LOOK OUT AUSTRALIA
HERE WE COME!
It is hard to know where to start . From today I think is as good as anything and as I start, Greg is out enjoying a farewell drink with his ex work buddies because today is the day we have been waiting for. It seemed like it would never come. Today we are both officially permanently retired. We have been planning this trip for as long as we can remember and we are setting off on Aug 20th to live our dream.
We did not want to buy a caravan as we like to be under canvas and caravans seem so 'Indoorsy'. We like to live out side with nature so we opted for an off road camper trailer with all the buzzers and whistles. It's going to be our home for a long time so we figured that we deserve the best. We have to pick it up from the manufacturers on Aug 29th so we are driving 6 days to Caloundra, Queensland.
This is the little mamma that we are going to collect. It doesn't look fancy but as the blog goes on you will see what this great little home on the road can do. We just can't wait.
Hang in there and share the excitement with us as we wind down to Aug 20th and the day we leave. We have much to do in that time and I will check in from time to time to report on how well our preps are going. We are selling the 2nd car that Greg has been using for work on Tuesday, and Monday morning we have to sign into social security to register for our 'AGE PENSION' That doesn't sound right..we can't be that old...can we?
AUG 20th
Well Aug 20th finally came and after many sad farewells with family and friends we hit the road. We decided to leave home early and head to Coolgardie for the first of our 6 stops on our way to Caloundra Queensland. The weather was very warm all the way and we stayed at the Coolgardie Motel. What great people run that place. It is a very unusual kind of hospitality but very enjoyable with the owner being a real character.. Great Food too.
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21st August
Our second stop was at a place called The Madura Motel , and if we hadn't booked in advance we would have not stayed there as it definitely lacked the basics. Not even a teaspoon to stir our coffee and the most expensive fuel at 1.97 litre.
However this place is home to Brumbys Run which is hole 9 on the longest golf course in the world.
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21st August
Our second stop was at a place called The Madura Motel , and if we hadn't booked in advance we would have not stayed there as it definitely lacked the basics. Not even a teaspoon to stir our coffee and the most expensive fuel at 1.97 litre.
However this place is home to Brumbys Run which is hole 9 on the longest golf course in the world.
On the road again
I always thought that the Nullarbor experience would be a boring one but I found it to be fascinating and the wild life along the way was very entertaining. Unfortunately on the stretch to Ceduna we ran over a Kangaroo which was very upsetting. The roadside was littered with dead Emus, Wombats, wild goats, sheep, Roo's etc. We even saw an upside down cow surrounded by several other cows at the side of the highway.They looked as if they were protecting it. She was obviously a recent mother. Sad!
The Great Australian Bite
The Great Australian Bite
We figured that as we were passing by here we might
as well stop for lunch and take a few photos. We were
the only people there. The sea was so blue it looked as
if it wasn't real...kind of like a childs painting with all the
bright colours. The wind was unbelievable, and it was
hard to even remain standing at times.It was magic and
it would have been nice to stay a little longer and visit
the marine park, but we really wanted to get back on
the road and get on with it. By all accounts there were
no Whales to see at that time anyway.
We can can come back this way in the future when the
Whales are here.
We had to hand over our tomatoes and capsicum and onions at the border control to prevent the spread of fruit fly.
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BROKEN HILL was nice and we had a lovely room at the Daydream Motel. Went to the RSL club for dinner and the 'Tradies Special'.. OMG... there was so much food. It was yummy but most of it was left on the plate, such a waste. No wonder we are becoming an overweight nation..
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We stopped for lunch at Nyangan by the Bogan River just before you get to Dubbo... What beautiful tranquil spot with very good amenities. There is a terrific caravan site next to recreation area which sits on the waters edge.. Beautiful!..
The tranquility was obliterated when we entered Dubbo. Dubbo was wild and furious and traffic like neither of us had experienced before and Greg used to drive in Sydney peak hour. It was unreal. There were motels on every corner and all of them full. We were lucky enough to get a good one...We will be back this way in September and will have time check out all the culture..
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IPSWICH.. our last stop before Caloundra. We expected to see more devastation from the floods than we did. The locals are doing a great job on the clean up but still have a way to go. .
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BROKEN HILL was nice and we had a lovely room at the Daydream Motel. Went to the RSL club for dinner and the 'Tradies Special'.. OMG... there was so much food. It was yummy but most of it was left on the plate, such a waste. No wonder we are becoming an overweight nation..
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We stopped for lunch at Nyangan by the Bogan River just before you get to Dubbo... What beautiful tranquil spot with very good amenities. There is a terrific caravan site next to recreation area which sits on the waters edge.. Beautiful!..
The tranquility was obliterated when we entered Dubbo. Dubbo was wild and furious and traffic like neither of us had experienced before and Greg used to drive in Sydney peak hour. It was unreal. There were motels on every corner and all of them full. We were lucky enough to get a good one...We will be back this way in September and will have time check out all the culture..
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IPSWICH.. our last stop before Caloundra. We expected to see more devastation from the floods than we did. The locals are doing a great job on the clean up but still have a way to go. .
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FRIDAY AUGUST 26th
WE ARRIVE AT CALOUNDRA AT LAST.. MONDAY WE PICK UP OUR NEW CAMPER
CALOUNDRA
Monday 29th August
Here we are picking up the Camper trailer. After a 3 hour hand over we drove it out of the factory and to our camping spot back at Dicky Beach. It was nerve racking towing it for the first time but soon got used to it and arrived safely at camp and then had to set it up together for the first time. People that travel are very helpful and it wasn't long before we had some interested people offering advice and help. It took a while but we managed it and felt quite proud of ourselves. We didn't put up the full annex on the first day just the over nighter which is very adequate unless it is raining and windy.. It was so exciting transferring all our stuff from the Hilux and seeing it all begin to take place.
We had a week here to get used to everything and we were just 5 minutes from the factory if something went wrong or if we had problems with anything.
|
Luckily for us it didn't. rain while we were having our first go, but as all novices do, we set up on a slight slope and didn't get it as level as we could have due to the lumpy ground. The bed was level so that was OK.
It started to rain again on the second day so we decided to put up the full annex. Predictably we had troubles working it all out and had to call out a guy from the factory to show us all the tricks. We got there in the end and had full shelter for the impending storm that came that night. It was great lying in bed listening to the rain on the canvas. |
Hitting the Road
After 3 attempts we did get the trailer folded down. The canvas being new is very stiff and will improve with use. Plus we had something jammed in the mechanism that we had not realised was there. We had some very good help from a couple close to us. Greg and Jeannie, they helped us navigate through the hitching up and reversing process and after 1 and half hours we were all packed and on our way to Palm Beach , Tallebudgera Creek for a few days to relax by the water and spend our jet boat ride voucher that we had from Scott and Kerry and the girls for Xmas.
4th September:CALOUNDRA TO PALM BEACH
The drive from Caloundra to Palm Beach was mad mad mad. The traffic was unbelievable and we had to go through Brisbane. We tried to get some photos driving over the Story Bridge but were not successful. That was an experience to remember. We are getting used to all the toll ways. They seem to be everywhere in Queensland.
TALLEBUDGERA CREEK
Our Camp Site
It was a 180km drive from Caloundra to Tallebudgera and we arrived there early afternoon and set up camp. We were fortunate enough to get just about the best site on the park, immediately on the water front with views of the water and all day entertainment with the various water activities that were going on. It is a popular place for the local schools to bring their students and instruct them in the ways of water safety. Good to watch!
We were supposed to stay just 2 nights but it is so nice that we decided to stay an extra night and soak it all up.
Our Jet boat ride is on the Gold Coast and about 30 minutes away from camp.
That is not until the 2nd day. Then we are off to Glen Innes for a few days. It is rumoured to be a place of historical interest.
We were supposed to stay just 2 nights but it is so nice that we decided to stay an extra night and soak it all up.
Our Jet boat ride is on the Gold Coast and about 30 minutes away from camp.
That is not until the 2nd day. Then we are off to Glen Innes for a few days. It is rumoured to be a place of historical interest.
JET BOAT RIDE
Point of no Return
The point of no return!
This was an amazing experience. We were whipped around and it felt like some one was pouring buckets of cold water on us. We were saturated by the time we finished but Oh Boy!! What a BUZZ! We would do it all again tomorrow if we could. We went into the Titanium Bar afterwards to have lunch and we soaked in all the wrong places. Not a good look but hey!! Who cares... We never have to see these people again In The picture you will see Greg in the back row nearest the camera. I am ducking down next to him. Extreme fun indeed. We would definitely recommend it.
Well!! It was pretty hard to beat that for an adrenalin rush but while changing into our dry clothes after the soaking Greg managed to drop the keys to the new camper.
We have no idea how it happened but all we know is when we got back to camp and not until the next day there were no keys. Thereby a panic broke out.. We did have a spare set but had to get a back up set before we left for Glen Innes the next day. They were not communal garden keys (rather like car keys) so we had to chase around town looking for a lock smith that stocked those particular kind of keys. The Mr. Minute men in the Malls don't have them. We did manage to find a place that had them we could now sit back and relax and remember be more aware in the future..
We have no idea how it happened but all we know is when we got back to camp and not until the next day there were no keys. Thereby a panic broke out.. We did have a spare set but had to get a back up set before we left for Glen Innes the next day. They were not communal garden keys (rather like car keys) so we had to chase around town looking for a lock smith that stocked those particular kind of keys. The Mr. Minute men in the Malls don't have them. We did manage to find a place that had them we could now sit back and relax and remember be more aware in the future..
LAST NIGHT AT PALM BEACH
Well we we a great time here and would come again but only if we had direct waterfront again. The rest of the park were packed in like sardines and one can only imagine how packed it would be in the peak season. There seemed to be a lot of empty sites but the sites were very close to each other. We had to refuse the first site offered as it was so close to the caravan next to us that our guy ropes would have been crossing over. Luckily we refused it and were offered this great site with bags of space to spread out. Cant wait to get to the National Parks and be free of all the hustle.
Tomorrow we pack up and head for Glen Innes. Famous for the Celtic Standing Stones and the Beardies.
Tomorrow we pack up and head for Glen Innes. Famous for the Celtic Standing Stones and the Beardies.
7th SEPTEMBER: ON THE ROAD AGAIN TO GLEN INNES
Arrived at Craigie Burn Cottages early afternoon and we were amazed to see that we were the only people there at that point. We had a free range and could have chosen any site we wanted. The Place seemed so peaceful and the owner was very helpful.
If you remember the TV series "The Love Boat" it was rather like that. The same person seemed to wearing all the hats and doing all the work.
Where ever you went he was there wearing a different hat and running the place almost single handed. Quite a character.
As you can see we had so much space and with all the trees that unfortunately were just in bud we could only imagine how pretty it would be in full bloom. There were some people in the cabins but on the campsite we were alone.
If you remember the TV series "The Love Boat" it was rather like that. The same person seemed to wearing all the hats and doing all the work.
Where ever you went he was there wearing a different hat and running the place almost single handed. Quite a character.
As you can see we had so much space and with all the trees that unfortunately were just in bud we could only imagine how pretty it would be in full bloom. There were some people in the cabins but on the campsite we were alone.
STANDING STONES
The National Monument to Australia's Pioneers. It is made up of 40 granite Monoliths, the standing stones have a circle of 24 stones representing 24 hours of the day, three central stones, four cardinal stones marking true North, East, South and West, and seven stones marking summer and winter solstices, the longest and shortest days of the year. These are the first of their kind to be built in 3500 years and are unique in the southern hemisphere..
Strange myths and legends surround the stones in Europe and some visitors report feeling a powerful, spiritual influence as they walk through the stones.
As unique as they are, all we felt while walking through them was frostbite and swiftly headed to the Crofters Cafe for a home made lunch in the warmth....
The crofters Cottage is a replica Taigh Dubh "Black House" of the early Celtic Peoples.
Strange myths and legends surround the stones in Europe and some visitors report feeling a powerful, spiritual influence as they walk through the stones.
As unique as they are, all we felt while walking through them was frostbite and swiftly headed to the Crofters Cafe for a home made lunch in the warmth....
The crofters Cottage is a replica Taigh Dubh "Black House" of the early Celtic Peoples.
MOREE ATESIAN SPRINGS
ONE OF THE POOLS
We 'Took the Waters' here at Moree and definitely felt the benefit. The thermal pools made for a very social gathering with people of all ages just relaxing in the pools and conversing on all subjects and exchanging travel stories and generally having a fun.
The bore has been sunk to a depth of 720 metres directly beneath the park to tap into the Great Artesian Basin and take advantage of the curative and soothing powers of the mineral rich water at a natural temperature of around 39c.
Greg zapped down and took this photo after we came out but we decided to stay an extra day as the place was so relaxing so we could soak up some more minerals. Hopefully we will be able to post a photo of us actually partaking in the waters. Just have to remember the camera...
The bore has been sunk to a depth of 720 metres directly beneath the park to tap into the Great Artesian Basin and take advantage of the curative and soothing powers of the mineral rich water at a natural temperature of around 39c.
Greg zapped down and took this photo after we came out but we decided to stay an extra day as the place was so relaxing so we could soak up some more minerals. Hopefully we will be able to post a photo of us actually partaking in the waters. Just have to remember the camera...
Well we did enjoy a second day but once again did not take the camera as it was a little risky leaving it on one of the loungers unattended while we basked in luxury. We promoted ourselves to the hottest pool but couldn't stand it for more that 10 minutes plus the fact that we got the nerd with verbal diarrhea telling us his life story. We snuck back to the 37c pool and then did a little sun baking........................yes sun baking!!!! It was all over in 30 minutes and believe it or not we both came away with red skin and bather lines.. No sunscreen.... we just weren't expecting it..
So the next day (13th Sept) we packed up in record time (we are getting better) and made our way to Brewarrina in the hope of staying at 4 Mile Campground.
So the next day (13th Sept) we packed up in record time (we are getting better) and made our way to Brewarrina in the hope of staying at 4 Mile Campground.
4 Mile Campsite
The photos on website looked really good but it is amazing what a good photographer and Photoshop can do. It turned out to be a dirty stinky place on an incline with lumps and bumps and not a single place where we could set up the camper on level ground.The place was deserted and looked as if no one had been there for years..LOL!!! just our luck so we decided to head over to Bourke and take our chances with sites.. it couldn't be any worse and it was 100kms closer to Silverton which is where we were heading.
We took the Kamilaroi Highway. Along the way we saw more than we wanted to of roadkill that had wandered innocently onto the road and been skittled by some oncoming road train. Being an animal lover it is hard to see.
We took the Kamilaroi Highway. Along the way we saw more than we wanted to of roadkill that had wandered innocently onto the road and been skittled by some oncoming road train. Being an animal lover it is hard to see.
Those Guys have a schedule to meet and nothing stands in their way. Even herds of cows crossing on the stock route are not exempt. They thunder through mowing down anything in their path.
On the positive side, the wildflowers were stunning and the fields looks as they had been spray painted in different shades of gold. Absolutely beautiful..
Bourke
On arriving at Bourke we were very pleasantly surprised. The sites were lush with thick green grass and soft clover. LUXURY!!! The people were mainly campers and camper trailers so we felt right at home.
The weather was very mild and we did not feel a chill at all and sat outside until late. Bourke has very strict alcohol laws and we were not able to buy a 4 litre cask here, had to be 2X2 litres which cost a fortune. Should have stocked up at Moree but hey! you live and learn. There are lots of National Parks and places of beauty to see but we will pick all those up on the way back as we want to get to Silverton and also stop at Old Buckanbe Station for a couple of days before Silverton where we have a meet of the ExplorOz (website) group. That will be fun.
The weather was very mild and we did not feel a chill at all and sat outside until late. Bourke has very strict alcohol laws and we were not able to buy a 4 litre cask here, had to be 2X2 litres which cost a fortune. Should have stocked up at Moree but hey! you live and learn. There are lots of National Parks and places of beauty to see but we will pick all those up on the way back as we want to get to Silverton and also stop at Old Buckanbe Station for a couple of days before Silverton where we have a meet of the ExplorOz (website) group. That will be fun.
Wildflowers at the Back of Bourke
We decided on a short cut. The Barrier highway which is listed as an unsealed road and Old Buckanbe Station is situated along it. If we had t taken the bitumen road it would have been 300 kms longer. It was a very unusual drive. The terrain changing from cattle grid to cattle grid and the road surface was getting rougher and narrower.
We pulled up under a shady tree for lunch and to stretch our legs and when opened the car door the aroma from the wild flowers was overwhelming. As strange as it sounds it reminded us, in a nice way of old fashioned pipe tobacco.. They seemed to grow in channels and formed stripes.
Eventually after about 200 kms in the dust we came to
Old Buckanbe Station.
The place was all locked up and obviously closed......
Oh ****** it!
Now what..
Old Buckanbe Station.
The place was all locked up and obviously closed......
Oh ****** it!
Now what..
.
We really had no choice but to keep going to the next town which was another 100kms and by all accounts not a very nice place. There were no campsites advertised there. Ah well them's the breaks I guess.. Ho hum fiddley dee!!
About 20 kms further on we saw a sign to Coach and Horses Campground. Right out of the blue. We took the sign posted track and were expecting a red dust bowl at the end of it but as got closer we saw lots of big trees and the a sign saying Parroo-Darling National Park. We drove to an Oasis in the middle of the dessert. Nestled along side the Darling river bank. It was sooooooooooooooo pretty and so peaceful. About 2-3 acres of grassed camping areas all very private. We had the place practically to ourselves with our nearest neighbours about 200 metres away hidden in the bushes. We couldn't believe our luck.
It just goes to show you that everything happens for a reason.. Our one night stay has turned out to be 3 nights... We are still here and moving on tomorrow to Silverton
About 20 kms further on we saw a sign to Coach and Horses Campground. Right out of the blue. We took the sign posted track and were expecting a red dust bowl at the end of it but as got closer we saw lots of big trees and the a sign saying Parroo-Darling National Park. We drove to an Oasis in the middle of the dessert. Nestled along side the Darling river bank. It was sooooooooooooooo pretty and so peaceful. About 2-3 acres of grassed camping areas all very private. We had the place practically to ourselves with our nearest neighbours about 200 metres away hidden in the bushes. We couldn't believe our luck.
It just goes to show you that everything happens for a reason.. Our one night stay has turned out to be 3 nights... We are still here and moving on tomorrow to Silverton
Paroo-Darling Natonal Park..........Coach and Horses Campground
Cormorant taking a fish in flight
The river is quite muddy but rumour has it there are lots of good fish in there. We didn't actually do any fishing. Just veged out and took some nice walks. We have a little bird that comes to visit . He is a Brown Tree Creeper.
There are many birds here but the Brown Tree Creeper seems to be the most common.
There are White Cockatoos, Kytes, many different Robins, Herons, Turkeys, swifts, wrens, and the list goes on...
We managed to get a photo of our cheeky visitor. Not as clear as we would have liked but it is enough to remind us of him.
There are many birds here but the Brown Tree Creeper seems to be the most common.
There are White Cockatoos, Kytes, many different Robins, Herons, Turkeys, swifts, wrens, and the list goes on...
We managed to get a photo of our cheeky visitor. Not as clear as we would have liked but it is enough to remind us of him.
There are no showers on camp so we decided to use our own shower that came with the camper. As you can see we had another (not so little) cheeky visitor that decided to pay us a visit. He liked the hot water and came back today for another go. Well our time here is nearly over and we have thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We slept like logs and were able to leave all the windows open & see the stars from our pillows. It is warm and we are able to sit out in the open at night and look up at the heavens and see the shooting stars. The skies are so black and the stars are so bright. I just love the outback. As for our rather large cheeky shower visitor goes... I don't think we've seen the last to of him |
EXPLORE OZ NATIONAL GATHERING 2011:PENROSE PARK SILVERTON, NSW
Saturday 17th September
The drive to Silverton was fairly uneventful and we arrived fairly early in the afternoon. The camp was a real red dust bush camp but we were lucky enough to get a grassy spot along with a group of other early arrivers. The event starts Monday 19th Sept.
Silverton is situated 24 Kms from Broken Hill and it's claim to fame is the fact that it was the location for the making of MAD MAX 2. It is basically a desert town full of characters and museums showing all the MAD MAX memorabilia. The town originated because Silver was discovered here back in the 1800's and it became a thriving Silver Mining Community. Sadly over the years the Silver seams became too deep for it to be viable and so the miners took their families to Broken Hill where most of them were able to get jobs in the mines. Many even took their houses with them, dismantling them and having them moved by rail in 2 halves and reassembled at Broken Hill. Those corrugated iron houses are still standing today and in remarkably good condition.
The drive to Silverton was fairly uneventful and we arrived fairly early in the afternoon. The camp was a real red dust bush camp but we were lucky enough to get a grassy spot along with a group of other early arrivers. The event starts Monday 19th Sept.
Silverton is situated 24 Kms from Broken Hill and it's claim to fame is the fact that it was the location for the making of MAD MAX 2. It is basically a desert town full of characters and museums showing all the MAD MAX memorabilia. The town originated because Silver was discovered here back in the 1800's and it became a thriving Silver Mining Community. Sadly over the years the Silver seams became too deep for it to be viable and so the miners took their families to Broken Hill where most of them were able to get jobs in the mines. Many even took their houses with them, dismantling them and having them moved by rail in 2 halves and reassembled at Broken Hill. Those corrugated iron houses are still standing today and in remarkably good condition.
The Cafe kind of doubles as Doll Museum and has all sorts of bric a brac dating back to the early settlers. To this day they are still digging up bits and pieces from those pioneering days.
Picnic Train Massacre
One of the carraiges stands today a memorial to all those killed
The murders were Afgan andTurkish locals who had developed and ice cream selling business and they used to push the ice cream carts out to Penrose Park on the days that the Picnic train came in from Broken Hill packed with day trippers, all dressed up for a day out.
They were identified, tracked down and killed because the left behind their ice cream carts containing some evidence.
Pretty dumb on today's standards but in light of the current global terrorism situation that stems from these parts of the world.
Jude and Myself walking some ruins
We palled up with a very nice couple, Rob and Jude and drove up to the old ruins for some off road driving. It was very enlightening. They built these houses on the banks of the river.. They built windmills and water storage tanks and the technology was really quite good bearing in mind this was the 1800's. They had hoped to settle there and farm using the river for irrigation but unfortunately for them, it wasn't long before those rivers became dry creek beds and they were forced to leave their homes behind and head for greener pastures. Many of them going to work in the mines at both Silverton and Broken Hill.
On our way back to camp we stopped off at the lookout and snapped a shot of the terrain.
The Prickle from Hell
Alien Prickles
This is one little Mamma that you don't want in your foot or even worse in your pants if you are brave enough to squat in their vicinity.
They are rife in this area,
I got some caught around the bottom of my PJ pants and had a really hard time removing them. They are like something from an Alien movie..
Don't quite know what they are called but will find out,
They are rife in this area,
I got some caught around the bottom of my PJ pants and had a really hard time removing them. They are like something from an Alien movie..
Don't quite know what they are called but will find out,
Meanwhile.... Back at the camp
It seems that there are cheeky little visitors everywhere and Silverton is no exception.
These little guys are called Apostle Birds. So named because they hang out in groups of 12.
Their chirping sounds as if they are trying to talk..
They were a great source of relaxation
These little guys are called Apostle Birds. So named because they hang out in groups of 12.
Their chirping sounds as if they are trying to talk..
They were a great source of relaxation
BROKEN HILL
Broken Hill got its name because it has a........yes you guessed it..... a hill that looks as if it is broken. It is a mining town of old with lots of history but I have to admit that it didn't do much for me. I enjoyed touring around and all the mine sites etc but found it to be quite bland. Even so we managed to have a giggle on the big bench. There were about 40 of us on a tagalong drive which was informative and very well done by our Explore Oz group meet organiser, Dave. Well done Dave..
PS..
Forgot to mention that we won a lifetime membership to Explore Oz and a few goodies for being the attendees that had traveled the furthest..
PPS
Also forgot to mention the red dust storm that drove us from camp to the pub. The wind blew like you wouldn't believe and brought with it thick red dust and grit that coated everything in its path including our brand new camper. Being rookies we battened down and headed for the pub but omitted to shut all the openings and of course it blew and it blew and it got in...I have never seen anything like it.. The air was like a dust cloud from Mars.. It covered a very wide area and in some places the roads were closed because of it. It lasted 24 hours. We cleaned up what we could but figured that we were going to get dusty again so just cleaned enough to make it liveable.
Since we left home we've had Torrential rain, Electric thunder storms, howling gales even snow at Glen Innes but this dust storm took the prize for causing havoc.
It was nice to take refuge in the pub though. Met some very interesting characters in there. Roll on Baradine for our Camper Trailer Club meet. We are traveling with another couple, Wim and Judy as they are also going there and stopping along the way at Nyngan camp site on the banks of the Macquarie River..
Since we left home we've had Torrential rain, Electric thunder storms, howling gales even snow at Glen Innes but this dust storm took the prize for causing havoc.
It was nice to take refuge in the pub though. Met some very interesting characters in there. Roll on Baradine for our Camper Trailer Club meet. We are traveling with another couple, Wim and Judy as they are also going there and stopping along the way at Nyngan camp site on the banks of the Macquarie River..
NYNGAN CAMP SITE:NSW
It is pity that we just had one night here. We camped at the side of the river and and as you can see the views were stunning.
Everything was eco friendly especially the couple we had dinner with.
We met up with Wim and Judy onsite and had dinner with them at the local RSL club. Good Stuff.
We were traveling with them to Baradine which is our next stop
.We just have to come back here when we have time to stay longer..
It is a great spot and a first class camp site.
Nice grass everywhere and good amenities.
We liked it very much
Everything was eco friendly especially the couple we had dinner with.
We met up with Wim and Judy onsite and had dinner with them at the local RSL club. Good Stuff.
We were traveling with them to Baradine which is our next stop
.We just have to come back here when we have time to stay longer..
It is a great spot and a first class camp site.
Nice grass everywhere and good amenities.
We liked it very much
NYNGAN TO BARADINE
We traveled off road most of the way to Baradine. Dust everywhere and great fun. Wim and Judy had been this way before so we followed along behind them.
We stopped at the Macquarie River Wild LIfe Sanctuary, (Cumbung/Miranda) which had been very well set up with views over the water and great views of all the birds here.
There is an especially man made look out for bird watchers to come and spend time doing what they love, in the shade.
And so off we went on our merry way, through the fields with 2 metre high grasses lining the road either side for as far as we could see. It was lovely.
We were not far from Baradine when we changed over onto bitumen.
Enjoying the scenery still we heard this loud
BANG!
What the ************** was that?
Not just a puncture but a complete blow out. The side of the tyre was totally destroyed from the explosion and there was no way it could be repaired.
Ah well , it is a good job that we were traveling with someone when that happened or it would have taken us much longer to to change the wheel. It looks like 2 new new tyres when we get to Dubbo. Hopefully there will be no more blow outs. Once again, thanks to Wim for being there to help us out. |
24th September : BARADINE
Wow!!!
As we drove into town and through the main street there was an array of welcome posters done by the local school children and they were in every shop window and displayed proudly just about everywhere they could hang one. What a great feeling for to know that this tiny community were so happy to have us all staying at their Camp Cypress.
This is the 10th Anniversary of the Camper Trailer Club and this is the place that was chosen to have the National Anniversary Meet. For this small town it is a big happening. The locals have arranged some special things to mark the occasion.
As we drove into town and through the main street there was an array of welcome posters done by the local school children and they were in every shop window and displayed proudly just about everywhere they could hang one. What a great feeling for to know that this tiny community were so happy to have us all staying at their Camp Cypress.
This is the 10th Anniversary of the Camper Trailer Club and this is the place that was chosen to have the National Anniversary Meet. For this small town it is a big happening. The locals have arranged some special things to mark the occasion.
View from our camper
Baradine has a population of just 680 people and situated on the edge of the Pillaga National Park.
It originated from the logging industry back in the 1930's because of the changing world is having to re invent itself.
The National Parks Dept. are slowly developing a tourist industry here by creating look outs,well appointed picnic spots and tours in the Forests.
The close knit community has itself taken responsibility for a range of services including the operation of a group accommodation complex, being Camp Cypress where we are camped. It is a lovely spot that in some places overlooks the old Trotting track which is now a large paddock used for horses which we are lucky enough to be camped right next to.
It originated from the logging industry back in the 1930's because of the changing world is having to re invent itself.
The National Parks Dept. are slowly developing a tourist industry here by creating look outs,well appointed picnic spots and tours in the Forests.
The close knit community has itself taken responsibility for a range of services including the operation of a group accommodation complex, being Camp Cypress where we are camped. It is a lovely spot that in some places overlooks the old Trotting track which is now a large paddock used for horses which we are lucky enough to be camped right next to.
26th Sept:
A quiet drive through the National Park to the Pilliga Pottery
Our friends Wim and Judy asked us if we would like to make up a convoy of 3 and go for to the Pillaga Pottery via the off road route. It seemed like a good idea so Wim was in front and we all followed. The road was very dry and dusty with logging trucks coming at us from the opposite direction. Our first stop was at Schwagers Bore, a very populat place with bird watchers. In fact there was a bird watcher at the side of the road holding a huge lense on his camera and I thought it was a speed camera. DERRRR!!! As if!
All back on the road to our second stop which was The Salt Caves. The Salt Caves Rest area also houses the Original Fire tower that was commissioned by forestry in the 1930's and was replaced by the existing metal Tower in 1972. Just a short walk from here was another birds watchers spot and also frog spotting... I had never heard of frog spotting before.
This is a really nice picnic spot. They even allow free camping here. Complete seclusion and nothing to be heard but the birds.
The Salt cave contained several different footprints that looked as if they could be Wombats and foxes. |
These places are miles and miles from anywhere. Our next stop will be Dandry Gorge and then off to the Pilliga Pottery for Devon shire Tea. The Roads are getting narrower and dustier and all we can think is, thank the Lord that Wim has a good navigator who can guide us through this maze of twisting winding dirt tracks.
Dreams of a Devonshire Tea
That Devon shire was gradually fading into the distance as the afternoon got under way and we were still a long way from the sculptures.
When we arrived at the Gorge Picnic spot there were several laid out walk trails that took in the sculptures and the views. We opted for the 2 km walk which was a big loop. We come this way but once so we just had to put the Devon shire tea to back of our minds for now and just go for it.
Hats and sunscreen and off we went
UP UP UP we go..... Gee that Devon shire was looking sooooooooooooo good at that point.
Dandry Gorge
Dandry Gorge Aboriginal area is host to the 'Sculptures of the Scrub'. Four artists worked together to create sculptures that would enhance the beauty of the gorge and and at the same time represent the culture of the area.. They have been placed along the enscarpement so that visitors can view them against the back drop of the Gorge. There are also many different wildflowers to be seen along the track. |
The Statues were not what we had expected.
As lovely as they are we had expected sometime more traditional. The statue of the hunter with the child on his shoulder was haunting when you looked back up at it from a lower level... it has been placed on the highest point of the nature walk. Awesome!! |
Well!!
Call me old fashioned but I have to be totally honest and say that none of these works of art did anything for me. apart from the more traditional, hunter and child which was amazing. I could not see the the connections. Maybe I just didn't 'Get it" It was a great walk and we had a lot of laughs along the way.. We were lucky to be spending the day with such nice people.
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We had joked about all the remote places we were stopping at and Greg teased me about yet undiscovered tribes of Aboriginals with spears still lurking in the bushes.
From where we were standing down in the gorge, the statue looked very real it gave us the feeling that were being watched After the meandering climb up came the miandering climb down.. The views coming down were fantastic.
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Greg set the timer on his camera to take this shot. He made a mistake with the settings and the camera actually took 10 shots instead of one.The flash kept going off and by the tenth shot things started to fall apart.
Cracking a smile took on a whole new meaning. I think I had the broader grin.
Race against time to the pottery
The day had flown by and the Devonshire tea subject reared it's yummy head again.. We didn't have a lot of day left so decided to take the short cut across country to try and make it before they closed up.
On the road again.. more winding narrow tracks and as it got later the shadows across the road got longer,.
Our imaginations ran away with us and we wondered what would happen if it got dark before we reached the Pottery and maybe we would have REAL camp in the bush with our emergency tent for the night. . OMG!! DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE...............
I was quite relieved when we pulled in to the pottery around 5pm and they were still open for business and better still they still had some Devon shire teas left.. Apparently there was never a worry about getting stranded in the dark in the bush... It was just Greg teasing me again with that "Yet undiscovered tribe of Aborigines lurking in the bushes with spears"
Example of some Pottery
The Artists work in the studio in public for the visitors to see. They have created a Pottery Tree out in the gardens which is made up of thousands of pieces of broken pottery and shaped into a tree. They are adding to it all the time. A fascinating example of the human imagination.
It was just starting to get dark when we left there and were back on the bitumen before it was nightfall.
Wow what a day that was... We were out for 10 hours and all of us were totally exhausted by the time we arrived back to camp.....
Fish'n'Chips, a hot shower and bed .
It was just starting to get dark when we left there and were back on the bitumen before it was nightfall.
Wow what a day that was... We were out for 10 hours and all of us were totally exhausted by the time we arrived back to camp.....
Fish'n'Chips, a hot shower and bed .
This was a day of rest and relaxation. There were quite a few work shops organised for the week so we decided to partake in some of them. The Weather changed dramatically and became very cold and very windy..Some of the members packed up and left early because of the weather but we decided to stay on here for another week after the event had finished as we had to take the camper in to Dubbo for its first service and didn't want to go there during the school holidays. It is nice and quiet here and once all the club members have left we'll have the place almost to ourselves. The weather wasn't the best but we dealt with that. We had a great view and comfy chairs.. who could ask for more.
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Horses: The first thing we see when we get up in the morning
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Campfire :The last thing we see before going to bed at night
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6th Oct:Rained in
The weather has not been kind to us so we have tended to stay close to camp. We have been out for some nice drives. We were intending to go to the old saw mill today but it is on a dirt track and has become very slippery and water logged because of the rains so we will hopefully do that one tomorrow. We also want to get to the National Park at Coonabarabran. We took a drive out there yesterday but ran out of time so will try that one again. There are some really good free camps there by all accounts so we want to check them out. So here we are...Rained in...
Looks like scrabble tonight
7th Oct
Part of the old saw mill
Woke up today and the sun was shining so we decided to go out to the Old Saw Mill about 40 mins drive down a dirt road in Pilliga National Park.
The Wooleybah Sawmill and Settlement is of heritage significance as a rare surviving and intact example of a bush sawmill and settlement dating from the 1930s in the Pilliga scrub, significant as having been a major source of employment for the local Aboriginal community from the 1930s until the closure of the mill in the late 1990s.
The Wooleybah Sawmill and Settlement still contains evidence of the lifestyle at the mill including houses , a school, office, bore, road and the saw mill.
Aboriginal people played a big part in the forestry industry and in particular in the Pilliga. Wooleybah is one surviving site which shows how workers formed a very close community.. Wooleybah settlement was one of very few places where Aboriginal people could live and work alongside non-Aboriginal people and still maintain their connection with the land
The Wooleybah Sawmill and Settlement is of heritage significance as a rare surviving and intact example of a bush sawmill and settlement dating from the 1930s in the Pilliga scrub, significant as having been a major source of employment for the local Aboriginal community from the 1930s until the closure of the mill in the late 1990s.
The Wooleybah Sawmill and Settlement still contains evidence of the lifestyle at the mill including houses , a school, office, bore, road and the saw mill.
Aboriginal people played a big part in the forestry industry and in particular in the Pilliga. Wooleybah is one surviving site which shows how workers formed a very close community.. Wooleybah settlement was one of very few places where Aboriginal people could live and work alongside non-Aboriginal people and still maintain their connection with the land
The buildings were quite spacious and it was easy to see how they lived their lives. One of the bedrooms still had the writing on the door. "Jenny's Room" Unfortunately the photo didn't turn out. Even the furniture had been left behind.
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Walking around the ruins we could see that when the mill closed, everyone just downed tools and left. Even old lunchboxes and water bottles lay where they were last used. It is a credit to the tourist who makes the effort to drive all the way down there that in the main, there has been no vandalism.The Mill is now set on private property and the owner allows people to come along and browse.
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8th October : Last Night at Baradine : on to DUBBO tomorrow
Well we had only intended to stay for 6 days here at Baradine and it has turned out to be 15 and reluctantly we have leave for Dubbo tomorrow. We didn't have the best of weather but the peace and tranquility more than made up for that.
We lit our last campfire as the sun was going down.
Tony joined us for some campfire stew and we had a few yarns and told a few jokes. There was just the 3 of us left in the camp so we could make as much noise as we wanted to without having to worry about a 10pm quiet rule. And we did!
We didn't get away as early as we had hoped as we were late getting to bed. But sure enough, our cheeky little visitors were there to say good bye.
GOODBYE FOR NOW.... BARADINE
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DUBBO....HERE WE COME
Well the only thing we are looking forward to at Dubbo is the Western Plains Zoo. We would not even be going there at all if we didn't have to get the Camper in for it's first service. Plus we ordered new tyres for the Hilux and the broken tail gate catch. We stayed in a Caravan Park close to the places that were doing the jobs. What a dump!!! We set up in soggy mud laden grass saturated by the recent rains. We had main truck routes on 3 sides and an Industrial estate on the 4th side that had public address systems going all day starting at 6am.. We had booked in advance so really had no idea what it was like till we got there. Dubbo is a busy place and by all accounts the only vacancies were at this place. I can understand why. We had to stay in an onsite van for the last 2 nights because the camper was not going to be ready in time. That is just the way it worked out. The onsite van cost us $50 a night and looked like something from ' Trailer Trash Weekly'.. That was all they could offer us.. They normally save that van for the back packers....lol but did us a special favour by allowing us to stay in it. It was certainly an experience... We lovingly named it 'The Chateau'..
In all fairness to the owners of the park, who are really nice people I won't mention the name of it..
In all fairness to the owners of the park, who are really nice people I won't mention the name of it..
WESTERN PLAINS ZOO:DUBBO
Talk to the Animals
The Dubbo Zoo is amazing and we are so glad that we had the chance to come and see it. As you will see our favourite animal was the Giraffe. We hired a little golf cart for 3 hours and then had a picnic lunch in the Aussie picnic area. We spent the second half of our Zoo day in our own car and drove around. We could stop anywhere we liked and get out and see the animals in a totally natural environment.
The Giraffe enclosure is very large and the animals were able to run around and have lots of space to themselves.
They are so graceful, gentle, well cared for and happy. The breeding program seems to be going well with the birth of a little one earlier this year. People were paying to go out on the platform and feed them. We were happy to just stand back and watch. A sight to Behold... |
We took so many photos here but just picked out a few to put on here remind ourselves on here of the lovely day that we had at Dubbo Zoo... |
This is part of the waterway forming a moat around the monkey enclosure that has no bars, no concrete floors or glass walls... just water to keep them from escaping. Unfortunately we were not lucky enough to get a photo of any monkeys.. they were very clever at hiding themselves.They have so much space to roam around in.. Oh so Natural..
No Blog of the Zoo would be complete without a pic of some one standing at the lookout. Namely ME!
All the enclosures at the Zoo are huge and very much in keeping with the different animals natural enviroment.
What a great job they have done and what a great day we had!
What a great job they have done and what a great day we had!
15th Oct: BOURKE
Well all that was a couple of days ago and we arrived in Bourke again for the second time yesterday.
Bourke is situated on the Darling River and has lots of rich heritage. It has been the centre of the wool, cotton and citrus industry as well as being an interesting tourist town. It has been immortalised in song and poetry as Henry Lawson once said, "If you know Bourke you know Australia" as Henry Lawson lived here.
Bourke is situated on the Darling River and has lots of rich heritage. It has been the centre of the wool, cotton and citrus industry as well as being an interesting tourist town. It has been immortalised in song and poetry as Henry Lawson once said, "If you know Bourke you know Australia" as Henry Lawson lived here.
We were pleasantly surprised by the visitor centre. We had not realsed that Bourke had so much history.
We were looking forward to a devonshire tea at the centre cafe but just our luck, it was closed awaiting new owners to take over..Those devon shire teas seemed to elude us. |
The Old North Bourke Bridge on the Darling at Bourke
The North Bourke Bridge was opened in 1888 and was the first lift up bridge in NSW. The bridge is no longer open to traffic. The public can walk the bridge and take in the beauty of the architecture as it was in then.There is now a new bridge that runs parallel with it.
Not as quaint but it does the job.
It is a pity that these old heritage protected structures can't be restored to a level than they can be utilised.
During the big floods of 1976 the water rose to a level where it was lapping on the top of the bridge. The Darling River here where it passes through Bourke is lined with levees to hold back any future flood waters but there have been no threats since the 1976 scare.
Not as quaint but it does the job.
It is a pity that these old heritage protected structures can't be restored to a level than they can be utilised.
During the big floods of 1976 the water rose to a level where it was lapping on the top of the bridge. The Darling River here where it passes through Bourke is lined with levees to hold back any future flood waters but there have been no threats since the 1976 scare.
17th Oct
Everything was going great and THEN it struck.......Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaghhhhhh!!
We were supposed to be moving on today but decided to stay here.. We were our way to bush camp at Gundabooka National Park where the amenities are very basic. Not a place you wanna be when your on the run..
Gundabooka will have until wait another day.
Happy Birthday Cardin
Today was going to be move on day but unfortunately the tummy bug is still with us.
We opted to stay close to town for one more night. Just to be sure. Which as it happens was a good thing as we were able to call Cardin, our Grandson and wish him a Happy 12th Birthday. We were concerned that we may not be able to call from the National Park.
In return we received a photo of him enjoying a special Birthday Brekky..
Looks good..
If you can't get spoiled on your Birthday when can you? We also decided to give Gundabooka a miss as it has become very windy and the condions down there, being 25 kms off road might be a little rough with all the red dust blasting about. Instead we will go to Macquarie Marshes and camp at the birds sanctuary. A place called Willie Retreat, Macquarie Marshes.
We opted to stay close to town for one more night. Just to be sure. Which as it happens was a good thing as we were able to call Cardin, our Grandson and wish him a Happy 12th Birthday. We were concerned that we may not be able to call from the National Park.
In return we received a photo of him enjoying a special Birthday Brekky..
Looks good..
If you can't get spoiled on your Birthday when can you? We also decided to give Gundabooka a miss as it has become very windy and the condions down there, being 25 kms off road might be a little rough with all the red dust blasting about. Instead we will go to Macquarie Marshes and camp at the birds sanctuary. A place called Willie Retreat, Macquarie Marshes.
Bourke's cheeky little visitor
This little fella is a called a Noisy Miner Bird.
They are very abundant here in NSW and also in Queensland.
The yellow flash around the eye is actually yellow skin and not feathers.
They are very bold and spend most of the day foraging and scrounging for what ever kind of food they can get..
We didn't find them particularly noisy though.
Just very entertaining
That Yellow flash gives the feeling that they are looking at you no matter where you walk. He was a regular visitor to our camper. He knew when it was meal time.
Beautiful creatures.
They are very abundant here in NSW and also in Queensland.
The yellow flash around the eye is actually yellow skin and not feathers.
They are very bold and spend most of the day foraging and scrounging for what ever kind of food they can get..
We didn't find them particularly noisy though.
Just very entertaining
That Yellow flash gives the feeling that they are looking at you no matter where you walk. He was a regular visitor to our camper. He knew when it was meal time.
Beautiful creatures.
19th Oct
Moving on to Willie Retreat...a wild life reserve about 300 kms...----------
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Willie Retreat Reserve:Macquarie Marshes
The Drive to Willie Retreat from Bourke was uneventful and only dusty for the last few kms. but on arrival at Willie Retreat it suddenly all worthwhile.
We instantly felt right at home and we could camp where ever we wanted to. There were a couple of caravans up in the powered area but we opted for the bush camp end of the reserve and we were what seemed like miles from anyone. It was a real treat after having to stay in not so good caravan parks for the Iast 2 stops. It was a fair old hike to the amenities but we set up our own shower and tried to remain self sufficient. When we needed the loo the exercise was good for us. |
Some Background
In January 2011 , Myra Tolhurst won he Australia Day award for Business House of the Year. Myra and her husband Phil started out at Willie trying to run the station and make a living off the land which sits right next to the Maquarie Marshes. Together they formed Willie Retreat. Phil could often be seen taking children in canoes through the marshes or pointing bird watchers in the right direction..
Sadly Phil passed away in 2007 and Myra decided to stay on and take on the massive task of running the place single handed.
At her not so young age this is no easy task..
Myra also takes in sick and orphaned animals and nurses them back to health. Hand raising orphaned Kangaroos and releasing them into the reserve to rehabilitate to a point where she can let them go completely free.
There are also emus and goats living on her property that she has adopted as they can not survive in the wild.
She has even rehabilitated Goannas and they now live happily amoung the visitors and are quite tame as are the Kangaroos and the other wild life that surrounded us.
What a great lady she is and so interesting to talk to. She has an amazing knowledge of the area and is more than happy to give up her precious time to talk to visitors.
'Tis just a bush camp but it is a bush camp with a difference.
We were made to feel very welcome and got a big warm hug from Myra when we left.
Now how often does the owner of a business such as this give you a hug..
Thank you Myra
SOME OF MYRAS ADOPTEES AT WILLIE RETREAT
Well after a couple of days just sitting around enjoying ourselves we decided that we should take a drive out and check out the Marshes and surrounding villages as the first time we came this way we were not able to stop .. it was just a drive through. The nearest town, which is 70 kms away, is a place called Quambone.
Quambone has a shop that has no stock apart from 2 loaves, a few rusty cans of food and some icecream. We needed some groceries but it looked as if that was going to have to wait. If Jesus were still alive he could have taken those loaves and turned them into a feast but them's the breaks I guess. There is a church , a pub and Quambone is home to the smallest library in NSW. Having driven 70kms to get here we were forced against our will to try the pub lunch...this village is so small that it amazes us that the pub stays in business. We were the only customers for lunch, in fact the only customers full stop! Despite that the lunch was great and so so cheap.. How do they do that?
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Felt felt little bit tired after all the excitement in town so went back to camp for a rest....
The Drive out to the Marshes
Next day we took another direction and went to the lookout.
There was a lot of bird life there but they kept themselves hidden and for the best part of our time there we were not really able to get any good shots of them.
The waters were moving quite fast and apparently a large amount of water had been released from a Dam way up stream. It was due to reach here in 4 days.The 'Experts' are hoping that the extra water will not harm the natural balance of the Marshes. The locals tell us that there are over 200 different species of birds here.
There was a lot of bird life there but they kept themselves hidden and for the best part of our time there we were not really able to get any good shots of them.
The waters were moving quite fast and apparently a large amount of water had been released from a Dam way up stream. It was due to reach here in 4 days.The 'Experts' are hoping that the extra water will not harm the natural balance of the Marshes. The locals tell us that there are over 200 different species of birds here.
On our way back to camp we came across some cows that wanted to share the road with us. They were trying to take a short cut.... Not something you see each day
Yes Folks!.... It's Silly Mailbox Time
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If it's good enough or the cows it's good enough for us so we decided to take a shortcut of our own..and guess what..! It might not look like much but the water was quite deep and I hung out of the window to film it. The old leg muscles can still hang on when they have to.
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It's a bad sign when we beat the birds to bed.
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It seems that the people here take great pride in their mailboxes. I wondered if they have competitions for the best mailboxes. The small township itself is also very well taken care of. Very neat and tidy. Well back to camp again for another peaceful nights sleep. All the excitement again was too much for one happy camper.. Greg Avoiding the Flash |
24th October : Bye Bye Willie Retreat
Several of people that we have spoken to had told us about a place called Coolah Tops. It is a National Park just about 30kms up the hill from a town called Coolah, about 360 kms from Willie Retreat. We decided to give it a try.
Coolah... The home of the Black Stump...
Everything in town is the Black Stump this or the Black Stump that..
We wanted to get up the hill to the National Park before it got too late but we knew that at some point we would find out about the 'Black Stump' The 30km Drive up the hill was an experience to behold.
It was a narrow gravel track that wound its way up the side of the mountain with a sheer drop on the side in many places. We just prayed that nothing came the other way in some spots.
The Views were absolutely stunning and literally took our breaths away. If it rains this road can become impassable as it gets very muddy and very slippery. The Hilux doesn't like hills much especially with the camper on the back but it made it OK. The fuel gauge went down down down as we went up up up. It seemed like a never-ending spiral to the top.
We didn't want to risk stopping to take photos on the way up just in case we had trouble getting away again so will take photos when we don't have the trailer on, on the way down to town.
Eventually we saw the sign and had arrived at the Coolah Tops National Park. We were heading for the Barracks Campground and here it is with me in 59 million layers of clothing stoking the fire on our first evening. No one else there again.. just us and the trees and the cold.
Everything in town is the Black Stump this or the Black Stump that..
We wanted to get up the hill to the National Park before it got too late but we knew that at some point we would find out about the 'Black Stump' The 30km Drive up the hill was an experience to behold.
It was a narrow gravel track that wound its way up the side of the mountain with a sheer drop on the side in many places. We just prayed that nothing came the other way in some spots.
The Views were absolutely stunning and literally took our breaths away. If it rains this road can become impassable as it gets very muddy and very slippery. The Hilux doesn't like hills much especially with the camper on the back but it made it OK. The fuel gauge went down down down as we went up up up. It seemed like a never-ending spiral to the top.
We didn't want to risk stopping to take photos on the way up just in case we had trouble getting away again so will take photos when we don't have the trailer on, on the way down to town.
Eventually we saw the sign and had arrived at the Coolah Tops National Park. We were heading for the Barracks Campground and here it is with me in 59 million layers of clothing stoking the fire on our first evening. No one else there again.. just us and the trees and the cold.
CoolahTops became a National Park in 1996. It covers 12100 hectares of the Liverpool Ranges. This is where the Warrambungle Range joins the The Great Divide and the Liverpool Range. It has very high rainfall which supports the abundance of wild life and the Eucalyptus forest.
There is also a big population of greater gliders which is a gliding possum.. The Gliders here are the large and can grow to a metre long. They are nocturnal and live on Eucalyptus leaves and sleep during the day in tree hollows. They glide between the tree tops on their outstretched membrane for up to 100 metres.
The weather forecast said it would be warmer tomorrow and we all know that the weather forecast is always right so we confidently set up, safe in the knowledge that tomorrow would be a nice sunny day........
WRONG!!!
Never being ones to call it quits we made a joint decision to hang in there... it is sure to improve and there is so much to see. After a freezing cold first night in bed sleeping in our clothes with triple layers of blankets on with we rugged up and went for a drive next morning. At least it was warm in the car. We went up to the Pinnacle Lookout .
It was a 24 km drive up to the lookout along narrow dirt roads and we even had a mini water crossing to drive through.
It was a 24 km drive up to the lookout along narrow dirt roads and we even had a mini water crossing to drive through.
It looks pretty tame on the photo but that dip was a lot steeper and a lot rougher than it looks. Well it seemed that way to me anyway..
The scenery is beautiful all the way to the top and the views from the lookout are spectacular. Pity that it wasn't a clearer day. It was still well worth the drive up but still very cold and windy plus it was starting to rain so we headed back down to camp before it got too slippery.
The scenery is beautiful all the way to the top and the views from the lookout are spectacular. Pity that it wasn't a clearer day. It was still well worth the drive up but still very cold and windy plus it was starting to rain so we headed back down to camp before it got too slippery.
And guess who was waiting for us back at camp >>>>>>>>>>>.
These Roos are so tame and will take food from you if you offer it although they don't encourage it. The Sun was shining back at camp but the temperature still need to improve.
We just lit our campfire a little earlier and as it wasn't raining anymore sat around it to keep warm. Later in the afternoon other travelers started to arrive and by night fall we had another six setups on the site. Funnily enough we came very protective of our wood.
We had spent a long time gathering firewood and didn't want anyone stealing it. Lol...
Greg hunted, gathered, chopped and sawed his little heart out .
A real Cave man at heart.
Somebody must have told!!!
The whole night it poured down with rain and the winds blew and it thundered and lightninged and the camper was too wet to pack up so we took off to another lookout...This one was called Breeza Lookout with a walk trail at the top for fit climbers only. That didn't sound like us but we went for the drive anyway. Another long winding steep track and the scenery was once again unbelievable. As we got higher we drove into the low clouds that were at the top of the mountain. Neither of us had ever experienced anything quite like it. In some places visibility was almost zero and if we thought it was cold down at camp it was nothing like this.. it was great.
OK... One more day and then we are moving on down to the valley. We passed place called 'Our Paddock' on the way up here.. just out of town and it looked like our kind of place so we are making the short trip to Coolah Town to spend a few days down there and find out about the township, plus it will be warmer there..We hope...Before we leave we went to see the old Saw Mill hidden away in the forest.
To be honest, rusty old saw mills and giant grass trees don't do it for me but Greg liked them and life would be boring if we all liked the same things. Meanwhile back at camp we started to get packed up for tomorrows move on. Some little birds came to visit while we cleared up
Next day came around and after one more trip up the winding path to the thunder box we set off down the hill to Coolah town and 'Our Paddock'. Luckily it was not raining so we could take some photos going down the mountain road of the views... Breathtaking...
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28th October : Came down to "Our Paddock'
'Our Paddock' is a lovely spot on the hillside about 5 kms out of Coolaah Town. It is a private property that the owners have turned into a 'freestyle' camp area. The grass is soft.. the water tastes good, the toilets are clean and the showers are hot.. The owners are two of the nicest people you could wish to meet. We could set up where ever we wanted so we set up right against one of the gazebos that had been dotted around the place. It was like having our own private covered patio...and to cap it off, the views from this place are once again amazing.
The peacefulness and the ambiance are hard to beat. There is a small dam on the property and we saw different types of birds. We stayed here for 4 nights and got so settled in that we didn't want to leave. We spent our days just going into the township and meandering around and then on returning to camp we had sheep and lambs in the paddock behind us.. goats in the paddock next to us and horses on the opposite side. How nice to be able to relax in the shade and read before lighting the campfire at night. There was a resident dog that would come and spend a lot of time with us.. His name is Bob.
We got to see some local bird life too and we almost saw a lamb being born. This one is a little girl and Ronda had just chased it around the paddock to try and catch it to check it out. All hell let loose when all the sheep started Baa-ing at the same time. They thought the lamb was in danger..
And last but not least our daily visitor "BOB' See you again Bob... we will definitely be back
2nd November: Drive to Woolomin
Today is 10th November and because there was no signal at Chaffey Dam this is the first chance we have had to catchup with emails and Blog etc.
We got away from Coolah around 10.30 and intended to Drive to Woolomin, about 3 hours away. We had to pass Chaffey Dam to get there so decided to take a look while in the area. It was so nice that we decided to stay and set up right on the waters edge. There were a few other people scattered around the Lake but generally no-one was close to any one else.
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We got away from Coolah around 10.30 and intended to Drive to Woolomin, about 3 hours away. We had to pass Chaffey Dam to get there so decided to take a look while in the area. It was so nice that we decided to stay and set up right on the waters edge. There were a few other people scattered around the Lake but generally no-one was close to any one else.
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Chaffey Dam from the air
Chaffey Dam lies on the edge of The Fossickers Way, 16km north of the tiny town of Nundle. Its prime purpose is to regulate the flow of the Peel River and to boost the water supply to Tamworth..
Well we did all the right things. Went to the shop to get the live bait as instructed.. waited for the fish to start jumping out of the water, which they certainly did and they were BIG fish.. Yellow Bellies I think were the ones we saw. I am sure that they thumbing their noses at us... "Nahhhh Nahhhh Nahhhh Nah Nah Nah.... Can't catch me"..
I really hate that. To be out witted by a fish is totally demeaning. We don't give up that easy and went into town the next day to buy some lures.. We were determined not to be beaten. THIS IS WAR !!!
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The Dam holds about 62000 Mega Litres and is about 30 metres at its deepest point.
The dam was constructed in 1976 and has gained a reputation for being a good fishing spot so we thought we would throw a line in and try our luck. I mean to say it can't be that hard to catch fish in a fully loaded up Lake like this.
There are plenty of Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Murray Cod, Golden Perch, Silver Perch, Catfish, Carp, and Redfin Murray Cod, Golden Perch, Silver Perch and Rainbow Trout. There are even some European Carp in here, just ready for the taking. Friday came around and still we had not caught a single thing. Not even a nibble... We watched as the locals came and went in there small tinny boats and hauled out fish after fish while we sat on shore watching the same fish dance around our lines..
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As Friday morning gradually became Friday afternoon, the realisation that we were no longer alone dawned on us. Of course it was the weekend and people were going to come to the lake...and come they did... in their throngs.. most of them with motor boats, jet skis and anything that could be considered a tow-able water toy. We woke up on Friday morning to the sound of lapping water and total peacefulness and in the course of just one day the place had turned into a boat owners paradise......It was different to the quiet but it was interesting to see all the various types of water sports and to see people having so much fun. Unfortunately some people were having too much fun and there were some undesirables that turned up across the other side of the lake and their sole purpose of being there was to keep everyone awake all night and then throw stones at the water birds in the morning... There were naturally a few complaints to the local police and they were evicted from the lake by Saturday lunchtime...We had some very people come and set up next to us Saturday morning. There were 4 generations of the same family on a weekend getaway.. They had a boat and all sorts of ski gear and tow-able toys. Just as well they were there as they helped us out with some first aid . I tipped a kettle of boiling water over my foot (accidentally) and of all things in our first aid kit we had omitted to include burn stuff. Greg went around to see them and they were so helpful and came across with gels, creams, and dressings.... Even a bandage to cover the blisters... That was a almost a week ago and the blisters are healing well. Thanks Daniel and Co....
As the storm came in and we were taken unaware of how severe it would be........ We didn't have time to take many pics of it gaining in strength as we had to pull out the full annex and try and get it up in the strong wind and heavy rain. We were soaked through....covered in mud and very grotty.... The rain blew through under the walls of the camper making puddles and we got a little flooded out but had to laugh about it as we never thought it would happen to us... It was actually quite scary and we were happy that the camper stood up to the winds well....
Monday morning came and went...still no fish We took a drive into nearby Nundle after lunch and came back to camp and set up the rods again. Late afternoon some people from town came and sat and fished right next to us. He pulled out 4 large fish during the short time they were there. What were we doing wrong.? I think he felt sorry for us as when they left they also left us 4 fish they had caught. It would have been easy to take a photo of the catch and pretend that we caught them but we decided to come clean. On the subject of coming clean we also had to clean and fillet them. That was not an easy task..If we do ever catch any of our own, after that experience we will throw them back..I felt very sorry for them.
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On the subject of coming clean we also had to clean and fillet them. That was not an easy task..If we do ever catch any of our own, after that experience we will throw them back..I felt very sorry for them.
As the sun set we burned the scraps, heads and tails etc on the fire and the smoke was unbelievable. The whole area stunk of smoked fish and probably still does. As does our canvas. We still cant get rid of the stench..We are going to try GLEN20 odour killer next.. We are now in a different camp site but I am sure every time someone walks past our camper they can smell fish..
On the subject of coming clean we also had to clean and fillet them. That was not an easy task..If we do ever catch any of our own, after that experience we will throw them back..I felt very sorry for them.
As the sun set we burned the scraps, heads and tails etc on the fire and the smoke was unbelievable. The whole area stunk of smoked fish and probably still does. As does our canvas. We still cant get rid of the stench..We are going to try GLEN20 odour killer next.. We are now in a different camp site but I am sure every time someone walks past our camper they can smell fish..
The beautiful sunset was a distraction took some of edge off the smell
The smell didn't seem to bother some small Swifts/Martins that had chosen a corner underneath our awning roof to build a nest. They were so cute and very very busy. We didn't have the heart to tell them that we were moving on in a days time.
_ They then lay just one egg. All that work for 1 egg.Totally Amazing stuff..
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It's Silly Mailbox time.
This one was made up from motor cycle parts. These Little Black Cormorants came in groups of 6-10 and kept us amused by swimming back and forth all day with the synchronised head bobbing for fish. At least they were catching something. They were our cheeky little visitors We did take a video of them in action but for some reason.. Weebly wouldn't accept it, so a photo it is....
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It's time to move on and tomorrow is the day. We are heading off to a town called Walcha (pronounced Walka) it is not very far... but it is close to Apsley Falls and several other places of interest.
We decided to give the caravan park there a go. Sometimes it is nice to get all cleaned up before going off road into the National Parks again.. We just heard that our Grandson Cardin is flying out to spend time with us in January.. What a buzz that is. We are very much looking forward to having him travel along with us. It will be an adventure for him traveling alone but supervised by a Qantas escort... |
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8th November Tuesday morning we packed up and headed off to Walcha
What a pretty little place Walcha is. We had no idea what to expect and we were very pleasantly surprised. We drove along streets lined with beautiful sculptures and the river banks are lined with beautiful bright green trees. It is very picturesque.
Walcha's Entry Statement
This was to be the first of many wood sculptures that Walca has become famous for..
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Driving through town to get to the Walcha Caravan Park was a real treat. Everything is so green, groomed and so well cared for. The town seems to be into tree planting and the work they have has certainly paid off. We couldn't wait to settle in and explore this quaint little town.
Driving through town to get to the Walcha Caravan Park was a real treat. Everything is so green, groomed and so well cared for. The town seems to be into tree planting and the work they have has certainly paid off. We couldn't wait to settle in and explore this quaint little town.
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When we got to the caravan park we were again very happy with the choice to come here. It has lovely soft green grass and spacious sites. Tomorrow we will go out to the National Parks along Oxley Highway and see the Gorges Apsley Falls and Werrikimbe National Park. There are walk trails and lookouts there so providing my foot holds up it should be a nice day.
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When we got to the caravan park we were again very happy with the choice to come here. It has lovely soft green grass and spacious sites. Tomorrow we will go out to the National Parks along Oxley Highway and see the Gorges Apsley Falls and Werrikimbe National Park. There are walk trails and lookouts there so providing my foot holds up it should be a nice day.
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The Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is one of the largest in New South Wales. It became a National Park in 1986 following a proposed Hydro Electricity scheme the Apsley Macleay Gorges. It is now the largest area of dry rain forest in Australia
The Park was very well sign posted and
the information boards were very helpful. . |
We managed to see some wildflowers while we were there
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Back on the subject of Walcha
The actual township of Walcha is 1070 metres above sea level so it can quite cold up here. The population of the Walcha District is approximately 3200 at the last count. This is primarily a meat producing area and today the is is one of the largest stock carrying areas in NSW. The area also has a Forestry industry and the Shire is expanding its softwood plantations for long term sustainable forest production..
There are 41 sculptures spread around town and along the Apsley River banks. They are certainly very different and have been created by local, national and international artists.
As Well as the Sculptures there also lots of historic buildings .. typical old hotels and court houses There are 3 beautiful churches that have a history dating back to the 1850's.
Very quaint.
Here are some examples of the Sculptures.
Koolluna Berry Farm
It was raining this morning so after reading the Sunday papers and downing a beautiful Greg cooked breakfast we opted to take a drive out to the Koolluna Berry Farm, about 40kms south of here. It was hidden deep inside a 250 acre property and we drove through the forest on winding tracks of dirt and gravel that we though may never end. We expected to see a Ginger Bread house at the end of the road but we did eventually reach it. Before we could enter we had to.....
''DO NOT PAT THE DOG "
I mean to say............ Would YOU pat it?.. It looks pretty nasty to me..all that tail wagging and those longing looks.. no way..!
Mixed Berry Pie
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found our way to the cafe and because of the rain we were the only
people there. Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in this kind of
weather. But we would not have missed this for the world. There was
every conceivable type of berry being grown and every 5 minutes or so a
21 gun salute goes of to scare away the birds. It scared the living
daylights out of us the first time but once we knew what it was it
didn't seem so loud. We sat down to the best mixed berry pie in the
whole world. It was all totally natural ingredients and made on the
premises. WOW!!! Now THAT"S A PIE.. it was sensational.
Wines and Liqueurs
_After
we got over the after glow of eating the pie, we made our way to the
wine tasting area and got to taste a whole batch of different types of
fruit wines and liqueurs. All totally natural with no preservatives and
matured with time and not chemicals....They
were amazing and we ended up buying a bottle of each of the 7 liqueurs
on offer. It is going to be a good Christmas.... that's for sure.
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14th November: Visited Uralla
Uralla is very nice but all the places of interest were closed because of a lack of Volunteers.
Unfortunately we cant back at the weekend.
There was however an abundance of glossy brochures on the area in the information centre. Maybe they should think about keeping the tourist info simple (plain paper) and use the money saved to pay someone to man the museums etc... Makes sense to me..
It is a pity that visitors can't spend money in the area because of the lack of interest by the locals.
We did see the out side of the Military Museum and spotted a couple of Geese at the bird reserve on the way back to Walcha..
New England Cheese Factory and Goat Farm
In a passing conversation with another traveler we were told about the New England Cheese Factory. It is a Goat Farm that makes goat meat products and various types of Goat Cheese. It sounded interesting and we were curious so we drove out there. As we approached the skies turned black and once again the heavens opened up on us. It thundered and lightninged.. the whole works. Hey they don't mess about up here in the mountains.
When it thunders, it THUNDERS!!
When it thunders, it THUNDERS!!
We were allowed into the pens and I got to hold a baby, still very young. As I held it all the others were trying to climb up my legs to get a cuddle too. They were trying to eat my sweat pants and were tugging at my shirt. It felt so strange but I loved the experience.
Apparently goats love a cuddle but they hate the rain.
So do I. After all that we went into the cafe a and sampled some of the lovely cheeses on sale. We were pleasantly surprised at how nice it was as neither of us had ever eaten Goat Cheese before. We bought some Goat Brie and some Yoghurt. There were also goat pies and various kinds of goat meat products.
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There were also goats dotted around on the left hand side of the driveway. It was a pretty scene. On arrival we are asked if we wanted to see the baby goats as this is the kidding season. Of course I didn't need asking twice. We went around to the nursery and saw kids of all different ages. They are taken away from their mothers at a young age so that the mothers can be milked and the milk used to make the dairy products. Then the kids are all hand-raised until they are old enough to sell or breed from. One young Billy Goat was destined for better things and because he was such a good specimen they were going to sell him for stud. I didn't ask about the others.. I sort of guessed what they were destined for The goat in the picture above is above was the lucky boy who was chosen to spend a lifetime as a STUD.
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As we left clutching our bag of goat cheeses it just bucketed down and we got soaked getting into the car. It chucked it down all the way back to camp and didn't stop all night. We had thunder and lightening but as luck would have it no wind this time..Rain seems to be par for the course now for us.. we are getting used to it. The Video was taken on my phone of the water running off our canvas and the thunderstorm that caused that. However today is the day after that and the sun is out and it is expected to be 29c but wait for it!..... Yes Possible thunder storms later |
_ Greg
is in town right now helping out with some tree planting in town..
My foot is still not healed so I can't take part but I'm sure he will enjoy meeting some of the locals.
The project is being run by 'HICUB' which stands for High Country Urban Biodiversity..
Well all good things must come to an end and it was time to move on.
Tomorrow we leave for Belligen River. A place called Repton just a short drive from the hippie town of Bellingen
My foot is still not healed so I can't take part but I'm sure he will enjoy meeting some of the locals.
The project is being run by 'HICUB' which stands for High Country Urban Biodiversity..
Well all good things must come to an end and it was time to move on.
Tomorrow we leave for Belligen River. A place called Repton just a short drive from the hippie town of Bellingen
16th November: We hit the road to Bellingen River
The format of Belligens blog will be a little different. There was no internet access there so I had to improvise..
So here we go with Bellingen.......................
So here we go with Bellingen.......................
We could hardly believe our luck... What a lovely view
DORRIGO NATIONAL PARK
What an awesome spectacle of nature at its best.
The atmosphere created by the sound of the cascading water coupled with the uniques noises of the rain forest..
The atmosphere created by the sound of the cascading water coupled with the uniques noises of the rain forest..
What can you say??? "You had to be there"... as the saying goes.
Well as turned out this surprise short cut was a pleasant one.Sometimes it's good to just take your time and take it all in.
_Toward the end of our stay at Bellinger River it started to rain I rained and it rained and it rained. It was monsoonish. There was no wind... just non stop constant torrential rain... straight down. The river got higher by the minute and we were paddling around in mud under our floor. The area was put on flood alert and we were told that we would be given 4 hours notice if we had to evacuate.. We decided to sit it out and only move if we had to as packing up a muddy water logged camper was not going to be a very pleasant task. Luckily for a couple of days the river went up and down but never actaully reached flood mode where we were. Other local small towns close by did get flooded and a few roads were closed. We were lucky. Crikey!!.. since we left home in August, we've had howling gales, cyclonic storms, freak dust storms, monsoon conditions... even snow at Glen Innes. Now the floods..... we came out looking for a change and we sure got it..
We thought it would never stop but at the end of the 3rd day it eased off and the sun tried to come out. Sunday we spent most of the day washing and drying our clothes and Monday we took off to Illaroo campsite over by Minnie waters in the search for warmer (dry) weather which seems to be eluding us as we move along..
Illaroo Camping Grounds are within the Yuraygir National Park set right on the beach just north of Minnie Waters
As we drove into the camping area we couldn't believe our eyes. We were expecting it to be quite busy but the complete opposite was true. The place was practically empty and we had the pick of almost anywhere that we wanted to set up.. It was far more beautiful than we had imagined and it seemed like a dream come true for me, as I have always wanted to camp on the beach, right next to the ocean and here I was at 64 living one of my dreams.
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I felt like shouting it out loud but there hardly anyone around apart from someone in a caravan down the road a littleway..
We drove all around and once again managed to get a great spot right on the ocean front. As we were setting up, the couple in the caravan down the road a way came along and advised us not to set up there, as the wind would drive us out... We thought about it for a while but made the stupid executive decision to set up there anyway as didn't seem that windy and it couldn't be THAT bad.It was a great spot so we went ahead and set up regardless.....It was a little windy but nothing we couldn't handle, and to cap it all it was sunny and we had a campfire. Hey... this was great...sunshine...lovely views...sounds of the waves crashing on the beach. Everything we wanted in one place...We have an Event 14 gazebo that we wanted to try out and we were going to put that up to but decided to leave until tomorrow.
THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING
_ OK... So what now..
The wind always blows from the South here and that is why it made a parachute out of the annex roof. It was the way that we were facing..so We could move to a different spot . |
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On the second day the sun disappeared, the rain came back and there was the most terrible storm with gale force winds, exaggerated for us of course as we were in a windy spot any way and a freak gust came under our annex roof and lifted it right off its poles and the whole lot collapsed in a heap. I can tell you can tell you that trying to get that canvas all together in that storm was almost impossible. OR |
HANG ON BABY
_We could turn it around so the back is facing the wind and it has nothing get under and lift.
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So we packed it all up, towed it out and turned it around and re parked it with its back to the wind. Ahha.. that did the trick.. It was really good and the wind had dropped anyway.
We have an EVENT14 Gazebo that we wanted to try out so the following morning we set it up in our bay for some afternoon shade over looking the bay.
HA HA!...Yes I did say "Shade"
Well we didn't want to be negative. It had to get better soon... this is a warm part of the world and even the locals are miffed by the recent weather. We set up the Gazebo for the first time and secured it to the fence posts around our site. That wasn't going anywhere...or at least not during the daytime. 3am and we were awakened by the roar of another storm.The camper trailer stood firm as the wind pounded at it but the Gazebo.... not so lucky. We had to get up at 3 am and in our night gear pick up the pieces and throw them in the car for safe keeping.We didn't want it floating around camp like a hot air balloon
Move number 3
OK.. In the fresh light of day we examined the wreckage and it wasn't as bad as we had thought after a walk around camp though that maybe we should move back a little away from the edge of the beach and find a spot more sheltered. The camp was not very crowded so we had a pick of almost any of them. We chose a really good spot that still had some ocean views but back onto the bush for shelter..Packedit all up again towed it to the new spot and set up. Nice and sheltered. WE even put up the Gazebo again.. a little bent but it did the job. We want to be here for Christmas and new year and have a long stay so the right spot is important.. This seemed like the one. Later that day we were relaxing over a wine and the Ranger called round for the fees. In a polite sort of way he advised us that if were staying until the New Year we might want to consider a different position as the place we had chosen normally gets over run with small tents and we could end up with a small tent pitched under our guy ropes. It is that packed..
OH BUMMER!!! Just when we thought we had it made.
He pointed a beachfront site that was empty and also had lots of shelter. It is the most popular beachfront site and it is Big.. No one else would be able to camp on it once we were there. It was an individually laid out site...and heaps of room for the Gazebo..The only reason it was still free was because of the weather...Ho Hum Fiddley Dee.. Looks like another move coming up. Not many people can lay claim to moving 3 times in the same camp site..Next morning we pack it all up again and moved to the 'You Beaut' prime location with million dollar views and guess what..we stayed there.. It is fabulous and the weather improved a little but it is still un seasonly cool and most days it rains at some point but the sun comes out in between so it makes up for it. so does the view.
OH BUMMER!!! Just when we thought we had it made.
He pointed a beachfront site that was empty and also had lots of shelter. It is the most popular beachfront site and it is Big.. No one else would be able to camp on it once we were there. It was an individually laid out site...and heaps of room for the Gazebo..The only reason it was still free was because of the weather...Ho Hum Fiddley Dee.. Looks like another move coming up. Not many people can lay claim to moving 3 times in the same camp site..Next morning we pack it all up again and moved to the 'You Beaut' prime location with million dollar views and guess what..we stayed there.. It is fabulous and the weather improved a little but it is still un seasonly cool and most days it rains at some point but the sun comes out in between so it makes up for it. so does the view.
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The Flood
Tis' always a good idea not to get too cocky about the weather. We should never take it for granted. We felt sorry for the people that started to arrive for the Christmas and New Year with thier families as the place just flooded out and we were back to the same old pattern. It seemed to be the norm for us now so we just carry on, get wet, grit our teeth and bare it. It actually becoming quite good fun laying bets on where puddles will form and how deep they will be
This photo was taken of the site next to ours after the young couple gave up on trying to put up thier tent setup and moved on to somewhere else.Those puddles were about 4 inches deep
The two photos below show the outside area of our camper . Surprisingly our Gazebo turned out to be water proof and we were able to take refuge and watch the storm develop. It lasted for 2 days solid..
This photo was taken of the site next to ours after the young couple gave up on trying to put up thier tent setup and moved on to somewhere else.Those puddles were about 4 inches deep
The two photos below show the outside area of our camper . Surprisingly our Gazebo turned out to be water proof and we were able to take refuge and watch the storm develop. It lasted for 2 days solid..
Although it doesn't show it, the water flowed under the camper and down the dune at the side of us. It was a few inches deep in places but was OK as the camper is off the ground and nothing inside got wet.We paddled to the Loos and back..
Q: So, what do people do when they are camping it floods... A: Get wet and in our case...drink alcohol, it eases the pain..
Q: So, what do people do when they are camping it floods... A: Get wet and in our case...drink alcohol, it eases the pain..
AFTER THE STORM
Sandon Foreshore
After the storm comes the sunshine and it did and it was great. We took a look at the surrounding areas and found some delightful spots . One of them being Sandon, just a 10 minute drive along the beach at low tide or if we wanted to go by road it was and 75 minute drive in an inland loop to get there.
Sandon is a beautiful place set along side the inlet and the small bay is a paradise but we were amazed to see there was a caravan site there absolutely packed out. It would have been a nice place to stay if it had not been for the peg to peg campers.
As you can see from the photos, the access road runs right on the waters edge.
Another little place we enjoyed visiting is a small fishing village called Wooli.. about 15 kms from camp. Wooli has fallen victiom to climate change and is slowly sinking into the ocean.. It seems like every other property is for sale. It is such a sham as the foreshore and the inlet are unspoiled and a perfect place for families to swim in safety. At low tide we were able to walkacross the bay to the other side
Waiting for Christmas to arrive
Our plan from the day we got to Illaroo was to sit out December so that we had a nice place to stay for Christmas and New Year and also a nice place for when our Grandson Cardin arrives on Dec 28th to spend 3 weeks on the road with us.
Over a very short period of time leading up to Santa's visit, the place was transformed from almost totally deserted to almost packed out. It was interesting to watch all the different setups popping up and gradually changing the landscape. We were glad that we arrived early.
Over a very short period of time leading up to Santa's visit, the place was transformed from almost totally deserted to almost packed out. It was interesting to watch all the different setups popping up and gradually changing the landscape. We were glad that we arrived early.
One by one they kept coming and in some places they were almost camping under each others ropes. We were in the far right hand corner in a very enlcosed area so no one was able to camp inside our boundary . We thought.."Wow"..It is going to be a really nice Christmas with all these family groups and they were all so well behaved
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We set about putting up up solar powered fairy lights and our Chrissy decorations to get into the spirit of the season. As the days ticked by we noticed that no one else was bothering and we couldn't believe it especially with all the chidren. There was no Christmas Spirit. No greetings "Merry Christmas" Not a mention of it and when we went to wish people a Merry Christmas there was no response. Our thoughts of a Joyful Christmas were slowly becoming distant thoughts. WE were battling to think of what we might have done to them all to upset them. Then by our neighbour spoke to Greg and explained that the wole camp practically were all Jehovahs Witnesses and of course they don't celebrate Christmas. That explained a lot and we were relieved to know that it was not personal. They were all such lovely friendly people apart from the Christmas thingy...
Christmas Eve was stormy and cool but we managed to enjoy it anyway
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
Christmas Eve was stormy and cool but we managed to enjoy it anyway
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day the storms returned it was a couple of days before it totally cleared. It managed to stop for a while when Santa made his Christmas Day visit courtesy of the local fire brigade. It was a pity that there were only a handful of children that were permitted to join in. We felt sorry for them having to look on as others were getting thier lollies from Santa.
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Well Santa didn't have to worry about being with 'Overstocks' as once he reached us Greg was followed behind and kept re appearing to collect more lollies.
Such a shame-all that effort from good willed people giving up thier Christmas Morning & at our camp anyway there was almost Zero support. Greg and I are Lions Club Members & have done the Santa thing many times in Perth. We know how much time and effort goes into the planning of it..The good news is Cardin arrives on 28th Dec and we can't wait |
THE ARRIVAL
Let's go back to camp and catch up with lost time..
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The 28th December arrived and we were at Grafton Regional Airport to meet him. It was great to seem him after all this time and he was very pleased to see us too. They only have 3 flights a day here so it was different for him from all the busy international airports that he is used to. What a terrific adventure for a 12 year old boy. When he leaves us he will be getting on a plane at Tamworth for a chaperoned flight to Brisbane to see his relatives and from there back to Perth to start a new school...
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Whooo Hooo Cardin!!
Give Nanna a great big Nanna Hug You know you love it |
HOME SWEET HOME
Cardins Tent under the fragile Gazebo
We headed straight back to camp and Cardin instantly made himself at home in his own tent and gazebo. He placed his shoes outside to claim it.
The gazebo was repaired twice with gaffer tape and cable ties after 2 storms but we didn't mention that to the young man.. he really like it and we didn't want to scare him.
The weather didn't do as we asked it to but then we haven't been getting on well with the weather of late so maybe it was sulking...
Not to worry... none of it mattered. It was just nice to have him here. What a pity they couldn't all come.
The gazebo was repaired twice with gaffer tape and cable ties after 2 storms but we didn't mention that to the young man.. he really like it and we didn't want to scare him.
The weather didn't do as we asked it to but then we haven't been getting on well with the weather of late so maybe it was sulking...
Not to worry... none of it mattered. It was just nice to have him here. What a pity they couldn't all come.
Over the next few days we tried to show him all places locally that we had already seen. We decided to just let him unwind and settle own befoe moving on. We were here until Jan3rd so we had some time. For us the next few weeks would be retracing some of steps as we wanted to stay in NSW because of the music Festival in Tamworth at the end of January. Cardin was happy with that and he was pleased that he would be seeing places that we already knew about It was also good for us to be able to show him those places and be able to answer some questions that he might have had.
Us Unwinding
Us Unwinding
HAPPY NEW YEAR
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SO MANY PEOPLE...SO LITTLE NOISE
It was just us and it was very quiet until midnight when some people went down on to the beach and let off some illegal fireworks. They were very nice.
Apart from that it was just like any other night. There was no spirit in camp at all but the three us managed to have a very pleasant night and we sat up till the early hours talking
SO MANY PEOPLE...SO LITTLE NOISE
It was just us and it was very quiet until midnight when some people went down on to the beach and let off some illegal fireworks. They were very nice.
Apart from that it was just like any other night. There was no spirit in camp at all but the three us managed to have a very pleasant night and we sat up till the early hours talking
NEW YEARS DAY
The storms and high tides had been washing up lots of drift wood. A walk on the beach turned out to be like an episode from the TV series 'Survivor' and the hunting and gathering started.
Da Daaaaaaaa!
What an amazing work of engineering. Maybe a second floor tomorrow
Cardin liked to take charge of the campfire and by the time we left Illaroo he was an expert at laying and lighting campfires. Toasted Marshmallows each night..Yummy
Some Cheeky little visitors
Illaroo had it's share of cheeky little visitors but they were either too fast to be photographed or elusive and came at night to eat our food and leave little messages everywhere. We managed to get photos of a couple of them by sheer luck.
This young Kookaburra was so tame that he would allow me to stroke him and give him a scratch as a parrot would. He had no fear what so ever of humans. It was Delightful.
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This is a young Butcher bird being raised while we were there. We saw him grow and mature and eventually was pulling his own food from the ground but still crying for Mum..
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Cardin only had 3 weeks so we hit the road on Jan 3rd . It was a case of retracing some of our steps so that Cardin could see what we have been doing and he has to fly out from Tamworth so we don't want to wander too far off the beaten track It will be a mix of old and new for us but all new for him. We went back to the New England region as there was so much to see there and we had missed a lot the first time around simply because we didn't know that some places even existed
Cardin only had 3 weeks so we hit the road on Jan 3rd . It was a case of retracing some of our steps so that Cardin could see what we have been doing and he has to fly out from Tamworth so we don't want to wander too far off the beaten track It will be a mix of old and new for us but all new for him. We went back to the New England region as there was so much to see there and we had missed a lot the first time around simply because we didn't know that some places even existed