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.

 Wed 3^rd July.  GC to Kempsey

However, on the Tuesday night I had to run up to Brisbane to collect my car trailer from friend Geoff who had borrowed it to go to NSW over the previous weekend to a race meeting.  On the way home from Brisbane, the empty trailer actually became unhitched from the car somehow while I was in the fast lane of the freeway, and in doing so damaged the electrical plug.  Luckily the safety chain held firm, but it was a scary few minutes while I stopped and hitched the trailer back on while sitting in the fast lane  in rush hour in the evening gloom.  (Before you ask, No there was no emergency lane – it was a roadworks section !!)   However I had to wait until the next morning before I could get to a shop to buy a new plug, which then took an hour or so to fit, and then I had to load Elsie on to the trailer, and finish loading everything else into the van.  So much for an early start - we finally left the GC at 11.30 am.  Went down the down coast road, which may be longer than the inland routes, but is a LOT less boring.  Sandwiches for lunch as we drove, and then in the evening we found a BP truck stop near South West Rocks which had a good write up as an overnight stop.  So we tucked ourselves in a corner of the parking lot, cooked our supper, and started a game of canasta just as lots of big semi trailers and B doubles started to pull in for the evening.  It got quite hairy and noisy with trucks all around us, but the final straw was when one reversed in beside up and despite us whistling and hollering, missed the trailer and Elsie by about 4 inches !!!   That was enough – No way we would ever get any sleep here, so we packed up, and drove another 50 kms or so to a campsite south of Kempsey where we had stayed several years ago.   I think we were about the only people in the campsite, and got a good nights sleep !!   And Janet’s first taste of a cold night in a sleeping bag !!!

Thurs 4^th July  Kempsey to Canberra

In the morning it was about 5 deg C and there was a heavy mist.  After a quick breakfast, we hit the road and headed south, towards Canberra.   On the approaches coming in to Sydney it is all forest -  I love that last 100 miles into Sydney, just so scenic.  We then had to go through the busy fringes of Sydney, around Hornsby and then on to the Hume Highway down to Queanbeyan near Canberra.   We were staying with Winno, one of my close Elise Club buddies, and eventually found his new place in the darkness.   Winno helped me to unload Elsie, but it was too late, cold, and dark to clean her. So we moved inside and over a good bottle of red, Kerri cooked a beautiful supper and we had a great social evening around the dining table !  It is always good to catch up with old friends. 

Fri 5^th July   Canberra to Narrandera

I woke up early the next morning and jumped into Elsie in the dark, rain, and cold to go to the airport to pick up Mark McKibbin, Elsie’s new owner, from SE Victoria.   Had no problem recognising him from a photo he had sent me, and we went home to Winno’s with the roof up as it was trying VERY hard to rain.  Once at the house, I went through everything about the car with Mark, loaded all the spares and boxes of paperwork into the car, and although it was still cold, the skies cleared, and much to my surprise and pleasure, Mark said “Lets take the roof off “ !!!  Now here is a man after my own heart !!!  Those of you who know me will remember that I rarely if ever put my roof on,  and so it was great that Mark thought the same way !!   Obviously it was with greatly mixed emotions that I watched Mark disappear down the driveway, but times change, and I have new projects in hand.  16 years since I originally ordered Elsie, and 14 since I took delivery – She has played a very big part in both my life and that of my family during that time.  But I think Mark is a very fitting new custodian, and if he has even half as much fun with her as I have had, then he is going to have a great time.  After Mark left  to drive to Gippsland in Victoria,  Janet and I left shortly after, heading towards Hay in the west.  Mark called me about 7 hours later that night to say that he had made it home no problem, roof off all the way, and had thoroughly enjoyed the car and the drive.  I could sleep a happy man !!

By nightfall we had reached Narrandera, and found a campsite in the town Showgrounds there.  Quiet spot, average amenities (although the shower water was lovely and  HOT !!!), and once again it was cold – About 5 deg C.

Sat 6^th July  Narandera to Mildura

Up fairly early, quick breakfast, and hit the road, knowing we had  pretty boring drive cross flat straight roads along beside the Murray River, just trying to get to the end of this section as quickly as possible.  As an aside, we read that the Murray River is actually the 3^rd longest navigable river in the world, and while it is now populated mainly by holiday makers in rental houseboats, its history of passenger paddle steamers and cargo vessels plying their trade there in the early 19^th century forms a major part of Australia’s early colonial history.  The road may be boring, but the history of the regions is fascinating.  Nowadays there is lots of cotton grown in the area – As is witnessed by the loose cotton bolls beside the road and the enormous cotton bales wrapped in yellow plastic in the fields.  And there are also increasing acres of vines as one heads west, as well as all the fruit trees, primarily citrus and mandarins which are sold from stalls beside the road.

That evening we made it to Mildura, and found a gorgeous campsite where we got a spot right on the banks of the river, where we were confronted by old paddle steamers and HUNDREDS of pelicans that were continually coming in to land right in front of us.   Have never ever seen so many pelicans in one place !!  Anyway, set up camp, had supper, and settled down for another cold night – But by now I think Janet was started to get used to it – Even if she was getting in to the sleeping bag with all her clothes on in order to keep warm !!  For some reason I found I was quite warm enough in my identical bag wearing just pyjamas !  Maybe it is warmer “upstairs” in my bedroom than “downstairs” in Janet’s ? 

 

Sun 7^th July    Mildura to Burra

Wake up beside the banks of the Murray , still surrounded by Pelicans.  Bacon and eggs for breakfast, chatted to a UK cyclist riding from Perth to Sydney, and then hit the road to Renmark which has to be a straighter and more treeless road than even the Nullarbor !   Boooooring.  But it had to be done, and by evening we had started to turn NW and reached Burra.  We had never heard of Burra before but it turned out to be the most delightful little town based around a Copper mine in the 1850’s.  In its day it was the largest mine in Australia and the largest copper mine in the world.  The town itself was full of historical buildings and relics from its mining boom – All done with the help of Cornwall, believe it or not !  Cornish technology, Cornish machinery shipped to Adelaide and then hauled by bullock teams (of up to 72 bullocks per team for the heaviest machinery !!) the 150 miles up to Burra. Cornish street names, and Cornish people !!   And a great butcher by the name of Cooper where we bought some salt bush lamb sausages !!!  Cornish Pasties too !!!

 Mon 8^th July   Burra to Wilpena

I woke up early for some reason, and, leaving Janet asleep, I went for a long walk in the 2 deg temps, out to explore a local copper mine with was active in the 1850’s. An hour or more later I returned, and we packed up, had some porridge for breakfast, then departed  Burra at 10 am, with a stop at Cooper’s the Butcher in town for some Salt Bush fed lamb sausages!!   We drove around the copper mine site so Janet could see it, and then headed almost due north through Peterborough, Orroroo and up towards Wilpena Pound, one of our original targets for the trip.   In Hawker, just before Wilpena, we stopped to stock up on some last minute groceries, fuel, and cooking gas before we headed away from civilization for a few days.  As I stepped out of Troopie a young lady approached us and asked about the story behind the windscreen banner on Troopie that says “Australia to Alaska 2014”. It turned out she was an ABC country journalist, and smelled a story, and wanted to know all about it.  So while I spent the next half an hour explaining to Eloise (her name) the story of my 2012 trip to Alaska in Elsie, and my proposed trip in Troopie in 2014, Janet was doing the shopping !!!  Not sure when, but apparently my story will now be on ABC radio all over Australia !!   Ha ha.

 

We then headed towards Wilpena in the late afternoon sun.  Following advice from the gas station attendant in Hawker, we headed for Rawnsley Station, just on the edge of the Pound, and it is SUPERB.  A working cattle station, a large area is set up for camping, and although it is fairly basic “bush” camping, the facilities are excellent, and with the views of the surrounding hills as the sun went down, we at last felt our adventure into the unknown had finally started.

Pics are here :- https://picasaweb.google.com/117739775480775657932/0019GCToWilpena?authkey=Gv1sRgCO7NrZ6ex43Lcg#