Log One Hundred and Seventeen – It wasn’t there again today….

9 June 2025

For our trip north to Brisbane we decided to avoid the paths well travelled and to follow the obscure and less direct byways. Unfortunately this strategy lead us to some strange places where what seemed to exist wasn’t there. Maybe we were in Camelot or the Matrix was glitching.

It started with our GPS directing us around a bypass to avoid road works that didn’t exist. We continued on to a campground where the office was unattended but a strange and disconnected voice seemed to be speaking to us via an unseen speaker. I walked around the camp ground hoping to find someone in charge but with no luck. There was however several vacant sites so I was sure we were ok. I returned to the office whereupon a vehicle approached.

It was another camper who had been called by the owner to tell us there were no sites available. I suggested there were sites and I had seen them. I was however told somewhat aggressively that, and to quote ‘are you deaf, can’t you hear me, there are no sites available’. I protested, to no avail. I was clearly seeing things that didn’t exist. And so we drove on. On reflection for all our years of travelling and camping this was one of the most bizarre experiences.

We drove through the western fringe of Sydney and what is now never ending estates of new houses. What were once small vegetable farms producing food for Sydney are now housing developments or small businesses growing turf for these new estates. We don’t grow food now, we grow grass, bizarre!

We drove up the Putty Road, a destination for motor bike riders from far and wide and yet we hardly saw a motor bike. We did however stop at the only tavern/cafe on the road for a coffee. The proprietor explained that the absence of motor bike riders was due to the fact that it was Mother’s Day and she had told the riders that had arrived to leave in a rather forthright and colourful manner. She told them they should go home and buy their mum some flowers on the way. And so it would seem they all left. This was a business that catered very much for the motor bike fraternity! The breakfast was excellent as was the coffee. I love the characters you find in these places.

We continued on and were stopped at a railway crossing. The boom gate was down and clearly a train was approaching. This is the country for massive coal trains. We stopped and we waited and we waited. Cars and trucks joined us in a growing queue. There was no train! Back up the tracks I could see a train that had come so far and then reversed into a siding. Eventually the boom gate lifted and we were on our way.

We were determined to discover new country however the rain, fog and the threat of flooded crossings encouraged us to head out of the back woods and on to the main highway. This strategy proved quicker and less hazardous.

We arrived in Brisbane and then proceeded to the Broadbeach Blues Festival.

This is an amazing event and I would encourage anyone with an interest in music to make their way to the Gold Coast in May.

The festival was all free and there was a never ending choice of different blues musicians, some soloists and some in bands. A wonderful four days of music starting at 10am and finishing late into the night.

There were times where the blues festival looked more like a ZZ Top revival with so many grey beards. I also discovered the tough, macho fans were the guys riding disability electric scooters with a skull and cross bones on the front of their vehicle.

We returned home and along the way visited places where glaciers were 200 mya and where volcanoes existed 20 mya. Again none of these attractions are there any more, a bit like the non existent camp site.

After a couple of weeks at home we drove down to the south coast for the King’s Birthday long weekend. It is winter and so the weather is wet, windy and cold. Why did we leave a warm and dry, perfectly adequate home!

In two weeks it’s time for another adventure and this time we will be again heading north and warmer climes will be our focus.