DSC_0009.JPG=An old wooden bridge on Gin Gin creek.
DSC_0071Panorama.JPG=Moored for the night (panorama)
03Somerset1.jpg=Interesting sign
DSCN0195.JPG=Coal trains are a constant beside the Bruce Highway - near Gladstone
DSC_0007Panorama.JPG=Gin Gin creek.(panorama)
DSC_0001.JPG=The recent Queensalnd floods have dumped debris on the Gin Gin creek banks some 25metres above the normal water level.
DSCN0230.JPG=Very creative play area at the "Whistle Stop". The train even has the "cow catcher" on the front.
DSC_0015a.JPG=Our (unpowered) camping spot
DSC_0050.JPG=Bush Turkey
DSC_0015b.JPG=Typically in Queensland the roadside rest stop is restricted to a one night stop.
DSCN0208.JPG=Travelling the Capricorn Highway west from Rockhampton, the countryside is at it's best following a solid rainy season.
DSCN0179.JPG=Bruce Highway near Calliope
DSCN0222crop.jpg=A cute local resident tree frog
DSC_0017zanorama.JPG=Drummond Range (panorama)
DSCN0184.JPG=Calliope river
DSC_0014.JPG=Scenic map in the roadside rest stop at Gin Gin (a pleasant stop)
DSC_0001aPanorama.JPG=Lake Maraboon Holiday Park on our arrival at Fairbairn Dam
DSC_0023.JPG=Camped on a River Jordan billabong
DSCN0173.JPG=Ban Ban Springs / Biggenden - Minor birds annoying a pair of Kookaburras
DSC_0003c.JPG=Capricorn Caves wildlife - Eastern Grey kangaroos
DSC_0006.JPG=Bird life on the lake
DSC_0040.JPG=Leaving the Capricorn Caves over one of the two "rope" bridges
DSCN0192.JPG=Coal trains are a constant beside the Bruce Highway - near Gladstone
03Somerset.jpg=Good sized Red Claw Crayfish
DSC_0067Panorama.JPG=Moored for the night (panorama)
DSC_0003Panorama.JPG=Gin Gin creek. Part of the Creek bed where mature trees had been flattened by floodwaters.(panorama)
08RockyEmerald1.jpg=Selma Weir on the Nogoa River (Emerald) - this is why the trees collapse into the river during floods
DSC_0028crop.jpg=A reasonable catch after the first night
DSC_0015c.JPG=Orange/Red limestone due to oxidised minerals
DSC_0032.JPG=Fairbairn Dam wall
DSC_0006a.JPG=A mother Eastern Grey kangaroo with a mature Joey still in the pouch with just his legs hanging out.
DSC_0022Panorama.JPG=Inside the Capricorn Caves.(vertical panorama)
DSC_0010.JPG=Hills surrounding Lake Somerset
DSC_0003.JPG=While Dave is cleaning the catch, a cheeky kookaburra decided to have a look
DSC_0065.JPG=Rainbow Lorikeets at the boat ramp.
DSC_0048 (4).JPG=One of our opera house pots on our final morning
DSCN0225.JPG=Whistle Stop park, Comet\
					
DSCN0232.JPG=Some bottle trees in the park - we expect to see some much bigger in our travels West.
DSC_0016.JPG=Inside the Capricorn Caves system.
DSCN0251.JPG=The Capricorn Highway road train
DSC_0031.JPG=Fairbairn Dam wall
DSC_0006b.JPG=Gin Gin Creek, Thomas Campbell bridge
DSCN0253.JPG=The Capricorn Highway road train
DSC_0044.JPG=Lake Somerset canvas cabins
07JoyCapHwy1a.jpg=An old iron phone booth lying on the ground behind the railway station, Whistle Stop park, Comet. I've never heard of a steel booth before, but it is genuine because looking inside it has the old shelf and back board. Steel might have been used for termite protection.
DSC_0036.JPG=Very small shawl limestone formations
DSC_0052.JPG=Leaving our pots on Lake Maraboon for the first time.
DSC_0040z.JPG=Camped on a River Jordan billabong - Galahs
DSC_0008_DSC_0010.jpg=At the main entrance to the Capricorn Caves, the figs have extended their roots about 30 metres over rock and about a further 25 metres through the limestone and into the caves. (vertical panoramas)
DSC_0045.JPG=Selma Weir on the Nogoa River (Emerald)
DSC_0031aPanorama.JPG=the "Cathedral" cave (vertical panorama)
DSC_0041.JPG=Leaving the Capricorn Caves over one of the two "rope" bridges
DSC_0036z.JPG=Camped on a River Jordan billabong - Galahs
DSCN0238.JPG=It became obvious as we approached Emerald that there was a storm brewing creating an impressive display just as the lightning started
DSC_0013b.JPG=Gin Gin creek.
DSCN0186.JPG=Calliope river
DSC_0002z.JPG=Just a short stop for supplies on the outskirst of Rockhampton - fortunately the car park was quiet and we found 7 spare bays.
DSC_0026z.JPG=Camped on a River Jordan billabong - Galahs
DSC_0073Panorama.JPG=Moored for the night (vertical panorama)
DSC_0004.JPG=Gin Gin creek. Part of the Creek bed where mature trees had been flattened by floodwaters.
DSC_0013c.JPG=The main entrance to the Capricorn Caves system.
DSCN0259.JPG=Bottle trees (Baobab/Boab) in one of the lovely wide streets of Jericho
DSCN0214.JPG=Mackenzie River approaching Bluff C.Q.
07JoyCapHwy.jpg=The old railway station now housed at Whistle Stop park, Comet
DSC_0004Panorama.JPG=A different early morning weather mood over the lake (panorama)
DSCN0211.JPG=Travelling the Capricorn Highway west from Rockhampton, the countryside is at it's best following a solid rainy season.
DSC_0039Panorama.JPG=Our first stop was for a couple of days at Lake Somerset - so relaxing we decided to make it four days. This is the "Holiday Park" entry (panorama)
DSC_0038.JPG=Fairbairn Dam spillway
DSC_0035.JPG=Inside the Capricorn Caves - roots from the figs extend a further 25metres or so through the open cave area of the "Cathedral"
DSC_0021.JPG=Another good catch
DSC_0041Panorama.JPG=Fairbairn Dam spillway (panorama)
DSC_0037Panorama.JPG=Fairbairn Dam wall and spillway (panorama)
DSCN0198.JPG=We just skirted around Rockhampton to get to Yaamba and from there to Capricorn Caves\

DSCN0177.JPG=Still plenty of water around the area between Gin Gin and Mt Larcom
DSCN0239.JPG=Threatening sky approaching Emerald.
DSC_0077.JPG=Checking the pots early morning - a good catch in one of our �pera house" pots
DSC_0020c.JPG=Inside the Capricorn Caves.
DSC_0001a.JPG=Capricorn Caves discovered by (Norwegian) John Olsen in 1882
DSCN0231.JPG=Joy may have missed her calling - could she have been an excavator operator.
DSCN0219.JPG=One of the "dig" marked trees used as platform for the first rail bridge to cross the Nogoa river
DSC_0018.JPG=Inside the Capricorn Caves.
DSC_0025Panorama.JPG=After a couple of delays, we're packed and ready to leave on the big trip.
DSC_0008Panorama.JPG=The main entrance to the Capricorn Caves system. (vertical panorama) approx 50 metres to the top
DSC_0029.JPG=Inside the Capricorn Caves - this is an original walkway, more than 100 years old
DSC_0020z.JPG=Drummond Range
DSC_0021z.JPG=On the Capricorn Highway, the drive from Emerald to Jericho passes through what is called the Central Highlands and includes parts of the Great Dividing Range. Starting near Cairns and extending South for some 4000km, the Great Dividing Range generally separates the Eastern coastal strip from the inland areas, but here, it is some 400km from the coast.\
This is an area called Drummond Range
DSC_0026bPanorama.JPG=Fairbairn Dam wall (panorama)
DSC_0018Panorama.JPG=Bird life on the lake (panorama)
DSC_0050z.JPG=Lake Maraboon in the afternoon - Stunning
DSCN0200.JPG=Still a lot of groundwater around Rockhampton - normally one of the driest and hottest cities on the Australian East Coast
08RockyEmerald2.jpg=Lake Maraboon in the afternoon - at times, we had up to 9 seagulls following in our wake
DSC_0017.JPG=Bird life on the lake
DSC_0032Panorama.JPG=Fairbairn Dam spillway (panorama)
08RockyEmerald.jpg=An unusual (for us) little bird, busy catching grubs in the mulch - we should get a "bird book"
DSCN0218.JPG=At the town of Comet there is a monument to Ludwig Leichhardt's 1847 (failed) expedition from Moreton Bay to Northern Australia.
DSC_0027.JPG=Our boat mooring below the (unpowered) camping spot
08RockyEmerald3.jpg=Checking the pots early morning - a good catch
DSCN0241.JPG=In Central Queensland we are seeing some big rigs such as 2km long coal trains, road trains and mining equipment like this one (there was three of these trucks following each other)
DSC_0012Panorama.JPG=Pelicans (panorama)
DSCN0213.JPG=Mackenzie River approaching Bluff C.Q.
DSCN0244.JPG=The Capricorn Highway
DSC_0029crop.jpg=Kangaroos relaxing behind our boat trailer
DSC_0034.JPG=He can rest after he's "done good work".
DSC_0042.JPG=Leaving the Capricorn Caves over one of the two "rope" bridges
DSCN0217.JPG=Bluff on the Capricorn Hwy C.Q. is a major rail junction for the coal trains from Central Queensland, such as Gregory, Oaky Creek, Curragh etc
03Somerset2.jpg=Bird life on the lake
DSC_0024z.JPG=Camped on a River Jordan billabong
DSC_0001Panorama.JPG=One of the different weather moods over the lake (panorama)
DSC_0004z.JPG=We enjoyed some of the small crays with spicy noodles - yum
DSCN0203.JPG=The Fitzroy River, Rockhampton.
DSC_0013.JPG=Hills surrounding Lake Somerset
DSC_0076.JPG=Checking the pots early morning
DSC_0058.JPG=Lake Maraboon in the afternoon - at times, we had up to 9 seagulls following in our wake
DSCN0172.JPG=Ban Ban Springs / Biggenden
DSCN0176.JPG=Still plenty of water around the area between Gin Gin and Mt Larcom
DSC_0006Panorama.JPG=A different early morning weather mood over the lake (panorama)
DSC_0044z.JPG=Selma Weir on the Nogoa River (Emerald)
DSC_0039.JPG=Inside the Capricorn Caves.
DSC_0024b.JPG=Fairbairn Dam and Lake Maraboon
DSC_0030.JPG=Our (unpowered) camping spot
DSC_0078.JPG=Checking the pots early morning - a good catch
DSC_0031Panorama.JPG=NSW school holidays made it a bit busy so after our first couple of days we had to move to an unpowered area. It turned out to be a pretty good move though because we had better views of the lake and our moored boat.
DSC_0005Panorama.JPG=Fairbairn Dam picnic area (panorama)
DSC_0044y.JPG=Camped on a River Jordan billabong - late evening
02Somerset.jpg=Bird life on the lake
DSC_0012.JPG=The main entrance to the Capricorn Caves system.
DSCN0245.JPG=The Capricorn Highway
DSC_0039crop.jpg=Pretty Starlings at the spillway
DSC_0003bPanorama.JPG=Fairbairn Dam (panorama)
DSC_0022.JPG=Camped on a River Jordan billabong
DSC_0033.JPG=Camped on a River Jordan billabong - Galahs
DSC_0042Panorama.JPG=The views from the end of the peninsula at the Holiday Park
DSC_0019zPanorama.JPG=Drummond Range (panorama)
03Somerset3.jpg=Majestic Gum trees at Gin-Gin. Where to next, but I wish they would print these maps the right way up.
DSC_0025.JPG=Back near the Capricorn Caves entry
DSCN0233.JPG=Newer rail bridge over the Nogoa River
DSC_0024.JPG=Good sized Red Claw Crayfish
DSCN0207.JPG=Travelling the Capricorn Highway west from Rockhampton, the countryside is at it's best following a solid rainy season.
DSC_0020.JPG=Bird life on the lake
DSC_0017c.JPG=There is mainly only small stalactites/stalagmites in the Capricorn Caves because it has very little constantly running waters - called a dry cave system, although it has a large water table beneath the caves
DSC_0015.JPG=Bird life on the lake
DSC_0026Panorama.JPG=Hills surrounding Lake Somerset (panorama)
DSC_0037z.JPG=Camped on a River Jordan billabong - Galahs
DSC_0010Panorama.JPG=A different early morning weather mood over the lake (panorama)
DSC_0005aPanorama.JPG=Our final morning sunrise at Lake Maraboon - unfortunately that's when we found that all of our Opera House pots (crayfish) had been stolen overnight
DSCN0248.JPG=The Capricorn Highway
