December 5, 2020
After our visit to Carnarvon National Park we decided to return to Ipswich/Brisbane via the Downs instead of going further North. After exiting the Park and traversing the 150km back to Injune we stayed the night at the Rodeo Ground; this is a Free Camp with nothing other than drinking water available at the Southern edge of town. From here we returned to Roma and this time to Ups and Downs, a Caravan Park type farmstay just 7km North of the town.
Ups and Downs is no longer owned by the original family who established it a few years ago and now is operated with onsite caretakers. There are around ten powered sites available, all with plenty of space and a small amenities block with complete bathrooms (toilet and shower) in each section. They are maintaining the “farmstay” theme to the extent of having a variety of animals and taking visitors on the feeding run each afternoon at 4pm.
From Roma we moved on to a bush free camp at “The Maryanne” about 15km South of Yuleba on the Surat Road. This area was originally a water hole established for Bullock Teams and then later became a gravel pit because of the quality of the materials; a couple of machinery items remain from those days which ended n the 1990s. Lots of space here and no other campers. Frances found a solitary rooster in the old pump house shed which followed her back to the van and watched as we left..
From here we decided with the current heatwave conditions and even more forecast to return to a powered site and get some aircon when it gets too hot! Chinchilla became the simplest choice and the Showgrounds here as a good option with lots of space and few campers. Here we stayed for our final week of this journey before returning to Brisbane.
