Our first real bush camp at Boynedale on Lake Awoonga

After spending a brief night with Mum and Alan at Gin Gin (thanks for the Red Claw, yum!) Geof developed a bit of a tummy virus (a present from the Robertson girls I'm sure LOL) so we decided to head to Lake Awoonga for a week to rest and recuperate and get used to living off the grid in the van. We had just picked up a new solar system with 3 x 80watt panels and a new battery so Geo was looking forward to getting them active and working out the kinks.

We managed to pull in right next to the Lake, in a beautiful campsite with shade trees and a track down to the lake. As Lake Awoonga is Gladstone's main water supply we are pretty sure it is safe to use for boiling water, dishes, washing up and washing hands etc, and even drinking, though we are not yet that brave!

The outlook over the water is so peaceful, and the bird life is a constant source of amusement! The lake is full of cormorants, moorhens and other water birds. Their behaviour was very interesting, especially when the flock of shags would move from one end of the lake to the other. The first few hundred would come to rest on the trees, and then the flock ( of thousands) would pass by. After the last ones had flown past the first group who had been resting then took up the rear! Fascinating. Just as amazing to observe was when they herded the fish and crayfish as a group and then fed as a seething mass of black feathers. The free camp we stayed in was on a southern tip of the lake, in fact the majority of Lake Awoonga was completely hidden from our view. Most people who stayed there had tinnies or kayaks. Next time it would be great to take kayaks and explore it further! Maybe even put out a crab pot for the Red Claw! Apparently the conditions in the Lake are perfect. For marron, too perfect in fact. There is no limit on how many you can catch. They are literally covering the lake floor. 

The people we have met here are interesting and varied. The Grey Nomads with their boutique resort wear and satellite dishes and near new vans are nice enough,they come around to sticky beak at around 4ish, just before happy hour. At 5 everyone is out around their campfires, having a drink and sharing stories. There seems to be lots of groups, people that know each other and travel the same route often. 

Of course Lily made friends within the first five minutes, and we barely saw her the whole first weekend. There were a few other travelling families who were camped here but they left on Sunday and it has been quiet during the week. 

William struggled to make a friend as he finds social situations difficult, but eventually decided it was better to ride bikes with kids younger than him than to spend all weekend on his own. LOL!

I really love looking out over the water. I find it so mesmerising. My favourite kind of TV.