Imperfect Panoramas
Here’s a collection of my quirky panoramas over the last five or so years – I’ll add captions as I get to them
Category: Uncategorized
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The Brisbane so few get to see
Words are following, but in short – we went out on the bay for the weekend.
Jim and Cal anchored at Blakesley’s 
Blakesley’s Anchorage 
dawn Blakesley’s Anchorage 
sunset Blakesley’s Anchorage 
Cal and Jim sunset Blakesley’s Anchorage -
Working Microadventure…
I had couple of jobs to do on the Sunshine Coast, an hour and a half north of Brisbane, so I decided to not waste the travel time by making it into more of an adventure. Once I’d finished installing the signs, I drove inland through superb country, green hills and thick forests. At Woodford, I stopped to buy a bag of firewood for ten dollars, a wine and some dinner before heading in to the wild. The first campsite I checked out, Archer Camp Ground in the D’Aguilar National Park, had been infested with a school group of about forty kids housed in as many small colourful tents. Just down the road, and into more reasonable phone coverage, I found a large private campground along Neurum Creek called Neurum Creek Bush Retreat, and while the price for me to camp was nineteen dollars (one person/one tent, unpowered compared to $6.15 at Archer), it was a wonderful setting, with great facilities sprawled over enough space to feel like you’re on your own – but it was a week day. As well as the nature on display – there’s bush walks and a platypus pool to try to see the shy little guys – there’s also a camp shop, amenities, rental gear and even kid’s entertainment in the holidays, a time when I imagine it would fill up.
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Planning a Microadventure
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,”
…said LaoTzu, a popular blogger from China, and I’m convinced he was talking about microadventures.
I mean, isn’t everyone these days?
“So Jim, how do we start to microadventure?” is a question I imagine people asking several times a day …and it is a good question.
Let me elucidate…
elucidate
ɪˈl(j)uːsɪdeɪt
verb
make (something) clear; explain.
synonyms: explain, make clear, make plain, illuminate, throw/shed light on, clarify.
Let me demonstrate how I go about researching my adventures by planning one…
I open Google Maps.
I firmly believe that microadventures aren’t just about camping, and indeed don’t require an overnight stay. It’s interesting what can be discovered by mixing up your usual routine with the simple approach of seeing something new – shop in a centre you haven’t been to in a neighbouring suburb, or drive home via a route that you’ve never been.
I research microadventures as I would if I was planning an extended overseas trip. Search, “Unusual things to do in [insert home town here]” and see what is on your doorstep.
I do spend a bit of time exploring the bay, so this time I’ll plan a camping trip. It will give me an opportunity to try out my Fifty Dollar Camp Kit (Post is coming soon – subscribe to the blog to be kept in the loop)
(Note: Your local neighbourhood might not look exactly like this – if it doesn’t, you’re not in Brisbane …which is OK.)
This is what I’m looking at. What is immediately obvious looking at my map is that wonderfully empty patch of green to the west! It might not be as obvious where you live (I’d love to see what you’re looking at if you’d like to send me a screenshot), but as you can see here, there are also patches to the Southeast and the North. Except for driving around the outsides, I haven’t visited the big patch, so it’s time I went west.
There is always the option of stealth camping, particularly in such a large park, but there are advantages to established campsites – money goes towards the administration of it, some have water or toilet facilities, etc. Google maps is terrible for searching for campsites, but a web search for, “Brisbane Bush Campsites” brings up heaps of suggestions. The one that catches my eye is titled, “Parks and forests with camping around Brisbane.” – and it has a government URL.
…and it also has this gem:
The closest camp for me is Scrub Road Bush Camp, and a quick search on Google Maps shows me this…
That’s a bit of a hike. There’s not much public transport out that way (it could cut it to about four hours), and I do own a car, so I could drive to the gloriously named Opper Brookfieldberg and walk the 6km.
But it seems more of an adventure if I can just walk out my front door. The worst-case scenario is I give up half way and get picked up (there’s sufficient roads along the walk), or I can stealth camp short of the campsite.
I think I’ll walk.
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