Have people lost their sense of ADVENTURE

Have people lost their sense of adventure ?… 

well its been on my mind now for a few weeks. More and more I see online people asking where to go, can they do a certain trip in a stupid time frame and so much more. You know years ago it was all about getting out there and exploring. We either went down to the local 4wd shop and bought a map or two, used google maps and google earth and then went exploring. If it meant getting lost or going down a track-road that went no where, well so be it , it was all about the adventure. We never made stupid time limits ( like - trying to go from Sydney to Perth and back again in 14 days ), we made and had realist expectations. If you have holiday time limits, is it really worth all that push and shove to bust your guts ?…. 

 

Why do 10,000km in three weeks to look at something on the other side of the country when you come back absolutely trashed and then buggered for the next week, why not explore your own back yard. Except if you live in the city where you might get stabbed !!!…  have some bloody expectations people. We just did a 9 month stint in QLD, exploring midwest to the coast and I can tell you we def didn’t see it all, just now here on the south coast of NSW its taken 3 weeks to go 100 km !!. It's all about exploring. I know I know- we are all different, I could ask online where is somewhere to camp or what ever and get offered a shit hole of a place, but its your favourite and that’s fine. I could send you to Hell Hole Gorge in QLD and if you're not prepared it may turn to shit. 

With the amount of apps, detailed books and maps out there and even great blogs, it still makes me laugh at the stupid questions people ask. So why aren’t people getting out there to explore ?… is it they are too lazy, is it a security thing, or have we just lost our sense of adventure ?… I think it is all of the above. 

I would guarantee that if we all drew a 100 > 200 km circle around our home I bet most of us would not of discovered our own back yard. Yes I know that there are bigger and better things across the horizons but make realist plans. Know your limits. I personally have spent nearly 30 years exploring the Coffs Coast and can honestly say that I haven’t explored it all but I have given it a fair shakeup. When people ask me for advise ill help them a bit finding stuff ( remember this was before GPS ) and we only had paper tops maps, but I won’t say exactly where things are as you need to have a bit of adventure within you and if you don’t like it - tough shit. 

So why not grab a map and haver a look around closer to home what you’ve passing by time after time, you might be pleasantly surprised, if you see another track shoot down there and have a look, maybe a walking track, what about that NP or SF that you always see. It won’t hurt to have a look. 

Map reading is a dyeing art, teach your kids about it before all the paper maps are gone - its fun, its fun to get lost too. I know places like FB are great to get info but make it your own adventure and make some personal memories as I reckon people are too reliant on others expectations. Stop being so fridge lazy. Even with the horrific fires, road closures and now the floods, how many time do people ask about this and that week after week after week - do not people know or bloody see so many posts, articles, newspaper reports and on TV to down load the appropriate apps to actually follow what’s going on !!.. That’s our society these days I suppose. 

So people pull your friggen finger out, spend some $$ on a good road atlas, do your own homework and get back out there - you’ll probably be amazed just how smart you really are.

CUNNAMULLA......QLD

Cunnamulla is a good 800 km drive west of Brisbane and could be called the gateway to the real outback with several major highways intersecting the town. Back in 1846 Sir Thomas Mitchell explored the floodplains of the Warrego River, but being so far away from the goldfields and other favourable areas, growth was slow. But by 1860 there was an influx of settlers and graziers a courthouse was built and the Cobb & Co coach came to town. Soon Cunnamulla the was becoming the hub for several intersecting stock routes the population grew and with that the railway came to town, shops opened including a soap maker and a cordial factory, a school was built and new areas were being discovered.

Over time Cunnamulla has seen fortunes in wool and grazing with several large pastoral stations, now it’s a sleepy town but holds some hidden secrets within the area. Cunnamulla has had a chequered past and a daunting reminder still stands today. In 1880 Joseph Wells attempted to rob the local bank, but it all went wrong and he was wounded in a struggle. He fled the bank and hid up a tree where the local dogs soon found him. Wells was eventually found guilty and was sentenced to death. Known as the Robbers tree it now has a heritage listing and is less than 1km from town.

Basing yourself at Cunnamulla there are a few options to explore the town and the outer reaches of the shire. A great source of history and local knowledge can be found right in the heart of town beside Centenary Park at the tourist information centre. Here you can pick up maps and wander the displays that include the Paroo pioneer pathway, the Artesian Time Tunnel and visit the Cunnamulla Fella out front. This double life size statue was commissioned after Slim Dusty released a song by the same name and is the centre piece to the yearly festival. 

A history trail has been set up around town where you can spend a few hours driving around town and taking several walkways to points of interest. The heritage trail lets you discover the towns heritage buildings, the river walk has a superb sunset viewing platform above the river, checkout the magnificent old railway covered platform and for the kids don't forget to visit the sand dunes just out of town for a little fun in the sand.

5 km south of town is the Allan Tannock weir, a perfect place to sit by the water and watch the birds come and go on the water or if you bought your tinnie there is a boat ramp. Gas bbqs and picnic tables complete are here for all to use. Further afield take a drive 64km west to Eulo ( pronounced U low ). It’s only a small town but during the month of September believe it or not, they hold Lizard racing on a specially designed Lizard Racing track !!. 

Eulo is also known for having an Artesian mud springs, date farms and is home to ‘Kenny'. Discovered in 2011, Kenny is a Diprotodon, which is very similar to our current Wombat. The only difference is that Kenny is some 7 foot high, 15 foot long and weighs around 500kg. Roaming the earth up until 46 000 years ago, Kenny is regarded as one of the best preserved prehistoric skeletons every found. A short drive out of Eulo is the Paroo River. This is a great area for a picnic or camp with plenty of room for even the biggest of trailers. A must do here is the walking trail around the wetland that highlights significant areas on the river bank. 

If Opal fossicking is more your thing, just north of Eulo at Yowah there are several Opal fields where you can take a tour and try your luck scratching around and because there is no such thing as town water out here, the locals suck a bore nearly 1km deep to tap into the hot artesian water. One of the quirky highlights out here in this remote community is that you can soak in the water for hours at a time either in the community pool or some bath tubs just near the shop. For those wanting to experience life on a true working outback station there are several in the area where accommodation is available from camping to bunking down in shearers quarters. They also offer bush cooking, sheep shearing and day to day station life. Cunnamulla is a pretty town with majestic streets, historical buildings and proud residents. Stop and spend a little time here- you wont be disappointed.

CRANKY ROCK..... Wirialda. NSW

I’ve heard of Cranky Rock for a few years and always whizzed by it on the way west BUT this time we needed to stop in to look !!……. 

Cranky Rock is a few miles east of Warialda in northern NSW and then another 5 minute drive off the highway. There are two options when you pull up, either use the day area for the short walk to the rock, lookout and swimming hole - or like us we camped at here at the Council caravan park. It’s only small BUT the host’s are awesome, they crank the fire up every arvo at 430 and great facilities. You’ll have peacocks, chooks and other night wild life wandering around camp. 

Just minutes away is the walking track and the suspension bridge across in to the Cranky Rock area. Massive Granite boulders overshadow you as you wander along the pathway towards the lookout that gives you 360 views around the area AND down below into the deep and cool water holes. 

Legend ( or story ) has it that a cranky Chinese fella was blamed for the murder of a nearby white woman and took shelter here around the rocks, he subsequently took his own life - ‘apparently !!’ ….. No one really knows what happened back in 1875 but the name has stuck. 

Great spot for a night or two to enjoy the peace and quiet, go for a walk or fossick in the creeks or for a bit of bird watching. It said that the granite is around 240 million years old and has been slowly weathering away

MINE CO-ORDS

As promised punters. Here you will find the list of mine co-ords.... I'll slowly put them up with the name of the mine.

Happy hunting !!!

LAT & LONG ( DECIMAL )                                                 MINE NAME       

 -30.119311    152.846574    ....Kangaroo King Reef

-30.20311        152.929273    .... Dunphys

TBC