The Odyssey

Odyssey: a long and eventful or adventurous journey or experience. Taken from Homer’s poem the Odyssey, one of the oldest surviving works of literature. A very long poem (24 books) from ancient Greece, it tells the story of the 10-year wanderings of Odysseus, a Greek hero and king.

Our two year caravanning odyssey has been on our wish list for some time. We just had to wait for the planets to align, or the ducks to line up, or perhaps both. The perfect time arrived and on the 1st of March 2025 we headed off, a little giddy with excitement and waved off by wonderful friends.

One the road

Heading south our first stop was Mt Nimmel Lodge in the Gold Coast Hinterlands. Although quiet and in beautiful countryside, it is in need of some love and attention. It’s up for sale if anyone is interested.

Next stop was Tallebudgera Creek Tourist Park. A beautiful spot on the banks of Tallebuddgera Creek (more like a river) with the surf beach a short walk away, lots of bike paths and close to cafes. The weather turned windy and very wet as we got closer to the coast. We were booked in for 7 nights and stayed one. But will go back again someday when there are no cyclones looming.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred

The first great ‘event’ on this odyssey arrived on our 3rd day in the form of CT Alfred. He suddenly took a sharp turn and headed straight for the Coast where we were staying. With predicted winds of 100km-130km an hour, we decided being in a house was much safer than in a box on wheels (aka caravan), so we headed home.

On the road, again.

Having escaped the fury of TC Alfred and wanting to avoid the wide spread flooding and destruction along the coast south of Brisbane, we changed plans and headed inland.

Banana, Qld

Our first overnight stop was a little country town called Banana. Overnight camping beside the Sutherland Hall is available for a donation, there are toilets, and it is walking distance to the pub. We were the only ones there so had lots of space and it was quiet.