Background
Planning for this trip commenced not long after my 50th birthday in April 2006 (my wife, Michelle, had arranged a large get-together at Port Stephens) when I realised that I should have an equally large celebration for her 50th (July 2008).
We started discussing things in an informal manner and we agreed that a 'special' trip was the ideal celebration.
As one of our daughters (Dayna) lives in England, and we had not seen her for about two and a half years, a trip to England was on the cards.
Quietly, I was not convinced that this was the best celebration as only Michelle and I would get to see Dayna and holidays to any part of Europe are far from cheap.
I started moving the discussion towards a travelling holiday in Australia, with us purchasing a caravan/camper of some sort to make life on the road easier.
Michelle agreed on the England travel cost, so we set about looking for our accommodation on wheels, though at this time (July 2007), we still had no idea about what it was we wanted to tow but Chelle's Great 2008 Adventure had been born.
Both Michelle and I applied for extended leave from our respective employers, I was able to take nine weeks leave and Michelle, ten weeks.
At the same time, I had also arranged for Dayna to travel out here for her mum's birthday, though only family (excluding Michelle) knew this. The plan was that Dayna would surprise her at her work on the Thursday (her actual birthday) and would stay with us until we left on our adventure the following Monday (7th July 2008).
We visited the Rosehill caravan show, the Maitland caravan show and the Penrith caravan show and looked at everything. Our intention was not to buy new, but we figured we would get a good idea about what was on offer,how big and heavy each van was etc.
We had long thought of a caravan as too big, and of camper-trailers as too 'rough' and complex in their setup (our trip, which was also taking shape in our minds, would involve a number of one-night stands, so ease of setup was important to two fifty plus year olds). After visitng the Penrith show, we thought we had found the perfect answer - a rising roof camper (Jayco Dove, Goldstream etc). We set ourselves a budget of $10,000 for the unit and started searching secondhand yards and the internet.
It soon became apparent that $10,000 was not going to provide us with a van of the quality that we were demanding, then one wet Saturday we visited a caravan yard in Sydney and the perfect solution for us crystallised in both our minds at the same time. We sat in a two year old caravan and instantly we decided that our budget would be $25,000 and that we wanted a caravan with an island double bed - now all we had to do was find one of those, oh, and the other $15,000!
A loan was arranged for the additional funds, that was the easy bit, now came the hard part - finding a van!
We spent a weekend at Newcastle, and used the time to visit a number of yards up there and finally found our perfect solution, a 19' Paramount full-height van. We placed a deposit on it and advised the yard that we would be back tomorrow (Sunday) with a final answer.
On Sunday, we continued to visit yards and found a second 'perfect solution', a 17'6" Golden Eagle poptop.
After much discussion on Sunday we opted for the Golden Eagle,which is, to the best of my research, the economy version of the Paramount.
The reasons for this were:
The Golden Eagle was 18" shorter, thereby hopefully making it easier to tow, store at home and maneuver.
Our tow vehicle has a tow limit of 2,000kg, the Paramount had an ATM of 1,950kg (legal, but only just) whereas the Eagle was 1,620kg.
The Eagle was also a poptop model, meaning a lower height while towing.
The decision was made, money exchanged hands and Michelle and I were now the proud owners of a two year old Golden Eagle caravan.
Because it was our intention to spend a significant amount of time 'free camping' during our journey, a number of items were required to be purchased for the van including:
Gas hot water service
Additional jerry cans and holders for fuel and water
Additional house battery and meter
External gas cooker (the number of locations allowing open fires is dramatically reducing in number)
Portable toilet
Hoses
Shower/toilet tent
By Christmas 2007, we felt we were ready. Now it was time to test our plans with a couple of 'test' outings...
Test Outing #1
For our first ever adventure in a caravan, we planned a 'soft' long-weekend trip to Geelong (Victoria), with a side adventure to Barwon Heads, a truly beautiful location.
All went well, including enduring a 37o day on the Sunday (good practice we thought for Darwin, we went out and bought a fan), we were even able to assist a fellow caravanning couple camped next door to us who had even less experience than we did!
Test Outing #2
During the April school holidays, we offered to take our grandson for a week on a south coast caravanning holiday – little did we know that this was to be one of the wettest weeks the south coast had experienced in quite a while.
Anyway, the week commenced with two nights in Canberra, two nights in the hills behind Nowra (where we tested out the Coleman portable hot water service/shower) and three nights in Ulladulla.
All went well, no surprises, so we were feeling very confident about our upcoming nine-week adventure.
Chelle's Great 2008 Adventure Commences - a daily diary ......................
Day 1 - 7/7/2008 - Bathurst to Nyngan
Finally got away from Bathurst at 9:52am (getting over the wife's 50th birthday on Saturday) on a grey and drizzly day on our 9 week adventure to Darwin and Cairns.
The rain continued till just past Trangie and due to an extended lunch in Dubbo, we camped the first night at the Nyngan Riverside Caravan Park in beautiful sunshine, 92 kilometres short of our intended target of Byrock.
Filled the tug (Holden Captiva Diesel manual) in Bathurst before leaving and paid 186.9 (diesel), refuelled midway at Narromine and paid 192.9.
Powered site for two at Nyngan was $22.00.
Very cold conditions tonight, will look at buying a small fan heater tomorrow.
Day 2 - 8/7/2008 - Nyngan to Nardoo Station (Cunnamulla)
Departed Nyngan at 8:54am (that's more like it, we were always planning on 9:00am starts) and headed north to Burke.
Coudn't refuel at Nyngan as a bus was blocking the pump, so we headed off and decided to refuel en route.
Our fuel stop was Girilambone (population 66).
We stopped at our intended previous night's destination (Byrock) for a 'comfort' stop, small but beautiful pub with an excellent fire.
Refuelled again at Bourke, a very clean town, but spoilt by metal roller shutters on every shop door and window. The local IGA and numerous houses were also surrounded by 6 foot wire fences.
The Bourke restored old steamship wharf is a beauty, three storeys tall, the water is a long way down!
Had lunch at North Bourke (over the bridge), then continued north for our planned night stop - Cunnamulla.
Had heard stories about Cunnamulla but the town centre is truly beautiful. Visited Fred Hollows grave, certainly a 'different' headstone, reminded of those cocoons in the Cocoon movie!
Drove down to the caravan park, it was like entering another planet, where broken windows and a lack of respect for other's property is the norm.
Quick u-turn and headed out of town for the back-up site - Nardoo Station (38 kilometres north). Truly a wonderful location, and well worth the $22.00 for a two-person powered site. Clean barbeques, undercover eating areas, spa pools and a magnificent star show in the heavens above at night.
Still cold,but the heater kept the temperature at a manageable temperature (with a doona and blanket on).
Day 3 - 9/7/2008 - Nardoo Station (Cunnamulla) to Charleville
Departed Nardoo Station at 8:53am (still on track for our 9:00am departure plans), our plan was to visit Charleville and spend the night at Mitchell in the spa baths.
Alas,all good plans don't always pan out as expected.
Last night though, the three-way fridge was not as cold as we would have expected (running on 12v all day and 240v once in the station), so decided to switch it over to gas. We then discovered that we were unable to get any gas from either cylinder to the fridge or stove. When we arrived in Charleville,we sought out a gas person, who diagnosed the fault as a faulty regulator, but alas, his tools and spares were in Morven, 89 kilometres away.
We were then told to visit 'George' at the historical society building, with the comforting words “if George can't fix it, then no-one in Charleville can”.
George, founding member of the Charleville Historical Society and current president, concurred with the faulty regulator diagnosis and told us to go have lunch and he would return with the required part.
True to his word, we were up and running quickly,and once some cash had exchanged hands, we were ready to move on – still however without a properly functioning fridge.
While we were having lunch at the Visitor Centre ( be careful of the ducks, geese and chickens, they are quite unafraid of your presence), we changed plans and decided to stay the night in Charleville and visit the Cosmos Centre and the bilby 'experience' – the Mitchell spa baths can wait for another trip.
The bilby experience was just great! We would recommend it. We decided in the end to give the Cosmos Centre a miss as the earliest we could get in was 10.15pm – too late for us.
Day 4 - 10/7/2008 - Charleville to Blackall
Got away at 9:14am (I'm blaming that on having the van unhitched and the re-hitching process slowed us down!).
With the fridge still not performing as expected, we have transferred all of our perishables over to the Engel and turned it to 'freeze'.
Had our usual morning break in a rest area about an hour and a half down the road. We pulled up, all was quite, and then the birds arrived. Not sure of the species, but they were far from timid when it came to looking for any biscuit crumbs etc we may have dropped. Life must be tough for them out there as we even saw one bird taking a morsel from an ant!
Arrived in Tambo around lunchtime and checked out Tambo Teddies. Quite expensive but considering they are hand made in Tambo and incredibly cute, it was all we could do to leave there with only a mail order catalogue – our children are all grown up and our only grand-child already has a couple of 'favourite' cuddly things.
Bought lunch from Fanny Mae's, should have shared one lunch but we had one each, way too large, and ate it at the park, which is beside a large lake just on the southern side of town.
Moved on to Blackall and arrived mid afternoon.
After setting up the van, immediately went down to the Blackall Aquatic Centre for a swim and spa in the thermal pools. All we can say is MAGNIFICENT. The water in the main (olympic) pool was about 36oC with the adjoining spa pool even hotter.
Spent over an hour there ($2.75 per person) and slept very well that night. Still had the heater on, but it did't run all night due to the temperature not falling below the thermostat setting very often,probably won't need it in Longreach.
Day 5 - 11/7/2008 - Blackall to Longreach
Got away about 8:47am this morning, a great time considering the van was again unhitched (must be getting better at this) and drove through to Barcaldine for morning tea.
Took the obligatory photo of the 'Tree of Knowledge', unfortunately, the tree is no more on display, having been poisoned last year. Reading the information stand nearby, it appears that a development application has been submitted for a permanent memorial in the shape of a slab hut.
Got excited when I saw two Kedron Top-Enders and a Bushtracker lined up in the main street, but my other half would not allow photos.
Moved on after a delicious slice of local banana cake and arrived in Longreach in time for lunch.
First sign of Longreach is a giant white kangaroo on the red tail of a 747 Jumbo rising out of the grassy plains, had not realised how large these things were until you are up close and personal - well more of the 747 and its mate, the 707, tomorrow as part of our QANTAS tour.
Day 6 - 12/7/2008 - Longreach
Joyous days - a two night stop, no need to rush off this morning to somewhere else!
Spent the day in Longreach and visited the QANTAS museum in the morning and the Stockman Hall of Fame in the arvo.
Loved the QANTAS museum, the tour around and through the 747 Jumbo was just fascinating. $17.50 each for the museum and $17.50 each for the 747 tour, quite reasonable I thought.
Less thrilled with the Stockman Hall of Fame, $22.50 each and 'stockmen' formed only a small proportion of the exhibit. It featured a lot of 'Australiana' however which we found significantly more interesting than stockman 'heroes'.
Longreach has a wonderful main street, the only street I have seen in Australia that has carports for the taxis at the taxi ranks!
Day 7 - 13/7/2008 - Longreach to Cloncurry
Left at 8:43
Lunch at a rest stop about half way to Cloncurry. The terrain around us is quite a surprise - we could been on Mars.
Afternoon tea stop at McKinley (Walkabout Creek pub - the one in Crocodile Dundee) you can really recognize the inside from the movie but for the outside scenes they must have used a bit of Hollywood license. McKinley is also the departure point of the first ever paying passenger for QANTAS.
Spent the night at Gilbert Park cp with show from Barry K & Lin Chandler.
Day 8 - 14/7/2008 - Cloncurry to Mount Isa
Dropped van in to get the fridge looked at. Diagnosed as a failed cooling unit, no unit in stock, would take two days to arrive. Chose to stick with the Engel and order one from a firm in Darwin to be installed when we arrive.
With time on our hands while the fridge fault was diagnosed, we visited Outback @ Isa, part of the visitor information centre in Mount Isa.
The museum features a potted history of Mount Isa which is heavily centred on the discovery of lead in the area, and the development of Mount Isa Mines. With recent stories in the news about the alleged health issues of the residents of Isa and its relationship to lead, the museum may be inclined to alter its focus.
Of particular interest was the Riversleigh Fossil Centre (housed in the same building). Some of the fossils on show, and the associated life-size depictions, of early (up to 5 million years ago) Australian animals was fascinating. Also of great interest was the talk by one of the paleontologists involved in the fossil dig (at Riversleigh) and subsequent cleaning of rock fossils at the museum. He was fascinating to listen to. We stayed for an hour listening to him, but then we had to move on.
Day 9 - 15/7/2008 - Mount Isa to Tennant Creek
Long drive today, used the fuel cans to bypass the Barkly Homestead (Camooweal $2.119 per litre, Barkly $3.319 per litre.) Avon Downs, a free camp site, looked quite nice and we will probably stay there on the return journey.
Arrived in Tennant Creek about 5:00pm NT time, not as many bars on the windows as Bourke, but the local constabulary were already at work.
Stayed at the Outback Caravan Park, can recommend it as a clean, quiet, leafy destination.
Day 10 - 16/7/2008 - Tennant Creek to Daly Waters Junction
Got away at the usual 8:53am departure time.
Attack Creek and Banka Banka Station looked like comfortable overnight camps, just a few kilometres north of the Three Ways.
Stopped for morning tea at Renner Springs, the first time we had seen green grass and a sprinkler for many days.
Over the last few days, we have been driving through an area known as the Lake Eyre Basin, and because this area was once an inland ocean, the rock formations and weathering that have taken place since the water receded has been nothing short of spectacular.
Lunched at the Newcastle Waters junction, a lovely spot. A couple of kilometres north is the Newcastle Waters causeway, and from here, the landscape changes quite dramatically.
While the landscape up until now had been constantly changing, there was no getting away from the horizon to horizon views that we were seeing. After Newcastle Waters, the trees grew in size and number and the horizon withdrew to the width of the road.
Throughout the miles across the Barkly, we frequently saw grazing brahman-type cattle. We even followed a road train full of them. Michelle is quite taken with these "drought masters" and kept wanting to stop to take a photo - she likes the grey ones - "they have the prettiest faces".
She finally got her photo at the Highway Inn caravan park (Daly Waters Roadhouse), two of the animals were grazing near by - one of them a grey.
We ate dinner at the Daly Waters Pub. They have a Barra & beef bbq dinner with the salad and damper also on offer. Sittings start at 6.30pm but the earliest we could get in was 8.30. Meal was really large in size and reasonably priced. We opted for a meal off the main menu - $12.50 for schnitzel, serve yourself salad and damper. If you want the barra meal book ahead.
Day 11 - 17/7/2008 - Daly Waters Junction to Katherine
Two hour drive to Mataranka where we had a delightful swim in the Mataranka Thermal Pool, part of the Elsey National Park. Entry to the park and the pool is free, there is a large camping/caravan ground onsite along with food and entertainment.
Went into town and purchased fresh vegetables (well stocked supermarket with reasonable prices) and had lunch in the park in town.
Travelled on to Katherine where we set up in the Big 4 Low Level CP for three nights, what a blissful change from the usual one-night stand. We set up everything, annexe floor, privacy screen, shower/toilet tent ( just for the porta-potti at night) - a lot of work but most satisfying when completed.
Day 12 - 18/7/2008 - Katherine
Rest Day. Did some shopping in the morning, not much though as the 39L Engel was already really full.
Spent the afternoon at the pool (very cold water), too hot to try the Katherine Hot Springs.
Day 13 - 19/7/2008 - Katherine
Visited Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) and did the 2 gorge trip from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Fantastic country, spectacular scenery.
Saw freshwater crocodiles, numerous bird life, a tree snake and a water monitor (bloody big lizard), all from the boat. The water in the gorge varied from .5 metres deep to over 35 metres, all fresh water.
Had lunch at the Nitmiluk National Parks building then back to the caravan for a rest - I'm glad this is the winter, would hate to be out here in the summer! It's taking us a while to acclimatize - a tad warmer than a Bathurst winter.
Our guide on the boat (Don) suggested we also visit Edith Falls for spectacular water falls and swimming holes, hopefully we will have time on the return journey.
Day 14 - 20/7/2008 - Katherine to Darwin
4,607 kilometres - we made it!
Well, Stage 1 anyway.
One thing that surprised us as we drove from Katherine to Darwin was the impact WWII had on the top end. As children at school you learn about the bombing of Darwin but you don't get any sense of the enormity and scale of the operations. All the way along the road were reminders of what took place during that time and how hard it must have been for the men and women stationed here.
Stopped for morning tea at Pine Creek, a nice little town that has much more to offer than I think its residents realise.
Lunched at Adelaide River, so green compared to the endless red dirt (Northern Territory grass) of the last few days. Here we stopped to look at some of the WWII sites and along the highway between here and Darwin are the remnants of the airstrips used during those years.
Arrived at the Hidden Valley caravan park about 2:30pm (Darwin time), hot as expected. The park is quite nice and we have an ensuite site. Our site, however gets the full afternoon sun so after setting up the van and showering we then headed for the Darwin wharf area for a feed. Later discovered that all the 'barra' sold at the wharf 'precinct' is imported. Have been told that local barra is available at the "Chips & Fish" shop in Darwin CBD.
Got back about 7:30pm and at least the temp is livable.
Day 15 - 21/7/2008 - Darwin
Trying to solve the heat/afternoon sun issue,didn't do much today except try and 'insulate' the van from the sun. Spent the morning buying tarps for shade and the afternoon at Fannie Bay sitting under a large tree, watching the sea enjoying the cool breeze that was blowing.
BBQ dinner at the caravan, once the sun has gone down.
The mornings are beautiful and the evenings the same but the in afternoons it's best to be somewhere cool.
There is a problem here with midgies. So far we have avoided being bitten.
Day 16 - 22/7/2008 - Darwin
Supplies are low so went shopping, though our food purchases are still limited by the non-working fridge. Can't wait till Thursday, when the fridge is to be repaired.
Went for a drive around some of the waterfront properties (anything to escape the heat) and finished up at the Pearling museum. Paid $6.60 per head entry fee, only to discover that it was one giant advertisement for Paspaley Pearls. Spent the afternoon at the pool waiting for the sun to go off the van site.
Day 17 - 23/7/2008 - Darwin
Visited the B-52 Bomber Aviation Museum ($12.00 per head) this morning, a fantastic exhibit and would recommend the 10:00am plane tour.
Also went to MAGNT (Museum Art Gallery NT) this afternoon, great display of native animals and boats that have visited (illegally) the port of Darwin.
Souvenir shopping in the afternoon.
Day 18 - 24/7/2008 - Darwin
Visited Parliament House - there was a media scrum out front (surely not for us we thought) - it was for the PM - Kevin Rudd along with his Minister for the Environment Penny Wong. Our tour was interrupted twice as they entered the building. After this we strolled through the Bicentennial gardens and looked at the WWII memorials. Lunch was back at the wharf and in the afternoon visited Indo Pacific Marine - this is an indoor eco-system replicating the reef in Darwin Harbour. It differs from an aquarium in that it is self sustaining with nothing added or taken away by humans. A highly recommended experience.
The day started with us dropping the caravan off at 7.30am in the morning to finally get the fridge repaired. We had to hire a car for the day because we also had some servicing carried out on our car. In between tourist activities we to-ed and fro-ed between the caravan repair place (southern edge of town) and the Holden dealer (almost in town). Finally collected the car at 4.30pm and the caravan at 5.00pm. Then back to the park to re-setup.
We spent the evening at the Mindil Beach Markets.
Day 19 - 25/7/2008 - Darwin
Public Holiday today - Darwin Show Day.
After yesterday's hectic pace, we slept in - didn't wake till almost 8.30am. Did some chores, went shopping, this time to restock the fridge - yay! (the Engel can have a bit of a rest now). Spent the afternoon at the pool again.
Day 20 - 26/7/2008 - Darwin
Last day in Darwin.
Went to Cullen Bay, apparently the best beach in Darwin (shame you can't swim!). We took the Seacat ferry toMandorah and back. The yachts in the Darwin to Ambon race had just started. They were all under full spinnaker and looked terrific. A number of visiting Naval ships from numerous countries also dotted the harbour including an American hospital ship with 1200 medical personnel on board including 800 nurses.
After lunch, we tried to visit the Darwin Crocodile Farm. It was promoted in all the tourist books but when we got there (40ks outside Darwin) it was closed and when we rang the advertised number to make sure we were in the right place, the number had been disconnected. A bit put out we decided to give up and go back to the pool for the afternoon.
Day 21 - 27/7/2008 - Darwin to Cooinda (Kakadu)
Got away about 8:45am and drove straight through to Cooinda, arriving about 2:00pm. Signed up for the 4:30pm 'Yellow Water' 2 hour cruise, a must for anyone visiting Kakadu. Highlight of the cruise was near the end when a croc (around 3 metres) was lying at the water's edge trying to catch something hiding in the fallen branches of a tree. A sea eagle who was in the tree above was also after the same thing. The croc jumped up out of the water in his attempt - quite a sight. The sea eagle while aware of the croc was intent on hopping down, branch by branch.
We could not stay for the climax (it was getting dark) but it was interesting to note that both animals were aware of each other's presence in addition to being aware of our our presence (we were only feet away), but both were intent on catching their respective 'dinner'.
Day 22 - 28/7/2008 - Cooinda
Spent the day visiting a number of very interesting sites, including the Warradjan (Warr-ar-jarn) Aboriginal Cultural Centre, the Bowali (Bor-warl-ee) Visitor Centre, the South Alligator River and the Ubirr (Oo-beerr) Rock Art Site. We lunched at the East Alligator River and then visited the township of Jabiru. The grey mud of both the South and East Alligator rivers tidal zone looked perfect for using for clay sculptures. Chelle said that she should collect some and take it back home for Peter Wilson (local Bathurst potter) to make her a pot. Doubtful that the mud would keep till we got home. Got back to the van around 4:30pm to find it full of ants.
After cleaning them up, off to the pool then dinner at the bistro – too tired to cook ourselves!
Day 23 - 29/7/2008 - Cooinda to Bitter Springs (Mataranka)
Packed up early and got away about 8:20am however had five restarts (due to car fault) before we had got three kilometres. Finally got away about 8:45am.
Arrived in Pine Creek for morning tea, used the stop to contact Holden at Katherine and Mount Isa to organise repairs on the car. Katherine were unable to help (no parts available) but I am waiting on Mount Isa to get back to me after they speak to Kerry's Holden Darwin about the car issue. If all else fails, car is booked into Cairns but are hoping to get it fixed prior to then.
Lunched at Katherine then on to Bitter Springs (Mataranka) for the night.
Got a site at Mataranka Cabins and Camping at Bitter Springs. The park is a "find your own site" park - the manager said "anywhere there's a power pole". This is the first time we've stayed somewhere so unstructured. It took us a while to pick a site and set up the van before heading off to the springs for a swim.
Bitter Springs is at the northern side of Mataranka and is the more 'natural' of the Mataranka springs. The southern springs have been more 'managed' by the National Parks service. It was so lovely just paddling about in the warm water. We spent about an hour or so there. There are a couple of photos of us in the water on the photo site (coming soon).
Day 24 - 30/7/2008 - Bitter Springs to Tennant Creek
This was a day of driving - 544 kilometres and all of it straight!
As we noticed on the way up, the landscape, while often 'scrubby' looking, was constantly changing.
While we all learned at school that the Tropic of Capricorn runs through Longreach, the reality is that it is just a line and does not truly mean anything with respect to climate,vegetation and landscape.
Newcastle Waters, 550 kilometres north of Longreach, is where the real change to the landscape commences.
Down to Newcastle Waters, trees and shrubs seem to almost crowd the landscape, however once past the river, the vista in all directions spreads out to the far horizon.
Day 25 - 31/7/2008 - Tennant Creek to Avon Downs
Again, a day of travelling. This time however, only 390 kilometres.
As with the trip north a couple of weeks ago, used the jerry cans to bypass a refueling stop at the Barkly Homestead ($3.12 per litre for diesel).
We arrived at Avon Downs, a free camp spot located just 57 kilometres west of the NT/Qld border, about 3:30pm.
We set up camp (no power or water available – we were self-sufficient) and enjoyed a delightful night sitting around a campfire with the occupants of two other caravans parked nearby.
Other than travellers, the only other inhabitants of Avon Downs are a policeman and his family. So remote is this location, that the police station has its own diesel generator to provide electricity.
As we arrived, we were stopped about 50 metres short of the turnoff to the campsite by the policeman in his highway patrol car, he was carrying out random breath tests!
While checking my licence, he advised that he attended school at All Saints College (one of the boarding schools in Bathurst), certainly a small world.
Day 26 - 1/8/2008 - Avon Downs to Cloncurry
Early start today (8:10am) and off to Mount Isa for some shopping. Then on to Cloncurry for the night (arrived about 4:30pm).
On the earlier trip north, we inadvertently 'timed' our trip to coincide with both the Katherine and Darwin annual shows.
This time in Cloncurry, our visit coincided with the annual rodeo, a big event for the town judging from the street parade, road closures etc.
Tomorrow we head north for Karumba, on the Gulf, alleged prawn capital of Queensland, though I hear the barramundi are 'off', due to unseasonal cold weather.
Day 27 - 2/8/2008 - Cloncurry to Karumba
Another day of travelling. It seems in the Northern Territory and this north western part of Queensland, any trip between any two towns requires the covering of many hundreds of kilometres.
Today we covered 459 kilometres.
Had morning tea at the Burke & Wills Roadhouse and stopped for lunch at a rest area about 70 kilometres before Normanton.
Stopped in Normanton for an afternoon tea ice-cream, then on to Karumba.
Got in to Karumba around 3:30pm and set up camp – so nice to have sand rather than red dirt (NT grass as I have taken to calling it).
Karumba has an official population of 300, spread between the villages of Karumba and Karumba Point.
It seems to me that the 300 really refers to the number of Toyota Landcruisers, rather than people, I was a little concerned that I would be denied access to the town in my Holden!
Day 28 - 3/8/2008 - Karumba
Spent the day relaxing around the van, sort of feels like the first real holiday day.
Visited the Karumba markets this morning, purchased more gifts for family and friends.
Also booked in for a morning fishing charter on Tuesday, 7:00am start, should be interesting.
Day 29 - 4/8/2008 - Karumba
Spent the morning shopping and updating the web site pictures.In the afternoon, we read and simply enjoyed the cool breeze and quietness.
Tomorrow morning we go out fishing, should be an interesting day!
Day 30 - 5/8/2008 - Karumba
6:00am the alarm sounds, and we slumber into action to prepare for the 7:00am pick up at the boat ramp for our half day fishing charter. All through the night we could hear water dripping onto the van. Couldn't work out where it was coming from except that there was a very heavy dew. Upon waking, we discovered that not only was there a dew but also a misty fog and it was quite cool, almost cold.
We boarded the 'Kathryn M' from the beach just near the caravan park and headed off to where the skipper (Robert) felt would be the best part of the gulf for fishing. By now, the sun was shining and it was just glorious.
To make the day even better, there were only four paying passengers on board - the boat can handle up to nine!
In addition to Chelle and me, there was Jess, a vet nurse on a 12 month holiday around Australia and Paul, a QANTAS pilot who travels for about 10 weeks every year around July/August.
As we headed across the Gulf, we were fortunate to see the cloud formation known as "Morning Glory". You can read about this amazing formation here. This was the cause of the night's heavy moisture.
Chelle caught the first fish of the day - a 50cm 'blue' salmon (otherwise known as threadfin salmon).
By the time we headed back to port, Chelle had caught 5 'blue' salmon and I had caught 3. In addition, we (the four passengers and the skipper) had also caught another 6 or 7 salmon, some 'skippy' (another type of salmon), numerous catfish, sharks and mackerel. All in all a great day on the Gulf.
In the afternoon, Chelle and I went on a tour of the Barramundi hatchery, which is a non-profit venture developed to produce barramundi fingerlings to keep the fish stocks plentiful. When the hatchery was proposed, there were 5,000 visitors a year to Karumba, today there are 100,000! Hence the need for some form of fish management.
Finished the day with dinner at the Sunset Tavern as the sun sank into the Gulf waters, truly a glorious end to the day..
Day 31 - 6/8/2008 - Karumba to Mount Surprise
Another driving day, this time 411 kilometres. The countryside was similar to all the other days, flat and dry, but after Croydon, the landscape appeared to 'soften' a little, and by Georgetown, was considerably 'hilly'.
Stopped at Normanton to view 'Krys', a replica of a 8.63m croc killed in 1957. Enormous is an understatement, Chelle could fit completely in his mouth!
We also stopped to look at the Gulflander, the train that travels between Normanton and Croydon, but unfortunately, it had already left.
A quick check with the Station Master revealed that we could catch it at Black Bull, where it stops for a 30 minute 'smoko' for the passengers.
Sure enough (it only travels at about 70 kilometres per hour), we caught up to it and took some photos.
We are spending the night at the Bedrock CP at Mount Surprise, tomorrow we are off to Undarra and the lava tubes.Day 32 - 7/8/2008 - Mount Surprise to Undara
Got away just after 9:00am and suddenly realised that we were only 40 kilometres from Undara. We arrived too early to book in (only available after 11:00am) so we availed ourselves of their free internet and did some surfing.
By the way, whoever finds our green footstep, which was inadvertently left on the side of the road in Mount Surprise, my congratulations, it is a beauty.
Anyway, back to Undara.
Undara is the home of the most amazing lava tubes and extinct volcanoes, and we were booked in to the 3:30pm tour of two of the tubes.
When we all gathered to commence the tour, our guide did a roll call and we were all asked to call out where we were from when our name was called. Imagine our surprise when two other couples also called out that they were from Bathurst, NSW – a very small world indeed.
The lava tubes were spectacular and well worth a visit, though I am not convinced by the reasons given for their creation. We will be doing some research to get a better understanding of the how and why. Undara also offers some interesting walks within the National Park. We hope to do the Bluff Walk tomorrow morning before we head off (it will depend on whether we sleep in).
Day 33 - 8/8/2008 - Undara to Rifle Creek (Mount Malloy)
Decided not to do the walk this morning, instead headed off about 8:45am.
Got to Innot and had a swim in the hot springs, very refreshing. One of the pools was 45oC!
Passing through Mareeba, saw Lake Mitchell, a most impressive lake and associated wetland.
Spending the night at Rifle Creek, a free camp spot just north of Mount Malloy.
Day 34 - 9/8/08 - Rifle Creek to Port Douglas
Got away about 8:50am ready for the big drive today, all 43 kilometres of it! But what a trip - we got our first view of the Coral Sea.
Have put the van into storage for 3 days and booked into an apartment (Meridian) at Port Douglas - very nice.Chelle is off for a massage at 3:00pm, to help her fully relax.
We had a great pizza dinner at Mango Jam - can recommend it.
Day 35 - 10/8/2008 - Port Douglas
Visited the Port Douglas markets this morning, the fresh fruit was delicious and some of the artifacts produced by the locals were just amazing.
After the markets, we travelled north up to Cape Tribulation via Mossman and the Daintree village.
The first town we passed through was Mossman and we were fascinated by what we termed 'bearded' trees, large trees whose branches were completely covered by a growth of small leaves of a fern-like nature.
The Daintree Village is small but surrounded by stunning views. The wood gallery in the village is well worth visiting - the pieces on display and for sale are outstanding.
To continue north, we took the ferry across the Daintree River. The journey after the ferry was nothing short of spectacular. The road, which often adjoined the ocean, was like a tunnel carved through the rainforest. The size and variety of plant growth was stunning.
We travelled as far as Cape Tribulation - this is where the sealed road runs out.
Of particular enjoyment, while walking along the Cape Tribulation beach, was seeing and photographing a lace monitor. Each time he moved, he would outstretch his limbs in order to maximize the warmth from the sun. Fantastic!Day 36 - 11/8/2008 - Port Douglas
Got up early and took the car to Cairns for the Holden dealer to check out the problem for themselves so as to ensure that they had the parts ready for Wednesday's service.
Chelle had a bit of a sleep in and a swim in the resort pool while I was gone. When I got back, we did a bit of a tour of Port Douglas followed by an evening cruise on the estuary. This was a lovely way to finish off our couple of days R & R.
Day 37 - 12/8/2008 - Port Douglas to Cairns
Big drive today, 56 kilometres! Well, it was an exhausting day because after booking out of the resort (which takes a while when you don't have suitcases - we had taken the things from the van that we needed in crates and plastic bags) we then went to collect the van.
Once we had loaded everything back into the van, we decided to go the car/van wash at the caravan park where the van was stored and thoroughly scrubbed both the car and the van clean of the Northern Territory red dust. Finally, a white caravan again!
Anyway, on to Cairns where we booked in to the Crystal Cascades caravan park, a real beauty. We have one of the only 4 ensuite sites - it pays to book well in advance.
Spent the afternoon looking around Cairns and picked up a hire car as our car would be at the Holden dealer all day tomorrow.
Day 38 - 13/8/2008 - Cairns
Got up early (again) to get the car to the Holden dealership by 8:00am so that they could have it all day for the repairs.
After breakfast, took the hire car and drove around Cairns' northern beaches. Because of the prevailing winds, which have been blowing for a few days now, the water was very murky and conditions were not pleasant enough to swim. The water looked as though you could cut it with a knife it was so full of churned up mud. Of particular interest was a visit to Yorkey's Knob, a small seaside village for which I had a brochure for a resort there (Villa Marine) ever since my eldest daughter was about 5 (which makes the brochure probably around 25 years old!)
Found the resort, same buildings, same colour scheme, didn't dare look inside - bit of a worry actually.
Anyway, had lunch at the Yorkey's Knob Boating Club (very nice), then drove back to Cairns and took a drive out to Yarrabah (an Aboriginal community south east of Cairns). From Second Beach, on the way to Yarrabah, you can see Cairns in the distance across the mud flats.
Back to van, got changed, then into Cairns to pick up our car and return the hire car. We decided to visit the Night Markets (not really worth it). We did get a take-away dinner though from the Food Court and ate it overlooking the Esplanade pool and harbour (very worth it). This is a lovely area where the Council has created a beach/pool area similar to Southbank in Brisbane. The park is large with lots of tables and BBQs and provides a great place to stroll and enjoy the harbour.Day 39 - 14/8/2008 - Cairns
Spent the day at Kuranda. We took the Skyrail (a 7.5km rainforest cableway which runs up through the Barron Gorge) and the Scenic Railway back down. The scenery from the Skyrail was breathtaking to say the least. The trip on the Skyrail takes about an hour and a half and includes stops at two points of interest. "Red Station" - where we took a tour along the boardwalk through the rainforest with our Ranger guide Billy who pointed out the various species of plants and wildlife and "Barron Falls Station" where you can look down on the 260m granite faced waterfall - even now in the dry season, it still flows. In the wet, it must be an awesome sight. The Skyrail trip is fabulous - well worth doing. At Kuranda, we strolled through the shops and markets, had a lovely lunch, watched with fascination the art of a living statue and visited the Kuranda Butterfly Farm. Really tired, we climbed aboard the Scenic Railway train for the journey back. This railway rises some 328m and travels through 15 hand carved tunnels. You get a close up view of the Stoney Creek waterfall and on one bend you can see the full length of the train as it enters one of the tunnels. This is also well worth doing. All in all a good day was had!
Day 40 - 15/8/2008 - Cairns to Townsville
340 kilometres today.
Had lunch at Cardwell, a truly magnificent location. We ate our lunch overlooking the Hinchinbrook Passage to Hinchinbrook Island. We could have sat there all day but had to keep moving.
Staying at the Woodlands caravan park.Day 41 - 16/8/2008 - Townsville
Spent the day looking around Townsville. They have a great water park (free) for kids on The Strand. We were disappointed that all the beaches appeared to have a mud base. This was in turn whipped up the by wind which meant that the waves on the beach were a truly dirty colour.
The Strand also has a saltwater Rock Pool that is flushed completely every 3 hours. It was a really lovely area similar to Southbank in Brisbane but unfortunately the water still had that muddy look that all the beaches have. It doesn’t make it very enticing to swim.
We also visited the aquarium (Reef HQ). We watched a Dive Show where the diver in the tank gave informative information on the fish, sharks and turtles that live on the Great Barrier Reef.
In the afternoon we took the very steep and winding drive up to Castle Hill - a large lump of rock in the middle of Townsville. The views were terrific. Legend has it that at the end of World War II, the Americans offered to demolish the hill and use the rubble to create a road passage to Magnetic Island.
Day 42 - 17/8/2008 - Townsville
Travelled across to Magnetic Island via the 9:30am fast ferry (25 minutes). Rented a car and toured the island visiting all the beaches. After lunch we returned to Alma Bay for a swim however the wind was blowing so strongly and directly onshore that conditions were very unpleasant. The water here was also brown, similar to that we experienced in Townsville yesterday. We have been away now for just on 6 weeks and we still haven't had a swim in the ocean!!!
Highlight of the day was as we were passing through the village of Arcadia, we were forced to wait at the pedestrian crossing as an echidna was making his/her way across the road and into its home amongst the roots of a nearby strangler fig tree. Oh so cute!
Returned to Townsville on the 3:00pm ferry and had an ice-cream on the Strand while attempting to hide from the south-easterly 'gale'.
Day 43 - 18/8/2008 - Townsville to Bowen
Travelled to Bowen today (220 kilometres), where the wind had not only not abated, but had, during the night, brought with it a layer of cloud. This is the first cloud we’ve seen since leaving home and it made the temperature almost as cold as home.
On the way, we passed through the town of Ayr (pop 8,500). We were impressed by its size and sense of being a leader in the region.
After arriving in Bowen, setting up the van and having lunch, we put on long pants and jumpers and went for a tour around the town.
Bowen appears to be a town in two parts - the original town gives the appearance of not having moved forward very much since WWII, while there are numerous resorts on the northern beaches which are extremely modern and splendid.
There are also some 24 murals painted on walls throughout the CBD depicting the history of Bowen. They were created in 1988 and add interest to the town.
Bowen was used as the set for "Australia" the movie. The water tower above the town has "BOWENWOOD" on it in "HOLLYWOOD" style lettering.
Another interesting discovery was what at first sight seemed to be a very large concrete car park for the Port Bowen Sailing Club but which was actually the site of the Catalina Flying Boat Maintenance base during World War II.
Off tomorrow to Mackay.Day 44 - 19/8/2008 - Bowen to Mackay
Interesting drive, Airlie Beach was beautiful, the place, not the actual beach. The water was a bluey colour but a little clouded, quite normal I am told, and yachts and motor boats were everywhere.
Shute Harbour was exactly that, a working harbour, and very busy while we were there. There is also considerable feeling in the community as it appears that the increase in oil prices has seen the prospect of a shale oil plant being built in the region. The proposal has not gone down well with all inhabitants.
Day 45 - 20/8/2008 - Mackay
The day dawned cold and cloudy.
We spent the day driving around Mackay and its northern beaches. These northern beaches (Bucasia, Eimeo etc) at last had golden sand and clear water, the first we have seen since arriving in Queensland. All the others had a silt like substance mixed with the sand (to give it a very dark colour) which got stirred up in the waves to be very uninviting - still no swim though.
Day 46 - 21/8/2008 - Mackay to Yeppoon
Easy drive today (348 kms).
Had morning tea at a beachside village called Clareview - very nice.
Had lunch at Marlborough, a fairly non-descript village, save for the number of lorikeets that join you for a meal.
Stayed at the Cool Waters CP near Yeppoon, at Kinka Beach. A lovely place, the ensuite at each site even features its own laundry!
The down side is midges, millions of them. By the time we had set up the van, I was covered in red bites.
Day 47 - 22/8/2008 - Yeppoon
Spent the day looking around Yeppoon, anything to get away from the bities.
It was low tide when we were in town, the entrance to the old marina in the river was a bit narrow (see pic), but we loved the sign about the baby ospreys.
Day 48 - 23/8/2008 - Yeppoon to Town of 1770
Interesting drive today,
Had morning tea at Mount Larcom, can recommend the apple pie from 'Big Mama'.
Lunch was had at Barney Beach at Gladstone. For an industrial town, Gladstone is really a pleasure to visit. It features a number of older houses and other buildings that are really quite beautiful.
Approaching Gladstone, you can stop at the marina, the city has obviously put a lot of effort into this area with BBQs and play equipment for the kids.
Booked into the camping ground at 1770 and we are one row back from the beach but still with a great view of the water and the beach is no more than twenty metres away - can't beat that for beachfront accommodation!
Day 49 - 24/8/2008 - Town of 1770
Today is the day - for her birthday, Michelle received two tickets on the Lady Musgrave Island cruise, which departs from 1770.
We left the marina at 8:00am for the 90 minute run to the island. Due to a continuing south-westerly wind, the seas were running at about 1.5 metres, the ride was quite bumpy, as the catamaran was doing around 21 knots (38 km/hr). It was just as well that neither of us gets seasick.
Lady Musgrave is a coral island, surrounded by a coral lagoon, quite unique they tell me.
The tour company has a floating pontoon moored in the lagoon and from here they operate beach tours on the island, glass-bottom boats for coral viewing, underwater observatory for fish viewing, snorkelling, diving and reef fishing.
All this punctuated by morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea - a most hectic schedule.
We had put ourselves down for reef fishing but with the wind and the rough water this didn't eventuate.
We did do the island tour which was amazing. The island, built as it was from broken coral massing together and ultimately forming soils and providing a base for vegetation, primarily a pisonia forest, is home to some 50 species of birds.
After lunch, Chelle tried her hand at snorkelling after first suiting up in a wetsuit. She took some underwater shots and even though it was a bit rough, had a wonderful time.
The coral viewing from the glass-bottomed boat was fantastic. In addition to the various corals, we also saw a turtle 'car wash', coral formed into a saucer shape by resting turtles and a myriad of fish and sea cucumbers.
All in all, a fantastic day out.
We cannot recommend this trip enough if you happen to be in the area. If you are not planning a trip to 1770, I would suggest that you should just for this cruise.
Day 50 - 25/8/2008 - Town of 1770
A rest day. Chelle's snorkeling yesterday managed to freshen her cough (which I so caringly shared with her) and she spent most of the day in bed watching episodes of West Wing.
Hopefully tomorrow will see us do some fishing.Day 51 - 26/8/2008 - Town of 1770
Did some shopping in the morning, then tried our hand at fishing in the afternoon. Caught plenty of rocks, but little else. The weather had picked up with beautiful sunny skies and very little wind so we went for a swim, quick though it was. Lying in the sun afterwards was just delightful.
Later in the afternoon (4:30pm), we went on a tour of Bustard Bay on a LARC (Lighter Amphibious Resupply and Cargo) - a vehicle that is essentially an all wheel drive vehicle that also serves as a boat (see pic). Our particular vehicle was built in 1965 and saw service first in Vietnam (with the US) then later in Antarctica (with Australia).
It is a little disconcerting to board what appears to be an open-topped bus that simply drives down the boat launching ramp and sets off across the bay.
It does not need to worry about where the channel is, like a normal boat, because if it hits a sand bank, it just drives over it and back into the water again.
While Captain James Cook spent barely 24 hours in the bay back in May 1770, he left his mark. The LARC cruise concentrated on retracing his steps and we were shown both the place where he first stepped foot ashore and also where he saw a group of aborigines. We were told that in his diary he described this group as "unashamed in their nakedness, both men and women" especially considering the "importance of the occasion".
The hour and a bit trip in the LARC was great fun and I can recommend it.
Day 52 - 27/8/2008 - Town of 1770 to Bargara (Bundaberg)
Got up late and didn’t get away until 9:15am, it is just so hard to leave this wonderful place.
Anyway, on to Bundaberg to get the DVD player we purchased in Darwin 4 weeks ago repaired, so much for buying a brand name!
We dropped the unit off and then went to find a caravan park. We chose the "Absolute Oceanfront" CP at Bargara, and they weren’t kidding. While sitting outside enjoying a beer after lunch, as the tide rose we felt windblown spray on our faces. It will be lovely going to sleep to the sound of waves breaking on the rocks just metres away.
Later in the afternoon we visited the Bundaberg Distillery Company (makers of Bundaberg Rum) and also the Bundaberg Brewing Company (makers of Bundaberg Ginger Beer). Bundaberg and Bathurst have a link - the first chemist ever employed by the Bundaberg Distillery Company was a Polish war immigrant (1949) who was living at the Bathurst Migrant Camp until he was appointed to the position. We enjoyed a most interesting afternoon.
Day 53 - 28/8/2008 - Bargara to Maroochydore
Because the van was facing the ocean (east), we got up early this morning to photograph the sunrise. Accordingly, we got away about 8:30am, however it took us nearly 40 minutes before we had actually 'left' Bundaberg. The DVD player didn’t end up getting fixed as the required part didn't turn up. They had ordered it the previous Friday and this was now Thursday. Once again, so much for buying a brand name!
Anyway, to cheer us up, we took the scenic (coastal) route via Noosa to Maroochydore and arrived around 3:00pm at the Big 4 CP - Maroochy Palms - and set up camp.
This will be a four night stopover as our son (Paul) has moved here and appears to have made it his home. At this stage, he has no intention of moving back to the cold climate of the NSW Central West.
Day 54 - 29/8/2008 - Maroochydore
We spent this morning having a guided tour of Paul’s new work place, lunched at the Mooloolaba Wharf, and looked around the changes in this area over the past 13 or so years since we were last here.
Day 55 - 30/8/2008 - Maroochydore
Paul and I went to the Brisbane Boat Show today while Michelle and Paul's girlfriend (Rachael) visited the markets at Eumundi.
The boat show prides itself on being the "biggest indoor boat show in Australia" but it is not as big as the indoor portion of the Sydney Boat Show, though it was interesting to see local brands that do not display in other states.
Chelle and Rach spent up big at the markets then retired to the pool at the CP for the rest of the morning.
We all spent the afternoon at the van and finished off the day with a bbq - a most pleasant way to spend the day with family.
Day 56 - 31/8/2008 - Maroochydore
Paul had to work today from 11:00am so we all went down to the beach and had breakfast about 9:30am, visited the local flea market then Paul went off to work.
Michelle and I spent the rest of the day lazing around the pool at the CP. We then spent our last evening in Maroochy enjoying a lovely home cooked meal at Paul and Rachael’s home.
Day 57 - 1/9/2008 - Maroochydore to Brunswick Heads
We left Maroochy just after 8.00am. The earliest we have ever managed to get away.
It was only a short run to Brunswick Heads (2½ hours) via the motorways. We booked in to the Massey Greene CP which is right on the river. We have a site which backs on to the water. The water laps the sand only feet away.
After lunch, we decided to use up the last of our bait and feed the local fish (meaning we didn’t catch anything). We then went down to view the beach and the breakwater. This is more what we are used to in a beach - a long long stretch of white sand and surf. We then wandered into town for an ice cream for afternoon tea.
Spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing back at the van watching the dolphins swim by and the pelicans patrol the shallows looking for a feed.
This really is a beautiful spot. We will certainly be back for an extended stay.
While we had no luck in the fishing department, by the light of the torch at night, the river was alive with fish, maybe we’ll have better luck next time.
Tomorrow we continue south (hard to believe that after tonight, we only have two more nights in the van).
Day 58 - 2/9/2008 -
Got away around 8:30am and made our way to Yamba for morning tea. The view from the car park above the surf living saving club was absolutely stunning, as was the weather.
On to Grafton for lunch with an old school friend then on to Urunga. Stopped at the
Walked out along the 622m long footbridge to the where the two rivers (Bellinger and Kalang) empty into the sea, a lovely walk amongst the mangroves and wildlife.
Day 59 - 3/9/2008 - Urunga to Hallidays Point
It was a beautiful morning and as we enjoyed the walk along the footbridge so much yesterday we went out again before we headed off.
Drove through almost non-stop to Hallidays Point on Black Head beach.
The CP we had chosen was 4 star rated. The amenities and pool area were really lovely and it also had a big playground area for children but the sites were far from level. The site we were allocated was on a very steep slope - another van had to dig out a space for its draw bar and put a 9" box under the legs at the back to make the van level. We moved to another site which was better but we still had to dig out a hole for one of the wheels to try and level the van. It was a shame as otherwise the park was good. After lunch, we headed out to the beach near the Black Head SLSC and a swim in the ocean baths (Chelle, not me). It was a real treat.
Day 60 - 4/9/2008 - Hallidays Point to
It poured with rain all through the night (the radio reported between 60mm and 100mm had fallen across the region) which meant that we were surrounded by a lovely mud swamp in the morning.
The rain continued to fall, so we packed quickly and travelled through to Dungog to visit family then onto
Day 61 - 5/9/2008 -
Well, the rain continued all day, so cleaning will have to wait until we get home on Sunday.
As we couldn't clean we decided to visit the local Golden Eagle dealer at Hexham. We talked to them about an upgrade to a shower van, which will allow us to spend more time 'free camping' on our next trip.
Spent the afternoon tucked up inside the cottage with the heater on while the rain continued to fall.
Day 62 - 6/9/2008 -
Very strong winds (gale force at times) and continuing rain all night and still raining in the morning.
Packed up and got away about 11:00am and arrived home about 3:30pm. The rain had stopped but it was still fairly cold. We were glad the heater had been turned on a few days ago.
The trip is over!
Trip Summary
For our first big trip, all things considered, it went very well. We thoroughly enjoyed the travelling and living in the van. We coped with the problems, learnt along the way the best and easiest way to do things, picked up tips from fellow travellers and enjoyed sharing stories and experiences.
As we had suspected before we left, we had bitten off more than we could chew with this trip and it was definitely a "taste of" tour.
We averaged around 1,500 kilometres per week over the 9 weeks, far too many kilometres to also be able to look at the scenery. We will certainly be slowing things down next time out.
We are already planning another outing - this time to the “dinosaur triangle” of Winton/Hughenden/Richmond.
Trip Statistics
Some statistics from the trip:
Total Distance - 13,623 kilometres
Total fuel consumed - 1,890.13 litres
Average fuel consumption - 13.87 litres per 100 kilometres or 20.48 miles per gallon
Cheapest fuel (per litre) - $1.589 at Maroochydore (Qld)
Dearest fuel (per litre) - $2.229 at Three Ways (NT)
Cheapest