Australia 2024 Days 11, 12 & 13

Day 11 - July 8  Loftus

Very exciting washing day today - unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate so the dryer was running for 9 hours straight trying to keep up.

Played some more trains out in the shed and did a little grocery shopping.

Day 12 - July 9  Loftus - Armidale

Today we started our drive up to the Sunshine Coast in QLD.  First hurdle was getting out of Sydney going north, but it ended up being a lot easier than I expected - still a good hour and a half though.  Then we just jumped on the freeway heading to Newcastle. Stopped at a service station in Wyong for morning tea and I took over driving up past Newcastle to 12 mile creek where we turned off on Buckets way.  I had heard that this drive was really pot holey and not a great drive but they have obviously been doing it up as it wasn't too bad - it was a very nice drive up to Gloucester.

At Gloucester we stopped for Lunch at a bakery then back on the road up Thunderbolts way to Walcha for Afternoon tea, then on to Armidale.  We checked into our Motel - The Deer park Motel, so named because they have a small herd of Deer onsite that you can feed twice a day, once at 9 am one again at 5pm.  Thankfully we arrived at 4:30pm so it was just a short wait till the next feeding and well worth it.  It was a lot of fun feeding the deer, though those guys have seriously dirty lips - needed a good handwash after that!

Dinner at the local Ex Services Club - they had a curry night so I had a pretty good Butter chicken.

Day 13 - July 10  Armidale - Buderim

Had the strangest weather this morning - it was clear and sunny one minute and then dense fog the next, rinse and repeat every half hour or so.

But once we got rid of the fog it was a really nice drive.  We continued up Thunderbolts way through Glen Innes and Tenterfield.  Stopped for lunch at Warwick at the Hungry Jacks then .... after a lengthy delay at the road works .... turned off past the Darling Downs zoo and headed up to Gatton.  Had a short stop at the Lions park in Esk for afternoon tea.

Then the last stretch up through Kilcoy and then down to Beerwah and onto the Sunshine Coast.  Finally arrived at Uncle Bills place at about 5pm after many road works stops - there were a number of places where the road had been washed down the side of the hill and there was just a single lane left..

Got ourselves settled in at Uncle Bills place - It really is a beautiful place - with a really great view!