IT'S CROWDED UP HERE!

  Internet connection has been horrible since my last post so I will try and catch up.
We have travelled far in the last couple of weeks staying exclusively at Free Camps and so has everyone other northern traveller it seems. The Free Camps are almost always filled to near capacity with mainly Caravaners but also Motorhomes, Buses, Tents, you name it. The Camps start to fill in the early afternoon and by around 4pm if one hasn't found a spot then its bad luck for you.
 I am still travelling with Billy and Jules and so far it is working out OK. I just tag along behind them as we travel and follow their plan as we go. They are much more experienced than I, after being full time on the road for almost 3 years and so have been to most of these places before.
 After a quick look at Isla Gorge on the way, the first stop after Glebe Weir was at the Town of Theodore Qld, a small place with not much to photograph besides an interesting Church and Pub. The Town is ideally situated for the use travellers as a site to stop overnight A narrow strip of land sandwiched between a Town Park and a creek , it offered clean facilities and free hot showers which I really needed and enjoyed. Did I say that it was popular, I counted 30 Caravans and Motorhomes and we scored the last 2 spots that were available.
  An early start next day and on to the next overnight Free Camp at Calliope Qld (pronounced Cal-I-o-pee).. A much bigger area beside the Calliope River, the first that I have come across that had a Crocodile warning. An amazing coincidence here that I must relate. First on arrival I noticed a Bus named "Bed & Breakfast" well I had camped beside that rig about 3 months ago at Lake Cargelligo in NSW thousands of kms away. Then, whilst taking snaps down at the river I spied an old Caravan and Car that I thought I had seen before that belonged to a young single Dad and his 2 little girls. Not thinking much more of that I strolled further down the river bank and there they were. I had stayed beside Chris the Dad at Gumma Reserve way back at Macksville NSW at the end of May, again a couple of thousand kms away and had chatted with him at length. Fortunately when approach he remembered Me, even my name and he was just as amazed as I that we had met again. He said that they are about to travel west towards Mt Isa and eventually to NT so its not out of the question that we may meet again.
  Moving further up the coast along the path to Townsville the next stop was St Lawrence Qld.a well known major stop over. We arrived on the weekend of the local Camp draught competition and the Recreational Reserve and surrounds was either full of Horse Floats or with Caravans. The 40 or so additional Caravans and Motorhomes , including ours, had taken position on a grassy strip beside the road outside of the main camping area. No problem with that and it was free with an $8 charge for those inside the Campground. That night we ate Spaghetti Bolognese for $6 a plate at the Camp Draught Kitchen that was open to all comers. A welcome decent meal at last!   Our next stop will be at Boulder Greek near the hamlet of Calen Qld where we will meet up with another "Grey Nomad" forum member John (Yeoeleven) and stay for a few days, then Home Hill Comfort Stop and finally on to Townsville from where we will turn west towards Mt Isa.
(Click on a picture to enlarge)

 Isla Gorge and Theodore Qld

r

Calliope River Reserve

St Lawrence Recreation reserve