20260620 Qld Childers, Miara, Calliope River to Bajool

20260620 Hopefully the next time we see Dick he would have hopefully sold his home that he’s only been in since August 2025 but he’s got itchy feet and, he likes a property in Boonooroo, on the edge of the Great Sandy Marine Park. The town is opposite Frazer Island, a place thats on my bucket list so start packing Dick and searching for that boat, Frazer Island is calling my name. We camped at Childers for the night and just our luck there was a drugged fucked guy camped directly opposite us in a two man tent yelling abuse and swearing while drinking what looked like straight Vodka and smoking what I assume was hootter only going by the way he was carrying on I’m thinking it was that dreaded drug, Ice. Lucky for all the campers he passed out early and woke up all refreshed and probably didn’t remember a thing.

The people you run into in the streets of Childers, I went to school with Gail at Birkdale in the 1970’s and we did once hang out along with Sandra Long, Oo the memories.

The Grand Hotel in Childers was established in 1892, it’s now heritage-listed and famous for surviving the devastating 1902 town fires and its spooky resident ghost, "Luke the Spook

Luke the Spook is the legendary ghost said to haunt the Grand Hotel, local legend claims he is the spirit of Victor Graham, who died after falling from the hotel’s balcony following a heated dispute over a poker game. According to folklore, Graham had been accused of being a police informant and was seen distressed on the balcony before his fatal fall. Today, “Luke the Spook” remains one of Childers’ most enduring ghost stories.

I managed a fly by photo of the Macadamian Nut plantation while heading to Tony’s place, man it goes on for ever. It was in 2016, the Bundaberg region came the highest producing region in Australia, producing 19,900 tonnes of nut in shell (3.5% moisture), and growing almost five-fold since 2000.

We arrived in the town of Miara with just a Pub and a small convenient store, stopping for an ice cream, of cause the van needs washing so Des starts pacing the area looking for water, when he spots a park across the road. After some discussion on weather it was tank or town water, I finally lost it and said, for Christ sack just wash the bloody thing, I left him to clean while I blogged, but I do have to shami the windscreen at some point. Tony turned up and gave him a hard time, as he does and I was tempted to leave with him but I still have the dreaded windscreen to do. We arrived a short time later and unloaded our supplies for the night before parking the van two houses up on level ground as Tony’s block is bent, just like our Tony.

After watching two rounds of football we returned to Tony’s and light the fire and down more beer than they probably should, but who’s counting, certainly not Desy, Tony or Will the neighbour, they love a beer🍺🍻

A funny event, wasn’t it Tony and Will😂

Lesley is Tony’s lovely neighbour who loves her football and makes for a fun drinking partner, I will return.🍺🍺 

We had a great couple of days and Tony makes for a great host, Pizza on our first night to soak up the beer and he even had the fire ready to go, he just needs to learn how to maintain it. After a trip to Bundy the boys returned with chops, salad and prawns for dinner I like mine charcoal please.  I’m thinking Tony’s had enough of us so it’s time to move on but not before he makes us a hearty breakfast, see ya soon mate.

20260623 We arrived in Miriam Vale where the bats play havoc and the trains constantly blow their bloody horns, I’m sure it’s a boy thing. As we entered the camp ground two boy’s were happily releasing them selves in broad daylight under a tree, now thats a greeting for you. Once we parked up we walked the town not that anything’s changed since the last time hear, I was going to stop for a coffee at the local bakery until I witnessed a bloody dog dropping a big turd right out the front so I kept walking, bloody disgusting. 

The town of Miriam Vale

24 to 27062026 We only stayed the night and left to once again to camp on the Calliope River, a familiar pleasant camp on the river and I must say the floods have changed the layout a tad, some trees have fallen and were vans once parked near the river is now sand not to mention a few homeless people who have made this camp, home. In the afternoon we would paced the grounds with a beer in hand while stopping occasionally for a chat with the many campers travelling through, one lady was carrying a tiny bird in a small bag, this bird has been all around Australia she said, but my thought’s were, how about I put you in a small bag and carry you around Australia and see how you like it, I felt for the poor bird.

The Calliope River Camp Ground

20260627 We pack up and head back to the town of Calliope to stock up on supplies and find a laundromat and maybe pig out on a pie. You wouldn’t read about it but there’s a pie shop right next to the laundromat and man they look delicious plus I haven’t had a pie in ages, I ordered a beef and mushroom and OMG.

Lizzys Country Bakehouse and Mouth Watering Pie in Calliope

With our bellies full, the washing and shopping completed we hit the road heading towards Rocky, passing Mt Larcom and into the town of Bajool, unfortunately the Pub in under new management and they are renovating. A lady yells out and Des thought she said to F off but she was asking,  you look lost, we all had a good laugh and she gave us some tips for camp spots along the way, Barra Crab and Roope Rd camping so we set our nav to check it out.

Bajool was named from the railway station established in 1903 and comes from an Aboriginal word for a nearby lagoon, thought to mean either “Big Fella water hole” or “stop here.” In 1860s pioneer families established cattle runs and farms in the then rugged bushland which were occupied by the Aboriginal people, Bajool began to grew after the railway reached the town in 1903.

The current tavern was built around 1974 after the original hotel burnt down, it has served as a vital rest stop for travelers, miners, and long-haul truck drivers for decades. 

The War memorial was built from the local marble quarry  in 1921, to honour those who served in the First World War.

They don’t get many visitors in Bajool so they invent their own.😅

Well we’re off to check out Barra Crab and Roope Rd camping and hopefully find a nice camp for a couple of days.

SEE YA ALL SOON