Gin Gin

Wednesday 21^st August

We left Wuruma Dam and travelled about 100kms to Gin Gin and arrived at 2pm on Monday. We went through Mt Perry on the way, a windy road, but easy to drive on. Mt Perry looked like a pretty town so we stopped for a look. Copper was discovered there in 1867. From 1873 the town produced a fortune in minerals that also included gold and silver. It is only small and has about 450 residents. There are several monuments in remembrance of the miners who lost their lives in the mines.

We also stopped at the Boolboonda Tunnel. This is a true feat of engineering and was carved through pure rock without the assistance of machinery, just hand picks, way back in 1883. Its length is 192 metres and it is the longest, unlined, unsupported tunnel in the Southern Hemisphere. It originally formed part of the railway line that ran from Mt Perry to Bundaberg. It has been recorded that the engineering skills of the workers was so precise, that when the two ends finally met, the tunnel was less than 2cm out of alignment! Since rail traffic was stopped, it has been National Heritage listed and has become home to hundreds of tiny Bent Wing Bats.

We pulled up to have a look and after reading on the sign that it was unsupported,  I was worried about it caving in on us…Bit imaginative, I know, but I kinda had this fear that we would be locked in there forever, never to be seen again! Anyway, Mark chose to get out and cockily walked up to it. As he got closer, all of a sudden he ducked and walked back to the car really fast with a terrified look on his face! I nearly wet myself laughing; it was a bat that swooped him!! So much for being brave! He said “Little c**t nearly took my head off”! Honestly, it was no bigger than a leaf! Scaredy cat! Mind you, I’m glad I chose not to go in there with him, coz I really would have wet my pants! I’m still laughing now.

Gin Gin is halfway between Brisbane and Rockhampton and 56kms south of Bundaberg. It is thought to be the 4^th oldest town in Qld, and was originally settled in 1847 when Gregory Blaxland and William Forster moved into the area with sheep and cattle.  There is a Cairn here at the Rest Area, with a memorial to Gregory Blaxland and it says he is buried in the vicinity of the Cairn. I went for a walk with Millie this morning and stood reading this and thought to myself “Oh my God, I hope I’m not standing on him”! Gave me a shiver up my spine!

Gin Gin has been home to some very famous people including Forster, Palmer and Mcllwraith who became Premiers. The famous explorers, The Landsborough Brothers made Gin Gin their home. It is the centre of some of the most diverse rural industry that encompasses some of the largest citrus orchards in Australia.

One of Qld’s few bushrangers, James McPherson, known as the ‘Wild Scotchman’, was captured nearby at Monduran Station 13kms north of the town.

There are many amazing murals on the buildings in town, depicting the history and way of life around pioneering times.

We are staying at the large free Rest Area on the Bruce Hwy which is very pleasant. The toilets are maintained and rubbish bins emptied each day and town water is available. It is a popular place to stop for travellers and there must have been at least 50 vans here on Monday night. The town itself is lovely, is an easy walk from the Rest Area and everyone is friendly. We went in today and had lunch at the Pub in the Beer Garden. We got talking to an old bloke who had clearly started drinking sometime early in the morning. It was his birthday and the Pub had already given him 8 free beers! His conversation was largely peppered with the f word, but he was a nice harmless bloke, so we weren’t bothered. As they say, it takes all sorts to make the world go round!

Colouring my hair....Too many greys!

Doing our laundry in the sunshine

Enjoying a Steak & Salad Burger in the Beer Garden at the Gin Gin Pub

Mark has been the maintenance man again. Today he spent time helping another caravanner with his solar panel and battery. I told him maybe he should put a sign on the back of the van and he could earn petrol money!

The weather has been glorious here, sunny days of around 25° -27 °and slightly cool nights of around 10°. We are becoming used to sleeping in different places and barely hear all the noises at night, especially the truckies who go past in their huge rigs.

Tomorrow we will move on, not sure where to yet. There are a few more Rest Areas within a wide area, so we will see where the road takes us!