Tues, 14th Nov, 2023 Central Station Campground, Fraser Island National Park, Qld

8 months has passed since Erica left this life.

Another peaceful night, 18 degrees min.

8.30am we headed back to Eurong to meet Dave & Wendy. Unfortunately as we headed down the track to meet the two-way section I got phone reception and heaps of messages came through from Wendy. They have discovered a pennard arm (holds the diff in place from travelling sidewards) has broken on their car. We rang them back when we got to Eurong. They asked at Reception for help but no go there. Steve checked with a chap here and he said he could do it but that means the back and forward trek. Steve and Dave will try with the two batteries & welding rod ‘bush mechanic style’ that Steve used recently.

We got a bit of fuel just to be on the safe side for the rest of our exploring even though it is $3.20/L. 4WDriving uses a lot more fuel compared to the kilometres we have done. There are a couple of curlews wandering around the picnic table area.

We headed over to Kingsfisher Bay to help. Lots of traffic today as the tide is still high so people are on the inland roads exploring. Met a bus just before the Pile Valley car park so we had to back up. Another bus came as we headed done a slope but it was us who backed up.

Took us 1 hour 15 mines from Eurong to Kingfisher Bay. Met Dave & Wendy who then guided Steve backwards up the lane to a clear area near their accommodation so they could work on Dave’s car and it was in the shade.

They discovered it last night as they drove down for dinner. Dave worked on straightening it this morning and just had to wait till we go phone reception to tell us about it. They were lucky it didn’t break on the way back as they would have been stuck on the track somewhere. Always look for a positive - they had got back safely and were in the hotel for the night, not on the side of the track. They said the Cornwells Gap Track was very soft even after they left the beach and it had some steep bits that he felt we would have struggled with so we will skip that one.

We left the boys get started on the repair and went for a swim. May as well make use of the resort.

Back to the boys - doing well.

Wendy showed me their room - great photo of Lake McKenzie. Their room is nice with a view across a lagoon to the bay.

Walked along the boardwalks to reception to check out the photos and info there. A few shots of the display about the building of the resort.

Fabulous old photos of the timber logging days. In 1863 they were logging Kauri Pines, Hoop Pines and White Beech. The hauling was done by teams of bullocks and horses with some teams having as many as 22 bullocks in them to haul the big timber out.

In another room where they show video displays is some displays (items in cabinets) and pictures of the Z Special Forces. A NP Ranger was sitting in there so I asked if we could come in and look and he said yes but didn’t offer to turn on a light etc. I asked if he knew of the logging camp that we visited yesterday and he said it was Postans but couldn’t tell me much about it.

On a map outside we found the logging camp marked with green.

Great aerial shots of the townships too.

The boys have finished and David is very happy with the result. So glad it could be sorted and we can continue exploring tomorrow. As a thank you for driving over - which we would do without thinking - they took us to lunch at the bistro down near the wharf. The wind has changed direction and appears to be coming from the west.

The boys stayed chatted while Wendy took me back to the Discovery Centre which had a great display. Lots of great photos and information.

I thought I heard some flying foxes yesterday. Hope we don’t find this spider.

Great map outside.

Checked out the shop and photography gallery too. Lots of great things to buy - mind you I seem to be looking a baby clothes more of late!!

Back to the boys and we chatted a bit more. The bistro is open air so Mr Crow came for a visit then Mr Kookaburra flew in and found a chip on the ground that he bashed on the back of the chair. He was very tame as he allowed us to get close to take photos. David nearly patted him but he wasn’t up for that and flew away. Finished with ice creams too which were very nice.

The roadworks (laying the timber slats) starts today at 5pm til 1am so we said bye and headed out at 4.50pm. You would think they could have delayed it to 7pm so people can come back from exploring or if you wanted to come and watch the sunset you had time to get out without have to wait in a queue to be let through.

As we headed down the hill the bus was coming up so we pulled off.

The workers have started by levelling off the track ready for the laying of the timber slats.

Very pretty with the sunlight filtering through the trees.

We met a car coming fast so we pulled off and the driver hung his arm out and yelled something which afterwards we realised was ‘Momentum’. Thought he was just in a rush so he didn’t have to wait for the road works but apparently he couldn’t afford to stop or he would get bogged. We found out a bit further along why as we commented the track ahead looked like a herd of cattle had run around on it. As Steve hadn’t been going fast we quickly got bogged. We got out the recovery tracks for under the front wheels but we only went a metre.

We put the recovery tracks under the drive wheels and with the auto locked into 2^nd gear he crawled back out and onto the harder track surface.

We warned two vehicles as they passed out. They were complaining about being held up with someone bogged at Orchid Beach which delayed them coming back down the east coast. Now they will have to wait to get through the roadworks.

We got back to came at 6pm. We had heard a bang on the track and thought it was a stick being flung up but Steve checked under the truck with a torch and it was another swaybar link. He will be ordering heavy duty ones when we get back to Bundy. Another job for Steve in the morning.

The wind has changed to the west which is making it warmer.