Coochin Creek State Forest

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Just south of Caloundra on the busy Brute Highway, one exits the madness at Roys road and follows the meandering road through state pine forests, to Coochin Creek camp ground. The camp is set in bushland forest with the best composting drop toilets we have ever encountered, no smell, one sits high up on the throne and marvels at the long drop to "Pooville". Where ironically in a state forest camp ground, homage to the Poo Gods is completed with a sacrificial deposit of wood shavings, from the forest to complete the composting process. Good to see with a little ingenuity, nature is allowed to take its course in a win win for all things, as the completed compost is then used as clean fertilizer on garden beds.

If one is into fishing, this is, WOOPS!!!!, was one of the best kept secret fishing locations on the South Queensland coast. Coochin Creek enters the Pumicestone passage about 5 kms downstream. The creek has shallow sandbars and some deeper channels that make for excellent fishing, off a purpose built stepped platform near the river junction. As usual practice, lets just check the Fisho scoreboard, Basho the lot, Bilbo Zippo! Basho once again caught all the fish, good size whiting and bream, we cooked them in foil on the clean gas bbq provided at the park. Big yummy in the tummy, the fishio wasl delishio. there are lots of other denizens of the deep here, including mangrove jack, flathead, estuary perch, muddies and blue swimmers, Oh yeah and the odd Bullshark or 6, "its got the lot, mate."

I'm not sure of the collective noun for goannas, but there were well, lets say a goggle of goannas roaming freely amongst the campsites, as well as one of the most beautiful and largest carpet snakes we have ever seen. The bird, life is exquisite with a good representation of avian life, singing the morning song, heralding the impending sunrise in half light, and of course closing the day with their just as beautiful evening song. It seems to be the chorus call for the various campers to set their night fires, lighting up an enchanting night forest scene, reminiscent of a native american village.



The campground is administered by Queensland National Parks, friendly rangers make sure that the camp is clean and tidy, as no rubbish bins are provided, most campers "do the right thing", by taking their refuse with them, but there is one in every crowd who seem to have little regard for our beautiful planet and treat it like Trashville. Bilbo rummaged through the nearby forest and filled up several rubbish bags of bottles, cans and general throw away stuff, just doing my bit, to keep our home pristine as it should be for all living things now and for future generations.

we have a home base, but we spend a fair bit of time on the road, and on extended travel, one gets the big picture of an earth without fences and boundaries, one home shared by all, including the responsibility of caring for our blue home shining in space. Is bilbo rambling on again?, yeah probably. Coochin is not alone in the rubbish department but just a place where I could be the change I want to see in the world, and hopefully others would see me, and as Benny Harper says "we're waiting for the world to change". A world of people that would find inspiration to do same, well heres hoping for that hundredth monkey.

until next blog keep smiling, and shine on you crazy diamonds, Big Love Bilbo and Basho.

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