6 MONTHS ON THE WALLABY

KATHERINE TO MARY RIVER ROADHOUSE (KAKADU)

We left Katherine at 10.00am on Wednesday 16 May and planned to stay at Gunlom Waterfall Camping Ground which was a little way passed Mary River Roadhouse.  The road to the camp ground was unmade for 35 klms which we weren't really happy about but thought we would try it anyway.  When we got to the roadhouse we met up with Richard & Mary who we had met up with at quite a few other places along the way.  They had decided to stay at the caravan park behind the roadhouse and drive to the waterfall the following day without the caravan.  We decided that we would do the same.  We left early the following morning and took our breakfast fixings with us.  Our portable gas stove, frypan, kettle, sausages, eggs, tomato, bread, tea, milk and sugar.  Richard and Mary took their bbq and breakfast things too.  We had a lovely feast under the trees and then went to look at the waterfall which was quite close.

There were quite a few young people there.  They had come in on two tour buses.  The tour guides told us that there was another smaller waterfall and some plunge pools above the larger falls but the walk was quite steep.  We decided we would try it. 

 It was quite strenuous. However, with a few stops along the way we all made it.  We had our swimmers on and it was pure heaven to have a swim.  The water was just perfect.

After coming back down Arnold and Tori and Richard and Mary decided they would swim in the water below the larger waterfall.  Apparently there were freshwater crocodiles in the water but we were told they keep out of the way.

We left the falls and got back to the caravan park early afternoon so we went to the park pool for a swim.  It was a great day.    Bye for now.

MATARANKA TO KATHERINE

Leaving Mataranka we stopped and took a few photos of the replica of Elsey Homestead which they used in the the film "We of the Never Never".

We are now in Katherine.  We finally have internet service again.  I will have to get an aerial for my bigpond usb connection so that I can get service in more places.

The first thing to do was stock up on groceries.  Also go to the Post Office and pick up our microwave plate which was broken when the microwave door flew open (when the wheel came off) and the plate came out and smashed to pieces.  It has taken this long to have one mailed to us.  It's great to finally be able to use the m/w properly.

Today, Tuesday, we went to  Katherine Gorge and did a 2 hour, 2 gorge, boat trip.  It was great but very hot.

We will leave Katherine tomorrow and head up to Pine Creek and then into Kakadu so probably won't have service again for a few more days.    Will update when I can.

Bye for now

MT ISA TO DALY WATERS AND MATARANKA

We left Mt Isa early on Thursday and drove over 600kms.  We stopped at a free camp about 40kms past Three Ways on the Stuart Hwy.  There were 6 other vans already there which made me very happy (nervy freecamper that I am). 

Friday morning we were in no rush as we didn't have that far to go.  We were stopping at the campground attached to the Daly Waters Pub.  The pub has a great evening meal of Beef and Barra and a show by the local singer/comedian.  We had a great night.

Saturday morning we were on our way to Mataranka.  It was only 107kms.  It was great but not as we remember it.  So much more commercialised than 20 years ago when we were last there.  The thermal springs are still as great and we enjoyed our time in the water.

Mothers Day was a good day and in the evening Arnold and I shared a lovely bottle of wine (Tori had a taste too).  That evening it rained very heavily for about an hour.  Packing up in the morning wasn't pleasant as there was no grass and the ground turned quite muddy. 

CLONCURRY TO MT ISA

We left Cloncurry on Sunday for Mt Isa.  It is only 117kms away so we didn't rush.  We found a great caravan park just coming in to Mt Isa.  We had decided to stay for 4 nights as we felt we needed to stay put for a few days.  Also we had to wait for our mail which we had to have redirected from Cloncurry.

Monday was a public holiday (Labour Day in Qld) so we stayed at the park catching up on washing, tidying the van and taking Tori to the pool.

On Tuesday we went to the Moondarra Dam which is the water supply for Mt Isa.

We also went to the lookout which gives a great view over the town.

CLONCURRY TO ADELS GROVE (LAWN HILL NATIONAL PARK)AND BACK TO CLONCURRY

We left Cloncurry at 9.00am.  It was 450kms to Adels Grove which is the caravan/camping park within the Lawn Hill National park -  90kms of this was unmade road.  Of course it was also the same kilometres back.  From Cloncurry you turn off the Barkly Hwy onto the Matilda Hwy to the Burke & Wills Roadhouse, then turn left onto the Wills Developmental Road to Gregory Downs, then onto the unmade road which is graded by the Pasminco Mining Company which is about halfway down, then after that the road is very unstable, with large rocks, low dips ...... and lots and lots of bulldust.  It was such a relief to get there. 

Adels Grove was started initially by a French Botanist in the 1930's.  Some of the trees he planted are still there today.  It is quite something to walk among the trees which aren't native to the area.  The sites don't have power so they place you according to whether you use a generator or not.  The sites are well spaced.  They have water and also each site has an outside fireplace (hole in the ground) with a bbq hotplate.

The Lawn Hill Creek runs behind the main office.  This is a great place to swim - they have put a pontoon a short way out from the bank.  Arnold and Tori both swam to the pontoon and back. We also went further into the National park which is 10kms from Adels Grove.  There are walking tracks, swimming areas etc.  We climbed an area which takes you to a lookout over the gorge.  I didn't make it to the top but Arnold and Tori did.

We were going to stay for 4 or 5 days but we ended up only staying 2.  It was great to see this area which is very much off the beaten track, however, the thick dust which covered the inside and outside of the car and caravan was awful.  When we go back to Cloncurry it took all of a day to wash/clean them.  With the water shortage here in Cloncurry (and everywhere) we couldn't use a hose so had to clean the red dirt off with a bucket of water and a cloth.

We will leave here tomorrow, Sunday 6 May. and head for Mt. Isa (which is only 117kms from here) where we will stay for a week.    By the way, the temperature has been in the high 30's for days now.  We have all got a good tan.  Well, time for beddie byes. 

LONGREACH TO CLONCURRY

At Longreach we stayed at the Gunnadoo Caravan Park.  They are expanding it at the moment so the sites  have all been covered in crushed river pebbles.  Of course it is the next best thing to grass which there isn't any of.  Anyway the park is huge with 190 sites at the moment with another 50 sites being prepared.  Saturday we spent most of the day at the Qantas Museum.  It was so interesting.  We also got to go through the latest exhibit - the 747-300.  It was quite a feat to land it at Longreach because the airstrip is not long enough for large planes.  The pilot volunteered to fly it and land it at Longreach - its last resting place.  The engineers have taken panels off certain sections of the plane so the public can see the workings.  We also got to see the black box which is in the tail section.

It was too late to go to the Stockmans Hall of Fame on the Saturday so we went on Sunday.  It was quite good (but not as good as the Qantas Museum). 

On Sunday at 6.00pm we had a buffet dinner.  Tables and chairs were set up out in the open area near the swimming pool.  After dinner, which was roast pork and roast beef with vegies, they had a country and western singer/comedian. 

Monday morning we left about 9.30am, heading for Cloncurry.   Monday night we stopped at a small caravan park in a town called Kynuna.  This is where the famous Blue Heeler Pub is. 

 The site was only $8.00 a night.  At least it had a hot shower and most importantly, power for the air-conditioner.  Leaving there on Tuesday morning, we were in no hurry as our next stop was Cloncurry which was only 180 kms away.  We arrived in Cloncurry around 1.30pm  which gave us time to set up our site and go into town for supplies as tomorrow, Wednesday 2nd May, we head for the Lawn Hill National Park where we will spend about a week.  There is no power there so we will use the generator.  We have heard so many glowing reports of Lawn Hill so hope it lives up to expectations.  Must retire now (ha ha) as we will have an early start in the morning.  Till next time.  

ROMA TO LONGREACH

We left Roma at 9.30am on Thursday and drove as far as Tambo where we freecamped for the first time. As we pulled in there were three vans already there which made me very happy as I am a very nervous freecamper.  If ever I thought "it's a small world" I really think so now - the three vans that were there before us, two were friends travelling together and they were from Lara and the other was from Swan Hill but they used to live in Kerang.  They know Cathy and Robert, Ken and Carol etc.  During the night a couple of roadtrains pulled in but left before we got out of bed.

In Roma the people next to us were from Clifton Springs and the lady works in Portarlington.

In Toowoomba, at the caravan park we stayed in, we spoke to people from Geelong and across from them were people from Bacchus Marsh.  So the saying "it's a small world" is certainly true!!

We arrived in Longreach today, Friday,

and are staying in a caravan park across the road from the Qantas Founders Outback Museum and just down the road from The Stockman's Hall of Fame.  We will be going to both tomorrow.  Bye until next time.

TOOWOOMBA TO ROMA

PICKING UP THE VAN AND LEAVING FOR TOOWOOMBA

We left Ashmore Palms Holiday Resort on Saturday morning at 9.30am and went to Tweed Heads to pick up the van.  What a beautiful job.  We are very happy with the finished result.  If anything the van looks better than it did before.  They even put on chome hub caps where we had white ones.

We left Tweed Heads around 11.00am and headed for Toowoomba.  After a lunch stop along the way, we arrived in Toowoomba about 4.00pm.  The road into Toowoomba is so steep we didn't think we would ever get there as the going was so slow.  And then, of course, we had to find our way around so we could get to a caravan park.  We found one which was a little out of town.  It was lovely and quiet.  The majority of people there were doing the same as us.  We have met some great people.

We went to see the Japanese Gardens which were very serene.  Tori thought they were beautiful too.We then went to a place called Picnic Point.  As Toowoomba is at the top of a mountain range, the view from Picnic Point shows the valley below and also the road that winds to the top and to Toowoomba.

We will leave Toowoomba on Tuesday and travel along the Warrego Highway.  Where we stop is anyone's guess.  Until next time!!!

OUR TRIP STARTS AGAIN TOMORROW

We have now been at Ashmore Palms for 4 days.  In that time we have taken Tori back to Anaconda to rockclimb.

Arnold also had a climb.We leave here tomorrow (Saturday) morning to pick up the van from the repairer.  We will then go as far as Toowoomba and stay for a couple of days to set up the van again and get the fridge running properly.

Our stay at Ashmore Palms has been very relaxing.  What a beautiful place to spend a few days.  It is like a tropical oasis.  The owners also collect rare birds, mainly Macaws.  What beautiful colours they are.  There are also Major Mitchell cockatoos, galahs, corellas, and other birds I didn't even know existed.  Every morning there is a bird feeding session so people can take photos.

Today, Friday, was spent with Helga and Russ who live in Ashmore.  It was great to see them again although it would have been nice to have had more time.  

Well time to keep packing up so that we don't have to do much packing in the morning.  Tori wants to go and have another swim before we leave.  Night Night till next time. 

WE HAD A GREAT WEEKEND OF EXPLORING, SHOPPING AND JUST RELAXING

On Saturday we went to the Hinze Dam in the Gold Coast Hinterland.  What a beautiful spot for a picnic and a great place to walk.  It was close to lunchtime so Arnold had a big breakfast and it was b i g.  Tori and I had wedges with tomato sauce for Tori, sour cream and sweet chilli sauce for me.  On the way home we called in to an outdoor store called Anaconda.  They have a climbing wall which Tori was dying to try but she didn't have the right shoes.  So we will take her back this week.  Sunday was more of a lazy day.  About 11.00 we called into a market.  It was good but we should have gone earlier as they were starting to pack up when we got there. 

The van finally goes in for repairs tomorrow, Tuesday.  We will stay at a great holiday village called Ashmore Palms which is almost in Surfers Paradise.  Tori is thrilled as they have two swimming pools and a great playground.  She needs to burn off some energy.  We are booked in for 4 nights so hopefully the van will be ready by Saturday morning.  It feels strange to have to take our belongings and enough food for 4 days out of the van, including emptying and defrosting the fridge.

We have rolled in the awning and put most things away ready for tomorrow.  We better have an earlier night as we will have to get up about 6.30am so we can have brekky and pack  the things we need in the car.  So good night till next time.

A WEEK ON THE ROAD

 Well, it's been a little over a week since we left home.  It was a late start so our first stop was Shepparton.  Our next stop was to see Darren, Kirrily and baby Joshua.  Then on to see Kim, Pat, Hollie, Jye and Marlie.
It was lovely to see them again and to see Joshua for the first time.  A real cutie.  We stayed the night and left around 10 the following morning.  Our next stop was Dubbo and then on to Moree.  The caravan park has thermal pools at 36, 37 and 39 degrees.  Also a cool pool which is not really cool, just cooler.  We stayed for 2 nights as the waters were so soothing.

We left Moree on Good Friday morning.  

Travelling up a hill between Inglewood and Warwick on the Cunningham Hwy we were startled by a big bang, then a few seconds later another one - it was time to pull over.  As luck would have it we were able to pull over on a flat piece of ground.  When we got out of the car we found that the passenger side wheel on the caravan had come off.  The first bang was when the wheel came off and lodged in the wheelwell.  The second was when the wheel came down and was run over by the wheel hub and cut the steel rim almost in half.  

Now the caravan is listing and resting on the hub.  We have to pull further off the road as the highway was very busy.  We had a few cars stop to ask  if they could help although there was nothing they could really do.  Good Friday and of course no shops or businesses are open.  Arnold travelled 50 kms into Warwick just to return 2 hours later to say we would have to spend the night on the side of the road.  Not the best start to free camping.  Also there was no service on the mobile.  

Saturday morning Arnold was off to Warwick at 7.30am.  Tori and I waited ... and waited.  Five hours later Arnold returned.  He had quite a bit a trouble getting anyone to help with the repairs to the wheel hub - the studs had sheared off.  A small engineering place machined the existing holes in the hub to take a shorter stud (because that was all that was available) to get us out of trouble and get us going again.  This was only a temporary measure.

We have been at Kirra Beach since Saturday evening and of course no businesses were open until Tuesday because of the Easter break.

At the moment we are waiting for the repairs to take place so we will stay put until this coming weekend.  Hopefully it won't take any longer than that.

In the meantime we had a relaxing few days, Tuesday being taken up with the day at Dreamworld.  Tori and Arnold had a great time on the rides - too scary for me!!!

Will let you know how we go and when we finally leave here.  Of course the weather has been .... beautiful one day, perfect the next!  Bye for now. 

Ronnie, Arnold and Tori

6 DAYS TO GO

STILL A MONTH TO GO!!!

Well, I'm sitting here on Monday night thinking about out trip around Oz.  The Jayco Heritage caravan went to it's new owners this afternoon.  We were sad to see it go but we're excited and can't wait to pick up the Royal Flair Van Royce Series 6 which we have purchased to take it's place.  This van has 2 single beds and 2 bunks over the beds which can be folded back when not in use.  Tori will have her own bed/bunk and the overhead cupboards on her side to house her clothes etc.  It is only 4 weeks before we leave and we still have a lot to get through before we are ready go.  Norma and Ray will be here  Wednesday afternoon - it will be good to see them again.   Getting tired now so will say goodnight.