It’s a 5:30am start and we head to family in Gympie for breakfast at the markets at South Gympie. Great markets at the showgrounds. Plants, food, art in all shapes, types and sizes, there is something of interest for everyone at a good price.

The plan is to head north then west to avoid the rain and crowds. The traffic north is busy, we have a couple of brief stops. Childers is a nice town, beautiful red soil, cane and fruit trees. To avoid the traffic and crowds we turn left at Old Kolonga travel to Kalpowar then head up the Boyne Valley, very quiet very picturesque. Rugged vegetated hills, dirt roads and great scenery. Cycads and Xanthorrhoea we stop to walk amongst them at the top of the ridge, wind through the trees honey eaters calling in the distance. We stop at Many Peaks, an old copper mining area and at the dam that serviced the mine, and its historical wall is still there. The railway line is also visible along the road. The township had many beautiful old buildings that had been restored, others not so. There are a number of interesting small towns dotted along this valley. Watch out for cattle.

The aim is to make it to a camp ground in Kroombit Tops NP but half way up we notice the clouds are closing in, since we are on a dirt road that we don’t know, we turn around and head west beyond the rain band reaching Biloela just after dark. This national park closes when it rains.