Sunshine, Country Pubs and a Dam Good Detour!
After yesterday’s wet start, we woke to sunshine and serenity at Sarina Beach. Things were looking considerably more promising, and with around 530 kilometres between us and our destination of historic Ravenswood, it was time to saddle up and get moving. Today’s plan involved country roads, a few interesting stops, some sightseeing and, naturally, a cold beer or two. We are The Thirsty Tourists, after all!
Our first stop was The Diner in Sarina for breakfast. This local icon has been keeping generations of sugar mill workers and locals fed, so we figured it was a pretty good place to fuel up before we tackled the kilometres ahead. There’s nothing like a decent breakfast to prepare you for a day touring in a 4WD!
Leaving Sarina, we climbed the Sarina Range and headed towards Nebo to top up the fuel tanks. Thankfully, we had some cash with us because the garage’s phone lines were down, which meant their EFTPOS facilities were out of action. It was a timely reminder that, despite all our fancy technology, a few dollars in the pocket can still save the day. Who would have thought old-fashioned money might come in handy?
From Nebo, we headed north towards Collinsville, stopping briefly at Lake Elphinstone along the way.
I’ve stopped at Lake Elphinstone several times during my work travels, usually as a welcome break from the road. Unfortunately, this visit was a rather depressing sight, with the lake completely empty. It’s hard to believe somewhere you’ve previously visited as a rest stop can look so different. Definitely not the picturesque lakeside scene we would have preferred!
From there, we continued towards Collinsville, taking a detour through Glenden. The town looked considerably more lively than I remembered from my last visit. The houses appeared occupied and well maintained, which was encouraging to see. It’s always good to notice a country town looking like it’s heading in the right direction.
Of course, being The Thirsty Tourists, we couldn’t simply pass through the region without investigating the local hospitality. We pulled into The Pit Pony Tavern in Glenden for a cold beer. After all, we’d been doing some serious kilometres, and it would have been rude not to support the local economy!
With refreshments sorted, it was back on the road. Just outside Collinsville, we turned onto Strathmore Road, heading towards Ravenswood via Burdekin Dam. This route offered some different scenery and, as we were about to discover, another opportunity to put our pub-visiting skills to good use.
Our next stop was the Bowen River Hotel, a heritage-listed country pub on Strathmore Station, approximately 34 kilometres from Collinsville.
Originally built in 1861 from local timber as a homestead, the building was initially known as the Heidelberg Inn. These days, it offers the sort of relaxed country atmosphere that makes a road trip worthwhile, with meals, cold drinks, accommodation and camping. The hotel also hosts live music events and an annual rodeo.
Naturally, we stopped for another beer. We were beginning to develop a very reliable routine: ride, explore, find a pub, have a beer, then repeat. Some people call it a touring itinerary; we call it doing our research!
After reluctantly dragging ourselves away from the Bowen River Hotel, we continued towards Burdekin Dam and, eventually, Ravenswood.
Now, you’d think finding a dam would be relatively straightforward, especially when you’re following a road that looks like it’s actually used by traffic. Apparently, that was a rather optimistic assumption on my part!
We missed the turn-off to the dam because the road we were travelling on looked like the more obvious route. Naturally, I assumed I knew where I was going. Thankfully, our ExplorOz Traveller GPS was paying more attention than I was and soon pointed out my navigational error.
A quick correction, a change of direction, and we were soon back on track and arriving at Burdekin Dam. Another reminder that the person behind the handlebars doesn’t always know best — and that having a decent GPS can save a few unnecessary kilometres!
With the dam ticked off the list, we were on the final leg of the day’s journey. Ravenswood was now just over 80 kilometres away, and we were looking forward to arriving at the Railway Hotel, where we planned to stay for a couple of nights.
After a day of sunshine, country roads, historic pubs, a disappointing empty lake and one little navigational detour, the thought of unpacking, settling in and relaxing for a couple of days was sounding pretty good.
Of course, we’d still need to investigate the local pubs and explore historic Ravenswood. It would be terribly irresponsible of us not to!
Another day, another stack of kilometres, a few country pubs and plenty of memories made. That’s touring with The Thirsty Tourists! 🍻🏍️
