Caravaning and RVing in Australia

I've started this second blog as the other was getting too long

1st August 2013

As I was driving out of the rest area this morning, I spotted an ACC wheel cover on a van and so I pulled up alongside. It was Bob and Syl - people I've met at National Musters and they were delighted to see me. It called for a cuppa and a lovely chat. They had blown a tyre the previous day and were on their way to get a new one.

 I took their picture as I left but somehow it didn't go into the folder - it was him again! I needed a photo or two so I snapped a bougainvillea in Comet.

Murphy didn't like me blaming him for something I'd done myself so he stopped my modem working. I rely on it for the computer so I went to the Emerald Telstra shop. There were only three girls serving and customers waiting ages. After about 3/4 of an hour it was my turn. The girl took the battery out, put it back in and handed it back to me working perfectly! If you are reading this it's still working tonight.

I spoilt myself and had Chicken Tropicana for lunch at Red Rooster while still in Emerald. Yum!

Then I headed out towards Clermont - a road with a lot of memories. It was on this road that had just re-opened after floods that I lost a brand new bicycle off the back of the caravan. We unhooked the van in Emerald and went back the 100km to Clermont while searching both sides of the road for any traces. There was none.

In summer the fields are a picture with bright yellow sunflowers and safflowers but today was just green.

Although having been to Clermont a number of times I hadn't been out to the Theresa Creek

Dam so that's where I am now. The sun was shining and the lake looked beautiful - I'll try to get a pic tomorrow. It looked so nice I booked four nights - at $10 a night it's a bargain although there's no power. 

There are showers and toilets and you are allowed to use generators. If the weather stays sunny like today my solar panels should cope but nice to know I can use the genny if I have to.

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2nd August 2013 

This has been a good day. I emailed the Service Manager at Cricks where the oil filter was changed. I sent a copy of the invoice from Rocky and a pic of the oil filter and O ring seal.

The result, after a very friendly and apologetic reply, was that they are transferring my out of pocket expenses to my bank account. Top marks!

Thank goodness for Skype - once again there's no Telstra reception but I made a number of calls using Skype. It's not free but very reasonable.

I'm booked into the Walkamin Caravan Park between Mareeba and Atherton on Tuesday - there are several more ACC members in the area at the moment so we should be able to meet up. When Kesley from Cairns saw my intention she wondered if Yemmy was jet propelled but it's only 900+km and I often do 500 or so km in a day. I do try to stay on the speed limit since the nice officer booked me at 117 on the Western Highway a while back. Cost me $280! And 2 demerits!

If the weather stays sunny like today I'll have no need to run the genny. 

I said I'd try to get some pics so here are a couple. Most pics on the blog are taken with my iPhone by the way - including these two..

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3rd, August 2013

It was a bit windy this morning so I tried to fasten the awning down with my guy ropes. The ground is so hard I couldn't get the pegs in so I rolled the awning in just in case. I  lost one at Iluka the first year I had Yemmy and I don't think the insurance company would be keen to pay for another one.

I had an email from a lady in America this morning asking me for a link on my website to her article about car emergency kits. I thought it was a good article and applies equally in Australia. You can find it on my website under links on the left side of the menu at the bottom of the page. Click to go there.

I'd just logged into Skype on my iPhone when Chris rang tonight. I was outside watching over a curry bubbling away on my Hot Ozzie Barby and the picture was so clear. That little phone is really amazing - it even knows where you are when you go to the weather app and comes up with the local 7 day forecast. You can even talk on it when Telstra gives you coverage!

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4th August 2013

The 4th of August  was a great day more than 60 years ago when Vi said, "I do." I'm a bit sad today as she died over five years ago and I still miss her. However I'm doing exactly as she wanted me to - travelling and still enjoying life.

I was Flight Engineer in the RAF in those days and being in Transport Command got to see a lot of the world at the Queens expense. 


 I tried a panorama here today with my phone - it worked  but using my Nikon is better.

Then I went for a wander in photo mood and saw a few things to snap.

...and the coffee was dam good! But they forgot my pancakes till I went to enquire after waiting for ages. 

Yes, Murphy made sure they lost my order - but they gave me another coffee to make up!

So where do motorhomes dump their waste water I wonder? Or don't they have any waste water? They have a rule here that grey water must not be dumped on the ground but must be dumped at the waste water dump! 

I saw the bloke next to me tip his bucket in the long grass behind his van but I don't believe that did any harm.

It's out of order - but I've just received this pic taken by Keith, an AUSOM  member (Apple Users Group of Melbourne) when we met up at the Cape Palmerston Holiday Park. Keith is also a solo motorhomer - or maybe that should be camervanner.

I was having a late breakfast at the time.

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5th August 2013

I can’t get the Internet tonight so I’ll just have to write up the blog in Word and then tomorrow paste it into the blog. (I did and it worked OK)

I’ve done a bit more than 500km today but the roads were quiet and travel easy when you were not caught in road works. Northern Australia must be covered in dead animals! It was a toss up whether to leave the windows down and put up with the stench of rotting road-kill or leave them shut and roast. I could have used the a/c but I don’t like them so I put up with the smell of putrefying carcasses.

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At least the birds were enjoying a feast - from crows upwards the carrion were so gorged they had a job to fly!

I’ve been here about two hours and haven’t heard any man-made sound. Not a car, motorbike, voice or even an airplane. It’s like being the last person alive on the planet. There are cows and horses in the paddocks though.

I’ve taken a couple of pics but I’ll put them in tomorrow. This was where the road led if I'd continued along it.

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6th August 2013

I did see more traffic at last night's stop. A ute passed just after dusk and this morning it came back the other way plus one other ute passed just before I left this morning.

I hit the road just before 7.30am and made good time as there was very little traffic. I had a drive around Greenvale - it was a great idea at the time. The town was built for miners at the zink mine and when the mine closed a southern entrepreneur bought the town and sold the lovely 3 and 2 bedroom homes quite cheaply. There was a supermarket, hotel, school, police station and caravan park plus sporting facilities. Unfortunately the town has gone into decline - maybe the isolation was a cause. There's talk of another mine but so far it's just talk. 

After doing some shopping in Atherton -including two of those delicious pork pies - I arrived to a great welcome at the Walkamin Central Caravan Park. New caretaker Di took me to a spot near the windmill where I'd stayed before and ACC member Neil came and said come over for a cuppas when you've set up.

ACC Chairman,  Tom is here with Sandra and tomorrow Bevan and Evonne are coming here from where they are staying at Atherton and we will have a barbecue. Sounds good.

We all gathered for happy hour including a number of people who remembered me from other years. I've booked in for a fortnight - maybe I'll get some news of my house progress.

 
Here's a map of where I've been on my second trip north this year. I did go to Adelaide to start the trip but that doesn't show on the map.

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7th August 2013

Today was our ACC  BBQ lunch - a real good get together! We got a lady to take our picture to send to Rob who is celebrating his 67th birthday today. He's the ACC Webmaster and Treasurer and a good friend.



 

Clockwise from the left: Sandra, Tom, Barb, Neil, Me. Bevan and  Yvonne.

It was quite cold overnight but it turned out a nice sunny day although a bit breezy.

 

 A few years back when I was here I went for a drive in the park's old Willys but of course Billie had to come as well - she thinks she owns the car




More procrastination about my house. Sue sent a copy of an email saying the man doing the septic report had had a 6-day tummy upset but hoped to have something ready to look at by the weekend! He said that two weeks ago as well,

I tried to pay a chemists invoice by bank transfer to Stawell but the NAB apologised but said transfers were not possible at this time.  They are working on it!

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8th August 2013

I had boiled eggs for breakfast today! What's important about that I hear you say. Well I haven't had an egg cup on board Yemmy but found one in a shop in Atherton the other day - the kind lady sold me one out of a packet of two. I've got a set of four packed away somewhere at Illawarra.

After seeing Tom and Sanda off this morning I gave Yemmy a much needed wash. He probably won't start after that shock!

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9th August 2013

 

 

Another beautiful day in paradise!  Sun shining, hardly any breeze.

The old windmill is right next to Yemmy and rotates quite fast when the wind gets up. It's purely decorative and does nothing useful. Today it's hardly moving at all.

I've got a load of washing in the machine as I write this - I was getting short of clean jocks. I knew you'd be interested!

 

 

Friday night is the night everyone brings food to happy hour and tonight there was a fabulous selection. No one needs dinner afterwards. Here's a pic of just one section of the people in the wonderful recreational area.

Today I've had all sorts of communications about my house but the long and short is that the designer, Don, is applying for the Building Permit and the building company is paying for it,  There was a mix up and so the application hadn't been done. Hopefully the Land Capacity Report and the plans for a new septic system should be ready this weekend. I did say hopefully!

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 10th August 2013

Does any blogger reading this know if it's possible to put anchors in the blog and link to them from the top of the blog? It would make it easy to skip over parts you have already read. ( I've started this second blog with that in mind)

Today's been a bit of a lay day with not a lot happening. Reading a James Patterson novel on my Kindle has been very relaxing.

I made an omelet for lunch with two eggs, tinned ham, onion, tomato and mushroom. It was yummy.

A lady at happy hour last night was recalling the last time we had met here at Walkamin. She mentioned I was using a pedometer but had difficulty walking the number of steps prescribed by my doctor. She thought it was in 2010 but I looked it up in my Trip Diaries and found it was 2009! Some people have good memories. It was the year I spend an enjoyable time on the coast at Archer Point near Cooktown.

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11th August 2013 

I've been thinking today that it might be possible to visit daughter Jackie and 'Duck' before I go home. With the house delays I have time on my side. They are working at the Knotts Crossing Resort in Katherine. The distance to home from there is less than it is from here at Walkamin so it's only the bit across to the Centre that's extra. Here's a map showing where I would go.

It was shopping day for me today so I went to the Mareeba IGA first and then to Tolga for some fruit. The IGA had those yummy pork pies so I bought two and then at Tolga I bought a custard apple, 2 avocados, a papaya and some of those lovely little sugar bananas.

I also got wine and nibbles for happy hour and topped up my groceries, etc. I should be set now for the rest of my time here - I'm booked until next Tuesday.

Lucy and Di ran a quiz session after happy hour and our combined efforts only got 25 right out of 40! 

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12th August 2013

I caught Jim and Billy at play - here they are. (Click the little square bottom right for full screen. Click escape to return to blog)

There's been a tantalizing smell of frying bacon most mornings here so bacon was on my shopping list. Tea last night was a lovely bacon roll! Now they can cook all the bacon they like! 

Another step towards my house came today - the Septic Report is done at last but he needs payment before releasing the report. I transferred the money to him straight away but I suppose the bank will be a few days transferring it to him. Let's hope this is the last hurdle to jump.

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13th August 2013

The report for the Land Capacity came today and you would need to be a Philadelphia Lawyer to understand its ramifications! Did you know that the term  'Philadelphia Lawyer' originated in 1776? Though you'd like to know that!

I rang Jackie in Katherine this morning and she was delighted that I'm heading for Katherine next week. She just rang to say the park is fully booked for the Sunday night bit fine from Monday onwards. No drama - I'll just take longer getting there or stay here an extra couple of nights. 


The lovely little dog next door was having a bath and wasn't too keen about it! She rolled around in the grass after she got out and shook and shook. Her name is 'ferret' - what a name for a dog.

 

In all the years I've been traveling this country I've never met a fellow Flight Engineer until here at Walkamin  where I found that Jim used to be an Engineer on these lovely aircraft - a Heron. Jim was stationed in Fiji and flew all over the Pacific.

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14th August 2013

When I went with Jim to Mareeba this morning I only had one thing in mind to buy. That was a patch cable to connect my modem to the antenna as the old one was showing signs of failing. We went into Jaycar and beside the cable I bought a cradle that is supposed to increase the signal received by mobile phones - important when you get away from strong signal areas. I'll let you know how it works next week when I'm traveling in remote areas.

Keith from AUSOM was waiting at the van when we got back and we spent a pleasant couple of hours chatting.

Jim had mentioned some insect screen curtains and they looked as if the would be good for Yemmy so I bought their last two units. They were only $18 with seniors discount but I'm not sure they are going to work on Yemmys sliding doors. They should be fine for the back doors though.

While Jim went to a barber I wandered into a Mitre 10 store and finished up with 4 propane refills for my little cooker and a large cylinder for the hot water unit. While there I bought some chemical for the toilet as well so my shopping bill was quite large!

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15th August 2013

Not a lot happening today except my Internet was painfully slow. Then it dawned - I'd probably used all my allowance for the month! I spent time trying to find my usage on the Telstra site but gave up and rang them. Sure enough I'd been slowed since last night and I wouldn't be back to normal speed until Monday. I asked what the next higher plan would cost and found I could go from 4GB to 8GB for just $15 a month. I grabbed it so I shouldn't run out again.

Before my next door neighbors moved out two days ago there was a great sight as the shadow of the windmill  was on their maroon shade cloth each afternoon. Of course I forgot to film it!

 This is what it should have been but on a backdrop!

 

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16th August 2013

I sent a draft of the ACC History to the Board today with a copy to Ron who was supposed to be sending me material. That sparked him into action and he sent pictures all afternoon - very good ones I might add. I'll use most of them in the History although I'll make them smaller. I'll put the history on a page of my website and add a link on here for anyone interested.

Tonight being Friday everyone brought nibbles to happy hour and once again it was a lovely selection - some hot and some cold but all very well done. I told them I'd think of them next Friday when I'm somewhere in the bush on my way to Katherine.

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17th August 2013 

Not a lot happened today. Decided to get to the stuff stored under the bed and have a sort out and at the same time see if there was ant trace of a little lizard I saw a few months ago heading under there. There was a strange smell for a while when I went to bed and I thought it might have been him decomposing but there was no trace of him. The smell has gone so it will remain a mystery.

I had a Skype chat to the Board of the ACC this morning - technology is great when it works.

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18th August 2013

 
Today I went with Len and Elaine, a couple from Cobar, to the War Birds Airshow at the Mareeba Airfield

 It was a lovely sunny day with bright blue skies as a backdrop for some great flying - formation and aerobatics.

 One of the highlight was starting the engines of an old DC3 - a Dakota.  They said the engines hadn't been started since the 2012 airshow but one of my spies told me they had moved it using its engines during the week! Apparently they always start with clouds of smoke and backfires and it didn't disappoint!

 

Click the bottom right corner for full screen - esc to return.

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19th, 20th and 21st August 2013

Time caught up with me and I've been neglecting the blog! Naughty boy!

Monday was spent getting ready to move next day and then yesterday where I stopped in a rest area at Gilbert River there was no Internet, Phone or Telly so to bed early after  covering a bit over 400km and doing a big shop in Atherton ready for the trip to Katherine.

A vanner last night ran his generator all evening destroying the peaceful ambiance that is usually the hallmark of that rest area. It was hot and I only dozed all night - not helped by some itchy bites during the night.

You will never guess , but I'm next to him again tonight and the wretched genny is going again!

The Gilbert River is dry at this time of year but when it floods the water height is unbelievable. The pics tell the story.

 

  

I was on the road early this morning and had only gone a little way when I saw a dingo. I couldn't get a pic as he kept moving. There were lots of wallabies and kangaroos about as well - I had to keep alert as they crossed the road just in front of me at times. There's some road kill but not as bad as the Lynd road a few weeks back.

A bit over 500km today but if I get a bit ahead of schedule I can always spend a day somewhere nice nearer Katherine.

Did I mention that IGA Pork Pies are great? Yes I thought I had. So I bought the last three on the Deli counter at the Atherton IGA and had one for lunch today. Yum!

I might hunt an IGA in Mt Isa tomorrow and replenish my stock to last me over the Barkly Tableland. 

The geneeeeeeerator person's outfit

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22nd August 2013

I was off nice and early again today so that I could get to a campsite with time to relax, do the blog, etc.  I didn't see an IGA so no Pork Pies. They will taste all the better when I do find them again.

I had a productive stop in Mt Isa. I called at the caravan park where Jackie and Duck thought they had a job earlier in the year only to find the head office had ordered the previous groundsman re-instated as he had lodged a wrongful dismissal appeal. He's now gone elsewhere. The manageress was pleased to hear how J&D are doing and asked me to say Hi for her.

After that Supercheap Auto had a shade screen I wanted plus a 'Buddy' to go over the seat belt strap for comfort. Next was Bunnings and a little lpg stove that fits on top of a 2kg cylinder - it'll be handy when I don't want to set up the barby for a one night stop.

Now it was Murphy's turn. He'd been laying low for a day ot two but made sure that when I'd climbed up to the lookout the camera battery was flat! It soon charged while I had a coffee and I managed to make a panorama of the mine and town.

I took a couple more for interest

Must be the new town water supply - plenty of pressure from up at the lookout.

I found a nice quiet spot alongside the Georgina River at Camooweil. I remember a trip I did some years ago with the Flying Mailman out of Mt Isa and some of our calls were along the Georgina.

The phone and Internet worked here so I was able to do a bit of catching up.

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23rd August 2013

Today's trip took me over the flat and somewhat uninteresting Barkly Tableland to Three Ways. I rang Jim at Walkamin from the Barkly Roadhouse - the only place where I got mobile reception. It was Friday so the gang would be gathering later for Friday night nibbles so I asked Jim to let them know I was going well.

Why do people have to deface signs?

 

This sign  - or one like it - has been at the first service station

from the west at Camooweil for as long as I remember!

 Yemmy was delighted to see he could do 130k/ph legally now we were in the Territory

After a brief visit to Tennant Creek where for the first time the Red Rooster duty manager refused to swap the mashed spuds and gravy for coleslaw, I turned north again and camped at the Attack Creek rest area - just over 600km from Katherine.

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24th August 2013 

There was no mobile reception until Elliot - about 200km. When I got there I rang the Knotts Crossing Resort in case there had been any cancellations for Sunday. They had a site for me but only one left for today. I quickly grabbed it and booked in for a week. As I was talking to the office Jackie walked in and was very surprised her dad was on the phone. I told her I'd be arriving today and she was delighted.

I had decided to spend a couple of nights at Mataranka or Elsey National Park but there was now no need so I pressed on and arrived mid afternoon at Knotts Crossing having covered just over 600km. They put me on a site right opposite J&D - couldn't be better and all sites are en-suite. It's $230 a week but at least I won't be buying diesel for a while. 

It was great to catch up with them and I rang Sue to tell her how good the situation was. Sue and Shaun have quoted on a very big job that will keep them busy cleaning up a property ready for a mortgagee auction.

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25th August 2013

I took a couple of pics at Larimah yesterday but forgot to post them. When we first visited here many years ago the pussycat was sitting in front of a a pool of water and had caught a small croc with his fishing gear. I was here as well the night we won the Americas Cup but in those days there was no TV so I had to wait until Katherine to hear the result on the car radio.

The chopper is a much later edition.

 

This little Darwin stubby would slake anyone's thirst!

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