it will be a while before I will be doing any parking or hill starts that’s for sure. Hats off to Andre and well done! Keep on trucking!! With my moment of truth past, we arrived in Rolleston. By contrast the most ordinary campsite we have stayed at in 6 months, but as we bought a few essentials at the one and only shop/ fuel stop in town, we saw the best sunset of the trip so far. The sun sinking, a deep red ball of fire into the horizon. Absolutely stunning, which serves to remind us that mother nature rarely chooses where she shows her most beautiful attributes. Which leads me on to Carnarvon Gorge where we arrived this afternoon. The campsite is great, with excellent modern facilities. Yet again, due to our size we have a secluded spot far away from the other campers surrounded by beautiful trees and wildlife. We are looking forward to doing lots of walking, watching and learning. This promises to be as wonderful as the Warrumbungles. We will fill you in on our next entry.