2 June 2016
The last couple of days have been extremely busy in preparation for the next chapter in the Turnabout trip. We ended up departing a day and half late, but with our nerves in tack. Diesel prices in Queensland comtinue to rise and have settled in the last few weeks at $1.20 / litre. This is so different to the high 80c we were paying only a few months ago in places like Bundaberg or Glen Innes.
Christine bid us farewell on the phone as we left at mid day. It was not long until we reached the foot of the Toowoomba Ranges where police has stopped the traffic coming down the range due to a truck rollover. A quick stop at Hungry Jacks Toowoomba found us talking to Alan a local who is currently building his own truck based motorhome. By mid afternoon was had come across another police road block where a cattle transporter that had rolled killing the livestock on board. Another sad incident, we hope that is the last we see of that.
On dusk we pulled into a little lagoon near Chinchilla for a quiet night.
3 June 2016
This mornings sunrise should have been a warning today. But back to that soon.
Great camp last night, quiet and warm. It makes me forget it is winter. The lagoon was still and reflected the red sunrise beautifully. Got a call from Kosta which was a nice way to start today’s leg off with. After a slow start we headed for emerald for fuel and on to find a camp for the night. As we left emerald the skies began to darken and radar showed a lot of rain headed this direction.
So this is where the afternoon got very interesting. Travelling at 80kph, up a hill on the main highway, lightning stuck, disintegrating a tree just in front of us showering 4WDaus with splinters. This is when everything started to go slow in my mind and my life flashes before my eyes. I honestly believed we were in huge trouble as the destroyed trunk and leaves headed straight for the windscreen. There must have been someone looking after us as the splinters were small enough not to damage us or 4WDaus. The electrical display had been awesome as the lightning bolt sent a shower of sparks down the trunk and into the ground. Closer inspection of the tree revealed a strong burnt smell and I must admit I felt safer standing near it as lightning doesn’t strike twice n the same spot. I hope!
Camped at bogantungan train station for night and rested our nerves as the rain continued into the evening.
