Month: August 2021

Monday, 9th and Tuesday 10th August 2021

We wake up in the pleasant junk yard. Lots of peacocks. Very colourful. Now as we go to the ablution block for our morning necessities, we have a good look around. Car bodies etc. We read various negative and positive reports but …. No. It’s a junk yard and we won’t be back.

Half built enclosure full of junk and peacock roosts.

A parked car?

Permanently parked.

Mataranka. Big tree/ termite mound.

Known for the pies by the maestro nick name ‘wingnut.’ Yes. The ears.

Still he knows how to make a pie! This one’s a curry. Look how much meat!

If you look back a year through the blog, it was a ‘United Servo’ a year ago. Now it’s ‘Central Roadhouse.’

More road work traffic lights.

Daly Waters. Mens. The urinals are cut down old kegs …

The sign says it all.

Hand basins with beer taps.

… and the Bucking Shed….

With a bucking bull. Top of head cut off. I took it on the move.

Friend ‘Robin’ would like to get a hold of this.

No. Not a big, ‘Live Music’ night. Van Coles Chicken Kiev, frozen chips (we thawed them and cooked before eating) some vegies. Movie.

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Tuesday 10th August

Up Ablutions which means a walk.

On the walk, Anne likes this rig.

Helicopter shell with rear seats toilet bowls.

The establishment in question. i.e. Daly Waters Hotel.

The bougainvillea in the background and the other flower in the foreground.

Daly Waters post office? I think.

A Falcon but it looks more American.

A VIC number plate. ‘Victoria – The place to be.’ (!!??) I’m optimistic but ….

Yep. They got a croc. Colourful description of action.

We go to Dunmarra for four of the best pies in the outback. We eat one. Then here to Renner Springs for bathroom stop.

Not the biggest one we have had in this scenario. But …

Attack Creek free camping with half reasonable toilet.

Three Ways.

Still Three Ways. Just further down, past the Barkly Highway left/east turnoff.

Another 25km to Tennant Creek but cheaper than staying there apparently.

Fuelled and into the Tennant Creek Caravan Park.

We Did the Census on line last night. We applied for the Queensland Border Pass on line tonight and I caught up with the blog after two days no internet.

Hell! What a couple of days! We covered nearly 1000km besides all the odds and sods to do.

Early showers and on the computer. A good curry with rice. The movie ‘JAWS’ followed by ‘The Shallows’ just to make sure I never went in the ocean ever again.

I watch the Taliban overtaking Afghanistan and hear the bloody ‘do gooders’ saying, ‘We should do something’  which are probably the same ones saying the American Aggressors should leave Afghanistan.

Ho -Hum. Seriously, what did the world think would happen when the USA and allies pulled out?

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Saturday, 7th & Sunday, 8th August 2021.

Up early (5.30am) to do yesterdays blog. Last night (Friday) it seemed a better idea to go to bed.

Morning.

What the hell is that up there? A drone?

Nope. A real plane.

Setting up for the birthday party tonight.

Abby the hound is growing up to be an adult dog and has to spend sometime in the lock up for her own good.

In the mean time, serious stuff in the kitchen.

Beef stroganoff.

Future green chicken curry.

Anne’s famous Chilli Con Carne.

Why the rainbow? Gay? No.

It was sun through the edge of an open glass louvre.

The night comes to pass. All good.

A cake and a candle.

We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when, but I know we’ll meet again some sunny day.  (Well, Monday most probably)

Shower more drinks. Maybe I should do the blog … zz zz

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Sunday, 8th August 2021.

Late up. Anyone left from last night. Don’t remember this guy.

A late brunch. Leave sooner or later. Later seems a good thing.

Time to pack up.

Abby the hound is just a little dust grotty. No. It’s her. It’s not her great grandfather.

Then fare thee well and off! … (like a bag of prawns in the sun.) We catch some road works.

A nice local story.

A wreck?

A burnt out wreck.

What?

Just road kill.

Another closed road house. Emerald Springs?

Rocks just before Katherine.

Katherine. The North Side caravan park. Pre-warned by reports, looks more like a  junk yard, but quirky and friendly.

… with lots of peacocks.

Kurtz Cakes did the joint Leith & Leigh cake. Let’s have some more. Amazing.

We sit and watch the close of the Olympics and John Wick at the same time flicking. What a mix.

Tired and need an early night. Tomorrow? Daly Waters? I think so.

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Friday, 6th August 2021.

It is time to go. We will be heading south, but first we will stay for Dion Layton’s Birthday, and maybe do a few chores on the way down there.

Photos. Our handy ensuite we have had for 6 weeks. Photos of the ensuite? Well it’s the first time we have had one in a van park.

The ‘final’ meter reading. Sounds ominous, doesn’t it.

Our home for six weeks. Our van gone from the left, Ron and family in the middle and Gary and Rhonda on the right.

Now that’s a camping rig.

Don’t trust those extenders, ever since that chap in Denham spent most of the three days we were there fixing his. It was a $140,000 quite new van. Problem. If it extended to the maximum, it sagged and would not retract. Being fair, it was not this brand.

We depart but to the auto shop to change the touch up paint pen I bought yesterday. It was dry. Then to the second hand furniture shop now owned by Tanz from TL to check out the second hand music CD’s for the road. Reminded me of the actor who rode the bomb in Doctor Strangelove. Slim Pickens. We got eight and half of those were shall we say optimistic. It’s the very first Frank Sinatra album I have ever seen without New York, New York.

Then to Coolalinga for supermarket shopping.

First a toilet break. Anne and I have always joked that the men’s seems to be better/more thoughtfully utilised than the women’s. Not so this time. I do not want to dwell on toilets but this made my heart sink and my anger rise to know that humanity sunk so low as to do this. So much for bloody evolution. If you can’t read the notice, it says, “Someone poo in the floor. Close for cleaning.” The English is a little broken so I picture some migrant quietly going about their humble but honest job of cleaning and has to put up with this. I further suspect they spelled it out clearly what had happened from pure frustration. They should have a pig pen out the back for the likes of these people. Animals that is. We have climbed above this over thousands and thousands of years. Well, most of us anyway.

To top it off, a blocked toilet overflowing. Blocked with what? Who put what down it? This just annoyed the hell out of me.

What say we change the subject? Surely ten minutes can be spared for ‘just a look’. I guard the shopping on a comfy seat. Well comfy-ish. Anne starts a search for the illusive ‘perfect top.’ Well, she ended up with ‘a’ top.

The view below from comfy-ish chair, looking back to the coffee and Kebab area. We did utilise both prior to shopping.

Auto oil was also on the list but time was ticking so that will happen in Katherine.

Anne’s search affords me the opportunity to return ‘The Deegs’ phone call. Both are in good health. In fact it turns out after tests, Lou is apparently getting younger. A phenomenon I am not likely to experience. It’s not a run away or out of control phenomenon. It’s very gradual. That is to say, she will still be allowed to drink alcohol legally.

The conversation changes. Now …  What about Queensland? They: Yes. We are going. Us: Yes. We will go as well. We will meet on The Barkly in a couple of days. We have a Plan. Great. We haven’t really known what we were going to do. Now we know.

We arrive at Acacia Hills at Dion’s rural oasis just in time to help him assemble a new BBQ ….

… under the watchful eye (eyes) of the owner, ‘Abby.’

Can you hear her? Stop! State your name and purpose of visit.

BBQ done, plan tomorrow. Then the evening meal follows, chicken schnitzels, chips, carrots and beans all courtesy of Coles, Coolalinga. A beer, a shared red, a small Port, a bid good night.  Adjourn to van, showers, bed.

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A funny or two. It seemed apt to use these two. Can you read the exchange between chemist and customer? If not, here it is …

Customer: I have diarrhoea and need some medicine.

Chemist: Is it bad?

Customer pauses then responds …

Customer: Tell me about the good kind of diarrhoea.

… and yet another pseudo ‘potty’ joke.

‘Error 404 Page not found.’

Laughter. The very best medicine.

 

 

Thursday, 5th August 2021.

I am now technically over 70. I feel fine. This is most likely our last day in town. Up early to finish the blog. A few emails and then I will have a look at the headlight globe.

Young Leigh (58) comes around to help with the light globe. I have found the spare I had it is a cheap brand so we are off for a PHILLIPS and other goodies to save doing it tomorrow, Back to autobarn, we get the globe but also the other paint pen I should have got.

To the servo to fill the tank and to the Airport tavern for some beer top up.

Back to the van where Anne was holding the fort, washing clothes and doing some packing.

A rubber boot is missing covering the globe. A possible reason for blowing more often than you would expect. There is a trick to it with a wire clip but it is done with direction from the maestro Leigh. I will know next time. (Yeh. NEXT time)

I took very few photo’s today. Leigh stopped for a light lunch. After the endurance test last night, that’s all we wanted. ($45 all you can eat seafood)

We packed and tidied. Time marched on and time for Leigh to go do some jobs and pick up Tess in his ‘Schmicky’ Mercedes.

We finish packing outside except table and chairs. They are set up in neutral ground between us and the two adjoining neighbours. 5pm we take up ‘farewell drinks’ position and are joined by Ron, Donna and Kali from the west and Rhonda and Gary from the north, both about eight metres. This our first and last joint meeting of all three and we should have been doing it well before this. We all get on like the proverbial house on fire and a pleasant Beer O’clock evolves. A surprise visit. Leigh has returned with Tess as she wanted to say farewell on our last day. Nice Gesture from her.

They stayed for a short chat, the sun was sinking, so we said our farewells or rather ‘See ya layta’ to Tess and Leigh. The other See ya’s will wait till tomorrow.

I said it’s always mixed feelings packing up. On the one hand it is new and exciting for more adventures and new scenery. On the other hand we have been here 6 weeks and developed AND become part of a small community.

We will move on tomorrow somewhere. Adelaide River and we will see how Queensland is developing.

For now, table and chairs in the back of the car, lock up, showers, fish, left over potato and salad, grape juice, some Olympics and a part movie. Bed.

Two funnies …..

…and ….

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Wednesday, 4th August 2021

Well, I made it to 70!

Forgot to mention, last night sister Jan and brother-in-law David, jumped the gun and gave me an early birthday wish. Thank you very much.

Now at the computer and phone rings. Tis Rick and Dianne from Loxton. Rick, bless his heart, says he called early in the hope of disturbing/waking me.

Other phone calls after Ricks. Good friends calls. Then next door neighbours, Ron, Donna and Kali have dropped off a six pack of Guinness and a four pack of small red wines on our outside table. This gesture was first noted by Anne who went outside and announced ‘The Birthday Fairy had been. Well I didn’t hear him. Then driving out, they stop and sing Happy Birthday. That brings over other neighbours Rhonda and Gary. Then their passing friends stop to talk. We are still in our pseudo pyjamas (T shirts and shorts.) un-bathed, un-prepared and looking quite un-kept.

Scrubbed and sort of organised, lunch time is upon us. It’s my birthday. What would be in order? Pie floaters for lunch! Dietary though.  HALF a pie each.

In the town to pick up the cake and while in such proximity to Vintage cellars, some wine for our pending trip. This very nice lady from Adelaide is in the wine shop with her husband but didn’t want her face ‘sur le blog’. Fair enough. So instead I promo her stylish hat.

Cake got.

On to Leigh and Tess’s apartment, then to ‘Seafood on Cullen.’

Cath arrives at the same time as us at the scheduled 6pm. FYI if you ever go there, arrive earlier because, EVERYONE gets there at 6pm. First selfie taken from the middle. My birthday, so I throw caution to the wind. Devil may care Carroll. That’s what they call me.

Leigh and Tess. Always neat and ready.

Hey what the hell! I’ll do an aerial selfie. Is there no end to my ‘devil may care’ antics.

 

Now here is a little touch of ‘Henderson History.’ FYI I’m a Henderson on my mothers side. My cousin ‘Mal’ (Henderson) told me many years ago he attended said establishment with friends and he just had the taste for oysters. So he kicked off with a dozen and that lead to another dozen. He wasn’t counting, just enjoying. However friends had quietly been taking note. He maintained his exclusive oyster intake to dessert time. When prompted to go for ‘afters’, he returned with a conservative nine oysters. At the end of the evening, the official count was ’14 dozen and 9 dessert oysters.’ What can you say? When you’ve got the taste, you’ve got the taste. N.B. On the odd occasion or three during the meal, if one of his colleagues was going for food, he would be asked, ‘Mal. Do you want another dozen?’ and they would return with better than a dozen, be it fourteen or what ever. So the un-official count would have been over 15 dozen but Mal is a stickler for official facts.

On that note, lay eyes on my humble oyster start. I think a mere eight with two mussels for comparison.

Always impressed by my lovely wife, she can have just half a piece of toast and one lonely egg on it for breafast and stop two thirds of the way through to declare, ‘I’m full.’ However, at this ‘feasting table’ I lost count of her plates and gaze upon her dessert selection!

Leigh and his selection of ice cream topped jellies!

The cake cometh. Don’t squint. It says, ‘Happy Birthday’ across the top (it was supposed to be plural) then ‘Leith 70!’ and ‘Leigh 58!’ The establishment added the two candles.

Anne says, ‘Both of you blow the candles out without looking like you are blowing each other a kiss.’ Wise advice. N.B. Note the photo bomb by Cath. Well done attention grabber.

Us with the cake and ….

… us without the cake.

Lights in the trees outside as we leave, with a foreground feature.

Final farewell group shot. Sorry Tess for your left side amputation. I took the photo perfectly but the wine decided to discredit my selfie finesse.

Farewell Cath and safe home trip. Back to the apartment for cake surgery. 50% 50%. I want the half with ‘Leith 70!’ on it.

I blow .043 in the Breathalyzer. Technically legal but as I think Gary neighbour explained, they will never allow the private machines to read 100% accurately because they don’t want court room arguments. So Anne will drive.

Also, Leigh has noted the RH headlight globe has blown. It or they do that regularly because the previous owner ( a government authority I believe) had them permanently on if the motor is running. Pain in the neck.

Home. TV on. Computer on for blog. One ‘tiny’ little Port. Finish the blog in the morning.

N.B.1 A big, BIG ‘thank you!’ to all who called or emailed or texted or face-to-faced me with Birthday wishes. Though I do not dwell on them at the time, I am both flattered by you thoughts and grateful for your friendship. Again, thank you so much. It was an excellent day, thanks to you all, especially my patient and enduring wife. How does she do it? Put up with me that is. It’s so nice to be alive.

N.B.2 I will also thank the friends who, through poor record keeping or poor memories, have not realised I had my 70th and will congratulate me in due course. I note these fine people because I am one of them usually. HOWEVER, I have just started a perpetual diary recording birthdays etc.I just have to remember to open it and have a look who is coming up. It’s not a perfect plan.

Cheers.

Oh? Better have a funny, relating to age …

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Tuesday, 3rd of August 2021.

Young Leigh has a Birthday today. I am envious of his mere ‘child like’ 58 years. Where as mine will be tomorrow after and …significant? Yes. Another !!??%#&! DECADE. The last one was painful enough. Then again there is an advantage to clocking them up. No one expects too much of me now. I don’t get asked to help lift things and people are quick to react if I stumble or trip. I used to run MARATHONS for Christ sake! Shut up Leith. That is a dim memory.

Anyway, in the mean time as our Darwin days diminish (I didn’t do that on purpose) there is some home work to do. These two little mystery dents/blemishes have been on my mind for months. I can’t get the dents out but I can colour them. So I go looking for paint sticks. I get them at I think it was Autobarn. The place on Bagot Road on the city side of Cash Converters. Not bad. Only took three stops to find it. Leigh the birthday boy and logistics Oracle for Darwin is guiding me.  I forgot about the bottom one. The grey I got will be OK for the top but maybe a little dark for the bottom. We shall see.

There is also a gouge with a resulting metal curl up. That will need a small cold chisel. Done at Total Tools on the highway. second stop. I also got a wood chisel for a potential job. The diesel heater hose doesn’t quite fit as the vent hole was cut too close to a support. If the hose pops off (again) I will be ready with chisel to ‘make good.’ Now, a more dynamic person may pull it apart now to avoid a possible problem. For me, I prefer the attitude, ‘if it’s nor broken, don’t fix it.

After going to four outlets for tent pegs with points, I finally had to go back to BTC at Pinelands to get a pack of 10 with points for $12 (not the $15 I thought)

While there, I spot these mirrors.

Now in fact, these are not the mirrors I have. This is making reference to the left one which is giving me curry. Two years ago, these Clearviews shown here, were around $800 and I got the cheaper $500 rip offs. (Cheaper? half a thousand!) I have been in touch with the retail store in Adelaide and they have said, bring it in. I explained we were 3000km away and he said ‘When you can’ so I will send him an email to mark and remember the conversation.

Back to Leigh’s place in the city where Anne is shopping. (Shopping in the city. Not Leigh’s place) Can you believe that? She would rather shop in the city than drive around to car accessory place s with Leigh and me. Don’t figure.

Home. Was a bit of a day.

I take a photo of the I.D. plate of the van as I can’t remember why but I had a recent flash that I would need it. ‘Why” remains the question. Errr, bad memory kicking in on the 70th birthday. Naaaaa! I’ve always had a bad one.

We will skip the Beer O’clock today. Showers and we whip up an exotic, sliced and baked potato with onions, butter and cheese, baked carrot, broccoli and red cabbage. All to compliment the exotic chicken Kiev with garlic and cheese direct from well known gourmet outlet, Woolworths. Actually the Woolies Kiev’s are damn good. About $2.50 or $5 a double, but these were out half priced. Actually, typing this out and the photo is making me hungry again.

In the habit of posting a funny now so ….

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Monday, 2nd August 2021

Public holiday. The Darwin (horse) Cup. We won’t be going.

I MUST fix the mirror.  I am a tradesman. An Electrical Fitter. I made things. I had a double garage with all sorts of saws, drills etc etc and etc. Here I am cutting a piece of wood to jam in the mirror using a small G clamp to clamp the bit of wood to my set of steps and sawing it with a hacksaw blade in a small handle. Progress?

It is done. We call people. We have been preoccupied with all sorts and let our ‘Hello’ calls fall away.

We go to the Bunnings. Sausage sizzle. We will be back for the snags. Anne wants this ArmorAll and didn’t think we would get it here. We weren’t disappointed. They didn’t have it.

We also wanted tent pegs with sharpened points. The ones that look like they are for securing a boat in a storm have been sharpened but the ‘standard’ size  are cut square, designed by a person who has obviously never EVER bashed a tent peg in. We no buy. You go way. We no buy.

A coffee. Good ones as well.

I talk to the chap next to us. He is making a gadget to scare the cockies away from his garden. Hmmm. Good luck.

He has two vicious guard dogs.

Outside to the snags. People of honour. They were packing up but saved us our two snags. How very, very good of them.

On to Coles, Northlakes. Now here’s a bargain too good to pass up. One for $4 or two for $8. Maybe we should get four?

Hey! A bit of home town Australiana and the apple isle.

Southern Australian  Orange.

Yorke Peninsula …

… and Tasmanian mint!

On to the Chemist Warehouse. Lots of stuff here.

Back to the park and here is a man (or woman?) of many flags. Wales, Australia and Ireland. We should double back and talk to them.

The straight run through the park to home.

Next door neighbour holding the fort. His fort of course.

Beer O’clocks, showers, crumbed fish with potato, onion and cheese plus salad. Grape juice, Olympics on TV and  …….

OOPS! I forgot the funny so added it late. I see three people have already looked at the blog so they haven’t seen this.

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Sunday, 1st August.

Sleep in. Eight-ish for me. 9.40am for Anne.

Yet another slow day although I had what I thought were a few wins. I sorted some more paperwork AND managed to jam a small piece of wood on the left mirror into the spot where it will hold it and not move. I even went out with the black felt pen and coloured the final fix-it wedge.

That took us into the afternoon and we made a mistake. We laid down for a ‘short rest.’ We woke up late for our planned 4pm arrival at Leigh and Tess’s for a home made pizza dinner.

Panic stations! Skip the showers, hit the road. We have to stop at the Airport Motel BWS for some essential supplies. Ever tried to get into that place if you’re not local. It’s on a service road off McMillans Road. Found it after a bit of an exercise. In the mean time, the ‘finished mirror’ has dropped and I am looking at wheels in the mirror. A little disappointing AND bloody annoying!

We get there an hour late BUT we did get beer and wine. Now Leigh is technically an amateur, although he has had a pizza shop in the past. He gave us a few hints which I will not divulge except that he has found this is the best base to use …

… and this is the best sauce base.

Optional fillings but this one was great.

Now … have I fallen asleep? No. I got the hick-ups and I have a 95% successful remedy that takes just one minute. I have told so many people how to do this and copped so much flack when I do it, that I no longer tell anyone. I see people with them and think, ‘If you had paid attention to me, they would be finished now.’ I guess they must just prefer to have them!?

Excellent pizza’s, excellent company, excellent night. Home time. Anne can drive. Home, shower, glass of Port, a few moments TV, a final grimace about the mirror and …

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