Shoots, Scenic Rim and space
This weekend saw a couple of shoots to supplement a little camping, because that’s what had to be done as a result of this little nuisance called COVID-19. There are licensing obligations that had to be met. There is a limited number of weeks available now that they have let us play on the ranges again so it is a little busy for a number of us. I am blessed, I was able to visit two ranges, one more scenic than the other. I have one range visit to go before 30 June 2020 – finger’s crossed the plans come together for the next shoot.
Sometimes, I wonder whether I should be listening more closely to the signs that are around and then I think “to hell with it” and do whatever it is anyways…camping on this occasion. Having said this, it was a lovely time away and beneficial for the soul. It wasn’t quite long enough yet the location was pretty cool and there was a beautiful sunrise, after the showers that danced around whilst we were setting up and then the “downpour” that occurred on Saturday night. There is something special about the sound of rain on the overhead canvas as you snuggle into your comfortable double swag, with your loved one, in a sleeping bag certified to 0 degrees. As the night goes on, it becomes quite warm and the sleeping bag is kicked off but that’s all you need to know.
We don’t camp lightly but we also don’t camp with everything including the kitchen sink. The addition of the double gas burner unit is fabulous – a lovely big plate instead of two beautiful cast iron frying pans. There is something special about the cast iron pan and it will not be cast out but maybe rationed as to appearances. It is interesting observing people. There are a number of people who camped in their vans in the car park. One van seemed to be set up with internal LED that blinked and was blue and purple…to each their own. They did have a carpark concert for a while – noise travels in these conditions – but then the rain came in…
We wake to a beautiful clean vista of low-level cloud, that we can look over from a fantastic vantage point. The birds are also in voice – not as many as I have heard on other adventures yet still lovely. On Saturday evening, we were blessed with a few friends, some wallabies nibbling on the grasses “just there” from our camp site. Had we moved, they probably would have scarpered quick smart. It was so lovely to see them. It’s also pretty cool how our body clock changes a little when we camp and do not, as on this occasion, have a camp fire – by going to be at about 7.30. Sleep, however, is another matter and was a bit patchy. Having said that, it is pretty special to wake up in the wilderness areas, with facilities close by, where you hear no one and there is no noise other than the forest creatures.
There is also something to be enjoyed with the temperature drop around dawn. Our Sunday is a leisurely start, a walk along the path to a lookout via a beautiful craggy outlook, is therapeutic. Seeing the sun break through the clouds, over the land below, is quite something – so different from watching the sun rise over the ocean. We are camped at Frog Buttress, Mr French near Boonah. It is absolutely delightful. It is truly special to observe the water droplets on the leaves and leaf tips from last night’s sky tears.
The elegance of nature’s cut path is pretty cool, no trees or growth, just rock that forms a magnificent path to walk along. Look at the puddles and the cuttings within the rock, take a moment to breathe it all in. This is all at our doorstep. There is no cost to explore this. If you want to camp here it is a little cost of just over $6 per person per night – hardly a king’s ransom yet the scenery is without compare.
Leisurely Sunday mornings are beautiful. It is pretty quiet if you can hear the occasionally fly buzzing about as you enjoy the breaking of fast.
Once packed up, and time to say goodbye to this temporary paradise, back in to Boonah we go for a coffee and snack and then to a nearby range for a shoot then an explore via Lake Moogerah and the “backroads” through Kalbar to Peak Crossing then back into the metropolis where we reside. This is the first camp since the restrictions were lifted. It is a wonderful reminder of life out there and the things we did before, along with the reminder that this is something that is important to me and my equilibrium. When we do these crazy escapades, we also try to support the local businesses. This time it was the Australian Hotel in Boonah for a 200g rump $15 lunch special, some treats from Rockalicious and then some other treats and coffee from Sandie Lee’s Kitchen. All lovely establishments that appreciate a little trade. Not one of these is a sponsor and all of our escapades are at our own expense.
Weekends are times for good friends, whom we caught up with, things that make our hearts and souls sing and adventure. We travelled roads neither of us had explored and some we had. We re-set, and will re-set again whether by camping like this or by motorbiking lots more. Adventure is a part of what keeps us going, feeds our soul and enhances our lives. Stay tuned for more escapades.
