Sunday, December 21, 2008

Walgett to Brisbane

Sunday, the 21st

I wasn't in a hurry to move so after lunch at the RSL I decided I better go otherwise I'd still be there on Monday. Up past Lightning Ridge again & onto the Queensland border town of Hebel. A pub, a Corner Store & a couple of houses & that's it. I decide to have a coldie in the pub & on the walls hang a couple of John Murray's prints. You could spend ages reading all the posters & writings on the walls of a country pub & this place is no different.

I still need to visit the border towns of Barringun, Hungerford & Texas to say that I have visited all NSW/Qld border towns & had a coldie in each place between Cameron Corner & the Coast.

On to Dirranbandi & then Nindigully for the night. A couple of beers at the Pub & then a restful night beside the Moonie River.

Monday, the 22nd

There were not any storms or rain forecast for today so I thought I would have a leisurely run to somewhere near Warwick & camp the night before making the last run to home.

At Goondiwindi I caught up with friends but as they were busy I decided to push on after a short chin-wag. Petrol (unleaded) was scarce here due to a recent problem at the Caltex refinery in Brisbane however I managed to get fuel & then I moved on. I looked at a camping area at the Coolmunda Dam, east of Goondiwindi, but it was too early to stop & there was a hive of activity from many holiday makers who were setting up camp for their own holidays. A top spot & no doubt I'll stay here at another time.

I pulled up at a camp spot on the outskirts of Warwick, had a brew & walked the desperates. It was about 3.30pm & as I was only a 180km from home I made a management decision to keep going. There was a similar problem in Warwick with the fuel but I got some at Cunningham's Gap.

By the time I visited my sister, niece & my Mum & made it home, it was after 8.00pm & our epic journey had come to an end.

Now for the clean up & possibility a return to home life, at least for a short time until I plan my next trip.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Dareton to Walgett

Monday, the 15th

We got under way in perfect weather conditions & headed for the Murray Valley Highway. This took us through Euston (NSW) & then across the Murray into Vic & along the southern side of the Murray. Through Swan Hill, Kerang, Echuca & then Moama. I intended to catch up with our Pardre from '67/'68 but he has been sick & was not back in Moama. A shame, but I would have kicked myself if I had not called in & he was here.

The wineries were along the way here along with orchards (oranges, mandarins, apples, stone fruits), small vegie crops & olive oil factories.

From Kerang dairy farming took the place of the orchids. There has been up to 2" of rain through most of this area over the weekend & no doubt this has been follow up rain as the region is reasonably green. In many places irrigation channels are controlled by small weirs & the water is taken from the Murray. I was surprised at the size of Swan Hill & of course there were the mandatory paddle steamers & house boats anchored on the Murray. At Echuca & Moama there are numerous paddle steamers & house boats & it is obvious there is a good trade for these products. But don't forget there is no water in the Murray!

Outside Kerang there was a property that was growing "Australian Cricket Willow Plantation". Interesting!

In Moama there are 6 caravan parks & I'm not sure about Echuca. In each park there are a majority of sites with permanent demountable buildings & I'm told many people holiday here for months on end or come here regularly on weekends. The number of ski boats & dingies stored here is staggering, but I forgot there is no water in the Murray so you could not ski, fish or enjoy any water sports. Cynical? not me!

Outside Echuca there was a big swarm of Locust. I understand from news reports that there has been a plague of these pests in this region.

Most of the country from Mildura to here is flat with only a few undulating hills. It reminded me of the area between Hay & Balranald which I covered a few years ago.

Tuesday, the 16th


North of Moama the country was very flat but after leaving Narrandera there was more undulating countryside & I observed mountain ranges to the west, nort west & north east. North of Jerilderie there was the start of The Kidman Way that winds its way to Qld via Hillston & Bourke. Leaving Moama you enter the Riverina & the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.

I made it to Mirrool late in the afternoon & free camped near the local hotel. The population of Mirrool is less than 100 & includes some of the local families on nearby farms/stations. There was plenty of water in the road verge & from all reports most of this area received 2" of rain over the weekend.

Wednesday, the 17th

I have only covered about 250km today & made my way to Peak Hill. I would like a $1 for every Qld registered vehicle heading south both yesterday & today. A $1 for every semi would also certainly add to the coffers.

West Wyalong, Forbes & Parkes are small townships that are passed along the way & all have a country feel although there is an industrial base that relates to the farming products & machinery that are required throughout the region.

On the edge of Forbes there was the Ben Hall Roadhouse plus in the town there is a statue of Ben Hall.

Thursday, the 18th

Today I head for Dubbo but not before I get a hair cut from the local barber in Peak Hill. For $5 I thought I could not go wrong & in fact is does not look to bad. There are showers about but it is reasonably easy on the road. Once again numerous semis going in both directions & as has been the case over the past 2 days many Qld registered vehicles heading south.

I shopped in Gilgandra & caught up on my grocery shopping & this will do me till I get home. I nearly stayed in Gilgandra but made the management decision to move on to Coonamble. This will make for an easy day on Friday. There are plenty of cattle & sheep in the paddocks & the country side is pretty green as well as water, from recent rain, in the roadside verges.

Friday, the 19th

The overnight at Coonamble was restful & I managed to catch up on my washing before moving on to Walgett after lunch. I'm staying with an old Army mate for the next couple of days. We have the opportunity to go through photos from SVN & whilst we remember most people in the photos there are a few who we do not recognise.

Saturday, the 20th

Today we have a drive around the town & then up to Lightning Ridge. A friend of my mate has an Opal Mine & we go to visit him & his family. We go underground into the mine & it is an interesting set up. Most people have a "claim" of about 50x50 yards & have a "home" on that same block. The "houses" in the mining area range from tin shanties to more substantial structures. The mining area was a real eye opener.

The town itself was interesting with a real diversified population & there were the signs of many European people settled here. The town swimming pool was something to see. It was more like Wet & Wild & beside it there was an indoor diving facility that was of Olympic standard.

We visited the premises of an artist, John Murray & looked at the works he had for sale. The colours were vibrant & the outback he depicted was very real. I didn't purchase anything however if he had a painting of a Dingo I might have been tempted.

I really enjoyed my visit to Lightning Ridge & the Opal Mine & will no doubt visit here again one day.

Tomorrow I start the down hill trek towards home. It is up hill but we won't tell anyone!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

On to Dareton (NSW)

Saturday, the 6th

I moved on in the morning & made my way to Morgan, a town on the Murray River about 120km west of Renmark. Of course I came "the back way" through Port Wakefield, Balaklava, Saddlewoth & Eudunda.

More grain & sheep but with the rolling hills came the vineyards & the olive trees. Not many, but a few were dotted along the way. There was rain/showers on the way & I probably ended up in Morgan more by chance than anything else. There are 400 Scouts here having a Jamboree but they move on tomorrow. I'll probably stay another day & have a look around the place.

In years gone by (1850's onwards) the river port here was the busiest inland port & was an integral part of SA's history. Gangs of up to 50 men worked continuous 24 hour shifts, while 6 trains a day were dispatched to Port Adelaide & long queues of paddle steamers & barges laden with wool, wheat & other goods to be unloaded were a common sight. (I plagiarised that last bit!) There is a vehicular ferry here & from what I see it runs 24hrs. Who said there was no water in the Murray? There's plenty here. We won't go down that path!

Sunday, the 7th

What an interesting place. The old buildings, the remnants of bygone rail & wharf activities plus the numerous House Boats on the river with a rental company just upstream with plenty for rent, make an interesting contrast. Other house boats are tied up outside houses that front the river. Many people were water skiing on the river & the place was full of visitors enjoying the laid back surroundings.

There are a number of locks on the river & they allow more water in some areas than in others. On the outskirts of Morgan there is a pumping station & they pump water to Whyalla. Apparently the water is pumped to a place near Burra & from there it is gravity fed to Whyalla. There are a couple of vehicular ferries that operate locally across the Murray & would you believe, FREE! On my way to Overland Corner I'll make use of the ferry.

Monday, the 8th

I found out that a 6RAR dog handler who I met in Perth lived in Morgan so I went to visit him before I moved on. Alas he was out looking for Yabbies however I had a cuppa & a chat with his wife. Outside the local RSL Hall I also met an ex 3RAR fellow who was in SVN at the same time as yours truly.

I crossed the Murray on the ferry & visited Cadel & then Waikerie, another ferry ride & on to The Historic Overland Corner Hotel but sadly it is closed on Monday so I moved on. Outside Cadel there were plenty of grapes growing along with Oranges. This growth pattern was similar for the next 50 or so km's. Names like Wolf Blass, Oxford Landing & Angrove appeared outside vineyards. Other small crops were growing in some areas along with Almonds, Olives, Mandarins, Peaches etc. More grain crops were splattered on the way & particularly past Renmark as I headed east.

At Waikerie the "Murray River Queen" was moored along with a few more house boats. The MRQ is used for functions & local cruises along this section of the Murray. Waikerie is a pretty town & was a hive of activity with the delivery of the recently picked fruit. Names like Sunland & Nappys which we see on out fruit were prominent on storage sheds. Unleaded fuel here was $1.079/litre.

Being disappointed on missing the Overland Corner Hotel I pushed on to a caravan park beside Lake Cullulleraine. Obviously this is a quiet holiday spot as there is little local infrastructure, only a garage & a few houses. There are 2 parks here & both appear to have little patronage at the moment. We are about 60km west of Mildura so we're in Victoria & another time change has taken place.

It is obvious that I'm back on major highway systems as there are plenty of semis on the go.

Today would have been about the best day, weather wise, I've had since leaving home. Just glorious, but I would still prefer to be at Port Gibbon.

Tuesday, the 9th

It's overcast today with showers forecast but I only have a short distance to travel.

I passed through Mildura but I'll only be 20km away so I'll come back & have a good look later.

I arrived at the Damon Reed Veteran's Retreat in Dareton (NSW) & set up camp before a storm hit. Not too bad mainly wind with rain & a little bit of thunder. This is a restful spot with just a caretaker (a couple) & another couple from WA, just more people for TJ to bark at & someone else to question Cassie's parentage!

Damon Reed was originally from Mildura & was killed in SVN in May 1967 & this establishment is in his memory. The property is about on about 10 acres & has been operational for 3 years. This year they will have had just on 200 vets pass through here in their caravan/motor home etc.

Wednesday, the 10th

A domestic day. Clean the van, do the washing, recharge the batteries, pat the desperates etc. How will they survive back in Thomas Street in 14 days time? Is the street ready for their return? TJ has become about half feral (maybe 3/4) & Cassie, well, some might say she is a complete feral, but we don't necessarily agree.

Today is a fine clear day with a gentle breeze, just the day to laze about.

Thursday, the 11th

Here are my costs after 129 days on the road:

Rodeo 4x4 dual cab, 17'Golf '84 poptop - me & 2 desperates
Total Km 19,091 - last fill 18,820km - 3112.39 litres - $5080.26 - $1.632/litre av
Total km without van - 4773km

Food/beverages/dog food - $24.45/day - budget $20/day
Sundries - $7.40/day - budget $20/day

Caravan parks & donation "parks" - 91 nights @ $20.08/night (budget for the whole trip was 75 nights @ $25/night), so more nights than anticipated

Other costs:
Vehicle service - $270
Mobile Phone - $60/month av
Internet - $59/month

Friday, the 12th

It's raining. A lazy day to had by all, reading, watching a video & dogs are curled up on the couch. Broken Hill, 260km to the north, had nearly 2" overnight & there is water over the road between here & there & north of Broken Hill the roads are cut. They expect rain all day with heavy rain late this arvo or tonight. At least we got a walk in early while it was only light drops!

There has been a break in the weather this arvo so off to Wentworth we went. It's only 12 km up the road & I must admit I did not do enough homework on this region & I've forgotten what I was taught in Social Studies at school. As I drove into Wentworth I crossed the Darling River (plenty of water in it, I observed) & then the sign says "Built where the 2 rivers meet". 2 rivers? The Murray & the Darling, dummy! There is more water, more house boats, more river cruises, more water skiers & more water sports. I always had this belief (or was led to believe) that there was no water in the Darling (as us Qlders took it all before it got to NSW) when it met the Murray & that there was no water in the Murray as it made its way into SA. I don't have my camera so I'll be back to take photographs.

The old Wentworth Goal is now a Historic Site & visitors are allowed. Actually I found Wentworth to be an interesting place.

There are more orchards, more grapes, some small wineries, more "cellar door sales", more dried fruits i.e. sultanas etc to be found locally & hence the name Sunraysia. I'll stay another day to have a closer look at the region.

Saturday, the 13th

Rain & wind prevail, so another lazy day but got my shopping up to date & at night we went to the local Community Club for dinner. I've made a management decision to move on to Moama on Monday as the weather appears to be much improved by then.

Sunday, the 14th

It's still overcast but the wind has abated slightly so I took a drive up through Wentworth & did a circle back to Dareton through Mildura. The circle took us from NSW to Vic & back to NSW. Took photos of the place where the Murray & Darling meet & then on to a weir & lock just downstream from this point. Our next bridge over the Murray was a single lane bridge governed by traffic lights. Actually a number of the bridges over the Murray are small to a degree & often with a part that can be raised to allow boats through.

More house boats, fruit, small crops, vineyards, wineries etc abound through this whole trip. Hardy's Wines, Lindeman Wines to name a couple of the more recognisable wine companies have wineries in this area.

Outside of the townships the "farms" are normally 5 acre blocks & have a 20 gigalitre (spelling?) water licence & big companies buy these blocks to get the water licence. But as we are told regularly, there is no water in the Murray!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Port Gibbon to the Yorke Peninsula

Wednesday, the 3rd

I tore myself away from Port Gibbon after lunch & moved on up through Whyalla, Port Augusta & down the coast to Port Germein for the night stop. I had thought of catching the ferry from Lucky Bay, just north of Cowell, to Wallaroo on the other side of Spencer Gulf but at nearly $350 I gave it a miss.

Half way between Cowell & Whyalla the country side changed from primary produce to mineral products. There were the mountain ranges & names like Iron Baron & Iron Knob spelt out the reason behind the new landscape. Whyalla was industrial & obvious signs of shipping export & past ship building feats were on display. Unleaded petrol here was $1.179/litre.

On to Port Augusta & past an army training facility. Coming in to town you pass the turn off for Coober Pedy & Alice Springs, do I turn left here? No, better not, but gee it was tempting. Petrol has dropped to $1.129 (5cents in 75km). Port Augusta is at the very top of Spencer Gulf & now to proceed down the west coast of this sea mass. South of here is the turn off to Broken Hill & Sydney & it sinks in a little more that this adventure is quickly coming to a close.

I look at the western side of the South Flinders Range & remember my trip up the other side in 2004. Places like Orroroo, Wilmington, Quorn & Hawker readily spring to mind.

Port Germein beckons & I make it there around 6.00pm, just in time to feed & walk the desperates & over to the pub for dinner with the park manager & another couple who were staying in the park. We traded tales of our travels & experiences & a very pleasant evening was had. Port Germein is renowned for the longest wooden jetty in Australia (1.5km long). Another old town with plenty of character. Good fishing, particularly Flathead & crabs are in abundance, so I'm told. Directly to the west of here is Whyalla but separated by "just a little bit" of water.

Thursday, the 4th

Today I head for Moonta Bay, about 160km to the south & nearly opposite Port Gibbon, a bit further to the south to be precise, but on the other side of Spencer Gulf.

Port Perie was an interesting place with obvious old style buildings in the town centre & fringes & the new housing on the outskirts of the town. Further down the coast at Port Broughton I was amazed at the size of the local caravan park. Also many caravans were stored there & possibly to be used by their owners when they were on holidays here? I must try to find out how many caravan sites they have here, just for my own curiosity. The park is right on the water, close to town & I'm told there is good fishing here.

Grain fields & sheep return to the landscape & the harvesting of grain is in full swing.

After checking in to the caravan park I made my way to the local Vietnam Veterans club & meet some of the locals. They have a Memorial to the Vietnam Tracker Dogs & it was dedicated on Anzac Day this year in Memory of their past President who had been a member of 9 RAR & although not a member of a Tracker Team marvelled at the skill of the dogs. A plaque to each of the dogs is mounted on rock from the local Moonta Mine & a centre piece is a Cross, a kennel & a short story on the Dogs. It is very simplistic but very thoughtful & a great remembrance of our "mates". One of the Veterans gives a talk to groups on the life of those Dogs & they have an involvement with the local school. A top effort from these people who had no direct involvement with the Tracker Dogs.

I've contacted the fellow who took on my job once I left Vietnam & will visit him tomorrow.

Moonta is part of the Copper Coast & it gets its name because of the Copper mines that were prevelant here in days gone by. There is still a Copper mine on the outskirts of Moonta.

This arvo the showers came & the WIND returned but there appeared to be a change for the better around dusk so we'll see what tomorrow brings. Unleaded here is $1.089.

Friday, the 5th

Well, well in the early hours of the morning it decided to BLOW. What's new! Everything shook, rattled & rolled.

Went to Port Wakefield & had a look at a satellite tv system, then some shopping in Kadina & onto Wallaroo to visit a fellow who was also in Trackers with us in SVN. Chatted about those who have left us & about what we have been up to for the past 40 years. I really enjoyed our conversation.

Unleaded fuel in Port Wakefield was $0.993/litre while diesel was 40cents/litre dearer. A bit unbalanced!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Ceduna & the Eyre Peninsula

Wednesday, the 26th & Thursday, the 27th

I've had a drive around Ceduna & there is a real mix of the old & the new. Very interesting housing, very old houses & then next door a relatively new brick home. What a contrast. The town is actually in a bay (Murat Bay) & has at least some protection from the open sea elements. If you look at a map you can see that the western side of the Eyre Peninsula is dotted with many Bays.

Exports from here by ship through the local port include Barley, Wheat, Salt & Gypsum. Fish is brought ashore from trawlers operating locally & transported mainly to Adelaide & interstate by truck. There is a Race Track on the outskirts of town I see where the next meeting is in a couple of weeks time. There is a Meteorological Station here along with a radar that is connected to the national grid for weather forecasting. The main building at the caravan park was the original Hospital of Ceduna. There are many old stone buildings around this area & as I've travelled through South Aussie I have noticed numerous old stone buildings in the country side, some in a good state others decaying in the fields.

Old Lutheran & Anglican churches are scattered in many some towns throughout the region. Most of these are all stone buildings & have been kept in good condition.

On Thursday we have had showers & some thunder & of course some wind! I had planned to move on today but ......... but, tomorrow will do! Slack again!

Friday, the 28th

Even though there were clouds scattered about I moved on to the Eyre Peninsula & headed to Streaky Bay. On the way I called in to the sleepy town of Smokey Bay which is renowned for its Oyster Farms. The caravan park at Streaky Bay has plenty of Qld registered vehicles (about a third) & there are a few Vets here as well. Similarly in Ceduna I met up with a couple of Vets one of whom was in SVN at the same time as yours truly.

This town is also in a Bay & the park actually faces north. There are some sporting fields nearby so TJ & Cassie can run free during our walks. Some of those in the park have been catching some fish but those set up have been catching crabs off the jetty. One lady over balanced & ended up in the drink, losing her phone, glasses & other personal items. She is going back tomorrow on the low tide to search for her gear.

You wouldn't believe it but, but, but............. it's WINDY!

Saturday, the 29th

Not sure how the lady went with her gear but a few came back with plenty of Sand Crabs.

I've had a good look around the town & out to a couple of Bays that are close by. There is still a bit of wind around but more to the point, today it is chilly. You can't win! Beside the Oyster Farms that dot the region there are grain silos situated in the town. Yep, more grain around here as well. There are about 8 oyster farmers here & it provides a good income to the town.

I'm not sure of the population but they have a Hospital here & the town is very tidy. The surrounding area is quite picturesque & from the high vantage points on the edge of the town it is really post card stuff particularly when you add the colour of the water.

Sunday, the 30th

I've moved on down the coast & am staying at Coffin Bay about 50km west of Port Lincoln. The road down traversed many grain fields with plenty of sheep & the odd sprinkling of cattle. The road followed the coast & there were many spectacular sights. Venus Bay was a pretty town & I could have easily stayed there for a few days.

Beside the road there were a number of Lakes inside the coastal sand dunes & I presume most or probably all of these were salt lakes.

Once again Oysters are produced here & along with fishing & tourism this seems to be the main income for the region. There are a few National Parks nearby & they appear to be popular attractions.

Monday, the 1st December

Across to Port Lincoln & once again more grain (wheat, barley & some canola), sheep & the odd sprinkling of cattle. There is a large port facility here with the export of grain & fish. There appears to be a reasonable industrial infrastructure here to support these industries.

The road north follows the coast & I visit Tumby Bay, Port Neil & Arno Bay before I make my way to Port Gibbon. Why "Port" Gibbon, I don't know as there is definitely no port facility here. I need to ask some questions. I've asked the questions & it appears that grain was exported from here (& Port Neil) by sailing ships (1908 - 1914) & the grain was gravitated down a chute from a cliff to a waiting landing craft & then transported out to the larger vessel (Ketch) anchored off shore. Very ingenious!

There are about a dozen homes spread about here & free camping is allowed & currently there are about 7 caravans/motor homes here. I wish I had found this place a few days earlier as I'm now starting to run out of time! There are loos provided & a shower shelter but you provide your own water & bucket. No power, so you need to be self sufficient in that area however there is a water supply point.

At Arno Bay there is a fish hatchery business & I'm told it is a thriving business.

After leaving Coffin Bay it became apparent that there is less rain here as the surrounds look fairly dry. A fellow tells me that the annual rainfall for Port Gibbon is 11 inches but on the other side of the mountain ridge line, to the west of here, they receive substantially more rain.

Tonight in the sky the moon (a quarter, facing upwards) has Jupiter & Venus (extremely bright)above it & it looks like a smiling face. Very interesting.

Tuesday, the 2nd

We've been for a bit of a drive & the desperates have spent an hour in the water & on the beach. There is a Sea Lion colony nearby & we'll go there this arvo. Even though the sun is out & there is a gentle breeze (note, breeze not wind) the air temperature is cool.

The Sea Lions were not to be found. I'm told they must have been out having a feed. I believed this, of course!

I did a trip up along the coast to Cowell by the dirt road (very corrigated in places) & checked out some of the local scenery. More grain, sheep, oysters, prawn trawlers & other fishing. Also a wind farm is nearby & can be recognised at night by the red flashing lights on top of the wind vanes. It has taken me a couple of days to actually sight the wind vanes as they are on the western side of the nearby range feature. I counted about 25 structures & because of their position they were only visible from right on the coast.

My neighbours went fishing this arvo & (eat your heart out) I've had a feed of fresh whiting fillets for dinner. Yummy..............

Nearby here there are some "bomb shelters" from Word War 2 & they were also set up to be used as communication listening posts for enemy naval signal traffic.

I only wish I found this place earlier!

The Nullabor

Friday, the 21st

I headed off only expecting to go a short distance but the places I had picked out were not suitable so I ended up 73km east of Norseman at the 10 Mile Rocks camping area. By night fall there were another 6 campers in the area, all spread out over the large area set aside. This was an uneventful afternoon drive.

Saturday, the 22nd

There was some early morning drizzle & there was limited visibility for the first hour but it soon lifted & the day was relatively fine however the wind started coming from the east & this was a far different senario than the weather forecast from the previous day. I had intended to visit the Eyre Telegraph Station & Eyre Bird Observatory, south of Cocklebiddy Roadhouse but I did not like the look of the dirt road & the overcast conditions so I gave it a miss.

The stretch between Balladonia & Caiguna has a stretch of 90 miles of complete straight road & it is the longest straight stretch of road in Australia. The heading of this road is about 2 degrees short of due East.

I headed for Moonera Tank camping area (I did not find a tank) & arrived in plenty of time to set up the sat TV to watch the footy (Aussie v NZ) from Brisbane. Pity about the result but in my humble opinion the best team on the night won.

Sunday, the 23rd Bold

Well!, Well! You guessed it, wind & light showers that eventually turned to rain. I stayed put. I was to find out a couple of days later that 43km to the west of me at Cocklebiddy Roadhouse they had 2 inches of rain on the Saturday night. A lazy day was had by all concerned. A sleep, watch the cricket, lunch, a sleep, watch TV, coffee etc & the desperates weren't much better. How will they survive when they get home?


Monday, the 24th

There was a heavy dew & fog in the morning so I was a bit slow in getting away, but at least it was fine.

About 43km further I came through the Madura Pass. We dropped from a plateau on to the coastal plains. This was something I had not anticipated & was quite surprised by. At Madura Pass there is another Roadhouse & I could not get over the number of "motel" type units that were at this property. I'm told there were about 140 units here & I'm yet to find out why so many. We stayed on the coastal plain for another 180+kms until we reached Eucla where we once again climbed on to the plateau. Eucla is on the WA side of the border & Border Village on the SA side. Both are small towns & that is being polite about the size.

I had picked out a couple of sites to camp but the first was not suitable (too early & too open i.e. no shade) & the second was full. There were 4 vans there & anymore would have made it a bit cramped. Both of these spots were on the coast line although both were at the top of 60 to 90 metre high cliffs. Very beautiful outlooks but signs were everywhere that the edges were unstable. Definitely not the place for the "desperates"!

I moved on to the Nullabor Roadhouse & treated myself to a good hot shower & dinner in the diner. The crumbed Whiting & salad was a top meal. Earlier in the day I had met up with an ex Army fellow & he was also at Nullabor & we had a chin wag over our travels through WA & the NT.

The Nullabor Plain is a flat area devoid of trees but it is dotted with small bushes no more that 2 feet high. The sunrise reminded me of the sunset at Derby except that in Derby you looked over the sand flats out to sea.

The ground foliage from Norseman is very green, to my surprise, but I suppose I did not really know what to expect.

As in other outback regions there were a few areas set aside on the main road for the Royal Flying Doctor Service emergency landing strips. These were marked by roadside signs & normal runway markings on the road.


Tuesday, the 25th

I moved on & visited the "Head of the Bight". Very impressive cliff faces & the scenery along this coastline is very rugged. By now the wind had turned to the south west/westerly but was reasonably light. This area would no doubt do well in the winter months as the whales pass by in close proximity to the coast.

On my way back to the highway I spotted the first Dingo on my trip. He crossed the road not far in front of me & by the time I got the camera out he was among the low scrub.

About 15km west of Nundroo the landscape changed & there was grain being grown & there was an abundance of sheep. I did not expect this so far west but once again I was ignorant to this fact of our countryside. A little to the east of here at Penong there is the grain & sheep but also Gypsum is mined here & trained to Ceduna where it is exported by ship from the local port.

On the outskirts of Penong someone has set up a number of windmills (all shapes & sizes) as part of a local attraction. Right through this area there are a number of windmills supplementing the local water supply. Along the road here there was a grader doing the edges of the road & he was towing his own vehicle (a ute) behind the grader, obviously to get back to his base at night.

I moved on to Ceduna & will stay here for a couple of days & catch up on my domestics & have a look around the town.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Perth to Norseman - 17/11 to 21/11

Monday, the 17th

We all hear about the "Freemantle Doctor" the afternoon breeze (wind) that blows over Perth & surrounds. It is a great selling point but really it is just the "afternoon sea breeze". We could name the afternoon sea breeze on the east coast the "Baffle Nurse". Just a thought.

As soon as I tally up the respective columns I'll list here the relevant costs, mileage, fuel costs, etc up to the time I departed Perth.

106 days on the road
Total distance = 14,766km, without van 4,337km.
Fuel - last fill 14,761km - 2,412.39litres. Cost - $4154.95. Average $1.722/litre
Mileage - 6.118km/litre or 16.354litres/100km

Caravan Parks - 71 nights @ $20.15/night (average) - more nights than I intended
Food & sundry items - @ $ average/day


Today I've made it to Wave Rock near Hyden. As I left Perth I saw the Jacarandas in flower & then passed through some forests & small market garden growing area. Also stone fruits were being grown in one place. I travelled the Brookton Highway & the initial part takes you through the hilly water catchment area. Interesting to note that in this same area there are Warning Signs for "1080 poison baits". Must taste good in the water! We don't forget the abundance of sheep & the paddocks full of grain. Yes sir, we are back in sheep & grain territory. Along the Brookton Highway there is a Dog Cemetery just before you the township of Corrigin. The surrounds are well kept & it is a fitting tribute to man's best friend. It is truely something different.

Today there was no gentle breeze, it was a bloody gale & from the East so I was punching into it the whole way out here. Great for the fuel consumption! On my way here I passed the 15,000km mark for my trip.

Met another Vet, from Bridgetown, WA, who served in Sigs & just happened to be in the same intake. Tomorrow we'll climb the Rock & then move on.

Tuesday, the 18th

Climbed Wave Rock & had a walk around the area, then headed off to Southern Cross. Had about 100kms or so of dirt road but surprisingly it was in good condition with little corrugation. Still plenty of grain about but different scrub line in places & the red dirt starting to reappear. I stopped along the dirt road & let the dogs have a good run up & down the road. Obviously no traffic!

I've ended up at a free camp area called Yerdani Well about 60 km west of Coolgardie. Must be a bit of money in Southern Cross as I saw 2 banks there. On the outside of the town there were a couple of mine sites but I'm not sure what they mined. The water pipe that runs from Perth (I think) to the goldfields follows the road through this region. Leaving Southern Cross the grain started to disappear & has been replaced by scrub. More large semis heading in both directions.

My Army mate from Perth has gone to Geraldton to go out on one of the Navy Frigates to the site of the HMAS Sydney for a Memorial Service on Wednesday. He had a relative on board the ill fated HMAS Sydney. He was praying for fine weather & little wind, good luck, Mal! The tress in Geraldton are on an angle due to the strong winds that prevail in the area & the region is a surf sailor's delight.

Wednesday, the 19th

Surprisingly I was the only one at the free camp area. TJ & Cassie loved it as they were are to run free & not be hindered by their leads.

We left late as we were only 100km short of Kalgoorlie. We passed through Coolgardie & it was an interesting town. In its hey day it was the home to 23 pubs but today there are only 2. It was too early to imbibe! Old buildings are prevalent & Historical Markers are dotted around the town.

On to Kalgoorlie & the Prospector Caravan Park. Good value for money (better than the one in Mandurah, the worst of my trip). I've had a drive around the town & visited the lookout at Mt Charlotte. Here is the original water tank for the towns supply. I also had a look at the Super Pit lookout. What a pit, just enormous! I'll go back tomorrow when I have better light for photos.

I talked to a fellow who did the Nullabor in 2 days, mainly because it rained (showers) all the way over. We have our fingers crossed for better weather.

You will note that I have not mentioned "wind" for the past 2 days & we will keep quiet on that matter & hope that things stay as is!

The sad part of the trip between Coolgardie & Kalgoorlie was the rubbish on the side of the road. The worst I have seen anywhere on my trip. A sad reflection on society!

Thursday, the 20th

Back to the Super Pit with no shade this time plus the Military Museum. Some domestics, shopping & I was ready for a move tomorrow.

Friday, the 21st

I'm off & head for Norseman. Lo & behold I meet up with a couple I tagged with in the northern part of WA. We chat about our recent adventures & then I move on to the Nullabor.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Bruce Rock to Perth - 3/11 to 16/11

Monday, 3rd November

After goodbyes to numerous people I have made my way south to Lake Grace & overnight here. Along the way I've had a look (look only, it wasn't open) at the historic Ardath Hotel & then through Kulin & the Tin Horse Highway. Tin Horse, aptly named as there are numerous "tin horses" in various poses along the side of the road. They have a Bush Race weekend here every October & from all reports it is a great weekend.

According to the billboards, Kulin is the Capital of the Wheat growing region of WA.

So here we go, more grain, more sheep & believe it, more wind!

On to Needilup on Tuesday for a night of free camping & I stopped at a town called Ongerup to watch the Melbourne Cup at the local pub however, would you believe, it was closed as the publican had gone to Jerramungup as their was a TAB there. I listened to the Cup on the radio. On Wednesday I headed for Albany via Jerramungup & Boxwood Hill. After leaving Boxwood Hill the landscape changed with less grain & more Tree Plantations, mainly Pine Trees from what I could ascertain. And now the grapes start to appear & the wineries are open for tastings.

I'm at a caravan park on the King River, a pleasant setting (no doubt in fine weather), about 11km east of Albany CBD. Plenty of ducks etc to keep Cassie amused & TJ thinks an extra breakfast is looming.

There is rain around today (Wednesday), with talk of thunder storms with hail & I was going to free camp tonight but the place I chose was not flash so I kept on & arrived in Albany mid afternoon.

Thursday, the 6th

I will stay here in Albany for a couple of days & look around the area plus catch up with another Army mate. There are still showers in the area & they say they will persist for another day at least. Rain & of course wind & more wind. What's new!

Friday, the 7th

Today is overcast, but hellulah, the wind has dropped, I won't talk too loud.

I've visited Mount Clarence & looked over Albany from above. Very impressive but it would have been better with a sunny day. The Desert Mounted Corps Memorial which stands at the end of a series of steps starting from the lower car park is a recast of the original statue erected at Suez in 1932. The granite blocks are the originals from Suez & bullet marks can still be seen on them. Mount Clarence is the site of Albany's Anzac Day dawn service. The roadway leading to the Memorial is tree lined with plaques beneath the trees remembering those fallen soldiers & it is a sobering reminder to the sacrifices paid by those so others can enjoy the freedom we have today.

Then on to Mt Adelaide & the Princess Royal Fortress. Here is a collection of memorabilia from the Albany Barracks & includes a Naval Display, HMAS Perth Interpretive Centre, Australian Light Horse Museum (10th Light Horse memorabilia), Artillery Display plus restored cottages & barracks which are full of memorabilia.

I've decided to stay another day & leave on Sunday for points westward.

Saturday started off overcast but would you believe it, it has turned fine with some blue sky above & probably it has made it to 21deg. I've had another look around the town & got my domestics done.

Sunday, the 9th

Left Albany & travelled through Denmark, The Southern Forests, Pemberton & on to Alexandra Bridge. Plenty of cattle, the odd paddocks of sheep, of course wineries & timber plantations on this section.

The trip was different in that we travelled through hilly country with forests on both sides of the road in many places. Denmark reminded me of Mt Tambourine, except for the big climb & little Art Galleries, Pottery Houses etc dotted the roadway. Because of the windy roads the usual groups of motor bike riders testing their "skills" were prevalent. The road ran close to the coast for a 100 or so K's then headed inland. Off the main drag & onto Pemberton & more wineries. Some of these had big dams/lakes & some had a pergola that was obviously used for weddings & functions. There was plenty of water about & for most of this day there was water along the road verges so there was the evidence of recent rains.

This region is GREEN, I mean the grass.

Through this region there are a number of small crop farms & many make their way here to pick the crops during the season. Many of these people follow the crop season & are in the process of moving from places like Carnarvon to this region at this time. Pemberton had a big Timber Mill & there were many Tree Plantations along this route as well.

Alexandra Bridge is a camp area south east of Margaret River & is beside the Blackwood River which winds its way to Augusta. There are about another 10 vans/campers/tents here & no doubt in fine warm weather it would be a popular place for families.

On Monday I headed for Cape Leeuwin & checked out the point were the Southern & Indian Oceans meet. Very impressive but $5 per head just to walk on the grounds & extra if you do the tour up the Lighthouse. I've been up the Cape Moreton Light on many occasions so there was no need to do this tour. Just as in many places I've been the predominant interstate vehicles were from QLD.

Back through Augusta & then Alexandra Bridge.

Tuesday I've decided to do the round trip to Cape Naturaliste, Dunsborough, Busselton & Margaret River.

For something different it has been raining since 3am but nevertheless I'm off at 8am. The coast road was lined with trees, B&B's, Chalets, Retreats, Caves, walking tracks & of course the obligatory Winery with a restaurant/function facility attached & overlooking the man made lake. At one point there were about 30 young ones out for their hike along the side of the road. They looked wet & no doubt happy to be out walking!

I was in Busselton just before 11am so went to the Remembrance Day Service. By now it was fine & I was not in need of the coat. The Busselton Jetty juts out for about 2km & has an underwater observatory at the end but I could not leave the "desperates" & explore for that length of time.

Another walk for TJ & Cassie & we take the inland route back to the van. More wine tasting & bottle sales at Cowaramup but alas I'm driving & the drizzle has returned. Margaret River township was quaint & no doubt had the prices to go with it. The price of fuel (unleaded) is around the $1.35/litre mark & is the cheapest I've seen for many months.

I've been surprised at the number of properties for sale & just as equally surprised at the sale prices! Definitely not give away prices! I can only wonder how all the accommodation/restaurants/function facilities exist. Most of the wine must go overseas as we never see the brand names back home (some are familiar though) & the prices at the cellar door are not in the budget range even with the 50% discount sales.

Tomorrow we are off to Bunbury, then Perth & next Monday (17th) we start the trek home.

Wednesday, the 12th

At 10 last night the moon cast shadows through the tree canopy & the stars were visible so one could hope for a fine day today. However, however, however, at 6.15 this morning there were heavy dew drops on the roof of the van. But wait, too consistent for dew drops, ahhh, more precipitation. The radio says more drizzle for today but Bunbury is expected to be fine. We wait with baited breath!

I will probably be whinging soon about it being too hot!! Human nature!!

Sue Road, a back road to the coast, is a better road than many of the Highways I've been on. A sand mining operation was supposed to start in the area but the deal fell through but the road was put in regardless. Many tree plantations line this road as well. Iluka Resources have a sand mining facility south of Bunbury & when I went through a town called Eneabba, south east of Geraldton this same company had more dongas in a camp than there were houses in the town. There was a big sand mining plant outside that town.

The wild life today - A wild Emu crossed the road ahead of me & disappeared into the scrub. In another place I saw cattle & a few emus "grazing" in the same paddock, strange, I'm not sure. In another place there was a large (read LARGE) sitting on a fence post beside the road but I saw it too late & there was nowhere suitable to pull over & take a photograph. During this trip I have seen few wild animals, four legged that is, mainly Emus, a few Donkeys & one dog who was on the road east of Albany. The dog was no relation to "you know who".

I called in to visit an Engineer doggie who I had met at our reunion in Baldivis & was with us at Bruce Rock. I then moved on to Lake Clifton, about 170km south of Perth, late in the afternoon. I had a fish dinner at the Hotel next door while the desperates had "gourmet chicken & rice". Gee they are spoilt! I'll stay here the night & move on tomorrow.

I think it is 40 years today that I returned home from Vietnam.

Thursday, the 13th

I moved to Mandurah & will catch up with a couple of Vets this arvo as well a fellow from the site "Exploroz.com". I have some homework to do & prepare a list of provisions I need to purchase for my next leg. I picked up some XXXX Gold cans (30 pack) for $27 a carton in Albany, a steal! Pity the wine specials aren't as good or maybe I'm not looking in the correct place. Particularly around Perth & suburbs there is a bottle shop on nearly every corner but hotels & clubs don't seem to be a prolific as they are at home. The clubs & pubs don't have pokies so not sure if that has anything to do with it.

There is a radio station in Perth that plays "oldies" & also has "Chicken Man - the white winged warrior" & for those of us who served overseas this serial was always the highlight of our day when we were in camp. A bit of nostalgia. Also beats the hell over talk back radio. The ABC regional stations are great but when they cross to programs emanating from the Capital cities you get some talk back & radio announcers who have an attitude & an agenda. Please, give me a break! Thank goodness for CD's.

Friday to Sunday - 14th to 16th

I spent the weekend at an Army mates' place in Rockingham. Visited my cousin & his family & caught up on my domestics. Relaxing couple of days as it should be except that TJ & Cassie found out how to open the "home dog's" kibble box. Not once but twice they raided it! Oh well, need to go back another day to apologise.






Friday, October 31, 2008

Baldivis to Bruce Rock. "Back to the Bush Veteran's Reunion" 31/10 to 2/11

Friday, 31st October.

Moved to Bruce Rock through the outskirts of the Perth region. Through Armadale, Westdale, Beverley, Quairading and then Bruce Rock. The country side was diverse, some forest areas with obvious controlled logging, more grain & more grain, some cattle & plenty of sheep.

The "Back to the Bush" event started last Tuesday and will finish on Sunday.

Caught up with some of the others who were at Baldivis plus I've noted many QLD registration plates so no doubt I'll have a look so see if there are familar faces. Some of those who went south from Baldivis have encountered rain/showers/storms over the past couple of days & whilst there some showers on my way here today it was not too bad. A few of us went to the pub for dinner & while it was a bit rough all was ok.

Saturday

The markets were on down town & many pieces of memorabilia were also on display.

In the afternoon there was a parade & we (Trackers) marched behind our banner (all 7 of us) & one of the WA fellows (ex 1 RAR, of course) had a dog (black Kelpie) with a "Remembrance Coat" & they marched in front of the banner. We did great!

After there was a Church Service with a Blessing of the Banners along with the relighting of the Candle in the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Peace Window. We estimated that there were probably between 350 & 400 in the parade. Also included were a few historic Army vehicles & a group from the 10th Light Horse Memorial Group. Very impressive!

Late in the afternoon there was a demo by a tank & then at night there was a bbq & a concert on the oval. There are in excess of 300 caravans, motor homes, tents, camper trailers on the oval & in the caravan park. All up the population of the town has more than doubled on the weekend.

Sunday

The day was free but at night there was a "camp fire bbq" which was most entertaining. There were a variety of acts from those present and it ranged from singing to poetry to jokes & recitals of stories that we, as veterans, were very attuned to. A number had made the trek home but even still there were in excess of 250 people here to enjoy this great night. A very happy night & a great way to finish our few days here. Those of us who made the effort to get here were extremely glad we did so & would recommend this event to any veteran.

Baldivis - Trackers Reunion - 15/10 to 1/11

Wednesday - 15th October.

4.30pm, and here I am at Baldivis after negotiating the freeways through Perth to this place which is just over 40km south of Perth CBD.

I am catching up with others who are arriving from other places plus some of the locals that I know from past times. Our reunion gets under way on Monday (20th) & will go till Sunday.

Also catching up on some running repairs to the caravan & the generator. Took me 50 minutes to drive to the place where I got the generator fixed. 50 minutes back & only 5 minutes to find & fix the problem.

The days here have been spent catching up with old acquaintances & meeting people who have a similar bond.

A number of are staying at the Veteran's Retreat at Baldivis and this has made it easier as most functions have been held here. Surprisingly there have not been too many late nights although one of the fellows has set up a camp fire & we have managed to have a cuppa around the fire at night.

The reunion has been well attended and there are a number of personnel from the Eastern States. The Dog Biathlon was held on the Friday & it just managed to ba a cold, wet & windy day. The dedication to the Dog Memorial at the Retreat was held on the Saturday & it was a moving ceremony. This was followed by the first presentations of Medals for Working Dogs. It has been the culmination of a lot of hard work by members of our Association.

The Dinner Dance followed at night & recognition was given to those in the west for their hard work in putting together the reunion. A good night was had by all. We had a farewell BBQ on the Sunday and most of the others started to move to other places on the Monday.

After the reunion I have stayed on for a few extra days to catch up with fellows who I served with in 1 RAR. One fellow I have not seen for 40 years, another about 38 years so it has been great to catch up. Another fellow has recently moved to an Aged Care facility & it was good to spend some time with him. Our "Fire Support Base Coral" reunion is to be held in Perth in May next year so I will have another opportunity to catch up with them at that time. I have given them a copy of some of my Vietnam photos as they are in a number of these shots.

Geraldton to Perth - 11/10 to 15/10

Saturday, 11th October

Finally moved on from Geraldton & made my way to Leeman for a couple of days. Whilst here I travelled down to Green Head, Jurien Bay & Cervantes. An interesting coastline but once again the wind is blowing its heart out so no fishing. The coastal area vegetation is once again very similar to Moreton Island & obviously the sand base has something to do with it. There is Lime Sand mining in the area as well.

From here I made my way inland to Arring Siding via Three Springs. The wheat belt is a complete contrast to the coastal region. The grain produced here is Wheat & Canola. I was not aware of the extent of the area that is devoted to grain farming in WA. It is such a huge area & starts north of Northampton & traces an area inland as far south as Esperance. My generator has had a "seniors moment" and does not want to start. I've pulled things to pieces but no luck, so I'll wait till I get to Perth to get it fixed.

On to New Norcia for an overnight stay and a visit to this Monastery township.ottle interesting place to say the least, plenty of history & I purchased a loaf of "home cooked" bread (only $5.40), but balked at the wine at $19.95 a bottle with no discounts for Catholics or Seniors. Damn!

I was going to camp at Moore River, near Gilderton, back towards the coast but as I was now only 100+ k's north of Perth I decided to keep moving on to Baldivis. On my way over from New Norcia I passed a gigantic Satellite Dish, however there was no identification markings for this facility. (Two weeks later & I still can't determine the purpose of this facility) (A month later & I'm told that it is a Defence facility & of course I believe that story!). Also passed a property called "Inala" which was the home of a "Limousin Stud Cattle". Just tickled my fancy!

On the way to Moore River I passed through Gingin, which is completely different to the Gin Gin we know. This area is very fertile & grows many vegetable products, fruits & olives. Of course strawberries are in abundance. Grapes are also prevelant & wineries are appearing & no doubt a sign of things to come in the SW corner os this state.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Carnarvon to Geraldton/Northampton - 18/09 to 10/10

18th September to ......

Moved from Carnarvon to Denham today. Denham is the main town in the region known as the "Shark Bay World Hertiage Region". There had been recent rain along the road south but the Rodeo has missed out on a much needed wash.

The vegetation beside road to Denham is very similar to Moreton Island.

Wind! Talk about wind! We drove into head winds from Carnarvon to Overland Roadhouse & then we got buffeted in the Caravan Park. We stayed in the smallest park in town & there was good room between vans & others there were friendly.

Went over to Monkey Mia to see the Dolphins & really only Tangalooma revisited except that it is on the other side of the country.

The power at Denham is generated by wind vanes with a back up generator, however the caravan park people said the cost of electricity & water was tripple what Perth residents would pay.

Interesting to note in many places the reference to French explorers in the 1700's & Denham has a plaque in one of the parks honoring some of these early visitors to our land.

From Denham to a camp area called "Nerren Nerren" but found that the gas fridge has thrown a wobbly. Out with the generator & instead of a leasurly trip to Northampton I hot footed it to Geraldton. Was lucky that the problem with the fridge was only minor (build up of carbon on the gas igniter) & fixed within an hour at a caravan repair place.

I plonked myself in Geraldton for a couple of days & then went back to Northampton for 5 days to stay with an old army mate. It was great to catch up with him & go through old photos etc plus have a look around the area.

Monday, the 29th
Bold
Back to Geraldton & now some time to look around the region including the HMAS Sydney Memorial. This is a most impressive monument & is built on a hill overlooking the City and the coastal area.

I got my vehicle serviced while here & cross fingers all was ok.

I was ready to move & lo & behold some rain so I've taken off on Friday (3rd October) & gone east to Mullewa & Pindar & then south to Tardun. The wildflowers are out but not as colourful as I had expected. I think I am a little too late. I'm not too late for the flies though they are as thick as!

I have managed to crack a window on my van in a free camp area so I've decided to head back to Geraldton to get it fixed.

I must have done something wrong as a few things have gone wrong here. The lock on the van collapsed & I had to drill it out (with the help of another camper) before I could get back in the van. Luckily I was able to buy a replacement lock at a caravan spare part shop. Cassie decided to eat the remote control for the Satellite decoder. I was able to get a replacement from Townsville & it only took 2 days to get here. The Foxtel card won't work so I've sent it back to Brisbane & my neighbours will run it through my decoder box at home & once it is working again will send it back to me. It has rained again so I'm delayed again from moving.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Roebourne to Carnarvon - 6/09 to 18/09

  1. 6th September to 18th September

    We ended up staying in Roebourne for a week and did the tourist thing and some shopping plus veged out on a couple of days. In Wickham, a purpose built mining town, there is a Woolies and in Karratha these is a Target, KMart, Woolies & Coles. Believe it or not but the prices weren't too bad. The township of Dampier is also situated nearby & at the entrance to the town is a statue of "Red Dog", The Pilbara Wanderer. He was a legend in his own right back in the '70's. The area is very industrial/mining orientated although the area around Point Samson & Cossack have a different flavour with historic sites & local commercial fishing. A few in the caravan park come here for the fishing but it has been windy these past few days making it unpleasant in the smaller boats.

    Cassie managed to pry open a piece of of the fly screen on the caravan door (my fault for the lack of maintenance) in the early hours of one morning & did her own local investigating for a couple of hours before I eventually found her.

On Friday (5th Sept) we watched the Broncos beat Newcastle, thank goodness for the Sat TV.

2. Left Roebourne and headed for Robe River and camped there for a night. Very peaceful and relaxing as we camped right beside the water. The "desperates" managed to have a swim & then a roll in some more red dirt. The joys of it all!! We are starting to find a number of "free camp" spots having a 24 hour stay limit.

Then onto Barradale (Yanmarie River) for a couple of nights. On the way we visited Onslow and would you believe they had a Bakery. Yum! Here they have a War Memorial in the shape of the "Rising Sun" and on Anzac Day the sun rises through the middle of the structure. Onslow was bombed during the WW 2, a fact that I was not aware. The Memorial is being dedicated on the 15th September the Anniversary of the first bombing raid in 1943 & the RAAF are providing aircraft for a fly past. It crossed my mind that the "do gooders" & lefties want us to remember Hiroshima but our children are not taught about "incidents" that occurred on our own soil. Hmmm, we could go on, but........

At Barradale I came across a few of the Citroen 2CV's that have completed a trek through outback WA including the Canning Stock Route, the Gibb River Road and they finished in Kununurra.

Right across the top of the country there are many Museums etc with untold memorabilia from those times. Old airfields etc are littered all over the place and some relate to the early days of Aviation in Australia.

Instead of staying in Exmouth I opted for a Homestead stay at an ex Sheep Station that has been bought by the WA Government. The area is to become a National Park. Giralia Station buildings were nearly wiped out by Tropical Cyclone Vance in 1999 but most were rebuilt. The stay was interesting but more information could have been available.

Whilst here I visited Exmouth & looked around the area. The dogs spent time in the sea and have returned to their normal colour. At least the red dusty look has disappeared.

There is a RAAF base at Learmonth but from what we understand it is mainly used for joint Army/RAAF exercises. There was a Sentry position on the airport perimeter & for those of us who did a "sentry" night at the end of the runway at Nui Dat, this structure would give you a giggle.

Managed to see a couple of whales frolicking in the water off the west cost, Cape Range National Park, but they appeared to be small in size. The views from the lighthouse at North West Cape were spectacular.

The Harold Holt Naval Communication Base is big set up & much larger than I anticipated with a predominance of Naval & Federal Police personnel on site.

Exmouth was expensive for food & out of kilter with other areas we have visited. A rip off for the tourists?

I left Giralia Station & headed for Coral Bay on Thursday (11 Sept). The views of the water here were colourful but everything here revolves around the tourist & I expect the permanent population is below 200 people. Expensive, yet again!

11th September - Carnarvon
We looked to stay at a rest stop further to the south, but we were there soon after midday & as it was an open area without shade we pushed on to Carnarvon. We will stay here for a week and probably move to Bush Bay which is on the coast not far from here. Meanwhile we'll do the tourist thing, buy some supplies & catch up on the domestics.

Watched the Broncos do a number on Easts last night (Friday the 12th). Sweet, indeed!!

One of the others checked out the road to Bush Bay & it is badly corrugated so we will give that a miss.

Here we have been a bit slack but have managed to visit the OTC dish that was closed in 1987. This communication dish was used during the "space days" & played a part in the first moon landing. The One Mile jetty & Train Museum were worth a visit as well as the Memorial to the HMAS Sydney. There is the HMAS Sydney Memorial Drive that has a tree planted (645 in total) for every member of that ship with a plaque bearing the name of each crew member at the base of each tree. There is a further Memorial in the town centre along with a Memorial to a Vietnam Veteran who was KIA in 1969. He has been a member of 5RAR.

There are many plantations in & around Carnarvon & many market gardens producing fruit & veges. Bananas, tomatoes, tropical fruits, mangoes, pumpkin, grapes etc are grown here. I read somehere that this is the "salad bowl" of WA.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Brisbane to Roebourne - 4/08 to 5/09

4th August to 5th September

4th August - Monday - hit the road

As I was 3 weeks behind my desired leaving date I decided to fore go Borroloola & Darwin & headed straight for Katherine. I was able to "free camp" at Chinchilla (rellies), Morven (at the Showground - top spot), outside Longreach (Macsland Rest Area, 24km NW of Longreach - plenty of room), outside Mt Isa (Lake Julius turn off rest area - plenty of room, although pretty full & a Rodeo on in MT Isa on the weekend) and then near Three Ways (41 Mile Bore - 70km east of Three Ways). I was surprised at the lack of "road kill" in the NT, particularly after the area between Roma and Morven and other areas in Qld. Except for the dogs being sick on the first day (blood & bone spread around my Mum's garden on the Sunday) this part of the trip was uneventful.

9th August - Saturday - Daly Waters
On the way north from Three Ways I passed Banka Banka & the area set aside for caravans was inviting, but that will have to wait for another day. At Elliott I had a good talk with the lady at the petrol station (one of 3) about the lack of infrastructure for the Indigenous. There was a camp at either end of the town with a total of about 800 who had little or nothing to do during their day. We stayed at the Pub at Daly Waters NT for $9 a powered site, had dinner in the pub and listened to a Country Poet. Not bad! The camping area was about half full when I arrived but by dusk it was chockers & included a couple of Coach Tour groups. The history around the Airfield at Daly Waters was intriguing & something I was not aware of. The Museum in the hanger tells the history of early aviation, WW 2 & Qantas. From here north there were many remnants of WW2 buildings, hospitals etc but I will need more time to look at this history, so I will be back through here in a couple of years.

10th & 11th August at Manbullo Station
Then onto Manbullo Station, just outside Katherine, for a couple of days. Checked out Johnney's Electronics (renowned for his Sat TV gear) and restocked my food supplies & the domestics. I look forward to coming back to this area again as there is so much history throughout this region & one really needs to take time to have a good look around.

12th August - Tuesday - arrived in WA
I got an early start from Manbullo Station & headed west but any free camp area was full so before I knew it I was at the WA border (the 1 1/2 hrs time difference helped) & Kununurra beckoned. If you have pets you can stay at the Show Grounds here & there is plenty of room for walking your dog/s.Caught up with some of the others there however they moved on after one day (were they telling me something?). There are a number of crops grown here, a legacy from the Ord River Scheme, & there were plenty of places to visit including the local Hoochery Rum Distillery which produces rum (of course) & many liqueurs. I had a few days here & looked around Lake Argyle (Ord Dam) & Wyndham.

Lake Argyle has a huge expanse of water & is the home to many thousand crocodiles as well as fish farming. There are professional fishermen here & I'm told it is big business particularly in the export market.

I expected Wyndham to be bigger (only 800 people) but the fuel was 14c litre cheaper than Kununurra, a 100 km away. Go figure that! The lookout at Wyndham overseas much of the region & the river systems but they say the best time to observe the area is at sunrise or sunset. I was there in the middle of the day & it was very hazy. The Port area here is full of historic buildings, including the original Hospital, & it was very interesting to walk around & soak up the history of those who lived here in times gone by.

A 100 or so km south at Turkey Creek I had to give my driver's licence to the roadhouse staff before they turned the fuel pump on. On top of that fuel was $2 a litre. Not impressed! Many people use this place as a stepping off point to go to the Bungle Bungle National Park & I was surprised by the number of people at the roadhouse caravan park. Also there was a company doing scenic helicopter flights from here over this region. I was told that there are very impressive sights in this World Heritage Area.

There were plenty of people on the road & if you did not find a good free camp early in the afternoon you needed to keep moving. Halls Creek was the next overnighter. A number of people had overnighted here & were heading off down the Tanami Road & the Canning Stock Route. Off to Ellendale Rest Area & there were plenty of vans & motor homes here by nightfall & mainly banana benders or Victorians. Surprisingly there seem to be few from NSW but many from Qld, Vic & SA on the road. Another traveller offered me some Lake Argyle Cod for dinner but I had prepared dinner so gave it a miss. I enquired about the type of "Cod" & was told that it was better known in other places as "catfish". My memory of catfish being caught at the mouth of the Brisbane River (near the sewerage treatment plant) was more than enough to tell me I made the right decision to refuse the offer of the "fresh fish"!

18th August - Monday - on to Derby & then Broome
Derby was next on the list & I caught up with some of the others here. Very spectacular sunsets from across the flats. A big difference between the low & high tide mark. A couple of days here & then Broome was our next place of call. We only stayed one night here as at the PCYC we were put beside Basket Ball court & hard area for children with roller blades or skate boards. Cassie wanted to eat some kids on skate boards & roller blades. She went ballistic! TJ then wanted to have a piece of the caretaker as he did his rounds. The PCYC is used as an overflow for travellers when the Caravan Parks are full & it is the only place that will allow dogs. We decided moving was the best option! The town was packed with travellers & the Pearl Festival had just started. I had a look around the water front, the Pearling luggers & old wharf buildings etc but will need to return here in a quieter time.



21st August - Thursday - arrive at Barn Hill

Barn Hill was next on the list & this was nearly heaven. Even some kind ex Navy bloke took pity on me & gave me some fresh fish. Actually he was ok (for a Navy bloke) as both he & his wife had read the book "Trackers". I had a top spot here ( grass instead of red dirt) & the others that I was travelling with were rather jealous, but I told them I had said my prayers that morning as I left Broome. It is now a joke & all are saying their prayers! The "family" have spent some time on the beach and at least for the moment they are close to their original colour after a number of swims. Not much, or actually none from what I understand, fish being caught off the beach but those with boats are having luck off shore.

The wind has been with us since about Morven and luckily it has mainly been from the East. I pitied a couple of blokes I met in Camooweal who were travelling east on motor bikes. They said it was real hard going into the wind.

One could make many observations about the "locals", particularly around Broome, but suffice to say it is a sad state of affairs and no doubt the money being thrown their way is having little or no effect. I understand that since grog restrictions were put in place in Halls Creek & Fitzroy Crossing the problem has only been shifted to Broome.

We moved to Sandfire Roadhouse for a night (26th) & then past Pardoo Roadhouse to Port Headland for a few days (27th to 30th). Port Headland was another industrial town & I understand serves as the local port for places like Marble Bar & Newman. We stayed at a caravan park on the outskirts of the town & although there were many permanents here we met many other travellers who had explored the hinterland. As a matter of interest the average price of unleaded fuel up to now is $1.908/litre. The dearest has been $2.178 at Barkly Homestead & cheapest $1.459 in Dalby. Mt Isa was ok at $1.489 but it has been downhill since then.

We did not go to Eighty Mile Beach as I understood that dogs were not allowed in the parks there. It was a decision I regretted as I understand that was not entirely true & I believe the place is a top place to visit. Next time!

30th August - Saturday - arrive at Roebourne
Now we are in Roebourne where we have spent time in Wickham, Cossack, Point Samson, Karratha & Dampier. I got some more fresh fish from a bloke here but it was surprising he even talked to me as TJ growled at him every time he saw him. Many people from the southern parts of WA come north for the winter & from what I understand will spend 3 or 4 months up here & often in the same place.

The mining is awesome, the trains are LONG and the machinery being used is gigantic. The downside appears to be the lack of infrastructure in some of these towns.