Top End Trip

25th August 2008

2011-08-09T14:21:00.000+10:00

Our morning started with exercise. It would be very easy to become sedentary while located in places like Broome.

Prue took off for a walk to and then along Cable Beach. It is a bit over 2 kms to the Beach. It is so nice and level to look at and where the vehicles have been driving it is packed hard.

I did my circuit of Broome but travelled along some streets that I haven’t been on before. That is the advantage of cycling. I find it so easy to just go down this street or the next to see what is there. There are some really beautiful homes both old and new across Broome. As the climate is so warm, all the homes have big overhanging eaves to enable more shade, as well as probably a deflector of the rain in the wet season.

When I returned to the Caravan Park I noticed a message on the phone from Prue suggesting that we go to the Old Zoo Cafe for coffee. My reaction was to agree so I cycled back the short distance to meet up with her. It was very nice and very popular by the large number of people there.

Later in the morning, I did another massage in the caravan park. I must say that I do not think I would make a living out of doing it as I travel. Maybe I have not pushed it enough but that suits me as it gives me freedom to enjoy the area.

Around lunch time we went into Broome CBD and had lunch at the Dragonfly Cafe, again. This was the second time we have eaten at this cafe. The staff are very good and the food really good. The owner has chatted to us both times and he is after feedback but also a good source of information about the area, too. Soon after we finished lunch, we went to do some shopping in the Paspaley Plaza. It is the older, but not much, of the two shopping centres the other being the Boulevard Shopping Centre.

After our return from the CBD, I gave the Bravo a good wash which was long overdue. There was a lot of red Kimberley dust all over it and in some places stuff to it. Anyway it looks like a tidy vehicle again. The only problem was that the water, being bore water, left smears on the Bravo so I had to polish them off a bit.

As the washing of the Bravo had risen a bit of perspiration on me, we decided to drive to Cable Beach for a swim somewhere along the beach. The tide was going out so we were able to go down close to the water and park. As we drove in we drove past a large number of people doing the same us as well as a big number who were under hire umbrellas near the entrance to the beach. While driving along in the 30+ degree temperature, we noticed many of the nudists enjoying the sun along with many partly clothed people.

The water was about 22 degrees so it was quite fresh on first entering the water. Once acclimatised to the cooler water, it became really pleasant. The waves are almost nonexistent on these beaches. We spent at least an hour on the beach before returning to the caravan park for a shower.

Our evening was to visit Celia’s cousin, Charles. He is a very interesting person. He told us about his exploits such as riding a motor bike around the world, getting tangled up with some intriguing activities in other countries as well as his sailing adventures. We spend about 3 hours with him having drinks and nibbles. He said he is eccentric and that is why he gets into all these activities.

Charles is a true adventurer. Born in Britain, he bought a red London double-decker bus, shipped it to Australia and drove across the Nullarbor Plain from NSW to Western Australia, pulling the Trike behind him. The bus has been completely fitted out and is now Charles' home.

At his Trike base, which is also where his bus is, he has a hangar designed to allow the wind pressure of a cyclone through without causing problems. He uses shipping containers, parked tightly against each other, for storage of the Trikes during cyclonic weather as well as his office. He has a rather exceptional bathroom that is totally outdoors and included a flushing toilet. His bar is located in the hangar.

Charles has a unique private entrance to Broome International Airport. Apparently, he is the only private operator in Australia with this privilege which he is very proud and protective of. It was wonderful sitting having a few drinks and watching the big passenger jets either departing or arriving just metres away.

If ever you come to Broome he is most certainly a wealth of knowledge not only about the area but also has a wonderful knowledge, from his experiences, of the world. We would recommend you make contact with this wonderful character.

FINAL facts of the trip

2008-10-01T20:46:00.006+10:00

Here are some actual facts I have worked out for the Mazda Bravo 2.5L Turbo/Intercooled Diesel Four Wheel Drive with Freestyle cab and tray with canopy towing a Kimberley Karavan. The Bravo was mostly on cruise control at 85km/hour.

Diesel Fuel Average Price - $1.88 per litre

Total Distance traveled 13421 kilometres
Total Diesel fuel used 2238.1 litres
Average Fuel consumption 16.67 litres/100kms
Average Fuel Consumption 5.99 kms/litre
Average Fuel Consumption 17.44 miles/gallon

Thank you for reading the blog of our trip.

30th September 2008

2008-10-01T09:00:00.002+10:00

Today is the last day of our trip.

We packed up the Karavan leisurely in Tenterfield. departure from the Caravan Park was about 0830. From the Caravan Park we drove east towards the New England Highway turned left and went about a block until we turned right to rejoin the Bruxner Highway again.

Our winding track took us past the village of Drake then along further to Tabulam village. The scenery is so different to what we were seeing a few weeks ago.

Then we continued on to Casino. Staying on the Bruxner Highway we decided to go to Lismore Airport for a coffee in the cafe there.

After coffee, we went into the Shopping Square to refuel the Bravo for the last time on this trip. We had cheaper fuel in Goondiwindi but sadly this area is noted for its expensive fuel. Thankfully, the fuel was cheaper than a lot we had on our trip.

Finally, we arrived in Lennox Head to have lunch and coffee at the Lime Cafe. Then we actually made it to our home having traveled 13421 kms for our trip.

We hope you enjoyed reading about our travel. It is a great way for us to remember what we did at various times and locations.

Before too long, I will try to add the costs of the various items like caravan park fees, aircraft travel, fuel amount and used, etc.

29th September 2008

2008-09-30T07:51:00.005+10:00

This morning we packed up our Karavan and had breakfast with Andrew. He had a busy day ahead of him with his usual long drive to some of his clients. Prue took a photo of his home front
We left Andrew’s home around the same time as he did which was about 0800. We had refuelled the Bravo the day before so we did not have to do that but we did get some items from Bi Lo.
Our path took us through Goondiwindi then onto the Newell Highway and across the Macintyre River and into New South Wales for the first time in 14 weeks. The road took us the short distance to Boggabilla where we left the Newell Highway and joined the start of the Bruxner Highway which will take us all the way to Ballina.
At around 1000, we stopped in the little village of Bonshaw where Prue made a cappuccino in the Karavan. We had stopped in the park beside the Bonshaw Primary school.
Then we left after a nice break and drove about 1 ½ hours to Tenterfield. We had booked a site at the Tenterfield Lodge Caravan Park. It is very clean and also very quiet as it is about 2 kms from the New England Highway. The Karavan was set up on the site and then we went for lunch.
Our destination for lunch was 8 kms from Tenterfield on the Bruxner Highway towards Casino at the Kurrajong Downs Wines and restaurant. We had a beautiful lunch and a great chat with another group of diners as well as the chef, Ashley.
Later in the afternoon we went for a cappuccino at the Willow Tree Cafe then we returned to the Caravan Park. There was the usual chat with some of the other travellers including several red wines before we had dinner.
This was the last night in the Kimberley Karavan on this trip.

28th September 2008

2008-09-29T17:41:00.005+10:00

Another nice morning to go for a ride around Goondiwindi. A slight breeze but not too much to worry about.

Prue walked to the Botanic Gardens as well as to another housing estate a little further west of where Andrew has his home.

Eventually, Prue and I returned to Andrew’s home. After just chatting with him we went to The Larder and had a nice coffee with him and we joined by his good friend Jay Masters who owns an aerial agricultural spray business in which he flies his own aircraft.

I gave Andrew a massage late in the morning which he reckons was good as he had not had one for a while. This was followed by a easy and relaxed lunch.

Later in the afternoon, Andrew’s friend Daniel called to ask if he would like to go to the Goondiwindi Airport to fly radio controlled aircraft with him. So Andrew and I went out to the airport and were later joined by the chief pilot for Sudholz Air and again Jay Masters and his twin son and daughter.

It was entertaining watching these high performance aircraft being flown. The hand to eye coordination of the people flying these aircraft is something to watch. Andrew has been flying them for about 10 years and has a lot of fun doing it. He must transfer the same skills to his flying of his own passenger carrying Piper Cherokee 235 which we were in the day before. He seems to enjoy both forms of flying. Daniel only flies the radio controlled aircraft but is a regular passenger with Andrew. The flying finished just before the sun had gone.

We returned to Andrew’s home and had a BBQ and salad as our last meal with Andrew. An earlier night was in order as we were setting off in the morning and of course Andrew has a busy week checking on his clients’ crops.

27th September 2008

2008-09-28T13:48:00.007+10:00

Another cool morning even in Goondiwindi as it was down to around 12 degrees. The best part was that the day soon became warm and reached about 29 degrees.
I started the day with a ride around the town of Goondiwindi. Quite soon, I realised that I may have missed a southern winter but it is spring here and the magpies have not missed an opportunity to swoop me.
Prue went for a walk into the Botanic Gardens which are not far from Andrew’s home. She arrived back a little later than me.
Washing was done here and it was a change not to have to put around $3.00 in the machine to get it working as happens in the caravan parks. Sheets and blankets were washed and hung out. Everything dries quickly in the breeze and warm sun here.
Later in the morning, Andrew with Prue and I did some shopping. We had a phone call from Mick, Jen and Sam Booth who had overnighted at Nindigully after we had left a message on their phone the previous day. It was arranged for them to visit us and have a BBQ at Andrew’s home. So that was all done and the shopping taken back to Andrew’s home.
Then we went with Andrew to the Airport where he refuelled his Piper Cherokee 235 aircraft. We then took off from the Airport in the plane to deliver a bag of sorghum seed to one of his clients, Warren. He had arranged with the family to meet us at the airstrip on Warren and Lynelle’s farm. They had invited us for lunch. It was nice chatting to the family. Andrew and Warren went for a fly around the farm and a little more. On their return we then boarded the aircraft to fly a bit further north.
We flew over the Moonie Oilfield, which is a little west of the village of Moonie. It is quite amazing to see the extent of it from the air. I drove past it last year when I was looking after Killawarra farm near Moonie. It has large evaporation ponds to contain the water that comes up with the oil. The oil is transported by 3 trailer road trains towards Dalby.
Soon after, we arrived overhead the Killawarra farm. I was able to recognise the farm and its landmarks. After a circuit over the farm, we landed beside the home of Andrew and Jaimie Hirst. They were the couple who were married last year in the UK and the reason I was asked to look after their farm. It was so nice to see them again and especially to see the farm looking so good. The two Andrews went for a fly around the area while Prue and I stayed and chatted to Jaimie. She had back packed through quite a lot of the areas we have travelled through.
Later, we returned to Goondiwindi. We enjoyed the flight with Andrew who is a very competent pilot. He is so good to fly with as he knows so much about the district. We think his clients appreciate his interest in their farms and his dedication to them.
Later in the early evening, Mick, Jen and Sam Booth arrived for the BBQ. It was a really lovely evening with every one chatting along with a bit of reliving of our travels to the west. It was even better as Andrew had flown with his partner, Lucy, and good friends, Wayne and Jenny, through the same areas that we had driven through.
For all of us our big trip is getting close to the end. We will all be home by the middle of the coming week.

26th September 2008

2008-09-27T08:55:00.001+10:00

Cool morning again as it was down to around 11 degrees. It takes a while to readapt to the lower temperatures especially after being in high temperatures in the far west. Once the sun comes up it warms very quickly and the days are really nice.

We did a slow pack up in St. George this morning. It is a tight fit in the Kamarooka Tourist Park especially on the eastern side. I had to reverse onto the Karavan at a very sharp angle and was assisted to line up not only by Prue but also another friendly camper.

We set off from St. George on the way to Nindigully. It is not much more than an historic pub with a hall, tennis courts, and several houses as well as free camp sites by the Moonie River. Facilities are free to use at the pub. There is quite a lot of memorabilia in the old pub. It is really worth a stop. Meals can be had at the pub.

Leaving Nindigully, we proceeded to Goondiwindi where we arrived around 1200. We set the Karavan up in the drive of Andrew’s home. No awning needed here. Prue put some washing on.

Then we went into Goondiwindi CBD to have lunch at Neen’s Coffee Shop which is in the rear portion of a Jewellers Shop. It appears to be very popular. The meal was excellent. After lunch, Prue went into Coorey’s and eventually bought some clothing. I wandered around the Mitre 10 shop then we both walked around the street having a look.

Goondiwindi is a really nice town and it is always so welcoming when we arrive here.

In the evening we went to the Railway Hotel for drinks and a nice dinner

25th September 2008

2008-09-25T17:58:00.008+10:00

Today, we left Roma. It was an easy pack up as I had already packed the awning away. I did that as I suspected, correctly, that the evening dew would be reasonably heavy. So the pack up was mainly electrical cords and the water hose. That does not take long at all.
We departed the Big 4 Caravan Park about 0830 and proceeded to find some reasonably priced fuel. Compared to the West Australian and Northern Territory prices, that was not very hard. Diesel was 159.9 cents/litre compared to 177.9c/l in June when we went through on our way west.
After we refuelled, we left Roma for Surat which is roughly south. The countryside looks quite well following recent rains. The previous time we came through here, was in 2006, it was so dry and looking terrible even though it was at approximately the same time of the year. The cattle look well and shiny while the crops do not look at all bad.
About 1030 we arrived in Surat and did a circuit of the town to ensure we did not miss a cafe. A little hard as there is only one! We had some raisin toast and some tea or coffee. About 1100 we set off for our next destination of St. George.
St. George is a rather pleasant small country town with a good irrigation area beside it not to mention the wine and table grapes vineyards. St. George has a currently famous Federal Senator, Barnaby Joyce. He is held in very high regard in this part of the country. As well as many other parts too. He has an accounting practise in the town.
We set up the Karavan in the Kamarooka Tourist Park.
We had lunch in a nice and quite busy cafe, Much More Cafe. Nice coffees are available at this cafe, too. The meals were well presented and quite quickly delivered. It is very popular with the local residents. Again, we had been here 2 years ago for lunch.
Following lunch, we did a drive along the river which is adjacent to the town. The water is backed up by a weir across the river which also diverts water for irrigation. It is used for recreation events such as water skiing and fishing. Then we went for a drive to check out the Beardmore Dam. It is by far the smallest dam we have seen on this trip but is the life blood of this community because no water equates to very little income for the town. It is about half full by the look of the water marks on the banks.
Soon after, we returned to the town and travelled to the Riversands Winery which is the most westerly vineyard in Queensland. We have been to it before and particularly like their Dr. Seidels Soft Red. We enjoyed a nice cheese platter while there, too. So the Bravo carries another carton of nice wine to get home.
The lovely spring blossoms are very noticeable around the town. It is time for hayfever in this part of the country!

24th September 2008

2008-09-25T06:25:00.002+10:00

No photos today.

We woke up to a very cool morning, in fact the coolest on this trip so far. It was only 11 degrees early in the morning in Roma. A cool change passed through the area with about 10 mm of rain. Luckily, the rain was gone by daylight and the day ended in being a nice day although there was a light cool breeze.

Prue walked into town for a bit of exercise after she made a nice cappuccino for us both. She mainly walked in to have a look at the new Art Gallery. It is very new and at this time does not have a lot of paintings on display. The Gallery has very good facilities for either art or craft groups.

While Prue was walking around town, she found a Health and Well Being Centre, Krystal Clear. She very kindly booked a very overdue massage for me for a little later in the day. It was a good massage that has done me some good again.

Meanwhile, I was doing some work on the vehicles. The Karavan was due for a grease and general check over. Always a great deal of fun greasing vehicles but it certainly saves future problems. Also, I was attempting to fix a minor wiring issue on the Bravo. No major problems on the vehicles so I had a shower and went into the Roma CBD for my massage at Krystal Clear by Kelly.

After the wonderful massage, I joined Prue at Chapters Bookshop and Cafe for lunch. While I was having my massage, Prue was writing a few cards to send to a few distant friends. A nice lunch followed by a cappuccino was really nice. We then did a little shopping and returned to the Big 4 Caravan Park.

A bit of relaxation reading a book or magazine and then it was time for Prue to receive a massage from me. Fortunately, it was cooler than the last massage I did at Mataranka.

Late afternoon, I lowered the awning as the dew was likely to settle overnight making the awning damp to pack away. By then it was time to cook some nice salmon on the BBQ for dinner. This was preceded by our regular red wine and nibbles.

So ends our last full day in Roma.

23rd September 2008

2008-09-24T07:54:00.001+10:00

No photos today.

Another easy and leisurely pack up.
A nice quiet night except for the sound of road trains in the distance but they were not as bad as some other locations we have been in.
We did not hurry this morning as our destination was Roma. Our overnight camp was a little over 70 kms away. While I was packing up, I noticed some small foot prints of possibly a possum around where we had been sitting last night. The location was nice to wake up to with primarily just early sounds of the Australian bush. Lots of bird calls around the Karavan.
Our drive to Roma was uneventful just meeting the occasional road train which are now down to only 2 trailers. This is because larger road trains do not run in this area although there is an unusual combination that includes a normal semi trailer towing a B-double combination. On our trip we have seen up to 5 trailer combinations. All these combinations do manage on quite narrow roads. I think the drivers are very skilled in controlling them.
After just under an hour, we arrived at the Big 4 Caravan Park on the outskirts of Roma. We had no problem booking in as it was early, around 1030. A bit different compared to the little Injune Caravan Park. So we setup the Karavan including the awning as we are staying for several days.
Late in the afternoon, we drove into the CBD of Roma. It is not very big but has quite an array of shops and even a nice coffee shop, Chapters, which is also a bookshop. In another visit we had been to this place and it does have nice cappuccinos.
We came back to the Karavan and prepared for dinner preceded by a red wine and nibbles. Again we had nice steak to BBQ with a variety of vegetables.
While cooking at the BBQ, the weather was becoming much cooler as a southerly change moved through the area. As I went to the ablution block it was very lightly showering which became heavier during the night.

22nd September 2008

2008-09-23T17:09:00.006+10:00

This morning we packed up ready to leave Emerald.

After packing up, Prue went and did some grocery shopping at Coles in Emerald while I refuelled the Bravo. The fuel is so much cheaper around this area than we have experienced during the bulk of our trip. I guess this is brought about by not only location but also world oil price variation.

Once the shopping and refuelling was done we drove out to the Fairburn Dam to view Lake Maraboon. We went out on the road that I had ridden on the previous day. On arrival near the dam wall, we viewed the structure from a lookout that gives a great view of the dam infrastructure. Then we drove across the wall and stopped in several locations to take some photos.

Leaving the dam, we took a road that joined the Emerald/Springsure road. Our next stopping destination was Springsure.

At Springsure, we visited a distant relative of mine and his wife, John and Mary Ranclaud. John and I grew up in the Nevertire/Warren district and have seen each other infrequently since we left school. One of the most recent meetings was at the Croft family reunion at Salisbury Court near Uralla. It was nice to spend time with them at their very busy business, Springsure Rural Traders. They have owned it for about 30 years. We had a lovely morning tea with them and caught up on both our families and what they are all doing.

Soon we had to move on as time seems to get away too quickly. The next stop we had was at Rolleston. Our lunch was a burger each and I had a nice thick shake. All this was at a little cafe which I just happened to park in front of.

After lunch, we set off for our next destination of Injune and on the way we passed by the entrance to the magnificent Carnarvon Gorge. Previously, we had visited the Gorge. We arrived at the small town and found the caravan park there to be full for powered sites and they wanted to charge the same price for an unpowered site. So we had a bit of a think and decided we would find a free camp site on the way towards Roma.

We drove a little way and turned up a road going a short way but could see nothing suitable. We returned to the highway and proceeded a bit further another cross road and turned left past a small building. Then we travelled another few hundred metres and noticed a track into a disused gravel pit. This was ideal for a camp spot. I turned around to face out towards the main road. The setup only took a short time.

So our night camp spot was organised. A little later, we had a BBQ dinner. After dinner, we sat and watched the stars as the sun dropped below the western horizon. As darkness increased so did the stars. While we sat and soaked up the atmosphere we were amazed to see 10 satellites pass overhead in numerous directions. That was by far the best number of satellites we had seen. We went to bed quite early as we did not run the generator in this lovely quiet location, surrounded by wildlife such as wallabies and various birds.

21st September 2008

2008-09-21T21:03:00.000+10:00

This morning I was finally feeling quite fit, even after an evening with the Sanchez family!

I rode out to Fairburn Dam which holds back Lake Maraboon which is about 25 kms from where we are located in Emerald. The ride was in the early morning and the conditions were really conducive to cycling.

The view over the Lake Maraboon was so lovely but the water is very brown. I understand that this is normal. The level of the lake is about one metre below the spill way. It seems only a few months ago that the water was metres over the spill way. Anyway it is a large lake but a lot smaller than the last lake we saw, Lake Argyle in Western Australia.

As I rode out, I passed a replanted orange orchard. It had to be removed due to a serious disease that threatened the industry across the country. Also, I passed by an agricultural spraying contractor airfield that was quite active with an Airtractor 802.

The road out not only passed the orchard and airfield but a variety of residences and small farms before I reached the dam wall of Fairburn Dam.

About 2 hours after I left the Karavan, I returned to find Prue had been busy doing the washing of the sheets and clothes. She then made a nice cappuccino before I had a shower.

Mid morning, we went and visited the Botanic Gardens in Emerald. They were deep under water earlier in the year but there was almost no sign of that left. We also had a drive around the town to see what it all looked like. Then back to the Karavan for lunch.

The day was quite warm and we had the air conditioner on to lower the temperature a little. During the mid afternoon, the Sanchez family arrived to check out the Karavan. After a while, Prue, Louise and Madeline went for a swim in the town pool which is adjacent to the Caravan Park. José and I remained at the Karavan chatting for a while before we wandered over to the pool, too. Later, we all returned to the Karavan where we had a few drinks before the Sanchez family said goodbye and returned home.

So ended our last full day in Emerald.

20th September 2008

2008-09-21T19:59:00.002+10:00

First up this morning, I went for a 30 km ride of the perimeter of the main part of the town of Emerald and included a small ride out onto a rural road surrounded by farmland. The wheat is starting to turn and I guess by the end of October the harvest will be over. There were also some canola crops. Prue had a catch up on some rest and did a little washing.

After a shower, we went into the CBD of Emerald where I had noticed a coffee shop as I rode around earlier. We had cappuccinos and raison toast. The coffee was not the best we had ever had.

Then we went to the Coles Shopping Centre and did some shopping for groceries. As usual in these places there was a queue with not all check outs working. Eventually through and away we went.

After our shopping, we went to visit some former Ballina residents, José, Louise and Madeline Sanchez. José is an electrician with a contract company that works for the mines in the area. They extended an invitation to attend their home for a BBQ in the evening.

We returned to the Caravan Park and packed away all the items from our shopping trip. Then we had lunch. The afternoon was quiet mainly reading books and Prue catching up with emails.

Early evening, we were able to walk to the Sanchez home as it was only about a block away from where we are staying.

A lovely evening was had just chatting and having a few Brown Bros Dolcetto & Syrah red wine. It is a lovely wine to have chilled especially in the warmer months.

After and not too late, we walked back the relatively short distance to the Caravan Park.

19th September 2008

2008-09-21T14:37:00.003+10:00

I had a somewhat slower start today. Some delay was caused by the evening before but it was fun. Seriously, I had breakfast with Kelly and some of his tenants. Those were the mining people mainly the young multinational geologists and their team members.
Kelly and I had a nice long chat after the tenants had gone to work. He is a very industrious person with his enterprises. We enlarged more on what our families have been up to.
About 0930, I said my goodbyes to not only Kelly and Alpha but also the Israeli backpackers, Tayla and Noah, who are currently working for him.
My destination for the day was Emerald which is a growing town, very noticeable since our last visit in late 1995 for Andrew’s graduation from the Emerald Agricultural College.
My drive, of about 180 kms, took me through a variety of landscape types, from heavy Brigalow and other timber country to open downs type country then into the irrigation area that surrounds Emerald. Again there was a good road to travel on and not a lot of traffic to contend with. Most of the traffic was camper trailers travelling in the direction of Longreach. I have no idea of their destination.
When I arrived in Emerald I had good knowledge of the Emerald Cabin and Caravan Park location. It was well sign posted making it very easy to find. I booked in then proceeded to the site which has a concrete pad on which to erect the awning. No red Kimberley dust to contend with and infiltrate into the Karavan.
Once on site and level, I then unhitched the Bravo. Now was the time to give the Karavan a really good wash. It has had little spray off of dirt but not a good wash. It now looks almost new again.
Then I erected the awning and raised the Karavan. What a difference it is to look at! Then a bit of tidying up in the Karavan.
Later, I did a bit of a reconnaissance of the town. I found the Motel we stayed in back in 1995 for Andrew’s graduation. Then it was out to the Emerald Airport to await the arrival of Prue from Melbourne via Brisbane. The airport is a very busy place and hard to park due to the fly in/fly out mine personnel and their cars.
A few minutes late, the QantasLink Dash 8 arrived with Prue on board. We collected her luggage and returned to the Karavan where she unloaded her luggage.
Dinner was quite simple and only a BBQ and vegetables and red wine, of course!

18th September 2008

2008-09-19T14:22:00.009+10:00

On the move again today. Before I did move, I felt like a bike ride so I rode just over 30 kms around Longreach. Part of my ride took me into the parking area of the QANTAS Founders museum that we visited when we were going north at the end of June. I did go out a little on several roads just to see what was a little further out on those roads. Not much!! However, there are some really nice homes scattered around the town.

I showered and had a coffee when I returned. Then I packed up the Karavan ready to go. After this I went into the CBD of Longreach and had a coffee at the Hideaway Cafe. It was not a bad cappuccino at all.

Eventually, I made my way from Longreach to Ilfracombe. Right beside the Highway is a marvellous display of old machinery that was used on various stations and councils in the surrounding area. There was even a tank that had been turned into a light bull dozer. Various tractors, road graders and a variety of trucks. There were numerous items of machinery that carried out specific jobs on the stations such as delvers to clean out artesian bore drains, several “Cherry” post hole diggers, as well as sundry other either manufactured or homemade items.

From there, I drove to Barcaldine where I had some lunch. Then I set off for my final destination for the day, Alpha.

I arrived at the Alpha Hotel /Motel and found another friend from the past, Kelly Naidoo. Kelly was originally a sales representative for an agricultural seed company based in Gunnedah. He and his wife and 4 sons had just migrated from South Africa in 1985. As their sons were a similar age as our sons, we made them feel welcome by having them to our home.

We recounted quite a few stories from the past and caught up on what our sons are doing. Kelly and his wife, Evanee, have moved around a fair bit since the Gunnedah days being involved in Banana farming, pest control and now hotel owning. They have been involved with hotels in a few towns such as McKay, Dalby and now Alpha. The current location is set to grow massively as there are large coal deposits quite close. There are numerous exploration personnel that are staying in the Hotel ensuring a busy time for the currently small staff. The motel is another part that is busy and all of this makes for a busy time in the Bar.

At the moment, Kelly is the chef and does a wonderful job. He is helped by an Israeli backpacker and her friend mainly works in the bar. The other vital member is Maurice who is a working partner with Kelly have the major share. Kelly’s son Cal is often around to lend a hand as are several others.

So I had dinner as a guest of Kelly and that included many drinks and of course a very nice bottle of Shiraz from the Granite Belt in southern Queensland. So ended another interesting day not only catching up with Kelly but also meeting a lot of his customers and hearing their stories. Quite a few are involved with mining and come from across the world.

17th September 2008

2008-09-17T19:44:00.003+10:00

This morning I was around and ready to go a little earlier. I packed up the Karavan watched by my new friends, Charlie and Jenny. They, like so many, are intrigued by the process of preparing the Karavan for travel. They have a non off road caravan and know it has major limitations on where they can go. They were impressed by the whole concept.I moved off at 0730 boud for my first stop which would be Winton some 165 kms away.

Just out of the Kynuna village there were some cattle that had escaped to get to good grass growing on the road verge following rain. Luckily, there was little traffic on the road. Not far along were the first of many dead kangaroos and wallabies that had been hit most probably by road trains during the night. It is quite dangerous and crazy to drive on these roads especially during the night time as well as an hour or two either side of the night.

I arrived in Winton and parked opposite the Waltzing Matilda Centre I knew that I could get a good cappucino here. So I had my fist rest break at this centre.

After a nice break, I then set off for Longreach which is about 180 kms away. One good thing is that the road is good. While on this leg of my journey, I had another Kimberley Karavan catch up to me and soon pass me. I spoke for quite a while with Steve, from Woolongong, the owner. He has not had his very long and was keen to learn from what I had experienced. Eventually, he went out of UHF radio range.

Before too long I was coming into the sight of Longreach and then I booked in to the Gunadoo Caravan Park. Prue and I had stayed here on our way up. I set up quite quickly and then went into the Longreach CBD. I had lunch and coffee at a bakery.

Then I did the rounds of the motor vehicle dealer parts departments. I was looking fo a knob for the fan in the Bravo. It just fell apart as I left Kynuna earlier. Eventually, I found one at the Ford dealer where I also refuelled as I had not seen diesel at $1.67 per litre for a long time.

After refuelling, I returned to the Caravan Park and had several sessions in the spa which was no more than 50 metres from the Karavan. The usual chats occured at both the spa and around the Karavan. It is still an item that people look at and that alone starts conversations.

So dinner was a very quite affair tonight. I am still not up to red wine again but that may return soon.

16th September 2008

2008-09-17T15:34:00.001+10:00

This morning was a pack and go morning. I was moving from Mount Isa to a planned destination of Kynuna which is about 320 kms from the start of the day.

I had help to pack up this morning as Marcel, who collects his Kimberley Karavan soon, was keen to assist in removing the awning and packing it away. Also, he wanted to see how I pack the Karavan up. His brother in law, Brian who has one of the big supposedly off road caravans, watched on in amazement as everything was packed up. As we agreed there is a place for all types of caravans. Brian and his wife actually are living in their caravan almost full time whereas Marcel and his wife, Lynn, are only going to travel like we are. The old saying “Horses for courses” applies here.

My departure was about 0810 and I just cruised along towards Cloncurry which was the first stop of the day. When I arrived in town I finally felt like a cappuccino after a break of some days. I think I am feeling a bit better again.

After the coffee, I went to the John Flynn Place. It highlighted the founding of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). It explained how John Flynn, who was a minister of religion in the Presbyterian Church, made creative use of the emerging technologies of aviation and radio together with the practise of medicine which is the basis of the RFDS. This all occurred around 1928 and really did start a social revolution in the ‘real’ outback.

The first aircraft was a specially modified De Havilland 50. This was supplied by the fledgling airline QANTAS.

The radio communication problem, in the early days, was solved by the brilliant radio engineer Alf Traeger from South Australia. He invented the pedal radio initially with messages being sent by Morse code. Not everyone could send Morse code so he invented, in 1934, an automatic key board, laid out the same as we know now. Each key stroke sent the appropriate Morse code signal enabling almost anyone to send a message. Eventually this was replaced by voice signal which subsequently led to the famous School of the Air.

There have been many wonderful doctors and pilots and flight nurses that have worked for the RFDS across outback Australia. Having seen the remoteness of the north west of this country as well as the centre, I am amazed how such a wonderful man set the ball rolling for a fantastic organisation. Today, the service provides as much assistance to the outback as one major city hospital. Only recently this has been recognised by the Government and funding has been made available as it is to major hospitals. Previously, this remarkable service has been funded through donations and massive fund raising across the country. This still goes on.

There is a wonderful artistic display along with all the items of radios and articles about the development of the RFDS as we know it today.

Then I went to visit the Mary Kathleen Memorial Park and Museum. A magnificent display of rocks and minerals which is ranked among the best in Australia. Also, there is a lot of history about the Mary Kathleen Town and Uranium Mine, which is now closed. There are some amazing photos of the mine and its surrounds. As well, there is quite a bit of information on the early explorers, Burke and Wills. They travelled from south to north and on their return they perish having only missed their other members who stayed back by a few hours. Only one member of the party survived and could tell the story. He was looked after by friendly aboriginal people in the location.

All this history and exhibit is housed in the original Mary Kathleen Town Office which was moved into Cloncurry when the mine closed for ever. The current Tourist information office/kiosk/ souvenir shop was the original Police station first located at Oona then Dobbyn (early20^th century mining towns) before its final job as a Police station at Mary Kathleen.

After the visits to the John Flynn Place and the Mary Kathleen Museum, I had a sandwich and iced coffee at the Shell Roadhouse. Following this I had about a 2 hour drive to Kynuna.

We stayed in Kynuna on our way north in late June. It is a very small village with a handful of houses, a fuel station/caravan park, school and the famous Blue Heeler Hotel/Caravan Park.

As I pulled into the parking area before paying for a caravan site, another couple that had parked beside me in Mount Isa, at the Sunset Caravan Park, had just booked in before me. I had dinner with them in the Blue Heeler Hotel. Charlie and Jenny are from Gawler in South Australia. They are retired wine grape growers and are just doing what we are doing. They were great company for the evening.

As I drove today, I thought about how hard and rugged the country, I was leaving behind, is especially when I was thinking about the Kimberley. This was made all the more noticeable as I left Mount Isa with the very rugged and stark hills with little to no vegetation. This continued on to Cloncurry where they have had a little fall of rain in the last few days. The landscape is very bare of grass and trees. This changed a little after I left Cloncurry and moved on towards Kynuna. The countryside has responded to the little bit of rain and does not look anywhere near as harsh. The country is flatter, softer and more rolling land that would respond very quickly to rain, when it does occur. Mainly cattle are visible on the grazing lands. I have not seen any sheep but I am aware they are in the area, somewhere.

Now that I am leaving the real outback, one has to admire the people who live and work in this environment. If you make a mistake in this type of country, it will punish you severely. It is amazing how our early explorers managed to survive in this atmosphere, even though some did not. Many people have died from either not respecting their location or from being so remote from assistance.

15th September 2008

2008-09-16T05:23:00.003+10:00

A bit similar day to yesterday, but my medication is really starting to help. A bit more energy but not enough to go for a bike ride.

After having my breakfast, I did some washing just to ensure I do not get too far behind. I am not the type of person that looks for the cleanest dirty clothes. So, I have managed to keep in front of the pile. No doubt, I will have long lasting memories of the Kimberley red dust as it has ingrained into clothes and towels, Probably never to be removed. No wonder the Aboriginal paintings last!

I did some maintenance jobs around the Karavan in preparation for moving tomorrow. There needed to be a hose fitting replaced on the back where the caravan park water supply can come directly into the Karavan rather than through the onboard tank.

Later in the morning, I went into the Mount Isa CBD to get the hose fitting from Bunnings and some other items from KMart and Coles. While in there, I had a lovely Vanilla Chiller at Gloria Jean's. Being quite hot, 33 degrees, the Chiller was just what I needed as I have not felt like a coffee for a few days.

When I returned to the Sunset Caravan Park, I packed the shopping away. Then I repaired the hose connector. With this burst of energy, I even managed to give the Bravo a wash. While doing that, there were a few drops of rain but nothing more. Rain is desperately needed in this area as they had a low rainfall last wet season.

As usual, there is always some chat with neighbouring caravan owners. The usual chat is either about what we have seen or where we are going. There is always an exchange of information.

I did some reading, during the afternoon, from a book by Phil O'Brien - "The Minor Successes of a Bloke That Never Had a Real Lot of Luck" who also wrote "101 Adventures That Have Got Me Absolutely Nowhere". The latter book was full of really funny stories. The first one is not quite so humourous but still a good light read.

From "101 Adventures That Have Got Me Absolutely Nowhere" comes one of the most horrible, horror stories ever told, Phil O’Brien lets us in on a night of sheer unadulterated, gut-wrenching terror. An innocent night at a remote roadside pub turns very, very ugly.

A dead kangaroo, a grumpy governess, and one slightly inebriated Phil O’Brien – it’s a love triangle with a twist, set amidst the panoramic splendor of Heartbreak Hotel some 700km south east of Darwin. You need to read the book to enjoy the rest of the story. You can here this story here.

By then it was time for dinner but no red wine during the last 3 days. Maybe, that will change again soon.

14 th September 2008

2008-09-15T18:31:00.002+10:00

Another recovery day. I mostly rested in an attempt to get over my little bit of being unwell.

We had a thunderstorm, with almost no rain, during the morning. Just enough rain to make everything look dirty.

Mt. Isa is very quiet as there are very few shops open except for the little shopping centres or corner stores. Very different to centres on the coast.

Many of my caravan park neighbours have come and chatted with me. One couple, who are collecting a new Kimberley Karavan very soon, have spoken at length finding out about the workings of the Karavan. They are interesting people, too.

The Caravan Park is lovely and shady but the leaf fall is a nuisance in that the leaves seem to blow every where especially onto the floor of the annex. This means a continual amount of sweeping to keep it clean.

13th September 2008

2008-09-14T06:48:00.002+10:00

Today started off not too well. Not only was the previous night quite hot but I slept very restlessly. On waking, I was quite unwell so I took myself to the Mt Isa Base Hospital Emergency Department.

The paper work is something else. Just as well I was not in a life threatening position. Bureaucracy at its best. Anyway, I eventually saw a doctor and had a range of tests. I was there for several hours and had to return at midday to get results of tests which were fine. I am on medication for a few days and hope all will return to normal again.

So the day was extremely quiet with only a visit to the Shopping Centre to get a script filled at the pharmacy. I tried a cappucino at Gloria Jean's but could not finish it. While there I collected a few items from Coles.

The remainder of the day was just resting, as I felt very much off colour, and doing some washing. Late in the afternoon. a couple who are picking up their Karavan came and asked lots of questions about the Karavan. They have been involved with boats but decided it is time to see the interior of this country.

Then later in the evening, I watched the telvised game of Rugby where the Wallabies played the All Blacks and lost 28 - 24. I enjoyed the game but not the score. That is Rugby.

12th September 2008

2008-09-12T20:11:00.003+10:00

Eventually, I left Barkly Homestead Roadhouse after getting a machine made cappuccino. There was no great rush as I originally planned to stop at Avon Downs Rest Area opposite the Police Station.

I just cruised along stopping at the fewrest areas and have a walk around. My arrival at Avon Downs Rest Area was at about 1130 after driving about 230 kms. After I stopped, I went over to the Police complex and had a free instant coffee and made a small donation to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

While at Avon Downs having a coffee, I thought that the free camp area was too exposed to stop. There is very little shade there except for the built shade areas. So little shade that I saw a goanna moving from the Rest Area to the Police complex on the opposite side of the Highway.

So I decided to move along at least to Camooweal just into Queensland. It was lunch time so I had a roll in the BP Roadhouse and an iced coffee. When I finished that I called the Sunset Caravan Park in Mt. Isa to see if I could get in a day earlier. That was no problem.

I finally arrived at the Caravan Park at about 1530 after driving about 460 kms for the day. As I booked in 3 people asked if they could get a massage. So I will be occupied during the next few days.

As a result of the potential massage work, I have put up the awning mainly as I will be here until Tuesday next week. It doesn’t take a bit effort to erect.

Then a shower, followed by dinner cooked by me and washed down with a red wine. Chatting to fellow travellers while cooking finds people from everywhere as usual.

11th September 2008

2008-09-11T21:30:00.002+10:00

No photos today.

I was able to pack up early again as I had not put up the awning.

My departure from Banka Banka Caravan Park was at 0730 after chatting for a short time with my fellow travellers. My first stop was in Tennant Creek.

Tennant Creek is about 100 kms south of Banka Banka so it was quite an easy run in. My main purpose was to refuel and the price was the best I have seen recently at 188.5 cents/litre. At the Three Ways Roadhouse, just 20 kms north, they were charging 208.5 cents/litre. A rip off to put it bluntly.

After refuelling, I did go to the Three Ways Roadhouse as a good cappuccino can be obtained there. So I had 2 and raison toast. Chatted to a few other fellow travellers.

Eventually, I left for the Barkly Homestead Roadhouse. We stayed here on our way over to the west. I had one break on the way as it was just over 200 kms to the Roadhouse.

My arrival of the Barkly Homestead was about 1230 and so I booked into the Caravan Park. I was the first to arrive for the day but I was told there were about 20 last night.

I had some lunch and then did some reading, when I was not snoozing. It was about 37 degrees outside the Karavan so the air conditioner was working quite hard. So it makes it very pleasant inside.

Then a chat to a few around the Park which now had about 20 caravans in it again. We talked about where we had been and seen.

Dinner was lamb roast and vegetables in the Roadhouse Tavern. As I finished my dinner, I thought I recognised a lady. When she and her husband walked towards me I asked if she was from Ballina and the answer was yes and she said that I was very familiar, too. It was Cheryl that used to manage Shaw’s Office Supplies in Ballina. I used to get most of my stationery needs from her for work. They are now working in Darwin and are just going back to get a new caravan from somewhere on the Sunshine Coast.

So we caught up on what they had been doing and also what I had been doing since I last saw her. They are like so many people that go to Darwin and find good work and stay there.

So another catch up with people day. An early night and ready for more driving tomorrow.

It will be several days before I post another entry.

10th September 2008

2008-09-11T14:27:00.004+10:00

I made an earlier start this morning from Daly Waters Pub after yet again another cool early morning. It seems the mornings are becoming cooler as I travel further south.
After packing the Karavan up, David and Jenny were around to say goodbye. My departure time was around 0740 which was quite good. During this time I had a phone call from Andrew who is wonderful at keeping track of where I am and what I am up to. Then as I left the Daly Waters Pub, I called Prue who informed me all is going well at Sale and that she had fed Isaac.
Soon after that call, I rejoined the Stuart Highway and travelled south. My first stop was at Elliot which is a small village on the highway. I stopped for a break and had a little walk around before moving on. Just a few kilometres out there was the scene of what looked like a nasty accident. The people had been removed from the site and only the badly damaged van and its contents remained. The Police were there taking photos so I expect it may have been a fatal accident especially noting the damage to the van.
My next rest stop was at Renner Springs the home of the so called Desert Pub. There is a bit of copying of the Daly Waters Pub with the inclusion of some knickers and bras as decorations. A reasonable place to stop for a break.
My final stop for the day was at Banka Banka Station Caravan Park. The grounds are absolutely green and quite fresh. The staff tries to encourage one to wash vehicles to help keep it green. I did not get around to that as I seemed to make a whole heap of new friends who are travelling in all directions.
An interesting lot of travellers including a retiree from the Attorney Generals Department in Canberra, a retired farmer from near Swan Hill, an electrician from Stratford near Sale in Victoria, an engineer from Adelaide and numerous others. Trying to remember names is a worry.
That lot were at happy hour which has been the best so far. I think the atmosphere encouraged the great mix of people. To top it off, we had a goat that seemed to be a party animal that wanted to not only check the caravans out, including ours, but also wanted to pinch the biscuits arranged on the tables for happy hour. It eventually was tied up to a tree to keep it out of mischief. The manageress came looking for it and was not impressed at finding it tied up.
Anyway, a great early evening was had by all and we all adjourned to cook our respective meals. Mine was steak and vegetables. Quick and easy was the order of the evening.
One thing that was obvious is the variety of forms of caravan or motor home, from a motor home probably worth about $750000 to a Toyota Coaster of about $7000. Everyone is doing a similar trip and shares their experience at the happy hour.
Another thought I have had is that even though I am returning on a lot of the same roads, I am doing it in reverse direction and it mostly looks different. Thank goodness for that or it may be quite boring as the distance are quite long.

9th September 2008

2008-09-10T05:54:00.006+10:00

Another cool night that required a blanket early in the morning. As I have mentioned before, the day warms up very quickly once the sun is over the horizon.
During the early hours, I went out of the Karavan to be confronted by a group of wallabies feeding on the grass that is watered every day in the Caravan Park. They are not too worried by people wandering around.
Today was pack at Mataranka. I lowered the awning and packed it all away before I had breakfast. Then I slowly proceeded to pack everything else away. There was no rush today as I was only travelling about 230 kms to historic Daly Waters Pub. I managed to depart at 0900 after saying goodbye to Gary, the caretaker.
The road was very quiet with only a handful of north bound caravans as well as a few road trains and other vehicles. Only a few vehicles passed me on their south bound journey.
As I turned off the Stuart Highway into Daly Waters, I decided to have a look at the Daly Waters airport which was originally Australia’s first international airport. It was a refuelling stop for the aircraft of old especially coming in from places like Indonesia and Europe. It is nothing more than a derelict airfield now. I believe it is used mainly for tourist traffic and the occasional Air Ambulance flight.
Then I drove into the Daly Waters Pub area. I booked in at the Pub for the powered site in the Caravan Park. I was met at the entrance gate by one of the staff and guided to a shady site. All this for only $9.00! The facilities are similar to Broome in that there are only dirt sites although they are watering to keep the dust down.
A quick set up as there was no awning up today being for a one day stop. It really does only take about 10 minutes to be set up. Then I brewed a nice Northern Rivers grown coffee.
After doing a few jobs around the Karavan, it was lunch time. I decided to see what was on the menu at the unique Daly Waters Pub. I ordered a Barramundi Burger which was absolutely beautiful and more than adequate for lunch. It beats a tomato sandwich.
As I was doing this order, I came across David and Jenny. David and I knew each other a very long time ago, about 47 years ago to be more precise. They had called in at Lennox Head while I was on a bicycle trip in late May and met up with Prue. We had planned to meet here.
The rest of the day was spent catching up on all the years in between. Our parents were good friends brought about by an original connection through my maternal grandmother, Rita Taylor. I have seen more of David’s brother, Robert, in recent years but we hope that will now change.
We had the “Barra and Beef” meal in the pub washed down by a couple of beers instead of red wine, for a change. The meal was really nice and I had a mix of Barramundi and Beef with salad that was added by helping myself at the well stocked salad bar. Then we chatted then went back to our caravans and having either a tea or coffee before bed. Our caravans were parked beside each other. So ended a day that has connected David and me again as well as getting to know Jenny. We will not catch up again until next year when they return to the east coast again.

8th September 2008

2008-09-08T20:29:00.003+10:00

Last night was the first cool night I have experienced for about 2 months. I actually had to drag a light blanket up early in the morning. When I did get up, I discovered that the temperature was about 14 degrees which is somewhat cooler than the past month or so. Everyone in the Caravan Park tells me to expect cooler nights as I go south. That is really something to look forward to! One good thing is the day warms up quickly and today it was around 35 degrees.

Moving a bit east from Western Australia, I am finding the sun is not getting up as early as it was in Kununurra. Over there, the first light was about 0500 but here is much later at 0615.

This morning I went for a ride to the Mataranka Homestead Resort. It was only a trip of around 30 kms. As the temperature was very pleasant, it made for a very nice ride. The other thing I noticed was that there was no strong wind like the mornings I rode in either Broome or Kununurra.

After my ride, I returned to the Caravan Park to do some washing and have a shower. Just after my shower I was asked to do another massage. The two massages here have more than paid the Caravan Park fees. The massage towels were washed after completion of the massage.

Then it was time for lunch, just a nice sandwich. During this time, Prue called to say she had arrived in Melbourne after leaving Darwin on a Virgin Blue flight first to Brisbane then transferring to a flight to Melbourne. Then she caught a train to complete her journey to Carrie and Isaac.

Following my lunch, I had a read of a book for a while then went to Bitter Springs on my bike for a swim. When I arrived it was very quiet but about an hour later the place was briefly invaded by a tour group on a trip from Alice Springs to Darwin.

Then back to the Caravan Park and sorted out a few items and prepared for my dinner and red wine to wash it down.

I spoke to Prue and she is safely in Sale now. So that has been my day.

The photos are of the sunset from the Caravan Park.

7th September 2008

2008-09-08T06:57:00.000+10:00

First day on the road alone and to make it worse it was Father’s Day. Anyway, I did hear from the family
I packed up the Karavan and hitched up the Bravo to it. Then I moved over to where Mick, Jen and Sam were still packing up. We chatted for a while and then said our good byes.
After leaving the Big 4 “Low Level” Caravan Park, I travelled in to town to park the rig in the tourist car park. Then I went into Woolworths to get a few items.
Today’s trip was a short one compared to other days. My destination was Mataranka and the Mataranka Cabins and Camping Caravan Park. It was only about 110 kms to get here.
When I arrived I had a lengthy chat with the manager, Sharon. Then I moved over and found a reasonable site not far from the ablution block. Eventually, I set everything up as I am staying for 2 nights here.
Following my setup, I then went for a short bike ride to the Thermal Springs. A few people were there and had some interesting chats with people from numerous locations. I had about an hour in the flowing pool which looked so clear before I returned to the Karavan and made some lunch. The temperature was in the mid 30 degree range. Some other campers told me that south even as close as Tennant Creek it is quite cool at night. So I am heading into cooler weather, it seems.
While at the Thermal Springs, I came across this nice friendly couple from Hervey Bay and he produces the Gutter Gripper. It is a very innovative item for attaching to various items especially using sail track.
Later in the afternoon the Caravan Park Manager, Sharon, came for a massage. Her second massage from me. She has started doing Massage Therapy by distance education, as I have done. So her massage had a lot more chatter than normal. While I was doing her massage, another lady has booked in for the morning.
After completing the massage, I joined my new found friends, Barry and Marlene, along with another couple, Barry and Kate, for evening drinks including trying some home brew. Very nice but could be headache material, too.
Then I cooked my fish dinner but not caught by me.

6th September 2008

2008-09-07T06:58:00.003+10:00

Today we packed up at the lovely and shady Caravan Park in Timber Creek. We managed to be away before 0730.

Our destination was Katherine some 4 hours along the road. The trip was relatively uneventful except for being tailgated by a 3 trailer road train. I can understand what he was doing but I was staying on my speed by using cruise control. Eventually he and another road train passed us.

We did stop for a break about 2 1/2 hours into the journey at a road side rest area.

Soon we arrived in Katherine at the Big 4 "Low Level" Caravan Park where we had prebooked. It is very nice with grassy sites. We should have been at this one before as it has a lovely swimming pool and Cafe. Anyway, we set up the Karavan and went into town.

We returned to the Cinema Cafe and were warmly greeted by the owners, Leanne and Mick, and their sons. They were surprised to see us again. Our needs of a nice coffee were soon met while we chatted with them. A little later we had a nice lunch of a Barramundi Burger.

After our lunch we went to the Fuel Service Station to refuel. The price was better than Kununurra being 191.9 cents per litre. Now refuelled, we returned to the Caravan Park.

Once back, Prue did a load of washing and did some emails. I went to the nearby pool for a swim with Prue joining me a little later. The water was really pleasant. While in the pool, I chatted to this couple who live at Guyra. It turned out that their son had been at TAS in Armidale with our son Andrew and in the same boarding house. The lady, Narelle, had taught both our sons Latin in their early years at TAS. She remembered Andrew.

Later in the afternoon, Mick, Jen and their son, Sam, finally met up with us. They were originally going to travel across the Tanami Road with us. They went off for a swim as they had travelled from El Questro to Katherine in the day. A long drive.

Soon after, it was time for me to take Prue to the Greyhound Coach in town. She boarded it bound for Darwin and eventually Melbourne. So I now am travelling alone.

On my return to the caravan park, I joined Mick, Jen and Sam for dinner at the Cafe. We had lovely meals helped down by some nice red wine. We chatted at length and found we knew a lot of the same people. Sadly, I will not see them again until perhaps at home as they are doing another long day to near Tennant Creek.

Finally, it was time to get some rest.

5th September 2008

2008-09-06T16:42:00.002+10:00

After an easy start, we packed up the Karavan and by 0830 we were ready to leave the Town Caravan Park in Kununurra. We went into the CBD and parked the vehicles before we went to the Boab Cafe for coffee and fruit toast.

Then we went into a shop opposite where the Cafe is located so that Prue could purchase a travel bag of some description. This is because there have been plan changes again.

Our daughter in law, Carrie, is unwell as is our grandson, Isaac, with a ‘flu like illness and Malcolm is in the USA doing a conversion onto the Beech King Air 350 and will not be back until about the 20th. To add more problems, Malcolm's best friend, Lindsay Sojan, died riding to the Navy Base outside Perth yesterday. He called to his ride partner that he was unwell and when he stopped Lindsay had died even though he tried to revive him with CPR. Both Mal and Carrie are absolutely shattered so Prue is going to help at Sale with Carrie and Isaac.

I organised a flight on Virgin Blue, from Darwin via Brisbane to Melbourne, and a trip on Greyhound Coaches from Katherine to Darwin. Prue will have most of Sunday with her brother and sister in law in Darwin.

I will continue on alone. My proposed new route is as follows:-
Katherine arrive 6th
Mataranka - 7th & 8th
Daly Waters - 9th
Bank Banka Station -10th
Barkly Roadhouse - 11th
Avon Downs - 12th
Mt Isa - 13th & 14th & 15th
Winton - 16th
Longreach - 17th & 18th
Alpha - 19th
Emerald - 20th & 21st
Rolleston - 22nd
Roma - 23rd
Surat - 24th
St George - 25th
Goondiwindi - 26th to 29th (morning)
Home - 31st

Plans are always to be revised after an incident/emergency. That is what I used to teach in Emergency Management!!!

So, we departed Kununurra for Timber Creek by about 0930. We had an uneventful trip only stopping for lunch under a tree in a rest area. Often we have been passed by road trains hauling 3 or even up to 5 trailers. There were a few caravans there along with an old Citroen car which had been involved in a trip from Kalgoorlie along some very remote roads even doing parts of the Canning Stock Route before eventually finishing in Derby.

We arrived in the Timber Creek Caravan Park and found a nice shady spot. Then we had a swim in the pool nearby to cool off. After 1700, there was a feeding of the crocodiles that reside in the creek joining the Park. It is a tributary of the mighty Victoria River.

Prue was sorting out her clothes for the trip to Melbourne and eventually we went to bed after having a stir fry for dinner along with several red wines. The end of a quite tiring day for us both.

4th September 2008

2008-09-06T07:04:00.000+10:00

No photos today.

A quiet day as we are getting ready to resume our travels again.

I cycled out to Ivanhoe Crossing and return. The return trip, of only about 12 kms, was hard going as the wind was gusting up to about 40 km/hr. It felt like ride up a hill on the way back with very slow speed.

Prue went out for a walk around Kununurra again and she sent a text message suggesting I meet her at the Boab Bookshop and Cafe for coffee which I readily agreed to. So we had fruit toast with our coffee.

A chance to do some washing as we will be on the move until early next week when we again stop at Mataranka.

After all the washing was done, a little quiet time before an early lunch at Ivanhoe Farms Cafe. A nice baguette filled with bacon and brie as well as lettuce was all we needed along with another coffee.

The Bravo was serviced at Argyle Motors which is just opposite the Town Caravan Park that we are staying in. It was oil and filters replaced and the wheels rotated so as to even the wear, which is negligible.

While the Bravo was being serviced, we walked the very short distance to Coles to get a few items as well as a new little battery for the bike computer.

After the Bravo service they told me a light was not functioning so I spend some time trying to sort it out. It is not a really important light so it will wait until I get more time. Just frustrating.

Then a very sad phone call from Malcolm in the USA to say one of his best military friends, Lindsay Sojan, died suddenly while riding his bicycle to work today in Perth. He told his ride partner he felt unwell and to stop and that was the sad end. He leaves behind a wife and 12 month old son. Poor Malcolm is distraught especially being so far away from his friends and family. We have spoken to Lindsay’s mother who said she is numb.

So some more thinking on how we can help our young family especially at this extremely sad time. There will be some change to our travel plan.

3rd September 2008

2008-09-03T22:25:00.000+10:00

No photos again, today.

We had a really restful night because it was such a quiet location. As we awoke, we noticed that the sky was quite heavily clouded and looked as though it may well rain again.

Our breakfast was had reasonably early as we wanted to get into Turkey Creek to get phone coverage to try to catch up with Malcolm as he was flying to the USA this morning for simulator training on the Beech King Air 350. Unfortunately, we missed him before he left. However, we spoke to our daughter in law, Carrie, for a short time.

We had a coffee at Turkey Creek before we set off for Kununurra again. We arrived at Kununurra, the scene of the Bravo repair about a month ago.

The Bravo is due for a service, so I have now booked it in and it will be done on Thursday afternoon.

Prue started another potentially great meal in the Dreampot. So far, all the meals from this have been better than 5 star. I can now confirm that this meal lived up to expectation. It was silverside with sweet potato, carrot, onion and swede turnip. All cooked so beautifully, to perfection.

We went for a stroll and coffee late this afternoon. During this time we came across a couple from Perth that we met at Fitzroy Crossing. They told us of their trip to Fossil Downs Station which we had missed.

So a basically quiet day having only driven about 250 kms for the day.