Just got back from HerveyBay, we left on Good Friday and went via the
New England Highway etc.
Day one Newcastle to Moree took approx 6 hours (as my 13 year old son says and I must agree with him "boring trip", nothing to see just scrub and roads.
Big 4 Caravan Park Moree very friendly management but the park is well and truly run down and in need of some attention (someone was desperate they stole one of the bike seat from our bikes that were one the carry rack). On the plus side they had a very large hot and cold mineral spa.
Day two on to Hervey Bay via the Bunya Highway, via Dalby, Kingaroy etc and re joining the Bruce Highway just north of Gympie. Once again not much to see apart from the fantastic memorabilia at the info centre at Goondiwindi the home town of Gunsynd.
We arrived at Torquay at about 6pm and thought that with a bit of luck we might be able to get on our site one day early (no such luck the CP was completely booked out), so we did the tour around Torquay, Scarness and Urangan (looked like we might have to "free camp outside a CP") BUT WE STUMBLED ON A CP CALL "THE ONE STOP CARAVAN PARK", it is not listed in any CP books I think. Anyhow they had about 4 or 5 sites available and we took one. This is the best part my wife asked how much (keep in mind it is the EASTER WEEKEND) is it for just the one night after considerable thought by the manager he said how about $20 my wife is just about on the ground with disbelief she told him that there was 4 of us 2 adults and 2 teenagers the reply was no $20 will be fine.
Now you must put this place down in your little black books, unfortunately I do not have their phone number and I am sure it was a mobile number on the board outside of the park. It is situated in Shell Street Urangan. It is approx 200 meters to the Sportsman's Club & 300 meters to Urangan Pier, the local bus stops outside the club on the hour and you can do the full circle on the bus to Maryborough for $2.20 pension concession or .95cents to the Centro at Pialba.
All good things come to and end or at least the kids had to go back to school.
We decided to return home via the pacific highway (more to see). We left Hervey Bay on Saturday 21st via Nambour and the Big Pineapple, I would have normally stayed at Grafton (on the dog track) but we were having a good run and went on to Coffs Harbour for the night. We stayed at the showgrounds CP (the one on the highway) that was the second time we had been there and the last, $41.50 for the night, the place was lit up like LunaPark and that made it very hard to sleep.
Sunday 22nd arrive home at about 12.30pm all in all we had a great trip away and oh yes we caught heaps of Whiting, Flounder & Flathead.
I would not recommend the inland highway via Moree and the other way via Tenterfield is very slow due to the hills and winding roads.
Fuel on the other side of the boarder was between $1.22 and $1.16 per litre.
Back to the drawing board for the July school holidays.
Wow -- thanks for the great info and advice. We are planning a trip to Fraser Island next month and will plan a stay at the 'One Stop Caravan Park'. Owners of van parks who don't charge the earth over Easter certainly deserve all the business they can get. PS - loved the photos; hope the fish are still biting!
