Back To Biloela

After that complete buzz of our first helicopter flight, Team Turtle gradually came back to earth and headed back to Biloela and Lake Callide.  Team Turtle had spent a week at Lake Callide about three months ago and as our supply of Red Claw had dissipated, felt that it wouldn't hurt to go back there for a little while.

Fortunately, there was no other campers anywhere near the area where we had planned to camp and so we got to pick the best position - on a flat spot and reasonably close to the water.  It wasn't until two days later that two other rigs arrived and set up far enough away that we didn't bother each other, but close enough to get together for some social interaction, particularly of an early evening!

The Neighbours In The Distance

Once more, the hunting and gathering of Red Claw was very productive.  Most of the Red Claw were nearly the size of small lobsters so it was a lot easier to prepare them for eating or freezing.

A Good Sized Red Claw

It was an easy week at Lake Callide - there was still a lot of flood debris within walking distance to keep the campfire burning..

Cooking and Heating Facilities

In fact, even the locals were impressed with The Captain's efforts and called in, most days, for morning tea.

Morning Tea

It was a bit of a shame though that The Girls were a little naughty and ostracised one of their own just because she didn't look the same and who was left to have morning tea with Tuf Tinnie.

The Other Morning Tea Group

Our other little visitor for the week was a homing pigeon!  A very nice looking pigeon, it would spend most of the day at the neighbour's place and then would come over and spend some time with Team Turtle of an afternoon.

The Homing Pigeon

Within a week, we had managed to restock our freezer with Red Claw as well as having a few meals of it - how nice is deep-fried, battered Red Claw (and very naughty).  To enable other people to enjoy the delights of Red Clawing, we packed our traps, and ourselves, and moved on.  

After a little bit of shopping, we turned left and headed south.  The only other spot where we had had a really good day fishing was Lake Cania - in Cania Gorge - and so that was our next stop.

Throughout the days, the weather had been quite brilliant and warm - the mornings had been very crisp - and so it was a latish start the next day for fishing.  It was a very nice day on the water, but the fishing wasn't all that good.  The Captain tried several spots and a couple of different ways of fishing - casting lures and trolling - all to no avail.  It wasn't until The Captain decided to call it a day and to roll our lines in that The Deckie got a brilliant strike.  After several minutes of deciding who was boss, the fish - an Australian Bass - gave up!  Woo Hoo - The Deckie had won the struggle with a 45cm fish!!

The Deckie and The Bass

With that sort of success, we thought that there may have been another hungry fish, but no, it wasn't to be.  Never mind, at least we caught one.

Team Turtle tried again the next morning - but it was obviously too cold for the fish and then when the wind came up and blew its icy tendrils across the lake, it was definitely time to go back to camp!

The weather settled down after lunch and so The Captain and The Deckie took a walk up a nearby escarpment to 'The Giant's Chair Lookout".  An invigorating walk but we were both disappointed when we finally got there and there was only a lookout - no chair and no giant!

The Captain Not The Giant

The Valley Floor

And now?  Team Turtle is, very slowly, heading south.  The plan (at the moment) is to see what the Clarence River at Copmanhurst is like.  If it has recovered from the pummeling that it received in the January floods Team Turtle will probably spend quite a few days there again.  If not?  Well, that remains to be seen!