0065 Christmas in Port

And for those of you who think that "in port" is referring to the drink, and we were in it, - WRONG !!   It is in Southport Yacht Club, the marina where Jamie and Suzie's yacht Solitaire (of Coast Guard fame - see previous entries !!) is currently moored.

Suzie and Jamie invited us down last night (21st Dec) to share a few (!!!) prawns with them, and a drink or three, while other boats that were lit up for Christmas paraded past us, and down to the Yacht Club restaurant, where they did a pirouette and then came back past us again.  We had the perfect position.

Anyway, I will write more, and caption the photos later - Just wanted to get the photos up for Suzie to see !!

Here :- https://picasaweb.google.com/117739775480775657932/0065ChristmasInPort?authkey=Gv1sRgCN2rvqLRuLnwNw#

Sailing to Gold Coast, Days 9 & 10

No sooner had I got back home than Jamie called me on Sunday evening to let me know the engine issue was sorted, and the weather was going to be just perfect for sailing the last leg to Surfers Paradise on Tuesday - Could I come back up to Mooloolaba on Monday evening for a 4.30 am departure Tuesday ?   I wanted to finish the journey, and Jamie is a good friend, so of course I said yes.  And with the 3 hour train journey from Surfers to Mooloolaba only cost $5.85 or so, it wasn't exactly a financial imposition. Neil who sailed with us last week had had to return home to Grafton for work, but Jamie had lined up Brady, a very experienced sailor, to join us (and make up for my old age and lack of sailing ability !!), so Brady and I caught the 4.30 train from Nerang, and set off north.  Conversation was easy because it turns out Brady likes cars almost as much as he likes sailing and racing yachts !!

Sailing to Gold Coast, Days 7 & 8, Dec 6th

Friday 6^th Dec    8 am the next morning and there was a diver at the dock with one of the Coast Guard officers, ready to go under Solitaire and sort out the rope issue.  After a quick check, and taking a few photos for report purposes (see attached photos that he took), he managed to free the rope, and reported that there was no apparent damage down there – Which was a big relief for Jamie.  Now we needed to find out what the engine problem was, and soon Jamie had lined up a mechanic through his sailing connections. We were able to shower in the Coast Guard offices which were right beside where we were docked, and that shower was BLISS  !!   Our last proper one had been  in Yeppoon  last Monday – 4 days ago !!!   Phew !!

Sailing to Gold Coast, Days 5 & 6, Dec 4th / 5th

Wed 4th Dec.  We were allowed  to sleep in this morning – woke up at 4.30 am for a 5 am departure !!!  Today was going to be another long haul down the coast with less than ideal winds and currents, but at least we had all slept like logs in a yacht that hardly moved in the calm waters of Pancake Creek.  Sailing out around the headland of Bustard Head (Captain Cook anchored here…), we passed the lighthouse which had

helped to guide us in the night before, and then the town of 1770. (Yes, that is its name !!)   While the weather was perfect and the seas flat, unfortunately the wind was not only minimal but also dead ahead, so we had to motorsail (engine plus main sail) down the coast at about 4 -5 knots.  This was not enough speed to get us to the shallows behind Fraser Island on the high tide, and also get us across the later Bar at Double Island Point, but fortunately the weather turned a little more favourable in the afternoon and we had some great sailing which helped us catch up some time. 

Sailing to Gold Coast Days 3 & 4. 2nd / 3rd Dec.

Mon 2^nd Dec.   Everyone was up by 6 am (the others were up long before that, but I snoozed on….), and after showers etc, we went up to the marina for a really good breakfast of things like Eggs Benedict, and plotted our day.  Final decision was to fuel up after lunch, then head out to Keppel Island, and hope the weather would be good (and the wind blowing in the right direction) for us to head south the next day. Right now the weather looks good until Thursday or Friday, which should enable us to reach Bundaberg, and maybe even Fraser Island, by which time we will know more accurately what is happening weatherwise.  At present it doesn’t look good, in which case Neil would have to fly home (he has work next Monday) and Jamie and I would hang around until we get a weather window to head south to the Gold Coast.  But we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

Sailing Solitaire to Gold Coast, Day 1 & 2, 30th Nov / 1st Dec

Sat 30^th Nov.  St Andrew’s Day.   Having only got back to the GC from Melbourne on Tuesday evening, and then losing Thursday afternoon and evening due to a “very enthusiastic” acupuncture session (Don’t ask !!), I was still unpacking while simultaneously trying to get everything ready to head off to Rockhampton.  My ex-neighbour Jamie had asked if I would like to help him sail his 45 ft yacht Solitaire down from Rockhampton to the Gold Coast – About a 6-7 day trip, dependent on weather.   Initially I had hesitated as I am truly a landlubber, but after some consideration I realised that this would probably be the only chance ever in my life to have such an adventure, and with a very good friend  – So despite it being way outside my comfort zone,  I accepted !!   Jamie’s brother in law Neil was also coming from northern NSW, so he came to our house and then Janet drove us up to Brisbane airport to catch the flight to Rockhampton – And it was bucketing down with rain !!! Luckily, being Saturday, the traffic was OK and we made it to the check in desk with about 10 minutes to spare.  By the time we got to the gate they were already boarding the plane, which was good !!  Easy flight to Rocky, and then Jamie met us a drove us back to Solitaire in the marina in Yeppoon.

Sorrento to Surfers Nov 24, 25 & 26

Woke up at about 4.30 am the next morning with my mind whirring, so got up and started getting things sorted for the van.  It is always quite labour intensive packing the van because you do not just pack a suitcase and take it out to the car, but instead have to take things out to the car individually, find a place for them, and put them away.  And it all has to be done in a specific order, with things at the back / bottom needing to go in first, otherwise you find your self unpacking things you have already packed in order to get (forgotten) items into their correct places.  I know I am pedantic about this, but those who have ever travelled with me will know that if the things you want are at hand, and you know where everything is, then it makes for a much more relaxed and enjoyable trip !!  The smaller the space you have to live in, the more organized you  need to be !! 

I have just about worked out where things are best stored in Troopie, but this trip I had all sorts of unusual extras like suits, wedding hats (in large boxes !!), wedding presents, dress shoes and shirts etc etc to fit in there !  And on the way down I also had a lot of car parts to distribute , including 4 wheels and a cylinder head, but fortunately these were now gone, which did ease up the space restrictions a bit !
But of course it was raining this morning, which made loading the car out in the driveway even more interesting !!!!Grrrrr.

Melbourne to Rye and Sorrento Nov 22nd & 23rd

We spent most of the morning at Pete and Celia's place in the Dandenongs waiting to see if they would let him out of hospital after the op on his leg the previous night.  Their son Sam had an interview at a kind of 6th Form College that morning, so due to their inability to drive due to broken legs, Janet had to drive Sam and Celia to that, while I waited around until Pete was ready to be released and picked up from hospital. Eventually all fell into place, I picked up Pete, and Janet took off with Sam to his interview.  We also spent the morning stocking up their fridge and larder with food because it would be several days before they could get out and about, and then Janet also cooked up a few things for them to put in the freezer / fridge !!   I then had to leave because I had to pick up the keys for the house where we would be staying for the next few days down on the Peninsula.

Thredbo to Melbourne Nov 18th

On leaving Thredbo, the group of us that had been up on the chairlift motored easily down into Jindabyne at about noon for a cup of coffee and bite to eat. Dropping down off the mountain, the sun was out and Lake Jindabyne was a stunning view – Unlike it had been on Friday night when we approached in the grey and gloomy rain. 

  Afterwards, we said our farewells and the others took off east towards Canberra / Sydney, which I set off south towards the Victorian High Country.  As I have mentioned previously, this is one of my favourite parts of Australia, with stunning forest covered mountains, the Snowy River (of the movie “Man from Snowy River” fame, and rugged territory, and magnificent scenery. 

Brisbane to Thredbo Nov 13th

Aussie Elises first started when myself and a couple of Elise buddies (Kyle and Ashton), who knew each other in Europe, came back to Australia with our cars in 2003 and found a lack of Elise get-togethers existing  in Australia. Cut a long story short, November 2013 is thus the 10^th anniversary of Aussie Elises, and it (along with the 40^th anniversary of CLA) therefore needed to be suitably celebrated.  A spring weekend in Thredbo, a ski resort in the Snowy Mountains in NSW, seemed like a good place to do it, with access enabled through another member, Rob Bryden, who is a member of a lodge in Thredbo.  Being out of (snow) season it was not difficult to book accommodation and restaurants etc – All we had to do was get there !  The fact that I had to go to Melbourne the following weekend for a friend’s wedding made everything fit together perfectly !!  Some 20 cars / 30+ people planned to be in Thredbo. 

0051 Rosedale to Gold Coast

A very heavy dew this morning - It was almost as if it had rained.  But we got packed up fairly quickly, found the showers were actually quite good !!, and hit the road at about 8.30 am.

We were already on back road, and somehow we managed to stay on back roads for the next 2-3 hours !!   We got down to a single lane black top road, and then this then became a dirt road for about 20 kms !!  We started to wonder if we were on the right road !  Finally, just before Gympie, we got back on the main road, and then went into Cooroy for a bite to eat and a coffee.   Found a delightful little country town, so went to the bakery, had an excellent home made pie, and then did some veggie and meat shopping in the little greengrocers and the butchers, so we wouldn't have to shop as soon as we got home.

0050 Yeppoon to Rosedale

All good things have to end sometime I suppose, and it was time to leave Solitaire and Jamie and Susie, an after a blissful 3 days out at Keppel Island, head back do the rod towards the Gold Coast.   After having another shower in the marina facilities (too good n opportunity to miss !!), we then had a great breakfast and coffee there with Jamie and Susie before we hit the road south.  Thank you both SO much for a delightful time on Solitaire - Laughs like that are hard to come by - You are good friends.

0049 Yeppoon 8th - 11th August

Thursday 8th August.
Very leisurely morning as we were going to be here for 2 nights, so for a change there was no packing up to do !!! 
Jamie and Susie came over at about lunch time, and we just had sandwiches and some wine sitting in the camp site.   We only carry two of everything in Troopie, so as we only had 2 chairs, the girls got those, and I sat on the ground, while Jamie got the throne of honour - The Porta Potti !!  This is a very important part of travelling, especially at about 3 am on a cold morning when the camp site loos are a looooooong way away !!

That evening we went to a good little Thai restaurant in Yeppoon, and decided that as the weather forecast for the next few days was good, we would venture out on Solitaire the next morning, leaving Troopie parked in the marina car park.   So after meal and wine etc, we went back to the van and slept like logs, preparing ourselves for a life on the ocean waves for a few days.

0048 Jericho to Yeppoon 7th August

Leisurely wake up in Jericho, good showers and toilets for a showgrounds, cool morning so we had porridge, and then headed out.  On leaving the campsite we were confronted with one of two bad aspects of “free campers”.  We too like to free camp where possible / suitable, but there are certain rules to follow in doing so.  Do not free camp near a town or a paying campsite – It only gets people upset.  And don’t use the facilities of paying campsites without paying.  So coming out of the campsite, we see a motorhome parked outside the campsite, with the couple heading into the campsite with towels etc for a free shower and use of the toilets.  Everyone there had paid for these showers, so it got all the campers upset, plus the people in the motorhome had a shower and toilet in their motorhome anyway.    Just not on, and eventually ruins it for everyone else, and gets a lot of local people “anti” free-campers – and rightly so.   Rant over.

0047 Longreach to Jericho 6th August

No, I didn’t know there was a place called Jericho in Queensland until today either !!!  Ah well – We live and learn. 

Very pleasant campsite in Longreach – it was big, and there were a lot of people there, but where we were located – In the unpowered section right next to an (unfortunately dry) billabong, there was hardly anyone.  And the showers and facilities were probably the nicest of any camp site on the whole trip.   I cooked a fry- up breakfast that, though I say it myself, was yummy, and then we packed up, filled up our built-in 50 litre water tank, and then set off into Longreach to the Stockman’s Hall of Fame. 

0046 Winton to Longreach 5th August

Jumbuks and dinosaurs !!!  As so often happens when you travel on the open road, things are always different from what you expect !!  And often better.

We packed up camp and headed into the Waltzing Matilda centre in Winton. As mentioned yesterday, all around here is where Banjo Patterson got the idea for and composed the song, but Winton is where it was first performed in public.  The centre is excellent, but there is only so much one can talk about a song, so it ends up being more a Winton Museum than a Waltzing Matilda Museum.  Nevertheless, it was most enjoyable, taught us a lot, and I would recommend that anyone travelling through Winton should spend time to visit.  It is right on the high street.

0045 Cloncurry to Winton 4th August

While at the Cloncurry rodeo last night we had found out that they had a breakfast and bush poetry readings taking place from 8 am till about 11 am, and as I love my Banjo Paterson poetry (remember Mulga Bill’s Bicycle when I fell of my bicycle in the USA last year ?), and am not impartial to a good breakfast, we packed up early at Wal’s Camp, and went back down to the rodeo grounds.

0044 Mt Isa to Cloncurry 3rd August

The roadside camp was really very good – if they were all that good, we wouldn’t need to go into camp sites. They were having some cycle race from Isa to the border – Some 75 kms – and as we were at the 50 km mark, it was a refreshment / change over point, so as we had our breakfast, suddenly lots of shouting people !  In the middle of no where !!

0043 Barkly Homestead to Mt Isa 2nd Aug

0042  Barkly Homestead to Mt Isa  2^nd Aug

Happy birthday to me...........

Lazy morning getting packed up and having breakfast, and GREAT showers !!  We then set off up the side road to Sophie’s – It was black top, but there was only one lane, which meant you have to put 2 wheels off into the dirt when you pass oncoming traffic. And there was a surprising amount of traffic because this road north leads to the Gulf of Carpentaria where there is a lot of good fishing, so lots of people go up there camping.  And they all seemed to be coming back !!   Also lots of cattle on the road, and quite a few dead ones too – Bad road for livestock out there.  Lot of nothing too, as you can see from the photos. 

0042 Daly Waters to Barkly Homestead 1st Aug

More amazingly boring roads !!  Lots of road kill, with the usual swarms of kites having a feast !  After an hour or two we came to Newcastle Waters which used to be an important stop on the route north, with water available.  Now it is totally deserted and abandoned, except for a property which is the homestead for the cattle run on the surrounding country side – And ironically we were to learn later that a friend of ours whose boyfriend is a stockman / drover comes and does contract work on this property each year ! 

0041 Cooinda to Daly Waters 31st July

Up, breakfasted and packed up after a good shower.  (We seem to be rating this trip on the condition of the showers in each campsite !!! Cleanliness, hooks to hang things on, water pressure, water temp, etc !!)  Drove for a couple of hours with nothing major to see as Cooinda was really the last major attraction in Kakadu – There were a couple more walks to Aboriginal Rock Paintings but we felt we had kind of “done them” by now !   Got to leave something for next time, right ??   When it was about time for a coffee break we arrived in Pine Creek so stopped at the Lazy Lizard Tavern.  As usual, fascinating inside features, complete with wooden hand basins in the loo carved from a solid tree trunk !!  And also as usual, a European back packer behind the bar – This time French !!  I think the only Australian who has served us on our whole trip was in William Creek several weeks ago, and he was the only Aussie amongst 3 Euro backpackers in the bar !!  Anyway, as usual I digress.   They offered scones and jam and cream, so how could we refuse ?  They were delicious – A bit more like corn bread than scones, but delicious just the same.

0040 Jabiru to Cooinda 30th July

Whilst packing up and eating breakfast, we were surrounded by a flock of white cockatoos, screeching and squawking as they fossicked for food right beside us.  We then drove into town, visited the famous Crocodile shaped hotel where they have some great aboriginal art and displays, before heading to the local supermarket to stock up on a few supplies. Then down to the bakery for some fresh bread and something to munch on (!!) before heading out to the Ranger Uranium Mine which we had been told was worth a look and even did tours.  However we found the tours had been stopped a couple of years ago so just did a drive around the little bit we could – The size of the operation is immense.  Obviously a political hot potato as well, and often in the news, so good to get a quick look.

0039 Corroboree to Jabiru 29th July

 Up fairly early in the beautiful cool of the morning, a quick breakfast and shower, and a view of some local water buffalo and wild pigs on the property, and then we hit the road towards Kakadu NP.   First stop a half hour up the road was The Bark Hut Inn, for a coffee. Just as we were leaving, Warren pulled up on his motorcycle, so we had a quick chat, and then were back on the road (after one false start after we realised Janet had left her handbag behind !  Luckily we had only got about 2 kms up the road before she realised !!   We entered the National Park, but the vegetation was just the same old scrub as before – Most unimpressive.  Then suddenly it changed to open wet lands – An amazing change, and then not long afterwards all the vegetation changed to a type of palm.  

0038 Darwin to Corroboree 28th July.

Not really a very good camp site in Darwin – Close to full due to the local Agricultural Show,  it was also the most expensive on the trip so far at $49 for 2 people for one night.  A powered site was only $52 !! (But none available  !!).  But they seem to be trying to do away with unpowered sites round here, apparently because (some) backpackers come in, use all the amenities, make a mess, make a noise, charge all their computers and phones on their electricity, and then leave.  Unfortunate, but the few are ruining it for the rest.    Anyway, met a very nice S African / Kiwi / Australian guy, Warren, from Melbourne doing a similar route to us but on a BMW motorcycle, so chatted to him last night and this morning, and then we slowly packed up, filled the water tank, and set off to explore Darwin. 

0037 Litchfield NP to Darwin 27th July

Woke up and still no wildlife around this place – Not sure if it is the wildfires, or just a general lack of animals !!  Anyway, having walked almost to the swimming hole the previous night, we saw no reason to do the same 3.4 km walk again, and decided to go and explore some of the other gorges and water holes.  We can’t quite see the point of walking 1/2/3 kms to a water hole for a swim, and then having to walk ALL the way back in the heat, so by the time you get back to camp, you are hot and sweaty again !!!!  So we went off to search for some pools that were closer !!

0036 Katherine Gorge to Litchfield NP 26th July

Woke up with a need to find the fuse problem with the interior lights.  As usual during the night, I had semi solved the problem, and decided that a fuse I had noticed in the engine bay, on the lead coming off the deep cycle battery, must be the problem.  So rather than diving into the fuse box located (as usual) in a very inaccessible place down near the pedals guaranteed to give you a stiff neck,  I looked at this one fuse, and although it wasn’t fused, the terminals were pretty scummy, and one part of the plastic appeared to have melted.  Anyway, dug a spare fuse out of my box of tricks, and hey presto – All lights working again !!  Big grin, and made myself a cup of tea to celebrate !

0035 Mataranka to Katherine Gorge 25th July

Mataranka Hot Springs really is an amazing oasis in the middle of nowhere.  While we were packing up, we noticed all these kites flying around just a short distance away, and when we went over, found a young boy throwing bread in the air, and the kites were swooping and catching it in mid air. Just an amazing site.  The peacock was still wandering around, as were a number of little wallabies, several with joeys in their pouch. 

0034 Banka Banka to Mataranka 24th July

Wind, wind, dust, wind, dust, wind.  HORRIBLE morning, with very strong winds blowing dust everywhere, making breakfast gritty, and packing up very difficult.  We eventually got it done, and hit the road north to Mataranka Hot Springs.

0033 Alice to Banka Banka Station 23rd july

BORING !!!   650 kms of mostly straight flat road !!     But there were some interesting things along the way, I must admit.   We got up quite early, and after showering and packing the car, we had one of Randal’s special coffees (mmmmm), and then hit road.   4.5 deg C !!!    Thank you SO much Randal and Jo – We have thoroughly enjoyed your company, your hospitality, your cooking !!! and your friendship,  It is what friends are all about, and you have made our time in Alice something to remember. 

0032 Alice Springs 21 / 22 July

Sunday 21^st July.

Nice to sleep in a comfortable bed and have a toilet and shower nearby !! Got up to be provided with a taco breakfast and delicious coffee by Randal – What an enjoyable change from creeping out of a warm sleeping bag into the cold of a camp site !!  After getting some washing organised, Janet and I took off to the local Sunday markets down in the centre of town. Population is about 30,000, so it is not exactly an enormous city, but the markets were surprisingly different from those in Queensland which all seem to be the same parade of face oils, home made soaps, signs and T shirts, and the standard range of Asian clothes and artifacts.   A lot more Aboriginal arts here, and lots of interesting food stalls.  We started with a Korean pie type thing, and wandered on down the mall.  A large dedicated didgeridoo shop that surprised me – Normally they are sold as a sideline in other touristy shops, so to see a shop that ONLY sold them was novel.  As could be guessed from the traffic signs in multiple languages that I mentioned yesterday, there is a surprisingly large number of tourists here, both local nomads and overseas ones – Or maybe it is just that because The Alice is so small, they are more obvious ?  Whatever, lots of shops and stands catered to the tourist with a  definite bias towards a Northern Territory flavour.  We also came across a German Hot Dog stand with beautiful German sausages – Couldn’t go past that stand empty handed either !!!  Yummmmm !

0031 Ormiston Gorge to Alice Springs July 20th

Woke up in the cool (5 deg) and slowly had breakfast.  Went on the Ghost Gum Walk that took us up the sdes of the Gorge, with spectacular views of the area, and then down into the gorge itself. 

Then back along the creek bed, climbing over rocks and boulders before ending up at the water hole (freezing cold water !!!).   Amazing little flowers brought out by recent wet wether, nestling in the most unlikely spots in rock crevices. We also found out what “Bush Tomatoes” are – tiny weeny little tomatoes on a bush !!!   Geologically this area is stunning, with folds and faults and everything else showing the most amazing rock formations.  There is even a case here where there are two totally different types of rock on top of each other, one of which came from over 2 kms away !!

0030 Palm Valley to Ormiston Gorge JUly 19th

We awoke to a cold but fine morning again, and packed up over breakfast before heading further up the gorge to Palm Valley itself.  This time it got REALLY quite testing for me as there were several creek crossings, and some steep rock “steps” up which we had to get the car to climb ! The photos tell part of the story, but suffice it to say that the 4 km trip took about 40 minutes !!

0029 KIng's Creek Station to Palm Valley 18th July

After a leisurely pack up, we went in to the reception area to say our farewells and found a small podi calf lying on the door step !  Turns out it was orphaned at birth, and its surrogate mother was the girl working in the shop – so the calf lies on the doorstep until she comes out !!   You want to go in, you step over it !!   And the cockatoo was just free outside, climbing in the trees in the yard !!  A lovely camp site with a difference – Chopper rides over the canyon and quad bike rides if that is your thing.  Well run campsite and interesting property.

0028 Uluru to King's Creek Station July 17th

Up at 6 am as planned, and headed straight out to the sunrise viewing point for Uluru / Ayers Rock.  Took our cup of tea with us and for about 40 minutes watched the sunrise behind us, and Uluru slowly light up in front of us.  Beautiful  way to spend the morning. 

Then we sprinted round (in Troopie, not on foot !) to the other side of the Rock to join the Mala cultural tour round the foot of it.  This was great, with a very knowledgeable Ranger telling us the Aboriginal story of the Uluru, its position in their culture, and its current place in their lives.  I had only ever seen the Rock from a distance before, so found it very awe inspiring to be up close to it, and learning all about it.  While hiking to the top is tolerated, they ask you not to do so out of deference to the Aboriginal wishes. And as it is so steep, and there was a high wind blowing, I decided it was not for me. 

0027 Marla to Uluru July 16th

Woke up at our normal leisurely time of about 7 am, and by the time we had breakfasted, packed up, and showered etc (usually all done simultaneously, I might add !!) and hit the road, it was 9.30.  Another lovely sunny day, and about 7 deg C, so just nice.  Last night we had asked the guy in the gas station about the need for a permit to travel on the dirt track we wanted to use to get to Ayers Rock, and he said yes we did, and it took about 6 weeks to obtain.  When I questioned him, he said (rather shortly), if you don’t believe me, go ask the cops.   So first stop this morning was the local cop shop to find out if they knew if we needed a permit to cross Aboriginal lands if we went in to Uluru on our planned dirt road, but as we were still in South Australia, and the road was in the Northern Territory, he claimed ignorance and said he couldn’t help us.   Bugger. 

0026 Coober Pedy to Marla July 15th

Before leaving, we spent the morning exploring all that is CP.  The amazing underground Serbian and Catholic churches, “Fays” underground house, dug by a lady in the mid 1950’s and still lived in today, being ripped off by weird miners in their “shops” who charge a dollar if you happen to even look their way, and taking in views overlooking the town with its weird mix of dirt mound, doors into cliff faces, and wrecked cars and machinery seemingly lying around everywhere !!

0025 William Creek to Coober Pedy JUly 14th

After the heavy rainstorm last night, it was  bit of a wet pack up.  Out here just a little water turns everything to a thick red slippery mud !!   Groundsheet muddy, puddles everywhere, but hey, despite being a bit squished, we were dry and warm.  So what is there to complain about ?  Well, it was cold with a clear sky when Janet went off to the shower, and when she returned 15 minutes later dry, with a miserable look of her face, saying “I got completely undressed and then found there was no hot water in that shower, so I give up”.  Not a happy camper !!!  So we breakfasted and packed up, and hit the road, hoping that the rain had not turn the Oodnadatta  track to mud.   Fortunately it was not too bad, and it turned out the rain was very localised, and after about 15 minutes, there wasn’t much sign of any rain.

0024 Marree to William Creek July 13th.

Janet woke first and set off on her flight over Lake Eyre, while I eventually roused myself and started to pack up everything so we would be ready for off when she returned.  She said it had been incredible – Seeing the vastness of the land from up there it looked just like the dot paintings done by Aborigines !!   We soon got away, up the usual straight dirt road with not a lot to look at.  I think it was an hour before we saw our first vehicle travelling it either direction !!   Busy road !

0023 Iga Warta to Marree July 12th

Woke up to see the “beauty” of our camp sit at Iga Warta !!   Such a shame, because this could actually be really nice – Just needs someone to give a damn about the upkeep.   ‘Nuff said.

After a cup of tea with the guys at the shop, we set off down the dirt road again, heading north to Marree.  First of all we passed through Lyndhurst and Leigh Creek, which is the site of one of the biggest open cut coal mines in Australia, so all about mining – Thus the earth mover tyres forming a part of the city sign !!  But not exactly the most enchanting place to live !!  At Lyndhurst we stopped at the pub for lunch and a bit of wifi for the first time in a week or so. When I worked on the rigs in Moomba in central Australia 30 years ago I had got to know this area quite well, but have to admit I didn’t seem to remember much about it when I saw it !!!   After Lyndhurst it was all pretty boring straight dirt road, with just the normal due care required to avoid large rocks or other uneven spots.  We eventually reached Marree where we decided to stop for the night, and this used to be a main stopping place for the old narrow gauge Ghan train that went from Adelaide to Alice Springs.  However, since the 1980’s when the new wider gauge track was laid all the way through to Darwin, and which followed a  different (and much shorter) route north, Marree has rapidly become a quaint by product that is sadly becoming forgotten.  Its main claim to fame now is the Lake Eyre Yacht Club, which since Lake Eyre fills with water so infrequently, is not exactly the busiest Yacht Club on earth !!  But there was water there while we were visiting, and the previous weekend lots of people had towed their small cats and dinghy’s from all over Australia to compete in a regatta – Jut to say they had sailed in the (normally dry) Lake Eyre !!  This is of course the scene in the past of World Land Speed record attempts, like that of Donald Campbell in Bluebird, so to sail here when there is water is a sailor’s dream !!  I must admit, seeing lots of yachts being towed down the road in the middle of Australia was an incongruous sight, to say the least !! 

A Stunning sunset that night over the old Ghan station and engines was a major highlight, along with large numbers of kites )?) circling above us as the sun went down.  And Janet decided that a  flight over Lake Eyre would be a good thing to do in the morning, so she could see it with water in it, so went off and booked herself a flight before we turned in for the night.

 

Pics are here :- https://picasaweb.google.com/117739775480775657932/0023IgaWartaToMarree?authkey=Gv1sRgCOLs3-ub3OH3Og#

0022 Arkaroola to Iga Warta July 11th

COLD !!!!!  It has been down around 2-3 deg C most mornings, but this morning we were down below zero enough for frost to form on the bonnet of Troopie !!    Once again I was up, made a cup of tea, and took off for a hike up along the river bed.  Beautiful morning, with the cockatoos (and noisy crows too, unfortunately) filling the air with their morning screeches as the sun came up.  Packed up over breakfast (hot porridge !!), and then set off to explore the local area. There are a lot of day hikes and mountain bike trails for those spending more time there, but as a lot of the destinations are also designated 4WD trails, and because Janet’s leg is still causing her grief and limiting the distance she can walk, we explored by 4 WD – And had a ball.  We took Troopie (or should it be “Troopie took us”?) up creek beds and through gorges, and a lot of other places where I never thought I would be driving !!   First off was a relatively easy run to The Pinnacles – 3 large granite volcanic plugs which were quite dramatic – Especially when we sat on them and were glad we were there today and not 500 million years ago when they were still bubbling !!  

Once again, little purple leafed succulent plants sticky their heads up in the most unlikely places.    Then it was off to Bollabollana spring,  where we drove down a gorge and then parked on the creek bed to walk a little way to the spring.  After that it was about 40 minutes in another direction to the site of the Bolla Bollana Smelter, built in the 1850’s, with most of the kiln bricks imported from Cornwall, along with the labour to run it.  In the middle of NOWHERE, all the equipment was hauled in by bullock cart some 400 kms from Port Augusta !!   And it seems possible from the analysis that there is a possibility that no copper was EVER smelted in it !!    Just unbelievable.  By 1857 it was abandoned !!!  On leaving the smelter, a big gang of emus were there to wave us good bye as we set back off up the rough creek bed.

We occasionally saw “Road Closed” signs, but couldn’t even see the road that was supposed to be closed !!  Some VERY remote and rough trails and tracks up here !  We then made it back to Arkaroola just in time for the BEST hamburger – So juicy, and with ALL the Aussie trimmings – beetroot, fried egg, pineapple – Plus all the normal stuff.  We should have shared one between us – But didn’t !!

 

After lunch, it was back into Troopie and down the trail to a lookout over the local Arkaroola Station (ie farm, not railway station !!) from which vantage point on the top of the hill you could see all the surrounding hills.  Then it was off to the Barraranna Gorge, which took us on very steep trails past the Jasper Twins (two enormous rocks), through another Pound (ie ring of hills enclosing a grazing area, used to hold sheep or cattle safely), and then into the start of this dramatic gorge.  We eventually had to park and walk a couple of kms up the river bed into the gorge proper, and it was well worth it.  Although the creek beds are all dry at the moment, you can see from the height of the piles of debris in the trees how much water CAN flow down when there is a big storm – We are talking 15 or 20 ft deep through a very wide gorge, and the way the water has smoothed out the rocks, and carved them, is just unbelievable.   By now it was mid afternoon, and we wanted to get moving up the road, so we set off, past camel signs, on the often dramatic dirt road to the south west.  We passed though the Italowie Gorge, but couldn’t find the camp site referred to on our map, so kept going to Neepabunna where a camp site was indicated.  Couldn’t find it, and it was obviously an Aboriginal township, so we went into the Information centre and were told we actually were not allowed to stop there as it was a reserve !!   But they told us that if we went up the road about 10 kms to “Eagle Waters”, we would be out of the reserve, and there was a campsite where we could stop.  It was already getting dark, and the roos were starting to come out, so we really wanted to stop soon.  Sure enough, 10 kms later we came to “Iga Warta” !!!  Nothing to do with Eagle Waters – in fact it means Place of the Orange Tree in the local Aboriginal dialect !!   And the camp site ????   Well, shall we call it “interesting” and leave it at that ???  This lovely aboriginal guy Cliff showed us around and told us to pitch anywhere as the only other tenant was his son !!  He then invited us back to his place for a cup of tea, and to “sit around the fire and chat” !!  Well, to pitch the annex I had to kick away a couple of well chewed (but very recognisable) roo legs, and a spine and few other bones too !!  Went to get water and none of the taps worked – But the cup of tea was delicious and we sat around the fire with a few of the family while Tom from Yorkshire who worked there (don’t ask) played his guitar (Neil Young !! Can’t be bad !).  Then it was back off to the boneyard where we slept like logs after an exhausting and fascinating day of 4WDing in the bush.  A BIG thank you to my son Damien for getting me to put a 2 inch lift in the suspension of Troopie – Everyone looked at our car and said, ”Oh with that ground clearance, you can go anywhere”, and sure enough we did !!  Thanks D – Big hug. 

Pics are here :-  https://picasaweb.google.com/117739775480775657932/0022ArkaroolaToIgaWarta?authkey=Gv1sRgCO_cl_DUjbG1Gg#

0021 Wilpena to Arkaroola July 10th

Morning was COLD !!  2 deg C.   I woke up before sunrise and left Janet sleeping while I took a hike up to the top of a nearby hill to watch the sun come up. I made a cup of tea first in my thermal mug, and took that with me to keep me warm.  Lovely walk – Got to the top and surprised a mob of 5 or 6 ‘Roos who had apparently spent the night there – Not sure who was more surprised – Them or me !!!   But they took off down the hill pretty quickly.   Then stood up on a rock at the top and watched the sun slowly light up the surrounding countryside as it came over the hill.  I do love dawn – It is a special time of day.  Always reminds me of the Cat Stevens song – Morning has broken…… 

0020 Wilpena Pound, July 9th.

Overcast and gloomy when we woke up at Rawnsley Station campsite, but at least that meant it wasn’t so cold – +8 deg C – That’s warm !!  By the time we had breakfasted, packed up, and showered, it was 10 am (must find a way to speed that up sometime !!), and we set off out of the campsite.  We drove just 35 or so kms to the Wilpena Pound Resort to have a look around and find out what we could do to see the Pound. 

0019 Gold Coast to Wilpena Pound

Original plans were to leave on a trip to the bush in Troopie in late June, heading due west from the Gold Coast, out to Innamincka, then down the Strezlecki Track down to Wilpena Pound before heading NE to Coober Pedy and then Ayers Rock, then  heading up to Darwin and Kakadu.  The purpose of the trip was to ensure that all the changes I had made to Troopie were working OK, and leaving me a few months at the end of the year to make any changes or final adjustments.  But as usual, things happened at the last minute to change all the plans, and suddenly my trailer was lent out for a week just before someone purchased Elsie !!  So the trip was delayed a week, and changed to being a run down south to Canberra where another Elise buddy was buying my trailer, and to where Elsie’s new owner had agreed to fly up to from Victoria and he would then drive “his” Elsie down across the Alps to his home.  So we prepared for an early start south on the Wednesday morning.

0018 Perth

Last week Nick had called us up and invited us over to Perth for his housewarming party for his and Tanja’s new home in Scarborough.  So on Thursday 16^th we flew over, and were met at Perth Airport by Nick and Tanja at about midnight. Nick had just been to indoor soccer and the pub so Tanja was driving ! Late to their new home, so after a quick tour, it was off to bed. 

Why ?

I found this poem on a World Traveller's site called Horizon's Unlimited. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/

It was written from a motorcyclists point of view, and I changed two words - "Four wheels" and "Alaskan" (memories) to better reflect my position.  Apologies to the author, James Richmond.

Why? by James Richmond

0017 Solar Power, Suspension, and other things

This week saw another major expenditure in the preparation of Troopie - The suspension !  Hopefully that is the last of the big bills, apart from the rear tent / awning which is currently under construction (Not by me, I hasten to add !)

Even though it is only 5 years old, all the original suspension (shock absorbers, springs (coil and leaf), plus various other bits and pieces) had done 260,000 kms, so in the interests of minimising any potential problems next year when I am on the road, I decided to have all the suspension parts replaced now.  So having agreed with Dean Futcher at Australian 4WD on the optimal parts and manufacturers, he ordered the parts, and this week they arrived, so Troopie went in to get them fitted.  Due to my limited knowledge and experience with 4WD's, Dean has become my resident guru, and I am totally dependent on his advice in terms of how to proceed in many of the upgrades and improvements.  So far he has proved spot-on in all the recommendations he has given me, and hopefully this state of affairs will continue !!!

0016 Incredible rainbow

Woke up this morning (Sunday 12th), and while lazing in bed with a cup of tea, reading my Kindle book, I glanced out of the window to see the most amazing rainbow across the sky.  It was so bright and wide and - just - stunning. Wider than I have ever seen before, right across the sky in a full arc, and all the colours were just SO vivid. And there was a second rainbow (albeit somewhat feinter) above the main one.

Decided some pics were required because it was such an incredible one !!!  It was still raining (a kind of sun shower), so got wet dancing around in the garden in "sleeping attire" trying to get a good photo !!   ROFL.

https://picasaweb.google.com/117739775480775657932/0016Rainbow?authkey=Gv1sRgCNnC_NjlvPSjMg#

0015 Canberra back to Gold Coast

Sunday 28^th.

After thinking I would get an early start on the way home, the late arrivals from the night before ensured this was not going to happen !  Even though most people had surfaced by 11 am, they then decided they all probably had too much alcohol still in their blood to drive,

so we should have a leisurely coffee and lunch before heading out !  As Zed’s car was still on my trailer and had to be delivered to Sydney, Zed and Dana were to drive Elsie back to Sydney while I drove Troopie and towed the trailer with his car on.  Then, once we had dropped off his car at the repair workshops, we could load my car on the trailer and I could head off to Queensland. 

0014 Lotus 2013, Canberra

Wednesday 24th April.

By morning, I was frozen !!  It turned out that it was actually minus 2 deg C last night, with ice all over the cars, so this morning, being a “free day” with nothing much organised, my first stop was at Anaconda (our nationwide camping store) where I bought a sleeping bag rated to minus 10 deg C (my other one is rated to +4 deg C.)  Whilst in the store I also found a great little utensil that enables you to make toast on your normal gas cooker – Just a little box with wire mesh on to dissipate the heat, and you pop your bread on it.  Electric toasters require so much electric power, and as I won’t have mains electricity in the US and S America, I needed an alternative.   Problem solved !

0013 Gold Coast to Canberra

(Couldn’t access the internet in my campsite, so have written this in word each day and now copy it across into my blog.)

April 22nd and 23rd – Driving from Gold Coast to Canberra.

I have driven to Canberra for the biennial Australian National Lotus Meet which is held in a different State each time.  2 years ago we held it in Queensland, and this year, “Lotus 2013” as it is called, is being held in Canberra, in our Capital City which this year is celebrating its 100th anniversary.  So an auspicious time to meet in Canberra, with lots going on. 

I left home in Queensland on Monday 22^nd April.  I am driving Troopie down, and towing Elsie on a trailer, and this combination will enable me to camp down in Canberra instead of motelling it (thereby trying to keep my costs down !)  and also, if I do manage to sell Elsie while I am down here, to leave her and the trailer behind and still have transport to get me home !!   This will be the first trip in Troopie since I have done a lot of the work inside to storage etc, so will be a bit of a test for both of us – My first trial run so to speak. 

0012 More work on Troopie

Its been a while since we got back from Thailand, visiting with daughter Sarah and her husband Benn. The weather has been terrible recently in Queensland, with rain, rain, and more rain !  But at least it is warm when it rains here !!   But I have been busy doing lots of small things to Troopie, and as I have just about finished them all, and am also about to set off next Monday to Canberra for the bi-annual National Lotus Meeting, which will warrant its own story and photos, I thought I would just document all the things I have been doing before I forget them all !  And also so you can realise just how much work goes into planning an expedition like mine - There are hundreds of seemingly small things which, if done now and done properly, can make the actual trip itself just SO much more enjoyable. This was true last year in Elsie - I spent a year getting her prepared properly, and the result was a trouble free, and therefore really enjoyable, trip. But you can over-prepare - I do not pretend you can remove all the issues that might occur - and nor would I want to as that would take away a large part of the "adventure" - but by preparing the basics properly, you can be ready for most things if they should happen.  It is no different from preparing for a parachute jump, or to climb a mountain, or for a long trek or bike ride - Take care over the basic preparations so you can enjoy it, and then deal with any set backs or issues when and as they occur. But do not over-plan, otherwise that can detract from the very adventure that you are trying to have - Leave enough unknowns to ensure a bit of excitement along the way !!

0011 Bangkok 2

When we haven't been on tours like the ones to the River Kwai or the bike ride around Bangkok, we have just been exploring locally around the area where Sarah and Benn live. These are just some of the things we have been doing on those days.  I should point out that before anyone comments about us eating western food when in Bangkok, the truth is that we get the BEST Thai food ever, every evening during the week when Benn and Sarah's maid Wannee cooks and serves up the most delicious meals.  And when one lives in Bangkok full time, it is nice to go out and have the occasional Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pud, or Mexican food !!

0010 Bikeride in Bangkok

Has to be a 5 Wows morning !!!   Sarah and I had an incredible bicycle tour around Bangkok, and it was so amazing. Down little alleyways, through the traffic, near-misses with tuk tuks and motorcycles, and poor Sarah had an "off" and speared her leg on the sharp edge of a laneside bench !! Luckily she was abe to keep going, but is very sore now we are home. But it was great, and we saw things and places that you would not normally ever see in Bangkok - Can strongly recommend it for anyone visiting Bangkok in the future.

0009 Bridge over the River Kwai

Tuesday 26^th Feb was a busy day with a planned outing to the Floating Markets, a visit to an Elephant village, going to the Bridge on the River Kwai, and lastly to the Tiger Temple at Kanchanburi.  A lot of driving to do, so we were up at 5.30 am, picked up by the bus downstairs at 6.30 am, and didn’t get back home until 7.30 pm that night.  But it was a wonderful day !!

It was about a 2 hour drive to the Floating Markets at Damnoen Saduak, and the 13 seater bus was NOT a very good one.  It was not too bad for the other 7 people, but as we were the last ones aboard, we got the very back seat, which was perched much higher than all the others, so we could hardly see out of the windows. Pretty firm seats in the back, too, and it wasn’t always the smoothest road, but hey ho……..   We were off on an adventure into the unknown – And as you know, I LIKE adventures !!

0008 Bangkok (Updated 25th Feb)

It is now Sunday 24th Feb, and I flew up to Bangkok last Thursday to stay with my daughter Sarah and her husband Benn who live and work up here.  I have been to Bangkok before on business trips, but that was always either in a hotel or at the company office, so I have never really seen much of Bangkok, so this is a wonderful opportunity to look around. Janet has been here for 3 weeks already so has spent time with Sarah doing things that I really wasn't too keen on - Like cooking classes etc !!
Anyway, I will do just a single blog for my time here, and do it by day, with photos attached as I go, for those who are interested.

0006 Queensland January Cyclone - Updated 2.2.13

WELL !!  I never expected to write about a cyclone in my blog, but probably easiest way to get the photos and news to you !!  After all the record heat and humidity of the past couple of weeks, Cyclone Oswald swept down the coast of Queensland this week, causing chaos as it came south. Although now downgraded to "just" a tropical storm, it is still bringing high winds and lots of rain. 

0005 Working on Troopie (Updatd 9.2.13 - Success - And Disaster !)

I used my trip down to Victoria over Christmas as a first trial of Troopie, to see what needs to be done to make her totally suitable for long trips, like to Alaska and S America.  Having recently done the long trip in the Lotus, I know very well what kind of weather I can expect, and I also know what makes such a trip easier. The primary thing in the vehicle is ensuring you have sufficient storage space, especially for all the little bits and pieces that might otherwise get lost, and that the things you need quickly or frequently are easily available.  So during the trip to Victoria I kept a piece of paper and pen beside me, and was frequently jotting down ideas, and things that needed doing, or at least considering.  By the time I got back home, my list had some 40 items listed to look at !!   I will list some of the things I am doing to the van on an ongoing basis, so will keep this post live, just add in more items as I go.

0004 Melbourne to Gold Coast

Janet and I left Melbourne in the morning of 4th January, and headed towards our good friends Jos and Tony up in Yackandandah, near the NSW border.  They live on a scenic property, and son Jonathan and his partner Kate now run the farm and have their own house on the property. Horses are their hobby, but at the moment they are running some dairy cattle on a farm about 10 kms down the road, so it is early mornngs and late evenings on the milking front !
To get to Yack, I wanted to go back through the Great Dividing Range because there are some great campsites up there.  The forecast was for hot weather (in the 40's C +) coming in, so I thought the high country would be a good place to be, so we set off east to Bairnsdale, and then north up the Omeo Hwy.

003 Victoria over Christmas

I arrived in Victoria by car on the 23rd December, while Janet had flown down a couple of weeks earlier to stay with friends.  Initially we house-sat a friends home in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn for a few days, which gave us a good central location.  I had noticed on the way down from Brisbane that the second battery that is fitted to Troopie to run the fridge and camping lights etc didn't seem to be holding a charge - By the second night on the way down, at Carcoar Dam, the battery was totally flat by the morning, and the fridge, which I was using as a freezer and was runing at about -20 Deg C, was up to plus 4 deg, and all Trooper's frozen food supplies for the trip were in danger of thawing !  Fortunately when driving, the battery was charging, so during the day the freezer temp was fine - Just no good when I was stopped.  And then, on arrival in Melbourne, when I went to plug into mains power, I found I had left the special cable behind in Queensland !!!   Uh oh, Senior camping moment !!  So here I was, on Christmas Eve, in a strange area, with no internet connection at the house (they didn't know their password !!), no Yellow Pages, and needing a new cable, and someone to look at my battery to prevent my food thawing !!!  Help !!!

002 Queensland to Victoria for Christmas

Having bought Troopie, I planned to drive down to Melbourne for Christmas, taking Trooper the dog.  Janet was already down in Melbourne as she had flown down a couple of weeks earlier to spend time with some of her friends, so I made a few minor adjustments to Troopie and set off south on December 20th, with a plan to be in Melbourne for lunch on the 22nd for a birthday celebration lunch for family friend Tab Stamp, who is the same age as our eldest, Damien.

0001 Selling Winnie and buying Troopie

Following on from my Alaska blog, I have decided that while I am preparing Troopie the Amazing for her trip to the Americas in 2014, I will run an in-between blog as it is the simplest way to let anyone who for some stupid reason might be interested in what is going on with my plans, and also is the easiest way to post pics of everything so that people can go and see them instead of me having to email pics to everyone. So this is the in-between blog !