Central Highlands Adventure Part 1

Blackwater

Our first stop was Blackwater. It is 190 km from Rockhampton; west on the Capricorn Highway. So we did not get that far on our first day. Actually we are to head straight to Emerald but there was a cattle truck road accident so the highway was closed. We changed course and drove 25 km north to Bedford Weir to camp which is surprisingly a very good site. The view is nice and it has bbq facilities,public toilet, shaded area and you can do fishing, skiing and kayaking. We did not get to do any of these except for bird watching and walking. Not bad for the first day.

camping is free!!!

kookaburra the caretaker

Good spot to park? In fact it was but the bus was a bit tilted to the right so we used the leveler and problem solved.

Blackwater Powerboat and Ski Club

This would have been a nice spot to camp but its for members only.

Emerald

70km west of Blackwater, Emerald is a busy town due to diverse industries such as mining, agriculture and cattle. Driving along the highway I noticed heaps of white stuffs scattered on both sides of the road which actually is cotton. But sadly there was no cotton plantation in view. I never saw a cotton plant but luckily we did find one in a servo's garden bed when we stopped to refuel. If you are visiting this part of Queensland and you see the scattered cotton along the road, you are approaching Emerald or you are within the area.

Welcome to Emerald.

Emerald Railway Station established 1879

The world's biggest Van Gogh Sunflower painting is 25 meters high!

We decided to stay in Discovery Holiday Parks in Lake Maraboon for a couple of nights then drive around to see the attractions nearby. It is another 21.5km from the town centre. The lake is humongous! Looking at its vastness from Fairbairn Dam you would think you are looking at the ocean. The view is amazing and the water in the dam is still high after the recent floods.