Ipswich……………………………Day 172

12 Sept 2014.

We had a great s days in Bundaberg checking out the famous Bundaberg  Rum Distillery. We had to take off watches, cameras, phones, iPods etc and leave with our purses in a locker before commencing the tour. No wonder there is immense security when we are told they have about $1.8 billion dollars worth of rum in their bond stores. Once it leaves the bond store they have to pay a huge tax per litre to the government.

We were offered tastes after the tour but they were very careful how much we drunk. I bought the famous liqueur that is only sold at the distillery.

We also had a look at the factory that produces the famous Ginger Beer. They have partnered with the Distillery to produce a couple of rum and a mixer.

This is the Burnett River which flooded last year. It runs through the town and in the floods the Bundaberg Distillery suffered considerable damage.

The beaches were checked out as was the harbour and both Lance and I had haircuts in Moore Beach . We are camped in the caravan park right on the beach. This is a sunrise photo at Moore Beach.

On Thursday morning we packed up and headed inland through Childers to a place called Wooroolin, a tiny town with a large grassed area available to caravaners free. The thinking is that the caravaners will spend some money at the couple of local cafes or pub.

The Wooroolin Hotel:

Its a pity Mandurah cant see past the money all the home units and canal development produce  through rates raised. There is no dump point to use in the town and only about 4 spaces in a car park for caravaners to park in, if they are not occupied by buses. Buying groceries can also be a bit of a trial for our travelling visitors as there is no where for them to park near the supermarkets. Shame on Mandurah  for not being more RV friendly.

Here is a place to stop in Yarraman for RV’ers. Table and seats, toilets, fuel station next door, a dump point, a peanut van selling the peanuts grown around the area and a fruit & veg man selling his produce.

We are travelling down the Country Way, a drive from Rockhampton to Sydney. We went on this drive when we drove out to Mount Morgan from Rockhampton and again the drive when we went inland from Bundaberg.

On the drive from Wooroolin as we got closer to Crows Nest (QLd) we had a BIG DRAMA. We had just reached the bottom of a winding steep road in the mountains when we heard a BIG loud noise and a terrible screeching sound. Lance managed to stop the car quickly. We got out of the car to find the tow hitch had come away from the car. Long story short John & Denise helped us to get the caravan jacked up and to put the tow hitch back onto the car. By the way we had checked the hitch before we left in the morning.

Denise watched for traffic from behind while John and Lance worked on getting things back together. Thanks a heap guys.

Lance and I were both shaken by the accident and are aware that it could have ended differently if it had happened coming down the winding road.

We are now camped at the Ipswich Showgrounds so John and Denise can go into Brisbane to visit a friend. Tomorrow we are out buying new sway bars for the caravan. When we arrived Denise & I were given a welcome pack, including a nice biro by the lady in the office and later this night we witnessed the fireworks just the other side of the amenities block. We have stayed at a number of showgrounds, including West Wyalong where the caretaker gave us a plate of sausage rolls he had made. They usually are cheaper than caravan parks and just as nice. Actually there is no caravan park listed for Ipswich.