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Life in the real world!
Time has gone really fast and plenty has happened.
We are now living in Queensland. We had both decided that Adelaide wasn't for us so once we got back we settled down for a few months of work and then sold the house. We are now in Toogoom, just outside Hervey Bay, a very small coastal area full of retired souls quietly going about their lives.
Rich is back doing to what he loves, working with cycles! Not that he is loving this store but its a good excuse to upgrade and expand the collection!
I'm still looking for work, and hopefully something will come along, otherwise I'll just continue "hanging out" with the old folk of Toogoom going to Coffee & Chat mornings.
We've also been getting ready for our next trip. Haven't set a date yet, but soon would be good as we now have a new home. Gone is the camper trailer - it was fantastic but after so many pack-ups it was time for something easier. I will add a couple of photos showing you our new abode. Rich has been very busy building a hard shelled camper (mini caravan) which means no more wet canvas and plenty of comfort.
So as you can tell we are itching to head off west, and when we do I'll keep you posted. Until then if any of you are up this way, be sure to call in.
Cheers for now.
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Tasmania
What a beautiful place. It really is amazing. The scenery has been fantastic and very English. Rich is in heaven! Unfortunately we haven't had the best weather (it's bloody cold actually) so we haven't seen as much as we would have liked, but we never intended seeing everything this time…….. just have to visit again sometime!
It has been a real test for the camper trailer. We are currently camped up on the North Coast near Burnie and a couple of nights ago we had the most amazing storm come through. The winds were a record for here and it really blew! I have to say I am surprised we are still in one piece, and not a leak anywhere. There were another couple here who didn't fare as well. They lost their awning and had water pouring in.
Well done Tambo!
We went for a drive the next day and the trees that had come down were incredible. Huge Pines just ripped out of the ground.
We had a short stay on the East coast and visited the Bay of Fires. It shows just how clean the water around here is. I can honestly say I have never seen such clear water at a beach. Luckily the sun was out to show it at its best. Unfortunately, it didn't stay sunny for long so we missed out on kayaking and swimming… definitely needs to be summer next time.
Tasmania is very different to the rest of the country, and of course its tiny in comparison so travelling around is much easier. We have only been into a couple of the National Parks here. They charge $22 for a day in each! Doesn't seem to be enforced very well and talking to other visitors it seems they just don't bother paying.
We stayed at Lake St Clair NP. It is a beautiful location and quiet for Easter but the campground was awful! It would have to be the worst we have been to, however, no Tasmanian campsites have been very good, and as for putting up a tent, well you need a sledgehammer to get the pegs in!!
We also visited Strahan for my Birthday. Really pretty place and we had fantastic Crayfish for lunch. We did the West Coast Steam Train ride which was very expensive but really good. (Only good value if you do the premium class and eat lots and drink even more…. It had to be done!)
Generally though we have really enjoyed seeing Tasmania and even in autumn it was worth the effort. I would like to come back in summer and then hopefully the weather would be better to really make the most of the place.
Tomorrow we head back on the ferry. Fingers crossed for a smooth crossing as I hear it's been rough of late! Then it's the home straight.
We don't really intend spending any time in Melbourne so we should be home in a couple of days. It's seems strange to think we've been gone for 14 months, but have only seen half the country!
Well Rich is out cycling, (he's got a race with Emily when he gets back so he needs to do some serious training!) so I better get on with sorting out photos.
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On the Road to Tassie.
Well I guess it's time to admit that it's onto the home straight. After over 4 months in a really beautiful quiet spot we are now ready to face the world (or traffic again)!
We are now in the beautiful Tasmania, so it was a fairly short trip down the coast to get here.
We had a few planned stops on the way, to catch up with family and friends but other than that no real plans. We met up with Rich's Aunt Jean for a week on the Gold Coast straight after leaving Takarakka. She is amazing, making a trip from England each year on her own & she's in her 80's so if any of you are making excuses for not getting out and about here's your example!!
We stayed in Miami, and Jean had a beach side cabin so Rich could happily sit and watch the runners jogging past each morning. Jean even got into pointing out the best for him! We did actually use the bikes a couple of times and tried walking or running most days, I think in an area where everybody is so active you feel compelled to join in.
We also had a couple of really lovely trips into the hills behind the coast which Jean loved as it was so different to the rest of the Gold Coast.
We were really lucky with the weather also as further north the Cyclone was hitting and places were flooding. It was a good job we decided not to do Fraser Island this trip as most people were being evacuated from it!
Unfortunately we missed all the Sand Islands due to the time of year. Having spent so much time in Carnarvon it was too late to do them. Still you have to save something for next time and we always knew we couldn't see everything.
From here things didn't go so well. We decided to give Byron Bay a miss as it was very over rated, staying in Lennox Head instead.
Whoops, open campsite, nice looking place and us being complacent. We left the bikes outside the tent on the first night unlocked and some Bastard nicked Rich's bike!!!!!!!!!! As you can imagine he was far from happy, especially as he had had it for years. (Must have been a tall thief as they left mine) The police weren't much help, apparently its pretty common there for people to borrow bikes and then dump them later. Needless to say we didn't find it even after a couple of extra days looking round.
Other than that Lennox Head is a nice place just a little expensive if you don't lock things!!
We were then off to Bathurst to see an old friend of Rich's that he hadn't seen for 13 years.
We passed through Port Macquarie, and as an overnight stop with wet weather coming we even treated ourselves to a cabin. Bliss……… typically it didn't rain though!
Then on to a lovely camp site at Lane Cove about 10 kms from Sydney, before Katoomba and then Bathurst.
We didn't really have any desire to spend time in Sydney as we have both done this before and were happy with just seeing the Opera House from the road.
Sydney was just a shopping stop. Someone needed a new bike so we figured this would be the best chance to find something.
Katoomba is generally another nice place, UNLESS SOMEONE STEALS YOUR NEW CHAIR!!!!!! It has changed heaps and the tracks we cycled previously have now all been upgraded and are fantastic walking tracks. Still we managed to get a good ride, even if there were far too many hills for my liking.
It was great to see Brett and his family, and we stayed with them for the weekend. We had a lovely time and really enjoyed Bathurst, it's a really nice city, close to plenty of open space and cycle paths and within a short distance there are good 4wd tracks.
Brett took us to catch yabbies and we caught heaps, not as good as the ones we caught up north though!
Our last stop from here to Tasmania was in Albury/Wodonga. Another place we had heard loads about and thought about visiting but never got to. We stayed in Wodonga but discovered Albury is the nicer of the two. It's clean, modern, has lots going on and still seems to be growing. Shame it's so far from the sea though!
Haven't bothered with Melbourne again yet, maybe on the way back.
We took the cheap seats on the Ferry over, Ocean View Recliners. Great view out the back of the boat overnight!! Still we did manage to get some sleep even in a room full of snoring men, I only hope I managed to make enough noise to hold my own. If not there always the return journey!!
Well Tassie is beautiful (but bloody cold). We are currently in Launceston, and are planning our best route around. There is so much here on such a small Island that seeing it all in 3 weeks just isn't possible, so we will do what we can and save the rest until next time.
Well Rich is back from his cycle so must be time for a beer!!
Cheers everyone.
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On the Road Again
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The countdown is on.........only 3 more weeks left at work then we hit the road again. We've had a great time at Takarakka, it's been a great experience and we've been very lucky with the weather. We had 1 day of heavy rain which brought one of the creeks up to 2.5 metres..... nobody went anywhere that day!
We may see more soon judging by what's happening further north, but fingers crossed it will stay dry.
Its been quite an eye opener living somewhere so remote. I don't think I could live like this forever, 250km one way to go shopping and then the town doesn't have much anyway......... bring on the Gold Coast and civilisation!
We've managed to see most of Carnarvon Gorge, done most of the walking tracks and driven the local tracks (nowhere near enough 4wd tracks for Rich's liking). The local communities have been great, once they get to know you the people in the towns are very friendly and happily help wherever they can.
So next stop will be the Gold Coast. Rich has his Aunt over visiting so we will meet up with her and have a week relaxing in a waterfront campsite..... maybe I can get my tan back. After that we slowly head down the country with no definite plans yet.
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Carnarvon Gorge
Check out the place, Takarakka Bush Resort.
Its a great place, and we're going in to the quiet period so we shouldn't be getting too much stress and hassle from any travelling Grey Nomads!
The trip down the coast from Bowen was very quick and uneventful. As we were looking for work we really just called in to the main towns, Gladstone, Rockhampton & Emerald. We got work grape picking in Emerald but as it was going into summer and it would have meant staying in the trailer we decided that this job was a better option. Good call. The people here are great, the walks are amazing, the place (apart from the very basic accommodation) is beautiful and if we're really lucky the rain will come down and we'll be stuck here for anything up to a month!
So if any of you are thinking of a camping trip somewhere, head up here and we'll find you a spot! We've even got Platypus in the stream (so we won't starve....only joking)
No idea how long we wil be here, but in the meantime, I've got some photos to add, to give you an idea of what to expect.
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Bowen
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G'day from Bowen. The place of opportunity, especially if you love capsicums!!
Rich & I have just done 2 days work in a capsicum packing shed for a pitiful wage working for a total tosser!!! We lasted 2 days - just. I nearly threw up twice on the first day from the smell & the motion sickness watching red vegies fly past, and Rich was stacking boxes of them over his head until the boss started having a tantrum over the wrongly labelled stock (could that have been mine????)
I guess that means the end of another career option!
Well dirt roads seem to be a thing of the past now. We have been in civilised areas for ages and haven't seen any corrugations for some time. (Rich has even mentioned a couple of times that he would do the Cape again, so it must have been a while!)
The last track was the Bloomfield Track to Cape Tribulation. An incredibly steep road which we thought would have amazing views. It does, but someone planted trees so you can't see anything!
Cape Tribulation is so commercial and is the perfect place to go for a week of pampering and spa treatments. It's a tiny place which attracts thousands of people, and squashes them into very small camping areas for a large fee.
However, I loved it, simply because we got up early one morning and wandered down the beach only to see a Cassowary! It was huge, about 6ft, stood under a tree looking for food. Rich ran back for the camera and I stood well back (behind another tree) watching. It was great to see as the numbers are dwindling and it was totally unexpected. (See we will be twitchers one day) Its amazing how much wildlife we have seen on this trip.
From here we start getting to the more expensive towns, Port Douglas and Cairns.
These towns have grown so much. I could not believe the number of resorts and shops now in Port Douglas. This really is a place you could stay and spend big dough!
Had a wander around the Sheraton Resort seeing how the other half live, but I still think we'll stick with the camper this time.
We treated ourselves to a night out watching Cane Toad races, very entertaining, but decided to just spectate as there was no way I was going to kiss one of them ugly things! Strange but most of the people who did take part were mad English folk on holiday!
We stayed out of town in a lovely campsite, it was quiet and we met a great guy who was on holiday from Cairns. He gave us the names of some useful people in Cairns that we could visit for essential repairs we needed and luckily he also had a boat and was catching Mud Crabs. He was surprised we hadn't eaten them before so he cooked us one and it was bloody great. This was our inspiration to then go and buy crab pots to catch our own yabbies later in the trip.
Cairns was another very liveable place. It has also developed vastly in the last few years, and I would say it was my favourite place so far. The only thing lacking was a beach but with the crocs around you can't swim anyway so you'd just have to have a pool.
Great place to stay for a few days to relax and get the camper suspension sorted; I kept leaving our pieces of wood in campgrounds so we were on a constant lean!
Unfortunately, like all cities the temptation to spend money is too great, so we try not to stay for too long otherwise we go out and come back with more stuff to carry! I still can't believe how much we have with us that we don't use! (But we might need it one day!)
We managed to avoid wasting money on the touristy things, Cable Cars, Train rides, boats etc, and instead drove up to Kuranda. Very pretty place, with lots of 'cheap' must have memorabilia (no we mustn't) nice for a wander but again like most places now its all geared for overseas tourists buying pressies to take home. We sort of felt like we should have gone out to The Barrier Reef, but the sea has been pretty rough, and the few we met who went didn't really have a good time. Maybe further down the coast the winds will change and we'll get out somewhere. At the end of the day we knew we couldn't see everything so we are just making the most of what we are able to see and do.
Our next camp was Lake Tinaroo, in Danbulla National Park. The site was fantastic, top view, quiet and cheap. We had a bit of rain but mainly at night so no problem for the solar panel. Anyway, the Yabbie pots came out and the competition was on. Potato, cat food and dog biscuits, who knows what they prefer so we tried them all! DRUM ROLL …………………… the winner each day was………..ME of course, I am the queen of yabbie catching, and was happy to let everybody know. The killing wasn't so nice but I managed to murder one and left the rest to Rich, (he was king at that!!) They tasted bloody good though, and we managed to get enough for lunch or a starter each day so were more than happy.
The birdlife at this campsite was very friendly, or so we thought! Its amazing how Kookaburras know what time dinner is ready, where food is kept and that cheese comes out of the fridge! I was stalked while preparing dinner buy two very keen guests. I can't say I enjoyed their company, especially as they were sat on a close tree just waiting for me to move. It got better though. We sat under the awning to eat, right next to the tent and watched them fly onto our shower tent 6ft away. Then the attack began! They were keen and the bravest flew under the awning onto the table and skidded right across sending Rich's plate of food straight onto the floor! He was NOT happy!! I couldn't believe it, these guys just wouldn't go, they would go back 6ft and fly towards us again. Even when Rich held a tent pole to its chest it wouldn't fly off.
Now I won't believe these people who say birds won't attack you…. These birds were clever and knew what they liked. One waited for Rich to go to the car and get some cheese, before launching at him for it!!
Dinner after that day was inside regardless!
It was a shame to leave that site but we really needed to head off and start looking at working somewhere. We got as far as Mission Beach and onto a cheap council run campground, which was right on the beach and under half of what the other places charged. Admittedly, looking at the facilities you could see why! They were pretty gross, but as long as you wore shoes and didn't look too closely it was bearable (we managed to stay 8 nights, although rain did play a part in that- no point packing up a wet tent) Mission Beach was a really great place. I loved it, just laid back, nothing much to do, lots of people who had turned up for a couple of nights and stayed months just living a very laid back beach life. We walked to the top of the lookout and looked for Cassowaries; however the best we could find were lots of fresh poos!!
We met some really friendly people both touring and living there and the location of the campground made it easy to spend time on the beach and in the sea. Lovely. Not much work though so couldn't stay for ever and finally we headed to Townsville. (Spotted number 2 Cassowary on the way out of town)
Townsville turned out to be another busy growing town. The waterfront had been developed into a great family area with a beach created and excellent waterfront walkways and parks. This was Rich's favourite place so far, but luckily I managed to persuade him not to buy a house just yet!
It seems that most places on this part of the coast are either undergoing a huge growth, or have just had one and there are so many houses and businesses for sale.
Obviously, we didn't stay and look for work in Townsville, but carried on down the coast and ended up in Bowen.
Tomorrow we head off again, although they have predicted storms tonight and we had a heavy shower last night so we may end up staying until we have a dry tent! Then it's south towards Mackay, Rockhampton, and maybe inland from there.
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Cape York
Hurray, back to the lovely warm nights and beautiful sunny days. The difference in temperatures is quite amazing, even just a short distance.
After an early start we made our way north towards Laura. Didn't have anywhere in mind to stay but only that we would try to bush camp rather than pay to stay in another commercial camp ground.
The road out here was pretty good as far as Lakeland, mostly sealed, but then the corrugations returned and the real Cape York started.
Laura is a really pretty little place with only a roadhouse, campground and an Information Centre. I did my usual and stocked up on leaflets and other useful fire lighting material and then we pushed on towards our first suitable pull in.
Ended up in a top spot. Quiet, secluded, and perfectly described as an old roadworks siding! Still we had the place to ourselves and we were free to have a fire and dig our own private toilet….. nice! It was actually a really nice spot to stay and quieter than a lot of camp sites we have paid to stay in.
Coen was our next stop. Again we found a free spot to camp only this time along the river. Had a couple of horses came to lunch and Rich was followed but a rather attractive looking cow, but unfortunately the tent wasn't big enough for all of us so they were sent on their way. Coen is another very small town on Cape York. It doesn't really offer much and seems to be just a fuel stop or an overnight stay for people.
Weipa
What a surprise. After travelling for hours to a town that really is in the middle of nowhere we arrived in a good size town, with everything you could need for vehicle repairs or a camping set up. The campsite was great, we were early enough to get a pitch right on the waterfront and here we stayed for 3 nights. Unfortunately the sea is full of Crocs so we couldn't swim but it was still great to see the sunsets each night.
The town is owned mainly by the mine, which dominates the area. They mine Bauxite, which is used to make Aluminium. We did a really good tour of the mine, which was very informative and took you pretty close to the action, shame it was with a group of old APT tourists who mainly slept on the bus, except for the old lady who stood up and farted loudly by Rich's head!!!!!! Nice when you can't open any windows!
Tried a bit of fishing too but alas we still didn't catch anything big.
Weipa is the last real size town on the cape where things are generally of a reasonable cost so we made sure we had everything and we knew the vehicle was going to make the rest of the trip.
We were then heading towards the Overland Telegraph Line. The old route up Cape York which involves water crossings, rocks and single lane tracks….. the real reason most people make the trip and the bit Rich was waiting for.
Bramwell Junction Station, the furthest north cattle station in Oz was our last camp before the OTL. They were doing an amazing burn off the night we were there so the sky was fantastic and we certainly didn't need a camp fire. We met a few others here who were also heading north so we decided to head off together just in case of any problems.
The track seems to be used mainly heading north which is a good thing as it is narrow in most places, basically just a single lane. We were told the first crossing Palm Creek was the worst we would encounter so it was good to have others around. (It also meant I didn't have to walk through the crossings alone checking the depth).
It was a pretty steep drop into the creek, with a reasonable amount of water and then a firm base to climb out. However, Rich had no trouble even with the trailer in tow.
The track really continued like this the whole way. Steep drops, sandy creeks, and uneven beds, all which had to be walked through first in order to check the best line before driving through and getting stuck.
The Cape York book we had was fantastic as it gave a good indication of what to expect and which way was best to cross these areas. Most people we met on the way were also really good and looked out for each other, and I'm sure would have helped out if it was required.
We did think about bush camping part of the way up the track, at Gunshot Creek.
This is one that Rich was really looking forward to doing. He has made me watch the 4WD DVD that many times and now he can finally say he has done it!
We thought it would be good to set up camp and watch people playing on the original track, but unfortunately the hut has collapsed and there is so much rubbish that it would be awful to stay at. Still, it was a great experience and we got some good pic's before heading further north and settling on Eliot Falls for a camp for a couple of nights.
Eliot Falls was really pretty. It was a National Park so it was cheap, had toilets and the water was warm enough to swim in. (Well maybe just a little refreshing)
We spent a couple of days here, making the most of having camp fires, and talking to a few other travellers who were coming down from the tip. The general view seemed to be that staying on the OTL meant going through a deep creek crossing later on that had seen a fair few vehicles stuck and severely damaged. (we later learn it was over 40 so far this year) so with this in mind we chose to go up the Bypass Road the rest of the way.
The Jardine River is now only crossable by ferry. $100 a return trip so the locals are doing very well for a very short 2 minute crossing. It's a pity they don't maintain the camping areas along the way which is what the money is supposed to help towards!
From here we were almost there. We passed through Umagico, Injinoo, Bamaga & Seisia, all small Aboriginal settlements with camping areas and local shops. Most of them are very pretty with nice coast lines and little to do but fish or relax, however we had been recommended a camp nearer the tip in Punsand Bay.
Visited the famous Croc tent on route, had to get Rich a shirt& Cap, after driving all this way.
Punsand Bay was a great place, another excellent site, almost right on the beach and only $20 a night. Its also the closest to the Tip and they also have a ferry from the beach to Thursday Island. The road to the Tip was mainly sand, cutting right through the bush so was a slow trip but well worth it.
We finally made it. The Tip of Australia We took the photo's along with everybody else, and spent a bit of time taking in the view. It was amazing seeing the different vehicles and set ups that people take to these places and how some of them manage to get there! Not surprisingly we saw many vehicles on the back of pick ups being towed back down and many people now choose to drive one way and return with their vehicle on a boat a couple of thousand dollars lighter!
Our Thursday Island trip was rough – every boat trip we take is rough! Going out was ok and the Island is quite interesting, but I think you need to go on one of their market days to really get an insight into how they live and the language they speak.
The boat we went on took a battering during the return trip. The swells were pretty big and it was thrown about well. They were a few people throwing up at the back, but at least the noise of the sea kept that sound away and I was happy I couldn't smell anything!
The best thing though, Rich had been talking to the owner on shore regularly and when their cabin boy didn't turn up the next day she was looking for a replacement.
Guess who was volunteering? Yes he did, however she didn't call in time & we had already left the area before she left a message on his phone. Just thing I could have been married to the Cabin Boy (but he'd have to change his name to Roger!!!)
Well from here it was back down south. We decided to go to Captain Billys Landing for a night. Very windy, but fishing here is good, and beachside camping again is cheap.
Road out was 30kms of really bad corrugations, it had to be the worst road to date, and nowhere to turn if you changed your mind. People were catching good size Salmon though. We didn't really have the right equipment so didn't have any luck, although Rich had a bite that was something huge but alas it was the one that got away.
The next main stop was Cooktown. We stopped in a few Roadhouses while travelling south, and encountered lots of varying degrees of corrugations, some which were hidden by deep dips in the road and we nearly had the trailer along side us on one of them!
Cooktown was a small tourist town. Smaller than I expected but pretty and the campsite owners were the nicest people we have met. They were really welcoming to everyone, had a happy hour get together every evening and were always cheerful. Highly recommend Cooktown Caravan Park to anyone heading there.
Tried our luck fishing again but maybe we weren't meant to fish cos we ain't having any luck anywhere!
We finally got to use our bikes here. They have travelled really well on the back of the trailer but don't get ridden much. Maybe now we are nearing the end of the dirt stuff we will do better.
Anyway next stop is Cape Tribulation and the East Coast.
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Onwards & Upwards
Off to Cape York.
We restocked in Darwin and made time to do the classic touristy things: Mindl Beach Market, great sunset & plenty of food stalls and took a trip to the museum to see Sweetheart the stuffed croc… very impressive but still better seeing them alive & swimming.
Our next camp was to be Litchfield National Park. However, the car seemed to have developed an unusual noise so we decided to stick to the main tracks and keep an eye on it!
Really pretty park, smaller and easier to see than Kakadu, but still lovely and peaceful. We set up camp in the park at Wangi falls and bravely took at swim….. Wow, how cold, but very refreshing. Spent a night there and had a drive around the area spotting some amazing birdlife. Tawny Frogmouth disguised as part of the tree and the Bower Bird with his impressive ground nest.
From here we went back to Daly Waters to spend a night at the outback pub and to experience the Chicken Man!! He was very funny and the food was bloody good too!
The Savannah Way.
Considering how often this route is used by caravaners it was bloody awful in places. Heavily corrugated and so much dust. We had many mixed reactions from travellers when asking people what the road was like, but generally they said don't do it, so guess what? Yes we did it anyway! It starts at Borroloola. Great place to fish they all said, but didn't mention that the fishing was another 40kms away! Needless to say we booked into the only caravan park in town and soon found out what an awful place.
There was entertainment in town; an Aboriginal Festival that was taking place that week, but it ended just as we arrived- typical!
One night was enough….. then on to the corrugations and hundreds of kms of them.
The car was going well still, but the noise was still there. This was when we started to think we should have got it checked, but we had yet to find what looked like a reasonable garage that was open!
Decided to head off aiming for Wollogorang Station & Wilderness Retreat. CLOSED as was most things on this road. Great! car trouble and in the middle of nowhere!
Made it to Hell's Gate (very apt) which still allows camping but nothing else & luckily Bill the owner was great. He couldn't have been any more helpful, and he let Rich use the phone to call the RAA to arrange a tow.
Sounded like it was a problem with the Turbo so we were still mobile but didn't want to risk further damage where we were.
Anyway after checking our options it looked like we would be on the back of a roadtrain two days later & $1200 lighter!
So options .. 2 days in Hells Gate or try to get to Mt Isa and get it fixed there.
We chose the later and limped slowly and bumpily onwards over more dirt roads & through more river crossings. Luckily we are still alive and although we didn't quite get to Mt Isa we did get closer & only had to be towed about 400kms on sealed roads, much cheaper thanks to the RAA cover!
Mt Isa is an interesting place, especially if you like mines! Spent a week there and had to endure cold nights which we hadn't been used to but at least we were close to town & had a hire car to get around. (Not to mention they had a Dominos pizza so we could get a fix).
Wednesday 16th July. The day Rich got his baby back. He's like a pig in shit! Couldn't keep the smile off his face, and now were free to head off back towards Cape York.
We did backtrack slightly, but under our own steam this time!
Travelled to Normanton to see a life size model of the largest known captured croc – 28ft! and to get back to the warm nights. Had a couple of nights here then off to Karumba, Grey Nomad capital. It's a really lovely place and normally the fishing is really good but this year the sea seems to be colder so they are not catching as much. Still (I let ) Rich catch a few off the beach (and a $100 crab which he threw back- he had a really sweet face!) and I will admit I only caught 1 fish- its about time he beat me!
All in all great place, lovely sunset & great fish & chips, but one question…..???
Why can't people get up at night when they get old?? What is it with the night buckets!!!!!!!! Yuk I don't need to see that first thing in the morning!
We are now fully in Grey Nomad country. We are in a camp in Mareeba, having spent a few nights in very small desolate places & 4 nights in beautiful Atherton. I am sat outside the tent slowly being surrounded by country music playing vans & campers.
Wayne & Lesley are even playing a gig tonight in the campground. Come along, it's only $3 each. Rich is going to get his dancing shoes on & hopefully we'll make a line dancer out of him yet.
Tomorrow we're finally going to hit the Cape. We are well stocked so shouldn't starve and have plenty of beer (it's almost 4pm) so cheers everyone, until we next get internet access.
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Life after Kakadu National Park
Had a good few months in Kakadu, the place really is amazing and well worth a visit. We managed to visit all the tourist spots on our days off and still managed to save plenty. There are definite advantages to working in a place like that, especially when accommodation and food are provided (shame the food was so awful..... you either ate lots of greasy crap and put on weight or just cut back and ate the very minimum)
Anyway, the last couple of days were a great finish to the trip. I finally managed to get on a scenic flight over the Park. Brilliant.... Rich was even able to come along and realized why he avoids small planes.....He needed the plastic bag provided (and no I didn't catch that on camera!).
I have added a few photos but will update again when we make our next civilised stop.
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Kakadu National Park
We didn't spend heaps of time in the city as we have been planning on coming to Kakadu to work.
We came out to check what was available and ended up staying and are now working far too hard at Cooinda Kakadu Lodge. Rich is the Campground Caretaker and I am in Housekeeping.
Well this is where we plan to be for a while until we top up funds or get sick of it!
Luckily we get days off together so we are getting to see some beautiful places while getting paid to stay here. Anyway not much to report
at the moment. Seeing the wildlife and exploring when we can. Keep in touch and check out the new photos I have attached.
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To Darwin
Mataranka.
Well publicised place that sounds like a reasonable size town. We looked but never really found the coffee shops they mention in the books. If it wasn't for Iced Coffee I don't know if we could have left the city for too long. Rich needs his fix!
Really lovely campsite actually closer to Bitter Springs. Another very quiet spot, had the river bank to ourselves except for the roo's & the birdlife. Tried a bit of fishing, with no luck but still good fun.
Bitter Springs hot pool was lovely and warm & refreshing after being in the sun all day. Also went to hot pools at Mataranka which are more commercial with lots more concrete and more structured. Still worth a visit though.
Today was the day we actually used our cook pot on the fire. Fantastic, managed to cook a roast which was actually edible, definitely need to use it more as soon as we can get another pitch we can have a campfire at.
After a couple of days we moved on to Katherine. Getting closer to the big smoke and noticing the area is getting greener and more humid. It's incredible how different the landscapes become the further north we go. It's strange to see a creek with water in it!
Noticed also there are a large number of termite mounds in all the fields some massive.
Katherine was quiet, again not many travellers around yet and the ones we do see have the same people we've been seeing all the way along.
The campsite was close to the hot pools here so again we did the obligatory trip down for a cooling dip after walking around town. Lovely.
We didn't plan on doing much here this time as we will be coming back through when we finally leave the area. We decided to leave the kayaking until then, which turned out to be a good call as the river was flowing too fast & all the kayaking and swimming had been stopped.
We ended up instead taking a drive to Edith Falls at the other end of Nitmuluk National Park. Swimming was still open there as that is a waterhole so much safer.
What a great place for a swim. Clean, cool and without too many people. Needless to say we had a beautiful swim and are looking forward to visiting more.
Darwin here we come.
On the road from Katherine we finally spotted a few snakes. Rich managed to avoid one, but caught the end of the other. Couldn't stop to check what they were as they made a hasty exit into the undergrowth.
The rest of the journey again meant passing through roadhouses and little else until reaching the city.
Darwin is hot & sticky but will be good to explore. Shame with all this beautiful sea surrounding it we can't jump in for swim.
Plan on spending a bit of time here before Rich jets off again to work.
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Alice & Beyond
Well we have made it to Darwin. Huge difference to Adelaide and incredible to look back on where we have been so far.
Spent heaps of time in Alice. Rich flew off to Perth to work for a week, so I spent a bit of time cycling round, looking at the galleries and trying not to get sucked into spending more entrance fees on things I really didn't need to see!
Generally had a good time and actually started to really like the place, shame it is so far from everywhere.
Once Rich was back we began plans to head out of Alice and see the major attractions we had missed on the way up. As we now have 2 fridges (1 to run as a freezer) we thought a short trip to an unpowered site would be good, just to test our power consumption before stocking up and then finding a problem.
We headed to the East McDonnell Ranges first. Just a short drive from town, but amazing scenery. We visited Emily Gap, Trephina Gorge, Arltunga Historic Reserve & N'Dhala Gorge all beautiful and would be incredible with water flowing, but unfortunately there is nothing around.
Headed to Ross River Resort to camp. Not what I would call a resort but now I know what to expect I shall be prepared for the next place! Really pretty with wild horses wandering around, and elusive camels – saw the footprints but never the beasts!!
Also explored the area, very few people around every though it was Easter weekend.
Found Gold!!! Almost enough to call a nugget if you get your magnifying glass out and exaggerate a lot!
After the weekend we headed back to town where we decided we needed to replace one car battery to help with running the fridges. Had a few days of waiting around for the new forks for Rich's bike before we finally stocked up and headed for Ayers Rock. This wasn't such a bad thing as on one trip out to the airport we saw WILD CAMELS!!!! Just happily sitting at the side of the main highway. I was excited even if nobody else showed much interest.
West McDonnell Ranges
We spent many a day deciding on our route to the Rock. Everybody we asked gave us different advise about the dirt road, the Mereenie Loop. We changed our mind so many times but eventually decided that with the distance it saved we would do it.
It also meant we could visit the gorges on the way and do some cheaper bush camps on route.
Standley Chasm was stunning, shame they change $8 pp for a natural wonder.
Decided we must stop getting sucked into these places.
Stayed the night at Ellery Creek Bighole, the largest swimming hole around. Only had enough wood for a very quick fire but it felt like a bush camp all the same. Swimming hole was a bit green and slimy for us so we gave that a miss. Another camp with very few people, (except the rowdy scottish lads) and of course the obligatory flies………do we smell that bad that they stick to us constantly! Had to give in and wear the fly hats- heavenly! I did consider wearing fly spray as perfume but couldn't do it.
Flies are just a constant companion around here so just have to wear the hat to keep from going insane.
Next night we chose Palm Valley to camp. The route took us to Ormiston Gorge, another stunning place, and free, then on to Glen Helen Resort for coffee.
Found a fantastic lunch stop at the top of Tylers Pass. Incredible views of Gosse Bluff. This had the wow factor for sure.
Passed through Hermannsburg, so run down and full of green cans that we drove in and straight back out. Palm Valley was beautiful. It is about 11km off the road, along the very dry Finke River. You would never expect a campsite with hot showers so far down a dirt lane, and for only $6.60pp. Again not very busy so no camping on top of each other. Rich did a bit of snake hunting. One guy found a snake & killed it as he didn't know what it was & was worried about his kids. Not sure what Rich found but if you can tell from the photo let us know for future please.
This place is wildlife heaven. Evening came & the frogs came out in the toilets. Through the drains, sinks, toilets & floor drains all these little frogs appeared, it was unreal.
Kings Canyon & Ayers Rock
Did the Mereenie Loop. Graded for the first half, but last 80kms were rough.
So glad we did though. Scenery very pretty but best thing was we saw wild horses, which looked amazing and so healthy. Then saw donkeys which were very inquisitive, followed huge camel tracks but again they got away and then …….. wild dingo's……. fantastic. (we knew those sausages would come in useful, and they did look skinny)
Only one option for camping which was really good, and full of roaming dingo's, but the café has to be the most expensive ever. $33 for lunch, ripped off again!!
Kings Canyon is just Wow Wow Wow. The climb up is hard – or maybe I'm just unfit- but so worth it once you get up there. It's amazing when you see the ledges you are stood on & the drops you are so close to. We took so many photos but you could just keep going. The rim walk was definitely worthwhile & free.
Ayers Rock is another Wow place. All new for me as Rich was here years ago, but he could see the big changes that had occurred in that time.
On the road in you first get to see Mt Connor, which is larger than Ayers Rock but not what most people go there for. Still an amazing sight.
Then you see the rock coming out of the flat landscape. The first sight is unreal and it just gets better. Up close it is so incredible. We saw the sunrise & the sunset, but I think the sunset was the most amazing. Unfortunately it was too windy up top to be allowed to climb so we walked around part of the base & saw the rock art.
The climb looks steep but I'm sure once you start its fine….. Still I didn't have to find out (or chicken out as Rich has already done it)
The Olga's are another amazing sight. They are so big and just seem to come out of nowhere. It's hard to know what's more impressive as they are all so different. Took more photos and walked around the base of a couple of rocks.
The Resort at the rock is like a town. It was tempting to stay there and get work but we had planned on Kakadu so we kept on going.
The trip back to Alice was just along the highway with the chance to stop & see Dinky the singing Dingo. Guess what? Dinky had gone to town with his dad! Typical so we didn't get to hear him sing.
The road out of Alice Springs north is fairly uneventful. The only places to see are roadhouses which usually offer expensive fuel & the option of a free coffee for the driver. I expected some of the places to be bigger but now realise that is they want something they drive the hundreds of kms to town without a thought.
We made our first stop Devil's Marbles. Just a basic roadside stop with pit toilets. This was surprising busy.
The rock formations caused by cracked rocks weather beaten into rounded boulders and balanced on top of each other are stunning. As long as they stayed put we would be fine!
Packed up early. Thought if we got up before sunrise we would beat the flies, but no not this time. They were waiting the little b*****ds!
Next stop real bush camping at Elliott. Passed through Tennent Creek, & then Three Ways Roadhouse which was so expensive. Why travel 25kms extra and then stop for fuel at an extra 25c a litre. It's incredible how some of these roadhouses survive.
Elliott is very small and the camping spot is 9kms down a track on Lake Woods. Thanks Steve for the info as we would never have found this one.
Fantastic, nobody else there camping, a few aboriginal families swimming in the lake but they left as it got dark so we set up the shower and finally managed to use it.
Only stayed 1 night but if you had a boat you could stay there fishing for longer.
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Alice Springs
It has a certain smell about it...........
The sun has been blazing for days, it is a constant 37 degrees which is nice, (if you have an air-conditioned unit to go to), but a few milder days would be refreshing.
We spent the first couple of days exploring the town, there are lots of Aboriginals that spend the day in the shopping malls or sheltering under trees. There seems to be no interaction amongst them and the other aussies. Seems a shame but sounds like there has been a lot of racial tension for some time, and speaking to locals there is still a lot of trouble going on.
We visited a few of the local attractions, The Desert Park, The Flying Doctors headquarters, but unless you want to spend money constantly you need to get out of town and see the local surrounds.
Rich has left to go work in Perth, and I have settled in for a few days of solo camping. Have been cycling around as the town is fairly flat & not too big. Nearly fell over a Kangaroo, not sure who was the most surprised!
Anyway Rich is back in a few days then we hit the road again. Back to Ayers Rock and the surrounding canyons, bush camping for the first time!!!
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New photo's added
We're Off
Headed to West Beach Caravan Park for the first couple of nights. This was our opportunity to do a final pack and drop off any last extras we shouldn't have brought.
Our first planned destination was Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges. We had been here before but it eased us gently back into camping and was not too remote incase of any issues!!!!! If only we knew.
We stocked up on food, gas and Fuel in Port Augusta then watched the scenery change as we headed into the hills. The outlook all around was amazing, Ranges in the background, Roos & Emus; back to the real Australia.
Spent a warm evening outside drinking wine, for a change, and listening to the falling limbs of the very nearby Gum trees.
Monday didn't start well. The fridge decided to die.... Why when we were 150km from town I don't know, but we had no choice but to head back to Port Augusta to buy another. Still at least Rich now has an Engel... (and a Waeco which we discovered a couple of days later only had an electrical fault caused by corrugations, which he managed to fix and is now holding extra beer...... bloody typical)
Left Wilpena on Tuesday and took the off road track through Brachina Gorge. Another scenic drive with magnificant views and and abundance of wildlife, including Wedgetailed Eagles.
Had coffee in Parachilna at the Prairie Hotel and can happily say there were less flies then I remember last time. Couldn't face the food again though, Feral food is not my cup of tea!
Made it to Marree for the night. Why would you! Campsite was filthy, hadn't been cleaned in years and the only guests were mozzies!!
Still managed a quick shower before diving into the tent to escape them.
Day 4 started with Rich breaking a very expensive fork lug on his bike!! He was not a happy chap... still we met Robbie the Welder in William Creek who we will be looking up in Alice for his skill in fixing it.
Got there via the Oodnadatta Track from Marree to Coober Pedy, with a stop at William Creek Hotel for lunch. Great Pub, very friendly but in the middle of nowhere.
Made it to Coober Pedy on the long dry, dusty track.... bring on the tarmac!
Coober Pedy was an incredible sight, like something out of a movie. I had always wanted to visit here and still think it is amazing, what a place but no I couldn't live here. Hot! hot! hot!, about 40 degrees which isn't ideal for camping, but we found a great escape in the library which has free internet access.
Next stop Alice Springs.
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