006.25th April 2005. Anzac Day. We become a little daring in our travel…

Sometime last year we joined the Campervan & Motorhome Club of Australia. we found the site while searching for MH for sale. The club produces an excellent colour magazine each month. The club is made up of many local chapters. Each month the Chapters have an outing and write about it in the magazine. I had read the Tropical Coast Wanderers based in  Townsville were planning on observing Anzac Day camped at Rollingstone North of Townsville and attending the Dawn Ceremony at nearby Balgal Beach. Although we knew none of the TCW members we decided to attend. In fact we knew no other CMCA members anywhere.

So it was with a sense of the unknown we found ourselves at a free campsite at Rollingstone and being warmly welcomed by TCW members. We joined in the morning tea and afternoon tea and happy hour and resisted the invitation to join TCW for a meal at the local pub. Next morning was Anzac Day and we attended the Dawn Ceremony which was a strangely emotional event for me. I also met a member of the local RSL who organised the event. He was wearing an Armoured Corps badge on his beret. We got to talking and turns out we went to National Service on the same bus from Central Station to Singleton then to Puckapunyal in Victoria, went through Armoured Corps Training tohether and never met although our names were familiar to each other.

A creek ran past the campsite

Rollingstone Creek.

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More Rollingstone Creek

and although inviting we did not take swimming gear and besides, we were socialising with TCW. Particularly Donnis who was in demand for card games.

We were having some issues with our fresh water tanks and the house batteries so the guys came over with their collective knowledge and enthusiasm. The tank was supposed to hold 150 litres but we ran out after one night of careful use. Collective thinking solved that one. The tank is virtually in two parts and there was no air relief valve for the other side of the baffle. A quick drill in the top of the tank and hey presto. The tank was filled to capacity. The Ken Free the oldest TCW member checked my solar regulator and determined it was set up for the wrong type of batteries and was on slowest possible charge. A flick of a switch and instantly we could see an improvement in the amps being pumped in by solar. The whole weekend was a success even for just those two problems solved.

Rollingstone is a good 4 hour drive North from our home but is a delightful spot for a night or two. I believe there is a 72 hour camping limit imposed by council and that seems fair enough to me. There are lots of side trips which can be taken from here and the site used as a base. We have since visted Rollingstone several times.