Well last posting was I think 19th April last year. So it has been around eleven months.
What has happened ?
Lots!
We took possession of out little cottage in the city.
So, until further notice we are no longer cruising around Australia ‘at a snails pace’.
I will be leaving this travel blog on the Rustic Guide website and starting a new chapter of our life in Adelaide and in particular looking for the quirky side of the city and surrounds.
The ‘Rustic Way’ title will remain as most things I do are a bit rustic anyway.
I am very rusty (or rustic?) on how to manage and modify the site so it will be a bit spasmodic and erratic (not to be confused with erotic).
There is a chance it will also have a photo gallery.
Arrival after noon and I forgot what a trick it is to get into parks here. We will be here for minimum 3 weeks so we do the full set up. Takes a while. Always does.
Then we walked to Walkerville Woolworths for some necessaries.
On the way back we inspect picket fences for some statistics designing one.
The day is gone and people are cooking. The chap next door swears by these little aerosol fuel cookers. Available from Big W apparently. About $15 or $20? The cans are 12 for $18 so $1.50 each and they last 1.5 hours. So for number crunchers, if you take 15 minutes to cook the meat, it’s 25 cents a use..
The day has gone as we knew it would.
Tomorrow will be cool and raining but we have to buy ‘things’ for the move in renovations so we will be ultra busy tomorrow.
Pasta for dinner. A night on the computer planning. There will be a lot of that for the next month … or two … or four.
Friday (Good Friday) 15th and Saturday 16th April 2022
We have to move because we didn’t book for Easter. We can however, stay within the Park. The neighbour has been away for a couple of weeks but left the van here. This ‘nifty’ solar light automatically comes on at night and looks like a burning flame. Bunnings?
N.B. I don’t think I have ever written/typed the word ‘nifty’ before. So ….
nifty /ˈnɪfti/ adjective INFORMAL particularly good, skilful, or effective.
attractive or stylish. “a nifty black shirt” Similar: fashionable, stylish, smart.
The spot we had to leave. Opposite en-suite style bathrooms and down the quiet exclusive end of the park. Partitioning shrubs.
The park has a book exchange and some basics. Handy though.
We settle in to apparently the worst site in the park. Near the entrance and apparently so small, that they only let it to RV’s. Well I managed to get the 20 ft van in (really 26 ft with A frame etc.) and the Ranger AND it stayed connected AND squeezed Anne’s little Ford Laser in AND still had space for two chairs outside the van. Piece of cake.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Saturday 16th April 2022
We will test the repairing foot out. Haven’t walked for a week. So a short walk to the cemetery where Anne’s Mum and Dad were laid to rest. Beautiful place.
This is the shady spot near a lake.
Several lakes in the park. We look at a lot of headstones. It’s history. We do it all around Australia and it is enlightening as to how harsh it used to be.
This one was a little sad. Someone had been here and draped the head stone in tinsel for Christmas, but here is Easter and they still haven’t been back to clear the Christmas decorations.
Back to the van. We are doing maintenance. We have caught up some of the back filing of three years paperwork and washing today.
I made a mistake. I have stopped to add up how much we are spending to get into the house. It was a good exercise because now we won’t be paying someone to paint four rooms. We will be doing it ourselves. (*!?!?!**!!**!?!?!)
Back when we lived here, renovating was relatively easy. Things were cheaper, I had a couple of good, cheap private building guys, a good, reasonably priced and reliable plumber, I was younger fitter and stronger and I wouldn’t have dreamed of paying someone to do what I could do myself. That was a quarter of a century ago. Now, generally, I just can’t be stuffed.
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, so what ever we do, it won’t be general shopping other than perhaps supermarket.
Still, the never ending story of container sorting.
This time a taxi truck to bring furniture from mate DPM’s place to the container.
Jaycar, car fridges with spots for two lithium batteries. Fridge $400.
Batteries from $70 to $440 each. (!!?!??!)
We spot this guy on his motor bike.. He obviously has a sense of fun. Good on him. Or is he trying to make a statement? In which case, what is the statement?
House appliance shopping.
We could get this small statue. Give the place a bit of class. (?)
Why curtains? Why not just Plantation shutters. Good alternative.
Bunnings. Sinks.
Laundry cupboards.
Anti slip plastic/rubber mesh to put under loose rugs, so they are not. Loose that is.
I have this new camera. Well it was five years ago. Used twice. Thing is the replacement is about $1200
It got a fault. Will cost $600 to fix it. I think the container was dropped when coming back to Australia. That is it had three good solid mezzanines, When it arrived, one had snapped. So I would say it got a serious jolt that broke the sensor.
Anyway, some one can have it for nothing and if prepared to fix it, will get a $1200 camera for $600. I won’t because I have two already.
But no one is going to do that. Won’t take the ‘risk.’ But it’s a calculated risk and not much risk at all.
e.g. Years ago I had a chance to buy a two poster Brasilia coffee machine. It was brand new but had a tide mark half way down the body where it and hence the works were immersed.
I had a good look and saw basically the pump and a control box may have been damaged. I priced the control box which was $110. The pump I guessed at $300. I went ahead and paid $1000 for the machine. I got the control box for $110 and the pump was fixed for $50. So total $1160. So I got a brand new machine for $1160. They cost $5000!
Listen carefully. I have never followed the following statement enough to be hugely successful BUT I have done ‘things’ like this before because of a saying I heard years ago.
“Successful people do things that UN-successful people aren’t prepared to do.” The best lesson you will ever get.
On to Anne’s, cousin Scott’s, daughter’s birthday. That;s a mouthful. I haven’t shown a good pic because even though people I know are cool, some sicko might tap into the blog so not a good idea to put photos of cute kids.
A good get together. 9.30pm and it’s home time. LATE for us. Home. For tomorrow we must move … at least 100 metres.
Both days sorting the two containers including a visit to good mate DPM. He has been graciously storing some furniture for a couple of months for us.
We were going to load it up bit by bit and ferry it to the container. However a quick lift of the table … put it down and booked a taxi truck for Wednesday.
That’s tomorrow.
This is the heavy extending table. I was going to lift this onto the roof racks?
Hall stand.
Four chairs.
… and a partial mystery box. 26kg to lose some weight we had picked up bit by bit. We sent it from Darwin over six months ago. There’s a jockey wheel and … ?? We shall find out.
Don’t know if this spare sat dish is still ok. It was bought before digital.
… and what’s the fire engine doing n the van park?
Rocketman on TV tonight. Elton John’s story. Seen it before but it’s still brilliant.
Farm Auction. Sold … and lunch after at the Tanunda Club. A great place. Good food. Nice afternoon.
How’s this for an illuminated mural?
And this photo of a photo which just doesn’t do it any where near justice.
On to adjacent Wohlers furniture to kill some time. We wait patiently for our two new Nordic leather recliners.
How’s this for regal? Queen Anne.
Quite a chair.
On to the doctor. What do you think? I have had ‘toe pox’ three times before and this is starting to look like it. Starts one toe and spreads. Or is it just a blister? Have to go back again on Monday.
Home. Kick back.
zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Saturday 9th April 2022
On doctors orders, I make it a foot easy day today, which is killing my necessity to sort the containers. Bugger.
Washing, planning, Chicken Kiev, Bridget Jones sequel …
About two years ago we were off caravaning with G & J and K & L in the Flinders. My one and only belt tore at the hole used and I had no belt as it was too short. So I split the belt in the middle back and used cable ties to extend it. Work of art. Seemed a shame to throw it out, being a work of art and all, but what use is it? You can’t hang onto everything.
Anne spots a big grey moth walking under the car.. Damn shame the lens on the camera is now scratched in the middle and it can’t be seen.
This is a cardboard box in storage. Kiss my arse?? I googled the company name but no mention of ARSE,
Unleaded (but NOT diesel) is down. We filled. $159.9 per litre.
First container. The Blue Bastard. The crap one from East Timor. Stuff on the left is staying. The stuff on the right is going to the house.
Container two. Black Beauty. Sorting. On right goes to the house. Left stays in the container..
Under the blue in the middle is the Vespa.
The kitchen cabinet I restored.
The Blue Bastard with Black Beauty in the background.
Off to the upholsterer who also glues furniture. Table with two broken legs.
A small piano stool (is it?) to be covered and two cracked shelves from my adjustable book cupboard to be glued.
Home. My toe hurts. Now I am thinking I may have the start of the dreaded ‘toe pox’ of mine. Had it three times before. Twice in East Timor and once in Tenant Creek. We shall see what develops. However, now experienced, I know I need both anti-biotics for the infection but also anti-fungal for the cause.
I can only do the anti-fungal. I need someone with a Medico Cert for the other.
We shall see. Good movies on inc Monty Pythons Meaning of Life. There is a god.
Back to the containers. We make some headway and get started on the second container.
I come across this 1969 Mack 1 Ford Mustang model. A ‘tongue in cheek’ gift years ago from good mate DPM who even years earlier had put me onto the same model car for sale. I didn’t buy it for $4200. (!!?!??!?!?)
A new arrival. A 40ft container, side lifted. Poetry in motion and all done by the driver/operator by hand held remote control.
We leave to meet Kay. She is widow of my favourite cousin Mal who left us just last year. Much missed.. We lunch at the Gawler Bakery then we part company and I (and Anne) go on to the local clinic I once attended, to check into flu shots. Some useful covid info on the wall
It also had a plaque saluting James Martin, considered father of Gawler.
We go past ‘Lesleys’ store. An amazing old system of paying.
N.B. Cash carriers were used in shops and department stores to carry customers’ payments from the sales assistant to the cashier and to carry the change and receipt back again. The benefits of a “centralised” cash system were that it could be more closely supervised by management, there was less opportunity for pilfering (as change would be counted both by the cashier and by the sales assistant), and it freed up the assistant to attend to the customer and perhaps make further or better sales.[1]
On to check how the upholsterer is going with our chairs and on the way back Anne remembers a shoe shop she had seen before. How about that.
They are nice, I must say.
Then Bunnings for various including looking at fruit trees that can be grown in pots. …
… and treated timber …
… and marine ply to make a floor for a tool shed.
Also a great compact laundry assembly. Almost the right size for the laundry cupboard.
Then back and a late walk as you can see from the shadows.
They must have just ‘glued’ the cracks. Hadn’t seen it last walk.
Then the sheep. You can almost make them out.
And a sunset gift just as we get back.
What a day. All sorts.
Showers, some more Goulash and a few TV shows, then …
We had a walk as we have worked and NOT walked for two days.
Planning efficiency. We put the washing on before we went for the walk. It’s called killing two birds with one stone, not that I have anything against birds.
Then onto the containers. On the way, we spot this bit of history.
Excuse the blur. It’s either an FB or EK, G.M. Holden. I can’t tell from the back. However I can tell you it’s not a standard colour. That green is in your face and not a standard Holden colour.
Almost to the storage place and we see this loving man.
He loves the centre line, too bloody much.
I never used this one because I thought it was analogue. Now I notice the magic word. ‘digital’. I wonder. I will look into it.
Made headway but still in the first container. Home.
Sausages and chops, spud, fresh peas, carrots, basil pesto, butter. A feast.
A good movie Leap Year with Irish theme and followed by Bridget Jones Diary. (with flicks to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.)
Mean time, nature gave us this gift this afternoon/evening.
Very good. The day is done.
Cheers.
zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Funnies.
(This is an older one regarding the covid.)
This was captioned as how to jump start a millennial.
Today, we must go to town (Adelaide) for a mix of things.
Carpet check on sizes, over-locking etc.
…and looked at the window treatments.
… which happened to be near a coffee shop.
We spotted thin honey as well. Took the number plates off for the owners privacy but the number plate suggests it is a 1965 Chevy Impala.
On to check out bedroom built in robes. Ordered them. LONG delivery. (!!?!??!)
Collected parcel from post office.
Anne got a flu jab.
No walk and no container sorting but a fulfilling day.
Showers, meal (schnitzel and three) good movies. All sorts including Chef and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing. Both brilliant films but hugely different genres
All pedestrian stuff. We are not travelling. I ‘itch’ for the road. Bummer.
This time we will get serious. I am up earlier. No computer. Straight to it.
Even then a little late at about 8.45am departure for the walk. We have been walking past a block with sign ‘Gawler Market’ for weeks but it is always empty. We now find out it is only on Wednesdays but we won’t go in today.
Next .. Corella’s! Thousands of them. (literally)
Turn the corner and we have been told about a big male roo to be avoided. I think this is him. We keep clear. By the way, they are called boomers.
N.B. Googled … A female kangaroo is known as a ‘flyer’ or a ‘doe’ and a male kangaroo a ‘buck’ or a ‘boomer’ (hence the nickname of the Australian men’s basketball team, the Boomers). They live in social groups called mobs.
.. and further on some black headed sheep. Suffolk?
Then back to the van, get goodies then on to business.
Sort the the damn containers. First the blue one. We have to divide the items staying in the container and the ones being taken to the house by the removalists. Also packing and repacking as required. I think about a week and this is day two.
Notice the black one in the back ground. It is patiently waiting for us. Save the best till last.
A hotch potch of stuff with four mezzanines. Looks a mess, doesn’t it.
Yes. It will take a week. (at least)
After, shops and look what just sneaked past us by one kilometre in the car park.
We are currently in hum drum work mode. There is nothing exciting.
One thing I came across is an old ‘Hagar The Horrible’ comic strip from 1978. Yes. I have hoarded ‘funnies’ for a long time.
It’s a laugh. I have cropped it to hopefully make it easy for you to see.
Here is the whole thing first, then the individual scenes.
Hagar always had appeal. The other guy is Lucky Eddie who is anything but.
Last night was less cold. We will visit Phil and Ann today on a lunch invitation. BBQ. Yes!
On the way we pull in to a shopping complex to look at rugs.
However we see a bed advertised. Sunday 10.30am. The shop is shut but we recognised (through the window) a bed the same as ours only a different colour.
‘Hot Price!’ Not wrong. It’s $400 more than ours was. Real hot!
The carpet we spotted and have decided on (apparently) is the Ishtar Pebble. It can be made into any rug size ….
… and the bottom line is $2130 for three rugs. One 3m x 3m and two 3m x 2.8m. I’m sort of getting used to it now. Spending that is. (Ouch)
Onward. Anne is driving so I get to gaze around. I spot this unique cloud pattern. It covers the entire sky.
We arrive. A few furniture carrying jobs to earn our keep. Then a fab cheese and pate board with a few Guinness’s. It is warm outside so we need quenchers. Then the BBQ with a couple of fine reds. Chats and laughs. Then the day has gone and we are heading home.
Over all too quick.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Laughs?
But first something significant … and it’s so true.
Plotting for the future. Our sofa bed (for guests) is not dissimilar to this. Not this but ‘it’ is secured and waiting for clearance to be delivered.
… and this is our bed, less the side draws etc.
In a second hand store. I would love to have this yacht for the mantle piece. I think I would lie and just tell everyone I made it.
N.B. In modern usage, mantel refers to a shelf above a fireplace and mantle refers to a cloak or covering. “Mantle” is also used metaphorically when describing the transfer of power such as when one “takes on the mantle.” Some still identify these words as spelling variants, but you are better off separating them.
So ideally, it should be ‘mantel piece.’
In the mean time the car battery is dead flat. RAA says the battery is fine and something just flattened it. But what? Watch this space. I am. It was run for an hour as the RAA man recommended. We will see tomorrow.
By the way , the run included taking it for a drive to charge it up. On the drive, we saw this big honey cruise past. We stopped and talked to them at the lights. He has been working on it for 15 years and it’s been on the road for just a few.
Cook for dinner? Now? After all this? So for the first time in at least 3 months a Pizza for dinner! (That was the reason for the drive)
This is what’s left of the party size. It is to be frozen in two separate containers for two future quick meals.
\
Quite a day, although we didn’t touch the storage containers.
A farewell walk with Lou in the morning, some housekeeping and off to the mall to buy a few things.
Then the container for some assessing and forward planning.
A lot to do. A REAL lot.
That old saying, ‘You can eat an elephant, a mouth full at a time’ applies here.
Ah … what the hell. We have had to eat mum, dad and the kids of an elephant family before. What’s one mere single rogue elephant anyway? Piece of cake. (big cake though)
We meet a removalist at the containers to get a quote to relocate contents from the containers to the house in the city. Ouch! $$$$$!!
Off to Bunnings for some cardboard boxes to pack up loose things and plastic boxes for clothes.
Spotted some racks for future built-ins.
Now in transit, I squint to look at this guy. He’s got his arm hanging out! Not only dangerous but illegal.
Closer …
…closer …
We pull up at the lights. Now there’s two of them!
The Bunnings brochure on quality western red cedar tool sheds. This one is the flagship. About $2,500 !!! … so we won’t be buying one.
Mick and Lou have arrived from Alice Springs to spend two nights then proceed to Brighton. So we have a fab night at their van park cabin, just a two minute handy walk from our van. Beer, red wine, pasta and red wine … and red wine. A big night for someone (me) on a diet and well out of practice for processing grape juice. I was reminded by my loving spouse in the morning. Quite a few times actually.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Thursday 24th March 2022
Lou is an enthusiastic walker and we have blazed a trail so we take her to our trail and spend the next 45 minutes trying to stay up with her. Everyone does their washing then in the afternoon we …. I was going to say ‘entertain them’ but is was more ‘occupy them’ by taking them to our containers to show them our preparation sorting process.
Then for the ‘highlight’, (?) Harvey Normans to show them our recent sofa bed purchaser. Very zappy and not everyone’s cup of tea. We know that, but at the end of the day, we decided Anne and I were the only ones who had to be happy.
On to the shopping centre. The girls to the supermarket and the boys to Dan Murphy’s. The ladies were waiting for us when we got back. So much to see at Dan’s. A wonderful place full of NICE things.
Now for ‘beer o’clock as we are well past the hour.
Cheese and pate etc …
…. AND we have a taste off, of our Dan’s purchases.
This is my traditional 440ml Guinness can at 4.2% alcohol …
… and Micks Extra Stout Guinness at 6% alcohol.
This is a classic win-win situation in my mind.
We did a classic meat and three with red wine and … red wine, but not as much as last night as I was being more closely supervised.
That’s fair enough as well. Home time and much neater.
This has been our Adelaide car when ever we came to Adelaide from East Timor when we lived there. So this morning via internet we registered and insured it then went to REPCO and got a battery.
Now … if you think you can ‘pack it in’, have a look at this.
Three small mezzanines across the top with head clearance. A lower one 100mm above the car.
Barely enough space to walk down the side to get in the drivers door and then just enough to stand at the door. The rest to the back is not accessible.
About 100mm on the right side as well as the left at the back.
Even less at the back. There was only about 100mm as well at the front.
Now keep in mind when I put it in there I had to get a run up at the ramps and hit the brakes with surgeon like precision.
And she joins us at the van park. Our Ford fleet is now complete.
DPM friend suggested with the current fuel prices it would be cheaper to use this little run around. Well suggested amigo!.
That filled most of the day.
A good result. I will sleep well tonight, but with the quilt believe it or not. Damn COLD tonight.
Floor polishing, furniture removalists, furniture purchasing etc etc etc.
But first, the daily walk. We go past mini horses. I don’t know enough to say whether they were Shetland ponies. It would be sort of like having a big, weird dog. Cheap to run though. Just hay to eat.
Many phone calls. Long day. Friends birthdays. (always good to have them)
Another walk around the same track. ‘Gawler Markets?’ Huge area but doesn’t look like t has been used.
On the way back, we pass a furniture store.
We want one of these. Similar to a caravan bed. Lift the bed to complete storage under. They’ve got one. We shall see.
In transit to the container to unload stuff then onto Harvey Norman. Another deserted car on the side of the road. Where do they all come from?
Harvey Norman. They have lift up storage beds also.
I haven’t seen this cushion design since my mum did it. She was a member of the CWA and I am pretty sure it was one of their projects. I guess we now have to get them from China.
We wanted a divan bed sofa as well. Lots of then and a wide range of prices.
This one is our prime divan of interest as it is ‘in your face’ and ‘out there a bit.’ Not everyone’s cup of tea but we like it. Bad taste? I am at an age where I just don’t really care what others think. We shall see what happens. We have a list.
Looked at rugs as well. Choices?
Replace the existing carpets? Polish the floor boards? Buy a rug to put on top of either? Again, we shall see.
Bunnings for a few odds and ends.
Home. Showers, pasta (and hence red wine) and a movie.
Anne spots the sun set which is pretty good.
Good movies on tonight. But here’s something we really need today …
Early, we packed up and took the 10 minute trip to just south of Gawler to the Gawler Gateway Van Park. I think they use the term Resort. What is the qualification for ‘resort?’ We unhitched, set up and then off south to Adelaide to visit Phillip & Ann for St Patrick’s Day.
In transit, I was going to say, getting there is half the fun. Not necessarily fun but interesting.
We stop at the lights and this beautiful old Holden ute turns in front of us. It would have been a perfect side shot if I hadn’t just zoomed for another photo and left it zoomed in. Damn.
We must have done at least seven kilometres at 40km per hour and why? No lines marked. However they did have the markers installed which clearly shows the lanes. They must allow for the dimmest of dim drivers who can’t work out that the markers are where the lines will go. Then again, I’ve seen some pretty thick drivers. Well not all thick. Many are more pig ignorant. Even here with this speed restriction, there must have been twenty or thirty people whizz past us, in particular a truck and and a sedan would have been doing at least 70!
This wasn’t the only restriction. There was tree trimming.
Then the famous Gepps Cross.
I did spot our next stop to pick up Guinness. Dans.
Then on Prospect Road, what is this monster being built?
Oh dear. It’s the new town hall. The old one mysteriously burnt down. So they built another about five times bigger than before. I wouldn’t mind betting there are NOT five times the employees. Well Prospect residents, you don’t have to wonder where your council rates are going. It’s in your pace right here.
Now more traffic restriction as they are knocking down a lovely old building. Probably preparing to put up another future ghetto as they have been specialising in over the past few years all along Prospect Road and Churchill Road. Ugly as sin.
On a positive note, autumn is my favourite season for the colours.
We arrive. Now let’s get serious. Ah! Guinness.
… and the BBQ, with Irish complimentary eats.
Anne in her Irish glory.
…and a very green/Irish dessert.
Some sweet with the sweets. Port!
I toast ‘Denis.’
Denis who? Denis Carroll , my Great Grandfather who came out from County Tipperary and had eleven children here, one who was my fathers father, grand dad George, who died when dad was in the army in 1943.
…and all outside in the lush green backyard.
Home time but we are down in town so we check the Post Box. Bills. What else.
We must do our morning walk before it gets too hot. A sign promoting a local walk state s what we already know that the indigenous have been here for 40,000 years and Europeans only 200 years.
Glad I wasn’t here for the first 39, 800 years.
A quiet morning. Well at $2.20 a litre, I guess a lot of people who have a choice are just not driving.
Seriously, this driveway would be a hell of a way to get going in the morning.
Almost back. Dumb park of the week. Run directly into the kerb with no attempt to turn out once they feel it hit. Dumb.
Off to meet friends to help out with a property preparation for sale. Here is the feature advert
A fab view off the back terrace. It was a great spot for lunch.
We decide (Ann) to go look at furniture on the way home at Tanunda. It isn’t on the way home by the way. It’s the opposite direction in fact.
Out on special. Well I think the prices are pretty special!
Good furniture and we shall see.
Some pieces are out there a bit.
Then when we get back to the park, I see some similar colouring. Might be an emerging theme colour.
A great day, though tiring, but worthwhile with achievements.
LISTEN! Tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day! Did you hear what I said!
I can’t wait. Better go to bed so time goes quicker. Cheers …
Anne says, ‘there’s an army water truck by the amenities block.’
I cared enough to get out the van, but not enough to walk the 30 seconds walk to the truck. Given the potential value of the exercise, I thought a zoom was sufficient. It was camouflage painted and it may have been an army truck. We will never know. This has no punch line but I took the photo so I posted it. A bit of intrigue though?
We do a shorter morning walk because we have a lunch engagement. Before we left on our walk I noticed the water had gone dirty/brown. As we return the water company seems to be ‘playing’ with a water mains source. I am guessing the dirty tap water and the street gusher are tied together. Anyway, a significant loss of water for whatever reason. By the way, that is the van park in the background and we are immediately behind the fence and adjacent the gate. How ‘handy.’
There we are. Just over the fence.
A stop at Woolworth’s on the way out for a few things. I have never seen a Gopher in the market before but this one has a mobile walker on the back as well. So could he have just used the walker. I saw him stand up to get his wallet out his pocket. I respect and support anyone with a disability but I also dislike people using and abusing the system. Hmmm.
We are off to DPM’s for lunch and a catch up. A good afternoon of reminiscing and we also solved most of the worlds problems except for a method of initiating the plans. It requires being a world leader or being able to influence them. We also retrieved some stored dining chairs he was kind enough to look after (amongst other items) for a while. We then took chairs to a local upholsterer for covering and re-gluing. Cloth already chosen and ordered.
Home (van) in time for unpacking shopping and a light shower to turn dust to mud.
Checked the diesel prices in transit and all are either $1.99.9, $2.10.9 or $2.21.9 depending on how greedy the outlet owners are, selling fuel bought earlier and cheaper for grossly inflated prices. They can’t pass up an opportunity like that I guess.
A light meal and a heavy movie to finish the day off. Oh happy days.
Lots to do on the computer. Lots of old emailed invoices and receipts to be organised. ‘A stitch in time saves nine.’ Remember? Well I didn’t and now I have to pay for it with days of work to do.
Another walk. Not a clever one. We set off at 11.35am just in time to hit the peak, or near to, of the max 36 degrees. No. Not clever.
These guys don’t seem to mind.
I’ve seen plenty of extension tables but never an extension bench in a park and only one end. Notice also the seat doesn’t go full length. I reckon the planks were just too long and they couldn’t be bothered cutting them.
Now in Murray Street for a coffee at Cibo and some interesting observations.
This LITTLE biscuit or should I say, ‘Viennese Biscotti was $3.50. I feel like it’s almost gone and we haven’t started it yet.
Also, two Cappuccino at $4.20 each, which seems to be the going rate just currently. Why the price hike? It’s not made with diesel.
Also, a second shot on the side for a mere $1. Yes. I haven’t used it yet. That’s the whole $1.
Oh! And $1.94 for public holiday surcharge.
Makes a mere $14.84 for a couple of coffee’s and a whee biscuit.
I got to start thinking about this.
Now, there is a joke around that goes something like this. ‘If you think that the young of today are smarter than the baby boomers, the old car manuals used to describe how to set the tappets on the motor. The new manuals warn against drinking the contents of the battery.’
With that in mind, here is a pedestrian crossing with a safe island in the middle.
The road marking not only advises us to look before we cross, but which way.
And when we get to the middle, it has covered both crossing directions with specific advisories. Very re-assuring, (?)
I was brought up having, ‘look to the left then look to the right then look to the left again’ drummed into me time and time and time (and time) again. I DON’T NEED an instruction to cross a road, but apparently a lot of people do.
Lovely old buildings. (again)
I need a Commonwealth Autoteller. Now if you are homeless, come here. It looks locked tight but just walk close and ….
… ‘open Sesame!’
Now here is progress.
A five chair barber shop ….
… with a bar fridge. We used to have similar in Dili, East Timor. A good, all round service.
Mural of a train with a big hand on it. Yes. I don’t know either.
Back at the van. The weather promises storm with thunder torrential rains and strong winds. The clouds come over, the wind picks up, a hint of a sprinkle and that undeniable smell of pending rain. So awning folded up and all goodies inside. A bit of thunder. Time passes and the sun comes out. So much for that.
Don’t trust the weather.
End of another day of lots of stuff but nothing real practical.
It matters not. Nice meal and a few good movies and …..
10.12am we take off for our daily walk. Just as we are leaving the park, this guy whizz’s past flashing me back to memories of Billy Connolly on his trike on his world tours. I remember he did amongst others, a ‘world tour’ of Australia and a ‘world tour’ of Scotland. (define world?)
I remember on the Scottish tour he was narrating as he did. He is not always the joker and can be quite philosophical. He said something to the effect of, ‘I used to think how much I missed the old days, but in fact I realised I just missed my youth.’ I know what he meant.
You can’t see it clearly, but I took this to record the gate and fence which we would like to copy subject to council approval of course. N.B. We are terminating the tenancy and taking over our house in the city in the next month or two. There are ‘things’ to do after 25 years of tenants.
The walk takes us past the river and lovely old buildings.
This old church has been restored well.
Sunday in the main street. Coffee and cake and cars and bikes. This little honey has a Ford badge on it and I assume there is an old Ford under there somewhere.
It has ’23’ on the number plate and this below is a 1923 Model T Ford Roadster. Look close to the grill, headlights and side panels. You will see the ‘old girl’ hidden beneath the young guy.
A slightly newer Ford. Nostalgia. I miss the ‘good old days?’
Then these two bikes (with riders) arrive for coffees.
Lots of interesting things.
A quote apparently by Audrey Hepburn ….
‘The beauty of a woman
must be seen from in her eyes,
because that is the doorway to her heart,
the place where love resides.’
This shops shelving is unique ….
… as are the contents. I suspect entirely made in (bloody) China, even this little Koala. An AUSTRALIAN KOALA for crying out load. EVEN the Australian flag pattern socks. No. There were a few things there I was interested in but not from there if avoidable.
The local paper, ‘The Bunyip’.
N.B. he Bunyip is a weekly newspaper, first printed on 5 September 1863, and originally published and printed in Gawler, South Australia. Its distribution area includes the Gawler, Barossa, Light, Playford, and Adelaide Plains areas. Wikipedia
The editions from 1863 to 1954 are now available to view on trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper .
We walk back past/over the train line, still closed.
A treat. When back this glider circled almost directly over head for quite a while, I assume looking for a thermal to lift it. I find Guinness and red wine uplifting, but that’s just me I guess.
A lazy remainder of the afternoon and a mix of movies before, during and after our chicken schnitzels and vegetables.
10am we left the south of Gawler and moved to the north of Gawler.
The drive took I think 12 minutes. The emergency ‘last’ site wasn’t half bad. Good size. Just on the fence line with the main road the other side and literally next to the gate.
The good news is we don’t miss a thing. Not a damn thing. However, while not brilliant, it had the huge example of being available.
A late walk into town for a few things. It’s only a 9 minute walk and we get there 15 minutes before close.
All done quickly, but we still have to do our daily walk. So, we blaze a new trail even though we don’t have a plan and it is 5pm and hot.
We take a train crossing and I wonder what is a ‘test train’?
And what’s this?
They’re serious about stopping trains on this line. Next step is pulling the lines up I guess.
I don’t know what denomination it was, but it’s a private residence now.
No confessions here now. A little sin maybe.
Back to the luxury apartment on wheels.
A good day. It’s always good to move on and have a change of scenery. Although if it wasn’t for the dramatic price increase of diesel, we would probably be on our way to Broken Hill by now, via Mannum to meet friends I & L for a previous engagement.
You’re not going to believe this but Austin Powers was on tonight. That’s via the Satellite. The local TV reception is crap.
Off to help Phillip and Ann in the Barossa, but first to Gawler town.
We are getting pies and pasties from the bakery for lunch.
While doing so we passed ‘James’, or statue of him. James Martin was born in 1821 in Cornwall and came to Gawler. He built railway locomotives, farm machinery and mining equipment. He became an inaugural Alderman of Gawler and later Mayor. He was known as ‘The Father of Gawler.’
His statue is on the river but we think he was relocated. That is because …..
… the photo on the amenities block adjacent the statue, showed his building next to the statue with the clock tower in the background.
However you have to turn 180 degrees to see the clock tower three hundred metres away.
Anyway, off to the farm. We have our high calorie, but very tasty lunch, followed by some elbow grease and clearing of rubbish. Quite rewarding results.
The back verandah has a fantastic view.
All done. Home to clean up and start packing. We have to move on tomorrow.
WOMADelaide, the Fringe and a long weekend means Adelaide city and surrounds are totally booked. We have squeezed into an emergency, last resort spot for the weekend.
Must go to SA Services (Government) ……… because ………
…. For the first time in 54 years of vehicle registrations I have lodged, THEY, the GOVERNMENT typed my name incorrectly. They must have hundreds of records with my name CORRECTLY displayed.
I called them. Told them. Asked them to check to see how and where they stuffed it up etc etc etc. Did they apologise? Say, ‘looks like we slipped up.’ ‘Our fault?’
Nope. I had to take my bloody passport and drivers licence to their office to correct THEIR stuff up.
Why? They managed to stuff it up completely un-assisted, so why can’t they fix it un-assisted?
Anyway, I didn’t get a copy of the form I filled out so I recorded where I was and when via camera. (It shows up when you zoom in)
We have a furniture situation building so we must look.
True.
A poem about the tree.
The tree.
Did you know we can have a SANDWICE but if you put a steak in it, it becomes a SANDWICH.
Bought alcohol. That was fulfilling.
Home. Quiet night.
zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz
Wednesday 9th March 2022.
The van park, I have found, has very ‘slow’ soap. See pic below. When I push the lever above with hand under, I snatch my hand to wash both, only to find there is nothing in my hand. So by the time I get my hand back to collect it, the soap has already discharged to the paper dispenser underneath.
They should at least have a warning sign on the dispenser that says … ‘Warning! SLOW soap.’
More furniture.
This one is pretty ‘zappy’ but we like it.
The new stuff can wait.
First the old stuff we already have. We took our two Cobra chairs to the upholsterer. These two corner or ‘Cobra’ chairs need, re- springing, re-covering and re-gluing. That’s all. I bought them back in about 1985 at a celebrities goods and chattels auction. I got them, a coffee table, a painting some odds and sods and ‘Joylene.’ Now THAT’S a long, long story. Not now. Ask me face to face if I haven’t already told it to you.
These are coming up next. Eight dining chairs including two ‘carvers’ needing the same work as the Cobra’s.
Decisions, decisions. We shall see.
They also sell phoney candles. How…. phoney of them.
Still in Gawler, historic old buildings. Just great.
On to the butcher for Chicken, Kiev’s (topical name) Chicken Cordon Bleu and Chicken Schnitzel. We like chicken.
Now, no photographic proof but I bought a rip off tank of diesel today.
On Sunday, I said, ‘I’m not paying $1.74 for a litre of diesel. I’ll wait for it to go down!’ Monday, it didn’t go down but UP to $1.85. Tuesday up to $1.89 or $1.91. This morning it was $1.94. Afternoon was $1.99 or $2.19 and I LUCKILY got $172 worth at $1.99.9 AND cash only. The card machine had died.
Now I don’t know our next destination, but it’s not going to be far.
We are at a Barossa farm goods and chattels auction. Starts 9am.
These are items in a drawer. The ‘thing’ at the top with the handle is unknown.
However. it sold for $380. (!!???!?!?!) Someone knew what it was and liked/wanted it.
Lots of people. Anne in foreground disguised with mask.
Still lots of people.
The one that got away. Anne wanted this. REALLY wanted it. Not the right time or the place.
The long 16 foot table with no middle legs. Sold for $5,500!!!??!?!??
This old brass candelabra sold for $6,800 !!?!??!?!??!?!?!
A very old stripper (harvester) Wooden wheels.
The barn. It lost it’s roof in a storm some time ago.
All sorts. An axle with leaf springs and wood spoke wheels. Thought by the purchaser to be off an, I think 1926 car. He is hoping because it is a missing part of the old car he is restoring.
The day comes to an end. Lots and lots of ‘lots’ went under the hammer.
Good day. Very tiring, Home. Meat and three, TV bed …
Mannum Golf club. A good overnighter. ($20. Power, water toilet.)
A sniff around.
We are in the middle, an Australian/German couple we chatted to and a third one further away, we never touched base with.
Let’s look at town.
There’s us parked in the main street. Notice the two car parks marked out. Note also the furthest one is across a driveway??!!
An abstract display in a front yard.
This ‘house on the hill’ has to have a story.
A curiosity shop looking through the door.
Wise words.
A nice and true sentiment of dogs. However they did forget the odd wee on the carpet and having to pick up their poo deposited in public.
Well, one of the answers. There is of course also red wine, Port and again of course beer and Guinness … and Whisky and Whiskey!
I hope they couldn’t hold wine any more.
Our view while coffee-ing.
The fabulous Pretoria Hotel….
The flood of I think 56? That’s the Pretoria.
Gratuitous self indulgence.
Bowls next to pub.
The pub dressed up the old keg cellar as a wonderful wine display.
A fine sentiment.
Another chap and I inspected it and decided it was home made, although it did have an MG badge on it.
He’s got a pile of big sheep in the back. Wondered why he didn’t pass when it was clear. We finally let him by.
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Sandy Creek Hotel. We came out from the Mannum road here.
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Gawler.
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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThrough Gawler to the van park. Been here before. Like coming home, sort of. Big day tomorrow,
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Is this the worlds smallest house boat?
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I now have a goal. Back in my early to mid teens, my mate D P M’s family had a shack down at Clayton.
It was stuck in the middle of vacant land bordered by farm land and sand hills with only a hand full of shacks around. Their shack was an old stone one room cottage that they has extended onto with a galv shed and another room on the other side. Then Mr M had done a roof extension over the shed.
We used to go hunting and trapping rabbits in the scrub and sand hills. It was great outdoor, rustic fun for young lads.
The local fisherman and wife lived about 200metres away and up a slight incline. They eventually built a single Besser brick room with a flat roof about 50 metres below their house, put a fridge, counter and shelves in it, stocked it with basics and called it a shop. The first shop in the town. We would go in and push the bell button on the counter. We would hear the bell ring in the house and 15 seconds later, the back door would open and the wife would walk down to the shop.
We went for a ‘look’ to find the subject dwelligs. It’s a small town now. Streets, bitumen, not a sand hill in sight. If you pulled out a gun and walked down the street looking for a rabbit to shoot, you would be in trouble with the long arm quick smart.
I called ‘D’ and he said he was there for a look about 10 years ago.
I finally found the shack cleverly disguised but not well enough for a pseudo sleuth such as myself.
I also found a reserve named after Henry Jones, the fisherman and another reserve directly opposite named after Gloria Jones, his wife and the lady who came out the back door to serve us.
However, before we started our walk this hitch hiker was found and evicted.
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The original stone cottage pokes out the end of the much extended house.
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Here is the original shop.
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The Henry Jones Reserve. Real personal history.
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On to Milang
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History, history history …
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….. and shacks, shacks, shacks.
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Then to Rusticana Winery. They also sell Horseradish.
Here’s some serious trivia.
N.B. 1
The name ‘Rusticana’ comes from the botanical name for Horseradish, ‘Amoracia Rusticana.’
In German, Horseradish is called ‘Meerrettich’ (sea-radish) because it grows by the sea.
A French man doing an English to German translation mispronounced the word ‘meer’ as ‘mare’ and it became Horse-radish. Mare as in horse and radish from the Latin ‘radix’ meaning ‘root.’
N.B. 2 I suspect it was German to English.
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Lots of flowers…. as per usual.
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We didn’t make it to Mannum, but pulled into the Frank Potts Reserve free camp again.
We wanted to finish early because it was a big day.
A lazy day but we have to do a walk. It’s part of the diet.
We depart from our now favourite free camp. ($5)
Look! A real public phone box. See! They do still exist.
They give the main street trees serious hair cuts to keep the power lines clear.
Tell me if this guy is keen to buy l He says ‘will pay double or triple the value and we don’t mind if it’s your worst piece of land and no titles needed’ !!!
The pub looks great but as yet have not visited it. Bloody diet.
I thought the council had let this park go a bit till I realised it was someones house.
The creel at our van.
A horse drawn cart parades past. Or maybe it was a ghost from the past.
Lazy day is over. Showers. Nice meal ….
zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Thursday, 3rd of March 2022.
On the move again. We planned Greenock.
Made it to Mannum. Home made ham and cheese rolls in the river park.
Two ferrys!
A small paddle steamer, ‘The Mayflower’ comes in.
‘The Marion’, the biggy stays tied up.
A very flash house boat.
Seagull on post.
Seagull leaves. Riveting stuff eh?
So we’re not going on. The cheapest spot is the Mannum Golf Club.
Only three of us but $20 per site with power.
Chicken Kiev (topical) and three veg.
Nice night.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz
N.B.
Today was Thursday the 3rd. I post this story every Thursday the 3rd.
‘I have told this story before and here it comes again. (well at least I shorten it each time). We lived in Darwin for five years and our favourite ‘watering hole’ was Shenannigans Irish Pub. Once I said to a young Irish backpacker working there, ‘I wish I could do a really good Irish accent.’ He replied, ‘Oy just wish oy could say tersdee da terd.’ Yes, ladies and gentlemen, today is Thursday the third, or should I say, tersdee da terd. A special mention to Dave Blaine who also appreciates this unique calendar moment.’
Rain and overcast. Mother nature stuffs it up again. This is SUMMER honey!
So we get a start packing up and are pretty well there.
Anyway, we go for a walk and find ourselves at the BAKERY. How about that. Coffees and a chocolate donut.
Then the ‘spoggies’ (little birds for those who don’t know) now very well educated through experience, know the big, human slobs always spill food or at least the pastry flakes.
We take a short cut through the ‘burbs’ and the omnipresent blossoms are plentiful.
Short cut over, we take the long way back through the scrub come park lands.
Lots of very informative environmental boards on the walk.
Interesting and variable flora.
So we get home and organise. But it’s still overcast and a bit windy.
Inside for a shower, a bit of TV and it’s food time.
A basically vegetarian pasta dish but with cheese of course. Also, pasta is Italian, so RED wine as well!
More TV. Then we drop the Satellite dish down due to the wind. (There is no TV reception in the park so must use the satellite)
Now a movie out of my extensive movie and series library.
Off at 10.15am for a coffee with Bob R at 10.30am.
Hotel Elliot is open that early and serves coffee.
We catch up. Bob is a man amongst men in the rowing fraternity and is STILL rowing. A good get together. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Then we cruise the shops.
Yes. The Ukraine is foremost at the moment.
We come across this chap. He got the mask on the net. Love the T shirt as well. The world is better off with eccentrics.
Like a Spider but not.
Lots of flowers in town.
Lunch at the bakery. We had to line up. On a diet!?! Bummer. I did NOT have a meat pie, but a spinach quiche instead. Anne finishes with the biggest, most chocolatey donut I have ever seen. Her eyes tell the story.
Everyone cruises the south coast on Sunday.
The G clamps may make this patch job look professional but that’s as far as it goes. The word ‘shoddy’ comes to mind.
I zoom in to see a Charger backing in. Lots of classics in town at the moment.
You don’t have to go far to spot flowers.
If you can’t read it but it is a cross in the middle, 1939 on the left and 1945 on the right.
The new Surf lifesaving club.
Bronze of local character Nobby Clark. Must have been well respected.
Between the flags.
Loitering. I think it’s against the law.
Walk back along the foreshore. Lots of wooden carvings. in a nice little park.
We get back and do some horizontal TV watching.
Showers and a top homemade soup by my princess.
A new acquaintance ‘Malcolm G’ is helping me do heritage research on my fathers side. He forwards me twelve attachments of searches going all the way back to county Tipperary in Ireland.
Marvellous and he is a fine chap for doing it. I am very appreciative.
A bit of a late start but we are off to have a look at Goolwa.
We were waiting for the prices of diesel to come down , but after the Putin/Ukraine news, I figured we should get in before it goes up, so bought 55 litres at 181.9 cents. (!!?!??!??!) Last time we paid that it was rural Northern Territory.
Anyway, we start with a coffee then take a wander.
Lovely town with lots of old heritage buildings.
Alexandrina Council.
A pub making a statement.
Carvings.
Goolwa Customs House.
When we took our train trip the other day returning to Port Elliot, this is where the Red Hen went on to roost.
Heading to the wharf.
Then we spotted the distillery and investigated. The gins and whiskys have won prizes, but those prizes are decided by judges. I wonder how much is sold to consumers? They have Whisky at $182 a bottle.
I like to support Australia but I can get a damn fine single malt Scotch Whisky for $60 or less. The Australian one may be very good but is it three times better than the Scotch?
A distinctive sign. For such an expensive item, you want a pretty ‘classy’ logo.
Classy. Something tasteful and sophisticated.
The Oscar W paddle steamer has some real history.
It’s also the spot where the Hindmarsh Island bridge touches down on the mainland.
Back to the car we spot a classic Commodore.
We make our 5pm (ish) date with Pam and Jim. A good Aussie BBQ with good wines, salads and cheese nibblies.
A great night and it’s only a four minute walk home to the van park through the side gate.
Bed linen washing day, which kills the morning. On the road for chores afternoon. Into Victor Harbour Woolworth’s for day to day stuff.
A BBQ is on the cards for Saturday late afternoon, so we will leave the butcher till Saturday, lunch time.
A short cruise around town. A look at Adare Uniting Church. A big mansion Anne recalls was a school camp spot for her a ‘little while ago.’
Some tile murals. Very artistic and impressive.
A visit to BCF for a starting horn (a long story) then back to the park.
The diet requires a walk a day. We were out of time for today so cut it down to forty minutes and from the walk track starting out front of our van.
By the way, the diet has been successful to a point. I started 26th December, so in around eight weeks, I have lost 6.8kg’s. That averages to .85kg per week. I’m not exactly wasting away to nothing and I sure don’t cut a racing figure. I tell people I have gone from having a big gut to a paunch. It’s a fine line I guess.
At least I’m heading in the right direction. Sounds like a song, doesn’t it? (As in …’ for your loving and affection’)
Anyway, this was our picturesque ocean view stroll. Well, more a power walk.
I sit outside and contemplate life while removing the hiking shoes and observe the bird life in the big pine trees at sunset.
Cockatoos! Heaps of them. Standing, sitting, taking off, landing and generally interacting. All of a sudden, the carry on increased a fair bit and five minutes later, there were no Cockatoos and just two magpies.
Now I have casually observed magpies and I believe they are a not just cunning, but clever and an assertive bunch. Two dispersed around twenty to thirty cockatoos, AND the average cockatoo is bigger than the average magpie.
Hoards of cockatoos.
The two remaining magpies.
Anyway, that’s life.
A fine meal of roast chook and roast vegetables. Woolworth’s did the chook and we did the veggies. A movie and a quiet night.
TV reception is not good, but the Sat Dish is great. Except tonight is a bit too windy for it, so it’s a recorded movie on a memory stick. The Sting. Brilliant film.
How very dull. I don’t mind dull too much at all now.
Sunny and fine. 10.15am is time for our walk. So we blaze a new trail into town.
We go towards the trig point obelisk and find The Harbour Masters Reserve.
Big chunks of history here.
The obelisk.
Not quite as big now. It was right here though.
As per most country towns, lots and lots of flowers.
Down the main street ….
… to the train station … and it’s running today.
Now here’s something interesting. The claim is this was the first railway in Australia. How’s that!?
We make our selves comfortable. (we have a seat.)
So we buy our tickets for a 12.30pm departure in 25 minutes time. Then off for a coffee before we go. A good little place that also happens to be the Post Office.
Back for the train ….. and here it comes. Not a ‘puffing billy’ but a diesel Red Hen. The old puffers take a lot to fire up and are only used for high volume, as I understand it.
In Victor Harbo(u)r. (see below)This bank building in the heart of the town and just got sold. It would make a brilliant home, wouldn’t it?
A significant name to us.
A clever play on words. (Yes. It’s a bar.)
Now here’s a bit of really cool trivia. Spelling ‘Harbor.’ It was always just that. Harbor. But if you read below, between 1840 and 1850 the ‘our’ spelling was introduced in British English to help Queen Victoria’s German speaking husband to pronounce words with ‘or’ on the end.
So the English language was changed for one man. (!)
Just a short stay. We will drive back tomorrow.
We get back, do some food shopping and back to the van.
It was a good day which deserved a little lay down and some TV. Then, Chicken Kiev, baked potato, carrot, brussel sprouts and cabbage. A good meal.
Overcast, lazy day. A late walk into town to buy some Brussel Sprouts and a dozen fresh country eggs, both from separate home vendors with signs out the front.
On the way back, I spotted the flatest rabbit I have ever seen, This is way past road kill.
Fascinating house.
The one and only toilet in the park. Hand pump flush. Not complaining. Quite good.
The night had it’s troubles. The batteries were flat and we had to start the car a couple of times and go to bed early.
Tuesday 22nd
So we did not stay for an extra night and instead headed to the Port Elliot Caravan place for battery checks etc.
Turns out all was good and the batteries had just not charged enough. On to The BIG4 Breeze caravan park.
A walk into town. Late and most places have shut. Quite an historical town.
This is the tiniest council chambers I have ever seen. It would be a small dining room.
Joseph Barton. ‘A lifetime dedicated to Port Elliot.’
Interesting restaurant. Indian and Mexican.? What a mix. I did confirm they had Chicken Korma, the yellow Dal and Nachos. Should do a taste off though. We’re here for a week.
Coming up function. This weekend
Have to come back for a look when it’s open. We are AH now. (After hours)
Back to the park. Just 15 minutes from the bakery in the main street to the boom gate in the park. Handy.
This is across from our van. A real short cut to town.
Fish, brussel sprouts, carrot, potato and pumpkin. Good evening meal.
Overcast and perhaps rain in the afternoon. We will walk to Bleasdale. It’s only about ten minutes. Vines most of the way.
The Potts family Bleasdale. Est 1850.
Sunday. Still had about ten other tasters on our arrival.
Lots of history and info.
A short tasting of just four. A short purchase of just three. (We have to carry it on foot back to the van.)
Not today thank you, although we could have rolled it back.
Frank Potts was an incredible person. It was said, in appearance a stranger would take him to be a poor labourer.
He was a sailor, a carpenter, a farmer, a boat builder, a vigneron and a wine maker and he came out on the HMS Buffalo.
A look at the museum and the cellars including the old press.
Always room for flowers.
A great complex and good, good wine.
It was time well spent. Back to the van. Rain forecast? It ended up just a few rain drops at about 8pm.
Anne’s gourmet mushroom dish on toast for a quick, easy and tasty meal. Get Smart movie with flicks to Hunt For Red October. Bit more flicking. Just a sip of Port then ….
We’re only down the road from Stath. Maybe twenty minutes. Frank Potts Reserve.
It’s a nice tidy and shady place with a hand pump style flushing toilet. Just one and there is now about fifteen vans and tents here. We are on The Bremer River which is currently dry but has all the associated foliage which makes it difficult to access.
We are also about 700 metres, so the sign says, from town. We came through town earlier but were focused on looking for the park.
Minimal set up. Have not put out the awning or completely disconnected. Just undid the ball, put the jockey wheel on and wound it up to level it.
We inspect the one and only toilet and discuss the potential line up, given the number of vans, which by the way is increasing as we speak.
A walk into town past a winery and a wine house come brewery. (?)
Almost exactly nine minutes later we hit what appears to be one of the only two commercial facilities in town. The first, The Bridge Hotel. We have googled it and it appears well appointed, except no accommodation.
It is Saturday and the weekend always seems to be two touring days of classic cars.
N.B. A classic car is an older car, typically 25 years or older, though definitions vary.[note 1] The common theme is of an older car of historical interest to be collectible and tend to be restored rather than scrapped. Classic cars are a subset of a broader category of “collector cars” (which includes both restored classic cars vehicles and newer exotic vehicles). A subset of what is considered classic cars are known as antique cars (manufactured before 1980) or vintage cars (manufactured pre-World War II. (Wikipedia)
Another definition of vintage car. noun BRITISH an old style or model of car, specifically one made between 1919 and 1930.
We spot some classics. A Morris Minor and a Citroën. I think it’s a 2CV.
N.B. Autoweek The Citroën 2CV Was Created to Get Rural Europe off Horses. (Googled)
And a Mini Moke! … AND …this one is a ‘Californian.’
N.B. The Moke was built in Australia from 1966 to 1981 where it was originally marketed as the Morris Mini Moke and from 1973 as the Leyland Moke. (Googled) The badged Moke Californian arrives in 1977 creating a notable deviation from Moke’s established commercial looks. … A standard MOKE badge above the grille and Californian decals on either side of the bonnet, white bumpers, wider wheels and blue trim being distinguishing features.
… and incidentally, a modern Mini.
Second commercial property, The General Store.. We managed to grab some milk before the early afternoon closure. Not open Sunday.
We continue up the street on our excursion walk.
Langhorne’s Creek Memorial Hall.
N.B. Langhorne Creek is named after Afred Langhorne, a drover who used to bring cattle from NSW and water them here. The place where he used to cross the Bremer River was named Langhorne’s Crossing. When a Bridge was built and the town surveyed in 1849, it became known as Langhorne’s bridge. A few other locations were encompassed and the area then became known as Langhorne’s Creek and then Langhorne Creek.
Further up the road, barrels for sale.
Lovely old church….
…. AND we had our own ‘Sir Lancelot!’
The name Lancelot is primarily a male name of French origin that means Land. Also, Sir Lancelot, one of the knights of the Round Table in Arthurian Legend. (Googled)
NOW, here’s a real entrepreneur, two fold. Firstly, they are selling eggs irrespective of day or time. and secondly …
… they grabbed and used a real estate open inspection sign.
We come to a Park, and lo and behold, it’s called Alfred Langhorne Park. How about that?
Good spot with books available …
… and extensive info booth …
.. with all sorts of local, useful info including phone numbers of outlets. Very helpful.
There is a large grape vine area adjacent. The sign says, ‘Bushfire Last Resort Refuge.’ Top of the list on the terror situations is being caught in a bushfire. When all else fails, at least you can stand in a large vacant area with more or less nothing for the fire to burn. It works. If there’s a fire, would you rather be in a gum tree forest or a grape vine forest?
Can’t beat nature. This is the humble gum nut flower.
Here is a sculpture in the park called, ‘FLOW.’ The artist is Agnessa Petrova. from Bulgaria. She is apparently well sought after for her talent.
I am not going to be cruel here, but I will make a simple ‘own opinion’ observation. If she is an appreciator of art, wouldn’t just a bit of hair conditioner and make up improve her most personal art piece? She doesn’t look like a successful artist. She looks like a medieval washer woman.
This old hall at closer look is a gallery.
This is on the door and according to the sign, it should have been open, but nay, it was not.
Interesting building and part sign on the top.
A closer look reveals it must have had a small shelter added and the uncovered part was rendered. So I googled what it could have been and … behold ….
Langhorne Creek Oddfellows Hall
Opened 5 Sep 1870, random stone walls with rendered quoins, used for Anglican services for many years until St John’s opened 1929, served as community hall until Soldiers Memorial Hall built 1934. Projection box added 1930s for showing of films. “The Hall is an exceedingly neat and unpretending edifice, with just sufficient orament [sic] to avoid excessive plainness.” [Southern Argus 10 Sep 1870]
On the street walk return journey, another old building, used to be a school I think, renovated and used for community activities. Obviously, for the benefit of renovators, they did the salt damp.
More flowers.
a side view of the Langhorne’s Creek Memorial Hall. opposite the pub but showing the towns very progressive dump point. Progressive because a town with only two commercial tourist/consumer orientated facilities has allowed for caravanners and campers.
Near the river. Obnoxious weed ‘Morning Glory’ has a pretty flower but is a pest.
We saw this head stone on the way into town. Now it is on the right side for us to inspect. Damn sad. 1878, two small boys returning home from an errand heard a baby crying by the river. They got dad and he recognised the baby and took it home to the Burley family home. They found the three eldest children, all daughters, were missing.
They returned to the spot and later found all three had drowned in about 2.5 metres of water. It was thought one fell in and the others perished trying to save her, leaving the baby on the bank.
The father had just taken over the Bridge Hotel and was in Adelaide in hospital after an accident. They thought better to not tell him at a crucial recovery stage.
The girls were approximately 10, 8 and 7 and the baby on the bank was 12 month old Robert. They were of seven children.
The headstone was relocated to Langhorne Creek in 2017 (close to the drowning site) after the lease had expired on the grave site.
The Burleys had three more children but they all died very young. The family moved to Adelaide in 1880 and Mr Burley took over the John Bull Hotel in Currie Street. Mrs Burley fell from the top floor of the hotel and died, just 36 years old.
Very sad and an example of hardship suffered by settlers.
We dropped in at the Brewery on the way back. Quite pleasant grounds and people sitting around happily swilling ale. It’s not made there. Made at Clare I think? Anyway we moved on to ‘home.’ By the way Frank Potts introduced wine grapes to the area. That’s worth at the very least a reserve being named after him. Perhaps it should be Langhorne Potts Creek?
Anyway, a nice day. Showers, chicken schnitzel and veg for evening meal. A few movies flicked between including The Magnificent Seven then ………….
It has rained and is cool-ish. However, currently it is fine.
We intend walking into town to visit the shops that were closed and get a few odds and ends from Woolworths.
We are off. A short walk into town and a nice little town it is as well.
Lots of little shops.
Great park in the heart of town.
… and this is the most impressive hedge I have ever seen. It depicts the Australian Army Rising Sun Badge and the words, ‘Remember the ANZAC’s.
St Andrews Uniting Church.
The humble geranium. Reminds me of my childhood and our front yard.
Into High Street and here is a seat to end all seats out front of an apparently defunct cafe. Just in case you can’t make it out, the seat and low back rest is one piece of rock. , I understand sitting on cold surfaces can cause piles. I give you exhibit ‘A’ for prime potential pile ‘driver’.
Continuing up the street, we spot this gem. A 150 Sports Vespa. Just beautiful.
We get to a previously closed antique shop and check prices.
A cruise on to a coffee shop before the next antique shop. It took me just a moment to ping the repeated word ‘fork’ formed a … fork. How about that.
… but good coffee.
The other shop was still closed so we walk more town. History left, right and centre….
and a Barber shop with a motor bike as a conversation piece.
Memorial pavers in the park. Anne doesn’t like ones with my birth date on it. I don’t much either.
More historic buildings …
… shops with cute dogs … (well one anyway)
… and a cottage in the Woolworth’s car park. I think they should have taken the last offer.
Back in the park, I am fascinated by the varying sizes of the sites. Below if you can see, we are using the full width of the site and there is no space for the awning with the car there and no space at the front to relocate the car..
Whereas two along has heaps for both and others are similar. So why did they give us the tiniest one?
Anyway, evening meal time and we picked up some steak ion the way back. Local ‘melt in your mouth’ quality medium rare. Good veg. Snap peas are new on the list.
Finally, the fifth Dirty Harry film, The Death Pool of 1988 and not to be confused with DeadPool of 2016 with Ryan Reynolds.
I lost count and thought it was four nights in a row. But no. Five.
Dirty Harry. 1971
Magnum Force. 1973
The Enforcer. 1976
Sudden Impact. 1983
The Death Pool. 1988
The clothes change, the models/years of the cars change, Harry’s hair length and thickness changes, but good old Harry doesn’t. He just keeps plugging the crooks endlessly. One movie I recall I counted he killed seventeen. Now that’s dedication.
Tomorrow we move on. It’s always nice to have something to look forward to. Probably free camping. We have drained most of the water in the tanks to replace it. I think we are running on Darwin water still because we have not done much free camping. Time for new water.
10.30am (early) Ian and Lori pick us up for a day out including a picnic. I can’t remember the last picnic I went on. In fact I can’t even remember if I have been on a picnic as an adult.
A short hop into town. (Strathalbyn) A trip of approximately four minutes to the local and maybe two year old car museum.
Brilliant! This photo does not do the Adelaide Grand Prix track model Justice. It even has aerial photos of the surrounding Adelaide streetscape.
All the cars are on loan and some owned by the volunteers that operate the museum.
All sorts. Too many to describe and single out. Having said that, this is an 1920’s Morris ‘Bullnose’ Cowley ‘Sports.’
Read it yourself. Just tilt head to right and squint.
Customline.
Goggomobil. N.B. Goggomobil was a series of microcars produced by Hans Glas GmbH in the Bavarian town Dingolfing between 1955 and 1969. Glas produced three models on the Goggomobil platform: the Goggomobil T sedan, the Goggomobil TS coupé, and the Goggomobil TL van. Wikipedia
How would you like to tell people you come from Dingolfing? Sounds like a hybrid sport, doesn’t it?
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TD MG
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TF MG.
In 1968 I had the chance to buy a fully working one of these for about $400. British Racing Green I recall. I didn’t buy it because the gear stick rattled a little in second gear. In retrospect it probably did from the factory floor. That is my first car horror story that still haunts me. Not as bad as the second one, but I have to taper in to stories like the second one. If not and I went in at the deep end I would have to get professional help. It happened in about 1975. As it is, I think I should really have got therapy back in about 1982 when the penny dropped low enough for me to first think about the opportunity I missed. I won’t talk about it. Ask me ‘one on one’, but wait till I’ve had at least five drinks for anaesthetic.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAEJ Holden.
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HQ Holden.
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Austin A40. The first of our family cars I have any recollection of.
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GMC pick-up (as the USA calls them). My guess is around 1959. BUT it has an ‘Indian’ motor bike in the back!
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The library to end all libraries.
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I used to have one of these. 1968, HK, GTS, Monaro. 5 litre V8, metallic grey.
I just liked it at the time. Now, I would cherish and worship it.
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All good things must come to an end, but it’s OK when it rolls on to something else good. I don’t think it’s a secret just because I didn’t know about it and there was only one other person there. I am talking about Currency Creek and a small rest area with shelter shed with table and benches and a presentable W.C. adjacent.
Lori produces a table cloth so declaring their standard of picnic. Food drinks, nibbles and coffee made for a pleasant lunch ‘à la pique-nique’.
Native observers ‘on the scav.’
After, a short walk to a railway bridge I had no idea about.
Rock formations, support columns and graffiti. The first thanks to nature, the second thanks to the development of man kind and the third thanks to brain dead morons.
Talking of nature, lots of cracked rocks around with relatively straight fissures. I can see potential for building in stone, but I guess the world beat me by a millennium or two ….. or four or five if you think about pyramids.
New plantings by Eco lovers.
Some could have used just a little more nurturing.
The ‘old bridge’, as referred to by the locals. No longer used, for a very good reason, except by the ‘waste of spaces’ or ‘oxygen thieves’ who not only graffiti but desert any sort of design for pure obscenity. If the most they can achieve in life is this, then there is no reason for them to be here, as I see it.
With this in mind, I love meeting good people, past and present. On that note, we move onto the cemetery. Cemeteries are amazing records of history.
However they can be a little bit sad. This a replaced sign. Poor little Herbert George Taylor was born in 1867 and stayed for just one short year, or perhaps even less. I’d like to think he had enough to feel a mothers love and some joy before he went.
Another. John McHarg. He was born 1792, as was his wife Elizabeth.
It appears they arrived in South Australia in 1839.
They must have been trail blazers because they lived at McHarg Creek (and Finniss), so we can assume they were there long enough and isolated enough to name the place after them. N.B. McHarg Creek is still there and about 18.7km (18 minutes) west of Strathalbyn via Ashbourne Road.
Their daughter Sarah was lost in the bush two years after they arrived in 1841 and her remains were found two years later in 1843.
His wife Elizabeth died in 1855 at 63 years old.
He died the year after at 64.
There son John died in 1880 at age 56.
So over 41 years, the family arrived, established the location as their own and so named it, lived and functioned there, then all died. Life is short but it was a whole bit shorter back in those days.
They don’t make head stones like they used to. That’s the good news.
We can assume a large family plot and now not a sign or stone acknowledging a single soul.
This was on the bottom edge of a more modern one. Sorry. They went a whole lot further than just the bush.
The cemetery boasts an Eco toilet and tank water for the wash basin.
They didn’t mention what Janice did with her time on earth, but there are ‘cross golf sticks’ on her head stone.
Anne appreciating still being above the ground.
We had another coffee then back to Strath and the Collectables car sale place.
All sorts of cars. An EH Holden ute …
… Cadillac ….
… 1985 XJS Jaguar for just $35,000 …
… AND … 1978 a Rolls Royce for just $30,000.
A selection of MG’s …
… and a Bond Minicar for the price of *Submit Offer*. It’s is insured for $30,000. I would want four wheels for that.
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Not buying today.
We get dropped off and thank our hosts for a great, fun day.
Bit of rain from 4am but most cleared up by the time ‘outside time’ came.
We packed up and departed at the prescribed 10am. Now Ian told us we would have to go through Mount Barker to get to Strathalbyn. HOWEVER that damn mongrel of a GPS told us the easier way was via almost every tiny town in the area and down a winding little road cheerfully described as the scenic route …..
….though we did catch up with some of the local fauna.
Made it to ‘Strath’, checked in at the caravan park after a coffee and went to the tourist info place. Strath is apparently the antique capital of South Australia.
We got a taste of it but also passed a lolly shop. Well, we didn’t pass it. We went in.
… flowers in transit …..
…. then our first shop. Lots of nice things. By the way, we are just getting an idea for now and we look forward to grabbing a few hings later.
(rotate 90 degrees left.)
… then on to another……
Now here is a brilliant statue of Ken Blake, famous motor bike racer who was an Australian icon. He grew up in Strath and started racing in 1964. He won eleven national championships. Unfortunately he lost his life doing what he loved in 1981.
The statue is made of mainly motor cycle parts and tools. It’s fascinating such a clever artistic structure does not display either the designer or the artist.
Several antique shops are not open till Friday but we can wait.
It’s a nice town and we will have three nights here. Back to the park. Someone else has pulled in with a Supreme van and we exchange notes.
It’s chicken schnitzel with salsa, ham and cheese with spuds, carrots and snow peas tonight.
Big bonus. It is a Clint Eastwood festival, or at least a Dirty Harry. The Enforcer is on tonight. The second sequel made in 1976 to the original Dirty Harry..
A skerrick of red wine and an even smaller measure of Port with a few almonds is a splurge for me., currently.
Another cool/cold night and another diesel heater morning but it soon warmed up.
Bed linen washing first, then 11am we are at The Cedars, the historical home of painter Hans Heysen. A good one hour tour conducted by a volunteer who knew her stuff.
This is an incomplete painting. He had quite a few unfinished and had instructed his son to destroy them after he was gone. However this one was kept to show his method.
His studio.
On to the cottage. No photos allowed.
Daughter Nora was also an artist. Fourth child of eight.
Lovely garden.
Hans had a caravan built which was towed by his Model A Ford. He didn’t drive and relied on his son. He spent a lot of time in the Flinders Ranges and did many paintings.
The guide pointed out a long term bee hive so big than honey comb bulged out of the bottom of it.
So we bought a print to be framed and hung in due course. Not a classic rural South Australia, but this one of flowers and grapes that I think hangs in the State Art Gallery.
Excellent.
Now we pick up Phil and Ann who are up to Hahndorf for this afternoon and staying the night in town. We look at a few wineries for tastings and probable purchases. However, they all cost these days. So we head for the caravan where the prices are much more reasonable and includes a meal.
In this case, by prior arrangement we have HAGGIS which we recently bought from Dunn’s Butchers in Woodside.
… and of course we fly the flag…..
… and of course haggis is always complimented with whisky. Scotch. Single malt.
A good night.
Monday, 14th February 2022.
Sleep in a little but then off for our 9.30am meeting at Balhannah. We are meeting with the local historical group. I am keen to find out a little more about the Carroll side of the family. I have a whole book on the Henderson side (mother) but sadly lacking on my fathers side.
A fine chap by the name of Malcolm is looking into it. That is a work in progress.
On to Totness, not far away to look at furniture then back to our mobile home for a lazy afternoon, which turned into a lazy night.
Nice and easy, almost dull day, which isn’t bad at all from time to time.
A bonus! Clint Eastwood’s ‘Dirty Harry’ original movie is on tonight! It is almost ageless except there is a kidnap ransom of $100,000 and his trousers cost $29.95!
Another cool, diesel heater type start to the day.
However it did warm up and I got some jobs done while Anne was doing the bed linen … as in washing it.
I notice the park setting up in the lower section for a wedding.
A zoom in shows the ‘LOVE’ sign. Shouldn’t that be taken as read?
Afternoon, picked up by Ian and Lori for a tour of the Mount Barker area.
Very interesting. We visited little places like Callington. I had been past the sign a thousand times (slight exaggeration) but never turned in.
We visited the Mount Barker summit or a fair way up it. Good enough for a brilliant view of Mount Barker and observed the spread.
I can point to the expressway and I & L’s house from here but that will require photoshop so let me just say both in the top right quarter.
We have a coffee thanks to their forward planning.
I ask, ‘What is that?’
I am answered back at the car park. It’s a Rock Correa.
I spot this also. I know them from the old name. However, the old name had the word ‘black’ in it so I guess it was banned.
I still don’t know why all the people with the names ‘Black’, ‘Brown’ and ‘White’ in the phone book have not been contacted and told to change their names to something less controversial.
Coon cheese has been changed to ‘Cheer’ now, even though ‘Coon’ was the name of the creator of the product.
I suspect no one will know where ‘Cheer’ cheese comes from and will not buy it. I hope the Government is going to compensate all the employees when the factory shuts.
Back to the I and L residence for an update on their little patch of the town. Now lush and green with neighbours. There was a time when there was a large sloping hill at the back and we could fly their large steerable kite all over this huge vacant space. Now it’s all houses. It’s called progress.
Lovely meal. Couple of drinks. More happy chatting and reminiscing. Ah yes. The reminiscing.
February. The last and hottest month of Summer. Summer!? Bloody Summer!!!???!?
That’s crap!
We had the electric blankets on in the whee hours. I got up, put on my hoody and fired up the diesel heater.
Anyway, we were picked up by Ian and Lori , then we are off to Birdwood, but a quick drop in to the Oakbank race course for a quick look.
Then onto to the National Motor Museum at Birdwood.
Fabulous and endless.
Bugatti. In 2008 it was the fastest road car ever made.
A ‘Rolla’ is a ‘Rolla’ no matter what age.
First completed and drive-able Holden ever made.
Ford in Australia.
This vehicle drove from Adelaide to Darwin with NO roads.
Here it is in action.
A ute’s a ute.
Tom Kruse’s truck. See the ‘Back of Beyond’ film to know what real hardship is.
N.B. Esmond Gerald “Tom” Kruse MBE was a mail carrier on the Birdsville Track in the border area between South Australia and Queensland. He became known nationally as the result of John Heyer’s 1954 film The Back of Beyond. Wikipedia
Another 1948 (known as FX)
‘Bigfoot’ was made for and appeared in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.
GTS Monaro. I think 1970. I had a 68.
This was a Holden Kingswood prototype but became a Caprice.
Another Holden prototype. Damn shame they never went into production.
Holden EFIJY 2005. Won the 2007 USA Concept Car of the Year. (!!??!!?!?!)
Just plain damn amazing.
1971 HQ. I had one but LS Monaro V8.
LIghtburn Zeta. The washing machine people made cars as well. (for a short time and only about 200 sales I think)
‘Sandman’ Panel van. A special car for special people. Ian had one. In fact I think he had about three. (not all at the same time.)
Aston Martin. Not a James Bond in sight. (my wife though)
Here she is again (and there are motor bikes as well.)
Vespa. I think about a 1958. We have a 1962.
… and here she is again. That’s not a collar by the way. She has her mask pulled down while no one is around.
Waiting for love.
Lunch time.
Local pub. This is a $16.50 Nachos and I have already eaten some.
Catch up sleep so up at about 8am (Well ahead of my travelling partner by 2 hours.)
Cool/cold but fine and it warms up.
We eventually find first gear and move off. On the way to town we turn to ‘The Cedars’ house of Hans (and wife Nora) Heysen. All tours fully booked for today. We are not available Friday or Saturday, so we book for 11am Sunday.
On to town for a wander up the other end of the main street we have not reached on foot.
Otto’s bakery and as we are going in I spot this beautiful, beautiful lady. Nostalgia, plus they had character. These days I dare you to pick the difference between Hyundai, Ford, Mazda etc etc. without looking at the logo on the front.
The way they did it in the old days.
A second hand store. Is your aeroplane missing a wing? Come on down and grab a replacement or spare.
How about $99 for an old fire extinguisher that doesn’t work. OK. It’s copper and brass. However the least they could have done was give it a polish.
‘Das ist ah Uhr Einkaufen!’ With my very limited google translating, I think this means ‘This is a clock shop.’
… We are apparently welcome….’
‘….and they have lots of clocks.’
No. We didn’t buy one but maybe in a year or so.
On to the leather shop. How about this? A leather top hat with goggles on the hat band that you can’t use. They are just there as a conversation piece. Well, if I saw it, I’d comment on it.
Didn’t take a photo of the seamless kangaroo purse, made from a unique part of the male kangaroo.
In the mean time, out the front, there is a Mexican stand off. It’s serious. They do it all day and every day from open time till when they are brought in at closing time.
Here it is and there’s that guy with his top half in the ground again. Squint bottom left.
Don’t know.
From a distance, our Irish shop we went to.
This shop has some of our money and we have two pairs of ladies white jeans.
I think Pig Dog was an insult. Wasn’t it?
Tilt 90 degrees right if you want a walking tour.
Allee! (German for Avenue) A great approach, or departure, for the town.
Yep. That’s right. We booked in on Sunday. Tonight is our 4th night and we were due to check out today but did a deal and extended.
The park is so good. It is really more like a resort. The 10 minute walk into town as declared by staff, is more like 20 – 25 minutes but we need the exercise anyway and it is very pleasant.
However, BEFORE WE LEFT ADELAIDE ….
The ambulance at the lights next to us. The extra text on the back window reads, ‘Under funded …under resourced … thanks to Marshall.’ and an unhappy face there after.
We can safely assume six things from this short statement. Firstly, it was done by the driver. Secondly, he considers he is underfunded and under resourced. Thirdly, he is not happy. Fourthly he blames ‘Marshall’. Fifthly, we can assume ‘Marshall is South Australian Premier, Steven Marshall.
There has been a lot of ‘ramping’ during the covid. That is ambulances parked on the ramp into the hospital for hours due to excessive patients.
I can feel for the poor guy desperately trying to do his job well and not being able.
Time will heal all. (Or make it worse. Let’s see)
A lovely night with Phil and Ann. How about that! They make Port in Portugal as well. Must have picked it up from us.
All good things come to an end. My great Dublin T shirt gifted years ago by S. G. has had it’s last Guinness and gone to meet it’s maker. Hang on. It might be going back to Bangladesh. I’ll check the tag.
Nope. The only tag left on it was www.traditionalcraft.com . I googled it and was pleasantly surprised to read …
‘Traditional Craft is a prominent Irish company with over 40 years of successful trade in both domestic and international markets. Our head office is based in Merrion Square with our production facility totalling 100,000 sq ft. based in Newbridge, Co Kildare.’
If it’s going to meet it’s maker, it’s off to Ireland! Sláinte!
A tower on our way out of Adelaide. Norwood I think. Adelaide is a good city …. but it’s a city and we are so glad to be getting out for a while.
The tunnels to get out.
The park is so good. It is really more like a resort.
It even comes with instant nostalgia. An HZ 1978 Holden Premier.
There is a god.
Colourful hedge. It looked more pleasant than what the photo portrays.
A camp kitchen to end all camp kitchens.
The 10 minute walk into town as declared by staff, is more like 20 minutes but we need the exercise anyway and it is very pleasant. Having said that, I have fallen for this before. Next time I am told a walking time I am going to require a sworn affidavit.
N.B. (googled) Established in 1839, Hahndorf is Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement, located in the Adelaide Hills, 28km southeast of Adelaide, South Australia. Hahndorf’s pioneer settlers were refugees from religious persecution in Prussia (northeastern Germany).
Most of them came to Australia on a ship called “Zebra”, and the town is named after the Captain, Dirk Meinerts Hahn.
Looks like I am awaiting for execution by cannon, but I’m reading why horse shoes are lucky as long as they are hung in U style so the luck doesn’t fall out.
Old brick and wood house.
Fabulous old ‘Dodge Brothers’ car.
The car and this ‘dramatic’ furniture outside this restaurant made my imagination squirm at the thought of the menu prices. We walked on.
Interesting sentiment.
I’m not sure what they were selling. Horses or Driza-Bones or hats. May be all or none of the above.
A lovely walk back to the park. with a new toy.
Here, Anne demonstrates…..
Lots of colour. I think Myrtles? Turn head 90 degrees right.
Almost back. Goats across the road.
Home. Ducks on one of the ponds.
Next day, off to Woodside. I have tracked down ‘Dunn’s’ family butcher shop. Duncan Dunn has been in Australia for about 8 years. He was a butcher in Edinburgh, Scotland. Have a guess what he makes? YES! HAGGIS! Wife of Duncan proudly holds one on high. That is one of the four we bought, along with the black pudding and other interesting meat-eats.
Lots of colourful flowers.
On to Balhannah or more specifically the Balhannah Pub, 78 Onkaparinga Valley Rd, Balhannah SA 5242
This guy is in the dining room. Also, Ian and wife Lori who we are meeting by prior arrangement. A great afternoon. It was so good, I completely forgot to get the camera out.
Next day, a call out of the blue, from Garry and Jen. They come to check out the park and we end up in the main street.
In this traditional German town we find a Cafe called ‘The Plough’ that sells Guinness, has an Irish flag, is owned and run by an Irish couple and has ‘Cead Mile Failte’ displayed on the front, which I discover means ‘A Hundred Thousand Irish Welcomes’ and here is how to pronounce it on the video below.
How to Pronounce Cead Mile Failte
(A Hundred Thousand Irish Welcomes.)
They also make an excellent seafood chowder and thick (about 45mm) luscious sandwiches.
Good, food, drinks, company.
All sorts of shops.
No. It’s not real. I patted it for two minutes before I realised it.
This is either a prank dummy or one of the cruel-est things I’ve ever seen.
Back home to our luxury apartment. A good day.
As I said, I did a deal and extended for various reasons which will become apparent in due course … maybe.
Sláinte !
(N.B. Sláinte means “health” in Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It is commonly used as a drinking toast in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Wikipedia. Pronounced ‘slarn-cha)
So What happened after I signed off 21st December 2021?
I will remind you we had lobbed in Adelaide.
Camped in friend Bruce’s office backyard. Via rear access. (Sounds painful, doesn’t it.)
Went out north the 45 minutes to check the result of organising to move our two 20 ft containers without preparation. We were in Queensland and got put on the spot by the storage company back in Adelaide. Had to pay extra for side lift to minimise movement of goods. It didn’t work. Well it did minimise it I guess. We were going there to sort what we could but we spent the time clambering over the two piles of boxes and all sorts re-stacking and assessing damage.
Bought some ‘must have’ furniture for when we take back the house end of April. No space in the containers so stashed it at life long friend DPM’s place for a few months.
Had Christmas.
Got covid.
Mild but had to isolate for eight days receiving instructions by phone sms only.
Nearly finished that and Anne gets contacted by sms to say as she is a close contact of an infected person, (ME!) she will have to quarantine for 14 days, which means I will also. Luckily that is from testing date so that is only another week or so.
N.B. We eat, sleep, live, travel together. I got it. Anne didn’t. I had AstraZeneka. She had Pfizer.
We repair ourselves, go to a park near Gawler, back to a Windor Gardens park on the River Torrens, back to Gawler, back to Windsor Gardens. I could explain why but I won’t. This is a catch up.
We have our boosters. Both Pfizer.
I am told, ‘You don’t need one Mr Carroll. You have had Covid so have antibodies. You won’t need a booster for six months.’ I ask, ‘What will happen if I have it anyway?’ Young nurse suggests I may have a bigger adverse reaction to the jab. I say, ‘Give it to me.’ She retorts, ‘But why? You don’t need it.’ I explain, ‘You are young and don’t know how the system works. In three months from now, an ‘authority’ will ask me if I have had a booster. I will explain to them that I didn’t need one. They will not give a damn why I didn’t have it and simply put me in the no booster category. Give it to me.’
She gives it to me. I have no effect what so ever. That was over a month ago and I have since had to state at least five times whether I have had a booster or not.
If it happens that a young person is reading this (highly unlikely) be aware of the old universal LIE number THREE. ‘I’m from the Government. I’m here to help you.’ You could say that nurse was, by proxy, representing the Government. I’m not saying never do what the Government says. Some/most times you simply have to. What I am saying is if you have a choice, have a think about what could be down the track. Use your imagination, Apply a little bit of Murphy’s Law and make your own decision. Do not be a sheep.
Mate Bruce also gets covid. N.B. Confirmed from his doctor, NOT from me. He didn’t breeze past it. Spent lots of time in ICU and is still here, just.
So we are killing time in S.A. We head for the hills literally, which is where we have been for a few days.
Up 6.30am. Light, bit cloudy, crisp. On the computer. (What’s new?)
Today we lunch with Ian and Lori, life long friends.
As I said once before, this is a travel blog. If I have returned to the home town, we are not travelling.
So I will stop the blog until we hit the road again.
We will stay at Bruce’s place till 20th December, then we will go to a van park till we have Christmas and decide what we will do for the new year.
We have to be back in Adelaide at the end of April, so what we do till that date from just after new years is unknown. However, I believe it is usually about 5 or 6 degrees cooler down south around Mt Gambier, so that is a possibility.
If you want to continue following the blog, you can look at it from time to time to see if I have done anything worth noting, or leave it till the new year when we will be on the road again most likely.
Have a Good Christmas, and a ‘much better’ New Year.’
Up at 6.30am. Fairly cloudy but some sun getting through. Light breeze. Cold, at least in the van.
This should have been in yesterday but the internet wasn’t good enough to download.
Now …on to Adelaide today. We are only about an hour away if that. Out the back of Bruce’s office for a couple of weeks. Got to get there by 11am as he has a chore and has to go out 12.20 pm.
Late away (of course) and a stop due at Dublin’s dump spot to dump of course. A call and an offer of a visit to Parham from a man amongst men IW. Unfortunately we have just pulled out and are on our way to meet Bruce who is waiting to open the gate for us to take up temporary residence at his mini caravan park out the back of his office.
We get there late at 11.45am after a few mishaps (I’ll put the mudflap back on later) and for the second time I execute the difficult manoeuvre of backing into this tight yard. ‘Execute the difficult manoeuvre?’ Sounds like a firing squad execution, doesn’t it. Like in, ‘How many Manoeuvre’s have you shot this week?’ Five. Three males and a female with her cub.’
So what do you think they would look like I wonder? Big hairy thinks with horns and bad attitudes maybe? Well, they are ‘difficult’ so they have to have attitude. Just makes sense.
Back to reality. Easy does it.
I get it in somehow and we are off to Steve’s auction which is where Bruce had to go and perform in a minor capacity. Things have changed a bit. Grange, four bedroom, two bathroom, cream brick, $928,000 under the hammer with four bidders. (!?)
Impromptu late lunch 3pm at the Birkenhead. I don’t know what Steve’s commission is but he’s buying the wine and this is it …..
Mollydooker, which by the way is I think old Aussie slang for Left handed.
This one is ‘The Boxer’, left handed boxer I assume. Damn nice drop as well. Shiraz of course.
You apparently are supposed to do the Mollydooker shake for the first two years when you open a bottle as this video shows you how.
N.B. and this is WHY you have to do it …. Why do the Mollydooker Shake? When we bottle our wine, rather than use additional sulphites to prevent oxidisation, we use nitrogen. … As soon as you do the Mollydooker Shake it releases the nitrogen and the flavour ‘pops back out’ to its full size again.
After all this, we didn’t shake but it was still a knockout wine. Thanks Steve. The happy diners with wine master Steve in the back row.
Birkenhead Tavern, last to leave.
Back to the Bitumen van park. Bruce and partner off for dinner. We are in for dinner. Showers and a light snack after a late lunch. Bit of TV, couple of glasses. An early bed.
zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz
I like this one. ‘Sarcasm and Stupidity meet at the elevator.’
And this I have already posted on facebook but I do every Christmas, so I will put it here as well. Hans Gruber! And I quote when I say, ‘It’s not Christmas until I see Hans Gruber fall from Nakatomi Plaza.’ ‘ Merry Christmas Ho-Ho-Ho.’
This is often published as is.
“Made for $28 million, Die Hard grossed over $140 million theatrically worldwide, with the film turning Willis into an action star, and became a metonym for an action film in which a lone hero fights overwhelming odds. The film’s success created the Die Hard franchise, which includes four sequels, a number of video games, and a comic book, and later in 2017 was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Die Hard has been named one of the best action and Christmas-themed films ever made. The film also ranks No. 20 on Empire’s 2017 list of the 100 greatest movies of all time.” (Wikipedia)
Click this link below for a more full indoctrination of Die Hard films and the non politically correct but featured catch phrase of ‘Yippee-ki-yay Mother F****r! It comes from the first film when talking about Roy Rogers.
If you can’t just click on it, you might have to copy it and paste in the browser.
Up at 7am. Computer by 7.30am. Clear, and still. Perfect. By 9.30am, some cloud and the wind has come back but not severe.
We decide to have a lazy day. We take an early wander for one of our morning chores.
This is the spiffy toilet and shower block due for completion very soon. Supposed to be completed ‘late 2021’ and on the 3rd of December you got to think it’s real late now. It looks finished from the outside.
Here is the current toilet block. For portables they are pretty good as in clean. Sure. There is a chance you will drop in here and they will be gross, depending on how far from cleaning day and how ‘ordinary’ the users were.
Don’t know if this is the name I would have chosen for portable dunnies.
We are heading over the sand dune for a look.
Like I said before, they have cornered the seaweed market.
The tide is now out. Way out. About a kilometre out and flat as. I understand it’s more a crabbing beach than swimming. Well even with the tide in, it’s probably up to your knees. You want to wade out a kilometre to go for a swim?
View back to the dunes.
Skip to lunchtime and it will be steak sandwiches. These damn pepper steaks are way over spiced. We scrape them off to improve them …..
… then add a bit of cheese to make it exciting. (?)
Lazed around. Had the same and last of the pepper steak with veggies for evening meal.
We ablute etc.
Anne goes for a walk to click the sunset. I stay and guard the red wine and the TV. You can never be too careful.
What we call the after burn. When the sun has gone down but it then shines up at the underside of the clouds.
More wine, more TV. Some may consider this a perfect day. Some like me. Bed.
zzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz
A snigger …
One of my favourites I call ‘The job interview’.
For those who cannot squint that small, the exchange between interviewer and applicant goes ….
‘What’s your greatest weakness?’
‘Honesty.’
‘I don’t think that honesty is a weakness.’
‘I don’t give a s**t what you think.’
… and you will not be able to read this so, it is a man with a two metre long thermometer approaching a dinosaur from behind. There is a ‘time machine’ in the background.
The caption reads, ‘An instant later, both Professor Waxman and his time machine are obliterated, leaving the cold blooded/warm blooded dinosaur debate still unresolved.’
More cloudy today and a bit windier. It was cool last night and is this morning as well.
Computer finished 7.45am. We thank Kay for being the perfect host and bid her farewell at almost exactly 10am leaving her to organise the pesticide person and the builder arriving soon.
First coffee stop, Port Vincent. A great little place about three doors back up the main road from the waterfront. Ran by two guys with senses of humour, though very dry.
Hence these two signs. Wine Flu? A common ailment.
Relate to this?
The usual cappuccino’s, one with double shot and one sugar and a bit of a treat. An egg and bacon damper roll, shared 50/50.
Coffees? Goooood.
Snappy little spoon with some history.
The dog sitting on the tucker box. and it says ‘5 miles from Gundagai.’ 5 Miles? It probably used to be in the centre of town but now it has sprawled so much …? There used to be an advert using ‘Australiana’ and used to go something like, ‘… and you wouldn’t be true blue if you didn’t know where that dog sat on the tucker box.’ Haa! Most people wouldn’t know what a tucker box is now.
Cheeky little bugger in the cafe.
A spoggy to be precise.
Didn’t see any passion fruit but I know the flower when I see it.
… and the humble but colourful geranium.
An old coffee bag hanging up. (turn you head 90 degrees left)
Cropped down Cafe TIMOR coffee!
A few doors up, a gift shop. No. This fab cupboard is not for sale. I just like it. I restored one similar.
Foreshore, another cheeky little bugger.
This time a Willy wagtail, again, to be precise.
On the wharf.
It used to be very busy, like all the other wharves on the peninsula.
I guess this is when they shoot them and they don’t want any (more?) fatalities?
I am good at eating the meat but neither catching or shelling them. Far too labour intensive for a student of efficiency in time and motion such as myself. (OK. Lazy.)
Again, gratuitous self adoration.
More-fore-shore.
Someone had too much paint and time on their hands. I’m just jealous of the artistic capacity of the artist.
On to Port Wakefield to fuel up. Then on to Dublin. We have it on good authority from Kay that the butcher here is A1.
In the mean time Anne finds the information booth.
Clever. All info is written or printed on tiles then glazed, so it seems.
New servo over the road with clean toilets. They also had a cup of hot chips and as this was way past lunch time, it seemed a good idea.
Then to Gerry’s Dublin Meats. They deliver if the order is over $100
Have you seen a T bone bigger than this? I sure as hell have NOT.
Some sort of chicken roll.
Meat.
On, on about 10km to Parham or Port Parham free camp.
On the beach. Notice eyes. It is VERY windy.
They have cornered the seaweed market.
Tilt head 90 degrees to left.
And it is warm enough for these guys to come out and sun. (and bite and poison.)
These brand new toilets and a shower and a dump point to be opened before the end of the year. In the mean time they have a couple of portables BUT they are clean and serviceable. Well at least while we are here.
Sun sets but the wind doesn’t.
A short stroll.
The grey water tank is closed so we don’t leak in the camp. Showers. meal, a little TV and bed. Nice to be free camping. Good Camp. By the way, max of 14 days then you must be away for 7 days before you return. We also have to fill out a form and display the tear off on the windscreen.
zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz
By the way, I read a little more of that humorous imitation Lonely Planet.
A couple of exerts. Depends on your sense of humour. Mine’s a bit weird.
We connect and prep the car for tomorrows departure. Been a while but I remembered.
Anne …. clean, clean, clean.
I inherit a few items from cousin Mal. A little more memorabilia of him. Sorted some photos.
Beer o’clock drinks and nibbles. Showers.
A warming fresh veggies and PIES and SAUSAGE ROLLS heartening meal. Few reds of course. No movie. It was a long day today and a biggy for Kay tomorrow with builder, pesticide man and various others.
So early night tonight and we won’t dilly dally for tomorrows departure. Bed.
Last day of spring and it has just started looking like spring. Just in time for Summer tomorrow.
Up 7.30am to finish the blog. Sunny calm, just a few clouds not cold and just about perfect but heating up.
Just found out there is a fire around somewhere and Anne thinks it is getting muggier.
It may be so but you can’t fight nature.
Friends arrive. Early. Supposed to be for noon, five minutes away and arrivals start 11.30am. Then again better than late, so not to be criticised.
Coobowie Hotel, just down (or up really) the road. Supposed to be good meals. Our group of seven are the only ones in the dining room.
Panic! Schnitzels BUT no Parmy! Panic, panic, panic …. but no. On the back, bottom right, ‘Extra Toppings …
…and there just over half way down …
Saved. and in due course they come out.
…. including my parmy.
Thoroughly enjoyed by us, this happy bunch of amateur gourmets.
Anne and I have doggy bag ‘leftovers.’ Why doggy bag? The dog isn’t going to get it. We are.
Back in time for a little R & R and the usual end of day kicks in with a drink (just one) at around 5.30 to 6pm and cheese and bics. We decide this IS the evening meal given the big lunch.
However, we (I) can have a couple of drinks while we watch a movie.
Kay has one recorded. An old classic.
The Comancheros (film) – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › The_Comancheros_(fil… The Comancheros is a 1961 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on a 1952 novel of the same name by Paul Wellman, and starring JOHN WAYNE!
1961. I was ten years old.
Given it’s age, it was good and we enjoyed it.
It finished in time to catch the end of ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle.’ The sequel to the original where Eggsy goes from drop out to spy. In the sequel he saves the world like he did in the original. Thanks Eggsy.
That was trailer for the original of course.
That’s the night. See how exciting life can get on the road? Although, at day 16, we are not really on the road. Bed.
Up for computer at 7am. Sunny, calm, a bit chilly but OK. By 8.30am, ready to have a crack at putting Anne’s vax certificate on her phone.
Now ….. I had already done mine. I had muddled through and picked things up along the way. It only took me three hours or something like that. Bit more maybe? We have exactly the same phones so …. one would think a very simple task. Maybe quicker because of what I picked up already.
Lunchtime. Anne has been doing washing and observing. I now have to keep Anne away because she gets easily frustrated and upset with this sort of ‘stuff.’
I have come to RESENT the repetitious assurance that it is an easy method of installing the facility. They have continually said the certificate can EASILY be installed by either using one system OR Medicare PLUS. I chose the other one. Frustration is overcoming by around 2pm.
There is a hiatus in the madness while I help install a large bar sign in the bar. Seemed the right place for it.
Back to frustration at around 3pm. I follow another path with an information sheet down a lonely system path. Two facts are listed on the sheet about three quarters of the way down it.
FIRSTLY, they say we should install the system/path I have been doing on their instruction, but then they do not say ‘OR’ Medicare PLUS but instead say ‘AND’ Medicare PLUS. (!!??!?!?##!!?!) YOU B*******S!!!! WHY didn’t you say ‘AND’ right from the start.
SECONDLY, in the same info sheet they state near the bottom as well, ‘We are aware that some SAMSUNG phones will have difficulty loading the program.’ (!!???!!!#!!!!??) So WHY wasn’t that across the top, at the start in big bold letters, CLEARLY telling you to WATCH OUT SUCKERS!
Other blind end lines of instructions. Here’s a good one, keeping in mind it is being provided THROUGH MEDICARE.
It reads, ‘Medicare online accounts are currently unavailable.’ which is very heartening to find when you have been stuffing around trying to make a medicare facilitated system work. (that is B***S*** of course. Sarcasm.)
It also says, ‘Please try again later or call Medicare on 132 011 for further assistance. Three things. We have to TRY again? (and again and again and again). Secondly, What do they mean FURTHER assistance. They haven’t given any. Thirdly, try calling them as suggested. I DARE you.
I keep chasing avenues and taking bold UNASKED FOR decisions and at almost 5pm on the dot, it works! 8.30am to 5pm, take an hour out for the sign, means 7.5hrs of my WASTED time because they hired a full time public servant who has never been in the testing world of ‘the private sector’ before.
Based on what I experienced, it would be similar to them providing instructions as to how to go to the toilet. They would go through all the steps very carefully except completely forgetting to mention, ‘lower your pants first’ and forgetting to mention retrieving toilet paper before the wiping process. YES. I AM ANGRY at these TWATS!
If they had just employed a ‘real’ person to go through what I did THEN write the instructions, it would have been a piece of cake. Then they would have DISCOVERED ALL the pitfalls first hand and learnt how to steer around them.
Stuff it. It’s done.
Pre-dinner drinks with nibbles. Showers. Fab dinner of fresh prawns and salad, (Mateus Rose with prawns) a bit of TV, van, nightcap Port, bed …..
zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz
N.B. as a bit of humour, G.R. loaned me a book two years ago, which I am still reading. (Hey. I’ve been busy.) It is a mock up of a Lonely Planet type tourist book with a fictitious European country as it’s subject.
Here are two exerts to give you an idea.
If you can’t read it, I’ll give you just one line. ‘In 1743, street lighting was introduced. In 1744, the entire town burnt to the ground, prompting a re-think on the use of gun-powder-fuelled-lamps.
…and …
You can read this one.
I think it’s incredibly funny, but I will understand if you don’t think that’s a good enough recommendation.
Late up 9am-ish. Anne up shortly after. (?) It is clear, sunny and not much wind! I finish a few things on the computer.
A slow, short day, so here’s some filler.
Edithburgh was named for the wife of the Governor of South Australia, Sir James Fergusson [1869-1873], Lady Edith. The two main streets, Edith and Blanche, were named after their daughters. In 1882 the Corporation of Edithburgh was formed and lasted until its amalgamation with Yorketown in 1956.
…. and still more ….
Although now a holiday destination, Edithburgh was once the third busiest port in South Australia (after Adelaide and Wallaroo).
We want to finish the painting. so a concerted effort. Here, Anne and I finish the last wall together. We didn’t fight over the last patch. We don’t fight over such trivial things. There are lots more things we can fight over. Want a list?
There is another job. The ‘sign’, but that’s another story.
Big lunch of left over BBQ meat and salads. Very filling.
Odds and ends. Room straightened up.
Drinks. Nibbles. Off for showers.
Light evening meal of omelettes with tasty fillings.
Movie. Long, good one.
Kingsman: The Secret Service – Wikipedia The film follows Gary “Eggsy” Unwin’s (Taron Egerton) recruitment and training into a secret spy organisation.
This is the original. Not ‘coming soon’. Looks like the third one is coming out this year, if it hasn’t already.
That’s the whole day. Where did it go? That’s what happens when you get up late. You blow the whole day.
Now confident with the fact that I actually got the vax certificate on my phone, the first job tomorrow is to do Annes. I’ll do that early. 8.30am-ish?Bed.
Up 7am-ish. Still cold. Wind not as bad but still blowing. Clouds but some SUN!! Brilliant! We should go sacrifice a lamb or something. Appease the naughty gods. Well they have to be pretty damn naughty to come up with the stuff they have been serving us.
What are the gods now? Which one should we make the sacrifice to?
Greek Name
Latin Name
Domain
Artemis
Diana
Moon (Daughter of Jupiter/Latona)
Ares
Mars
War (Son of Jupiter/Juno)
Hermes
Mercury
Messenger of gods; commerce, wrestling, thieving (son of Jupiter and Maia)
Athena (Pallas)
Minerva (Pallas)
Wisdom; arts and handicrafts
Others rarely spoken of and soon to be forgotten …
Pillockes Penissium Stupidity: Mishaps and clumsyness.
Arsemese Rectumela Vengeance: Bad deeds, practical jokes
Twatemis Thickius Son of Penissium and Rectumela. Poor planning and failed campaigns. Basket weaving. Wip round collections.
The list goes on. Skip the sacrifice and get on with this better day.
Painting outside today as it is a little sunny. Outside wall near the side fence and the side gable. Done by 3.30pm-ish.
Clean up, showers and at 4.15pm guests arrive. Cousin Bobby and wife Sue. First time I have ever talked one on one to Bobby and only seen him once before. I am 70 and he is heading for 60. Better late than never. We hit it off fine. Henderson trait I guess. My mum was a Henderson by the way. Along with two other couples, we make nine. Laughing, chatting, BBQ-ing, eating and drinking. We bring out our aged steak we have been carrying around. Expensive. $27 for a bit that would be a decent serve for two. Interesting but not a ‘must do a’gain. Good time had by all. Nice and cosy inside. Damn cold outside.
The two non resident couple head for home and the remainder do the same only the other three are already home and we only have five paces to the van.
That’s it for a condensed day so a quick funny or two….. (or three)
To sleep, perchance to dream, but more likely nightmare.
Up late, around 8.50 am. Anne half hour later. A bit of sun by 11am but still windy and cold-ish. No. Cold! It’s the wind. The chill factor.
Ready to paint but Kay is busy with paperwork. What to do. Computer. Paid bills. fixed ‘things.’
The day started late but flew. It’s late (6pm) for end of work drinks and a few nibbles.
I don’t believe her. Mother bloody nature that is! She has lost the plot. It’s summer in four days and we are wearing two layers and ugg boots. I … me … who rarely gets cold cold, you know extra cold, had the ELECTRIC BLANKET on two days ago.
Showers. Fish meal. Salmon and salad. Healthy and tasty.
Cold, cold. The fire has been on since before lunch. Bright outside and fire inside.
(Photo removed by request) I make this comment to save removing text.
We go to the van. Outside, the little flash of light at left is the light from the van. The rest is dark as …..
Up at 6am as we are off to Gawler and also someone is coming around at 8am to pick up a few big sheets of panel board and I am needed. It’s nice to be needed. Still early. We do what has to be done like for example ‘ablute.’
N.B. ‘Ablutions’ or ‘morning ablutions’ is the generic term for washing, toothbrushing, showering, bathing, toenail cutting, shaving, hairwashing, nose-hair clipping, and the usual bodily functions. … To wash oneself; to bathe.
Cold but the sun comes out. (!) We don’t usually have sun this early.
I am ready and willing but it is still before loading time of 8am, so I repair to the bathroom. I arrive at the loading area promptly at 7.55am to find everyone else arrived at 7.45am. I am apparently not as needed as I thought.
I help tie the load down. Another neighbour along to help arrives at 8.15am and even misses the tying down. He did how ever have time to say hello before they departed. I thought he was a bit lax, then wondered if he was instead a bit ‘clever.’
On the road to Gawler. Our mates at Coobowie give us a rousing farewell again. Nice people. and dedicated. Morning, noon and night.
So many deserted houses. How many people came here and just couldn’t make a go of it?
Two hours and 35 minutes to Gawler. Kay goes to her appointment. We go for a wander.
You think this church is OK? That top cross seems to be leaning under the weight of carrying so many sins from the parishioners. That’s the poetic interpretation. It may just have a weak supporting bracket.
The ‘rose’ amongst the thorns. Lots of ’em. They didn’t have to work to produce a perfume bouquet. I notice it as I approached. There were hundreds. Three rows all the way around. Thick thorny ones. Either the owner likes roses or doesn’t like visitors.
Just plain beautiful.
This is the church with the ‘wonky’ cross from the side.
The current church, part of a Franciscan monastery complex, was completed in 1924. The architect was Antonio Barluzzi.[2] It was built on the ruins of an ancient (4th–6th-century) Byzantine church and a 12th-century church of the Crusader Kingdom period.[3] There is a Greek Orthodox church located on Mount Tabor as well, dedicated to the same purpose.
…. and … there is one tucked away in little old Gawler South, South Australia. Address: LOT 734 Adelaide Rd, Gawler South SA 5118 (at the round about coming in from Adelaide and next to the ‘ROSE HOUSE.’) Look for the wonky cross to I.D. it for sure.
Jacaranda. A whole lot prettier than what this photo shows.
Nasty, thorny bougainvillea. Natures barbed wire. Still knockout colours. They are pretty but can be harmful. Like a few humans I have met over the years.
Another ‘rose amongst the thorns’ shot.
I didn’t know Pizza Hut still existed. Tuesday special, two large pizza’a for the price of one. Is it worth the drive. Maybe they deliver? it’s 42 kms from Gawler to Adelaide. Or at least Adelaide oval. I have run it a couple of times. Quite a while ago though actually.
Pizza and Yiros? Italian, Greek restaurant? Maybe that’s why they are ‘Delivery only?’ How you gonna decorate to satisfy both?
… and then appears a chunk of history. The 1966 HR Holden, although they did make them up to 1968.
From the back. Again I am reminded of Billy Connolly, in his ‘World tour of Scotland’ where he narrated that he used to think he missed the ‘good old days’ but in retrospect he realised he just missed his youth. Hmmm. I can relate to that.
Out the front of the office where Kay went. More roses. How about that.
I think this is what the Americans call, ‘hamming it up.’
Rose house from a distance. You can almost see it.
Shopping before return to Edithburgh. Our first official shop at Aldi. After this experience, we can see it’s time we stopped buying genuine grand and look at generic or home brands. Avocado’s, small, but only 99 cents. Spinach ricotta triangles, $1.99. Had them last night. Small filling but tasty and good value at 16(ish) cents each. Air fryer. $60.
Off to the bakery for good healthy food like my Cornish pasty with tomato sauce. Yes I know it’s not that good. Haven’t you ever heard of sarcasm before?
Then to Stratco. It is not just galv. iron products. In this case we were after, and get paint and plants.
I have it on good authority (Kay) that this is the very best mulch because it won’t have anything in it that will grow.
This is Wasleys.
N.B. Wasleys is a small town north-west of Gawler, South Australia. Roseworthy College is located around 6 km south of the town. At the 2016 census, Wasleys had a population of 348.Wikipedia
We are here because we took a wrong turn. We wanted to be heading for Mallala but were going in more or less the opposite direction to Freeling. I got on the GPS facility of the phone and saved the day through two moves. The first was a good short cut but it included a dirt road. So a second double back and we are on the bitumen to Mallala – Balaclava – Port Wakefield.
I think this is at Mallala. Anne had the camera.
A good free camp with dump point and toilets for $10. It’s a different kind of free.
Just incase you missed the above photo.
N.B. Journey Uniting Church Mallala. 7 Balaklava Road, Mallala Worship Time Sunday 10.00am (Coffee from 9:30am) About Us: Contemporary Worship service each Sunday with great coffee & kids program.
Transit.
Past Port Wakefield where we did a petrol fill up. Now heading around the top of the gulf and lots of road work. These concrete barriers are everywhere.
All those concrete barriers has this written on them. ….. So what’s this all about?
N.B. Googled, from McMahon Services: ‘2010, the vision came to life and Intract Australia was launched as a business unit of McMahon Services. Today, Intract Australia is a standalone 51% Indigenous owned, managed and controlled enterprise. The civil contracting and general building organisation has bases in Darwin, Alice Springs and Adelaide, operating throughout Australia.’ (?)
The Hummocks in the distance?
Down the other side of the gulf.
They’re still there waiting.
Home, unpack, pre-dinner drinks, showers, dinner of delicious [Italian: deliziosa (feminine) delizioso(masculine)] home made soup with fried flat bread and our Aldi spinach and ricotta triangles … and red wine of course.
Intellectual chat … well interesting any way, then … it’s been a long day. Bed.
Up at 6.45am and to the computer of course. Overcast but no rain and no wind. Anne rises at 9.45am
A slow … busy day. Work that one out. Well, it started slow but picked up.
We go for a walk towards Saltana Point.
First interest. Black swans,three of five.
Then …. every 50 metres or so, a wonderful mosaic …….
Another
Another swan, to break up the mosaics.
Oh look! A mosaic.
etc etc etc
If you squint it’s a broken line of 5 swans off the edge of shore.
See? I told you. Aren’t they beautiful?
Mosaics.
We get a bit short of half way, then turn back. That was about 35 to 40 minutes. This is the view to the end at Saltana Point …
… and that is where we started.
Back near the second jetty, we do a bit of self adoration.
Can you see it…? In the middle, with it’s own water reflection?
A Heron. Not to be confused with Egret which are white.
…and here. Can you see it?
The back end of a pelican in flight. The guy was right over me but by the time I got the camera up, turned it on, then realised it had been on and I just turned it off, then turned it back on again and lined it up, he was 100 metres away.
A naughty import.
Low tide.
Town, or part there of.
After the walk, a bit of a rest, then earning our keep.
We are painting … painting …. and … painting.
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Evening meal, Moroccan chicken with Hash browns and salad.
A long talk about heritage chasing and we adjourn to our separate oases to rest, for tomorrow Kay has to go to Gawler and we will keep her company.
Me up 6.45am. Overcast and a little rain. It comes and goes but mainly comes.
View out the window.
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I’m on the computer. How about that. Anne stirs 8.30am-ish so kettle on. Kay is off to the Museum to officiate at 8.45am-ish. Wow! It’s all happening here. Actually it did take off and become a busy day.
We decide to walk to the museum and have a look before it closes. We take the long way for exercise. Off in the distance we can just make out Troubridge Island with a little mist.
If you squint you can see the light house on the left side. See other pic below.
The warning cannon on the Island. Well it was . Apparently it has been knocked off and Sydney collared it.
At the exercise area but it’s been raining and the only one you don’t have to sit or lay on is the twister. Not a tough workout but a bit stretching. Anything is good. Might improve my dance moves … if I danced that is … which I don’t.
We walk onto the wharf street.
This boat has been here a while this morning. I think it is swinging around it’s anchor. Either that or the skipper is a little undecided on which way he is going.
Turns out it’s a cruise ship doing islands and they have dropped people off at Troubridge Island.
Up past familiar sights to the museum on the left.
First thing. In the front yard this little 13 ft Carvel Fishing boat.
Read the wrap. They were very popular.
This is a pic of the wharf and harbour in 1961 There was heaps of them.
Inside, a local chap restored this Buick ute from a rough pile of rusty metal. Here’s the original.
Look what he did with it. The man is (or was unfortunately) a genius.
They’re working on a 1927 Harley Davidson.
Heaps of other implements and some vehicles.
They also have a nautical section. One local man made these models. Amazing. The patience he must have had.
Yorketown donated their hospital when it was closed.
…and the same ‘genius who restored the Buick did this International fire truck. It still runs and is used for community events.
This was the bakers delivery cart. The steel horse was a display out the front of a local business. It hired ‘Gypsy Horse Drawn Wagon’ for hire. It was very popular. I knew people that had hired it.
How brave are you. A PETROL stove? The tank is round and on the right side below the burners and along side the control nobs. Too close for me. I’d want the tank out the back with a long hose. Not really. I wouldn’t use the damn thing.
The bakers in town. This is a mock up of the stove. It could cook hundreds of loaves at a time.
It was huge. Look at the scoop and length of handle to get to the back loaves. Up the top, sloping down.
… and this is the bread proving trough where the dough is placed for a short time for it to rise before baking.
The old lock was brought from Birkenhead in Port Adelaide in 1981.
And the jetty had a beacon on the end till the mid 90’s
LOT’s of other historic items therein.
Kay’s stint in the museum is over so a bite to eat, then off to Yorketown to pick up her new wheel barrow and a 4 litre can of paint to finish our painting exercise and a special sauce for a neighbour..
A house with …
… a ‘serious’ cactus.
Back to neighbour/friends, Charlie and Debbie to drop the sauce, who also happen to be keen gardeners.
Tomatoes! My chance to use the ONLY bit of garden knowledge to show how terribly clever I am. Well terrible anyway. My father had shown me how to nip the extra shoots out of the joints to stop a big messy mass of green tangle.
Back home because it is ‘drinks time. This time at the front to see the passing traffic although Kay knows so many people, most of the passers stopped.
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Showers, tea time. Beef schnitzels with veg. Just great. Very tasty.
We all did a bit of, ‘how do I get the ‘mygov’ to take the covid vax record’ on the phone. High tech for this late at night during red wine consumption.
Got an sms from SA Pathology at 5.36am to say yesterdays test was negative. Anne also got likewise negative. So I guess SA Health will catch up and find out we did have the 13th day test and it is negative.
Odds and ends today. Sorting stuff.
Some initial work on the laptop to get our vaccine results to appear on the smart phones which will include having the mygov App installed.
MYgov??? MY BIG BROTHER more likely. I guess they think if we say, ‘my’ enough it will become a term of endearment and we will take ownership to feel it is ours and we are ….. a nurtured part of a lovely community organisation. More like … a screwed over part of the Fourth Reich.
I am reminded yet again of the third universal lie. ‘I’m from the Government …. I’m here to help you.’
I run into a brick wall trying to register. A Brick wall? I look at the list and immediately phone up the ‘contact us’ number and get a response quite quickly, in the over all scheme of things. Furthermore, I get a quite UNDERSTANDING and helpful young lady.
I explain to her, we are travelling the country in a caravan. The following are the questions and my responses. 1. The address of the last doctor I saw? I saw a doctor to get 6 months worth of my high blood pressure tablets. I THINK we were in Carnarvon, WA. 2. When I saw them? I am on my last month and I had one to go when I applied, so that would be ABOUT six months ago. 3. How much was the complete bill? Errrr ….? 4. The doctors family name? Errrr … It was a Male doctor and I think he had an accent. That’s about it. 5. Who was the last specialist I saw? I had my appendix out six years ago. I guess a surgeon is a specialist? I think his name was Murphy?
She laughs and we take a different tact of I.D. After about 1.25 hours, I have link codes for both Anne and I and that will be a dramatic help.
After than I need a break so we go inside and help sort the boxes of photos and paperwork which Kay is battling though.
I spot this somewhere. A couple of ‘past prime’ ladies and the quote is, ‘We’ve reached the age where we can’t function without our glasses. Especially if they’re empty.’ (I can see that)
A place to start chasing your Scottish heritage. ‘Old Parish Record Images, Births and Marriages 1553 – 1854 Now on Line. Free Surname search. www.Scotlandspeople.go
This is the Henderson Stone and Glencoe. Still haven’t got the significance.
We go for a walk late afternoon. Lots of ceramic/mosaic parquetry along the foreshore.
Anne gives reference to the size of the rock with the huge mosaic.
…. and to the size of the wharf. At one stage, Edithburgh was the third busiest wharf in South Australia. They mined salt from the salt flats nearby, there was grain and also wool, amongst other crops.
Rugged coast.
Just up from the wharf.
I turn left 90 degrees from the same place the last photo was taken. The wharf is now behind me and I am looking up a main road towards the two main road intersection.
On the way up the hill, that was the Bakehouse and is now the museum.
…. and in the middle of the road is the Clan Ranald ship wrecks anchor. The crew buried at the cemetery is the largest mass grave in Australia. Their were 5 British Officers buried in the main section and main bulk of the crew were 31 Lascars and they make up the mass grave.
N.B. lascar /ˈlaskə/ noun DATED a sailor from India or SE Asia. “the manning of British ships by lascar crews”
We were here a few times over the last couple of years and witnessed the anniversary celebration of the recovery of the anchor. It is a big one.
Still in the main street. Don’t know if this is still operating but I rather doubt it.
Now at the main two roads intersection, with my back to the two storey and aptly named Edithburgh Hotel.
I am looking diagonally opposite to the Troubridge Hotel.
I look right and there is the post office.
I look left and walk down to the very impressive Institute Building.
The next corner down is the convenience store.
Then past that is ‘the one that got away.’ This view is down the side. The front view is a tiny frontage, salt damp ridden cottage, BUT it was on the market for over a year and sold at about $80,000 and has a HUGE block.
Lovely roses.
Inside and back to the computer for hair pulling and wrestling bouts with the mygov online website. Big Brother.
Showers, lots of very tasty leftovers for evening meal and an in tense discussion about roses.
In my first house, Finniss Street, North Adelaide I had two huge ‘Lorraine Lee’s’ in the front yard. I could snip one stem, put it in a single stem vase, put the vase on the lounge mantle piece and when I came home that night, I would open the door and the single rose would have permeated the whole house and hit me as soon as the door opened. A vivid memory.
I will buy a few when we move into the house in about 5 months.
N.B. LORRAINE LEE$18.70 An old favourite fondly remembered. Sweetly fragrant rosy-pink to salmon blooms are produce in mass display almost all year. This rose is unique – if pruned in April will produce winter flowers in mild climates. A tall bush with grey-green foliage. Bred by Alister Clark in 1924. A famous rose in Australia. Colour: Pink Height: Tall Scent: Strong Categories: AUSTRALIAN, REPEAT FLOWERING OLD ROSES
From … ‘Ross Roses’ …. is Australia’s oldest specialist rose grower established in 1902. Contact Us: (08) 8556 2555
You probably didn’t want to know so much about roses but I wanted to hear the story of Finniss Street roses again so ……
It’s been a good night. To van, a Port night cap, bed.
Bleak out the window again. We are off to Maitland for our final covid test because it is the closest.
This, the last one, is required to be done day 13 after entering the state. However because there was no testing at the border, we could only be tested for the first one on day three at Port Augusta and Day 7 instead of day 5 again at PortAugusta. We went away and came back.
So this last one is meant to be on the thirteenth day in the state but it is infact the fifteenth. Does that make sense? Pain in the neck. If we had left Alice Springs one day earlier, we would have avoided all this.
It was 1 hour and 15 minutes to Maitland. As usual the GPS led us down the wrong direction in town, but it was easily spotted at the front, drop off drive through at the hospital. So a stick in the throat and up the nose again and we are clear.
There will be a BBQ tonight so we visit the Foodland before we leave. This trolley ladder would be pretty good for cleaning the van, but would not stack well though.
I am sick of seeing signs to tell us the toilets don’t work. Either fix them or install new ones. What’s wrong with people.
They also had a boozerama, so got some vitals.
Maitland is a nice little town. Two pubs and a Foodland AND a hospital.
N.B. Located at the centre of Yorke Peninsula, Maitland is the main service and shopping town for this productive agricultural area.
It’s come around again. 169,000km. Country driving runs the kilometers up. We got it at I think around 120,000km so we have done roughly 49,000km February 2019. Mind you a lot of non driving time. In Europe for two months and in self isolation for six weeks and a few lock downs, so not constant driving.
Back from Maitland to Ardrossan sweeping views and the gulf coming towards us.
N.B. Ardrossan is a town in the Australian state of South Australia located on the eastern coast of the Yorke Peninsula, about 150 kilometres by road from the Adelaide city centre. It is notable for its deepwater shipping port and its towering coastal cliffs of red clay. Wikipedia
Also has huge grain silo’s.
Picturesque.
I think this is Coobowie about 5km from Edithburgh. The residents of the house facing the main road have a sense of humour. They change the dummies from time to time. I haven’t seen this lot before.
N.B. Coobowie The beach is ideal for swimming and fishing, as well as long walks. Take a walk or cycle along the coastal trail between Coobowie and Edithburgh. … The bird hide has been built by the Coobowie Progress Association, and offers views of birds feeding on the low water line in the Estuary.
We get back about 12.45pm with a roast chook from Foodland for lunch.
Spot this guy. Apparently mum and dad live around the place there.
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Lunch and Kay is off for meetings. (On Sunday?)
Now some real excitement. Anne cuts my hair. I have my own clippers. It’s a bit windy but we manage to retain most of it and stash in a plastic bag. There is no end to the excitement of country living. (In fact Country living is nice)
At 2.49pm I receive an sms phone message SA Health ‘… as records show that you have not had your 13th day test’. Check again brain drain. We did it nearly 5 hours ago.
The guests arrive and the greet drinks flow. The BBQ comes sooner rather than later and there is an abundance. We all over-ate and …. did the wrong think? I beg your pardon! I googled ‘abundance’ and got some interesting facts. This one suits me perfectly. A quote, believe it or not, from the bible.
Ecclesiastes 9:7 says, “So go eat your food and enjoy it; drink your wine and be happy, because that is what God wants you to do.” God wants us to enjoy food, good tasting food without guilt. … Therefore enjoying food, fun food, dense food, all food does not constitute overeating, nor is it a sin.
There ya go! GOD wants us to over-indulge and it’s NOT a sin but a good thing!
The night goes on but unlike younger days, it does not evolve into a swim through. The crowd thins. There was only seven of us so two couples leaving thinned the crown down to the three of us residents. A good night.
We adjourn to the comfort of our house on wheels. A little TV bed …
Overcast with some patches of blue. It comes and goes and is mainly gone by 9.15am.
Looks a little bleak out the window.
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Anne goes for a short walk to assess the day.
…. but she can’t walk past Kay’s lovely garden without a few pics.
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So we are off to clear Kay’s post box but pull up at the local bowser. These two border collies are guarding the car and so they should. It’s a beaut. Old cars. Nostalgia …. or yearning for the past … or missing your youth? Billy Connolly said that. When he was doing his ‘World Tour of Scotland’ he narrated that he thought he missed the ‘old days’ but really what he missed was his youth.
I call it an LTD but am quickly corrected by the owner. It’s a Marquis.
Anyway, on and we pass a mural depicting two seagulls talking to each other. One asks the other, ‘Mate … where’s everybody going?’ and get’s the reply, ‘They come from everywhere for an Edithburger.’ But they don’t say where to get one.
Tippers is for sale by owner. Damn shame. It was a good little coffee and food outlet. It was originally a Blacksmiths. Apparently it is just going to be a residence.
Almost there. We pass the second pub aptly names the Edithburgh Hotel. Not much imagination. Why didn’t they stir the pot a bit by calling it The Yorketown Hotel or The Stansbury Hotel. A bit confusing? Exactly! Stir the pot. Anything to cause a little confusion and start a conversation point. Put a sign on the bar saying, ‘Barman in training. Please be understanding. Do not complain if you get the wrong drink.’
Anne spots some Gladys.
N.B. Gladiolus Plant Description Gladiolus is a genus of perennial cormous flowering plants in the iris family. It is sometimes called the ‘sword lily’, but is usually called by its generic name. The genus occurs in Asia, Mediterranean Europe, South Africa, and tropical Africa. The center of diversity is in the Cape Floristic Region. Wikipedia Family: Iridaceae Order: Asparagales Genus: Gladiolus; L. Kingdom: Plantae
Personally, I only relate ‘The Glady’ to Dame Edna Everage. She MADE the flower what it is today in Australia.
N.B. Here is the great ‘Lady.’
Post Box cleared and Anne is off to a ‘ladies speciality shop. (underwear) I am waiting in a coffee shop. I may very soon be putting up a carport so I start observing construction methods. Just ideas. If I copy it exactly it could end up looking like a coffee shop.
Back to Anne’s shop and we spot these. The owner has passed away and the locals are showing their respect.
Back at the house and I spot an indicator of cousin Mal’s humour.
We paint most of the afternoon and pull up around 5pm for reward drinkies.
Showers and crank the fire up.
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Crooners Music courtesy of I think Foxtel. Food. Quick and easy. A great mix of dim sims, spring rolls, crumbed fish, crumbed chicken, hash browns and some salad.
I didn’t know Diana Krall was a Crooner but she did a good job.
A movie. The tail end of the very last Harry Potter Movie in front of the fire.
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Dark and threatening. Reminds me of a few people I have met. Late start. About 10am plus. Well, that’s pretty normal for us really. We get dressed in our ‘poor’ clothes because we started painting on the outside of the new sunroom yesterday and today we will continue and most likely finish the outside.
We have three. Kay, me and she. (it could be sung) Sounds like an MGM musical, title song.
However first, we have some home maintenance. Yesterday I missed saying last night the shower wouldn’t drain. A serious ‘plunger’ episode of about 10 minutes off-and-on ensued. Got all sorts of interesting chunks of rubbish out and into the shower floor. Not a good look. Then it would drain but just a bit slow. It was decided last night, it would have to be looked at in the morning. THIS morning.
So I disconnect pipes and couldn’t work out where the block was or had been, till I pulled off this thing located closest to the shower.
Looks like it was an optional extra put in by mistake.
There was a rubber membrane fixed at the shower end ……..
….. and just loose flapping rubber membrane at the ‘out’ side of the drainage system, which appeared to obviously be broken.
However, luckily I stared at it long enough to realise this was a reverse flow gadget to stop waste water from the other outlets flowing into the shower floor drain. Our plunger-ing must have dislodged a wad of rubbish from it.
We put it back together and it seems OK, so back to painting the outside.
Nope. Raining already, so god is on my side and no painting today. Nope. He isn’t on my side. We can paint inside today. We launch into it as well as anyone could on a cold wet day.
A lunch break of leftover veggies toasted in sandwiches and cake and biscuits fills the gap.
We battle on past the normal finish time of 4pm to beer o’clock 5pm. About two thirds done but more or less out of paint. Bummer.
Reward drink time but it’s damn cold. Me, I, myself comes up with the idea of Irish coffee (!!), however before I could bounce in with the whiskey, the ladies have decided on a modified version with Baileys. OK. Baileys is Irish so they got me on a technicality.
Well done. Break for showers etc. I am showering and Anne notes nothing is coming out of the grey water tank. Here we go again?
She has a ‘dig around and ‘bloomp!’ This big plug of hair and soap comes out of the tank and it gushes. Disgusting by the way. The human body is a dirty, greasy disgusting thing and must be bathed and cleansed daily or twice daily. I have met a few people should really be done 4 or 5 times a day.
Close up. Like I said, disgusting.
We must have dislodged it with the plunger this morning and it washed to the tank outlet but blocked the flow and didn’t come till Anne inserted her pinky. Well done my love. God use of pinky. Wash it now though.
A reward feast with prawn entrè and following the seafood theme of crumbed whiting. With red wine of course. ‘White wine with fish’ was started by someone who was not lateral thinking enough.
The movie, A Few Good Men is on. We adjourn to the viewing zone and it lasts for about two more wines. A good night. Cold. A small Port nightcap and bed.
Up early. Light though. A bit after 6am. Van being buffeted by the wind. Overcast, bit of sun breaks through. Gone again. Ten minutes later back again.
Lull in the wind then back again.
Afternoon all calms so we get to the painting. Up a ladder?! I don’t do that any more. See that gable? I painted that damn gable. The whole time rain threatening.
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Anne has cut in on most but some to go. No. Rain pending so today finish.
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ALL the statues and gnomes etc are restored.
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I don’t like the way Anne has grouped all the gnomes behind the little girl statue in a menacing manner.
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On high, I guess she is bigger than them.
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There is nothing interesting about washing paint brushes.
Shower time and true horror. The shower doesn’t drain. A LOT of Kay’s plunger and it’s a dribble drain.
Tomorrow it’s a pull apart drain hose job. Bummer.
The lamb roast we bought from Spear Creek sheep station proved it’s worth. It’s sacrifice was not in vain. It was great.
A bit of TV, to van, another bit of TV, computer, a glass of Port, bed …
Kay is off to Kadina for some chores with friends Rod and Edith. I wave goodbye while Anne is quietly dozing.
Overcast but not quite as cold. A very light shower, the sun appears and just as quickly disappears. Damn nature. Just can’t be trusted. I continue on the computer till stirring at the end of the van signals kettle must go on.
Bills have to be paid. The hosting on the blog is about to expire. Hang on. I heard that! No. Bad luck. I renewed it. Anyway, most of the day on the computer.
With left over crab, Anne spends 45 minutes getting the remaining meat out and makes two crab sandwiches on soft, fresh, white bread with butter. Brilliant.
A little more research on the family tree together with the thought, who is going to want this? I have no child heirs. My sister has one daughter and one grand daughter. Hmmm. Going to have to do some serious thinking.
3.15pm-ish XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (removed) arrive back from Kadina and Wallaroo with all sorts and lots of it. Apparently they were buying for sharing as well. The main items are about eight boxes of XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (removed) bag of bread crumbs.
Anne is impressed.
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A neighbour who is currently not at the neighbouring house, as it is a holiday home, asks (via phone) to check for water leaks as the water bill is sky high. We check. No leaks and the meter does not seem to have been touched for a long time.
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Also, it is not on the front boundary in the yard as per normal but under a metal plate on the footpath in front of the house next door. I won’t bore you with the logic of this illogical location , but suggest not even the meter reader could find it so they have been ‘guesstimating’ it with a little too much optimism on the usage.
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Metal plate with meter under, in the foreground. Anne in the middle ground knocking off roses and Kay in the background in front of the house that the meter belongs to. Not hard to see why the meter reader probably couldn’t find it.
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Looking at Mal’s photo’s on display I spot this. He and Kay with Billy Connolly. How’s that for a winner. I am reminded of when Mal told me about it. This wasn’t a quick pose. He told me they sat together at an airport for about 40 minutes. Apparently Billy used Mal to clarify some ‘Australiana.’ Billy noted one of the clarifications he wanted was the Australians use of the word ‘Bastard.’ Billy said Australians make it sound ‘different.’ Mal explained Australians tended to stretch the word out. He then gave the example of … ‘Baaaas’td’ then expanded to ‘Bludging Bastard’ first explaining the term Bludger being ‘a scrounger. an idle or lazy person.’ then putting it in the stretched version of the full phrase, … ‘Bluuuud’n Baaaas’td.’ Billy was well pleased with that and other expressions. He was probably looking for ideas for other shows but Mal said he was a pleasant chap, relaxed with Mal and happy to chat. A good guy. Both of them I suggest.
In the evening, we clarify the 5kg bag is to be shared between several people but it was a cheap way to buy in bulk. Aldi apparently.
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However we did confirm that the crumbed chicken schnitzels we had previously were crumbed with this mix, which accounts for the tasting herbs in the schnitz’s.
Tonight after the meal, we have some TV. A little different. Mrs Browns Boys. Must get back to sorting old photos tomorrow.
We have to earn our keep here with late cousin Mal’s life partner Kay in Edithburgh. Part of that is to sort out old family photos. This photo below shows a few albums and is the tip of the iceberg. There are boxes of them and many over one hundred years old. Dear cousin Mal would have been his usual ‘oracle’ self but now we are six weeks too late for his input.
I have learnt my lesson. (learnt it finally at 70 years old?!) In the future any hard copy photo I have, I will write the persons or places subject of the photo on the back.
This is a little bonus. Cousin Mal sent me a copy of the Peter and Hannah HENDERSON book way back when we lived in Darwin, say around 1998. It was a thorough family tree. My mother was a Henderson so I get a mention together with my sister etc. This is Mal’s and Kay’s copy below.
Peter HENDERSON came to Australia from Alloa, a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland in December 1840 at the age of nineteen. Hannah GIBSON came from Aylsham, Norfolk England in 1847 at the age of eleven. They were Married at the Magill Church of England .(Adelaide, South Australia) in 1853.
Our branch of the tree starts with Peter’s 5th child and eldest son Robert Henry HENDERSON who married Angelina Harry (Girlie’) GLASSON in 1884 in Port Germein, South Australia.
They had three sons and two daughters. The first born in 1885 was Herbert (Bert) Gordon HENDERSON.
He married Fanny Fry in 1908 and they had two boys and two girls. The youngest was my mother.
Here’s my complete entry.
Leith Vernon CARROLL b 4/8/1951 (Married, divorced, no family)
How about that eh? Spectacular. Of course it is incomplete because I have in fact remarried to my lovely Anne. I guess we will have to wait for an updated reprint.
This is what an Edithburgh afternoon tea looks like.
We will probably have a carport in the near future so I study Kay’s new carport with interest.
Left to right, my Uncle Herb, my Auntie Hazel, My Uncle Alf, my Grandma, my mother (the baby) and Grandpa.
The same group a few years later in a different order. My mother at left, having learnt to walk and talk and other adult things.
A family wedding. The feature for me is my flower girl sister at left.
Back to Edithburgh and Kay does so love and hence produce ‘s a beautiful, colourful front garden.
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Every garden should have a gnome. This one has a fishing gnome.
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The current location of our wheeled home. Adjacent the back door. Photo placed here to break up the flower viewing.
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This one has such a beautiful sweet pungent bouquet.
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Kay has made and painted up small Christmas trees for the garden. Her care for detail is marvellous.
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Partly cleaned crabs which Anne attacked with almost vicious glee. I had the left over green curry. Crab tastes great but far too labour intensive for a conservative energy user like me.
No. It’s not a mistake. It’s the moon on a daylight saving evening.
Kay was out to a meeting and arrives home to the blazing combustion fire and us freeloaders having just finished the feasting.
A chat, a drink an early night. Well early-ish. TV bed …
Cool. A little drizzle. Most caravans still here at 9.30am
We make our donation and pull out but Anne spots the plaque in front of this huge pepper tree. Stop and look and photograph as all good little tourists would. Us as well.
The tree, right in photo and way smaller than the real thing now, has featured at the Alford Primary school since 1881 and was declared ‘a tree of significance’ by the local council in 2004.
‘Roo’ donation box. Our donation went in the ‘Emu’.
Onward …
On to Minlaton and more importantly it’s Bakery.
What’s this? Something that shouldn’t be on a public highway.
I think it’s a grain store? There were two of them. Squint into the background. Would I lie to you?
Now what?
Let’s just call it a farm implement. Anyway, there were two of them as well and a couple of other serious pieces of farm equipment. By this time, you will note we have pulled off the road. In a confrontation they would win.
Coming into town. Not well framed up but not half bad for point and shoot when looking forward and driving.
Ahh! Minlaton and the famous Bakery. How’s the DIET going Leith?
This was after the Cornish pasty, by the way.
Anne had Chicken Curry Pie first.
There is no way you can eat one of these things (chocolate donut) without looking a food obsessed GLUTTON. In my defence, we shared it and I have the smaller half. Having said that I am pleased the internet is a little slow in Edithburgh and it is not possible to upload the VIDEO of the donut consumption.
Utopia. ,,,, or … Heaven.
Heaven… I’m in heaven,
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak.
And I seem to find the happiness I seek,
When we’re out together dancing cheek to cheek.
(click ‘skip add’ if necessary.)
Hope this works. I can’t download my own but this link is just copied.
Blowing a gale did not deter Anne trying to hold a dress up for size. Well it did eventually. However looking at light cotton summer dresses in ‘chill to the bone’ gale conditions is a little optimistic.
We arrive at Edithburgh and are greeted by Kay, who is standing up well to the loss of life partner and my cousin Mal, six weeks ago.
Other friends (Rod and Edith) who have been a great help and support, drop in and a beer and a chat always brightens the day.
Van parked in it’s usual spot in the back yard and all plugged in. Showers and the evening meal put on by Kay. Just the thing on a cold. night. Great veggies. Mashed potato, cauliflower, carrot, pumpkin and green peas to compliment chicken schnitzel (X 2!) with I don’t know what sort of herbs and spices but they lifted the chicken up above the category of just schnitzel. A feast supported by red wine of course.
OOOOPS! I wrote ‘Pumpkin’ again. I said before something like, ‘I can’t see the word ‘Pumpkin’ without thinking of the opening scene of Pulp Fiction. Sorry, I only did this a couple of days ago but here we go again…….
It only lasts four seconds. To replay just click the circle with the arrow head at the bottom left.
It has been a long day, but not so long as to cut out a ‘whee’ (large) glass of Port. Just one. See miracles can happen.
Still cool (cold) and a bit windy. Van, TV, bed ….
Partly cloudy. Has been raining. It justifies the diesel heater.
I had to do yesterdays blog this morning. After campfire drinks, it lost it’s priority.
Now a few years ago Maria and Greg (& Sara, daughter) came over from ET-TL and we spent a week together. When they left, we inherited all their leftovers, which we later came to find included same baby food. We never threw it out and and we have recently been having a clean out. So the baby food ended up on toast for breakfast after salt and pepper had been added to take the sweet edge off of it. Decision on the organic Chicken Bolognese baby food? Nothing wrong with it but don’t buy it unless you have a baby.
Campfire starters Cathy and Andrew pull out.
Cockatoos on the hunt for anything edible.
We pull out and head back to Port Pirie. It’s market day AND there is a dump spot.
We find the dump spot … AND …
There is this free camp right in town and adjacent the dump spot.
Invitation to stay.
We are on to the Sunday market. This bougainvillea doesn’t show it’s true crimson/maroon colour. The bottom pic is closer.
Lots of stalls. All sorts …
… including live yabbies. I said to the vendor, ‘It;a a bit sad. These guys don’t even know how tasty they are.’
Then, with at least a couple of chairs up for some serious work currently in the container, we come across this chap.
He tells me he restored this whole chair including the woodwork, upholstery etc for $450. I have had quotes quite a bit higher than this, but he is a sole operator, no doubt working from home and he can obviously keep the prices fair due to low overheads. We shall be in touch in particular regarding our ‘Cobra’ chairs. About 6 months I would say.
On to fellow campers from last night stall. Great Cornish fudge.
We buy up from Rex and Trish.
Now it happens to be lunch time and we happen to be across the road from yesterdays seafood lunch place. It is in an old church and just fabulous. The name says it all.
The 4 side sign outside and ‘on high.’
‘Prayers Answered – Home delivery.’
‘Water to Wine – Fully licensed.’
….. AND …..
‘Prawn Again – Give into temptation.’
YES! This is the church for me! (and it’s all GOOD stuff.)
We must move on and make it all the way to Port Broughton. A nice town.
Small towns always feature strong on respect and remembrance of the fallen.
‘Lest We Forget.’
… and my favourite text I saw on the Simpsons Donkey statue in Adelaide ….
‘“So, forever let it be thus, we will care for those who dare, place themselves in harm’s way for us”.
We should ALL,… Respect and honour those who served and those who died for us. May the fallen Rest In Peace.
Like an oasis in the desert. No laundromat in Port Augusta or Port Pirie, but lo and behold …..
A good town, AND it has a laundromat so we see the town and have a coffee while the washing saves us ‘in the nick (-ers) of time’ with just one pair of underpants left.
We have a walk around.
Look at this magnificent pub, right on the foreshore.
It would make drinking a pleasure. Errr, stupid damn statement. It is anyway.
We had a walk and then a coffee.
It was infact a coffee AND our almost mandatory, ham and cheese toasted sandwich. I always judge the quality of the ‘sanger’ by crispness and butter on the outside, the taste of course and the amount of ham. This one comes up pretty good. I made inquiries. Conroy’s honey ham , comes pre-sliced in commercial packs, so we can’t get it exactly like that. Apparent;y it is much more efficient pre-sliced as there is less wastage and no arduous cleaning of a slicer.
On, on to Alford.
Standing in the middle of the main street (highway) facing north where we came from.
Standing in the middle of the main street (highway) facing south where we are heading tomorrow.
It has a technically FREE camp ground however, they would appreciate a donation. $5 per head seems the norm.
Our chosen spot for lie of the land and closeness to the toilet.
The donation emu close to the dump point.
I am curious how many do ‘runners’ and how many pay. So I managed to focus the camera through the slot with the flash.
Got some thing in there. At east one $5 and some change.
The Kangaroo donation box up near the entrance.
… with one $5 note. There is one van in that area and a tent with a bicycle.
A walk around town. This place is not open Sunday but it is the only fast food place in town and serves Indian food as well as home made pasties and pies.
This could still be operating but not Sunday.
Same here but most likely well and truly closed.
The Institute Hall.
Stone laid 1908
Institute opened 1909
Here is something interesting. This is ‘to commemorate the centenary of the Alford hall 8-8-2009 ‘ So what did we know about making lasting plaques in 1909 that we didn’t know in 2009. Eight letters missing already in only 12 years.
Just a house but with various blades on the fence. Interesting citizens? Tip of the iceberg.
Here is the rest of the iceberg. This house has err … ‘whirlies’ (?) all around the front and side fences. Shows a lot of effort and imagination. The world would be a dull place without eccentrics.
It’s got a brass ’15’ on the front gate and this big ’50’ on the fence. I am a bit slow. I thought, ‘Make up you mind. Which is it?’ until the penny dropped and as this is the highway, the 50 was a reminder of the speed limit to those passing through.
Back to the park
Our handy shelter shed and picnic table we parked next to and never used. Wind and rain are a little off putting.
Getting overcast and getting late. We close the door and launch into the evening process of showers food and ‘drinks.’ We are yet again having the left overs of our fab seafood lunch. We only had half earlier and we have a full. evening meal. Movie (Independence Day) bed.
We took the high ground due to rain when we pulled in yesterday. However, that happened to be right next to the dump point. Never mind. Very convenient for emptying the cassette.
Back to the testing station for our ‘Day 5’ covid test. It is also a truck stop. I didn’t notice. (much) Our van in the middle.
So we get the stick in the throat and up the nose again. The nurse didn’t ask which nostril but just charged straight up the left one. I saw an opportunity for a little levity and said, ‘Thank goodness you used the left nostril because I didn’t have time to tell you I prefer the left for tests because I am right nostril-ed.’ Blank expression or from what I could see given the fact she had a mask on.
We have been told by Rex and Trish who we met briefly at the football club about Lawrie Park so off we go except we must go to Port Pirie first.
In transit we pass Mambray Creek which has a little History so we stop for a look.
Unfortunately they had a spate of knocking down old buildings so we decided not to tour the ‘sites’ of what once was.
See if you can spot Anne as a stick person drawing in the middle horizontally and slightly right in the vertical.
Port Pirie and we stop for fish and chips at the famous Caputo & Sons. Or we intended but is was closed. So we park at the oval where we usually do.
That included a walk past the memorial with flowers still from Remembrance Day.
Just across from the Freemasons Hall…..
…. and some thistle.
We do Woolworths (& BWS)
On the way back to the van, we stop at the Fish Church, which is what I call it. I displayed it in the blog previously. It is brilliant . I remember one sign. ‘Your prayers are answered. We do home delivery.’ Three prawns, 3 calamari, a big fillet, choice of crumbed or battered, chips, your choice of salad, a soft drink, tartare sauce. Just $9.90 take away. We nibble a bit but it’s 3.30pm so we decide to save it for tonight.
On, on, to Lawrie Park. Bitumen all the way. Free camping park. It has toilets.
A great bunch of people and one lights a fire . A good chat and drinks into the dark. This chap had a brilliant pack up chair. A bit of a pain if you have to do it every day but if you are stuck for space it is brilliant.
Folds up this small.
Time for home. No one is leaving early. Got local TV, showers , our seafood basket reheated, couple of drinks, bed.
A bit of drizzle. Still cool/cold. Looks just a teeny bit brighter.
No. Raining again.
Checking out.
Got to pick up our lamb roast they have stored for us.
Keely’s day off. Co-owner (with Tom) is Jai.
Anne with Jai, with raincoat on (Anne) and frozen roast.
What an interesting shot.
Road out. Did I mention it was raining.
Wind farm in distance.
Wind farm closer.
The gate as we leave.
Farewell team. forming.
Here is the rest of the team. (Another)
Zoom.
Now down away from the hills (Flinders Ranges) By the way, it’s only about 25km.
Into the Central Augusta Footville Club. (Caravan Park). As per a few days ago, no toilet but water and dump point.. We have afternoon naps and Anne takes a stroll.
Our site.
The sky is actually opening up.
A bit of natures beauty sneaks through.
As I speak, it is 9.15pm. We are watching Lethal Weapon 2 and Skyfall by flicking. It is a common concept for hardened movie watchers.
We decided on a quick and simple meal.. Fish fillets (frozen), Hash browns (frozen) and mixed veggies (frozen). Served hot though.
We sleep in because the wind buffeting the van and the rain rattling on the roof suggest it to be a good move.
However somewhere shortly after 8am, I feel guilty so I get up and start doing things. It’s a fair assumption we will be spending the day inside.
Video when first up from bathroom out.
I stick my head out the door.
Getting towards 11am, we head for the ablution block. View from the ablution block to the office where we are heading.
…. then to the office.
The very informative and helpful young lady manager ‘Keely’ is on deck. I guess her job is the sort of old postal thing. ‘Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom….etc’
Her security guard is ‘Pumpkin’, so named because of the one pumpkin coloured ear. Pumpkin is quite young and an orphaned ram lamb (?) or lamb ram? Keely tells us he was found next to deceased mum.
He wears a nappy in the office and the scarf is a spiffy dress up by Keely.
Now here’s something. Ever since seeing the film, Pulp Fiction, I cannot hear the word Pumpkin without thinking of the opening scene where Amanda Plumber calls Tim Roth by his personal, affectionate name when she says, ‘I love you Pumpkin’. By the way, his response is ‘I love you Honey Bunny.’
Just for the record, here it is. There is a longer version showing what follows, but anyone who has seen it knows it is a bit ‘intense.’ When you have watched it it, you can view it again by hitting the ‘Repeat’ circle with arrow bottom left corner.
While in the office chatting to Keely, we suddenly realise (thanks to Anne) it is 11am or just past it, on the 11th day of the 11th month. Remembrance Day. We didn’t do the silence at 11am, but we did remember and acknowledge it. We three at least in Spear Creek honoured the day.
N.B. Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. Following a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919, the day is also marked by war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Wikipedia
Back to the van for another few movies including The Kings Speech and a little lie down. A big one actually.
To keep a little circulation we do wander back to the office a few hours later for a bit of excitement. We can’t be put ;ong because I have put on enough weight to not allow me to wear a jumper under my zip up rain coat. Yet another reason to lose weight.
We get to meet Poppy again. Poppy is an 18 month old Maremma which are specifically bred to protect sheep.
She gives little Pumpkin a sniff and lick of affection.
Keely on deck and boss Tom drops in from work.
Pumpkins hard life. He better appreciate it while he can. He is getting the feel for head butting things. He will grow and get to a stage where his testosterone is going to see him off to the great outdoors in the flock. He will pick up a new ‘hobby’ then. Such is the circle of life.
There are stores at what looks like cost price for the guests who run short, including about five different wines, loaves of bread etc etc.
Also, a vertical freezer full of, you guessed it! Lamb and sheep meat. From roasts (ours is in our freezer) to the marinated lamb kebab we had tonight.
Proof we were here. Wine store bottom right in background.
Anne in the wild.
Work going on irrespective of the rain. An excavator up there some where.
Sure. The wind and rain stopped us from fully appreciating the park, but I’ve got to say even wet and windy, it was a lovely rural setting which would be fantastic in better weather.
It would be perfect for groups as even if you don’t have a caravan or camper but your mates do, it has three different grades of cabins from dormitory/bunk house accommodation to two bedroom with own bathroom and cooking facilities.
We enjoyed it and anyone who likes rural outdoors with comfort will as well.
Another early start but not quite so bad. Alarm 6am for …..
… 7.30am departure. By the way, we went to the Caltex and not the BP. Furthermore, the van park is out the back of the Pub, not the BP servo.
…enchanting scenery.
Oh look! There’s more enchanting scenery.
There’s more.
Now trees.
We whizz past Lake Hart. A good free camp on a salt lake. No toilet here. We were here for four days once and it got to the point we had to ‘dig and dump.’
Then back to enchanting.
We get to Pimba, about 105 km’s – ish from Glendambo.
This is the famous ‘Spuds.’
Spuds as we depart south.
Spuds/Pimba is a good junction.
Glendambo & Coober Pedy, but also Alice Springs and Darwin.
Port Augusta but also Adelaide.
Woomera and Roxby Downs, but also Andamooka. We like Andamooka. Been there a few times.
Is this more enchanting, or is it charming. Bit of a toss up, isn’t it.
Now good stuff. A lot of salt lakes up here.
Interesting terrain.
More salt.
More interesting terrain and cloud patterns.
Yet another damn dumped car. Heaps and heaps of them.
Ahh! Now what’s this.
A police car has pulled over a ‘naughty person.’
I show the front of the naughty car because he screamed past us a little earlier before he got pulled over and now the silly bugger speeds past us again about 15 minutes after. Maybe he was disappointed in his fine and wants a bigger one?
Arrow light sign to divert us through road works. Notice I am in the passenger side. We have finally started Anne’d van pulling lessons. She has done a little before but now we are doing an hour at a time. Still no keen on towns etc but we will get there.
There is interesting and rustic scenery.
I am back in the driving seat for Port Augusta.
This is all terribly close now. We are only a three and a half hour drive from Adelaide and we have been doing that daily for at least three days. We only left Alice Springs Sunday so that is 1200 km in three days. … AND all that RUSH is …..
… to get HERE! The temporary testing station at lot 8, Gull Road, behind the Puma Servo on the main highway, on the way south out of town.
By far the biggest impact we have had since we came across the border is everyone has to wear a mask.
N.B. From SA Govt. Face masks Face masks are an additional physical barrier and help to stop the spread of COVID-19. Masks are currently mandatory inhealth care services, passenger transport services, high risk settings, airports and airplanes, personal care, indoor public places and for people in quarantine. They are also strongly recommended for indoor workplaces and adult learning environments and optional in childhood education services. Read more on our face masks page, including information on: who should wear a mask how to wear a mask correctly links to resources, including how to make your own face mask.
Tested. Done. results soon (?) via text. Now to stock up from Woolies. (and the boozerama.)
They (Woolworths) shouldn’t put up signs like this.
It reminds me of something an old guy told me years and years ago. The three universal lies of the world are … 1. ‘Of course my darling I will love you as much in the morning as what I do now.’ …2. ‘The cheque is in the mail.’ …. and … 3. … ‘I’m from the Government – I’m here to help you.’
Now Woollies are putting up …….. OUCH!
Talking of OUCH, this sunken paver nearly brought me undone in one of the main streets.
I could have gone the way of the world. I had no physical damage, but I could have claimed I am now psychologically devastated and can no longer walk on pavers. At the very sight of a paver I break down and have to be assisted from the area to flat concrete. I am getting therapy and now I carry a paver in a bag and when I think I am strong enough, I will sit down in a quiet spot, undo the bag, brace myself and take a quick glimpse of it.
Now of course that is all crap, but having said that, I have seen ‘stuff’ on TV where that isn’t all that ridiculous.
In fact as I type this, I am watching something out the corner of my eye on TV. Apparently this woman was implanted with someone else’s embryo and vice versa. After 4 months it was sorted but now they are experiencing ‘guilt and loss’. They said ‘The baby didn’t look like either of us and seemed to be another race.’ Derrr! SO WHY did it take 4 months? WHY did you leave the hospital? WHY didn’t you just say, ‘Excuse me. We are not Chinese but this baby apprears to be. ‘ They are now fighting for ‘accountability.’ A standard DNA test that is a matter of course picked it up. Were they going to wait till the child was 15 years old and looked like Xi Jinping?
HEY you two THICKIES! Someone made a mistake but the system picked it up and after four months you got your own baby back. LET IT GO !
In the sporting club park. Just $8. You only have a toilet if the club door is open. Otherwise you have to use your van cassette. However they have a dump point and a drinking water hose you can fill up with. So it is good value.
Wet, windy getting dark. Very cosy. We got half a chook for $6 so it is chook soup made of boiled chicken bones with frozen veggies (in it. Not on the side) and chook also in as well as noodles. Very good. Movie , drinks bed.
History is made. We depart at 6.30am!! To Coober Pedy.
Why? We crossed the SA border and arrived at Marla about 4.30pm Yesterday. (due to daylight saving) The system is we have to get a covid test on the first day of crossing. Then we self isolate till we get a negative (as in no virus) result.
So … firstly, HOW are we going to get a covid test at 4.30pm in Marla on a Sunday? ‘Well sir just as soon as you can.’ ‘I have done some research and they do test in Coober Pedy.’ ‘You would be better off going to Port Augusta sir.’
No. We will do as specified ‘ASAP’ and do it ASAP. Hence, OFF to Coober Pedy.. We arrive at around 9.15am.
Dawn.
For the record, the Marla ablution block.
More dawn.
Wreck.
9.15am out the front of the Coober Pedy clinic.
Phone voice says, ‘We don’t test till 1.30pm and the results won’t come from Adelaide till Thursday. You are better off going to Port Augusta. If anyone questions it, refer them to GM at Coober Pedy.’
So about 6 hours driving is my limit now so we aim for Glendambo. (heading for Port Augusta)
More wrecks.
Glendambo. Back of the Pub. Exclusive at 2.30pm.
Not at 6pm. Sharing with 6 others.
Not going to flip the photo. Urinal is closed.
Enough. Pasta with Chilli Con Carne sauce, red wine, Terminator 3 just came on the Sat TV.
Up 5.30am. It has been raining but stopped. A few odds and ends to do then coffee and wake the master.
We are off at 8.10am.
Good trip. Not without event. Lots of feathers and the birdie broke my mesh.
Finke River Bridge Rest point for … a rest.
Yet another wreck.
An air field.
Another wreck.
A distant plateau.
… and another.
Another wreck.
Erldunda Road house and Emu’s
No. Not at $2.18 per litre.
Time to go.
Down the road and a police block but only coming into NT. We’re going out.
Border.
How about that. Another wreck.
… and another.
Into Marla and another police block but this time it’s SA Police and covid check.
Rubber stamped and around the back to the van park.
\
450km’s but had it’s trials. For instance we now have to get a covid test ASAP and the nearest is Coober Pedy but it is by appointment and we can’t get onto them till tomorrow and if we leave here we can’t call for an appointment. The government made these rules but did not look at the practicalities.
Anyway, we will do what we decide when we wake up as long as it is early enough.
Sunny. Lovely. Oh. The ‘DENIED’ result. No. It isn’t lovely. They have not come back to me. How about that.
The next door neighbour is packing up and bailing out three days early. He is crossing while he can.
I look at the paper work again. We can put in an application for Anne.
Also, a new rule. As from yesterday, persons returning to SA even WITH approvals (as in NOT Denied’ have to self isolate for 14 days and have covid test on the 1st fifth and 13th days.
That is when arriving in SA, so we don’t have to do it here. However, I think let’s get a covid test here today so if we need extra ‘ammo’ it would help to have had a covid test with negative result.
We get through Anne’s application except instead of approving, it notes she has a travelling partner so is about to open another page for me.
We have to go to the 10.05am and the 10.10am appointments. I leave the computer open at the page but we are hotspotting off the phone and it is going with us so see if it stays open.
We arrive in time and are welcomed with a stick down the throat and up each nostril. Very moving. Well it brought tears to our eyes anyway. Results in a day or two.
Back to the van. We restore the hotspot but it will not send so we start again.
I must say it truly is a sod of a form. vague, obtuse. crappy. However, Anne gets an APPROVED!
It attempts to switch to another form for me and apparently the ‘URL’ Will not support the move! Panic! But she has received the APPROVED as a separate email so she is in.
In for one. In for all. I apply again. We get right to the part that asks, ‘Are you travelling with another person’ I tick No. Because if I tick yes, it may transfer to a second application for Anne and that could stuff things up.
I push submit and ‘Praise on high!’ APPROVED!
At the end of the day even though we did not confirm travelling together we will arrive there together and both have been approved.
Joy. We pack up in the heat. We have done the whole thing, as in all the optional extra’s setting the van up that we usually skip, so it takes longer.
e.g. There are two of these arched things called rafters…..
… and the white thing under the black horzontal bar is an ‘anti-flap’clamp. There are two and they clip to the edge of the awning so is doesn’t ….flap.
Anyway, most done except power, water hose and sullage (grey water pipe) and hook up to car.
I carry on with not done computer work till it’s beer o’clock.
The rest of today is coasting down hill.
We are off tomorrow. Up early. At least 450km to travel, most likely on wet road, so slow – ish. Then, over the border, then look for a covid testing place. With a little research there appears to be one in Coober Pedy. Do’t know if we can get that far. See how we go.
Sunny, partly cloudy. We plan to leave tomorrow morning which is predicted to be showers and possible storm. Perfect timing if you are a masochist.
We prepare for departure by filling up. (Diesel) We also meet friend Rob at the Gillen Club for lunch and have a good early afternoon chatting and laughing. Then shopping (Woolworths)and then the ‘special’ shop.
This thing. It’s from the Downunder Ugg Boots store. We saw it the other day and it has been in one of our minds ever since. (can you work out which mind?)
It is listed as a magazine rack. All solid leather. Almost two feet wide in the old language. Unique. Expensive. Attractive. Useless. $269. reduced to $134. ‘We want a discount.’ Sold for $110.
I’m sure we will find a very good use for it. … I’m sure ….
(Sleeping goggles for an elephant?)
Back at the park and just for the hell of it, I record our spot.
Now, the day march’s on and we are running out of time to do the cross border applications. So an executive decision. We will stay an extra day and leave on Sunday. We do the extension.
I go back to the van and do the first (my) application. DENIED!
What did I do wrong?
I have previously done six border applications without a hitch.
Last year, SA -NT, NT-SA,
This year, SA-WA, WA-NT, NT-QLD, QLD-NT and NOW NT-SA denied?
I send a heart moving email to the complaints department’s email address and fully expect a response either …. within the hour with a string of profuse apologies and a grovelling promise to make good immediately … OR … we will never hear from them again …. OR … in three months we will get a generic email response asking me to clarify the problem at what time I will have to work out what this long forgotten enquiry is about.
My guess is the third.
So we are stuck here. We will wait till tomorrow and see if they have responded to my complaint. (Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!)
To add insult to injury, our SA neighbour does his and it goes straight through.
Shower, food and the immediate answer to the problem. A beer, followed by red wine followed by Port. There we are. Much better thank you.
Sun first thing with promises of a partly cloudy day only. Today is a maintenance day.
You may very well ask what the hell this is. It is the bed top lifted up showing underneath and a gas strut in the middle which is one of two that holds the bed top up while sorting out the storage underneath.
So why do I show this? Because at least one doesn’t work, symptom being it won’t stay up and has to be held up. Pain in the neck and also moderately dangerous.
So to sum up, we track down a strut ‘re-gasser’ go see them, confirm they must see the struts, go back to the caravan pull the struts out with great difficulty, the main difficulty being arguing twix us as to how it should be done, return to the re-gassers, confirm it can be done and it will be done today and they will call us when complete. Exhausting. (Mainly from the arguing.)
Next, onto Jaycar regarding our Tom Tom GPS that stopped working. It was assessed as a likely internal dud battery. They are not supposed to be taken apart so this could be terminal, although taking it back to the supplier would be the next step. So that will have to wait till Adelaide. We have a new NAVMAN anyway.
In the mean time, I remember this from last year when we passed through. This title is very accurate. It is a box with a switch on it that does absolutely nothing. I didn’t bother but I was sort of interested in staying for a while and seeing how many customers threw the switch. They don’t leave the box there for no reason. Time was pressing. Another time.
Anne cruises Jaycar. It is the electronic ‘Bunnings.’
On to Yeperenye Shopping Centre and Ye Olde Woolworthe for the vitals. Even with a list we still missed soda water and Birdseye Hash Browns. They have to be Birdseye.
On to Alice Plaza for a rendezvous at Fawltys Fine Foods (Yes. Above the name is a photo of Basil Fawlty)
We meet old mate Rob, from way back when we first went to East Timor 21 years ago, now Alice resident. Old times and current discussed. Always a pleasure to chat to Rob. Never pass through without seeing him.
Although He has a plaster on the side of his face. He says he had something cut off but I have had the tip it’s the start of plastic surgery to make him look like Mel Gibson. Hope it was something cut off for his sake.
On the way back to the car we drop in at Down under Ugg Boots. Not so much for the boots. We now have two cow hides on board, IF you don’t count the cow hide stool. They sell cow hides and have listed ‘Cleaning Your Cowhide Rug.’ See below.
I think, well the cows didn’t do much when they wore it.
I can’t see the cow scenario ….
‘A damn grass stain. Where the hell did that come from? I’ll get the Fabulon.’
All the other stuff is just incredible, if you live in a cold climate that is. Alice is for a chunk of the year. Look at these Uggs. Easy to get into. Unzip the back, slip your foot into the sock like liner then zip up. Voila!
Off to the beach. (?)
This is what they are and how much $$$$! They had other Uggs that just look like shoes.
This is a leather basket. Workmanship is incredible. Just for the record, $118.25
Leather bucket (?) or tote container, Was $269, now $134.
Same thing only different shape. Now half price at $134.50
Hats and shoes. Anne is in ‘female consumer’ heaven.
Oops! There I go assigning gender again.
I still remember filling out the border application for W.A.
Came to gender and is listed, Male, Female, Non-binary and Other.
I had to google non-binary. This is what I found ….
N.B. Wikipedia says … Non-binary[a] or genderqueer is an umbrella term for gender identities that are neither male nor female—identities that are outside the gender binary.[2][3] Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically identify with a gender that is different from their assigned sex,[3] though some non-binary individuals do not consider themselves transgender.[4]
That’s pretty damn wide, which leads me to wonder what is … ‘Other?’
We get the call and pick up our struts. Excellent. Quick and helpful service. We leave two ice cold beers. (We paid as well of course.)
The strut place is around the corner from Desert Dwellers, so we drop in. (The slogan, ‘If we haven’t got it, you don’t need it’. How many times have we heard that?)
Had a look This is camping ‘Bunnings’ and bought our yearly BEST water filter for the van.
Back to the van for equally boisterous and trying but ultimately successful fitting of the struts. So good are they now that it is a little difficult initially at least to get the bed to go down. I quietly wonder what the chances are of suddenly in the whee hours, we are suddenly whipped up at a 30 degree angle with heads down and a challenging exit.
Next door (literally NEXT door) with the neighbours, Alby and Dale, to the brewery, known for their boutique beers and their really, (really) good pizza’s.
We arrive about 7.40pm – ish. Pleasant. Order drinks. We are told to order food as the kitchen may close at 8pm. (??) It is then extended to 8.30pm. (?)
Shoes are in the conversation and these Portuguese suede boat shoes belonging to Alby are given a good wrap up for comfort and non sweat by their owner. Take note, brand ‘Augiun’.
We are given what used to be called, ‘The bums rush’ to vacate going on for 9pm – ish and note the Thursday closing time as ‘Late’. Well I guess is was getting on a little FOR A TEN YEAR OLD, but we are all way past that.
‘It’s the off season’ we are told. Well, we felt pretty ‘OFF.’ I suggest they should make changes to their hours board, but didn’t wait for the response. Bloody annoying.
Back. Short good night, TV on, only one glass of wine (my aren’t I a good boy) Bed.
We wake to rain and it keeps going till 10am – ish and then by 11.30am – ish the sun is out. I have had to do the last three days of the blog because we did not have phone or internet.
The day ticks away with, other than the blog, nothing much happening. It gets overcast and starts to rain again. We decide on a quiet night after having made a list of things to do while here. Plan, plan, plan.
Anne catches me doing my Arthur Dunger impersonation,
N.B. For those who don’t know …… The Paul Hogan Show was a popular Australian comedy show which aired on Australian television from 1973 until 1984 for a total of 12 seasons. One of ‘Hoges’ characters was Arthur Dunger pictured below.
That’s right. The 1986 Crocodile Dundee film was not the start of his acting career.
In fact before he got his own show he was seen in a talent contest and had ‘bit’ appearances on Mike Willesee’s Current Affair. These he did while working full time as a rigger on ‘The Coat Hanger’ or Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The sun is setting and there is a photo opportunity.
A rainbow if you squint.
Anne catches (photographically) just some of the water laying around.
…. and the red haze fading as the sun does.
Can’t beat the NT sunsets.
Scrambled eggs on toast for a light meal. We use Turkish bread to add a little international flair to our exotic meal and also cook up, then drop in small bacon cubes to add to the dynamic. Tho things to note with these two diversions from plain old scrambled eggs. First, don’t jam extra wide ‘Turkish’ bread in a toaster because it WILL burn the toast and secondly, don’t go off and pour yourself a drink while cooking up the bacon as you WILL burn the bacon. Things worth noting. ‘Yes dear … Yes dear … No dear. I won’t do it again.’
Alert the media. Just one beer and one teensy glass of red.
We fluke a Michael Palin documentary on North Korea. What a happy little paradise that is.
A light night. Bed 9pm -ish, I think? Again, alert the media.
N.B. WE HAVE BEEN OUT OF INTERNET AND PHONE RANGE FOR A FEW DAYS. THIS AND THE PREVIOUS TWO DAYS WERE COMPLETED ON 3RD NOVEMBER.
Tuesday 2nd November 2021
We will hit the road early as we have about 380 km to get the Alice Springs.
We aim for 8.00 am and succeed! Miracle of miracles! These three pics are to record the view from our spot in the park.
On the road. We fill up 13 km down the road at Wycliffe Well. On about 70 km to Barrow Creek. These far off plateau’s are the signal you are approaching Barrow Creek.
The Telegraph Station and the pub immediately after.
Les and Helen are in Alice Springs. Better luck next time. At least we got his number and got to say hello.
Squint to see a road train carrying
There’s a cement truck on the first trailer.
Then onto Aileron to see the big Aboriginal statues.
Here’s mum with child spearing a goanna. A busy day for the lady.
She is on ground level. You can see ‘Anmatjere Man’ off in the distance in his elevated location.
Not so elevated though that the zoom won’t reach it. He is 17 metres high.
In the mean time yet another derelict car, this one burnt out.
We finally get to the Tropic of Capricorn marker about 31 km North of Alice Springs. put the car and van straddling the marker.
Then on the extra 31 km to town.
Someone is getting a serious visit with police support.
Here comes The Gap.
A bit of tricky manoeuvring to get in the park.
Dale and Alby are next door so it’s beer o’clock drinks that evolves into evening meal. Dales IS an ARTIST and painted this incredible dot painting.
At this stage I will just call them colourful parrots, but there was a heap of them and they were not shy. Here Alby is hand feeding them.
Hang on. A bit of googling. See generic photo below and tell me this isn’t an Australian Ringneck.
Nice night Showers. Bed. It pours all night complete with thunder.
Still air and sunny. Cool not cold and comfortable. We will stay another day for a rest. This is great. We lay around. plan a walk. Plan a lay down and read the books and have a doze.
Midday, it is warmer but we read the books which evolves into dozes. About 2.15pm I/we awake to find it has turned into stinking hot and no electricity for the AC.
A re-plan. stuff the relax and the books. We packed up in about six minutes, took photos of the back of the rocks to prove we had been there and exited eleven kilometres down the track to Wauchope.
We see the sign and turn into the Roadhouse & Hotel.
‘Is this the Caravan Park as well?’
‘Yes. Just around the back.’
‘And is this the town?’
‘Yes. There are three houses over there.’
‘Do you have a powered site?’
‘I will have to check…’ (one minute away.) ‘… Yes. The last one. $35.’
‘Do you have Telstra?’
‘Yes.’
‘It’s not on here.’
‘Try down there.’
‘I did. It is not on down there either.’
‘ It’s a little unreliable.’
It turned out to be a little non-existent.
In. Power on and AC on. A walk around. Not a bad place when you dig deep.
Now forgive me because it is a bit of a stretch, but this reminded me of one of the four element towers in the film, ‘The Fifth Element.’
Give me a break. Just a bit like one? (generic photo via google)
Now some R & R. They have a happy hour at 5pm. At 5.15pm I come out to investigate and a private happy hour has already started at the next two vans. We join in. Believe it or not, two lots of South Australians. We have been the only ones for god knows how long. Now there are three in the same place!
Next, Alby and Dale, then John and Debbie. Great chat till it is Dark. Alby introduces us to the simplest yellow anti-bug lighting you can get. Simply yellow electricians tape. He insists so we do the two lights on the door side of the van and it works a treat. We will leave early tomorrow for Alice Springs. The next doors will also, and the next, next doors will follow in two days after visiting Gem Tree.
The Sat dish didn’t tune in. I will investigate that as well tomorrow. A steak that has been taking up space in its hermetically sealed wrapper and base is now taking up space in our stomach’s together with the veg.
Showers. Nice night. Movie, ‘A Walk in The Woods.’ Now, a nice Bed.
A bit overcast but not bad. Fairly windy as well. Not ideal for driving with a big wind jam on the back. (The van) These Peahens as they have been called are still wandering around but are quite ‘people’ shy. I wonder if the odd one or two have been souvenirs for a few travellers?
This little ‘Eclipse by Sunliner – 90 T350’ which I fancy is too big a carrot to be ignored. So before we pull out I go knock on the door. Nice people Roy and Mary, show us over the RV and it is more or less perfect for us. They intend selling next year and we ask them to keep us in mind. I have a cunning plan, but more later.
We are off for to ‘Three Ways’ (intersection of Stuart Highway north south and Barkly Highway coming from east) with a 10.15am start which should have been 9.30am but we are away anyway.
Just a few hundred metres up the road Is the Tablelands Highway to the right (north) which is ‘skinny bitumen’ as the truckies call it, but means one lane only. It goes I think about 270km north to McArthur/Cape Crawford and the Heart Break Hotel, then either right to Borroloola or left on the also skinny Carpentaria Highway which is I think around 250km in that direction and comes out on the Stuart Highway near Daly Waters.
We were going to take these two highways from Daly waters to Barkly Homestead heading east a few months ago. We are used to trucks of course except with skinny roads, you have to pull off the road completely to let them through. This is a little new to us and we didn’t know if there were any shoulders to pull off when you see the high and wide glint of chrome in the sun. So we pussy-ed out and went Barkly West to East. Wimps.
So, anyway, we have a 186km hop and it’s still a bit windy and getting more overcast. We try to break it up so we have rest stops for coffee and stretching. If only we’d brought the Yoga mats. Bummer.
Now here’s a little photoshop. This self adoration shot has the blemish of fly between my eyes.
Here, the crop highlights it.
But thanks to the Clone Stamp, it is removed. Can do the same with warts, blackheads, rolls of fat (not always possible) and other undesirable characteristics.
I don’t believe it. It starts to rain and keeps coming down to Three Ways and the 25km down to Tennant Creek Where we gas up.
So it’s roast beef from the servo in van in the main street watching the rain.
It eases up so we head off and I just catch the moderately significant 166,666km on the speedo. See how riveting our days can be.
We were heading for Wauchope. It is 134km south from Tennant Creek. It has a Van Park at $35 per night but now the though occurs it is cool and we won’t need air cond. There is a free camp in Wauchope as well with Telstra but no toilet. Whereas The Devils Marbles about 10km north of town has good eco toilets and the fee is just a few dollars.(no Telstra)
So we assess the mud at the entrance and it isn’t too bad. There is a fair content of gravel. Anyway we park up with three or four others, pay our $4 each and have beer o’clock with the couple nearest the shelter shed.
Proof of payment.
Lots of friends.
Nice night. There were left-overs from the roast lunch so we made Toasted sandwiches/Jaffles with our new Jaffle Iron we recently bought and I have been itching to christen it. Works a treat.
Thanks to our free camping set up, we had hot showers, the three way fridge is running on gas and the sat dish meant we had TV. Also, it got so COLD we even flicked the diesel heater on for a while.
We first came to Camooweal February 1996. At the time the only Van Park was next to/behind the servo and we were the only ones there. I backed the van in and hit a horizontal tree branch that killed the air cond. We suffered that night in February 1996. The tree is gone. A shame . I wanted to buy it then burn it as revenge for the heat suffering we had at that time, There is no justice in the world.
We went to the other one this time. Much better. The servo is Puma by the way. I think it has been taken over by OTR. The other fuel seller has closed. We went through a few months ago and it was around $1.80 per litre. Now it’s $197.9. Does anyone understand the term Monopoly?
It poured again last night.
Anyway I got up early to do the border passes to enter NT. Anne slept in. We had a late departure. About 11.15am. Luckily it is a short hop of just 270km.
Off to Barkly Home stead. Our van park was attached to the pub.
We were about the tenth in and we were the last to leave. That’s it there
About 12 or 13km to the border. The ‘muddy’ border. About five other travellers there. Presented our electronic passes and the whole thing took about 6 minutes. Only checking this way. Same as us a few months ago, NT to QLD, straight through.
When we came through Feb 96, there was only two 44 gallon drums with graffiti and bullet holes and ten million flys.
When the covid border pass closes, there won’t even be that. They’re gone.
On on to the sunshine. NT. As the old slogan goes, ‘Beautiful one day, perfect the next.’ (stinking hot and crap, the day after) They leave that bit out though.
The great outdoors. What’s the sign say?
Doing the side of the road. There are big road works equipment up and down the road. Lonely for the sole operator.
This is a large cattle pen full for loading.
Pull up for a break. Have a look. Squint.
See the little guy. Good camouflage.
We make it. Plenty of space, plenty of shade, diesel I think was $196.9 but you got to do what you got to do.
Our shady spot.
Off for a walk around the park.
We used to call these trees Flame Trees when we lived in Darwin. I thought they were really Poinciana. I googled and for a minute or two there was confusion. I got …. Delonix Regia, so then I googled ‘flame tree’ and got … Flame bottletree or Brachychiton acerifolius . I persisted and got this great statement.
One of the most beautiful trees in the world, the Gulmohar (Delonix regia), also called the Royal Poinciana, or sometimes the flame tree or fire tree, has been an inspiration for poets, writers, and artists across the world. 7 May 2020
It is a large tree of the family Malvaceae endemic to tropical and subtropical regions on the east coast of Australia. It is famous for the bright red bell-shaped flowers that often cover the whole tree when it is leafless. Wikipedia.
Either way, they are just amazing and beautiful.
I spot this small RV and I am quite taken with it. Not the real big hump on the top. It’s a ford.
On and while we find a big cage, these fowls of a sort are wandering any and everywhere.
This it a bit sad. Here is a big old black cockatoo. He should be 50 ft up or in a bloody great tree and not stuck in this damn cage.
He is polite enough to flash his wonderful red tail underside.
…and here is his ‘wife’.
She is also nice enough to flash her yellow orange tail feathers.
The pool has had some caning from the wikicamps commentors, but it is coming back. Still just a little green.
Those trees again. Just can’t ignore them. They are everywhere.
My ‘blossom’ amongst the blossoms, however she does contrast the red.
A leak in the water system. Getting photo evidence to show them.
The generator station. They do make the statement on a handout they do.
Basically it says, ‘Before you criticise our prices we are the most remote, privately owned roadhouse in Australia and at peak times we use 700 litres of fuel every day.’
That’s fair enough I reckon.
Nothing like having your own plane.
Elusive eagle relocated itself lower in the grass.
Seemed a long day. It was really. Showers, crumbed fish with salad and sliced, baked potato and onion. Movie,, bed.
A house is blocking the road. I must say the ‘roadies’ and the two or three police cars did amazing work for approaching traffic both directions and dealing with them. We were past in five minutes.
Cop.
A quick look. What’s that?
A slow look. Tell me this isn’t a road kill Roo and a big, wedge tail eagle, waiting for us to go so he can finish his lunch.
Warning of these DAMN big cows eating cars. Don’t slow down!
I have a vague recollection of a bird that flew way too close to the car. I think, If it is still alive, it isn’t well, nor is it flying.
We have travelled through Cloncurry and Mt Isa and arrived in Camooweal.
I am delighted to say that while the world falls into despair, in many ways it survives and flourishes in so many other ways.
Here we have an example of love finding a way in this crazy mixed up world.
Love will find a way.
Caravan park, $37 fee. Telstra works, I think. TV doesn’t work but the SAT does.
Great (Jimmy’s stirr fry) for meal, stir fry, shower, ….
Overcast but till ‘Warm.’ Yet again we drag out and leave about 10am on what is to be a stinking hot day. Off to the Waltzing Matilda Centre This is a huge and impressive building. I found out the original building was burnt down but was insured for I think around 8 mil which is why they could afford this amazing place. Hmmmm?
Anyway, it’s a monster place. It is entirely devoted to the song, Waltzing Matilda. It is well worth a look and it also included a museum. However, if you want to know the core of the creation of the song, read the three cropped pieces below. I have titled them The Core.
The original Manuscript.
The Core.
There are many versions and some words have been changed.
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree
And he sang as he watched and waited ’til his billy boiled
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
He sang as he watched and waited ’til his billy boiled
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
Down came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred
Up rode the troopers, one, two, three
“With that jolly jumbuck you’ve got in your tucker bag?”
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
“With that jolly jumbuck you’ve got in your tucker bag?”
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong
“You’ll never take me alive”, said he
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
“Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda, you’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong
You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me
Lunch Lamb roll with onion and mayo which they decided to call ‘The Jumbuck Roll.’ How clever.
Girl who served us. She is from The Faroe Islands which language is close to Icelandic, so Anne used her only Icelandic word, ‘Takk’ which means ‘Thank you’ apparently.
See below.
N.B. Faroe Islands Territory Description
The Faroe Islands is a self-governing archipelago, part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It comprises 18 rocky, volcanic islands between Iceland and Norway in the North Atlantic Ocean, connected by road tunnels, ferries, causeways and bridges. Hikers and bird-watchers are drawn to the islands’ mountains, valleys and grassy heathland, and steep coastal cliffs that harbor thousands of seabirds. ― Google
On to Arno’s Wall. Another tourist feature. A hotch potch of bits and pieces built into a wall by a German immigrant. Good on him. Most people waste there lives and are soon forgotten . Arno has more that most people can lay claim to.
Now! … Off to one of my biggest disappointments and life’s lessons of, ‘Don’t go back!’
We are going to visit and stay at what was the highlight of our trip in 1996 when moving to Darwin. We are going to McKinlay and The Crocodile Dundee ‘WALK ABOUT CREEK PUB!’
Is this it? Says I. It looks different and was it here?
When we were here last it was an old rustic wooden pub up one step. Out the front a two way bitumen road with a HUGE dirt medium strip and inside a small, tight bar with photo after photo of the film.
Back then we were told the bar was too small for filming so they built a replica out on the medium strip. In the film Wally points down the middle of the road and says something like, ‘They haven’t got anything like this USA, have they.’
Also the rise in the middle of the sign on the top front wasn’t there. It had just been added for the film. Now it’s back again.
Now,
This is supposed to be the old ute in the film. I am pretty sure in the film it was a grey one and the story went that it belonged to someone in town at the time and it had just been borrowed. Now they have dumped this AP5 or AP6 Valiant ute here for a bit of nostalgia?
Now they have knocked out the walls so it is big enough to film in. The memorabilia has been shuffled around and put up high. A bloody big croc painting makes a few appearances and is ‘looking for Dundee’ and it is just short of sad.
I kept thinking, ‘This isn’t right. It didn’t have that big a front yard. and where is the big wide median strip?
Then I found the big wide road down the side. and it is bitumen.
What the ….?????? THEY MOVED THE PUB FOR CHRIST SAKE!!!!
THEY JACKED THE BLOODY THING UP AND TURNED IT 90 DEGREES AND SHIFTED IT!
THE BASTARDS!
They promo the thing from the outside but it is lost.
Now back in 1996, the film was just 10 years old. It was young (ish) and fresh in every ones mind. The locals were adamant that the replica bar was built on the median strip out the front. Now 25 years after that visit and 35 after the film, the current owner is saying it was built out the back. Who do you think would know.
It has now lost it’s character and the most important part about McKinlay is that it is named after John McKinlay, the explorer who came all the way from Adelaide in South Australia to look for the lost explorers Burke and Wills when they did not return from their expedition. By the way the reason was that they were dead. Convincing reason.
If you can see a tiny light on the right lower trunk of the tree on the left, that is a rear light of the pub. What you are looking at just to the right is the entrance to the caravan park and the original location of the pub.
YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THE FRONT!
Oh, and by the way, it was placed three steps high instead of it’s original one.
If you want to see the Walk About Creek Hotel, sure. Come and look. But it is in a different place, it has been changed inside and out, it is now only open between 11am and 1pm, then open at 5pm again and does not do meals. Also the hostess is quite polite but that is about it.
AND I bet they wonder why business has gone off so much.
I have said this before, my claim to fame and strength is that ….. I am just average. The good thing about that is what I think is probably what the average person thinks.
There would have been others like me who returned and were disappointed.
When will people learn, ‘If it’s NOT broken, DON’T fix it!
Pissed off. Great meal of left overs. No. They were good. Shower.
Second to last rule. No pets are not allowed in the …. (So all are welcome!
Last observation, and this is why it is great if you have a washing machine in your van. People wash their pets blankets and the pets in there.
Anne’s early scouting trip.
These noisy little buggers are always squarking and fighting.
Serious fire place.
Trucks cars etc on the way in, and I guess out of town.
That deserted car is STILL there.
Last shop in town before departure. Eggs and ice cream. How’s that for a combination.
On the road again ..
20km before Winton, the Dino centre.
This is unique. The fly metre. Designed by a comedian. The yellow (today) is on high. Then it goes, Very High then Extreme. then FREE PROTEIN!.
Kiss, kiss little Dino with big claws. This is Banjo.
He is a raptor and a much bigger vegetarian one were found in the same hole. They tried to work out why and decided the big one got bogged in mud because this was a water hole. The little nasty one decided to have a go for some food while it was trpped in the mud and got clobbered. So they both died. The other one is called Matilda. This is Banjo Paterson country.
This place is the engine room for cleaning and processing findings. Amazing.
Bones wrwpped in bubble then material then plaster sealed.
A serious Tibia. N.B. The tibia is the shinbone, the larger of the two bones in the lower leg. The top of the tibia connects to the knee joint and the bottom connects to the ankle joint. Although this bone carries the majority of the body’s weight, it still needs the support of the fibula.
Pretty clever stuff. The white is painted to represent the head, size and shape of a bird. About 4 metre wing span. Look at the bne fragments they have pieced together.
All these little rocks and a couple of bigger ones are a flipper of a water creature.
Black, in the middle. One big spine.
Stacks of them.
A toilet door there. When I worked at Nilsen Electric a thousand years ago, they cut a top corner out so ‘management’ could see if you were there for a serious call of nature or reading a book. I can’t really see why they would do that here but the one at the bottom concerns me a tad. So the dog can get under?
A dam to show how a Dino could get trapped.
This young lady below is holding a specimen of a brain of the big vege Dinos. Now I remember. Sauropods. Generic photo.
They said only a small brain as all it does is eat, lay eggs, sleep, eat, walk, eat. So it doesn’t need much ‘thinking power.’ It was thought the raptors would have been a different matter.
Self adoration with black soil Dino valley in the background.
Winton.
Camping truck and this is the trailer. The back open section has washer, dryer, motor bike and outboard motor. He is serious full time.
We arrive. Van parked in the van park of the Tattersalls Hotel.
Great pub and goof feel town.
I can get these via a private source whenever I want.
Chicken Parmi and a childs spag bol. Back to the van.
Showers. Weird film. Bed.
Hot. For the first time we slept with AC till about 2am.
A bit overcast. Off and on. It changes. Had to be up early to finish the blog. It takes too long at night. Also interrupts my liquid R & R.
Off early to put car in (again) for a wheel alignment and balance. Then bloody QANTAS and after, Stockman’s Hall of fame.
Well, even though QANTAS has evolved into a pack of hard nuts with no empathy and creators of stupid, stupid situations, you cannot ignore the pure hard work and tenacity of the founders. My experiences. Real and painful. From ex WW1 fighter pilots and rear gunners, crossing the outback scrub in cars that these days you would not risk off the bitumen to a well to do pastoralist and an engine mechanic. These four by hook or by crook formed what evolved into one of the largest airlines in the world.
Several localities have put up their hands as the starting place of the airline. They are Charleville, Longreach, Winton and Cloncurry. All had different reasons including the first meeting place of the founders, where contracts were signed, the first departure point and the first destination.
I am going by memory so I may be a place short (I thought there was five) and which place for which reason.. I think it was all decided in Winton but it was also decided the spot had to be Longreach as it had the railway. Charleville was the first flight departure and Cloncurry was the first destination.
Anyway, the museum is A1.
They have a ‘Dakota’ DC3, a Constellation, their first Boeing 707 and I think it was their first 747. I have so many photos, I will only throw in the odd comment or this will take me a week.
Yes. It’s a 747. Just walking past to the DC3
DC3 used during WW2 for freight mainly.
Freight space.
RR
That’s us. This is a dead engine of course. When idling, you get sucked in and made to mince meat if you stand 3 metres in front of it and burnt to a cinder if 40 metres behind it.. Yes. as it idles.
Not going to rotate them it takes too long and there are too many.
The orange boxes are the two black boxes.
trap door to underneath. If you see the engineer going down during the flight, put on your life preserver and kiss he or she goodbye.
This was the upstairs bar area for first class.
Up to the bar or down to your seat.
over 700 switches or devices and the engineer does I think 400 of them. The pilots the balance.
Blatant self adoration.
first class space.
Oh! Look! Here we are again.
The engine on the left is a spare. It is only carried on routes where it is not likely they will have a spare.
The constellation. Was very schmick for it’s time.
Read these. Good info.
The first one was a luxury version and only had 32 seats. It was all first class and a flight to Europe was the now equivalent of $25,000. Later they converted to cattle class for easier sales. Phased out in 1963.
Read it.
This Boeing 707 was I think the first QANTAS one. They sold it to Tiger Air. At the time they were going for two or three million dollars.
Tiger stripped it and decked it out as a flash, Ritzy one owner designed specifically for Saudi princes. They stuck a 53 million price tag on it, so cocky they would sucker the Saudi’s They never sold it as was. Some one should have told them the Muslim Saudi’s were not going to like the PIG SKIN upholstery.
It was sold, changed the pig skin and then used as a flash charter for the likes of Michael Jackson who wanted to by it but by then, the ‘authorities had decided the engines were too noisy and it was grounded for new engines.
Still flash though.
That’s it for the guided tour. A Catalina in the grounds.
Yep. Us again.
Off the planes First class Noritake China.
Museum. Simulator. I died. Not my fault. the controls didn’t respond in one direction..
If I had a cap, it would be Peanuts and the Sopwith Camel.
No. Guns don’t work. Tried them. Least they could have done is have a tape recorder with the ‘rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-tat-tat.
This is set up as the flash first class bar was.
Replica of their first plane. An Avro.
Outside. The biggest carport you’ll ever see.
Just walk across the road to the Stockman’s Hall of Fame they said.
Just! Bloody Just! About 1.5 km in 37 degrees.
A few statues to amuse us on the way. Not amused.
More Self adoration.
Was a good intro show. 20 minutes. Four projectors for wide panavision.
Flying doctor of course.
Just haven’t got time to rotate these. Each one takes over a minute.
Also, the damn internet is so slow, I have about 5, I would like to post and I have just one at the end. It took around 30 minutes to download it.
Aren’t we lovely? Well some of us are. Some of us aren’t lovely at all. Some of us are downright UN-lovely.
Smokey Dawson. Australia’s first cowboy.
Slim Dusty. Legend.
Mens toilet hand basins. You could also use them as urinals I reckon. Manual Flush. Sounds like a Spanish card player.
That deserted car is still there.
The exit of the caravan park. The park is good and it’s got a For Sale sign on it.
This says it all.
If you are coming this way, I would do as we did this time. It’s only a 15 minute drive from here, Ilfracombe to Longreach. The van park is better and cheaper and the great little pub next door makes it. Nice little town as well.
Back. Showers, spaghetti and meat balls, Apollo 13, bed.
Partly cloudy, I book a van site for Ilfracombe at 11am and a lube for 12 noon in Longreach.
On the back of the toilet door. Nice to see something positive when you are trying to be ‘successful.’
We pull out for Ilfracombe but not before we visit the site of the Australian Labour Party. Read here.
I believe it was started with a shearers strike and ended with the ring leaders being sent to prison for a number of yours.
The tree of life is believed to have been poisoned around 2006 so it has been concreted.
Henry Lawson even wrote a poem about the occasion..
This clever art form canopy has been constructed to emulate the original foliage in size and height.
Right! Off to Ilfracombe . Schedule is now tight. Get there in a cloud of dust. Park the van with a little difficulty. Anne checks in while I disconnect and we are on our way to Longreach.
Drop the car 12.15pm at a mere 15 minutes late but it is their lunch anyway. Walk to the Information centre and Kathy (Cathy?) looks after us. We are booked for the guided tour $67ea tomorrow at 9.30am. We can then go across the road to the Stockman’s Hall of Fame.
But for now a light lunch as we will go to the local Ilfracombe pub for evening meal.
So it’s a salad sandwich and cappuccino’s at ….
….. a retro sort of place with heavy chrome chairs and red and black vinyl upholstery. Good stuff. I like ‘Old.’
We will then go to the Powerhouse museum which is just past a ‘shop’ with all sorts of things including ‘Hides’ and in particular a calves hide matching the large cow hide we bout on the side of the road near, I think Bowen.
Oh …. yes. AND it had a matching stool. Yes! a damn matching stool. Just for the record, Qantas $67ea (and I don’t even like them) Stockman’s Hall of fame, $30ea, lunch at diner $18, calf hide $135, calf hide stool $155, Powerhouse museum $12 for Anne and $10 for the ‘senior’, car service $485 and that doesn’t include wheel alignment and balance tomorrow $148, and what wturned out to be $40 plus drinks at the Ilfracombe pub tonight.
Ilfracombe and Longreach have done pretty well from us.
Here’s the damn stool ….
… and here’s the damn calf hide. Note her ‘cow-girl’ hat.
(I’m an old cow hand, from the Rio Grande. Eeeee Haaaaa!!)
(More like, ‘I had cash in hand, now it’s spent on tanned’)
On to the …..
Emergency boat in floods
Too much to see here so I am going to have to skimp.
100 years of history.
Branding irons.
TV presentation on the Artesian basin.
N.B. The Great Artesian Basin is one of the largest underground freshwater resources in the world. It is Australia’s largest groundwater basin. The Great Artesian Basin is an important water resource. It must be carefully managed jointly by all Basin jurisdictions working closely with the Commonwealth and stakeholders to ensure water security for a large part of Australia.
All sorts
The Queen visited Longreach in the 50’s
Significant.
A student of history.
Gun cartridge loading kit.
A plug for the band.
Now here are two likely LADS ….
Sir Fergus McMaster and Sir Hudson Fysh, the QANTAS Founders.
(Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited,)
I saw the brochure. This was pretty schmick for it’s time.
Lots of old shiny things including ‘mix masters.’
Now the monster power machines, coal gas driven and this one was in service right up to it’s decommission in 1985.
Lots of them. Well I didn’t count but maybe 10.
A switchboard. slightly older than what I used to make.
This Chevy never went to the Levee, I can all but guarantee it.
These were just the best in their era.
They have even got a full locomotive in the museum…
…. and on the other end of the scale, ‘Stevo’s Pies and Pasties’ a one man power vending facility.
Annie Oakley again.
A couple of Golliwogs, just to annoy the hell out of any little people aching to jump on any vaguely racist band wagon to make themselves feel righteous. That’s OK I don’t think anyone who is reading this would be anywhere near that category.
The Nogo Cottage set up to show life back then.
The Kalgoorlie safe.
Just like Grandma used to make.
Home made toy ship
Mantle clock, just like the one that got away. Another story.
Done. We go.
No. Not wasps. Swallows. How about that.
Art. Drovers around the fire…..
Squint to see the ring in.
The car ‘got done’ here.
Yes. Again. What I didn’t say is we left them there so we didn’t have to lug them to the powerhouse museum. We had to go back to pick them up.
Back to Ilfracombe….
…past the deserted car we saw this morning.
Now the pub tonight. The Wellshot Hotel
Interesting stools.
Special hats. No time to download the video of the pub. The internet is too slow in this, rural Queensland. Bummer. It was a good descriptive Vid.
Hell. This description at the bottom is quite scary due to it’s accuracy.
Anne had roast lamb and me, bangers and mash. She, a soda lime and bitters. Me? Two big beers.
I could put heaps more in here but I cannot afford to devote my life to this. I spend two hours now. I could do four with ease.
Bit overcast but not cold. Our neighbours show us their do it yourself RV. A Ford Transit bought new and now just two years old and decked out just as they wish. Well done.
Here is a novel idea. This is a door stop. You push the top down and the rubber pad goes down to the floor and is locked by a securing spring. Push the washer on the top of the spring and it pops up and releases.
Except this park has used it side ways to lock the toilet cubicle door.
…. and fine plastic imitation walnut doors they are as well.
The owner of the park taking her kidd, as in young goat, for a walk. Apparently he was found next to his dead mother the the park adopted him. Good show.
We turn out the park and head up the main street to be confronted by a roo, considering it’s options while in the middle of the road.
All well and good but he is blocking our way, so we sneak forward. Anne films … (I did as well but hers is better)
Just up the street Is the Tambo Teddy Shop, Or should I say the Famous shop. Tambo Teddies are world famous now and it is also said that back in the early 90’s when things were tough, they may have saved the town. I don’t know but it makes for a good story.
They all have their own unique names starting with a ‘Station’ in the area followed by a Christian name.
Anne decided on the little purple honey on the right below.
If you look below, there is a part map with Tambo in the middle. The top, left hand corner is a station called, ‘Stanton Downs.’
Anne’s teddy is Stanton Downs Sal. We also ended up with a sheep skin/fur and an atomiser spay of Huon Pine oil.
This quick drop in took about an hour and $275.
Across the road to ‘Flo’ The old fire truck. Made in England in 1921 it spent time on the east coast and was decommissioned after the war and ended up in service in Tambo. They say the pump was a bit of a trick to get going and most of the fires had burnt themselves out before ‘Flo’ started to flow. (Flo? Flow?… Errr)
These happy little rocks bob up all over the place.
Anne and Sal at the Teddy crossing …
… and sitting down with her mates.
On. A serious bit of very good wood art.
On – on.
Barcoo
More metal art.
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Another Boab?
Oops. Now officially 1 kilometre over service mileage. Booked in at Longreach for a service.
Oh. Also, we got the car at I think 120,000km, so we have done about 45,000km
Emu and chick. Don’t blink. They move fast.
On recommendation from Ken and Liz, we pull into Roses -n- things, a small, 11 site caravan park in Barcaldine, about 107km short of Longreach. Heard some woeful things about the two Longreach caravan parks so we will pull up 27km short at Ilfracombe and commute for a couple of days.
Well, Ken and Liz knew what they were talking about. It is a delightful little private park with horses adjacent. The park has tea rooms but they are closed for the season now. However, the owners bought us out some ‘surplus’ desserts from the tea rooms.
The horses eat carrots, apples and strawberries. Unfortunately, we only buy 3 or 4 carrots at a time and each one represents one meal as in the yellow out of the ‘meat and three.’ Apples are in limited supply and are one of our in transit snacks. Anne loves strawberries, so … sorry horse. No go.
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And I quote an old joke when I say, ‘A horse walks into a bar and the barman asks, “Why the long face?” ‘
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By the way, photos with Olympus on them and also the dusk shot below are Anne’s.
Showers, dusk drink, left over pasta marinara for meal and …..
Roma. We used to get some rural Australian TV in East Timor and we fondly remember hearing notices of the pending ‘Bull Semen Sales at the Roma Stock Yards. Perhaps we should have a quick look before we go. Grab a few litres in case we find a use for it down the road.
Nope. We decided that was unnecessary and of course two litres is two kilos.
Sun up early. It is already windy and it is going to be hot. AND of course the further north we go, the hotter it will get and I think we have to go at least 500km further north.
Today ends up evolving into an interesting day.
Here we are at crack of dawn at the Gun Club. It has been a pleasant stay.
Gourmet breakfast of microwaved egg (no fat) on toast and some home made Cashew Pesto, because we didn’t have any pine nuts.
We found a countersunk screw on the floor and didn’t know where it came from till Anne pulled the TV off the bracket and half the bracket came with it.
Fixed.
Compact but good, clean and modern ablutions.
Took me just a little while to work out these have to be to hold caravans down in high winds. Hmmmm. Must find out the windy months before we come back.
Our neighbours at the back are George and Lyn. They have this very spiffy smaller RV. They have had vans before and they say this is everything good. I have to say this. It is more compact but the negatives are outweighed by the positives. For example …
POSITIVES.
Backing is the same as a car as it is not articulated like a van.
It takes up about the same space as a car. (ish)
We do 18 litres of diesel to 100 km.they do 10. (about half) To put it in real terms, today I filled up for $120 and they would have done it for $60 to $70.
If alone in a free camp and a negative situation comes up, you can leave without going outside.
No hitching and un-hitching. No checking the lights after.
NEGATIVE.
You have to use the van to go anywhere unless you tow a car or carry a motor bike and that reduces the advantage of single vehicle.
Less space.
In most, toilet is in shower.
ARGUMENT FOR.
There have been few places we did not tow the van all the way there, so you would most likely take your RV anyway.
Less space means more outdoor living, but in bad weather you don’t have to go outside.
Toilet in the shower, I have been told by others that it takes about two weeks to get used to it. Also, as you get more ‘mature’, you might appreciate a seat in the shower.
This had everything except an air cond. and that can be added. $115,000.
The neighbours next to them are Jeff and Ros. They had this brand new unit with everything including a short cut straight from driving to inside, separate toilet and squeaky new. $180,000. Love it but a bit too ritzy for me.
So forget the bull semen and on the road.
Mitchell is a great little town with prize winning bakery.
Fresh cream with apple turnover.
A half eaten pie never looks good but this is A Drovers pie. Beef with an egg. The egg is the big glob at the top.
Busy Saturday morning.
This big monster thing sneaks through town very very carefully with escort. We will come across them again.
This chap tied down his esky but failed to realise putting the strap through the handle made for a loose tie.
Small towns really try. These are immaculate pubic toilets in the main street.
Famous bakery.
With prizes on fridge.
The toaster bought from across the road at the Mitre 10.
Down the road and we come across the monster again. Five metres wide I believe. We chat to the escorts over the radio who ask us if we want to get by. We say, no thanks. We will pull over and swap drivers as Anne should have more driving practice. We do so and my clever spouse does around 60km increasing confidence with every passing vehicle.
They get well ahead and we catch up with then about 28km from our destination of Tambo. Again they ask but we are happy to stay behind for a leisurely doddle into Tambo.
We ‘gas up’ on arrival and go to our chosen van park. The maestro of the park sports a spiffy singlet with a snigger.
Now … we have read signs in transit and picked up else where about Ben’s Chicken Racing. They start at 5pm and are a short 400 metres down the main street. So off we go.
Directions? Go up the street and PASS the Tavern, then on to the two story Royal Carrangarra Hotel. All will become evident.
‘Hey good looking, mind if I grab you name and number?’ (Been a while since I heard that. In fact, has it ever happened?)
Front bar we get the drum. Sit tight. You will get a five minute warning and you will get the drum out there.
In the mean time, the hall way has a giant Monty Python Book and framed newspapers from my birth year 1951.
So it’s out to the back. We miss a place on the grand stand.
That’s Anne on the left at our table.
Here are the starters,
Now the whole idea is, there will be 4 laps but it doesn’t matter if any of the competitors does not do all four and they can reverse as long as they are going in the right direction when they pass the post. They chase food in a radio controlled car.
Ben asked for a plug so Ben’s Chicken Racing.
How does it work? All the chooks are coloured and named. You bid to buy a chook for the race. Whoever wins gets half the takings and the Flying Doctor Service gets the other half.
This is our ‘horse’ the green hulk. $20.
We came fourth. Bummer. The winner got $127 and the Flying Doctor did as well.
Here’s our little honey.
The pub also had the Halloween theme going.
N.B. Halloween or Hallowe’en, also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve, is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. Wikipedia
That translates as crap to me. We adopted a USA dress up commercial money making scam.
We couldn’t buy a famous ‘Tambo Teddy’ because it was about 6pm on Saturday.
Anyway, we went home and whipped up a pasta marinara.
Part cloudy. Two of our four vans gone. The other has gone of in the car. Day trip I assume. We do a load of washing and will do a tutorial on the new GPS before we go.
So, late to get away. The wide open spaces of Jandowae Show grounds.
Our next door and now, only neighbours cute little Supreme Van.
And these bloody pesky little guys. They swoop in , in a noisy cackle, punching up each other pecking and squawking. I’ll zoom.
Zoomed.
By the way, only a prepay with card servo here. EXCEPT, ask a local where ‘Marshalls’ is. They serve as well at the going rate, sort of officially and sort of not. Good spot though and nice lady.
Finally on the road to Chinchilla. Basically, passing through only. The new GPS is keen to show us it can screw us around just as badly as the last one. I knew from the map there were three routes to Chinchilla BUT it wouldn’t show us or admit to the fact the third one we wanted to take existed. I’ve given it notice.
Optimist. A donuts wagon at a truck stop.
Chinchilla after getting here the hard way.
It looks a bit old and tired.
On – on to Roma.
Traffic.
We arrive just before 5pm at the Roma Gun Club.
Lots of space, water is good, power, toilets, showers Just $25.
The bar closes at 6pm but we pass on it. Any place that won’t allow you guns and ammo on your bar table will have to do without our business.
At the entrance to the office/club. Someone has planted a Boab tree.
This is from the office looking back into the park.
What we don’t do enough. Sitting outside the van having a drink at sunset. I think these big, round, concrete ‘things’ with metal loos must be tie downs to secure Vans in high wind. Is that a hint?
This is I think either an Indian/common Myna or a Noisy Miner?
Now what is what?
N.B. The common Myna or Indian Myna, sometimes spelled mynah, is a bird in the family Sturnidae, native to Asia. An omnivorous open woodland bird with a strong territorial instinct, the common myna has adapted extremely well to urban environments. Wikipedia
The noisy miner is a bird in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae, and is endemic to eastern and southeastern Australia. This miner is a grey bird, with a black head, orange-yellow beak and feet, a distinctive yellow patch behind the eye, and white tips on the tail feathers. Wikipedia
So what is it? I make it a noisy Miner.
Sunset with my lovely spouse ..
See? I’m here as well, but not so lovely.
Sunset from my seat. Anne has gone to take a shot from a better vantage point. I would have had to get up to do that.
Tonight, Woolworth’s Chicken Schnitzel with micro’d potato slices, carrot and broccoli. Red wine of course, a movie and bed.
I got up before 6am for a farewell to Phil but he sneaked out.
Never mind. We shall return one day.
Look at that flash of colour! Look closer.
Rainbow Lorikeet? Now I was about to say, ‘look at this handsome chap.’ then I thought is it a ‘chap'(? ) so I google …
N.B. Identical feathering and coloration make it impossible to discern a male lorikeet from a female. If you have a pair of the same age, the male will usually be slightly larger. The only way to tell with certainty is to have your veterinarian perform a DNA test using droppings or feathers.
DNA test? I don’t need to know that bad.
Then the thought occured … and I found out the obvious … You may know rainbow lorikeets, but what about all the other lorikeets?
So maybe this guy isn’t a Rainbow Lorikeet.
On this, the last day, Anne spotted and photographed (this is her photo.) the vegetable garden digger we have heard about.
Phil’s hacienda. Very comfortable.
On – on as the Hasher’s say.
Lots of roadwork … or signs purporting to do so. I also noticed here and subsequent sites later today that there where lots of ‘civilian’ vehicles being used. SUBCONTRACTORS which may explain the stupid run in I had with them. See below later. No pics. ( I wish I had photos.)
So this guy on the left has what appears to be his own car there and the back is opened. That I assume is for the three witches hats on the right. No work. Just him admiring his installation of said hats. How proud he must be.
On to Goomeri . A pie, a coffee and under a sign reminding me to make the most of my rapidly diminishing life.
I thought, Well I am! I’m having a coffee and a meat pie! If I am hungry, need some protein and I am a little bit tired while driving, these are the two ideal items to be consuming. Twats! In-fact …. take that damn sign down! I know what’s best for me. Just put it up when you see a stupid person coming in.
Goomeri
N.B. Goomeri, a rural town in the former Kilkivan Shire, is 60 km west of Gympie and 180 km north-west of central Brisbane. It is thought that the name derives from an Aboriginal word describing a fighting shield. … Typical of larger country towns, a retail emporium was built near the railway station.
This was the shop with the sign.
On to Meet Fred K at Broadwater Camping Reserve which is basically a rural green and wooded field next to a large creek. A nice place. However first the stupid run in with the stupid road workers.
We are looking for this sign …..
… and we know we are close. But we come to road/line marking. There is a marker mobile machine doing the left side line right on the edge of the road. Heaps of space on the road. It is a relatively small machine and he is hugging the left very edge.
There is another vehicle stopped in front of us and pulled over with ‘Go Slow’ on the back. I see only the side line is being done and assume I can go slow, as indicated . So I slowly pull out to overtake. I barely move out, maybe 2 metres and the driver starts waving his arm out the drivers side window. So I back back and he comes charging at me. He says, ‘I told you to stop when I waved my arm!’
I said, ‘The sign indicated go slow. If you wanted me to stop you should have had a sign that said STOP. You only waved your arm when I started to move and I did stop.’ It went on from there. In all the Hoo-Ha we over shoot our turn off by about 5 metres. So I attempt to back up.
Now, it is a very quiet road and a quiet day at that. There are only 5 vehicles on the road and had been for the whole performance. The line marker who is oblivious of the fracas, the ‘s**t for brains’ noisy one who I have assessed is an inexperienced sub-contractor, then us in the middle, then behind me a farmer with a hay bail in his ute and then an official/real female road worker I.D.’d by her vehicle. They are back about 7 metres from me so I reverse to get back to my right turn just 5 paces back. Farmer Jim pulls up along side me and gives me a loud and boisterous serve suggesting I will kill people and I am dangerous. I let him finish then he drove off. He was well pleased with himself I am sure. Then up comes ‘Madam Lash’ and gives me a serve as well, including a threat to call the Police. I didn’t have a chance to say, ‘Call them and make sure s**t for brains is there because he caused all this.
The problem is anyone who is basically servient but with just a tiny bit of power, hangs out for the chance to use that little bit of power and when they do, they brandish it like a sword. That’s her. He was just stupid.
Anyway, we take our turn down a dirt but sealed road, open a gate and let ourselves into the field. It has a few mud pits. but Fred appears to show us the way. I had to ask if it was Fred because I have never seen him. He guides us to his site.
Well here. History. Fred and I first talked on the phone about 2001 when I think he wanted to place an advert for work in the current paper I was sort of managing. We just happened to stay in touch over the twenty years. Neither of us had laid eyes on each other for that period. We were effectively, ‘pen pals’ to use the a old, old term.
Here is where we set up.
If you squint you will see a rainbow about in the middle of the photo growing out of the tree closest to the middle and leaning slightly right.
A camp fire on a moon lit night …
Steaks on the hot plate, potatoes in aluminium foil in the fire, salad, red wine and dare I say, ‘Ah ….. The serenity.’
Thursday 21st October. 2021
I stick my head out at 6.30am and see the mist or fog. Google …
N.B. Fog and mist differ by how far you can see through them. … Fog is when you can see less than 1,000 meters away, and if you can see further than 1,000 metres, we call it mist.
That’s less than a kilometre so it’s fog.
Fred warned us there were a lot of ‘Weaners’ around and here they come.
N.B. Weaner: A young animal that has been weaned from its mother’s milk to live completely on pasture. (See ‘vealer’). Weaning: Separating calves from their dams so that the offspring can no longer suckle.
Fred demos to Anne how harmless they are.
It was a good meeting. Great to finally get together.
A few of Fred’s handy bush tools. Time’s up and now to turn and start the push to Adelaide. We have a couple of reasons for a push home now, right back through Three Ways. However, later when the covid thing mellows and NSW opens up, it will be a relatively short hop to return here.
Shut the gate and we are off.
Schmick house on the way out.
On -on.
Kingaroy. Shopping, empty toilet cassette, a coffee and toasted sandwich and a new GPS. Yes that rotten bitch of a thing we cursed and screamed at gave up. Anne instantly missed her.
At the Carvery Cafe I am given the licence to kill.
Now I said we had a toasted sandwich. This is it. A ham and cheese toasted sandwich. That one thin stain in the middle I have identified to be in fact not a stain but a very, very thin slice of ham. It had to be cut with an electric slicer. No human hand held knife could have cut it that thin.
I described it as just the cutest little sandwich I have ever seen.
Then to ‘The Little Butcher,’ named as such. He wasn’t that small but he did have Dry Aged Meats. People buy cuts and leave them there to mature. Apparently the drying out intensifies the flavour. You just cook it as per normal and the flavour is much better. We will find out. We bought a steak for $26 and big enough to cut in halves. We shall see.
They’ve all got names on them. They are owned by customers and being aged by the butcher.
While waiting for your spouse, do you waste time or study? There was a botox sign on the wall. I didn’t know there were different parts of lips. (?)
Cupids bow?
The new GPS. As yet, not named.
We aimed for Chinchilla but only made it to Jandowae.
Showgrounds, $15 for power, water toilets and showers. Plenty of space, about 80 sites, volunteer ran and only 4 of us here. Utopia.
For the first time in quite a while, we get the chairs out and sit outside the van. Very tired tonight. I got seafood mix from the Woolworth’s Deli and was going to do a pasta Marinara. We decide just to do eggs on toast. Of course Anne’s serious Gin and Soda may have helped the decision. It didn’t matter. Oh. This is how tired I was. Two small glasses of red only. Cast Away movie is on but I am going to bed.
Supposed to be as per yesterday. Rain and thunder. However, sun and the tiniest little breeze. I checked the Willy Weather and it STILL says crap weather. We shall wait and we shall see.
A few odd jobs but around 11.30am, off to Rainbow Beach.
Thar sign says ‘Don’t overtake of bridge.’ Anyone trying to overtake on this narrow spot on a dirt road would be a madman. It should say, ‘All MAD people, stop here.’
Rainbow Beach, 60kph.
Surf Lifesaving Club. Anyone can enter. No membership or sign in except for the covid QR of course.
Sunny spot. Ocean views, if we look over our shoulders.
Most meals the usual between $20 and $30 plus steaks at $30 plus. However, two specials. This crumbed fish pieces (about 6 pieces each) with chips and salad or Chicken Schnitzel with sames extras. Fish, TWO meals for $20 and Chicken TWO meals for $22. Two fish please. That’s us. Ten Bucks Each!
From outside, that’s the corner where we were sitting.
Walk down the stairs to the beach, I notice someone is having a crack at growing tomatoes. Not the most hospitable spot. Sand and wind. Good luck. You’ll need it.
Nice big beach and patrolled with flags.
SLSC from the beach.
My mate DBW wanted to learn to surf. He should have come here.
The Rainbow was here long before the Gays adopted it.
My favourite spot for next time.
Down the main street.
I always had trouble picking between FB or EK
N.B. Google! The EK’s red plastic grille badge is a giveaway, as are the over-riders: on an FB they sit on top of the bumper, while on an EK they extend to the bottom. The grille design is also different, with the EK’s indicator/parkers spaced more widely apart and built into the upper grille bar .
So now finally after all these years and thanks to google, and I know the difference, and I quote …’The EK’s red plastic grille badge is a giveaway, ‘ … and … ‘… over-riders …. on an EK ….. extend to the bottom.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, (Dogs and Cats ?) this is an EK!
I didn’t get the reason for the name but it had good coffee. (and a free freckle)
Shouldn’t it be …. living IN or AT….. Rainbow Beach?
Down to the Ferry landing spot and it’s sandy entrance.
Not clear but a sandy bog to get to the ferry. I shot most of here with the big camera. If I have time I will down load it.
On the way home back down the dirt road again. I am fascinated by the pine forests with all growth just at the top.
Home. A bit of photography outside, mainly Roos and Kookaburra’s,
This is mother on right feeding daughter on left.
Does this look comfortable?
….then serious food time. Anne whips up a spinach and cheese fritatta. Marvellous and using Jan’s spinach all the way from Pialba in Hervey Bay.
The glow of success…
…and the smiles of satisfaction after.
This was the farewell meal as we are off tomorrow. Thanks Phil for a great few days. It was appreciated and we had a great time. As you are leaving at 6am, please knock on the van door for a fair-thee-well.
Willy weather was right. It P*******ed down with the full lightening and thunder and teeming rain show. Going to the van was a muddy trip and the two small windows still open managed to let quite a bit of rain in. Bugger.
It happens that Anne wakes up unexpectedly (and temporarily) early so grabs a couple of quick shots.
This is a rare view of pre 6.30am car and van.
… together with ramp from ground level running onto balcony of the house.
..and another with a bit more light AND a bonus strelitzia. (previously photographed. You my recognise it?)
A lone bird watches others awaken. Either that or it’s still asleep itself.
I get up about 6.30am. A whee bit overcast pre 7am but now 8.30am ‘mostly cloudy with sunny break-thoughs from time to time. Nope. Now pouring. Irrespective Phil is taking us to Gympie to be tourists.
Abandoned car. We should have been collecting them.
Slightly surprised wife over my bald head and seat. Maybe I should have cropped my head but it’s nice to have your photo taken from time to time.
Fab old pub.
Vespa cafe. It apparently had a Vespa on display.
I couldn’t agree more. Having said that, could have added beer and wine.
You probably can’t make out the intricate carving.
I’ll crop it a bit.
See?
Delicious.
Top coffee.
and toasted sandwiches.
…. and Hippeastrum Hybrid …
… and flash coffee machine….
… and Webber BBQ’s as light fittings …
… and interesting memorabilia … and where at?
At Soma Soma which is not Sama Sama which means ‘You’re welcome’ in Indonesian, but generally means ‘Magic Elixir’ which is THE COFFEE!
Nice place.
Soma Soma is very near the grand old train station which still operates. Mainly for Terry’s. (Tourists). A nick name I call them … Terry Tourists.
I used to call them Terrorists until terrorists came into their own stark and terrifying reality. Then referring to tourists as that became unwise. People get a little jumpy with words like terrorist, bomb, knife and gun.
Weigh Bridge. I think it might still work.
An old ‘cow catcher’ off the front of a train.
A rail spike hinged and used as paper weight for napkins. How clever.
Not just verandah supports but metal artwork.
It’s not really 7.30am. I remember the positive attitude saying, ‘Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.’
Lake Alford with about 20 or 30 species of birds and hundreds of them. Some migrating, some nesting and some full time residents.
Anne, about to make a hasty retreat as she believes this swan is about to charge. She may be right.
Birds, birds and more birds.
An Ibis, also known as ‘Bin Chickens.’
There was one bird that ‘s hair feathers turn yellow when they are in mating mode. That is all dressed up and ready to go. However, I think these are just chicks.
This handsome guy, or pretty gal is taking a bold stance.
Self adoration.
Cygnets. Hay! Hear that? I knew one. N.B. cygnet /ˈsɪɡnɪt/ noun plural noun: cygnets a young swan. (and they were with swans. I said to Anne , leave them alone. If we approach, we will either disrupt them or they will ‘disrupt’ us.
I don’t know what this bird is but I wonder if it knows it has that on the back of its head.
It’s got to be some kind of Turkey with all that red stuff over it’s head. My guess only.
Mt Pleasant Hotel? There’s one in South Australia as well. Just googled it. Queensland, SA and NSW.
Dickabram Bridge. Built in the late 1800’s. There are four main round, metal columns which were filled with concrete. One worker and his wheel barrow went missing but no one noticed and just kept filling the columns. Later reality dawned on them but it was too late to do anything, so he is still in there. The story goes that when people are fishing there at night there is often heard a ‘tap tap tap’ and some moaning. Hence it has come to be locally accepted that it is now haunted and the noises are made by the ghost of the deceased trying to get out. Hmmm.
There is also a free camp adjacent but having told the story, how many would camp there?
There are the four steel columns. There is a similar situation with the Bridge at Murray Bridge in South Australia except no ghost story. Just one worker fell in and he is still in there.
The story of the bridge.
It’s wet and getting cold but she is still smiling.
Now on to the Theebine Hotel, built in 1909 and a great old pub. Only about 10 minutes from the haunted bridge and they have camping out the back. Perhaps a better alternative to the free camp at the bridge. Then again, I don’t know ghosts very well. Would they travel 10 minutes to spook a pub? Well that’s 10 minutes in a car. probably about a 40 minute walk. A ghost must have a lot of time on their hands. They probably wouldn’t mind a change of scenery and pop down the pub for a quick haunt. Hang on. It was tapping and moaning back at the bridge. No. Pub’s safe. The ghost is stuck in the column. Enough. Onto the pub.
Oh look. More shameless self adoration.
A bit soggy for the beer garden.
Old memories.
Dinning room.
Time to go home. The welcoming committee is forming.
Can you see the first arrival? I’ll zoom.
Here he is.
I just noticed a meaningful notice by our host Phil.
Deep. I agree.
A BBQ tonight. the usual libations and a movie. 1990 Cadillac Man staring the late and great Robin Williams. Bless him. Bed ….
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
The late and great Robin Williams. Damn shame. Have look.
Had to go back to bed for 20 minutes to warm the laptop. Yes. If it’s TOO cold it will rattle and make a din but not start. It has to be warmed. To save starting the diesel heater to blow hot air on it, we take it to bed and cuddle it warm. So what’s so unusual about that?
Late rise and a look around. A few Roos or maybe Wallabies.
That’s where we live.
Lazy chat-chat morning on the house balcony.
Nice ‘nibbles’ type lunch. Stilton, Meredith Farm goat cheese, Maggie Beers Pheasant Farm Pate, Pepperoni, sliced home grown tomato courtesy of our lovely Hervey Bay mate, Jan B, Beetroot home processed by kitchen genius mate Leigh B in Darwin,. Avocado, crackers, toast with olive oil and …. ? I think that’s about it. Quite a lot really.
An afternoon snooze. Then a walk. About 30 mins.
Wallaby.
Another Wallaby.
State forest adjacent.
Is that old. Or OLD old?
Ups and downs. This is a down.
Now, this is for your education.
I think these used to be called black boys, but now they are grass trees.
Take note.
Another down.
House from under side.
I can never remember the name of these things. Hip…..? I cheated and googled again. I think they are Hippeastrum Hybrids.
Green chicken curry. Well done again AG.
New Movie. ‘Jason Bourne’, made in 2016. Forgot I had seen it. Derrr.
Van, Shower, ….
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
A funny…. Three in fact. I think the tea one is a repeat.
Sunny again. Maybe I just imagined the rain yesterday.
Morning of departure.. A fruit whizz.
These are not the problem magpies. The problem ones are the stalkers after the food in the back yard. The food that we are eating. Having said that, there are heaps of them. You cant squint enough to see all the ones in this photo. Peripheral and behind times three. Also, they are not human shy. You can get to within 1.5 metres from them and they will walk sideways out of the way and give you a dirty look over their shoulder.
I have discovered that my fly gun is good for discouraging magpies as well as flies. What is a fly gun? I was going to post photos of it but Anne has put it in a safe place. Very safe. Well safe from me anyway. When I asked , ‘Where did you put it?’, she gave me an abrupt if not moderately peeved, ‘In one of the doors!’ OK. Caravans are not that big but do you know how many doors there are? I count 20 without turning my head. I’ll show you, perhaps next posting.
It’s never goodbye. It is only ever ‘See you later.’ Contact from Jan later on said Chilli the wonder dog sits looking out the window to where the van was, looking for us. We already miss Jan and Chilli and … Well Twiggy and Harry are fine cats but I have found about the best you can hope for, from a cat is acceptance and we had that, so that’s good. See you later, when the covid ‘thing’ lifts and we can short cut across through NSW.
Not for but coffee fix needed. We see a sign at Tiaro. Interesting little town, most importantly for it’s little Retro Cafe. Cool counter.
With cool seats and tables made out of old metal barrels. This one made from an Indonesian drum of all things.
Shady.
Banners, posters, photos and old memorabilia.
Airline bags
In case you can’t squint enough, across Malcolm Fraser’s head is emblazoned, ‘Crazed Farmer’ with an ‘Australian Democrats’ badge.
Here is a JFK promo poster declaring he will be the next President.
I googled. He was inaugurated 20th January 1961.
As I understand it, he started the arms race with the Russians. Shortly after his inauguration, in February 1961, he authorized the invasion plan for the Bay of Pigs in Cuba which was a costly flop. So then the soviets decided to send missiles to Cuba, perhaps due to the Bay of Pigs attempted invasion? The USA managed to pull that up, luckily. He meets with Khrushchev which was a flop. Shortly after the meeting, the Russians build the Berlin wall. In the mean time he is committed to spending buckets on the space race and all the time a rampant womaniser, so they say.
He was assassinated 22nd November 1963, after only 2 years and 10 months in office. And he is held in high regard. (?)
Golden old posters.
Jamie Redfern …
… and his ‘Uncle Li.’ (!!?) (I saw him interviewed after his trip to meet Liberace and he said Liberace asked him to call him that.)
… and well known in his time, Mr ‘Why are People so Unkind’ Kamahl.
There is something worth dying for.
Even more worth ….
You can never have too many Mix Masters.
Or spiffy phones.
They should have called her, ‘The Rake’ as in skinny as.
Serious butch RV.
Bike club outing.
A Leyland P76. People used to buy them on purpose.
They used to call them wedges.
The nice lady was just getting out of it and I said, ’69 model?’ She said , ‘Yes’. We got it for just $29,000 eight years ago.’ I said ‘It would have been a steal back then for that.’ She agreed and said the seller just wanted it to go to someone who would look after it.
I would have slept with it. Caressed it. Told it I loved it. I would have tucked it in at night and made sure it was comfortable and it would have been the sole beneficiary in my will. I would have married it.
Anne with a Morris Minor 1000. I can remember when people bought these as the family car.
Oldsmobile. all that’s missing is the Tommy gun and Al Capone.
Ford. Here’s one for my mate DPM.
The lady with the 69 stang above may have know her Fords but she didn’t know her Chryslers. She pointed to this white gem and called it an R type. I said I thought it was an S type but she said, ‘No. Look at the R in the number plate.’ The first Valiant in 1962 was an ‘R’ type and was easily recognised by its false wheel imprint on the boot lid. The second, ‘S’ type lost the wheel print and had a chrome insignia.
Copy and paste this link to see all about the R and S type Valiants.
I think the lady got sucked in by the R on the plate. I think the plate stands for Queensland R and S type Valiants of which both came out in 1962.
Here is a curiosity. What do you translate the line in the bottom of the number plate. I read it as this. N.B. The letters in bold are questionable.
“Eeeyaglimbfasplmatftzz!”
Is it like a heavy old Scottish accent? As in …
“Eee ya glimb fasp lmat ftzz!” ftzz as in foot or feet?
This an Morris Garage or MG.
Beetle. An oldie with the small oval rear window. I think they came out without a fuel gauge. little inconvenient.
Indian. ‘Cost much wampum.’
N.B. wampum /ˈwɒmpəm/ noun HISTORICAL
Small cylindrical beads traditionally made by some North American Indian peoples from shells, strung together and worn as decoration or used as money.
“strings of wampum”
If I read the sticker correctly, it’s a Triumph, Speedmaster, Bonneville.
Took the pub sign to remember the name of the town.
We always attend the war memorials of small towns, in respect for those brave young people who paid the ultimate price.
“So, forever let it be thus,
we will care for those who dare,
place themselves in harm’s way for us”.
‘Lest we forget.’
We arrive at Phil M’s early/mid afternoon. Great place. 1.5 acres. Nice house, big shed and ‘bikes.’
Seen leaving.
Bird of paradise flower Plant Description Strelitzia is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. It belongs to the plant family Strelitziaceae. The genus is named after Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom. A common name of the genus is bird of paradise flower/plant, because of a resemblance of its flowers to birds-of-paradise. Wikipedia
A couple of beers, we have CCC as a pasta sauce, a few reds a long, long chat then to the van for R & R and …
Absolutely p*ssing down by 8.30am. We were going to do a serious wash. By 10am, we were washed and now we are looking for a laundromat and it’s dryers.
I didn’t know they made 5 star laundromats.
I leave Anne with the drying and go for a hair cut. Only 5 in front of me. One young chap gets a phone call and leaves. Thank you. Only four in front. I text Anne to say ‘I am next’ and she replies with ‘I am finished.’ Go to a bakery says I. Coffee and tasty things.
I ponder this sign and question my grammar. I don’t know if they are right with ‘…. staff is …’ or it should be ‘… staff are …’
I look at the damage list and believe I fall in the category, ‘Pension Buzz … $19’
Action stations. There are three. My destiny is right and out of sight. Well at least I’m ‘right’ for a change.
So Anne has crossed the road up her end of town about 5 minutes away and I have just finished AND the rain is biblical. This is way past ‘p*ssing down.’ This is wrath of god stuff.
N.B. Wrath of God (Latin:Ira Dei) may refer to: Suffering construed as divine retribution. Operation Wrath of God, an Israeli covert operation. The Wrath of God, a 1972 Western film. Aguirre, the Wrath of God, a 1972 epic historical drama film.
I meant the first one. The other stuff’s nice to know though.
I try to ring an ‘Ola’ which is a poor mans Uber but no luck. That is until the rain suddenly stops. Well that’s luck. Isn’t it? God must be happy again.
Laundry and hair cut done. Onto shopping. Woollies done. More rain so we got to talk to a lady who was originally from Adelaide but is now in Queensland. My, how interesting. After 30 seconds, my guess is Rose Park but it could have been Unley.
Then onto real shopping. DAN MURPHY’S! Have a look at these guys. Crystal Head Aurora. Vodka. Product of Canada. Produit du Canada. 700ml. Alc 40%vol.
Just a whee bit macabre thou thinketh. N.B. macabre /məˈkɑːbr(ə)/ adjective disturbing because concerned with or causing a fear of death. “a macabre series of murders” Similar: gruesome grisly grim gory morbid ghastly unearthly lurid. What say ye?
While we are on ‘unusual’ drinks how about this? Hippocampus Vodka. Metropolitan distillery.
N.B. 1 Hippocampus Vodka is a local craft spirit that has recently come on to the Australian market. The vodka is produced at Hippocampus Metropolitan Distillery in Perth, Western Australia, an urban distillery located opposite the old Perth Metropolitan Markets.
BUT ….
N.B. 2 hippocampus /ˌhɪpə(ʊ)ˈkampəs/ noun ANATOMY the elongated ridges on the floor of each lateral ventricle of the brain, thought to be the centre of emotion, memory, and the autonomic nervous system.
Huh? And …
Hippocampus is a complex brain structure embedded deep into temporal lobe. It has a major role in learning and memory. It is a plastic and vulnerable structure that gets damaged by a variety of stimuli. Studies have shown that it also gets affected in a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Western Australia you say?
And the logo? My best guess is a well dressed seahorse? So ….? I’m sure they think they are very clever.
For old time sake (East Timor. Home for 18 years), we ponder all the Portuguese wines, in particular the PORTS. You can call these Ports because they are Ports from PORTugal.
And now to reimburse our spending we shall cash in my aluminium cans. They are very specific here about what they will accept. I think that’s why the guy gave a gasp when I presented him with my cache of carefully stamped on cans. They took them anyway.
I was a little bit disappointed to see the young lady take out her calculator to work out how much I should get for 76 cans at 10 cents each. We both got the same answer. I got it when she wrote down 76 on a bit of paper. She got it about thirty seconds later. Bloody youth of today. If she gets a flat battery in her calculator, she has to stop work.
And you thought it was easy?
Diesel then home.
Tonight we do Pizza’s! ‘Mr Pizza’ Leigh Biggs in Darwin makes damn good Pizza’s and was nice enough to show us his secret formula. I am not going to be so generous, as a show of respect for our culinary whizz kid. However, I will share that he says this is the best sauce to use.
Results? the wrong background to present. Suffice to say we were all well pleased with the result. Thanks Leigh.
N.B. Notice our new Pizza cutter, first time used. We spotted it in Tully, identified it as the same as the Deegs Duo have and bought it on the basis they always think about things before they buy so we didn’t have to check it out. They had one so it must be good. Is that cheating? No. Just good sense.
This of course is all washed down with red wine, as Pizza is Italian. I am pretty sure it is illegal in Italy to NOT drink red wine with Italian food.
A film and as soon as we see the list it jumped out at us. (me)
The BEST Die Hard they made. The third one. Die Hard with a Vengeance. Action from start to finish with twists and turns. GOOD film. Bruce’s third DH film and he still has hair.
Today, confirm all is good at the shipping containers. DONE OK.
I will call further south next short stop. DONE . OK for Saturday.
Maybe a call from the windscreen people? They confirm if it is wet cannot do till dry and clean. So later on.
N.B. Now, just for a moment some info. I have not done any ‘origin of town/area names’ for a while . So ….
‘When Captain James Cook rounded Sandy Cape in 1770 and found what is now Fraser Island, he initially concluded it was part of the mainland. Cook named the area “Hervey’s Bay” after Augustus Hervey, at that time Britain’s First Lord of the Admiralty.’
These days that’s called ‘sucking up’ by the way.
Now, we decide to let Jan make us tourists again, so we are off to Burrum Heads, just 20 mind up, more or less north.
However, my aluminium can box is full. So, on the way is Cleanaway which came up as the closest recycle place to us when I googled recycle. I tried to phone from the google enquiry number and got the message, either wrong number or phone not connected. I wanted to talk to them first because some places recycle but have limitations and only a few places cash aluminium cans. So looks like we will have to drop in.
Ladies wait in the car, I enter but while doing so I notice a different phone number on the front. There is a lady, past her prime on the solo reception who asks me what I want. That’s fair enough. That’s what I would have asked as well. Except she did it like I had phoned her at home after hours while she was putting medication on the cats boil.
(N.B. Overview. “Furuncle” is another word for a “boil.” Boils are bacterial infections of hair follicles that also involve the surrounding tissue.)
As soon as I mentioned cash for cans, ‘Oh no. We don’t do that. A place around the corner takes them but doesn’t pay. There may be a place closer to town near the airport. U Can Recycle or something like that. Not here, no, no.’ I got the message.
Door opened and foot out the door I say, ‘By the way, your phone doesn’t work when I googled you.’ Oh yest it does.’ ‘Well when I googled, that number didn’t work. ‘ ‘Yes it does. The number is on the front of the building.’ ‘Yes I noticed that but it is not the same as the one when you google.’ ‘We get lots of phone calls. The number on the building is advertised all over Australia. We get lots of phone calls.’ ‘I’m sure you do but the one that comes up from a google enquiry doesn’t work.’ ‘We get calls all the time.’ ‘Yes, but I think you are missing the point. If someone wants to do business with you but does NOT have your number so GOOGLES your name, they cannot get through. That different number doesn’t work. Perhaps you should tell your boss so you can get that business which you may be MISSING out on now’. ‘No the phone works fine. It rings all the time.’ ‘ ….. (?!) … OK. Have a nice day.’ Stupid, stupid (stupid) woman.
That’s it for recycling today. On to Burrum Heads and what a nice tidy little place it is. A sort of subdued spectacular. Focal point, seaside of course. Several parking and launching places along the foreshore. This one’s a little gem.
The ladies.
The ladies closer.
A fisher person with bike and pelican observers.
The locals have taken a particular interest in this spot and decorated stones with text and pictures.
They have also stuck a photo of Edgar from the original Men in Black. In the movie, a giant cockroach alien has skinned a farmer called ‘Edgar’ and dressed in his skin as a disguise. Some local here has used it to play up the covid vaccine. Ignore the principle and look for the humour.
This is a generic photo of what’s on the tree …..
… with the caption, ‘Waiting in line for the 56th booster shot to stop the 89th variant that comes with the 23rd wave.’
… and for the analyticals who haven’t see Men in Black but want to know what I mean ……
They have also put up all sorts of funnies and ‘tongue in cheek’ amusements.
This one I am sure was one of Rodney Dangerfield’s.
It says 4 out of 3 people have trouble with fractions.
This one is a bit rude but so true. Can’t read it?
‘All of you who are panic buying, make sure you stock up on condoms, so you don’t breed anymore f*****g idiots.’
I heard this on the radio an about 1972. I don’t know where it has been and what it has been doing since then.
… and they chose a knobbly bit and painted it into a crocodile. Well done.
… and a face.
The beach wardens.
Us loitering.
Black rocks.
… lots with cockle and oyster shells on them.
You can’t see it. This is a ‘thong’ tree.
This little house name says ‘Linga Longa’.
The only other time I have ever seen it is when we used to holiday every Christmas as a family when I was a kid, at Stansbury on the Yorke Peninsular. It was a house on the foreshore.
Houses.
Nice houses.
Lots of sea front.
Now the one and only pub for lunch. Perhaps I should be here (see sign) but we sat elsewhere.
Pub on departure. They all came out to wave us goodbye.
Mustang. 68 or 69 I think. There is a god.
Home. A big cook up of Chili Con Carne and a nice feed with lots of left over for freezing and pulling out down the track.
Shock of shocks. A windscreen person actually phones us back. ‘Lyn’ calls. We don’t know her. She sounds like neither of the two we called.
We can come Monday?
We won’t be here.
You can try XYZ Company.
We called them already.
Turns out the two we called work together in a sort of reciprocating arrangement and Lyn owns one of them. Anyway they will call tomorrow for a possible Friday visit.
Now … we have not seen Marcia and Dave since about March or April 2019. We had just got the van and car and were in Levi Park Van Park in Adelaide.
They were passing through and dropped in. M & D are masters at travelling Australia. They left East Timor a few years before we did and bought ‘Harvey the RV’ and toured for I think 3 to 5 years. That range is because they have picked up work and without the full story, I will just sum it up like this.
So now they have traded Harvey for a RAM and a very ‘spiffy’ off-road van with sink cooker and fridge inside and outside.
They have also temporarily pulled up travelling and bought a house. It is perched atop a hill. You can’t see a thing but the gate from the outside and the word ‘security’ comes to mind. I asked, ‘When did you join the Mafia?’ No. They haven’t. They just wanted security and privacy and they have got them both.
We chat and lunch on the balcony of this unique residence, with it’s own infinity pool and spectacular sweeping views.
Cute little Lily has had her own notoriety as in their blog, ‘Touring Oz with Lily’ (or similar) however the little lovely is dozing as she has been a bit crook and has been sedated. By the way, the little soldier is 18 years old in human terms which is 126 in doggy terms. I’d say she is probably doing better than me in my human 70 years.
Out the front door.
Generally from front door to balcony.
Up, up, UP from the front door to the front gate.
Front door. I mentioned it a few times so I thought I had better show it.
Adjacent, trailer, caravan, car, visitors car park.
Damn nice sloping garden a la tropical. (the white blob at the top is a boat. Up here if you are near the water many/most people have them)
M & D and part of the fab view. It really is a perfect spot.
Hosts and visitors. Great to chat old and new times. The quickest 4.5 hours we have spent for a while.
N.B. Blew into the breath gadget …. Two beers, one and a half (call it two) wines in said time. 0.00. Thanks guys for a great afternoon. catching up was so good.
N.B. 2 Notice Dave’s blatant promo of ‘Shimano.’ Obviously on the payroll but, he didn’t give us any samples though.
Down the hill and I click this in a hurry in bad/glarey light. What is it?
This is the best I can do with adjustments. It’s a full sized horse statue with a dog on it’s back with a cat on the dogs back and I can’t work out what is above the cat. It would have been worth stopping I guess.
Long slow hill. A few of them here.
Back to the inviting psychological warmth of host Jan’s house and her companionship, together with bonus entertainment and friends, Chilli the wonder dog, Twiggy the fluff ball cat and Harry the also fluff ball cat but all good company. It feels like home.
We have had a big day so an easy, light meal and a little TV. Jan allows me the choice. Big mistake. We end up with a ‘Dirty Harry’/ Inspector Harry Callahan/ Clint Eastwood 1983 oldie, ‘Sudden Impact.’ It also stars his ex-wife Sondra Locke. She wasn’t ‘ex’ at the time. In fact, most of her better known films were with our hero ‘Clint. How about that.
Yes, It was a big day. Jan ends up alone when Anne then I bail. I was in bed at 9pm and asleep at 9.01pm
Overcast, raining a little even. Inside stuff today.
Have to make sure everyone has their money for the container delivery, So the ladies go out and I sit at the computer again for half the day. Crossing T’s and dotting i’s it’s called.
Well just as well, After my very long winded and extremely explicit instructions, it turns out the transport group does not receive ‘gmail’. Now I personally …. let’s just say, ‘dislike’ gmail. However I use it because the current but soon to desist storage group U Store It does not receive hotmail so when I deal with the containers I go straight to gmail. Not so from now on. Back to dirty old hotmail. It’s called progress.
I also plotted and planned our next step in the tour, called two window repair places for the chip in the windscreen. Both preach ‘home visit’. Neither deliver, etc etc etc. Anyway done what I can and the day is running out.
However, did arrange a visit with Marcia and Dave tomorrow. …. Tomorrow is a big day. My one and only sibling, Sister Jan is to have an operation tomorrow and our two containers are to be delivered tomorrow.
Now what is this? Road kill? Look closer.
I get them muddled up. I think this is Harry in mid snooze.
Wait! What’s that?
Nothing. Back to it.
What’s that? A little face at the van door. Lets get closer.
That’s our lovely Chilli, the wonder dog! Let’s clarify ….
Colour light adjust. Of course it is. Now here’s something. I must like her. I LET HER IN THE VAN!
Now this is around 5-ish and the damn magpies are gathering. Looks like the Hitchcock movie, ‘The Birds.’
I think they are more like a large moving ‘Poo.’ I stood back out of direct gravity range and inside of 10 seconds I watch three splats hit the ground.
Squint.
These are the over the road neighbours.
Back from the walk. Yes. Another one. A new batch of flowers have opened in Jan’s garden. Haven’t seen these before, or at least not the colour. I do a short google.
With google, this is the closest I could get. Not spot on but damn close.
Generic photo. Hippeastrum Hybrid * Red White Amaryllis * Rare Tropical Flower Plant * 3 Seeds.
Thats it. Scrub up. Take care of a few things. Butchers (as in not woolies or Coles) Chicken Schnitzel with mash and veg. An Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, ‘The Last Stand’. Got it. Seen it several times. Good one.
Danger! Danger! My left Achilles tendon is a little sore. No walk today.
Anne does two of her wonderful Nasi-Gorengs for breakfast, made of almost entirely left overs.
Today I almost lived on the computer.
The final step of a three week process to relocate our two, twenty foot containers. I had to co-ordinate, confirm and verify the attendance, co-operation, expectations and make payment for all three of the current storage facility, future storage facility and side lift transporter of our two storage containers.
We were contacted and told we had to remove the containers as they were going to develop the site. Of course we have been coming and going from that facility for seven years and we have not packed for transport. The only reasonably confidence packing factor was that we had been packing so much stuff in there, it is almost but not quite jammed in anyway.
From three thousand kilometres away we had a few challenges. So due to the unprepared aspect, it had to be a side lift as opposed to a tilt tray. Direct lift up as opposed to tilt 30 degrees.
Anyway, tomorrow I will confirm everyone got paid in the hope there is nothing can go wrong on Wednesday. Famous last words.
I finally get off the computer at 4pm. We go to the windscreen man to talk about the chip in the front. Already gone, but made inquiries and he does house calls.
Now to the caravan place to do some home work. What is ours worth. First comparison. A new one while ours is 2019 model. New counts for a lot, so while it has many of our features is lacks many of our additions BUT it is new. So not this much. (i’e’ not $71,000)
Then the other end. Eight years old or three times our vans age. Quite a few similar features and lacking some of our add ons. So ours is younger so more than this. (i.e.over $49,000)
Now, this one is our vans age and many of the same features and some add ons. Besides this, we have a BBQ on a slide, a second tunnel slide from the other end, four solar panels, two batteries, and other odds and ends BUT an automatic sat dish worth about $2500.. So we should be somewhere between $60,000 and $65000. (perhaps) Keep in mind these are asking prices.
Home. Anne and Jan are off for a walk and my tendon is still tender (a tender tendon?) so I choose to have a beer and a talk with the neighbour instead.
Evening comes and we migrate inside. We are having Jan’s Lasagna with salad for evening meal and she shows us a few of her components.
A movie. Die Hard 2. We watch it under the close scrutiny of Harry and Twiggy. Harry up the top and twiggy below. Chilli is omni present but in the back stalls of the theatre.
Twiggy swapping to the high ground. Military wise, whoever has the high ground has the advantage.
The film is good but I have seen it perhaps 10 times before so we retire.
Partly cloudy, but not bad. Midday, let’s do something. Oh, if we must.
So we are off to River Heads and Kingfisher bay. The Place where the ferry is caught to Fraser Island.
A huge dip in the road suitable for note and display but alas , a very poor after thought out the back window just doesn’t do it justice..
Good old ‘Queenslanders.’
A good young non Queenslander.
Self adoration.
The Ferry. Anchored, I think.
My two lady colleagues. Jan on the left is our host, tourism advisor and health walking instructor.
The rules on Fraser.
Fourth rule down. Seats must face front or rear. You know what that means? NO Troopies!
What’s that dot.
Zoom to the sea eagle.
Same.
A boat launch landing.
Great old buildings.
Back in town. What is this?
It’s a coffee cart. A Gypsy coffee cart? I’d like to see the operators ‘clobber.’ Violin background music and band-era’s on the head. Thank god we’re not going where he is.
We stop for bread. This vibrant, iridescent, candy red colour I have only ever seen on Mazda.
Googled it . It’s ‘Soul Red Crystal..
Next I am forced against my will to go for a healthy walk. Looking for any distraction, I spot this rather uniquely constructed letter box stone post.
We virtually never go for a walk without our guard, Chilli the wonder dog.
Not bad for a Slow Sunday.
Late so we have a scrub up and a simple meal. Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon on toast. Movie. My goodness. The red wine bottle is empty. It must be time for bed.
Yet another sunny day and a walk is scheduled for 8.30am. Yes. A walk. On purpose. (!?)
We depart at a civilised 8.40pm. It’s a 15 minute walk without dawdling. We don’t dawdle, but we do stop and look from time to time. This little house has a picturesque garden and advertises full time plant sales. The yard was a good advert.
We reach the beach a couple of minutes late and play throw the stick in the water for Chilli the wonder dog. On the way back, I spot this ‘hibiscus’. Beautiful.
N.B. Hibiscus Plant Description Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Wikipedia. Family: Malvaceae Genus: Hibiscus; L. Kingdom: Plantae Order: Malvales
Almost home and we come across ‘a magnolia.’
Damn. It’s like spot the bleeding flower, isn’t it.
We get back even though Chilli was flagging a bit. Then again being fair, she is 13 years in human terms which is 91 in doggy years. I won’t make that let alone be doing a 15 minute each way walk with a few minutes of chasing a stick in between.
I love that humorous suggestion, ‘Do dogs bring the ball back because they think you like throwing it?’
So she makes it back and decides to try out Anne’s new cow hide. It was road kill and it took Anne about an hour to skin it. I was impressed. That new Victorinox knife really proved it’s worth. You think it’s a bit messy cleaning up after baking. You want to try cleaning up after that.
I didn’t see this but Anne must have swiped the camera. Hang on. That’s right. I heard the music while in repose watching the TV.
We do shopping as there are visitors this afternoon. Fellow South Australians, although they have been here so long, I don’ think that counts anymore. A pleasant afternoon with K & S then a movie. Rocketman. Very, very good. Then …
Another sunny morning. Mixed day today. Slow morning but at 12 noon our local time here is the Funeral podcast in Adelaide for my dear Cousin Mal Henderson. We tune in but their volume is very low so we have to bend over and get or ears about 6 inches from the speakers on the join of the laptop.
It was a very good presentation of Mal’s extraordinary and full life thanks to Kay. 34 years and you would know your spouse very well. Furthermore the delivery of script provided to the the funeral director was very well done. The service was over an hour and with what Mal had achieved over his lifetime, the hour was barely enough.
We only saw the service with view of the pews but there must have been so many outside unable to get in, because the procession after to place a sprig of Rosemary on his casket seemed to go on for ever. It was touching that the armed forces provided a bugler as is the way with returned servicemen.
Friends and family were asked by Kay to make a brief statement about Mal for the funeral director to read out. There were at least twenty of them. This is what I provided …
‘Leith Carroll on Cousin Mal Henderson. It was suggested I should keep my comments short. How on earth can anyone do that when talking about my Cousin (Cuz) Mal Henderson. He always called me ‘Cuz’ and I called him ‘The Oracle’ because he had a story and the right advice for just about any situation. Suffice to say, the world with all its problems can now relax. Mal’s up there and I’m sure he’ll be able to sort things out. He’ll front up the Boss and start with, ‘Now listen up. I’ve got something I want to tell you.’ Yes. Mal’s on the job and they will be hanging on his every word, just like I did. It was always better when Mal was there. See you later Cuz.’
The day goes on and Chilli stands (lays) vigil. The vigil paid off because we took her for a 20 minute walk.
Anne admires Jan’s kitchen, particularly the island.
The rest of the day passes.
It was Chili Con Carne by us tonight after showers. We start watching Die Hard but it was a big ask after a full day, so …
We wake to a beautiful sunny day and the warble of magpies … I guess they are magpies? Do others warble?
We are in a Court so, only local traffic and by 9am, we hadn’t had any. Just the ‘warbles.’ Lot’s of it.
The van is perfectly placed adjacent the front door.
I guess this is a ‘peek-a-boo.’
Lovely colours in the front yard.
I thought the red lilies had another name.
N.B. Lycoris radiata, known as the red spider lily, red magic lily, or equinox flower, is a plant in the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae.
Anyway, very pretty.
A warbler obviously terrified of humans. He and friends were on the scavenge in the back yard and are so bold we had to shut the screen door or they would have gone inside.
I wondered how you can tell the difference between Male and Female.
N.B. The male and female are similar in appearance, and can be distinguished by differences in back markings. The male has pure white feathers on the back of the head and the female has white blending to grey feathers on the back of the head.
OOPS. Apology. When I listed ‘Male and Female’ above, I guess I should have listed, ‘Male, Female, Non-binary and Other.’
This is friend, Mr G and I introduce ‘Chilli’ The wonder dog.
Chilli shares Jan’s house along with two big fluffy cats and they all get on well together. Chilli is I think 13 now but you can’t keep a good dog down. She is very perceptive so there are two words that cannot be said and have to be spelled to avoid an excited performance. Those words are W-A-L-K and B-E-A-C-H.
This is Chilli charging into the brine without fear or hesitation when the ball was thrown .
She returns with the prize.
This process has to be repeated many, many times.
No retrieval here. Just looking for crocodiles.
All safe. No crocs found yet.
In the mean time Chilli continues on her mission.
Now what’s so interesting about this ute? Have a squint.
Friend Mr G is going to drop Chilli home.
Jan drives us around town and I am amazed at the size of the place now, as opposed to 25 years ago. I have a vague recollection of a quiet esplanade and a tackle shop I bought a rod from back in January 1996. I keep looking for it and every now and then I think, ‘That might have been the building.’ But no.
Not a bad table and chairs on the footpath.
We decide on fish and chips for lunch. So we get the family pack which is three pieces of cod, a large chips and a large bottle of drink. So I order. It sounded like the start of a joke. ‘The three pieces of fish …. One grilled, one crumbed and one battered please.’
While standing in line I talk to a quite mature man who knows the area. I tell my story of the Tackle shop. He says, ‘That would have been the one along there about two or three blocks. It was near the corner of the Esplanade (we are on) and Zephyr Street. It Got moved around the corner and down the road a bit.’ Really? What is it’s name?’ says I now excited. He says, ‘Tackle world I think. I reckon it was bought out by a chain.’ I thanked him, well pleased.
We had our lunch a la park over the road …
… then took a drive down to Zephyr Street. A we go around the corner into Zephyr, I look out the side window and see the side of the two storey building facing the esplanade where the tackle shop used to be.
We go up to the next main street and turn right. A few blocks along and there is Tackle World. Well I have had a little closure on one curiosity of our trip up the coast all those years ago.
No. This isn’t a real whale. It’s shiny metal but is does look a classic breach.
Sunny, cool-ish morning. We vacate 10.45am a mere 45 minutes late. We are getting better. No park dump point so about five minutes north to Lions Park which has a dump point AND potable water AND public toilets AND it is a free camp AND this Indian bike arrives. Looks old. It’s only a couple of years old.
Woolworths, BWS, coffee, diesel and we are ready to head off to Hervey Bay to see our daughter. We set off about 2pm.
N.B. Back in around 1997 when we lived in Darwin, a friend called from Adelaide and said a fellow member from his gym is moving to Darwin and can we look after/help/give her a hand/keep an eye on her. We were happy to do so and Jan B became a friend. However because we did drive her around etc she called us mum and dad and we called her daughter. By the way vintage of all three of us would exclude such a relationship. Terms are symbolic only.
In transit for about a two hour trip.
Stop at Childers for a walk around and stretch. Nice little park with plaque of explorer settler, William Howard.
There they are again.
I don’t get it. I think the punctuation is wrong. Should it be ….
‘Why do we have lockdown? When vaccinated, you can still catch it and still pass it on.’
OR …
‘Why do we have lockdown when vaccinated? You can still catch it and still pass it on.’
Does it say the same? It is a bit confusing. Is it not?
Bloody road work again/still.
We arrive, unhitch, connect up water etc, witness a bit of a spooky sunset and adjourn inside to eat, drink and talk over old times.
It was a fun get together, but, believe me, it was also a tiring day so, till tomorrow, it’s ….
Up. Sunny. Still no internet so this blog and the last two days had to wait till tonight. Message from Phil. Going straight through as keen to get home. We can see him later on when we get more south.
My how very clever. Frog says, ‘I’m here till I croak.’
Our spot. Anne wearing a towel over her head to either, avoid bird droppings, disguise herself from the crowds or has just washed her hair and is drying it. Either all, one or none of the above.
Anne took this one. Well spotted darling.
So just who was ‘Big Artie’ and what was his relationship with this windmill? It could be the name given to the mill, except there is a photo of Artie. Big Artie that is.
Now we pull into the servo because the sign says, Diesel: 151.7 per litre.
So I am filling up and Anne says, ‘It says 153.7 on the pump.’ So I suggest she goes and asks them. She comes back and screams, ‘Stop!’ I quiz her she says, ‘This is not Diesel.’ (As per the bowser immediately below.)
‘….. It is Ultimate Diesel!’ (as per the bowser below. This is the one I was using)
I responded, ‘Well it has got the magic word Diesel in it and I cannot take it out the tank, so I will finish the fill and we will have Ultimate Diesel and see if we can tell the difference.’ I go into pay. I reminded them my wife had come in to ask what the price difference was for. I said, ‘I googled ‘Ultimate Diesel’ and apparently it is distilled by virgins.’ Blank looks back at me. I always like to see that confusion between the two thoughts of ‘surely not’ and ‘he googled it’. Blind faith in google can make people vulnerable. I said to the chap behind me, ‘Well it’s worth 2 cents to have virgin diesel, isn’t it?’ He agreed. I left and wondered how long they would discuss it and which one of them would be the first to google Ultimate Diesel.
N.B. If you DO google Ultimate Diesel, you will get info about a tune up. If you google, ‘difference between diesel and ultimate diesel’ you get….. Diesel vs premium diesel …. What’s the difference between standard #2 diesel and premium fuel? A premium diesel has a higher cetane number, better lubricity and includes detergents that provide injector-cleaning capability versus standard #2 diesel. … Detergents keep fuel injectors clean for optimal engine performance.
Sounds like some fancy foot work. By adding a few drops of injector cleaner per 100 litres, they charge an extra 2 cents a litre.
Wait! … Up in the sky! … Is it a bird? … Is it a plane? Yes. It’s a plane.
A C130, better known as a Hercules or a ‘Herc.’ Trivia. The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. First flight: 23 August 1954; 67 years ago. Number built: Over 2,500 as of 2015.
Closer to the ground, what is this as we leave the ‘Ultimate’ servo. Is that an old long wheel base Datsun? could be. See the generic photo of the yellow one below. bends a bit different. If this belongs to one of the attendants I spoke to, they are probably still debating the virgin diesel.
Curbside Classic: 1972-79 Datsun 620 Long Bed – The Long, The Short And The Ugly | Curbside Classic.
Ugly? Well they said it. I didn’t.
Freedom! Vote 1 United Australia Party?
Oh, please. Are you blatantly trying to capitalise on the current hoo-ha of the chanting twats, or do you still have a weak spot for Braveheart and Mel Gibson? Freedom? It should be Freedumb!
Lots of trains here but …
… This one forgot it’s carriages.
… and this one isn’t even a train.
It’s a car with rail wheels.
Lot’s of places we would like to go and spend the day, …. like …
… the Raglan Tavern.
Let’s play, ‘Identify that moth.’ No Let’s not.
We stopped here for a coffee. The coffee was OK but the floor show was better. I don’t think the guy jack knifed at the bowser with the fifth wheeler had ever driven before. It took him three shots to get to this unworkable position. I guess it didn’t help with double trailers zigging and zagging around him. He ended up giving up and I saw him parked around the side in deep thought. He just needed a longer hose on the pump. About 20 metres would be ideal.
Now this guy should be happy he survived the operation. I am sure he must have had a lobotomy.
What makes me think that? Look carefully. He has crossed a double line to overtake me just 50 metres from an overtaking lane. If he had waited say, 15 seconds, I would have swung into the slow left lane and he could have sailed straight past me without even turning the steering wheel. He is a major BDM. (Brain Dead Moron)
Now, to Miriam Vale. A lovely little, old, neat, appealing town. It has a free camp with a dump point and a short (3 minute) walk to a public toilet.
Then we spot this through a window in a little arcade.
This nice young girl has just opened her Manicure, Pedicure business with a big foot spa chair as per the two Anne had in Dili. Good on her. Go for it!
Thinking of joining?
Tranquillity walk? Next to us? Us? Tranquil?
By the way. Spelling? I thought it was only one L but I get corrected to two ‘L’s’. Is that the US spell check or what?
Road work you would not believe.
SO we are supposed to be avoiding fatigue by trivia questions answered a km or two later on. Cake named after Governor?
Lamington. (?) N.B. The Lamington, Australia’s famed dessert, was actually invented in New Zealand and originally named a “Wellington”, according to new research published by the University of Auckland. … Historians had believed the Lamington was named after Lord Lamington who served as governor of Queensland between 1896-1901.
Bert Hinkler? N.B. Where was Bert Hinkler born. Bundaberg Central.
The GPS takes us on a merry jaunt through the countryside.
But irrespective of the GPS we find the van park anyway. The staff have a sense of humour. This is on the back of the toilet door.
Mens toilet. ‘Mangoes’
Womens. ‘Shegoes’
Shouldn’t it be Mangoes and Womangoes or Hegoes and Shegoes?
Wait! What’s that on the back of that car?
TATA??!!? Bloody TATA!
They had the mighty TATA 4WD’s in East Timor. Made in India.
You always knew if a TATA had been up a hill you are going up. This is because of all the rocks on the road. Every time a TATA wanted to stop on an incline, someone had to hop out and put a rock under the back wheel.
I was in one when the the driver had trouble getting the 4WD to drive over a red house brick. NOT joking.
I always figured it was a shonky bit of work by an Indian high enough up in the United Nations to be able to steer a decision to get TATA’s rather than Toyota or Nissan or any other 4WD that actually worked. Either for pride in country or something a little more ‘basic.’
A nice little park a bit tight but not impossible to negotiate and we could stay connected.
Nice enough day but heating up. Anyway, Finally on the road around 10.30am.
What’s this? A ‘P’ plater with somewhere between little and no brains. Overtaking as he approaches the solid ‘Do not overtake’ line on a blind corner. I estimate by the time he gets past the car he is overtaking, he will either be half way around that bend or dead.
Now, helpful suggestions to stay awake. Play Trivia.
What’s the highest mountain in Queensland? Not the faintest idea, nor do I care. I’ll have a stab. Mount Boring? Mount …. errr … Mount Palaszczuk!? No? I thought she might have had a crack at getting something named after herself by now. No. Something more suitable. How about, the Annastacia Swamp, or the Palaszczuk Meat Works, or …. the Palaszczuk Correctional Services!? There’s some irony in there somewhere.
Another abandoned car? Are they keeping count? Trying to beat last year’s number?
Oh, here we are. The blind leading the blind. I think they want to win this year’s much coveted ‘Twat of the Year’ award. As I see it someone pulled off the shoulder but didn’t check to see if there was a shoulder there. So they or their mates come back with a trailer and while their parked status is not that much better, they failed to work out how they would get it on the trailer. So now what? Gone to find another mate with a winch? Not heard of RACQ? No?
Another overtaker. Over double lines that is. keep it up BDM and you will need an UNDER-taker. N.B. BDM means Brain Dead Moron.
In the big town of Rockhamton. Thank goodness. We found the Square Dance Centre. We’ll double back once we are settled in.
Not every day you see Brahman cattle on a roof.
This is way past a church. More like a Cathedral. Better for the really serious sinners.
Now this was on the Van Park reception and ironically, it sums up the lady manager quite well. For those without any bush knowledge at all, it is a rabbit trap with the triggering plate marked ‘Press for Service.’
I made lunch so, my now standard, Turkish bread roll with at least four slices of ham, two slices of cheese, one top and one bottom of the ham and quite a few slices of lettuce to take the curse off the evil stuff. Oh, and real butter of course with the salt in it to harden the arteries. Whoops. There’s more evil. Should have put another lettuce leaf on for the evil butter.
It’s hot here and we should just plug into the power and watch something with the air conditioner on. Nope. Anne wants to do the washing. Bugger. I can’t relax because I feel guilty if she is working. So awning out for our larger clothes line etc etc.
Peace. Friend Phil calls. He is on his way down from the cape and wants to get to Rockhampton tonight. Here (this park) has no cabins. and closes before he will get here. I call others and it’s long weekend and nothing around.
So back to her highness here at the park. I ask, ‘Nothing else is available for our friend. There is plenty of grass around our van site. Can he come in after hours, put his tent up adjacent us, I can run out a 12 volt lead for a fan and light to him. He can fix you up, money wise, in the morning and you have my details and card number for security?’ ‘Nooooo. We don’t do that. No.’
Thank you. You’ve been very helpful. (and please, oh please do go for a walk in the morning and break your leg and wave to us for help while we are driving away. I would really like to say, ‘ Noooo. We don’t do that. No.’)
Am I getting cranky in my old age? YES! …and loving it!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Where did the name Gracemere come from?
The name Gracemere comes from “Grace”, the name of Thomas Archer‘s wife and “mere” which is a Scottish term for lake. They also located a suitable landing point for supplies on the nearby Fitzroy River, which later became Rockhampton. … Gracemere State School opened on 20 February 1871.
Who was Thomas Archer?
Thomas Archer, CMG (27 February 1823 – 9 December 1905) was a pioneer pastoralist and Agent General for Queensland (Australia).
The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George was founded by King George III in 1818 and is awarded to British subjects who have rendered extraordinary and important services abroad or in the Commonwealth.
The Classes of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George include GCMG (Knight or Dame Grand Cross), KCMG (Knight Commander), DCMG (Dame Commander), and CMG, the later standing for Companion of St Michael and St George
We wake up and check the street out. The neighbour has their ‘in house’ Ibis’s cleaning the yard of bugs. An early work start for a Sunday.
Last night I didn’t take photos so thought I would get the host family and the freeloaders together. L to R Me, Anne, Mick’s wife Christine, pretty little Stella, the pending guitar and key board virtuoso Patrick and the maestro Mick.
Mick takes us on a spin around the area to show us what we are missing out on. I can see it is an idealistic pseudo paradise. Not too many people wouldn’t love it. The ocean is omnipresent and speckled with islands.
This young girl caught a crocodile on her morning swim. They breed ’em tough up here.
The Bucasia equivalent of The Blues Brothers.
A man with more money than sense.
Mick’s walking stick inherited from a rellie, made during the days of the Raj, I dare say. It reads (with maybe a few bits missing) ‘Sir Jefferey British 1941 East India Hillpig-Smyth’ N.B. British raj, period of direct British rule over the Indian subcontinent from 1858 until the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947.
Look at this perfect avenue creating a perfect canopy. Amazing.
This is the rising entrance to the famous Eimeo Pub.
Photographic proof.
We secure the isolated cliff promenade table. I swear it starts to feel just a little like Capri. Mick observes my worst hat and even worse multicoloured, mirror ‘Tac’ glasses and assumes I just got dressed in a hurry.
More proof of where we are.
More paradise.
Back to home base and Mick shows us his pride and joy. A triumph Bonneville he has painfully restored from bits and pieces. He says when he got it, it was just nuts and bolts and bits and pieces in a box. I have fixed up a motor bike way back and I was quite proud of it. This has not been ‘fixed up.’ It has been FULLY RESTORED. Every bit of it looks brand new. A credit to him.
Time to move on. I take photographic proof that I broke the law and parked in a bus stop. Not really that severe a crime. Mick says he is sure there are no busses from Saturday afternoon (when we arrived) or Sunday (when we spent most time here.) Besides I figured we left half of the stop clear, so for it to be inconvenient there would have had to be someone to pick up or drop off and in the unlikely event it had to stop, it could sort and pull off the road a bit. Anyway, that is what I would have or will tell the judge if it is reported.
On to the Servo. Another new one. We are not inconvenienced by having the van on. Don’t know if anyone else was. Hang on. No. We don’t care.
Hand on. I am blocking people. Just for a moment, let’s imagine I am in my teens or twenties in current day. “I HAVE MY RIGHTS!’
Looking good. ….
Anyway, on the road again.
Yet another pranged car. Lots of ’em.
A series of warning signs for unsuspecting visitors.
Beware giant sleepy lizards trying to cut down trees to block the road.
Beware giant sleepy lizards attacking trucks.
And last but by no means least, the omni-present and always dangerous huge and deadly DROP BEARS! These three aggressors I can only assume grow to their size due to the tropics. Drop bears in the temperate south area are just as aggressive but marginally smaller and you have at least a 50/50 chance of survival. Not up here. Here they kill you and wreck your car as an after thought.
We arrive at our camp. The Waverley Creek rest area. It’s beer O’clock so I decide on which neighbour to bore with our adventures till dark.
Then we reap the benefits of our cost to set up for free camping. Up goes the sat dish and we are the only ones out of around 25 rigs that has TV.
Hot showers, pasta and red wine for meal and a relax till bed time. The only thing missing. No internet. We have Telstra but not strong enough to hotspot the internet. Bummer.
FYI The lady next to us in Proserpine in the conquest RV was ‘Kay’ and not Cathy.’
Saturday, 2nd October 2021
Sunny. We wander around and get away late after a visit to the park to use the ‘facilities, which takes us past Persephone again. By the way that is pronounced NOT as per-sef-own but ‘per-sef-own-ee.
No. This is Not a special toilet for consenting adults. It is the subject of vandals who removed the ‘uni’ from ‘unisex.’ Then again, I am assuming that. Maybe it is the former?
This young chap is ‘Vincent’ named after the famous Dutch painter.
Us with Vincent and his travelling partner ‘Kay.’
Lots of road word or at least evidence.
What’s that?
This appears to be a road works car and trailer. Or an ex- car and trailer.
Kolijo Community Store where we lunched on very unhealthy but tasty items and coffees. The other side of the river is the tiny town of Caleb and this side is the marginally larger but still tiny town of Kolijo.
… and what’s this?
You can’t see it but the front left wheel is parallel to the ground.
and this? The army trucks have waited for their mates dragging the chain.
Closer.
Flash car. Love it.
… and this?
Again it is leaning to front left. What’s with this road?
In Bucasia to visit Mick McGovern from Dili. While doing a turn around we ‘duck’ down a street and this spot obviously attracts ducks and other flying feathered friends.
We have a lovely BBQ with Mick and family and friends. This guy is a late arrival.
Possum.
Getting late for us caravaners so to bed. The van is in the street and half over a bus stop but the word is no busses on this route Saturday afternoon or Sunday.
A great get together. Perhaps tomorrow morning I will remember photos.
We wake at this great free camp of Guthalungra. By the time I poke my head out, a few have already gone.
That’s us cunningly parked across the road from the toilets.
Pristine. The lady who is contracted to maintain this block and the adjacent garden is devoted and thorough. Don’t stay anywhere else than here if passing.
They are very popular in the area. I m pretty sure she comes every day.
And a good little park with tables, chairs and shelters.
But now it’s on to Bowen.
Now I didn’t know the film Australia was filmed in Bowen. Apparently it was chosen for its wide streets and was transformed into Darwin. It has several very big vacant blocks that could be decked out with separate sets.
… but it’s full time reputation is built on tomatoes ans mangoes. This is out the front of the Information Centre and they said this is the small one. I guess we didn’t get close to the big one because pretty sure we would have seen it.
It has a sound shell…
… and lovely old buildings many of which are PUBS!
We saw the ‘famous ‘ bakery advertised on the way in and hunted it down.
How would you pronounce it? Jochheim’s. (a quick google suggests perhaps German.)
Their pie floater is not Adelaide’s, but it was tasty with two squirts of mash potato either end of a beef pie and the pie on a bed of basically mushy peas but quite tasty suggesting some thought has gone into it and is going down the Adelaide method to a certain degree.
Anne’s quiche was pretty damn good…..
… and we pass the Larrikin Hotel.
On to the museum ($5 ea.) but not bad. Nice lady leaves a little early and Allan stays at least 30 mins past closing time for not so much us but another family who came in on the death knock. I guess Allan made the supreme sacrifice of a volunteer to stay past time for the sake of the $20 from the family of four. He didn’t seem to mind and was very informative.
The Jeannie Dove brought the settlers to Bowen who consisted of 8 crew, 27 ‘first class’ passengers of which were 7 men, 7 women and 13 children. 28 steerage passenger 24 white men and 4 aboriginals. On the deck was water tanks, furniture, freight, livestock of 5 goats, 7 hogs, 7 sheep and 15 dogs.
The ‘Spitfire’ was there a while before checking the spot for settlement suitability.
Aboriginal memorabilia.
Mantle clocks. I may tell the story sometime.
Colour coordinated, but still a few years too late for practicality.
More pioneer memorabilia.
A Kerosene tin used as a draw.
Butter churn.
The sign shows that the equipment was made in Bath, England and Anne is showing that she has been to Bath, England.
The Australian Navy commissioned a naval ship named BOWEN and the town presented this plaque to the ship.
The Bowen.
Due to our 18 years in East Timor, anything we see with East Timor on it gets coverage.
On our way out we stop to gas up. The servo looks very new. I quiz the young lady serving and she tells me it is only 3 months old. I say as a throw away line that none of the food packets have had time to expire so I could buy with confidence. She could be forgiven for not fully following my obtuse conversation but did assure me that they get new items in regularly. I’m sure she is right.
Yes. On the way out we spot cow hides for sale on the side of the road. It went from’No. I don’t need one’ from Anne to ‘Which one?’ I reminded her it will be going into a semi-detached bluestone cottage built around 1880 and perhaps a neutral one would be the best. But this guy won. Well not really. He lost big time a little while ago.
Road.
In Proserpine.
Proserpine is named after Persephone. In Greek Mythology she is the Goddess of Spring/fertility. She is also the Daughter of Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture, and of Zeus. By the way, the Romans word for Persephone is Proserpina, Hence Proserpine.
Anyway, It seems Pluto, the god of the underworld came up from his smelly underground stamping ground, took one look at Persephone, said, I’ll have some of this for sure, snatches her and takes her below to be goddess of smelly town. Mum, (Demeter) finds out and gets right up her husband Zeus, because it’s his fault of course, (?). He is told, ‘Fix it! … NOW!’ So Zeus drops in on Pluto and has a bit of a chat to him and they decide she can stay with him for one third of the time but she has to come back to mum and dad the other two thirds. That is why the weather is a bit dirty for 4 months a year (while she is in smelly town) and good for 8 months when she is up with mum and dad. If the statue in the park of her is any reflection on the truth, Pluto wasn’t all that particular.
This is all from the main man settling a lot of Queensland, the Explorer George Dalrymple who was into Greek Mythology hence Queensland also has places like, Demeter and Mount Pluto.
Persephone.
We are at the RV Park in Main Street, entrance next to Saint Catherines Catholic Church. Enter down the side of the church. No toilets but potable water and a dump point. Beer o’clock was with xxxCathyxxx CORRECTION … Kay from the next door Conquest RV and trusty hound Vincent.
All the usual stuff, only the screw is loose holding the TV bracket so a job in the morning.
Maintenance. What about these bloody tapes around my shoulder. They have to go. Now … bruises where the physio was digging for the sore spot. All good though. He did well.
Closer look at bruised spot.
Happy eggs. Not us. The provider. Tasted OK.
Let’s go to the museum. Let’s extend a day. Done.
Lets ………… !! Errr. News.
Townsville has a covid scare. Pending instruction to escalate or maintain.
SO we think, any chance to either go back on the road or fly back to Adelaide will be totally stuffed by Townsville being declared a hot spot.
The covid apparently was spread by a pilot who flew into Townsville, so perhaps down the coast is still OK. Off to Bowen.
On On,
Look close. Another wrecked car.
Long story short. we lob at …..
Guthalungra, 70km north of Bowen.
One lady with the contract to maintain these toilets and park adjacent.
The best toilets maintenance wise, I have ever, ever seen.
Good little park.
And so to the meal. The two PRIME steaks we did not have last night.
Mine at medium rare.
Anne’s rare.
By the way, I give us 10 out of 10 for accurate cooking.
I give credit to this to Mr Albert R. Husband of wife Scarlet R. Fab people and Mr Albert is a BBQ master.
Enough. Showers. Stoke up the sat dish (we are in the sticks). All is good.
Breezy and a few clouds. When do we leave? We paid for a week. Tomorrow.
Now there are a few complications. With my terrific Cousin Mal passing away, we are in a quandary. If we pack up and head back for the funeral, it will take about a week and that is without any complications on the borders. We may go back around three thousand kilometres and with a hold up, we miss the funeral anyway.
We have seriously considered putting the van and car in storage here in Townsville and flying back. However, if we fly back, we may have to go through Brisbane and I feel Brisbane is a risk zone if not officially, then possibly. Furthermore, they are talking about moving the NRL grand final to Townsville. If this happens, perhaps it becomes a hot spot and we cannot get to our van and car on attempted return which is currently our home.
We have agonised over it and it looks like we will miss the funeral and we will be so, so disappointed.
Life goes on. Look at these damn monsters. Halloween is an AMERICAN holiday! Why the hell have we been sucked into this extra consumer- fest ?
And they have ugly versions to test your ‘ … intelligence? Like warts?’
Evening meal in the camp kitchen. ‘Better their gas than ours’, to quote DBW.
Here is the main instrument.
It looks a humble fare but with the salads etc, it was ample.
Also, I must say it was an eye fillet steak, so small and light but premium at $14. The Patties were from grain fed beef.
…. and these guys were Wagyu beef and black cracked peppers ‘SNAGS.’.
Enough is enough. The pain that has developed in my right arm just below my shoulder on the outside is now a serious problem. I have tried to I.D. the cause. Driving or the laptop. I take this photo to show the physio and the day passes till the afternoon appointment. I tell my story and it is the driving but it is also aggravated by the laptop.
My personal physio Anne attends and witnesses the cause and the treatment. Not easy to miss as ‘Sam’ the physio obviously believes every picture tells a story so draws on me, then demo’s what to push and where. The stress is in the shoulder blade and it is a ‘referred’ pain in the arm. I have come across this term before. I learnt it in a ten minute session which cost me $315. from the top back surgeon for my little L4L5 problem which is another story.
He is quite clever. and teaches Anne how to treat my problem.
Listen for the short groans.
Then I am strapped to hold me in a ‘shoulders back’ position and shown some exercises to counteract the harm I have done.
N.B. I asked him THE question and got THE answer that I already guessed. That is, ‘If I did regular exercise in a gym working both opposing muscle groups would this have happened?’ The obvious answer, ‘No.’ Basically we all know we have to eat and drink in moderation and take regular exercise, both aerobic and strength training. That is out for brisk walks and using your muscles.
Sam points out the muscles as he is quite sure the felt pen marks will ultimately wash off.
So we pay up, money well spent, and skip shopping as we are running late for beer o’clock, which doesn’t happen as we are missing half the participants.
However, Anne chooses to empty the toilet cassette as it is only open from 9am to 5pm. This parks raised dump point is rather like climbing the gallows with a hand rail and steps to the platform.
We learnt a life lesson this night. We thought cleaning the toilet cassette and missing out on beer o’clock made it a bad day. That was nothing at all.
We had missed a call while at the physio but found the message later than night and returned it to Kay of the Cousin Mal and Kay fabulous team. Kay informed us my wonderful cousin Mal had passed away from a massive heart attack. Massive also describes the loss to anyone who knew him and I will say a loss to the rest of society because anyone who would have met him in the future would have been better for it and now that won’t happen for them. The sadness will linger for the rest of my life but fond memories will as well. Rest in Peace you fine, fine man. We will truly miss you.
Another sunny day. 10.25am and B & G still have not left for church yet. They don’t. We find out it will be afternoon session instead.
Slow, slack day. A few small jobs but basically nothing. Lunch together at the home of B & G with a tasty Filipino dish by G.
I try to photograph birds but they are way too high and back in the foliage. You just can’t rely on nature. Anne and I adjourn to the bed and watch TV, scoring the old earlier original version of Ben-Hur with Charlton Heston. It’s still a great movie but it drags on and on due to adverts especially in the last hour every three minutes. It was ridiculous because I have both the old (1959) and new (2016) versions on my detachable drive full of movies and can watch both uninterrupted. Maybe I’ll watch the new one, having never seen it.
Somewhere in this period, B & G go to church which is ironic. They could have stayed home and watched the movie to get a little religious instruction. For those who have lived a sheltered, nay, deprived life and never seen it, the film follows perhaps about 5 years of the life of a Jewish man Judah Ben-Hur and his fall from grace with the Romans and his unjust captivity followed by him climbing back to freedom. This is interspersed with snippets of Jesus Christ’s life leading up to his run of bad luck with said Romans and the two stories overlap from time to time. As I understand it, the Jesus part is reasonably accurate, as in it matches pretty well what is the accepted JC story. Hence my comment, maybe B & G should have just stayed home and attended a religious instruction in the comfort of their own palatial residence on wheels.
Plus also it was an action movie with huge wooden battle ships of the time ramming each other and the chariot race to end all chariot races. This bit here is near the end of the race. It goes for about 4.5 minutes and the whole thing I guess at about 10-ish minutes.
They knew how to make them back then. Also, there weren’t that many restrictions back then either. That is to say, and I quote, ‘ How many horses were killed in the making of (1959)Ben-Hur?’ (answer) ‘ …. according to film historians, as many as 100 horses were killed during the production of the iconic film. The second-unit director of “Ben-Hur” reportedly ordered horses be shot and killed “if they limped,” without seeking veterinary care.’
Well, at least it was getting better. And again, ‘How many horses died filming Ben-Hur?’ (answer) ‘150 horses. During the chariot race in the 1925 film Ben-Hur, up to 150 horses were killed. Yakima Canutt, the legendary Hollywood stunt man (and occasional John Wayne double), created one dangerous procedure involving horses..
It is stated twelve CGI horses were killed in the 2016 version. However, CGI is apparently created on the computer so hence , zero real ones I assume. By the way, apparently the 2016 version was a flop.
Well, you got bugger all out of Sunday 26th September from me except the 1959 Ben-Hur. BUT understand, it was a BLOCK BUSTER and it produced the now old term few people appreciate these days which was used to describe a large event ….. ‘Bigger than Ben-Hur!’ Just go watch it and DON’T pussie around with the new version. 1959 was THE Ben-Hur.
Snack dinner, showers, another movie ….
zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz
Yawohl! Noch ein lustiger!
(Thought I’d stick to the theme.)
By the way, translation of above. ‘Yes! Another funny!’ (German)
Much sunnier this Saturday morning. A quick shot through the window. Today we plan to do nothing touristy. Anne does the washing to whip the day into a frenzy of excitement. To give credence to that statement, that included the bed linen. I did my part and contacted storage facilities to check for places to put our two 20 ft containers.
We hit lunchtime and nothing boosts a blog more than a half eaten ham and cheese sandwich. I was just showing how generous I am with the ham. Ever since we went to New York and I could have a genuine, honest, to goodness, New York pastrami on rye, I know to pile it on now.
This is a generic photo of same. Notice the layers? In fact the one I had was about double the slices but thinner slices. I liked the fact than because they were so thin, even though there was lots of pastrami, it was easy to bite through.
B & L are off for his 3000 steps he must do per day. We do the opposite . We veg on the bed and watch a movie. To be specific, that great little film ‘Chef.’ After a while I get up and sit at the computer as when I recline past 45 degrees, I go into hibernate mode. The TV turns to allow viewing from both my seat and the bed. (I chose to not show Anne in repose.)
See? The chef with his son, learning the trade.
One of many bush turkeys.
Another fabulous unfrozen fish and chips meal with salad then off to the camp kitchen at 6pm to watch the AFL grand final. We though we should be early to get a seat. Notice the buzzing crowd. Ironic because I don’t follow the AFL but it was the grand final after all. By last quarter there was only me, Bruce and a young Italian couple watching it while they were cooking then texting friends. We managed to disrupt them enough. to make it a good evening.
Watched it to the end. Good match. Melbourne Football Club beat Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium in Perth.
N.B. A GRAND NEW FLAG: Demons end 57 years of AFL agony with 17 minutes of magic. Melbourne has ended the AFL’s longest premiership drought, kicking 12 unanswered goals to beat the Western Bulldogs by 74 points and win the 2021 Grand Final. Melbourne defeated the Western Bulldogs 140–66.
Not cold. Just a bit cool-ish. We wander over to Christine and Nicks and chat for a while. They have a Supreme van as well but a Territory model and they are very well set up. Nice people in a nice van. Time to wave them farewell with a ‘See-ya-layta.’ sign off.
We touch base with B & G. It is to be a Filipino restaurant for lunch 12.30 pm .
Off to lunch, just the five of us if you include Rasputin, the Rabid, Rodent, Rabbit we found in the back seat. I just named it. We should go commercial with it. It’ll sell like hotcakes.
Might have to narrow it’s eyes a bit, put a scar on it’s cheek and give it some sort of visual ailment or disease, but that will give it character and people will relate, I’m sure. OK. We might have to target specific areas, but it’ll work.
I’m thinking more like this …
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Rasputin, the Rabid, Rodent, Rabbit. ‘Buy him, muzzle him, cuddle him, love him, delouse him.’
We overshoot a couple of times due to a rebel GPS but finally arrive at Cecil’s Sweet Treats previously noted for it’s food, but now noted for it’s closed sign. The nice lady next door at ‘Uncommon Ground’ coffee place (sounds like grounds for divorce rather than coffee) says they, next door have been away for a week. So we go further afield and get to choose between Irish Finnegan’s or Fasta Pasta. The latter wins for no better reason than the serves will be bigger. They were. Much bigger but more money than Irish Finnigans Seniors List. We also had a red, after all it is Italian.
We roll out of Fasta Pasta much slower than we went in and are off to make enquiries at the Magnetic Island Ferry aiming at doing touristy things. A discount if we leave at 5am? You haven’t got a gun big enough.
We go home for a little nap before beer O’clock. I wake up a few hours later at 6.30 pm-ish. OK. Big meals in the middle of the day do not promote sparkly individuals and sure, there was wine but just two glasses. That being said, the day is over.
Showers, a snack dinner, TV, a glass of grape juice, cuddle down with your Rasputin and …..
Cool night. Overcast morning. Cold feet and we will move on to Townsville today. First, a walk down to the public toilets for a few necessities of life.
Walking back we notice this little van has pulled in.
Have a close look. The bed folds out the front and the door is on the back wall as is the awning. For someone who doesn’t need much, it’s a little winner.
N.B. Keep in mind we came across the Barkly to Townsville, then turned north to Cooktown and are now on our way back down to Townsville to meet B & G then on further south to catch up with other friends and/or associates.
On the road, we pull into Cardwell, for the second time. We love the place.
N.B. The Governor of Queensland, Sir George Bowen (1859-1868) named the coastal town after the prominent British politician Edward Cardwell who, at the time, was Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Self adoration. Note the huge Hinchinbrook Island to the right in the background. It is so long, stretching parallel to the main land that Captin Cook actually thought it was part of the mainland.
About 11.30am on the foreshore. Quite a few people around.
I more or less ignored this marker when there, but looking at the photo closely I realise it is a commemorative marker for Colleen Gayle McLaughlin. She was born 25-5-1964 and lost at sea 16-4-1989. If she had lived, she would now be 56 but she didn’t quite make it to 25. It’s called fate and there is no control over it. I bet there’s a story in there.
A boat ramp?
It’s only Thursday but there are vendors and food wagons scattered. This guy even gets a mention if you google it. I had just eaten a very healthy and early lunch. A ham and salad wrap. Much better than a famous and raved about and held in the highest local esteem meat pie or any of the other 20-ish alternatives. Yes. Much better. I’m so glad I MISSED having one. So very bloody glad! (!!#!#@??!?)
On the road again (not a bad title for a song) and I squint to I.D. this thing pulled over. Turns out to be a thumping great boat with a couple of big outboards on the back.
We find the place, pick a site in only an hour. The choice took so long because it was based entirely on avian faeces and flora seed stains. We find Bruce and Girlie and also Christine and Nick who we met in Esperance last February or March. Drinks ensued till dark and we all withdrew to our separate vans for evening meal, ablutions etc.
Christine and Nick will be off tomorrow.
Left over green chicken curry for dinner. Showers, movie ….
Was a quiet night. Not a bad day. Up for a walk into town. (and the public toilets for the daily.)
Sugar processing mill in the main road into town.
Statue of pioneers.
The big boot. 7.9 metres high, same as the biggest flood they had.
Yes. Forget what it was. Ah. I think the artists who made the white fibreglass figures … I think.
Anne gets her hair cut. And so do I in the barbers up the road.
Had a great coffee and toasted sandwich with great Irish service girl.
Love them backing in. Very practical.
The last bend in the main street to the end of town. So close to the mountains, it looks like it would be a five minute walk to them.
A bit of photography trivia here. Photo, with flash. So front lighting on Anne. People in back ground a little darker.
Photo, without flash. No front lighting so just a little washed out and background is same exposure.
This time no flash, but I stand back and zoom in so that Anne appears same size. This makes background appear to be up closer. Old trick for anyone who knows.
The Kitchen shop. $$$$$$$$$. The difference between NEED and WANT.
Example 1. We have two steak knives but we now have two with white handles to match the set. They are Victorinox. WANT 100%. NEED 0%
Example 2 We do not have a Pizza dish and have managed but we are doing more Pizza’s now. WANT 75%. NEED 25%
Example 3. Pizza cutter. We have managed with a big knife.. WANT 90%. NEED 10%
Example 4. Small fry pan. We had a quite small first pan but it was no longer non stick, so we got a slightly larger second pan to replace the first. Now the second pan is also no longer non stick so we bought the new third pan to replace the second. HOWEVER, we still have and use the first pan. So I shall wait and watch with interest to see if the first and second pans go or stay. Third pan. WANT 80%. NEED 20%. In the hour that we were there, the nice lady who owns the place went from polite to friendly and happy.
Fab tree. Trees of Life. RAIN TREES, imported from central and south America by early settlers for shade.
Fab fern. Lot of FAB here.
Home sweet home.
Some Portuguese Bacalhau. We had 18 years in an ex-Portuguese colony, (East Timor/Timor Leste) and we have memories and acquired tastes.
However tonight will be a light meal of omelette. Anne chooses to use her newly acquired THIRD fry pan because it is currently ‘non stick.’
Must call for accomm. in Mission Beach. It will be warmer there. We will be coming down off the tablelands. Nope. There is however a free camp at Tully. Must go to info centre to register. You can’t book.
Then five minutes before we pull out of Atherton Holiday Park, the car I have been perving on with tarp over, uncovers and pulls out.
Holden panel van. Year? After 71. Maybe 73-ish.
Now THAT’S a tarp.
That’s where we were.
We stop at Millaa Millaa for more coffee’s at Barista in the Mist. AND a Brownie with Macadamia nuts !!!!
Still in Millaa Milla, Christy Palmerston was a trail blazer in the area and was once offered three hundred pounds to blaze a trail from I think Port Douglas to Cairns or something like that. He was paid twenty pounds instead of three hundred and the cheque BOUNCED! Yes! there were total bastards around even back then.
Local museum
I forget what this ordinary looking guy did but it obviously didn’t do him well.
We get to Tully Info Centre and register. We are shown an Ariel view of where to park, but we find it anyway.
Not straight but in.
A quick look in town. We sit outside and read books (!!!!!) for a while.
The Deegs Duo are packing up. We take our coffees and support them from a comfortable sipping distance. We both will ultimately be heading south (although they will now go north) so a crossing of paths again is a possibility.
They take off and we adjourn to our van for breakie and planning.
Off to town for some more shopping and a hair cut for Anne? That’d didn’t work out. It turns out Monday is the hairdresser off day, but we manage to get pillows and slips from BIG W. There are those damn trees again with the big yellow flowers. What are they? The second person in the car park knew and even googled to show us.
N.B. Trumpet trees Plant ‘Tabebuia’ is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae. The common name “roble” is sometimes found in English. Tabebuias have been called “trumpet trees”, but this name is usually applied to other trees and has become a source of confusion and misidentification. Wikipedia Genus: Tabebuia; Gomes ex A.P. de Candolle Family: Bignoniaceae Order: Lamiales
All parts of the trumpet tree are considered poisonous, including the roots, seeds, leaves, and flowers. The plant contains various toxic alkaloids causing muscle weakness, dry mouth, dilated pupils, and hallucinations. The biggest threat is the bright fruit-like seed pods and flowers.
Not a lot going for it I guess.
We return, have left overs from last night for lunch, then start packing up the car and van.
Fish and chips from the House of Woolworths with a little salad for evening meal. Little salad? Anne couldn’t eat the fish. She was full from the chips and heap of green on the plate.
I look at the map after the meal. We didn’t do Mission Beach on the way up so in the morning I will check for accomm.
End of social for the evening. Last night was going towards ‘biggish’ so tonight was a taper off.
Clouds and blue sky? About 50% to 50% each. Coolish.
We make it a slower day mainly chasing up people to visit or at least try. We have to book up the next few days and we work on a rendezvous with B & G.
For the first time I wear my Lions Den T shirt. I bought it for the very subtle emblem on the front …………….
………..and the not so subtle one on the back.
The rainbow Lorikeet gang are back in force. These three shots are Annes again.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
And another first. I get out the BIG lens and full frame camera, this time with the support of a mono pod I got ‘el cheapo’ in Darwin. I reckon Annes are still better.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Tonight the roles are swapped. We have the Deegs Duo over to our pad for dinner. Now that’s a lie.. They had a concrete pad but we only have dirt, grass and our mat. Anyway it’s Chilli Con Carne but used as a pasta sauce for our Fettuccine, with grated strong matured cheese and the mandatory red wine.
Lots of laughing, stories and red wine till it is home time. They shuffle off for their last night and us for our pen-ultimate . Still haven’t decided on a destination for the next two nights. We just know it is Townsville Thursday.
Decisions. Where are we going next. Anne thinks stay here for another week and that would be pleasant because it is cool here up in the table lands. The thing is while it is cool up here it is getting hotter below us and where we want to visit etc. The other factor is that it is school holidays so what we really need is to bunker down and hide for two weeks if we can find a spot.
Anyway, this morning small jobs. Reverse flush water filter, replace batteries in car tub alarm remote control, fix light over bed, etc etc etc. Decided after an egg on hash brown late breakfast , we will not have lunch.
Woolworth’s shopping and BWS. First one takes longer than we thought and we bought more than we wanted and we forgot the odd necessary or two. So nothing unusual there.
Second, the ‘Boozerama.’
N.B. The term is stolen from Hitchhickers Guide to the Galaxy. The original six episodes. Places were the Evildrome Boozerama, Slims Throat Emporium, and The Bistro Illegal.
Spent LOTS as everything ran out at the same time. Beer, red wine, port, Vodka and Whisky. Took a while as well. A labour of love by the way.
Then on the way back we spot these amazing trees in bloom. Heaps of them. A local lady sees Anne taking photos and says she has never noticed these blooms before. Never noticed! We turned the corner and all we could see was all these yellow bloomed trees. Never noticed? Nice lady but she really should look up more often.
Back to camp and I am trying to get the car UHF radio to work with two hand held units. It will receive transmissions from them but cannot send. In the mean time the two hand held’s can inter act with each other. Very annoying.
Time for beer O’clock and on the walk to the Deeg Duo, the rainbow lorikeets are in the middle of dinner. The adjoining resident puts out bread crumbs.
Lou enjoys her favourite wine considering it was meant to be.
I did not mention we have been invited to evening meal for home made but premium Pizza’s and they were marvellous.
Maestro Mick practices his quality cuisine compilation. Do not try saying that after four standard drinks.
This was supposed to be the ‘slow down and catch up’ day, but it just didn’t work out like that.
Anne did the washing including bed linen. I was on the phone and internet looking for somewhere to relocate our two containers etc etc etc. The smoke cleared by about Chinese Dentist (two thirty) so I laid down for a short nap which lasted two hours which made us (me) late and a bit punch drunk from the nap for ‘beer o’clock.’
A good chat with the Deegs Duo irrespective till it got cold and we repaired to the oasis van. Showers, grape juice, Chicken Kiev’s, this time from The House of Coles. Bigger than Woolies but not as cheesy or garlicy. (are they real words.)
Lot’s of cloud and a little sun. Quite cool/cold. Sun starts to win a bit.
It’s supposed to be a day off but it turns out huge. Toilet cassette to empty, then on to Herberton to the Historic Museum which turned out to be incredible.
It will take too long to describe the whole think so I will just post photos with the odd note as required.
Gt to get there at 12noon to see this one running. We got there at 12.25pm, just in time to see it stopping.
Over 60 different buildings.
The Ettamogah Pub
The rail ambulance run with it’s original Citroen, 4 cylinder side valve motor,. The operator says it starts first hand crank first time, every time.
QATB stands for Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade
N.B. Ambulance services in Queensland first began in 1892. … The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) as currently known was formed on 1 July 1991 from the amalgamation of 96 individual Queensland ambulance service transport brigades (QATB).
Umpteen old ‘past it’ trucks.
Two wooden Crocodile row boats. (?)
Around six fully restored John Deere tractors. The operator started two up.
By the way, this thing is running while Anne is on it.
Anne got to drive this 1927 Chevrolet pick-up
Here she goes. Not exactly a blistering scream around the oval but a sedate chug-chug.
Heaps of cars
Stage coach and an old horse drawn hearst behind.
Toys and Dolls.
Two familiar faces.
A Henderson hat box.
The now so maligned but previously harmless and popular Golliwogs.
You know I have had debates of a sort regarding the Golliwog and I have learned why it is now disliked. What I did specifically learn by reading extensively about it is that, as per most things, it was harmless till a sector of society chose to take it down another path.
It’s called progress. Progress is why you can’t say, black lives matter or all lives matter now, because they have been hijacked by sectors of society and the more volatile members can’t wait to jump on the band wagon. The world is now run by the noisy minority.
It was a great experience and anyone passing anywhere near should go visit but allow about 5 hours. Get there by at the very latest 12 noon. Preferably earlier.
Back home shagged out. Beer O’clock, some food, showers and …
N.B. For anyone who really wants to know ALL about the humble Golliwog, click the link and put aside at least 15 minutes. Lot of time, but it is very informative. You will be a ‘Golliwog’ expert after…. https://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/golliwog/
A bit of cloud but SUN! All good. No. Not all good. There is a noise. A loud humming with variations.
I take a walk and there is a bloody big truck on the side of the park. Turns out a whole row of sites have lost power. So they tried to dig, looking for the fault but came to a mass of pipes and roots. So this truck blasts the ground with water and sucks it out to expose the lot.
Anyway, we are off on a convoy with the Deegs Duo. We get to the Gallo dairyfarm. A lot happening when we get here. Here are Turkeys and they were gobbling their voices off till we got there, then they shut up.
Scrub fowls or whatever they are.
Then the cows are coming in for milking. Lot’s of them.
They also make CHOCOLATES!
Wall art.
Chocolate art.
Cheese, cheese and more cheese.
Anne has purchased both. Baci cheese. Similar to Brie except less runny (‘Oh I like it runny’ to quote Monty Python) but still creamy.
Machine cutting cane.
Lovely tree lined roads.
Monster strangler fig tree.
On to Yungaburra. They should rename this cafe, ‘Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.’
Magnificent old pub ….
…. which is called …
… but used to be called …
That’s a Yammy with the side car. So make up your mind. Is it angle or parallel parking?
Go to a REAL butcher and not just the meat section at Woolworths. A butcher is a specialist.
Street art
I was going to take a photo of the sign but the ladies asked to have themselves included. I agreed and also said I would refer to them as ‘The Lovely Local Ladies.’
All neat
A good description of facebook.
Many old character churches.
.. and the manse?
Knock out red lilies. ( I forget the real name.)
BIG Bunya pine in the back ground.
Old Shell bowser, looks like it still might work.
Lots of hanging flower baskets.
Two flowers.
A flower wagon.
Back to the Whistle Stop for lunch. REAL good sandwiches.
I thought it was ‘The Tree of Life’ but it was ‘The Tree of Love.’
Then to the outskirts of Yungaburra and Lake Tinaroo….
…and to the Avenue of Honour. This fabulous memorial is to honour those who lost their lives in the Afghanistan campaign and those who excelled themselves.
Including working dogs.
Other trees had plaques for other wartime occasions, like the 15 Australians held as POW’s in Borneo by the Japanese and were executed 13 days AFTER the end of the war. Brutal.
Back to the park. A car is covered by a tarp ….
… but attracts these lorikeets.
A short nap, beer o’clock, a shower fish for dinner at the Deegs Duo van then back for a short break then bed. It was a big day.
Up around 6.30am A little sun. More sun! It’s going to be a good day.
Then I got stuck on the computer. Anne got into clothes washing and we didn’t seem to do much but it took the whole morning.
The Deegs Duo disappear for their third attempt at getting a new set of tyres. Hope they do better than last time. They only got 99,000 km out of their last lot. (Sarcasm. They had an incredibly good run out of them.)
We are carrying a three day collection in our cassette and the Park, while quite nice, does not have a dump point. So we are off to look for the public facility which we find ironically at the town treatment plant.
They also happen to have a ‘vegetable oil and grease trap’ dump. Handy to know …. I guess?
Job done, we are off to town. Battery for the car tub burglar alarm, a few food odds and ends and a quick look at town.
I start to drag. I think one of my spark plug leads have come off. Food and battery done but now my reversing camera is playing up and it appears to be the wire that gets pinched by the tail gate. That’s for later. A little lay down for a half hour and I perk up …. as in feel a little better. Not vomit.
A beer O’clock at the Deegs duo base and a bit of plotting and planning for a joint BBQ.
No photos because the day just flew. Very pleasant BBQ and evening chatter. A lot of laughing which meant the evening flew as well.
Home. Already showered. A bit of TV. Bed.
zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz
N.B. A couple of jokes with a story.
I posted this first cartoon on facebook. I thought a harmless joke just posted for the pure humour, but thought I better put the little waver on the top for all the extremists.
Just a joke boys and girls. Don’t be offended. It’s just a laugh.
However, I got pounced on by a regular ‘pouncer’ with this ..
“its actually a form of violence against women Leith.”
So I posted this one suggesting it is in the same sort of category. I thought it was totally harmless. Here it is.
And I got this response …….
“gender stereotyping in humor is offensive and constitutes violence against women too Leith..”
These are cartoon birds for goodness sake!
I got many thumbs up and laughs from both male and female.
So I am thinking I will use my own parameters for deciding what is OK and the twats can continue scanning any media for an opportunity to voice their unwanted opinions.
Up early. The first resident left at 2am for work and the other well before our rising when Alice is the only remaining. When we plan to hitch up at 8.30am. 8.20am A call from Alice. An invitation to breakfast if we want to. I say to Alice the truth. Yes! We will come because this is the best restaurant we have been to for ages!.
So we are finally hitched and ready to go. A little late but no harm done. They are due to go to a funeral but Rui has not arrived yet. We pull out with a wave and very content after a wonderful couple of days with good friends, … and some new ones!
Easier getting it out than in.
We are NOT going down the Gillies so we are taking the long but best way to Atherton. We head south and turn off to the right a little before Innisfail. However we stop for a look at Babinda. This is a nice spick and span town. All the businesses have new shiny colourful signs. They have made a serious and successful effort at sprucing up their town.
A park in the main street and a walk back to the bakery I spotted on the way in.
Bummer. Closed. ‘… until staff shortages in our production area have been rectified.’ It’s the same everywhere. Cannot get staff.
Listen carefully people in authority. Government! Change the rules. Get the lazy bastards on the DOL to take these jobs and be productive instead of a SUCK on society. Force them to make something of their lives and contribute to their country or put them on food stamps and encourage them to NOT reproduce. We already have enough ‘drop kicks’ and we don’t want them reproducing. We have a glut already. N.B. People with problems who want to work but are forced to survive with help from the government excused and excluded.
So no coffee but a great JUICE BAR! Great stuff. I had a 100% carrot and had a most unlikely for her ‘Hang Over.’
Then a walk down the main street and we find knitted post decorations with knitted amusing items on them.
Iron art. A horse.
At the pub entrance we disturb a nest and they are not happy.
One here V Below and one V here below.
Not happy.
On to another great small town. Millaa Millaa
A flash car out the front so we go into ‘Barista in the Mist.’ Yes. It is the owners car. We order and go down the street to the Public facilities while waiting.
A note saying the bathrooms are maintained by the towns people so please take care …
… another one to say ‘hand wash stolen’ only they left off ‘by some total bastard’ at the end. N.B. They say not backpackers ‘Grey Nomads!’
I don’t normally take photos of men going into toilets …
…but this guy had a kilt on. Just seemed a little out of place in tropical Far North Queensland.
Turns out the town people have planted flower and garden beds all over town. It makes for an absolute treat.
This is on The Palmerston Highway named after Christie Palmerston who trail blazed all around this end of the earth. The highway basically follows a track he blazed from Innisfail. He did so with his trustee Aboriginal buddy ‘Pompo.’
Colour and more colour
Yet another gratuitous self adoration shot.
Anne pets the metal Cassowary .
Barista in the Mist.
Pose.
This was in the garden. It looks old and I forgot to ask what it was.
We get to our Park outside Atherton. The Atherton Holiday Park. Sounds aptly named. Set up and get together with The Deegs Duo. Beer O’clock (which included wine) talking, catching up then back for showers and more left overs. Bed. Tomorrow is another day. (Yes! Ofcourse it is! Derrr.)
FYI Today is the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 twin tower disaster. Yes. It is the 12th in Australia and a lot of the world but New York / USA in over the international date line and a day behind. Anne and I have visited ground zero and it was a very moving and emotional experience. This was 29th July 2012. They have preserved the location and size of the two towers with these two water features and the names of those who lost their lives around the edges. We are photographed in front of the surviving tree which got a lot of coverage. I was surprised just how much it effected us.
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Back to us and today now.
Again a little overcast. We are on a bit of a lean but it is not a permanent condition. In fact about 48 hours.
A house with two kitchens. One inside and one alfresco. Perfect for tropical living.
Breakfast/brunch feast.
11.22am and a glass of wine with the meal. Well it is a major meal.
Fish ( I think coral trout) done to perfection.
Potatoes a la yummie.
Beautiful.
The happy consumers.
Up close.
There are three other members of the household. This is the little boy.
And here he is with one of the girls. She is a leg licker and you always know when she is there, especially with shorts on.
Tomorrow everyone goes to work and we move on. It has been the nicest short stay. The generosity was almost embarrassing. Just fine, friendly people and a pleasure to know. We will ‘See ya layta.’
Overcast. Bit of sun from time to time. I can’t get over how big this place is.
A little patch of peace with us on the left, Ian and Marie’s monster bus just back and to right then Liz and Ken’s van with the awning out, back right. In front of Ken, very pleasant total strangers.
Ian and Marie have gone to the market as well as Liz and Ken. They are all staying. We are gong but will do the market on the way out. The Bull Bar.
We fill up and are informed the rendezvous place is now not the market but The Coffee Works. What a place.
Chocoholics heaven.
Impossible to fully describe. They produce Australian coffee and it’s great.
You can’t see the cream sitting three inches on top of the milk. (in the old language.
… and of course the fridge magnets. This one … ‘Potatoes make French fries, chips and vodka. It’s like the other vegetables aren’t even trying.’
When coffee machines were marvels of engineering.
Had coffees and a quiche. What? Real men don’t eat quiche? Crap. Spinach and feta cheese. Top shelf. Then a free chocolate and coffee liqueur tasting. Not a bad parting exercise.
Last Liz and Ken photo for a while. We will cross path’s again soon. Queensland isn’t that big. Rubbish! It’s huge, but we will see.
Liz and Ken will return to Mossman for a while. We will proceed to Edmonton to see Alice and Rui. Freinds from Dili.
Missing in action. Not only wrecked but burnt out.
We arrive and we managed (somehow) to jam the van in on the front lawn. I didn’t know I was that clever. Well lucky, anyway. Rui and Alice have a great extended family and they have a monster family fun week coming up. I think they said about eighty (!!??!) at a Park camp out.
Here son-in-law Manuel and I compare car fridges. He wins. He has a Companion 75 litre fridge freezer with a lithium battery that can last 3 days without charging, but can also recharge with solar panels. Mine is an Ever-Cool with two giant deep cycle batteries each about 35 kilo’s. The photo below shows how light and small the lithium is. I just googled it. His fridge is $1245. Mine was about $1000 and each battery besides weighing a ton is about $350. Beats me hands down. He has had it for 6 months which means if anything was not right with it, he would know by now.
A classic Portuguese, Timorese hospitality exercise ensued with all sorts of ‘tasties’ both solid and liquid including ever popular and desirous butterflied chicken. A lot of talking, laughing, reminiscing and discussion made for a fabulous night that simply flew by too quickly.
Off to the van well fed and ‘lubricated.’ Showers a bit of TV and bed.
N.B. I should have noted this the other day. Ken booked us into the Cooktown Caravan Park originally. Plans changed as they do. We were out of phone range and couldn’t contact them. When he came into range to cancel, he was told if anyone cancels within 48 hours, there is a one night charge and they had his card details, so they just took it. I would have thought, in view of the fact all the parks seem to be choc-a-block at the moment, this was not so much compensation for loss of income but a more basic revenue collecting exercise. It happened to me in Darwin at Discovery Parks. I wanted to book for four weeks but because they were bursting at the seams they could only do one week. I took it out of desperation. Then I found somewhere else, good old Malak Caravan Park, so went back to cancel. Even though they had a waiting list and they were not inconvenienced or out of pocket, they still pulled $60.30 off my card. Blatant opportunistic leaches.
I am ignoring the simple concept of ‘Good PR and BAD PR.’ I heard a saying once and it’s still so true. ‘If you are happy (with a process or outcome) you tell eight people. If you are unhappy, you tell twenty”
So, Do not leave your card number with either Cooktown Caravan Park or Discovery Parks Darwin. You may be stung.
Mean time, STILL bloody windy. Anne wants to wash the bed linen … again.
Ken has the only tool box with an exhaust pipe and muffler.
Up to the green grass lookout. It is windy. Oh so bloody windy.
Cant wear any sort of hat up here.
To the Museum. This is an anchor off the Endeavour from 250 years ago.
Real interesting info/history.
The coral shelf past Cape Tribulation that put a hole in the ship.
Good venue. Old convent was going to be demolished but was saved for The Captain Cook Museum..
Yes. They had dentists before, but no anaesthetic. Painful just to look at the ‘instruments.’
Another gratuitous adoration shot. Off the balcony of the Museum with ocean in background.
Wind swept and interesting.
1897? Convent left edge and half way up.
Convent to museum.
Here he is. The young Cook.
… and here is exactly where he beached the ship to fix the hole. Over there, middle slight right.
… here. Cleverly concealed, down near the water line.
Back to camp and a quick beer before off to our new club, the RSL. We continue Liz’s birthday by over indulging.
Now … I have been taking selfies before they were even called selfies.!
I was challenged by a lady employee at the club who saw me taking the one below. She said, You’re taking it upside down!’
So here is mine. Most who see the photo will guess I am holding the camera because my head is bigger. i.e. I am closer to the camera. However, it’s not screamingly obvious. i.e. You don’t really notice my arm holding the camera. I shoot holding the camera upside down. I do this so I have control with just ONE hand. i.e. The button is at my thumb and closest to me. I don’t have to ‘reach the other side of the camera.’ Further more, because I only have it by one hand, I can turn my body to extend the camera further from the group and hence have a wider shot. Yes. I’m taking it upside down. She obviously doesn’t know downloaded photos can be easily revolved at the time. Hence,, they will be RIGHT WAY UP!
Now here is the employee standing in for me. She holds the camera right way up. (!!?) Notice how subtly she disguises she is holding the camera? (snigger) (classic head tilted back and both arms stretched.) Also, notice how everyone is crammed in the corner.?
So she gets credit because she held the camera the right way up. What a silly sausage I am.
Home time. Shower. Movie (The Battle of Britain. Just plain bloody amazing film)
But it’s a SPECIAL windy day today. It’s Liz’s windy BIRTHDAY!
Just two candles. One symbolic and the second in case the first one goes out and if you look at the video below, you will see the problem.
Time for a drive around town.. Down to the foreshore. Fish and chips for lunch sitting in the car looking at the seagulls looking at us and our food. Woolly weather but not cold. In the photo below, it is looking north towards Cape York. We won’t get that far.
N.B. While ordering the F & C, I suddenly realised I had left my wallet in the van. Then like Zorro I quickly whipped out my emergency $50 note which had been living in my camera pouch on my belt for the last years, un-used and almost forgotten. $15 leaving $35.
Looks like the wharf was upgraded in 1997, the year after we were last here.
Info boards relating to Captain Cooks problems up the coast.
Proof of location.
The tree of knowledge … with a bit of a snigger.
This is very good for confirmation. I spell it all these ways.
More info.
Generally facing north to Cape York.
Gratuitous self adoration shot.
The powder magazine. Floor has wood plugs rather than metal nails. Not good to make sparks in a powder storage place. Not unless you wanted to use all the powder at the same time.
The main road is a long sloping road. When we were here last, there were three pubs in town. This is the Top Pub pictured below. There was a middle pub now deceased and the bottom one which was the Sovereign Hotel which is now a sort of resort. In 1996 we asked the caravan park lady which was the best for a ‘quiet’ couple. She said ‘The Middle Pub.’ We got there, looked inside, I told Anne to order beer only and went in. Three minutes later she saw her first bar fight.
Time to go home but let’s fill up first. I am taking down the details. Get to the amount. Fill in $90.72 and then froze and looked at Anne. She paused for 3 seconds then her eyes lit up! No Wallet!
So if you are wondering what your spouse is worth, I left Anne at the service station as security on the $90.72 . I said to her, ‘If I never see you again darling, it has been a wonderful 35 years,’ much to the amusement of the lady attendant. When I returned with the wallet, I asked, ‘Was she a good girl while I was away?’ Yes. And also, ‘Did she cry when I left her here?’ No.
Back to the park (again) and a few beers with young Ken. Then a scrub up and we board the RSL courtesy bus again (we = Ken, Liz, Anne, Leith, Ian, Marie.)
We collect our new social membership cards and delight in seeing our names flash up on the screen when we scan ourselves in. See below.
We drink and be merry, pausing only for the nightly Ode and Remembrance Ceremony at 6pm. At 7pm (after several drinks x 6) we steal away across the road and down a bit to the Thai Restaurant for Liz’s birthday meal. BYO and $5 corkage. The only complaint. TOO much food. Anne and I have two doggie boxes. Back to the RSL for several more drinks, the purpose of this obviously is to qualify for the free courtesy bus home. Just for the record, even with the cheaper reduced drink prices for us members, if you times say $5 for a drink by 6 people by 2 rounds, we spent around $60 for the ride there and $60 for the ride home. Each way, about 5 minutes. Nope. We have clear consciences.
N.B. How the hell did these Thai people come up with the restaurant name Jackey Jackey?
Lots of food.
\
A happy dinner L to R, Ken, Leith, Ian, Marie, Anne and Birthday girl Liz.
Back in the RSL, we notice a Roman or is it Spartan helmet in a display box. Errr …? Apparently it is the symbol for an armed forces group who were here and gave the RSL this symbolic and significant token. I would like one but there are only limited places I could wear it. Not BBQ’s. Too limited for eating. Church on Sunday maybe. Romans and the Crucifixion? Related? The minister may even appreciate my input. Definitely when you are riding your motor bike. And imagine if you dress accordingly to compliment the helmet.
By the way, before we cover today, this is the truck with cattle in back we were stuck behind yesterday. Found the photo on Anne’s camera.
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A bit of a look at Lions Den before we pull out.
Bit of humour. It says, ‘Be Alert! Australia needs Lerts.’
Now I found this but I am pretty sure it is not the original sign I saw 25 years ago. This one says ‘Keep your DOGS OUTA THE BAR and I’ll keep my bullets outa your dog. Signed God.’ I reckon the original one was close. I think it said, ‘You keep your dog out of my pub and I’l keep my bullets out of your dog.’
Hanna from Wisconsin.
Here’s another one. What are they?
Anne showing how tall she appears due to the slope of the land.
Anne’s fab shot of this guy in the tree.
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Road work. tight squeeze.
The big trip to Cooktown.
We get to the park but it is very windy.
There is a FREE courtesy bus that took us from the caravan park to the RSL. ‘Us’ includes we four and Marie and Ian also staying at the park. We joined as social members, which allowed us cheap drinks and we shall return.
$17 specials?
A good night but back to the park for our own meals. Windy, windy windy.
It has been a wonderful stop here at Jack and Lorraine’s. Great company and many laughs. A few little jobs to help Jack with and a few more laughs, then we pull out of their tropical driveway to Helenvale and the famous Lions Den Hotel.
Always something unique to see, we are crossing the Great Dividing Range according to my navigator. Lots of steep hills and tight corners. Second gear stuff. Then right on one of those corners is a group of bikers, one taking their photo. Well, there aren’t that many places to stop, so …
On, on … more army trucks. Seen a lot of them this trip.
Then we come to a new sign. Watch out for wheel chairs? What? Lot’s cross the road here? Herds of unfenced wheel chairs straying onto the roads? Didn’t see any wheel chair grids or electric fences. Closer look, I think it’s another angle at putting the wind up you for bad driving.
Then an all too familiar sign we haven’t seen for weeks. Beware the massive car eating cattle. Apparently a big problem in Queensland. I’ve heard countless stories of lost fenders and one whole engine. A diesel and still running! Drop Bears used to be THE big problem but these big buggers have well and truly surpassed the not so cute, furry, fanged … what would you call them…?
One classic sigh I missed (no photo) in the really steep and hair pin turns was something like, ‘In Australia, drive on the left side of the road.’ I’d like to think foreign visitors would have their acts together by the time they got this far up. However, the mere fact that they have it on display must have come from necessity. Imagine you come around a bend and the last thing you see in your shortened life is an old German couple heading straight for you on the wrong side of the road, dressed in lederhozen , shaking their fists at you and shouting ‘schweinhund !Das ist meine seite das auotbahn!
Auf Wiedersehen.
Yet another abandoned car. They are all over the place.
We followed a small truck with about three cattle in the back. He was doing about 80kph and we are convoying at about 90kph give or take, so Ken overtakes him, as you would. The bull puller must have taken it personal because he became a dog follower, as I call them. That is he followed so close it was like a dog sniffing you ‘tail pipe.’ He didn’t let go and we didn’t catch up till he dropped back to about 10kph to go down a small slope. I am over cautious and I would have done it at about 30kph. Then again I didn’t have three bovines in the back. Anyway, that was the turn off to our destination so we blew the cows a kiss and parted company.
We pull in. It ain’t the old pub I remember. They have tried to hold onto the rustic charm with signs and scribblings but this is now ‘up there’. Deckings, stairs, lawns, ‘Hanna’ from Wisconsin and another chap from Argentina amongst others serving. House specials and a wine list. A lawned van park.
Here’s how I remember it. We thought we were the only ones there. Dirt area out the front to park your car. NO van park. A sign out the front that said quite blatantly and with intent, ‘You keep your dog out of my pub and I’ll keep my bullets out of your dog!’ One room with a servery bar and only hamburgers on the menu. That is to say, they would have been on the menu if they had one. Regularly, that is about every ten minutes, a local would come in and buy a slab of beer and a bottle of spirits. To me it was the ultimate in ‘Old bush rough pub.’ Now it’s a … Pub.
Anyway, pulled the awning open to dry it from Daintree when we had to put it away wet. Beer O’clocks carried out as tradition dictates.
Bush Turkey.
Anyway. we met neighbours and had pub meals. Goulash with pasta ($18 special) and Anne had a salad ($16 off the menu). Bottle of wine $25.
Our table wasn’t as good as the reserved one next to us. So, with a bit of swift reorganising and we were much more comfortable. More comfortable than the late comers who were expecting a bigger table. (!)
What are these damn things?
Here is the first table we sat at. It is a ‘special’ one. Signage says, The old ‘Fossils Bar’ To explain the word fossils, take the first letters of the statement, Full Of Shit, Sipping Illicit Liquor Slowly.
Then some explanations for the pub name.
BTW … I googled ‘Lions Den Pub England’ and got no response, except it bounced back to Helenvale.
Good evening. Back for showers. Sat dish up. Just TV so down and a movie. A Walk in the Woods yet again. Bed.
Yep. Off we go, past that wrecked car. This time I zoom in to see the sticker.
Ah ha! As I thought, the police know about it.
Lovely old stone church.
Port Douglas Market. Having a photo of a Ulysses butterfly is better than nothing at all. They were $69.
This lovely old girl needs a bit of help from mum and dad…..
… and mum and dad have brought her all the way from Adelaide.
More shoes worn at the Pt Douglas market than the Mossman market but there were still a few hoping for leprosy or one of those nasty worms than burrow into the feet from the dirt. Hope she gets what she obviously wants.
Anne expressing her displeasure at sling shots. I have never had one. Been on the receiving end in Dili though. Less than pleasant and bloody dangerous.
OK. I like Port but … PICKLED?
This lovely old wooden church has history.
To the Tim Shed for lunch. Ken is a member.
Seafood basket to share.
Great spot over the water.
Designer beers. We had a couple of Captain Sensible’s.
A drive around town by tourist guide Ken.
Up to the Look Out.
Irish pub in the main street. And so there should be. Every main street in every town should have an Irish pub. It should be declared in all town planning files.
Heading home. Here is the 4 cents cheaper self serve servo tucked away in the side streets.
We are passing the Mossman Gorge information centre so we park and go in. In the car park, what is this thing?
It is a Brown Gardenia. Inedible. So more or less, totally bloody useless.
Paddy O’Melon. The Irish Kangaroo. (!!??)
Home. We feed the neighbours pigs. Well Anne did.
Apparently, the neighbour had 15 chooks and now they are down to one. They have blamed a python. A very greedy python.
Enjoy yourselves fella’s but do remember Christmas is coming .
Showers. Food time. Lorraine does a nachos entre with a great Spag-Bol main and fruit salad and ice cream for dessert. Good meal. It was a table of eight with visitors from Newell beach down the road. Well that is where their holiday home is. They are from Adelaide as well.
I don’t know if this car has broken down or the owner works very hard, but it is always here.
Now this one isn’t going anywhere.
Also it has a yellow official looking note on it. The ‘authorities’ know about this one.
Here is where I got my second jab the other day.
Bit far away but worth squinting.
This is ‘squint’ view. Worth it.
Now … to the market. It appears Mossman has it’s own ‘Nimbin’ up in the hills not far. Many people who do not like to wear shoes. They would rather damage their feet, tread on sharp objects and get filthy. (I was told leprosy can be caught by being in dirt. It is a germ) Maybe they just forgot to put them on, or they might just be stupid. There is a strong theme here. ‘Feral’ comes to mind.
Tilt left to see Italian flag and baked things if you think it could be worth it.
Now here’s an interesting shot. Two girls who both forgot to put their shoes on, one of which has decided to leave plenty of meat hanging out and the one in the white shirt who forgot here pants. I missed the ‘flash’ but am told she only has a G string on underneath. ‘The Drip Sisters.’
Little cute flowers.
Where are your shoes honey?
Here she is again. Perhaps the male friend is saying, ‘ Where are your pants?’ ‘Oh, I forgot to put them on.’ I see . Anyway, you remembered your sox and shoes.’ No. It’s just dirt. I’ll wash it off tomorrow.’
No shoes. More meat.
Russell is a pretty switched on guy flogging ‘au natural’ Vanilla’ and essence.
Anne displaying here purchase. Russell chose to not display the money he got.
No shoes and lots of meat hanging out.
Shoes?
Now something real. An Aboriginal man busking out the front of Woolworths and not half bad. At least he’s having a go. Good on him. Gave him a few bucks and some encouragement.
Shopping done and filled up with 4 cents off diesel, we head home.
The Cane Train I inadvertently called the Grain Train in the video below. (Leith ‘klutz’)
Cane Train.
Wonga Beach. We had been here 4 days and still not seen the beach. So we drop in on the way back.home.
Wonga Beach in motion.
We are back. Jack and Lorraine return and we feast to celebrate. Ken and Liz have created a superb lamb roast and veggies. We all feast.
Left to right, Ken, Jack, Liz, Lorraine and Anne’s hands . Not a terrible shot for just holding the camera above my head and one shot only.
Showers etc. Good food, bad jokes and a variation of wines.
Mostly cloudy, a bit windy and the windows are wet. Oh yes. Last night and the whee hours it did come down a bit.
7.20am and my lovely still dozes. Hang on. A bit more of the wet stuff.
Lazy day.. When I got the tyres done I asked for 40lbs in the front and 44lbs in the back. They got the back right but then the wheels fell off (poor pun). Left was 42lb and right was 45lbs. Too much to comprehend. 4 wheels. Far too difficult to do. Anyway found it. fixed it and put the sender units on.
Latter and cleaned the top of the van a bit.\
Helped Ken wrestle his TV Ariel to where it should be.
Paid bills via transfer.
Few other things.. Ken and Liz friend Moya for evening meal. Still can’t beat a BBQ. Nice night.
Book recommended by Moya. No idea why. Was not paying attention.
Cool, overcast, a little windy. Not ‘outing’ weather.
We ‘boys’ are off to Mossman late morning. Several jobs mainly for myself. The town is bustling. We drop some odds and ends off for Jack and Lorraine. Next tyres. The back ones are getting down a fair way. I had wanted them to make it to Adelaide where there are alternatives a plenty. So I need a patch job to get us to Adelaide. I find a place with a couple of second hand tyres. They will get balanced and put on the front. The ones on the front will go on the back and the ones on the back will go to the bin. ‘Come back at Chinese Dentist. (2.30)
The chemist. Do you do AstraZeneka shots? Yes. What is the recommended second shot period from 1st? 8 to 12 weeks. I am at 10 weeks and 1 day. That will be fine. Come back at 2pm.
Lunch while waiting for 2pm. Black Angus burger and chips. Evidence for wife. I LEFT chips. OK. Two chips went after the photo. Only two though.
Ken. Salt and pepper squid and HE LEFT chips.
Waiting for jab. Out the front. This guy is way over cautious of scrubbing tyres on gutter. Mind you looking at the posts,. A few weren’t that worried at all.
Action shot of jab. ‘This won’t hurt a bit.’ … ‘So, what does that mean? It’s gonna hurt a lot!?’ … ‘No. not a lot.’ … ‘So it is going to hurt then. Just not a real lot?’ ‘Hold still Mr Carroll.’ … Are you a doctor?’ … ‘No.’ … ‘Then how come you are doing it? Shouldn’t it be someone qualified?’ I am qualified!’… As a what?’ …’ There you go.’ … ‘What?’ … ‘It’s done. The jab.’ … ‘Oh. Ok. Thanks. ‘
Close up. Think it’s weird to photograph it? I am told that yesterday someone video’d theirs. Waited the 15 minutes after. Well 5 there, 5 in the car and 5 in the tyre place.
Dropped the car at the tyre place and this chap drove up with an ex-army Unimog. How cool is that? Reckons it had only done about 15000km and cost about $36,000 at the auctions. Have a look at the winch. Serious. ‘Only driven by the base commander to gunnery practice on Saturdays, honest.’
Imagine trying to load something. The tray is ‘snout’ height on me and I’m 5ft 8ins. Well I used to be. I am probably in shrink mode now.
Sweet. Look at the climb up.
Waiting for tyres to be done. Cane Train.
… still.
Shopping for potatoes and banana cake then home. Stuff to pack away.
Hey! This is about as exciting as it gets when house sitting and dog watching. Couple more days to go then off to Cooktown.
Showers, Guinness, Salmon and veg. Delish! With red by the way. Early night.
FYI, only 2 weeks to go of my 12 week wait for my second Jab of AstraZeneca, on 14th Sept.
A brief word about the SHAM that initially created uncertainty and hence turmoil in the AstraZeneca distribution. I would love to know what specific group beefed up the ANTI AstraZeneca campaign and why. As I see it, a NOISY MINORITY group rattled their chains for their own purposes even to the detriment of the majority of Australians. There was nothing wrong with AZ. Blind Freddy could have seen that but unfortunately, the average ‘Joe Blow’ is rattled easily.
My money is on a political reason. The Labour Health Minister in Queensland directly contradicted advice and instruction from the Government saying it was dangerous for younger people. This threw administering AZ in to turmoil and made the Government look like it had created a problem. Hence discredited. To understand the facts and see the turmoil was frustrating.
So what are the facts? I think in the over 60’s it was supposed to be 2 people in 100,000 would get blood clots. In the under 60’s it was 3.1 in 100,000 would get clots. So in the 3.6 MILLION doses administered at that time, that is 72 people for the over 60’s or 111.6 people for the under 60’s. So how come only 4 people in 3.6 million died? Because blood clots happen all the time and are treatable. All doctors know that and the LABOUR Queensland Health Minister knew that.
Not 72 died. Not 111.6 died. Just 4. My guess is those 4 who died had other more severe conditions. If you thought AstraZeneca was bad, you were conned.
Anyway, off the soap box and on to today. Overcast and cool but not raining … yet. Jack and Lorraine will be off for a few days. They leave lunchtime-ish much to the concern of the two ‘hounds’ Billy and Coco. They will settle down.
I spot this and make a mental note to look into it. We have just started buying the prepared chips from the supermarket. This ‘non stick’ might be OK but apparently all that glitters is not gold. Follow the link. https://www.amazon.com/Gotham-Steel-Nonstick-Copper-Crisper/product-reviews/B01NAFY0W9?reviewerType=all_reviews
The hounds settle. Note cuteness levels. Here is Billy….
…and here is Coco …..
…who looks more like a cat from the rear.
We have a very lazy day and have another BBQ evening meal. Master Chef Ken steps up and starts with the onions and potatoes. Steaks follow.
A relatively early night. Sure. A little red. Showers and bed.
zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzz
N.B. Wonga name origin: Named after the beautiful Torres Strait pigeon, Wonga Beach is a quiet refuge north of Mossman. Off shore there are views to Snapper Island and it is within easy access to the Daintree River and its rainforest habitat.
Up early to do yesterdays blog. Raining continuously.
P**sing down. Nothing like packing up a van in the rain.
Yes. You can sweat when it is cool and raining.
Cane train.
On to Ken and Liz’s friends at Wonga, Jack and Lorraine. Ain’t it funny how good people find and befriend other good people. ‘Birds of a feather …’
That’s the entrance.
Here’s the park spot.
The private area is getting a little crowded with two extra vans and 4WD’s.
The three boys, VERY mature boys by the way, take an hour or two to deliver furniture to ‘free-bee- recipients. The ladies are productive in our absence.
We go on to shower and rendezvous for evening meal BBQ. Good night. Early. Jack and Lorraine are off for a few days tomorrow and we four are security in their absence but really, we are to be servants to Billy (poodle) and Coco (Pomeranian) Not a bad job great little pups.
Up at 6.35am to do yesterdays blog, uninterrupted. Anne gets up at 6.45am There goes that plan. I complete the blog while performing other domestic tasks.
All is good. Today we go to Cape Tribulation. On the back of the toilet door. ‘In emergency, break glass.’ Ho Ha. It is to laugh. Is this what they mean by toilet humour.
Stair way to heaven? No. To the toilet and they are high and steep if you are in a hurry.
Cassowary statue. (Tilt head to right.)
The ferry waiting line.
The ferry approaches.
A cement truck approaches.
Just plain beautiful and so tropical.
Ditto
Ditto
No, not evidence of an animal, this is fungus on a piece of dead tree.
Beware the Cassowary. Should say, the illusive cassowary. Didn’t see one all day.
Dinosaur country. This guy actually moves a bit … sort of.
A fabulous icecream place in the middle of nowhere. Lots of flavours and all the fruit grown here by themselves.
I think this may be evidence of Cassowaries. I don’t think this one was very well.
A young couple at the lookout. They carry there own little stuffed rodent to place in shots. How very fake and shallow. My photo above has GENUINE Cassowary faeces! No fakes here.
An unreadable sign declaring the type of tree. I wonder what it was.
Tilt head to right. A chocolate … or cocoa tree?
The native bees are tiny and harmless. they look more like flies.
More trees and labels.
Sorry. On a tight schedule and haven’t got time to correct photo direction.
Hills in the clouds.
A serious ramp for a serious set of toilets.
Scenery just goes on and on.
a shady walk and climb down to the rock pool …
… with fish.
We return to the cafe where our EMU burgers are ready.
Yes. We have now eaten out Coat of Arms.
Yes. Dark meat.
Photo with island.
Tilt head. Stinger warning.
Us again. Self adoration.
We head home.
Home. New happy campers.
An excellent BBQ meal. All of us had a good time but half of us didn’t see the importance of staying to finish the bottle. We were dedicated.
Shower. Tried to do blog. Fell asleep in the sitting position. Woken up by moderately angry wife in the whee hours, tipped over small glass of port cleaned up by extremely angry wife (the same one. Just category has changed)
To bed, to prepare for morning lecture, plus we are moving in the morning.
Up at 6.15am. I have had 8 hours and 45 minute sleep. Unheard of. Little bit overcast with a little sun sneaking through. Anne has risen and while I punish the computer, she goes for a walk with her camera.
Anne returns from her walk and I download her camera.
Morning clouds.
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Some streetscape with photographer shadow at bottom
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Obviously some locals are already up.
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Beware the cassowary. This statue is a reasonable depiction of the real thing except the colour. See generic photo below.
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Notice the large ‘bump’ on it’s head? N.B. All three cassowary species have a casque, also called a helmet, that starts to develop on top of their head at one to two years of age. The casque is made of a sponge-like material and covered with a thick layer of keratin, the same thing our fingernails are made of.
Even though not noted officially the public are warned not to disturb cassowaries. Apparently they can charge you with their heads down so as to ‘lead’ with their ‘casque’ and it is not pleasant to experience. Or … give it a go. It was be good to know just how much damage they can do. If it happens, let me know if you are able.
Guard dog at dawn.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAFlower.
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The front of our park reception.
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That Berry tree again.
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Berries on the tree again.
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Anne returns.
The Park wakes. The neighbours on the other side are departing. That is the chap with the Guinness cap. His name is Steve and it turns out his brother was in East Timor. Ben Kinny as in Kinny Tint. Yes of course we know him. Small world.
We have coffees with Ken and Liz. We talk till we realise it’s time for another coffee and we plot and plan the remainder of the day. Lunch will be independently made sandwiches. We will depart 2.30pm (Also known in the UK as Chinese Dentist …. Think about it) and we will head for Mossman Bowls Club. It has 21 meat raffles and cheap drinks today.
I make a pertinent point which is quickly forgotten.
In the mean time lets sit and talk.
A bathroom visit gives us an opportunity to look at nothing in particular. Anne inspects a window, very, very carefully. You can never be TOO careful when inspecting windows.
The top of our van. Not a lot of space left after, three hatches, the fridge vent, the air conditioner, TV antenna, four solar panels and auto sat dish.
A big butterfly. The damn thing was so mobile, getting this shot was a miracle.
Away at 2.38pm. Motor bike with less than clever driver.
Barra Farm, where you can fish in a captive Barra audience. I think it would be better if they got you to run out say 50 metres of line then put the hook in the fish’s mouth and see if you can pull it in.
I don’t know what this is.
Exchange Hotel, Mossman.
My ‘selfie’ attempt with we four and friend Moira.
Anne inadvertently displays her Pfizer jab location.
Us again but utilising independent with no service charge person to take the pic. I reckon my Selfie is better. Notice raffle tickets. We sweat off to very near the end, but appear to be cursed.
Curse broken. Liz gets the $50 meat tray which ironically is about what we jointly chipped in. Still, a win’s a win.
Liz and Ken bathe in the moment of glory.
We are returning and yet another cane train.
Home. Liz does a salad. Anne does her Italian herb potato, Ken cooks two of the won steaks, so big that they can be cut in two. I provide just a little physical but more psychological support. It was very taxing on me.
Good meal. Red wine and some Port . More talk. Pressure from some to turn in.
Showers, a little TV Too tired to do blog. Tomorrow morning.
I wake to STILL plenty of drive through space. (Twats)
My plan worked (a few serious drinks last night) and today is another day and I further expect it to be a pleasant one. It was raining a little when I was getting up, but it has stopped. There is a little sun and the birds are singing, literally. In fact they could shut up a bit if they wanted. Bloody nature. Another shot of the non existent drive through park.
We call a couple of auto electricians and get to leave a message. So the plug will not be done today. We are due in Daintree to rendezvous with Ken and Liz. say ‘half an hour at Woolworths and half an hour to drive there. A fair thing. We park in a side street within walking distance and opposite the Mossman Lawn Bowls Club. (Pertinent) Exhibit ‘A’ Woolworths.
While shopping, an auto elec. ‘John’ returns my call and is coming back from Daintree and will be available for a street fixit in 15 minutes. He visits! So we tell him where the van is and we hurry the shopping. We would have made it back to the van on time if it wasn’t for the drinks. Alcohol must, to a certain degree be ‘pondered. ‘ I ponder quickly and make a few snap decisions. ‘How come these two bottles are so tall?’ asks I. The logical response was, ‘Because they are litre bottles, sir’ Well there you go. what’s better than a 750ml bottle of red. A litre bottle.
‘Mr Sparkie’ is waiting and gets straight into it. I show him the Narva 12 pin plugs I have bought. He says they are crap (my words) and he shows me some superior metal ones he has and they only cost 50% more that what I have already paid for the others. I know they are better, so we use his and I have a spare set of crap ones.
He is into it, but it’s a hot late morning so in an attempt to score brownie points on the humanity scale I rig up a sun screen.
The place is a veritable highway and inside of half an hour, someone else is passing on his ‘Gopher’ or more accurately mobility scooter. I pass comment on his hat which pulls on the brakes and we discuss various things including his Gopher battery capacity. He says he has been 20km to Port Douglas and back without recharging. Anyway, I sadly didn’t get his name but he was on his way after 5 minutes of chit chat.
N.B. on a serious note, I wasn’t looking for more brownie points. I will just ask you dear reader, how often would guys like this with, in this case legs missing have strangers stop them and have a friendly chat. Just five minutes out of my life and maybe it made his day. Think about that when you see someone less lucky than you, because at the end of the day, most of life is down to luck. It’s just his wasn’t as good as ours. Besides, I know how far a gopher can go now, and who knows, that may be pertinent in my future, and that may again be decided by how lucky I am.
Anyway, he is on his way.
My master waits patiently in the shade.
Job done. $120 for the plugs and $120 labour and we repair to the Mossman Bowls Club, Exhibit ‘B’ for a bathroom break.
The half hour drive to Mossman was over quickly (about 30 minutes?) and Ken has been pre-warned and is waiting up the top to take us to the sites at the bottom. He has secured the park next door to them. We set up and have a pleasant afternoon with Ken and Liz. Later, they have an engagement so we take a wander through the fabulous memorabilia.
N.B. Re Exhibit ‘B’. Ken tells us he is a member of the Mossman Bowls Club and we will go there for lunch or dinner. $10 membership and cheap drinks. I should join as well?
In the men’s toilet is the probably well know Irish dog carrying frame ….
… and it gets better with this old Ford ute
….. official price board …
…. unknown berries that will not be tasted, by me anyway …
Motor bike(s) _
…and another Ford, amongst other things. N.B. This one is for sale but no price tag. Usually if the price isn’t displayed, there is a reason.
A chance to view the van on the top, but not very good. I will see if I can get a better shot.
Down to the river landing.
Three shots very similar. It’s not self adoration (this time) . I was trying to get the river more.
Two bits of Trivia. First, a chap camping on the other side of us from Ken and Liz has the same Guinness cap. Also, secondly, looking at me, I think my head’s getting fatter. I guess it stands to reason it would go on all over.
In the end I just gave up and took the river by itself.
Showers, steak and veg, some TV (sat dish) and a very early ‘to bed’ of 9.30pm.
What will tomorrow bring? Probably more like the afternoon just gone. Who cares. It’s all good.
zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Origin of town name DAINTREE and information on the Daintree Rainforest.
N.B. 1 Gold miners, explorers, timber-cutters and farmers have all made their mark on the area. In 1873 George Elphinstone Dalrymple led the first exploration deep into the Daintree River valley, naming the river after Richard Daintree, a prominent geologist and friend.
N.B. 2 The region referred to as the ‘Daintree Rainforest‘ covers an area of approximately 1200 square kilometres and extends from the Daintree River, north of Cooktown and west to the Great Divide. It is the oldest intact lowland tropical rainforest in the world, thought to be around 180 million years old. (27 Jan 2020)
Time to move on. We are going to Mossman. We will contact friends in between, but that is our destiny for now.
So ….. You know how you can have a crap day sometimes? You know, … like a truly crap day! When absolutely everything you touch turns to crap? Well that was today.
I am not going to dwell on it, but there are limited details of today because we just want the day OVER.
We had already had a series of problems by the time we got to Mossman. The ‘Pool and Caravan Park’ had said when we booked ‘there are no drive through’s’ or sites where we could stay connected. We wanted one because we discovered the hard way, that we have crappy wiring between car and van and every time we disconnect, we run the risk of pulling out the fridge and the emergency brake wires in the 12 pin plug.
So here is where we must park because there are no drive through’s or non disconnect sites. I even tried to park on the slab as that gave us more space. However, not enough AND I pulled a mud flap off in the attempt. Then while fixing the mud flap, Anne points out the hot water system is leaking out the over flow excessively, etc etc etc. (photo just prior to disconnect)
I looked around and saw lots of space where we could have remained connected, but I had to assume it was all booked with other people coming in soon. Why else would they put us on perhaps the smallest site in the park. No one else came in.
Here is the drive through spot that didn’t exist. A damn drive through. Plus that would have still left enough space in the same stretch of park to house another van. There would have been no loss to the park. The park is either run by thoughtless people or TWATS who don’t know their own park.
YEH! … Crap day from start to finish. However, I will drink too much tonight and tomorrow it will all be OK!
Have you heard the old joke? ‘Beer and wine are not the answer, but neither is water or milk. Have a few wines at the end of a tough day and let ‘Mr Clean’ have his glass of milk. Let’s see who relaxes first.
There is another old saying. Never trust a person who doesn’t drink. A bit harsh maybe? Perhaps. Perhaps not. It is generally agreed that there was wine at the last supper. Perhaps it’s even sacrilege to not drink it. Food (and wine) for thought.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Town name origin: It is amusing that Mossman was named after a man named Mosman but changed because of confusion with the suburb of that name in Sydney. It was named by the explorer George Dalrymple in 1873 after Hugh Mosman whose main claim to fame is that he found gold at Charters Towers in 1872.
It RAINED last night! Did you hear me? RAINED. Drizzly but rain never the less. I get up to finish yesterdays blog. It is dark and overcast. An idea. I have felt a bit shagged for a few days. How about we extend and have an ‘off day’ here?
Done. We will stay today and do between nothing and bugger all, except unless we want to.
So our potential day effort is a walk. We walk to the cafe 300 metres away. We are pre-warned, ‘food is slow to come out’. Also price for eat in is about 80% loading so we get take away. However we do get two coffees to amuse us while we wait.
Look at this sign. ‘Under 18 … You can’t enter this area unless supervised by a responsible adult.’ This area is where some of the tables and chairs are. As I see it, it does not include the balcony where we are or inside where you are served. That can be interpreted as OK. So a seventeen year old with a job and a car cannot sit in the inside dining area. Surely this has to be alcohol related. It doesn’t make sense if it is not, but it refers to an area only and no mention of alcohol.
N.B. I didn’t even notice if they had any alcohol. It’s basically a food and coffee place. However, let’s say they do. I did google Legal Aid Queensland and I found this. I trimmed it but the gist is ..
If you’re under 18 it’s generally against the law for you to enter licensed premises. This includes (but isn’t limited to): a pub a bar a football club an RSL club. There are some exceptions depending on your situation—including: if you’re eating a meal on the premises, but not if it’s after 5pm and the premises are being used for cabaret entertainment.
Do they know what they mean (?) and do they know how much money is walking away from them? That is if anyone is paying attention to it. Bloody stupid sign. OK. It’s a long wait and I was bored.
Ocean view very close.
Here’s the cafe.
Old person on phone. (Just turned 70 actually)
We stuck to our word and did bugger all, most of the day, except the walk and we watched movies.
We sat for a while flicking between TV and the movie ‘Paul’ paused for easy continuing.
We bath/shower. Now a big change. I have a G & T instead of beer. In fact I used the last of the Japanese Toku gin. Red grape juice, chips & fish left over from lunch and some salad. We watch the end of Paul. It is decided to put on the movie ‘Mr Right’ and watch it in bed. I vaguely recall the first 5 minutes.
Oh, by the way, name origins. Flying Fish Point: The northern point of the Johnstone River mouth. Named by G. E. Dalrymple in 1873 after one of the cutters used in his expedition.
Other names of places around Innisfail, follow the link: http://www.users.on.net/~davidcleslie/innisfail/innisplaces.htm
We will look at Cardwell this morning and we WILL have crab sandwiches.
There we are in the van park on the far right.
We fill the car and Anne shows how to clean the front window without actually climbing up the Bull Bar and standing on the bonnet.
This is what we are looking for.
A great spot to sit and eat crab.
Said crab sandwiches. One each at a little over $13 per sanger. We agree the cost is not so much the crab meat but the labour to get enough to fill a sandwich. Hard work. I always liked crab but never order it because it’s a lot of work for a little return.
Tastes GOOOOD though.
Truer words were never spoken.
The jetty we remember from January 1996.
Of course.
The information centre with brilliant displays.
Coffees at the foreshore pool. $3 a day come and go to use the Olympic sized pool. What a good town this is.
The vicious guard dog.
We shared a piece of fish, the driver had a coffee to stay alert and we are off to Tully. Now apparently there was an on going punch up between Tully and Innisfail as to who has the highest rainfall. I assume it is still ‘on’?
Train.
Now just before we go into the town proper, we (with great difficulty I might add) pull into the Ford dealership because our damn Blue Tooth connection has stopped working so we can’t accept calls ‘a la’ steering wheel and hands free. Nice chap fixes it for us.
Tully.
In the main square, fab big trees but they have ferns and other ‘stuff’ growing on them.
Now that’s a big boot. I think I picked up it is the same height as the biggest flood they had. What’s than stuck on the right side of it?
‘Tis a frog.
Anne at the top of the boot and concerned I have not had any water for five minutes.
Main street. Old but impressive buildings.
A ‘cane train.’ Try saying that fast, five times after three drinks, or visa versa.
Road and cane.
All that sugar cane and now we come to bananas. All the bunches are individually bagged/wrapped.
We get to Innisfail and drive through as our GPS is locked on The Flying Fish Tourist Park. This park is recommended by the irrepressible ‘Ken’. That is irrepressible to all but wife ‘Liz’ . She has repression capabilities with regard to said Ken.
The road narrows. The GPS stitches us up a treat, yet again by taking us past the entrance and onto the park exit. No entry of course. A bit of manoeuvring, some bad language, plans for a new GPS and a rather unsavoury end for the current ‘bloody mongrel thing’ (that was the nice bit) and we arrive at this VERY compact park.
We are steered in by the boss. This is our patch.
You can’t quite see it but there is an Indonesian flag flying just below and left of the Australian one. My stab is correct. The lady half of the bosses is indeed Indonesian.
My lady boss and self cross the road and are almost immediately on the beach. Great spot.
We find out this is Wednesday. Well, we knew that but didn’t know it was Happy Hour Wednesday at the park. Bring own drinks and ‘nibbles’ provided. Wow! There were at least 30 (to 40) park occupants there and the boss had been fishing. There was enough crumbed fish to satisfy all present. Anne and I would have had around six portions each and there was no discussion even, of evening meal when we got back to the van. Nice people, lots of chatter, lots of wine. I got the bad bottle again with the hole in the bottom. I always get the faulty one.
Showers. Watched ‘The Money Pit’ again. Always a laugh. Maybe we should stay another day? We shall see.
Early up to finish yesterdays blog 5.15am. Yes. I didn’t finish it last night. Just too damn tired. Anyway it’s done. Pack up. Off to Garbutt Auto Repairs. We have to arrive by 8am. We have done the run before but we didn’t count on the morning traffic. Got there 10 minutes late and we now know where the van is going to fit in. It isn’t. It was done on the lawn out the front and at the same time as some council work digging up pipes.
Brakes and bearings.
On the lawn out the front. Doesn’t matter where it is done, as long as it’s done.
Experience talking, you could go a step further and say, ‘Don’t even think about them.’
Nice guy Graeme (boss) didn’t put this to the test. His credit card machine didn’t work and he trusted us to do a transfer later on. We shall. Nice to know there are still decent people around with a bit of trust.
Inevitable garage displays.
Graeme in action.
This is them. Best shot I could get. Margaret is a nice lady as well.
There’s always a dog around, even if it’s from next door. Dear old girl.
Scorpion metal work …
… and wind charm as well.
On the road heading north. Ingham first stop. But we have a whee problem. The fridge won’t come off gas and onto 12 volt. We decide we will give it a few km’s to snap into gear.
But first. that is a dinosaur, isn’t it?
The truck says , Flintstones. (?)
Now this is supposed to be two cars having a prang, I guess. However, check it out. Doesn’t it look more like a couple of sleepy lizards having either a fight or a really sloppy kiss?
What’s that just whizzed past?
LTD? my mate DPM has one. Very cool.
What is that?
Still don’t know. The top is confusing. Looks like a strawberry top but it’s yellow. I give up.
Now we are getting into sugar cane country and it is becoming lush and green.
These three (?) trucks passed us with a little help from me.
More cane.
Lush
Ingham.
A horse and a man on the roof of a pub.
Apparently it’s Slim Dusty’s Pub with no Beer.
Mitches Cafe. Savoury mince in a toasted bun. Yum!
Anne with a giant tree growing out of her head.
Anne would love this. I can just imagine her ‘hooning’ around in it. It would be great.
Another big tree.
Bad news. Van fridge is still stuck on gas. NOT 12 volt.
Mean time, lush, plus we see these big ‘things coming.
As they pass, they are big animal floats. This one is a Kookaburra. Later on I see them in a segment in the news but missed the start. Bummer.
About the only thing I remember of Cardwell 25 years ago is the jetty. Back then it was crystal clear and the water was like glass. Don’t remember the town this big either. That bloody PROGRESS again. (?)
To fix the fridge problem I need 240V so we book into I think The Cardwell Caravan Park. We read reports that say the sites are tight but the boss is magic at steering vans in. Colin is the boss and he has earned his reputation. Damn good. Also nice guy.
I am suspicious of the 12 pin plug because the pins keep pulling out the bakelite base by about 3mm when I disconnect. So I get the wiring diagram and pull the plug. Uncover and low and behold the small pink and also the black wires have pulled out of their terminals. The pink is the signal wire that comes from the car ignition to the car fridge to let it know the ignition is off SO there is no 12V available. Se with the wire disconnected, the fridge will not go to 12V. Also, the black wire is the emergency brake, so it was a double fix. Well done Leith. HOWEVER, they will continue to get un-necessary pressure on them so they should get a new plug. Put it on the list.
Curlews all over the park.
N.B. Bush Stone-curlew – Burhinus grallarius
Burhinidae
If Bush Stone-curlews are nearby you may hear their eerie, high-pitched wailing at night. This ghost-like call is their contact call, and may be given by several birds in a chorus. Rendered as weer-lo, it is repeated four or five times, sometimes culminating in a trilled, screeching crescendo. It is sometimes also heard during the day, when stone-curlews are usually inactive, standing quietly in the shade with their eyes half-closed, or squatting on the ground where their cryptic plumage makes them difficult to see among the leaf litter.
All sorts available.
Anne whips up a quick and easy but tasty meal. Salad chips, sausages and lamb chops.
Showers Juice a pleasant surprise call from the Deegs Duo bit of TV.
The 12 weeks between 1st and 2nd AstraZeneca for me ends on 14th September. So 23 days to go. That’s good down from 84. Pain in the rectum to wait so long.
Partly cloudy but mainly sunny day.
First thing today, cancel car wheel rotation. As I said there will be too much happening. The van goes in at 8am and then the car at 8.30? if they strike a problem with the van, we can’t get back to it easily. Or a problem with the car and we cant pick up the van. No. We will just do the van and when we are booked in somewhere with car detached, we will put the car in.
Second, chase up alternative van service place.
Third go to van place where booked and check out their facilities. I just couldn’t see how they would be able to do it when we went past the other day.
Fourth, aluminium can return.
Fifth, last minute shopping.
6th. Fill up with diesel.
But first, the washing … and on the way Anne spots this guy.
Have a closer look. There he is.
So we cancel the car rotation, try to get someone else to do the van. A couple of them laughed. One suggested who we were with but thought perhaps his premised were too small. So when all else fails, tell the truth. I call him up and say we have been past his place and it looks too small. He says they have a fork lift (with a tow ball) and they will manage.. OK. So we stay with them.
Next can recycle. A quick $7.20.
Next, we squeeze in an extra. One headlight has blown so it’s Super Cheap Auto for a Super Expensive globe. I fit it in the car park and also visit the auto teller for that stuff they have just started reusing again. You know the stuff. It folds in the middle when you carry it in your wallet. Err.. Munny.
While all this is going on, this little honey rolls up.
After a serious ‘perve’ on the car, we spot another at the other end of the scale.
Shopping, diesel and we are done. Back to the park.
Mick has his hands full with a water heater problem. Caravan hotwater systems are designed by sadists with manic tendencies. They should be made to work on their own designs. The Beer O’clock sort of started here. Sort of because we had beer but it was without ‘pleasure.’
Well, tomorrow we pull out at 7.30am-ish to get to the van place well before eight. So, we move the Beer O’clock to under the awning with the ladies. Good chat but must get going. Showers, steaks with mash, carrots and bok choy.
Movie, bed
zzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz
P.S. Here’s one (two) …..
Says it all. Now think of the current so called ‘Freedom Protesters.’ Twats.
Overcast again and maybe around 22degrees right now, but up to about 31 later.
It’s a maintenance day. Lots to do. But first breakie and a treat. Ham and cheese croissants with strawberries on the side.
Then work.
First take all eight of the pressure sensors off of all eight wheels.
Second, get the compressor out and pump up all tyres. At around 25 degrees C, front car 38psi, rear of car 44psi and all van 44psi.
Third, pull all eight sensors apart and put new batteries in them. Th is is because we have started getting fault signals with temperatures and pressures correct. It can only be bad signal due to low battery.
Important. Stop for lunch. Pizza’s and SPOT on. Real good ones.
Back to work.
Fourth, put sensors back on car only and just cap the van. I am going to cancel the car tyre rotation for tomorrow because we will be too much happening with the van.
Fifth and hardest. Fix the diesel heater. When trying to start it the fan runs slowly for 10 to 15 seconds then stops and gives a ‘E-06’ error reading. I checked the brochure and the fault is check polarity and ‘hall unit’?? The next door neighbour says he has fitted 6 of these over the years and to check the exhaust fan as it has a magnet which operates the pump and by the way, I had not heard the pump operating at all. It makes a ‘click .. click ..click’ sound. He (Charlie) said if the fan is rubbing move it just a little along the shaft.
By the way, I have contacted Matt, the guy who installed it in Adelaide and he said, if it doesn’t work, send a photo of it to I.D. and he will send me a new one for free. Hell! Not bad 2.5 years after sale service.
So I try the thing again and same result. I see and am reminded I have screwed a partition next to the unit to allow use of half of the under seat area for storage. However I put the petition over two fixing screws and it will be a mongrel of a job to get it out in order to get to the fan.
So here I resort to a technique many people have adopted. Some successfully and some not so. I give it a serious bash with my fist. Something makes a clanging sound so I gave it another bash with said fist. It went ‘clang!’ again. So I pushed the start button and it worked! I went through the start-run up-running-turn off-run down-stop cycle four times and I reckon it’s fixed. Readers ….NEVER, EVER over look the exercise of giving the non functioning object a good ‘boof!’
Now as per usual I was so intent on the work that I took not one photo, so at least I saved you from that. However, I didn’t download Anne’s camera yesterday when we went for a drive through town so I now include some of her shots. Ah ha! Anne took one shot of me on the tyres.
Now Anne’s shots … and understand it was a dull day and most of them were when moving.
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Anne spotted the Trans Am as well
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OK. More shots of Townsville. Done. Maybe I was a little harsh but at this stage I stand with my ‘Townsville is soul-less’ statement.
Next. Yes, you guessed it. Beer O’clock, showers, Nasi Goreng, grape juice. early night as tomorrow will be just a little busy. A few jobs.
zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz
Nah. Can’t just close without a giggle. Let’s have a funny. (or three)
By the way, 25 days to the 2nd AstraZeneca jab which will be the full 12 week wait. (!!??!)
Not a bad day but a bit overcast and I seem to recall rain predicted. Rain?
Here we are. Ingenia Holidays. (?) Used to be Woodlands Caravan Park, The address also used to be 548, Bruce Highway/ It has now been revised to … wait for it … 40,371 Bruce Highway? So how does that work? I googled it and the highway is 1679km long. It starts in Brisbane and ends at Cairns. Is the numbering clever or … errr … inadvisable? (stupid) Think about it. There is a building in Brisbane address, 1 Bruce highway. I don’t know what the last number is in Cairns but if this van park on the outskirts of Townsville is 40,371 and Townsville is about 80% of the way to Cairns, then that would put the numbers around 50,500. I picture a little home unit on the outskirts of Cairns being, Unit 3 / 50,497 Bruce Highway. Ridiculous.
I took this shot incase the ‘where are you this morning’ comes up on Everything Caravaning and Camping for the Saturday morning post.
We drove past the place where we are taking the van Tuesday. Doesn’t look big enough to receive or service the van. Will have to look into it Monday.
A drive through Townsville. Admittedly, it is a quiet, Saturday afternoon, as well as overcast and dull. Having said that. Townsville just doesn’t do it for me. Sure, it is bigger and over crowded and that puts me off. But no. Not my town. I look forward to leaving. It doesn’t seem to have a soul. It is just a place.
The Highlight of the day. I spotted this gem.
A Trans Am! And after a google for details, a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 2 door Coupe. Don’t know what year but see details of the film below.
More specifically think of the 1977 film, ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ (googled photo)
We took a wrong turn on the way back to the park. This is some of the scenery. How exciting. Another highlight. Woolworth’s and the ‘Boozerama.’
Back at camp. Thank Goodness! It happens to be Beer O’Clock. The day is saved. A good chat about all sorts including human bladders. Ah-ha! I can sense you are interested. N.B. The urinary bladder is a muscular sac in the pelvis, just above and behind the pubic bone. When empty, the bladder is about the size and shape of a pear. Urine is made in the kidneys and travels down two tubes called ureters to the bladder. The bladder stores urine, allowing urination to be infrequent and controlled. The bladder is lined by layers of muscle tissue that stretch to hold urine. The normal capacity of the bladder is 400-600 ml. During urination, the bladder muscles squeeze, and two sphincters (valves) open to allow urine to flow out. Urine exits the bladder into the urethra, which carries urine out of the body. Because it passes through the penis, the urethra is longer in men (8 inches) than in women (1.5 inches).
Now isn’t that interesting?
It’s getting dark and cold. Yes. Cold. So home to van, for showers, Chicken schnitzel, mash, green beans and carrots. (and red grape juice.) Doing bugger all can be very tiring so we hit the sheets, very, very early. (8.30pm !!!)
Another brilliant day. So it is decided we will go to Townsville for the following reasons….
1. The van is overdue for wheel bearings and brakes service.
2. The car could do with a wheel rotation, balance and alignment.
3. My watch buttons have stopped working and I am stuck on Central Standard Time but I am in EST zone. I want to know if it can be fixed by cleaning or has to be replaced.
4. An old associate from the rowing days lives here. We visited him on our way up the coast 25 years ago and will attempt to do the same.
5. We will be coming back south inland and so we should look at the coast and it’s changes from 25 years ago.
The road is exciting .
The excitement builds …
… and builds …
Now this is a little unfair on the road. I’ll check Anne’s camera. Ah ha! Hers are just a bit more ‘exciting.’
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We are at Igenia (or similar?) Caravan Park in the ‘burbs’ of the suburban sprawl that wasn’t here 25 years ago.
It is mainly a repair and maintenance stop but that doesn’t mean we can’t be good tourists either. It may marginally slow our northern advance but at least when we do go north, with not only more road worthy vehicles, both towing and towed, but I will be able to tell the time without having to add half an hour.
Now that’s all good news if not poor timing. We have done a ‘pay for three nights, get four’, thinking we can get all that done in the four days. Turns out the first two items being van and car can only be done on Tuesday morning, so we have to pull out at 7.30am to drop the van at 8am to drop the car at 8.30am and pick them up late morning. That means a lunchtime departure and a short first day north hop. Oh well. What must be, must be.
We once again pull into the space next to the Deegs Duo. At least we have some good company for four days. They will be staying longer and we will cross paths again in the next month or so.
In the mean time, the dynamic couple Ken and Liz are well north and we are aiming to front up both in the very near future.
In the same mean time, Bruce and Girlie are heading north through South Australia and will have to make a decision very soon after looking at Ayers Rock and Alice Springs. They must decide which direction they go. Darwin have had a minor covid flare up. Tiny. But not ‘Tiny’ enough to stop the SA Govt panicking. Quaking in their boots, they have said that currently, if any South Aussie goes any further than Alice Springs, if they want to get back into SA, they will have to high ball is straight to Adelaide, stopping only for fuel and then isolate for 14 days. Mix that appreciating the N.T. is now in early build up and it is getting hotter and muggier, I can see where the shine could be going off Darwin, especially given the SA ultimatum.
As far as Queensland is concerned, the SA ultimatum personally sounds like crap to me. Three Ways where you turn right/east off the Stuart highway to Queensland is 1000km from Darwin and around 700km from the closest NT covid ‘mini flare up’ at Katherine. It don’t make sense brodder. Anyway, that is another decision for gallant traveller Bruce and Ms G his co-pilot.
We came into Queensland on the basis covid extent has been along parts of the coast and in limited intensity. We stay well away from those areas until they have been fixed and gone through the mandatory 14 day period. The rules change of course but if we can declare that we have not been in a hot spot in the last 14 days, we will be sweet. Absolute worst is we will have to quarantine for 14 days and I don’t mind kicking back for a couple of weeks in our van.
Anyway, all that hoo-ha considered, we did our Beer O’clock as usual with the Deeds Duo and all the other usual stuff except it was hamburgers for lunch so Pea and Ham soup and hot chips as a light meal. Tiring day.
zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz (But with a few funnies to lighten the load.)
The late and great George Carlin. The scary truth. They are out there and they breed …. and more than the top half.
He could have done this anytime except if he wanted the grand total to be $30.
Bit of a lie in but the planned time to become tourists is 9am. Good luck. About 9.08am we made it. Not bad given the participants. Now … Tourism!
Charters Towers is choc-a-block with fabulous old buildings. This is the Stock Exchange.
BY THE WAY, ANNE GOT HOLD OF THIS MY LITTLE CAMERA AND MOST OF THE SHOTS SHOULD BE ACCREDITED TO HER. I used my ‘big’ camera for the fourth time this year but we are on a schedule so I didn’t down load it for this days use. Bummer. I did use the small camera as well, so to tell who took what shot, it might be simplest to say, if it was good, it was Anne and if it was a crap shot, it was me.
This lovely old lamp would be so impressive if it wasn’t for the palm frond.
Great old tessellated tile floors.
This lady says, ‘You have got the same camera!’ We compare and I note hers is a Canon 5D and mines a 6D. Mine is still a full frame but just one cog down from hers. She still talked to me though.
Gardens …. Good.
Council Plaque.
City Hall. Turn head 90 degrees to right or until it hurts. Which ever comes first.
We are highlighting the cast iron work. Not so much the Dentist. Although you would have to say they admire their profession with a sign that big. Very proud. Perhaps a bit too proud. (over the top bragging.)
Zara Clark Museum full of fabulous old memorabilia.
Very old hospital bed setting.
Very old iron lung.
Very old man next to very old car.
Just like my mum used to have. I loved it. She gave it away. Ouch.
It was old.
Old stuff.
This big clump of fur on the floor is one of the volunteers dogs.
She’s very old (16)
Old thing.
Old bedroom.
Old shoes.
Old film banner.
Old type writers.
Perry has a sense of humour. No sale. We only wanted alligator.
Old steeple
This is the K Mart building but it is old. Older than K Mart.
Another fab Odd building.
Tower Hill.
Us with the Deegs Duo.
Down from the tower. past WW2 ammo bunkers.
We decide to go to the weir.
This I am told by the very flora educated Deegs Duo is a Mexican Poppy. The scourge of Australian water ways dry or wet. They produce thousands of seeds and when the water comes, they are spread far and wide. Course thorny leaved and inedible by cattle and other live stock.
Old houses. Renovators nightmare.
Excelsior Library. Now dare to tell me this wasn’t a pub!
The helicopter but you can’t see it.
You can’t see it in this shot either. What a damn waste of time taking it and even a bigger waste publishing it, some might say. Me too.
Chip in the wind screen. Can’t see it.
Chip in the wind screen. Can more or less see it slightly to left of middle.
Big day. Beer. That is not a sentence, statement or question. Just a word. Have a guess what it means?
Just past dusk, we adjourn the meeting of great minds and shuffle off to make meals and cleans our bodies. Grape juice. Movie and bed for tomorrow we are going to Townsville if we can book in. If not elsewhere. Such is the life we currently enjoy. Unemployed and of no fixed abode. No. It’s mobile.
On the move, early. (!) About 9.45am. Look! A train, not to be confused with the terrain which becomes undulating and very picturesque. (becomes later that is)
See? Undulating and picturesque.
We pull up at Pentland for a bathroom break and lunch. It’s only an hour from Charters Towers but nature has proven it is prudent to pay attention to you bladders suggestion, especially if it is evolving to an immediate instruction.
Now look at this toilet I used. It appears to have two push buttons but …
…looking closer it’s a hole.
Through to another room. Errr….?
This nice little hut in front of the toilet block is in fact a block of two Gaol cells.
It’s a nice little town and some of the local’s are obviously trying to dress it up as a tourist feature. Not finished yet. Some of the dummies are not complete.
Serious door.
As I said, a nice little cared for town.
Our lunch spot.
On to Charters Towers. I think we are at the Charters Towers Tourist Park. Very good little park.
4.30pm Bush Poetry at the camp kitchen. The last night in fact of a three month stint by Neil McArthur. We catch the last half. Very amusing. Neil in middle of pic.
Got a video but far too big to download, unfortunately.
We buy a CD and get a happy shot with the maestro himself. He is a fellow caravanner.
A good day over all. Had Beer O’clock, a Chicken Kiev with home made ratatouille, showers, Televis, bed.
Cool morning. Up early for our trip to Porcupine Gorge. Gecko on the toilet door. Not entirely unusual.
When we were here 25 years ago, we walked from a pub (I am pretty sure that one.) ….
… up the road with nothing in it. … Just a road.
….. past a swimming pool … (in the distance see the shades over).
…to the swimming pool side of a patch of dirt/lawn which was more or less a caravan park. There was just us in it with a van that looked permanent.
I guess 25 years can change a few things.
Now it is unrecognisable and I had to really test my memory. Nothing like it was at all. It’s called progress I guess. Or just MORE.
On to Porcupine Gorge. That’s an emu by the way.
See? I told you.
Lots of interesting things to see.
We arrive. Down, down, down into the gorge.
….then up, up, up!
Much further up.
It was hard-ish but considering level of fitness and age (there’s that dirty word again) we did pretty good.
We were talking to the Deegs and all of a sudden this ‘blam! Blam! noise pulls up in a cloud of dust. The driver, a young guy hops out, irrationally dives under the car as if to fix something, gets up, turns the music (music?) off, puts on a hat and walks off. Errr….?
Still lots to see. (?)
To the look out.
This is what it looks like down the road and up higher
Indiscernible but interesting if you can read it (?)
Homeward bound.
Look! it’s about to click over.
It clicked over.
We go past town to Mount Walker lookout. An elevated view of the surrounds.
Steep up and worse down because of stupid people coming up at the time. I mean really stupid. No trailers allowed going up here but a camper trailer comes barrelling up. I try to get to a wide place to stop but he is having none of it so I just stop and he barely gets by but without slowing at all. Twat.
Back to camp and I pull out a Chicken Schnitzel for dinner. Oh! How lovely … and loving…?
Two ‘men amongst men’ … or men amongst caravans anyway.
We spot this little guy tucked up under the van behind a wiring bundle.
Closer examination.
Ron, Donna and Kali who we were next to in Darwin do these. This was the side of the van that showed to them.
How very nice of them. We will call.
Beer O’clock over, Schnitzel and veg. Movie. Sleep, for tomorrow we go to Charters Towers.
Up after bad sleep. Nothing important. Just both sore shoulders and back.
Looks OK. Bit overcast. It is a clean up day today. We relocate to the powered sites and set up. Clothes washing is the main theme for the day. Lots of it in both our two camps along side each other.
Nothing much else happened. Lunch of Pea and Ham soup made by yours truly. That’s right. Thawed the container of Woolworth’s magic elixir, put it in a saucepan, applied heat, stirred and poured into bowls, without instruction or supervision. Had a doze in the afternoon. Don’t know if it was the bad sleep last night that dictated it or the stress of making lunch.
Returned the call I missed during said doze from Leigh in Darwin. Yes. I had heard of the snap three day Darwin lock down. It just takes one. One guy from O/S had quarantined when he got back, tested negative but picked it up since. They don’t know where from yet, but he made it all the way to Katherine, hence their lock down as well.
Ita Buttrose of the ABC is complaining about the severity of the lock downs in I think Sydney. Why she has become an authority, I don’t quite understand. In SA and NT quick lock down has been the cure. It doesn’t move by itself. It is carried by moving people. So if everyone ‘stops moving’ so does the virus and it gives authorities a chance to chase it down and isolate it. Simple as that.
The eastern states had two problems. First they didn’t lock down IMMEDIATELY and second they allowed the brainless morons to NOT lock down and protest. So it gets worse so the twats protest more while they are causing it.
NO new cases in Queensland which is our immediate concern. Again Queensland. Immediate lock downs and they appear to be winning. (fingers crossed on that one)
More importantly, Beer O’clock! Discussion. Tomorrow we will go to Porcupine Gorge for the second time in 25 years. Day after, Charters Towers.
Not one photo taken the whole day, so here’s a funny. (or three)
Green chicken curry by my lovely for evening meal and it took more than opening a container. Well done darling. Showers, TV, juice, Bed.
We wake in Oorindi Stopping Bay, which is damn good because that’s where we went to bed.
Here is a rough 360 degrees of the traveller AND truckie stop. You will notice we two (us and the Deegs) have crammed into a corner on dirt and the other three vans that stopped along the edge so as to virtually use NO bitumen. All on the dirt.
I have nothing but respect for the average truckie out there carrying the country. Not for the less than average pig ignorant sod who went through at 6.30am blasting his air horns continuously to disturb the NON truckers. (my assumption.)
Not you can never be too careful with toilet paper. Nice big padlock. Why not a cage?
On the road and we get a sharp radio call from Lou, ‘Brolga’s high on the right. Best I could do with little notice. Nice shot of the mirror. Looks like someone is approaching. No Brolga’s.
Julia Creek was fully booked which is why we did the road stop, but it has a dump spot so we stop to empty the cassette. While stopped, Lou phones and finds there are also NO vacancies in Richmond. We manage to secure two un-powered sites for tonight in Hughenden and there will be powered sites tomorrow. So now we have a plan.
Another sign. More car eating giant cows? No. This is ….?
…. I think a crashed car and the prime mover has disconnected from the trailer. Worth noting. That advice I assume is for both travellers and truckies. I haven’t seen any caravan signs yet. There are more caravans than anything out there at the moment.
Not clear. All sorts of sophisticated heavy equipment is replacing railway sleepers. Wood with something else? No Metal being replaced by concrete.
Road.
Round rocks as a border for …?
Richmond. Lunch by the lake.
That’s us in the middle. Should start making more of an effort. Some of these shots are dead ordinary.
Sign.
Sign.
I see it looming in the rear view mirror. A thumping great bus and I will just note at this late stage, the roads were total crap, Rolling up, down, left and right. SO much so, we will try and avoid them on our return. So I see this yellow rolling monster swing out to overtake, it had my undivided attention. I hugged the outer line and thought of all those old mates I may be catching up with soon and held on. It rocked and rolled by and then overtook Mick in front. It looked less frightening when I watched it go past Mick. I think it’s the height when along side. Also the fact it’s not me. of course.
So this yellow thing had just passed and up comes contestant number two for Risk of the Month, a caravan (being pulled by a car) with the same intent and style. This guy at least hugged the right hand side line as he passed, so much so that I would have almost fitted between them. (A slight exaggeration) Anyway, the dangers passed and they rolled left and right up the road ahead of us. Note bus ahead of Deegs.
Town on the horizon.We book in at Hughenden and all of a sudden opposite our spot is THIS. A taste of yesteryear. A Chrysler Valiant. Most youngies would not have a clue what it is.
The Deegs on the right we chased the shade by parallel parking along the fence. It worked, sort of. Inconvenient for others but in my declining years I am turning a little more religious. God Helps Him Who Helps Himself.
Tomorrow we will be relocate to power and water sites then the day after Porcupine Gorge. See if it has changed. It will have. Absolutely everything else has. Tomorrow I may go for a walk and take some photos because I DO have memories of this place and it’s nothing like it used to be.
Beer O’clock was faithfully fulfilled, then showers, Chili Con Carne but with pasta as a pasta sauce, some grape juice, a movie and bed.
We (I) wake to a beautiful, sunny, still day. N.B. It’s early. 7.30am-ish. Don’t know the forecast. Will check.
Well I just spent five minutes trying to get my ‘Willy Weather’ to work. I thought it was stuck on Adelaide till I realised Parkside in Adelaide would not be 31 degrees today. So I now know we are in the suburb of Parkside, Mt Isa. By the way, it’s just next to ‘Happy Valley.’ How about that Adelaide-ites. They’ve got one as well.
Forecast, 31 degrees, sunny a light breeze of around 13km. OK. That will do. Just keep doing this.
We are moving on. Departing the FREE Irish overflow park I spot a Winnebago with matching trailer. Neat or pretentious? They have their Sat Dish up. So did we, so ‘Neat’ I say.
This was our neighbour who ran his little ‘unsilenced’ generator all but full time. It ran his air-conditioner, even when they weren’t there. (?) What’s the opposite of considerate?
All sorts of rigs. Lots of off road.
The smoker seen from 10km away.
It says, not unexpected, ‘Mount Isa Mines.’
We go into the city for some critical supplies. (wine)
The walk from car (&van) park to wine shop passes a small, grass, public park area with a very new looking war memorial. We stop to appreciate and commemorate those who gave their lives for us, as we always do when we see a memorial.
One of my favourite quotes I saw on the statue of Simpson and his Donkey in Adelaide adjacent the Adelaide Bridge.
“So, forever let it be thus, we will care for those who dare, place themselves in harm’s way for us”.
N.B. If you want the story of Simpson and his Donkey, go back to the home page and instead of going to ‘BLOG’ click on ‘Special Occasions – ANZAC 2020.’ then scroll to the bottom. It’s a short but good read.
While we were standing there, they happen to be setting up for a function in the park. This young chap comes up to me, noticing I am studying the memorial. He declares to be the veterans Rep in Mount Isa. (I assumed he must have served in Afghanistan, or maybe there are no longer living Service Vets in town and someone has to be appointed.) Anyway, I am happy to say, he seemed to take the position very seriously. In the photo below he seems to be confronting me. In actual fact, he is bending to explain that one name from WW2 was left off and he had to arrange to get it added. If ‘CRAVEN GEJ’ from WW2 was able, I am sure he would thank this fine young chap for taking the time and effort to make sure he was included. Good on ya mate.
A bit of rusty scrap steal art on display which my mate Rick M would appreciate. Rick makes whole horses the same way.
Same with Bougainvillea.
Setting up near the memorial. What is it?
This is the ‘BUFF CLUB’
This is the same showing the front entrance. Anne and I both agree when we came through here back in February 1996, The Buff Club was more or less, all alone or a few smaller buildings not too far away and THE place to eat. It is now almost missed in this mini metropolis. The place has merged and splurged. (if that’s a real term. It just kind of came out) The caravan park we stayed in was a small park on the left just down from the Buff Club heading east. There are a couple of big ones there now and another on the right. Amazing growth.
The Honorable Bob Katter’s Electorate Office 2 in Mt Isa. We should have dropped in to compare hats or something. I am wearing my ‘Cattleman.’
You’re a better man than I am Gunga Din!
N.B. 1 Gunga Din is a 1939 American adventure film from RKO Radio Pictures directed by George Stevens and starring Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., loosely based on the 1890 poem of the same name by Rudyard Kipling combined with elements of his 1888 short story collection Soldiers Three.
N.B. 2 “Gunga Din” is an 1890 poem by Rudyard Kipling set in British India. The poem is much remembered for its final line: “You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din”.
The Australian Gunga Din.
A sign. Wonder what it said?
Cloncurry. A lot nicer and neater than I ever remember it.
We are only about 100km north from McKinlay where the Crocodile Dundee Walkabout Creek pub is. We did it 25 years ago. It was great then with some cracker stories, but given the growth here, I want to remember it as it was. I don’t want to see it with neon lights and pokies.
Nice public toilets.
Crap Bakery. 12.30pm Saturday. I would like a sandwich please. We have packed up. We close at 1pm. But that’s half an hour away! We have packed up.
Another lady says, I asked at 1.15pm and they said they had packed up 8 minutes ago. So they packed up at 12.07pm, for a 1pm close, 53 minutes early!
Like I said, crap.
We walk to the next street. Sorry we are closed. But your door is open. We are closed. Try down the road. We try Foodworks. Yes we are open. Yes we can make a sandwich. Yes we have pies. Yes we are open till 5pm. And when I asked if they are prepared to take our money because we can point out two places that didn’t want it. Yes we will take your money. All done with speed, a smile and satisfaction on our part.
I just called it ‘The Nob.’
Anne is a little below par and this is a comfort mode she has.
We pull up at Oorindi Stopping Bay about 80km (?) from Julia Creek because Lou has called and they are booked out. Afternoon lay down. This is free, has three toilets and comes with a free magpie.
It landed while we four are Beer O’clocking in the shade of our van. Anne gets a sunset. It is free as well.
Dusk at camp.
Nice night. A light meal as Anne is still a little crook.
OK. I’ll google it. ‘Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition. It occurs when the 13th day of the month in the Gregorian calendar falls on a Friday, which happens at least once every year but can occur up to three times in the same year. What happened on Friday the 13th originally? On Friday, October 13, 1307, the French rounded up thousands of Knights Templars and tortured them as heretics. Some believe the date of this massacre sparked our modern-day association of Friday the 13th with bad luck.’
Morning in Camooweal.
Notice the parking in the pics? As I think I said before, I manoeuvred to ‘the lie of the land’ to avoid a dip and it also happened to block the wheelchair ramp.
Anyone seeing this would think, ‘He must have been drunk.’ There was also an RV next that pulled out as well. Looks kind of ‘Dorky’ doesn’t it?
The tree?! I told you about it yesterday, but for anyone who didn’t read yesterday … Where’s the tree? It would have been right there 25 years ago. I backed into a low hanging bow and damaged the air conditioner I had installed in the back window. Spent a while in Tennant Creek pulling it out, getting it fixed and refitting it. It was a job and a half because I knew I would never have to pull it out again (!!??) so it was over engineered and siliconed etc. Yes. I remember it vividly even after 25 years.
OFF, to Mt Isa.
We must take care because this is a very, very naughty stretch of road.
The road deceivingly looks good and straight, but apparently can’t be trusted.
More signs.
Ours is not the right van for them parts. Just Mt Isa.
NOW .. this is important! As said before, this is a horrible stretch of road where you must be extremely vigilant! There is another reason apparently.
Every picture tells a story. Look at the sign.
There are GIANT cows devouring passing cars. Watch out for these blood thirsty giants! They are apparently vicious! Caravaners! Be extra aware as it will be more difficult for you to steer around them.
Oh look. Another scrapped and deserted car. How about that.
Mt Isa. First impression. A bit scrappy. This looks like a big old disused tank. Other ‘junk’ around the place.
Shopping. We spot Woolworths but no parks. Well not for two cars with 20ft caravans on the back of them. Coles win. Further out and more street parking.
Our FREE park in the ‘overflow’ park (due to the Rodeo) which is apparently part of Irish Club. Irish? Hmmmm? No. As I said somewhere before, save $35 on a park site and spend $60 at the pub?
Beer O’clock comes with the fine Deegs and another couple as well. A nice get together but all things must come to an end. That is except for the guy with the generator. He and his damn generator seems to be never ending.
Half way through an excellent meal by maestro Anne. Steak cooked to perfection. Me …medium rare and she …rare. International quality meal at do-it-yourself prices. Oh. And special mention. Leigh Biggs home made and brilliant BEETROOT. He should go commercial. N.B. Photo deleted. It tasted great but half way through, it looked … well … more like a dogs dinner.
This morning I have a good look at the ablution block. I am impressed by the amount of space for this single urinal. My first thought is wheel chair access for the urinal but someone in a wheel chair would be much lower. I had a few scenarios in mind. Well the one with the tube may have worked if it had a hose clamp to tighten around the part of the user. It also would have needed a one way back pressure valve. Or there may have been enough space for a ramp, but if so it would be very steep and requiring quite a bit of effort, Not a welcome thought to someone in a hurry and the with ‘pressure on.’
Notice why we missed the entrance? Walk in down the side and the sign is way up the top. Sherlock Holmes may have spotted it…. maybe.
Back up to three ways.
We meet the Deegs at the corner and we turn and head east along the Barkly with the familiar view of the back of their Traveller van. Like old times.
Coming up ahead the turn off north to the Heart Break Hotel around 370km away.
Someone in a much bigger hurry than us.
Understated. They were not just cross winds. They were extremely cross winds. Some would say, just plain angry as hell.
I see you sneaking up you …. sneak?
I wonder what that sign said.
Selfie. I unfortunately had to keep looking at the road.
What was that one?
More of the same.
Yet more Army trucks.
Barkly Homestead. Lots of stuff. A whole lot more than 1996, 25 years ago when we first came through.
Ahand out info brochure said, ‘Before you criticise our prices, appreciate our diesel generator some times uses $700 worth of fuel in a day. Understood but $192.4? Ouch!
A simple map turned to be appreciated coming from the east. No. Not on purpose. I just couldn’t be bothered turning it.
Lou and Mick give a wonderful 70th Birthday gift. Nor just Whisky but Scotch Whisky ….
… and not just Scotch Whisky but from LEITH!
I suggested we sample after dinner so we meet after dusk and it gets well and truly sampled. Not much left actually. Good Scotch. Enjoyed by all four. I think I won in consumption rate. The adjudicators are still out, but I am quietly confident.
We break very happy and went to bed …. I think.
zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz
Thursday 12th August.
We wake. Anne yells out, ‘Come and look at this!’
Budgerigars! BUDGIES! Thousands of them Green ones. Internet is too slow to load video.
This guy doing it in style. Fifth wheelers are the ‘executives’ of the road.
Time to go. The generator battles on.
We are one of the last to leave. Some move on before day break.
Heading for the border following the familiar Traveller spare wheel and number plate. Some of us are born to lead, some to follow and some of us, such as myself, don’t really care either way.
100km to go to 159,000km. We missed it by the way. It ticked over somewhere on the flat plain.
Flat plain.
The border approaches … or rather we approach it.
February 1996 there were only two, 44 gallon drums and umpteen million flies and we were the only ones for miles. Not a lot more now. If it wasn’t for the Police road block….
Police check going Queensland to NT but just down to 60km for us to whizz straight through.
On …. on…. about 14km …..
….to Camooweal.
When we were here last, in February 1996 There was a caravan park, sort of, behind the servo and a pub about 100 metres.
Now there are two van parks and the other is choca-block. So back to the same one we were in 25 years ago. Much bigger but just as unorganised. I will qualify that statement. We were assigned to two sites next to each other and both ‘drive throughs.’ There was only one site, not two, there was someone in it and it was not drive through. The Deegs got a site not far away and I manoeuvred into a spot adjacent a toilet block on and angle to avoid a significant dip and across the wheelchair access That’s OK. I didn’t see any wheel chairs. We’re only here for a night anyway.
I go looking for THE TREE. 25 years ago I was backing in using the compass to ensure we had shade in the morning and totally missed the low branch. That is I totally missed seeing it. The air conditioner I had installed in the back window copped the lot. I spent a whole day in Tennant Creek fixing it.
Tree is gone. I remember it well. I was hoping to record history but not so.
We settle in. I even READ a bit. We have our Beer O’clocks, make a few decisions and off to eat, bath and sleep.
Decisions? Mt Isa next. However there is a Rodeo on at the moment there so we will shop there, but if too ‘mad’, we will continue to Cloncurry.
OK. Showers, sausages and chops and veg. Sat dish. A bit windy. Sat dish down and plug a stick into the TV. Movie. The Way. Bed.
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.
zzzzzzzz zzzzz zzzzzzzzzz
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?
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.
zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 …
Tonight we go see Jimeoin. However today it is damn hot and again we stay put. some tidying up. Slow, slow day.
It flies. A doze seems in order. We are roused by a phone call. We don’t make it to answer but the snoose cycle has been broken.
Anne says, where’s your camera?’ She disappears with it. Me thinks, sunset but just a smidgen early?
(N.B. smidgen /ˈsmɪdʒɪn/ noun INFORMAL a small amount of something. “add a smidgen of cayenne”)
I try to retrieve the sunset shots from the camera. Instead, I see lots of colour. The next door neighbours are very much into arts and crafts. I have notices sometimes at Beer O’clock that they are making things. Very clever. I have somewhere between little and no artistic prowess unless it is buried deep. In which case way too deep for the worlds best surgeon to retrieve. He would also need not so much a scalpel as a jackhammer and blasting power. He would have to go REAL deep. I have seen similar to these in weekend markets etc. I think they are called ‘dreaming s’ . Anne spotted the colour and recorded them. I see the neighbours quietly making other interesting items. I think it’s called creativity. I have some of that as well but it’s down a different track.
Early showers for early exit to the show tonight.
Parked and ticket presentation for entry.
I have to retrieve the tickets from my phone. I find the email and present details like invoice and payment but they are not the tickets themselves. So I am sent to the nice young lady at the ticket office. At this stage Anne is sure I have everything under control (why the hell would she think that!?) and repairs to the bathroom. The ticket lady takes my phone and retrieves the tickets AND scans them off the phone. (They can do that?) She has deduced I am less than efficient in this system, so she gets a ‘stick it’ piece of paper and writes down our row and seat number as well as the entrance door number. She declines my request to take me to the door.
Cath arrives and heads to the magic bathroom and they both come out shortly thereafter. I go seek another friend and the four of us are seated.
N.B. Re: fourth friend, the conversation goes, ‘$9!! I can buy a whole bottle for that!’
It’s Jimeoin, so it’s funny. The Northern Irish accent, his controlled delivery and ‘down to earth’ attitude and subjects has always been his signature and guarantee for success. e.g. ‘I found a shirt I really liked. I looked and it was made in China. I bought it anyway. I try to be loyal to Australia, but only if it doesn’t cost me money to do it.’ (or something like that).
I take the following photos. They were the best ones. No flash.
You are not supposed to take pics.
A soft hand touches me gently on the left shoulder. It was almost affectionate except it was followed by, ‘Sir. You are not allowed to take video’s.’ I said, ‘I’m not taking videos.’ She added, ‘ … OR photo’s.’ Had I gone on, I would have presented what I had taken and argued whether they could be seriously called ‘photo’s’, but common sense told me she had the high ground and while I had a camera, she had an authoritative machine gun.
Half time and Cath blazes the way. I say I want to line up for a drink but she steers us out to the balcony which has an initially, poorly supported bar. However speed is/was the essence. By the time we got our drinks there were thirty others behind us, that pinged the advantage of the balcony shortly after us (Cath) and were hoping to do the same.
The second half went as well as the first except no romantic shoulder caress. A chit chat in the car park and the night is done. Home in the dark. I must put it in the diary.
It felt a big day. I still had a part movie with a few nuts and a bit of grape juice to complete the day properly. Anne has no such requirement and was already in the land of nod before I had chosen the film. ((I only watch half an hour.)
A day of ‘this and that’ at home. The time marches on and we do some more sorting of paperwork and caravan info.
Of course with the whizz and rush of buying a van one doesn’t really focus on all the paperwork. I am splitting all brochures and paperwork etc into the following categories. Original van features, features we have added to van, original purchase paperwork, service book and receipts, original car, then things we have added to the car and extra accessories not attached. i.e. generator, blower, reciprocating saw, etc etc etc. Stuff that can be excluded.
Now while all this is going on, I come across and look at the wiring details and items. Having both an electrical and drawing office back ground I am embarrassed to say I had not looked at this at all. Now I see discrepancies and will be contacting Supreme Caravans and insisting on clarification.
Things are not clear. I refer to ….
…the fuse panel that are in fact small circuit breakers.
The main switch/circuit breaker.
… none of which are shown on the wiring diagram.
… Although they are listed elsewhere making reference to wire colours as opposed to the numbers they display and some of the ratings. i.e. There are twelve circuit breakers numbered 1 to 12. Ten are 10amp two are 15amp and two are 20amp.
The fuse list has only eleven of which ten are 10amp and only one is listed as 10/15amp. No 20amp. They are not shown on the wiring diagram. Tip of the iceberg. So many other shortfalls. Still, my problem.
N.B. Just for the record, the only time you need this info is when you have a problem. So best to sort it BEFORE we get a problem or we will have no reliable reference points.
Shopping! Again. We can always find something to buy. Even if we spent $110 the day before, the next day we can still manage a $60 purchase and it’s not like we forgot them the previous day. These are just extra’s ‘out of the blue.’
So this is not out of the blue because Leigh told us to look out for it. Ready to cook rice. They have both Jasmine and Basmati. Two small bowls with peel back tops. So, peel back the tops about 1 or 2 cm’s, place in the microwave and zap it for 1 minute to do both if you have a 1000watt micro. The van micro takes 2 minutes but then just peel off the peel back lids completely and it is ready. $2. So $1 per serve. Sure. Cheaper to buy a bag, BUT it’s done in 2 minutes from go to whoa.
Beer O’clock with neighbours at a late 5.45pm, showers, grape juice. Then we indeed go’ed and whoa’ed the rice, put it with some chilli con carne, corn chips and for some unknown reason, broccoli? Oh. That’s right. It was on it’s way out and had to be eaten. Waste not want not. Movie. Drowsy.
Well the damn hands free phone facility will not work. I have had it explained to me once. Turn everything off. The Blue Tooth in the car and the phone. Un-pair all BT devices, then start again from ‘off and clear’ to on and paired, but I must have done it wrong.
Also, the exhaust fan above the shower is ‘soft.’ While being cleaned by ‘Super Swipe Anne’, a blade just quietly pulled off. Not snapped. Not twisted. Not rocked up and down till it finally gave away. While cleaning it, the blade just came off sort of like pulling a piece of icing off a birthday cake.
Also, the screen on the same fan is cracked and should be fixed. Buy some glue.
With the new shade I got 10 tent pegs, all cut off square so driving then in, is not so much like forcing a wedge in, but trying to compress the soil in one spot about 8mm’s wide and however deep you managed to get. In slightly damp soil, about 120mm. In dry compact soil, about 20mm. Neither suitable for it’s purpose. All these Coast to Coast CHINESE pegs come the same. Bloody useless.
So back home I would do what I did last time. Get on the grinding wheel and spend 5 minutes on each, so transforming them to a cross between a centre punch and a Rapier. (slight exaggeration)
N.B. rapier /ˈreɪpɪə/ noun a thin, light sharp-pointed sword used for thrusting.
Perhaps not Rapier like. Anyway, very, very sharp. Cut your finger sharp. ‘Watch out for that! It’s sharp!’ sharp.
But that grinding wheel is 3000km away. So I price engineering shops to do it. Two prices for ten pegs. $30 and $65. I can buy 10 sharp ones for $15 but I will still have the 10 blunt ones. (2kg?) I can buy a Bunnings brand Ozito battery operated hand grinder for $59 and do it myself AND would have the grinder after. I will correct that. I will have the 10kg heavy grinder that I will have to carry and will probably never use again. I don’t need the extra weight. (I already have a suitable battery) Cheapest and/or easiest. Buy new pegs.
So to BTC at Pinelands yet again.
Job one. Have you got an exhaust fan … blah blah blah. No. I don’t know if it is clockwise or counter clockwise. The $19.50 one or the $35 one? The first has a tiny round hole in the middle and a bevel around the edge that looks familiar. Yes, you can bring it back and change it if you have your receipt.
$19.50 Round hole and bevel. Familiar.
$35. Hole with flat spot to allow shaft ‘key in’. No bevel Not familiar.
Job two No. We don’t have Araldite two pack glue. Repco next door did.
Job three. Half way home, S**t! Forgot the tent pegs. Get them from Bunnings tomorrow.
Job four. Ford. Hidden Valley. ‘Would you like an opportunity to promote good will between your dealership and a Ford owner?’ Sir.? ‘I cannot fix the hands free facility on the Ranger. I need someone young.’ ‘Bring it here to the service bay sir.’ ….. and just 3.5 minutes later, it worked. No charge. Can I give you something? No need sir. Our policy does not allow it. OK. Have you got a bin? Can I dump some rubbish here? Yes sir. Over there.
On to a non job. Just Pleasure. We drop into Tanz’s shop and see Tyson and Anna from Dili for the first time in ages. Covid and Bad luck with storm destruction on their retreat in Dili has steered them to Darwin. Great catching up, chatting, GOOD coffee (they have their own grinder) and a look at the shop. They are doing well.
Back to the van.
Job One. Exhaust fan. Guess what? All the blades just pull off.
Shaft stripped and ready for new fan.
New fan. Done.
Job Two. Glue Screen Frame. Anne says ‘Don’t bother. It’s been cracked for ages.’ says Anne. OK. Spare glue.
A couple of wins today. Well done. Skip Beer O’clock. Showers, Chicken Kiev with mash potato, and steamed carrot and broccoli. Grape Juice, some Olympics, a movie.
The Bucket List (again). A good story with two actors that were perfectly matched to their screen characters and excellent supporting roles. Great film.
Story Line. Corporate billionaire Edward Cole and working class mechanic Carter Chambers have nothing in common except for their terminal illnesses. While sharing a hospital room together, they decide to leave it and do all the things they have ever wanted to do before they die according to their bucket list. In the process, both of them heal each other, become unlikely friends, and ultimately find joy in life.
Haven’t had a Port for a while? Ah. Now I remember what it tastes like.
This morning, Australia has four rowing races in the Olympics. The last starts 11.20am and will take around 6 minutes (or maybe a bit less) So we are going nowhere till 11.30am.
Worth the wait, both the womens and mens coxless fours won GOLD and both the womens and mens quad sculls won BRONZE medals. FOUR medals in a single morning. Worth a call (or two) to maestro Mangs, oars person extraordinaire in Adelaide for some mutual excitement sharing.
Now, we can go.
In town and we go past the Air Raid Arcade and see the cafe/bar that was setting up weeks ago is now operating. Very ‘Schmicky!’
The whole Arcade is ‘Schmick’ now, so it appears.
Then up past the wine bar with attitude. ‘Open when the doors are!’ OK. I get the picture.
Then up the alley way to the ‘Hot Women!’ The sign further describes … ‘Women singers from the torrid regions of the world.’ Then further-further declares … ‘Taken from old 78 rpm records.’ Well that is cool but a bit of a come down from ‘HOT WOMEN!’
Tucked away but I’d say it SWINGS.
Now onto the tech store. I want to improve our phone signal. They show a gadget for a mere $899.99! My … that’s quite a gadget.
Now here is something fascinating. Anne heads to this exotic soap shop she is familiar with. When we get there at 2.04pm, their plastic clock on the door (inside) says Will Return 1.58pm . So we figure they are late by 6 minutes. We will wait. We wander within ‘cooee’ and wait patiently. After 3 or 4 minutes I look at the clock again and , ‘Low and behold! it has been changed to 2.12pm and we didn’t see a sole. My thoughts? They are inside having a snooze and just keep changing it. We wait till 2.20pm then decide we will go without their soap and keep our money. They are obviously very astute business people.
A soap so near …
Sad scene. Anne with money in hand and in view of the soap ….
Back down the mall and we see and hear a ‘swaggy’ reciting. We pause about 7 paces past and listen. The delivery seemed fluid and characteristic. I tried to identify it and thought I picked up a ‘Clancy’. So I was thinking, ‘The man from Snowy River.’ but it didn’t have the continuity. Anyway, he was ‘working it’ and I figured $5 would mean a whole lot more to him than us.
On to THE flag shop to end ALL flag shops! I examine my purchases under the watchful eye and supervision of the Master of Flags, ‘Ron.’ He and his shop have been there since the year ‘dot’. What ever you may have thought or heard regarding flags, whatever Ron says will be right. He is the flag ‘Oracle!’
Now I didn’t notice till after we left the shop. A few things on the card. First ‘ff’ after Ron’s name. Flag Fellowship?
Then three words that look aboriginal. I google with limited luck. nukara.info is a modern tool for sharing tunapri (knowledge). Wajarri is the most commonly spoken Aboriginal language in the Greater Geraldton region. The Yingkarta or Inggarda people are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Gascoyne region … In the case of the Ingarda tribe to the south of the Gascoyne River. This may or may not be accurate but was all I could find. Drop in and ask Ron.
See you next year Ron.
On past what used to be Raine and Horne real estate office when we worked for them from about 1997 to 2000. It’s now Elders and not a familiar name anywhere. Couldn’t help noticing 11 property mangers, ALL female. Are they now sexist or does it just happen that ladies are better at handling tenants?
Drop in to see Leigh on the way through. We like Portuguese sardines because they are bigger. Usually so big so just four per can. That means it is a serious ‘on toast’ breakfast. But Leigh has some that say Portuguese Style BUT also says Sole Mare which is Italian for Sun Sea. A mystery.
Now, on the way home, the ‘You must fill your fuel tank!’ light comes on. Well, it’s a little bright fuel bowser. I had heard there was another fuel ship arrival and maybe the fuel prices may fall, (or the sky may fall, or the exchange rate may fall or the covid scare may fall? Just as much chance) so I had waited till this light came on. Now, here is an opportunity. I always wanted to know how far I had left to travel once the light came on.
So I proceed immediately to a station and fill up. It takes 107 litres. The tank holds 122 litres, so the light comes on with 15 litres remaining. Multiply 15 by 5.91 which is the current number of kilometres I get per litre and that equates to 88.65 kilometers. Four things. This does not allow for the possibility I may have a dent in the tank so reducing the capacity AND secondly, you wouldn’t want to run it out in case you ‘suck’ any dirt in the bottom of the tank, into the fuel line and cause a blockage. Thirdly, I also added the injector lube and lastly, yes. Only 5.91 km per litre because we are pulling and carrying SIX TONNES.
Home and the bathroom. It’s crowded. This guy was just as startled as me when I got to the cistern. He high tailed it and ended up on the door.
A closer look.
Enough excitement. Nope. A neighbours neighbour is leaving soon so we end up in a farewell circle of eight for a beer. (three)
Showers, Fish and chips for meal. Both a la frozen so this is a tester and it was good, saved as healthy by the last of our salad. Movie. A wine. A sleep.
It was just a catch up day where we never left the park, or the van for that matter. Still haven’t caught up everything and still haven’t finished the paperwork but we are closer.
We now have a firm departure date. We decided to stay for Leigh’s birthday 3rd August and mine, 4th August, both to be celebrated on the night of the 4th, allowing for NOT packing up and checking out the day after so we depart on Friday, 6th August. (at this stage?)
So no photos or experiences today. Therefore, instead, some funnies.
I had this in storage and had to wait 20 years to get it. I think it’s just so dry and clever.
Maybe you won’t be able to read it. I posted it in facebook today.
Posted it on the blog and I cannot read it, so I am providing the exchange between wife and husband. Neither of them take their eyes off the newspaper.
(WIFE) Anything interesting in the paper? … (HUSBAND) 42 years ago, this woman ran off with her husbands life savings after their wedding reception. Now she shows up and sues for divorce. He’s a quadriplegic ex-marine with a $12,000 disability pension living alone in a trailer park in Alaska. The Judge awarded her $1000 a month Alimony, retroactive to 1948. ….. (WIFE) How’s she gonna live on $1000 a month?
Some new self help courses I dug out of the archives.
A very wise man.
Didn’t even do beer o’clock. Showers, tested the new frozen chips and they are winners. We had good old English, ‘Egg and Chips’ with a bit of salad to make it healthy. Grape juice, movie …..
Looks a clearer sky this morning. Also looks a sleep in morning as not a stir from the bed end of the van.
Now, a bit of cloud has appeared. Damn. Sticky again?
I believe Samuel Clemens, AKA Mark Twain, once wrote, ‘Every body talks about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it.’ It has also been suggested that Charles Dudley Warner was the person who ‘coined the phrase.’ Or in fact it is said the original Warner quote was, “Everybody is talking about the weather; why doesn’t somebody do something?” Refer to ‘Question Investigator … https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/04/23/everybody-talks-about-the-weather/
Now THERE is a lot of stuff you didn’t need to know, but hang on. You might be in a quiz show one day and it will be you big chance to be a true ‘Smart A**e.’
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was lauded as the “greatest humorist the United States has produced,” and William Faulkner called him “the father of American literature”. Wikipedia
So I whizz Anne off to her hair appointment at 11am and amuse myself for the 45 minute wait by doing such things as walking up to the Entertainment Centre to enquire about some Jimeoin tickets. Locked. As I stare at the door, the young lady I saw outside having a ‘ciggy’ appears and explains I have to call up to book OR go ‘on line.’ I photograph evidence supporting her claim.
I have always enjoyed the personal touch.
So I pick up Anne. Well it was an exciting pick up. She is walking down to the Woolworth’s car park where I am. In the mean time, totally focused on where she will be now, I absent mindedly did a blind turn out the IN ONLY access lane. Much waving and gesturing from pedestrians who seemed quite concerned about my actions. No smiles. Lots of grimaces. Hey. Very BIG on ‘grimaces.’ I thought, too late to reverse, so the least I could do is wave back, with a smile. That didn’t help fix the grimaces at all. Some people just like to be angry … and grimace.
Down to the boatshed at Cullen Bay to meet Phil and Veronica. (and bubs) A very pleasant couple of hours catch up and chatting. They have been isolated from Dili for a while but are making do. It was good to get together. We don’t think about just how many people we knew in Dili. Lots of good people. (a few duds mind you) Notice Anne’s straight hair, courtesy of the hairdresser. Looks nice enough but it’s not ‘her.’
Departure time. We drop into Leigh’s place for a free cup of tea on the way home. Also, to the Oriental Emporium for another bag of frozen Thai fish cakes. They are good. We got four meals out of the last bag and it was only about $15.
Home. Beer O’clock with the other neighbours, showers, Woolies schnitzel and 3 veg then a little investigation regarding ‘Jimeoin.’
Here’s the guy.
Here’s what they say about him and all good stuff, well deserved.
However, this was the bit that got my attention. …. (below)
Price, $59. Fair enough.
$54 for concession persons. Just $5 discount for people financially behind the eight ball? Hmmmm. How about $49? These people need a bit of a hand.
Groups of 6 plus, another $5 discount. Yep, OK.
Now ….. Online or phone booking, you have to pay an extra $4.95? That’s for the booking irrespective of how many tickets you are buying. Sounds just SO much better than $5 doesn’t it? But WHY do you have to pay the extra?
and ….. $2.50 per ticket if purchased from the box office. Now that’s a bit of a trick for a start. If you look at the sign outside the door (at top) it only opens an hour before the performance.
SO ….a group of 6 book online, full rate $59 x 6 + $4.95 = $358.95
AND face-to-face it’s $59 x 6 + ($2.50 x 6) = $369
So generally if you DARE to go to the box office, it will cost your group an extra $10. Again, WHY?
Why do you get charged ANY extra to but tickets? They are charging you money to take your money. It just doesn’t make sense.
Nature wakes me and I get a glimpse of it ‘getting up’ at dawn. Lots of bird life. Why fly so early? Are they getting up with a hangover, thinking ‘Where the hell am I?’ then trying to get home before anyone notices?
This could be labelled ‘The wicked life of errant Birds.’
N.B. errant /ˈɛr(ə)nt/ adjective FORMAL•HUMOROUS erring or straying from the accepted course or standards. e.g. “an errant husband coming back from a night on the tiles”
… KITE! A bird of prey? Bird of opportunity more likely.
More Ibis, I guess they can be pretty ‘errant’ when they get going. Still in pairs. Slippery buggers.
What’s this?
A Solo slippery Ibis.
… and this?
Either this guy is in a steep bank or he has lost an engine and is going into a spin.
We potter around and side step the inevitable. The side stepping lasted till after lunch time (we skipped lunch) but then the pile of paperwork that kept screaming at us, finally could not be ignored any more. That was the whole afternoon gone. Look at the horrible thing sneering at us from the foot of the bed.
So to lighten the terrible experience a little we tuned onto the Olympics. It is the Olympics but it is a little sad with no roar of the crowd or glory of the full winners dais presentation.
More amusement. A show on Monaco. To be honest I always thought ‘Princess’ Grace Kelly had been a bit of a trophy bride but it seems that Monaco was sagging and going broke, till Grace created some interest and revitalised the place. It now sparkles from her Legacy.
It showed the life style and shinny toys of the stinking rich and also of the not so stinking. They said there are only two categories of people can live here. Either the absolutely loaded (an alternative to stinking) or the genuine citizens. Compensation is made for citizens. This may not be accurate because it is relying on my memory, which is a very brave thing to do, but where a non citizen would have to pay say 5000 Euros a month to rent an apartment, a citizen may get it for $700. Also I seem to recall non citizens were classed as rich enough to live there if at any given moment, they had access to 350,000 Euros instant cash. I would fall short by around 345, 000. No. Hang on. That’s Euros. 345,300 .
See the shinny toys below. By the way, these are photos of the TV screen, hence the tapering to one side of the screen due to being taken from my seat.
Well, enough is enough (paperwork). We are not there but we are closer. A few beer o’clocks with a neighbour, then showers, Thai Fish Cakes for evening meal, a movie, red grape juice. The end of another action packed and mesmerizing day. N.B. mesmerizing /ˈmɛzmərʌɪzɪŋ/ adjective capturing one’s complete attention as if by magic. e.g. “a mesmerizing stare” Errr…?
On the list is, shopping to get goodies to do a Chili Con Carne, MORE paperwork, auto electrician (Left mirror), Engineer to grind a wedge on new tent pegs, Officeworks for an expanda file and staples and a Parap Market for Pastéis de Nata. (small Portuguese custard tarts)
So how did we go? Parap was too busy, so I double parked and Anne took off returning empty handed and pretty peeved off. No Pasteis to be found. Got the expanda file and ‘staples’ but don’t know if they are right because I forgot the stapler and didn’t check which size. We shall see when I try them tomorrow. Leigh has cast doubts on the repair of the mirror. (they are not meant to be fixed). No to engineer, no to paperwork.
So buying goods for a Chili conk and making it is the thrust and purpose of the day. We are providing the meal for tonight and because there are four it has to be a biggy because we want plenty left over for ‘down the track.’
So 1.5kg of beef mince lots of cans of peeled tomatoes and red kidney beans, a thousand different herbs (slight exaggeration) and all done in the BIG pot, only brought out when it has to be. Anne looked like a very nice, up market witch ‘stirring her bubbling couldron …
‘Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble
Double, double toil and trouble
Something wicked (tasty) this way comes’
Courtesy of Harry Potter, although I think it was around before him.
The ‘Conk’, guacamole, corn chips, sour cream all loaded up and off we go. Leigh and Tess did the rice and it all went down very well, as did the beer and wine. Apple crumble with icecream desert by master chef Leigh.
Well something worked out today anyway. A good night. .081. Anne is driving.
Home, to bed, perchance to dream (or nightmare as the case may be) …
JUST FOR THE RECORD …. I was early to update the blog, but the site DIED
So… I got onto the oracle of computers, ‘Roger’ and just a mere 2.5 hour conversation later, it was fixed. BOY GENIUS! Boy being a term of endearment. He is way past boy.
So. …………… here we restart……
A sort of busy day. Out to BTC (caravan place) with advisor Leigh, for more rail and a new wider sun screen for the off side of the van.
HOWEVER, while there, in walks a shirt with ‘Nilsen’ embroided on it and being worn by a fine chap named Russell who is the big boss of this fine company up here. I started my working career at Nilsen’s in Adelaide, building switchboards as an electrical fitter apprentice. (In 1968 for $16 a week by the way.) A few stories swapped and we part company. Never mind his managerial or intellectual assets, he was a good PR man for his company.
More burning off. (?)
At the Cool Spot Coffee Place. While we lived here, (1996 to 2000) we saw a lot of Darwin and we didn’t need a hop on-hop-off bus, but it was great to see it in town now as the town gets bigger.
Gooood Coffee.
We are meeting Xana, daughter of Tina and all around nice (& clever) young lady. A couple of pleasant hours. We solved a few of the problems of the world (I told you she was clever) and we parted way too soon. Just another hour or two and we could have fixed all the problems!
‘See ya Layta’ Xana … and we go home.
Sitting there, at home, look at this spot. What are we looking at?
Here is the subject. Tiny little bird.
And here. Two!
They are Tiny! This is the ‘take off’. You see the bird as nothing but a blurr of wings.
Drinks with neighbours, as one does.
Home. All the usual stuff. Showered etc.
zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Thursday, 22nd July 2021.
Leigh arrives. He is here to help with the extension of the rail for the shade. (He has the pop rivet gun and much knowledge) The finished item pictured. Just 400mm long added, for the wider screen.
Believe tom Parap rough arabioff cuts
It is done. Leigh must go. He is needed else where.
Fish Cakes!! Bought from the Asian Emporium, Bagot Road.
We have decided to have a go at these frozen fish cakes.
N. B. No guarantees: about 25 fish cakes for about $14. Good value. (if OK)
Showers, Dinner. Thai Fish Cakes (!!??) with rice and other nice, things.
Good. REAL Good!
Movie: ‘Star Gate.’ (heaps better than the series. … But then again the film did come first. (!!!) GOOD film.
Anne calls from the bed, ‘Give me your camera.’ I see the beam of light coming through the window and ‘click’ her hand, then hand her the camera.
She takes a pic or two. Not very thick skinned. Are we.
We pack the box to go back to Adelaide., go to Bunnings to get locks for it and on to Darwin Lock & Key for other odds and ends.
Look! Seniors discount! What fine people.
A patriot in transit. I agree with all of it.
We get the box down to Greyhound. Change boxes on good advice from ‘Bart’ to save money as ours is too big.
The conversation continues and we find … Bart Is East Timorese!
Good guy. Very helpful. Enjoyed the chat. Thanks for the help and nice to meet you Bart!
Karama for shopping, home and all the usual.
Another action packed day. You know, when we were in Adelaide I noted this was a travel blog and said as we were not travelling in Adelaide I was stopping the blog and will re-start when we hit the road again.
I should have done the same here but it didn’t seem wrong to just tick away a bit. Anyway, it’s done. Keeps me active. Sure gets me out of bed early.
Looks a bit more clear this morning. Maybe a nicer day.
What is left to do. Pack up a box to send back to Adelaide. clear the paperwork we were going to do a year ago, so it can be sent back as well. un-crowd the van a bit with light but bulky gear, see a few people we haven’t yet and sort out if we want another sunscreen for the van. Nothing substantial. It is just we are so slack all this takes so long. So yes, we will extend another week.
We will go to the office so let’s do an update on the power meter. Here is the reading on our site power meter. We paid a deposit of $100 for power when we arrived 5 weeks ago and the first two days, we found we were using $4.50 per day. That would put it at 5 weeks x 7 days per week x 4.50 per day = 157.50. Ouch.
We pay for another week and ask for the bad news. Just a mere $118 power so far! We have cut back somehow. (?) Great.
We tested out new ‘mids’ walking them to the office. ‘ Mid’s? There are Shoes, Boots and half way between called ‘Mid’s’ Just a little support over the ankle but not full boot further up the leg. Here Anne does a ‘lift the heal, cutsie shot.
I am not ‘cutsie.’ These Mid’s are very good though. Merrells soft tread to ground, ‘Gortex’ to waterproof and just a plain comfortable wear. Good shoes no boots NO! Mid’s! And the main reason we went from the planned shoes to the mid’s was the best reason you can get. They didn’t have shoes in our size. We had to go ‘Mid’ to get our sizes.
So we go cross country back to the van through the park.
Almost jungle.
Lots of different shade arrangements….
Over the back fence …
… and the long termers are way over the top.
Back home.
Home sweet home.
Anne samples my new, ‘French foreign Legion’ hat with big duck bill visor and back, neck shield. It also has pull string tightener and special tether lead which clips to you collar so if your hat blows off, you don’t lose it. All that for only $13.50 from Fishing and Outdoor World in the city.
This 7 minute walk has exhausted us so we decide to have a lay down on the bed and watch TV instead of doing the paper work.
5.15pm we are disturbed by Gary next door, drawing our attention to the fact that it is past Beer O’clock. What a good neighbour. We adjourn next door with chairs and liquid refreshments.
My what a wicked and exciting life we lead. No. We have been stationary too long and must move on.
I finally finish the light with it’s new switch. It is tucked away on one end of the bed, so I am sure no one will notice the black switch …….
…. instead of grey.
Q So why fix it? Just get another light. A Priced them. Around $55. (!!??)
Q OK so $12 for a new switch but why another $12 for a spare? A Because this is the third switch in 2 years to break and it is going to happen again. I should have two spares.
Q Why $2.50 for a terminal block strip with enough for ten switches. Just cut two terminals off as you need them? A Because I had to cut the wires to get the light off and they have to be rejoined after fixing.
Q Why $5 for a bag of spade lugs? A Because I have been pre-warned by Leigh that the temperature to get the soldering iron to melt the solder on the PLASTIC switch terminal is enough to melt the switch mechanism.
Q Why $4 for minimum length of a metre of twin fine wire? A Incase the wires are too short to get in close to re-join.
Q Why $15 for a small round file? A Because the hole in the metal base is too small for the new switch and had to be enlarged.
More than you wanted to know? Yep. Can’t help it. Details.
So we are now off to see a great chap named …..
…. but better known as Rick or Ricky. A ‘man amongst men’ to those who know him. A great few hours of reminiscing over the days back in Dili and friends past and present. We enjoyed Ricky’s and wife Lucy’s hospitality and the day just flew. It was a real pleasure.
One regret. I didn’t get a photo of the newest member of the family. A ‘baby (!!!???) puppy just 8 months old and with a head bigger than mine. A Cane Corso or Cane Mastiff. Generic photo. N.B. Cane Corso The Cane Corso is an Italian breed of mastiff. It is used for personal protection, tracking, law enforcement, as a guard dog, and as a companion dog. Wikipedia Life span: 10 – 12 years Origin: Italy Temperament: Trainable, Even Tempered, Reserved, Stable, Calm, Quiet Height: Female: 58–66 cm, Male: 62–70 cm Weight: Female: 40–45 kg, Male: 45–50 kg Colors: Black, Fawn, Chestnut Brindle, Black Brindle, Grey, Red.
Good boy. Sit. No … down, Down ….. DOWN! …. DOWWWN!!!!! (He’s still a playful pup. Just a bloody big one.)
All good things must end. The sun is heading south. ‘See ya layta.’
Home. Anne is outside and notes the sunset. I am inside and note the sunset through the toilet window and screen. Well I got the idea.
Showers, Left overs from Leigh and Tess. Just as good second time around. Couple of drinks. Movie. Didn’t do much but felt quite fulfilling. Hang on! A fixed light and catch up with Ricky. No! It WAS a fulfilling day. A winner. Cheers.
Overcast morning so going to be sticky as well as hot.
Chatting to neighbours and apparently this little gadget is a winner. It is Chromecast with Google TV. Might make some enquiries.
So given the threats of today we install the shade. The sun moves past midday and shines full on the off side. The result is DRAMATIC. On the inside no heat on the wall. We see the difference on the inside wall where the shade stops on the outside, the heat starts on the inside. Amazing!
We gloat in the cool van in the afternoon. We are using the AC but the shade still has a significant effect. We doze just long enough to make ourselves late for dinner at Leigh and Tess’s place, (via Vintage cellars!)
Leigh comes up with this ‘Bickfords’ for the non alcohol drinkers tonight. (Not him or me)
A Fab Fish Dish (?) is the main course and it is delicious. Follows caramel pudding. Lots of chit chat . We come up with solutions to some of the main faults of society and the world. Some of them are simple but would not be accepted. Far too logical to be adopted.
End of a good night. Thanks Leigh and Tess. Again, in the old .08 days I would be legal but it is now .05 and that makes me an evil law breaker if I drive, so Anne drives home.
What is left to do and how much longer do we stay? Scrub up, Bed.
Sun shade up? The fruit of our work yesterday is to be appreciated. Sure, but not yet. Let it cure the full 2 days.
We also have to go to town to get hiking shoes. All in due course. Do a few things then off. We will drop in on Leigh first. Cup of tea maybe.
On McMillans Rd heading to town and ….. SMOKE!
Bit closer and looks like controlled burning.
About the only ‘Hop on Hop off’ tourist bus we have not been on. They are good.
Almost there. There’s that ‘tallest building’ again.
Rocks with aboriginal words. Would have been more clever to have translation on it. It means nothing as is.
N.T. General Store.
Lots of stuff, including walking shoes, ‘mids’ and boots. (mids are between the two others)
We buy the Mids … and are invited back at 4.30 for a light refreshment.
I have two brown ones and Anne has two (!!!) white bubbly ones.
Anne slips into comfort zone very easily here.
Time to go. Do the silly cut outs on the way out.
After the first bubbly glass, we realize we bought the salad and meat for nothing. We won’t be cooking tonight. So up the street to City Pizza for me to ‘prepare’ dinner.
Kill time and buy a hat at the Tackle Shop on corner. Has anything and everything. Boss is very nice guy called George.
Home to a 50%/50% Marguerite and meat lovers.
I am manic with the joy of my first pizza in 6 months and red wine at the same time. Oh joy!!
Morning is overcast. It will be a sticky day today.
Oracle Leigh arriving early. He is a motivated person. Motivated to help. However he does have a minor hold up. Gary next door is also helpful with not just verbal but physical as in tools etc.
A slight delay for a trip to Bunnings as we change using screws to pop rivets.
BY THE WAY, we are putting a rail on the off side of the van to hold a shade cloth sun screen.
Sun has come over the top of the van to the side we are working.
Done. Leigh did most of it. He got in a working frenzy and I tried to keep up.
Measured, drilled, silicon glued, pop rivets. A master job.
The master cleaner puts the finishing touches to the final result.
We will let it cure for a day or so.
Gary has commitments, Leigh gets a call he is needed, I glue a few other things now the silicon is opened. Pack up. Time for a shower.
Lay down, small doze. STILL some of Rosa’s tasty leftovers and with a bit of potato added, we have a quick meal.
Movie. The original ‘True Grit’ with the late and great JOHN WAYNE. Is there a better way to end the night?
By Fiona Russell and John Hart Posted Mon 31 May 2021 at 4:30amMonday 31 May 2021 at 4:30am, updated Mon 31 May 2021 at 12:23pm
In the face of changing eligibility for the AstraZeneca vaccine, new variants of the coronavirus and supply constraints, many people are wondering whether they can “mix and match” COVID-19 vaccines.
This means, for example, having the AstraZeneca vaccine as the first dose, followed by a different vaccine such as Pfizer as the second dose, and boosters with other vaccines later on.
While many studies are ongoing, data has recently been released from mix and match trials in Spain and the United Kingdom.
This data is very promising, and suggests mix and match schedules may give higher antibody levels than two doses of a single vaccine.
While Australia’s drug regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), hasn’t yet approved a mix and match COVID-19 vaccination schedule, some countries are already doing this.
So how does this work, and why might it be a good idea? What’s the benefit of mixing and matching? If the COVID-19 vaccine rollout can mix and match vaccines, this will greatly increase flexibility.
Having a flexible immunisation program allows us to be nimble in the face of global supply constraints. If there’s a shortage of one vaccine, instead of halting the entire program to wait for supply, the program can continue with a different vaccine, regardless of which one has been given as a first dose.
If one vaccine is less effective than another against a certain variant, mix and match schedules could ensure people who’ve already received one dose of a vaccine with lower effectiveness could get a booster with a vaccine that’s more effective against the variant.
Some countries are already using mix and match vaccine schedules following changing recommendations regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine because of a very rare side effect of a blood clotting/bleeding condition.
Germany, France, Sweden, Norway and Denmark are amongst those advising mixed vaccination schedules due to this reason.
Besides that … BACK TO THE DAY(S)……
Driving with the ORACLE, Leigh …
Looking in Bunnings …
Leads and connectors … Other stuff like shade cloth (?) …
Cash converters for an insulator tester. No good. Got a few faults.
\
Next day …
Wednesday 14th ..
Hey! Another 1000km … (157,000km)
On to Anne’s second Pfizer jab … A nice action shot.
A drop in to ‘drop off’ an item of Rosa’s. (Turns out it belonged to nice friend Gloria,but it will find its way back to her.) A quick friendly ‘Hello’ but as usual, Rosa is the perfect hostess and lunch was already prepared. Bless her lovely heart. Lots of friendly talk and chit chat but we must go. ‘Thank you’. ‘The classic . ‘See ya layta.’ (and Yes! Rosa sent us off with leftovers again!)
Jaycar for a bit of wire etc and they have a silenced 2kva for just $699. Not bad … if it works. Not a bad price. But…. we don’t need one.
Back to home. Drinks with the neighbours. Showers and get comfy, Rosa deserves another thank you for our ‘left overs’ evening meal. Yes! She sent us off with enough for another whole meal!
Oracle Leigh and neighbour guy, Gary, will help me tomorrow, if all goes well, tomorrow I/we install the rail strip on the off side of the van for a sun shade.
I have been pondering a few questions. I will just consider one per day.
When does a ‘hotspot’ in the covid saga become no longer a hot spot? Reason? Every border we have crossed in the last year had on it’s questionnaire, ‘Have you been in a covid hotspot in the last 14 days?’ So do we have to get clear of Darwin/Litchfield and stay clear 14 days before we get to the border or is Darwin no longer a hotspot?
So as I see it and I think most, the ‘Hot Spot disappeared on 9th, so it is 14 days from the 9th. We want to go on to Queensland. Here is the application form … https://www.qld.gov.au/queensland-travel-declaration-form
Now to the hum drum ..
Gas Bottle filled, Barbques Galore, next to Harvey Norman at Berrimah, $25. Cool. Done.
Next BTC as we want to install a rail on the off side of the van to keep the sun off. Bit of a job. We do some ground work and will return after measuring the van.
You alright mate? On display at BTC. Portrait/moulding of the previous owner?
Now I bought these here last year and they cannot identify by my description so I am going back with a pic.
Looked for a spare windshield. Cannot find. That is they used to be around. A big piece of tough plastic to drape over the front window frame if you smash your window. I will ask the Oracle, Leigh.
Found these though. Lithium batteries. About a third the weight and double the capacity. (and three times the price.) 120ma. $999. (under $1000 !!)
Diesel is still $146.7 across town and I have been waiting for it to drop. I rarely let it get below half but this time it got all the way to just below a quarter and the warning light even came on. So I put a half a tank in, so exercising my optimism that the price will drop. (?)
While filling up, a bit of action. The Night Patrol and an ambulance are attending two locals. The Night Patrol as I understand it are security guards. Do they have Police affiliation? I ask because I have always wondered, If the police (or Night Patrol?) call an ambulance and the subject is taken to hospital and they die, is that considered, ‘death in custody?’
Zoom …
…zoom …
… brighten.
Another fly over. what are they?
I reckon the one at the back is a Viper …
…. and this one as well from a different angle? That is, if it was banking right, towards us, it would shorten and widen and the front end would lose detail.
Posted the letter to get my motor bike licence after me reaching bloody 70 years old. (!!??!!@!@@??!!) Registered mail so I can track it. Don’t want that item disappearing.
That’s enough for today. Bit pooped.
Home. Drinks with neighbor, steak and veg, early night.
I had been given a ray of hope regarding getting a medical certificate in order to keep my motor bike drivers licence as I am now turning 70. (!!?? Where the hell did that time go?) I found a clinic that does commercial drivers health checks. A bit of confusion. ‘A … (?????) ….South Australian motor bike licence?’ Long story, but here it is! My Health Report.
It will be posted to Ye Olde Adelaide soon.
1PM NO MORE MASKS REQUIRED!!!!!!!!
We are on the highway at Winnellie and I see a Maui and Brits collective. I have some interest so we go for a squizz.
Could we go to a motor home? NOT like the one above with the big lump on the front. The bad photo below is through the front window of a camper/motor home. That’s right. You can’t see a thing. Here’s a link. Cut and paste. https://openroadmotorhomes.com.au/properties/avan-applause-500-compact-auto/ …. or look up ‘thl campers for sale’. Bottom line? $80,000 to $90,000 for one with about 40,000 km on the clock. Don’t know if we could go down to that. I am sure we could adapt … I guess? We are thinking of the future. We can only park a small car in the back yard of the home when we move in, so we would have to store the van and 4WD. If we had a motor home we would only have to store one item and not two, hence half price. So save $2000 a year. Don’t know. Food for thought.
A bad photo of our ensuite. Important to shut the door as the view for any passer by goes straight to the toilet seat. So imagine my ‘amusement’ when, at a serious moment, the door slowly swings open and I could wave at anyone passing. Bit of a trick getting it shut actually. Lesson? Make SURE the door is not just shut but shut shut.
This sweet little rod was parked in Woolworths. Sweeeeeeet! Easiest spotted, I note neither the wheels or V8 motor are standard. I am assuming there are a whole lot of things not standard.
Note the lovely little tower on the left? It either is or was the tallest in Darwin. What happened to good old (small) Darwin?
We go to the trading post for a look at ‘things’ and this fine chap is on display. The HEMP Party representative, Lance Lawrence campaigns. By the way, HEMP in this case stands for Help End Marijuana Prohibition. You have heard of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’? Well this is ‘Lawrence of Nimbin.’ Just hasn’t got the same ring to it, has it? So how does that work? Is he here or there. Reading again, it is authorized by someone in Nimbin.
The two posters also state, ‘Grow four plants per person. De-criminalize Cannabis. Help end malnutrition and $100 per gram in remote communities. SENATE.’ I don’t understand it. Well a few things actually. Are these what the rules will be if he is elected? Will everyone HAVE TO grow four plants? Does marijuana stop malnutrition? I didn’t know that. Or is it that it doesn’t stop it. You just don’t care about it anymore. $100 per gram in remote communities? Is that with a loading for transport or with discount for rural? Lance should make it a bit more clear. Anyway, I would vote for him just for the moustache. Although it looks a little smoke stained.
This was also on display. I have not got a clue.
OK. It’s a bike but …
Our freeloader sharing our ensuite.
That’s enough for anyone for a day. Showers etc …..
zzzzzz zzzzzzzz zzzzz
Saturday 10th July 2021
Our neighbours Ron, Donna and Kali depart but leave a lovely little friendly rock.
Anne must have fancied this/these clouds in particular. Rain maybe?
Afternoon coffee and cake with friend Maria from Dili and husband Roy. A very nice afternoon of chit chat and a few laughs.
Later we arrive at Leigh and Tess’s apartment for dinner. Leigh comes up with another masterpiece. This time, Seafood pasta. Now…. this is ‘home made’ pasta! Yep. Hand made it himself. Boy genius!
Then, for goodness sake, out comes MY BIRTHDAY CAKE! I argue that his is first on 3rd August and mine is the day after. I believe the reason is, it is my 70th in a few weeks and I won’t be here to celebrate it with he and Tess. What a surprise and a bloody fine gesture!
Action shot.
A congrats shake.
Group shot with cake.
They say ‘CUT IT!’
What a damn fine afternoon/evening. They wave us ‘see ya layta’ after the breathalyzer decided Anne does the home leg. It was under the old .08 but still over the current .05
Home clean up. Still have to have a part movie and small glass of port. It’s tradition. Here’s to TRADITION!
Bit of research this morning. Make a few bookings, or try to. I have been forwarded a 4 page form to get filled out by a doctor. As I turn 70 in a month or so and have both a car and motor bike licence, if I want to retain the motor bike licence, I will need a medical. Car is not a problem. Just the bike. So it’s OK to have a bad turn in a car, but the car keeps going. So you kill yourself and clean up two other cars and perhaps a family or two. But you shouldn’t risk having a bad turn on the motor bike, immediately dropping it on it’s side and skidding into a post or parked car. Let me ask you something. If you were in a car, would you rather be hit by another car at full throttle or a motor bike on it’s side and skidding towards you? What is more dangerous and hence the bigger risk? Sorry. Too logical. Not at all a Government characteristic.
Now there is my clinic in Adelaide that I have been going to for 20 years and has all my records. I have basically a full medical every year. But they have not done an eye test. So I suggest, I get an eye test done by an optometrist in Darwin. Get them to fill out the eye test part and stamp it, then send it to them for the rest as they have all my records and know me very well.
NO. They can’t do that. It doesn’t matter how I have fared up to the last examination, it’s how you are on the day of the examination.
Now, that’s good, because I will just go to a clinic here in Darwin and they can do a current examination. NO. They are not interested in my current state. They want to know my past reports. I think I have a hard copy of the last one. NO. They want several previous reports in full.
So back to Adelaide. They cannot send previous reports in full but they will forward a summary.. That will not be enough for the clinics I have spoken to so far.
So what to do, what to do? Getting just a ‘LITTLE’ (!!??!@!?) frustrated with the medical profession in jolly old Australia. To be continued.
Off to the whizz kid Leigh who will help us get Anne’s new tablet set up. It’s got a detachable key board. That killed most of the day, and did a wonderful job of building on top of the medical frustration. However, the whizz kid won on the day and he sent us on our way about 80% there with the right to return if we have to.
Heading home I notice, believe it or not that wrecked car I rambled on about and fanaticized it’s future has gone! Somebody cared. How nice. Or the owner copped the wrath of the council.
Home, we feel not like beer O’clock’s with neighbours so it is a quiet night with a few drinks, showers, food, movies and bed. How exciting.
10.15am-ish off to Nightcliff to meet associate/friend we know from Dili.(Knightcliffe – my preferred spelling. It’s got more character)
There’s that wrecked car on McMillans Road again. Doesn’t look like anyone’s interested in picking it up. Not much good for parts even. Great conversation piece though if you put it in your front yard with a few flower pots on it. I think the ‘great conversation’ would go, ‘Under clause number 1637, section 56, subsection H of the Darwin City Council Streetscape rules and regulations, you are hereby ordered to remove the damaged car from your front yard and dispose of it forthwith. If not effected in two weeks from the serving of this order, you will be fined and ordered t appear in court at and when declared by the said notice.’ Yep. Great conversation piece.
We are heading for the Foreshore Coffee Shop adjacent the Nightcliff (Knightcliffe) Pool. This car is parked out front. It is the most positive notice board I have seen for a long time. Well done to driver. Attitude counts.
Yep. We’re at the foreshore. The guy on the left works here but apparently the guy on the right is making a guest appearance from The Cool Spot.
This nice young lady has taste. She has more or less co-ordinated the mask with her hair.
Half an hour and we decide not to wait. Another few minutes and the sms comes through that Auntie is very sick and friend has had to rush off to her aid. Hope she is OK. Another time. We make do with our Cappuccino’s and very good ham and cheese toasted sandwich.
N.B. The Name ‘Cappuccino’
Cappuccinos first popped up as the ‘Kapuziner’ in Viennese coffee houses in the 1700s. A description of the ‘Kapuziner’ from 1805 described it as “coffee with cream and sugar,” and a description of the drink from 1850 adds “spices” to the recipe. Either way, these drinks had a brown color similar to the robes worn by the Capuchin (‘Kapuzin’) friars in Vienna, and this is where their name came from. (A similar drink of the time was known as the ‘Franziskaner’; it was made with more milk and named after the lighter-brown robes of the Franciscan monks.) The word ‘Capuchin’ literally means cowl or hood in Italian, and it was a name given to the Capuchin monks for their hooded robes.
I guested you were wondering so I checked it out.
Carrot cake followed of course.
Very picturesque day and Anne improves it.
Self adoration.
Beautiful day .
Currently examining the 240volt van systems. This is ours.
N.B. RCD. Residual Current Device. A residual-current device, or residual-current circuit breaker, is a device that quickly breaks an electrical circuit to prevent serious harm from an ongoing electric shock. When combined with a circuit breaker, it becomes an RCBO. The RCBO meaning is residual current circuit breaker with overcurrent protection. These devices are designed to ensure the safe operation of electrical circuits, triggering disconnection whenever an imbalance is detected.
So now you know. Always been wondering. Haven’t you.
THEN I made a big mistake and thought I would check the balance on an account we just leave for a year at a time. Yep. The password did not work. 45 minutes to try to get a new password issued. Nope. Phone call. Nope. Got too many questions wrong. We will have to go to a branch. Nope. None in Darwin. Down to a SKYPE interview tomorrow. Damn.
Hence, late for drinks with the neighbours. They started without us. I would have as well.
The plane was grey and Anne there for deduced ‘military.
However on closer examination just a ‘Cessna.’ No guns, rockets or bombs. If it had, it would have been the most aggressive Cessna I have ever seen.
Drinks done. A light meal of pea and ham soup and toasted rolls.
Showers. Couple of drinks. Movie. My, what a wild world we live in.
Boys day! Leigh and I are going to Bunnings, Lawrence and Hanson etc etc and Anne has decided she doesn’t need it. (again) She thought she was becoming a Bunnings junky herself for a while back but it wore off.
So as we are off to said establishments without Anne, then ipso facto, it will be a girls day as well.
So while we amused ourselves with power boards, voltage sensors, plug testers, tagging labels etc …….
…… Anne amused herself with a stroll down the Mall, Vietnamese rolls for lunch, coffee, a designer soap shop and general shopping and looking. She managed to scrape by without Bunnings.
We rendezvous back at Leigh’s city apartment for tea and biscuits (very civilized) a good chat, inspection of purchases.(not mine which are in the car. Leigh bought clever things as well) Time flies and the day is over.
Leigh makes a dash to pick up wife and we make a dash home. A drink with a neighbour, the usual ablutions and we settle to a veggie, mash and parmi chicken meal. That’s right. Some prep. chicken schnitzels upgraded with home made tomato sauce come topping, ham and cheese.
How clever my master is. Bit of TV, the big day catches up and ………..
Sunday. Fixed the rubber on the window adjacent table and chairs. A job done. Off the hook for today, although I did contemplate moving the batteries. Had a look and more good news. I don’t think they’ll fit so I won’t be able to move them.
Around 1.30pm/2pm my master decides she would like to go for a drive to Nightcliff. (I always thought it would be more interesting if it was spelled Knightcliffe) Anyway, we arrive near the small jetty and with luck there is an ice cream wagon, a coffee wagon and a fast food wagon.
I am delighted because I have been thinking about a hamburgers while driving there. Seeing the vending point, I am now looking forward to not so much hamburgers in general but a specific one I can eat. I approach the counter aware of the fact I am starting to salivate. I am met with the vendors welcome speech, ‘We’re out of hamburgers.’ (salivatus interruptus)
OK Be a big boy. A Yiros, cut in half and a cup of chips …. please.
We have the chips while we wait for the main course. chips, good. Must change the oil often. (trivia)
Quite a few of these guys around. I/we call them Plovers but there are at least two types. See the generic, pic below. These guys we are seeing are Spur-winged Plovers or Masked Lapwings (Common and Swooping)
The little guy on the left is A Hooded Plover and they are Rare and Threatened. Obviously you are not going to harm either of these birds, but in particular NOT the little guy. He is struggling to stay around.
It was hell deciding to have a coffee before or after the food but I decided on after. There comes a time in your life when you have to learn to live with your decisions.
Anne takes a walk with the camera. I drink coffee slower than she.
There must have been a reason for the foot. Contrasting the rock?
Double self adoration? N.B. I love going into a shop with the mask on and saying ‘This is a stick up.’ It gets no positive response, or negative for that matter. I wonder what they think? ‘Sad old man’ probably.
On a serious note, it was a damn shame the sun was clouded over because the rock colours and the clear water are a real highlight of this spot.
On the jetty looking back to where we had lunch.
A chap who by the way had taken over our lunch bench, must have spotted me as a keen bird watcher (?) because he takes the time to tell me where he spotted a Tawny Frogmouth. So we follow his directions and there she is. About 8 metres off the ground and she looks like she is having a snooze. Understandable because they are nocturnal.
I say ‘she’ because a little research suggests that the males (am I allowed to say ‘Male?) are mainly all grey. This little ‘honey’ is definitely Tawny and mottled.
Here’s a generic shot of another one sleeping ….
…and this one so you can see why they are called ‘frogmouth.’
Anne enjoyed her coffee so much, she wanted to be photographed at the coffee van. She can get very emotional about coffee.
Now a special mention. Today was USA anniversary of Independence. I say ‘today’ but it will not be 4th July for them across the International Date Line till tomorrow. See details below.
N.B. While in Dili and as the owner of Guide Post Magazine, I was for many years invited to the USA Embassy to celebrate the Independence occasion and I assumed to also record and promote the occasion in the Mag. I thoroughly enjoyed both the celebration and the promotion thereafter. I never quite understood why they did not invite me for the last two years we were there in Dili. I always wondered why. I thought perhaps they wanted to just invite the Timorese papers. If so, I think they failed to appreciate that Guide Post WAS/IS a Timorese paper, just it happened to be in English, just as some other papers were in Tetum, Indonesian and I think Portuguese. We covered many occasions in Dili including Timorese. Anyway, that was just an observation I had forgot about until I thought of the 4th of July. ‘God Bless America.’ (well it must be blessed to have survived most of the crap that has gone on there over the last decade. (or two))
Home and we see the lovely glow of the sinking sun.
The usual. Showers, left overs from last nights meal, couple of drinks. Movie …
Saturday morning and freedom, as long as we wear a mask while in close proximity to others, unless sitting down and eating and or drinking.
In our ensuite doing various ablutions, I notice something has blown in under the door and was about to flick it outside with my foot till I had a second look. ‘It’s a whee frog-air.’ (imagine in Scottish accent)
Anne and I discuss the fact that it’s texture does not seem as smooth as we would expect with a frog and we wonder if it’s ‘a whee tood.’ (imagine in Scottish accent again, only better this time) ‘We can-na risk harm-en a whee frog-air’ so we give it the benefit of the doubt and leave it be. (whether ‘it be’ a frog or toad, that is)
Noise above. What are they?
Two of them.
Blurry when zoomed. We have been here before. Last time I thought Apache’s until I did some research.
Three generic photos. Here is the Viper on the left and the Apache on the right.
Viper. Flatter canopy and skids instead of wheels.
Apache. Curved canopy and wheels.
Last time about 3 weeks ago, it was a Viper. Here’s another one of my blurry photos. Notice the wheels on the front. My money is on Apache.
N/B. Am I developing an aircraft identification Pseudo Fetish?
On the road heading for Casuarina Beach but spot this up ahead.
A serious wreck.
An attempt at a better shot fails. Good close up of the GPS though.
We get to the Surf club and meet up with we thought, Hayley and Dan. Turns out it was a part family get together and had a great coffee and nibbles brunch. Perfect day. Good company. Enjoyable occasion.
Good coffee and food from Cafe De La Plage. French De La Plage means ‘from the’ or ‘of the’ Beach. So, it simplifies to Beach Cafe. How about that.
The very first time I have been asked to be loud or noisy. The very first.
It’s a win win situation here. The food is so good, only crumbs are left. However, these guys are quite happy with crumbs.
What are they. No it’s not a pseudo fetish for bird identification. I’m just curious.
Mask is in the pocket. I am still on my coffee.
I have eaten, but these burgers are calling me.
What is that?
Blurred zoom. Looks like some sort of gas plant. A local would have known, but I wasn’t clever enough to ask.
Me from my best side, Dan and Luke as we leave.
Athletes foot to look at walking shoes to replace my deceased pair.
Smelly soap shop. Nice smells though. Also went to spotlight for a plastic box for the battery cover board in the back of the car.
Rubbish on the road. I would have stopped and cleared it but had someone sniffing my rear. I call them ‘dogs.’
Drinks with neighbours. The question pops up, … What’s that? I just manage to click it. I say with confidence, I’d say it’s a ‘C-17 Globemaster.’ I have been through the I.D. last year with a person who knew because his son works with them up here.
Blurred but to me obvious. Four engines, high profile tail and pointy at the back of the fuselage.
Generic photo 1. Four engines and high profile tail.
Generic photo 2. Pointy back of fuselage.
So where is it going at about 5.30pm on this Saturday afternoon? It looked sort of north, northwest … out of Australia. It’s BIG for carrying significant loads. Then I think … we (Australian Forces) are checking out of Afghanistan. It’s going in the right direction. So I check and they can go over 10,000km on a tank, Philippines is about 3000km and Afghanistan is about 8000km. So it could get to Afghanistan with 2000km of fuel to spare. If they wanted to top up, they could do it at the Philippines as they are diplomatically friendly.
N.B. The Philippines is one of Australia’s longest-standing bilateral relationships. … Australia and the Philippines have a long history of bilateral cooperation. Both countries have much in common, being geographically proximate and sharing perspectives on many regional, economic and security issues. Australia–Philippines relations cover a broad range of areas of cooperation including political, economic, development, defence, security and cultural relations. Australia has an embassy in Manila. Wikipedia
So we may have seen the Aussie Army bus going to pick up the troops and bring’em home. Maybe?
Showers, Anne’s great noodle salad, couple of drinks, movie …
Anxious to find out if the lockdown is to be extended past 1pm today.
At 12.30pm we find out. No! But there are a few proviso’s.
Where social distancing cannot be maintained, masks must be worn. So as soon as you get to the supermarket or shop, put the mask on.
We take off to Woolies and fill the empty gaps in the pantry, mainly fresh vegetables, but also grabbed some fresh fish fillets.
THEN, onto a happy place. (Vintage Cellars.)
Refer photo. See the white line in the middle just in front of the dark car and see the red car behind our white car. I had to reverse into the park to within 200mm of the red car and still hung over my front line. This is because the red car driver chose to park over my rear line and leave half their own space free. So now I ask the question, what was going through their mind when they did this. I will also answer my own question. Nothing was going through their mind. Nothing at all.
Mask on and into the happy place. My kind of shopping. Then another brief stop in town to say ‘howdy’ to Leigh.
Currently doing a little brush up on electrical school and also discovering a few new/modern items.
Back to camp. unpack and some prep. A drink, no two, with the neighbours.
Now, showers, our fish and fresh veggies, bit of TV.
I did mention we wore our masks to the office to renew our stay for a couple more weeks. What I did not mention was we were told we had to wear masks in the park if outside the van (?) and there was a fine if not done and the police check on it. Now SURELY this is incorrect. As long as we are social distancing, we are upholding the law … surely.
So imagine my ‘apprehension’ when I see a police car pull up close to our van this morning.
This is a terrible photo of the police car as the camera focused on the screen door.
However, I am sure you will understand why I didn’t throw the van door open and yell out, ‘Smile ! … and can you just pull out your Glocks for the camera?’
Oh well, you can at least see it was the ‘paddy wagon’ style car.
They got out the car with masks on and took a stroll to adjoining neighbours sites which were by the way, void of cars or people. They strolled around for 5 minutes or so and then departed. Our car was here but they didn’t bother with us.
I made a mental note to at least have my mask with me if leaving the van. I have been told it is OK to remove the mask if eating or drinking. (?) ‘No **** Sherlock.’
N.B. I mentioned ‘Glock’ It is a very popular law enforcement pistol I believe throughout the world. Probably not just law enforcement as well? Anyway, here is all you didn’t have to know about the ‘Glock.’
This is the Glock 17.
Why is it called Glock? Gaston Glock was a little bit eccentric in naming his guns, called his first basic pistol the 17 because it was his 17th patent, and he was very, very proud of that.
Why are Glocks so popular? Glocks also gained rapid popularity due to their simple design and firing mechanisms. If a gun operator needs to shoot, they can gently press the trigger to fire the gun. With these easy-to-fire features, the Glock could outcompete most revolvers that seemed to resist firing.
This is the Glock 18.
Why is the Glock 18 illegal? The Glock 18 is Illegal in the United States. The Glock 18 is a fully-sized automatic pistol. It fires 9mm; however, it is capable of firing 1200 rounds per minute. This firing rate is the biggest reason why the Glock 18 is illegal in the United States. NOW LOOK AT SOME SPECIFICS.
That looks like a lazer sighter underneath the barrel and an extended magazine.
A silencer?? and that extended magazine again.
Did I say extended magazine? Look at this guy!
NOW, look at this monster! ……. and it can shoot 1200 rounds a minute.
Designed specifically for maniacs ?
You didn’t need to know this but now you have a new subject of conversation at your next dinner party. Mind you, you might bemuse your guests a bit and reciprocating invitations may drop off. Wouldn’t it be funny if the only ones to send you invitations, were itching to show you their firearms collection. They’re out there.
On to a productive day of paying bills and chasing up unanswered emails. Hey. We’re locked down. What the hell else am I going to do?
Beer O’clock suddenly presents itself so we sit under the canopy, masks at hand but not on as ‘we are drinking’. Besides there is not one other traveller within 50 metres of us.
The only company we had was this little guy who loves to admire himself in the car external mirror but today is settling for creating a grand silhouette on the snorkel, majestic in the dusk. Sort of a bit like ‘Gorilla’s in the mist.’ (?)
Brought his colour up a bit for no good reason.
A pleasant call from the ‘Deegs’. Fellow lockdowners but 1500km away in Alice Springs. They were cheery in the face of adversity. The lockdown has not dampened their sense of humour. Mind you the cold is giving them a bit of a rattling.
Showers and evening meal of those great Woolies crumbed Garlic Chicken Kiev’s with spuds and red cabbage. Yes. Red cabbage. The veggies are getting a bit low. We have avoided going to the supermarket even though we are allowed. One person per family. No point if we are OK and we are. So leave it to the needy or the greedy.
On that note, spotted this on face book ….
Silly little sausages. Apparently this time they are taking food as well. That’s innovative of them. Last time toilet paper came first. On that note, because the caravan park has all ensuites, we are issued with a toilet roll when we arrive. We have managed to get by with one roll for two people for two weeks. That means a pack of 24 would do us for damn near a year. I just don’t get it. Maybe they are just twats? N.B. Dictionary: twat /twat,twɒt/ noun VULGAR SLANG plural noun: twats. Stupid or obnoxious person.
Yep. That’s about right.
Tomorrow we will find out if we are to be unshackled or lockdown extended.
Isn’t life exciting. ….. zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz
A nothing day. Shouldn’t even be recording it. I tweek a few things here and there. Good healthy lunch. Call a few people. Sister and Brother in law are now NOT going to Perth to see daughter (my niece) due to covid. Bummer.
Nap in the afternoon. Go to the office with mask on and pay for another two weeks. Back for beer under the awning. Usual night ablutions and meal. See. Nothing.
So I’ll pad it a little …
Clever.
I can remember when they came out. They were innovative.
We have already received the news that the lockdown will be extended to Friday. By the way, as mentioned before, Anne’s tag declaring what time she can leave the hospital after her Pfizer shot, ended up on her phone cover and as I said, no, I don’t know why she chose to keep it.
So this afternoon when the sun comes over a bit and we get some shade, I will cut the wooden plank for the battery box. About an hour to plan and mark up the plank. Then I attack it with the reciprocating saw, the only saw I have. not perfect but OK. I appoint Anne first in charge of clearing the saw dust so I can see the line to cut to. She uses the blower and stands more or less behind me. Must have been an intriguing sight for a passer by.
In the mean time the planes keep buzzing over. Generally from about 9.30am and stop at 4.30pm-ish. Look for the tiny dot on this photo. Top to bottom axis, it’s in the middle. Left to right axis, it’s about 3 tenths from the left side above the tree clump slightly lower than to it’s right.
Here’s the illusive little bugger.
Anne grabs a shot of this commercial plane for it’s vapour trail.
All wood is cut but no pics as it was too ‘intense’ (?) an exercise to pause. That’s right. I forgot.
The sun goeth down and it’s shower, food, drinks and movie time.
zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz
Today is Tuesday and another day. Can’t argue with that.
I work early as, while the back of the car is in the sun, it is cooler.
The finished item. Rustic but practical
To use and old term, the ‘shemozzle’ of the work area.
The box is installed and batteries put in, in the morning. I don’t have a patent on this, the anti slip screw pin. One in each corner long enough to grab and hold the rubber mat on the floor in the back but not long enough to go through to the body or ‘tub’ of the car.
This was the morning job. Now, the afternoon is passing and so is the sun. Time for finishing touches.
Put the top panel over the batteries to hold the TWO ‘easy access’ boxes for basic tools and day to day items. It went HALF well. One box fits but due to the wooden box extra depth, the batteries are marginally further towards the back and the second box hits the back window. So no second box. So when the lockdown is over, I will be getting a bigger box to take up all the useable space.
Junk to left is second box and tools etc., all of which has to be gone through to see what can be sent back to Adelaide to lighten the load. The battery box did not have to be on those high blocks, but it was done on purpose to make the bottom nook for small fold up shovel, machete (every home should have one), extended wheel wrench, fish measurer and … there’s something else but I forget. Ah! Bolt cutters.
Now the car is moved and for the first time in two weeks here, we pull out the awning like ‘normal’ people. Anne has managed to make an appointment for her second Pfizer and it is another two weeks so, we will be here two more weeks and then it is subject to borders.
Spare bits of the wrecked frame. The red bottles are a separate issue. The frame was day work. The reds were night work. No. Not the same night.
Well …. It started off slow. I planned to attack the ‘disaster’ in the back of the car.
The whole car fridge and the two battery frame has decided life wasn’t worth living and just died. (there were contributing road factors).
So I decide, after a nice breakfast (vegemite on a crumpet) I should address it. (the mess in the back of the car)
I pull smaller easy to access stuff out and pack it on the back seat. Around high noon, (Do not forsake me oh my darling) mate Leigh calls me on my phone and a neighbour walks past and stops at just the same time and both with the same info. LOCKDOWN, at 1pm in an hour for 48 hours.
Off to Bunnings to buy a plank of wood to build a battery box as I now have 48 hours to do it. Not planned well. Back to the car with the plank and I use the roof rack for the very first time.
The sausage sizzle is packing up. Two please. None left. Yes there is. Look. Two. Just there. Oh…. OK. I score. I assume it was someone’s lunch. It still is. Ours. Back with eight minutes to spare.
I look at the tangled mess and just don’t wan to do it.
I bite the bullet. (figuratively speaking)
I had hoped I would just be able to jack up and reposition the fridge but no. So unpack the fridge. Pull out and defrost.
I look at the bits and there is enough to make a frame but just for the fridge. Not the batteries, hence the plank.
Looks so big without the fridge.
Now a frenzied frame building as the sun slowly sinks.
At dusk, the fridge is back in the car and temporarily back on battery.
Fridge done. Not perfect but OK.
I check later and the temperatures are getting there. Freezer -13 and fridge 7. Should be closer to -17 and 4. Check it in the morning.
So well done for a bit of a slog. Thank you linesmen. Thank you ball boys.
A lovely chicken stir fry after a lovely hot shower. Some lovely red wine and a lovely movie then off for a lovely sleep. Funny When it was happening the day sure as hell didn’t feel lovely. Anyway …
Saturday, 26th June 2021. ** Version 2 with updates, marked as **V2
Now here is a mixed day. Shall we go to Parap Market. Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes.
So we do the market.
N.B. 1
Please note. We lived here in Darwin from about April 1996 to November (15th) 2000. We lived just down the hill, within easy walking distance of the Parap Shopping Centre and went to the market pretty well every Saturday morning. We have fond memories of that location, right from the Cyclone café around the back, longs since gone, to the perfect samosa come curry puffs from my favorite stall there at the market. We KNEW Parap including the market very well.
N.B. 2
Same goes for Mindil Beach. Thursday nights almost never missed and also on Sunday which was being phased in during our time there.
It’s a lot bigger now, not that it wasn’t busy back then.
Changes?
First, we used to always have a Laksa. You still can but THE Laksa, now has not one but two lines each about 20 people long and it simply is not worth lining up. There are others but there is a reason why you don’t have to line up for them.
Secondly, you may not be aware but I am a curry puff expert. My previous favorite stall is long gone. Last time I went there was going on 22 years ago. The young Indonesian girls who used to serve me technically could be grandmothers now and only family gets them. The current ones are sort of OK but just not up to the standard experts such as myself expect.
What’s that? I heard that. You saying nostalgia has distorted my taste buds and how would you remember back that far anyway? I don’t have to think back that far. Only three years. Curry Puffs are up and down but the last ‘up’ was a Bangladesh place on Comoro Road, Dili on the other side from Tiger Fuel and about 100 metres back towards the city.
I digress. After the outside market we choose an air conditioned coffee followed by Parap fine foods for old time sake. Now much more up market, though it was THE place to get REAL GOODIES back then. To give you an idea, this used to be the ONLY place you could get Maggie Beers Pheasant Farm Pate. Now you can get it at Woolies but this was THE place. Lindt chocolate etc. Get the picture?
Looking back towards the delicatessen section. (your mouth will love you for ever if you buy anything here. )
Get serious about eating cows. If you’re going to eat one, do it properly.
Just like a wonderland of light and sparkly things to adore … and drink, it’s their ‘Boozerama.’
I am sure they are for coffee but what and how do you do ‘it.’ They are just tiny.
Anne tells me we have one of these, still sealed, that we brought from Europe.
Sounds sort of naughty, doesn’t it. Vermouth for cocktails. (?)
Good for an insult. ‘You noilly prat!!’
Now we refresh our memories from our visit to The Hoochery Distillery, Kununurra. Rum and Gin. While there we only sampled the gin. (got there late) The pink is displayed here. We bought the ‘out of the ord’ which of course was a play on words with reference to The Ord River and/but they are also claiming it is Out of the ORDinary.’ Or is it just me? Anyway, I didn’t check prices here but in Kununurra, out of the Ord was $82 and the Pink was about $87.
Then to the supermarket for some vital supplies. Liquorice, Reeses peanut butter and chocolate cups, Fruchocs, pepper corns, crushed garlic, coffee and unseen as yet, two round containers of Connoisseur chocolate Ice Cream with Brownies (therein)
Have to get the ice cream last so it doesn’t melt.
Anne is a master. (THE master) nothing just gets bought. It has to be ‘pondered.’
This is just a commercial flight landing but as I have been clicking things that fly recently, thought I might as well ‘zoom’ this for a fuzzy shot as well.
Zoomed for fuzzy shot.
Shall we go to the India at Mindil 4pm? Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes.
Anne gets a Dosa. Not anywhere as good as the Saturday morning ones in Dili.
**V2 She says it was too ‘watery.’
**V2 I pretty well always have the same. Chicken Korma and yellow Dahl. (with steamed rice) and back up butter Chicken. The stand I chose looked good and seemed to know what they were doing. I had Lamb Korma (no Chicken Korma) and Butter Chicken, (no yellow Dahl) divided in the middle by the steamed rice. As an expert I also bought a curry puff. I have been eating Korma’s for 30 years and this was very sweet and tasted nothing like Korma. I have had many Butter Chickens over the same period and this was sweet and tasted nothing like Butter Chicken. I ate part of my ‘so called’ curry puff. I love Indian food so much, if I have a half a handful left, I get a doggy bag and bring it home. Maybe have it on toast for lunch next day. there was 40 % left over including the damn puff and the lot went in the bin. Being fair, I might have got the bad stall …maybe?
** V2 Never say never. Having said that, we will do another Normal Mindil and I will have Indian if available to confirm the Mindil Indian is good and the other I had was just a ring in. The result of that will determine future Mindil visits. I love Mindil but we paid $30 for crap.
Teeming hordes. N.B. What is the meaning of hordes? 1a : a political subdivision of central Asian nomads. b : a people or tribe of nomadic life. 2 : a large unorganized group of individuals : a teeming crowd or throng hordes of peasants.
More or less. Yep. It got worse and that spelt time to go.
Large groups. Not good for health these days.
Don’t know what they were supposed to be but they were, tall gangly, colourful and interesting.
N.B. Gangly: 1a : tall and thin and moving with a loose-jointed awkwardness : lanky, gangling It is a cool night in San Jose, and gangly teenagers stream toward the Gunderson gym.—
A nice sunset ‘after burn.’ Sometimes better than the sunset itself.
Self adoration.
Towards the teeming hordes on the way out.
Now in my philosophy of life, nature has a way of keeping people level headed and balanced.
That is, if you have had the boot sank into you a few times, nature throws you a crumb or perhaps even a lifeline.
Likewise, if you have been thrown too many crumbs, then life will inevitably ‘sink the boot’ so you don’t get too ‘cocky.’
My aluminium frame holding the car fridge and its two batteries etc etc has chosen to collapse thus creating mayhem?
Perhaps just a smidgeon too strong. Lets say it has created a long, tedious, inconvenient, difficult, time consuming, painful exercise and repair job, requiring a total rethink and redesign. Yeh, damn it. I’m going for mayhem.
By the way … N.B. Smidgeon: noun: smidgeon a small amount of something. “add a smidgen of cayenne”
Cleverly constructed. (Not clever enough by the looks of it.) Two batteries about 35kg each sitting on blocks and held in place with a one inch square aluminium tube frame with gap under for storage of fold up shovel and other similar items, then suspended on threaded spacers above the batteries, a platform board holding two utility boxes with ‘short notice’ items such as basic tool kit, duct tape, WD40, safety glasses, inverter etc etc.
Built, repaired and modified over two years but finally established as complete and needing no more work. (!!??!!??)
My demeanor masks my current ‘frustration’ more accurately described by several words and/or phrases none of which are suitable for publication. (“!!****@@@@!!??!!!%@@****&&&&??!!!”)
Booze and Bed ……. for I now know what I am doing for the next few days.
Early afternoon I get a call that the bearing has arrived at the bearing place. So off we go. It is in three pieces and two will fit the shaft but the last will not. The shaft will have to be ground down.
Off to the only place I have a relationship with. Paul’s Service Centre way back from when we lived here. Paul has since retired but his nephew owns it now. Maybe tomorrow but why don’t you try the trailer place around the corner?
Michael is both a good guy and accommodating. “Can you grind this down for me?’ ‘Why?’ I can get a bearing but it won’t quite fit.’ ‘I’ve got one that will fit.’ (and he did) I can degrease it for you.’ Hang on. I’ll get the other part out the car before you change your mind.’ ‘Have you got the pin and handle? I’ll put it back together for you.’ (am I dreaming) ‘The pin is ok but …. (looks at his subordinate) re-grease the thread, put it back together and put a new pin in.’
Done. $16 for the bearing and $10 labour. Thank you very much, says I and here are four beers small bonus.
Promotor Trailers. Trailer dealer in the Winnellie, Northern Territory Service options: In-store shopping · In-store pick-up Address: 15 Benison Rd, Winnellie NT 0820Hours: Opens 9AM Phone: (08) 8947 0088
They are REAL GOOD.
Home. Glass or three of wine and a good chat with the neighbours, Ron and Donna.
It wasn’t a big day. It just felt like it. Anyway we had a win. Jocky wheel fixed. Quicker, easier and cheaper than I had ever imagined.
Left over Pasta Marinara for meal. Better the second time, like many dishes.
I took No photos today at all.
So I have included a couple of funnies I picked up recently on facebook.
Nothing much happened today except I didn’t get ill from the AstraZeneca jab, or should I say I haven’t yet. Comes early evening and we are off to the Sailing Club to meet Mana’s Rosa and Gloria. We are on time and they are of course early. The ladies are rather efficient.
A very popular spot, even on Wednesday night. We non members sign in. We get organized. Mana Rosa goes to order ‘in the middle’ type food (seafood) and I line up for the drinks. A bottle of white wine, 4 glasses and a beer. Bit of a line up but I meet interesting people to chat to. The 26 year old American soldier probably struggled to relate to the conversation but I learnt a bit about ’22’s’
N.B. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Boeing_V-22_Osprey The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotormilitary aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft.
Now you’ve learnt something about them as well.
The meal was fab as was the wine.
Here I get a shot of the ladies only ……
… then I add a shot showing just enough of me to prove I was there.
Rain drives us under the verandah. A spare high table but only our normal chairs, so ….
I felt like an 8 year old at an adult party. OK. We were ‘hamming it up’ a bit.
A really nice night. However, all nights out must come to an end. We go home and I check emails. Somewhere I come across this. Steven Wrights very first TV appearance on the Johnny Carson Show. Open the video below the pic and see this genius’s first appearance.
You might have to wait a few secs till the ‘Skip Adds’ appears on the right and you can … well …. Skip them.
Good day. Good Night.
So Goodnight.
zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz
We are having NO luck getting a Pfizer shot for Anne. The clinics are all saying, ‘July’ and the most reliable one is saying 9th July. We were off to check a couple ‘of out of the way’ clinics to see if we might ping one. However, we gravitate to the hospital which is the biggest and least ‘out of the way’ sources.
On the way we spot Mr Unlucky. Or rather Mr Silly. Mate. If you don’t speed, they can’t book you.
We get to the hospital and eventually find the vaccination spot. Sign here is sensible. Rule number one. A. Always have empathy. B. Never blow your cool.
This is about 2.50pm. The chap we talk to confirms they are doing Pfizer. He says, come back at 4pm. Maybe someone has not shown up for their appointment and there will be a spare. Back at 3.55pm and three people have not shown u for their appointments. BUT it’s not that easy. There are either 4 or 6 doses in a vial. So if all the opened Pfizer is used and there are no more appointments, they will not open a new vial for a ‘walk in.’
There is one dose left, so we are in. Fill out the paperwork. NO. A guy 45 minutes late for his appointment rolls up so there goes the last remaining dose. We miss out. NO. One of the other nurses has a spare so we are in again.
Smile and think of something pleasant. I would have thought of lasagna.
SO we have got Anne a dose of Pfizer about two weeks before she was supposed to. My (unofficial) advice if you are waiting for Pfizer is front up to the hospital at 4pm and say. ‘Any spares?’
So we take a drive to Dripstone cliffs just along past the Hospital.
This is a memorial to 80 Japanese sailors who lost their lives off Darwin when thy engaged an Australian fighting ship. OK. I understand ‘bury the hatchet’ etc. And we do that. I got to ask though, what did they have in mind when they came here? Wish us luck in our war effort? Admire the lovely coast? Maybe they were on vacation and had never been to Australia?
I think not. I rather suspect they were up to no good.
OK Turkey let’s Australia commemorate the Gallipoli battle. I feel that’s a different exercise. How? Well if Australia had landed quietly, stealth fully approached the Turkish lines, blew the hell out of the Turkish soldiers and then high tailed it, I rather think we wouldn’t get a look in on ANZAC Day. Nor if our ship had sunk trying to do it. However after nearly a year, there grew a respect and bonding between the two sides. Also we lost. N.B. 17 February 1915 – 9 January 1916 (10 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)
So looking past burying the hatchet, would we erect a statue of Adolf Hitler? My opinion only.
Cliffs you say?
To the right band aid marking the spot. To the left, the sit down and recover completion time when we could leave. Anne has retained this on her phone cover. No. I don’t know why.
Helicopter. Didn’t zoom. Looks like the carrier type that ferries the workers out to the rigs.
Ships on the horizon.
Peter on the horizon? Anne spots Peter McMillan on the site. His phone rang just as I was prepared for the photo. It’s not a permanent fixture. Peter was a kitchen supervisor for PDL in Dili. So just how many ex Dili-ites are there in Darwin. Peter is coasting and enjoying life. We confirm contacts and all of us depart for our homes.
A zoom on the shipping. What are they doing out there?
A small war memorial. Nice to know the allies got a mention as well.
A young lady sits with her brave hound. Looks like the guy in Men in Black. The dog can talk in the film. So to test him, I give him the MIB line, ‘You can kiss my furry ****,’ but it doesn’t register.
We pick a few mushrooms for breakfast and go home. I find the battery frame has broken for the fourth time in the back of the car and make a mental note to fix it ‘soon.’
We whip up a brilliant pasta marinara. Bottle of white. Showers, TV bed.
‘Here end-th the lesson.’ What lesson? A lesson in endurance?
Monday, we enlist the aid of the Darwin Oracle, Leigh Biggs. He can ferret out any item minor or major. We fly around Darwins commercial sector for batteries, 15amp plug tops etc etc etc. As we are about to enter another business on the Highway adjacent the airport there is the boom of a jet engine. It ended up boing 6 about 20 seconds apart and they went like …. well …. rockets.
First sight of him.
Zoom
Out in the open.
Zoom again.
Still going.
Zoom again.
Last shot before bye-bye.
Even Bigger zoom.
WHAT was that bloody thing? Not a Hornet.
SO I ask Mr Google. and come up with this similar shape….
…and this.
Lockheed Martin Australia welcomes F-35 to its new home
The F-35A Lightning II is the Australian Defence Force’s first fifth-generation air combat capability. It is a highly advanced multi-role, supersonic, stealth fighter which will meet Australia’s requirements to defeat current and emerging threats.
The F-35A is at the forefront of air combat technology. Its advanced sensors and data fusion will allow it to gather more information and share it with other Air Force aircraft, Navy ships and Army units quicker than ever before. This will greatly enhance the Australian Defence Force’s situational awareness and combat effectiveness. In addition, to greatly enhanced situational awareness, the F-35A provides its pilots with significantly higher levels of lethality and survivability in combat.
Australia has committed to 72 F-35A aircraft for three operational squadrons at RAAF Base Williamtown and RAAF Base Tindal, and a training squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown.
The first F-35A aircraft was accepted into Australian service in 2018, with the first arriving in country in December that year. The first F-35A squadron, No. 3 Squadron, will be operational in 2021. All 72 aircraft are expected to be fully operational by 2023.
What a plane. As I see it, this is the new stealth with all the other bells and whistles.
Anyway, inside I get my 15 amp plugs and spot the test and tag stickers.
I can do this. I’ve got the licence and the metre.
Now we meet someone who has been to Cape York. I have done some research but they can fine tune it with their carefully recorded facts on their maps. I wealth of information. Probably enough info to put us off.
They were there a year or so ago and said there was about 620km of dirt. My research suggested a contract had just finished and there was only about 250km of dirt.
Never the less it was suggested the real problem up there was the idiots. No matter how careful you are on dirt, it seemed there was a never ending supply of ‘hoons’ screaming along with off road trailer bouncing around on the back and shooting rocks, left right and centre. Centre being wind screens.
The maps.
Next day, I pull the older non functioning jocky wheel apart. It needs a new bearing.
Also, I get a call from a clinic. I can have my Astra Veneca today if I want. Hmmm. Very appealing. (?)
So off we go. Who’s the lucky boy then.
I have a pit crew.
I have been warned you usually suffer to varying degrees for the three days after. Not on the day. After. It’s always nice to have something to look forward to.
After the jab, I celebrate, by going to Vintage Cellars and topping up the cellar.
Also an attempt to get a bearing for the jocky. Wait a week or for $15 I can have it in two days. I will wait.
Morning of departure. Thanks so much Cath. Never been up this early before. Outside that is. Looks like on the English Moors. AG with tea in hand.
Time to go.
We arrive at ‘ye olde’ Malak Caravan Park, next to KOA Caravan Park. That is we went to KOA first, being the same, and it was shut.
In to Malak and first thought is old and tired etc. Then you look. There are no ablution blocks. The whole park is ensuites in groups of 4. They are all separately metered and have solar hotwater and wash troughs. This park would have been very schmicky and up market in it’s day.
Bush chooks.
Spot the birdy. No…?
There he is.
Could be a Huey but not sure. has the Huey two rotors though.
Next day I find we are sharing The ensuite. By the way, old and basic but clean. A ‘whee froggy’ but the flash scared him off instead of brightening him.
This park person has a serious ‘Stang.’ 65-ish.
We go to town. This is now the equivalent of Panadeine. Apparently illegal now.
We visit the Air Raid Arcade which appears to be in re – development.
The arcade has all sorts of displays and posters all for public viewing by man, woman AND child. I was going to put the one below here as is but put the pink rectangle here instead. Pink to cover the ‘pink’ bits.
It is displaying Social Distancing of 1.5 metres and the ‘lady’ has a pair of 1.5 metre spacers. The ‘man’ has a single 1.5 metre spacer.
Record shop OPEN but locked and no-one here.
Stalin??
Tilt right for old movie posters.
A new as yet un- opened bar with all sorts of art and religious paintings and statues.
Mimic.
Then to Vintage cellars for some vitals.
Then back to ‘home’. I like this van. No lump on the cab like most RV’s. They interest me.
Now a new day and off to see Leigh Biggs.
Damn, he is clever. He does all sorts and he also bakes.
This is half eaten but we score REAL coffee and these fabulous spinach, cheese and smoked trout (or salmon?) muffins. Clever. Give the likes of me a bad name.
…served on Commonwealth plates. Legal. He has receipts from ‘Vinneys.’
Back home, this is the result of giving myself a hair clipping, INCLUDING the back. Fix it later. (?)
Next day, neighbors electric bike. They have a coaster bus and have invited us to inspect. They will be here for months. They were gone the next day. I must have made an impact.
Here I spot the guy sharing the ensuite with us.
Next day in Harvey Norman. Leigh has recommended a ‘Kleva’ knife sharpener. Anne grabs a do it yourself massager. I get a free back massage in the line but we decide not to invest.
Check this guy who just landed on the mirror.
I wondered about the 6 X 6 sticker on the back. Now I know.
We look at another park and get educated in the bath room. Got it.
Anne spots an item of interest, at this stage secret.
Let’s get the tail end of Parap Saturday morning market.
Hey! Did someone say ‘Portuguese Tarts?’
N.B Pastéis de Nata or pasteis de belem.
A very nice Irish Lady married to a Portuguese man and apparently people have trouble with their children’s accents picking the origin. Ha! Good luck.
A bit late but enough left to pig out.
Eagle eye. What’s that red dot in the distance?
A ‘Stang!’
And that red-ish dot?
A Chrysler Charger.
Going ….
… going ….
Gone.
Too early mate. Go back for a couple of hours.
Comes to Sunday. We do nothing outside the van. It’s all phone or internet.
Condensing a few days here. These three are I think a repeat but I’d kinda like to see them again. Acacia Hills again, P & J and landlord Dion.
Always photo the turn 1000 if possible. (156,000)
Berry Springs Tavern for Linda’s birthday. (wife of ‘Quinny’.
What’s better than a cake?
Two cakes.
Three fine specimens of manhood. Quinny on the right is with beard now, to get into ‘character’.
He will audition for the lead role in Darwin’s new stage show, ‘The Ten Commandments’ but with a unique twist. This watered down version will be called ‘The Ten Suggestions.’
Fun and frolicking.
Amigos.
The tavern has a ‘captive audience.’
The diet worked.
Another day. I think I get it. Looks bloody vicious though.
Military exercises in the area. What’s this?
Zoom. Looks like a ‘Huey’ to me but something different.
This is a Huey from Mr Google. That’s it!
Hueys only have two rotors but this one over Darwin has four?
While we are playing the game, what’s this?
With zoom it looks like an Apache but again, something wrong.
It has skids instead of wheels and the cabin is flatter on the top.
Again Mr Google shows us this Apache ….
…and also shows us this Viper.
Compare the two. The one over us was a Viper.
Another day, we go for an a-noon drive To Litchfield Park, or part there of.
Spot this cute little van.
We end up following it for a while.
We catch up with him later. Cute little guy. Could have got a better photo but that would have required me to get out.
Park maps.
Tilt right.
Wangi Falls. Popular swimming hole but today. NO! Maybe something naughty in there. We went in, back in the 90’s and had a lovely swim. Park rangers said ‘Go for it.’ We got back to Adelaide and two weeks later they pulled a ‘salty’ out of it.
Me with wife and landlord.
When we were here last, there was a cascading spa hole. I think this dark ring to the right is it. When wetter, more water cascades and some, straight into that hole. The bottom line is you can get about six in there being showered and spa’d at the same time.
Short brisk water under the natural canopy.
On to Tolmer falls. Can only see them a bit from here. Lovely lookout though with sweeping views.
Spot the legacy from aholes.
Zoom to the green plastic bottle and …
… to the clear one under the foliage. Some people just have no bloody brain at all.
Self adoration.
The Cathedral Termite mound … although no ‘hallelujah’s’ here though.
Big, isn’t it.
Still big.
Big with Anne and Cath.
This one is also big but a bit wrecked.
On On. A train between Bachelor and the Stuart Highway.
… and the same one again as we got ahead of it but had to cross again.
We have been chilling out at Acacia Hills and will be here for another week. Dion is a great host and looked after us. We will soon be relocating to Kath’s. As I said once before, this is a travel blog so if we are not travelling, there’s not much point in posting.
Sort of like having a holiday.
I will post anything in the next week that may be of interest.
In the mean time a little snigger (or 3) to hold you over.
Don’t let the ‘do-gooders’ see this one.
If you can’t read it, ‘Insomnia sufferers. Look on the bright side. It’s only 3 more sleeps until Christmas.’
Scary …. but given some of the crap going on at the moment, it doesn’t seem that ridiculous.
We have planned a get together late afternoon with school colleague Phil and wife Jacquie so a shopping spree to Coolalinga.
Back to Dion’s Oasis. Visitors arrive 4pm-ish. A wander of the block and improvements, a few beers and the meal, created by the host with just a little help from guests. It was a very good night. Brilliant to catch up with Phil after 54 years.
Circumstances which I would like to acknowledge.
Philip and I got to communicate years ago through Rob Adamson. Rob had known us in Dili. Rob also knew Philip and Jacquie from Katherine. Names had come up.
We re both currently cruising Australia although Anne and I are beginners compared to P & J who are on about their 8th year.
They are staying with friends within a kilometer of us staying with friend Dion. We have managed to overlap by about 4 days before they leave. A bit of planning but it was worth it. Next time we won’t leave it for 54 years.
From Left, Leith, Anne, host Dion, Jacquie and Philip.
We bid farewell, just for a short-ish time to good travelling friends, Mick and Lou. We are both going to Darwin so we are only a phone call away from a lunch. The nice lady owner/manager had cruised past on her golf buggy and confirmed we were leaving today. I guess five minutes to go to the 10am departure time and still plugged into power and water and things to put away had prompted the question.
We pull out only half an hour late, which is pretty good for us. Dump spot for toilet cassette and we are off. We decide to skip Pine Creek as we stopped for lunch there last time we were heading down south from Darwin. So … Emerald Springs it is with their big rear shady decking and hamburgers will be the ticket.
Not so. All locked up and quite sad. On we go to Hayes Creek. It was closed last time we were through eight months ago but it would have re-opened by now.
Nope. Afraid not. Even had witches hats to block the entrance. This is so very sad. We knew both these places very well and stopped there many times.
On to Adelaide River I guess. Something on the road.
Just a little smorgasbord in the middle of the road for the resident birds. We passed by this guy I reckon about a metre. He just hopped off and increased the gap by another half a metre. 6 tonnes at 95kph and he barely moves. This guy has been around.
Adelaide River pub lunch break.
No. Not two burgers. The same one from opposite sides. Even then it was a bit of a challenge.
On, on and what is that?
A rolled and deserted car. Ah! We only came in from the west at Katherine. I forgot the other feature of the Stuart highway. The deserted cars.
Whoops! Over my right shoulder and backwards without looking and I still pinged the photo.
Another crashed and deserted car.
A fire right on the road. I video-ed it which is much more vivid but internet is not good enough to load video.
Shortly there after, things are happening and I forget the camera. We turn off Townend Road and remember our way to Dion’s place. Still a sort of oasis. You steer through the trees and scrub up the short track to the clearing with (comfy but temporary) house, with big four sided verandah and decking with lawns, big vegie patch and monster shed with bathroom bedroom and now new kitchen, so we found out. We arrived when the kitchen guys were finishing it.
That night we three go to The Livingston Rec Centre with The 34 Mile Bar for eats and drinks. Meat other good friend Cath and also meet for the first time in 54 years, old high school colleague, Phil and wife Jacki. (spelling?) It was a great night and we return to Dions for a night cap. Well it’s a drink really.
Thursday, the third of June 2021. (In Irish: Tursdee Da Terd)
Off to the Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk?) to be ‘tourists’ with Mick and Lou.
Mick decides to sit this one out. I should have stayed with him.
Bats. Flying foxes to be more precise. I’ll call them bats. I can type it quicker. Doesn’t Matter. There are still thousands of them and they still crap over everything. They are protected because they are native. Personally, I think we could do without them.
The one hour or three hour walk? We think the one.
Water and more bats.
Long walk up. This bit’s easy.
Lou notes weird grass hopper…..
Which ‘hops’ onto this stick.
Onward and upward.
….and up
Near top.
Self adoration at the top
Done. Down to the Visitors AIR CONDITIONED Centre for coffees.
Bats. Thousands of them still/again.
We head back. Enough excitement (and exercise) for one day.
That’s a big barra on the roof.
Back to the park. Start a pack up for tomorrow departure. Mick and Lou will be extending for a day or so.
We have Beer O’Clocks and I have a hair cut. Not in that order.
Check out day. We must make haste as we have been in contact with the Deegs and we now have a prescribed rendezvous date and time. We will meet them this very day at 10.30am western standard time at THE border. 9.55am and the dash is on.
We travel the 34 km from Lake Argyle to the Victoria highway.
I guess about 10km to the border.
The clock is ticking all paperwork in order for the border control and we land at exactly 10.28am. The Deegs are waiting BUT we are NOT late. There are Border control officer on the entry to W.A. side but nothing on the enter N.T. side. So glad I spent all that time on the internet preparing the passes. Any way, we are convoying to Victoria River Roadhouse.
Rocky outcrops all about.
We get to The Gregory tree recording the camp site of the famous and very clever, Augustus Gregory. Arrival date is carved into the great Boab Tree. on the rivers edge.
We record our presence thus adding to our collective record of self adoration.
Yes. The seed pods of the Boab are edible.
On, on to the Bradshaw Bridge. It was a Station but purchased by the govt/army as a bomb test site as I understand it.
A nice bridge entrance with the far side securely locked.
T guess they do all sorts there. We are assuming all these trucks are going there.
Then at a stop for lunch in a way side stop is a salute to the past.
Then on, on and … more trucks.
More rocky outcrops …
… then we arrive at the roadhouse which is apparently under new WIFE management.
Settled in, we decide to have a splurge and attend the roadhouse eatery. Not half bad with good burger and a ‘parmy’ which Anne and I share.
Wine? Yes. Red or white or perhaps the only wine available in the whole place? Pepperjack Sparkling Shiraz. $9 a glass. Can we have a bottle? I’ll ask the manager. Yes. $30. Sold. New management seems switched on.
What a fabulous group of fine people.
Baned Drinker Register. I’m not on it. That’s a relief. You never know.
The burgers …
… and the parmy slightly obscured.
I don’t know what this was supposed to be.
I’d say anyone passing that way in a month or so, will have a better choice of wines.Over all, it’s a very good stop. Stars, stars and more stars at the outside night drinkies. Call it a night. Nice night.Showers etc.
Must be up early. We are going on our Lunch Cruise today. Be ready and waiting by ‘Lone Ranger.’ (British rhyme come play on words. Ten to ten, ten to ten, ten to ten-ten- ten.) Bus arrives at the beer garden promptly. Onboard and down the hill to the waiting boat.
All aboard. All girl crew of three. Tracy the skipper, Claire the info come entertainment officer and the last lady didn’t have a name tag but was hands on and earned her pay.
A short hop from the start and there is the wall that holds all the water back. The concrete block has as much height again and under the water. That holds the machinery for the hydo-electricity. I think it is something like seven tonne of water per second and is enough to power Kununurra, Wyndham, 60% of the Argyle mine when it was operating and does all the irrigation.
Gratuitous, self adoration shot.
The boat. There are 50 of us.
Dodgy cat fish. They are blind but sniff out the bread thrown in.
Rock wallabies enticed by gluttony. The crew throws a few muesli granules.
a little island that resembles a turtle …. sort of.
Here is the info section. You’ll have to squint. Good luck.
We pull in for lunch and a swim.
The ‘water baby’ finds out it’s a little (lot) cooler (colder) than what she had expected.
Numbness sets in so pain is gone.
Soggy but refreshed. I ‘refreshed’ with two glasses of complimentary wine.
Motoring for home.
Another nobby outcrop
About to land. More self adoration.
Now on the bus and over to look at the ‘exhaust’ side of the dam.
There’s the exhaust. As I said, I think it is something like seven tonne of water per second and that is going into the original Ord River to irrigate and provide water for the whole area.
Then back home and to complete the day, The Princess has not yet done, but must do/swim in the infinity pool. (Which she does.)
Yet more self adoration. Is there no end to it.
On the grass for sunset (we had our chairs and drinks) and the ‘stick’ on the right is a guitar player/singer. His closing song was about Derek and his double dong. Apparently Derek was about to cut one off to be normal till he met I think ‘Maureen’ with the multi muff. Pretty sophisticated stuff.
We get back to the van and BLOODY cane toads! Damn, damn, damn the things.
Showers, meat and three (we use a meat pie. It’s getting late.) Bit of TV. The photos for the blog will not load so must try again very ‘am’ in the morning. a couple of grape juices.
As per usual, the morning sort of disappeared, but not entirely wasted. a small load of washing and a big base sheet. That got us to early afternoon when we took a short ride back up the road to the RELOCATED Argyle Homestead.
It was the home of the original Durack settler family but was due to be flooded when the lake was created. So given the historical importance and hence the tourism potential, it was relocated to not far but much higher ground. Painfully, stone by stone.
At the entrance are the relocated graves of family and other close associates. as per usual when looking at old country grave sites, they tell the story of the hardship of settling a new land. I haven’t shown all the stones but, amongst them are Annie Durack, died October 1898 aged just 14 years and Vera Durack who died September 1898 aged a very sad just 1 year old. Putting that in context, they lost a baby daughter and the next month and early teens daughter.
In those days the outback was hard and unforgiving.
The house is well appointed and displayed. Even though it is full of memorabilia and historic items, the floors are marked up with original usage item locations. Below is a book showing the saving and relocation.
Though not clearly seen, this huge map shows the amazing cattle drive from Queensland to the W.A. station.
Memorabilia
The dining room was always the biggest room as that was the entertainment for the evening.
Near the entrance is a notice about the local bower bird, asking people to not approach it, so we stayed our distance.
The bower is there in the bottom left of the shadow area.
What you can’t see in the photo above is the bird lurking in the shadows.
Back to the park. We have extended yet another day in order to do the lunch cruise tomorrow. (Sunday.)
We take our drinks and chairs to the lawn area to watch the setting sun, or rather it’s reflection on the cliffs opposite and run into, not one, not two but THREE couples we have at some stage in the last month or so, run into and or Beer O’Clocked with. As is often the case, they will all leave tomorrow and we will stay. Such is the way of the full time traveler. It’s a never ending story but one that grows on you. Like something nice that is. Not like a rash or something that leaves marks.
Sun done. We do not stay for the singer who is doing a very good job by the way. We think he is the chap that performed at 80 Mile Beach. He will probably bob up somewhere else.
Home, showers, another drink, a bit of the blog, food, bed.
We are hitched, said our farewells and in motion by about 11.30am and someone was eagerly waiting for our departure so they could snaffle our spot.
Farewell Kununurra. I will always remember you and also how to spell your name because it took a bit. That third ‘U’ really should have been an ‘A’ in my books.
We also farewell your wet patches …
… and your boabs a plenty.
Bikers going from north to south. I wonder if they know how to spell your name?
We must be nearly at the NT border, but now a sharp turn and move further away from it.
34km and all bitumen, though varying widths and qualities.
A few witches hats approaching a creek bed and a little bit of broken road suggests it must have been a bit soggy here not that long ago.
We literally race another late arrival for the last powered site and park up.
Free WiFi in the beer garden and café 4.30pm to 7pm, exactly the time most are lining up and getting seated for the sunset. Pick your priorities.
Nice neat little ensuites. Makes it a bit homey
… all in a row ….
… and in an ideal lush setting amongst flora AND fauna.
Fauna. That is, on the way to the toilet at the bottom of the rock stairs shown below, Anne spots a little, two foot, black snake at the bottom. The good news is it was sunning and when it saw Anne it immediately decided to head for the shrubbery.
Our patch. We are park F3, which stands for Footrot Flats 3, referring to the undulating, unused scrub area to the left of the pic.
Our neighbor. The most snappy privacy screen I have ever seen. Sort of defeats the purpose of ‘privacy.’ Everyone passing looks at it.
Sun is lowering at the infinity pool. Fact is the sun sets behind us but the sunset highlight is the sun on the red cliff faces.
Fine looking hound which I referred to as a ‘Bluey.’ They insist it is an Australian something-or- other and it’s not my dog so I guess they are right?
The sun sets lower, which is what we are all here for. Anne’s hat is very practical from a shade point of view but also makes her much easier to spot in a crowd.
The infinity pool is much more impressive from the wet side.
Great scenery
This is the tiny tip of the lake. It goes on and on.
I hear the food is good here. FYI if you cant read it, Grilled Salmon $36, Barramundi spring rolls $18, Curry $30.
Boat.
Us.
FYI
Helicopter 12 minutes, $139.
Helicopter approx. 25 minutes, approx. $250
Sunset cruise roughly 3.5 hours $95
Lunch cruise roughly 3.5 hours $120
Nice evening. We extended just another day at this stage. Back to the van. Very dark. Mental note, take a torch. Showers, a couple of drinks, chicken pasta, movie (Mr Right) Bed.
Early bed last night so up at 7am AND still got 9 hours!
We have yet another lazy day, although we do plan the next step or two of our trip and make a few phone calls. It got so close to lunch, we stayed in the van for that and eventually got going mid afternoon, sort of when we should have been heading home for a laydown. Anyway, we had two goals for today. Sandalwood and ‘Hoochery.’ So off we go …
Rocky outcrop with obelisk or marker of some sort. Trig point?
N.B. A triangulation station, also known as a trigonometrical point, and sometimes informally as a trig, is a fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity. The nomenclature varies regionally: they are generally known as trigonometrical stations or triangulation stations in North America, trig points in the United Kingdom, trig pillars in Ireland, trig stations or “trig points in Australia” and New Zealand,[1] and trig beacons in South Africa. Triangulation pillar is the more formal term for the concrete columns found in the UK, however, the informal term, “trig point”, is used more often.
Well I’ll be! Another Boab.
Taking into account, the tourist map was not to scale, the GPS decided to show us just how much it hates our guts and a few miscalculations, we miraculously find the Sandalwood shop. It is almost ‘Chinese Dentist’.
They had a curtained off café area. I asked if coffees were available and was told ‘No. You’re too late.’ It was a throw away line from me. We had been told back at the Information Centre two days earlier that they had closed it a while ago, so she was indeed correct. We were too late. Probably about a month or two.
N.B. ‘Chinese Dentist.’ (2.30 … ‘Tooth Hurty’. Is this politically incorrect or just a little English humour? Who cares? To give accreditation but respect privacy, I heard it and had it explained to me by a young Brit I will call S.G. about four years ago.
Anne focuses on the products and the bouquets.
I focus on the process of getting Sandalwood Oil and why it is so expensive. It is quite a process. To start with, they use Indian Sandalwood trees as they only take 15 years to mature for use. 12 metres high. The Australian Sandalwood takes 80 years and must have a colder climate so are grown down south. Even then the Australian product is cheaper as not so desirable or dynamic. The Indian is not just a nice bouquet but also a pharmaceutical product.
Sandalwoods are parasitic and leech off other tree roots, so they are grown between rows of other ‘host’ trees which eventually die off as they are ‘sucked dry’ by the Sandalwoods. If you have amazing squinting abilities, you can see this on the sketch below. The photo below shows the Sandalwood ‘suckers’ on the host tree roots. They go from host tree to host tree one after the demise of the other. Bottom line is if you planted one in your garden, after 15 years you entire garden would be one sandalwood. From a layman’s point of view, (mine) what a bastard of a tree!
At $130 for a tiny little, I think 10mil bottle, Anne decides she doesn’t need any. She has her beauty therapy essential oil collection stored and thinks she has some anyway.
On down the road just 1km to the ‘Hoochery.’
N.B. hooch. Informal alcoholic drink, especially inferior or illicit whisky.
Time limit. 5 minutes to close time? Time for two tastings only, so skip the whisky (Ouch!) and straight to the two Gins. A white and a pink The white has just been released. (What? For good behavior?)
These are the two we taste. ‘Argyle Pink’ on the right, described as an Australian Dry Gin, distilled with East Kimberley native botanicals. The new one on the left cheekily named ‘Out of the Ord’ is described as Australian Tropical Gin distilled with botanicals and fruits from the Ord River Valley.
For those who are anally retentive when it comes to details, squint like you have never squinted before and lap the details up. To those less ‘focused, they are both good but different so we bought the one with the Kitch-iest name. FYI Out of the Ord was $82 and the pink about $87 or $89
N.B. Kitsch (/kɪtʃ/ KITCH; loanword from German) is art or other objects that, generally speaking, appeal to popular rather than “high art” tastes. Such objects are sometimes appreciated in a knowingly ironic or humorous way.
Here’s the guy we chose and I have called it Anne’s Gin. N.B. I have bought Baileys and Lemoncello for Anne. They sit there ‘still’ unopened after I have lost count of how many months. Therefore while it is ‘Anne’s Gin, let it be known, I figure two months grace, then the ‘Anne’ tag is removed. So I will drink some as from 27th July this year. Now …. Anne is forewarned IF she reads the blog.
I asked what the significance of the painting with the three naked girls at the pool. When I did not receive an answer, I suggested, ‘Maybe the owners daughters?’ Apparently Gin Distillery employees are born without senses of humour. Very sad.
I was driving so I let Anne have most of the tasting. I think she was a little ‘on the way’ by the time she got to the visitors comment book. I suspect she probably put how much she liked Sandalwood Oil.
We are thinking this sort of ex-car probably belonged to an over-taster.
Things growing. Wonder what it was?
Someone who actually DID have a sense of humour has painted up an old car with flowers etc. and popped a dummy in it. That’s the trouble with the world today. Too many ‘stiffs’ with no sense of humour.
This triple turned in front of us about 300 metres before. I think he felt bad about it and turned off to let me pass.
Yet another rocky outcrop.
Back to town. Fuel up for tomorrows departure. Coles for last minute un-necessaries. Home. A beer, a short chat to the couple next door, shower, Gin, nice piece of steak with veg, glass (three) of red. bit of TV, bed.
I have seen this before but this chap has put it on his car.
Good concept. NEVER Give Up!
Now, as per normal when visiting a town, we dropped into the Museum.
If or when you are here, DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR and go meet ‘Andrew’, who rides shotgun on the desk. Not that he stays at the desk. He points, draws attention to, explains the classic who, what, when, where and why on just about any and every item in the 10 deep displays and shelves. He’s an oracle, and an enthusiastic one at that.
Apparently, when he rocked up in the late 80’s, research took off like a rocket and all sorts of info was hunted, compiled and recorded. AND … he’s a volunteer. I told him he should be paid. He does the work of three. Surely they could pay one of him?
Now I can’t possibly remember all we were informed of, so I will generalize as required. Also, forgive the odd incorrect statement.
A miner handed him a cracked rock and said, ‘Polish that. It’s silver.’ It was. Here’s the rock.
Old Stromatolites found under 3 metres of sand and 20 metres above the level of the Ord River. They were the START of life on earth creating oxygen.
Check the ancient fossils.
This is a Tektite.
N.B. Tektite is a unique type of natural glass formed during ancient meteorite strikes on Earth. It’s a high silica based stone that reminds one of small gravel pebbles, which can vary in size of a few centimeters (Tektites measuring in millimeters are called Microtektites).
Occurrences in Australia.
Endless history on all levels and sources.
Forced landings and heroic search and rescues.
Celebrating the Ord River Dam opening on 30th June 1972.
Details of relocation of facilities as the Dam grew.
Here are the two German fliers who got lost coming from Bali (or Timor?) to Darwin and ended up in the Kimberly.
A copy of the Germans record of landings, starting in Germany and missing only Australia, because they didn’t land in Darwin.
Kym Durack.
N.B. Kimberley Michael (Kim) Durack (1917-1968), agricultural scientist, was born on 17 May 1917 at Claremont, Perth, fourth of six children of Michael Patrick Durack, pastoralist, and his wife Bessie Ida Muriel, née Johnstone. Kim’s sisters (Dame) Mary Durack Miller and Elizabeth Durack became a noted author and artist respectively. Educated at Christian Brothers’ College, Perth, and Muresk Agricultural College, Northam, he moved in 1936 to the family’s cattle-stations on the Western Australia-Northern Territory border. The properties were heavily indebted and, after fifty years of open-range grazing, new approaches were needed. Durack, who brought the first plough into East Kimberley, advocated the introduction of irrigation for pasture management, complemented by agricultural crops. His ideas were sharpened by the abortive scheme to establish a Jewish homeland on the Durack properties in 1938-39. He experimented with lucerne at Argyle before establishing an experimental plot at Ivanhoe on the Ord River.
In 1941 the Western Australian government sent the experienced engineer-administrator (Sir) Russell Dumas to accompany Durack in selecting the site for an Ord River dam. Between 1942 and 1945 Kim and his brother William grew successful trials of sorghum and millet at Carlton Reach, publishing their findings in the journal of the Department of Agriculture. Impatient for progress, in March 1947 Kim Durack stood as an Independent for the Legislative Assembly seat of Kimberley, his manifesto, ‘A New Deal for Kimberley’, urging an integrated irrigation programme for the entire district. Although polling respectably, he failed to shift Labor’s hold. About 1948 he visited Rhodesia and was impressed with cattle husbandry there.
Anne with an Olympic 2000. Also a gas cylinder. Apparently they ate more rare than the torches as they were kept by the organizers but someone snatched this one.
The route the flame took.
These skulls of examples of bad luck. These two bulls had their horns grow into their eye sockets. One with both and the other just one.
A fab poem. Go have a look.
Info goes on …
… and on.
Just before it was bulldozed, a few Faraway Downs souvenirs were grabbed. plastic and fibre leaves from the false flowers, paper Machete chimney etc etc.
Patrick Durack
Durack and his brother Michael trekked across the north of the continent from Thylungra at Coopers Creek in Queensland. They left in 1879 with 7250 breeding cattle and 200 horses, heading for the Kimberley region of Western Australia near Kununurra, arriving in 1882. The 4,800-kilometre (3,000 mi) journey of cattle to stock Argyle Downs and Ivanhoe Station is the longest of its type ever recorded.[4]
In 1885, he retired to Brisbane. Later that year he purchased gold-crushing machinery from Sydney and began mining on the Kimberley goldfields. In 1889 he learned that financial disaster had overtaken his Queensland interests. He died in Fremantle on 20 January 1898.[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Durack
Too much to fully record in a couple of hours. We left when dusk came.
An early start. Just as well. I did the tyres. So, sensors off the valve stems. Half the gear out the back to get to the compressor etc etc etc.
Fill the half full water tanks as we will be off into the unknown. Well … unknown quality of water.
Time to move on, from our prime spot next to the office.
Heading back towards Kununurra (100km away) We pass a sign, ‘Grotto”. Anne says, ‘Will we have a look?’ I look in the rear vision camera monitor, notice a multi tray semi about 30 metres off the back bumper and say, ‘NO!’ No time to stop. Turned out he was a quad (4trailers) and he was on a mission. We ended up chatting him a la two way and helping him pass us. N.B. You tell them you are on board for a pass. I am doing 95km. They can only do 100km. They cannot pass easily because there is only 5km per hour in it. So I / we tell them, ‘you swing out when you are ready, I will slap on the skids’ and he sails past easily. This we did.
We get to Kununurra and look for a coffee source. My second favorite food group. We find this place and while we appreciate and agree with it’s positive sentiment, they are closing for the day. Then … I notice the name of the place. Armageddon Food.
I light heartedly confront and ask the staff, ‘Do you know what that means?’ Answer? ‘It’s a movie.’ Yes. It is, with Bruce Willis. In the movie, they are going into space to blast a meteor before it crashes into and wipes out earth. However, I give them the FULL/true description and I quote Mr Google.
N.B. Armageddon /ˌɑːməˈɡɛd(ə)n/ noun …
(in the New Testament) the last battle between good and evil before the Day of Judgement.
– the place where the Armageddon will be fought.
– a dramatic and catastrophic conflict, especially one seen as likely to destroy the world or the human race.
(“nuclear Armageddon”)
So now the young Spanish couple are aware of their work place significance.
We went to the IGA Tuckerbox supermarket before this but no coffee. So we went on to the Coles mall which is where we found the ‘end of the world’ coffee place which is closing. So we go looking for an open one and come across the Mango something or other. We are told they close at 2pm in 15 minutes. I say, if you don’t dawdle we will finish our coffees and shared toasted sandwich by then. We do and establish they are closing at 2pm because they can’t get staff. That was the reason why the other ‘end of world’ one was closing.
N.B. If you seriously WANT a job, come here. They are desperate for ANYONE who is prepared to work.
Back to Coles to get things IGA didn’t have and also, Anne ‘NOTICED’ something when there earlier.
Anne noticed a ‘Pink Diamond’ shop and would like a look. (Derrrr)
Knock out stuff. Cheap earrings at only somewhere between $600 and $1000 . Seems that pink diamonds are more expensive that dirty old white ones.
And this little ring about the same, mais ce diamant est petit. (but this diamond is small)
This little honey below is not so ‘petit.’ $450,000 . (!!??!?!#??#!!)
As luck would have it, we get a van site at the show grounds. Toilets/showers and 240 volts for $30 per night during Ord Valley Muster without a booking!! The lord moves in mysterious ways. Have a look: https://ordvalleymuster.com.au/
A bit cosy/squeezy but a well kept toilet’bathroom with code door (we have the code) just 20 metres away and a good bunch around us.
The grounds are administered by Kevin, a dynamic, colourful and hard working individual. Always a pleasure to deal with moderately (or seriously) eccentric people. He’s a gem.
Night falling. A lady will be playing guitar about 80 metres away in the park at 6pm. It is dark at 5.30pm and the local team footy practice is on. Top right light is the moon. Been a bit of a day. We won’t be attending the guitar lady.
We chat with and consume beer with neighbours. Look at bugs!! We also have a resident owl that swoops the bugs from time to time.
Our near, almost private bathroom. Turns out it comes with it’s own frog in the shower. There has to be a more Monty Python reaction to this?
Nice little guy. (or girl)
The adjacent mini bathroom. Anne blocks view of the toilet. Not on purpose.
Slow morning. (again) Fossick around. Finish yesterdays blog. i.e. I did all the days before yesterday but then realized I hadn’t done yesterday. Plus a few management problems. Website management that is,
Then …. shopping in the only non descriptive but well stocked supermarket in town.
Then to the Crocodile Bakery for our Crocodile pie.
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
They have their own butcher shop within the market.
The only servo in town but fair. $137.90 per litre. Lots cheaper than elsewhere we have been.
Boozerama next to the big croc. Opens 12 noon. Some restrictions but unless you are a total ‘P’ head, you will recieve ample.
The BIG Croc.
Old Wyndham with wharf.
The museum. Top TOP place.
History.
1932, two Germans crashed on the north edge of the WA. There saving is the stuff movies are made of. All info here.
This is historic records of the Caravan Park Tree.
Endless history and relics here.
Then up to the look out for a magnificent view of the old town and its operational facilities and of course, sunset.
WYNDHAM.
Totally undervalued and an historical piece of not just W.A but Australia. Do NOT bypass it. Come and have a look.
By the way, bloody nice caravan park and run by nice people. Do not question whether to come here. Just do it.
Showers, Barramundi pie from croc pie shop today plus salad, movie, (Shooter) red and a little port (any port in a storm) … Bed …
I create history. I rise at 5.30am and compute till 6am. That’s not history. This is. THEN I announce that I am going to put on the first load of washing which was one of the main reasons for stopping here. I did this because I noted the park had quite a few visitors. I also noted, of the two amenities blocks, we had only visited one and the laundry had two washers only.
I bounce over there with all but the bed linen, because it was still being used by my dozing Diva. One machine is for staff/Park use only and the other is already being used. At 6am! Shit. I go, fingers crossed to the other block and find just two more machines. I grab one and one minute later a guy comes in and grabs the last one. If I hadn’t thought to go over there at 6am, who knows how long we would have had to wait. It’s Sunday. All the locals would have a Saturday or Sunday wash day.
I return and because a nob on the machine is in the wrong position it didn’t cycle. So that is fixed and I start again. The other guys machine has finish but he has gone back to bed I guess. I wait 15 minutes then empty his machine and use it for the bed linen leaving a note saying we waited 15 minutes. Need not have bothered. We finish all washing and head for the line and he had not been back for 45 minutes. Pig ignorant when there are limited washers.
My main job today is to bring the blog up to date as 6 days behind. Long story short I actually manage to load a couple of videos for the helicopter day. It took forever so no more vids till we get better internet. Damn shame. I have drone and all sorts. Bummer.
End of day, we go for a walk around the park. We find this monster BOAB tree. It is described as ‘the largest boab tree in captivity.’ I guess that mean not in the wild.
Have a look at it!
The fruit/nuts are edible.
It is also suggested that ‘The tree is estimated to be OVER 2000 years old.’
That’s us hanging out onto the road. Some people are so thoughtless.
These Kites are everywhere.
N.B. The Black Kite is a medium-sized raptor (bird of prey). From a distance, it appears almost black, with a light brown bar on the shoulder. The plumage is actually dark brown, with scattered light brown and rufous markings, particularly on the head, neck and underparts. The tail is forked and barred with darker brown. (Black Kite | BirdLife Australia https://birdlife.org.au › bird-profile › black-kite)
ALL sorts of campers and vans. Never ending.
Even a helicopter parked in the grounds of the park.
Now this is on the roof of the gazebo next to the van . Know what it is? Neither do we, but we are curious. I should get a young person to climb up.
We will extend a day to shop and be tourists.
G & T’s tonight plus a red with meal. Yet another great stir-fry. This time marinated chicken with capsicum and other things. Great. Shower. Movie.
N.B. POSTED 23RD. WE HAD 6 DAYS WITHOUT INTERNET GOOD ENOUGH TO USE BLOG.
N.B. 2. WE ACTUALLY MANAGED TO LOAD A FEW VIDEOS EVEN THOUGH THEY TOOK HOURS, LITERALLY.
Up bright and early for our big day. Van all packed up. Up the slope for farewell toilet stop. Then to the bins. Then the short hop to the BBCP.
We are taking a half hour ride in a Robinson R44 Helicopter. Good little Helicopter.
N.B. Googled it.
Aviation attorney Joseph Anderson, who has represented victims of several of these fatal crashes, lists four major problem areas with all versions of the Robinson helicopters (1) mast bumping, where the aircraft’s teetering (see-saw) rotor system contacts the mast causing rotor system separation, (2) delamination of the rotor blades where the blades actually come apart, (3) aluminum fuel tanks which split open on impact causing post-crash fires, and (4) low inertia rotor system which allows for rapid loss of rotor rpm during powered-off situations. “Because the aircraft are all similar dynamically and structurally with the same rotor systems and, until recently, fuel tanks, they all pose the same risks to their pilots and passengers,” Anderson states.
Dry rivers and waterways that carved the terrain out.
Landing, the entrance to the park
The BBCP
Over the road, the upper bitumen level of Spring Creek RA (rest area) with slope at right down to the shady grove.
They call the golf buggy ‘The Departure Lounge.’
We hit the road. First stop to refuel is Warmun (Turkey Creek) roadhouse. Good choice of food including Vili’s. Barista coffee. Many locals come in cars and community busses. I asked the waitress what the barcode band was on her arm? She said, anything for the community people goes on that bar code.
How do you get to join a community?
On, on to the halfway mark. Doon Doon.
Not a good plug for using it.
Still, a place to drop any spare cane toads you are carrying but don’t need.
… but excellent roadhouse. Big book section, even with the also excellent John Martinkus book, ‘A Dirty Little War’ regarding the invasion in East Timor.
… and some Australian classics.
Everyone stops here.
But, on, on another hour and a quarter and the sun is sinking fast.
Kununurra, 45km to the right and 55km left to Wyndham.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
We are going left and we have 40 minutes or so to go. We pass the El Questro turn off on the left about 10km in and finally arrive at 4.50pm. sun is set/setting. By 5.30pm it will be pitch dark up here.
Check in for two nights and on the site next to the office. 240 volts, water, guaranteed by the park boss to be top quality with no calcium build up or taste.
Yes. We have had a big day and we have big showers and a nice meal of Chilli Con Carne again. I could live on it. Plenty of water. Air cond. Local TV. Hogs heaven.
N.B. POSTED 23RD. WE HAD 6 DAYS WITHOUT INTERNET GOOD ENOUGH TO USE BLOG.
N.B. 2. NO VIDEOS AS INTERNET IS BETTER HERE BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO LOAD VIDEOS.
Most vans are gone by 8am. We remain, waiting for our Saturday morning helicopter flight. A bit of geography. We are at the bottom of a small slope in the ‘shady bottom grove’ adjacent the creek. At the top of the slope is the treeless bitumen camping spot with one small shade shelter with bench and here also are the three toilets. So we have the morning ritual of strolling up the slope/hill for a WC visit. We see this fine beast on the stroll.
Glad I made that bug catcher.
This guy isn’t glad. He is quite ‘inconvenienced.’
Treeless bitumen camping area at the top of the slope. Taken from the toilet block ramp landing.
Us in the bottom shady grove at the bottom of the slope. BEFORE WE MOVE.
All is sweet till about 12 noon when the USB charger on the wall of the van will not charge a phone. Another shady place, so we bite the bullet and shift to the sunniest spot in the limited space. Instant fix and the only minor drawback is we took the connecting up space of the unhitched camper van behind us.
They return and want their van. We manage access for them without moving. That is, I purposely parked away from the treed edge of the park. So there is enough room for him to drive in between the trees and our van.
It gets hotter. Must have something to do with parking in the sun. (Brain surgeon material. That’s me!) By mid afternoon the sun has sunk behind trees again but hopefully there will be enough charge for tonight.
We talk to a few people who come to look at our creek. A slow day which is fine. A bit of excitement. We decide to walk up the slope because about 100 metres past the toilet block are the rubbish bins, and we have managed to accumulate a bag of it, a bottle (empty) and a few other items. We are going to the bins. Is there no end to the excitement?
A young chap has walked down the slope with his younger son to look at the creek. We chat. He had a Supreme van and now has a Leader up the top of the slope. Supreme and Leader are made by the same manufacturer. He is from South Australia. He bought his van from the same place we did. His purchase was not without hiccup and I see a rather negative Modus operandi emerging of the retail outlet we purchased from. They have since lost the retail sales. Food for thought on my part.
Dusk coming and I get the BIG lens out for a few (too late) shots of fauna. The slow day is coming to an end. For the first time in a while we choose not to have a Beer O’clock with others. Another quiet night. Showers, stir fry (V good) Watch end of Uncle Buck and all of Waking Ned Devine.
A big day tomorrow. Helicopter flight at 10.30am. We are down to half water tanks so will have to get water in this dry area and we need 240volts for clothes washing. All this in an area that is full due to the Ord River Muster from 24th to 29th. So tomorrow will be interesting.
N.B. POSTED 23RD. WE HAD 6 DAYS WITHOUT INTERNET GOOD ENOUGH TO USE BLOG.
N.B. 2. NO VIDEOS AS INTERNET IS BETTER HERE BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO LOAD VIDEOS.
All our new found friends have pulled out and so will we.
We have ‘a cunning plan’. There is apparently a free camp with toilets near the Bungle Bungle Caravan Park which has buses into the BB’s and helicopter flights. So we will go to the BBCP and make our enquiries then adjourn to the free park.
But first a farewell toilet stop and up the road to the bins to get rid of soft rubbish and empty glass. Then it’s ‘Whoosh!’ to the next stop. (Whoosh? Is that even a real word and if so what does it really mean and then does it apply? Make mental note ‘Cut crap.’)
We pass the dirt turn off of the Tanami Road to Alice Springs. Great. We have seen it from both ends now. I don’t really need to see the bit in between.
We arrive at Halls creek in an hour or so and line up behind all the other vans at the Shell Station. $159.9 per litre from memory. Ouch … but not as ‘ouch’ as some in the past. Nearly did $2 going up the middle.
Then to a public toilet in the main street guarded by a group of locals, seated on the step up landing to the toilet. Very reassuring to have security. (?) IGA across the road for a few nibbles. I wanted a coffee but had to settle for an ice coffee out the fridge. On, on.
A zoom into the prefab metal cattle. Well done whoever did it. Quite effective. Almost (but not quite ) as good as mate Ricks metal art up at Loxton, SA Riverland. The promised land. We love our travels in this bloody marvelous country, but we do have a soft spot for the SA Riverland.
Going on for another hour and we see the turn off left to Spring Creek and can see vans very close to the road. Then a mere few hundred metres on the right is the BBCP dirt turn off with a big big Helicopter Hire sign. We front the counter of the park and quiz the Canadian lady riding shot gun on the office, with a series of questions.
Yes, there is a bus into the Bunble Bungles. It leaves at 6.30am (sun is rising) and gets back around 5.30pm. Almost pitch Dark. 11 hours down a bumpy road. $340 each but includes two meals, and it bloody well should. For that price Chateaubriand and French Champagne. with Southern Rock Lobster entre. So if it gets back in the dark we should be booked in there. $50 power site and $35 non power. They only have one power site currently. Here we are on Thursday and the next available bus is Monday. So how much money do you reckon they are making? Say 30 on the bus? So gross $10,020 less overheads. So for us, $340 plus $340 plus $50 is $730 and we have to wait four days.
In next door we go to the helicopter mob. $399 pp for half hour flight and next flight, Saturday morning. So $800 but we see the BB’s in comfort from the air and no 11 hours in a bumpy dusty bus. But it is $800 in 30 minutes. To be considered.
Back to the Spring creek free camp with toilets same as the ones at Mary Pool with foot pump. We also come across two sets of previous neighbours who help guide us into a shady spot. We R & R for a few hours, during which time we decide on the chopper at 10.30am Saturday and book it via dodgy phone reception. We then meet said friends for Beer O’clock and an open fire.
Home to the Palace and it is the easiest meal. We thaw the frozen (cooked) rice and frozen Chilli Con Carne, grate the cheese and pull out the corn chips and avocado. 20 minutes and instant meal.
Showers, we watch the film Uncle Buck or part thereof, and …..
N.B. POSTED 23RD. WE HAD 6 DAYS WITHOUT INTERNET GOOD ENOUGH TO USE BLOG.
N.B. 2. NO VIDEOS AS INTERNET IS BETTER HERE BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO LOAD VIDEOS.
People going but not all of us. We decide to have a quiet day. So much so that we delay our morning ritual walk to the toilet block. Then on the way to the WC with consumables in plastic bag we stop chat and find the down side of being polite.
In comes the KIMBERLY 4WD tourist bus and does a U turn to stop within 20 metres of OUR toilets. Panic! Rush! they were initially slow to demount. Then there’s the first one and we scurry, as that individual is on a mission from god. I guess they have been waiting for it. Only three toilets and off get’s number two, who we assume has also been cross legged for a while. ‘Hello!’ I shout and wave hoping to distract and delay the teeming hordes as Anne increases her rate from scurry to scamper. The Hello had limited effect so we are 4 and 5 with 1, 2 and 3 currently busy. However, they are all short visits.
Note instructions on the toilet. ‘If you haven’t eaten it, please don’t drop it down the tube.’ That spells it out pretty well. They could have been a little more basic but you get the picture.
\
With floor foot pump.
A truck arrives and attends a car towing a van. We assume the RAC. In half an hour, he is mobile after a tow start. Featured also in this shot is a lady walking her three dogs. You’d have to love those mutts to travel god knows how far with them.
Then the cows come through. I wasn’t quick enough to get a clear shot of Norman out of City Slickers but to anyone who has seen it, you will get the idea. Almost a dead ringer.
I download the drone photos and video from yesterday.
Our car centre slightly right.in the shade. That becomes a problem on the last day requiring a car start and run for 20 minutes to bring the batteries up.
N.B. AS STATED, WE CANNOT LOAD THE VIDEOS AT THIS TIME.
Some known neighbours remain and we have a Beer O’clock. A chat. Darkness falls and we adjourn to showers, meal and inevitable movie.
N.B. POSTED 23RD. WE HAD 6 DAYS WITHOUT INTERNET GOOD ENOUGH TO USE BLOG.
N.B. 2. NO VIDEOS AS INTERNET IS BETTER HERE BUT STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO LOAD VIDEOS.
By the way, Mary Pool is a bit over half way from Fitzroy Crossing to Halls Creek, on the Mary River, sort of.
What a great place. Heaps of vans and other campers.
Three Eco style toilets which are one of the biggest draw cards. We sleep in, but not nearly enough.
COWS wander all around as we are in an open range. They demonstrate natural instinct from time to time, to the amusement and / or confusion of the children. They also show little respect for our own van sites and lay shoe land mines ‘willy nilly.’
Nice people/campers all around.
We coast along and wander around.
We cook lunch on the BBQ. Lunch was inspired by the cows. After watching them wander around, I asked the question, ‘How many hamburgers would there be in one of those?’ We had hamburger for lunch. I didn’t feel guilty.
We use our slide out ‘Ziggy’ (Ziegler and Brown) again for about the ….? …..?…8th time? … in two years.
Note: Ziegler and Brown BBQ’s are good on our tunnel slide because Baby Webbers are hinged on the back and so you always have full height and that can be a handicap on a low tunnel. Baby Webbers usually have to have their lids taken off to fit in on a permanent slide. The Ziggy lid is hinged in the middle either side so the lid slides under the body when you open it. Our Ziggy is permanently fixed on the slide.
I put the drone up.
We walk along the river/pool to the causeway and chat with good campers including photographers, even though they had/use/like Nikon.
Dusk comes too soon and we adjourn to the ‘palace’. Anne does a fab stir-fry and we watch Bohemian Rhapsody, story of Queen/Freddy Mercury.
Now how couldn’t you like that? Funny. It seems to make more sense when it’s sung.
N.B. Bismillah (Arabic: بسم الله) is a phrase in Arabic meaning “in the name of God”, it is also the first word in the Qur’an, and refers to the Qur’an’s opening phrase, the Basmala.
N.B. POSTED 23RD. WE HAD 6 DAYS WITHOUT INTERNET GOOD ENOUGH TO USE BLOG.
N.B. 2. No videos as internet is better but still not good enough to load videos.
We wake as god dictates, which is about 8am. Basic but clean toilets.
Basis dump point BUT it has one.
Grassed grounds.
‘Repeat after me …. B … O …A… B tree.’ Lots of ’em.
Our neighbours bid farewell. We cruise on, (and on) until we stopped at an excellent way side stop with toilet called something like Ellen Creek Station Stop. Great spot and even though it was about lunch time, people were already biding for position to stay the night. (It has a toilet.) We have lunch.
But ON! ON!
We go (ON!) to Fitzroy Crossing and fuel up. A fine young aboriginal chap fronts me with a very nice carving. Unfortunately it was on some sort of native big nut or pod and I explained to him that I would have trouble getting it across borders. I suggested he look for a W.A. person who does not have to cross borders. He thanked me for my advice and politely dismissed himself.
I acted sensibly. Then after, I thought to myself, ‘Leith. What a BASTARD you are!’ Even if I had to hand it in at a border, would it have been so bad for me and good for him to buy it? I will remember always and also ask anyone reading this to remember and be more sympathetic if ever they are fronted similarly in the future. He may be getting Government handout for all I know. The point is, he was not just sitting on his bum taking the freebies. He was TRYING to be productive and that deserved a little encouragement.
Birds of Prey. Not to be confused with Pray. These guys do NOT Pray.
I took this to show smashed Australia Post sign on the front but can’t quite see it. We read the reviews on Wikicamps. Do NOT stay here.
ON! to Mary Pool free camp about two hours ‘on’. We pass a fabulous free camp with toilet right up on a plateau. We drive past and I have regretted it since. It would have had fantastic views, unique and been so brilliant.
ON we push till we get to our Destination of Mary Pool. Brilliant! We join about forty other vans AND room to spare. It has a river/ pool and basic pump flush toilets. Nice atmosphere. We sit with neighbours and drink a beer and talk caravans/places/things.
Then, it’s time for home. So we …. go home. No problem. It was only 3 metres. We shower the rather special way on limited water from tanks. Nice meal. Showers. Film SLEEP.
Finally we are on the road. Bike and side car? OK …??
There’s a reason why they post cattle warnings. This poor guy lost his life and the vehicle that hit him wouldn’t have done well either. It’s called ‘lose-lose.’
Good. Just graze. Do NOT move.
Macho? Or just plain crazy?
Single width bridge.
Willare Roadhouse & Caravan Park. Diesel empty so on to Derby.
Derby
Derby.
A tidal flow that you wouldn’t believe, second only to the horizontal falls. (but muddy due to the mudflats at the coast.)
The ‘star’ of the show.
A reflection of reality.
Out of the blue, a ‘stang’. Me thinks 1966-ish.
The prison Boab. Back in the 1800’s it was used as a gaol.
And the swimming pool designed back during the war.
Firemen lighting fires. Controlled burning.
More bike riders.
Sun down coming. We need a stop and Willare Roadhouse is just down the road so we head back.
Meet nice people Joanna and Bill camping adjacent and we do a beer o’clock then dusk and the mossequittoo’es come looking for meat.
We are ‘meat’ so we retire to the more or less safe environment of our luxury apartments. (Caravans)
Chilli concarne, avocado, rice, cream, corn chips. A feast!
Showers, a movie ‘2012’ futuristic mahem …. off the sat dish, …..
Our last extended day. We depart tomorrow. So we make a bit of a day of it.
We meet the Deegs at the market for a last chance to spend and how better to do so than to buy some fine tuned, supported, ridged, (?) spiffy, light, action orientated, THONGS called ‘Slappa’s.’ Mine are carefully selected green and blue. (Only ones in my size)
Anne ‘plays in the land of ‘Dreams.’ Apparently that is what these feather and stick and cloth and twine things are labeled.
Peace and tranquility after the feeding frenzy and clean up.
This is the chosen soap.
On to this great little church. ‘Our Lady Queen of Peace Cathedral.’ Catholic Diocese of Broome. I think it was built in the 60’s and it looks a bit prefab and transported. However the feature is the extensive use of Mother of Pearl. Just plain beautiful.
The cross, the whole lot, Mother of Pearl.
Even the bowl.
On to Gantheaume Point.
The beach on the far side is Cable Beach. LOTS of cars and many people in the water. They either did not see or did not care there was a sign saying beach closed due to spotting of sharks and a crocodile. Well, really, what’s the worst thing can happen? Get killed I guess.
Bid the inevitable ‘See ya layta.’ to the Deegs and that will most likely be a fair way up the track. Perhaps Darwin ish.
Back to damn Woolworths AGAIN for some more final panic purchasing. We were down to 4 spuds. Just a few other optionals. More chocolate ice cream, licorice etc, then butcher for big fat sausages and hamburgers.
On to China town.
…and Sun Pictures. N.B. The Sun Picture Gardens is the world’s oldest picture gardens still in operation. It is located in Broome, Western Australia. Unlike most outdoor cinemas, it screens multiple films per night; the majority of outdoor cinemas screen one or two films a week. Wikipedia
Every one who attends has the chance to make a grand entry or exit to the attention of all the attendees, as the toilets are either side of the screen.
History.
Self adoration.
Floor plaques showing every owner from original.
We are very close to the airport. You can’t help but notice.
Speaking of airport, a huge plaque showing the war time action here. Got a bit of a hammering.
A shady spot and a mango crush made all the difference to a long hot day.
China town appears to have a whole street of pearl dealers. This was the only one open late Saturday afternoon.
I was amazed they let us get so close to this ‘little honey.’
I got Anne to place her finger next for some sort of reference. It is over 22mm in diameter. For those who are more familiar with the old language, an inch is 25.4mm . It’s damn near and inch!
They have already knocked back an offer of AU$1,000,000 on it and apparently, if I have my facts right, it is the biggest in the world?
Looked like they give lectures as well.
A bit blurry.
I cropped and sharpened but still not clear, so just the top row from L to R, $1465, 1685, 1897. Bottom row L to R $2544, $2639, $1276. N.B. it isn’t just the size. It’s colour, clarity, blemishes and shape etc.
Back to the car past rusty iron dancers.
As I said, very close to the airport. Look at how low the light post have been cut down adjacent.
Back to the park and we connect up. and do other prep.
Had two of those big, fat snags for meal. You only need one plus veges of course. Still haven’t got enough greens. We may just have to suffer.
Late start. Up 8am. Last minute washing before the nearing even closer departure. Bed linen etc . A big chunk of the morning.
Also a little tinkering. You see below, once you focus and rationalize, two Occie or Octopus straps (elastic with hooks on the ends) stretched between the two rear doors passenger entry fold down handles immediately above the top edges. These are to aid entrée and exit.
You will also notice on either end a piece of wire has been installed between them as spacers, to push them apart.
This is to hold them far enough apart so as not to put undue pressure on anything stuck between them, Such as hats for example. Yes. This is a hat rack and yes, before I put the wire spreaders in, the straps squeezed the hat together and distorted it. It has since been manipulated back to shape.
Also, yes, it is a ‘nifty’ idea and yes, I would like to claim it my invention but no, I can’t. That particular bit of credit belongs to ‘Deegs’ , although I can take credit for the spreaders.
Now as we are checking out on Sunday Morning, I will just pass a little info on regarding the Tarangau Caravan Park we have been in. It was named after the HMAS Tarangau Manus Island PNG. (pronounced Tarangow) It was an Aussie naval base in late 60’s early 70’s. The land was purchased in 1993 by Captain Blenkinsopp who had been stationed at the base. He was also an artist and bought it as a camping ground for travelling artists. As tourism increased, he was asked to open it as an overflow caravan park. They added the facilities and it became a van park. It was sold to another family in 2007 who are the current owners.
From humble beginnings. Can’t help wondering what the good captain paid for it in 1993 and what it is worth now. Don’t EVER let anyone tell you land isn’t the best investment you can ever make.
It evolves into a lazy afternoon and we look forward to our 5pm meeting with the Deegs family at the Broome Fishing Club. Early photo below shows three of the nine participants already appreciating the incredibly picturesque location which is a point or headland (?) surrounded on two sides by the ocean with the setting sun in the other direction.
Didn’t get the guitarists name but chatted to him after. He sang pretty well only golden oldies through the evening. Golden for me. I have never heard Paper Moon sung as entertainment before. It was written in 1932 for what was a flop Broadway show. Sung by a few back then including Nat King Cole. If you squint, you can see him right in the middle of the pic below. No point really, is there? I just love the song from the movie of the same name way back in the 70’d with Ryan O’Neal and at the time child daughter Tatum. Brilliant film if you can get a hold of it.
They do have some imagination at the club. Didn’t check the ladies.
We adjourn to the ‘dig’s’ of the ‘Deegs’s’ for a pleasant chat, glass of red and an appreciation of a cool evening. ‘How about the market tomorrow?’ ‘OK. See you then.’
Home. Showers etc.
zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz
Cant help it. Paper Moon trailer, if it works.
… and the lyrics.
Lyrics
Say it is only a paper moon
Sailing over a cardboard sea,
But it wouldn’t be make believe
If you believed in me.
Yes It is only a canvas sky
Hanging over a muslin tree,
But it wouldn’t be make believe
If you believed in me.
Without your love,
It’s a honky-tonk parade.
Without your love,
It’s a melody played in a penny arcade.
It’s a Barnum and Bailey world,
Just as phony as it can be,
But it wouldn’t be make believe
If you believed in me.
Without your love,
It’s a honky-tonk parade.
Without your love,
It’s a melody played in a penny arcade.
It’s a Barnum and Bailey world
Just as phony as it can be,
But it wouldn’t be make believe
If you believed in me.
Late morning we take off and drop in on the ‘D’s fitting their new (second additional) car fridge. They are staying with daughter and we time our arrival to coincide with the completion of the fridge installation. The house is protected by a hound of delightful disposition and the always appealing ‘Dalmatian fur pattern of black speckles on soft white base. The effect being that most people think what a lovely rug it would make. Not this young guy though. He’s a perfect pet. (Except for the holes.)
Conversation wanders to anti itch medication and we are more or less guaranteed ‘Telfast 180’ will fix any and all itches in about 10 minutes. N.B. Kept behind the counter.
We look at the ‘Bungle, Bungles’ website, The word Accommodation has two ‘c’ s and two ‘m’s. Many people miss the second ‘m’ but these guys have taken illiteracy to another level and made it unbelievably Accom – idation. Amazing.
On, on. We pass a Boab Tree patch. More shopping to prepare for our approaching departure. So a late lunch is a leg each, off a Woollies roast chook while sitting in the car outside our destination. Always a nice scenario for a moderately messy feed. It was VERY juicy.
Anne is due for a ‘Ladies top half examination’ and it is scheduled today. Turns out the examination facility is mobile. A big, purpose built semi-trailer takes a year to travel from about 40km north of Perth up to Kununurra. Then another year back down again. Two nice ladies have been servicing rural W.A. in this way stopping at around forty places. They are very enduring and hard working professionals. Unfortunately I only caught the name of one of the ladies. Here Anne poses with ‘Fiona.’
Anne struggles to do a phone camera ‘Selfie.’
Anne doesn’t struggle for me to take a photo.
Home for light duties and a little tidying. I finish fixing the insulation on the car rear window. I have a crack at using my new stone from Bunnings to sharpen a knife. I was going to say ‘almost totally useless’ but that suggests there was some success. So I am going to have to change that to totally bloody useless.
Mozzies are currently thick in Broome so we move inside. All the usual evening preparations. Movie. We put on, ‘A Walk in the Woods.’ The Bill Bryson, was book, now movie starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. Good, fun film.
What’s that noise? New neighbour’s water hose bursts outside and floods two of our fake lawn mats. Such is life. Bit of excitement. Excitement? What’s that?
We were aware we were being picked up by Mick and Lou. It was to be 9.30am. I had misinterpreted it to be 9.45am. So they weren’t early as I thought. We were late. Anyway, we were off to Willie Creek Pearl Farm, including road works and rough roads.
Across a salt pan of a sort.
Danger, danger! Woman looking at PEARLS!
Nice ‘young lady’ ‘Kaleena’ shows us the attributes of owning a pearl and we see her logic. Deal done.
Second in charge, ‘Robert.’ (Second. He is married.)
The whole group. The ‘D’s’ are the reason we are here.
Bless the maestro. Always aware.
Great spot.
Markers in and out.
Back to reality. Thanks for the outing Mick & Lou.
Booty of the day. Not mine. MY boss.
In it’s ‘home’.
Back to TV crap.
A punch up instigated by the US owning the name ‘Vaseline’ against an Australian supplier of ‘Vegaline’. Oh please! One starts with ‘Vase’ and the other in ‘Vega.’ Spare me! Million, Billion Trillion? or closer perhaps … Vegemite, Marmite, Promite?
Too much crap for one day. We focus on something meaningful. The reflecting window insulation in the right rear window of the tub/back of the car is falling off. So fix with new tape. Then eat, shower, drink and bed.
Panic but we make it to Anne’s hair appointment a 10.45am five minutes early. Success and we thank the young lady. (I forget her name) N.B. Good service but elsewhere it would be $40. Here it’s $60 without a hair wash. Not slamming the salon. It is good. This is par for the course for remote area’s and pseudo monopoly. There are other salons so it’s not true monopoly but there aren’t enough. So the salons are perpetually, fully booked, So they can beef up the prices. Then again I guess it is seasonal. (?)
Off to the Visitors Centre. We find a phone book and just for the hell of it, I phone for a car lube. Stupid because the whole town is booked till June. A CANCELLATION!!! Off there straight away before they change their minds.
Car to the mechanics. Then local taxi, ‘Jacob’ takes us to Matso’s for lunch.
The slogan is “Kimberley with Class’. The card shows a Mercedes. The vehicle is a Toyota minivan. Having said that, A new, good, comfy air cond minivan. We were happy with our lot.
Evil liquid. “Harmless” (?) Ginger Beer at 3.7% !!! You think you are drinking ‘softies!’
Now,… lovely old wall photos, but are they necessary? Note the individual urinals in the photo. Do you need that when you are just …… relieving your self?
The ‘D’s join us and we have a few. They take us to the cutest little Bunnings you have ever seen. They are surprisingly well stocked. We get 80% of what we wanted. The ‘D’s must go and we are a three minute walk to the car place.
By the way, re photo below, (tilt left), we did not buy the extra sq metre of fake lawn. It wasn’t the same.
Back to the Park. Extend two days, so leaving Saturday now. Home. Anne, all of a sudden, not well, but over an hour and a half she bounces back.
Decided to put this in. Is it just me or what? Why have chairs in a shared toilet environment? Why cater for loitering in a men’s toilet? Don’t get it. It’s not a Spa for goodness sake!
We are off to do the shopping.
At the Mall where the Woolworths is. Now this coffee shop is clever. Free drinks for Police. You want undesirables to stay away? Why not encourage Police Officers to hang around. CLEVER.
Shopping done, including the liquids. A little rest, then be at Cable Beach by 4pm to spend $220 in one hour. It was pleasant enough. Our beast of burden was ‘Ned’. I have come across a dog called Ned and a truck called Ned and now a camel called Ned, and they were all RED. So this is Red Ned.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
… And this is the loading station. Very sensible because very few young people do this and a lot of ‘not so young’ people do.
That is the Maestro, I thin John (?) and he knows a lot about camels and all about these guys. Only one of our camels were born in captivity. The rest are born in the wild but are as placid as a Koala on valium.
The train arrives for boarding, but first the previous trip has to disembark.
We wait with anxiety and apprehension. Well not really. We were waiting with our complimentary Corona beer.
Something to note. Unlike al the other feral animals introduced to Australia, camels do not have hard hooves but instead soft pads, Very ground user friendly.
When I first looked up at the seat, I asked, ‘do we get parachutes?’
Now my wife taking selfies has a reputation for putting me in the back and cutting part of me head off. That’s OK if it can’t be helped, however in this case, I had to get behind her so the photo showed the camel behind us. It’s nice to know where you stand in society. In a film, I would be an Extra.
Now when I take a selfie, we are both in shot and the camels face is partly cropped. Mind you it was a bit of a trick getting that one.
It was a nice sunset ride. We are the second back in the photo.
Another in the series of Self Adoration shots.
Sunset, a poor second.
Back to self Adoration.
…. and yet another. Of course these are from the other side.
I’m cheating. This is another group, but we look the same.
Great shadows.
Better sunset shop. Different camera. We had four. (!?)
Almost back and it looks like the Aussie Army are doing some sort of sunset Army promo shoot. (Shoot? Poor choice of word.)
Well that was the highlight, so back to van, showers and shorts in the wash. There is a definite, earthy, camel smell about them now.
Great cold noodle salad. Very tasty and more-ish. Bit of TV. Down load cameras. Bed.
It’s holiday time and a new town so let’s have some fun! We decide to defrost the car fridge freezer.
Doing the van, you are inside and hence have AC etc. Doing the car fridge I am up a step or two, head in the side of the back tub of the car, bent over and bum like a waving flag as I work.
Will not bore with details. We also made a list of super market shopping, Bunnings and first stop, the park office for tours, extend stay, etc.
So we drive to the office as this is the first stop. Half an hour. Camel trips. Three groups and three times and periods and prices. The only one not booked for the next 5 days is the ‘Red’ one. They happen to be more expensive. Wonder why they have vacancies? Derrrr.
OK. That will do. Ohhh. Surcharge for Sunday on top of being the most expensive. ‘Thanks. We will think about it.’
Yes. We are here tomorrow/Monday, so no surcharge. OK. we are booked. I must say it is lovely up here but I have got quotes for Oyster platters and in a land where oysters are ‘common as muck’, they are the most expensive I have been quoted. Mix it all up, I DO get so sick of being screwed over. NO! I am NOT going to pay between $650 and $1250 per person to look at the Horizontal falls. They are amazing. But it’s all money up here. I flew over the Grand Canyon etc for hours including a scrub landing to refuel. It was hours for about US 250 pp (AU$ at the time $370.) And that’s Las Vegas!!
Yes. You only live once so why not spend it? If I had spent money on every appealing sight since I was earning money, I would have spent my entire life bankrupt.
We extend so, now not leaving Tuesday morning but Thursday.
Anyway, still at the office, it’s lunch time. Off to rip off for lunch? No. We drive back to the caravan for fresh multigrain Helga bread with Philadelphia cream cheese, capers and Atlantic smoked salmon. About $12 for both of us.
Afternoon snoozes. Wake up and the day has gone.
Chili Con Carne, corn chips, guacamole, rice, cheese … Utopia. Phone a friend GR for his birthday, Kingsmen movie, bed.
Broome. We are picked up by Lou and Mick and taken on a ‘whirl-wind’ tour of Broome starting with the Saturday market.
Anne doing ‘Market.’
Tilt right for the Boab tree.
Old court house.
Is this the last remaining ‘Mr Whippy’ van?
Squint. It’s us.
This is the Mexican stall. It reads, ‘Feed me tacos, smack my arse, and tell me I’m pretty.’ I guess that is significant under some circumstances. I was prepared to drop my duds as required but there was not a glimpse of saving the day.
A Paspali boat?
The Combi is supposed to be here but it wouldn’t load.
Jetty.
The planes land low here. WAY lower than Darwin.
Twist right.
Great beach. Wish I was hiring the umbrellas.
Mutual self adoration.
Tilt right. It has to be upright to work.
Same here. has to be upright.
Beers. Sample ‘try’ beers, but pay full price.
Cute as is, but better twist left.
Selfie group shot. Just so damn cool, it’s not funny.
Got even better since a volunteer offered to take a shot to get in on the franchise.
Name …
Those damn camels again.
Cris and Helder gave us this bottle of Portuguese wine from Evora. The truth be known, I had been drinking an Aussie red. We popped this and the bouquet instantly jumped out at us. Knock out drop. Thank you guys! For all you civilians who have never been to Portugal, Evora is a great area for superior wines. Monsaraz.
That’s it. We have done an inventory on the car freezer and it gets serviced tomorrow. Defrosted.
Yet another lovely, sort of nothing day. Or it was going to be. Washing bed linen etc. Bummer.
Still, after that far too hot and sticky to do anything physical. AND high tide is not till 4.54pm which is totally un-acceptable as regards beer-o’clock. However, the next high is 7.27am tomorrow morning. Much more civilized. Of course we will have to set the alarm.
Just a short wander now then.
A closer look at the local fishing trailers. Comfort plus, reversed into the water, I imagine just a very short way. The only thing missing is the TV.
Here a skeleton of a man and his dog. Anne covers the statement on the sign behind her which says, ‘Just a matter of time.’ Well …. yeh … but lets not dwell on it.
It happens. Great night again. Slow, social. Showers, meal bed.
Good night.
zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzz
Thursday, 6th May 2021
So our cunning plan to go this morning includes an alarm. Damn. About 6.30am Ouch. Off we all go. Now this is much better. cooler, fresh. a bit of hope. One chap already at the fish cleaning table. ‘You beat the tide by 10 minutes.’ says I in a pleasant banter attempt. ‘No. My wife did. She caught it then phoned me to come and clean it.’
Mick had checked the tide times to confirm.
So all set up and I have given Anne my word we will be out for just one hour.
Anne, I think needs a kick off. So I ask her to have a go. Neither of us came up to the task.
I have old, old bait which has been refrozen. It is finished. Bait to the gulls.
Is it ‘Clara’ (?) the chook from across the way. You get to meet a lot of ‘people.’
It turns into a mad cleaning day, thanks to my lovely, manic cleaner spouse.
Mick lurks close with a hose, looking for a second ‘win’ after scoring me as the first ‘sucker bait’ pidgeon of a hose attack.
Chirpy … dedicated.
Pristine rear of car waiting for chair, two step stool and clothes rack.
An amateur concert is pending across the way. We wait patiently and create an early start BOC (Beer O’clock.) to accommodated.
Another easy day. The Princess is quite a bit better. Better enough to start issuing orders. A few things taken care of including van cabinet struts on their way to Darwin for us to get in due course. Also, I may have successfully negotiated reimbursement of the grand sum of $39 from the RAA for having to extend a night at Bullara. As it turned out, they were silly sausages. I sent all credit card receipts I had and a letter of explanation showing I was just after $39 BUT they wanted an official invoice. So I asked Bullara and they provided it. I somehow ended up with an extra $100 instead of $39. Why don’t people JUST LISTEN.
Anyway, se photo. Unfortunately I did not get a photo of the whole thing set up. The thing is a ‘Gidget’ (NOT Midget) Unfortunately, they have closed. However these proud owners had a dome style tent with fly screen sides that incorporated the ‘bedroom’ van with kitchen into it. It was very cleverly put together. Cracker of a paint job as well.
A bit of park action we can relate to.
The quiet day went on quiet. No one was catching fish so both sets of neighbours waited patiently for the main event. Beer-o’clock of course.
Now Mick’s is 4pm. Mine is 5pm. We decided on a mutually acceptable 4.30pm. So chatting and imbibing x four until it was time to lower the flag.
Showers, food (finally my big fish catch was consumed) another glass (or 3) Bed.
A bright morning and a sleep in for both of us. 8am for me. The ‘sick chick’ is still dozing and I leave well enough alone. I finish yesterdays blog instead. She eventually stirs and is better but lets just keep it to water.
A suggestion from the patient. The shop has 5 litre water bottles. Lets get a bottle. So I off to the shop with a hello along the way to Lou next door and some total strangers. Lou ask after Anne. I replied she is ordering me around so …
The shop unfortunately has lots of shiny things. So after Lou graciously sharpened my fillet knife yesterday with her butchers ‘steel’ I spot a shiny new one for just $10. I justify by thinking either the old one or the new one is a backup for the other. Compulsive buyer logic. Look! something else shiny. A fishing rod holder. Now, in view of the fact that, yesterday I baited up by leaning my rod against Lou and Micks umbrella, this IS a justified purchase.
Nothing else? Oh. The water. The total was $39. Water $10, knife $10 so rod holder $19? I thought it was $18-? cents. What does it matter?
Tilt right for water. (at least it’s made in Australia. By the way, water has ‘best before’ dates. This one is 29-7-2022.
The back up (?) or main (?) fillet knife.
Tilt head right for almost indiscernible fishing rod holder.
Today will be an R & R day.
Back home chatting to the stranger in full stride as I go past again.
Water dispensed to patient. Breakfast Honey on toast and cup of hot water. Mid morning tea, honey and crackers, lunch just a little scrambled egg.
Mine was similar but with substitutes. Baked beans on toast etc etc etc
As I said, it’s an R & R sort of ‘nothing’ day.
More sitting, watching, resting and laptop.
The day goes. No formal beer-o’clock today although I won’t go without.
So I repair to the car fridge to get a beer and I notice Mick sits in close proximity. Everyone is in close proximity in a van park. At first sight, he is gazing into space and all alone. I believe he is contemplating life as he is side on to the setting sun. I have heard this is the best way to contemplate life and I saw a perfect example immediately adjacent. How lucky was I?
Meaning of life can wait. I join him for a short time and we discuss other serious stuff and were joined by Lou, just in time for the discussion on teeth crowns.
I must be back to the patient. I shower and prepare the meal. Very basic because Anne’s will be a tiny part of my humble pasty.
TV, laptop grade S and P wine then, we look forward to a better day on the morrow. (N.B. S … Shiraz & P …..Port)
Up early ish. 7am. Nice time of the day. Should do this more often. Fossick around a bit. Fishing has been mentioned with Lou and Mick so …. sort the new tackle box and have a squiz of the surrounds.
N.B. (squiz /skwɪz/INFORMAL•AUSTRALIAN noun: a look or glance. “take a squiz out that window” verb: look or glance at. e.g. “the mechanic squizzed the plane’s cargo”
Spot the locals. All got quad bikes, selections of rods and varying shelters on the trailers.
This one might be the ‘Sunday going to church’ quad.
Look at this one. I’d say they back it into the water and sit there in comfort awning overhead and the water lapping gently under the suspended feet. Ahh! Roughing it.
Cheeky little bugger, obviously petrified of humans.
… obviously.
Now getting serious. trying to break my record as worst possible, non catching fishing person is .. Leith Carroll. Look at me on the beach with Mick. Leith Carroll: You can hide with sunnys, your Akubra and your Shimano shirt but you …. Mr DUD are the worst ever fisher person ever. (ever … that’s 3)
If I had been with JC back in year ‘0’ and he gave his speech, ‘Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ , He would have glanced sideways at me and said, ‘Not you Leith. You stay here and prepare the table.
I look the part below. About to heave back on a big one? No. I’ve just got an itch.
The next two and a half hours is spent walking between ocean and bait. This is an improvement as I usually don’t get nibbles and do not lose bait. Progress!
HOLD THE PHONE!!
No! It’s not photoshop!
(Although photoshop has opened doors for me in the past.)
It’s a REAL fish … and legal! And I caught it with intent! (as in I meant to do it.) I am told it is a Blue Threadfin Salmon.
N.B. Fish Facts: Blue threadfin salmon By Dr Ben Diggles | 14 July 2011
Blue threadfin spend their whole life cycle in warm shallow coastal waters and tidal rivers, often in very turbid areas around mangroves, muddy bays and river mouths. Blue threadfin are found throughout the Indo Pacific region from northern Australia and PNG as far east as India and Madagascar. In Australia, blue threadfin are protandrous hermaphrodites like barramundi, i.e. in Western Australia they mature first as males in their first year at 20 cm, then change sex into females at two-three years of age around 40cm long, and grow to around 90cm fork length. However, growth rates vary markedly between regions with fish from Keppel Bay, QLD exhibiting the fastest growth (80cm in around seven years) compared to other regions such as Blue Mud By, NT, where a seven-year-old blue threadfin on average is less than 40cm long.
A miracle!
Timor Leste friends will see this as ‘small potatoes’ and compared with TL, the land of fishing milk and honey, that is understandable. Still two good fillets and a meal for two, especially if you are planning to lose weight.
Never say die. I go back, and shortly there after, get another which was a baby and had to go back to mummy.
N.B. I am featuring in all this, but I have the rod and the dirty, fishy hands and Anne has the clean hands and the camera.
End of day. Pack up and walk back, stopping at the fish cleaning station to ‘clean the fish.’ (?) Having just lost my fish catching virginity, this is a new challenge. I go to the provided fish cleaning station. There are two others there. One more mature chap gives me a short lesson and I hung on his every word. He did about 2/3 of it and I managed through the rest with only minor stuff ups.
BREAKING NEWS ! Coincidently and as a matter of interest, as I write this the TV is on. There is a ‘docco’ show on the Southern Right Whale. The narrator just said something to the effect that during mating, the huge male approaches the female. He has a four metre long penis and during sex, he ejaculates a gallon of semen. The female, often rolls onto her back with underside on the surface in a desperate effort to avoid the amorous attacker. Given the pending possible experience, you can understand her actions. Fascinating … sort of.
Shower first for obvious reasons, then drinks with neighbours, Mick and Lou.
Anne is tired. Anne is not well. Anne is sun/heat stroked. Anne is physically ill and we will not be having fish for dinner. I make her as comfy as possible and do what I can but only rest and time will heal.
We return our back door key to the Golf Club office prior to morning departure. ‘John’ was there. He is a volunteer who comes up from Perth from time to time and lends a hand. Good on ya John. This is a classic Golf joke, I dare say.
Nice club …
With a green oasis out the back in this desolate iron ore red place.
Anne spotted a long procession of hairy caterpillars but by the time I responded with camera, the procession had broken ranks and dispersed. These few were cuddled together trying to look like a bit of hairy rubbish and they did. Good Camouflage.
We are off to 80 Mile Beach C Park about I think 260 or so clicks East, North East. Broome direction.
Yesterday when we arrived and went for a drive through Port Hedland, I was a little negative. I was thinking big, dirty, dusty, industrial, remote hole.
In the clear light of day, thinking about the never ending trains with who knows how many ore wagons and endless triple and quad ore pulling trucks and the shear mass and intensity of it all, I started to realize, this place helps the economy of Australia so much and who knows, carries the whole country. I say ‘Here’s cheers! and ‘Well done’ and ‘Thank you’ to Port Hedland.
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Donga.
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Pardoo Roadhouse. An oasis in the desert with bacon and egg (crumbly) rolls. If you want to know how crumbly, ask Anne. No. On second thoughts, don’t get her going gain.
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More Donga.
Oh joy! The turn off we have been waiting for. But first 8.7km of corrugated iron ore red dirt road.
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Then more joy.
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Shady trees and a 2 minute walk to the beach. We rendezvous and park next to Mick and Lou who we have caught up to..
Looks a good peaceful camp all set up? Yes? NO! The bumpy road has tipped over and UNOPENED large dish washing detergent and popped the unopened top which didn’t even have the seal broken on it. Now think. Concentrated ‘Morning Fresh’ one litre bottle on its side, filling up the cupboard, running out the bottom of the door, down the cupboard front and ….ON TO ALL THE MATS! You know what happens when you try and wash concentrated detergent out of a mat? I think Anne did 5 mats. No. I did not get a photo. I did not have the guts. I also would not bring it up if I were you.
Now making a little history here.
Firstly I don’t do beaches and certainly not sand. So here I have kicked off my thongs and are walking through the sand. AND, I have taken the big heavy camera with me, like I always intend to but never do.
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Secondly I never leave shoes behind, Here I have not only left shoes behind, unguarded BUT left an unopened beer in a cooler!
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It was all worth it.
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The big camera really catches the colours. Should do more. WILL do more.
Beer, wine, sit down, chat. Back to home, Showers, food, a little TV, bed.
On the road early-ish. I said I wasn’t going to mention the Karratha Caravan Park again but as we left, here is the other side view of the one drive through park and all the other vacant spaces behind unused. Oh. Also, before we left, the water went off.
Into town.
Gallery.
Then off to Dampier for a bit of history, especially canine.
Yep. Red dog statue made in I think 1979. Seen the film. Classic. A must see. Plus google and read all about him.
Done the dog now to Port Hedland.
Been looking for a break and there is a spot we are looking for. I spot this at full speed. I say, ‘What is that?’
This was the spot we were looking for, but it didn’t happen. Bummer.
Going to stay at the Golf Club but no power sites left, so we pass it and go on into town for a look. Big, Big BIG with lots of dust, ore, trains and other BIG stuff. BUT not a real tourist town.
We find a fuel station that looked a little like out of Zombieland. Old wrecked cars out front and side.
Working our way back to the Golf Club.
Monster ore train with an undeterminable number of carriages.
Back to Golf Club. A cancellation so a powered site.
Sparce in the unpowered section.
Here we are.
Club. Friday Fish and Chips $20. One between us.
Green oasis. The Golf Links.
We have our meal with another couple. We have a torch for back to the car in the dark mainly guarding for SNAKES!
Showers, more drinks, do the blog, tired so a bit limp. Bed.
Alarm set for 7am. I get up earlier as we are leaving ‘early’ for us and I have duties to perform.
My first view from the bathroom window. It was much nicer than what my dodgy little camera displays.
The second thing of note are the Cockies on the scav. Amusing to watch. Little buggers.
Now the ultralights come over. a long way to fall if the motor stops, or do they glide? They’re after all gliders! Of course.
Farewell to Exmouth.
It says Bullara. 5kn right. That’s where we were of course and we have to retrace our steps to here then go on to the main highway.
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As we pass the entrance of Bullara who should be see but our ex neighbours, Ross and Geraldine. What Geraldine photographed leaving Bullara and what we saw 2 minutes earlier (but not quick enough to photo it) was a Britz camper/RV on the back of the same tray top that picked us up two days earlier. Apparently this problem was Unleaded in Diesel. Silly, silly little person.
This is a cross on the road with ‘Suzy’ on it. Memorial or illegal grave?
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First stop/park past Bullara, we pull over for a ‘Hello. Long time no see. etc etc etc’ with Ross and Geraldine. Nice people.
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Fare thee well to their monster fifth wheeler.
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KM’s fly. We have 6 driving hours today.
A caravan in an unorthodox park.
Mesa or Butte or Plateau?
Nanutarra Roadhouse. Half way-ish.
Anne said photo it so I did. Tilt right for details.
162km to Fortescue Road house next stop. I wonder if ‘Twiggy’ Forest is on today. Then another 110km or so after that to destination.
Fortescue Road house. We don’t stop so didn’t get to meet ‘Twiggy’.
Karratha. We go to the big commercial van park on outskirts of town for $40, warned by the reviews that they cater for the mining community. We did not go to Discovery Park because they are the same price and 10% discount as well but reviews say ‘people’ jumping the fence at night at Discovery and ‘borrowing’ things … but completely forgetting to bring them back in the morning. Theft or a tacked on after thought in a mining environment. One night only so mining environment.
Bathrooms basic but robust for lots of people.
One little guy formed a welcoming commity.
We were jammed in a park that we were told we would not have to disconnect. This was it.
So I thought, ‘bugger them!’ and stayed connected part blocking the road.
I couldn’t help but notice these ‘umpteen’ drive through parks.
Wait. I will crop it down.
Also, I couldn’t help but notice this guy who did a drive through and did not disconnect. Sooooo …….what did we do to become second class citizens? WE WEREN’T MINERS! That’s why.
Then next morning Anne goes to the Laundromat at 7.45am with lots and lots of machines. The Lady says, ‘Sorry. They are all being used. Maybe after lunch? Why? Because WE ARE NOT MINERS. She is doing the MINERS washing.
We were told it had a great café. Yes. $30 per person all you can eat, FOR THE MINERS.
Pay attention. DON’T bother. Just go somewhere else and lock everything up.
N.B. I have talked about tomorrow morning and the washing NON-exercise as I am actually doing this in the morning. I would normally put this in tomorrows BUT I don’t want to waste any more time on this place.
Water seemed OK. Shower (in van), food, grape juice TV bed.
Morning in the park and short term shopping. We are waiting for a call to bring the car in. Anne spots this cheeky little bugger next door.
In the Information centre, a fine facility with not so fine proof reading.
I can only assume that the 1999 Cycylone must have been bigger and better than just a common old ordinary everyday Cyclone.
Anne does her usual choreography a-la pirouetting to clean the windscreen.
In the mean time our joint duet of movement is ruined by the audacity of this mob to offer ….
… service! Armed with our discount card from the Information centre or van park, we get 5cents per litre discount from 165.8 cents per litre to a mere 160.8cents and an abrupt move along as we were filling out our records.
We were aware that about 8km out of town heading south, (where we were going) the Shell was selling for 10cents per litre cheaper and we only filled up here because firstly, we had a tight schedule tomorrow and did not want to ‘dilli dally’ on the way out. Secondly we were only topping up but it was 30 litres meaning loss of $3.
Point is I thought the guy could have been a bit more civil and not given us the ‘bums rush’ given that he knew he was screwing us for 10cents a litre.
While waiting for the call, on for shopping and a quick look at the town.
Lots of water, Marina’s, big boats, big houses, lots of money here.
So the car goes ‘in’ and is ‘in’ for 3.5 hours from them dropping us back to the park (2pm) to picking us up from same (5.30pm) and taking us to the vehicle for ‘PAYMENT.’
Very good people. Very capable workers. Good end result at this early stage.
Diagnostic machine analysis, kit for transmission, fluid plus odds and ends. $745. The invoice is below. You make the decision. I thought a bit ‘Exy’ for ‘Exmouth.’ As in the general slogan/saying, W.A. means Wallet Attack.
Anyway better than a new transmission.
Eats. Very nice eats. Green Chicken Curry, done by my lovely, personal chef. Very good meal. More authentic than a few Thai restaurants I have been to.
Or theirs. I just call them the ladies. Think I said that before.
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Resident emu
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Resident truck with an unpaid ‘extra.’
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Maggie again.
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Heaps of butter flies. Just check our car grill.
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Johns rural scenic awning screen.
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Indy, still pining for owners Tim and Edwina due home tomorrow, Wednesday, but she doesn’t know that. Dogs are good and clever. Just not that clever.
John makes his damper speech with Maggie ‘all ears.’
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Dusk-ish
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We leave tomorrow so we place our bottle on the bottle tree with names date and noting the obvious, ‘Any Port in a Storm.’
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The night ticks on.
A young foreign traveler getting a lesson on where her winter clothes come from.
Tuesday 27th April 2021.
The RAC man is due 7 to 7.30am and we await his arrival.
It’s FOGGY~
He’s on time.
OIY! That’s my car!
… and van.
Why so happy? No diagnostic check on site. It is going on the truck. End of story.
Geraldine and Ross. Good next door neighbours. Ross has swum with the whale sharks the other day, but he hasn’t got his photos yet. So we won’t see the pics. Bummer.
Still fog.
‘On the road again’ but not normal mode.
A little disconcerting to see your own car and caravan following close behind you. (in the mirror)
Hit the big smoke of Exmouth, or the mechanics anyway. We ‘enjoy’ the wait for assessment of the car.
Good news of a sort. (again ‘of a sort’ What an interesting term.)
The alarm was due to hot transmission oil so it can be driven temporarily to the caravan park but will be back tomorrow for new trans filter kit and new clean lovely trans oil.
So it was on to the RAC van park (seemed fitting). We set up, have lunch and an afternoon nap. Got up at dusk and went for a park walk. The only photo we took was the moon.
Alarm at 5am. Dragging the feet a bit but we attended the ANZAC Dawn Service at Bullara Station (outback station stay) 90km south of Exmouth, W.A. Lots of campers met at the open fire and flags to commemorate the 106th anniversary of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landing at Gallipoli. The Ode from ‘For the Fallen’ was read, both National anthems played and a minutes silence and reflection held.
We did compensate for lack of wind at one stage via manual intervention with the flags
We had a classic ‘gun fire’ breakfast of bacon and eggs on toasted muffins and some of us (me and Anne) has a few drops (lots) of rum in our coffees.
My elegant ‘Blossom.’
We also displayed our own flags both outside our caravan …
…. and inside.
There will always be an ANZAC day as long as we remember. ‘Lest We Forget.’
Life goes on. Filled water bottles. from our drinking water back up 20 litre plastic jerry can in the back of the car. The bore water is good for washing etc but, some say not drinking. Others say yes, you can. I don’t want to test it.
I had to wait to past midday so no one was using the showers before I could ‘drone’ the park. That is because some toilets and showers do NOT have roofs. They would be tiny dots but some people are a little shy in that respect. And I quote a Carry on Doctor film when I say, ‘All that fuss over such a little thing.’
N.B. Unfortunately I cannot show drone video because the internet is not good enough to load it, even via youtube.
Right side half way up, entrance. Left of there to middle is office and shady coffee area and bosses home, off limits.
created by dji camera
Top middle woolshed where the burger night was. Other amenities. Rental rooms etc. Bottom left camp kitchen part.
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Camp kitchen better shot
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A close look at the camp kitchen because it is the engine room and meeting place. Silver roof is ‘it’ then down and right is the fire pit out in the open and two arched ‘things’ right are benches. The brown diagonal strip on the top left side is the dirt ‘Bocce’ or Becce’ (?) Italian (?) ball game court.
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There we are of the group of three, we are right. The big white one is a fifth wheeler. They are off to Coral Bay to swim with the whale sharks today. The other is a nice couple who I forget the names.
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Work to do. I have to pull/unbolt some gear out of the back to get to the fridge. Once done, I plug in the 240volt lead and re-assemble. so now we can connect the car fridge to 240 volt with relative ease. There is a reason for that which will become evident in due course. That was a ‘win’ and I have another one. Somehow in the course of shifting and moving about, the lead joining the two batteries has unplugged. That means the car fridge has been getting by for a day or day and a half without connection to the van or car, with only one battery and not two. Which means it will last twice as long with the two. It also means I spent money on a second battery and it’s connection when it wasn’t really needed. Hmmm.
A four inch shifter is a good little tool.
The resident roo.
A vintage photo of her. Notice how shy she is if there might be food in it.
I/we adjourn to the camp kitchen for social interaction … and chatting.
Getting dark. Time to head home. There will be another damper night tomorrow night.
NOW here is the ‘will become evident in due course’ moment.
On the way up here about two hours south, an indicator light came on the dash labeled ‘Powertrain warning lamp.’ We dropped back from 90km to 30km. and it went out. It was on for a mere 3 minutes and then it was gone, not to be seen again. We went another half hour to Coral Bay, had a look and proceeded on. No lamp. We went another 1.5 hours to Bullara and no lamp. I start the car the next day and ‘no lamp.
We are booked in till Monday morning because we did not want to rush off after Sunday ANZAC Dawn Service.
I think, I can disconnect and drive the 85km to Exmouth to get it checked out even though it is probably nothing. SO to save a trip, I phone RAA Adelaide who contacts Exmouth RAC. I suggest to the RAC chap that I will drive to Exmouth . He says, ‘NO! Do NOT drive the car. This could be the start of something bigger. He suggests, because it is a long weekend, he will come out with his tray truck and diagnostic machine Tuesday morning. He will see if it is something simple. If not, he will put the car on top of the tray, hook the van to the back and take us into town where we can book in at a park and he will take the car to the workshop.
Hmmmm. The thing is we are in a park. If we had been on the side of the road, he would have had to come out and do all that whether it was Sunday or the Public Holiday morning, noon or night.. We have extended yet another day to accommodate his delay to Tuesday morning.
Anyway, we did not have a confirmation that he has got the job from the RAA. I was to be contacted to confirm. I am not. I chase it up. Yes it is booked. 7 to 7.30am Tuesday. Always nice to have something to look forward to. I am truly hoping he has his diagnostic unit with him, because we can assume that is how it is determined whether it is minor or not. I don’t want to go through all that, on the truck to Exmouth just for the hell of it.
Now, who has heard of Dale Carnegie? He wrote ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People.’ He also wrote, ‘How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.’ In that he explains when you have a potentially huge problem, first, resign your self to the fact the problem might have the worst possible result. Resign yourself to that and accept it. Then work through the problem and attempt to mitigate the effect as much as you can. So I sit here expecting the worst but looking forward to ‘mitigating’ my sox off.
N.B. So I had to pull things apart and plug the 240 volt lead in, just incase the car does have to go to the workshop, in which case they can plug the 240 volt in and save the fridge food. I could not have done that at short notice and I am also following the Carnegie rule of accepting the worst (Car must go to workshop) but mitigate. (arrange to plug in 240volt to save the food.)
‘Here Endeth the lesson.’
Showers, food, grape juice, TV, bed. Another grape juice. It’s been a bit of a day. (Aren’t routines good …. to a point.)
N.B. Not 50,000 cattle but about 2,000 breeding stock. I am assuming that is the females/heifers and not the bulls. I wanted to do a Drone view of here but the internet is dodgy and most of the time, just not good enough. So we have had breakfast but go to the office for a nice morning coffee.
That’s the wool shed across the way from the office where the burger night was last night.
Art.
Dare to tell me this isn’t part of the original station?
Shearing shed.
Shearing shed back laundry area.
We wander
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Lava trees tilt right.
Tilt left.
This is the ‘donkey.’ It is fired up for hot water to some bathrooms 3pm and 6am.
The dump point. Basic, but there is one.
More bathrooms. there’s heaps of them, unique and clean.
The bottle tree
Sculptures. Don’t touch!
More ‘unique’ bathrooms.
The great Aussie Emu.
The great Aussie FB or EK Holden.
Damper at sunset by John.
John. Ex copper from Bradford, England. Special ref for PCM.
Great experience.
Home. Showers. Put on the electric hotplate, air cond, microwave and electric hot water service. It tripped the circuit breaker outside, but of course waited till I was in the a’fore mentioned shower. Meal. A movie or two. Calls from great people (with good and bad luck reception wise) the ‘Deegs’ and Ken and Liz. ALWAYS great to hear from fellow travelers.
When are you coming to bed, I am asked? Now .. if the internet is good enough to post this.
N.B. ANZAC Dawn Service tomorrow here in the Station.
Scones with jam and cream, or should I say big, light scones with raspberry jam and plenty of fresh cream. Photo below, ‘Some mothers do have’em.’
Anne loves tasty food and always analyses it carefully. This scone has successfully passed her high standard of approval and will shortly be squaffed with enthusiasm and zest. Excellent barrista coffee as well.
It was a sheep station but the herd was apparently devastated by predators. There are six sheep remaining and they are retained in camp as pets. Predators find cattle just a tad too feisty. Not sure but I think they have around 50,000 cattle. (and 6 sheep)
Anne, always happy to meet and greet.
Two more of ‘the girls’ on their busy day.
The whole lot off for coffee and cake.
Anne presents the ‘do it yourself’ dump point.
Every toilet should have a sky view and a tree.
The bosses are away. So their sausage dog needs more/extra belly rubs to get her through the lonely ordeal.
Anne trying to wrestle some food away from this Roo.
The stand off. The roo wants its food back. Anne is standing firm. She wants to teach it to feel for other roos without any food. I don’t think it cares.
6pm (every Friday night) people gather for the burger cook up. Locally grown beef and great! Damper tomorrow at 5pm.
Snap the odd sunset stage.
30 burgers per hotplate.
Sunset 5 minutes later.
I ponder the concept of begging for another.
On the walk home we come across another ‘critter’ that lives here. Don’t panic. The only way he is interested in you is if you are interested in him. We stopped to look at him so he stopped to look at us.
We went home so he went home. I don’t know what he did when he got home but we had showers, flicked on the TV, had a glass of wine and went to bed. I’d say he ate a moth.
Need a new Jockey wheel. Only two years old and when I usually do NOT disconnect. Should have still been brand new. Bummer.
Where do they get these ‘facts (?)’ from? It reads … ‘If you laid out a years supply of bananas end to end , they would extend from Perth to Carnarvon and back around 6 times.’ ??
And … ‘You can make 10.5 million Fritters with all the Zucchini produced each year.'(?) I didn’t bother photographing any more. Too … what’s the word I’m looking for? Be polite … ‘Hypothetical.’ By the way these were in the Carnarvon Tourist Information facility.
North.
Coral Bay. A quick look. It is crowded as … and a real bun fight.
She does love the sea but, more often than not, a paddle is enough.
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North.
… To Bullara Station.
‘Scratchy’ The bull. Gentle giant.
‘Scratchy’ scratching on a tree.
Anne’s handiwork
Not a bottle brush tree. A bottle tree.
ANZAC day plans
Friday night. (tomorrow) Beef Burger nights.
A nice night at the Camp Kitchen.
N.B. Potential situation. A light came on the dash for a short time today. It can be looked at till Tuesday.
Time to go but I will photograph the great camp kitchen first.
It’s got everything fro wine glasses to cutlery, pots and pans.
This is Jackie. Doyen of the desk, patroness of the park, head of the house, senior of the station, boss of the base and head of Hamelin outback stay.
On the road, at the corner. Left to Carnarvon and only a few hundred metres right to the Overlander Roadhouse, but left for us.
Long stretches.
N.B. Tropic of Capricorn is 23.44 degrees (approx.) and only about 30km north of Alice Springs.
Trucks pulled over. Lots.
We wondered what the red line was on the GPS. It was road works.
Now at Carnarvon. What do these trees tell you about the prevailing winds?
We didn’t waste time. To the doctor for Anne’s crook eye and I get a prescription filled for my ‘high’ tablets. (blood pressure and cholesterol)
We confirm we can’t get a strut for the cupboard door in the van here. I am given a lead to have the jocky wheel looked at. We do some supermarket shopping.
Then the 5pm drinks with the ‘D’s’ movie, shower food sleep.
We will be tourists tomorrow and the ‘D’s’ will move on.
Time to move on. We are going to do our first Outback Station Stay at Hamelin to see the Stro-mat-olites. They are the oldest living organisms in the whole world.
Off, back up the track towards Overlander Roadhouse, but our stop is just 100km.
A special grid which has electrified fences up to it. This must be for the maximum security sheep. Sheep with bad records.
On the way, we decide to drop in to Kanga for a curiosity look. Only a few km’s. Turns out the road runs straight into the caravan park so we didn’t get to see the whole thing but it gave us a chance to fine tune our three point turns with 20 foot caravans on the back. Mine was a five point actually.
So giving Kanga a miss, we are off again. More road and water views, and scrub.
A sign. I wonder what it said?
Arrived at Hamelin Outback Station Stay. No power or water for vans. Not a problem for us, go ahead, resilient, ‘free camping’ types.
The white gravel is very effective and makes the park look spick and span. Also is piercing to look at. Someone must have a fly farm near here and they left the gate open.
A serious walk to the amenities but we picked the spot and I need the exercise any way.
Amenities are clean, neat and new. No 240v plugs because they really don’t want you to use power.
They are good though. Information boards etc.
This reads, ‘Spot me if you can. Western Grass Wrens, have short wings and are poor fliers: look for them running on the ground in thick Acacia shrubland.’
Here’s the little guy. I bet he is pretty p***ed off about the dodgy little wings he was ‘blessed’ with. I bet he wouldn’t mind a ‘re-blessing’ with an upgrade. The sooner the better. So is he still a bird? They said ‘poor fliers’ so I guess they can get off the ground. It’s just that they found it was less embarrassing and safer to walk. I wonder if other birds ‘take the mickey’ out of them?
It is good.
Lots of Moths hanging around.
So we are off to the pool to see the Stro-mat-olites. Good info to be seen and read.
A bit late. The cyclone took the walkway so we can’t walk out to see them. You know we have been looking forward to seeing these bloody Stro-mat-olites ever since we read Bill Brysons book, Down Under., years ago!
That’s them. The dark things on the shore line. Fascinating. Aren’t they!
Herself posing.
We inspect the old town. The lady in the shop was less impressed than us. They have lost their one and only tourist draw card till the board walk is fixed. The cyclone also ruined their fridge so no cool drinks to sell. Luckily it didn’t do the freezer and we could have an ice cream. Yes. I had a ‘Golden Gaytime.’ Also they lost their credit card machine. The new one arrived and it only works in spots. Such is life.
Back for a little lay down. Then we four and others meet at the camp kitchen for evening meal. Do your own. A good facility and I didn’t take one damn photo. Back for showers, a movie and bed. tomorrow we go to Carnarvon. Sweet dreams. Perhaps Stro-mat-olites? not bloody likely.
Up 6.50am to get an early start on the computer before Anne. She gets up at 6.55am. That’s blown that.
We are closest to the new section of this, The Denham Seaside (?) Caravan Park. The facilities are unique and good. Instead of men’s and woman’s ablution blocks, they have separate unisex ‘all in one’s.’
VERY good camp kitchen area. I’ll put more in later.
A walk to and through town.
This lovely lady of the sea has a story. As we were viewing from afar, a lady (human) walks by and notices. It turns out it belongs to her and her other half. They landed here and pulled her out because the seas were rough and she is scheduled to go back in Monday morning, subject to depth of water/tide. So we may see it launched as we pull out.
Read the sign above. The doorway is low if I have to watch it.
We are Vespa perverts. This one is almost the colour of ours.
Notice wide aft. This is a pearl lugger.
…and this building is made of shell grit blocks.
Look up close.
Quad bike business.
Esplanade street scape.
The pearl lugger again. It has a story but it’s not riveting.
Moor streetscape. ‘Kiddies’ play area shaped
Anne showing her musical prowess.
Neat little marina.
Self adoration.
A symbol on it’s side. Tilt right.
A plate from a wreck off the coast that made it all the way back to France
The terrible story of the HMAS Sydney 2 and the German Kormoran.
Over 600 Australian sailors died. The entire crew. The only good that came out of it was they sunk the ship that sunk them.
More of the facilities.
Camp Kitchen.
A great little supermarket across the road from the park.
Cute little foreshore cottage.
Pic didn’t come out too well but one of those dogs with all the skin layers.
Interesting artiist twist on things.
It was a good walk down the street and made ‘light duties’ for the rest of the day.
All the usual at the end of the day except BBQ with Mick and Lou at our place which went on into overtime. A good time was had by all.
I think the song from the musical ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ goes ….. ‘Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles …’
We are up and ready to depart at 9am! That’s NINE AM! Thanks to some plotting and planning and influence from the ‘Deegs.’
Off to Denham. Scenic.
Northampton … severely hit by the cyclone. The PUB lost its roof!!!
A new song here. The Pub with no Roof!’
….. and other missing roofs and damage. Also I heard the army had been brought into this small town to help. I spotted camouflage vehicles and am glad for the town. We saw signs just bent at the post base and now flat on the ground.
N.B. For those my vintage who were taught the plural of roof is rooves, view the following …
Rooves is an incorrect pluralization of the word roof and should be avoided. Today, the usage of rooves is so low as to approximate zero. Bryan Garner, in his book Garner’s Modern English Usage, estimates the disparity to be 535:1. In other words, there is only one correct plural form of roof—and it is roofs.
I think my English teacher would be rolling in his grave. (Not really. He is way past rolling.)
Overlander Roadhouse and the turn off to Denham. About 129km left.
But first, to quote Lou, Friday, pie day. Anne ordered chicken and veg. I ordered Beef, cheese and bacon. Anne got beef. I got beef. Anne says she ‘thought’ she saw some cheese. I didn’t taste cheese OR bacon. They were ‘PIES’ never the less.
Lots of butterflies here.
Saddle up.
The corner is just down the road …
… but you can’t miss it.
We arrive at the van park. Lots of butterflies here as well, but they came from Overlander Roadhouse. Bet that’s the fastest they have ever flown.
Anne’s sunset walk.
Drinks and a laugh with the ‘Deegs’. ‘Two beers or not two beers, that is the question.’ (It is also the answer)
Then the usual, showers, meal, grape juice, movie bed.
‘Night caps’ vary. Anne has hers from Easter. A Rabbit.
Others pulled in last night. When we wake there is an XTrail with a roof top camper tent and a Mini with a small tent along side.
I try to do last nights blog but we are lucky to make contact but certainly no photos will load. Hence I made the note re adding photos later.
Toilets are good for free camping.
Coming into Port Denison.
Lunch on the foreshore.
We get to Geraldton and head to Country Time caravan repairs for a cupboard pneumatic closer. Unfortunately, even though we were well looked after by ‘Chantelle’ the particular item is unavailable in most places.
We shop, fill the car, and adjourn to Drummond Cove to meet and have Beer O’clock drinks with Lou and Mick ‘D’.
Another washing load, this time the Coles not Woolworths roast chook for dinner. We repeat a film, ‘Kinsmen’ and crash for an early start for the long trip to Denham tomorrow. It got late running around to stock up for tomorrow. It didn’t feel good rushing but it’s done. Bed time.
The neighbours we met and had drinks with pulled out early. I wonder what their names were? This is the perfect morning shot out of our window.
Anne tells me, police in the car park at the road house. So clothes on and off I go with a map in hand. I quiz them on what roadS are open etc. All seems OK except for Kalbarri. They said Geraldton was relatively OK.
NOW. LAST NIGHT 14TH I HAD NO INTERNET TO DO THE BLOG SO I AM DOING THIS ON THE MORNING OF 15TH. HOWEVER I CANNOT LOAD PHOTOS. SO I WILL LOAD THEN LATER WHEN THE INTERNET IS A BIT BETTER.
So we set off to Moora our usual late start puts us there at lunch time. There is also some confusion between and with maps and GPS which takes it’s toll on our time, patience and vocal chords.
Closest cafe had trouble seeing us as in new arrivals after us were being served before us. Also confusion on the coffee sizes and coffee content. In the end we politely withdrew. The business was for sale. I wonder why?
Around the corner and a ‘friendly’ cafe, stand in line, you are next sir, you want the small size but a double shot? No problem sir and it was called….
‘Kumquot Mae” (Come what may)
N.B. Kumquats are a group of small fruit-bearing trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae. They were previously classified as forming the now-historical genus Fortunella, or placed within Citrus, sensu lato. Wikipedia
Lunch done, a little walk, we sort the map and we are off to the almost unpronounceable (to me) Badgingarra.
We arrive at Bad-gin-gar-ra, specifically to the servo. While filling I see a peacock about 20 metres away and let Anne the naturist know. She continues cleaning the windscreen. Just a minute later there are three peacocks at the car including a vivid white one. Now… these guys are clever. They eat bugs and we have a bug screen on the front of the car. These guys stay with the car the whole time we are there and ‘clean’ it for us. From here we can turn straight down highway 1 to Dongara which is where we were aiming for the night, except we decide we must look at the coast.
So its an extra 35km to Jurien Bay. We get there. The clock is ticking. we have a quick look, take a pic and off. We spent more time in the toilet than looking at the view, which was only a distance shot anyway.
So we rush north towards the dropping sun only to realise Cervantes just south was the home of ‘Stromatolites’ the oldest living lifeforms on earth, formed through the activity of primitive unicellular organisms. Bummer! I was looking forward to that! Next time?
We imagined we would be cruising up the coast with the sea at out left. We have scrub at our left. We were going to pop in for a quick look at Green Head. We glimpse the turn off as we sail past. 6 Tonne doesn’t stop that quick. Next time?
We pass Leeman as Anne reads the reviews on Dongara. OK. So where else can we go. Eneabba. 35 km BACK to Highway 1. But wait? What’s this. Turn right a few km past Leeman to cut across to the highway and 16 km in there is Lake Indoon, with toilets and like an oasis in the desert.
Sun is rapidly dropping as we drive the short dirt road in. Yes. A fine block of toilets, and a boat ramp leading to the dry lake. Reading the sign about diseases that can be caught in the lake if it has water, I am wondering why you could possibly want to put your boat in it. You are not going to fish, water ski, dive, swim or paddle. So why go there.
Anyway, a nice spot to camp. One other van there and a camper around the corner. Dusk-ish and I hit the shower.
Anne sticks her head in the shower and says, ‘A Brits van has just pulled up with three scantily clad Scandinavian looking people in it.’ I ask male or female. She says female. I said, get a photo.
I was joking BUT she did it, blurry though it is. I’d say more summer casual than scanty.
Anyway, showered, we have pasta with red wine of course a very short TV view and off to bed a record, I think 8 to 8.30pm-ish. History is made.
P.S. I WILL ADD PHOTOS OF THIS DAY NEXT NIGHT STOP WITH INTERNET.
This has to be a quick one. We did the two hour conducted tour of the town.
The miracle of the Bush Fire. Condensed version. A fire was going through the crops. The Monks placed a painting of the Madonna with Child at a certain spot in the path of the fire. When the fire got to the painting, the wind changed and the fire burnt back onto itself. I would have immediately gone and bought a lottery ticket, except they didn’t have them then.
The first chapel. First one room then three added to make a shape of the cross.
The last supper. It looks like there are only 11 disciples. There are 12 but Judas has been painted far right in the back ground and can’t really to be seen in this. Only in the original. I guess the painter didn’t like him. Well, no one did I guess.
The founder, Bishop Rosendo Salvado went to Rome in 1900 for treatment but died. His body was eventually returned to New Norcia and is buried in the chapel.
Self adoration.
The mill.
Below is the Bishops rustic plow. Part of the notice on it and written by the bishop says, ‘I can say that I have watered the Australian soil with the sweat of my brow and with the blood of my lacerated feet.’
More self adoration.
Six aboriginal paintings of the two month seasons.
Aboriginal Museum.
The bigger and better chapel.
Beautiful leadlight.
This is the boys stairway and banister. Notice the little wooden nobs to stop the boys sliding down it. It brings a tear to the eye just looking at it.
Australia’s only Saint Mary Mackillop was a member of this order.
She joined the Sisters of St Joseph in 1957, professing her first religious vows the following year.[5] McCormack was a teacher in Western Australia for the next 30 years. She was a petite woman and popular teacher and principal, but also known as feisty and demanding. She was an accomplished golfer and tennis player. She became a Preuvian missionary worker in 1987.
Near 6:00 pm on 21 May 1991 armed members of Sendero Luminoso entered Huasahuasi. The Peru Communist party. ‘The Shining Path.” (!!??!)
McCormack was accused of dispensing “American food” (Caritas provisions) and spreading “American ideas” (by providing school books). Local people vouched for her, arguing that she was Australian, not American, but this did not deter the guerrillas.[8]
Four locals and Sister Irene were taken to the square of the village. McCormack was killed first, shot by a young woman guerrilla,[9] about six metres (about 20 feet) from the church door.[5]Mass was held before her burial in a Huasahuasi cemetery niche donated by a parishioner.
This a shorter version of the facts. Not mentioned that they knew the ‘Shining Path were coming. Others left but she decided to stay with the parishioners.
Sainthood may be pending.
The Shining Path? What is wrong with people? If you are not one of us, you will die? Just plain barbaric and inhumane. Doesn’t the world learn from animals like Pol Pot?
Yet more self adoration.
A unique bread knife. Very sharp and may possibly cut you. Comes with directions. They say, ‘It is very sharp and may possibly cut you.’
Dukkah (spelling?), black olive tapenade, local bread and more self adoration.
Anne with all her friends soaking up the rural ambience.
Had a sunset talk with the new next door neighbours till it got cold.
Cold? The quilt came out from under the bed. Showers, left overs meal, TV, grape juice.
P.S. got some good info on roads. Heading north tomorrow and booked in at Denham on 16th. Tomorrow will be very interesting and maybe a bit of an adventure.
We get up and see a watered down cyclone, if I am reading the maps right. The top map just below shows it at midnight as a category 2 on land and at 5am as just a low
This severe wind map shows north of Perth as clear. However, the news still shows the cyclone symbol but out to sea so …. ?
The fab staff at Perth Central Caravan Park in Ascot are just brilliant. They made our stay a pleasure as they did with others we met. We had to extend three times and each time they managed to wangle it. The only staff we new by name were the management, namely Carole, Jim, Wini and Nick. Even then on the last day as we checked out, they said, if you can’t go because of the cyclone, we will fit you in.
We said ‘See ya layta’ to neighbours Gerda, Daryl, Mary and Andrew. I have fixed the Klaxton horn so I can give them a farewell blast.
Soooo … we are off.
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The further we get out of town the darker and more drizzly it gets. We get to first road block just outside Muchea. We explain we are just going to New Norcia and not the coast so are allowed through. Very lonely highway. Every now and again we see another car that must have talked themselves through.
Bindoon. We stop for the highly praised bakery.
Exotic tasties. They are out of steak and Guinness so it’s kangaroo and red wine. Anne has a moo and blue or beef and blue cheese. (And mud cake and a small sausage roll)
Big chunks of meat.
Endless munchies.
The oasis.
A holiday home. (Snigger.)
Shortly we make it to New Norcia.
N.B. 1 Norcia Town in Italy Norcia, traditionally known in English by its Latin name of Nursia, is a town and comune in the province of Perugia in southeastern Umbria. Wikipedia
I had real trouble with this word. I keep thinking Nausea.
N.B. 2 Nausea is stomach discomfort and the sensation of wanting to vomit. Nausea can be a precursor to vomiting the contents of the stomach. The condition has many causes and can often be prevented. Symptoms: Vomiting.
Hence every time I tried to think of the name of the town, I thought of vomit. By the way the Spanish pronunciation is Nor-chi-a.
Now up to the Tourist Information Centre. There is a museum and there is a walk around town. However we are too late for today. It is 11am for two hours. We decide to book in for a stay behind the roadhouse. There is a camp aross the road that costs $10. Behind the roadhouse is $15 for power and another $5 for the showers. There is no water connection to vans. The toilets are included irrespective. Our water tanks are full and we have our own shower so it’s $15 for us.
We find out New Norcia is the only Monastic town in Australia. What does that mean. Well I will tell you what the town is. It was founded in 1847 by a group of 5 benedictine monks. Two Spanish and three Italian. The head of the group was a monk named Saldavo. Today, the whole town is owned by that church and there are seven monks who live here and administer. So the toilets, the road house the park and all the buildings are part of the monastery. There is a farm which is leased out. It had schools, a hostel, monastery etc. The whole package is about 22,000 acres. Apparently it used to be about a million acres.
Tilt head right for Mary Magdalene write up.
They make their own beer, wine and bread.
We though we were going to be the only ones here wut two others pulled in not far before dusk.
A big walk tomorrow but we did one today.
Unusual coloured seepage.
We do the cemetery as per usual. Always interesting in a sd way, but real history.
Tilt right for sad old stone…
… but none more sad than the unmarked graves. These people had lives and all they gor was a couple of bits of wood nailed together and not even a mention of their name.
Sister Noseda was a pioneer of the monastery.
This is at the base of Bishop Salvado’s statue.
We continue the walk.
Amazing! She actually pushed them apart! She can do all the carrying from now on.
Anne didn’t do it. She just put here foot next to it for comparison. That is a bloody great moth than comes out of a chrysalis in the ground when it rains. The monster wandered into the servo and was flattened unceremoniously.
These are the original 5 monks with the maestro in the middle.
It grew. These thirty four monks all have separate skills. e.g.carpenters, builders, plumbers etc.
It’s a wonder he ever signed anyone up. Wake up at 2.45am. I think breaky at 5am. Tea and bread. No butter or cream That is the evening meal as well. They didn’t say what lunch was but it must have been huge. i.e. ‘What do you want for eveing meal?’ ‘Are you crazy? After that lunch!. Give me a cup of tea and a bit of bread.’
Anne said I had this ethereal blow lighting me up. Personally I think it was just the sunset through the window. I could be wrong.
No! Definitely the sunset.
Home. Showers, food TV via sat dish, grape juice Bed.
Quiet morning. Anne makes a pretty close to authentic Nasi Goreng.
Hark! A problem. The batteries in the back of the car have twisted off the wood blocks they sit on and dropped 20mm, so pulling the aluminium frame apart. I need more timber to fix it.
Bunnings. Priorities first. Sausage sizzle? Done. Coffee? Done. Anne decides to buy some fake lawn. Saddle soap. Timber. Get it cut. Screws to fix. Look at the kitchens, by the way, which were surprisingly neat and presentable.
Back to the van. Time is pressing. We must fix the battery blocks today because tomorrow it will be rain. The piece of timber I borrowed from the park that we used to lever the batteries up to remove the timber under, in the last two hours had been cut down by about a metre. Neighbour Andrew steps in and helps Anne lever while I adjust. Done. Fixed (More or less. Slight adjustments required.) Anne cuts my hair, we shower and arrive at the Vietnamese restaurant just 7 minutes late, which is good for us. The H’s junior and senior complete a pleasant table that evolves to a very enjoyable evening.
A top night with great company.
Home, movie, (or two. Another version of Churchill, Magnificent 7 and a few others) drink (or two) bed …
Just booked into the Dalwallinu caravan park for Saturday afternoon. Then, refreshed the cyclone tracking map and it is heading straight for … ? Yes. You guessed it. DALWALLINU!
So we call ‘Jay’, the manager of the Dalwallinu caravan park and explained the cyclone was ‘heading straight for him’ and he better batten down the hatches.
So we extended for yet another two days and we are supposed to leave on Monday, which is when it is supposed to hit land. Hmmmm.
Off to Midlands to the Commonwealth bank to order a couple of bank statements. July, August and September 2012! We are trying to track down the point of payment of Anne’s ipad. If we cannot prove ownership, they will not unlock it and it will be useless. Anyway, they are ordered. Bloody Apple. Very security conscious and some may say to the point of being ‘anal.’
N.B. The phrase is one I suspect many use without understanding it’s origins or intended meaning. It is Freudian and comes from the term “Anally retentive” which literally describes the childlike behaviour of not wanting to release ones bowels to defecate. Freud’s typically odd proposition was that children in the “anal” phase start trying to exert control over something they’ve created. Their poop. It’s correct use would be to describe an adult who, say, won’t let go of their TPS report until it’s perfectly spell-checked. The phrase is now bandied about somewhat loosely for people who complain generally. It should relate specifically to being a control-freak and in particular not wanting to let something you’ve created go. Of course, the ultimate inference is that despite the childish exertion of control over whatever it is, at the end of the day it’s still a load of crap. Dylan O’Donnell
Now onto Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi to check out Tablets (computer) JB first and we will have to do HN tomorrow as time marches on. Looking, looking looking …..
.. and then a bit of excitement! The theft alarm goes off, three youths are scurrying for or at the door, a couple of security guards are in a blocking stand off and these charming little thugs, one in particular (the smallest) is going for the ‘foul mouth of the month’ award. The security guards did not lay a hand on the little twat’s as apparently they are not allowed.
That is the new ‘stupid order of society’ now dictated by the damn ‘do-gooders’ or noisy minority. They wonder why society is getting more irreverent. HELLO you ‘thickies!? They KNOW they can’t be touched so they just do what they want. You bloody do-gooders are killing civility. You want to know what direction society is going. The do-gooders are creating a race of Twats! Thanks. I feel much better now.
The confrontation, I photographed far enough away to respect the privacy of the shop participants.
Home for a few drinks with neighbours in the camp kitchen. We adjourn to the van for the evening just to get a knock on the door from a neighbour letting us know that Prince Philip has passed away. Bummer. I liked the guy. He was the Royal ‘character’ with the perfect mix of maintaining the regal air of dignity with a wicked sense of humour. Rest in Peace Philip. You deserve it.
We finish our Chicken Garlic Kiev’s with roast studs etc and Anne finds the perfect ‘fix it’ for the bad news about the Prince.
Showers, a few more drinks, more tributes to the Prince on TV, bed …
All this talk of cyclones and John and Jan decide to postpone the trip north till it is a bit more ‘pleasant.’
The day goes with odd jobs etc waiting for the car to be ready.
Finally, we pick it up with it’s three new universal joints. The thing is you can’t see them so we get a bill for $520 and no visual joy to be had. Anyway, they did us a huge favour squeezing us in and so we double back with a dozen beer and a bottle of wine for the ladies to share. They said , ‘No!’ but we said , ‘Yes!.’ One good turn deserves another.
Tonight we sleep with the comfort knowing the car is sitting next to us.
On the way to Midlands for all sorts including Woolies shopping, Dan Murphy for very important shopping, Harvey Norman for a look at tablets, as in computers not head ache and a few other things BUT first our one box of cans is full so we are off to the can recycle place, and very modern it is as well. We have been to I think three others and they are very basic and labour orientated as in three guys doing the sorting and counting.
Here there is just one young lady more or less as supervisor/instructor. We the customers front up to a machine, push the green start button and feed the cans onto the conveyor belt one by one to the right for cans or for glass, the belt on the left.
When you are finished you push the red button and it gives you a receipt. You then take your receipt and scan it at the cash machine, which then spits out the cash for you. A clear $7.30 of mad money! That’s about three boxes of 24 cans which is generally $150 to purchase. Bad business plan. Good to drink though.
Then onto Midlands. Here is a fabulous old pub, the Guildford Hotel …
This is ‘Alfred’s Kitchen’ and it’s been around since 1946 according to the sign.
In the heart of Midlands and this lovely old building has a clock tower blocked by the branch so we take another while on the move.
Just a glimpse of the clock.
Another one.
I give up. What does this mean?
They must like me. All that space and they choose to park right next to me. I should be flattered as opposed to annoyed.
We share a doner Kebab for lunch then do the shopping.
Now ….. the plot thickens. When we were arriving I thought I heard a muffled noise. Now we are moving on to Dan’s it is louder so we change direction to an oasis shining bright, but in fact it is the local Ford dealership. They are too busy but they have a look and a test drive anyway. Universal joints! One is ‘Kaput’ and making all the noise. The others have slop. ‘Dave’ says, ‘We can fix it tomorrow morning.’ Bless you Dave. An Ola Car back to the caravan park after retrieving the Woolies roast chicken and a bottle of red from the car. An earlier phone call had confirmed we can stay an extra day or two.
Our new found friends in the park are either busy or elsewhere so we have a romantic (?) dinner alone. Showers, red, chicken and vegetables then with an awareness there is no car next to the van be drift of to dream of Dan Murphy’s and universal joints.
Off with the ‘H’s’ to the new museum (5 or 6 months old) through the man made mist.
A surf boat suspended a floor up in the air. Let’s hope we don’t hear about a manslaughter case in the years to come.
The echidna.
N.B. Echidnas, also called spiny anteaters, are walking contradictions. They are mammals, but they lay eggs. … Echidnas are monotremes, egg-laying mammals. The only other living monotreme is the platypus
Now I think I read somewhere that this little guy is a rodent. I googled and couldn’t find it again so cancel that thought. However, next time you see info on the echidna, scan it.
This tiny thing is in fact a possum.
Not this. From memory it’s a bandicoot.
A naughty bat.
A reprod of something that roamed in Aust thousands (?) or millions of years ago.
The Earth from go to wo. (current)
The first was the ‘Cambritan Age’ where there were only shells about 541 million years ago. AND at the end of that age around 485 million years was the golden age of the Trilobites. Looks like a little slow multi-leg roach.
N.B. Trilobites ( /ˈtraɪləˌbaɪt, ˈtrɪ-, -loʊ-/; meaning “three lobes”) are a group of extinct marine artiopodan arthropods that form the class Trilobita. Trilobites form one of the earliest-known groups of arthropods.
Here’s a few …
Non conversational.
Rushing ahead, the ‘Jurassic age’ (Dino’s) ended 145 million years ago.
‘Quaternary Age’ came just a mere 2.58 million years ago when the first man came on the scene.
So it took around 538.42 million years to evolve from shells to the first man, and that would have been man with hairy knuckles and even then, bleeding from dragging them on the ground I assume.
A pretty ‘mock up’ under water video.
Tilt head right. Sea horses.
View from the upper balcony.
Tilt right. A little WA girl won the title of Miss Greater Britain for creating this ‘Empire’ dress.
The Brits got around. See pink bits.
WA troopers were in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade. Similar to our WW1 Gallipoli, it was a dramatic failure but became a proud moment in history.
Hot clobber for summer campaigns, wouldn’t you say?
Then it covered the ‘two small diamonds’
N.B.
2/2nd Commando Squadron (Australia) – Wikipedia
The 2/2nd Commando Squadron was one of 12 independent companies or commando squadrons raised by the Australian Army for service during World War II. The 2/2nd served in Timor, New Guinea and New Britain during World War II, taking part in the Battle of Timor in June 1942 as part of Sparrow Force.
This lovely lady was Berta Martins. She saved Keith Hayes’s life. Bayoneted by the Japanese and left for dead, she hid him, treated his wounds and looked after him on the outskirts of Japanese occupied Dili. She gave him a pink hanky and it became his most treasured possession. With difficulty he contacted her and after Dili was liberated, Keith financially supported her until her death. He eventually was awarded the Order of Australia in 2007 for not just his service during the war but the immense support he had contributed to the people of East Timor since.
Keith’s hanky from Berta.
The 9mm rimless Owen Mk1 sub machine gun known as ‘the diggers darling’ because it was simple, easy to clean and very reliable in severe conditions. Back years ago I believe it was also called ‘the five bob’ gun, because it only cost 5 shillings to make it.
N.B. On a personal note, it has four gas vents at the end of the nozzle cut diagonally from roughly one o’clock to 2.30 o’clock viewed from the operators end. The result is when it shoots, the barrel tends to move a little down and left. Assuming the vents had to be there perhaps to reduce the ‘kick’, I always wondered why they were cut on an angle like that. I then assumed it is better than going up and over the heads of the ‘intended recipient’ or down at their feet. It was a fun little gun though. Also, the safety catch proved useless, so an after thought slide was attached to slide in front of the lever used to cock it so it could not go off when it felt like it. A good idea on the safety side of things.
The ‘diamond’ plane, ditched on the beach to put the fire out. Long story. Maybe google it if you are that keen.
Campaigning in Australia for ET
The path of the ‘seven sisters’ aboriginal folklore.
Dolls of the seven sisters with the evil guy following them at left.
This art exhibition was very significant.
It is called ‘Songlines tracking the Seven Sisters’.
You down load an app to your phone for the audio.
Rotate left. The elders providing input to the exhibition.
Notice the presentation video on the floor.
I am in ‘Rabbit in the headlights’ mode.
Anne showing she isn’t scared by a staircase covered in brass (?) that appears to have no means of support.
Part of the original museum next door.
Old meets new.
An old pub. Always a good subject for a photo.
I don’t know what the symbol is.
Naomi drops us home via a scenic route. Nice day.
Food, showers, drinks TV bed.
zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz
Tuesday 6th April 2021.
No photos. We just worked the whole day chasing up this and that, planning etc etc.
We did have a joint evening meal (cook and or bring your own) at the camp kitchen.
Up early. Hours trying to get Anne’s ipad running. It has been cleaned off and the original user ID and password now applies. I think? Bought in Singapore about 2012 in a hurry? Errr?
I will keep trying.
Even though huge dinner last night, we had our traditional larger than normal Sunday breakfast and continued with other jobs.
The park are having an Easter egg hunt for the kids and a sausage sizzle for the adults. Sorry. No space for a sausage feast AND we are visiting with the family H’s to the Senior H’s today. Think we may arrive a little late to avoid over stuffing on our part.
Pass the remnants of the sausage sizzle on the way to the bathroom. It would have been dangerous.
So we arrive at the H’s seniors house. It would have been a very good lunch but I don’t subscribe to the Ambulance Service. Out come the nibbles anyway.
A nice afternoon. lots of talking and laughing.
My master.
Alice in steep learning mode.
The young H’s clan having a breather.
I now know where Paul gets his intense focus on lawn presentation. It is hereditary.
Back to steep learning curve.
Mother and daughter. I can remember when mum was younger than Alice is now. She turned out pretty damn good and with Paul’s and Naomi’s co-input, I believe Alice will out do them both.
Nature looking beautiful but also saying it’s time to go.
A wonderful afternoon with a bunch of nice people.
Thanks for the invitation to the H’s, junior and senior.
Back home. (?) mossies’ out so we are not out having evening drinks.
Shower, TV, just a little grape juice and no meal. Still full!
Slow start. The master still no stirring at 9.30am. Late nights are taking their toll. Might have to make some noise soon, by mistake of course. We do need some shopping and a quick Bunnings visit.
A few other things have come up and we should not leave Tuesday as planned. We check and we cannot extend. Just as well. It’s getting ‘kid’ noisy with soccer balls hitting the van with monotonous regularity.
So we squeeze in a trip to Bunnings on the way to The House of Honey’ with the H’s. Coffees, honey education, and a pleasant ‘sit and talk’.
The H’s.
Alice and Anne. Anne on the right.
A living bee hive in the Café with Bee access through a round duct.
Lots of nice things.
Proof we were there.
We move on to the Homestead Brewery. Very ‘Schmicky’ (and expensive) but a nice dinner. A minor disaster. Alice tips her drink on herself. Not a terrible thing, unless you are a four year old. It is getting late. 7.30pm and also getting dark.
Night’s over. That’s Saturday done. Back to the van park. Still lots of ‘kiddies’ playing when we get back so straight to the van ‘oasis’. Here we sit after showers and a bit of TV. Oh. This is definitely a night for the magic elixir Port.
We set off to relocate all the way from Fremantle to Ascot between the Airport and the river. Half an hour max. Except for Ethel the GPS who decided to sacrifice us to the early Easter departure traffic. So a few U-turns, around the blocks, missed exits, turn offs and just a bit of raising of the voices (a bit?) and we arrive about an hour and a quarter later. We stop at the office and Anne’s knuckles turn from white to normal colour. I look in the mirror and practice smiling again for a minute.
Parking. It just happened the site behind ours was vacant so I could do a classic ‘drive through’ from the rear. However there wasn’t enough space at front to drive the van through to the spot to disconnect without reaching all the way across the road and nudging the other side fence. I asked a neighbour in an RV how ‘that bloke over there managed’ and was told he is a trucky and all but jack knifed it with the car at 90 degrees leaving the van parked perfectly. He could do that, but how the hell am I going to?
Innovation! The sites are very short but wide.
So after pacing off and consideration, I parked it diagonally and it fitted with room to spare including space for the car on one side and the awning on the other. I suggested to management that they mark the park out like that. They were happy for me to park like it but … take a photo if you want, because you won’t see it again.
Evening, we return to Helder and Cristina’s home near Fremantle for round two of getting together. Heavy night Easter traffic. We arrive. Annes knuckles return to normal from white and I attempt to change my grimace to a smile.
This time it is home entertainment. I should have said, ‘lovely home’ entertainment The place is marvelous and is decorated with extensive Timor Leste carvings and pots.
The food was just fabulous with Portuguese theme. Green beans, Arroz de Marisco (seafood Rice) and croquettes.
Prawns, muscles clams etc. Just so very tasty. Cristina is past just a cook.
Helder brings out an extensive choice of the finest wines and spirits money can buy. He really should start a bar or at least buy a trolley to save having to go back for the second lot. I could have happily tried the lot. I could almost taste them as I picked up each bottle with quivering hands. However, I have to be real careful for the drive home. Double demerit points over Easter. I settle for my favourite. A small Port to remind me one of the reasons why life is worth living. Dangerous, because it slipped down so smoothly.
The happy four.
A late night for us but a truly enjoyable evening of laughing, reminiscing, feasting and just a plain good time. A real pleasure to catch up again. It’s never goodbye. It’s only ever, ‘See you later!’ We must have had a good time. We get home at an unheard of MIDNIGHT(!!!!)
All the usual night preps, then …..
zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzz
Friday 2nd April 2021
9.30am-sh we get a visit from family, namely my niece Naomi, husband Paul and their ‘little princess’, daughter Alice. ‘The H’s.’ They cycled here, on purpose. They are like that.
The whole crew.
I know who got the best seat. I could enjoy cycling if I got the back seat.
Van groomer and repairs cruise the park.
Early afternoon, we head for the H’s home. Some great additions since our last visit. Double garage with direct access to inside etc. Good stuff. We chat and soak up some good family time. Then, a great ‘in the middle’ casual lunch of many, many nibbles, like cheese, pate, fruit, hummus, etc. The sort of meal that is hard to stop eating, until you realize you are choc-a-block full.
Alice is shooting up so quickly. Just amazing and a ‘nice kid.’
Lunch is followed by a walk along the river. Exercise I hadn’t counted on.
We test the new big camera lens. Bit of adjusting needed. Have to get used to it.
After the duck, this ‘funny’ seemed appropriate.
Just in case you can’t read it, the dog says, ‘I wish I could fly.’ The fish says, ‘I wish I could walk.’ the bird says, ‘I wish I could swim.’
All is good and back home (H’s home) for a crumbed fish evening meal with other ‘tasties’ like normal and sweet potato chips … plus. Good chat, arrangement to get together tomorrow and we go home in the dark. Late so another good day.
Day is over. Hang on. ‘Day ain’t over yet.’ The RV neighbours are at the adjacent camp kitchen in R & R mode. So, we join them for a good night drink.
All good things must come to an end, but there’s always tomorrow. Now it’s the usual evening performance of showers, a touch of TV, a night cap (OK. ANOTHER night cap …. or two). A good day, then …….
It rained last night! I get up about 7am and all the windows are wet. Paying bills on the computer is such fun. Define fun. Marginal contentment?
Yet another washing load. Mainly bedding. Long, long job and it happens to be hot today.
The proof. Anne didn’t put it back on the front car screen. Now we have TWO in the van.
5.30pm, we get picked up by friends Helder and Cristina and given an extensive tour of the amazing Fremantle.
Look at this monster ship that we are told is a car carrier.
Then onto a fab custom brewery with restaurant. It was a lovely night and a chance to catch up with this fine couple we have not seen for literally years.
We are dropped off with a promise to meet again before we leave Perth to head north and it will happen.
Home, food, grape juice, showers ….
zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz
Wednesday 31st
Up early to book tickets to Rottnest Island.
At B Shed 8.15am for coffee and 9am departure.
Coffee brings joy.
So that’s the name of the clipper ship.
And that bloody big ship is the reason for us having to pull over during our departure.
Arty building.
An oil rig just off the coast. Nice to know we got some that is easily got at.
A Chocca Quokka about to experience it’s demise.
The island made it’s money producing salt and this was the office. Now a gift shop.
We have decided on a hop on – hop off bus instead of bikes. (Thank goodness for small mercies.)
It includes a walk between bus stops and on that track we meet our first QUOKKA.
We meet others.
Anne explaining the operation of the phone. I thin he’s getting it … a bit.
He’s getting it.
New guy while we’re lunching. They love checking bags out.
A flower with five petals named after a Roman who had his hand stuck in boiling water and had his hand modified and similarly displayed. Bummer.
An eagle. (It’s got another more accurate name) Look half way down the left slope.
We get off the bus to go cross country to gun emplacements and the light house.
First stop is the plotting room. Once shooting angle is deduced, it is sent through to the guns.
Another hike pending to the guns and we have already been going for half an hour. SO this is as close as we got.
Turn around point to head back.
Back to the T junction and the turn to the lighthouse.
That’s the light house in the background. Yes. It’s a long way.
The ‘arbor.’ We are walking through a tree tunnel for about three minutes.
The walk takes us not to the lighthouse as the map shows, but to the base. so no track up from here and it’s about 400metres and 300 up.We have lost interest. We find a bus stop ad look for civilization.
Civilisation. Cappuccino’s and ham and cheese toasted sandwich.
Geordie Bay. Geordie is an English term and this photo is taken to be forwarded to English rellies (relatives) for consideration.
Nice bay. Another one that is.
Lunch spot is café with art.
Back in the main town. Fascinating church story.
Monsignor O’Shea created the church and was such a contributor and so loved, it was granted his remains were to be placed on the church grounds.
It’s a marvelous little church and has lots of leadlight.
This shows the birth of the baby Jesus. I think it is important to point out the brown figure with horns to the left is a cow and not Satan.
This window apparently shows the struggle of the settlement of the Island …. .apparently.
An Aerial photo of the island. Not mine.
End of the day, the ‘mall’ is full.
Another cute semi-rodent.
Just pictures. They don’t grow that big.
Departure wharf.
Anne has bought a stuffed quokka for no better reason than I think it bares a striking similarity to the gopher in the film ‘Caddy Shack. Tell me I’m wrong.
Back at the vanpark, I regret taking a taxi to the port when I could have used the parks Tardis.
Getting squeezed now.
The couple we were going to have ‘five-sies’ with were not home. So we do some fix ups. Straighten things, soup and roll and sausage roll for dinner. We have to leave tomorrow. Shower, TV, grape juice….
N.B. It is worth saying that we headed for the free camp around the oval at Waroona because we read a glowing reports and it sounded great. When we got there, the toilets were locked and there was no one else there. So we used the dump point then phoned to clarify but got the answering machine so left a message. They called back today but we owned up and said after the call we made, we found it was only open March to I think October. However, the area to use is by the Memorial Hall and the toilets to be used are adjacent. As advertised a pub and IGA are within walking distance. I felt obliged to tell you this because I felt we had to ‘make good’ from our mistake.
Now obviously we continued to Pinjarra and found lots of others travellers to play with and a serious walk to toilets but they were clean and stocked with paper. Also a dump point adjacent.
Now … we wake up to an overcast day than turns less severe.
However when it becomes proper light we find apparently aliens have snatched most of our neighbours during the night. It must have been aliens because if the neighbours packed up and left, it would have been morning and we would have heard them. So …aliens.
No vans here …
…. and there were three here.
We spot a mirage from a distance …
… and zooming in, it looks exactly like a Morris 1000.
Luckily the aliens didn’t snatch the pub.
We pack up and move off but have to sample town first.
This was a hardware store but the name attracted me because it was the nick name of Cousin Mal’s old mate ‘Tuckey.’
More memories. We spot a ‘Spyder’ in the park and so we post for the Deegans to flash back to theirs, far away but in a safe place while they are on the road.
Coffee?! We find a ‘Dome’ in the shopping centre and avail ourselves of it’s hospitality (to paying customers only of course)
Cappuccino’s AND scones with jam and cream! How terribly English.
We discover WA has a Murray River as well.
We might as well have a look at Mandurah even though we don’t go through it.
MANDJOOGOORDAP Road. Not the biggest word I have come across but … well maybe it is?
MAND JOO GOO R DAP. Is that make it easier to say. Nope?
Big mistake. the GPS strikes again and we tour a new subdivision and discover roads off the grid in the Kwinana area as we head undeterred but less than content, to Fremantle. We have jointly discussed the future of Ethel the GPS. She has let us down many times and it’s a nursing home or Euthanasia. (with a hammer)
Anne pulled one of these butterflies off the front car screen a week or two ago and kept it on display in the van. It’s an idiosyncrasy she has. Thank goodness I haven’t got any.
So I look at this on the front screen and ask, ‘Did you put it back on here.’ I won’t bore you with the subsequent conversation.
We get to Fremantle Village. Neat but tight. It’s a bit of a rabbit warren. We wash and sort with the AC going. Eventually we go for a walk around the park using the park map they give you. It was necessary. We find the dump spot (Eureka!) and chat to a couple doing what we should be doing (beer o’clock) and the chat divulges they were in Kangaroo Island for 18 years. ‘Yes. We know Mandy Johnson’. ‘So do we …’ etc etc etc. ‘Please join us on another night for drinks’. ‘Yes.’
Dark now. We receive a call for a rendezvous from old friends. Bring in the washing, showers, food? Rissoles with veg. Simple but tasty. TV, bed.
I did get out to try and catch the dawn…. Didn’t work very well.
However, It was a slow, but pleasant start.
Here was our home for two days, right on the road.
We are off for vitals. Dan Murphy’s and Woolworths. BUT, I spot this.
I zoom in. A flash from the past. I don’t know what year but it is a Ford Falcon.
…and from the side…
…zoomed.
The shady spot in Harvey we chose to have lunch after fuelling up.
We finally pull into Pinjarra free camp just past the pub. I squint and see what I believe to be an EH Holden.
Zoom. I cannot see the tail lights to confirm it is not an EJ but an EH, BUT, it is one of those two. I am calling it an EH due to line of the body which is not conclusive.
The free camp is good and we check out the toilets which are OK.
We meet others and have beer o’clock drinks. A nice bunch of people, Vicki, Brian and Philip. Now we must adjourn for our recently purchased Chicken Kiev’s a la Woolworths with vegies … mash, carrots and broccoli.
Now, I cant remember the name of this town in the video. It is PINJARRA and it is just a little south of Mandurah.
Shower, meal, 60 minutes and a bit of movie, (The Martian – starred Matt Damon). Yes. Grape juice as well and this time with just a tiny Port then ….
We wake in what is basically a car park with ocean backdrop.
Morning spent trying to catch up on a few things. Paid Jack who fixed Anne’s ipad. Sent some to pay off card etc etc. Still lots to catch up on. 11.50am. ‘Have a break and do something.’
So as we are in easy walking distance of town, we easily walked to town.
Three minutes after leaving the van we walked past this poorly concealed spot on the edge of the oval opposite the van. This is the spot but photo taken on the way back hours later after the fact. The ‘fact’ was, we were quietly startled by the sight of a couple of youths in broad, and more or less public view, in a desperate but still amorous embrace completely unaware of our presence. Nothing too revealing. Just intense to the point where, similar to nature programs, they were in a trance like state. They say love is blind. In this case, I would say, also poorly planned.
On that note, just around the corner, we come across, yes, how about that, Dirty Rascals.
A clever name, but just have a hair cut. Not a shave.
We have a coffee and bagel at ‘Benesse’. We ask, ‘What does it mean?’ and am told it’d Portuguese for giving or a gift or something. We had never heard of it.
So we asked Mr Google … Something in Return Benesse is a term of classic Portuguese origin and has the connotation of making a Donation, non-profit, or nothing to ask in return. Understanding this “something in return”, such as profits, dividends, income from this donation.
By the way, fabulous bagel. Cream cheese, smoked salmon, looked like shaved red onion and rocket lettuce. I hear capers and lemon is good as well.
So we start the Heritage walk, identifying buildings. Through years of development, at ground level, they are just shop frontages. You don’t notice until you step back and look at the top façade or roof line.
This was a theatre which I think burnt down and was rebuilt in Art Deco style.
More shop fronts, in fact this is where Benesse is. This was the Central Hotel, for the ‘nice’ people so it didn’t serve alcohol. (?)
Outside a shop, an apparent Albert Einstein quote. ‘I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.’ Crap. He was a genius. I am sometimes passionately curious, but I am a long way from the theory of relativity. I have trouble making a sandwich.
Two more buildings. The corner, left was the WA Bank and on the right, a lawyers office.
The fabulous Rose Hotel, for naughty people who like alcohol. Then we lost interest and go for an ice cream.
Now we pick up art on the way to the art gallery. This shed has been painted up to show maybe a rat but I think fox, with an extended paw and a saw in the paw, sawing the wooden wall. Try saying that after the fourth drink.
At the pink Art Gallery that used to be a convent. Showed the outside a day or so ago. The plaque reads, Thanks to centenary of women’s suffrage. Mother Mary Angela Costello. 31st August 1855 – 4th October 1930. Sisters of Mercy Convent.’
… and here is the stone laid at the start.
In the front grounds, this. NO. I don’t know what it is either.
An example of art. A pink chair hanging of the edge of a balcony of a pink building.
The artist (not Anne) spent a month in China and has an exhibition, mainly in cardboard and paper. Quite clever actually. I think the title is something like ‘once were fields’ It is supposed to represent progress (?) of buildings replacing fields. Progress. Hmmm.
Art
A chap donated 20 paintings to start the gallery. Claude Hotchin Esq.
N.B : Esquire. 1. A member of the English gentry ranking below a knight. 2 : a candidate for knighthood serving as shield bearer and attendant to a knight. 3 —used as a title of courtesy often by attorneys usually placed in its abbreviated form after the surname John R. Smith, Esq.
Damn. Thought I might have been able to pick up something for nothing there, but I don’t qualify.
Art with bike tyres and poly pipe.
Art. A lady was in quarantine and she painted up each food bag she was given.
Art. A big photo of a blonde lady wearing feathers and holding a skull in front of her face.
As we understood it, this is the before mentioned Mother Mary Angela Costello’s room and her habit.
Art. Umbrella’s
Art. Twigs and pine cones with a symbol in the middle.
Now here is my favourite. It is lumpy black paint with two joined/overlapping white dots. It is called ‘Hey Moon’ and it is yours for only $4,500. OR I will do one for you for half that. OK. A quarter but that’s my last offer. I have my artistic reputation to think about you know.
On the way back, beautiful roses.
This one’s a stunner. I was told, and it usually pans out this way, that the more thorns on the stem, the more perfumed they are.
Now yet more art only this time in someone’s front yard on the walk home. Larger than life. Maybe stage props?
The foreshore as the sun is going down. This was a Basalt quarry right on the waters edge. Basalt/old volcanic rock for roads etc. In the old days at five o’clock, someone would walk around town with a red flag warning people to watch out and people would run for cover before the dynamite went off.
We get back and our neighbor in an RV has gone. Half hour later another one pulls in. We go for just an immediate local walk.
Notice my ghost standing next to Anne.
It says Wyaluf Rocky Point.
The Rocky outcrops are very striking with the water washing in.
Self adoration with sunset.
I wasn’t tall enough to get it through the circle and it was too bright and blinding when it was that high, so don’t say, ‘Why didn’t he put it through the circle?’
The moon was putting on a bit of a show as well.
Going, going ….
Interruption by helicopter.
What we call the ‘after burn’ about 10 to 15 minutes after the sun goes down.
Now here is a puzzle for the dim. Why do you think all these trees on the foreshore are all leaning away from the ocean? And NO. They weren’t all planted like that.
Sun down, getting cold, showers, pea and ham soup with hot rolls with melted cheese. Too cold for beer, so grape juice. TV ………..
We are departing from Margaret River this morning, (late as per usual) after enjoying and appreciating the hospitality of Bu and Ingvar. We enjoyed a farewell walk around the grounds ot the house.
Vegie patch.
Their own Macadamia nut tree!
Herbs, herbs and more herbs!
On the road again heading north to Bunbury again. (?) We pass red feather coffee with a great logo.
20 minutes to find a legal park big enough in town.
Pink art gallery, was a convent apparently.
By the way, we have returned to pick up the camera from being serviced ($99) and it’s lens from being repaired ($309). Total, $409. OUCH!
This was pretty cool when we first went there about a week ago to put the camera in. No van, just the car. Get your parking ticket for a free 2 hours! We get the items and go for coffee, then back to the car.
On the way back we pass a few interesting sights.
I would have thought anyone with the ability to qualify for the position would have better spelling.
It reads, ‘AK Homes not est 1908’ OK!? So when was it?
Interesting Architecture. (or is it Arkitekture?)
Got a 48 hour free camping permit and are on the foreshore. Must be self contained but they do have a public toilet block adjacent.
We are going for a walk up past the light house to a lookout apparently. (NOT my idea, but I know she’s right)
You don’t know what this is? Neither do we. No plaque or sign.
Anne holding up the light house.
The lookout from the outside.
Proof we were there and didn’t buy a post card.
View from half way up.
View from the top, through the wire. Just a little bit above the slap bang middle you might be able to make out our caravan.
We join our fellow free camping neighbours for wines adjacent the vans till hunger forces us to our ‘homes.’ This is a sad attempt to click the moon. It’s the thought that counts I guess. (?)
Left over pasta for evening meal with more wine. Have to have red wine with the meal. Italian food demands red wine. No if’s or but’s. End of story. Free camp showers. That is water on to get wet. Turn off. Soap up. Turn on to wash off. We are also conscious we are filling up the grey water tank. A little TV then ….
Morning was bits and pieces. Spent a lot of time on the phone.
Turns out the insurance renewal for the car did not reach us. We were waiting and watching but not seeing.
To top it off I couldn’t recall the company. Anyway, I am 95% sure it is fixed. OK 85% but that’s my best offer.
N.B. South Australian Royal Automobile Association apparently does not insure anyone out of South Australia. My question was ….. What are they thinking a retired couple with a caravan and lots of time on their hands are going to do? Derrr!
Went to town. Been a while since I have seen a ‘Tuck Shop.’ Ref to joke reference at Busselton.
Then back home to meet Martine.
Martine and Bu know each other but have not met for a while so it’s ‘hello’ for all of us.
Martine and L & A to an Italian restaurant.
Bu is booked and unavailable. Bummer.
Food time.
To state the obvious, a good time was had by all.
Derrr? Italian food, red wine and I could show off two ladies!
Only their mother could tell them apart.
Back home.
N.B. Martine is a spectacular, professional photographer She is highly respected in her field and has published books of photos and held exhibitions. She gives us two of her published books. Bloody marvelous.
Martine, goes. ‘Au revoir.’
Showers, Port, movie, ‘Sexy Beast’. Brilliant film. Bed time.
Another late start. How about that. A few odds and ends. Washing on using the house washer with a two hour cycle. So washing on at 11.05am. Go to town and be back by 1.05pm.
So we go back to the Sidekick Café for todays Caffeine fix then up the road to the Post Office then the public toilet then back to the car. As we go past another café I see this painting on the wall. It has been defaced to a minor degree but as it is a bit ‘out there’ I can understand how someone particularly conservative may take offence. To clarify, It is a cow being milked and being suckled by a milk maid. The milk maids hose from the cows udders go to a petrol bowser gun she is holding.
Art?
Back to home. Empty the washer and hang out clothes. Second lot on, paperwork. Register car! Good move. Second load off and hang up. Drive to the beach. Prevelly Beach to be precise.
The beach was used for the International surfing Comp way back in I think 1985?
A fence made of surf boards.
Home, BUT on the way home we did not pass but stopped at the famous Cape Mentelle winery.
Great history lesson amongst the barrels.
Then the tasting at $10ea but off set against purchasers.
Ain’t she elegant?
Tilt right for me holding a bag.
Car in park. Photo opportunity that just cannot be passed up. (Its called sarcasm)
Then back to B & I’s home and ours as drive way tenants.
A lovely meal of mainly home grown salad and veg including a home made sauerkraut from home products by ‘Bu’ the hostess. That’s ‘home ….’s’ three times in one sentence. Main feature of the meal was, dare I say again, ‘Home Made’ Patties of smoked herrings, plus potatoes, plus, plus, plus, not only caught personally by ‘Ingvar’ the other host, but also smoked by him. As I may have mentioned before, this family namely, Bu, Ingvar, and son Oscar produce A LOT of their own food. They are very much headed towards self sufficiency. They may not be there, but they are seriously a way lot closer than the vast majority of us.
L to R Anne, Bu, Leith & Ingvar.
Anyway, yet another very nice night! Dessert, tea’s, home, straighten up from the washing, showers, a glass of port, a few minutes on the computer then … Bed.
Lay in. Do a few odds and ends. Finally get away late morning. We were going straight to the Tourist Information store. Instead went straight to the ‘Side Kick Café for caffeine. One must get ones priorities right. Then onto the tourist trap just 50 metres further down the road. There were interesting articles for sale including these amusing aprons. …
… and a book. Tilt head right.
N.B. Sometimes the photo comes out 90 degrees twisted. I can straighten it by opening it in Photoshop and correcting. However if there are a stack of them, it is a little time consuming to do them all, hence the ’tilt’ instruction.
Yes. There is a Margaret River in Margaret River.
Margaret River sign. Blurred as clicked at short notice while driving past.
On info from the tourist place, we stop at the river. Then as instructed/suggested/told, we walk down one side to the weir, cross the weir then back the other side. That is about half an hour (if you don’t stop, which we did) along an easy track with pleasant, picturesque, wooded scenery.
That’s her ‘What are you doing?’ look.
Fungi. Not for eating I would say.
Made it to the weir at least.
Now back the other side. Some bird life but they weren’t very co-operative when it came to photos. Hence blurring.
A ‘blurred’ bird.
Like Annie Oakley only with splinters à la derriere.
When we were on the other side going up, we looked across to this spot from the landing top right on the other side and asked, How come they get a seat that side and this side doesn’t. Well, they told us to start that side so I guess they figure we need a rest by the time we get here. Either that or there is no reason. Probably the latter.
Anne posed this. I don’t know if she considered the seat back looked like a heart. If so did she sit me that side because that side had a crack above it?
Margaret River Men’s Shed. Are you allowed to call it ‘Mens’ still?
Back to the start but the other side of the river. It has a bike and coffee place.
A bike hat tree.
The shop’s called ‘The Hairy Marron.’ The Hairy Marron were native here but the Smooth Marron have infiltrated and taken over. Personally, I think I’d prefer a smooth one.
colourful coffee verandah. Anne taking a photo of a ‘something.’
Well it does go around the river a bit.
On next door to check out the Brewery for a possible meal.
Then home to our luxury, mobile apartment. A little rest as we are doing dinner tonight. Anne’s marvelous home made salsa with fettuccine.
Our current landlords/friends fabulous house in about the best rural setting possible. 4,000 sq metres of trees , shrubs, vege patches, herbs and chooks. Just a 3 minute drive or 20 minute walk to the main street.
Meal was a success, two beers, a bottle of red, vanilla icecream with fresh home grown passion fruit, good night, home, showers, a little TV. Bed.
Dawns crack. Well not quite. 9.15am off to Bunbury to put the camera and lens in to the ‘Mr Fixit’of camera’s. Good town. 15 minutes camera man. One hour coffee and talking to the next table.
Back to Busselton to pick up the caravan. MAKE NOTE!
Lazy Days Caravan Park is great and the cheapest in town. Ask them to tell you the ‘Tuck shop’ joke. No. Don’t.
Back to Margaret River to visit B & I
Nice town.
We are guests of B & I à la ‘their drive way’ and we are most grateful. However, as we do so, our mobile home, whether driveway, national park or rubbish tip is still, in our minds, mobile comfy home.
We have a truly lovely night with B & I with the added treat of most of their meal straight from the garden. Amazing. So self sufficient. But this is rural and we all have either big days tomorrow or lazy sleep-ins.
Lazy morning but we will do tourist-ie things today hopefully starting 11am ish.
Breakfast, some clothes washing (again) lunch, then our 1pm departure a mere two hours late. Good for us.
Big tree near foreshore.
Did you know the French were here in 1800?
This is the ‘Froggy Chappy’ Baudin
Tilt head right.
Big jetty. 1.8km
On the train. 20 minutes to go 1.8km to the end of the Jetty.
Normal walking speed is 3 to 4 mph or 5.6kph. The train travels at 5.4kph. Looking at the ground from the train, I would say that is just a whee bit optimistic. It goes faster than I would walk but .. is that a reference?
Lovely lady volunteer.
Tilt left. We are going to under water observatory.
Tilt right.
Amazing stuff.
Us, amazed … but concealing it.
Length of the Jetty. It was extended to get deep enough for shipping. It was extended to 1.841 km’s to get just 8 metres deep. Now the boats have outgrown the Jetty and tourists are the main/only cargo.
I had a bit of a turn when I saw this bird.!
N.B. Terns are seabirds in the familyLaridae that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are treated as a subgroup of the family Laridae which includes gulls and skimmers and consist of eleven genera.
Her ladyship. tilt left.
Us. Dynamic two-some.
Fruitless directions.
Roy Morris Platform. (Tell me I’m wrong!)
She again. Tilt left again.
Really good bronzes of the settler days.
So, we can’t have Coon cheese even though it was his name, but we can have Camel Balls. If that’s not government thinking, what is?
Best fish and chip shop we found. It was recommended by Dan Murphy staff so it had to be good.
Busselton was named after the early settlers the Bussell family; however the Bussell’s were not consulted and preferred the name Capel (after their relative in England, Capel Carter). A town named Capel was later established to the north of Busselton.
Busselton is best known for its 1.8-kilometre-long, wooden-piled jetty which has survived a cyclone, storm and fire to retain its status as the longest timber-piled jetty in the southern hemisphere. … Visitors can stroll along the 148-year-old jetty, or take the jetty train to reach the Underwater Observatory at the end.
N.B. While in Albany we visited the Patrick Taylor Cottage Museum, you may remember. What we picked up there, if you want to know what sort of people it took to settle this fantastic land of ours, as I recall, back in England, Mr Bussell had died leaving Mrs Bussell with a stack of kids. She decided to move to Australia for a new life. So she sent the boys out to Western Australia about ten months early for them to buy cattle and start a cattle property. She followed with I think 5 or 6 daughters. The boys had gone further north to set up but mum caught up with them. Use your imagination how tough they would have had to be.
Meanwhile … Patrick Taylor was born 2 March 1807 in Scotland; he died 30 December 1877 in Albany, Western Australia. He arrived in Albany, WA on board the James Pattison on 18 June 1834. He married Mary Yates Bussell in Fremantle 18 September 1837. Mary had sailed to Western Australia on the same ship as Patrick Taylor, with her mother Mrs Frances Louisa Bussell (née Yates). They were going to join her brother John Garrett Bussell.
These days it seems, for some, the big question is whether to get a job or just go on the DOL and have the Govt look after them. No way will some go to another state to pick fruit to make money. Too hard. The early settlers would turn in their graves.
Back to reality.
Bright sunny morning with van in shade. Perfect. It’s clothes wash day (again) Anne attacks it with a vengeance, including also in the process her side-kick assistant. Anyway it was on the line by 11am, which is of course nearly lunch time. The day some how gets filled up with other odds and ends, including birthday wishes to fellow traveler Lou D who is now a bit north east of Perth with husband Mick. They are moving at a different pace through different environs, but in our common direction of north, since we last saw them in Albany 13th March, 9 days ago. They have done this Nullarbor, West coast trip before so have seen things we have not, hence different directions.
Time for my monthly pedicure. I am indeed a lucky man. Anne is so talented in many ways and do keep in mind her chosen profession was Beauty/Skin Therapy. Yes. I am getting a PROFESSIONAL pedicure and if I get a bad neck it is addressed professionally. Let it be known, she not only had her own salon in Adelaide, but she was also the President of the South Australian association. I recall I think she also conducted student exams and helped establish the association in the N.T. and managed a friends salon up there when the friend had to go south temporarily for medical reasons. Not to mention, moving to East Timor in 2000 and opening the countries first salon amongst the rubble so to speak. That was a task that deserved more than the one line I just gave it.
Feet done, we get all the way to 4pm and then decide to go shopping. There must be a good, intelligent reason for putting it off till the end of the day but it hasn’t dawned on me yet.
And what is so urgent? Cloth Duct Tape. One of the two must have’s for travel repairs. I will say it even though it’s so old. The second item is WD 40 spray can. The saying goes, if it doesn’t move and it is supposed to, use the WD 40. If it moves and it shouldn’t, use the Duct Tape.
There was a problem. Do I buy the genuine 50 metre roll Bear Brand Gaffer tape for $12 or the DOUBLE PACK Bunning’s home brand of TWO x 50mm for just $6. The home brand is Made in the Evil Empire (China) so I am about to bite the bullet and pay four times as much as I have to, to get the genuine article until my astute partner points out that the original is made in the Evil Empire as well. So I get twice as much for half as much. One roll for the van and one for the car. I will never use all that. One and a half rolls will be bequeathed in my will. Maybe two if I run out of luck.
Anne wants a swiggy for the shower but these are too wide. However, she is sure they have them at Woolworths.
Anne wants a swiggy for the shower but these at Bunnings are too wide. However, she is sure they have them at Woolworths.
They also have chocolate ice cream at Woolworths
… and all these other items not on the list. Note Swiggy I am holding at left of basket, the swiggy being the only thing on the list. Why is it that every time you go to the supermarket, it is at least $40 even if you were there just two days ago. We didn’t eat $40 worth of food in two days! It’s politely called consumerism. Should be called ‘dumb’ or ‘sucker bate.’
Home in time for sunset drinks on the caravan park equivalent of patio. A light dinner as Anne is not well I think due to the excitement of her new swiggy. Showers, a bit of a movie, grape juice, then …….
The van park (Westbay Retreat Caravan Park) is unique and inviting, however we now have a bit of a schedule and have to move on. However we do go for a wander first.
Interesting stone and timber ablution block.
Lots of flowers.
Fuchsia’s. ‘Who knows what the Fuchsia holds?’ I always wanted to say that.
On an inlet and has two of it’s own ramps.
Guard crow. Big one as well.
Lots of shady spots.
Ready to go.
Off to Hamlin Bay wines for no better reason than it’s cousin Mal’s favourite wines. So we thought we would get some pics for him.
Tough to get in down the winery dirt track inc corners, with a 20 foot van on, especially as that’s a bit of a misnomer. It’s 20foot measured inside. Then the max length of the body on the outside is 21foot 7inches. Then about a foot for the back bumper, then about another 4foot for the A frame at the front. So what’s that add up to? About 27 foot.
So why the mirror shot?
It’s not the mirror. It’s what’s in the mirror. about 1.5 feet from the tree and the van is turning.
Hamlin Bay wines. Their logo is the RAMPANT WYVERN.
N.B. 1 The wyvern: the Drake-Brockman’s family crest is a legendary winged creature with a dragon’s head, tail and wings, a reptilian body and two legs. ‘The wyvern rampant or wild wyvern is a separate crest and our Rampant Red and Rampant White wines use a stylised rampant wyvern on the label.’
N.B. 2 Owner Richard Drake-Brockman is the great grandson of Grace Bussell, whose family first settled in the Margaret River region in 1830.
This is ‘Evi’ who looked after us in a very jovial and pleasant style.
I promised her fame in the blog. A slight stretch so I should at least give her a close up.
Proof it wasn’t a mock up. Winery sign.
On to Margaret River. This was a very unusual looking building we happened to park across from.
This is not so unusual but I wanted something with Margaret River on it.
A walk down main street.
Target closing down tomorrow. I asked. They all have jobs still.
Got a nice ring to it, hasn’t it? ‘Squid Lips Fish and Chips.’
A building. Well its Woolworths actually. A bit unique.
Home in sight.
There are virtually no caravan park sites available in ‘Margs’ as it’s called. We have looked near and far and have ‘a cunning plan.’
We move on, 35 minutes to Busselton and after careful assessment, we decide on Lazy Days Caravan Park
Notice map. Plan, plan plan.
Self indulgent.
The circumstances are, no sites in Margs. I have to put a camera lens in for repair Monday at Bunbury and leave for three days. We want to catch up with friend ‘Bu’ but she is not available till after the weekend. We want to catch up with friend ‘Martine’ but she is not available till Wednesday.
The Cunning Plan is, We come to Busselton which is half way between Margs and Bunbury. We play tourist for the weekend. Monday, we leave the van at Lazy Days for the morning. Go to Bunbury. Put camera in. Go back to Lazy Days. Hitch up and go back to Margs. We can put van at ‘Bu’s ‘ for three days. Catch up with Bu. Bu knows Martine so on Wednesday we and Bu catch up with Matine. Thursday we depart ro Bunbury and pick up the camera lens. A Cunning Plan. Just call me ‘Baldrick.’
Outside drinks as shady and no flies. Some nibbles which fill us up, so evening meal is half a past each with mushy peas. Showers, grape juice. Bed.
We are up early but things to do and we farewell our neighbours.
Now …. Should we do the train trip? Yes. We are off. In fact it’s a tram and not a train.
We even do the traffic ‘ding dongs.’
Three bridges.
We get off at the farthest point and explore the ‘cascades.’
The bare necessities in timber land. Chain saw and axe.
Wise advice.
Now back.
Back to start.
This guy was new, and the biggest and the fastest and the best train in Australia in 1955. I was four years old. A steam train, new in my lifetime. Suddenly I do feel that dirty ‘o’ word. (Old)
With my witness.
We move on to Nannup.
Nice town. Look at this piece of ultra cool parked in the main street.
Has a second seat at back. Caught up with the owner. Without the second seat, it was about $56,000 and with, around $68,000 and straight from Germany.
Fab clock tower.
The ‘Tiny Tea’ room that we suspect no one goes to. We would have gone but driving, I needed a caffeine fix.
So we moved up the street
Then on down the road to the traffic works. They normally have lollipop people with ‘Stop’ one side and ‘Slow’ the other side of their Lollipop sign. We are treated to a dual cab coming towards us. It does a 180 degree and drives off slowly in the direction we want to go with a sign ‘Follow Me’ on the back. The two trailer truck in front of us is first and we are second. I flick on the CB radio. We follow the ‘follow me’ till he steers us past the construction site and as I clear him, I radio, ‘Thanks follow me. That’s the first time I have had an escort.’ He, Mr ‘snappy retort’ says, ‘ That’s OK. What happens on the road stays on the road.’ I laugh and say, ‘by the way, this is the caravan and not the truck.’
We get to the West side van park (? I think) and pick a spot. It is a nice but a little quirky place. The bathrooms are all stone and natural bush timber.
We cannot check in so we set up.
Beer o’clock with neighbor Malcolm. Nice chap. Talked caravans.
No one has come for payment yet.
Snags and chops, mash and greens, wine, showers. Movie (Fools Gold via sat dish) then ……
Following the special morning edition for St Patrick’s Day, we near departure from Walpole.
We chat to the adjoining neighbor with a fascinating camper trailer. He has a fibre glass contoured shell. Turns out this very clever chap found a barely damaged canopy off a tradies car in the junk yard. $200. It fitted a standard 6 x 4 trailer so he did so and fitted it out. Pure genius.
An obtuse warning. If they just hinted a month or a season even?
We get to Northcliffe, by mistake. That is, we took an early turn to Pemberton which took us through there. Visitors centre. This is the darkest toilet airlock I have ever been in. Eyes had not adjusted and …. black. I had to start tapping walls. A very brief and uninteresting event.
A commemorative carving acknowledging the terrible bush fires in 2015. See plaque below.
Very informative lady. Well, it is an Information Centre I guess.
The power is off for maintenance. The once a year off for a day so all the insulators on the poles get cleaned so there are no shorts and failures when it counts. It’s called maintenance everyone. The old saying, a stitch in time saves nine. Still applies.
Local prizes.
Pemberton. IGA, fuel, boozer for more GUINNESS, then caravan park and only one other St Pats participant. He is off to the pub where I know nothing is happening. Good T shirt though. NIce tie and he had shamrock stickers on his face, as you do.
Friends of next door neighbor has the cure for my sticky top flag fixture. Specialist, dry anti friction PTFE lubricant. Great stuff.
It rarely happens. It’s Aussie flag down off the van and Irish up, and a can of Guinness of course. Note Guinness hat.
6 neighbours and we form a circle. I show them how to drink Guinness. I think they already knew.
Anne takes a walk and finds ducks, ducks and more ducks.
This one I am assuming is either with head underwater or without head.
Van park creek. Very rural.
It’s a nice park.
These unique A frame Avans are everywhere. Very clever for a quick set up.
Fly the flag and honour the day.
A duck (with a head) ‘on the scav.’
Sun going down, party breaking up, we adjourn to out luxury accommodation for a quick and easy meal. What? We have some pea and ham soup and some unidentified smaller pies. Can’t remember where we got them from and what they are. They turn out to be chicken and asparagus. I can remember buying them but not from where. A life’s mystery I am prepared to live with.
They were good anyway. Showers, grape juice, another Gruen and the last half of City Slickers 2. Sleepy, early night.
Saint Patrick’s Day, or The feast day of St Patrick (March 17), patron saint of Ireland. Born in Roman Britain in the late 4th century, he was kidnapped at the age of 16 and taken to Ireland as a slave. By the time of his death on March 17, 461, he had established monasteries, churches, and schools.
The feast of the Irish saint on 17 March is being celebrated from Australia to Dubai to the United States. More than 400 landmarks in more than 50 countries turned emerald as part of Tourism Ireland’s annual Global Greening initiative.
the Saint Patrick’s Saltire has also been linked to him.[1] Some authors have stated, however, that Patrick is not entitled to have a cross as a symbol since he was not a martyr, unlike Saints George and Andrew
N.B. Of course we all know (?) that the crosses of St George, St Andrew and St Patrick combine to make up the Union Jack.
So ‘some authors’ don’t think he should have his flag? Tough luck Bozo’s. He’s already got it and it’s in the Union Jack!
So be full of joy and cheer, for it has been said, on 17th May EVERYBODY is Irish!
Tuesday, 16th March 2021 (BY THE WAY: Tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day)
It is going to be a lazy day, hopefully catching up on a few chores, plus a few relaxing ‘things’.
We spot this, what appears to be a little honey of a baby van. The owner is not there but the neighbor says it is a single lady and it is ideal for a single looking for easy maneuvering and towing. We catch up with her later. It has a door each side for flow through, cupboards inside, either end of a queen size double bed and the back outside, opens up a kitchen with fridge, cook top and sink. For longer stays, it has an awning, which encloses to a canvas room. Clever. It is not custom, but one model of Cool Beans Campers.com.au . Follow the link FYI: https://coolbeanscampers.com.au/
This part of the day is ‘morning walkies.’
The ‘smart sign’ I described yesterday, only a better shot.
This is a ‘don’t feed the birds’ sign. Bottom line is, once humans feed them, they start trying to swipe food/fish from humans. This pic shows a pelican with a fish hook in it’s beak. DON’T FEED THE NATIVE ANIMALS!
Picture postcard stuff.
Love seeing this. A pelican doing a skim over the water. Looks about and probably is 200mm above the water. From time to time, that big scoop dips into the water and off they fly with breakfast as fresh as you can get it.
We carefully observe. How’s that for an ‘over the right shoulder’ selfie?
Sorry. This funny just seemed to fit in. To Kill a Mocking bird is one of my favorite movies and books.
Back to van park. Talk to people, get some lunch, return the book the office loaned us, booked tomorrows accomm. at Pemberton, confirmed the park was NOT doing anything for St Patrick’s Day, neither is the pub, but they do sell Guinness and the workers club a short walk from the park may (?) do something.
I also make enquiries in Bunbury and Perth for camera and lens repairs. My 24 to 105 zoom lens works on 24 but if I zoom, it comes up ‘err.’ Both said the same fault. Must be done. What is a zoom lens that can’t be zoomed. In this case it is a 24mm wide angle lens, which is exactly the opposite of what I want.
Anyway, back to 4pm ‘walkies.’ More or less same path we took back to the park this morning. I suspect it may be part of a much bigger track which went over the swing bridge we saw yesterday, but don’t know for sure.
Can’t beat nature for beauty.
On the path, we walk past another path to the water. Water is very therapeutic.
Maintenance. We cut my hair. Plug in on the outside of the van. Stool. Cape. 15 minutes. Then shower and a new boy. (boy?)
The Cool Beans van has it’s kitchen open later evening. Very well put together singles van.
So already showered. Something quick and easy to eat. Beans and carrots in micro. Sliced potatoes in fry pan and a Vili’s spicy beef and cheese pie cut in halves for the meat content of the classic, ‘meat and three.’ Who could ask for more? Well, I could. I’d like my own whole pie but around meal time I tend to forget I’m dieting.
A few episodes of Gruen, grape juice, a PORT and …
Early start again 6.36am. The plan is I wake Anne 8.30am instead of her rising at 10am. I goes half to plan. I wake her in the middle at 9.15am. Getting there.
Sunny day, forecast no clouds and 27 degrees. I am going to hold them to it.
A day out. First stop, a photo opportunity. Opportunity taken. Next?
Mandalay Beach for wreck by the same name.
Not much left. Have to use your imagination.
Story is Norwegian ship, bad winds. Only hope to beach the ship. 13 saved, four days on beach. remote area. One man hikes out to get help.
Couple there tell us about a suspension bridge near Mt Clare. (?)
across private property etc.
… and a walk
And a bridge. Tilt head right.
Back to town for diesel. Told to look at Jetty in town. Very nice. Lone fisherman may be a source of fish catching knowledge. He is not.
We were going to try going on this cruise but booked.
Then came the dolphins. Two just coolly cruising.
That’s enough. Home.
Showers, great marinated beef salad. Beers. Wine. A PORT tonight me thinks.
Early rise, 736am. Fan heater. Yes. Cold. Catch up a few things on the computer. 9am. Slight stirring other horizontal end of the van.
Clothes washing and a few other domestics and we speed away to be tourists about 1pm. Kiss the birdies good by …
….then straight to the Valley of the Giants Civilization. A coffee van at the entrance, so let’s not rush into this. Cappuccino and a choc ‘thing’ first.
The coffee man has a sense of humour. I ask, ‘Are you here every day?’ He replies, ‘No. Only seven days a week. I have the eighth day off.’ Finally after all these years, a funny coffee man.
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These little wrens are everywhere. You have to squint or you miss them. They can turn 180 degrees in a quarter of a second with that big rudder up. That’s timing is an estimate by the way. You almost don’t see them in the shadows. See pics below. The close up is a crop of the big photo.
These are the big Tingle trees. Monsters and they grow up to 400 years old.
Then the walk.
A little self adoration. (to be repeated.)
This poor guy ‘Arthur’ died during the installation.
It’s in about 5 or 6 sections and the highest point is 40 metres.
Tilt head 90 degrees to left.
They wobble and flex.
The thing is a miracle of design. the trees are very susceptible to ground compression hence the reason for the walk above the ground. If the ground compresses the trees die. So there is a huge steel post on every corner. No concrete allowed so a big flat plate on the bottom of the poles. 6 or eight feet deep hole and the plate is buried with all that dirt on it. it was made in sections small enough for two men to hand carry into the forest. Bolted together then the big assembled sections winched up. Well done to the designer.
Then back on the ground, the 20 minute, 600metre walk amongst the giants. The one below is no longer standing.
This is King Tingle.
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Tilt head to right. More self adoration.
Fires shaped the forest. I think 1937 and 1951 were the last biggies. The trees survived even though many are damaged as the sap and living tissue of the tree is under the bark.
Frankland River on the way back.
The staff were waiting on our return.
Sense of humour It points to North Pole, South Pole and the middle is Walpole. Titter, titter.
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We take our sunset drinks for some private time, but are forced to share our spot with these fine people. Well, they were there first, I guess.
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Anne’s short walk to the waters edge.
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A very pleasant afternoon. Showers, left over roast, couple of grape juices, bed.
Checking out today so up early. 9.30 coffee with the Deegans off our tailgate.
Neighbour shows us a few things. This is his ‘deadlock’ for the van door. He tells us most van doors are easily ‘popped.’ FYI the brand is Fiamma.
Also, ‘Mr Hitch’ is a simpler way of connecting and more secure.
Off to Porongurup, not that far. An hour? Great granite boulders and a sky walk created for it. Three things to consider. First is about a two hour walk there and back AND it is quite cool and just starting to light drizzle. Whoops! Starting to lose us. ‘Going once! … Second thing. You can do an extra bit, that requires you to do a bit of clambering up the odd boulder or two making well placed grips on the way. Going twice! .. Thirdly, there is a more or less vertical ladder climb after the clambering. Admittedly, it does have a frame around it. Sorry, For the third and final time …. GONE!
We were going to Amelup but the rain etc …. So we are off to Mount Barker. We have heard of the bakery. On the road we pass what I believe is the Thai Restaurant Niece Naomi told me about, but it is wet and we also intend to have an economy day.
We find the bakery but it is home made lunch in the van parked over the road. A very tasty laksa soup, beefed up with chicken (beefed up??) coriander and bean shoots/sprouts.
However a treat is in order so over the road.
A small apple pie foe me and a vanilla slice for she.
We are not going to climb to the granite rocks and it is just 2pm so we push on to Denmark. Yes. Australia has one as well. Time flies. A wrong turn. Yes! A wrong turn even with two maps and a GPS. These things happen and blame is evenly proportioned. It is now 4pm and apparently the draw card for Denmark is a beach and there are lots of them in WA.
So we push on to the Coalmine Beach van park at Walpole, or just outside it. On arrival we are greeted by about 8 roos ( if you don’t understand, put kanga in front of it) and around20 colourful but mainly green parakeets, majority of which scatter at our arrival. N.B. not really ‘greeted by’. They just happen to be at the entrance of the office.
One guy had an interesting white patch on his face.
So we book for two nights and may extend. There is potential fishing success to be had here and I have a new tackle box which I am sure will ensure success. Now this is a national park so the branch interrupting the line of site from the sat dish to the satellite cannot be ‘adjusted’ in any way. Not with rope or saw. So we will have a few days of movies and/or series off the movie drive.
Not an issue. I suspect when we read all the tourist destinations here we will stay, but we have to counter that against our planned arrival in Perth for Easter at the end of the month. Research to be done.
Meal. Roast chicken, and might I add just the cutest little guy from Albany IGA$7.99 marked down to I think $5.99. Of course the Woolworths and Coles and Foodland in house roast chooks are $10 ish but they are twice the size so that all pans out I guess. Also, roast veg with stringless beans. (with some strings. Must be like wine. If the wine has 85% Shiraz, it can be described as Shiraz. Maybe if 85% of beans are stringless, they can be so called.)
Shower, beer, beer, red wine, red wine, red wine, bed.
zzzz zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzz
PS For those who do not do facebook, I stole these from there. Love the German one. The other is classic Larson.
Thursday 11th & Friday 12th March 2021. (only 6 days to St Patrick’s Day)
Shock! Pleasant evolving into sunny and light breeze by 10.15am.
Things to do. Touristy things. Also a gas bottle refill if possible.
Then onto the ship first I think.
BCF, gas refill and fishing gear.
Let’s not rush off to the ship. How about a coffee and eats.
Then to Great Southern Museum.
Great display of local history…. and a fabulous photographic display.
More footpath art.
Brig Amity.
First ship to open the western colony, travelling from NSW. It was a shuttle between NSW and the colony. Took weeks per trip.
Metal bird life outside.
Back to park and more security guards.
The Deegs have shown up and provide the best beer o’clock one (or two) could hope for.
Food, showers, drinks ….
zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz
Friday 12th March 2021
Washing because we are going tomorrow. Then to the old whaling station at Discovery bay.
Then to the blow holes …
… Then to the bridge walk.
Then to the ANZAC commemorative museum but too late so outside features only.
Gun emplacements overlooking the departure point of King George Sound for the first two ANZAC fleets to WW1 I November then December 1914.
N.B. I noted for the first time the war started on 4th August, which happens to be my birthdate.
Gun emplacements.
Shopping then fill up for tomorrows departure. United fuel on the way back to the park. Shock! This lady comes running out! What have I done. She grabs the fuel line and starts filling the car. I watch, stunned, as she …
Leaves the pump running and cleans the windscreen.
WOW!
Deegs for dinner at the club next door. Very location aware.
This morning rain, rain and … did I mention … rain?
The park got a canning in reviews, mainly, due to site size which can be attributed to age of park and hence smaller vans. However they did accommodate us and it was huge. Also canned for age and cleanliness of facilities. We use a new amenities block. It is very good (five star dare I say) and except for a bit of mud on the floor during the rain, it is spotless. Good park
Wet and van ridden in the morning.
However, it clears and we do some ‘touristy’ type stuff.
On the city footpath.
It says, ‘Patrick Taylors Cottage Museum. Oldest dwelling in WA. 1832.’
There were older but have since gone.
There’s Patrick on the wall in the back.
Old … OLD gramophone.
Old wrought iron bed.
This is doing it hard in the kitchen. Not a microwave anywhere or electric jug.
Some old, old roses here, most likely over on the boat from Old Blighty.
Local security guards.
Stone out the front honouring mariners who came through including Lieut M Flinders in 1801.
It was a two room wattle and daub cottage originally with a verandah all the way around. Patrick enclosed the verandah on three of the four sides and created I think 5 more rooms and extended to create a kitchen and laundry.
On to the prison.
lots of photos including this WW1 submarine.
I’m sure she would be very comfortable here.
They don’t say much.
Now this is much more comfy. I think it was for the warders daughter.
This isn’t it but they had to bring in a portable gallows from Fremantle to hang one Peter McKean, so well known, he even had an alias.
Big room used once as barracks.
That’s it. The prison closed at 4pm BUT Dan Murphy didn’t. Restocked and ready for accepting guests or just self amusement.
A walk at dusk, with the sun doing ‘things’ to the clouds.
A bird we couldn’t pick, but that’s not unusual for me. It wasn’t a seagull, or an eagle or an Ibus or a pigeon.
As I said, ‘things’ to the clouds.
… and that amazing low brightness.
Time for home.
The usual showers, food (indian curry with rice and papadams), a beer, red wine a movie and …
Rain stops just long enough for us to dry the awning and wind it up.
All is sweet until …. Anne has been smelling ‘diesel’ in the back of the car. She also wants me to get the WD40 for a sticky catch. Well, it gets stickier because it is not diesel but a plastic bottle of fuel additive. It is now laying 20mm deep in the bottom of a plastic utility box about the same size as a shoe box. Lovely. (!!??!!)
An hour later after syphening it out the fixed box, we are cleaning and repacking the back and of course it has started raining.
In the mean time, we have got use to ducking and weaving between the roo poo. Exhibit ‘A’ below. We have lots of exhibits.
The culprits I suspect. Need DNA samples to know for sure.
Packing away, including the rods.
Cleaning the rear camera.
Still things to do.
That’ll do for today.
Farewell drinks with the Deegs, showers, food …
zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz
Tuesday, 9th March 2021.
Raining. The perfect environment for packing up the van and car.
Deegs show up to say ‘See ya layta.’
This is a magic bus, I suspect is US of A but proudly flies an Aussie loag.
\We get to Albany. How do you spell, shamossale? ‘shemozzle’ apparently. Too many tight sites to get into the park. Ended up getting jammed into a spot. Got out with help. Still owe beers. Go for a look.
The Albany town hall.
Inside, artists impression of the Sky Lab entering atmosphere. Remember Belladonia?
The indigenous name of Albany. by the way, before it was Albany, it was Frederick’s town. Fred must have been a pretty cool guy to have the town named after him …. even for a short time. Kinjarling is the aboriginal name of the area.
I forget the importance of the name of the painting below, but it was important. (?)
Painted aerial view of town.
We salute the town emblem, symbolically.
Anne gets a witness to prove she took the photo.
The emblem. Turn 90 degrees to view. It’s good neck exercise.
Main street flowers near the anchor.
Churches.
Pub. Notice reads … ‘The Albany Hotel. Proudly the oldest hotel in Western Australia’s oldest town.’
Tea time for he. Snags and three, which includes my masterpiece mash.
Overcast (again). Raining (again) It was summer only a week ago. What about the tapering in and out of seasons? It’s not supposed to be season switch like a light. On! Off!
Fishing? Naaaah. Other things to do.
Anyway, a day of fossicking. We will leave tomorrow so tidy up. Quiet day. Hot cross buns with the Deegs in the morning.
A few of the locals hang around.
We plot the route we will take around the SW corner of WA and partly pack up for leaving tomorrow. We wait for the rain to stop so we can roll up the awning.
Waiting, waiting, waiting. So we fill the car with diesel and I replace a few fishing tackle pieces that got lost yesterday mainly due to my expertise (or lack there of) in tying fishing line knots.
Still raining so, we bite the bullet and extend for another day. (staying tomorrow)
‘And so, on the third day it came to pass that two men from the east went forth to become fishers of fishes.’
And it further came to pass that Mick of NT did take from the waters a baby flat head, but there was not rejoicing, but instead sadness that such a small fish should be taken from it’s mother and so with great empathy and understanding, Mick of NT did returneth the child fish to the waters.
But then as a gift for his kind gesture, Mick of NT brought forth from the waters another fish fit for a King, a King George in fact and there was much rejoicing and talk of peace and prosperity brought forth by such a bountiful reward, and also, so proving Mick of NT to be truly a fisher of fishes.
In the mean time, the second man, Leith of SA labored away with zest and enthusiasm. He was encouraged by Mick of NT’s success and persisted with the intent of a man possessed.
However as the time passed and the sun was on the horizon, Leith of SA’s zest and enthusiasm was reduced to weeping and gnashing of teeth.
And it further came to pass that Mick of NT did see his friends disappointment and said unto him, ‘Suffer not Leith of SA, for tomorrow is another day and till then we can become buyers of battered fish AND Chips and it did indeed come to pass that the two men from the east were joined by Lady Lou of NT and Lady Anne of SA. And behold a feast was held of battered fishes with chips and pepper and lemon and tartare sauce all bought with gold from the magic plastic card. Then goblets were filed with wine-a-plenty and behold there was joy and laughter as all four rejoiced and frolicked into the night, knowing that indeed tomorrow is another day.
We open the door in the morning and are greeted by our neighbours at the back behind us.
Now we and the Deegs decide to check out the water and it’s potential to provide us with fish. (We have our own loaves)
Directly (about 100 metres) in front of the van park plus a road cross Is this seaweed covered beach, or at least we think there is a beach under it. If it’s a seaweed farm, they are doing extremely well.
We search further afield, further around the beach on a rocky outcrop. This is after quietly declaring our commitment by purchasing bait. Others are thinking the same.
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There are others present and we are very aware of rock fishing and it’s dangers. Also lots of rocks for snags.
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So we look else where.
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Then even further elsewhere right out of town and I think across a small peninsula. We find a little patch of paradise. We weren’t the first and there are people camping here. We decide this is beautiful but not suitable for our fishing expedition.
The fishing is postponed till tomorrow and we check out a sand track near the park. It is very ‘sandy’ , this sand track is, but not a problem. Well not a big problem. We eventually get out of it and there was a very steep experience curve in 4 wheel driving. Having said that, we suddenly realise just how close it is to beer o’clock.
Bottom right is the pigeon Anne had to back off from so as not to disturb. Heaven forbid.
We repair to the Deegs ‘digs’. Drinks and happy chatting.
My clumsiness is proven by a bit of ‘nibble mix’ hitting ground but the opportunity is not missed by this ant entrepreneur who decides this is too good to pass up. I am reminded of some old sales training when it was noted by I think E.James Rohn who said something like, ‘To be successful, you have to be like an ant. Have you ever seen an ant give up? No. It pulls, pushes, climbs over, twists, comes from another angle, tries the original method, BUT never gives up.
It got dark and us kids have to be home when the lights come on. I am sure he was successful.
Showers, small steaks with salad and potato bake. The beers were done with the Deegs so now it’s grape juice and a movie, which was The Great Wall with Matt Damon. Then ……
But first is this gap under the door in the toilet necessary? I am waiting for a kid to stick his head under the door and say ,’Daddy, There’s a man in here sitting down.’
Fill Diesel, coffee with ‘The Deegs’ (and a ham and cheese toasted) then off to the dump point. Heaps of these at the dump Spot. I believe they are ‘showy Banksia.’
N.B. ‘The Deegs’ are in fact Mick and Lou (Louise). They are fellow and much longer term travelers than us, but we were fortunate enough to meet them two years ago. A wealth of information and extremely pleasant company, They are heading for Cheynes Beach and we will tag along.
Ravensthorpe for some vital stock-up , (both red and white). Look at this. Wine with no alcohol! What is the point?
Then on in a loose convoy. The 4th day of Autumn and it looks like mid winter. What is wrong with Mother Nature? Has she lost the plot and her off spring ‘Daughter Nature’ will take over and get things back on track?
A way side stop for lunch(es) from the van (s).
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I cannot describe the ‘exhilaration’ of seeing a semi closing on you at 100km per hour on a minor more narrow road, knowing that you are almost as wide as them and they (look at the pic) are more or less right on the double line. Also, not just a semi. This is a double, maybe 2.5.
All well except for a significant detour. I guess the good thing is we saw more country than we would have.
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The down side of mostly finding a spot we do not have to unhitch is that you get out of practice backing and maneuvering. (hence 10 minutes for a simple 90 degree back in park.)
A quiet easy night. The fourth Indiana Jones film which includes Kate Blanchet. (thanks to the auto SAT) then ….
Washing day! (and fix up SAT day.) Washing went well but took hours.
Phone call to the SAT people and now … what do you want to know about tuning SAT’s? I can tell you… for a fee. More importantly it is now working.
Lunch time and it’s a Woolies roast chicken and potato bake and avocado wrap. We went for a walk and found details on a bird that we noticed. However, as you can’t read the info sheet and we don’t know the bird, just drop it. Good coffees in town and a good trip to IGA.
How about that It’s still as windy as … So is this what is meant by ‘wind swept and interesting?
Continuing windswept.
Interesting little house in a prime spot.
Where we are.
We have recipe for spaghetti marinara. It is Penne but the rest is pretty good. We did well.
We have impressed ourselves. Showered before. White wine necessary for the recipe and the during eating.
Good meal. What to do tomorrow?
Cheyne’s Beach because it is not cheap but less expensive. Now other opportunities have presented themselves. We shall wait and see.
Time to move on. Our usual forte. Stuffing round. Say goodbye to the neighbours, in to Woolworths, dump point and we are on our way about lunchtime.
What’s this?
Suiciders.
Road. Actually besides the classic 146.6km straight road we were on previously, most of them here are straight.
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Roadwork. Lots. We stop for lunch after the road work.
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We have phone booked a van site and he tells us we can take a fully sealed short cut and save 60km. Got a bit muddled so stopped at MUNGLINUP for details and bought a few things as a thankyou for the info and map.
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About 22 to 23 km further on (they said 25 but I was counting) there is a road to left, right at a Parking stop which was confusing. I ended up doing a lap of honour in the park to get back to the road. Road is Jerdacuttup Road and it is sealed. We had about another 50km or so to Ravensthorpe and if we had gone there, it would have then been another 50km or so south to Hopetoun.
A few km on this road and a sign says Hopetoun 47km. That to me is about a 50km saving. This road is on Wikicamps but does not say anything about the condition. Our TomTom GPS says it is unsealed road.
Sign is a bit of a blur because it came on us in a hurry.
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A bit of a dogleg in the middle but all is fine and we come out on a T junction of the Ravensthorpe to Hopetoun Road and next to a big Kettle.
Anyway, Hopetoun appears and a pub just a 6 minute walk from the caravan park. I timed it. Just one. No Guinness so had an EMU to do the right thing in WA just to be told it is same as West End brewed at the same place.
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It’s the Port Hotel and the logo reads, ‘Any Port in a Storm.’ How apt.
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In situ à la pub bar.
Anne dressing the front up.
A closer look at the sign.
Lots of ramps
From the van park
Don’t know what this is. A survey marker?
We will stay two nights and on the way in we did spot a free camp RV site along the other end of the esplanade. If we want longer than two, we may look at that.
A nice place. If you want to sum it up ‘WINDY.’
Showers with the luxury of water connected hence luxuriating. Although we have done the quick bush camp shower so many times now, I felt little guilty on my long shower.
Food drinks, couldn’t get the SAT to work. Job tomorrow during working nhours. So watched recorded movies. Sleepy …
Still at the overflow park. Most have cleared out. We may stay another day.
Yes. We will. This is a special day. Six years ago Anne and I were married and Anne also had a birthday. More of that at the end of today with never seen before wedding photos.
So as said, most vans have gone but we are still ‘scattered’ with the other Supreme van. The other Supreme owners also scattered before we emerged.
Looks sort of vacant, doesn’t it? So we go for a walk into town on this special day.
Interesting, old, original sign. In case you can’t read it, ‘This obelisk records a major survey point established by officers of HMS Waterwitch in 1897.’
You will see below that the sign is on a playground cyclone fence. It is highly unlikely the fence was there in 1879 so we can assume the sign has been relocated, which would account for, as far as we could see, the total lack of any Obelisk.
To celebrate our special day, we go to the local bakery and have two cappuccino’s, (one each) a beef curry pie (me) and a seafood pie. (she)
Then a wander. This is a history wall we read for about 10 minutes.
I still don’t know how much one of these round hay bails weigh but this is a tough truck and it’s sagging.
Wall paintings.
Roundabout on the esplanade with ship coming in and Anne directing traffic.
Lots of history lessons on everything including these small plaques on a round seat.
Every town should have a tank, ‘just in case.’
RSL adjacent.
Meanwhile back at the show grounds, we get some mileage out of a few named buildings.
Now back to the van and the special evening. on the 1st of March 2015 our wedding ceremony was started at 5.30pm upstairs of Jolly’s Boat House on the River Torrens next to the Adelaide Bridge in the city. The ceremony was finished at 6pm. Drinks had been served on arrival and continued during and after the ceremony. 6.30pm we moved downstairs to the reception. A good time was being had by all. We treated it as a party and we both co-MC’ed the evening.
Anne had previously said it would be nice if she was married before she turned 50. So at 7.50pm one hour and fifty minutes after the end of the wedding ceremony, I arose and announced that at that moment, Anne was turning officially 50 years old, so completing her wish to be married before turning 50.
The moment.
The reception…..
…. and the head table with the River in the back ground..
Time has flown and the things that have happen since are enough for a two volume book. Maybe?
So we celebrated this special day with another pasta dish again using chilli con carne as a bolognaise sauce and red wine. A bit of TV then ….
Up comfortably at 7am considering time difference. Potter around cleaning up, blog etc. The nice people next door are Graham, Rhonda, Elly and …. oh .. just slipped my mind, but a nice lady who happens to be mother in law, I think to Graham. Had very pleasant ‘beer o’clock’ drinks last night. They are returning to WA after an extended stay in the east. Hence, two cars. One with trailer and chock-a-block. The other with van, also chock-a-block. Mother in law is sleeping in a tent adjacent the van. I made the evil suggestion of the poor MIL stuck out in a tent when the others are in the van, but she assured me it was her choice. Better a comfy bed than a small bunk in the van. With our knack for stuffing around, we are the last to leave this morning.
Summary of the park. Very good. Stay here. At this time, nice lady ‘Janet’ a fellow traveler was looking after it and doing a great job. Flies are very friendly. Bring a fly net just in case.
The great little pub we didn’t quite manage to visit.
Gibson
The population of the area was 16 (7 males and 9 females) in 1898. Gibson was originally proposed in about 1910 as a siding on the Esperance Branch Railway due to a reliable water source in the area, named by surveyor A. W. Canning after a man who discovered the soak whilst searching for stock.
N.B. A soakage, or soak, is a source of water in Australian deserts. It is called thus because the water generally seeps into the sand, and is stored below, sometimes as part of an ephemeral river or creek. Soakages were traditionally important sources of water for Aboriginal Australians in the desert, being the most dependable source in times of drought in Australia. Aboriginal peoples would scoop out the sand or mud using a coolamon or woomera, often to a depth of several metres, until clean water gathered in the base of the hole. Knowing the precise location of each soakage was extremely valuable knowledge. It is also sometimes called a native well.
There you go. Significantly more than you wanted to know about ‘soaks.’
Anyway … We get to Gibson to fill the fuel tank and empty the bladders. A mature chap is having a little trouble with his mature car, so I give him a push. (the car that is) We get to chatting. This magnificent machine is a 1929 Model A ford. It has a very English sounding model name because it was made in Canada for the very purposeful reason that Henry wanted to export to Australia and he avoided tax as both countries were ‘British.’ I have forgotten the English model name and Mr Google wasn’t much help. It wasn’t Windsor but it was something like that. If anyone, knows, please email it to me on the Contact email top of site. Anne’s awake! The model is a TUDOR.
The Soak Store is attached to the Soak Pub. What a good, visual name.
Her ladyship loved the car as well.
As per usual, we checked out the public toilets. Modern and good.
What are these things. They are growing all over the place between Gibson and Esperance.
Esperance.
Espérance is one of the two French words that can be translated into “hope”, the other being “espoir”. Whereas the latter is closer to the idea of “dream” or “fantasy” and corresponds to most of the common uses of “hope”, “espérance” refers to an abstract, positive expectation. Esperance as a girl’s name is of Spanish/Italian origin meaning “hope”.
I was trying to get a photo of this 1971 HQ Holden while driving.
The ‘Whale Tail’ of Esperance.
Yes, Seagulls….
… Airbourne
We were trying to get a shot of this helicopter in the background of a selfie.
We tried and tried probably about five times …
… till be finally realized we got it everytime. It’s just that it was a dot in the background.
Anyway, I am doing this blog while Anne is horizontal and comatose like, with her camera out in the car. She would have had more photos of where we are.
There were no van parks with sites so we headed to the overflow which is in the, or in fact IS the show grounds. A huge expanse with vans scattered. We scattered next to another Supreme van. We have a Spirit. They have a Territorian. They also have pleasant dispositions, so we shared our ‘beer o’clock’ with them till the wind sent us inside, to showers, pasta using chilli con carne as a bolognaises sauce and the mandatory red wine as ‘spag bol’ is Italian and hence must be consumed with red wine. A bit of TV, then rest as tomorrow is a special day ….
I did indeed get up, not at SA 7am but SA 6.45am which was WA 4.14am. This may take some adapting.
Took this photo for the Everything Caravanning and Camping Saturday morning check in. (as in where you are)
And thus we leave beautiful downtown Caiguna.
N.B. It is claimed that ‘caiguna‘ is a local Mirning word meaning “spear track” which may refer to the speargrass which is extensive in the area.
We two occupants only
Just outside the town, a significant sign.
If you can’t read it, it says, ’90 Mile Straight. Australia’s longest straight road. 146.6km’
It goes straight …..
Straight …
straight …
straight …
straight … for 146.6 long km’s
Balladonia, well known for some Skylab falling on it. It was spread out actually but lots fell on the unsuspecting people of Balladonia. The story goes that President Jimmy Carter phone the roadhouse at the time and personally apologised.
N.B. Balladonia takes its name from the Balladonia Station and the homestead which was built in the area after the first settlers arrived in 1879.
Other memorabilia.
Chunk of the lab.
July 13, 1979
Also the REDeX trial went though way back.
Chips for lunch. $6 for a little cup. $8 for a big box. What are ya going to do?
Norseman Galv tin camels.
N.B. According to local legend the town of Norseman was named after a horse. It is said that in 1894 a horse named Hardy Norseman was tethered to a tree for the night by its owner, Laurie Sinclair. Upon returning to his horse Sinclair had the good fortune to discover that Norseman had unearthed a gold nugget.
Took this through the security gate. The town boasts a full Olympic pool if you squint, you can see a bit of blue middle left.
The famous Hardy Norseman (or statue there of) that found the gold nugget and had the town named after him, as the story goes.
Salmon Gums. small but very nice caravan park. One toilet and shower per gender but the only park I have ever seen with a toilet map. How very thoughtful and nice.
N.B. Salmon Gums is a small town in Western Australia located 106 km north of Esperance on the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway. The name is derived from a prominent stretch of Eucalyptus salmonophloia (Salmon Gum) trees which formed a landmark in the town’s early days. … The town is a receival site for Cooperative Bulk Handling.
A colourful bird out of focus.
Free vegetables. A nice park.
The one other van back at the Caiguna park happens to be here so we park next to and have/do drinks and laughter. Mum, dad, daughter and mother in law. Two cars a trailer and a caravan, moving back to Perth after being trapped in NSW for quite a while.
In van for showers, food, drinks. Sat dish will not work as too close to tree. So memory stick in the TV, we watch a few episodes of, The Games. 20 years old. Still funny. Bed.
Made the Bathroom before cleaning with 15 minutes to spare.
Good spot but time to go.
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The Eucla Pass where we come down from the Hampton Tableland.
Still coming down.
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Down. There it is off to the right.
A little ‘self adoration’ is good for the ego. Bless you my love.
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Now we find ourselves in Madura, which by the way is Spanish for ‘mature’. How it applies here I don’t know. I would have understood if it meant unwelcome.
Now …… is it just me but, wouldn’t the 80 metres space be determined by the builder of the buildings and/or the installer of the pumps? So why try and handball it on to the humble and innocent consumer?
Look closer below …
Nothing says it better than a padlock on the door.
We don’t have to call reception because the management has further distanced itself by installing these gadgets. Luckily I had some experience with one in Cummins and another in Ceduna. I could actually help a fellow traveler on his first time. You pay with your card in advance. if you pay say, $50 and you only use $44, it only takes $44. After taking fuel, you can go back to the machine, click ‘receipt’, insert your card and you are given one. Soon we wont have to talk to any attendants at all. A cashless, assistant-less, non communicative society. I kind of like to talk … a bit.
Lunch under the tree with all our friends. (Sarcasm. Alone)
Past it’s prime, but wouldn’t you love a new one?
On to Cocklebiddy.
If you squint, you will see budgies.
Don’t squint at the sign, which is the purpose of the photo. See below.
Now progress. 1634km to Adelaide. 1091kn to Perth. As the crow flies. We will be taking a longer route.
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Arrived at Caiguna. About half way between Eucla and Norseman. Taking it easy. 350km today and 350km tomorrow. The win is we have now passed the temporary time zone. Daylight saving ends in South Australia first Sunday in April and Western Australia does not have it. So until then there is a 2.5 hour difference.
We are still running on SA time but will change over tomorrow. Sooo … what this means is tomorrow morning I will get up at an SA 7am but will be a WA 4.30am. So until acclimatizing, that means we are going to be getting a bit tired of driving around 2pm and start thinking of bed around 7.30pm. We will also probably wake bright as a button at 4.30am.
Can’t fight nature. For now shower, meal, PCA, red grape juice, watched ‘The Party’ with Peter Sellers then …
Up earlier to do blog and experiment with potato bake as we will soon cross the border and no raw/fresh vegetables or salads or HONEY! Any honey. Commercial, opened, unopened. Doesn’t matter. NO HONEY! Anyway that’s soon but not now. On the road again.
Train.
Still train
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Get to Penong and turns out they are BIG on windmills.
The one in the back ground is the Comet. Apparently the biggest windmill in … (the world?)
This ones blades turn 90 degrees to stop rotating.
See what I mean
The advantage of caravans? You have your lunch room on the back of the car.
A swing pump. When the swing swings, the plunger moves up and down and ‘pumps.’
The Comet in the back ground again.
Eastern end of the Nullarbor.
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The Nullarbor Roadhouse. A real taste outback.
Welcome to the Nullarbor Roadhouse.
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Desolate.
This is a pretty cool bus we were following. It tows a small car. Turns out (talking to the owner,) it’s a Japanese school bus. Apparently good value as they replace them regularly.
That’s our van in the middle of the caravan park.
The original roadhouse.
Commemorative plaque of the sealing of the highway in 1976.
Didn’t see one of any of them.
Distances to …
Good set up. Dining room.
…and shop.
Time for a drink, a shower, a meal, a movie, a sleep.
zzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz
Thursday, 25th February 2021
Baking cooking freezing. I was so sure we had another avocado somewhere. Can’t find it, Pack up and move out. It took till 11.20am so a bit late.
What are they on the truck?
Closer up and still don’t know.
First of 5 lookouts. Spectacular coast line of the GREAT Australian Bight.
Same view but with a couple of ‘extra’s’. Should have used recognized actors.
It’s so dry all these plants get their moisture from the air through the leaves.
Multitasking with the rear view mirror and ‘lippy.’.
Second lookout towards the west.
Another lookout with one of the extra’s.
Ocean, in case you hadn’t realized.
Extra showing off.
A touching moment. I am touching Anne. Notice the ‘fishing’ gloves she makes me wear now to shield my hands from the sun while driving.
What are these rocks.
It’s a memorial for Annette. That is unless the rocks fell on her and she’s under there.
The border, driving in to be inspected.
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The master waits while the servant takes care of things.
We had to clarify when we were passing. When I applied I just nominated a month which comes up on the 1st March. We got there 25th Feb so it had to be sorted. That was it for Border. But THEN Customs. We had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure we were 101% sweet. HOWEVER, behind the crumpets in the car fridge, there was the missing avocado I was so sure we had but could NOT find. Anyway, in the bin and that was fine. Nice people at the border both Police and Customs.
The box Anne is standing in front of is the real, genuine border marker see below. So she is straddling the borders.
Now here is the bigger spot for ‘hamming it up’ with the border. Notice the van is in South Australia and the car in Western Australia.
Anne straddles the border. Have a close look. I reckon ther’s more of her in WA.
We keep coming across commemoratives without details. Is this a marker or a grave like Annettes before.
This one’s Melena.
We’re about 1200 from Adelaide now
Into Eucla and will stay here. Van park is good. Great views.
If you squint, you can see the ocean. Much clearer and closer with the eye. The camera ‘dwarfs’ the shot. Can I say Dwarfs?
Here’s another. This one’s David Needham.
From the van park. This time to get the more true relationship to ocean, I stayed well back and zoomed in which brings the distance closer.
Without the zoom. She wanted the tree. Again, if you squint, you can see Anne is under it.
All the usual now. Shower, eats. Lots of precooked we have now. Potato bake will not run out for a while. A full pack in the fridge and two more in the freezer. N.B. I tested it first to confirm it freezes OK. A PCA (Palate Cleansing Ale) Then red grape juice.
We have another small hurdle. TIME. To get the relationship, take say 10am in the morning in South Australia, with daylight saving.
That is 7.30am in WA without daylight saving and 1.5 hours behind.
NOW, the plat thickens. for the first 350 to 400 kms inside the WA boarder to soften the shock, there is a 45 minute zone.
Sooooo…. When it is 10am in SA, it is 8.15am for the first 350km then 7.30am. So who dreamed that one up?
Anyway, it will be important tomorrow because we are still on SA time as we are only 12 km inside the border but the toilet block is closed for cleaning 8.30am local time.
So with this in mind, we will do a bigger 350km hop tomorrow to try to get to the other zone. That will be Caiguna, 353km. 4 hours driving at 90km per hour. We are 6 tonne and the van is like a big wind sale, hence VERY sensitive to wind. Anyway, bed time.
We wake up in the paddock. Me first. I put the diesel heater on. All sorts of rigs are getting around but this is half of one. Two vehicles together. First a classic 4WD with 20ft van and second, a truck with the business on the back and towing a serious boat. Well done. Here’s the second half pulling into the ‘free’ $10 RV park we are in.
We decide we will move on. First I want to go to the tackle shop and sort out what I need. No. Make that second. First will be a public toilet. Down on the esplanade with flash public toilets at the tourism premier end of Streaky Bay.
Then to the tackle shop where Nigel sorts up our ancient fishing gear, not used or maintained for 30 years. My original first rod is OK, existing reel OK, new reel for the second rod gifted by PCM on our departure. Swivels and ready set up hook and sinker kits, Nigel winds new line onto the new reel, gives us a brochure for sizes of fish etc, we pay, get two bonus cappuccino’s and we are done.
On to mitre 10 for a bucket, clothes shop for two casual shirts (her, not him) a couple of bottles of grape juice (him not her) the information shop, then ‘On the road again, just can’t wait to get on the road again ….’
We look at Smoky bay and it is a very small town. The mall only commercial outlet I saw was a boozerama. At least they got their priorities right. Lots of commercial buildings/sheds ‘doing’ oysters. We decide not to stop and taste but highball through. We make it to Ceduna, cruise the main street and top up diesel. A bit of a trick. The second time I have had to use a card machine. Last time was in Cummins and a nice lady held my hand, figuratively speaking. This time a nice man pointed and told. Getting the hang of it now. We book into the BIG4 van park. Brilliant place. It has a fish cleaning room, cleaner and better set up than some kitchens. Friendly people and above all, very helpful.
After a load of washing and some maintenance the only place open for oysters is Foodland. N.B. We felt bad about not buying Smoky Bay oysters so figured we would get some Ceduna’s. Surprise of surprises! They are Smoky Bay oysters! so it’s fate. We are destined to taste them. We did and they were great!
Aerial view.
The intensity of ‘the pour.’
Proof of origin.
Proof of location with Ceduna brochure. Also the goodies.
The ‘slurp’ gets the sea water as well.
All good. We also finish the Indian food we bought at Streaky.
Nice sleep in. A visit from the neighbours for some sugar. We are generous with our free satchels of sugar carefully collected from various coffee places over recent times. Such are our diverse tastes, we can impress said neighbor with a choice of both white and raw. Sorry. No demerara.
We call ‘Dean’ to arrange a visit tomorrow. Primary and High School. Not close mates but we do remember each other. That is in itself impressive as we are talking 52 years.
Now lunch time. Move on or stay? We shall stay.
Hooded Plovers nest in this beach. (They have no reason to lie to us.)
It is lovely rugged coastline. The first of much more I am guessing.
See? I told you. Much more.
The parking lot then down to the beach or off down small tracks to individual camp sites. Well laid out.
The ablution block and shelter. It was a cols water outside shower as well. It is also well maintained. The maintenance ‘chap’ came while we were here.
Neat, clean, flushing, soap, toilet paper and all free.
Getting crowded near departure. (Sarcasm)
Venus Bay. Nice town.
Had to snigger. people having a picnic under shelter with an audience of four overly attentive ‘Mr Percivals.’
Ordering coffee and fish and chips for lunch, we meet this lovely lady and end up lunching with her on the shop verandah. She is 90 (plus?) and in transit, solo from Port Lincoln to Streaky Bay. Very independent. We show her the van and she confesses she is thinking of buying one. Good on ya Mary. Mary tells us she was standing near water with her shiny purse in hand behind her back. A pelican swooped and grabbed it out of her hand and took off over water. I said, I guess you hoped the damn thing choked on it. She said, no, she say it dropped into the sea. We can assume it realized shortly after the snatch that it wasn’t edible. N.B. never hold something fish size and shiny when there are pelicans about.
Another modern ablution block. Someone must have been through here selling them.
We get to Streaky bay and fill up at the servo. Two things. Firstly Anne spots the stuffed shark while on the way to the bathroom. A bit of history. This monster was caught by a young guy back in 1990 and it may have been the world record of its time. some of the papers indicate that.
So what would you do if you were in the drink and you saw this guy coming for you? Yes. That obviously, but what about after that. I reckon if the selectors had have been there, you would be on the Olympic team.
The second thing is the interesting guy filling up next to me turned out to be a fisherman and he was down right extroverted and interesting. He points to this, his car a short hop up the road and says that indirectly, he bought it off Malcolm Fraser. After, he checked out on credibility with the servo attendant.
Shopping at Farmland and a cruise through town.
We decide to go to the free RV park that costs $10. Define free. Well it should be free anyway. there is no toilet, not even a long drop, no water and no dump spot. Then again, if you are looking for some traveler company, and most do, then I can justify $10 for a leveled, cleared and purpose made spot that comes with five to ten neighbours. No problem.
Well, we visited Gerard in Cummins after around 40 years. Now we catch up with primary school and high school fellow student, ‘Dean’ who I last saw around 52 years ago. He visited us in the van and as I said before, we weren’t best mates at school but we do remember each other. We had a great chat over a couple of beers and compared notes over how we had spent the last 52 years. Turns out we have both been busy (Busy? What? We spent 52 years standing around doing nothing?) and we are both in happy places. Also, we haven’t changed a bit … sort of. He is a fine man and I am glad we both made the effort to get together. Another 52 years Dean?
I forgot the number three from the servo. They sell curries! So this evening we dined on Chicken Korma and Dahl with steamed rice, just like mother used to make. What a stupid thing to say. Mum was a lovely lady but she would have thought a chicken korma was something to restrain the chook while you prepare it.
Anyway, thanks to being set up for free camping, we have nice hot showers and watch some TV sitting in the middle of a paddock, then retire to dream of Indian food, sharks, school days and Malcolm Fraser. That’s where it turned to a nightmare.
Off at 9.45am from lovely Coffin Bay. So where did the name come from? Something dark and sinister like a ship wreck and coffins on the beach?
Nope. ‘Matthew Flinders on his return to England in 1810, named the bay after Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin, who, as Resident Commissioner of Sheerness Naval Dockyards in England, had been responsible for the outfitting of Flinder’s ship the Investigator, for his imminent voyage to Terra Australis. ‘
Farewell Coffin Bay …
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We arrive at Cummins in time for diesel and toilet stop before out 11am appointment ….
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… and these were the flashest public toilets I have ever seen….
… depicting the history of the town and the armed services veterans
… including tiled sculptures…
Just great.
So it came to pass that only after a mere 40 years-ish we have a coffee with Gerard from old Torrens Rowing Club days. Wife Joanne absent in Adelaide. Never mind. Try again in another 40 years.
Then we stop for a pie at Sheringa road house. Interesting, with poor reviews but we found it fine. The operator was quiet but pleasant enough which may have been interpreted by others as unfriendly.
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Guard cat.
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Lots of salt lake heading north.
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Elliston for a short break.
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Then on to tonight’s camp, Walkers Rocks camping ground à l’océan.
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Fear, shock, horror. A group of three families, nice enough but many children, a generator and music. Should we move on? They were all sound asleep before we got into bed.
Cool and calm but warming up. News facebook won’t be doing news for us.
Pulling out but Anne hurt her knee and be need a support. Also, we are told me must check the oysters before we go. So we cruised four of the places but alas not an Oyster to be found.
So on the road. Lunch at Arno Bay with sea view.
On to Port Lincoln but first a stop outside the town to visit our dear departed old mate, Ants Nurk. Know as Joe or Nurky, he was a unique and much liked good man and rower. (that’s how we know him). He passed away two years ago and we with Phillip and his Ann went to the funeral.
I was sort of hoping to see a big head stone but the only name note was a metal name marker fixed to the concrete.
The head stone we see is the back of the grave facing the other way.
There was however evidence of some grave maintenance.
We go onto town and through to Coffin Bay.
All set up, I lend a hand to a neighbor with his awning.
Tea time, the usual TV, very light meal a couple of drinks then ….
zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz
Friday, 19th February 2021
Busy morning, Anne clothes washing and I doing ‘things.’
Then just across the road to Oyster HQ, a seafood restaurant.
Between us a dozen natural, two crumbed fish with chips, salad and a squid tube stuffed with yummy stuff. Oh! And a bottle of white wine.
Back via an adjacent shop to look at fishing gear. not enough info so no purchase. Although they dive have ‘Golden Gay Times.’ Now lets be perfectly clear here. We don’t mean Gay. We mean Gay.
Back to our oasis. Chat with neighbours, showers, light nibble tea, a drink or two and an early night for an early start.
Lovely seaside sleep, but up to make ready as van park (and not free park) means out by 10am. Straight to Port Pirie for shopping, (food and liquid) and another IT for Anne’s iPod. Left it with them and on to Port Germein. Camper next to us looks a good small unit.
Can’t beat nature.
The Italian Job movie showing and The last Python show ever (2014) and bed.
zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz
Wednesday, 17th February 2021
Time to go but first I show the good quality of the facilities. It is the park on the foreshore near the jetty.
A nice little historical town.
… with a dump point and In have to say Anne is bloody marvelous at operating the thing……
…. which deserves an ice cream from the Post Office. (?)
I don’t think I mentioned this is ‘HENDERSON’ country, that being my mums maiden name. My Grandpa grew up here, so it’s off to the cemetery to see what we can find.
A Henderson plot with lots of names. Photos will be off to the Henderson Oracle, my cousin Mal Henderson. But I spotted some interesting things here. Amongst all the names was two siblings of my grandfather and my mothers aunties. They were Lily May and Laura Linda. I never knew where my mothers names Lily Laura came from but I am taking this as a fair indication.
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By the way, when you see Olympus Digital Camera, it is 99% likely they are Anne’s photos.
She also spotted a boat tragedy where two sailors, a Finn and a Dane lost their lives off the coast. Sad but silly. Their three mast Barque, ‘Penang’ was anchored 150 metres off the jetty. The crew rowed in to a dance on shore, had a good time, returned well oiled to the 12 ft row boat, ignored the captains instruction to take two trips to ferry the lot and all twelve bundled in. It was rough and the boat went over. The Barque hurriedly dropped another boat in and managed to save 10 but not Axel and Lars.
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Now, That big light that shines out at the top od Spencer Gulf. What is it?
Google answer: The giant light is a receiver; it sits among a sea of mirrors which beam the sun onto it, producing intense heat that creates steam, turns a turbine, and makes electricity. It’s known as concentrating solar thermal, a new breed of energy.
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The road to Cowell.
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But first a quick look at Whyalla. I spent lots of time at Whyalla when the ship yard was still operating. There was a business that had to go. I think the unions killed it eventually. It’s all but a ghost town now.
By the way, that funny looking statue is supposed to represent a big rudder so making a statement on the ship yard. Back when I was going there in very late 60’s early 70’s, I was told the guy who designed it got about $100,000 which was quite a packet for back then. Then they had to build it. I wouldn’t mind betting it would have been, cheaper, easier and quicker to just put a bloody big rudder there. They had plenty of them. They made bloody big ships. Now they don’t so the thing is now more or less a mystery. Well that’s better than eyesore I guess.
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Look at the sign. Remember when Gay didn’t mean Gay but meant Gay?
Whyalla done. Welcome Cowell. The park at the end of the main street. $35. The down side of the heat at around 38 degrees is, we want air cond. and hence 240 volts.
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Booked in. Two loads of washing. Anne has twisted her knee, TV, chicken salad, showers. Bed.
Saturday, 13th Sunday, 14th, Monday 15th February 2021.
Up at 7am, finish computer about 8.45am. Have to be evil and wake her because we are moving on. A slow farewell after a fun week with Kay and Mal. Always pleasant and memorable. We departure around 11.30am.
As we are running late , we assess we have enough fuel to go straight through and we have ample food and grape juice for the same, so we decide on a high-ball run. That lasts till Ardrossan when we need a toilet stop.
Anne walks ahead and goes in the Ladies. I near the Mens and are approached by a lady with a toilet roll in her hand. She asks, ‘Are you going into the mens?’ I confirms that was my intention. She says, ‘Can you give this to my husband. He is in there. He called me and said it was empty.’ I obviously agree. ‘His name?’ I ask. ‘Bruce.’ comes the reply.
I enter and call ‘Bruce?’ We make contact and I pass it under the door suggesting it would be worth about $20. All four of us have a chat outside after and for a chance meeting we cover many topics including their purchase of an old house boat to strip down, add a pontoon and rebuild two storey at Renmark.
Anyway, we will skip a coffee to high-ball it.
We make it to Tickera around 3pm. Greetings. Chats. Evening meal and conversation.
What is this? The most positive was one of those lymph cups where uoi heat it, put it on the skin and when the air in it cools, it lifts or cups the skin. Any better suggestions?
Chit chat. Good times.
Hosts Rober and Helen.
Advanced arrival guests Ann and Phillip. (Ann on the right)
The night progresses from the initil BBQ.
Good shot. I hope I took it.
No. I definitely do NOT want to go with the boys 7am to fish.
So, 7.30am I walked the 12 minutes to the water and joined in. The two experienced chaps hard at it.
This is me. That is to say the blue uneven mass at the bottom is my had which is on my head.
I remain consistent with three nibbles and no fish.
Robert comes out with a zero and Phillip is the winner with a crab and this monster fish he wrestled on to land, and returned to it’s mummy as soon as the photo was taken. Anyway it’s the sportsmanship that counts.
A civilized lunch seems a good thing. So we pack up and off to the shelter shed and benches overlooking the sea. Great spot. Perfect for over eating and drinking.
Interlopers.
Phillip and Ann must return to Adelaide and we remaining four settle for a very light after the monster bacon and eggs plus, plus, plus for breakfast and the ‘extensive’ lunch. A good night of chatting and laughing.
Next late morning we push off after farewells and waves. It was a good visit.
Now back to Kadina to gas up, new headlight and let an IT look at Anne’s iPad. N joy on the iPad. Cornish Pasties from this, the land of the Cornish settlers, then on, on but not far as we want to have a short and easy day. So Port Broughton at 3pm. Unhitched park so very good. Happy hour at 5pm and we make our pre-showered appearance at 5.30pm. BYO drinks, make payment and we find out what a pleasant little spot this is.
As apparently is the habit, one of the group puts on ‘eats’. CRABS! How about that! Anne’s forte.
A good bunch of people. Great host ‘Rus’ and good stories from fellow travelers. One gives evidence of an excellent pub via beer cooler.
Back to van. Pleasant night. Stay another day? Let’s move on as we are already a month behind schedule.
Crisp morning after a comfy night. the sun appears. I sit here at the computer tapping away, then stop and have a look around.
A serious moment.
My lovely is still making zeds down the other horizontal end of the van, the sun is coming in through the window, our lovely van looks so complete and inviting. We are sitting in cousin Mal and Kay’s back yard, a stone throw from the water on this beautiful Peninsula. N.B. You could not find more hospitable and better company than Kay and Mal.
Then I remember the late and great Pedro Ricardo sent me this (below) years ago and I have posted it twice on face book. The last time was just after he passed away. I posted it then just to show that Pedro was still contributing even though he was no longer with us. I thought it summed up pretty well everything for us.
If you are feeling a little down, have a look in the news at what some others are suffering though, then read this great piece from Pedro. You will be fine.
Enough serious. Here’s a funny to change the tone. I cherish this one.
Incase you can’t read the caption. “Late again! … This better be good!” And he’s complete with ear tag, GPS around his neck, ‘No 8’ painted on his side and a sedating syringe hanging out of his bum. Ha! Love it.
10.02am and I am seriously thinking of making some positive noise. (positive being, preparing tea and biscuits for me and the horizontal team member.)
That worked. Time on the computer, clean up, inside for a bite and good news. Tonight, our last night, we will be having our DUNMARRA pies. More of that later.
Apparently a walk is in order, so down through the caravan park and we stop for the floor show. A fisherman is cleaning his catch and many birds, especially the pelicans are REAL interested. So are we.
This chap caught Gar fish. We learnt a lot. They have to be at least 23cm from jaw to base of tail fin. max of 60 can be caught. Process to clean is, milk them, (squeeze out their excrement), cut head off, split on underside, pull out guts, scour the inside, scale, put in fridge over night then butterfly. Anyway, that’s what he told me. also they are big and plentiful at Quobba near Carnarvon, north WA and you must use gents as bait and burley. Got that?
Me and bird buddy
Anne spotted this little guy heading along the external fence. Get close and he stops perfectly still. Anyway, we parted company.
Back at base camp, the fresh, home grown produce is plentiful.
The fabulous Dunmarra pies we decided were the best on the Stuart Highway. It is just a bit south of Daly Waters. (About 52km. That’s a bit in the N.T.) They were recommended by cousin Mal and we brought them (frozen) the 2,400km just so we four could sit down and enjoy them together. The icing on the cake is Kay served them with her VERY authentic pie floater sauce. Luxury!
Off to a flying start the new property manager for our city cottage says the second hand stove the previous manager delivered was totally unsuitable. So the plumber at the house cannot install it but a new one is on the way. ($800) While there, the plumber picks up a gas leak and it is underground, ($1750). He will have to come back for the stove. ($190) In the mean time the tenant tells him of a water leak in the stud wall. ($??). S**t!
Insurance enquiries. RAA don’t do Landlords insurance. While taking details for Building insurance they note we are full time in the caravan. Then there is a question on the existing RAA caravan insurance. It may not be valid as they do not insure vans that are full time homes. (S**t!.) Further discussion and confirmation we will eventually be returning to Adelaide and it is noted the policy will remain.
In the mean time there are mini plumbs need sorting for more ‘knockout’ jam.
Serenity returns and it appears a good idea after a shattering day to sit on the front veranda with beer, nibbles and look at the birdies.
A fresh prawn salad for evening meal, a few drinks and now it all seems much better. Bed.
zzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz
Thursday, 11th February, 2021
Slow morning. Cool then a warm breeze comes in approaching noon. Changes to cool again and a hint of rain.
Phone calls, phone calls and oh yes, more phone calls. It’s just great kicking back and relaxing.
Now good times. Pre-dinneries (drinks), chats, red wine served, then extremely tasty crumbed chops and sausages.
Anne ducks out to try and grab a sunset.
…. turns 180 degrees, but nothing much happening that way, so …
… back to the sunset again.
A pleasant evening with a guest visitor via phone. Then the red wine has gone, the bit of left over Port has gone (see exhibit A below) or is about to, so bedtime for us kids.
Sunday, 7th, Monday 8th Tuesday 9th of February 2021.
Up sharply at around 10 or 10.30am. (there are varying degrees of sharp)
A lazy day, looking at ‘things’ like Mal’s new drop saw salt damp to be done.
Heaps of plums ready for stewing.
Already stewing.
Brunch was a healthy concoction including zucchini, onions and other veggie pieces cooked up together and on toast, later followed by party pies. Love them.
Time for a walk down to the water. Albatross on a post very content.
The tidal pool…..
… and the jetty in the back ground.
Back in time for Gin and Tonics, comfy clothes change. Chatting and a Pork feast with yum crackling. Red wine. A glass of port later then time to make zeds.
Back to the van.
zzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz
Monday, 8th February, 2021
10.30am I am still on the computer and Anne is still horizontal with TV on and cup of tea in hand. Easy day. Anne and Kay to Yorktown for shopping. Mal and I ponder a few jobs.
Another great meal, more drinks and chats.
Wish I had more days like that.
Bed.
zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Tuesday, 9th February 2021.
Mal and Kay are off to Adelaide for the day in business.
We decide to do a serious walk.
Spiffy little park, well set up with a kids bike reack and various points of interest. We find a sculpture of a sort with some ‘permanent’ birds but food set out for the more mobile ones.
The layout is a treat and you can’t get lost because it is surrounded by streets.
This is the official entrance and the info board just inside the gate has been purposely built between two large trees for shade. The park is the brain child of long term resident Dev Patterson and a fine job he did.
Dev had a sense of humour. here hangs his weather rock.
Condition of rock and the forecast. If it’s wet, it’s raining, if it’s swinging, it’s windy etc. Good natured giggle.
Lest We Forget. The memorial. Country towns always honour their servicemen very well.
A great building but Anne’s had features more strongly.
Golf tee off.
good holiday house to rent, facing the ocean.
Nice couple on their electric bikes. Had to insect them.
The local shop for mince for tonight’s Chili Con Carne but had a few funny signs. Got to like a sense of humour.
The wanderers, Kay and Mal return. The Chili CC is ready and we hop in for a Mexican feast. More accompanying drinks. That is pre-dinner type drinkies such as G & T’s then wine.
Friday , 5th & Saturday 6th February 2021 (Saturday is Day 1 Edithburgh)
On the move again …. and none too soon! We started to feel like city dwellers again. That will come to pass in due course but for now, we are caravanners.
Caravanners well and truly behind the Deegan’s who we want to catch up with.
We are getting a slow but pleasant start. We will head for Cousin Mal and partner Kay’s at Edithburgh on the York Peninsula. Always a happy stay of stories, laughs, fab food, drinks and the experience of hospitality, re defined.
After months (literally) camped out the back of friend Bruce’s office, we pick the worst? No. About the VERY worst day to depart. Pouring with rain and blowing a gale. Slippery roads and we are now towing a twenty foot sail behind us.
Way past soggy.
Bruce is also off for a few days and we rendezvous in Port Wakefield for meat pies.
We will ultimately peal off to the left at the roundabout north of Port Wakefield and head down the peninsula, while Bruce will continue in the direction of Wallaroo.
But that will be tomorrow as it is still raining, still windy and now getting late. So we continue straight for 10km to Kulpara. A small, small town you normally would not go to the trouble of throttling off, except that it has a small treed, free camping area with flushing toilets and a small shelter with table and benches, at this stage owned by the elements.
We again rendezvous, this time in Bruce’s van as it has a much better seating arrangement. It’s talk and nibbles, including red wine, crackers, peperoni, fritz, red wine, two cheeses and red wine.
Now to bed for tomorrow is another day. (?)
Saturday, 6th February 2021
We wake to marginally calmer conditions. I video the surrounds.
(VIDEO of Kulpara cannot be loaded as internet is too slow in Edithburgh. It will be loaded when possible to complete the file)
However, alas cannot show you the photo with details of the site because my little camera is almost but not quite deceased. The replacement is now commissioned and will take over henceforth.
N.B. I have been patiently waiting for that little camera to ‘pass away’ for years. The last of the little Harvey Norman end of year sale cameras I use to buy six or eight at a time for about AU$85. They were for use back in East Timor as prizes, give-away’s and for the drivers to carry incase they saw something that should be in the magazine. Four years ago, I go to the cupboard to replace my then current but deceased one and all that was left was this bloody, aqua blue ‘thing’, the last because no one wanted the ‘blue one.’ So the boss ended up with it.
We part company. They turn right to continue and we turn left, back to the roundabout.
Love seeing other travelers. Here are three of four motor bikers.
Lots of history going down the peninsula. Here at Pine Point, tributes to the pioneers, ketches and ‘Those faithful toilers, the Clydesdale horse.’
On through Coobowie. What camera work. Possible Purlitzer Prize Pending.(?)
The familiar pub and we have arrived.
Warm greetings, a tour of the home improvements, parking of the van and I can feel the hospitality kicking in.
The new camera is not on my hip as it should be so moments are missed. A lovely afternoon finishing with Aussie crumbed prawns and King George Whiting with healthy and diverse salad and a Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc. interesting and Henderson history. It’s been a big day for we little people so bed time.
N.B. Henderson history refers to the fact Cousin Mal’s father and my Mother were brother and sister. Mum was a (nee) Henderson and Mal is a master of Henderson history. Every conversation opens another door.
Up at 7am to do the ‘Joint and Several’ on the vans. Still on the computer at 9.30am. I haven’t heard anything outside. If Bruce had have got up ant 8.30am and I didn’t, I’d have heard about it by now. 9.30am goes. I visit the inner sanctum and we start at 10.10am before his 11am appointment.
First thing. Number 8 on his back fence mainly for pizza delivery. One on the fence for easterly approach and one on the post for westerly. Then, some ground work done on the mounting of his inverter and circuit breaker, then he is off.
I have ignored a few jobs because they are not sweat and straight forward, but every time I look, they have not gone away. So I prep for the odds and sods jobs. (Hey, it rhymes)
I pad to partly drop the awning to get to this side light. It had been held solidly and worked but stuck out on one end and I didn’t want water to get in. So I bogged it up as neatly as possible with clear silicon and not the grey I bought for it. Reason? There were two other silicon jobs and one had to be clear AND I didn’t want to open two tubes. Besides this is not easily seen. It has to be pointed out. The photo is up close and with a flash. In normal light, you don’t see it.
A bit tougher. The lower shiny bit. The top is just reflection but shows a crack. This looks about tray (on back of 4WD) height. Anyway, I superglued the radiating cracks and bogged up the hole with silicon. It’s not clear.
Hang on. Here’s one without the flash. Once fairly dry I tried to colour it with red felt tip pen. Then another layer to seal it in. We shall see. Doesn’t help resale. These light units are I think about $500 each.
Next the bottom of the rubber tail gate seal was dangling. so a clean up, more silicon and folded cardboard to hold it in place for seven hours and job done.
Back to the computer to head towards finishing a dual copy of ALL my photos and movies etc to stay in Adelaide when the originals set off around Australia. Getting closer. The synch software will not copy some other software ‘exe’ files.
Our landlords are entertaining guests so we have a night in the van. Very pleasant. a light soup dinner, grape juice, a movie or two and making zed’s.
Cheers.
manuia le po
(Good night in Samoan)
Wednesday 30th December 2020
Today starts early. About 3.50am there is a load ‘bang’ from the main road which has to be a car accident. Anne is more awake than me. She walks down the side of the building and there is a car upright but pointing the wrong way in the wrong spot. There is one guy by himself swearing and ranting. Anne returns and says don’t go because she knows I will take the camera and doesn’t want a ‘nutter’ to see me. Suits me because I am fighting to stay awake anyway and I am happy to give up the fight. I give up but end up dreaming about it. So I wake up at 5.10am and go out with camera. No flach necessary because it is an intersection and also lots of public lighting. The car has gone but I take the shot anyway. I should have gone out when it happened. Husband rule number one. Respect your wife and her opinion BUT respect your own opinion as well. Here is all there was of the shot. No car, no wreckage, no nothing. The red roof to the left is a restaurant and apparently the car was in front of that. I should have gone. Bummer.
We are up and off at about 11.15am for a picnic then walk through the Botanical Gardens. We pass the spot where the ‘big bang’ was this morning. There’s the red roof restaurant viewed 90 degrees from this morning. At first sight, nothing.
Then a little closer broken brick edging, broken hand rail and a few bent poles. OK. So we didn’t imagine it.
We are a bit late (all of us) so Botanical Gardens or the park outside for a little picnic. Missing one Niece Noami’s husband Paul is suffering a little from the previous day on the beach.
Then into the gardens proper.
This is the tropical dome.
This is the first sit down after the tropical.
The tropical dome although it’s not really a dome
This is made from 600 pieces of glass. I think it came from the world expo in Brisbane.
They have a garden section as well.
Flowers.
More flower.
The Anne Graham flower in the shade house.
This pool can be viewed through a glass wall.
Well you could see it if it wasn’t so murky.
If you could squint enough, you would see a dragon fly on the rock.
Here it is!
That 600 sheets of glass again.
This ex tree is about 1500 to 2000 years ago and died about 500 years ago.
More flowers.
Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do ….
Super Lillies. Don’t touch!
Amazing.
Then there were the two snotty little molls who had to get up on the edge and play including touching and splashing the lillies.
Luckily they are not that prevalent. The Abnoxius Superfluousis. Too bad they are not endangered species.
Marvellous.
More self adoration.
Weird tree from Queensland I think. Seed pod opening up.
Spikyus Maximus. (I named it. It does have other more tangible names.)
Ibis. Pronounced in Portuguese i-b-i-sh. I still use the Portuguese pronunciation.
Obviously terrified of people.
Fab shade house.
Look for the fault in the plaque.
Nice little weird tree.
Windswept and interesting.
Another learning experience.
The meaning of life.
Cute.
They are all through Adelaide City Council. This is North Adelaide.
I have shown this before but we were stationary right next to the sign. Like I might have said before, I wonder how many people tried to get in through the window till they decided to put the sign on.
Home. Bruce and Girlie off to the beach for a walk. The Yiros shop next door is closed early so left overs. Chicken with a smear of basil pesto on a cracker. Left over Frittata. All good.
A movie and a grape juice. The Bucket List. Great film. A life lesson.
Cheers
pw zoo os
(Good Night in Hmong)
N.B. 1 The Hmong/Mong people are a Southeast Asian ethnic group in Southeast Asia and the southern part of China. They are a subgroup of Miao people, and live mainly in southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. They have been members of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization since 2007.
N.B. 2 I have only ever heard of them in the Clint Eastwood film Grand Torino. In that film they were portrayed as cold climate mountain people in Asia who were invited to immigrate to USA after the Vietnam war as they fought on the side of the US.
Lunch today at The Arab Steed with two fine people, ‘The Webbers’. I have know Ian since 3rd or 4th year high school and Lori (Loretta) shortly there after.
On the way, fuel is low so we pull in for a quick 100 litres of diesel. (Extended tank. Car holds 122litres) This is a lesson in how to spend $107 in four minutes. Closer to destination, we pass the Mini dealership. I never noticed the reflector system in the tail lights until we were stopped at the traffic lights. The reflector forms half of the Union Jack. How about that. You might have to squint a bit.
See? I told ya.
On to the Arab Steed in Hutt Street. By the way, when we finally settle down, this will be out local pub.
Just a word on the pub. The original one was built in 1849 and just a single storey. Later it was completely knocked down to build the current two level structure. Also, there is no horse story explaining it’s name. It was named after a ship which brought people from England. Click the link or copy and paste in a search window for more info:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=711015132617858
We arrive our customary five minutes late. The Webbers may argue the length of time ‘lateness.’ We usually (always) meet here and we are usually (always) late.
Not too many surprises. Ian and I .. Chicken Parmi’s. Lori and Anne … Calamari. Boys, beer and Guinness. Separate glasses. Always a damn delightful day, reminiscing, joking, comparing ailments, reminiscing, silly statements, lateral enquiries, (how’s the family) and of course, reminiscing.
N.B. Reminisce is a dreamy way of saying “remember the past.” If you’re swapping old stories with friends and remembering all the silly things you used to do, then you’re reminiscing. Reminiscing is all about happy recollections and thinking back to stories from the past.
Yep. That’s it! Ian and I played hooky together in High School. Carefully plotting and planning the class (and hence teacher) changes, picking days when the class teacher does not return after roll call, etc etc etc. I am told by teachers that this could not happen these days. I beg to differ. There is always a way. Still, a bit too late to prove the point I guess.
Just a short hour or two flies by and 12.35pm becomes 5.15pm. How did that happen? The cosmos stuffed up again. When we get together, time flies back 50 years and on the return to present it loses a few hours along the way. Always the way. We bid farewell and commit to another Arab Steed ‘time warp’ down the track, sooner rather than later. This time I remembered a photo. We haven’t changed a bit. (?) Honest.
The collective stories in these four minds could sink a ship. Then again, I guess we just described how many ‘old mates’ get togethers past and present? We didn’t invent it I guess.
Back home for a shower, sit down, movie, a glass (plastic) of Port then …..
góða nótt
(Good night in Navajo.)
N.B. Navajo or Navaho is a Southern Athabaskan language of the Na-Dené family, through which it is related to languages spoken across the western areas of North … (America? it wasn’t finished)
Athabaskan (also spelled Athabascan, Athapaskan or Athapascan, and also known as Dene) is a large family of indigenous languages of North America, located in western North America in three areal language groups: Northern, Pacific Coast and Southern (or Apachean).
There you are. All you wanted to know about Navajo Indian language but was afraid to ask. Crap. You will never need to use this again.
example (things you had to learn in school):
Cheers.
zzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz
Monday 28th December 2020
Now as I understand it, because Boxing Day was on a Saturday, we get a free/public holiday for it on Monday 28th. But This Monday, 28th is Proclamation Day which is also a Public Holiday so do we get another day off for Proclamation Day sometime because Boxing Day Public Holiday landed on it? How does it work? Or does it work, yes or no? Beats me. Must be organized by the Government.
9.15am I am here at the comp(uter) and my master is making zzzzzzzzz’s. I am plotting and planning a bit. The clock is ticking towards departure date. 10th-ish perhaps.
The day goes on relatively uneventful. I do ‘plot’ a little and there is a degree of ‘plan’ to be had as well. I suggest to Bruce we do a, to use a legal term, ‘Joint and several’ exercise of maintenance and modification to both vans in the morning, perhaps 8.30 ish.. The preference is 9.30am but let’s see what happens. My guess is closer to 9.30am.
N.B. Joint and Several means: Joint and several liability arises where two or more persons under the same contract jointly promise to do the same thing, and also severally make separate promises to do the same thing.
Or in other words, Bruce and I will do ‘things’ together and some separate. (Severed/ sever-al) But that’s tomorrow.
A very nice salad for lunch, (Me? … Salad?) and late in the afternoon, we are off to see, bloody Wonder Woman for goodness sake? Not my choice but OK I guess.
Opposite the theatre. That’s Bruce’s car on the right. The blind person (must be blind?) returns to the scene of the parking crime. An older couple (Yes. Ok. About my age) are returning and when they see us examining the situation, start to walk off. It comes out the car is theirs. Some polite banter during which I suggest he buys a tape measure and they go. We relocate Bruce’s car and peace prevails.
Ye Olde Odeon on Semaphore road. Bruce tells me in slower times it was used as a two storey junk shop but was eventually resurrected to it’s former glory …
… with good quality but ancient bathrooms.
The actor did a good job, but ‘things’ weren’t the same.’ She was a cross between Supergirl and Spiderman. That is, she learnt how to fly or at least glide seriously, and she could glide fast (& furious?) because she used her lasso to grab ahold of things, just like Spiderman to whip up speed to the next hop point.
Taking adverts and other odds and sods out, It was about 2.5 hours long, and that was about .75 hours too long. Go see it, but that’s if there’s nothing better on.
Getting late. Grub. Addison Road takeaway??!! No. They don’t have real Yiros, as in slicing the rotating meat off. Bruce knows a good Fish and Chippery at Osborne. It didn’t have a ‘real Yiros, as in slicing the rotating meat off,’ so it’s grilled fish for Anne and a Hamburger with the lot for me. Big burger rolls but the patty doesn’t come right out to the edge, like it should. Taste is OK but after the ‘Win’ at Addison Road, I am getting picky.
Home, comfy clothes, grape juice, movie, recently converted by yours truly from avi to mp4 so it works on Bruce’s TV. Conspiracy Theory. Good one.
Van, plastic cup of Port then make some zeds.
Wǎn’ān
(Good night in Chinese – simplified.)
Oh. By the way, a few other Chinese to English translations.
Xié’è dìguó means ‘Evil Empire’
Shuōhuǎng de húndànmeans ‘lying bastards’
Bù bèi xìnrèn means ‘not to be trusted’
Huá means ‘slippery’
Kùn means ‘sleezy’
AND ABOVE ALL ….
Qīfù means ‘bully or bullying’
Just a few useful words to be built into a conversation regarding the Chinese Government. Ah! Now I feel better. Cheers.
Christmas Day ! Breakfast at Sister Jan and brother in law David’s place, Dulwich.
The advantage of a car fridge. No ice required.
A bit of self worship.
The ‘Golden Child’ Lovely little Alice. My nieces daughter, or my grand niece, I think? Or is she great niece?
Alice with mum, Naomi.
Naomi, Alice and husband Paul. (under the close supervision of my sister Jan. )It’s present unwrapping time.
The three arrived from Perth Christmas eve. Not so much refugees but adventurers from middle earth going into the wilderness.
Carroll’s & Graham’s being slow/non producers, it is a novelty to have a ‘child’ in our midst. (such a cute one as well.)
N.B. slow/non producers: The Carroll’s had two children. Yours truly and sister Janice. I have not reproduced, my sister has one daughter, Naomi and Naomi had one child Alice. Anne is an only child. Yes. Kids are a novelty for us.
Grandpa David Lindsay, reading the directions. (when all else fails)
The group shot selfy missing only half Jan’s, two third Anne’s head and me except for my left forearm. ‘The Toast.’ I missed a photo of the breakfast ham and cheese toasted croissants.
Two photos to cover the lot.
The ‘Hutchings’, Naomi, Alice and Paul from middle earth.
No idea why I took a photo of this glass of wine.
\
Brother in law David prepared ALL the prawns and not only did a great job of it, but showed a flair for presentation.
Mango, avocado and prawn salads ready to go.
I think Anne took this one. Looks like it might be edible but would pay to make inquiries before attempting to ‘gob’ it.
‘Cutsee’ shot.
Alice is getting items gathered by us when we were in Europe last year and cruising Victoria late last year. This is the sales bag from Alice’s shop in Oxford, England.
A whole shop of Alice in Wonderland. We gave her a little condensed version of the story Book and other souvenirs.
N.B. Charles Dodgson, a mathematician at Christ Church, Oxford, first told his surreal story to the daughters of dean Henry Liddell as they rowed down the Thames. After the boating trip, 10-year-old Alice Liddell badgered Dodgson to write it down and Alice in Wonderland – under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll – was born.
A zoom in on the prawn salad.
Another marginally more successful group selfy.
Stuffed turkey. Not that stuffed.
With fresh peas and baked potatoes.
Yummy cake with ‘things’ in it. I should have paid more attention. Nougat?
Haigh’s chocolates all round.
Instruction and hands on. The source of learning.
And now, the end is near and so I face the final curtain ….
Time to go home.
More successful groupee shot thanks to the timer.
Thanks Jan and David for a great day.
Back to home. Not one little morsel of anything would fit in the drum on the front of me. I managed a trickle of Port then ……
Ba Toba
(Go to sleep, not sure of the spelling but in Dili Tetum)
zzzzzz zzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz
Saturday 26th December 2020
The day after, the landlords and we drive to town for the sales?
Food in the city cross food hall complete with resident pigeons. They own the place. You get in their way and they walk out of your way and give you a dirty look.
Anne finds THE lolly shop of Adelaide and wastes no time.
This mob were in the mall getting us to sign up to win a car. Just phone number. No email address needed. I said, ‘What’s the catch?’ They said there was no catch but sorry. There always is. They have our names and phone numbers.
Walking back to the car. The prison building. Peppers Hotel in the middle of town. Could they have picked a worse location for quarantine?
A painting down a lane
Closer.
What is the use of a closed pub? NO use at all.
Federation Trading. Great old gear for sale. Great old Building.
Corner West Terrace. They have to be brackets for a verandah or signage.
Flames on a building. Why?
The ‘knowing’ wink.
Back home Bruce and I walk over the road for a bottle of white wine to have with his left over prawns. We stay for two beers and find, we no longer need to order a beer. We just download the app and pay for the beer on our phones, stating where we are in the pub and the beers will magically arrive. So WHAT happened to having a chat with the bar person and being on a first name basis when you walk in a pub? They just want to make us bloody robots and controlled by the phone.
Back to the house, Wine, prawns, a real good movie, (Sexy Beast – not at all as it sounds) port, bed.
You may or may not remember my astute cousin Mal (Malcolm)bought two boxes of shelled prawns guaranteed by the seller to be South Australian (or maybe Australian) Let’s call them Australian. When cooking some, he noticed tucked away on the box, ‘Packed in Indonesia.’ He returned to the seller and was told Australia can’t afford the labour to shell them, so they are sent to Indonesia to shell and then return them.
I spent 18 years in Asian (East Timor) heavily influenced and populated by Indonesians. I have had many experiences/ business dealings there and I tell you there are good and bad in all things. I have good Indonesian friends. However, in some businesses, they will do the right thing if you police them. However, some will break all the rules if given the chance.
The good Australian prawns that were sent to Indonesia to be shelled may have been hijacked and on sold as exactly what they are, good Australian prawns with shells. The ones returned without shells may very well have come from somewhere else, e.g. Vietnam.
Now, having said that ….. Here is a news item that appeared this morning….
“Woolworths Christmas prawns are recalled over contamination fears just two days out from December 25
The recall for the Woolworths branded Cooked and Peeled Cocktail Prawns was issued on Wednesday – just two days before December 25. “
Firstly, they are Woolworths Brand so there is a reasonable chance they are from elsewhere rather than Australia. Secondly, even if they were from Australia, they are peeled so may have been sent over seas to peel them therefore increasing the chances that what came back is not what was sent for peeling. Just saying.
Lunch time already?
Then a little cruise around. A little last minute panic buying.
Talking of Woolworths above, have a look at this Broccoli stem. Taken that veg is sold by the kilo, where do you think most of the weight is?
Very topical. Christmas nobby COVID balls.
Back to the fish factory. Need a number, check in and line up to get in.
Young Bruce in disguise is doing the final Christmas prawns shop.
Anne spots this Sashimi Grade Tuna. We buy some because she is going to have a crack at it. So far we have done very well eating it and hope to follow through with the making of.
Then JayCar for some cable for Bruce’s caravan inverter. A wee job for the Christmas, New Year gap week.
However other things take my eye. For example, this electric skate board. It gets up to 20kph, but it got here about 35 years too late for me to try it.
This is more my thing, but I already have one. Bruce should be considering one of these.
Comes in different sizes.
And even comes with a Kath and Kym dialogue promo.
Then, onto Addison Takeaway. I was guided here by Cuz Mal who lived down this way a while ago. It has changed hands since then but is still exceptional. ph: 08 8477 4370. 41 Addison Road, Pennington. Worth the drive.
The size of the burger patties were ….. just like they used to be. Big and reaching to the outside edge of the BIG roll. Plain: lettuce, tomato, sauce. $6.50 With the lot: Lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, egg, bacon, sauce $8.50. Lot Plus: add beetroot and pineapple. $9.50. It goes onto the Addison Special.
This Burger REALLY needs two hands. The original jingle for the Hungry Jacks Whopper was, ‘It takes two hands to handle a whopper.’ It no longer applies and the McDonalds?? They have all shrunk and are dead ordinary, except we have been conned into thinking that’s what a burger is. This sign is not at Addison road, BUT it says it all.
Here Here !
A movie. ‘Vacation.’ Grape juice.
Goeie Nag.
(Good night in Afrikaans)
zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz
Thursday 24th December 2020
A slow start to an important day. Still all calm at 9.25am. The landlords will be cooking up big all afternoon for guests tomorrow. We have lots of small things to do and people to see. They will mount up.
On the road, Grabbed coffee and a toasted sandwich for lunch.
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs.
A late visit or two.
One of our several visits included a Merry Christmas to mate Des who has his LTD running (and looking) sweet.
And another to Val. She likes Elvis, big or small and this is abut the smallest Elvis I have ever seen.
Late on way home. Dropped in to the Villa to say Merry Christmas. had a drink and some serious nibbles.
Hope the Hutchings made it from Perth. That is my favourite niece Naomi, her husband Paul and ‘golden girl’ daughter Alice. I guess we will find out tomorrow morning if they made it. Well apparently that isn’t the problem. Getting back is the thing with the neurotic Premier, Mark McGowan. I guess him being over cautiousness wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that the WA election is only three months off on 13th March 2021, would it?
NSW Premier Gladys made a simple and logical statement when SA had it’s relapse breakout. She said something to the effect of, ‘We can’t close the border every time there is a new case in another state. If my minister for health tells me South Australia have handled the outbreak well and it appears to be under control, the border will stay open. If he/she says it is unchecked or not being handled well, we will close the border.’ It’s called SENSIBLE.
Iṉiya Iravu
(Good Night in Tamil.)
N.B. Tamil noun 1. a member of a people inhabiting parts of southern India and Sri Lanka. 2. a Dravidian language spoken by Tamils in southern India, Sri Lanka, and elsewhere. The language is more than 2,000 years old. adjective relating to the Tamils or their language.
A catch up day and we end up at Arndale. Lunch is a home made sausage roll. In fact it’s a sausage roll to end all sausage rolls. So much so that Anne and I have it cut in half and share it.
The crowd thins out Girlie goes for a neck and shoulder massage and Bruce decides to pamper himself with a pedicure. Luxury!
I pamper my phone to a new protective cover. The last one did pretty good but was showing signs. I had the phone on my lap and forgot it. When I got out the car the door wouldn’t close properly. I tried a couple of times then discovered my PHONE was jamming the closure. Yes. It was showing signs of wear and tear.
Damn miracle it still worked. A young lady below pampering my phone for $25. It could have been pampered for $15 but after the demo I was shown with the stabbing knife on the harder cover, I went that way.
Meandering around till we get back to camp. Our turn for a meal so it’s over to Foodland for the ingredients of a ‘spag bol’ or for any one out there who has led a sheltered life, Spaghetti Bolognese.
It went down beautifully. My lovely spouse has absolutely mastered this sauce and can easily follow through with extras to evolve the Bolognese to a Chili Con Carne. Equally scrumptious.
Red wine of course. Have to with Italian meals of course. That’s a given.
Light entertainment ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.’ Love these Indiana Jones films and Harrison Ford does a wonderful job. There is another one to be released in due course and apparently it will come out as her turns 80. I don’t know what it’s called but perhaps something like Indiana Jones and the Golden Walking Stick. When Sean Connery played Indiana’s father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, ( bit of a misnomer, hey?) Sean was only 12 years older than Harrison.
Anyway, bed, sleep.
usiku mwema
(Good Night in Swahili. Ha! Spoke that a few times in the old days. Was my second language there for a while.)
zzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz
Tuesday 22nd December 2020
Cool, wet. Supposed to be 23 today. At 9.45am it’s 16.3 degrees and Willy Weather says it feels like 13.1
Let’s make more bookings today. I have so far booked my annual ‘burn off or cut off the skin cancers’ for 5th January, car lube for 6th.
Must make wheel alignment, van wheel bearings, fix the tail light I was going to fix two weeks ago, the sagging rubber at the bottom of the tail gate and the side light. Join Pay Pal. Check ebay for a few items etc etc.
Didn’t achieve all of that but have booked for car lube, wheel alignment, and service on the van.
Afternoon we re on our way for some Christmas shopping. On the way, stuck at traffic lights, I spot this apartment. The corner lot with balcony is almost right on the fence line and the road is so close, I’m sure they could tell the colour of drivers eyes. Also, the overhead power lines are almost at eye level of anyone on the balcony. Well this is good on a serious note. This gives people on a tight budget a chance to buy. Anyone with more money is going to buy else where and someone less cashed up has a chance to own their own place. Might be a problem selling it to upgrade later. Then again, I guess the same rule applies for those buyers.
We are at Haigh’s Chocolates on Greenhill Road after a long, slow trip in Christmas traffic. There are parking restrictions and a 15 minute line up to get in. Got to know this chap and his daughter very well. He is a roofer and we discussed Dunlop Volleys at length.
Notice permanent smile. Two small bags. Around $140. (!!??!!)
This is the frog wall. Just FROGS in this section.
The Story.
Start of story.
I didn’t enquire as to why this bronze conquistador was proudly on display at the entrance. Perhaps ….. History of Chocolate – HISTORY www.history.com › topics › ancient-americas
There are conflicting reports about when chocolate arrived in Europe, although it’s agreed it first arrived in Spain. One story says Christopher Columbus discovered cacao beans after intercepting a trade ship on a journey to America and brought the beans back to Spain with him in 1502
N.B. Other research showed chocolate was created in Mexico maybe 1800BC.
Maximum security very much controlled parking at Haighs.
On to do the liquids at Vintage Cellars, North Adelaide. By the way, my sneeze caused obvious discomfort to some in the store even though I grappled for and successfully used my handkerchief. This store always has great specials. 6 bottles of St Hallett Faith Shiraz single bottle price $24 = $144. One bottle St Hallett Blackwell Shiraz single bottle price $55. So $199 worth of wine. Selling for $100. Save $99 or think of it as half price. Beat that! Yes! I bought, with other ‘things.’
Home. No one else here so independent meals. We split the Port Pirie seafood stores oversized Garlic Prawn pie and add vegetables. Magnificent!
Inside for a movie. Falling asleep at 9pm so vacate to the van. A glass of port then …
All this talk of Coles or Woolworths having Crayfish for $20/kilo sounded suss/too good to be true, but worth checking out. It was here that I learned even more about my fellow man/woman. I will try to remember the conversation as close as I can to word perfect.
Saturday morning I rose at 7.30am and got straight on the phone. I attempted to call Coles at Arndale but it kept going somehow through to Romeo’s Foodland which did not answer. I successfully ended up talking to a Coles and a Woolworths. They both had the same story. ‘We had very limited stock. They went straight away to the people who happened to be in the store at the time and we don’t know if or when we will get more.’
So it is about 8am by now. I try Romeo’s Foodland again and as per the previous three times, no answer. There is in fact a Romeo’s Foodland just 100 metres away. So off I go.
There is a man entering about 50 metres in front of me. I end up behind him at the deli counter. He has been served and is waiting for ‘something’. We are I think, the only ones in the whole store.
I ask the question, ‘Do you have any Crayfish?’ the answer comes as the young lady walks down to where the seafood section is. ‘…. er … no.’ I stated that there was a notice on the glass enclosure stating that we could order Australian Crayfish, Prawns or local oysters for Christmas. “Er … I will have to ask the supervisor..’ He was right there. I said, ‘you haven’t got any crayfish?’ Reply, ‘No.’ Me again, ‘I was wondering if I could order two for Christmas?’
A little non committal response. While he is ‘humming and harring,’ the ‘something’ that the other chap was waiting for arrives. The young lady, plonks a CRAYFISH on the scales. I state the obvious. ‘I have been told by both of you that you do not have crayfish, but that is a crayfish!’
It gets better. They then say, ‘These are lobsters.’ then the other chap who was in fact waiting to take delivery of his ‘lobster’ says, ‘You have to call them lobsters if they are not from Australia.’
I turn to the comedy couple behind the counter and say, ‘Well can I have two LOBSTERS please?’ While being served, I ask, ‘Where are these ‘lobsters from?’ and I am told they are Australian.
The terms Crayfish and Lobster are to me, interchangeable. I have called similar crustaceans both. I was led to understand Lobsters had the BIG nippers but crayfish have small. I have heard Lobsters are supposed to be salt water crustaceans and Crayfish, fresh water. However, I believe most people would believe the terms interchangeable.
Even ignoring that, why didn’t they say that they didn’t have crayfish, but they had lobsters??? Never mind. $75 a kilo. Two at $50 each. Done.
With the two LOBSTERS in the fridge for tonight, we venture down the road to The Fish Factory to compare.
Busy.
Stacks of Lobster/Crayfish.
All seafood a plenty.
And more …
Now we flash forward to early evening. Doctor Carroll gets out his oversized scalpel …
The autopsy complete, it is deduced the patient die by being boiled. On completion however, the patient is conveniently halved with precision.
Now there is to be a crayfish eating competition.
The competitors.
Ready?… Set? …
Go!…
Looked a dead heat to me. White wine did feature strongly, followed by a red grape juice back up. All competitors clamed victory and are looking forward to a rematch.
Must to bed to rest up for tomorrow. It WILL be a big day.
Buenas noches
(Good night in Spanish, but you already new that. Right?)
We must take food, so over the road to the Foodland for a box of frozen party pies and sausage rolls. (box of 30 pieces)
On the way I see evidence of the Christmas build up. There is a sex shop displaying ‘Open 10am to 10pm’ but already open at 9.35am. It is good to see they are catering for the last minute Christmas present rush. Fascinating. Can you imagine someone standing there trying to decide. ‘Would she like the pink one or the brown one?’
The good ship lollipop better known as Popeye chugs past the TRC boat landing.
My blossom out the front.
Me comparing stomachs with other old members.
Boating up for the Walsh Shield. An annual mini competition where names are drawn for scratch crews and the race over a short course of … I don’t know 100 metres – ish.
Yeh Olde Club.
Finalists in the stomach competition.
Some readying activity.
Elevated view spectators.
First race of three.
Some video of the race start.
N.B. This was added a day later than the original posting.
Segways pass by.
Some video of the Segways.
N.B. This was added a day later than the original posting.
Overdressed coxswain.
Both boat and blades must be washed.
Concept rowing machines. (I have one. Just no where to put it.)
Elevated is better. After the races the food came out. Fabulous spread and I wasn’t the only one to think of party pies. I took thirty and there were at least three others did similar. Then the quiches, cakes curried egg sandwiches etc etc etc. We over ate.
Two stars with another in between.
Seen leaving. Like I said, we over ate but managed to waddle home for a little lie down.
DING!! Round two! Come out fighting!
Annes cousin Scott has invited us for Chrissy drinks at 5pm. ‘Bring a plate.
We arrive at a fashionable 15 minutes late, but the intent wasn’t being fashionable. That was just plain late. Scott has a wine bar in the city, now closed thanks to the Covid and that is where we find ourselves.
Bigger than Ben Hur of family AND friends, we find it is a ‘many plates’ get together followed by a sit down meal and we get gifts! Scotts wife Hui is there to meet and greet with ‘number two and number three.
Scott refers to his three kids as the three ‘c’s. The oldest, Caitlin from a previous life, then Callum and Cassy (Cassidy). All doing well in their individual strengths of, University Student, handsome young man and cute little girl.
Callum and I have a hand shake because that’s what ‘men’ do.
Anne is the ring in with cousin Scott and off spring.
My social co-ordinator.
A night of good conversation with familiar and also a couple of Scotts good mates. Good guys.
A fabulous night in all but all good things must come to an end. Way past our bed time but totally justified.
Home at 10.45PM!!
Shower, a small glass of port and then making those zeds only this night they were bigger.
Cooler, in fact damn near cold. Pottering around. Main job is rationalize my memory drives. That is to say, I have six drives. Two are supposed to be masters and identical with my fabulous movie collection and every photo I have taken since I got a digital camera in late 2002. 18 years of photos.
I also have my utility drive with all sorts on it that I have had for years. I have all my day to day stuff on it instead of the laptop. That MOST important drive is not on the masters so I am transferring around ten years of plans, projects humour etc etc and other day t day stuff onto the two masters.
The whole idea is to have two complete copies just incase. Also, equally important, I must leave one copy in the container incase something nasty happens like theft from caravan or worse. I am currently carrying ALL drives with me and that presents a potential disaster.
The other problem how do I update from one to the other. That I have fixed with some synchronizing software to synch from one to the other.
The other, other problem is what do I do or how can I save a safe copy of additions while on the road so I can update the second Master copy in the container when I return. That is one I m going to have to think about.
Lunch happens and the day continues as is.
Evening, that is 6-ish I provide taxi service for Bruce and Girlie to go to the Riverside restaurant on the Torrens via the Villa to pick up Phillip and Ann. Both Bruce and Phillip are members of the Resting Rowers Consortium and it is their Annual dinner with partners.
The Consortium was originally formed many, many years ago by the Adelaide rowing fraternity. I remember it was already well established when I started rowing in 1973. It was formed to raise money for the state to compete in the Kings Cup which is the Annual National Rowing Regatta. It happened all the members forming the consortium were wine lovers so chose to raise money by having a wine bottling. It was successful and became an on going practice. They do reds and ports which have grown in reputation and popularity over the years. They have their own barrels at a winery. It used to be Bleasdale and assume it still is.
N.B. A consortium is a group made up of two or more individuals, companies, or governments that work together to achieving a common objective. Entities that participate in a consortium pool resources but are otherwise only responsible for the obligations that are set out in the consortium’s agreement.
Had it not been for my gallivanting First to Darwin, then to East Timor for collectively 23 years, I would have been a member well and truly by now. As it is, every time we returned to Adelaide over those 23 years, I tried to be here the First Monday of that month in order to attend as a guest for the RRC meeting. Now the gallivanting is extending around Australia. When we finally touch down in Ye Olde Adelaide, perhaps I will become a member then, assuming I will still be young enough to stay awake for the whole meeting
N.B. 1 I think I have created history. I believe that is the first time in 69 years I have ever used the word gallivanting. Does it fit?
N.B. 2 Gallivant /ˈɡalɪvant,ˌɡalɪˈvant/ verb INFORMAL gerund or present participle: gallivanting go around from one place to another in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment. “she quit her job to go gallivanting around the globe” Similar: gad flit jaunt run roam wander travel range rove
Yep. It fits, although money could be added to ‘pleasure or entertainment. Then again money brings pleasure. Does it not?
Anyway, returned to the van, shower, grape juice, delicious soup by my lovely spouse, a TV program about The Beatles then bed. The Fab Four were simply incredible. I saw them live at Centennial Hall Adelaide in 1964. There first stop in Australia. They commented on the program that Australia had the biggest turnout and reception of all the countries they attended. I loved them.
Yawn, zzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz
Friday 18th December 2020
On the list today is coffee and cake with Mick and Lou in the morning before they hit the road in a day or two. Heading west during summer? they have done the Nullarbor several times and know what they are doing. But that is via a few other places.
Now, on that note, continuing my attempt to get Mick to see the light and enjoy at least a little Monty Python, I attach ‘What have the Romans ever done for us?’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7tvauOJMHo
Well, late for Mick and Lou but a pleasant coffee and cake meeting. Chat and laughs. Good stuff. Must have been good. Forgot photos again.
Meet Liz and I end up messing up the ladies lunch by attending myself. Another good meeting. Also forgot photos again.
Back to camp. Bruce still at marathon lunch. A quiet night in the van
On the computer again. How about that. Outstanding payments. Medibank Private. Love to spit them out but a quick quote from BUPA and they are about $50 more. Soooo … It is not this or that. It is yes or no. Bugger.
Off for a quote for a shed on the side of Bruce’s office. On the way we spot these two ‘images.’ A trike and a …. Model T or …? and by the way, he was hoofing along.
Then onto Semaphore for ice cream etc. Monument.
Gun and Anne heading to but not up the jetty.
Anne closer to the jetty.
It’s always nice to have something to look forward to.
Walk path and Anne …. and snakes?
Another monument.
A big house.
Home. Movies, grape juice, bed.
zzzzzz zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz
Wednesday 16th December 2020
Out the corner of my eye.
I zoomed in but a dirty window is a handicap.
Happy foursome at a Filipino restaurant at Port Adelaide.
Good grub.
unusual (but nice) dessert.
We have total attention from our friends.
Work it out.
Second hand lens. Got to do some googling.
40 or 80 channel?
On to a tour around the Port Arm.
Don’t you dare torment a dolphin. And you better not make them embarrassed.
Basic beach.
Seen them here before.
Bless coal.
Up the creek.
Nice old building … AND for rent.
This is one we own.
Can’t see the front but I am guessing Morris Minor.
Back in time for ‘Rocknrolla’ I converted from avi to mp4. While watching I put another avi ‘Snatch’ on the converter.
Great pumpkin soup with extras, some more TV, grape juice. I provide the two films converted from AVI to MP4.
Ordinary day, overcast and windy. Supposed to be as per yesterday about 34 degrees but not as bad.
Fixed things. On computer, as per usual. Bruce is off to function lunch time and yes, we can drop him in to the city. His partner Girlie is not well so we will do her shopping for her.
Checked the post box on the way through North Adelaide, Dropped Bruce, quick lunch at North Adelaide Bakery, just 15 minutes, Vintage cellars, and next door for beer, Arndale for supermarket shopping. Two shops. Ours and theirs. Had planned a quick $12 hair cut but taking food to Girlie so I will skip.
Now ….. I have a moderately unusual name ‘Leith’. I have come across an ‘Alderbaron’ etc. but I think now all unusual and ‘inconvenient’ names have been transcended. I will not tell you the supermarket where he is to protect his privacy and there is no way I could take a close photo of his name tag without making him self conscious but this young man of Asian descent’s name is ‘Dung.’ This is not a dig at the guy. Infact I admire him for being brave enough to put his true name on the badge. BUT having said that, why didn’t he come up with a nick name for his badge like ‘Dee’ or ‘Du’ or whatever. Then again maybe this is his nick name as perhaps an abbreviation of ‘Dungsong’ or ‘Fudung’ and he is just a little uninformed when it comes to making up nick names. Anyway, his name is Dung.
Back to unload lots of stuff and Anne makes soup. A beer, a little wine, movies and two episodes of Black books (3 &4)
To bed. No quilt required. Believe me.
Time to make Zeds.
zzzzzzz zzzzzz zzzzzz
Monday 14th December 2020
8.46am. Tea AND biscuits in bed for one and at the computer for the other. Biscuits! We have been without for days and we bought up yesterday.
I am doing a spreadsheet for caravan weight today. There are weights which must be controlled as per the compliance plate in the van.
The spreadsheet is started but it is hot and I run out of puff. I mention my missed hair cut yesterday and Bruce wants one as well, so it’s off to his favorite cutter. Favorite because I just have a clipper cut number three all over. Now, normally $20 to $25, but down here, $12, so a significant saving. Bruce’s requires scissors so his sky rockets to $15.
Coffees and on the way back, we drop into the big fish market on Grand Junction Road. This is because Phillip and Ann have told us there is Cray reduced to $75 a kilo there.
N.B. The Fish Factory. 248-250 Grand Jct Rd, Athol Park SA 5012
This place is great! Pongs a bit as you are going in but that stabilizes to a strong fish smell once inside.
Now before I preach the glories of the place, there are two items of interest which I choose to draw attention to.
Firstly when we were in East Timor, there were many projects to help the locals. A couple included the growing of a unique fish, the ‘Tilapia.’ This fish could survive on all but no feed and get by living in a dirty puddle, exaggerated for effect but not all that much. The thing is these things could be dropped in rice paddy fields and when the crop was reaped, there was a bonus for the locals of all these fish as well. Good idea but they weren’t exactly Atlantic Salmon or Tuna. And HERE IT IS in Adelaide for sale at just $10.50 a kilo! How about that.
Second thing. We all know about dirty old European Carp that infected our waterways years ago, causing the diminishing and/or extinction of fish native to the land. Described as dirt stirring, bottom dwellers and bad, bad boney eating. Well, HERE THEY ARE as well for $9.50 a kilo. Don’t figure.
Now we are getting serious with Tommy Ruffs at $14.?? a kilo …
Fresh School Whiting at $26.50 a kilo …
And here is the hook that got us here, Crayfish at now, NOT $120 plus per kilo but just $75. Still a bit pricy but not in the over all scheme of things. They were walking out the door, mainly in their two’s This was generously stacked when we arrived. Phillip paid $50 for a .66 kilo Cray which is quite a generous feed. These are the bigger tail enders. the slightly smaller ones coming in at $50 to $60 were preferred as a good balance between size and $$$. The tail enders were for people who hesitated and paid the price for it. They were coming in at about $80 to $90 each. I know because I watched them wrapped and when someone received their bundle, I asked them how much they paid.
I was just looking but when I did, I spotted these. They were jumbo alright. I bought 16 for the 4 of us as an entre for Girlies Salmon meal tonight. That was just 4 for each of us and that was a kilo spot on.
Large cooked King Prawns, $36.50 a kilo but more work and less meat.
Fresh opened oysters either $10.?? or $18.?? a kilo.
This is what a kilo of ‘whopper’s looks like.
The Hungry Jacks Whopper (burger) arrived in Australia 1971, (I googled it), and the slogan went ‘It takes two hands to handle a whopper.’ Same applies for these big guys.
The advantage of the size is, I am a lazy prawn peeler but even for me, it was worth the hassle because there were three or four bites out of each one.
Anyway, on to an equally enjoyable Salmon and salad main dish by Girlie with mash by yours truly. Good mash is easy. just lots of the stuff that kills you. Salt and butter, then take the edge off with a bit of milk.
Wine, more episodes of Black Books, then a classic alternate movie, ‘Shoot’em Up.’
Now more Zeds to be made.
I will use the farewell below. I could have sworn I used it the other day. Lori sent it to me and I was going to repeat it because I didn’t give her accreditation. So here it is anyway. First or second.
7.30am morning. It’s going to be 31 degrees today and lunch at an Indian Restaurant in North Adelaide. Small things till 11am. Depart 12.45pm
Three hour park hidden away in a side street, then a brisk 5 minute walk. We should do more of that. Walking that is. Not the first to arrive . PCA (Palate Cleansing Ale) beers always a must to get the dust out the gullet and palate. Most important.
These beers are ‘Kingfisher’.
N.B. Kingfisher is an Indian beer brewed by United Breweries Group, Bangalore. The brand was launched in 1978. With a market share of over 36% in India, it is also available in 52 other countries. The Heineken Group holds 42.4% equity shares in United Breweries Ltd.
Now we usually put all in the middle and share, but it is generally decided this time that we go our own ways. So the table 13 for six is split into three tables. 13, 23 and 33. It works. 13 wanted to share certain dishes only, 23 wanted Vindaloo ,…
(N.B. This is Bruce’s Vindaloo. Some things never change. Once way back I went to an Indian with Bruce. Snake Charmer I think it was on Unley Road? He asked for spicy. The waiter asked how spicy and Bruce said, ‘I want my eyes to bleed.’)
…. and 33 (us) wanted the mild chicken Korma with yellow Daal and that great spinach dish with the cheese cubes in. Anne’s favourite. That is …
Murg Shahjahani Korma Chicken Korma (mild) Rich, lavish cashew paste and cardamom base (GF)
Tadka Masoor Daal (medium) Slow cooked yellow daal with fresh tomato and coriander (GF) (DF) (V)
Saag Paneer (mild) Paneer tossed in fresh spinach, roasted ground mustard seed, fenugreek (GF) N.B. Paneer is Indian Cottage Cheese)
Wine: Church Block. Say no more. Great meal. Waiter ‘Robby’ did an excellent job and was the master of service and sales. Funny. He didn’t look like a ‘Robby.’
A stroll over the road for cake or coffee or ice cream or combination thereof. (and another bottle of red wine.)
The clock is ticking and the sun dropping so then home for a movie of which I woke up for the last 10 minutes, then a couple of Black Books episodes then the van for a very late 10.30pm shower and bed.
Now to compliment the day, Roger sent the link for a Rowan Atkinson amusing sketch Rowen did as an Indian waiter. Thanks Roger. I have seen it before but it is always a good laugh.
shubh raatri
(Good night in Hindi. Seemed fitting)
Pronounced sort of ‘Shoo-bra-tree’.
Saturday, 12th December 2020
35 degrees today. Looks like summer has finally caught up with us. A bit cloudy and windy.
8am at the computer loading Mick and Lou’s 1 terabyte drive with movies. There is a minor problem which they are aware of. I am almost there with 17.9 gig o[ space left and 49.8 gig to go. They did say just get on what I could. There are a few double ups which I can use to gain space but not 31.9gig.
Let’s see how we go.
I asked MIck if there was anything I could delete and he said he didn’t like any Monty Python. So, (and I did pre-warn him) I have included one of my favourite scenes just as a last effort to convert him. Here is a part of Monty Python and the Holy Grail’s scene, ‘Swamp Castle.’
N.B. Had a little trouble with this. If it won’t open, copy and paste this link to google enquiry box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNaXdLWt17A You may have to endure an advert for about 6 seconds till the ‘skip add’ tag pops up on the right. The original usually loads but takes about 4 minutes.
I cut out the double ups and snipped the stuff even I wouldn’t watch. We made the space.
Hot afternoon and stayed in the van a la Air Cond till about 5pm when I spotted the movie just starting on TV. “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.’
Transferred to the house, Domino’s cooked and delivered. Long film but we stuck it. I remember it as better, but it was 1963 with ALL the comedy actors of its time headed by Spencer Tracey. I was in hogs heaven. Then I thought a sobering thought, all these people are probably dead now, but they were larger than life on the big screen.
Jonathan Winters (died just 2013. Married to the same woman for 61 years)
Mickey Rooney, 2014
Sid Caesar, 2014
Ethel Merman, 1984
Buddy Hackett, 2003
Milton Berle, 2002
Spencer Tracy, 1967 (Only 4 years after the movie)
Phil Silvers, 1985
Dick Shawn, 1987
Terry-Thomas, 1990
Jimmy Durante, 1980
Edie Adams, 2008
Buster Keaton, 1966 (just 3 years after the film)
Peter Falk, 2011
Don Knotts, 2006
Jerry Lewis, 2017
Dorothy Provine, 2010
Jim Backus, 1989
Carl Reiner, Just died 29 June 2020, after all those ‘Oceans’ films.
Jack Benny, 1974
Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, 1977
Paul Ford, 1976
Edward Everett Horton Jr, 1970
Jesse White, 1977
Andy DeVine, 1977
William Demarest, 1983
ZaSu Pitts, 1963 (the year of the film)
Ben Blue, 1975
Norman Fell, 1998
Joe E Brown, 1973 …
and more.
I used to know most of these actors by name. Oh well, Death and taxes.
Now to the caravan for modifications. Have we got wire connectors? No. Have we got bolts to hold the new regulator on? No. Have we got enough wire to extend the solar panel wires to the new regulator location? No. Have we got any insulation tape? No.
OK. Not the van right now. Bunnings right now. 45 minutes later, we are at the van again. I have it all ‘sussed out’ but the daunting thought of pulling things out is a little … well … daunting.
So here are the steps. Confirm solar panel circuit is still unplugged on roof. Confirm fuse is out. Drill fixing holes for new regulators new location closer to batteries. Cut solar wiring lugs and join extended wiring to new location. Replace old batteries with new. (easier said than done. approx. 30kg each). Bridge the two batteries out in parallel. Run and fix new cable with fuse in line from batteries to new regulator location. Run and fix new solar wiring from old regulator location to new. Prepare ends, i.e. strip insulation and twist strands. Screw battery and solar wiring to new 50amp MPPT regulator. (Maximum Power Point Tracking). N.B. This replaces the old 30amp PWM regulator. (Pulse Width Modulation) Connect batteries. Connect battery charger. connect extra motorized jocky wheel wiring. reconnect roof solar wiring. Put in solar fuse.
Fingers crossed. We look at the regulator. Hooly dooly! The ‘Bulk’ light is on! i.e. Charging fully, or soaking it up. So …. it’s working!?
A little time passes and …. it has moved to the ‘Absorption’ lamp. i.e. it is fine tuning it’s charge regime. We shall wait and we shall see.
The four of us off to town to have a ‘hot pot’. Used my QR scan for the second time.
Nothing in the Post Box but this interesting car sticker (slightly censored) on the way back.
When we get back to inspect the MPPT regulator, it has changed to ‘Float’ which means fully charged and trickling. It works! basically.
The REAL test will be disconnecting the 240volt charger and running purely on solar. The 240volt is mainly to run the fridge. So, put the fridge on gas and run the van on solar/batteries.
I am shagged from lugging batteries etc. So, unlike normal, two beers, NO red grape juice, a shower, clear the emails with a small Port during the clearing, then early to bed (me!!??) and watching a movie horizontal. I remember the first five minutes.
zzzzzz zzzzzzz zzzzzzz
Thursday, 10th December 2020
9am I hear Bruce pull out to take his van for a new hot water service. Lazy morning. A very light breakfast at 10am (?) as we are lunching with Mick & Lou at High Noon. (Do not forsake me oh my darling)
Emergency! Shower doesn’t work! Hand basin OK, sink OK, washing machine OK.
Call Supreme and left a message. Thanks for not bothering to return the call. Called the business, listed in the Supreme brochure as the plumbing troubleshooter. Spoke to a very nice lady who took all details and told me a plumber would be back to me ASAP. Still waiting. Called a van maintenance man who gave me a lead or two re blocking. Posted my problem on facebook page Everything Caravanning and Camping. Great response most suggesting varied blocking. As we fixed the problem, I posted ‘Thanks fine folks’. I got 13 concerned and keen to help responses and there would have been more if I hadn’t pulled the plug. Camaraderie within the caravan fraternity is pleasingly high.
So lunch and just 30 minutes late due to the shower. Mick and Lou are on time and have brought a 1 terabyte drive for me to fill with movies as invited.
I learn a lot about not stuffing around to stand in line and order food. I was 3 minutes later than our friends and than meant 10 people in front and a 20 minute wait.
Anyway we got our fish and chips and Anne cancelled the call to the police missing persons department. A good afternoon again with M & L and yet again, so good that we forgot to take any photos. (!!??!)
We part company and as we walked to the car we realized we didn’t take photos so we took two quickies out the front.
If you squint, you cam see the jetty, sort of.
We get back and Bruce is already back with his van and its new water heater.
He parks well enough to attach the magic (motorized) jockey wheel and positions the van.
Then to The Villa to drop the ladies and the three ‘boys’ off to AUBC (Adelaide University Boat Club) for two light beers (I’m driving) and a talk to Brenton/Snips. Leaving BUT parked there is a Mazda rotary motor RX7!! I had one. A red series two and a fun car it was. I think my last two or was it three speeding tickets were secured with this fine, fast vehicle. It just didn’t feel comfortable until it got to 75kph. This one looks a little worn.
Our beers, we phone for the Thai takeaway, pick it up, home to the most pleasant restaurant in Adelaide, which is the back yard of the villa, eat drink and be merry X 6 then home and bed.
A quick dream, a slow nightmare and we are done till tomorrow.
Believe it or not, windy, cold, a bit wet, windy, overcast and windy.
Peppermint tea (new practice) promptly at 9.15am. Me at computer. She at TV with remote in one hand (it’s a habit) and still enjoying the quilt.
We really have to ‘do things’ today.
nothing till early afternoon. Then Arndale Shopping Centre for some shopping, red grape juice and coffee.
On return we get serious with Bruce’s van solar and battery system as currently not working.
We have a good look at what’s there.
A fuse panel.
The regulator, very inconveniently located under a seat facing into the hot water service so as to be not easily seen.
The battery charger mounted unusually next to the hot water as well.
Regulator has charge lights, again not easily seen
The regulator has one set of wires from the solar panel and one to the batteries but no third set which is usually present to some load running straight off the regulator and not from the battery.
The panel wiring has to be checked for size.
Anyway, we shall see. A few more enquiries tomorrow but for now it is beer o’clock but showers first,
Adjourning to inside for Anne’s roast chicken and vegetables. Very good!
Grape juice and a movie or two. Even a bit of Blazing Saddles! My favorite bit. The school teacher is in the church reading out to the rest of the town ‘folks’ the letter she has written to the governor. She starts in a mousy little voice and gets taunting calls of ‘we can’t hear you.’ She apologizes justifying her low volume by the fact she is not used to public speaking, then starts with ‘WEEE THE GOD FEARING CITIZENS OF ROCK RIDGE ….’ in a load burst that causes people to fall off their chairs. Always kills me. But then again I am relatively easily amused.
Now FYI here is some trivia you don’t have to know. The woman who played the ‘Schoolmarm’ was Carol Arthur who was married to Dom DeLuise who was a character actor who also appeared in the film.
Dom DeLuise appeared near the end. The cast list says he played ‘Buddy Bizarre.’ (?) I thought the dance cast in the film called him ‘Bunny.’
Anyway, Good Night
(English)
Tuesday, 8th December 2020
More plotting and planning that took us all the way to lunchtime. So lunchtime we are at Port Adelaide Plaza for coffee and cake. Yes, we will have a lunch Friday but who will organize it?
Afternoon we four are off for sheds and batteries, via the cash for cans spot which reaped me a cool $4.30. Well, peanuts you say but it was only a single cardboard beer box and I can at least have a coffee for free.
Stratco, we look at sheds required by Bruce for office storage. Then off to House of 12 Volt as they are the coolest people in town for solar and batteries for vans. A few gadgets, two deep cycle batteries and the best MPPT regulator later, Bruce walks out a lot lighter in the pocket but more confident in what the vans destiny will be. It will be an EXTREMELY well set up free camping van.
Back at the van we spend an hour or two in looking, understanding, undoing bundles, following cables, plotting and planning. Tomorrow we will do it.
But we have done ‘work’ so we have an après sit down and two beers outside near the van.
Food is ready so in for a lovely pumpkin soup and crusty rolls, a few grape juices, a movie then to bed. Big day tomorrow.
A morning to consolidate. i.e. catch up on the blog, a few odds and ends. A short chat to Bruce re van batteries and regulator. It’s now after 11.15am. Me at computer. Anne horizontal with phone. I am assuming she is on facebook.
A mate of Bruce’s is around and we sit in Bruce’s van discussing intellectual subjects such as home brew kits and real estate.
Jobs to do. Keep on researching batteries. (did not do). WE group of four off to the Port Plaza around lunch time or a bit after. Take sox/socks back as they are far TOO big, to place of purchase. Done, BUT no socks for me. I selected bamboo size 6 to 10. As I am size 8 (yes. Just the cutest little feet. No I don’t have trouble standing up) I figured that would be fine. 8 is right in the middle. Nope. The heal was 100mm up the back of my leg. Problem. These are the smallest stocked. OK. I will try elsewhere.
Lunch. Coffee and ham and cheese toasted sandwich. On for a bottle of wine for tonight. (got two) On further down the Mall and the ladies pull up at a Bakers Delight stand. It was the six pack of lemon tarts that pulled them up. This nice young lady ‘coerced’ our two nice ladies to buy the tarts. Coerced? Oh come now. Hardly. The pack was presented with a smile and our ladies snapped them up.
By the way, the apron reads ‘When life gives you lemons, grab a 6 pack of lemon tarts.’ Sorry young lady. I told you I probably wouldn’t remember your name. It was a bit too exotic for me to remember. I am sure it started with a ‘Y’ and was like Yasmin or similarly exotic-ish and longer.
But wait! There’s more! With the pack of lemon tarts, you get a FREE sliced loaf of sourdough. (See below the freebie beautifully displayed by my lovely spouse in full covid regalia.) Is there no end to the joy of Mall shopping?
No. There is no end to the joy of Mall shopping … because, we end up at ALDI for about the fifth time in our lives. They had this nifty coffee machine for only $69.99. Not even $70. It takes the little cartridges or what ever you call them. It might be a bargain but we walked out with a bag of potatoes and a brown onion.
Back to finally watch the end of The Equalizer’ Then, our Landlord and his other half are out to a social function and we are showered and in the van. Cozy and comfortable for a quiet evening.
Please. No Real Estate nightmares.
kalinychta
(Good night in Greek)
Sunday, 6th December 2020
At 9am as I sit at the computer typing this, there was a stir in the horizontal section of the van but just briefly.
Today IS a research day with a bit of ‘doing’ as well. Research, fuses required in van solar systems. Then doing is measure for a shed, reverse camera on Bruce’s van, silicon up a gap on a side light of my van and silicon a crack and hole in my car rear tail light assembly. NOW lets see how much gets done.
Not much. They went out at about 9am and did not return till mid afternoon. Don’t know what time but I noticed the car there around 3pm.
I spent the day researching as planned but nothing else. Having said that, I don’t know everything about 12 volt and solar for vans now, but I know a fair bit more than I did before.
By the way, last night and today was interspersed with the copying of my whole movie and series to a two terabyte drive.
N.B. A Terabyte (TB) is a measure of computer storage capacity that is approximately 2 to the 40th power, or 10 to the 12th power, which equals approximately a trillion bytes. A Terabyte is more precisely defined as 1,024 gigabytes (GB), while a petabyte consists of 1,024 TB.
I have trouble imagining a petabyte. I have just, in the last year or two come to grips with the terabyte. It was a leap for me from the gigabyte. I needed therapy.
Bruce visits and I chat about what I have learnt, and that is mainly cable size, which will be a pain because Bruce has bought two huge 350 watt solar panels and I doubt if the wiring of the original 150 watt panel will suffice. What will be, will be.
We look after ourselves re evening meal and rendezvous for drinks and evening movie. We watch the end of ‘Sitting Bull’ made in 1954 which stared Dale Robertson amongst others including a character actor name J Carrol Naish who played Sitting Bull. I always wondered what nationality ‘Carrol’ was so I googled him and here is the result. (I always thought Italian.)
N.B. J Carrol Naish was making 30 movies a year and played virtually every nationality in filmdom—Italians, Japanese, Hindus, Arabs, Chinese, Jews and Mexicans —every nationality in fact except his own: Irish.
Irish? You tell me he doesn’t look Italian. But no. Irish ‘to be sure to be sure.’
J. Carrol Naish, circa 1950
We kill time till the big double start and then manage to watch most of both of Apocalypto and Edge of Tomorrow, more or less, by flicking. Annoying but it works well enough to satisfy most viewers.
N.B. 1 Apocalypto. This was the last film Gibson directed until 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge ten years later. Set in Yucatán, Mexico, around the year 1502, Apocalypto portrays the hero’s journey of a young man named Jaguar Paw, a late Mesoamerican hunter and his fellow tribesmen who are captured by an invading force. Produced by: Mel Gibson; Bruce Davey Production company: Touchstone Pictures; Icon … Budget: $40 million Written by: Mel Gibson; Farhad Safinia Rudy Youngblood · Dalia Hernández · Raoul Trujillo · Mayra Sérbulo.
N.B. 2 Edge of Tomorrow$370.5 million. Edge of Tomorrow (marketed as Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow on home media, or simply Live Die Repeat) is a 2014 American science fiction action film starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. Budget: $178 million Production companies: Village Roadshow Pict… Produced by: Erwin Stoff; Tom Lassally; Jeffrey … Edited by: James Herbert; Laura Jennings. This is a really fantastic action/Sci-fi film that is completely original, has some really intense action and suspense and two very charismatic lead performances by Emily Blunt and of course Tom Cruise. …
(N.B. 13th & 14th Day after end of covid lockdown – 2 weeks past – last notice)
Thursday, 3rd & Friday, 4th December 2020
Well, here we go yet again ….
This is a special day today! I have been drawing attention to it for years now. When we (Anne and I) lived in Darwin, our favourite pub was Shenannigan’s Irish Pub. Many Irish backpackers got jobs there passing through because they had the accent. (and they could do the job I guess) One day I said to one of these young Irish guys, ” I wish I could do a really good Irish accent.” To which he replied, “Oy just wish oy could say Tersdee da terd.” Yes everyone. Today is Tersdee da terd, in Ireland in particular. So why not let your friends know what day it is. Dave Blaine. If you are back in your native land of the USA, it’s coming to you tomorrow. You can then inform your friends what day it is. And remember the Irish greeting ‘Top of the morning to you’ is supposed to be responded to with, ‘And the rest of the day to yourself.’ At least that’s what I understand. Here’s to the beloved Irish.
What is that? It’s a bit of sun? Off to the container mid morning. Have left the car battery on charge over night. Charged the jump start pack yesterday.
Late morning off to the container to firstly, dump stuff we have gleaned from the van to lighten the load. Secondly to put the flat (8.5Volts) battery back in the car in the container. It is now an established fact it will not charge up, we do not want a new battery for at least 1.5 years and so we will be jumper lead starting it when we want to move it. The jump pack will not be big enough to do the job.
I cut aluminium strips and drill and fit them to the ramps. The idea I may have mentioned before is that I have to get a dangerous run up to reverse into the container because if I do it slowly, I can spin the ramps out as they are metal on bitumen and the grip of the rubber wheel causes them to slide. So with these aluminium strips bolted to the ramp and screwed to the wooden floor of the container means I will be able to slowly reverse in carefully.
Anyway, its ready for the next visit in a week or so.
On to old mate Des’s a little further north as we have been invited to a lunch BBQ. I apologize for being 40 minutes late and he casually said, ‘That’s OK. I was expecting 1.5 hours late.’ We have known each other a LONG time. It seems I have a rep. Known a LONG time? Our parents knew each other before we were born. Des completed his house renovation/upgrade/rehash within or right on the one year planned. It was a good house to start with and just not that old. However, there were a few dodgy things, (quite a few) plus he wanted it low, low maintenance, so now even though a big house, it is manageable.
Now Des is a fine chap but has a positive fault or rather idiosyncrasy. Hospitality/generosity. When the meat and accompaniments came out, the first thing I said was, ‘Who else is coming?’ Nope just the three of us. Sausages rissole/patties etc plus these huge Fillet Mignons! You probably know it’s tender fillet, these about 100mm diameter by 30mm high, wrapped with bacon and topped with an exotic sauce, further enhanced with garlic butter and with a standby mushroom sauce to be used on any or all other ‘yums’ on the plate, which included baked potato slices in butter and cheese. One look at the fillet and I was full.
We did the meal justice. A good time was had by all and we were sent home with enough food to last us for days. We bid farewell and drove from the plateau parking area out the finely manicured shrub driveway happy and content but knowing we will not be able to eat again for at least two days.
Too late and over fed to visit the Adelaide Rowing Club for its Thursday night chat and beer. So home to rest our stomachs.
A glass of wine (or two) a movie (another try to finish ‘The Equalizer’ -failed) and to bed. I hope no Real Estate nightmares again. Terrifying!!
Not a lot to report on when not travelling.
Itching to get going but things to do first.
Oh well. Be bored. There’s a lot to be said for not having to think.
Cheers.
Friday, 4th December 2020
Bruce has to address the battery/solar/12 volt issue he or his caravan currently is experiencing.
The battery below has ‘Fusion’ on it. But it is not a Fusion battery. It is a ‘Naughty’ battery. It is bulging sides and top and only puts out I think about 10.5 volts. To modify a Monty Python quote, ‘It’s not the van power source. It’s a very naughty battery.’
To explain voltage of deep cycle batteries, here is a sticker on one of my ‘Thumper’ batteries. incase you cannot see, it describes, 12.7volts is 100% (charge), 12.5volts is just 80%, 12.2volts is just 50% and … dear oh dear, 10.5 is Flat. I won’t test it but I would say based on the first three that Flat would be about 11.5volts.
Evening meal is finished with the magnificent Mango.
I spend the morning googling naughty batteries and nice ones with regulators. Fascinating, if you are easily amused.
Friday lunch is at the port. This is a market building used either twice a week or twice a month. Either way, what a waste of a magnificent structure.
Lunch at The Lighthouse Wharf.
It’s my beer. But it’s not a pose. She felt like a mouthful to quench.
Fish and chips. Crumbed.
We improve the dignity of the establishment with our presence. i.e. I wore a polo top instead of my usual ‘T’ shirt.
The light of my life with the light of Port Adelaide.
Now I fluke a seagull and the Torres Strait Islander flag in one shot.
I am not meaning to be rude or crude, but I will describe what I thought when I first saw this flag years ago. I asked what the flag was and was told it was Torres Strait Islander flag. At that time no one new what the design meant. I said, ‘Well it looks like a man bending over naked and viewed from the back and the star has been placed to censor it.’ Now tell me I’m wrong. Doesn’t it look like that?
I can remember the ‘Yelta’ as a working tugboat when I rowed on the Port River back in the 70’s.
Now it’s a museum. A locked museum when we looked.
On to Battery World to look at batteries (they must be nice ones) and regulators with my new found knowledge of same. (a bit limited)
They had ‘Intimidators.’ Would they be as good as my Thumpers? Do all deep cycle batteries have to be so aggressively named? How about ‘Sparky’ or ‘zingee?’
The advice we got was a little ‘thin.’
How better to compliment a hard afternoons battery researching than with an ice cream at Semaphore.
Bruce and partner decide to go for a walk on the beach. And I quote when I say, ‘Back in ten minutes.’ Me thinks, it will take five minutes to walk to the beach and five minutes to walk back. So the only way to be back in ten minutes is to not do a walk on the beach. Never mind. It is a pure of heart exercise. I guess that’s the summary in that statement. It is exercise for the heart.
Anyway, there are all sorts of things to look at including this impressive chap in the corner of the Al Fresco Café we are in. The photo doesn’t do him justice. His head is massive and I really would have liked to run the tape measure over the width of his tongue. It looked like something to mop a floor with.
We had time to kill due to the walkers. I didn’t know at the time I had 35 minutes to kill. So I go over and pass comment to the owner on the magnificent hound. I am told he is a ‘Bauble’ and he is South African. I return to our table and google. After three or four more reshuffled and swapped letters with extra info, I find he is a Boerboel’.
N.B. The Boerboel, is a large, mastiff-type dog from South Africa with a black mask and a short coat. This dog breed is large with a strong bone structure and well developed muscles. Its head appears blocky with a short length between the stop and nose. Life expectancy: 10 – 12 years, Origin: South Africa Temperament: Obedient, Intelligent, Confident, Dominant, Territorial
Weight: Male: 65–90 kg, Female: 50–65 kg Colors: Black, Brindle, Piebald, Fawn, Cream, Mahogany, Brown, Red Height: Male: 64–70 cm, Female: 59–65 cm (Wikipedia)
Should I get a Bullmastiff or Boerboel? Bull mastiffs often don’t like other dogs, but they’re usually good with kids. … These two dogs resemble each other, although the boerboel has a more square head than the bull mastiff. Boerboel simply means “farm dog” in Afrikaans. The breed is also known as the South African boerboel.
I never got his name but he is a good ‘mut.’
I took this for old time sake. I used to do ‘Traffic Menace of the Month’ in Dili, East Timor. Turns out you don’t have to go all that way to get a bad parker.
Home for showers and … oh please…. no more food! Couple of drinks, a film. ‘Alien 3’. Always nice to view something nice and light before bed.
Worst it can do is cause me to have a nightmare. That’s OK. As long as it’s not Real Estate.
I wake to light rain and overcast with some wind. What is this? The FIRST DAY of Winter? Overcast, wind, cool, more wind … and wind.
Checked the battery for the car in the container to see if the charge held and … no. Down to 8.5 volts. Need another charge but this time to see how long it holds. Last time it took 3 days to drop. If it will hold for a day, it may still have enough charge to start… and hang on. I have a self contained jump start kit.
Clean out day. We take most of the day to go through all goodies under the bed and bathroom cupboards. The back seat of the car now holds all those items destined to the container. More to go. We have to do the front and tunnel boot.
The landlord has spent the day ‘working’ (?) and now has a contract. Well done. I used to ‘work.’
We are off to Buddha’s Kitchen to meet G & J. A great evening that went on to a venue I think with the word ‘sail’ in the title, for coffees. It was also holding a quiz night and they had decided to ask only unanswerable questions, although we did manage to fluke one or two. Well, mine was a fluke.
The evening ends with another discovery. The second breathalyzer we bought in Alice Springs that I now keep in the glove box doesn’t work, although it worked perfectly last Sunday. So what do I mean by ‘didn’t work’? Anne was already in the drivers seat because I expected to blow a little over. Just a little because we had a break and gone for coffee. I thought maybe .06 or .065. I read something like .6? So I tried it again and got something like .75. I said to Anne, ‘According to this, I now have about 3/4 pure alcohol in my veins.’ It started ridiculously high then accelerated with every test. I said, ‘I better not do it gain. I might die.’
Home. I didn’t die. There was a scrap of Port in the bottle so had it and fought the urge to get a new bottle from the car.
To bed, perchance to dream? Not like the other night when I had a nightmare. This is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me god. I dreamed (nightmare’d) I was still in Real Estate. (!!??!) I dreamed I had signed someone up for an auction, but either forgot to OR couldn’t bring myself to order s sign or do any open inspections or call the vendors and tell them what was OR was not happening. It was rather realistic and while I felt bad that I had done nothing, I still didn’t make a call to the vendor or do anything because I just didn’t want to do it. So what do you think? Real Estate career well and truly over?
Why is it coming back to me, because I knew that in 2001, nineteen years ago. That is to say, we had been in East Timor for four months and I was lying in bed with Dengue fever. I thought maybe we should pack up and go back to Darwin. Then I thought, ‘No. If we do that I will have to go back into Real Estate.’ It was then I realized I would rather be in Dili with Dengue Fever than be in Real Estate in Australia. Then I KNEW.
Anyway, I think it is because we were in Bruce’s Real Estate environment.
Scary.
Good Night.
Wednesday 2nd December 2020
Up at 7am. Quite cool. Had to put the hoody on, without the hood. Tea, Bicky, I think second day with no new covid cases in SA.
More sorting today. We have to cut weight.
I ended up pulling everything out of the front boot and the tunnel boot to thin out what we didn’t need. We didn’t cut out a lot. However, I reduced the number of visits we would need to do to the tunnel boot by relocating the big pot (for pasta sauce etc ) , the wok and other cooking components to space under the bed made by the clean out. Much easier if it’s raining.
The space in the tunnel (a big plastic box) was then freed to take the big mat for under the awning. but not before cutting in two pieces so for shorter stays we don’t have to pull out the whole mat. For long stays we get both bits and overlap them.
What that did was save us some weight. That is, I had made a checker plate lockable cover for the front tray on the front A frame and that’s where the awning mat was locked up. So without the mat there I removed the cover at I estimate about a 5 kg weight save. Damn! I was quite proud of that cover. It matched the van and looked very professional.
I am guessing we have pulled out approximately 25kg. We will not have to fill the spare 20 litre water jerry can as we have our big tanks. There is a small diesel heater tank on the back of the van, but going into warm to hot weather, I will not need to carry the spare 10 litres of diesel for the heater. So, 25kg we already pulled out, plus 20 kg water plus 10 kg diesel totals 55kg unloaded. Still some to go. We can always balance by not carrying full 160 litres of water (=160 kg) but across the Nullarbor, we will need it.
A classic shot of Anne cleaning inside the tunnel boot at the peak of her enthusiasm.
The landlord was out on business, so we stayed in and did not join them for a meal and a movie.
Tomorrow, we empty the back seat of goods gleaned for the container and visit old mate Des for a BBQ. So we will work morning and relax afternoon.
The cool change is here, for now anyway. Sunday is big breakfast day. Well big for us anyway. Fried egg on a hash brown with grinder salt and pepper, plus fried fritz with Rosella tomato sauce.
N.B. a few points here.
It HAS to be Rosella tomato sauce. because it’s the tastiest. I’m guessing lots of salt and am also led to believe if you want to continue enjoying it, never go to the factory. Mind you that was from my mother over 50 years ago based on a CWA excursion to the factory. So chances are Rosella have whipped themselves into gear since then.
These were ‘McCains’ hash browns. Passable but the ‘Birdseye’ are much better tasting. and they hold together better.
Sun coming and going. Jeans on. (not shorts) Clean up morning.
Comes lunchtime, Bruce and partner and middle daughter and her dog ‘Beau’ are off to Largs for a walk. Do we want to come? OK. We will catch up. We are called and told where their car is parked and where they will be walking. We go past the Palais at Semaphore to the Largs Pier with Kiosk, overshoot and do not spot the car, so our walk turns into a drive along the foreshore all the way to outer harbor, the passenger terminal (was it ever used) and to the entrance of the Yacht Club.
We return, find the car about 200 metres south of the Largs pier and kiosk so park and walk to the kiosk, order a Combination Yiros, get the pager and ‘Can you wait outside please? Covid?’
As we loiter, who approaches from the north but the happy foursome led by Beau at the ready. They order. Food, chat, icecreams, scenery.
A Trike
The building across the road.
Same trke from the back.
You can almost see the old Ford Pick up. Almost.
Two ‘Sportsmen.’ Early models.
Sigrid Thornton in disguise, with excessive sun protection.
The happy bunch …
… from both sides.
Same building as per previous but closer. Her shot. Mine was the distance one.
If you squint, these are sails on surf riders or whatever you call them.
Bloody big dog.
Sea gulls a plenty.
Back to cars, more scenery, home.
The Palais from a distance.
The Palais closer.
The Palais, even closer.
The Palais Entrance.
Other features of the foreshore and Semaphore road.
Old Valiant. Joy and nostalgia.
The Bower Cottages on Bower road. Bit blurred. You get the idea.
Port River going into West Lakes.
Call from Phillip. Are we going to Brenton Parsons 70th Birthday celebration at the Sussex Hotel, Walkerville? Yes. We must.
N.B. Brenton picked up the nickname ‘Snips’ a long time ago. Well he was already Snips when I first met him in 1973.
The core was in the beer garden and we were inside till a few left and the numbers dropped outside. (bloody covid)
Now … Here is a small bunch of people with several I had not seen for over 40 years. They attended this icon of a man’s 70th birthday, we gave him ‘a dozen’ (rowing tradition) talked a little, people left and I took NOT ONE photo!! Idiot.
breathalyzer blows .045. Bit close so Anne drives back to the Villa where the other Ann has created a Fabulous Feast of beef and carrot in succulent juice with potatoes a la peas and spices AND roast chook etc etc etc. Wines, a single but large glass of port and we are home for showers and bed.
Tomorrow the car goes to the auto electrician for the reversing camera.
Also, although I have not raised the flag on the van since we got here, the pole will have to go up and with a different day because, Monday 30th November is St Andrews Day!
Is there no end to the joy.
Cheers.
Monday, 30th November 2020
Up early. Bring the blog up to date and THE FLAG.
The national flag of Scotland is the Saltire. It is made up of a great white cross which spans diagonally across the flag on a blue background. This was the supposed shape of the cross that St. Andrew was put to death on and therefore the flag is also known as the ‘Cross of St.
Considered the unofficial national flag of Scotland, The Lion Rampant historically and legally belongs to a king or queen of Scotland. According to an Act of Parliament passed in 1672, it is an offence to fly this flag, unless on a royal residence or with the permission of the monarch.
Scotland waving Flag
N.B. St. Andrew’s Day. Feast day. Saint Andrew’s Day, also known as Andermas is the feast day of Andrew the Apostle. It is celebrated on 30 November. Saint Andrew’s Day is Scotland’s official national day. It has been a national holiday in Romania since 2015. Wikipedia Date: Monday, 30 November 2020. Celebrations: Bank holiday (in Scotland)
It’s St Andrew’s Day on the 30 November. He is the patron saint of Scotland. He is also the patron saint of Romania, Greece, Russia, Ukraine and Poland. Patron saints are chosen to be special protectors or guardians over things.
So, St Andrews was a very busy chappy.
Aiming for 8.30am at Roxen Auto Electrical, 388 Grand Junction Road, Mansfield Park, 8244 0244, ‘John’ near the corner of Hanson road but there is no approach/parking on GJ Road , so turn South onto Hanson Road, then first left then left again. We are approaching from 163 GJ Road so it is a mere 3 minutes.Yep. That easy.
We went from a ‘Can you put on a new reversing camera and monitor to alt 1 then alt 2 then down to, ‘can you fix this one?’ I think it was all just too hard and complicated. So we drove out 20 minutes later just as we had driven in.
Back home for something more constructive. Breakfast. A drive with the landlord to a shopping centre Port Road, with a Standom Smallgoods and a reasonable buy up of exotic meats, followed by a Coles then a coffee and toasted sandwich shop.
You can always spot an Asian Store.
Two Fat Chooks
Foodie Boy Asian Kitchen
A Torana SL!!
And yes! Bunnings for a return and NO sausage sandwich. Only weekends. Bummer.
Home. Washing serious as in bed day. Also tinkering and time to play with Bruces new UHF walkie talkies and my oldest set (about 10 to 12 years from Dick Smiths) which I think are just HF or something incompatible with UHF.
Anyway, the Dick smiths won’t talk to Bruce’s or my car UHF CB, from hereon known as ‘the truck’ for simplicity.
Now some luck with an old set of MotorolaT5419 Walkabouts I got cheap at an op shop in Peterborough. They will talk to the truck both ways, but they will only receive from Bruce’s but not send. Here is where we had to go to school. When all else fails, read the instructions and also google.
Anyway, we are currently learning about CTCSS and DCS. Also the op shop Motorola’s manual refers to Interference Eliminator Code. Anyway, see how we go tomorrow.
Tonight chicken Schnitzels from Standom Smallgoods roasted seasoned potato cubes, carrot and broccoli, plus fresh pineapple dessert and adults red processed grape juice.
Half way through ‘The Equalizer’ but switched off for continuation tomorrow night.
A call from Ken to touch base. We cover all sorts of subjects including combination weights of both car and van. Interesting discussion to be continued.
We do what we have to do till 1pm then go into ‘Friday’ mode.
Lunch at the Birkenhead Tavern. Normally chockablock but now lots of space between limited tables and we are the second sitting. First was 12 to 1.30pm and we are 1.30 to 3pm.
Chicken Parmi just $19 with the seniors 20% off. Steve W was the booking agent and organizer for the day. It was a pleasant day when I could drive home. (!??) One light beer and one red wine with a small top up over nearly 3 hours. Home with scenery along the way. At the port so most scenery is nautical.
Quiet night. The usual. Film? Pixels.
Cheers.
Saturday, 28th November 2020.
Again supposed to be 40 degrees ish today or near.
A trip to Bunnings for all sorts. A strip of metal and bolts for me to stabilize the ramps for the container and Bruce goes for a base for his new (to him) clothes line.
Also, masks, Yiros, Vietnamese veg cakes and coffee.
Home. Bruce is off to an open inspection. Some of us still work.
Various stuff on the computer etc. Anne had a good break from me and stayed inside to watch TV while I held the fort (van)
Evening meal is our turn. Healthy so did a top notch salad with all sorts including capers and goat feta but not the walnuts and Meredith Park goat cheese I requested. Also a hot spud for all participants and heaps on smoke salmon. The sauce was a creamy concoction with wasabi. The red wine worked with it.
Films were Robin Hood Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner and others including Morgan Freeman and also, by flicking we covered Skyfall.
Up late-ish 8.15am. On the computer. My master up at 8.45am. Visiting someone and something today, amongst other things.
Late start but we visit Robin and Jenny. We go a different way. A short cut, which requires a 90 degree turn and a ‘U’ turn of about 3 kms. We finally arrive and are treated like undernourished royalty. The platter never emptied. They keep a diverse selection of birds and gazing out the window, Anne says, ‘I think one has got out of the cage.’ The reply is, ‘No. That is the captain. He is wild but drops in to say hello to the others’. The obvious question,’ Why, ‘captain?’ and the response, ‘Because he always lands there on the boat.’ Makes sense.
We get onto the subject of walkie talkies. So Robin shows me the smallest ever set. They are for kids but actually work.
Chat, chat, chat but must move on to the container. We dump two small boxes of quickly chosen ‘we don’t need them’ items and pick up the battery from the stored car and battery charger. The car will have to be moved to get to other things we want but the flat battery will have to be charged to get the car mobile. While there, I look and plan a method to anchor the ramps to the container as the front wheel drive has an annoying habit of spinning the ramps out at the crucial moment if you drive up slowly.
The unfortunate alternative is to take a run up, but seeing as how there is about 200mm left right front and back, it is a nerve racking experience. I have only done it once and if was a pure fluke, and I know it. Anyway, I have a cunning plan.
Takeaway to home for a quick and easy. Landlord is heading to the beach for exercise. We are heading to the shower.
They return. Red wine.
This is a slow, maintenance period of unspectacular odds and ends. Hang in there. We will hit the road again.
Good night.
góða nótt
(Icelandic)
It doesn’t sound anything like you would expect. Google up the translation.
If you haven’t been to Iceland, firstly, ‘GO!’ It’s amazing. Secondly a handicap is you cannot say, I went to Granada or Lisbon or St Andrews because you can’t pronounce the names of the towns. e.g. Svalbarasstrandrahrepper or Neskaupstadur. I skipped the accents over the letters. Look at Good Night translation and use your imagination. But go there! Eat horse. It’s every bit as good as beef. I wouldn’t do the putrefied shark though. I have heard not one good word about it. I will happily try something psychologically uncomfortable as long as it tastes OK. Rotten, ammonia stinking, foul shark. Now where’s the joy in that?
Cheers.
Thursday, 26th November 2020
Well I’ll be! Another late start. Me about 8am ish. She? 8.50am and only inaudible noises that I believe, started as a word but by the time it got to me was …. well, an ‘inaudible noise.’
Charge battery today and look for a piece of metal for the ramps. Didn’t charge the battery and didn’t look for metal. That gives a hint of how the day went.
Cleared the Post Box, restocked the red grape juice and had a coffee and toasted ham and cheese sandwich at the North Adelaide bakery.
Looked at places for a hair cut for Ann. All around $50. Ended up at Arndale shopping centre and managed supermarket shopping and a $33 hair cut. Home for showers.
At 5pm ish, I empty the back seat and we are all off to ‘The Villa’, that is Phillip and Ann’s place in Ovingham.
The three ladies stay at the Villa and share an Oyster Bay bubbly. We three chaps are off to Adelaide Rowing Club for a beer as the usual Adelaide University Boat Club is closed due to covid.
About to leave, we call the famous Rose Garden and order take away Thai. We pick up and take home to the three other hungry people. Fab meal. Good drinks.
Now this dy had lots of nice pics to be had, including River Torrens etc. Now The question is, why didn’t I take any? Derrr. I forgot.
Overcast and just 24 degrees. Not so bad. Late start. 9am and still no movement from the other end of the house. (van)
Another lazy morning. Friend Fi Oakes, ex-Dili now of Huddersfield or specifically Marsden to be accurate. saw some ‘mockups’ I posted from 2011 and thought it was a ‘thing’ I do regularly. Well I do it every 9 years apparently. Anyway she fancied one so I whipped this up and posted it.
We stayed with her last year for a few nights and had a great time.
Anyway, I had to remember how to do it and with a little stuffing around and a few hours, it was done. FYI The hardest thing is to come up with the direction real person is looking and their disposition as in happy, solemn etc. Colouring is a question mark but I can usually change the colour. Not my best work but not half bad. That’s what took late morning and early afternoon.
The landlords were out and it is very windy, so we decide against a self hair cut outside the van and are off to Arndale Shopping centre for a cheap Chinese hair cut. $12. Then coffee, then cheap Chinese neck and shoulder massage, $25. Massage was twice the cost of the hair cut but four times the time. so, technically the massage was double the value. Hair 5 minutes, Massage 20 minutes.
Home. Showers, left over chicken and salad, drinks, Arnie movie The Last Stand. Done.
Oyasumi
(Good Night – Japanese)
Tuesday, 24th November 2020
ANOTHER lazy morning. Up at 8.20am. Still at the computer 10.30am. Breakfast at 11.15am.
Should ‘de-slack’ today and do some serious stuff.
Had a hands on look at the broken tail light. Tricky one to doctor. Have heard there is a kit that can be purchased. Two car places and no such thing except for a kit to do a chip in the windscreen.
So I go home with a tube of silicone and a fuel additive to clean injectors.
On the way home, we saw three jet trails I thought too close together. I know there are big spaces between usually but this looked just wrong.
Indian chicken Korma cooked by dynamic Anne, some white and red as well as port while we watch ‘Paul’ then dream time.
Saturday, 21st (covid lockdown Day 3) & Sunday 22nd November 2020
Overcast and predicted 38 degrees. The perfect day to be outside? I think not.
We have planned a bit of a work day today. just a ‘gnats’ too hasty me thinks to work on a mongrel day of 38 degrees? Nup. No ‘workies’ outside today.
Play with the computer in the air cond, the ladies did what ever, had lunch, the Landlord had an appointment re auction. We reconvene for evening meal and The Da Vinci Code. Asleep in the chair. Day over. How slack.
Sunday, 22nd November 2020 (1st Day after end of Lock Down)
We wake, out of lockdown.
I am copying files to two back up drives. That is because when we take off again I want one complete set left in Adelaide ‘just in case.’ This is not a quick or easy process.
10.30am I call and yes, the pub is open. Yes you can book for four. No you can’t book for 12.30pm. There are two sittings. 11.45am to 1.15pm or 1.30 pm to 3pm. 11.45am please. So we finally meet the Webbers for the first time since March at the Arab Steed and enjoy eating to excess with just two Guinness’s.
Marching orders 1.15pm so we march (drive) to Bocelli Caffe Ristorante about 5 blocks down also on Hutt Street for one more drink, cake and coffee. Excellent afternoon then home about 4.45pm. In transit we call the landlord and they will be home in about an hour, so we go to the local Chicken shop and buy a big roast chook cut into eight and a medium chips enough for 8 people.
Food, talk, lounge for big screen action. Best is John Wick but doesn’t start till 10pm, so I get my copy and we watch it at 8pm instead.
Bed. Sleep.
We will have to hit the road soon for a change of scenery and description. This is getting as boring as facebook.
Dasvidaniya.
(N.B. Dasvidaniya in Russian means goodbye. Dasvidaniya is actually two words, not one: до (until) and свида́ния (meeting / date).)
We wake in the lockdown. It’s not quite prison, although I have never been in prison. I have visited in prison but not as a fully fledge member of the club.
A very easy morning and the landlord has made lunch which is serious leftovers of the birthday party meal which was Filipino Chicken Adobo. Very tasty and including my favorite food group, potatoes. Well do you know how many different types of potatoes there are? They deserve their own group.
I bring to the inner sanctum and its big screen (70 or 80 something inches) a memory stick full of MY premium/first choice movies of which a hand full do not work and have the ending .avi The non workers include RED and Mr Right.
No end of tweeking will make them happy.
Bruce opens two new birthday presents that appeared on the front door step thanks to ebay. A tyre pressure monitor with 6 sensors for car and single axel van. Second, a rear view camera for the back of his van.
We watch RED 2 but should have watched the original RED first for the flow.
Evening meal should be light so we have pumpkin soup. However, we added buttered toast and left over pizza followed by birthday cake and … don’t forget the cheese and bickies with grapes and almonds. Yes light. (sort of)
For the evening, we watch Monuments Men and part of ‘Bedazzled.’ The 1965 version with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore but, snuff the film third way through because it is 10pm and ‘more mature’ people need more sleep, besides a couple of beers, a bottle of red and a couple of small ports will promote snoozing.
Till tomorrow.
Friday, 20th November.
I wake and to quote Elwood Blues, I was ‘on a mission from God.’
Googling ‘convert avi to mp4’ gives me a few possibles. I download one and put both RED and Mr Right in it and push the button. I have other things to do luckily because about an hour later, it finishes. Problem. RED has no sound. The program prompts me and I change settings with a good result.
However I have not tried it on ‘the big screen’ so we shall wait till lunch time which is rapidly approaching.
Lunch is hamburgers from my lovely with a few exotic additions including her home made salsa and avocado amongst other things.
Yes. The movie Red works well and is enjoyed. The day progresses in a lazy fashion and we also watch Jeremiah Johnson and Mr Right as we finish another delicious Filipino Chicken dish only this time it’s Chicken Caldereta.
Jan 18, 2020 — Ingredients. 1 (3 to 4 pounds) whole chicken, cut into serving parts. ½ cup pineapple juice. ¼ cup soy sauce. salt and pepper to taste. ¼ cup canola oil. 2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered. 1 large carrot, peeled and cut diagonally in a bias into ½-inch thick.
Another pleasant evening with all the usual refreshments and another 10pm turn in.
N.B. Now we have the news the lockdown ends at midnight Saturday. We also know the lockdown was caused by one scum sucking, lying sod. He worked at the pizza place but didn’t want to say. So he said he caught the virus just picking up a pizza. Relying on this to be the truth, the authorities thought they had a new super strain of virus that could live on cardboard and QUITE RIGHTFULLY hit the panic button.
One might say, ‘This poor chap just panicked and told a little lie because he didn’t want to get found out.’
This ‘waste of space’ idiot cost people jobs, closed businesses and crippled the state. And all this when we were in a NINE MONTH RECOVERY.
A quick hanging would be good, but that doesn’t happen any more. (More’s the pity) However unless we want this to happen again, this twat must learn the meaning of ‘consequence.’ He must be made to suffer as we all have.
Top definition. pussitude. The attitude of someone being a pussy… this word is derived from the words pussy and attitude. Pussy + attitude = pussitude\
Attack this guy with ‘pussitude’ and the problem will be here forever AND never take ‘I no understand’ for an answer. If he or she, can work at a hotel, work at a pizza bar, drive a car and pay for a house whether own or rent, ‘he understand.’
Morning was domestic. (bliss?) Lunch time was an on mass all four of us off to a shopping centre near by in Port Adelaide. A ‘Take Away’ covid hot spot had previously been declared in the suburb and although we are well removed from that spot, we choose to wear masks. It is my first experience wearing one and I am thinking laterally. I soon find decorative masks such as the Aussie flag etc. are hard to find (we didn’t find) and anything past the plain 50cent mask is expensive and high maintenance. i.e. they have filters and they must be washed regularly. As opposed to 50cents and toss is a better option.
Underpants and socks (I am a size 7 to 8 and the range on the pack is size 6 to 10 so I buy a pack of the expensive bamboo ‘spiffies.’
Coffee, nibbles home. We wash our purchases and the socks are perfect … for anyone size 9 or above. Next time I will play bogan. I will pull the pack apart in the store and measure it on my foot. Uncouth you think? I now have five pairs of very expensive and un-wearable socks, but I am ‘couth.’
Lazy night.
Ba Toba
(“Go to sleep” in Dili Tetum although having said it for 18 years I have never written it down. It may have an ‘r’ on the end.)
Wednesday 18th November 2020
What a day. Full of twists and turns. I have fasted for my blood test and am running on water. It was good as water goes but by now I have usually had a cup of tea with a scotch finger biscuit followed by breakfast of either muesli, fruit and yoghurt or egg on toast. Not today. Just water.
So we see the clinic we usually go to in Ward Street North Adelaide is not listed but 262 Melbourne Street North Adelaide is. I call on the free number (for Australia) and am told Melbourne Street is open from 8am. OK. Open. I am sure it would be at the city end but we go to the ‘burbs’ end to make sure we do not miss it. It is at the city end.
We wait patiently for the guy to pull out of the only park for miles (kilometres). It is not a park. He was there illegally. Guy behind is council. He lets me have his park because I guess he can park on the Adelaide oval if he wants, Thanks good council worker. (There you go. There is one.)
They are closed. So … so far the photo of this Fichus tree out the front is the most successful event of the morning. Glad I phoned up. (!!??)
Bugger this. Let’s check out the usual Ward Street. There it is! It IS open.
In we go. Turns out it is a cunningly named clinic the same as the Melbourne Street only different.
‘Is this the same clinic brand as Melbourne Street?’ No.
‘If I use you is there any problem with the doctor?’ No.
‘Can you take my blood?’ Yes.
So finished there, around the corner to NHSA to pick up scripts.
While waiting, I spot this product. I hold it up and ask, ‘How long before it starts working?’ Two out of the three staff laugh out loud. 66% success isn’t bad for me.
This is the Pharmacy mascot. I didn’t know they had to have them.
A bit of street art. They are prints stuck to the wall and they are excellent. They are around town.
We cross the road to the Commonwealth bank and …. it’s gone!? Closest one Northpark. So first the North Adelaide Bakery for coffee and we share one of the best ham and cheese toasted sandwiches in town.
We are pulled up at the lights and a bus pulls up. The camera focuses on my dirty window and not the sticker on the bus window. Another reason for washing them I guess. FYI the sticker on the drivers window of the bus reads …
‘Do NOT enter bus through window.’ I wonder how many misguided people it took before they decided it was necessary for that sign?
Northpark. A small eatery has not only opened on the outer wall of the centre but obviously has also secured the right to encroach on the car park. Maybe they score high with their name. ‘Little Eataly’ as opposed to Little Italy. Me personally …. it better be bloody good food to get me to sit in the car park under the banner EATALY.
This little old blind lady was sitting at the entrance with her cane in a precarious position across the path of many. I was toying with the idea of giving her a couple of bucks when I realized she had only paused her tirade which included ‘the swinging of the stick’ and a lot of load ranting. In the mean time the security guards were on the phone. I guess even security guards have to be careful with how they handle a female, blind, nutter to the satisfaction of all the do-gooders. I do apologise for lack of video. It was spectacular but I just wasn’t quick enough. By the time we left, she had gone, presumably removed. The photo below was the calm between rants.
Oh. I didn’t give her the two bucks.
Running very late to drop into the container then on to mate Des to check out his renovations and have a good chat after a long break away. So late we skip the container and go straight to Des’s. We will go to the container on the way home.
Des’s dog was born in Loxton at Rick and Di’s place. Both Des and I were at the birth and while Rick handled the delivery, I am proud to say I assisted.
He was given a name at birth but was renamed ‘Puppea’ by his master. By the way, he is a Cornish Terrier.
It would be ridiculous to try and show what Des has done since he bought the place a year or so ago. Four garages, shade houses, multilevel stairs BUT above all, the very clever theme of minimum maintenance to compensate for a long hard working life.
Having now more or less finished the house, on to his stage two of retirement. Buried under these covers and a bit of junk is a Lincoln Continental, I think around 1970. A bit worse for wear but generally fully contained and in running order, this magnificent old beast is looking for a good retired motor mechanic. Now what a coincidence. Des qualifies across the board! P.S. The Lincoln is not alone.
Now the visit was limited and marred. As we pulled into the drive way, I get an sms from Loxton to say, ‘Turn on the TV.’ We didn’t but then the phone rang and all notices were the same. LOCK DOWN from midnight.
So our planned long and relaxed visit got shortened to about 1.5 hours. Bummer. We left, skipping the container and heading for the only two supplies we were short on.
First Diesel. Done. Second, we had let the meat run down as we do from time to time. We freeze all but like to replace it regularly, so we were down to about 10 sausages two chops, a kilo of sausage meat and a haggis. No. Two.
The meat was a one hour line up and a limited choice. Technically, I could go out the next day and buy it, but we wanted to stick to the lock down and while we could go out, we didn’t want to.
Now, we are very lucky, Des, Rick and Ken all immediately offered to accommodate us with van space for the six days. We were very grateful. All three would have been ideal places. However, while all three had there unique advantages, and we appreciated that, the fact that we were already off the road and it was I think around 4pm, there would have been a lot to tidy up, pack up, hitch up and travel to, to relocate.
So as we were temporarily camping at friend Bruce’s place till we could take off on a Robe jaunt with friends, it seemed the less stressful and straight forward to stay put. The logic was, even though we had been sharing facilities, we took the following attitude. The authorities want everyone to ‘stay home’ to isolate virus if any, within that house hold. If we had been boarding at Bruce’s, this would be our home. OK, so we’re living in the ‘flat’ out the back, but we have been ‘boarding’ there.
So we stayed.
Bad news. Bruce’s Birthday party of 10 went down to four. Good news. At least he had four. By the way, Bruce is not short of food or drinks. He had catered for 10 people.
Cake…. good one as well.
Had to make do for a candle so my fire lighter covered that.
We had a birthday party and had a good time as the clock ticked towards midnight.
Did ‘things’ in the morning, then off to town for a few chores.
Clear the post box on the way in. There was a degree of trauma involved in this simple exercise. Anne comes running. ‘The key is stuck in the lock!’ The fix included a postal lady with blue gloves, a screw driver and WD40.
Of course we all know most problems can be fixed with Duct Tape or WD40. If it moves and it shouldn’t, use the Duct Tape. If it should move and it doesn’t, use the WD40.
We get a park for one hour at $5.40. I notice motor bikes can apparently park on the footpath for FREE. So is that fair? I say NO. So why not charge the bikes and lower the price of parking? End up collecting the same. Everyone wins. (except the bike riders)
Then we went on to the camera store that got me a quote to fix our K5 Pentax camera. It is all but new and it stopped working. It can be fixed but it will cost about $600, but it will then be worth double that.
So anyone who wants a damn good camera cheap, let me know.
However, it’s not worth us fixing it.We already have two cameras. So, for us it would be a spare until one of the other two cameras dies. So if it takes 6 years for one of ours to die, then the K5 may only be worth $300 by then. So we would have spent $600 for a $300 camera.
Also I was after a lens, but it was not available.
So this was a waste of time except the shop is next to the Haighs chocolates shop. One of us loves Haighs. Use your imagination.
Next down Regent Arcade, past the sealed entrance to the down stairs old tea rooms …
… to the Adelaide Hatters because I heard a rumour.
It’s true. This is a Carlos Santana hat with his symbol on the band. However, I’m still holding three hats so I didn’t buy it.
Back to North Adelaide for a coffee at the NA Bakery.
Then heading home, I spot this. It is electric, but like a mini ‘Chopper’ it has a fat rear and narrow front wheel with front sloping forks. (and pedals!)
Home to shower and change then back to North Adelaide for a 75% girls dinner. I’m the other 25%. We meet Liz at Tania’s place. Tania cooks up a storm with tasty herb roast chicken, egg plant, fresh asparagus and cream potato. Also, white bubbles, Shiraz bubbles, Shiraz without bubbles and port, also without bubbles.
The night was laughs, good memories, bad news regarding others and discussion on how we are effected by the new covid outbreak in Adelaide, plus, plus, plus. A good time was had by all. This was a reunion of ex dili-ites and I didn’t take one photo. Bummer.
Home, perchance to dream, to snore, to nightmare, to toss and turn, or a bit of all or part thereof.
Lucky we did pack early yesterday because we are late starters. We tend to drag our rear ends. Never the less, we pull out from Levi Park a mere 45 minutes late. straight to our new ‘secret’ park.
That night we are invited to attend a triple purpose social get together. First, a Filipino fun night including dancing and …. what is that thing where a bunch of people line up 7 across and 7 rows deep, go through a repetitive step system to Nutbush City Limits until it stops? (not me by the way).
Second a Halloween night. N.B. Apparently Filipinos have a different Halloween night.
Third, friend Bruce’s birthday. Age? Getting up there with the rest of us. Celebrated with three others on the night.
Eats, drinks, home bed, sleep.
Sunday, 15th November 2020
Slow, slow morning. Spent the afternoon watching a plumbing repair exercise punctuated with a few beers.
Just the sort of day I love. Slow and uneventful.
Home, then …..
News!! Covid outbreak in Adelaide. Northern side. Apparently an outbreak from a worker at an isolation/quarantine hotel.
JUST HOW BLOODY STUPID can an individual be? After all we have been through, a worker in a very high, high risk environment drops the ball. It should be treated as a criminal act.
Twats, twats twats.
We had family coming from Perth for Christmas and then we were going to go across the Nullarbor. We have been waiting since March and now had a hope.
The only hope is if they clean it up Mucho Pronto in 24 hours and we get our credibility back.
Rainy morning. A little pottering around. Multi-skilled Mick is doing scones. They arrive at 11am and we hop in. Fabulous! Combinations of conventional strawberry jam and whipped cream, steamed fruit etc etc. We decide to call this lunch and return to the vans at 1pm.
A bit wet. Just a bit of drizzle from time to time. I have a doctors appointment Friday morning at 10.10am and lunch at 12.30pm so we get a start on packing up as we are pulling out of Levi Saturday morning.
Main, full length side shade and end shade down and folded. Chairs and tables packed in the tub of the car also with the shades as they are not quite dry yet. That will do for today.
Started the sorting of paper work. That lasted 5 minutes. Not the worst job, To me it’s just short of unblocking a toilet.
Off to ‘The Villa’ (Phillip and Ann’s house). The two ladies, Ann and Anne, stay with a bottle of bubbly Shiraz and we, ‘the boys’ Head for the usual Thursday night haunt AUBC. (Adelaide University Boat Club.) It’s a well supported club bar ran by popular man about town (or part of town mainly between the River Torrens and St Peters) Brenton Parsons, better know by closer friends and colleagues as ‘Snips’ and hence the reason it is called ‘Snips Bar.’
I, with the driving short straw have my two light beers and Phillip two not so light drinks. When your driving, it’s amazing how you can stretch out a drink Roughly, two drinks for an hour and a half.
Back for a scrumptious evening meal prepared by Ann (without an ‘e’) complimented by a couple of Shiraz and a visit to the Port Barrel, which means I lose a stripe and am demoted from driver to navigator and that’s only if the GPS fails.
Home. Shower. TV. Bed. Sleep.
Friday, 13th November 2020.
Unlucky for some? Load of crap. We maybe stub a toe or scratch a finger or stumble on a raised paver every day, but if it happens on Friday 13th, it was the dark forces. Two words. ‘GROW UP.’
Here is far too much information on the dribble date…
“Long considered a harbinger of bad luck, Friday the 13th has inspired a late 19th-century secret society, an early 20th-century novel, a horror film franchise and not one but two unwieldy terms—paraskavedekatriaphobia and friggatriskaidekaphobia—that describe fear of this supposedly unlucky day.
The Fear of 13 …
Just like walking under a ladder, crossing paths with a black cat or breaking a mirror, many people hold fast to the belief that Friday the 13th brings bad luck. Though it’s uncertain exactly when this particular tradition began, negative superstitions have swirled around the number 13 for centuries.
While Western cultures have historically associated the number 12 with completeness (there are 12 days of Christmas, 12 months and zodiac signs, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 gods of Olympus and 12 tribes of Israel, just to name a few examples), its successor 13 has a long history as a sign of bad luck.
The ancient Code of Hammurabi, for example, reportedly omitted a 13th law from its list of legal rules. Though this was probably a clerical error, superstitious people sometimes point to this as proof of 13’s longstanding negative associations.
Fear of the number 13 has even earned a psychological term: triskaidekaphobia.
Why is Friday the 13th Unlucky?
According to biblical tradition, 13 guests attended the Last Supper, held on Maundy Thursday, including Jesus and his 12 apostles (one of whom, Judas, betrayed him). The next day, of course, was Good Friday, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.
Though Friday’s negative associations are weaker, some have suggested they also have roots in Christian tradition: Just as Jesus was crucified on a Friday, Friday was also said to be the day Eve gave Adam the fateful apple from the Tree of Knowledge, as well as the day Cain killed his brother, Abel.
The Thirteen Club
In the late-19th century, a New Yorker named Captain William Fowler (1827-1897) sought to remove the enduring stigma surrounding the number 13—and particularly the unwritten rule about not having 13 guests at a dinner table—by founding an exclusive society called the Thirteen Club.
The group dined regularly on the 13th day of the month in room 13 of the Knickerbocker Cottage, a popular watering hole Fowler owned from 1863 to 1883. Before sitting down for a 13-course dinner, members would pass beneath a ladder and a banner reading “Morituri te Salutamus,” Latin for “Those of us who are about to die salute you.”
An important milestone in the history of the Friday the 13th legend in particular (not just the number 13) occurred in 1907, with the publication of the novel Friday, the Thirteenth written by Thomas William Lawson.
The book told the story of a New York City stockbroker who plays on superstitions about the date to create chaos on Wall Street, and make a killing on the market.
The horror movie Friday the 13th, released in 1980, introduced the world to a hockey mask-wearing killer named Jason, and is perhaps the best-known example of the famous superstition in pop culture history. The movie spawned multiple sequels, as well as comic books, novellas, video games, related merchandise and countless terrifying Halloween costumes.
He doesn’t look ‘A happy chappy.’
All sorts of negative vibes in this display.
What bad things happened on Friday 13th?
On Friday, October 13, 1307, officers of King Philip IV of France arrested hundreds of the Knights Templar, a powerful religious and military order formed in the 12th century for the defense of the Holy Land.
Imprisoned on charges of various illegal behaviors (but really because the king wanted access to their financial resources), many Templars were later executed. Some cite the link with the Templars as the origin of the Friday the 13th superstition, but like many legends involving the Templars and their history, the truth remains murky.
In more recent times, a number of traumatic events have occurred on Friday the 13th, including the German bombing of Buckingham Palace (September 1940); the murder of Kitty Genovese in Queens, New York (March 1964); a cyclone that killed more than 300,000 people in Bangladesh (November 1970); the disappearance of a Chilean Air Force plane in the Andes (October 1972); the death of rapper Tupac Shakur (September 1996) and the crash of the Costa Concordia cruise ship off the coast of Italy, which killed 30 people (January 2012).
Sources
“The Origins of Unlucky Friday the 13th,” Live Science. “Friday the 13th: why is it unlucky and other facts about the worst day in the calendar,” The Telegraph. “13 Freaky Things That Happened on Friday the 13th,” Live Science. “Here’s Why Friday the 13th is Considered Unlucky,” Time. “Friggatriskaidekaphobes Need Not Apply,” New-York Historical Society.”
Like I said, a load of crap.
Back to reality. Up early to continue packing. Mat up and locked away, still damp screens into tunnel boot but top left off box to let them dry out, support ropes and stakes out, awning lowered and washed, awning rolled up after drying. Done.
Off to doctor for my 20,000km service.
That is, prescriptions , in particular high blood pressure and cholesterol on a ‘reg 24.’ FYI a ‘reg 24’ as specified on the prescription means all repeats can be taken at the same time, so I receive 6 months of tabs for touring convenience.
Paperwork for a blood test to be carried out after that dirty, dirty ‘F’ word, Fasting.
Two referrals. One to the skin chap for the annual burning of the blemishes and skin cancers. Second to the mob that does the sleep apnea test. I did it a year ago but one of the leads came unplugged from the magic box and it didn’t work.
Done. Prescriptions in and collect next week. Coffee at North Adelaide bakery then back to van for pick up.
Ann arrives, My Anne is of course already there. Liz arrives and chauffeurs us all to town where I am dropped at the 7 Stars for my lunch and the remaining three ladies go to their little froggy place. Apologies. Their favorite French restaurant.
The 7 Starts is always good. We all hopped in so quickly, I didn’t even take pics of the food. Well not ours anyway. I did get the next tables monster dish though. I don’t know what it was but it looked painful.
All this by the way is, as you should have noted by now, day to day dribble. We are not travelling so no new and exciting places. Never mind. That’s coming up in about 9 days.
Lunch done, we repair to Lucia’s at the Central Market for an exemplary caffeine fix, a wander to Charlesworth Nuts for some roasted and salted Macadamia nuts, Gods gift to the nut lover. I also score some up market tasty meat goods. Gourmet Wagyu Burgers and free range Moroccan lamb kebabs. Free Range? What the hell is that?
Bruce drops me at the Mall where I meet with Anne and Liz. They are in hot pursuit of a phone for Liz due to a little mishap a few days ago. The line at the iphone place is far too long so they are looking at JB Hi Fi. No good for Liz but I got the TV lead a wanted.
On to Harvey Norman with similar luck, except we did have to pass the brass pigs so you have to do the ‘cutsie’ thing with them.
Back to the iphone shop because the line is shorter. 5.50pm and some thoughtfully masked iphone reps come down the tail end of the waiting line to say the shop is closing soon … ‘so unfortunately we will not be able to sell you anything today.’
Here the rep is letting this man who had lined up, know that he can’t get in. You can tell by his stance, he is either delighted and totally understands, OR he is going to vomit OR wants to hit someone but is annoyed that the rep is a young lady and not a viable target.
N.B. To explain it my way, they were saying, ‘We are going to close now so even though you have been waiting and want to give us perhaps $1000 each, you 6 people can bugger off because we are not interested in your money. We are the GREAT iphone network and you little people will have to crawl back at our convenience and see if we will then take your money. Now go away little people!’ I may have dramatized it just a smidge but where I come from, in business, if someone wants to give you money, you let them.
Personally I would have politely told the iphone rep to keep their lovely little iphone and gone straight to the android store.
Anyway, a wander down Kintore Avenue past the war memorial, and Governent house towards Liz’s car. I squint through the Govs fence and see a rock in the back yours with a commemorative plaque showing the exact location of Adelaide’s first Gaol. Nice to know if …. Well will I ever have to tell anyone that?
By the way, back in the mall I spotted a lovely old building. At a tight squint you can see the ‘Balfours’ name up the top. This must have been the building for Balfours bakery, although as a kid, I remember the outlet was much closer to King William Street.
Liz drops us and meets van park neighbours Lou and Mick. Liz goes and we join the neighbours for very late 5pm drinks (7pm) and score a marvelous home made lasagna and salad meal. So good I wolfed it down not pausing for a traditional food photo. I can describe it though. ‘Damn good!’
The neighbours Mick and Lou visit us preplanned just before 11am. It is Remembrance Day. We have our main flag up on the van and have also put up our small one. With prompting from the TV inside the van, we on the outside observe the minute silence.
Now see this from the media. Absolute sign of disrespect: Outrage as Sydney fans BOO during the minute’s silence for Remembrance Day at State of Origin
New South Wales and Queensland battled it out in ANZ Stadium on Wednesday
A commemorative service was held before the kick off for Remembrance day
Sydney fans interrupted the minute of silence and the last post by booing
Football fans flocked to Twitter to slam those responsible as ‘disrespectful’
I would have stopped the proceedings and asked all those who wanted to BOO to come onto the oval and show their commitment by being clearly identified as opposed to being the cowardly little brainless TWATS that were anonymous and hidden in the crowd.
There is action near the park office. So with the caution of an elephant, I visit and get the low down from a nice chap who I think was the excavator driver. The neighbours, that is the adjoining house, is getting a pool and these guys are getting access to excavate via the van park. These photos will mean nothing to anyone except people in the park. Anyway, I wanted to post them.
We hit the road for shopping, solid and liquid. Here in North Adelaide Village I trip over a raised inspection cap about an inch higher than ground level. I should sue for psychological trauma and be compensated for potential future similar trauma’s which are bound to be compounded by retrospective flash backs to the current experience, but I’m neither an American or a dickhead, so I won’t.
We clear the post box, have a coffee and small apricot roll and head to Officeworks to get some folders to finally address the BIG bag of receipts and other items to be saved and or filed.
Home for 5pm beers with the neighbours. This fluffy little guy was milling around, obviously not long out the nest.
We chit chat, laugh and call it a night because that’s what it is. It was a better day than yesterday.
A sort of ‘nothing’ day. Also, hot, windy, a bit dusty.
Neighbours will be tied up most of today and tonight. we decide to extend a couple of days to take care of a few things in the city, but will spend the day cleaning out cupboards.
It got so hot, the air conditioner was put on. Lunch, continued sorting up and cleaning out.
Showers, TV.
BIG thunder storm.
Bed.
How’s that for a big day. Shouldn’t have bothered.
Played with the awning as in turning it to the correct rotation position.
Installed the large privacy full length shade. and repositioned the small end shade. That was under close supervision of ‘The Coach.’ (Neighbour Mick.)
Commissioned the evaporative air conditioner.
Inspected the TV for potential to put outside. I need yet another lead.
Got out the BBQ. Neighbours Mick and Lou came over.
Had a great meal off the Barbie with snags, patties, chops and salad. Also gin and tonics and white wine and red wine and a little whisky. That’s without an ‘e’.
Flag down.
Pack up and showers for bed. Simple but pleasant day.
Towards midday, we and our neighbours Lou and Mick are off to the central market.
We go direct to Lucia’s for great coffee and food.
Anne orders her favourite sweet and thinks (?) tejilado is how it is spelt. It is Portuguese but apparently the Portuguese person who made it has gone.
… and the coffees of course, not to be taken intravenously.
Pasta and toasted sandwich was knockout.
On the way out we spot this gentleman with a ‘snappy’ had, so we quiz him.
He tells us it is a Carlos Santana (guitar player/singer) hat and shows the CS symbol on it. Turned up edge all around means it is a ‘gutter’ hat. No reason to doubt him. After all, that forms a gutter. Available from Adelaide Hatters apparently.
No photos of the fabulous Charlesworth Nuts stand. Roasted, salted Australian Macadamia nuts. To die for. Slight exaggeration.
English Pork pies to be served cold. Our purchases are in the freezer. That’s a bit too cold. Thaw before serving.
Anne salivating in front of the cheese and small goods and nibblies display.
Tip of the cheese iceberg.
Social distancing ignored when you are hungry. I stood back.
Home and we inspect and play with our toys we bought from yesterday.
Stainless steel bolts, flat washers and locking nuts to repair the broken step on the van. One of the four bolts broke and have not been able to use the fold out step for a week or so. Also, glue for the broken, wooden, chopping board.
The broken bolt had to go here. The row of slots and holes in the black bit. Middle hole. Step now fixed.
Head phones and an extension lead so Anne can watch and listen to TV from reclined in bed if I am on the phone.
N.B. We bought head phones and lead for this reason in Alice Springs. They were wrong. four poles and not three. JAYCAR agreed to replace them even though the purchase store was 1500 km away and not 100% related.
Two highly recommended lights come bug zappers for inside use in the van. One for me and one for Bruce as requested. Also Eneloop rechargeable A3 batteries. Hold 95% of their charge after a year. Again, JAYCAR.
MORE inside mats. BUNNINGS.
New outside mat to replace the one we cut up for the inside step.
BUNNINGS ($6)
Now, another thank you. My great breathalyzer stopped working after about a year. HARVEY NORMAN had no trouble replacing it at no charge.
These head phones from HARVEY NORMAN Alice Springs, had a problem. Same thing. The Adelaide store replaced them without a hitch. Good PR.
This was from Alice Springs JAYCAR. HDMI 3 metre cable $69.95 marked down to $15.
Now … summer is coming and we will be free camping. We have a generator but we don’t want to have to crank that up every day if it is just a little too warm. So we are experimenting with this small battery operated evaporative air conditioner. Runs for 4 to 6 hours depending on the fan speed. About 10 hours to charge via the transformer 240volt adaptor. JAYCAR (around $99)
… or to avoid having to get out the inverter to have a 240volt source to charge it, we bought a 12volt DC car charger to plug in anywhere in the car or van. JAYCAR.
Tinkered with most of them. Evaporative air cond Monday.
Neighbour Mick coached me on the installation of the end privacy screen which is generally just machined shade cloth.
‘The Coach’ advised the awning had to be lowered a bit and also the stainless steel clothes line had to be relocated higher to avoid fouling with the new end screen.
Tonight’s meal, our turn for pay back. Chili Con Carne with yoghurt, avocado cheese and corn chips. Anne’s formula is a winner. A few drinks a good chat and nights end.
Sunday, 8th November 2020
A slow start but clothes line shifted and end screen installed. Later the big screen the full length of awning. But that’s another day.
Afternoon we go to Phil’s and Ann’s house which we call ‘The Villa’ because it is a villa, as far as home styles are concerned.. The ladies stay and the boys go to Lakeside Rowing Club for a commemorative day. Doug Raymond has served the club and rowing for 50 years and deserved a little recognition. The club chose to give him a lot. A sit down nibble type lunch or heavy afternoon tea and a few speeches. As the driver I sat there enjoying the occasion with my ‘guest’ free drinks ticket in my pocket and my light beer in my hand which extended to two light beers total over 2.5 hours. Never mind. It was a good occasion with lots of rowing talk and shaking of hands.
Back to The Villa for a bubbly with the ladies. It is decided it is a good idea to get a Thai takeaway ordering at 5.30pm. A whole 20 minutes and the pick up drive of 5 minutes means we are eating in 30 minutes after the hone order is placed.
A walk in the garden reveals a new addition. Spectacular.
Food done. Not much left.
A drink, or two, or three, Anne is driving and it is nights end.
Getting hot tomorrow. What’s this damn weather all about? Like Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) said, ‘Every one talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.’
N.B. Some have said it may have been said by Charles Dudley Warner.
We pull out of Gawler, early for us, which means on time or near 10am.
The boom gate is working!
On the way to Adelaide we fill up water tanks and diesel because we want to check the van weight in the worst possible scenario.
We pull into Paramount Browns and onto the weighbridge. A little over the combination weight limit but manageable.
On to Levi Park and it is like coming home.
We are meeting traveler friends Lou and Mick. They arrive about five minutes after I turn off the engine, hence missing the mayhem by the smallest of margins. Levi Park is a great spot but it is a tight park and has no ‘marriage savers.’ (drive through parks * ) Having said that we finally bring the van to rest by cancelling the reversing and I weave through some obstacles to do a more or less drive through.
* N.B. Most arguments and shouting between couples occurs during reverse parking in van parks. Hence being able to drive forward directly into a park without backing so not needing guidance from the spouse, is said to be a marriage saver.
We set up, do some shopping, mainly liquid, and are treated to an evening meal by Lou and Mick who have set up adjacent to us. A good time is had by all, as per usual and we all crash.
Friday, 6th November 2020
A lay in, then off after lunch for odds and ends.
First stop is the crushed can recyclers. Seated in the car, (covid requirement) I am handed my $8.70 which is all mine for the 4 seconds it took me to turn and hand it to Anne. Now it’s hers.
Next, Bunnings for the bolt to fix our step, a mat and some glue for the cracked wooden cutting board.
Then Jaycar and success getting a refund on the head phones and extension lead that are 4 pole and not three. Successful because we bought them in Alice Springs. We made it up to them by buying several caravan items which I will present to the blog tomorrow.
On to Harvey Norman for another couple of similar challenges. Again details tomorrow.
We finish with dinner at Phillip and Ann’s and late home to lower the flag. I hope the flag police didn’t spot it.
Tomorrow we inspect and install our purchases. We will play with our new toys.
A sleep in and a slow start, a chat to a couple coming in and we are off.
I click the old truck out the front of the office while departing and also the rather grand gates. Anne clicks a few other items but I haven’t down loaded her camera.
Gawler is only 35km away or 28 minutes but we cannot get into Levi Park in Adelaide till Thursday so we need to kill another night.
We land in Gawler late and pass the day without taking one photo.
So instead I will fill the gap with a video sent to me by Ken. It is part of a Russell Coight episode. It’s a laugh.
Before we leave Auburn Caravan Park, a neighbor shows me a worthwhile toy. Bug zapper from Jaycar. $30. Charges USB, goes all night. Specifically for inside the van, not outside. He says it works like a charm.
Time to pull out from our nice shady spot. Well the back half of the van is shady. Auburn Oval caravan Park $25 a night powered.
See? Shady at the back.
At Saddleworth caravan Park to empty the toilet cassette. it’s open. you don’t have to stay there to use the dump point with wash hose. $25 a night.
Spot this van with a unique awning wind out but look at the photo below, same van a little closer.
Is that a wind generator? The three half spheres whizzing around.
While in Saddleworth, we have a walk round and not too mush open. However this little café is doing a lot of business. ‘Ready, Steady, Eat Cafe’. Neat as a pin. Lounge chairs.
Roast beef with gravy, creamed cauliflower, peas, carrots, roast potatoes. $6 small, $10 large. Plus pies, pasties, sausage rolls from Sevenhills bakery, the red grape (or berry?) Plus stuff like choc donuts etc.
Look at the street names. Definitely a ‘horsey’ town.
Bit of street art.
Public toilets in the main street. New, immaculate and no front door. They can’t be locked. Says something about expected users.
Second hand store with all sorts inc brass and cast iron beds.
They got a mans shed.
Much like Auburn, they are mad on roses as well.
On to Marrabel. Famous for the rodeo and bull ride. Big sculpture on the corner.
Pub is closed. Hope that’s not a permanent fact.
Finally to Kapunda. Still hot so had to use the van park for power for the AC.
A big dam at the back of the park.
Immaculate ablution block.
An old phone box doing nothing.
The camp kitchen with BBQ. nice and neat.
TO bed, cool enough now to not need the AC and in the whee hours it is even necessary to pull on the covers.
Another day and we extend. While paying I spot this one in the managers wall.
Sound advice. (?) ‘Never go to bed angry. Stay up and fight.’
Well … it’s the same thing isn’t it? You stay up and fight till you run out of puff then tired, you stop arguing and go to bed. Good.
Should look familiar. posted yesterday. HEY! It’s a small town. There is only so much scenery, especially when you are walking.
My queen of pose, on the bridge over the Wakefield river. She has collected a beautiful posy thanks to unsuspecting neighbours. Not true. Mainly public flowers. Mainly.
love the roses at the end of the vine rows.
Mount Horrocks Wines. This is at the old Rail station.
Camera magnet.
Winery only open on weekends.
Iris’s (?)
Even the hedge is nice.
Nice place. Back to the park. No invitations to 5pm drinks.
Cool but clear and sunny morning. I catch up to current on the blog the whole morning and cleverly conceal the fact by doctoring the dates.
Lunch time, Anne has spent the morning working and being very polite about me sitting at the computer in my PJ’s or our caravan equivalent.
Bad, bad news. Sean Connery passed away. Damn, damn shame. Great actor. Not just 007 but others including Indiana Jones and the last crusade when he played Harrison Fords father, which should have narked his because he is only 12 years older than Harrison.
NOW FROM HERE DOWN IS WHERE THE LOT GOT DELETED BY MISTAKE.
So this is an abbreviation of what had been done because I am reasonably PEEVED.
The shady walk to the van.
Part of the walk to town
War memorial with roses. Love roses.
I had a peddle car as a kid but the Clare mens shed made this plane.
Love old buildings…
… and old cars. Haven’t seen one of these for years.
The Rising Sun Pub. The ONLY pub.
IGA supermarket and Hardware store. Both needed. Both closed.
Anne pilfering roses.
Seen this before. A rose bush at the end of each row of vines.
Church and Annes head.
More roses but miniature.
The lovely lady who sold Anne the waist coat. Very shmicky.
Beer and wine with the next door neighbor.
Chicken sausages, chops and veg for meal.
Glass of red (OK two) and a glass of port. (OK two).
To bed, perchance to dream …. or maybe even a nightmare.
Mt Bryan Hotel I think is shut now. Has been for a while.
We get to Burra around lunch time or a bit after…
… and we head straight for the Black Sheep which is a well reputed Pizza place.
An un-plated Vespa on display in front of the pizza oven. Looks a bit naked and mysterious with no markings on it. Talking to the owner, there is the faint imprint of Australia Post on it. Apparently there is a very strong Italian community in Port Pirie and hence Vespa Postie bike (?), according to the owner.
Bambino with green and red pin stripes and ‘PIZZA 1’ number plate. What a give away.
It’s called ‘The Black Sheep’ or La Pecora Nera. I asked the co-owner and chef Paulo why it was called the Black Sheep. He said There are lots of sheep there and he is the black one. I didn’t ask why he was considered black .
Pizza here! Bigger than we expected. N.B. we had half and took the rest home.
The other four pieces did us for TWO evening meals.
Owners Paulo and Clare. Nice couple.
Off with the next two nights meals.
We were advised to go to this antique shop but shut. (!)
Coming celebration.
We head to The Bon Accord Hotel. It got good reviews on Wikicamps. The boss Tim got lots of praise for a good, helpful, fun guy. Deal is spend $20 in the pub and you get an unpowered site with access to toilet and showers. Pay $25 and get a powered site with water also. We opted for the later.
Met Tim. Aloof and moderately sarcastic, even with my couple of attempts to break the ice. I thought, maybe we got him on a bad day. Then I thought maybe the other positive comments got him on a good day. Never mind. It is a good place to stay.
e.g. his attitude. I asked, where did the name Bon Accord come from? knowing it meant Good Agreement in French. He said English. I said. Oh. It sounds a bit French. He said no English. He said, we say Bon when something is good (?) and when you understand you are in accord. It’s English. I said fair enough. No French. He said that’s right.
Tim FYI …
First attested in the late 13th century. From Middle English acorden, borrowed from Old French acorder (compare modern French accord and accorder), from Vulgar Latin *accordō, accordāre (“to be heart to heart with”), formed from Latin ad + cor (“heart”). The verb is first attested in early 12th century.
… So Tim it was English but from French which was from Latin.
Here’s another one Tim.
The English word Battle as in battleship and I guess Battalion …. Battle is a loanword from the Old French bataille, first attested in 1297, from Late Latin battualia, meaning “exercise of soldiers and gladiators in fighting and fencing”, from Late Latin (taken from Germanic) battuere “beat”, from which the English word battery is also derived via Middle English batri.
I’ll give you a hint Tim. Pretty well most of what WE call English, came from somewhere else.
Get it Tim? Hmmmm?
Great old building and well presented.
What are these?
Sorry. Here’s another ‘Tim’.
He is renovating the coach house behind the pub, but apparently Tim is flying blind and has no idea what he will use it for (?) because when I complimented him on it and asked him what he was going to do with it, he just said Anything I want, with a stone face.
Tim, Tim, Tim, Tim. You don’t have to suck up to me, but I am a paying customer. With drinks and the site, we gave you about $50 and we were going to stay an extra night and have a meal at the pub, but I didn’t want to give you any more money.
A bit Twat like mate.
Nice country.
Saturday 31st October 2020
A late move out. Back into town. Some shopping then to the Gaslight for a Cornish pasty and coffee.
A little walk around.
Where to go. Farrell Flat has an oval with free parking or the pub will put us up in yard if we buy a meal.
We drop in for a look and seems OK and we may come back subject to logistics.
On to Mintaro. a good look at town including Magpie on the Stump pub.
What is this plant? Artichoke?
Have to go to Martindale Hall. We get there at 3.45pm. No one allowed in after 4pm but $15 ahead to get in and we have seen it before.
These vents at ground level all around the house at ground level go into the huge basement. There are wooden ducts from the basement up to the window sills. When the wind blows against the wall (and outside vents) it pressurizes the basement and the cool basement air is pushed up the ducts and into the rooms. Worlds first air conditioning?
Back in the early 80’s B.A. (before Anne) I organized the hiring of the Hall from 6pm on a Friday to about 11am the next day. I guess that was so it was free for inspection Saturday afternoon. We were five couples including self and we went to the state theatre company and hired period costumes, which for the men were basically mourning suits.
It included butler and maid and 5 course meal. When bed time, we wanted our moneys worth so we stayed up all night playing billiards on the full sized table.
We had a great night. They don’t allow that any more.
Coach house.
The rest of the day was a bit of a stuff up. We were heading to a road side free park at Watervale. If not acceptable, we were going to double back to Auburn caravan park.
We over shot the park at Watervale, but didn’t double back about ten minutes to Auburn, but instead decided to go onto Clare, preferably the oval for $20 north of town. Clare park was chocca and we went on 10 minutes to the oval, which was the race track.
The GPS was being naughty again and there were no signs. A local passer by guided us a bit and we tried another entrance. We were in the grounds and scratching our heads when a helpful lady told us it was closed as there had races pending.
Soooooo…. we booked into the Auburn caravan park and travelled the 30 minutes back to more or less where we had been, or within five minutes.
We got the last site.
Now … the reviews on Wikicamps had bagged the manager, but we found him to be fine and helpful.
N.B. Given the above Bon Accord Hotel and this, what does that tell us about Reviews?
A few set up problems and one of the 4 bolts holding the sprung step snaps, so now we don’t have a step until we get to a Bunnings or equivalent.
Left over Pizza, some wine, TV and we will call it a day. Delay that. Young Frankenstein is showing.
Wednesday, 28th, Thursday 29th, and start of Friday, 30th October 2020
This turned out to be a big, BUT fulfilling day.
The flash car leaves with matching van and so do good camping buddies, Ken and Liz.
We go to the office to say fare-thee-well to Rob (?) and a final laugh. We spot info on the cocky little bugger that has been up front with us for a while. An ‘Apostle bird.’ Who’d have thought?
Anyway, we’re off heading at this stage towards Burra.
We almost bypassed Terowie. A close call of missing out on a fab little town. History, History, History.
Several museums and all great info and memories.
We spot an operating business. Two ladies doing lead light. Brilliant!
This here is John Alver Mitchell, founder of Terowie
It used to be called the HUB because it is in the middle of all surrounding towns and was a staging spot for the armed forces. It was also, the spot where the train gauges changed, so what had to go further north, had to change trains at Terowie.
This guy was JP McGowan. He was a rough, tough actor who went to the USA and stared with all the big names back in I think the 20’s. Think of Errol Flynn, but no one knows him.
We meet a part ime local man. Has a weekender here. Fine chap, happy to talk. His new super hound is the lovely ‘Betty’. An enthusiastic I think 6 month old ‘Bluey’ and an absolute love.
We go to the train station which is free camping for self contained, but the history kept oozing here.
This is where, believe it or not, General Douglas MacArthur said,
‘I came out of Bataan and I shall return.’
There are varying reports on Doug’s capabilities but …. Well they say history is written by the victors.
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get away from the rooster.
Time to go.
On, on and we get to Hallett. We find this great little coffee shop and besides a great coffee we get info for details of our bucket list local item.
The birth place of the best kept secret person of Australia. Sir George Hubert Wilkins.
We learn the oval is a free camping ground.
So, we unhitch in the free camping spot around the oval, get the cottage key after payment of a $20 deposit and are off up the dirt road for 22 kms. A labour od love journey, for we are going to the birthplace of Australia’s (in my opinion) most achieved adventurer and hero.
Popped in $10
The man himself.
The rebuilt cottage, initiated by Dick Smith.
Ours is the last entry, of course.
Dick Smiths was the first. (of course)
Sir Hubert was an incredible man who tackled anything and everything. Arctic and Antarctic exploration, the war (s), he embraced photography for recording and research and took to flying flying with enthusiasm. He cheated death so many times and was wounded for his efforts. He bought a WW1 submarine and was instrumental in the first experiments that allowed a USA submarine to eventually go under the north polar ice cap. The list of his achievements goes on and on.
What has been posted there in his place of birth is so painfully true.
Quoting …
“In practically any other country other than Australia, his birthplace would be a national shrine. But here not many people even know it exists.”
Shame on Australia for not bringing perhaps its most famous son into the limelight for all to see and appreciate.
If you want the best read you are going to have all year, get ‘The Last Explorer.’
We returned to Hallett and returned the key. $20 deposit, $15 back.
We then re-hitched and relocated the rig to a little closer to the facilities, being the coffee shop, the store and the pub within walking distance. The Wildongoleechie Hotel, although it is more often referred to as the Wild Dog Hotel, for some unknown reason. Wildongoleechie?? Wild – on – go – leechie ? Easy.
The pub in question.
A little confusion. We were told to park the van, go down past the grand stand and amenities block. This was for toilets if you pay. We chose free camping with our own resources.
Grandstand. in need of some addition of ‘grand.’
I thought that meant, ‘park where you like.’ which we did, right close to the front gate.
Anyway, it was the pub for a few drinks and made our own nosh up in the van.
Thursday, 29th October 2020.
Next day a walk.
That included back to the coffee shop where, at either a moment of nostalgia or madness, I saw and bought an old fashioned mincer like everyone’s mother used to have.
Clunky, heavy but one moving part and you would need a sledge hammer to damage it.
Everyone loves roses in town …
Except for those who let the rosemary grow wild.
Coincidence on a local name …
Wee – own – a Cottage?
Afternoon a vigilante lady walking her dog, advises Anne this is private property (where we are) owned by the bowls club and we will have to move.
Oh the shame. After we had stopped flaying ourselves, we relocated to a spot for the second night. It was just a little naughty because it wasn’t right at the back, but it was clear of the bowls club and the tennis courts.
Friday, 30th October 2020
Apostle bird intruder. Cocky little bugger.
For sale. I think $125?…
… and dog $95 I think.
Sheep and dog to public conveniences.
I think the pigeons like the solar panels. Bummer.
We have filled up, we have our final coffees and we go. Damn, we only had three more to go and we would get a free one. Have to come back.
Sunday, 25th, Monday, 26th, Tuesday 27th October 2020
Communication with Ken and Liz. We meet at the Railway Hotel, Peterborough 2pm. They are coming from Broken Hill.
We are only an hour and a bit away so no hurry. Another wander. I buy a silicon tube gun. Long story. Anyway, I have one now. A few other odds and ends, then off.
Caltowie pubs mascot.
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A phone call and we are to rendezvous at the Caravan Park.
The only caravan park, but fortunately a good one run by Rob (I think?) and wife. A few pics of their office. Some excellent and unique art.
Also good advice re service.
About 3pm, we check in and settle, looking forward to tomorrow.
Monday, 26th October.
That’s a magnet (end on) and this is magnetic hill. When theoretically pointing down hill, one gets the illusion of reversing up the hill. Unfortunately we are in Kens car which is a Rover made from aluminium and hence not magnetic. Go have a look and decide for yourself.
On the way back, Anne spots an interesting ruin.
Anne and Ken investigate with Ken blazing the trail. Ken has had experience in trail blazing. If you have a trail that needs blazing, Ken’s your man.
The non-magnetic vehicle.
News. There is an ‘ex’ picture theatre now a café, in the main street.
We go and see for ourselves.
The floor slopes, of course, how it would have. Anyone who drinks without conscience would find it refreshing and quite at home.
Covid … form number 13.
Upstairs would have been the top seats.
Fabulous clutter.
A bit of Blues Brothers.
If I look at home, I never owned a Prefect.
The Motor bike museum is stunning. A few Vespa’s. One with a side car!
I respect honesty. Of course what the management is avoiding is the same old bloody complaints about things no one can do anything about.
We visit a museum in the main street. This is a sobering record of South Australian population.
A Ladybug. There is a story, but let’s not dwell on it.
Anne pings the name of a friend.
Anyone with significant grey sat at one of these,
They did it tough back in those days. You probably can’t read the below so basically they hung in there living in a barn of a sort for 11 or so months. Dad and son aged 16 during that time dug three wells, all of them came up salt. so they had to pack up and leave.
Who hasn’t used an old crapper?
I star in this photo.
Tuesday, 27th
Ken, Liz and Anne feature in this one. Beautiful white rose back drop.
The hospital garden …
… and horses.
Anne saying, ‘Aren’t you beautiful’ to a horse.
The flash customline next to us.
Our flag, flown on the van daily, subject to weather.
Flash car again.
We have had three nights together and each one a fun eat, drink, laugh evening. Now, after such a great time, Ken and Liz must depart tomorrow. Bummer.
After our free camp outside Orroroo, we go into town again to lap up some more of the ambience.
Up pulls this very schmick Ford Customline.
Sweeeeet …
…. and the motor has just been rebuilt and purrs like a kitten.
In the mean time, the primary school is doing a street parade and there are some serious cozzies.
To coincide, there is a street music jam , more median strip than street really.
This little ‘honey’ pulled up and …NO. It is not a mini. It’s an Austin
We move on to Peterborough (previously Petersburg) renamed in 1917. (Don’t mention the war)
…. and set up for free camping. Note the Port Pirie end of town has a free camp that used to be an oval. They have a grey water retention requirement. About 2km out of town the other end, there is a group of trees with two fixed tables and next to the railway line. That is the free camp we set up in.
The town is a treat with various museums.
Wednesday, 21st
This is a ‘Spyder’. Two front wheels and one rear. Although it is I think still considered a ‘trike.’
There is a single rail carriage in the main street with a split TV screen televising the outdoor view of a moving carriage.
Fluffy sheet like flowers.
Wednesday, 21st October 2020
Then onto Crystal Brook and a great little free camp in town at the Jubilee Park. Long and narrow, perfect to stay hitched and as such probably enough space for about eight rigs. Three new flushing toilets adjacent, a shelter with tables, a dump point, potable water tap and all just 50 metres from the bottom end of the main street and a pub. Utopia!
… AND just around the corner, a gem of a bakery.
Second hand pies never look bood but this is a bushmans. Meat on the bottom with an egg bacon and cheese on the top.
It also has a ‘sit down’ section and good coffee.
Nice historic town.
Tea at the pub. Schnitzel night $15 including your choice of sauce including Parmi.
Never a dull moment, we move onto Port Pirie and take up the luxury of a caravan Park.
Friday, 23rd October 2020
We drop into Caputo and Sons fish mongers. Good food and good value.
I spot this wheel cover. Seen the slogan before but it is worth repeating.
Now … this church has been sold to a seafood restaurant and the owner has a sense of humour, as can be seen by the four sided high sign. By the way, it is now ‘The Church of Fish and Chips’
Water to wine?
Prayer Answered – Home Delivery.
Prawn Again – Give into temptation.
The attendant said, I didn’t think you were going to get in. No one has bought a caravan into the drive-in before.’
Saturday, 24th October
AND SO, Bruce and Girlie depart back to Adelaide and commitments.
We are meeting Ken and Liz tomorrow and we have a day/night to kill so we go back to Crystal Brook for a night.
We spent a pleasant night and awoke to familiar territory, having been there just a few days ago.
Sunday, 25th October 2020
We hadn’t noted the potable water before.
… and this sign got me in.
Only makes sense when you read the lot.
Anne’s van bathroom flower display, changes daily.
Today, we catch up with Ken and Liz in Peterborough. Yes. We are zig sagging a bit.
Next morning, we are off fare welled by ‘Mine Host’ Richard, better known as Dickie. Fine chap. By the way, it is for sale. They apparently do lots of meals and it is chugging along quite well, but they have acreage and hence too much to handle easily.
Out the front.
Now that’s a hat.
Now that’s a wife.
On to Hawker. Great pie shop.
Herbert the turtle in the pie shop.
On, on north …
… to the Parachilna pub. We hear they have free camping in the car park.
‘No.’ says the lady proprietor. We would like to stay put and come in for a meal and some drinks. Is there any free camping in town?’ No. The town people don’t want people camping just anywhere.’ ‘Well is there a van park?’ ‘No. It’s closed.’
‘Thank you. you have been very helpful.’ (!?)
A bus driver says the Parachilna Gorge road is OK. Mainly gravel and just a little mud and there are lots of caravanners camping up there. It only took 100 metres to establish he had got his gravel to mud ratio wrong and we both did two ‘interesting 7 point muddy turns with sloping shoulders both sides, much to the chagrin (distress) of the ladies and I wasn’t entirely happy with it either.
So it’s off to Leigh Creek subject to a few water crossings, the first one approached rather a little too fast and as witnessed by Bruce behind. He said the water spray went higher than the van.
Leigh Creek is a ghost town on a Saturday afternoon. The public toilet was open though and so was the van park.
The Leigh Creek is a good, stop. A good, interesting man runs it.
Sunday, 18th October 2020
We guessed the lawn was the matting under the table.
On our way out we luckily miss two sleepy’s
This would be mum. Ladies have more rounded tails and the gentlemen have a slightly pointy ones. They mate for life apparently, He did a runner when we fronted. I’d say he is going to get an ear full tonight.
Just the next day yet all those water runs across the road have disappeared.
We get back to The Parachilna Gorge turn off and the mud has dried, however, by now the gorge run has been discounted. On, on to … ?
This sleepy wasn’t quite as lucky as our Leigh Creek buddies.
No. It’s back to Hawker.
Fill up with diesel, the pie shop was sold out, the servo was out of Vili’s and all that was left was Mrs Macs. Shattered, we buy dirty old Mrs Macs anyway and retire to the War Memorial picnic tables. Quite a schmicky memorial.
Then on, on, back to Cradock because it is cheap and we know it and it’s on the way south. This time we have a bit of a look around.
Pub. Time to pay. You must buy a beer to stay.
Monday, 19th October 2020
On the way out, two churches, now I think both privately owned (?) and empty. What a shame.
On to Carrieton, that also has the odd church or two.
A coffee stop in the main street shelter next to public conveniences which prove to be well named.
Beautiful hand made, tiled mural.
Then onto Orroroo.
A little rustic art.
A metal hound for sale …
… at $320! Painted admittedly, but not as good as mate Ricks rustic metal art.
Talking of Rick, these chooks over the fence at a twisted angle are dead ringers for his. I recon they have to be.
Spot this gem in town.
And just out of town, looking for the proclaimed free camp, we find a significant Goyder Line marker….
…and in the town the giant red gum, estimated at 500 years old.
… and what I think is a wattle and daub pioneers cottage. Well it had vertical strips of rough cut timber sealed with mud and some weed which I guessed was wattle and daub.
Sneek peek through the window, it looks quite comfy.
This fine hound was taking a break while I chatted to our host. Damn! forgot his name . Geoff? We are camped inside this farmers fence line. He declared his farm, or part there of, open to the public for free camping to help the town. We four had pulled up and set up, when he drove past in his Vitara. He pulled up for a chat and his hound used the time to have a breather and eat some flys.
Our invitation and vans in the background.
Then across the road and a 14 minute walk to Pekina Creek reservoir. It was the town water source but now just a nice place to go.
I’d rather go up hill to get there and down hill home.
Not so in this case.
The ultimate in fly nets.
And thus we settle in for our one night free camp on the outskirts of Orroroo. A nice place.
On the morning of our departure, new friend Graham takes us for a look at his mine. Anne met him on the way to the bathroom.
We bid farewell to every one, being Joe and wife as well as Warren and hit the road south. We want to go to the Flinders Ranges but to stay on bitumen, we have to go all the way back to Port Augusta.
On the way back, we stop at Roxby for some bottled gas for Bruce, get told where to find the elusive Sturt’s desert pea and then 10 minutes later we find it where it isn’t supposed to be. Still we found it.
On, on to Port Augusta.
It’s getting a bit late. We arrive in Port Augusta. Go to the chemist for some pills and look for accommodation. We find a sports club that caters for travelers for $7 a night. Has a dump spot and water, but no toilets once the club is shut. AND the only shot I got of the place was the exit gate. (!?)
Friday, October 16th – Next Morning – Port Augusta.
Off to a Laundromat. We dump the ladies and take the cars for a fill up.
I spot this little honey in transit. I think 1968 XT.
Used to be common as muck. Now….name your price.
We make it to Quorn, a fabulous old town chocca with history and maximum quaintness. Coffees and food plus a wander, then on.
We spot another motor home being pushed by a small sedan.
If Mrs Barton laid the stone, she did it a little crooked.
Just in case you can’t read it below, ‘Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular.’ Truer words were never spoken.
We have decided on our next stop. An interesting little spot called Cradock. Yes. One ‘d’. It has a war memorial (below) and a few old historic buildings, in particular, the pub with almost free camping at the back.
The almost free camp is sparse but good enough because ….
… it has a combination lock on the door into the new toilet block withflushing toilets and $2 for 2 minutes showers. More hot water? More coins. The facilities are for the pub but at night the door to the pub is locked so the access from outside is limited to the ablution block. During the day, it’s a short cut to the pub.
I said, ‘almost free.’ Admission to the park is ‘a beer.’ Se we go to pay our way. Beers are $8 a pint, So Bruce and I have three each and the ladies have one. Hows’ your maths? 6 x $8 = $48 plus the ladies = around $60. Still, we chose to have three rounds, not the publican. I could have gone in, had a schooner for less than $8 and all would have been sweet.
Pulling out of Spuds Roadhouse at a flying start in our new convoy with Bruce and Girlie, we make it about thirty metres when we hit our first freight train.
First stop, beautiful down town Woomera. The rockets and planes still on display from our visit about three months ago and museum still closed. We fill the water tanks and look for the elusive pub.
We find it after a few laps of honour, down a side street and discretely hidden away. After all, you wouldn’t want payers finding it. Would you? As first scout, I enter and had a chat with reception after they had finished talking to each other. Apparently because of the military background of the place, they don’t like to highlight the fact that they sell booze. (?) You either do or you don’t sell it, I would have thought. I glance around. Looks nice enough. Balcony. Three people inside. Lunch menu and price list? Optimistic. We can do without it.
On to Roxby Downs for maintenance. First stop id Laundromat. Next door a young chap is loading an HR Holden he just sold. AU$10,000 apparently.
Next, booze (beer and wine inc port) and next door to that, a gas bottle for Bruce.
We find a legal free park in a road side stop on the edge of town. Nice sunset.
Free camping. Good fun and cheap.
Into town.
To the Mall. You can do a lot but not these practices.
Go fast Ford.
On the way out, we see our last nights camp with a late starter still there.
Get to Andamooka and score power sites. Rekindle relationships with Joe and wife. Joes mining mate (Greg or Geoff??) shows us what makes the place function, which is OPAL in various stages of development from raw product to ‘I want that one darling!’
Excellent toilets with progressive concept of hand wash basin empties into cistern,
WITH hot showers. Metered but probably by now free as some ‘BASTARDS’ keep knocking of the cash meter. Cheaper to just make them free and save on repairs. Once mor e for effect. BASTARDS!
A walk into town and walk around.
The store and the fuel have now closed. Bummer.
Two handsome chaps, both enthusiastic tourists, currently seated to save strength for more active moments.
Stuff that dreams are made of.
Pub still closed. Again, bummer.
In the very nice public toilets. Must be frustrating. A little place busts a gut to keep everything nice for the tourists and the odd arse stuffs it up.
Pioneer cottages. Historic and impressive what the settlers put up with.
A dynamic bunch of ‘go ahead’ tourists. At least for now, but sometimes ‘lag behind’.
This chap we met in the new little café. His nick name is ‘Tarzan’ as in his younger days he was a gymnast and once, impressed his fellow miners by swinging from tree to tree. He is a true blue Aussie now and flies the flag on his vehicle but he came to Australia and a Croatian named I think Drago. A fine chap with a sense of humour. He told me he went to the doctor. The doctor asked, ‘How are you?’ He said, ‘Terrible doctor. I am not sleeping well. Last night I dreamed I was a car muffler and I woke up exhausted..’
The car museum on the way back is outdoor and near the park.
The park is well equipped for the whole towns benefit as per this undercover playground.
Yet another mobile home being pushed by a small sedan.
Another small (er) lake on the way to Spuds Roadhouse.
Finally the luxury of Spuds with clean toilets and pay shower AND a store with basic items including alcohol. Snacks and ‘sit down’ meals. A serious burger for I think just $10 and you will have trouble finishing it. Wait a minute. You may not have trouble. I don’t know who I’m speaking to. ‘You’ could knock off two and still be hungry for all I know.
By the way, that was dinner. A hamburger, a cheese burger and a beer.
Now, we are here to meet Bruce and Girlie for a week or so jaunt.
We arrive promptly at 3.30pm ish well ahead of their expected arrival of 7pm – ish. They arrive promptly at about 9.30pm – ish.
We did manage to same the site next to us but nopics as it was dark and time for bed.
Last night the area was pretty well chock-a-block with all sorts from fifth wheeler (smaller one), flash vans, less flash, camper trailers and a tent, cleverly erected under the public shelter. Hmmm. Maybe I could have parked the van there.
About five minutes after we pull in, who arrives but our next door neighbor from Alice Springs. One of the 5pm beer o’clock group. So … we had a beer o’clock which turned into a shiraz o’clock. We turned in as it got dark.
Dave was off the next morning.
This is just a delightful place. Sure, about 100 metres to the highway, but it really hasn’t been a hassle.
A long slow incline with slightly varying terrain about 150 metres to the lake which has water in it instead of the dry salt lake.
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Just before the beach, the northern Ghan trainline runs past the van park. We haven’t seen the Ghan but there have been freight trains
Hey look! A drain big enough to get under the railway line with just marginal curvature of the spine.
Also there is a pile of untreated salt lakeside. Enough to harden the arteries if the whole population.
There was a passing train now well up the track.
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Saturday, 10th October.
One nice day leads to another nice day and we have a visit from Lou and Mick on their way from Alice Springs to Port Augusta tonight, then further west to visit friends. They do that a lot. They are very popular.
Lou and Mick arriving …
…and leaving an hour or so later.
We spot a motor home being pushed by a small sedan arriving. Well, it could be a visual illusion.
This guy passing on the highway was serious. A tray top truck and a big fifth wheeler.
This tree in the centre distance is important.
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Here it is closer.
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This is where we dug our first hole ever to empty the toilet cassette. Deep for the benefit of humans and close to the tree base for the tree.
N.B. We chose a time when there was no one in view. After, we were absolutely fascinated by the number of people who chose that very spot to have their photo taken. We watched anxiously as people maneuvered for the photo. It was a deep -ish hole, but not overly packed down. There would be a ‘soft’ spot. No. All went well and I later returned to pat it down even more.
The sun set on another lovely day, much used to catch up on the blog.
Tomorrow, if it is calm, I may put up the drone. The batteries should still be half charged which will be enough. If all goes well, I may still have to wait for better internet to load it.
Pulling out of G’Day Mate Tourist Park and it is raining. We are heading for Marla and so are Phillip and Ann.
Rain and cold. Who would have dreamed.
So we get to Erldunda and lo and behold, a notice on all bowsers saying the border is closed due to an accident 19km north of Marla.
Furthermore an NT lady police officer declares that we MUST complete a border crossing form on the website before we go to the border. If we do not, our number plate will be photographed and we will be sort out and have to explain why we did not stop.
She further said, if we have any problems with the form, the NT Police at the border will help us sort it out.
So we pull out the laptop and take the 45 minutes to complete the paperwork.
We then hear the border is open and we proceed.
At a stop this plucky little guy and a mate front up and look for a hand out. We throw some nuts but they are not interested. Anne thinks he may be a ‘butcher bird’ and hence only interested in insects and meat as in lizards.
OK if you are going to be like that …
on on
So we arrive at the border. The promise that NT cops would help us if necessary? there were none there. So pictured are the SA cops. We pull up and are waved on. I open the window and say, ‘We have our paperwork done!’ another nod and wave on. I am so glad I stuffed about for 45 minutes at Erldunda !!??!! Block below.
Marla caravan park. They have more patience than me. Wait 10 to 15 minutes for the hot?
Good amenities.
On the way through we saw no evidence of the accident. We did however, see this old valiant a bit smacked up and a police car adjacent. We had picked up that an indigenous person had run into a bush/tree. The driver apparently lived but a passenger did not. I wondered if this was the car on the way to forensics.
We pull in, next to Phillip and Ann’s Maui motor home, cook a joint feast and squeeze in around the Maui table.
Early to bed.
Wednesday, 7th October.
Up early and on the way to Coober Pedy, both vehicles.
Wrecked neighbours
yet another wrecked car.
Oh. You can’t see him but this is the maniac. This is the guy you talk to. He swung out to overtake and just sat there. He, I guess, was trying to work out if he had enough time to make it in front of me before the road train got here. I felt (sincerely) NO! That is when I ‘talked to him.’ My speech was , ‘Nooooo mate. Nooooo! NooooOOOOO!! He pulled back and overtook in a much safer situ.
We pull up for a breather. Phillip and Ann wiz past and beep.
That’s the last we see of them.
We check in at the prescribed van park. OASIS. Best in town. George is the boss. No Phillip or Ann.
Kill time. Go shopping. etc. They appear. Somehow, we got past them. They waited for an hour and a half while we were waiting for them in Coober Pedy. Antway we get together and they give us a lift back to the park.
90’s movie shot here. Pitch Black with Vin Diesel. This was a space ship built in pieces else where and brought over.
Our lift back to the park …
with me in the back.
Somewhere over the rainbow …
Emergency call out next door.
A group meal. This time a BBQ in a very windy environment and this time in our van.
Another good day.
Tomorrow, we part company. P & A will highball to Adelaide and we will head to Lake Hart. A free camp.
Second time to cash in the cans, out near the airport. Last time in Darwin we got $6.50 mad money. This time a line up of half an hour for a tidy $9.60. Who says it doesn’t pay to drink? Did the big sign on the way back.
Then followed, a hot hard day to remember of serious touristy stuff.
Three museums in one. N.B. if you are going to do it, plan for the whole day.
First the Ghan Museum after coffee and ham and cheese toasted in their little café.
See the sign, Stuart below.
N.B. From 1926 to 1931, Alice Springs was the seat of government for the now-defunct Territory of Central Australia. Until 31 August 1933, the town was officially known as Stuart.
Fabulous old train. This was doing it in style with just a hint of basic. Well reasonably basic.
Then we move onto the Kenworth Hall of Fame. UNBELIEVEABLE.
The internet is too slow to load youtube so no videos. Too bad.
These prime movers are all Monsters and Heroes. Some are all but new. A truckie who happened to be there said Kenworth put new (er) ones in because it is cheaper than restoring old ones. (Maybe?)
An Emu from car/truck parts.
Then to the Truck AND Car Museum. (a BIG day)
This was the worlds first road train. It was developed in the UK before WW2 and brought to Australia for testing for potential war time rough land use.
This is a Ford. It looks like the one in the Movie Paper Moon.
Then a section on the Cannonball Run. The first and last one. One car came into a check point too fast and killed the two occupants and two officials.
There is a memorial on the road side where it happened.
This was the tip of the iceberg for this amazing museum. We have not done it justice here.
On to the next day …
Saturday, 3rd of October.
Slow day. Bit of shopping waiting for Phillip and Ann to arrive after lunch-ish. They are doing an ‘imoova’. That is vehicle relocation. They are bringing a sedan from Adelaide to Alice Springs and a couple of days later, a motor home back down to Adelaide.
An afternoon of menial tasks and a night out with Phillip and Ann to the Confucius Palace Dumpling Restaurant, just out the back door of the hotel they were staying at. Cheap-ish, clean and only $2.50 corkage for a bottle of wine.
Sunday, 4th of October,.
In the mean time on the free day, we take a tour to Hermannsburg, (an eye opener) Albert Namatjira’s house, Ormiston Gorge, Serpentine Gorge etc
Standley Chasm. We saw it about three months ago but this trike wasn’t there.
Memorial to Albert Namatjura.
Hermannsburg.
The old historical zone being upgraded for tourism.
The Cemetery. A history lesson in itself. Lutheran brothers established the mission hence, German names do feature.
General Store.
A previous sign says 3.5 million dollars to ‘Turbo-charging Tourism.’
Here are the public toilets below.
I will respectfully suggest, do not spend one damn cent on building. Spend all of it on education with repetitive, repetitive, repetitive and supervised, supervised, supervised, forced lessons on cleanliness and respect for self, other persons and ALL private and public property.
Until that theme is indoctrinated into the users of these facilities, the place is NO WHERE AT ALL. Just a waste of time, money and effort. The whole town is dirty, shabby, rubbish strewn and wrecked.
Time for someone to grow up and attack the REAL problem with relentless enforcement. (That should bring the do-gooders out of the wood work.)
Believe it or not, this is my positive statement. If all I say is enforced, Hermannsburg can be a show piece. No halfways here. The whole way. No exceptions. If you do not do the hard yards and ‘wimp out’ it will always be an embarrassment instead of a tourism Jewel.
Gentlemen??? My wife told me the ‘Ladies’ were similar.
Albert Namatjura’s house.
Ha!
Wild horses?
Glen Helen CLOSED
Ormiston Gorge OPEN.
This is a great elevated camp area atop a rise. Not one sign telling anyone it exists. A secret place.
That night, we decide dinner should be the closest, cheapest, cleanest restaurant, with low corkage yet again. Dumplings!
Monday, 5th October.
Phillip and Ann drop the hire car off at the airport and we pick them up.
A strange event. It s raining!
An easy day and a lunch with friends. To The Gillen Club. Phillip Ann, my Anne and me, Lou and Mick. Unfortunately Rob could not make it due to a home problem. Specifically, hot water service.
Rain!
We happy folk.
This splash skirting is held up in the front left wheel well of my car, with two plastic expanding studs. The significance of this is that Mick spotted it and told me what I needed and where to get it. It was taken care of immediately after lunch. I usually just go home and take it easy after lunch.
Now on our third and last night with Phillip and Ann, we decide to go somewhere close, clean, cheap-ish and have a low corkage. Yep Dumplings.
A good day.
Tomorrow, Phillip and Ann are off south working their way to Adelaide and we are hitching up to head south sort of wandering.
Tuesday, 29th September to Thursday, 1st October 2020
We are here for a while.
Love the town.
Right in the heart of the city, you can see ANZAC hill.
However, as seen before, you cannot buy booze till after 2pm.
See photo below.
AND … if you want the magic elixir PORT (or any cask) , you can only get one bottle per person per day and after 6pm with a security check (drivers license) and a police Interview.
Brilliant motor bike trailer camper.
This is a drive away camper on the back of a ute. Clever. That is it is on top of the car but you can jack it up a bit and drive the car away. Sort of like detaching.
Trees. Lots of stuff.
It reads, ‘The BALD and the beautiful.’ True Love.
The OLD Alice Springs telegraph station. Below is a bike tyre repair kit. Tools hanging on cables and compressed air line.
This tree has been here as long as the station.
Just simply amazing. What they went through is unbelievable, and the sad thing is a century of hard work has now been blown away through technology. However, NEVER forget the pain and work and heartache our fore fathers went through to get us here.
Now … we will talk about … be polite? A thoughtless daughter? No. How About A BITCH daughter that made her mum, with walker, hobble SLOWLY for about 100metres in the heat across to where she/daughter had decided they will sit. POOR MUM, crawled along for spurts of 3 metres before spelling and swaying. SLAG BITCH DAUGHTER. After the inheritance perhaps?
of
On on.
A play with the weigh bridge.
Other stuff. Shopping, Bunnings, drinks with the next door neighbours, for about the fifth night.
Glenn gave us frankfurters with tomato sauce. Smooth caterer. Not bad for a Vietnam vet.
We pick up friend Rob and he steers us to where the 80 odd planes are stored at the Alice Springs Airport. (They’re not that odd)
All sorts but mainly Scoop and Singapore. Apparently it’s not as easy as simply dumping them there and collecting the rent. The ground has to be a certains support strength, they have to be covered to a degree and cleaned. probably other requirements as well. We hear there are plans to extend it to 200.
Manage to get a shot of black Cockatoos and a Qantas landing while there.
We then adjourn to the Botanical Gardens for lunch. We enjoy ham and cheese croissants. Big and tasty, washed down with ginger beer and coffee.
The garden is picturesque with ponds etc.
Ceramic tile picture benches.
Then a tour around town on a dead quiet Sunday.
A pleasant few hours with friend Rob, we originally met in East Timor in I think 2001.
Now, the trick of all this. As we were driving into the Botanical Gardens I get the signal that a tyre is going flat. As the last one, this is a rubber valve stem crack and I find by bending it one way the leak stops. So while Anne holds it I get the tape out and tape the valve to the rim. The leak stops and the tyre is only half flat.
We enjoy a spicy home made chicken noodle dish, with some Pino Grigio, or Anne does. My consumption is a little too rapid for Anne to get her moneys worth. Besides, I would (and do) rather have red anyway.
Next day, Monday, we have a date with destiny. Destiny being a BBQ with Lou and Mick. Again a pleasant get together and forgot to take photos. The only one I got was of Micks pizza oven. I am impressed.
Booked for the tyre tomorrow. Not bad though. Got about a day and a half out of a punctured tyre.
Met friends Lou and Mick at the Gillen Club. Lovely day….
… except the toes were getting worse even though I was three fifths of the way through the antibiotics. So, as per the doctors instructions, we are off to the emergency of the Hospital.
Long story short and pay attention if you want to avoid or treat toe pox in the future … It is usually a fungus that kicks it off. The fungus creates bacteria. You take the antibiotics to kill the bacteria but you need a strong anti fungal at the same time to snuff the fungus. So we get a prescription for a super antifungal (which turned out to be un-necessary. Over the counter) A few odds and ends then home.
By the way, I take photos of absolutely anything, who anyone who has followed me knows. You remember the used condom at Loxton? I have spared you the photos of the toes.
Naw. What the hell. I’ll just show you a photo at the start before they got bad. You will just see the left getting red and slightly (it this stage) swelling and starting to blister. They went to spectacular in about 1.5 days.
Saturday.
Nothing. A little cleaning, lazing around. Mind you, it felt good. Flag up. Flag down. Currently watching San Andreas on TV. 9.05pm tick tick tick. Flicking to Django.
Tomorrow we meet Rob and try to go see the planes stored at the airport.
Looks to me like two people with goods and a makeshift shelter.
… AND a bike rider.
She’s spotted something.
A bridge over the train track.
We can’t go past the Barrow Creek pub. We still haven’t caught up with Les and Helen.
What do you think of the truckers safety boots?
Finally, after around 20 years …
A good pub, but it’s on the market.
Must keep moving. I planned to get in to Alice at 3pm. Unhitch, get organized and make the 4.30pm appointment. However, seeing Helen and Les plus a few other stops including Ti Tree (pic below) means our tootsies are dragging.
So we get to Alice and go straight to the clinic arriving just 10 minutes early.
I gave the good doctor my history of Toe Pox and the cure of anitbiotics. She gave me a prescription and directions to Woolies just a two block walk as there is a pharmacy there.
Off we go to put in the prescription and take the waiting time to go to W for a roasted chook and some sweeties.
heading to the caravan park just one stop at the Gap View hotel for a slab of bubbly, brown stuff.
Thus we arrive and are pleasantly surprised by the temperature. Guessing about 27 degrees. Unhitched and settled in.
A big day is followed by a big sleep.
Next day, Wednesday, was a maintenance day. Lots of washing, cleaning, cutting nails and a bit of R & R.
On the road agin, just kain’t wait to git on ther road agin. etc
A brief interlude. We have been told Banka Banka is a good park but no power. We pull in for a look for future reference. It is simple and owned by the Station. However management was pleasant. there was lawned area and I could picture ourselves there next trip. the carrot was made juicier by the info that by this time next year they should have 12 power sites.
Who has never heard of three ways? it’s about 25kms north of Tennant Creek. It is the T junction where the Barkly intersects the Stuart Highway. It is a truck stop amongst many other things. If it loads OK, here it is from North to south …
Finally, Tennant Creek. Problem with Anne’s phone so off to the only place in town for such things. I include there name because they were friendly, helpful, did the job and were more than reasonable.
We decide to do TC justice so have a look at some ‘touristy’ things. It is good. Many things shut due to the Chinese covid-19 but lots to view.
A great look out.
.. and best kept secret. a recreation lake.
…plus Sturt peas a plenty.
We gas up at the BP then pull in to the caravan park next door. It was good enough on the way up and so on the way down as well.
Now…. you may have heard months ago that the IGA burnt down. Apparently as we pick up, a pack of horrible little rodents about 8 years old piled card board boxes up behind it then set fire to it. Here we are three month later entering the termporary IGA which is a big and luckily air conditioned shed, quite well set up given the circumstances.
Below is the temporary entrance and exit till further improvements are made. Yep. Duck under the roller door.
…and don’t cross the witches hat while the bull dozer is making the new entrance path. By the way this IGA is on the opposite side of the BP to the van park. Also, apparently, it is suspected this same pack of rodents on a night just before we got there they managed to start the road equipment rollers and run amuck. Damn shame they didn’t run over each other. Also, apparently stoned the back windows of the BP so I am told.
A bold statement. The whole Territory has a major, MAJOR problem that could be fixed by some tough calls by someone with some guts. The whole Territory is being ruined. I wish every one in Australia would drive up the centre of Australia and stay for two days in each major town. That would be the qualification for being able to comment on it rationally and not just emotionally.
Where you can get from Tennant creek.
A good night only now I discover, it appears I have the recurrence of a complaint I got twice in East Timor. It is the start of what I call toe pox. It usually starts between the second and third toe then spreads. The toes swell up the skin weeps and the toes change to interesting colours, red and some so read it looks black. I originally thought fungal but what ever it is, it spreads quickly and can only be knocked on the head with antibiotics.
I figure there is more chance of getting a doctor in Alice Springs than Tennant Creek, so I google and book in for 4.30pm Alice Springs a mere 505km away.
Tuesday, 22nd, the dash begins! (with a few stops.)
P.S.
Who noticed and what does it mean? (although perhaps not here.)
Off and we have Dunmarra in our sights for the PIES!
Four great bikes in the car park. too hard to resist hence the pics.
Grub time!
As I have said before, photos of second food never looks good but it does show the meat content. Taste is incredible.
With the Maestro ‘Gary’ in the back ground. Two pies now and two to go.
This time we take some time outside the roadhouse.
Stories of a lost boy, experienced but took off into the bush to find a couple of horses that got out.
Noels Truck. This character carried the mail in his old Leyland try through some of the most inhospitable land in the whole country. See the repair below.
Apparently a conrod went through the block. So Noel stripped the motor down and patched the hole before going on. A bit hard to see but if you see bottom right side there is a plate with a bolt in it. Bush repairs.
We followed this guy for about 70kms, not game to pass. He has a triple trailer and was weaving all over the road metres over double lines. these big, round bails covered in yellow plastic and stacked high turned out to be cotton. It was a real sail for the side wind and I gave him 10 out of 10 for not totaling the whole thing.
Pre warned we eventually come to the remains of a car transport semi trailer still fully stacked and burnt out. There has to be a story there. I googled it but found two other separate car fires only.
Sunset in the van at Renner Springs. Sunset out the window and TV top right. Not a bad spot with roaming peacocks and geese. Quite good amenities but no dump point.
At the Mataranka Servo (United) filling up for the southern run. a ute is next door and a chatty young lady is filling up. As we stand there bowser to bowser, I pass comment on the dirt bikes. I didn’t immediately see the security system.
Have a closer look. There are two.
N.B. Damn good home made pies. Get one if passing. Almost, but not as good as the Dunmarra’s
This very nice bush girl continues chatting to both of us then asks, ‘Do you like pumpkins and melons?” Anne says yes and she throws us a pumpkin and rock melon, explaining how she has just come from a farm and has a heap of the slightly undersized one. As we speak, they sit on the side board slowly ripening. A small win.
On a few k’s then turn off to Elsey Cemetery. It is the resting place of most real characters from the book, ‘We of the Never Never’ including the Author. There are other ‘unknowns’ buried here.
I copy from the website …. https://northernterritory.com/katherine-and-surrounds/see-and-do/elsey-memorial-cemetery ….
“Visit the final resting place of the people made famous by Jeannie Gunn’s book We of the Never Never.
Elsey Memorial Cemetery, located 20 kilometres south of Mataranka off the Stuart Highway, is of national and Territory historical significance primarily because it provides the remaining link with many of the individuals in the book.
The cemetery contains the remains of Aeneas James Gunn who moved to the station as manager and who died on 16 March 1902 of malarial dysentery only 13 months later. His grave is located next to a memorial to his wife Jeannie which reads ‘In loving Memory of the ‘Little Missus’. She died on 9 June 1961.
The cemetery remains as a tribute not only to those pioneers of the pastoral industry but also to Jeannie Gunn, whose portrayal of the Northern Territory Outback captured the imagination of a nation.”
Another historical book I will have to track down and read. It was quite an experience. The sparse location and widely scattered grave sites. Also, the fact that there were quite a few simple crosses and no details of both large and small graves was a stark reminder of how sad an ending many people have suffered.
Lee KEN , a Chinese cook who died at Elsey Station on 18th February 1903, while riding from Darwin to Daly Waters to take up the position of cook., but became ill at Chinese New Year at the station and died.
Below the authors plaque and her father.
plus many unknowns.
We pass through Larrimah again but decide instead to eat from the van rather than spend money.
Then On! On! to Daly Waters.
These are two sad attempts to photograph the I think 2.4km airstrip that reaches all the way to the highway. Nope. Too much to see too far away. Bummer.
So here we are a few months later. This is where I first put shorts on when on our way up in late July.
This sign is at the spot where we connect the water for the van. So what do you reckon they are trying to tell us?
Inside like coming home.
Lou and Phil evening entertainment. Same pair when coming up, but still good entertainment.
Across the road ‘Tim’s Junkyard’ which is a dramatic misnomer. It is a treasure trove. Have a look.
On hold to Telstra. Who CANNOT identify with this.
Antique and different types of barbed wire.
It reads, CAMPING … where you spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person. Says it all.
This is the vehicle of the host and owner. On the last trip I followed this to our camp spot.
In the a.m. we hit the pool with our noodles. Second use so they are now only $3.50 per use. Anne at peace with the world. The photo is small. She does have a smile on her face. I am doing the free world a favour by not showing me in swimming togs. The world is going through all sorts of troubles. We do not want people to sink into despair.
I think I was trying to get the spiders in this pic.
Yes. It is the Australian Research & Space Exploration sticker. Yes. ARSE. I googled it and found the site but it is more a garments thing with a few other ‘interesting’ items. Have a look. https://spaceaustralia.com.au/
This guy is on the site. He looks familiar. Seen him?
Evening is steak and vegies. The steak is marinated kangaroo and you will see it is cooked perfectly for kangaroo.
Red wine with it of course. Tomorrow we will check out and there may (or may not) be another dip on the way. We shall see.
Cheers.
P.S. By the way … “At a point where the Roper Creek and River join there was a strong spring of water flowing from under a small area of dark limestone. This place was first seen by Mr King who named it the Bitter Springs, the bitter taste of the water being due to the presence of minerals.”
On the way south, we saw signs saying Hayes Creek was closed. We didn’t understand. Now we do.
A seriously big, heavy Australia map.
Next NON stop, Emerald Springs. We stopped for a burger on the way up so we just charged through on the way back.
See? Zoomed in on the sign.
On to Pine Creek. Cousin Mal and Kay made notes about Mayse’s Café. I now see they probably meant ‘expensive.’ Food was good though and the coffee.
On On! We stop at Edith Falls for a look only.
Anne pets the sea eagle with sunnies. He is of course stuffed. More than us.
Then to Katherine, staying at the Ibis Styles which is perhaps not up to the usual Ibis standard but not bad AND it is the cheapest power site in town. $35. All others were over $40. Next was $43 I think.
Now we meet Amanda at the park. She is raising money for Beyond Blue and Bush Heritage. She is manually pulling her little trailer along behind her with her big white dog for company. I didn’t get the whole lot but she will be going down to three ways (near Tennant Creek) and across the Barkly. A serious walk. I think also Sydney then around the coast and back? Hell of a walk. Why not give her a little support? Go to ‘ozladytravel.com’ to follow her journey and contribute in any way you can.
Let’s have a look at Cutta Cutta Caves! 50 metres in and THEN they put up the ‘closed’ sign. Would have saved me some serious backing if they had put it on the sign.
That was short lived. Get within about 20km of Mataranka but I am getting a bit tired and someone has been dressing termite mounds.
Finally Mataranka but we are turning off to Bitter Springs and NOT the Homestead we stayed at on the way up. We have been given the drum that the flying foxes/bats have moved into the homestead and it is getting very messy and smelly. However, Bitter Springs has not been effected.
Camping grounds quite shady and $35 cash per night. Machines not working. Two nice couples very much into camping and bikes. Two Suzukis about 1000cc, a Ducati at 1250cc and a BMW, I think about 1100cc ?
The 10 minute walk to the pools.
Very nice. We will extend a day and dip tomorrow.
Paper bark! Haven’t seen it for ages.
Another ‘small’ fifth wheeler.
Us.
Formal termite entrance to our park area.
The office. Tomorrow is another day. Why do I keep saying that?
Heading south from Acacia Hills (thanks Kath and Dion), we stop at Manton Dam for a look. Lotus lilies etc. Nice spot.
Not my best photo.
Not her best photo.
We get to within 15km of Adelaide River then my $500 Safety Dave tyre monitor decides to finally pay for itself.
All of a sudden Beep Beep Beep Beep!! A look at the monitor and front left wheel of car is deflating40lb, 38lb, 35lb etc. We pull over and I manage to find a bit of bitumen at a left turn spot. The next 45 minutes proved I was no longer young because I could have done the whole thing in 10 minutes not all that long ago.
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On to Adelaide River where we find the only one man in town who can fix it (BP station) and he’s out. So we go for a wander and get something to eat. He comes back.
Fixed and fitted. We decide to stay as it is 3.30pm – ish. We also find out through a quirk of fate where Tommy and Patsy Fawcett live. We are ‘shagged’ and we shower and stay in.
Tuesday
Next morning we visit the Fawcett residence and are delighted with the timing as we get there just as Tommy is getting back from where ever. Patsy comes to meet and greet. A coffee, a long chat. and we see photos and swap memories. A fine happy/sad visit with trips down memory lane. Tommy shows us the plaque to be erected. I told Tommy not to unwrap it so as to preserve it until installed. Besides, you can see most of the inscription. As well as the text, it shows a camp fire and the words, in the bottom right hand corner, ‘Cooking for the mob Upstairs.’ For anyone who knew him, I couldn’t have thought of anything more appropriate and I am sure his good mate Cookie would agree.
The full inscription is …
‘In Loving Memory of
FAWCETT
Gil Roy
10.07.1959 – 13.04-2020
Son of Patsy & Tommy
Brother of Jed & Dean
Father of Melanie & Amon
And a loving Grandfather’
Then, a camp fire on the left and on the right, the words, ‘Cooking for the mob upstairs’ (as mentioned)
Patsy has Gils old work shirt on the back of her chair. He is always close.
We leave with a souvenir jar of Patsy’s commercial Mango Chutney, a lot of rekindled memories and a feeling of life flying by. As I have said, no one is really gone till there is no one left who remembers them. RIP Gil.
Back at the caravan park come pub, a young chap (Albert I think) is cleaning his HJ Holden. Just bloody great. We just don’t really appreciate it till they have gone.
Lunch at the pub adjacent. The PUMA servo, the Adelaide River Inn and the caravan park are all co-owned.
A Parmi to end all parmies.
Heaps for both and then left overs.
Also, ‘Jock the croc’ in a glass case.
Charlie the Buffalo died in 2000 and is now stuffed and in the pub bar. He is the famous Buff from Crocodile Dundee and the last time we saw him, back in the 90’s, he was happily grazing in a pen outside the pub where the caravan park is now.
We think this is a Boab but it doesn’t look all that flash.
The general store at 5pm. It closes at 4pm.
This excavator has optional railway wheels. Interesting to see that go past on a level crossing.
It’s a suction cup gun. I wanted it. Anne didn’t. I said , ‘if it’s only $10, I’m getting it.’ It cost $19.95. Damn!
It’s a good little Caravan Park. Sign up at the Puma Servo. Only $28 for a power site. Good pool and the PUB is on the block. Not only you don’t have to drive but you don’t even leave the block!
On tomorrow. Don’t know where but we were given hope about the NSW border the other day and that just got scrubbed on the news this morning.
We meet an Adelaide mate at the ex Buzz cafe, now Lola’s Pergola.
I decided not to have the ‘Boofhead’ just for psychological reasons. Fascinating. To function they must make money, which means many people must drink it. Therefore it either is a fine beer or people like the idea of drinking it. I wonder which.
It must be a USA fan due to the spelling, or am I wrong and it means an Ass?
So much for my selfies . Anyway, Anne and I look OK’ish.
Evening we move on to a new experience. Old friend Jim Henderson is now, (amongst other things) the Segway man in Darwin. Well experienced and also, he is instructor for ‘authority’ users, he is ‘The Man’ for Segway tours in Darwin.
……………………………………………………….
Don’t worry. Anyone can do it with instruction from Jim and just a little practice.
We broke new ground along the coast and onto the beach.
It is undoubtedly the best experience in Darwin and if you don’t do one you are missing out in a big way.
Jim was just brilliant!
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And just if you missed the contact numbers….
Jim Henderson
ph: 0417 781 178
em: jim.henderson2@bigpond.com
A lifetime experience. DON’T miss it and regret it for the rest of your life.
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Sunday
Another catching up meeting with past ‘amigo’s’ Trevor and Lucy.
So long since the last meeting but nothing has changed, except their baby is now a young woman. OK It has been a few years.
We part company after visiting their home, just to find they have new neighbours we know! Hayley and kids have taken up residence on the esplanade and dad will be arriving in due course.
Back to the van site to hook up. We leave ‘a patch of green.’
We are off to a farewell as guests of our original hosts Kath and Dion out at Acacia Hills. We take up our usual spot in the big shed. Guests roll in and a great night was had. I always know when we have a good night because am having such a good time, I forget to take pics.
Project finished. The van now has a flag. Finished in the morning before a good, boys lunch.
Lunch for three. Me, him and him or Leith, Leigh and Seb.
various beers and a wine. There’s always one.
Leigh showing off again.
When you got to go, you got to go.
The driver has arrived and as we are dropping Seb home, we take the opportunity to annoy the hell out of the driver by stopping for ‘just a couple’ on the way home.
On the way home from the passengers side. Looks different from here.
Saturday is another day and we meet good guy Jim H. at the boat shed Cullen Bay for a bite and a chat of old times. He is Mr Segway in Darwin as well as a few other things. Dynamic Mr Entrepeneur. After Anne relaxes At Lolas Pergola.
Things to buy a la beauty.
Then the supermarket and we run into Leigh & Tess
We all go to the boozerama for take home orders.
Then on the way home, we return Rogers call. Buddy from Adelaide currently in … Darwin. So we will catch up tomorrow.
Last couple of days here and it’s starting to back up.
Mooching around in the morning (that’s an American term I think). Hot and tiring. Anne is crook from getting a bit too hot yesterday so I take off for buying bits and pieces and home 4.30pm ish.
Nearly back, I spot two Apaches (helicopters not Indians) approaching landing zone. Turns out Anne shot them as well.
Got them and Anne got a Plover near the van.
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As said before, while under the umbrella of the term Plover, this one is a ‘masked lapwing.’ Hate to split hairs but there are birdwatchers that would be down my throat. (sounds a bit unhygienic)
Now the upside of being near the airport is the interesting flights one spots. The Apaches (Boeing AH-64). see above. The C17 Globemaster and of course the good old Black Hawk (Sikorsky UH-60). After years on the Heliport in Dili, I can ID them by ear.
Anne grabs the camera to photograph magpie geese outside the van.
A casual day, looking forward to an 11am meeting for lunch with Lou and Mick.
A great lunch with the dynamic duo of Mick and Lou at The Trailer Boat Club. Again, such a great lunch but … I didn’t take one damn photo. (?) Discussed the future in regards to travelling. (as they are fellow travelers only they have been doing it longer than us.) Referred for later discussion but generally talking ‘south.’
LATE ENTRY 9-9-2020 Anne had some photos from lunch …
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On to look for a bracket to hold the flag pole. Had some luck but not there yet. Hold that thought.
Back to van. Bloody hot. Laydown with AC and showers.
Nothing during the day. Evening off to the Portuguese and Timorese Social Club Inc on the invitation of Mana Rosa to view Max Stahl’s film ‘To Resist is to Win!’ The film was the lead up to and the aftermath of East Timor’s Popular Consultation Day August 30th 1999 when the country voted for independence. A very powerful and sobering look at how it was. To say Max directed it is an understatement. It was his film.
Scenery out the front.
A catch up from Dili.
Max providing extra input.
Me, Luke Gosling (Senator) and Max Stahl.All ex-East Timor-ites.
Mixing em up.
Three famous ladies, Dolce, Rosa and Anne.
With Tania and Lourdes
Max meets the motor bike man who is trying to get to Dili for his doco and world trip.
Meet up with Rob.
Man with bike. Good on you Toco Lenzi. Good Luck!
Great night. 10 out of 10 to Max for the film. Great food. Great to catch up with so many people. Dare I say again GREAT!
Almost zero work today, irrespective of the most sincere plans, on a hot ‘stay in the van, put on the AC and watch movies’ day. Later off to Mindil beach, past the big buffalo. We lived here when this was sold and purchased by Travans so somewhere between 1996 and 2000. It used to need a prop from ground to chin but I guess some work was done on it.
Get there and irrespective of heaps of clear parking, this silly old bugger chose to park partly on the road. N.B. To qualify my statement, I saw him get out and walk away. He was ‘old’ but not decrepit. ‘Silly’ for ignoring the convenient parks and ‘bugger’ because he partly blocked the road.
This is a great moment. Anne and I, Seb and Renee with both kids and Tess and Leigh are ALL getting together. We stationed ourselves near the stage with table and chairs. Saw Irish dancing and the kids could play on the amusements. We saw the sun set from a distance, but had our grub so stayed put. NOW, I, the shutter bug enjoyed the evening so much, I didn’t take ONE photo of the group, the sunset or the food. Losing my focus.
The fact that I didn’t take photos did not diminish the impact and enjoyment of a great evening with a few laughs, stories, drinks and old friends. (I’m the oldest) The clock is ticking for our departure as well.
I told you yesterday that today was going to be a special day. Here is what I post on facebook or anywhere else I can on a Thursday, which happens to be the third or in other words ‘TERSDEE DA TERD.’
When we (Anne and I) lived in Darwin, our favourite pub was Shenannigan’s Irish Pub. Many Irish backpackers got jobs there passing through because they had the accent. (and they could do the job I guess) One day I said to one of these young Irish guys, ” I wish I could do a really good Irish accent.” To which he replied, “Oy just wish oy could say Tersdee da terd.” Yes everyone. Today is Tersdee da terd, in Ireland in particular. So why not let your friends know what day it is. And remember the Irish greeting ‘Top of the morning to you’ is supposed to be responded to with, ‘And the rest of the day to yourself.’ At least that’s what I understand. Here’s to the beloved Irish.
Well dare ya goo.
We met Richard S for a coffee at the Fannie Bay Cool Spot. It was popular when we worked in the same block from 1996 to 2000 and it still is.
Went on to the IGA and found some wine Anne thinks was made for me. How shallow some people can be.
I love the way they put ‘Darwin Bus’ on all the busses just to avoid confusion.
Looking for lunch. I reckon this was Greek.
The original Hotel Darwin was sort of days of the raj. Huge open plan with lots of palm and fern pots, big ceiling fans and low large lounges with giant coffee tables. It was nothing short of fabulous and a tourist must.
Here is the ”new’ old Hotel Darwin. I was there in that pub then called something else back in about 1998-ish when the real one behind it facing the esplanade got knocked down at about 7pm on a Friday night. The flood lights were all set up along with the bull dozers and the wrecking ball. The time was perfect for not being able to appeal and this fine old landmark that had lasted all through the war and 50 years more, suddenly developed concrete cancer and had to be knocked down. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that it was on the esplanade and was ideal for a high rise apartment block or whatever. I am guessing that somehow the council were peeved because all that was erected on the site was single story only and on stumps or better known as demountable. I may be completely wrong but to me it reeks of a temporary building to make a bit of money till they can ‘wangle’ an approval for the intended. If these walls could talk.
Originally it was Outback Jacks. We stayed for lunch. We shared a Wagyu burger which was excellent at I think $12.95 which was fine. Except We had a coke zero and a tonic water on ice and they cost the same as the burger!!
The old Vic still closed and the agent is Paspaley Properties. Talk about having a finger in every pie.
This is on the highway at the intersection of Hickman Rd at Winnellie. You may notice the highway has very high light poles except for about 100 metres as there is a small cross landing strip for small craft BUT they need a little help so the light poles in line have been dropped.
Dropping into the hair and beauty place (Proline) at Winnellie to say hello to Scott and Fran. WOW! look what I spotted on the way in, Aging men do this. aA1964 EH Holden. Bless the man who restored this. Magic car.
Great catching up. Took further planning steps for the flag pole and it was time to kick back at the park.
A coffee, a chat and lunch with Lou and Mick, fellow travelers.
A mini delay with some confusion re coffee spot then we settle in at The Boatshed, Cullen Bay. For about 90 cents extra, you can get a ‘bowl’ of you favorite caffeine mixer come pick me up and I thought that a good deal.
We brighten up the wharf with our presence. Two stunning ladies and two handsome chaps oozing finesse and savoir faire. (where do I get this stuff from? I think its real estate. )
It’s cooling off to about 34 degrees so Anne rugs up. (No. It is the sun she is blocking.
Lots of eateries at Cullen Bay and mainly seafood.
It’s a hibiscus. (she told me)
It’s a Kite. (I told her.)
This Paella sign for the Boatshed is laying on it’s side and a fair way from the spot. They must put it up in the car park.
We drop in at Leigh’s place for a coffee and a chat. The human food machine is in full swing cooking and baking left right and centre. There’s no stopping him!
back for a kick back and veg out at the van. Our friends with the flag have relocated in the park and the couple with the big 5th wheeler are off tomorrow. Soup for evening meal and a whee whisky for a scratchy throat. Had it since we arrived and I am sure it is the dust in the park.
Friday, 28th, Saturday, 29th Sunday, 30th of August 2020
A mainly slack three days. Slack, slack, slack. Perfect.
Friday.
Nothing except pick up some beers for a visit to Leigh and Tess’s for a great roast meal and a pleasant evening. For those into detail, Tooheys Extra Dry stubbies. For drinking here not touring. Too heavy.
Saturday
In to town to tidy ends. Loose ends are insightly and annoying. Picked up clothes in for repair, to Fishing and Outdoor World to swap the gloves/hand protectors so I had one of each L & R, Delaney’s to check the hats etc,
Next Salvatores for a bloody good coffee and a ham and cheese toasted sandwich. You can argue if it’s the best in town but I haven’t found a better. It is the same owner and it is consistent.
Then onto National Flags to research and meet ‘Mr Flags’ Ronald Strachan, who knows anything and everything about flags worth knowing. Ordered a few, then back to the park to extend for another two weeks.
Ronald Strachan, a genius with flags and associated items. Here he holds his own flag, hence the pointing.
Great breakfast of light scrambled eggs on crumpets with smoked salmon and orange juice.
Clothes washing, laying around, talking to neighbours, planning a flag pole, movies including just the start of Bedazzled, A walk in the Woods and Back to the future. One neighbor has a flag and we compared notes. I have a cunning plan.
Did all but nothing. Not even tidied the back of the car after the battery minor fiasco.
Anne grabbed the camera to take a shot of this Plover capitalizing on the fact we are watering the lawn adjacent. In fact while it is from the Plover family, it is in fact a Masked Lapwing. Don’t ask me how I know that.
Past seagull and crow, I am pretty thin on birds names. Always wanted to be able to use the name, Yellow Bellied Sapsucker. So just for the hell of it I googled it and here it is …
What do you reckon? Bit of a let down? To start with, there’s no yellow belly, so the colour highlight is it’s red mask. The other feature is the apparent ease with which it can cling to a perpendicular tree trunk. I would have named it a ‘Red Masked Tree Clinger.’
Going to extend a week. Still got people to catch up with.
Put the car in for serious service at 8am. Leigh Biggs was good enough to come pick us up and it ended up a busy day.
Back to his place to test out the new coffee machine. Worked well. Good coffee AND he has a frothing machine so cappuccino’s !
A walk around town as the apartment is in the city.
The General store. No. Pith helmets do NOT suite me.
Lunch in the mall. a tasty yiros but with no salad, once you take the chips out, there isn’t much left.
Yes. See below. Chips IN the yiros!
The Stuart memorial in Knuckey street square.
Been a while since I’ve seen an F100.
That’s all the pics but not the day.
Bought a meat thermometer from Alfred’s. Fishing and outdoor is it? Bought a fishing shirt to wear generally in the sun. My supervisor thinks it’s a good idea. Also for the same reason a pair of pseudo gloves with no material on the palms and just for top of hand sun protection. They are very good but I will be returning. Two for left hand and none for right. Just cant make it work acceptably.
Got car back and home for a lay down and shower before our 6pm meeting with long lost friends Matt and Jude at The Trailer Boat Club. Good meal, great company, laughs, stories a few drinks. The only thing wrong was it wasn’t long enough.
Also ran into Roxley and Fred from the past in Darwin.
A little history in the making. Me, Leigh and Seb get together for lunch at ‘The Cav’. Recommendation from Leigh, get the steak sandwich on the specials board. $18 and it was a winner. Photo below, Leigh shows us newbees the spicy relish that makes the difference.
Only way to tackle them is to cut in half.
A good afternoon. No one driving so sneaked a few drinks on the way to the pick up point.
Bonus is I think the batteries and fridge are OK so final check tomorrow then repack the back properly.
Day of crap. discovered near midday, somehow the 12 volt lead that runs from the van to the car had pulled out. Significance of that is when the car is at rest and plugged into this lead, the solar panels charge the two van batteries and the two car batteries WHICH RUN THE CAR FRIDGE. So, by chance I happen to put something in the freezer and while still OK it is not 100% freezing cold. So check the fridge section and not working at all. So must have been reasonably recent if still frozed.
I check the fridge/freezer readout and it is saying Err-Err and is not running. So I check the batteries and that spells it out. 10.7volts, both of them.
looking at the battery you will notice on top …
12.7v = full
12.5v = 80%
12.2v = 50%
10.5v = FLAT
So the batteries are all but stone flat.
Lead plugged in and very little improvement. Finally get enough charge, about 11.4v to start the fridge. A run into town as the car Is a good charge and all but nothing improved.
So my lovely neat car storage area (called the tub) has to be pulled apart so that I can plug the fridge into 240v so the batteries have no drain trying to run the fridge while charging.
12v lead in from the van to charge the batteries but they are so flat I start and run the car several times over a couple of hours to try and boost them.
Finally the batteries get to 12.2v which is half and the fridge gets to …
fridge gets to 8 degrees C (should be 3)
freezer gets to minus 12 C (should be minus 16 C)
We get to bed with Freezer at -14, fridge at 4 and batteries at 12.2v and 12.3v. Enough to allow sleep.
I’m sure all will be fine in the morning. (?) N.B. You are not supposed to let deep cycle batteries get flat as it ‘kills’ them.
My nice neat tub now looks like a bomb hit it. Everything had it’s place.
Such is life on the road. You have to be reminded that your free camping set up requires maintenance and you must be continually aware.
It reminds me a little of a comment from an aeronautical chap who said something like, ‘A helicopter has either just been fixed or is about to be fixed.’
Fingers crossed for the morrow. You probably didn’t need to know all that but now you know something you may not have known before. Whether you wanted to know it is an entirely different issue.
It will take at least an hour or two to get the tub re-established back to normal, IF the batteries and fridge are OK tomorrow. IF?
Sunday near lunch time. Rapid Creek Market. We buy a ‘tester’ sumosa, two Mango slushies, some basil then back to the Indian stall where the sumosa proved to be good so two more and an Indian meal for tonight.
At right ‘slushie in hand.
A flower amongst the others.
Then to Bunnings for a wall clock and a hook to hang it on, then the sausage sandwich. I ordered two. One with onion on top and one with onion on bottom. The uninformed server said yes but her supervisor said no. I voiced my opinion (as always) that I have dropped as much onion from the bottom as the top but, blind, ignorant bureaucracy will always win out over common sense and intelligent deduction.
Matt had heard of the tongue twister but not in it’s entirety so sent to him and posted here as a back up.
So the clock now hangs in the van in what appears an awkward or at least non symmetrical position. It is there because I don’t trust sticky hooks so by resting the clock on the small edge underneath and secured with a little blue tack, there is negligible weight/pressure on the hook.
Nothing much is going to happen until we hit the road and some decisions will have to be made soon.
Lazy Saturday. Almost nothing happened. Anne did washing and went for a swim in the pool. I spent most of the day sorting up drives for the computer.
Only left the van to go to the toilet block and once to get a bottle of wine from the car. Damn near a perfect day for a lazy bugger.
I attach something to make it worth opening the blog.
First serious …
Checked it out. It’s true. See link to FBI report … https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the-u.s.-2013/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/expanded-homicide/expanded_homicide_data_table_6_murder_race_and_sex_of_vicitm_by_race_and_sex_of_offender_2013.xls
A busy day when we finally tracked down Jude and Matt who we knew from way back 20 years ago in Darwin, bought a freezer pack worn as a ruck sack for keeping things (beer and wine) cold, bought some soft drinks (for mixing with hard ones) visited Tyre Power for wheel info, had a healthy roll from Subway, coffee from Salvadores (best coffee in Darwin) then managed to get home and shower for ‘the big event.’
We must be at Stokes Hill Wharf no later than 5pm. More importantly, get there early enough so I DON”T HAVE TO RUN because my face doesn’t want to go through that again.
Cath and Dion are the organisers. Cath is in ‘Catering. Cath can put a feast together in the time it would take me to pull the items out the fridge.
The smallgoods/meat plate.
The cheese, more small goods, sundried tomatoes and spread plate.
Choice of bickies and/or bread sticks.
A particularly ugly ship coming into port. Dion and Cath inform us it is a cattle transport. It is empty because apparently it is a one way trip. No return tickets. We are also told any and every cattle ship, irrespective of design, are all UGLY. It is a requirement apparently. This one qualifies.
This one is … GALLOWAY EXPRESS (IMO: 9621194) is a Livestock Carrier that was built in 2013 (7 years ago) and is sailing under the flag of Singapore. It’s carrying capacity is 5488 t DWT and her current draught is reported to be 5.5 meters. Her length overall (LOA) is 134.8 meters and her width is 19.6 meters.
Ugly.
The ladies lapping up the ambience.
We are at the back of the lugger and sharing with five other fine folk.
A big, mobile business card.
A handsome group of dynamic people.
A selfie of the same.
This is an over two hour cruise, where we note the coast line from the wet side. The turn around is about sunset. Fab cruise.
The most interesting part of the tour was to see the extent of the harbor that has been leased to the Chinese Government, by Chief Minister Giles. I am trying to imagine what went through his and his ‘accomplices’ minds who leased the most strategic part of Australia to a foreign power. A 99 year lease for just $500,000,000!! By the end of the least that is going to be the equivalent of $50.
Is he still working? He shouldn’t be doing anything too complicated.
Back in the harbor.
This fine young Irish chap had a new adventure.
We had to remove our footwear and put them in a box. After the cruise his thongs had disappeared. In an embarrassed gesture the skipper gave Paddy (don’t know his name but a good lad) his own thongs. Paddy was well pleased. He explained, firstly they fitted and secondly his were cheapies worth $5 and the skippers were at least $20. Don’t know what the skipper wore home. Maybe some one piggybacked him to his car?
A wharf just isn’t complete without live entertainment.
Now … I have completely forgot Anne’s pics so here they are in one giant post.
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While still in Dili, probably about 6 years before we left, utilizing dominant memories of our time there, I started a book of our lives in Dili, from the original departure date from Darwin. That was 14th November 2000. The flight was postponed and the final departure was the day after being the 15th of course. I did about 60 pages and with all due modesty, I think it’s not half bad.
Other calls on my time put it on the back burner. Then, when we first returned from East Timor 25th November 2018, I committed to do a blog of our travels. So when we finally hit the road from Adelaide on 8th October 2019 I did just that. It was a chore because the limited preparation I did with others help, specifically Dan C, I had left for about a year and promptly forgot, so I had to re-learn for myself. Never the less, it took off and I filled it with pretty well anything and everything.
However, the book I started all those years ago kept blinking into mind from time to time, until the other night when we were invited to Mana Rosa’s place for dinner, one of the other guests announced he was writing or had written a book. I thought, ‘good on him’ as he had followed through on his plan. Then I got the guilt’s regarding my book and how I had basically dropped the ball.
Anne is very ‘nice’ but I know she thinks I spend far too much time on the blog. So I know I cannot finish the book and do the blog with the same intensity I have done. That is, if there is nothing to say, I’ll fill it with trivial dribble and try and make it as interesting as possible.
I have cut myself a little slack due to one characteristic I have. I once heard the definition of ‘Character’ and it is not the high and mighty accolade you may expect. It is simply the following. ‘Character is the ability to follow through on a commitment long after the excitement of the moment has passed.’ That is a strength I have and it is also a handicap. I have over the years continued down a path long after I should have turned off and re-routed. But that’s another subject.
So I am not going to stop the blog and do the book instead because I have committed to the blog and even when I was a month or two behind, I caught it up, which was no easy feat. So after having been through all that, I am not going to drop it. However, I am going to reduce the blog to mainly pertinent items and supported by photographs. Hopefully this will cut it down to between 30 minutes and an hour, or less.
Having said all that, yesterday was yet another catch up day. We didn’t leave the park, I packed the booze away I had bought the day before, re-installed the privacy screen to our awning because I short circuited the installation hence having a re-do exercise.
I also threw out my two year old black volleys and here is the supporting photo as proposed. Worth the wait? N.B. I have been carrying new ones since we left Adelaide in October last year. The old white ones to be retired and I have new whites also.
Monday, 17th Tuesday 18th Wednesday 19th, August 2020
A real nothing-ish day. Put up the privacy screen the length of the awning for the first time, sort of. Couldn’t get all the stakes in. The ground was too hard.
Anne shifted the car so someone could park their van, while I was at the bathroom. Then when she went to the bathroom she spotted a shower alcove used by … I was going to say Miss Piggy, but let’s face it, she was a grotty slag who didn’t give a damn for anyone who followed. Absolute pig bitch.
Made salad rolls for lunch using Leigh Biggs hand made rolls. Very good rolls, clever fellow. Tomato, avocado, cheese, ham, bean shoots. Fairly healthy.
Blogged.
Anne cut my hair.
Showered and had evening meal, watching, Waking Ned Devine.
Eye is much better. You can hardly notice it. (?)
There you go.
Told you it was a ‘nothing’ day.
Tuesday, 18th
Washing and not much till 2.30pm when we went to Casuarina for a pair of shorts, a coffee and to get our little table clock fixed. Very squeezy park so a photo incase car damage when we get back.
Shorts purchased.
Coffee done.
Clock can’t be fixed. Bit miffed. It’s only 20 years old.
Wore T shirt and hat to colour co-ordinate my black eye.
Back home. Beers with neighbor over the road. No red wine left? How did that happen?
Damn.
Wednesday, 19th
Today, we are meeting fellow travelers, Lou and Mick on Stokes Hill Wharf at 10.30am (10.38am really. We are 8 mins late) and it is closed except for one lady who was waiting for a milk delivery. Wharf doesn’t open till high noon. ‘do not forsake me oh my darling’. (I just said that the other day but I do it everytime. It’s a sort of tradition.)
So off to the new waterfront zone, very open and about the only free parking in the city. First 2 hours. Then back to Stokes Hill grub time. Fish and chips $10.90 and a lazy afternoon watching everything and nothing.
That being that over a period of hours, we watched the pilot boat and two tugs go over to the East Arm, pull a ship off the wharf, line it up and half escort it till it got well and truly on it’s way.
The Coresky Ol
The nippy Pilot
Googled the ship and it’s out of Panama.
I even googled the ship for more useless trivia.
What kind of ship is this? CORESKY OL (IMO: 9692741) is a Bulk Carrier that was built in 2015 (5 years ago) and is sailing under the flag of Panama.
It’s carrying capacity is 34302 t DWT and her current draught is reported to be 7.7 meters. Her length overall (LOA) is 179.96 meters and her width is 30 meters.
Vessel Information General, Name: CORESKY OL, Vessel Type – eneric: Cargo Vessel Type – Detailed: Bulk Carrier, Status: Active, Flag: Panama [PA], Gross onnage: 21561
Summer DWT: 34302 t, Length Overall x Breadth Extreme: 179.96 x 30 m, Year Built: 2015, Home Port: PANAMA
In the mean time any and every minor movement of anything that floated or flew got discussed and commented upon.
We named the smaller but identical tender ‘Mini Me’
Three for the price of one.
Helicopter, looked a lot lower by the human eye.
A bit of War Time art on a container on the Wharf.
The exhaust pipes give a hint to the size of the tug motor.
The observers and ‘critiques.’
noun plural noun: critiques. a detailed analysis and assessment of something, especially a literary, philosophical, or political theory.
OK. Maybe Critique is a bit over the top
Next …..
A very pleasant, easy going day which ended with commitment to repeat this or similar in the near future. Enough time to go to my favorite vendor of pleasing liquids and home for a lay down before our evening rendezvous.
Now here I must say, we had such a pleasant evening with Mana Rosa and her other guests, that I did not pause my talking to take a single photo. Never mind. It was a memorable evening and as per usual, Rosa was the perfect hostess and the food was marvelous.
Thank you dear lady. It was a great night. Home to sleep. It was a lovely day but a big one for these two travelers.
It was decided last night that even though the aluminium ramp would not rust, there would be other bits and pieces which might cause tetanus. So I am to go to get a tetanus shot. You would be surprised how many people are looking for a doctor on a Sunday morning. We found a very busy clinic in Stuart Park and attended at high noon. (do not forsake me oh my darling.)
Two pages of paperwork for a new customer, almost no waiting, except for a ten minutes after to see if I have an adverse effect. It didn’t.
On the ball.
Just don’t like doctors surgery’s.
N.B.The doctor also had a look at my battle wounds and confirmed all was OK, more or less.
On the way home Anne spots this beautiful vehicle.
Home for left over ‘parmi’ for lunch (see the quiz night), a phone call to mate PCM as I find out he too has had a fall. Well, his was more a drop, but much more spectacular than my episode. He survived and so did I, so life is good.
We coast the afternoon, waiting for our next social event, namely Mindil Beach Market.
And so it comes to pass that we go to Mindil Sunday for the first time in a thousand years (slight exaggeration) with our rug and insulation pack for beers and wine. We grab our meals and meet Leigh and Tess at the prescribed time for sunset, food and a drink or two.
We waited for ‘the after burn’ as I call it. The sun goes down and about 10 to 15 minutes later the sun shines up from below the rim lighting up any clouds very brightly. It’s better than the sunset it self, sometimes. This time, good but not spectacular.
We soak it up and have a pleasant evening but it’s Sunday and tomorrow is a work day. (Snigger. No it’s not!)
One beer and one wine. Able to drive home. I carry the breathalyzer.
Home to our box on wheels for a shower and a night cap and tomorrow is a free day to catch up on odd jobs and addresses of people not seen for some time.
Lunch with the girls! I was invited as Anne’s partner and I did stay for the meal but did bail out an hour or so early from these lovely seven ladies for a couple of beers just a short walk away with Mr G. We discussed all matters of importance including the attributes of Bulmers Cider over the more pedestrian brown ale and did touch on food, given that I had just eaten some.
We part company due to pressing matters. His matters were pressing. Mine weren’t really. Yes. Un-pressing.
Didn’t get the chance to ask Renee what this was. It’s a corn cobb with ‘things’ out the top of it and there would be no room for it to be a drink, so ….
My seven lovely lunch mates.
The Mall at peak hour.
Salvatores. (below) Now here’s a thing. We found all too quickly that the Council either doesn’t care much about the city businesses or they are not very clever.
That is, we drove around for 20 minutes looking for a free park and were unsuccessful. So we settled to pay for a meter BUT all the meters are coin operated only. No notes or cards except some charge up pay card tourists are not going to be familiar with. So we were trying to go to Salvatores and spend money but gave up and went to Cullen Bay.
Anyway, that evening, onto The Trailer Boat Club for a quiz night.
I picked up my Parmi top below. (Chicken Parmigiana), had one look at it and asked for two takeaway doggy bag/boxes.
Seb’s wings looked brilliant and even he needed a take-away box.
Kids serve of Fish and Chips for my lovely.
A very nice sunset not done justice by my pussy little pocket rocket camera.
Seb, Anne and me at best photo conditions. Overexposed and out of focus.
The Northern side of the table, just oozing knowledge and foresight.
We came fifth out of a heap of people so that wasn’t so bad. Known generally as a credible performance.
Friday, 14th
A work day. We enlist the aid of the Darwin procurement oracle Leigh Biggs, who knows generally, what to get, where from, who from, how much and why that place. We lived here for 5 years about 20 ago and given that it has grown significantly since then, we now know a whole lot more. Well done Oracle.
The van was the subject of most purchases.
Glue sealant for this partly lifting side light. Must be colour coordinated. Done.
Ouch for the Diesel additive.
That included a trip to the Asian Emporium for a ‘Jimmies’ satay paste. Just the best stuff.
Day over by 4.30 ish. Things to do.
Saturday, 15th
Parap Market. We went every Saturday Morning when we lived here. Found what must be the best Laksa going by the queue, just after we had bought and eaten our average Laksa bought elsewhere. Got a just ‘OK’ Veg Curry Puff and two excellent mango ice crushes.
A Bedford truck. Bring’em back.
Our ordinary Laksa.
Zebra Rock. Good guy. Knows his stuff and not overly expensive.
Look for the similar face in the stone.
Hey, Mango. Best fruit in the world?
The little lady there is the painter/artist.
Here are her details. Good paintings at reasonable prices. She is travelling around Australia with our common handicap. Closed borders.
This is Kenn. He has been dealing in Didgeridoos for 20 years and what he doesn’t know about them isn’t worth knowing. He can show you how to spot a dud, mass produced or the real thing AND show you how to play it.
He cruises around Australia so like most of us, he will be here for a while yet.
I think a CM Model Valiant, 1978
We were due to go to Mandorah with Cath, Dion and other friends. We are to be at the departure point at Cullen Bay at 5.45pm for a 6pm departure.
We arrive late and all the car parks are gone. Two calls from Cath to hurry up, I bounce over a medium strip to race a car to one lonely park. We face off, nose to nose, both with indicators on the same park. Here is the truth. Size DOES matter. Ranger beats a little Korean sedan. The irony is, the park was much more suited for him. See photo. A big planter box at the rear made the park more suitable for a motor bike. Anyway I got half way in.
Now … why shouldn’t an over weight aging , unfit man NOT run down an aluminium ramp to catch a ferry? Scroll down to see why.
It was OK my face broke the fall.
Three Ferry staff administer first aid, but Dion provides the general anaesthetic, produced by XXXX Pharmacies.
A Beer, a Band-aid and back on track.
A nice trip over, even though we are about 45 minutes late on the next ferry.
The eye was swelling but the lip was going down. A good balance for eating. It’s better to taste than to see when it comes to eating.
Home of the MUFF.
Mandorah Ukulele Folk Festival
Simple and straight forward. Why? What were you thinking?
Bus pick up at 9pm. Back on the Ferry at 9.30pm. Back in Cullen Bay 15 minutes later. Farewells. In van 10.15pm-ish.
Showers, a towel on my pillow a short sit up to administer two units of another general anaesthetic, this time from the Penfolds Pharmacy, which helped greatly.
We bid farewell to our next door neighbours who are off to Jabiru.
Today is a work day. House work. Washing. It took hours with me as part time casual assistant ‘assisting’ when and where instructed.
So we stayed in, went only between laundromat drying line and van, had no share sundowner drinks. Not a bad day really. Still here.
Tuesday, 11th
Also a zero day. It was ‘stinking’ hot so we just stayed in the park and most of the time in the van with the air conditioner.
One trip to the office to extend to the end of the month and organize a relocation. The walk back to the van was the long way to have a good look around. We found a monster tree and that was the highlight of the day. Hey, it’s hot and we want the a/c.
Monster tree above, right.
Wednesday, 12th
A slow morning till we realize we have to vacate our old number 22 site by 10am. So we hit the panic button and crash pack the van to move the fifty metres to site 27. Why the big move? It’s got an almost full green lawn site and there are sunset trees. Not big enough for a significant save in the afternoon but a token gesture. Besides there’s a big fifth wheeler next to the trees so there’s more shade from it than the trees.
This time we set up with the awning and chairs out. A hot sweaty task requiring a shower after.
Gets to 4pm and we have a task to do at the end of our DULL three days. The water filter is slowing down and we have had to reverse flush it a few times while here. They say you only get 4000 litres filter out of one filter and we have used this one for 1.5 years. So we bite the bullet and off to the caravan and camping store to throw $130 at the nice chap, who in return throws back a BEST filter.
A bit of excitement. We stop in at Harvey Normans for the last 10 minutes before they close and do a real quick window shop for foot spas, camera lens’s and beds on the way out.
Home for pasta meal with red wine of course, a movie and bed. Is there no end to the joy. We are doing ‘things’ tomorrow.
We leave the Discovery Park (with van) heading for Acacia Hills and Dion’s birthday celebration.
A short stop at Coolalinga. A quick bite. A Yiros cut in half.
A coffee. See the novelty cup below. They should have the happy on top and an unhappy on the bottom when empty.
Moving on, the inevitable scrub fire. (or two)
… and the hidden entrance.
The day rolls on and people roll up. I am guessing Dion and Cath are experienced at camp ovens
We did a few drone runs but just one here for the birthday. Look for the waves.
At home with inside or outside cooking.
It was a fab sit down meal but the mystical call of the open fire soon drew everyone to the ‘circle of glow.’
A happy night became a happy late night.
The non stayers eventually went one by one and the stayers … stayed for ports and stories.
Eventually we all crashed in the wee hours but were coaxed out of slumber by a classic country cook up. No photos. The photo finger wasn’t working yet.
The crowd further thins and we get down to chasing up old friends. Dion calls Cookie and family, in the top end of Bali and we had a good chat. That’s why Cath is talking to the phone on the photo under. A little quiet in Cookies new tourist accomm business but it will pick up. Cookie asked how the pineapples were going so we sent these four pics below which included a small part of the pineapple crop.
Next an article in the TOLL magazine of Cath’s exemplary job performance and I did flash my last Guide Post for old time sake.
All good things must come to an end. This was ‘a good thing’ but some people had to work Monday, so we left to let home base get back to normal for a fresh start tomorrow.
We get back late but still in time for or 5pm sundowner beers with next door neighbours Dave and Sue who will be off tomorrow. The small brown blur in the near middle of the pic is a scub fowl on the scavenge for grub. No luck. We were only drinking beer and we were not leaving any.
A slow start after a long sleep. Dilemma. Pull the awning down or not?
While deciding, it heats up and smoke from brush fires wafts in. So not just ‘no’ to the awning, but close the windows and turn on the air cond. Ah. 240 volt is just so good.
Yes. It’s my birthday but we eat in for lunch and let’s see what the day brings. It brings nothing much so we continue doing nothing and thoroughly enjoy doing it.
Wednesday, 5th
A lazy morning then we decide to drop in on Leigh Biggs in his and wife Tess’s city apartment. A short walk to anywhere in town with secure undercover car parking and just one flight of stairs. Felt a bit like the old days in Real Estate just for a moment then, during the description.
Perfect host, Leigh makes top coffee AND he even made a banana cake in an hour flat. Would have taken me an hour to look up the recipe and decide I couldn’t do it.
Leigh slaving over a hot Banana Cake.
We talk about nothing in particular and every thing till home time. A good relaxing day.
A knock on the van. The neighbor. ‘Fancy a beer?’ Is the Pope a Catholic? We collect in the shade between the vans and drink, talk and a few nibbles with Dave and Sue. Pleasant end to a pleasant day.
Thursday, 6th
A visit from young Leigh Biggs who wants to inspect the caravan and quickly confirms ‘very similar to his parents van’ which is fair enough because most are very similar except ‘this is there and that is over here.’
Good day catching up and a big, unexpected bonus. Leigh brings two home made pizza’s ‘with the lot.’ (Supremes) The clever chap used to have a pizza shop and knows what he’s doing. Even makes his own pastry and tomato sauce base. Is there no end to his dynamic talent?
Damn good Pizza’s
A real good day catching up and talking, past, present and future.
Now a tried and tested practice, 5pm drinks with the neighbours again.
Friday, 7th
Message to Dion as it is in fact his birthday today but the Festa tomorrow.
A quick birthday call to little niece Naomi (45. It’s a term of affection, not description) who is having a break at Broome with husband Paul and ‘sparkling’ daughter Alice.
Off to the city to meet Tina and also Jo and Carlos’s daughter Kiki. (Sorry in advance for the spelling if wrong. I went by singer Kiki Dee)
Great couple of hours at the waterfront at a little (big) Irish bar/café with excellent food and Guinness. Me, bangers and mash and two pints of the lovely black stuff.
Visiting Ibis, apparently also known as ‘bin chickens.’
A great catch up with wonder woman. (Tina) WW because she can achieve pretty well anything and manages to get through the tough stuff, still with a positive attitude.
A short wander to take in the environment.
The left overs of the HMAS Darwin. As media, Anne and I boarded it in Dili when it visited.
I knew it was going to be de-commissioned and I sent numerous letters to try and get it sunk off the East Timor coast to boost tourism. Can’t find the letters. I would have posted them here. It was a good argument on my part, with all due modesty.
Back at the car, it’s breathalyzer time with my flash, $150 top notch breath tester. My rough rule of thumb calculation is … One pint of Guinness is maybe 1.25 to 1.5 standard drinks times two so at .02 alcohol per drink, that is .05 to .06 so call it .055 . The body dissipates alcohol at .02 per hour so .055 less .04 = .015 . Blowing into the analyzer, reading is .013 . Who needs a breath tester? I do because of course, this is under a very controlled environment with limited drinks and hence easily monitored amounts and calculations. Past this, you don’t get in the seat without the tester saying OK.
A drive around looking for a free park to get a coffee at Salvatores. The whole city is now pay and display so we end up at Cullen Bay at the OLD Buzz café.
N.B. I wonder if the council is tying to kill the city by not only leaving NO free parks in the city but making them coin opp only. As we move towards big brothers cashless society, the damn things are only coin payment. No notes or cards. Progressive big brother on one hand and Neanderthal on the other.
Bottom line, skip the city. Too hard. Anyway, Buzz is now L … something or other’s Pergola. Ha! Googled it. Lola’s Pergola. Has the old one way view urinal wall to the dining area. That is when the men are facing the wall in the bathroom, they can see out but the diners can only see mirror. That didn’t stop the diners counting to 45 (seconds to make sure their male friends were well and truly engaged in their exercise before turning around and waving at the mirror. Can be very off putting.
Left, view from inside. Right, flushing.
They have it decked out with kids gear.
By the way, no milk so black coffee only and the one big park next to Seafood on Cullen where you could get a park is currently being built on. It’s all looking tired and high density now. I think someone is studying ‘How to stuff up a development’ and following it to the letter.
Anne admiring her ‘booty’ from Andamooka and Coober Pedy.
The council killing the city and the developers killing Cullen Bay. Well at least there is consistency across the board.
Diesel top up ….
They state on the pump, ‘suitable for diesel engines only.’ We really are catering for total dimwits now. Aren’t we.
…. and booze top up then home for soaking feet in the pool then a sit down and sticking to the now system, a couple of drinks with the neighbours.
We depart for Darwin. The entrance to Dion and Cath’s little paradise could be easily missed if not on the ball.
View leaving.
View from outside. Front gives no hint of the little paradise inside.
We get to the Discovery van park and have just enough time to unhitch and arrive on the wharf, a fashionable nine minutes late. Getting out the car, Leigh and Tess walk past our car a fashionable 10 minutes late and Munga and Lisa an even more fashionable 12 minutes late.
A tidy little group of permanent ex Dili-ites and Seb and Renee temporarily evacuated Dili-ites. Seafood all round, beers wines and various beverages as we all catch up a few years, soak up the ambiance and be at peace and in harmony with the world. (How lovely. I should be publishing some of this)
Damn! Didn’t take one photo of the great food.
Various crafts go by.
One high and dry in the restaurant …
…and a couple tied up but ready for action.
The wharf is looking good.
Now in fact, this was Leigh’s Birthday and while the focus gravitated more to catching up, we did not lose sight of the fact and did manage a ‘Happy Birthday to you…’ in various pitches and volumes.
The Birthday boy.
The ladies table.
A chance to wear the light, summer dress purchased on the isle of Capri last September.
The afternoon goes all too quick and we bid farewell and return to the park courtesy of the designated sober driver.
Our morning started in Dion and Cath’s paradise and moved onto a seaside delight. A good day all over far too quick. Thanks to all who attended and added to the fun.
They say, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Right? Well this morning it is the opposite. There was fire last night, now there’s smoke this morning.
Water bomb planes are flying over but I have down loaded the respective app and there appears to be no present danger .
Up at the crack of dawn. 8.30am. There are varying degrees of ‘crack.’ A little clothes washing and a fab brunch from the maestro, then they have an event to attend and we have chores to attend, including this blog.
A pretty flash ensuite for us just next to the van.
Morning tea a la shed.
A big block with lots of exercise through ‘to and fro’.
‘High Vis’ socks to keep the OH & S man happy.
A feast for brunch. Eggs, bacon, toast, mushrooms, tomato and spinach. Healthy and wholesome.
Party crasher softly removed.
Perfect shady spot.
Another quiet day with evening chit chat and a few drinks and good food.
We depart Katherine for another Catherine and a Dion. Yes. We are off to catch up with Cath Byrne and Dion Layton, ex Dili-ites and now Darwin-ites, that is, an outer edge of the Darwin region about 45 minutes out.
Another damaged and deserted car. Heaps of them.
However, to get there we must pass through a few spots that deserve mention. We pass Edith Falls with a promise to return. Not a throw away promise as, wherever our next direction is, be it east or west, subject to opening borders, we do have to go back to Katherine for either.
We duck into Pine Creek for a bit of history and flying foxes Three or four mango trees FULL of them.
Next Emerald Springs to share a lunch burger and chips.
In the mens toilet. A bit cruel.
The guy in the top left is actually looking at me.
A memorial plaque out the front remembers four Irish youths who got a blow out and collected a road train back in 2000. Damn shame. Young people cross half the world to take in the country and plain dumb bad luck robs them of everything.
On to Adelaide River for a few reasons. Firstly to check out the wartime cemetery. I remembered it as good but we haven’t seen for over 20 years. Now dramatically improved and with many memorable stories. Even one of a Japanese pilot. Also, the story of Archie Tindal where our NT base gets it’s same. Very moving stories I might add.
Then the adventure to find Dion and Cath’s place. Plain entrance and thick scrub, we enter down the track to come to an open clearing of grassed semi-paradise with veggie enclosure, huge decked veranda’s for true Territory living and a shed to end all sheds.
We park the van in the shed, connect the vitals and sit for a chat and XXXXGold. A walk around the property and collection of veggies ready to go, works up an appetite easily satisfied by ‘the queen of the kitchen’, Cath. Well she cheats a bit. She’s a catering guru.
As night falls, we see the glow of a ‘not that distant’ but relatively harmless scrub fire.
We wake to a bit chilly but shorts are OK so we are out of the cold zone.
Not an early start but not late. We only have 104km to go to Katherine but we stop to fill up because our research showed while Katherine fuel is around $1.18 a litre and Mataranka is $1.20, we have a 5 cent per litre discount card for the Mataranka United fuel station. So it comes to pass we fill before we leave. I also buy a local pie specialty and while it is quite nice, there is a unique taste to it. Anne thinks ‘LIVER.’ I don’t know but it was good.
Like I said before, second hand pies don’t look that good. Just showing the meat content.
N.B. Now everyone knows the fuel gauge is not over accurate. In fact this one car does over 80km’s before the needle moves off full. So it is showing about 5/8ths of a tank. It takes 60 litres to fill it and the tank holds 122 litres so from that I can deduce that the tank is really only half full when it shows just under 5/8ths. That also means that given the average rate of 5.88km per litre, I can get around 700km from a tank or 350km is left when it shows 5/8ths. This is trivial statistics than no one except me really needs to know, but now it is recorded for my future reference and I only had to bore you for a minute or two. (if you read it)
The fuel station is next to the Mataranka Pub which is on the famous old outback pubs list, or mine anyway. My cousin Mal worked here way back with his old mate ‘Tuckie’ and has a thousand stories.
We also spot the local Museum and so head in. Most country places have a good little museum and this is no exception. We run into Kym and Linda, ex neighbours in Daly Waters and leave the inside displays till the power comes back on.
$3 per person well worth it, pay next door at the post office and also get a takeaway container of mango for $8 or three for $20, also pay and pick up at the post office. We got one. Space restrictions.
We roll into Katherine and immediately top up. $15.98 (?) then onto Woolworths for too much food then to BWS to purchase XXXX GOLD because that is chosen ale of most of the people we will be visiting. Also a Bombay Sapphire and a few reds. This was as per before, after 2pm with a police check and I.D. and no Port till after 6pm and only one PP PD. I would think this booze problem in the NT is overdue for being fixed, but I guess this is how they are addressing it, as opposed to a less non-political but more effective way. My opinion only but it’s not working.
Into the Riverside Caravan park around $43 and that’s with the G’Day group 10% discount. No reflection on the park. It’s good but all parks here are expensive.
Not quite ready to do the end of day thing, we take the 350 metre walk to the local Katherine hot springs. We do not avail ourselves but observe and note for future use. A top and bottom pool and very good.
Lots of interesting vans and trailers. This one has a double story frame with a boat underneath and tent on the top.
Anne prepares the Woolworths roast chook and vegetable for us to feast and enjoy, followed by TV, a few drinks and a good sleep.
We do well departing five minutes before check out of the usual 10am, totally ignoring that about 90% of the vans had already departed.
First things first. A drive to the dump spot to empty the toilet cassette.
Then up the track, pausing briefly at the Alexander Forrest Commemorative Cairn where Alexander intersected with the telegraph from W.A. A monumental effort (hence the monument) defined all these years later by this relatively humble display. Such is life. At least his name is recorded which is more than most of us will get, other than a head stone of course.
On to the memorable town of Larrimah. Memorable for many reasons but for the present, it is yet another unique bush pub on the track to now almost within reach Darwin. Memorabilia of days gone by including not just war time items but at some stage it picked up and ran with the theme of THe Pink Panther. This is a diversion from rustic image of out back pubs, but if you own a pub, you can do whatever you want with it I guess.
The owner is either no longer with us or particularly unwell, so as we understand it, the pub is under temporary management. A nice young girl from the Czech Republic is manning ( womanning?) the bar including making their own very good meat pies. They are good although the bottom pastry was a little underdone. I have has some experience in this. (Thanks Dean R) Although it did not particularly diminish the quality of the pie, I told her I had heard that can be fixed by a hotter oven. I hope this doesn’t mean a string of burnt pies.
Two significant memories.
My dad was stationed at Larrimah during WW2. In fact I have a vague recollection he told me he was in the forward party to set it up. He went where he was sent as a dutiful soldier and that was Larrimah. After the war, dad went to join the RSL. He was told he couldn’t because he had not been in the battle zone or whatever you call it. He enquired where that was. He was told it was Katherine, apparently because the naughty Japanese air force had bombed Katherine on several occasions. Dad said, ‘But I drove to Katherine every two days for supplies’ but was told that didn’t count. It was where you were stationed that was the determining factor. So I can imagine what dad thought they could do with their RSL (watch out for splinters off the roof timbers) and never tried again. I believe many other devoted soldiers got the same treatment and while I have nothing but the highest regard and respect for the armed forces of Australia, I believe that was a significant mistake on their part. All good soldiers went where they were told and did what they were told. I looked at the small museum there but found no reference to dad. But then again how many thousands of soldiers have no record of their duty.
As I have said before, I do NOT know what is so hard about spelling this word . It was two c’s and TWO m’s!!
Secondly, When we first stopped at Larrimah in about March 1996 on our way to Darwin, the pub was closed. While we were poking around, trying to look through the window, a voice behind us said, ‘It’s been closed for years.’ That was a ‘Dee’ and we stayed and chatted with her for hours. She had some raw meat and said, ‘Watch this.’ There was a black and white Butcher Bird sitting close. She threw a small piece of meat in the air and the bird took flight and got the treat on the wing. She informed us she was the local, official weather person, in that every 6 hours or so, he had to go to the weather enclosure and take temperature, rain gauge readings etc etc. Lots of insights and stories of the town. We found it fascinating. She showed us her house that she had just spent $65,000 on , keeping in mind this was 1996. I think she knew by doing that, she had painted herself into a corner and was there for the duration. We saw her house but it was totally different as it had a garden and now tall trees.
There was a name on the letter box but neither of the initials was ‘D’. We tried to call out but we didn’t get close because there was a ‘dog’ sign and barking. There was also a car that had not been moved for a while and an empty car port. That was the clincher. ‘D’ had moved on one way or the other and there was no-one home anyway. We guess she was about 55 when we were there so that would put her at 79 or 80 now. Hope you are still kicking Dee and if not, thanks for the memory.
On to Mataranka. The hot springs are via the homestead. We book in and spend the next half hour finding a park suitable. Get set up and for the first time in a long, long (long) time I slip (squeeze) into bathers! I have not swam for about 15 kilos now, but it is Mataranka’s crystal clear hot springs. Just to complete the interesting pic, we buy floating ‘noodles’ then off to the pool. A nice visit with long chats to other soakers, then back to the sanctuary for a nice little sit in the shade and a drink and nibbles.
Above the video, right. You can never have too many noodles, or can you?
A good feed and a couple of glasses (with alcohol in them) followed, then we both enjoyed a good sleep. The best for a while. Ah! The tropics.
We pull out of the caravan park at Tennant creek with a few observations. Firstly I thought it was ironic when I drove towards these two site markers and they declared my age and what it will change to in a few days.
Secondly this has got to me the smallest chook pen I have ever seen, but it’s nor cruel because the chooks get a significant change of scenery whenever the boss goes out.
So up the track we hit John McDouall Stuart’s marker at Attack Creek where, you guessed it, he got attacked, in 1860. Apparently he got all that way then due to sickness and this attack, they had to turn all the way back. We can assume he named it Attack Creek, unless the aboriginals had pre named it in preparation. Then again they would have had to name it in English and then tell him it was named as such. No. We will have to go with Stuart naming it.
Lots of rocky outcrops and other scenery but we must push on as we have a mission. Cousin Mal and Kay have told us about the pies at Dunmarra. Chunky beef with red wine and Mal having told us previously, actually contacted us the day before to REMIND us. It seems that last time M & K where through there, they got too pies but they were too hot to eat. So they drove off down the track and didn’t eat them till then. He said they were so good, it was a tossup whether to turn around and go back for more. They also said, get there before 2.30pm or the truckies will have grabbed the lot.
So, at 2.50pm as we hurtle towards Dunmarra, we curse the fact that we read the Attack Creek plaque and inspected the whole site instead of just photographing it and dashing.
We arrive and burst into the Wayside Inn to be welcomed by a full, hot Bain Marie of meat pies and sausage rolls.
Not looking the best second hand but the idea was to show the meat chunks.
The whole establishment is being serviced by one (very active) chap named ‘Gary’ whom we tell the story of Mal and Kay’s experience and instructions to us. He informs us he is the owner and pie maker. He does two batches a day because, ‘yes’ the truckies do know about the pies and do clean them out and he has had the business and been doing it for 17 years.
We get a pic with Gary and depart happy people, with three meat pies and three sausage rolls. Two of each in paper bags and one of each á la stomachs (half pie and half s roll each)
We come to the now familiar turn off to the famous Daly Waters Pub, which is the end of the air strip. At the turn off that is. It is not clear so I have marked the pic with arrows too show four markers on the strip.
Further down the 4km road into the pub, we turn off to small hanger off from the runway.
It is now fenced off as apparently Care Flights (?) use it. However when we were first there and heard about it back in about March 1996, it was open, so we drove out along the taxi-ing tarmac to the bitumen strip and drove the full length. From memory it was about 2.3 or 2.4kms.
So what is a full length bitumen air strip doing in the middle of the outback. Back in 96, we were told it is there from the old propeller plane days. Apparently it was a refuelling stop for international flights from Europe. You have to snigger when you picture some Europeans migrating to Australia and they touch down at Daly Waters, thinking, ‘What the hell have we done?!’
This time we didn’t go to see the Stuart Tree. It is where Stuart carved an inscription in the tree but on our last two visits the carving was indiscernible. Just be aware, Stuart passed by here.
Well the old pub is the same only different. It is a hotch potch collection of anything and everything only now there is more of it both inside and outside.
Good live entertainment with Lou and Phil.
When we first came in 1996, there was no caravan park as such. There was just an area where you could put a van if you had one and we were the only ones with a van.
So they have cabins and all sorts, and including live entertainment. We chat with the next door van neighbours then proceed on to the bar.
Then … lo and behold from the corner of the bar comes the familiar face of Dave L from the old days of Patricks in Dili, East Timor. We sit and chat with Dave and other half shouting over the live entertainment and drinking the life giving beer elixir, till it becomes time when all good little vanners should be in bed, although we did have just one or two red wines (that also gives life) with out van neighbours, Kym and Linda.
By the way, all of a sudden, people are wearing shorts and thongs. Could this be the start of the promised land of milk and honey and warmth and sun?
We clicked some more pics of bloody great boulders balancing precariously on other bloody great boulders on the way out of the Devils Marbles this morning.
Not the last to leave. Two left. Had to make our final payment for last night of $6.60.
Then whoosh up the Stuart highway a whole 110km to Tennant Creek.
Never ceases to amaze me how many derelict cars dumped on the sides of the road way back from S.A. This blurred shot looks like someone has pulled up to check it out, but it’s way past retrieving.
Another one. This one looks a bit rolled.
We gassed up at the BP and immediately called a Caravan Park adjacent.
We had not had phone or internet for quite a while and there was money to be transferred to cards and things to be taken care of, like this blog for example. From time to time I wonder just how many people actually look at it. I know Anne rarely bothers because she’s here first hand. I know niece Naomi and sister Jan do. Chris D, Rick M and a few others have had a look. It’s more my own record of our travels, but hope a few others get some amusement out of it.
So we basically stationed ourselves in the van and caught up on, banking, and posting items as well as cleaning and cloths washing for a departure tomorrow.
We will have a drive around before we go but everything seems down the main street.
My biggest memory of Tennant Creek was last visit about March 1996. I had successfully reversed our little pop top van into a tree in Camooweal in Queensland about 12 km from the NT border. The van wasn’t damaged. The air-cond I had installed in the back window took the shock. So we sweat like the proverbial than night and highballed it to Tennant Creek where a workshop allowed me to use their facilities to pull the air-cond out and get it fixed. It was a job and a half. I installed it knowing it would never have to be pulled out. (?)
The other memory is us returning to the car (Hilux dual cab 4WD diesel) in the main street after some shopping, to discover that someone had decided they needed one of the front indicator lights more than we did.
Anyway, we kicked back and catch up today then have a good night doing nothing.
A slow departure due to another farewell (no beer) and a dump spot visit. We retrace out 70km back to the Stuart Highway down the Plenty Highway. This time only seven coming the other way. The last 6km are double lane so it is time for Anne’s initiation. She takes the wheel to the Stuart highway, then another 20kms to get the feel of towing the van.
Enough. Lunch then on -on past Aileron to Ti Tree and the most expensive diesel yet. $1.90!! Two coffees in their nice little dining room ($5.50 x 2) and a cup of chips to go. ($5)
After 6pm… you must pre-pay or leave your licence.
What is this bewitching our of 6pm as in Alice Springs?
Ouch! But I was down to half tank and needed it.
This door with Mobil next to it is actually a bar. See a few pics below.
This restaurant is the pay station. I would change signage.
Nice little eatery with historic bowsers.
The most Central Pub in Australia.
Next stop, Barrow Creek. A rustic but very interesting and likeable pub. In the old days in Darwin I always noted Barrow Creek was mentioned on the weather report. While doing a few weeks work in Alice Springs, we met the owner of the pub, named Les. He had a lady friend, Helen and we had drinks and became associates/friends. That was 22 years ago so we knew they would be long gone but dropped in to ask how long ago they vacated.
Nice young lady serving (Candy) said, ‘He went to Alice Springs yesterday and won’t be back till tomorrow.’ Apparently Helen was in their Alice Springs house at the moment and he went down for a spell. So after 22 years, we missed them by a day, but we now have a bit of a schedule and had to keep moving. Damn!
Interesting memorabilia.
By the way, The Barrow Creek Pub featured in the Falconio case of the missing English, as Joanne Lees, the girl friend who escaped, ended up going to the Pub apparently. Hence the letter on the wall regarding Falconio.
On the road again.
Time marches on and we finally arrive at the Devils Marbles park behind the Marbles about 5.30pm. We took some almost too late, setting sun photos.
Then treated ourselves to some luxury and made a quick and very, very easy meal. Fish fingers, hash browns and coleslaw. Not Haute cuisine but the first two components done in the fry pan in 10 minutes.
I will get up early tomorrow to photograph sunrise. Well, I’ll try to.
Monday, 27th July 2020
I did indeed get up for sunrise photos. In fact too early. It was light but no sight of the sun.
The park was still choca-block except for one camper quietly packing up. I finally shot sunrise, such as it was and went back to the van for an hour or two.
About 10am I go outside and we are alone, the whole damn camp had cleared! It must have been something I said.
The ranger arrives for some maintenance. He confirms this ‘instant empty’ phenomena is quite normal. He also said, this is a new park. The old one was bulldozed and this schmicky one was installed a month ago. Apparently this one will be going up in price from $3.30 PP PN to maybe $10 (?) and there will be another built close, which will become the cheapy.
A Lazy day and we watch the whole park refill bit by bit till we are packed in. It has come to 4pm and time for a walk to the look out. A casual stroll taking all of about 10 minutes to the top.
We spend plenty of time up there recording inaudible videos due to the wind which was not severe. Just enough to kill audio recording.
Looking down at our ‘home.’
We come back to ground level and continue so as to loop the base of the outcrop. During this exercise we meet a pleasant couple who decide to head back the shorter way because time has clicked past wine o’clock. We get back later and find they are our next door neighbours so spend an hour or two taking in the setting sun and red wine.
Time for the evening ritual of bathing, cooking, eating, a little more drinking then TV and bed. It’s such a mad cap life we live, of never ending antics and pleasures. Seriously, it is good though.
Friend Mick waves us farewell from the G’Day Mate Tourist Park (good park) and we look forward to crossing paths in the near future further north.
However first things first. Do the words ‘If we don’t have it, you don’t need it’ ring a bell? (or close to that) We have been hearing it for years on rural come country radio and or television. Yes. The slogan for Desert Dwellers! So we dropped in on the way out of town to see if the slogan rang true. Pretty accurate actually. The biggest range of car fridges I have ever seen. Impressive.
We drive out and go a short seventy km’s then turn right/east onto the Plenty Highway. There’s plenty of it alright. It goes all the way to Queensland. Mind you , not so plenty on the width. Most of it is one lane so when someone approaches, we either both slow and take one wheel off the road or someone pulls off and lets the other through. It happened about five times and I think two, they pulled off. Anyway, we are only going another seventy to Gem Tree.
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Fossickers heaven. A good but sparce place in the scrub with a great history of the area including all the Stations for miles around and these, the Central Australian Gemfields. Sites are at least 50 metres or more apart. We come across Melinda and Chris who we met back at Coober Pedy
We arrive mid afternoon and check out the options. Fossicking tours start at 8.30 am. Only seven or eight hours late. We could turbo-fossick and catch up? Nope … so we book an extra night ($35) and the fossick tour, ($75 for two). Do we want to do the Garnet or Zircon tour? (NOT Zirconia. That’s man made) Neither are particularly precious but Zircon is clear and harder to find while Garnet is red and a bit easier. Garnet please.
N.B. Mandarins belong to the Citrus genus. It’s believed they originated in ancient China, which is how they got their name. Their peel is deep-orange, leathery, and protects the sweet, juicy segments inside. Mandarins grow on flowering small- to moderately-sized citrus trees.
Ouch ! on the diesel price here.
We have a good look at the gem store.
We also check out a local/original settlers house. It is remarkable how people got by. It also displayed the history of most of the Stations in the area with original owners and heaps of info Fascinating.
Late afternoon beers with Melinda and Chris, plus we meet Andrew from next door and ‘Nifty’ and wife. A pleasant group of happy people, a few beers and laughs then back to the fan for a shower, food, wine and TV, thanks to the auto tune Sat Dish. Just like Stuart when he came up through the centre.
On a serious note, we spotted a detailed map along the way of Stuart’s trek up through the middle. He blazed the trail not knowing what to expect and I will not even start to try and imagine the hardships he and his colleagues had to endure. Looking at old photos, most of the explorers were British/Europeans nearly fresh off the boat and decked out in their northern hemisphere THICK woollen trousers and coats. No T shirts shorts and sunglasses for those dedicated chaps. Stuart opened the path for the telegraph and all that followed. Forget the modern day ball sport heroes and such like. Stuart was a true, hero of his time and there are few to compare now.
The instructions were to meet at the equipment collection point at 8.15am suitably attired and with lunch and drinks. My goodness! we have to be up, functioning, bathed, fed, dressed, (suitably) packed and sensible at a time that normally, one of us would be up at the computer thinking of a cup of tea and the other in the land of nod, well before thought.
We collect our equipment. A 20 litre jerry can of water, a bucket for selected rocks and dirt to ‘fossick’, a larger wash bucket and 5 round screening sieves that fit in the wash bucket, a pick, a spade and an empty can I suspect held baked beans a year or two ago. Four sieves are with 5mm gap mesh and one with 3mm.
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We convoy east for 30 kms (exactly) then turn off up the secret, dirt track to a clearing about 150 metres off the road, park the cars and carry our goodies to the fossick area. the many, many mounds suggest we are a long way past the first ones here.
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The idea is, you find a likely spot (anywhere at all), scoop three spades full into the dirt bucket, take a dry, 5mm sieve and poor some of the dirt into it. You then shake it to annoy your colleagues downwind until you only have solids in the sieve. Then pull out anything past small gravel-like pieces. N.B. Initially you don’t pull the larger ones out because you hope they will be gems. However after half an hour, you give up all hope of such an incident. Then you pour 4 inches of water into the wash bucket, dip the sieve with gravel in the water and withdraw the washed gravel, lift it to the sun and look for the shiny, translucent, red stone. Pick them out and put them in the baked beans can. Empty the sieve and hang it on the side of the wash bucket to dry. Repeat with a dry sieve. There are four 5mm sieves so two each so both parties have a dry and a drying. They have to be dry so they don’t get muddy when you put the dry dirt in them.
Now …. I will give you a rough, general example of the success rate for ten sievings. 1, 2, 0, 3, 1, 0, 1, 2, 2, 0. Get the idea. The aim is to get what they call a gem grade stone. That is they have to be at least 3mm wide and clear stone. That is why later, when our approx 150 pieces were accessed, we ended up with five 3mm and two 4mm for our four hour effort. The rest are referred to as bombs.
When asked what we could do with them, we were told we could wash/soak them in white vinegar, then put them in a narrow glass jar with baby oil. It will look shiny and pretty but be of no other value than aesthetic.
By the way, the 3mm sieve I understand was for children who may lose interest quickly if they get, 1, 2, 0, 3, 1, 0, 1, 2, 2, 0 … whereas, with 3mm, they may get 4, 3, 3, 5, 2 etc. You get the picture. Plus if all the adults used them, they may collect three hundred and have the rug pulled out when they get seven as we did.
Finished by, 3pm, we hitch up, clean up, have a final farewell beer with the same nice folk from last night who, by the way were doing a camp oven feast, then off for our Chilli Con Carne. We will sleep very well tonight.
Off to Ross River for a good look under the guidance of Mick and Lou.
First stop, Corroboree Rock, an impressive outcrop and not far from Alice Springs.
It has a hole or slit. Just a point of interest.
Cannot have a closer look as not allowed to climb.
Mind you who in their right mind would want to scurry up that?
Trephina Gorge is on the way.
Trephina Gorge.
Bee aware. European bees.
A walk in the sandy river bed is a good workout and the rock formations are just amazing.
There is even a water pool. Who knows what other fauna use it but immediately adjacent is a whole ‘city’ of Zebra finches
‘ N.B. The zebra finch is the most common estrildid finch of Central Australia and ranges over most of the continent, avoiding only the cool moist south and some areas of the tropical far north. It can also be found natively on Timor island. The bird has been introduced to Puerto Rico and Portugal. Wikipedia.’
The rocks are massive but you can’t fight nature. This tree has grown between layers and not only cracked but lifted.
Also, see the debris at the base and half way up the tree showing just how high the water can get.
On to the ghost gum. Of course there are many but this one is particularly spectacular and is reputed to be around three hundred years old.
Then the brilliant old Ross River Homestead. A serious chunk of history.
This was lunch spot.
The manager has a sense of humour. The pic on the left says, ‘Quarantine day 58. I built my self a Doberman’ and the photo is a sausage dog with four stilts.
Saddle seats. A novelty but not comfortable.
We must move on but this is a memorial to “Fish” who lost his life when his bike ran into a camel. It would have been bad enough in a car, but on a bike …..
A day well spent. We drop the knowledgeable tour guides, Mick and Lou back home and cave in to Micks suggestion to have a beer. Just the one then home time. We have compared notes and we will see them down the track.
Thursday, 23rd July 2020
Our last day and due to have lunch with Rob.
However, several attempts to contact him and the phone is off. So we wait till well after lunch time then give up and restock . Supermarket and I go to the boozer while Anne is having her hair trimmed.
Now, as I may have said, the ‘boozerama’ rules are different here.
To start with EVERY entry to the premises is preceded by an interview by a police officer.
Then, be aware, Port or casks can only be purchased after 6pm and only one per person per day.
All other purchases like beer and wine as in red or white are unlimited and before 6pm but are still subject to police interview.
This liquorland didn’t open till 2pm, so I came back at 2.01pm. There was a line and interviews were in full swing. When I finally got in, I bought a six pack of beer and I think 4 red wines. When I got to the counter, there were approx. seven people behind me and I kid you not, they ALL had shopping trolleys choca with GROG.
N.B. Grog is any of a variety of alcoholic beverages. The word originally referred to a drink made with water and rum, which British Vice admiral Edward Vernon introduced into the naval squadron he commanded in the West Indies on 21 August 1740. Vernon wore a coat of grogram cloth and was nicknamed Old Grogram or Old Grog.
The photo below is taken well after I left and the line was down to the tail enders with only moderate requirements as no trolleys.
Between 1871 and 1933, Alice Springs was simply the name of a waterhole adjacent to the telegraph station and named after Alice Todd, wife of Sir Charles Todd. Alice Springs began its modern history as the township of Stuart.
The name Sir Charles Todd will forever be associated with the construction of the Overland Telegraph which opened up communications between Australia and the rest of the world. But Sir Charles was also an astronomer and meteorologist.
(Now this is new to me. I have always thought Todd was just the telegraph operator and Alice was his wife. The names go further up the chain.)
Sunday, 19th
Off to the Todd Mall market. It’s getting late and this lady appears to have finished.
You heard of having a spring in your step?
Well this lady has a BELL in her step.
Just ignore this till after the covid-19 is over.
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Coffee. One of the main food groups.
Street art. Could have done without the sword through the skull.
Adelaide House. The first hospital.
Missed a visit to the café. The movie was great.
The mall done, we move on to ANZAC Hill.
The view is brilliant.
The view from the hill is excellent.
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Now to home, which by the way is a very well run and friendly caravan park called G’day Mate Tourist Park. Also very secure. (Not to be confused with the G’Day discount park group.
Monday, 20th.
A big (ish) day is planned so we pick up friend Rob as expert local and off we go west. First stop is Flynn’s resting place.
The Rev John Flynn was founder of the flying doctor service.
His ashes are said to be buried under this stone. We didn’t check.
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On to Simpsons Gap. A long walk down the sandy dry river bed was tedious going but worth it and the stone surroundings are just brilliant. Surprised to find water in the gap/gorge. Even more surprised to find a narrow dirt track running along the edge of the river bed which would have made the going a whole lot easier if we had spotted if when we started. Anyway, saved the walk back.
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The track back.
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Had a talk to the rangers on the way out and found the café is open at Standley’s Chasm, so off we go.
Here’s the proof. Rob and Anne had healthy salad sandwich and a BLT. I has a healthy cheese burger and some equally healthy chips.
A cheeky little chappy looking for some grub.
If you ever go there and they say it’s a fifteen minute walk, don’t believe them. It’s a fifteen minute walk for a reasonably fit and healthy 20 year old. Still a nice walk.
All sorts of Flora including cycads. Extremely old plants, well be for e flowering plants. In fact some of the cycads here are dated between 500 and 1000 years old.
Here’s the breakdown of the evolution of the surrounds.
Someone has translated to the local dialect.
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With the trustee steed.
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Rob and I contemplate life … and the walk.
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… and this little guy obviously lived at the café and was not backward for trying to gain favour in the form of FOOD.
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Flora AND Fauna.
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Either a self portrait of she had the camera facing the wrong way.
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Anne zoomed in on the table tops of the café.
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Back to the Alice and we drop Rob home.
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There was a time when this truck was the pride of the fleet.
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A quiet time in town.
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After we dropped rob we were off to Woolworths to spend more money. Food a plenty but we drop into BWS after, for the important stuff.
Now …. things are different here. To start off with, a copper (police officer) on the door. Questions. Do you live here? Where are you from? What are you doing here and can I see your identification please? We get inside and ‘things’ were missing. Turns out you can only buy Port after six pm and only one bottle per person per day. I keep quizzing and it seems the same applies for casks.
So we go home and sit till six. Then to Gap Road drive through and history repeats itself.
‘To start off with, a copper (police officer) on the door. Questions. Do you live here? Where are you from? What are you doing here and can I see your identification please? We get inside and ‘things’ were missing. Turns out you can only buy Port after six pm and only one bottle per person per day. I keep quizzing and it seems the same applies for casks.
It seems for some reasons, casks and Port are in the same classification. If for example I had actually wanted a cask, I could not buy a Port. Only one or either (not both) per person per day. So I and Anne both buy a Port. Then it seems there is no restriction on bottles of red wine. (?) So I pick up a bottle of red to try. By the way, the Port is almost double to what I am used to. Penfolds Club usually on special two for twenty or $10 each, $18.50. Ouch!
End of a fabulous day. Home for food and showers, a movie and a sleep.
Cheers.
Tuesday, 21st.
Slow day catching up on a few things. A bit cold and overcast. It rained last night. I am told point eight of a millimeter. And here’s me with out my Wellys. Some washing, a chat with the neighbour. Very relaxing and a 4pm meeting with our mates from Coober Pedy, namely Bob, Kingsley, Robin and Jan. They arrived at the showgrounds the day before and we are meeting at their place for nibbles and drinks.
A happy get together and as the sun goes down we are on our way home, except for getting out the showgrounds. The grounds are huge and the automatic gate is being naughty and will not open. After finally being forced to read the directions, we go looking for gate number one and not this number four that is not the exit gate at this time of night.
Number one works and we are home after the arduous two and a half minute drive across the road and around the corner.
Woolworths roast chicken and vegetables, a shower, couple of glasses of red (plastics technically) and an early night for a day with Lou and Mick tomorrow. ‘Lots to see in the NT.’ Should be a slogan, or maybe it is already?
A few picks. First me and Bob from only 57 years ago.
Then the group of L To R, me, Anne, Jan, Robin, Kingsley and Bob.
What a group of dynamic individuals.
The last of the Mullock mounds.
Cadney Park Roadhouse. (Homestead)
Triple trailer road train dwarfs our 20 foot van.
Border before either of these.
Marla. Good Roadhouse.
Look for Marni’s facebook page of her travels around Australia.
Worth a look. ‘Living Barefoot Wandering Australia.’
In transit. Significant odometer reading, 135km.
Peppered all the way along the highway towards the border are hundreds oc caravan waiting for the midnight opening of 16th to 17th.
Bad pics on the move taken by me while driving. a glimpse of white is a van.
We make it past all the others to the border.
Pulled up. Talked to the border police and take up residence across the road with about six others. Then an epiphany. No it wasn’t It was a simple statement of fact by the border police and army. Yes. The army are there as well. And might I say, all very good people. Very helpful and accommodating.
We were told, we can use our current midnight cross the border passes OR we can fill out the Quarantine document for prior to 17th, go straight across the, quarantine in Kulgera, about 20km over the border, and the quarantine requirement will expire while we are in full slumber at midnight.
We return to our van and wander around for a short time pondering.
In the mean time while pondering, Anne strikes a classic pose of cowboy (girl) on the fence. Very rural.
On our walk from our van camp at the border we take a stroll which must have been theoretically into NT. We broke the law, I guess, by chance, but returned, so it was momentary infringement.
Interesting spot. We saw derelict cars all the way up and one at the border with camp fires around this one. Many people deserting cars and having camp fires near them. I wonder who.
Our border camp.
The border stop.
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Talking to the police and army.
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A road train goes through.
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We take the quarantine suggestion ad go straight across the border, without a glitch.
On to Kulgera and get there at sunset.
Kulgera in the morning.
On towards Alice. This is the site of the Inaugural cannonball run in the NT.
The first and the last cannonball run, 24th May 1994. A Japanese crew of two, as I understand it, came into a check point too fast and terminated themselves and two officials. A sad and disappointing occasion. It could have become a world event.
Next stop Alice Springs.
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Forgot the Stuarts Well Roadhouse stop. Not bad. There is a Stuarts Well but apparently it is on ‘the station’ as I was told and is now caved in.
However animals to play with.
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We get there. The ‘Alice.’
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Birds in the Caravan park.
A fab , unique van made in Canada,
Lou and Mick and Rob, out of shot, join us for a chat in the park.
Next door at the brewery for lunch . Bloody good Pizza.
We have to back track to Pimba in order to move up the Stuart Highway to Coober Pedy. So we exit Andamooka after filling water tanks, dropping into Roxby Downs again for a gas bottle refill, Diesel, a Laundromat and shopping, so arriving back at Spuds Roadhouse in Pimba.
Anne makes our $5 donation. Cheap accomm. Then again we only use the toilet so that works out abut a dollar a visit.
We wake to a thick fog. Luckily we are slow starters so it does clear a lot before we leave. The photo immediately below is a triple road train. It’s standing still. Imagine if it was moving.
On the road. Spot this guy stopped. It wasn’t till I later blew it up, I see he was having a cook up.
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Next stop Coober Pedy.
The name “Coober Pedy” comes from the local Aboriginal term kupa-piti, which means “boys’ waterhole”. The first opal was found in Coober Pedy on 1 February 1915; since then the town has been supplying most of the world’s gem-quality opal.
Next morning we waste no time and do a tour of town, including the fascinating ‘dugout’ living. That is living accomm, businesses and even churches were dug into the hills. amazing.
The golf course all dirt. We are told this is the only golf course with an official association with St Andrews in Scotland … we are told. (?)
A quick look in an underground home.
Then a mine.
Now we come to the opal. (!!)
There apparently was a movie called Pitch Dark with Vin Diesel.
It was filmed here along with Priscilla of the Desert and a Mad Max.
We have a crack at ‘noodling’ with a bit of luck.
A little colour in the desert.
Then ‘The Breakaways.’ A unique group of formations.
A ‘blower’ is in fact a giant vacuum cleaner for sucking rock out of holes.
Another piece of equipment is a noodling machine for tumbling rock to get at the opal. Then entrepreneur made out out of a bus.
This is what happens when the opal seller comes across a group of ladies, my lady included.
Here id the seller with the buyer.
He is a good guy and reasonably priced. Look him up of you come here.
Now this is a clever business man. We ran out of time but would have definitely made a visit.
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I had to rush this through as we are on a tight schedule now.
We managed to apply for a border pass on the internet and print them off.
Other highlights include meeting Bob, Kingsley, Jan and I think Chris? Sorry if I got that wrong.
Bob recognized me from Primary school 57 (!!!!) years ago. Give the man a medal. We had a brief catch up and exchanged contact details. One in a million shot.
We are on the road tomorrow so an early night. On the road to Marla, then the border! Now the action begins!
By the way, the origin of the towns name: Andamooka lies on Kuyani traditional land. The name is derived from a salt lake, named from the Aboriginal “Andemorka”, by which the locality was known to Europeans as early as 1866, well before opal was discovered.
Friend of our next door neighbor Joe is long term resident Greg. Greg says he has been rock collecting for years. He showed us some fascinating fossilized plants in rock, millions of years old.
He also showed us a few Matrix examples. See below, colourful and beautiful.
N.B. Matrix has no connection with the movie with Keanu Reeves.
Matrix opal is a gem material in which precious opal (or play-of-color opal) is intimately distributed through its host rock. The precious opal can occur as a “cement” between sediment grains, as replacements of host material, or as infillings of tiny vesicles. Many people call matrix opal “Type 3 Opal“.
Finally got around to putting up the drone. Photos of the surrounds from directly above the Caravan Park/camp.
created by dji cameracreated by dji cameracreated by dji cameracreated by dji cameracreated by dji cameracreated by dji camera
created by dji camera
…and a gratuitous shot of us waving at the drone while landing.
created by dji camera
I did a quick 360 degree from directly above the van camp site….
…. then a sweep over the van site. We are the closest. The white Ranger with the grey van. The video finishes over the Mullock heaps directly adjacent.
N.B. MULLOCK – Waste rock thrown outside a shaft or other underground working around the entrance forming a heap. Mullock heap. … ORE – A rock that holds a metal you want.
We did have a crack at ‘noodling’ but half an hour gave us one rock with a very (VERY) pale purple glaze through the middle. Hardly retirement material. In fact it probably wasn’t worth the energy to carry it back to the van. It looks better up close. Honest.
Here’s a success story for you. As I understand it, black and red are the best opals. There was so much back in the high flying days, from start in 1931 to the 50’s, many miners just threw the others away. The story goes, a young couple bought an old house in Andamooka with knowledgeable intent. The old long drop toilet had not been used for 30 years. The first thing they did was dig it out. It seems the previous miner/owner used to throw his unwanted opals where? That’s right. Down the long drop. They were instant millionaires.
Anyone want to put it to the test?
Another spectacular sunset.
End of another day.
Start of another, and I have to admit, now clocking up a few miles, I really am delighted to wake up every morning and take a lot longer to take in nature than what I have ever done.
Early sun on the mullock heaps.
Started good. Then grey clouds and wind. Still OK. Just a bit darker and a good reason to stay in the van and have a slack day.
I thought there was supposed to be a landing strip here somewhere. This twin engine guy buzzed over on it’s way to land.
Now I think I have found the secret burial grounds of the now deceased GMH.
For those of you who have been following my mate Rick and his latest (of many) rustic metal art exercises, ‘horse with rider’, you would have seen the build, bit by bit. Well here is the latest.
Rick has done horses before but this is the first one with a rider. Horse done but now a new part, the saddle has been done and the rider is just missing a few trims including his hat. I made a few suggestions for the face of the rider and further suggested perhaps he should have one arm raised holding his hat.
Rick came back to me with one of the most polite, “P*** **f’s I have ever received. Reminded me of I think it was an example of diplomacy was it? Telling a person to bugger off in such a diplomatic way that he thanks you and asks for directions.
Tomorrow we will leave early, filling the water tanks before we go. Then back to Roxby downs for a Laundromat for a BIG wash, one gas cylinder refill, diesel top up and shopping. They have a Woolworths there which means lots of nice things and a cooked chook for $10. (and booze)
The route over the next few days will be, perhaps another stop at Spuds, Pimba depending on how long the shopping takes, Glendambo, Coober Pedy, Marla for the night of the 16th, which is last stop before the border.
Then the border crossing and the town (I think just a road house) of Ghan, just over the border. Then the Alice.
News update. Getting darker and more ominous.
Oh well, can’t fight nature.
Yep. Rain. Well rock man Greg said what they needed was a good rain to wash the rocks down. Here’s hoping.
All but totally closed, but a good display of outdated rockets. bombs, planes and other military items. They might be old and redundant now, but if you saw an active one coming for you, it would STILL be very effective.
A Meteor twin engine fighter and photo reconnaissance plane.
Look! We had our own drones!
Canberra bomber and photo reconnaissance plane.
Roxby Downs.
This is a nice, neat and new town. It’s only been here I think 32 years.
It was built to facilitate Olympic Dam mine. Now a bit of trivia. There happened to be a small dam there so when the mining started, they picked up on the existing dam for a name.
A Bilby. Not a real one. A stuffed one in a display box in the information area.
Good coffee and a supermarket.
Andamooka.
Arriving at about 3.45pm, we drove into town first for a look around then back out to the RV camp.
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At the RV camp, it’s pretty good. Good flushing toilet, showers and 8 power sites. Too late for one of those, so our bill is $3 each for site total $6. If we had been quick enough for a power site, it would have been only $10 a day for both with power.
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Second day.
Yes. They have a yacht club, although sadly most of the town is closed down due to the Chinese virus.
We found the Post Office was also a large store with lots of ‘shiny things.’
This entrance was built entirely out of beer bottles.
Our first two nights payment. $3 x 4 = $12
This is the small, privately owned power station.
Civilisation. A ‘Boozerama.’
There are a series of authentic, original miners cottages in the main street.
Fascinating to read the descriptions.
We buy some ‘Shiny Things.’
The proprietor who actually mined the Shiny Things.
A man made cave
A man made display cave,
A Plesiosaur mined by the same chap with opal and Matrix.
No. Nothing to do with the movie.
N.B. Matrix opal is a gem material in which precious opal (or play-of-color opal) is intimately distributed through its host rock. The precious opal can occur as a “cement” between sediment grains, as replacements of host material, or as infillings of tiny vesicles. Many people call matrix opal “Type 3 Opal“.
Yes. A small native plant Park.
Let’s just say this. Andamooka is a fabulous experience.
The people are warm and friendly, there are a thousand stories and something unique around every corner. It is impressive. If you want to be truly Australian, coming to Andamooka would promote you in your appreciation of what the trailblazers who came here went through. Keep in mind, opals were discovered in 1930 and it was still very active in the 60’s.
The third day was lay back, cleaning up and making good. Hopefully a drone tomorrow if the sky is clear with a bit of sun.
We have booked for three nights so we can rest up.
Today was an R & R day. Washing, blog and other odds and ends with no time frame or set plan. It went to non plan. Anne did however, take a walk around the park and clicked a few pics.
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Superman 2 has just started and the original Ghost Busters is on tonight.
Next day …
Chicken and avocado toasted sandwich…..
A walk to town, said to be 15 minutes … In fact 35 minutes !!??
A pussy touch of Alfred Hitchcock …
A nice town
Here’s where the Commonwealth Bank went wrong.
They should have stayed in pubs.
I was in real estate once. Should have stayed it’s original purpose.
Stuart Pea. So vey unique.
These fine people got their fold up bikes WITH batteries and motor. Ours were slightly les but with out.
Next Day, On the way to Pimba.
Oh…… By the way, a trip to the auto mechanic because the left indicator is not working Is there a god?
Fixed and on … to as I said Pimba.
A quick lunch at a parking stop.
Now …. SPUDS Road house. Donation of $5
Secure parking bathrooms and toilets for $5 a day per van.
About $1.46 per litre diesel (!!!!!????) But you can always turn around and go back to Pt Augusta. Derrr. It’s called ‘Monopoly.’
A short stop in Ardrossan for a pasty and bathroom break.
And ……. ! Yet another pub that can’t spell Accommodation. Unbelievable.
We decide on a free park at Arthurton.
The free park area is between a public building, council I think, and the cemetery with two brand new toilet blocks.
A little walk around town.
The cemetery and …. I have no idea what this stuffed bear is doing in the tree. I guess the answer is ‘not much.’
The pub, unfortunately closed. Apparently the new owners wife passed away and the wheels fell off.
The institute.
Yesteryears innovation. The ‘Stump Jump Plough developed in 1876.
Another blow to Arthurton. The local shop also closed in 2017.
Arthurton Cemetery
(our neighbours for the evening)
This grave particularly effected me. Michael was a 10 years old who died in 1961.
I have the same birth year. That could have been me and I could have missed the last 59 years as poor Michael did.
Monica is described as ‘Infant Daughter.’
John Elwood must have been an adventurer. He was born in Dublin Ireland in 1858 and died in Port Clinton in 1925.
Poor young Rev Father Nugent went to meet his maker (and boss) in 1908 at just 32 years old.
Private Michael Hanrahan was killed at Bullecourt in April 11th 1917.
There were two major battles and Michael never saw the second one.
… and little William died in 1900 just 8 months old.
All our neighbours
The new, public toilets were more or less ensuites as we pulled in next to them, except most of the town and a few passing truckies new about them as well. We had lots of visitors.
All but brand new.
On to Tickera
A meeting of old friends and new. We are visiting Robert and Helen in Tickera together with Phillip and Ann. The three males are all ex Torrens Rowing Club oarsmen and hence the nick names are used, namely, Mangs (Phillip), Moose (Robert) and Leithal (Leith) An ongoing good time was had by all from start to finish of the two night stay.
Moose and I find another thing in common.
One of the vicious guard dogs.
The supervisors.
sealing the wine barrels.
The small town has 6 main tourist/historical attractions and one is across the road. The old church changed denominations a few times and ended up a private residence.
Pelicans from a distance. Honest. They are there.
Tourist track and the local war memorial.
This parrot had literally curled up it’s claws.
The area is well known for it’s blue swimmer crabs and the town emblem reflects that.
This snappy little ocean going car was a bit of a surprise.
Very nifty.
The historic buildings are the pub, now used for storage, the shop, used as a private residence and the school house, now a renovated residence.
The old school.
The Pub.
The shop.
The post office which is a shed with post boxes.
This well was a vital asset on the stock route from Crystal Brook to Kadina.
Friday, 3rd came all too soon and we would have loved to stay another day except we had a major problem with the van. The three way van fridge runs on 240 volts AC, 12 volts DC and gas. We use 240v in a van park, gas when free camping and 12 v while driving. The 12 v is not working so the fridge is not working when we drive.
We are heading to Wallaroo after a phone call, but on arrival we are told they cannot look at it for four days. So phoned Port Pirie and their technician is going on leave for 2 weeks.
So … sweating we get onto Port Augusta. Yes! P & K Refrigeration can see it as soon as we arrive. Took 2.5 hours to get there. the boss, Glenn was both a nice guy but a clever guy. Long story short, it needed a new circuit board and he just happened to have one. serious job and we were lucky we came across Glenn.
It was done in the street. Lucky it wasn’t a main road.
Picture below, Glenn on a milk crate at the back of the van.
It was 5.30pm and all but dark when we got to the caravan park. We just plugged it in and didn’t bother dropping the props or leveling off properly.
The heater on, a shower, a meal on the hot plate, a glass of wine and now the day doesn’t feel so bad.
Atlantic Salmon a-la garlic, butter and herbs, plus steamed South Australian prawns. A feast for kings … but we had it.
The annual anniversary of the raising of the Clan Ranald anchor.
Wrecked off the coast 40 perished. Three local divers using not scuba but air hoses (this was 45 years ago) have dived the wreck before but this time they spot ‘something’ that turns out to be a chain link. They follow the chain about I think around 120 metres and find the anchor, all three tons of it. They get a mate with an 80 foot fishing boat to help them retrieve it. It’s sent away for cleaning by soaking in a special solution. It disappears for 15 years. I think the Govt wanted to collar it but truth and justice won out in the end and it was returned to Edithburgh Museum. It was installed on top of a cliff above the wreck site and was later relocated to the main street of the town where it remains.
The two gentlemen on either side of the piper are two of the three divers who recovered the anchor 45 years ago.
A Walk through town.
There are TWO ‘M’s in accommodation. Why is it so hard for people to appreciate this. (another one coming later.)
We find a spiffy little coffee place. ‘Tippers’ which apparently was the name of the original owner who had his blacksmith business there.
Truer words were never spoken … and … Anne finally parts with the empty Champers bottle she has been dragging around for the last couple of months. She bought it in around 1990 in France, 1986 vintage, but when we popped it up at the Flinders Ranges a month or two ago, it was off. We feel cheated. It was only thirty four years old. (!!???)
Crumbed prawns for dinner. Yes! Prawns again. Cousin Mal buys them two boxes at a time.
Another walk around. This time to the …
Edithburgh Cemetery.
The sobering fact when going through old cemeteries is you appreciate how modern times have reduced the mortality rate of children. There are some very sad head stones.
Allan died in 1933 just 3 years and 11 months
These are the graves of the 5 British officers who perished on the Clan Ranald. The were given formal graves. The Lascar crew were not so respected.
This one simply, ‘the infant sons … 5th Nov 1911 and 17th May 1917.
William Parslow, just 10 months.
Lorna Annie just 8 months.
Then the mass grave of the Lascar crew of the Clan Ranald.
N.B. lascar /ˈlaskə/ noun DATED a sailor from India or SE Asia.
A few bowls and trinkets to pay homage to the departed.
For many years it was just a mound with 31 souls therein.
Eventually the grave site was given a plaque naming the 31 therein and the names of the others who were never recovered.
My wonderful, humanitarian wife decorated the plot with bush greenery near at hand. A token gesture, but a nice thought
Another walk through the town.
This time a few streets then the foreshore.
This young guy confidently balancing on a beam, un protected and un perturbed.
A low flying Albatross. Forgive me for quoting …
‘Albatross ….. Stormy Petrel on a stick ….. Gannet ripple.’
Time to go. Been a great two weeks but all things must come to an end. We are moving on to meet more friends, but we will be transiting in Arthurton, via Ardrossan.
Trivia. Today is the 19th month anniversary since we left East Timor on 25th November 2018.
For anyone paying attention, the fourth movie I put on the memory stick for Mal and Kay was The Kings Speech.
People visited, so coffee and nibbles including these fab cheese and bacon scone sort of things Anne has learned to make. She assures me she has the recipe. Assures. Better be so. I love them.
The people who came, bought a car and stored some gear. All in all a win win result.
We were running low on a few vitals, (including red wine and Port) so another trip to Yorketown. Absolutely no reason for photos and description again.
Lunched on return waffle style toasted sandwiches at about 3.30/4pm.
Got lunch down in time for a shower and starting the cook up for evening meal which will be Chili Con Carne again. This time I contribute. About an hour, fuelled by two beers with thumbs up across the board including …
The ‘conc’, Guacamole (with three avocado’s, raw chopped onion, sweet chili sauce, lemon juice salt and pepper), grated mature cheese, corn chips, corn taco shells, sliced lettuce, tomato, sour cream and steamed rice.
Again, second hand meal photograph about a third of the way through.
Also, a great bubbly, Taylors shiraz and a ‘whee’ glass of Port.
‘To bed, to sleep, perchance to dream.’ (wrong)
(N.B. “To die, to sleep – to sleep, perchance to dream – ay, there’s the rub, for in this sleep of death what dreams may come…” (Hamlet) This is said by Hamlet to himself when he thinks he is alone.)
Dare I say again … slow day. Looked at maps to plot the immediate future. Wanted to come up with a ‘cunning plan.’
Lunch ham and cheese croissants with optional cold meat selection for the bigger appetites.
Afternoon our second effort at gathering pine cones with a close observer, to be used as fire starters for the combustion heater in the house. Invigorating.
The Observer.
Showers, drinks and the cook up. I am learning a few tricks of the cooking/catering game. Not enough to be able to set up. But some good info. The meal is on Mal and Kay. Special fried rice and garlic and butter prawns in white wine.
Some people should not be encouraged. The joy is in fact because it was a particularly tough cork to get out and I am wearing the mask of success. It’s not a great mask, but it’s the only one I’ve got.
The proof is in the tasting. NO left overs! This is still a very active plate.
Exchange of goods. I get a DVD of Noel V Ginnity and details on DVD of historic family sites in the upper peninsula north of Port Pirie, which we will visit. I pass on a memory stick with, the 10 episodes of Dancing in the streets – A history of Rock and Roll and the movies, Waking Ned Devine, The African Queen, Uncle Buck and … Damn! What was the last one?
A little more humour to end the day.
‘Kalinikta’
(Goodnight in a different language. You pick which one.)
A walk before lunch. We are barely out when I freeze in my tracks, as would any guy my age. A thing of beauty is a joy forever. This ‘thing of beauty’ is an HX GTS Monaro and just … well, beautiful.
Only 130,000 km on the clock when he got it. Yes Km. Metric came to Aust 1974. This is a 76/77car. Spent about 30 years in a garage and the motor had to be done because it had seized from no use. No rust so just a paint job. As I said, beautiful. Good start to a walk.
Just a quick flash back. Cousin Mal’s old 1962 EJ Holden is a bit older thing of beauty. Not to be sneezed at, any collector would jump at it, and we had to walk past it to start our walk. I ALWAYS have a good look when I go past it.
Back along the foreshore, through the caravan park. A quick enquiry at the office. About $30 a night, G’Day members 10% discount (that’s us) and stay for three pay for two nights, plus a few others AND it’s a nice park AND it’s right on the water AND for fisher-persons it has a substantial fish cleaning station.
On that note, at the station, there is some action and our winged friends are attentive. Mum the Albatross scores a win much to the delight to her chick atop the light post because it is still being fed and will be on the receiving end. Chick? It’s the same size as mum. Time to kick it out mum and get on with your life, which I guess is finding a mate and starting again. Ok. I get it. So what’s the hurry?
Coming back past the church we have been seeing from a distance and it is quite unique and in mint condition.
Back for lunch, or in this case lunch heaven. Pies FLOATERS with Vili’s pies. I charge in and after a while Anne says, ‘You love these. Aren’t you going to get a photo?’ So … second hand/half used meals are not display grabbers but it’s the late thought that counts. You know, when we had our coffee shop in Dili, East Timor, I imported Vili’s and did pie floaters. They were so unknown that when someone actually asked for one, I would take their photo and put them in the social pages. Yeh. A bit weird.
Half eaten. No. More like 3/4.
I just don’t know why the diet isn’t working.
An afternoon of collecting pine cones for the fire. Well it was really about 20 minutes. The rest was swallowed up by the time thief that you never see. His visit just evidenced by a glance at your watch and followed by the classic line, ‘Where did the time go?’
You will notice the days are structured very similarly while staying in one spot. Having said that, showers, a little catch up on the computer then evening meal. Tonight, sausages and chops plus veggies. Loin lamb chop that were unanimously enjoyed plus scrumptious pork and a couple of Kransky style sausages we have completely forgotten where we picked up. The closest we can get is perhaps the Butcher at Loxton.
N.B. Carniolan sausage – Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org › wiki › carniolan_sausage. The Carniolan sausage (Slovene: kranjska klobasa; Australian English: Kransky, German: Krainer Wurst, Southern African English: Russian, Italian dialect of Trieste: luganighe de Cragno) is a Slovenian sausage most similar to what is known as kielbasa or Polish sausage in North America. Place of origin: Slovenia.
Cousin Mal swears by this Irish chap for a good laugh.
Mal will be giving me an album of him and I look forward to it. In the mean time I took the liberty of googling him and cousin Mal was right. Link here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrmXr-h3OxY
Tonight a breakaway from the usual red or white wine. (although there were a couple of whites) A couple of bottles of very nice bubbly, courtesy of the hosts. Another good night.
To bed, via one ‘whee’ port.
While we are on ‘whee’s’, a ‘whee’ funny to end the night.
Airborne less than 30 minutes on an outbound evening flight, the lead flight attendant for the cabin crew nervously made the following painful announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m so very sorry but it appears that there has been a terrible last minute error by our airport catering service. I don’t know how this has happened but we have 103 passengers on board and, unfortunately, only 40 dinner meals. I truly apologise for this mistake and inconvenience.
When passenger muttering had died down, she continued, Anyone who is kind enough to give up their meal so that someone else can eat will receive free, unlimited drinks for the duration of our flight. Her next announcement came 90 minutes later. If anyone would like to change their minds, we still have 40 dinners available.”
Sorry. I forgot to tell origin of the town name. “Edithburgh is named after Governor Sir James Fergusson’s wife Edith and the two main roads after his daughters Edith and Blanche. The town was laid out with terraces and parklands allowing for a beautiful environment. The Jetty was built in 1873 and salt, gypsum and lime were shipped off to Adelaide.”
Another slow day. We have lots because we like them. Lunch was fried spring rolls and steamed ‘dimmies.’ (Dim Sims)….
…. followed by another walk around town. This is normally a popular summer destination, bustling with boaties and fisherpersons, plus plus plus and the caravan park it right on the water and boat landing. However, in winter and with a pandemic, you could literally shoot a gun down the main street.
Old buildings are a treat. (If you like old buildings)
We spot this house on the market for just $99,000 It is of course ‘stuffed’ in a word, with crumbling walls. Cheap house though and in the main street. Lazy mans nightmare.
Drop in at the post office to clear the mail and we notice the flag it at half mast, signifying a local has passed away. Kay says there have been thirty in the past five years. Sounds a lot but 5 x 6 = 30. so six a year or one every two months. Sounds not quite so bad that way. It is also, after all an older local community.
Squint to see an island way out and a grain silo next town.
We pass the ‘Crow House’ and click a few more pics but with the glare of the setting sun.
I spot an owl and just for a moment from a distance I thought I had a real one. Turns out his head is on a spring. A Braund Road sign is unique. I know the street in Adelaide and when I googled it, there appears to be only one. So, where did this sign come from?
A flash house with neat planter boxes.
Then a sunset on the way home.
Heading for showers and yet another delightful evening. Chicken and asparagus casserole, Pepperjack Shiraz, and Hardys Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Then an early night for us. (11.30pm)
Our turn to cook tomorrow. A challenge for us. A piece of cake for Mal and Kay who have publican and hence catering backgrounds. Kay throws a masterpiece together with one had while juggling with the other. (figuratively speaking.
Tomorrow is another day, Again. Tuesday 23rd in fact.
dasvidaniya.
(Russian. Dasvidaniya is actually two words, not one: до (until) and свида́ния (meeting). So literally it means until the next meeting. Dasvidaniya is a formal way to say goodbye and should be used with the people you don’t know and the ones older than you.)
Sunday, a day of rest? Not entirely correct. An easy morning with a piece of toast and tomato. Oh no. Sounds like facebook. ‘What I had for breakfast’ Around lunchtime we head to the craft shop next to the museum as Kay is on volunteer duty there. We also check the outside of the museum. Some fascinating stuff there.
The rock crusher above, (description below) has a hopper at top where the rock is placed. Someone with a sense of humour originally had a dummy pair of legs sticking out of it. Apparently someone with some influence objected and had the legs removed. I say 10 out of 10 for the person who put the legs in and 1 out of 10 for the ‘spoil sport’ who had them removed.
In the afternoon, Mal is cutting wood for the fire and I give him a hand. Maybe he has heard of my successful episode cutting the sleepers in Loxton? It was light work compared with Loxton. A clean up and another fab meal, this time crumbed flathead fish fillets with home made chips and coleslaw. Important!N.B. Crumbed by yours truly! First time ever.
Evening is memories and reminiscences with a few photos and an 1899 Shilling. I sighted the original explanatory note that went with the shilling but photographed a photo copy as it is clearer. It seems that Herbert Henderson, Mal’s father and my uncle, way back on Tuesday September 19th 1916, a mere lad of seven years or so, swallowed this shilling by chance. It was ‘recovered’ 38.5 hours later with no pain or ill effects on young Herb. In 1916, a shilling was quite a bit of money and worth recovering. However, I guess after such an ordeal, it was also worth saving. Young Herbs dad, and our grandfather, HG Henderson, seated in the middle of the photo.
Well, I was quite right last posting on Wednesday. Tomorrow is (was) another Day. Thursday in fact.
It starts a lazy day, but we are short a few grocery items so we take the 16km, 11 minute drive to the big smoke, Yorketown.
Yorketown takes its name from the Peninsula*. In the early days the settlers called it “Weaners Flat,” it being the locality where the pastoralists separated the lambs from the ewes*. … In 1876 the name was changed to Yorketown.
Yorke Peninsula was christened by Matthew Flinders on March 30, 1802, after the Right Honorable Charles Phillip Yorke, one of the first Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty who honored the voyage of the Investigator with their patronage.
HMS Investigator was the mercantile Fram, launched in 1795, which the Royal Navy purchased in 1798 and renamed HMS Xenophon, and then in 1801 converted to a survey ship under the name HMS Investigator. In 1802, under the command of Matthew Flinders, she was the first ship to circumnavigate Australia.
Well it’s bigger smoke than Edithburgh, in that it has a Foodland and a Boozarama, two assumed necessities in this day and age unfortunately. Mince meat for the ‘conk’ (Chilli Con Carne) etc. etc. plus Guinness, Port and red wine. Yes. Necessities.
Yorketown is the major junction of five roads.
The main junction is the centre of town.
There are two roads off to the left to Stansbury and Edithburgh.
The two off to the left. Notice the small sign at left.
That is the road I missed and lost 20 minutes.
I didn’t know they were going to hide it.
Looking at a map, one north, (call it 12 o’clock) which is Minlaton Road which starts from Minlaton as Harry Butler Road. (see previous posting re WW1 flying ace.) Second, about 2.30 is Stansbury Road going to … you guessed it. Third at about 4 o’clock The St Vincent Highway, which goes to our current location, Edithburgh. Fourth, about 6.30, Waterloo Bay Road, going south, changing to S Coast Road once it hits the coast, then around the coast then inland to meet the fifth road around Marion Bay at the ‘toe’ of the Peninsula. Fifth, about 9 o’clock when the St Vincent Highway continues west to Warooka then south west to Marion Bay.
You just didn’t want to know that much about this major junction, did you.
A stroll was in order to take in the street scape and a bit of local history. Every small town has some interesting secrets. Anyway, it’s a great little town which is full of interesting facts if you spend the time.
We spot a touch of modernizing to this church. As we walked past the bell rang but I couldn’t see the bell swinging. That is to say, the ‘bowl’ was not rocking and the ‘clapper’ was not hitting the bowl.
Have a close look. It appears it has had an external electric bell ringer installed.
Back to the smaller (but nice) smoke of Edithburgh. We raid our hosts fridge again and feast on beef curry, while hammering the Foxtel movies. To bed, to dream, which is a whole lot better than nightmares. On that note, if you have a wicked sense of humour, here is an exert from a fabulous book loaned to me by Garry R. Thanks Garry. It is a humorous and fictional travel book as per a Lonely Planet type, Called ‘Molvania, a land untouched by Modern Dentistry’ and it is hilarious in a sarcastic, tongue in cheek, off beat way. Under is an example.
Friday, 19th June.
We missed a few items so took a walk to the local general store. Avocado, eggs and licorice then back.
Our hosts arrive in the afternoon and it only takes about a half an hour to unload their purchased stores. They store up a LOT. Much rejoicing and Anne’s Chilli Con Carne.
We find out the medical procedure in Adelaide was in fact quite obtrusive preparation and assessment to confirm the path to take in a few weeks. Anyway, basically all good. Another great night of amusing stories and discussion till it was time to pull up stumps. I think my stumps were pulled up a couple of hours before the end of the night.
Saturday 20th June.
A bit of a sleep in on a cold-ish, wet-ish, dark-ish day. A call at 10am inviting us into the house for mushroom and tomato breakfast from the house. Incentive to get scrubbed. Fifteen minutes and we are dining like kings and queens. We decide to walk off breakfast with a walk. (?) One look at the sky and we take umbrella’s. We only get about two hundred metres to the ‘crow’ house. We stop and chat with Arthur, the owner.
… AND we only got half way through pics and conversation and down it came.
(might double back and get the rest)
Walk over. A late lunch at 2.30pm. Back to the van for stomach pumps at 5.30pm (well that’s what we needed) then we come out swinging for round three towards 7-ish.
Another fabulous evening starting with Kay’s marvelous corned beef with suitable accompaniments, both solid and liquid. A couple of ports seemed a good idea this cold evening. Back to van for more sweet dreams. However, now we should not just dream but plan our departure north to the border. Hard decision when having such a good time. Oh … we will do that tomorrow.
We are leaving Wallaroo today, but we go down to the end of the camp first to check the building out.
Then a phone call and we are in the main street of Wallaroo having a coffee with Robert Mooney and friend Helen. Robert is an old friend from the 70’s, namely the Torrens Rowing Club. We all had nick names then and Robert was always ‘Moose’ just as I was ‘Leithal’. That’s is back in the days when I could justify it, to a degree. A great catch up and potentially another in the not too distant future.
… and spotted another Valiant Charger. Second in about six weeks.
The last was in Clare.
On to Moonta Bay. A lovely seaside town better appreciated in say five months. Anne insists on hot chips (?) and who am I to kill her fun. Then on to Moonta for a quick drive through as the sun is getting lower in the sky and the chill is moving in.
We decide on a free camp, supposedly with toilets, at Maitland. The two delineated park spaces are a challenge for our 14.3 metre long circus train. I pick the larger of the two spaces which is still a challenge and a half. after a few minutes and a close pass by a big gum, and some very negative comments from my spouse, ‘it is decided'(for me) that I will not continue, but look further afield.
We end up around the corner in the show grounds with a caravan park declaration at the gate with the very reasonable, ‘$18’ price displayed.
An enquiry with a happy camper and I am told, ‘Just find a spot with power and the manager will show up and collect. This turns out to be quite a good spot. Plenty of space, petitioned but clean and very functional toilets and showers, plus a complete dump spot. Excellent. A sunny next day, the manager arrives. We have a pleasant chat and we drive off, happy to recommend it to anyone passing through.
Monday, 15th June
Cousin Mal has been in touch and we head towards Minlaton with renewed optimism and a new order for the Minlaton Bakery. This bakery is well known in the district. Mal knows it as well. A small country town and the line is out the door. We spent about $75 and could have kept going. Over the Mal plus Leith order were, 4 custard tarts, 2 kitchener buns, 1 honey roll bun, 2 pasties, 1 vegetarian pasty, 2 beef pies, 1 chocolate donut, 1 more beef pie, 1 more pasty, one spinach roll and two cappuccino’s. Two boxes and two bags plus the takeaway coffees was a serious carry. I told two couples outside as we were going, ‘In my next life, I’m coming back as a baker.’ They knew what I was saying and laughed.
We doubled back for the Devil. Local boy Harry Butler became a WW1 flying ace and his story and plane, the ‘Red Devil’ is on display in a glass enclosure in the main street. Quite a story. You should get an idea from the attached photos, if you squint to read.
Now there is some urgency because our fresh payload is in fact lunch, and time marches on. So, on to Edithburgh via Yorketown with a 20 minute delay due to a wrong turn. (!!??) The thing is, if you are on a minor country road, there is no three point turn with a big van on the back. You just have to keep going until fate throws you a crumb such as an intersection or a large drive way. In the mean time, there was much ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’, in fact more teeth gnashing than weeping.
N.B. Wikipedia says, ‘ The phrase is also found as an idiomatic expression in colloquial English. Gnashing of teeth’ is when one grinds one’s teeth together. Or to have one’s teeth set on edge, or to bite down in pain, anguish, or anger.
There were also, ‘casting of dispersions’. Oh yes. Dispersions, left, right and centre. You want dispersions? I’ll show you dispersions.
N.B. Casting = throwing around; stating non-privately. Aspersion = making a false or misleading charge meant to harm someone’s reputation (ref: Definition of ASPERSION ) So, “to cast aspersions upon” would be to make false or misleading statements intended to harm someone’s reputation. Also,Casting Dispersions: Often misunderstood as ‘Casting Aspersions’, this ancient term derived from the Spanish ‘Castio Dispersionio’ refers to the encanting of the magic spell ‘Dispersions’ causing, as the name suggests, the target of the spell to break up and scatter before you. (I love trivia)
Yep. That’s it!
We front to Cousin Mal’s and partner Kay’s and there was rejoicing. We also meet (unknown to me), second cousin Colleen. A bit of a bonus. Two cousins for the price of one. We made short work of most of the payload, then parked the van in the back yard. Followed was further rejoicing and chatting and storytelling and the odd libation or three. Most of this was conducted in the water tank. Yes. The water tank. When Mal bought the house it had an underground concrete water tank which was converted to a bar. Brilliant!
This was pushing the ‘selfy’ a bit but done.
My Grandpa Henderson. My Mothers and Mals Fathers Father.
Great old guy and lots of stories here. Having said that, characteristics are supposed to skip a generation, So I should have picked up a few from Grandpa. I believe he was about 6 ft 6 inches and I pulled up at 5 ft 8 inches. I got done out of 10 inches! Life is just so unjust.
Evening meal was Mal’s specialty. Garlic (and butter etc) King George Whiting and Prawns. This was a five star meal. I not only watched prep and cooking with care and attention, but went straight off and wrote it down.
Stories of past present and future came hard and fast till we realised we had lost a few listeners and it was the wee hours. So to bed as tomorrow (it was that already in fact) was going to be a big day.
Tuesday 16th
Kay, Mal and Colleen are off to Adelaide. Mal is going down for a ‘procedure’ and Kay and Mal will return Friday, Saturday or Sunday. In the mean time, we are house sitting. We wave the trio goodbye, settle in for a while, then take a leisurely stroll up the main street then back along the promenade taking in (and clicking pics) the streetscape and environs.
Evening meal is minimal lunch leftovers bolstered with more of similar, followed by Foxtel. Ahh. Good to go rural.
Wednesday 17th
A lazy catch up day of emails, paying bills ($$$$!!!!) and washing of bed linen and clothes. This was followed by more Foxtel. Serious question. If you were a hard core movie buff (me) what would you do in this scenario? All starting at the same time are ‘Sherlock Holmes’ (Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law), ‘Unforgiven’ (Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman) or ‘Chef’ (Jon Favreau, Sophia Vergara with cameos by Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey Jr and Scarlett Johansson)? Answer? ‘CHEF’, because it is a happy little film, with a different story line, good actors holding their own and just a little Quirky.
Started another film and fell asleep in the chair so, to bed, perchance to dream. I did in fact. Real Estate! Can you believe it? I never considered myself a masochist.
Still in Loxton. We are invited by Lindsay to go on a morning tour to see the result of a significant wetland reclamation in which he had a contributing role. The location is between Loxton and Berri on the Berri side of the river not far from Lock 4. A marvellous series of gates, grids and water locks to control and steer water flow for the benefit of the wetlands, fish, flora and fauna. N.B. Small Red Gum saplings should flourish in the new environment.
Roads were raised to compensate for rising water and pleasant camping areas with fire pits were established, most with their own eco toilets and hand wash stations near.
We also learnt about fishways. They are cleverly designed facilities allowing fish to continue upstream past locks.
This area will be a significant tourism drawcard.
The trip included Lock 4 and we viewed it from both sides of the river. No. You can’t cross it. It entails a fifteen minutes drive over the Berri Bridge.
I stared at one of the info boards featuring the word, ‘Fishes’ and says I to myself, ‘surely the plural of fish is fish. So I googled it before jumping to error conclusions.
‘Fishes: The plural of fish is usually fish. When referring to more than one species of fish, especially in a scientific context, you can use ‘fishes’ as the plural. The zodiac sign Pisces is also often referred to as fishes.’ So you live and you learn, or I did anyway.
Lunch time and after a long inspection of the watery facilities, we need a feed. So we have a treat. The Hotel Loxton has been through some serious upgrading and while perhaps not completely finished, it is open for suitably spaced lunches. Had my Parmi in Berri so this time it was ‘Fish and Chips’ all round.
Then a short trip to see the site of Daisy Bates C.B.E. Amazing Irish Lady. Read the plaque.
Then as we are leaving, we spot our old mate, ‘Red Ned goes past!’
A quick and easy, evening meal. Baked potatoes topped with left over bolognaise sauce sprinkled with cheese.
Wednesday 10th was going to be departure date, but instead it was clean up and restock day. Washing, car cleaning, restocking food and liquids, ready to connect up, then crumbed chops for evening and our last happy night together with Rick and Diane. Been a good stay.
Thursday, 11th June 2020
A farewell look at a few things.
Left above, a babbling brook runs down the boundary. Septic tank overflow processing actually.
Right above, One of Ricks several vices. A particularly old one. See immediately above, the vice manufacture date 1914.
Below, our last wood chopping exercise.
Below, a late entry. The Loxton Bakery ‘Ned Kelly pie cross section.
Planned departure of 10-ish. Being slack meant 11-ish ready to go.
But first a ceremony. As we will be crossing borders, we decide we will have to store Anne’s little cactus we having been lugging around. It is Anne’s favorite toy, so I think we should formalize entrusting it to Rick. He takes possession like a Knight be Knighted. These things are important to record.
Now, the ‘walk around’, before we drive off is a very necessary part of the process. One walks around the whole rig looking at everything that opens and shuts, does up or undoes. So I get three metres and the left headlight is not on. Bugger. So another hour to take instruction from Mr Oracle (Rick) on disconnecting, removing the globe then testing. I don’t want to disconnect so Rick gives me a lift to the auto shop (got 2globes ) then back and installation. Away (finally!) at 12.15 pm, only 2.25 hours late. That’s about normal.
Moorook, just down the road burns up another 25 minutes as we try and do the little but neat as a pin town justice.
Next transit highlight, we go up Accommodation Hill. A long, slow hill with a dog leg near the top about five km’s before Truro. Anyone who drives a truck or pulls a van knows this hill. You get more visual effect going down it, but we are going up.
We make it to Truro and turn off to weave through a series of small towns, but settle on Balaklava for an overnighter.
Caravan Park, $30 a night, neat as a pin, (I used that term a little earlier. Didn’t I?) well run and maintained by Gary and his very pleasant wife. A drive through site so did not have to disconnect. The well appointed utility room is a converted squash court. It also has a fully functional kitchen, immaculate ablution blocks and all in all a good place to pull over AND a five minute walk to the main street. We were also given late check out as they were not at full capacity. I was tempted to stay an extra day but we had to keep moving.
Friday, 12th June
Kadina is bigger and a little busier but a lot of history. Well, all these little towns would be chock a block with memories, ghosts and interesting history, but we could spend the rest of the year and not move a hundred km’s.
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Finally, Wallaroo. Sun getting low, a bit cold so we did a lap around the town then headed for the free camp. No toilets but an interesting place. A huge expanse of old bitumen with a two story building at the end. A bus with trailer and car next to the building, a car and van up the other end and we plumped ourselves right in the middle. So our nearest neighbour is about eighty metres away.
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For once, Anne’s eye is more eagle like than mine. We are opposite a corner road and on the next corner is a PUB. Yes, I do feel like a walk. Yes, I am happy to go to the pub. Yes, I would like a drink. What a lovely wife.
It’s aptly named The Wallaroo Hotel. How appropriate. On the walk, we pass a unique art piece in someone’s side yard. Very good, and we are told the bike lights come on when dark. On the way back, we saw they did but it was still too light for it to show up on camera.
A nice cool night, real cool actually but we are self contained so it’s hot water bottles and not electric blankets.
Saturday, 13th June
Next day, it is, cold, wet, windy and cold. (it was worth a repeat) So a lazy day is planned.
It all went to plan pretty well. We are heading to cousin Malcolm’s and other half Kay at Edithburgh. We have been in contact and we get a call from the man himself. Always well informed and well experienced, Mal tells me he is aware of the Wallaroo pub, in fact there was a story with that. He further suggests we drop into the Weeroona Hotel to look up a mate. So at about 3.30pm, the wind has died a little so we take the rubbish for a walk to the Weeroona.
We stop and pic click old buildings on the way.
There is a convenient bin out the front so we will not have to carry the rubbish back to the van. A good start. We meet the names we were given and their owners, have a talk and a couple of drinks at again, the specified spacing and get a few pics of the occasion and some interesting info.
Owner Grant tells me the area we are camped in is the old, now disused, marshalling yard for the semi trailers to unload grain. They needed all this space for the semi’s to line up. The double story building was to take grain samples from the trucks as they passed through. So now we know … and so do you. Useless trivia for you, the unaffected? So back to the marshaling yard for another cosy, self contained night.
After a delicious meal of potato, coleslaw and kangaroo balls. In fact to explain, the kangaroo is minced, mixed with herbs and formed into golf ball size spheres and sold as such in a hermetically sealed packet of twelve. So we were not contributors, after the fact, to the demise of six male kangaroos.
We stop in Berri just long enough for a hotel booking and a coffee. We go up the main street. Anne changes her order from a Cappuccino to a navy, woollen jumper and a red cashmere scarf. I stayed with my Cappuccino order.
We double back to the coffee shop and she ends up with a coffee as well. The place is called River Jacks Café and they seem to have a fetish for Gourds?
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1. a fleshy, typically large fruit with a hard skin, some varieties of which are edible.
a drinking or water container made from the hollowed and dried skin of a gourd.
2. a climbing or trailing plant which bears gourds.
Phrases: out of one’s gourd — out of one’s mind; crazy.
Who can answer: What is the first name of the actor who said, ‘And four for the gourd.’ Send an email. See address under ‘contact us’ on the home page.
Then, like coming home, we pulled into Rick and Diane’s welcoming drive way just outside of Loxton. Just like we had never been away.
We had been determined to take them out to lunch as a thank you for taking us in for the lockdown. Hence, once the Berri Hotel was open for business, we were ‘in business.’ (At a distance. It’s a long walk between tables now)
So next day it was off to The Berri Pub and for that which I had been particularly pining … A ‘Pub Parmi.’ This time Anne kept her coffee order (we had cappuccino’s x 4) …
… but both ladies had a dessert at the same ladies clothing store from yesterday. Anne usually has a cake dessert but this time it was a pair of black jeans. Diane’s dessert undeclared but it came in a similar pink plastic bag and not too bulky.
Evening …Tuna Mornay, beer, red wine, port and another day of peace, tranquillity and over indulging. It is suggested we should stay for the long weekend as it will be ‘bedlam’ out there.
“N.B. The word bedlam came about as a contraction of the name of a hospital in London. This hospital started out in 1247 as a priory for the order of St. Mary of Bethlehem. This priory eventually became the Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem and was meant to serve sick poor and homeless people. However, by 1405, the hospital was under royal control and had begun to be partly used as an insane asylum, the first of its kind in England. The name of the hospital had already been slurred to Bedlam in popular speech, helped along by the variant spelling Bethlem and soon an inmate of the asylum started to be called a bedlam as well. Bedlam was not always the most well run or inspected of establishments and there were periods of great brutality and there were descriptions of “miserable creatures in chains” in John Evelyns 1657 diary. The hospital became known as a place of noisy, raving lunatics and wealthy people even took to visiting it to be entertained by their antics. It is estimated that around 100,000 people a year visited the institution for this purpose and the hospital was a model of the kind of excesses and cruelty that the “madhouse” came to be associated with.”
No. We don’t want to go anywhere near Bedlam, so it is likely we will stay to the following Tuesday.
Down to Wednesday, a day of odds and ends including of all things, buying clothes. We go to Country Proud clothing shop. I ask for T shirts and once fixed up for trying on, I inform the nice lady ‘My wife wants either a skivvy or long sleeved T shirt.’ Well, that’s what she said. Anne gets a pair of jeans, second day running? Over the road to Vaughn’s (shoes) and we both walk out with new boots. Next, the Ford dealer for the small middle wheel cap off the front right wheel. The original we estimate is somewhere between Glass Gorge and Blinman in the Flinders Rangers. We score a second hand one which will match the other three. Boozerama and Woolies for a roast chicken for evening meal. A clean sweep. We should be keeping tabs. Loxton is doing pretty well from us loiterers.
I spot this sign in town. Can anyone spot the problem?
Now ‘Tersdee’, is ‘fix it’ day. A loose bracket in the back of the car requires the 20 litres of drinking water to be emptied so the jerry can may be removed to access the bracket. Diesel heater tank to be filled. Turn off the fridge section of the car fridge/freezer as currently not required. Guinness cans from long term store deep in the back. Installation and testing of new boots. Installation of wheel cap. (That was another thirty seconds). etc etc etc.
In the mean time in the adjacent workshop, Rick is attempting to fix a chain saw he put in the too hard basket thirty years ago. It’s model name is believe it or not, Eager Beaver.’
Throughout the day we hear the odd short run of the chain saw motor (very short) with the occasional backfire and the whole performance punctuated with varying statements and declarations in both low and high pitch and all based on the subjects of religion, reproduction, heritage and different possible destinations of the subject machine. I thought, ‘Damn! if I’d been recording it, I could have worked it into at least a four act, extremely bawdy stage play complete with colourful characters and a spectacular finish including a sledge hammer and a flying chainsaw.’
The chainsaw did in fact survive, but in the status quo. We learn it is back in the too hard basket for another thirty years where it is to be Willed to Ricks grandson Jack to fix. This is in an attempt to ensure when Rick is gone, he will still definitely be remembered by Jack in particular, though perhaps not in the fondest light.
Peace reigns and the evening moves to ‘better than the pub could ever do’ Schnitzels with pan fried, cheese sprinkled veggies and gravy washed down with the usual. An early crisp night to bed lit by an all but full moon. A good day with a memorable workshop floor show.
Friday, work day. Light and heavy. Lightest was shopping and emptying the toilet cassette. A bit heavier was ‘The cutting of the pallets.’ More kindling for the fire place. My job was pick up and stack up.
Not quite finished. Another eleven to go. They can wait. N.B. This chainsaw was the one that replaced the Eager Beaver a while ago. Works like a charm . (Sthil)
Evening meal, a large, local bakery meat pie, mashed potato, peas and mashed carrot and pumpkin. (plus Guinness, wine and port)
N.B. I have done short video recordings of Red Ned. It is a truck with an unmistakably unique exhaust note. So far, I have recorded Red Ned by chance, but I wanted the definitive shot of him approaching, passing and moving away. Ned doesn’t know we have analyzed his modus operandi and while his appearance is sporadic, he consistently does return trips somewhere between one hour and five minutes and one hour and twenty minutes later. Furthermore, if his exhaust note is less discernible, he is unloaded and not ‘pulling’ so hard. So a quiet passing usually means the return will ‘sing’ the note.
Now …. Saturday, I am up early because I had heard the unmistakeably unique exhaust note of ‘Red Ned.’ I am standing outside the van, ready to run and shaving with my battery operated shaver. I turn off when I hear it. I yell to Anne and hit the trot up the drive way putting shaver in pocket and pulling camera out. Crossing the service road and treed plantation I pull up at the ready. The note builds and I realise Anne was hot on my heals and is now panting behind me. Camera on and ……
Not perfect but not half bad. Enough to put closure to the Red Ned filming crusade.
Des, an old buddy of both Rick and I, is coming from Adelaide tomorrow so Rick decides to gift him a ‘Dog.’ Not just any dog. This will be a Cornish terrier. He will be called ‘Morgan’ because Morgan is a 101% Cornish name. It’s hands on for both of us to create this nuggety little guy. A good place to start is an old gas bottle and smaller gas bottle number two is the head. from here on, the extras determine whether he is a dog, pig or duck. We break for evening meal, eat and drink to excess (well I did anyway) and retire for an early start.
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Sunday, day of rest (??) it’s an 8.20am start for the recipients scheduled 10.30am arrival. You can achieve quicker on a tight schedule. We tried to make him realistic, with some simple features.
We finish five minutes early and Des arrives thirty minutes late. Much rejoicing for old comrades re-united. Des takes me on a short demo ride in his recently purchased V8 Ford Ute. Des has always had a love of cars. Big cars. Bloody big cars. This ‘bloody big engine’ that happens to have wheels and two seats, has taken Des back at least five years towards his youth. The ride took five years off my life expectancy.
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We present Des with ‘Morgan’ and although a man of few words, he appears well pleased.
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Lunch is a BBQ featuring local recipe ‘Nagari’ Hamburgers, the mandatory snags and a potato bake to die for.
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A bit of a walk round, a good chat, cook the barbie. Great catching up and looking back from now to back then. We have changed physically but not our minds and hence character. Still mates.
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Marvellous lunch, coffees, including a creamy pastry treat from Des, a quick modification to Morgan and a very pleasant day comes to an end as Des blurrs into the sunset with Morgan in the back. Dinner was left overs, “‘Nagari’ Hamburgers, the mandatory snags and a potato bake to die for.” Drinks were much lighter. Just one Guinness and 1.5 glasses of red wine followed by a chair nap then an early to bed, first firing up the electric blanket to melt the icicles in the bed. It’s VERY cold here at night … and in fact till about 10am. How can tomorrow beat that.
Monday, 8th June 2020 (last day of the long weekend)
Slow to rise on a cold, cold morning. First thing. Defrost the laptop. Yes. It is so cold in the morning here, the laptop rattles and moans, then has to be turned off. It WILL NOT start. I have to fire up the diesel heater, place the laptop in front of it and give it five minutes on each side to get it thawed enough to work. I can cook a steak quicker.
A comfortable day. A little late to start. Bits and pieces. Afternoon, Rick and I finish the pallet cutting. The last eleven took about 45 minutes. By the way, it was achieved using another chainsaw. NOT the Eager Beaver. That has been, as I said, in the two hard basket for thirty years.
A fab (and again generous) meal of ‘Spag Bol’ was thoroughly enjoyed. Italian means must have red wine. (Mandatory)
A classic two for one gift when the moon is still up and bright while the sun is coming up. Also, a little local flora and those amazing ant holes again.
Two things remain for this period.
Firstly, Rick said he would forward progress on the horse he is currently building and here it is. Amazing.
Secondly, I have a late entry from Ken when we were in Morgan. He is on the camera of course. Is this glam camping? That is to say, you will note the ladies are sharing an electric blanket. Pretty cool I thought. Warm that is.
We are nearing the end of our stay here. I would say two days to go.
Just before we leave Ramco, we spot the Hospital Helecopter flying over quite low.
It is unknown where the name “Barmera” comes from but it is suspected that it means “water place” or “land dwellers”, being a word from a local Aboriginal group. Others postulate it comes from Barmeedjie, the name of the tribe that lived to the north of the Murray River prior to European settlement.
A short stop at Waikerie Woolworths to stock up with odds and ends and on to Barmera arriving perhaps 3.30pm-ish at the Lake Bonney Discovery Park. We park/set up the van and wait patiently for Phill and Ann to arrive from Adelaide. It’s their first escape weekend since the lockdown. They have booked a cabin about two minutes walk from the van and have the huge responsibility of bringing the liquid refreshments from Adelaide. We feast on our roast chicken and veggies we purchased from the Barmera Foodland which we had prepped and a good time was had by all.
Next day a ‘Terry Tourist’ trip starting with a visit to the very well established and displayed info centre to get the lie of the land.
We get a map with all sorts of instructions and features such as Internment Camp and cemetery, then to The Blue Bird cafe which was in fact Sir Donald Campbell’s storage shed for his Blue Bird speed record boat when he ran it on the lake back in the 60’s.
Braced with coffee and cake we did a loop around the glorious Lake Bonney stopping at the Lake Bonney Hotel ruins and other historical sites.
More or less, all that is left of the internment camp is a sign. Yes Internment Camp. All the non Australians in Australia during WW2 who were considered to potentially be a risk were bundled off to the Riverland Camp to contemplate life and grow vegetables. An interesting stage in South Australian history.
Next, The Garden Of Memory. Mainly a War Memorial Cemetery which also has a civilian section. Some very moving headstones describing just how cruel and unforgiving life can be.
On a positive note, at right above, Thomas Caddy in WW1 awarded medals from both Australia and USA.
Left above, poor little William Kinnish, Stillborn 4th March 1943. A life never started.
Right above, 15 year old Robert Lowe, died in 1925 of a ‘gun accident’. Senseless waste of life.
Marion and Edna, twins born 28th August 1939 and lived just two days.
Little Ian Hodgson, died in 1943, just 3 years and 11 months. Lost his entire future.
Above left. Two remembrances in same photo approx. thirty years apart. First was A. Yeo from the light horse. Died 11th August 1947, aged 53. to the right of the stone, a plaque, Christina Yeo, (Nurse) died 13th December 1975, aged 83. So Christina went on for another 28 years after her husband (assumed), noting she would have been 55 when he was 53. They had four children so we can again assume he was WW1 light horse. He was a soldier in WW1 and she was a nurse. How many books could be written of war time romances.
This was a small grave of Kerry Howell. The old wooden cross also showed the birth date but is damaged. It was in the 40’s but I cannot make out what year. Either way, she was under five.
Equally sad, Both J Pengelley aged 67 and G Pengelley aged 25, both drowned on 12th July 1928. There would be a story there.
Lastly, black tracker Jimmy James. There were several by the same name and a few did cross paths, but this particular man made it into The Murray Pioneer on 3rd January 1946. If you follow the link, you can read the article in the paper. He was a Police tracker and assisted in apprehending murderers and also tracked and found a lost child and a man who got lost while searching for his horse. The article quotes, “Sergeant Ward speaks well of Jimmy Jones. He states Jimmy was a black man with a white heart.” I can understand why they might not have his birth date but I wonder why they did not put the date he passed. Follow the link. (You may have to copy and past in the browser. It’s worth a read ) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/109415070
Down the road is a ‘tongue in cheek’ comical sign of pending Sheep Dog Trials, which of course are on hold. The sign shows a stern Ram as judge, a bleating sheep plaintive with bandaged leg, a sheep jury, an accusing sheep prosecutor and apprehensive dog defendant.
On that note, back in the Park, we find these two extremely active, inquisitive and loveable pups. Hang on. Didn’t I just describe about every pup in Australia? Dramatically different appearances but they are related. The larger male is full blooded ‘bluey’ and the little tan lady is his half sister. Dad apparently got around a bit and had a fling with a Jack Russell. What a combo.
Sunset drew us out for a setting sun photo exercise.
The night brought us (No. Ann did) Chicken Korma with Basmati rice and papa dams washed down with Pepperjack Shiraz and a wee port or two (3 or 4).
In the morning, we finish breakfast just in time to head off for lunch at ‘Flavours of the Riverland’, a great little spot that used to be a nursery, with homemade pies and sausage rolls, top coffee, cakes and knick knacks plus nibbles for sale. The outside Al Fresco tables are under covered Hills Hoists. Nice touch.
The bosses Morris Panel Van and a visitors old Falcon are bonuses for the visit.
With most activities closed by Sunday morning and the Chinese covid-19 Virus, we take a look at Monash, a small town quite close. It is renowned for it’s large Adventure Park, made (originally) for only the stoutest of youths. After it was proven many of the youths were not as stout as first thought, it was toned down a little. heights were lowered and the slippery dip modified to avoid liability issues. It’s still a unique facility and a pleasant little town.
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I particularly liked the 44 gallon drum wind fan.
The last night, another Chicken Korma but even bigger and better, with same Basmati rice and papa dams washed down with another few Pepperjack Shiraz’s and further ports, this time less than wee ones. It gets cold here.
On our last morning, a slow start, with a unique breakfast of champions. Oversized eggs (70gram ea. The usual pack we get is 700gms for 12. This pack is 700gm for 10) on toast with a small Haggis side serve sprinkled lightly with Scottish Whisky, as tradition demands. Yes! Whisky in the morning, BUT we are talking about a half a tea spoon.
A pack up and hitch up before the extended late departure time, Fare thee well wishes and Phill and Ann are heading home while we steer towards familiar territory.
So with a staggered start in the morning we leave the Clare park. We are heading for Morgan via Burra but just a little stop on the way out. It was a stagger off the start line with Garry and Jen leaving first as they had to make a stop in town to pick up a table. We had been there at the choosing of the table and Anne had spotted a stylish felt hat in an Akubra style in the same shop. She decided she did not ‘need’ it until we were driving out of town. Then … Have you ever tried to park a 4WD with a twenty foot van in the main street of a country town? Anne got hat number two because Jen had chosen the same hat when they picked up the table. OK. So they both have good taste.
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We finally take off in a cloud of frost and head to Burra. Pull in the reins at the schmicky Gaslight cafe for coffee and a ‘Tiddy Oggi’. That is a Cornish pasty with a happy ending. That is to say it was what Cornish wives cooked the miner (not minor) husbands for lunch. Not able to wash their hands in the mine, the pasty had a thick roll of pastry on the top which was in fact a disposable handle. That is also the status quo with a Cornish pasty except the difference between the two is, Husband starts one end and eats the pasty except, the pasty runs out and stage two takes over with an apple pie dessert end in it. How very clever for a hundred year old problem solving exercise.
The Gaslight Cafe
We walk around town and it becomes obvious that: A. it is a good town full of history and B: we sure as hell didn’t do it justice the week or two earlier that we passed through it.
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Heading back to the van, I spot the back of a head of a man with a ‘pie hat’ on. In fact it is the following (googled): “Traditional Afghan Hat. Pakol is a Khowar Chitrali word and is derived from the word Khoi which means hat in Khowar. Another Khowar name for the hat is Khapol. … The woolen cap has been the staple headgear of the Chitrali people for centuries.”
The back of the head belonged to Grant Lock who was doing what we were with his wife Janna. He told me the correct name of the hat but I forget which of the two it was. Turns out They spent twenty four years in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He wrote two books, Shoot Me First and I’d Rather Be Blind. Ominous titles but I wouldn’t mind betting they would be good reads.
I told Grant I had started a book on our eighteen years in East Timor and he gave me a few pointers. A nice couple. If you are curious and/or interested, go to: www.shootmefirst.com or email: grantlock@shootmefirst.com Chase them up and have a read.
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N.B. I only started the conversation because I had been sent a ‘pie hat’ years ago from Afghanistan and imagined one day I could wear it as a novelty. However, since all the middle east trouble where a lot of the ‘trouble makers’ had Pie Hats on, I decided this would be a bad idea. However, after twenty four years in the thick of it, Grant was not so apprehensive as me. Damn! Didn’t get his autograph.
The others come looking for we two, truant travellers. (try saying that after a few drinks) Time to move on.
Next stop the fruit bin to dump any of the forty (?) fruits listed. The others do so and move of but we stay to squeeze all lemons and put the juice in the freezer. By the time we get to Morgan, the others have stopped at the bakery and are half way through their pies. We can skip the pies as we are still sitting on the Tiddy Oggi.
MORGAN
Morgan caravan park right on the water and next to the Ferry landing. A great spot and indeed we do enjoy some rays of sun not seen for some time. We ‘chummy up’ with adjoining travellers.
Again, the Ken and Liz van is the central collecting spot, especially since Ken not only put his awning out but also put up half the annex. Very cosy at night. A good couple of days soaking up the ambience, brisk walks to the ablution blocks, Ken did another roast (pork) pleasant chats peppered with laughter and liquid refreshments.
There was a walk to the pub for a takeaway beer slab and we also visited a most unique general store. It is built on a slope so the inside is terraced with ramps between. We considered this characteristic and I personally think, if I has a skate board, (and could ride it) starting at the top, I calculate I would be doing around thirty five kph before I rocketed out the front door into the passing traffic of trucks, cars, humans, dogs, cats or kangaroos as well as stationary objects like rocks and power poles. Nope. Not prepared to test it.
From the top looking down.
From the bottom looking up.
Nearing the end of the day, I finally get around to doing what I have meant to do the whole time. Get out the drone. Yes. I completely missed the Flinders Ranges and Clare. Twat. Still, better late than never.
created by dji cameracreated by dji cameracreated by dji cameracreated by dji camera
That night we ate like kings and finished the Whiskey. Remember with an ‘e’ means Irish. That was the Tullamore D.E.W. (Daniel E Williams. Manager and later owner)
PARTING COMPANY
In the morning, after nearly two weeks together, Garry and Jen again do a staggered start only this time back to Adelaide, Ken and Liz take to the road waiting for the NT border to open and we plan to head back towards Loxton to take our ex hosts during the close down, Rick and Diane out to dinner, if we can find anywhere open. We did have one hope but that opening has been delayed another week. So for now we head towards Loxton, looking for something open where they can drive to and join us there. In the mean time, we delayed out departure from Morgan for a walk around and soaking of Morgan society. (There’s that word ‘soak’ again. We do a lot of soaking)
‘Roo Poo’
Lots of interesting nooks and info when you slow down enough to look.
Found an Op Shop open and bought a jar of homemade apricot jam and a TwoUp set. That is the ‘kip’ and two genuine pennies. However, before I bought the TwoUp, I asked what should NOW be asked by most of us Australians, ‘Was it made in Australia?’ I kid you not, the lady got on the phone and asked the local guy who marketed them. She said ‘OK’ to him and hung up. She then turned to me and said, ‘Yep. He made it in his shed.’ Good enough.
The one I bought.
Googled instructions.
CADELL
Now a short visit to Cadell. Birth place of Anne’s dear old mum. (with a firey disposition when warranted.)
A quiet town now. Apparently, most of the citrus industry has finished due to international/foreign imports. We are told by a local, a packing plant closed down. Most of the town worked there. HERE is where you can REALLY see, if only we didn’t look to save twenty cents and instead BUY AUSTRALIAN, many of our countries problems would be fixed.
We went to the Cadell Club in the hope of a lunch to support them. It is only open two nights a week and now the Chinese Covid-19 has knocked that on the head. Right on the river, it is a good little town, but with little income. Damn.
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RAMCO
We drove towards Waikerie aiming for Holder Bend free camp, but Anne spotted another entry on Wikicamps. Ramco Wetland. A top spot for free camping. A nice grassed area with shelters and two very good echo toilets.
The grass is out of bounds but the dirt and scrub area adjacent are all free camp. We arrive and set up. Set up? Like most of our free camping, we pull up at a level-ish spot, lock the car, make sure any grey water is going to head in the right direction. That is as a water source for the scrub and nowhere near the river.
Five minutes from Waikerie, TV reception, a toilet a minute walk away, view of the river, no park fees, not using any diesel except the heater and true serenity. (the magic word) Three of us spread out over a hundred metres. Not exactly shoulder to shoulder. Great spot. We will stay for a few days.
What made this hole above? about a foot high, in the old language.
Some great cloud on water reflections. Not ‘glass’ but close.
Friday Morning. FOGGY for a while then lovely and sunny.
Moving on. Off to Barmera via Waikerie to meet more friends for the weekend.
Next day it’s off to Clare via lots of small but historical towns. First one is Parachilna. Fabulous old pub, The Prairie Hotel, of course shut. Damn shame, but we did get to speak to the Publican Jane Fargher who explained like most other restaurant and pub owners that it is simply not worth opening for ten customers only, or even twenty for that matter. They are apparently going to do something in Adelaide until the smoke clears. The Covid-19 smoke that is.
We pull up at Hawker for a pit stop (toilet) and meet another Supreme caravan owner. Compare notes. ‘Nice looking van’ etc. then keep it moving so …..
Next, Quorn for a bite to eat and slurp. (Anne had a soup) It was a nice bite at a well organised cafe with counter at the door, (no one shall pass!) pay by card tap and max ten people on the foot path at separate grouped tables. A short walk to soak up the ambiance. Anne that is. I stayed seated and soaked from there.
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We do pass through a few other interesting looking towns, but the sun is going down so we do not dilly-dally. Then a five o’clock-ish arrival in ‘cold’ Clare caravan park.
A progressive town! Not only do they do pizza delivery and not only to a caravan park, BUT direct to your site! So an easy, first night meal.
Our sites, right down the back, well away from the main road but also the toilet block. So over the next three days, I soon develop the practice of, start walking at even the slightest inkling, because by the time you get there, fuelled by the icy breeze, you will be way past ‘inkling’ by the time you open the dunny door. (excuse nostalgic term)
Cold but pleasant Clare.
Spotted this car and rolled back to my youth. A Chrysler Valiant Charger.
I just didn’t quite understand these floor guide markings for distance and isolation requirements in the shop.
We buy some warm clothes. I buy a belt to replace my hybrid belt with adjustable, nylon, cable ties. I think I mentioned it before? Well, I had been on the last hole for quite some time and low and behold, the thing breaks after only, I think about twenty to twenty five years. So I came up with the idea of not adding on the end but instead cut it at the back in the middle and use nylon cable ties at the back so I can use the buckle as designed. Photos attached.
The next few days were a mix of food (& booze) shopping, including wood shopping for a small bonfire, a roast. (or two?) RAA, new battery and auto electrician for Ken, to the butcher for another roast (lamb) AND I see the grey sausage in the glass front display cabinet. Could it be? I ask, “Excuse me, is that Haggis?” Cometh the answer, “Yes.” And hence there was rejoicing in the Gaelic influenced camp of Anne and Leith who delight in such culinary treats. And it followed that prior to the main course of lamb roast, all present received a slice of Haggis, ‘The chieftain of the pudding race’ to quote Robbie Burns. I further explained it was complimented by a small dash of Scottish Whisky and added the lovely liquid. It was about a draw. Half liked and half were, perhaps not overly impressed. Anne and I even had a small portion on crumpet for breakfast. Yes. With the traditional whisky but a mere drop … or two.
Some Haggis left.
Whisky with the Haggis.
Breakfast Haggis on crumpet.
N.B. I promised to contact the butcher for comment on his Haggis. (It will be positive) I have his card and will do so within 24 hours. By the way, it’s Mike Day of Day’s Quality Meats. Mobile: 0419 110 044, email: mikeday231@gmail.com, 47 Old North Road, Clare, SA. (look for Woolworths and it is one of the adjoining shops on the corner.)
By then the Ken and Liz van had been unofficially nominated as the central meeting place, both in and out depending on the weather. A good time was had by all, the ‘good’ fuelled by ‘good’ food and ‘good’ wine/beer/Guinness/whisky/whiskey and ‘good’ company. Hang on. I forgot the Baileys. I think there was a G & T in there somewhere as well. Another pleasant stay but we decide to look for just a little more sun rays.
On, On, to greener pastures with more sun, with just one stop on the way out.
Yes. As planned. We did, empty the toilet cassette and do shopping for both food and liquid.
Ricks current metal crafting mystery is hereby declared. You will see it is to be a horse. See one of the completed ones in the front yard. Amazing. Rick has more artistic imagination and patience than I could ever dream of.
Just for the record, Rick plans to forward me progress photos of the horse. Watch out for updates.
After six weeks and four days (this is the fifth day) it’s time to move on. We have had a marvelous, enjoyable time here, thanks to our great hosts, Rick and Diane. It was a unique experience. We kept ourselves isolating distance for over six weeks and only then, did we join them in their house for mother’s day, knowing the restrictions were being eased the day after. There is no such arrangement as perfect, however, this came pretty close. with our van on their block, it was like having next door neighbours but without a fence and just a space between.
Our stay will be a fond memory of enjoyed company with good friends. Thank you Rick and Diane. (with special mentions to Kelly, Lindsay and newly arrived Tilly)
We pull out the driveway heading initially through Moorook, Waikerie and Morgan.
We eventually stop at Burra for the night. Burra? Nice historic town. Cold when the sun went down. Cold during the night and in the morning, crisp and cold, warming as the sun rises. But a nice town.
Over the back fence in Burra and a toad stool (?) just outside the van.
Then just north of Burra is Mt Bryan, the birth place of Sir George Hubert Wilkins.
Wilkins was an incredible hero and his life is recorded in the book, ‘The Last Explorer.’
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Next day to Peterborough …
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Orroroo ….
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… and finally to Hawker Where we fill up with diesel and take a bathroom break.
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This amazing old but restored International truck on a trailer arrives. Family milling around. I comment on the beautiful restoration. On the door were the words, ‘Ron Sanders, phone 183 Gawler.’
A family member points to a hurst with casket in the back which is in convoy with them. He further explains, ‘That is Ron.’ Turns out Ron came from Blinman but set up business way back in Gawler. He was near the end of his life so the family worked frantically to restore his old truck before he passed. Unfortunately Ron missed seeing the finished item by a couple of weeks. They were on their way to Blinman to put him to rest. Ron was a lucky man. He was obviously much loved. I suspect later on, we see his resting place. A few days ahead. Read on.
We go the eight km’s past Hawker turn to the right on to the Wonoka Station Road. That which we much feared has come to pass. Dirt road with narrow grids to pass through! Another few km’s to a right turn with sign, ‘Camping site.’ which we miss and proceed on to the homestead.
Turned back and arrive at the camp site with two other vans, friends Garry and Jen as well as new friends Ken and Liz.
A great two nights. Site has hot water showers, flush toilets and walks along the creek.
The ‘rapids’ we managed to negotiate. The closer view much more ‘exciting.’
BBQ and bonfire night. A good spot.
Morning coffee….
Then all three vans are off to Angorichina via Hawker.
We pause at Hawker for some generator fuel and Alcohol. The pub is closed for a further two hours so no booze. The pub is however guarded by two cats with command of the high ground hence the advantage.
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So, on we go with another pause at Wilpena Pound for a coffee and cake break, then another forty minutes or so to Blinman. But we don’t see Blinman as the Angorichina turn off is to the left on the outskirts. Bummer! Another dirt road for eighteen minutes of rattling and rocky road.
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Then like an oasis in the dirt desert, our destination looms up with petrol bowsers, a general store of a sort and the makings of a good stay. It turns out to be quite comfy with 240V, hot showers and flushing toilets. Luxury. Just a bit dirty is all. Now …. here’s a new and eye opening experience for us! No phone or internet reception!!
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Anyway. a nice two nights and a walk up the gorge that made a challenge when we actually got a little bit lost. (!!??) Good news. (?) We had planned a half hour out and another back, but did an extra hour we had not planned which included climbing under and/or over three wire fences.
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Lazy afternoon and BBQ evening meal. We also meet fellow van people Cheryl and Laurie. They join us for the evening then all of a sudden, out of the darkness comes Cheryl, under a full head of steam with, of all things Bagpipes! A marvellous surprise and treat.
We extend an extra day and take a two car trip towards Parachilna with an early turn off to see Glass Gorge. It was picturesque but where does the ‘glass’ name come from? It’s just more ‘donga’. Must google it later when we get internet and phone reception. Then Blinman. Historic and very interesting. Mining and old facilities. Brilliant pub shut due to Covid 19, a fascinating and moving cemetery and an old grader with a unique communication system with the driver of the towing bulldozer. Have a read.
An ex long drop at right.
This was a fresh grave with fresh flowers. It had a toy truck on it . We assumed it was a child’s grave. Now thinking about it, the old truck we saw in Hawker with with Ron Sanders to be buried at Blinman a few days earlier …..?
Rons first truck. Maybe he went into trucking seriously and the toy truck was symbolic?
The grader instructions are fascinating.
We repeat our BBQ evening with all including Cheryl and Laurie with new arrivals John (?) and Sue. We finally crack open Anne’s 1986 Moet purchased in around 1990 in France, dragged all the way back to Australia and ultimately stored in Garrys cellar (thanks Garry) for the last twenty five years while we gallivant around Australia up to Darwin then over to East Timor. Of course it was stuffed and Anne had to tip it.
Then a final farewell gesture, Cheryl treats us to another performance on the pipes. The sound of the pipes reverberating around the hills at night was a surreal experience. Tomorrow, we move on. WHAT a farewell!
The first day of relaxed Covid-19 rules. We are now free to travel and we will be off in a few days. We want to shout our hosts for putting up with us for now over six weeks. So, a wander in town for what’s open and what isn’t regarding a farewell meal or two.
We get a reminder of what a nice town Loxton really is.
Bottom line, limited facilities available. First (Monday) night was fish and chips. Having said that, OK chips, very good fish, as are the crumbed prawns and calamari. For fish and chips, a good meal.
Next night, take away from the Loxton Hotel. Four serves of roast lamb and vegetables with a tasty gravy. All good. A shame we couldn’t do it in the dining room. Shop at the local butcher for the next week.
I finish the bracket for the booster for the tyre monitors.
I have the space prepared for the drinking water jerry can with tap and hose.
The mystery welding job is a step further. Any idea now?
A day of finishing odds and ends. Ladder out and solar panels cleaned. Tyres confirmed monitoring is all good, awning cleaned and packed up, floor mat stored away, stabilizer ropes stashed, etc etc etc.
Last night meal, host Diane creates a knockout corned beef meal with all the trimmings. Better than the previous two nights put together.
As if to say farewell, we get a last drive past by the now famous (to us anyway) Red Ned with the sweetest exhaust note in the Riverland.
Tomorrow morning we will take an early trip into town to empty the toilet cassette, shop for food and liquid refreshments (booze). Then back to hitch up, top up the water tanks. Next after our most pleasant stay in Loxton of almost seven weeks, we hit the road heading to the Flinders Ranges to meet existing and new caravanning friends.
A planned day. The wheels! All eight of them. No. Ten with spares. This is serious. Compressor out from the back of the car and bonnet up to power it. Sender units off valve stems to test true pressure with gauge.
The car first. time consuming but straight forward. That is till the spare, which means cranking it down from under. Did it but Mongrel job. That was it for the day. Van another time.
Pulling off the sender units and underside after spare has been cranked down.
Pleasant afternoon tea and followed by a separate stout tasting. I went commercial with Guinness and Rick followed up with his home brew stout which is a damn nice drop. Put it this way. Guinness $20 a six pack (or more). Home grown 33cents a bottle or $2 a six pack! I love Guinness but is it ten times better?
Ear marked tomorrow for finishing the wood. Forecast for colder and maybe a little wet? We shall see what we shall see on the morrow.
‘Tis the morrow. We go at the remaining wood with a vengeance and slice it with relative ease till we got to the big stuff.
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We were going to use the fork lift for the sleepers but did it the hard way. Interestingly, they weren’t as heavy as the same or smaller size of what Rick called ironwood. Sleepers were a struggle. The ironwood was torture. Don’t know if it was an accurate name but it fitted. A quick google. “Ironwood is a common name for many woods or plants that have a reputation for hardness, or specifically a wood density that is over 1000 kg/m3 and sinks in water, although usage of the name ironwood in English may or may not indicate a tree that yields such heavy wood.” It was very heavy and very hard.
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Did a stack of kindling and the day was done, at least for wood anyway. (For youngies who don’t know, the small pieces of wood you use to start a fire are called kindling. (Kindling comes from the Old Norse root kynda, “to light a fire.”) N.B. My money would have been on the German ‘Kinder’ means child. You know like ‘small wood.’ It was a stab.
Afternoon. Shopping, toilet dump and afternoon tea. I now have to make yet another bracket to sit over the tailgate. This one is for the wheel pressure monitor booster. That will sit on the rear exterior of the car to pick up the signal from the caravan wheels.
The question has been asked, ‘Is this all getting a bit TOO high tech?’ and the answer is probably ‘Yes.’ However I have had a tyre failure on a caravan and I was so lucky it didn’t roll and take the car with it. So I am a bit jumpy with tyres.
Sunday. “Mum’s Day!” Perhaps a little more important for those who still have a mother, but also for those without, a chance to reflect back to a better time when, hopefully for most of us, we still had our biggest fan. Gone but not forgotten.
I have a bit of a hitch with the wheel pressure and temperature monitor. The morning after, I check the pressures I set and the readings are now wrong. They should be taken when the tyres are ‘cold.’ However, at 8.30am today, the tyres were at 8 degrees but yesterday at the same time they were 14 degrees. So the pressures set ‘spot on’ yesterday are now reading low. It’s not a perfect world.
Each tyre flashes for five seconds showing pressure and temperature, then moves to the next. Car front right, front left, rear right, rear left, then moving onto the van same sequence. The top two are car rear and the second two are front. Front set originally at 38lbs and rear at 44lbs. (?)
Host Rick used to drive trucks and he said he just used to walk around the truck and trailer with a rubber hammer, belting each tyre and deciding on OK or NOT OK. A bit more basic that my high tech set up, but it worked and was a lot quicker and easier.
This afternoon, A significant event! Yesterday was our six week anniversary here in Loxton. We have practiced self isolation quite effectively. Now … today Mothers Day, we are going into Rick and Diane’s house. There will be two mothers there and we will still all be aware of covid-19.
Fabulous afternoon inside the house (!) and a sit around the back yard fire pit with a little demo of rotary hoeing.
Didn’t get the bracket finished but that can wait till tomorrow … or the next day. Tomorrow travel restrictions are reduced. Where are we going to go?
Well, we will go with a smile. Here’s another ‘funny.’
Mundane morning (Not Monday. It’s Tuesday.) of computer work and clothes washing. No walk today. Off at 1pm to empty the toilet cassette then to the hardware store for items we then discover will be in on Thursday. Next, pick up new, altered clothes then the ‘biggy.’ To the pharmacy for flu jabs. Two jabs and two jokes with the pharmacist then back to base for our always happy afternoon tea. Sunset. Now tell me that’s not an action packed day, I dare you. The stuff movies are made of.
We thought the bandaids were overkill.
Wednesday. A while ago, I made a shoddy but quick rear camera bracket on the road with bits and pieces. When the van is not attached, this camera hooks over the tail gate and is held in by the hinged window above. Next project was to make a new, more substantial one and this was the day. A work of art which fits snugly and looks just a little amateurish due to the taping of the wire on top. Doesn’t matter. It’s practical and works a treat. Shoddy old one on the right.
Running out of projects and just as well. News is we will soon be allowed to travel within South Australia. Maybe even next week. That will mean a change of scenery (almost daily) and many experiences and stories. It will be sad to leave Loxton. It’s a good place. We like it. However, the whole idea is to cruise Australia and so we shall.
So my remaining project is to reset all tyre pressures, confirm all sender units are sending accurate pressure readings from all eight wheels, then set the high and low warning parameters. Sender unit batteries may have to be replaced. Anyway, that’s tomorrow. By the way, that all has to be done while the tyres are cold and that’s not a problem now
The other project I am keen to finish is not the car or van but the house. That is, we must finish the winter wood cutting. This is the pile we have done …
… and this below is what remains. The sleepers will be a trick. Will need the fork lift for them. Anyway, that’s soon but not now.
Another happy afternoon tea, fold up awning due to promised strong winds tomorrow, showers, drinks, another Chilli Concarne, a movie, I site the cloaked moon, note the rural darkness, then off to dream of ….. probably camera brackets and wood cutting.
Dawn Thursday. The tyre setting will not happen as it is warm and the tyres have warmed up. Must be done cold. So struggling to achieve for today, I cleaned my shoes. (How sad. Has it come to this?)
Spotted a piece of gear being put together in Ricks workshop. Can you guess what it is? I know. It will take shape and all will be revealed.
A hot and dirty day. Wind is NNW so coming off the land and it is dusty and sandy, unfortunately for the farmers. Toilet cassette dump and it is a dirty, windy day, even down on the lovely River Murray.
Shopping for food and booze, picked up hanging hooks and installed in the van (another win?) afternoon tea.
Now brutal news that after 15 days S.A. has had a new case of covid-19. He is in the 70’s, got it from OS and got back SIX weeks ago (so where does that leave us with our 14 day isolation) and the only symptom was loss of taste. Authorities say this will not alter the loosening of restrictions. Wait and see.
Did a ZOOM meeting with friends, another cloaked moon but not as much so a bit more light at night. Now things are getting very samey. We need to be on the road with new experiences.
We have by the way, given in and bought some winter clothes as we are currently NOT cruising up the west coast as planned. We had planned to follow the sun and the warm, so had just the bare necessities for keeping just a little warm after the sun goes down. We pick up the clothes after alterations on Tuesday.
Something to look forward to including our flu jabs also booked for Tuesday. (look forward to?) Just getting the young persons under 65 jab as it is done at the pharmacy. Don’t have to book in for a doctor. I never get flu anyway. (Famous last words)
Dump spot trip marred by a downpour. Serious downpour.
Delighted to find toilet paper on the shelves of the supermarket with even a choice of brand. Maybe the cretins are losing now.
Spag Bol for evening meal, only made with Chilli Concarne hence the red kidney beans. The sauce almost undetectable due to the grated mature and shaved parmesan cheeses on the top.
Next day, lunch is leftovers assembled cunningly into a Nasi Goreng, heavy on some additional components to make it extra dark and rich. Just can’t work out why I am putting on weight. (by the way, it got a bit chewed before I decided to take the photo)
Another walk to burn it off, passing some seriously heavy pruning and more of those lovely yellow flowers we are now told is a noxious weed.
Anne spots a cardboard box in Ricks workshop so far away in time and location, it must have got here by Tardis.
We see another sunset, this time a little diminished but then again every one you get to see is another day on the planet.
Next day, Monday is a brand new adventure. This is country so you don’t go buy wood for the pending winter fires. Nope. you collect it hither and thither, then chop/cut it up into bite sized pieces, the ‘bite sized’ being the opening of your fire place.
And So I find myself standing in front of a pile of wood logs I literally cannot jump over. Jump? I couldn’t climb over it. My role for the day is to be that of a wood carting ‘lackey’ of a sort. (lackey /ˈlaki/ noun, a servant, especially a liveried footman or manservant.)
Rick has a tractor with a serious tungsten tip buzz/circular saw built on the back with a power take off running it and a frame for feeding and partially holding the unsuspecting log.
My part as lackey is to pick up the logs and feed them to the master, Rick, who secures and cuts them, unfortunately for me, in rapid succession. This, we do until there are no logs left. However, as there is, I suspect, about two years worth, it is decided we will do about two thirds today and the rest at a later date when it is assessed whether the wear and tear sustained doing the above on this aging pen pusher is temporary or permanent.
A little about this magnificent machine. This is a ‘Farmall’ tractor purchased brand new by Rick’s father in 1938. If you want to know the difference between the old and the new, this ‘never say die’ vehicle, has never been pulled down or had any serious work done on it. It has a complete set of spare pistons, gudgeon pins etc sitting in a box purchased back in 1938 but never needed. Fuel wise, it is relatively economical and it doesn’t have a battery or starter. You crank start it and it does so with relative ease. The spark is provided by a magneto, hence no battery. (magneto : /maɡˈniːtəʊ/ . noun. a small electric generator containing a permanent magnet and used to provide high-voltage pulses, especially (formerly) in the ignition systems of internal combustion engines.)
Anyway, this thing just goes and goes without missing a beat till it is told to stop, again, unfortunately for me. Rick explains as it is not used frequently, when storing, he runs it out of fuel and drains the radiator when the block is still hot, so evaporating all remaining water therein. So, without a battery to go flat, no fuel to go flat or gunk up the system and no water in the block and radiator to cause rust, it can sit for 1 year untouched, then simply put water and fuel in, crank it over and it kicks over all but immediately. As I said before, ‘ … you want to know the difference between the old and the new?’
Anne has found and witnesses a gruesome scene. A bee has had the bad luck to fly into a spider web and nature is taking its course. The spiders main course I believe.
Long shotA little closer. It’s called nature.
Anne has a new appreciation for sawn timber.
We enjoy our 2pm afternoon coffee with tasty nibbles, take care of odds and ends, showers, yet another sunset with this time, Limoncillo and yet another quaich of the last of my 12 year old Glenlivet.
Now here in, is a dilemma. Glenlivet 12 single malt has been my chosen Whisky for years. However, with a little frivolity, I decided to purchase an Irish Whiskey I have not had for approximately forty five years. Namely, Tullamore Dew. It had a good reputation but is a blend. I was just a little curious so I bought it.
Now some trivia you may be aware of anyway. The ‘Dew’ is in actual fact D.E.W. which takes its name from one of the earliest influencers of the then newly established distillery, the manufacturer, Daniel E Williams. Now secondly, I am sure many know, but Scottish Whisky is spelt without and ‘e’ and Irish Whiskey is spelt with.
Back to the dilemma. So, do I drink Irish Whiskey with my Scottish quaich? When you think about it, the answer is obvious. ‘Who cares!’
A blur of three days with bad weather which paused long enough for us to get just one walk in (and an early one at that!) and on that walk, we spotted a couple of Roo’s on it. Look at the blurred zoom in and notice the ‘Joey’ in the pouch. Mum with babs.
The wet weather on the walk bought out the amazing textures of trees and bushes. Found a creek that apparently, just a few days ago, a BIG snake was spotted at. Wrong season but it was thought it came out for frogs in the creek.
On our return walk we shocked our host Rick who didn’t for one minute expect to find us heading home when he was going out on his. Beating the master at his own game? Not so. We muddled through an early start by chance and Rick was simply on his normal early hike.
Anne flashed her new boots that I previously described as Italian, whereas, in fact they are Brazilian. Going by the price, I thought they were Italian.
Even though the weather was so ‘woolly’, it was decided (not by me) that we should have a sunset drink outside. Another opportunity to use my Scottish quaich for the much justified, in this case, traditional consumption of Scottish Whisky. Believe me, it was an occasion most justified.
The next day wasn’t as bad. It was worse. It’s only Autumn but it’s like the middle winter. And the wind!
Still, we are lapping up the fact that the pandemic seems to be going down a good track and at the end of the day, we are all well. Our 2pm self isolation afternoon tea’s are still most pleasant occasions and there are always mini projects to keep us amuzed.
And if we run out of projects, there’s always the COVID Show to keep us amuzed. So many people trying so hard to do the right thing and so many ‘dribbling cretins.’
Monday, a small project making a shelf in the back of the car has come to pass. Deeply moving moment, when one sees one’s own creation completed. However the experience is marred by a miscalculation. I’m not perfect? I’ll just have to learn to live with it.
Went to the shops. Hand sanitizer! Sanity is returning! In other words, no brain dead moron has grabbed the lot.
Big mistake. Left Anne alone for too long and she bought Italian, knee high boots. She is convinced they are perfect for our travels. Her hiking boots are perfect for our travels. These things are perfect for lunch at a schmick restaurant. (schmick /ʃmɪk/ adjective. INFORMAL, AUSTRALIAN. smart or stylish.)
She spots an Akubra Cattleman for me. Size 59. My size. She demo’s it. See pic.
Don’t believe anyone. Size matters. I bought one in Mt Isa January 1996 for just $85. It was too small at size 58. I thought it would be alright. It wasn’t. I thought it would stretch. It didn’t. So that is now Annes. Now this one, 24 years later, my size 59 is $190! I will wait a few days. If it is still there then, it’s fate and I’ll get it.
Tuesday, finally a walk after a break of two days. Found the path down from the lookout to the bottom near the end of the caravan park.
Another video attached but to hear nature. Who would wear head phones on a rural walk. I’ve seen it. They don’t hear the sounds of nature or the car coming up behind them.
Then up past the house boats for the final climb back to our luxury box on wheels.
The house boat area I noticed had a few personal touches. Someone likes plaster chooks and someone else (or the same person?) has made a helicopter and plane. Well done!
Even the final climb had a few colours we hadn’t noticed or seen before. One natural gum tree and one vine. Beautiful.
Back at base with the usual afternoon tea which is always a pleasant experience. Having said that, a change of venue. It rained so we adjourned to shed. A change is as good as a holiday. (?) Who said that anyway and what were they thinking? They have obviously never had a decent holiday.
Then suddenly Rick hears the bark of the famous Red Ned truck again. I have wanted to be at the highway, to record him approaching face on, zoom past and fade into the distance. So I sprint (? Hasten at a sub-heart attack pace) towards the road.
I don’t quite make it but got close. I do catch him on video again only I think, he was light loaded and without the full pitch of the unique exhaust note at max output. Also, listening to it again, I think he was throttling off gently. Anyway, I caught him (again) and he is attached.
Now raining and we are reminded of just how untrustworthy nature is and how it lacks punctuality. It got cold and started to drizzle. So here I endeth the soggy lesson.
A wet day, perfect for staying inside. That’s OK. I wanted to finish putting something together for ANZAC Day anyway. In the mean time the neighbour’s cat is determined to inspect the van. It will NOT get in.
Next day, we awake to fog. Fog? Early, quiet and foggy. All a bit spooky. Made the horses look particularly spooky with flashes of The Headless Horseman-ish, sort of. Well not really.
More work on ANZAC Day and another ZOOM meeting with the guys, ANZAC drinks only at 4pm. No Pics.
(Here I will insert exactly what I put on facebook for ANZAC Dawn Service.)
“Staying with friends Rick and Diane, just outside Loxton but still practising self isolation. The alarm went at 5am. Up at 5.30, assembled our makeshift Cenotaph with flag, Rosemary (thanks Diane) and candle. Cool here. Rick had the wood heater going. Listened to the Radio, ABC I think.
As the morning went on, the Cenotaph got bigger with additions such as Anzac biscuits and Rum and Vegemite.
Had our gunfire breakfast with eggs and bacon plus of course rum in coffee. Great to see all the contributions from all around Australia. Well done to the people of our great country. Lest We Forget.”
Then followed shortly there after with a BBQ lunch. STILL practicing self isolation but the gap closes with two males at one BBQ. All went well. Bit smokey but came out OK.
By the way, to see the full ANZAC tribute I put together, go to the home page of the blog at the top and click on, Special events – ANZAC Day 2020.
Rick has to move some stuff with the forks attachment on the Bobcat. Like I said before, not just boys toys. On semi rural, it is necessary/justified.
We take off to empty the toilet cassette and have a chat with another Dump Spot customer. We work out with closures, there are probably just three of us using it.
On site still, I head to the toilet block to wash hands and spot a few odd ‘things’. Close examination, one is a huge but unlucky moth on the floor and on it’s side and not at all well. Another of his comrades with wings open but even more unlucky with his touch down location.
Outside our usual walk around on the river bank and I see a very determined ant carrying what appears to be the back half of a bee. Don’t know if the ant came across it or it was a battle to the death. By the way, I thought the back end was the thorax but it is the abdomen.
Then I managed a bit of video of a pelican. The background noise of a boat going past kind of fits.
And so, the end of ANZAC Day where it was evident the COV-19, rather than handicapping the ANZAC celebration brought out the determination and the best of the public wanting to honour the armed services and fallen. Very heartening.
A few novel and interesting experiences this three day block together with daily chores and play. Monday was an OK day. We came across host Rick on his daily bike ride while on our walk then more walking a-la-scrub and some flora.
The sun was right to photograph Ricks rustic Coat of Arms but then, shortly after on a late run to the dump point, we came across some real roos.
A few bright flowers in the unlikely spot between the toilet block and the dump point and the day was done.
A big day next! A trip to Berri to pick up my new Commonwealth Bank Mastercard. Fascinating to see a statue to commemorate the Italian migrants to the area. Bunnings was on the list and a bit of a run through to get back to the home base for our ritual afternoon tea.
Now Rick zero’s in on Anne’s pink parasol blocking the sun. Don’t know why. It matched the colour of the paint on his truck wheel drum in the foreground. Sunset drinks, I took a brilliant cloud with less than brilliant result. It’s the thought that counts.
Today’s walk, we spot probably the slowest highway user for the day, except for us. We spot what we thought were birds nests, except they were sealed. We deduced they were either ants or wasps. I grabbed a stick to give one a bash to find out, but Anne rightfully suggested maybe we didn’t want to find out the hard way.
We blaze a new trail in a different direction and spot a few plants not seen before (and some we have), a gorge down to the river with a track to try out in due course and an opportunity to show our fly nets again but with happier faces that last time, more or less.
Couldn’t work out if this was dew/water but in these days, chose not to touch it.
Is it supposed to look like this?
And then …
… at our 2pm to 3 pm coffee date with Rick and Diane, a ‘Karma’ moment. I mentioned before Red Ned, the red cab semi that travels up and down the highway? Now here, you have to either be a truckie or have a bloody good imagination. I had committed to video (with audio) Red Ned. I just had to wait till he passed.
Now … be aware, Red Ned is considered to have the ‘sweetest motor exhaust note in the Riverland.’ All trucks do NOT sound the same.
My camera has been omni- present for days and days. Then as we sip our coffee Rick jumps up as a truck approaches and says, ‘No … wait yes! It’s Red Ned.’ Another truck had masked his approach. Scramble and grope for camera and I seize the moment.
If it is your sort of thing, listen and enjoy. If not, that’s Ok. I want to hear it again anyway. Made my day.
It finished with another inspiring sunset …
… with nibbles Dukkah, olive oil and warm fresh rolls (and mosquito coil), an Italian limoncello and a generous G & T. Sausages and chops with mash, broccoli and carrots. Is there no end to the joy.
All but nothing happened on the 18th. In fact we didn’t even go for a walk, which is normally the third highlight of each day. However, the other two daily highlights did come to pass. Firstly, our 2pm coffee and cake meeting.
When we arrived, hosts Rick and Diane were a little bemused that we decided to turn the van and face west which looks into the scrap metal and fire wood yard area. Our logic was that we get the sunsets and we also have interesting odds and ends to amuse us, as opposed to looking at the drive way with the sun setting behind us and the van. We are delighted with the location.
CAMP COVID
Now said hosts have also named our spot as ‘Camp Covid’ which we think is quite amusing and enjoy the concept. We refer to ourselves from time to time as refugees or lepers.
Rick snapped us recently at the 2pm coffee break. He was amused by us huddling under jumpers to stop getting cooked by the sun. I guess we looked like the classic ‘oldies’ and the scrap metal pile is good for a snigger. Actually, I did snigger when I saw the photos.
Second daily highlight. The emptying of the toilet cassette with what is now becoming the habit of a short stroll on the river bank to observe the flora and fauna after the emptying. However you do not need more photos of river, gum trees, ducks and pretty little flowers.
Next day, we did not only walk but blazed a new trail all the way into Loxton then back through the scrub land. It was pleasant to walk through rural suburbia for a change, starting with the excellent median strip, neatly landscaped and lawned, then past pleasant houses and flower gardens.
And finally, just a few things we have learned from the coronavirus experience.
Easter continued it’s memorable moments from our van fridge failure to being contacted by the Commonwealth bank that my identity had been ‘borrowed’ by a third party, whom I do not know but none the less would like them dead. They tested it with a withdrawal of I think $248, followed by $1144 and then $295, which is where the bank spotted it and said ‘WHOA!’ Bottom line is I will be reimbursed as it was corruption/evil workings and I will get a new card in due course. In the mean time, no card.
I asked how often this occurred, but then interrupted him and noted, ‘This is over Easter and I had to wait on hold for you for six minutes. This happens a lot, doesn’t it.’ ‘Yes sir.’ came back to me. There are crooks out there working full time at thieving. Bloody amazing.
So day to day stuff for us is a bit repetitive, as are most lives right now. At least ours is a fair bit outside and ‘up the river’ and surrounds. On that note, see the stick in the photo below. Now see second cropped photo. No. It’s not a snake but it ducks down for ten seconds then bobs up again looking for fish. It is an Australian Darter and I saw the first one on the same river about eight months ago at Kingston.
Note: The Darter is a large, slim water bird with a long snake-like neck, sharp pointed … of two main Anhinga species (the other ‘Anhinga’, is found in North America)
The Australian Darter.
On one of our walks along the river then up past the house boat mooring, I am guessing one of the house boat owners has planted white Lilies. They better get watered. Rain fall here is all but nonexistent.
House boats! Water caravans and I have to say, I am tempted. Now we thought we would show our ‘anti fly netting’ which we have done so. I don’t know why we chose the ‘It was devastating but we will fight it and make it through’ type pose. A smile wouldn’t have hurt. By the way, they are only used when the flies are very heavy. (9 out of 10 times)
Clouds and sun change at a moment’s notice to make dramatic changes.
The advantages of slow walks are you get a lot of time to have a good look at things. The flora is pretty, up close and the trees fascinate. Stringy bark, ghost gums, and paper barks.
Notice this guy was cut off about 1.5 metres off the ground and now is heading to fully grown again out of it’s unique base.
This is a special place for the unwary driver, self included. Notice the mottled light. (Mottled light consists of small patches of light and shade, often created from bright light shining through leaves.)
Now see what the mottled light masks. First time we hit it, I would have lost my false teeth, if I’d had any.
On our current home block, mini tomatoes continue to fruit of tomato bushes that look like they should have been pulled out weeks ago.
I moment to brag. The monitor on the dashboard is wasted when the caravan is disconnected. So, as we cannot see out the back window anyway, why not loop the cable up from the car outlet to inside the rear tub with canopy, make a bracket, get an extra camera and put it on the back of the car so we see rear view from the dash monitor. No fixings. Slamming the back window onto the tail gate locks it in place. Done a bit dodgy with limited resources but done never the less.
Next my miracle girl emptying the toilet cassette. Is there nothing she will not tackle?
Next, our ‘busy’ dashboard. Looks over the top but all good stuff. top left, almost un noticed, the dash cam. Centre, rear view monitor. Left of centre, the GPS. Right of centre the tyre pressure and temperature monitor. There are sender units on all four caravan and all four car wheels.
Guinness. Guess what time it is. Yes. approx. 5pm and pointing to the sunset.
Then the sunset. Never ceases to impress us.
Then, if you want to talk tough art, out host makes art out of scrap. The rustier the better. The wagon was more or less intact, but the full size driver and horses are a mixture of all sorts. Half the fun is close inspection to work out the source of parts. One hint. The horse bodies are hot water service tanks.
They say, ‘Small things amuse small minds.’ No argument. I find these ant holes fascinating. Millions of ants like minded. I remember, is it Woody Allan in the movie, ‘Ants?’ he is on the psychiatrists couch. He says something like, ‘Sometimes I think I am just insignificant in our massive community.’ The psych says, ‘Ah ha! Now we are getting somewhere!’
It took me a while to work out these narrow, wandering tracks. Finally, the penny dropped. They are kangaroo tracks.
And now just a taste of the steady stream of single and double trailer semi’s, trundling pass and keeping the country fed and supplied with the necessities of our lives. Yes. Truckee’s carry the country. I don’t stand close to take photos. They are a good but a little ‘touchy’ bunch. They may take offense to being singled out Took this guy at a distance. He might be red but he is NOT the locally famous ‘Red Ned’ who has, I am told, the sweetest exhaust note. I am biding my time to video and audio record Ned.
Also two extremely sad pieces of news.
Our landlord from the One More Bar in Dili, East Timor, Gil Fawcett, a larger than life gentle giant who we all probably thought was bullet proof in fact was not. He lost a short fight with cancer, leaving many friends and associates both surprised and so very saddened. So it’s true. The good die young. Bless his fine heart. RIP Gil. The photos are taken on the very last trading night of The One More Bar, 3rd of August 2013. In fact it wasn’t a trading night as such. It was a closed function for Leigh Biggs ‘significant’ birthday. Gil pictured with Leigh and Nene and with employees and friends.
Then, a matter of days after, and just as shocking, a man known to anyone who has been in Dili longer than five minutes, Dr Dan Murphy taken from us suddenly. Founder of the Bairro Pite Clinic, Dr Dan was a legend and tireless medical worker for the people of East Timor/Timor Leste. Any degree of praise relating to what he contributed to the local people is impossible to appreciate for anyone who has not been witness over an extended period. He was phenomenal. God bless his good heart. Photo with ‘The Fighting CeeBees’ who just finished repairing a water tank for the clinic together with the then (tireless) manager Fi. Also another photo on the occasion when Anne and I donated a dentist chair to the clinic. Fully operational except for the suction pump. Dentist chair? It’s another long story. Wait for the book.
Now Friday, the last day in this batch of days I have called Loxton 5. Sitting at the computer pre-breakfast and a call comes in from ex Dili-ite Luke Gosling. Luke’s selfless family were great contributors to East Timor/Timor Leste. They created their own NGO to support and contribute to the people of this new nation in any way they could. Here Luke is pictured (in the middle) with other organizers Sister Michelle and Sean, of a multi skill community event which included a canoe race on 16th March 2004. Luke knew both Dr Dan and Gil extremely well. Dan has been gone from Dili for quite a while now , but is still empathetic to the plight of the people of the community, both locals and expatriates. He picked up that Gil had passed away and called to voice his shock and sadness. Luke is now Senator Luke Gosling in the N.T. Anyone who has lived there in ET never really cuts all ties. Photos of Luke downloaded from the net.
Another walk, this time same as yesterdays but back the opposite direction for a little excitement. Yesterday, with our devil may care attitude, we skipped the emptying of the toilet cassette ceremony. However, it is unadvisable to do that two days running. So the afternoon found us at the dump point and we extended our visit to savour the river and surrounds yet again. We never get sick of it.
And now, after all this time, I found out she can do this …
Back to base and I inspect the tidy up and battery frame repair I did a little earlier in the back of the car. Right is car fridge/freezer, two ‘Thumper’ batteries (that’s what they are called by the manufacturer) to run the fridge and other odds and ends including shovel, machete (every home should have one) diesel can and funnel for the heater, tools and ball joint lock. By the way, the centre space is for the folding chairs and tables. (plural. One large and one small)
On left, large box on bottom, full of things you don’t want to have to use. Snap strap, compressor, battery powered saw, jump starter battery, jumper leads, battery pistol drill, siphoning hose and associated. Second smaller box on top rear, tools. Blue box on top. The most important WINE cellar.
Ten and twenty litre water jerry cans, caravan jack, dozen beer (emergency back up) 5kva silenced generator and a torch.
Getting cold so, inside for sunset drinks and without the sunset. OK it’s just drinks.
Tomorrow is another day. (How’s that for brilliant deduction.)
A lot more of the same. Walking ‘a-la scrub’. Some old tracks. Some new. Not losing any weight (bummer) but dare I say, getting a little fitter. By the way, for non Australians … scrub: noun. a thick growth of small or stunted shrubs or trees.
Either another ‘condom … soiled’ or the same one run over a few times. A little scrub flora, quite pretty, more local signs.
The local Foodland we notice has a friends name, a stout but pleasant ute guard. Word for the wise. They look docile, however NEVER approach the car, not even to say ‘Who’s the nice doggy’ because you will find out he is NOT the nice doggy you thought he was. He loves the owner and the car and you are a hostile intruder to him. (or her)
In the mean time the miracle we had hoped for actually happened and of all places, at Woolies. We had been told, ‘you have to ask for ‘certain things’ as they are not put on the shelves, but kept behind the counter. So it came to pass that Anne and I approached a young lady and asked the well worn question, ‘Have you any toilet paper?’ Only to receive the well worn answer, ‘No.’ So, in for a penny, in for a pound. ‘Do you have any hand gel?’ The question was referred to a not so young lady and did not get an answer but instead the obtuse question, ‘Are you together?’ It was starting to sound a little cloak and dagger-ish. I stated the obvious, ‘yes.’ and received the answer, ‘Yes, we do, but only one for you.’
Then we commenced a verbal tennis match. “Can we have two please?’ No, because you are together.’ (score: love, 15) ‘Well had we not been together could we have had one each?’ ‘Yes.’ (score: 15 all) ‘Well, in that case, we are not together.’ (score: 30, 15) ‘But you told me you are.’ )score: 30 all) ‘I have never seen her before in my life.’ (score: 40, 30) ‘Only one.’ (score: 40 all) ‘We have two sets of hands.’ (score: advantage us, game point) ‘Only one.’ (score: deuce) ‘We have been looking for a month.’ (score: advantage to us, game point) ‘Only one.’ (score: deuce) ‘But …’ ‘Only one.’ (score: advantage Woolies, game point) ‘How about …’ ‘Only one.’ Game, set and match to Woolies.
Now, the cunning plan I mentioned before came to fruition. We set up the lap top, turned on Zoom and I had a six way lunch with friends. We all had our meals and drinks set up and we even did a little ‘show and tell.’
The full contingent of six.
I showed them my miracle, the hand gel. Also my red Easter egg Anne had thoughtfully put on display. She loves decorating. The others showed their meals (Steve had crayfish entre) and their chosen beverages. Garry even tried to walk the lap top down to his new, flash, off road caravan but lost signal.
The waitress does a selfie outside the van while the meeting continues inside.
I countered with a toilet roll in a wrapper displaying ‘Who gives a crap.’ Always a party stopper.
But then I pulled out the big guns. My little statue of Jesus. Everyone went quiet for a moment. This requires explanation, but will go on a bit too long. Long story short, it is a standing joke with a friend that in the film ‘Cool Hand Luke’ with Paul Newman, he sings a short, two verse song when he was in Prison. It opens with the lines, ‘I don’t care if it rains or freezes, long as I got my plastic Jesus, riding on the dash board of my car.’
It’s always been a standing amusement to us. So to perpetuate and nurture it, I decided to try and track down a little plastic Jesus while in Italy last year to give to said friend. However the only one I could find was this big one about six inches tall in the old language. However, it is a beauty. The head is on a spring, he is smiling and winking and one hand is pointing while the other is doing a thumbs up. Classic. Actually, anything but classic. Enough said.
Spotted the medical helicopter flying over as it does when a patient has to be taken to Adelaide in a hurry. You got to squint.
It was decided we should have a self isolating BBQ. Not an easy thing but possible as we proved. The BBQ had two separate hotplates. Each approaches the BBQ in turn to service their specific hot plate with their specific tongs, then steps back four metres for the other ‘team’ to do likewise. End result. Two tables and sets of chairs about five metres apart. Love (of BBQ’s) will find a way.
A few things missed, like at the most inopportune time, about eight O’clock on Thursday night before Easter during a pandemic the van fridge stops. So pure panic with ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ and a blown fuse is found. So finding servo’s that sell fuses at that moment is a bit of a task, but fate steps in an a phone call from mechanic friend Leigh while we were still searching tells me of the bush trick of stripping some flexible wire and pulling a strand or two out to wrap around the two blades of the fuse, so repairing the dud. Saved the day. Saved by Leigh and his bush patch job.
Also, ‘Mr Spanner’ receives a body transplant, thanks not so much to medicine but Anne’s photography.
6th and we have now upgraded our ‘go for a walk’ activity to be daily. The walks are now being extended to a full hour, non-stop (more or less) through mainly rugged, scrubby terrain.
At one point we (Anne) spotted a bunch of kangaroos. Hang on. Some education here.
‘Kangaroos are often colloquially referred to as “roos”. Male kangaroos are called bucks, boomers, jacks, or old men; females are does, flyers, or jills, and the young ones are joeys. The collective noun for kangaroos is a mob, troop, or court.
Sorry. We spotted a ‘mob’ of six ‘roos’. Probably only about a kilometer away. The little camera I carry couldn’t focus so I missed the shot. As a token gesture, I have marked their path on the photo. Totally useless really.
For that reason I will not post a photo of the track that the rabbit crossed about a hundred metres in front of me and about 2 seconds before the camera took the photo..At least it was a live one this time.
The walk did not diminish the excitement of our trip to the dump spot to empty the toilet cassette because the trip to town included a trip to the supermarket.
On the supermarket visit, we had a near miracle experience. We got a packet of food grade powdered, disposable gloves AND methylated spirits! NO! I’m not joking!
I said ‘a near miracle.’ We have been dreaming of antiseptic hand gel and THAT would be a true miracle. Now, miracles don’t just happen. Sometimes you have to hunt them down. I have a cunning plan. (quoting Baldrick in Blackadder) but more of that later.
For those who have lived a sheltered life,
this is Private S Baldrick and he usually has ‘a cunning plan.’
The next day we broke our new plan of daily walks as a new plan is evolving. Everyone is talking about the ‘Zoom’ software of group meetings via computer or phone. So the day was spent plotting and planning.
In the ‘old days’ before we left Adelaide a small group of friends, self included, of real estate background or associated used to go for lunch every Friday. When we came back to Adelaide, I would join the same group and lunch. To state the obvious, Coronavirus has pulled that up completely in it’s tracks.
My cunning plan is get that particular group of amigos to install Zoom on their laptops so bigger screens than phones and hands free, come up with a specified time, push laptops back a bit for space and be waiting when the meeting begins on split screen with meal in front of us all and bottle of red wine opened and at the ready. So we will have a lunch, ‘joint and several’ as the legal term goes.
N.B. While the legal term means, ‘(of a legal obligation) undertaken by two or more people, each individual having liability for the whole.’ I am stretching it to mean, together and separate. Watch this space.
Now, all guys have ‘boys toys’. Friend Rick takes the cake with a Bobcat. Having said that, it is as close to a necessity as a rural man can get. Pretty cool though.
Tomorrow is another day. In fact Wednesday to be precise.
We endured over 60km per hour winds (that was gust speed) and our awning was truly tested together with the ‘anti-flap’ accessories. We panicked and started stripping the awning to take it down but by then it was too late. We would not be able to release the restraining ropes and keep the awning. We doubled the support ropes on each end of the awning and then put a third rope with strainer knots on top of the others. The awning lived through it and was packed up the next morning for two days. Now … I do NOT have any photos of that because at the time it was happening, I was experiencing a sphincter factor of .95 (quote from film The Abyss) and even I, who takes a photo of a door just in case someone important happens through it, didn’t think in my adrenalin flooded frenzy to take a pic. Such is life (Ned Kelly)
Look at the multi ropes.
We have taken to walking. There are dirt tracks which seem rural and remote though relatively close to town. That is we can walk for an hour down dirt/sand tracks though if we turn right at the correct moment, can hit the main highway in ten minutes.
..
Ants, ants and ….
…more ants.
Great scenery. River, hills, high views of the river. Just so very nice.
We came across all sorts. Two graves of children who died and were buried over a hundred years ago. So young and so sad. One head stone in German which reflected the settlers.
Really rustic terrain plus plus plus.
‘Plus’ includes a dead rabbit. We tried to work out how this relatively intact rabbit had died. His head facing backwards was a bit of a hint. It had some evidence of perhaps some body punctures. My bet was a dog with a serious shaking style.
Then, in this ‘remote but close to town’ location which is dark and ‘masked’ at night, (this is a hint) and here I will refer to and quote from the original Blues Brothers, ‘One condom …. soiled.’ In the country, in a small town, ‘Love will find a way.’
We love our daily or two daily trip to the dump spot as it is our regular outing. Some may not have been to a caravan Dump Point, so this is what one looks like.
Loxton has two islands (maybe more) and the town has put a bridge to the closest and I must say, it is a delight.
Almost finally a short (isolated) visit to town, the supermarket sported what I thought was a long lost product, but now … protein enriched and anti dandruff … ‘BRYLCREAM’
And finally, this local electronic shop had the answer to our ongoing coronavirus problem apparently. Easy fixed.
And NOW, finally, finally, I wondered what the correct spelling was and I go the two out of three, a single D. Cheers.
From Saturday 28th of March 2020 to Wednesday 1st April 2020
We decide not to stay at Levi Park. Lovely park, nice management and we enjoy it here under normal circumstances. However, we have several criteria to fill for an alternative. We want to get out of the city, so less people. Also we have to be close to a Dump Point for the van toilet which is not an easy thing. We cannot have close contact with people and especially older people with ailments who are more susceptible to the virus.
Enter, friends Rick & Diane at Loxton. We have stayed there before but in less restrictive times. We are welcome to park in their wide rural driveway as before. They can provide water and 240 volts, but of course, due to the virus and isolation, no access to house and other facilities. They are totally realistic and do exactly what every other Australian should do.
So we are on the road to Loxton. A mini tour with a stop at Waikerie for a $10 roast chicken and a look for hand cleaner and mentholated spirits. HaHa!! Silly me. Got the chook though.
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We had the UHF on and heard truckies chatting. One said to the other, ‘You see that Commodore in a big hurry?’ Reply, ‘Yeh. passed me as well, late for his own funeral.’ Then a few minutes later one says, ‘Hay! Radar got him!’ Then about eight minutes later we get to view the occasion on the other side of the road. Brilliant. Missed videoing but got a pic.
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Then over bridges, down Accommodation Hill, turn right, through Moorook and we arrive.
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We are welcomed warmly from a distance (about 6 metres) and offered a convenient patch of ground with the services mentioned. It’s a good spot and they are bemused by our choice to face the scrap metal storage area view west rather than the drive way east side. We explain, if we put the awning out, we are sitting in the drive way, where as facing the scrap metal has several advantages. Firstly we are protected from the midday sun by the awning, then the trees give us shade later from the setting sun, which means we also get the sunsets as well. Finally, Rick does scrap metal art and this area holds lots of potential artistic masterpieces which we can ponder over coffee and cake.
Our ‘rubbish tip’ view which is anything but.
An interesting wander with all sorts of metal treasures if only one looks.
The next day we set up and get comfortable. Our first outing! off to empty the toilet cassette! The dump point is near the caravan park and on the back road, we bypass the town. The one way trip is literally only five minutes. Normally the round trip would be twenty minutes. However we have a bonus fifteen minute trip to Berri Bunnings for some hose, because our two do not quite reach the tap. The only food grade hose is clear non reinforced, but that is all that is available on a Sunday.
Back at our new home, we install the hose and find out why they reinforce these water hoses. It grew from 13mm diameter to about 17mm that day and by Monday we were back to get a replacement from a camping store now open, before it turned into a three stooges sketch with the big bursting bubble. Here’s one for you. No hand gel at the camping store but it was suggested these ‘Pet Wipes’ were quite effective. Anyway, till further notice that is what the table gets wiped down with. By the way, no alcohol in them because that would aggravate puppies skin.
Now if you want to witness a long term indicator, Anne wanted the party lights out. Last time was Christmas. So soon already? So now we have setting sun and party lights.
Next day’s cassette emptying ceremony and we wear our hiking boots for a walk along the river track for a little, what they call, ‘EXERCISE.’ Nice scenery and we revisit ‘The Tree of Knowledge’ which is pretty cool. It has plaques of all the flood heights including the monster 1956 flood to end all floods. So it turns out you can make emptying the toilet cassette fun and interesting.
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We wake up to April Fool’s Day and it did fool us because while not forecast nor expected in this dry region, it rained all day. Not down pours but drizzle or sprinkle. We stayed in all day and no pictures of rain. I am betting you have seen it before. Oh, we did get a little river through our little haven which of course, pooled at the door as luck would have it.
I will blend the next sixteen days but the events will be more or less in order. It is blended because it is a hotch potch of maintenance, observations and day to day readying for our run across the Nullarbor to Perth.
We successfully negotiated our way out of the driveway from hell in one successful exercise under the watchful eye and instruction of my mate Des, his backing and manoeuvring experience reflected in the success of the operation. A few bush scratches on the bull bar, but that’s what it’s there for.
BACK IN THE CITY
Checked into Levi Park again, to be close to all the running around we had to do. Hindmarsh Square in the city, I saw, for the first time an electric car plugged into a ‘filling station.’ Tynte Street North Adelaide, an unique pedal bike I have never seen before. A VALLKREE. Their spelling, not the classic ‘Valkyrie.’ N.B. Valkyrie. noun SCANDINAVIAN MYTHOLOGY each of Odin’s twelve handmaids who conducted the slain warriors of their choice from the battlefield to Valhalla.
Got the car serviced and there on the hoist was a shiny black, I think 1965 fast back Mustang. I wouldn’t kill for one but ….!? Then noticed they had a sense of humour on complaints. See photo of sign. The place was BMW on Main North Road at Sefton Park. No. Not Bavarian Motor Works. Brentons Mechanical Workshop, run by Brenton and son Jesse. This was yet another worthy recommendation from my cousin Mal. Mal is a wealth of information and knows just about any and every service person worth knowing, which includes the tyre place across the road from BMW, Best Drive/Continental run my Michael and Dimitri. You know how from time to time we long for businesses from the good old days, when they were run by good guys who charged fair prices. Well congratulations. These two places are just like that.
WALKERVILLE AND WOOLIES
We went to Woolworths Walkerville to stock up and noticed the nice little park across the road from the store for the first time. Either they created it over night or we aren’t very observant. A few plaques told the story, or stories. LH Howie Principal of the School of Art brought students here to sketch nature. Also Mary P Harris an artist from Yorkshire established a sanctuary here. A real chunk of history for that neck of the woods and right on the river. There was a carving of a chap with a loincloth. We had to make the assumption it represented the indigenous aboriginals of the area although the loincloth looked more like a red Indian. A plaque wouldn’t have been wasted but it’s not a perfect world. Sorry to break it to you. A free book exchange box, lots of shaded seats and just across the road form panic buyers paradise.
We had seen the evidence of panic toilet paper buying in ‘the burbs’ but surely not here in prestigious and sophisticated Walkerville? Yep. Sorry to disappoint but cretins really get around. They are amongst us. They exist everywhere and they multiply. Panic buying had spread from toilet paper to baked beans, flour and pasta. There was only one can of baked beans left and while I can’t remember the special flavouring, I remember I didn’t want it either and while all those racks were bare, by far the biggest and barest was the TOILET PAPER. Unbelievable!!
HUTT STREET, ST PADDYS and SHILAZ (not mis-spelt)
I watched this lady pull off the road and park (?) with all the intent and discretion of a slug. I have blocked her number plate because I do not want to be unkind or sued, not necessarily in that order. Over the line and almost two metres from the kerb, she walked of with not a sausage of doubt or regret. Bless her limited heart.
We were in Hutt Street, our future stomping ground when we stop travelling. Our house is just around the corner. We noted the councils effort to brighten things up with a Flower Power ‘Bug’. It was a flash back but to me took up valuable parking space. What a sour puss I am.
We were on a roll as it was the magic day of March 17th and my favourite day of the year. However, St Paddys, Adelaide Oval function had been cancelled. We phoned the Irish Club only to be told, they hadn’t had time to organise anything after the Oval cancellation. They further added ‘try a pub’ and I established that the front bar of the Brecknock in King William Street was indeed ‘IRISH.’ We passed the Police Club on the way and popped up to the second floor. but that’s another story. ….
Well in fact the board room was named after my grandfather on my mother’s side. This was done years ago. We were invited to go to the opening but mum couldn’t because of a family feud and the other warring side would be there. So, around forty/fifty years later, I had my photo taken pointing up to the sign above the door which read, ‘H.G. HENDERSON BOARD ROOM’. I was told the photo was not to be posted on public media , I guess because it showed a particular part of the Police premises. So I have cropped it down and now it’s just a meaningless photo of me pointing up for no particular reason in no particular place. I have complied.
We got to the Brecknock and it was indeed Irish and in swing. We had A GUINNESS, one only (!!) because we were driving. but I met another ‘Carroll’ and the bar person ‘Kim’ was a love.
The other ‘Carroll’
Bar person, ‘Kim’ who was a love.
In the evening we met Jim and Pam. A night at the Gin Long, an Asian restaurant that enjoys playing up Asian pronunciations of basic items. As an example we had a house Riesling and a Shiraz, which in fact came out as Liesling and Shilaz. Nice night. A good Lesalont.
NORTH ADELAIDE , HARLEYS AND COLONOSCOPIES
The old North Adelaide Hotel in Tynte Street has now closed and it is a real shame. Beautiful building and located opposite the North Adelaide Post office so giving one a double reason for clearing the post box. A bit of trivia. It was the pub used for the farewell bar scene in the Australia film ‘Gallipoli.’ I was in there having a drink with friend PM and I told the new owner this fact. He didn’t know but googled it while we were there and identified the stained glass front window in the film. More trivia. My cousin Mal had the Cathedral Hotel at the time. He was approached by the film makers and asked to use the bar in his pub. However, they wanted the bar for six weeks to film and Mal quite rightly didn’t want to lose six weeks bar trade. Would you?
Next, came across a serious Harley service shop. Every photo tells a story.
It comes to those who wait. It was determined, I should have not only a colonoscopy but endoscopy. Both ends. I weathered all the jokes such as, ‘if they only have one camera, do the endoscopy first’ etc etc etc. For those who have never had one, firstly try to imagine how clean your bowel must be for the camera and them imagine what must happen to get it that clean. If you are feeling just a little ‘blocked’ have some of the stuff pictured. The experience reminded me a little of the space shuttle take offs.
PHOTOS, FLASH CARS AND THE ARMED SERVICES.
We decided to do a short photography course and I spotted this car sticker on a car in the car park. I found out it was purchased overseas. I wanted one. No can do. Walking back, we noticed a wedding in the magnificent Naval, Military and Air Force Club on Hutt Street in the city. The waiting wedding cars were a car collectors fantasy. Look at the photos and dream of the old days. I had a 1968 GTS Monaro as per the blue car but grey and V8 instead of 186. I sold it for next to nothing which is on the list of regretful acts of waste. I still have nightmares about it.
SLEEP APNOEA and COMMUNITY
My charming says ‘You snore too much.’ So she insists I have the test and I qualify for a self application Sleep Apnoea test at home with all the gadgets. We get the instruction and the kit. That night I turn myself into a home experiment. I could have sworn at one stage I picked up short wave. It was remarkably non intrusive or inconvenient. Mind you I wouldn’t buy one and use it for the hell of it. The waiting time for results is four weeks (?) so the clock is ticking.
Encouraging to see a community exercise in a suburb with book exchange and fruit deposit for free to anyone who happens to pass and fancies it. Even a couple of chairs to sit and eat it. Nice thinking. Everyone should seriously look at this. I was impressed.
CHANGE
Now … This virus thing is forcing us to have a serious think. We are in a caravan park and things are tightening up. We no longer use the ablution block for fear of human contact and shared facilities. So we have to use the caravan toilet and empty it every day or two at the park dump spot. What to do? Anyway, our trip across the Nullarbor is off … for now.
Levi Park Caravan Park is ideally located right on the River Torrens with perhaps a little over an hour walk to the city along the river bank, or about an eight minute drive. Down at the river, you wouldn’t know you were that close to the city.
Though we have been back from Dili, East Timor for some time, it is still a renewed novelty to go to the city. We thought our Dili salon was reasonably nice with it’s two big spa chairs, but some here left ours for dead.
I used to do ‘Traffic Menace of the Month’ in Dili and was amused to see there are just as bad drivers or parkers here as well. See car encroached on handicapped park. I guess they had difficulty getting out on the passenger side. Well …. what about the handicapped person SPORT!!
A little history. On the corner of King William Street and Currie Street, while waiting for the lights to change, we spot a plaque on the wall stating, ‘Hereabouts on the 10th of August 1844, Captain Charles Sturt set forth on his central Australia exploring expedition ….’ Such an epic journey and just a plaque on a wall I have walked past off and on for over sixty years. Wonder what you have to do to get a statue?
Captain Charles Napier Sturt (28 April 1795 – 16 June 1869) was a British explorer of Australia, and part of the European exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers, establishing that they all merged into the Murray River. He was searching to prove his own passionately held belief that there was an “inland sea” at the centre of the continent.
(N.B. There wasn’t one.)
We also dropped in at the Train Station. I was told years ago that the eastern facade of the train station was part replica of Buckingham Palace. Though partly concealed by building fences and equipment I believe I can make out similarities. I have included a shot of the palace for comparison. What do you think? I say yes. Doesn’t matter really, there is a building going up that will all but completely conceal that side of the railway station anyway. It’s called progress. (!?)
The ‘real’ Buckingham Palace. Inside. That is the railway station. NOT Buckingham Palace, although we have been inside the Palace.
Our stay in Levi Caravan Park continued till Friday 6th when we had to temporarily vacate due to excessive pre-bookings for WOMAdelaide. (World Of Music Adelaide) We will return on Wednesday, the 11th but for now we accept the hospitality of my old mate Des who has a large concreted area in his front yard.
It wasn’t difficult to reverse up the incline and around a corner between garden bed and drop. No. Not difficult. It was just about impossible. Took over an hour, but we got there. I have already started thinking about the exit.
It’s steeper than what it looks, especially when you are trying to reverse 6 Tonnes up it backwards!
His house is in an outer suburb and just about rural, with grape vines up to the back fence and open, natural park in front.
View from van kitchen window.
Also, just an eight minute walk to a small but substantial shopping centre with a Coles, pizza place, fish and chippery and a BWS. (Beer, Wine, Spirits) Even a Laundromat. with, believe it or not two massage chairs!? The bare necessities of life.
Massage chairs in a laundromat?
That is to say, ‘the bare necessities of life’ EXCEPT FOR TOILET PAPER! Ned Kelly’s quote again, ‘Such is life.’ Here’s another quote but from Absolutely Fabulous. “Just tax the stupid people.’ You work out how that applies.
If I was worried about being isolated, I would be thinking more about FOOD than toilet paper. Any NORMAL person I believe would as well. So… perhaps the people who took the toilet paper are NOT normal. Thinking of the term ‘Cretins’ actually.
We spend the time sorting the van and car to drop some weight and manage between 35 and 40 kilo’s on bits and pieces. while we could manage a further 40kg by swapping from AGM to Lithium batteries in the back of the car, it just isn’t worth it.. Somewhere between two and two and a half thousand dollars. Friend Garry is now a fellow van owner and is currently changing from inner sprung to foam mattress for the same reason and we have ordered one as well. Only time will tell.
We move back to Levi Park today. Oh. Getting out the front yard? It’s always nice to have something to look forward to.
The city was named after Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, queen consort to King William IV at the time. Adelaide was established as a planned colony of free immigrants, promising civil liberties and freedom from religious persecution, based upon the ideas of Edward Gibbon Wakefield.
Today is a day of rest … and work. (?) That is to say, while we are going out tonight, we have nothing specific to do today, however we should do some maintenance. The day is taken up with clothes washing, blog up to date, anti-flap supports for the awning etc.
Tonight food and drinks. day finished.
OUR STAY IN ADELAIDE WILL BE UNEVENTFUL FROM A TRAVEL BLOG POINT OF VIEW. SO UNLESS SOMETHING HAPPENS WORTH RECORDING, WE WILL SLIP OFF THE RADAR AND COME BACK ON AROUND 22ND.
This is all I could find on the origin of Narrung: Narrung is a town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia. It is situated at the northern extent of the Narrung Peninsula, which separates The Coorong from Lake Albert adjacent to The Narrows which separates Lake Albert from the larger Lake Alexandrina.
Early morning for us, (9am) we clean, greet, Do a drone flight, walk the jetty, have lunch, bid farewell and … go.
created by dji camera
By the way, lunch is our $12 Crayfish Pate we picked up in Kingston which, when reading the ingredients, we find there are just about twenty bits and pieces. They even managed a little crayfish.
Drone view of the free camp and surrounds at Narrung.
Ferry is cool. Got some video.
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Heading to Tailem bend, then point to the Adelaide freeway, we do our test of steep descent with six tonne all up, then weave our way through Adelaide (!) and turn left to Levi Park Caravan Park.
Like coming home, we chat with Colin and Vicky at the counter like old times. We get our assigned site (54) and it turns out to be a test again. We have been in other ‘tight’ sites and this one is a challenge. but we manage with a little help of adjoining campers. That is to say, the chap next door had to shift his car then one Canadian couple behind move their table and chairs, then their camper so we can drive straight in from their end instead of reversing. Easy. We are set up and chatting. The people on the side are from Scotland and as said the ones at the back are from Canada. A fine mix.
Kingston was named after Charles Kingston who was Premier of South Australia from 1893-99 and originally called Kingston, the town was part of the new village settlement scheme started in the 1890s.
Meningie is derived from “the Aboriginal word ‘meningeng’ meaning ‘place of mud'”
Lake Albert was named after Prince Albert, the Consort of Queen Victoria, by George Gawler, the Governor of South Australia.
Kingston Caravan Park was a short lived but delightful stay. The bathrooms were neat, clean and looked quite new. Little things. The first thing I noticed was the plastic flowers in the men’s amenities block? Oh well. Men like flowers as well. Not necessary but they made an effort. Second, paper towels. I saw a show on TV years ago saying how unhealthy hot air hand dryers were because they collect bacteria and blow it onto your hands. You decide.
We departed and made it all of 30 metres to the Cape Jaffa Light house, which is no longer at Cape Jaffa but transported to its present location on the foreshore of Kingston. If you read the text below, to put into perspective, it was there before the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower. Two hundred and fifty years may not be that long on European terms but we do have history that can be compared.
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Next stop before departure was a visit in town ( but still on the foreshore) to the seafood place we had called a few days ago because we had been told by a friend who had been told a few weeks earlier by a friend who had been told by another friend that crayfish were going for $30 a kilo because of the Chinese crisis with the coronavirus. At the time the lady on the phone first laughed then said it was down to $89 per kilo. This time, over the counter and first hand we were told it had now gone up to $100 per kilo and that was in fact down from $130. So we bought a very small 100gram container of crayfish pate for $12 as a token gesture and suspect about four cracker biscuits will do it. $3 a cracker? Ouch.
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That store was right next to the long, long jetty. So we took a walk down the old wooden and relatively narrow structure for our daily exercise, noticing that we were over sand almost immediately and detected the unmistakeable pong off old seaweed. That is to say not the sort of invigorating marine-ish smell of new healthy stuff but the four month past its expiry date type. They say it’s edible. Not this stuff.
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Another thing we noticed was about a third of the way from the land there was a ramp going down to the beach, although I would call it more the sand rather than beach, because the beach suggests you are just about in the water. It took two thirds of the length of the jetty to get to the water mark. Now looking at the waters edge, and this was not low tide.
A few minutes later we are at the end with three optimistic fisher-persons and I am guessing a little shidsu that was not entirely wrapped in the experience of being cold and wind swept even in her cosy shelter box. Infact I suspect if she was a Rottweiler, either she would not be there or the owner would be dead.
All three had zero to show for their trouble and the shiatsu’s owner had even lost her husband. He had told her he was going for a cup of tea and she had foolishly believed him.
The remaining male told me the woes of this spot. Firstly they were just not biting today at all. Secondly over the last few years the sand had been depositing on the beach in a big way. We were told the ramp we saw going into the sand until a few years ago went into eight foot of water. Furthermore, a little down the beach there was a boat ramp which had been engulfed by the sand, which had annoyed the boat owners no end.
Now just a quick note to those embracing the climate change concept. Whether that’s true of false, it doesn’t matter. This sand deposit was the effect brought on by that lovely old girl, mother nature. Continents have been forming, desert sands have been shifting and rivers have been both created and drying up long before the word ‘climate’ had ever been invented. All this was happening when mankind was still banging rocks together for amusement and that didn’t cause any difference in anything at all, unless of course they got a finger between the rocks.
Anyway, next stop was a quick check out of the RV park we could have stayed at for just $10 with toilets and water instead of our $31.50 but we did get 240 volts for that. That means fan heater, microwave, electric hotplate, air conditioner if needed (which we didn’t) and battery charger.
Next stop, IGA. The only place we are told where you can get true, fresh, unfrozen, local fish. Apparently a local fisherman takes it there on Thursdays and yesterday happened to be one of those days. I thought we had got it out the fridge yesterday, only when we went back, it was the freezer. Yesterday it simply hadn’t been in long enough to freeze. Anyway, same fish purchased only now one day old and frozen. (FYI Flathead)
Next stop, the Big Lobster. At current prices, if it was real, I’d put about 3 tonne on it hence at full price, $390,000. You’d have to split it up and freeze it or have a party to end all parties. We settled for fish and chips.
Now, cruising to Meningie. Nicer than I remember it and right on Lake Albert. Very good Information centre, where I googled and showed the attendant a clip of Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band singing Wangaratta Wahine. It’s a long story. Has to do with Cream Brick. Oh, and also the scene from Seinfeld where Elaine tells the painful woman at the party in HER Australian ‘Lindy Chamberlain’ accent, ‘Maybe the dingo ate your baby.’ Anyway, I enjoyed it, and I’m sure that deep down, she did as well.
Next stop, the bird statue that was supposed to have a plaque displaying details of I think South Australia’s only bush ranger. Now I thought Captain Starlight was THE South Australian bush ranger, but surely there was more than one crook here. I also thought Captain Starlight rustled cattle and kept them in Wilpena pound which is a long way from Meningie.
Next stop, a fresh fish seller across the road, which sale product was secondary to the fabulous 1966 HR Holden on the front lawn. Another 15 minute conversation with the same stories except these people hadn’t heard them before.
Next stop, the ‘boozerama’ a few doors down for some liquid refreshments, then on to the car wash to get rid of salt and sand from both car and van. I said it would take about fifteen minutes and I was only out by thirty. N.B. If you hate washing the car, try doing it then followed by a twenty foot caravan.
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Done and the sun is getting low.
We are off to Narrung, just a thirty minute trip to a free camp on the other side of the lake and adjacent a ferry.
We arrive but first a short trip to the village to look for evidence of the birth place of David Unaipon, the man on the fifty dollar note. Preacher, writer and inventor, Quote: ‘David Unaipon contributed to Australian society and broke many prejudice Indigenous stereotypes along the way. David Unaipon was born on a modest indigenous mission on the banks of South Australia’s Lake Alexandrina, 80km south-east of Adelaide.’ On advice, we proceeded to the Village and photographed a church which was said to be the one on the fifty with David. It was similar in shape and design, but not exactly the same as on the fifty bill note behind David. The church has no windows as on the bank note, but this could be the back of the church. We couldn’t get to the front. Or was the bank note church ‘enhanced’ by the artist? Leave it to you. You decide.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAJust an interesting old building.
In the camp, it happens to be ‘chock-a-block’ full but we find a place and we happen to be adjacent to a CMCA group of which we are unconfirmed members. (Paid but not received confirmation. Paid counts. Doesn’t it?)
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOptical illusion? One body, two heads.
Great spot, nice people, good self actuation toilets. One hand pump. The other foot pump.
Up early-ish, both still moderately shaky health wise. Excuse me! had a classic fever and sweated like the proverbial most of the night. However, weaker but better. No food, just a cup of tea. Throw all the dishes we have cooked up older than three days. It seemed to me a mad coincidence that both of us had a viral serve within a day.
We had been past the Blue Lake and no convenient to stop. However, we have been here before and it’s only blue when the sun shines and it was not pretty.
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So after a relatively early start from the show grounds camping area, we were off to the Engelbrecht Cave. Well displayed and the guide was very good.
Next, the gardens at the Umpherston Sinkhole. Brilliant. Spiraling down with hanging gardens.
Time is wasting. We are off to Kingston via Millicent. An uneventful trip except relying on the lying b**** Ethel the GPS that took us up a heavy truck bypass by chance and it took 15 minutes to retrace our steps. B****!
We are now here because we wanted to confirm our info that there was no bargain basement crayfish to be had here due to the Chinese situation. We are not wrong. Sniffing around for some truly fresh sea food, we found that the only place to get fresh, unfrozen seafood was at IGA on Thursday, which is today and we therefore got fresh fish. Not frozen. Caught local and sold unfrozen.
So we sit in the Kingston SE caravan park having had our first full meal for days with fresh seafood and a bottle of white.
Mount Gambier. Named by Lieutenant James Grant in 1800 after Admiral Lord Gambier, commander of the fleet in the battle of Copenhagen.
A relatively early start. Anne is feeling better and wants scrambled eggs on toast. I am feeling a little below par but have the same.
We follow a lead that Kingston is letting crayfish go for knockdown prices due to the loss of business with the China situation. A phone call brushes that potential seafood boom aside as quick as a smelly, old prawn tail.
So it’s off to Mount Gambier and first, the Information Centre proudly displaying a full size reproduction of the Brig ‘Lady Nelson.’
Lieutenant James Grant sailed the ship from England to Port Jackson in Sydney.
When it arrived thousands of citizens came out to salute the small ship for making such a hazardous journey. The ship was quite small at just 57.5 feet long, 17.5 feet beam and just 2.75 feet of free board.
The ship made many voyages and was used to map/survey the south coast of South Australia.
The Information Centre was a wealth of … information … (?) and the ladies and gentlemen on staff were well informed and helpful.
They have a discovery area based on seafaring, had virtual reality system thay was extremely good. On and on it goes.
A bit fuzzy but you get idea of virtual reality.
Off to the caravan park to set up, unhitch and go forth to do the whole town.
However, it’s now my turn. I feel unwell and once set up, retire to bed. Anything else will have to wait till tomorrow.
Anne woke unwell and spent the day in bed. As the sun was going down, we decided we would be better off in a caravan park for it’s facilities as we were currently on our own in the car park of Cape Northumberland.
So off we went and it was much more comfortable with 240v and water on tap.
Not a brilliant day for interesting tourism. Good night.
Port MacDonnell is named after Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell who was Governor of South Australia from 1855 to 1862. In the 1880s, it was one of Australia’s busiest ports, shipping large quantities of wheat and wool to Europe. The port was, however, exposed to the weather and the site of many shipwrecks.
Cape Northumberland was named by the Royal Navy officer, James Grant, on 3 December 1800, when he was mapping the southern coast of Australia in his early 1800s expedition. The headland was named after Hugh Percy, Duke of Northumberland.
We slept in as usual and when we finally surfaced, our hosts Gary and Camilla had both gone to work. We also forgot to get contact details to thank them for their hospitality, , but we can get those through Lesley.
So we pack up and go for a walk along the foreshore, for a farewell to Nelson. We meet the most popular man in Nelson, at least to the bird life. He is cleaning his recent catch and the birds are waiting for their shot at the left overs.
We chat with ‘Mr Popular’ who turns out to also be a Gary. He fills me in on some fishing tips and even takes us to his van to show us the fishing book that would answer all and any questions.
By now it’s getting towards lunch so we go to the Kiosk for a farewell pie which I think is better than a farewell walk. A homemade Bushman’s beef chunks and onion. Use your imagination.
While we are noshing up at the Kiosk bench, a nice lady arrives with a cute little fox terrier. The dog, as yet un- re-named is tied up outside but we talk to Nancy for what must be an hour and not one soul could walk past this little pooch without oo-ing and ah-ing. By the way, pooch is Something like eight months old but Nancy has only had her for three weeks. Nancy got her as she was going to be ‘discarded’ by the owner. Nancy thought her name was inappropriate and is trying to get the pooch to respond to other names she has tested on her. Nancy said she is a bit of an escape artist so Anne mentioned Harry Houdini. I said she is female. Why not Harriet? We may never find out.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWith Nancy and Harriet?
Turns out Nancy lived directly opposite our hosts so we give her some contact details to pass on to Gary and Camilla and we finally depart with a farewell blast from the Klaxon horn.
The police station on the same block. Not manned. Used if a police visit to town is needed. Also the ‘lock up?’
Hope this works. For those who have never heard a Klaxon Horn.
Yes. I always wanted one and found one at the car shop way back in Loxton. I got it to sound if I can’t find Anne, so she will know it’s time to return to the car. However it is used for ‘special’ occasions as well.
So we head for Port MacDonnell because we have never seen it and also, just outside is Cape Northumberland, which is the southern most tip of South Australia and also gets a mention on weather reports, sort of like Barrow Creek, although Barrow Creek may have dropped off the popularity grid of weather reports.
In a quick I think blue flash we are over the border into good old SA. No fruit inspection point on this road, but it didn’t matter as we were totally legal anyway.
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Poet MacDonnell is a good seaside town but of course it points to the Antarctic co it is cool-ish and windy-ish. The information centre is grand and has a settlers museum to end all museums. It is half town settlement and half seafarers and ship wrecks. It got an hour, deserved three and would be completely inspected in three days.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe classic red back on the toilet seat. A touch of Australiana.
Trying on an Akubra after watching the making Akubra hats film.
Bought souvenirs as you do and proceeded onto Cape Northumberland. It is a rough, rocky high outcrop with a large bitumen car park and has several walking tracks out to its various points. The new light house is up the hill and still operates while this tourist site is the place where the original light house stood. It and its base got a severe pounding over the years and finally was closed. It is a site of wrecks and heroes. The first lighthouse keeper Benjamin Germein was the first to respond to and rescue souls from the wreck of the Admella, which was sailing from Adelaide to Melbourne with goods for the Victoria gold fields.
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Windy and cold but the car park of the Cape is a free camp for self contained vans and vehicles. So to Anne’s delight she being the driving force to visit the cape, got to spend the night right on the cape at the most southern point of the state. Ironically just before the sun went down, a calm set in with just a little breeze and the clouds parted to let the sun out. We spent the night in extreme comfort, in our luxurious box home on wheels, with TV a cooked meal, heating, a glass of wine (3 or 4) and a slightly spooky feeling that we were the only people on earth. By the way, for the first time we used the grey water tank. That is you close the tap to trap all your sink, shower and hand basin water in a tank so it doesn’t empty onto the ground as used. A requirement of the free camp here.
Today seemed a big day. We look forward to tomorrow.
Nelson, Victoria. Nelson is a small fishing town in Victoria, Australia. … In January 1852 the name of Nelson was adopted for the settlement, after the ship Lady Nelson, which was used by Lieutenant James Grant in explorations of the area in the early nineteenth century.
And thus we bid goodbye to the lovely town of Portland. A pleasant stay. We are heading to Nelson, about an hour or so away and just a few kilometres from the South Australian border. Interesting landscape with numerous pine tree plantation forests. We spot lots of discoloured trees and varying, so giving evidence of a few fires over the years, although most of the trees seem to have survived and new foliage is evident.
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A bit of excitement. One of our gadgets on the dash is sounding an alarm. Battle weary Anne is concerned but it is the tyre monitor and I see the pressure is still OK and so is the temperature of the wheel in question. When I originally fitted the sensors, I set the alarm parameters based on a forty pound pressure. Supreme Caravans told me fifty would be better. This was the first warm travelling day we had since Supreme had increased the pressure and I of course had not changed the alarm parameters. So the warm road had caused the pressure to increase from fifty to fifty five which was the upper limit of the forty pressure. Bet everyone reading this was on the edge of your seats for that one.
Now we arrive in Nelson. We didn’t know what to expect and it was a dramatic plus. A beautiful little town right on a river, not overly large and a picture of, (dare I use the magic word?) ‘Serenity.’
Turns out these guys were actually waiting for their ice creams. See pick below. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Now, you may recall our new friend in Portland, the lovely lady ‘Lesley’, the world traveller. Well, she told us she has a block of land in Nelson and if we stop there we can park the van on the block. Furthermore, she told us the block is facing the river and is just across the road from the pub! Furthermore (again) her daughter lives next door. So a few texts and we identify the block which does indeed faces the river. Lesley told us to just go to the block and her daughter Camilla will spot us there and greet us. We in the mean time have driven around to the Estuary Beach on Discovery Bay where the fresh water river meets the ocean. Walking tracks, look out, toilets, a nice beach also with displays describing shipping disasters in the area.
Long story short, we meet Lesley’s daughter Camilla, we put the van on the block, Anne and I walk to the pub, refresh ourselves and not the historic photos on the wall, then return around six to coincide with the arrival of Camilla’s husband Gary.
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We all spend a splendid time by the river with just a little red wine (& Port) to brace ourselves against the oncoming cool of the evening. Turns out Camilla and Gary have the unique hobby of restoring old boats. The most recent had started its life hanging off the side of a World War 2 fighting ship as a support vessel. It was retrieved, dry docked repaired and fitted out with a lot of patience, time, work and money, not necessarily in that order. We saw photos of before, during and after. It was a job and a half. Gary and Camilla have done several already and it must be a very rewarding hobby. Not only do they enjoy the task but they are bringing a little marine history back to life.
L to R Leith Anne Camilla Gary.
We were also introduced to ‘Joe’, the white goose that took up residence in the river at Nelson about eighteen months ago together with pelicans, black swans and a collection of water fowls and I think a ‘musk’ duck?
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis is famous resident ‘Joe’ the goose. This is Joe ‘looking up an old friend’
We adjourned to Camilla and Gary’s open but cosy verandah where we had another red (it was getting colder), met the dog and got the story of their old out house, new retired. (Pictured) It was the original toilet of the original house on the site and the story has been handed down from previous owner to owner. Apparently it has come down the line from two or three owners ago and involves Australias own Saint, Mary McKillop. But first some background …
Sister Mary MacKillop (1842-1909), Australian nun, foundress of the congregation of Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart
From Wikipedia: Mary Helen MacKillop RSJ (15 January 1842 – 8 August 1909) was an Australian nun who has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church, as St Mary of the Cross. Of Scottish descent, she was born in Melbourne but is best known for her activities in South Australia. Together with the Reverend Julian Tenison Woods, she founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (the Josephites), a congregation of religious sisters that established a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australia and New Zealand, with an emphasis on education for the rural poor.
The story goes that, Sister Mary McKillop, on a trip from Portland to Penola, got caught short and stopped at the house to avail herself of this very outhouse. It is also believed that she also decided to lodge at the pub for the night. Now unfortunately it would be almost impossible to prove all this. It is up to the individual to decide whether this is either the classic ‘Chinese whisper’ or the saying, ‘Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.’ Personally, I go with the latter. How on earth would something so bizarre just come out of thin air? I think it would have to have some substance. And being real, Mary would most likely have passed through here and I am sure she would have needed a pit stop from time to time and would a nun not stop at a home and ask for a little favour.
Last nights late, late night meant a late, late start this morning. Some later than others. (He computer. She bed) Today was destined for a ‘nothing significant day.’ It was a day however to rationalize what we were doing and when.
We had to plan our temporary return to Adelaide. That is, which way and when AND what did we have to do. We have decided to go the smaller road through Nelson. Also look at the Tantanoola caves and the blessed Coonawarra That’s which way. When, is there by end of month and what do we have to do brings us to the jolly old quarantine service of entry to South Australia.
So fruit and vegetables generally have to be either cooked or processed. So it came to pass that we didn’t do anything in the afternoon except cook and or process consumables/veg/fruit.
All the spuds were sliced then with butter, onion and cheese became a massive bake, enough for perhaps 3 meals for two, or at least the potato content there off. All the other vegetables were similarly processed and the lemons were all squeezed into ice cube racks and frozen.
End of the day, all was processed and we are ready to drive off into the sunset (or dawn actually) towards the border with a clear conscience and a full fridge.
That’s it for the day except we had been warned the rangers check for more than 48 hour stayers which we qualified for (over) and they came for a drive through the park. A few pauses then proceeded on without a flicker towards us.
Showers, meal, including potato bake , Crocodile Dundee 2 for the umpteenth time then kip time for a new morrow.
Portland, town and port, southern Victoria, Australia. … The bay was first visited by Europeans in 1800 and was named for the duke of Portland by James Grant, a British naval officer; two years later Nicolas Baudin, a French navigator, called it Tourville, a name that persists. (N.B. In our short stay, I have not heard it referred to as such.)
Life goes on. From get up to 3pm work. Caravan insurance, RAA (auto club) membership and quotes for insurance on houses, domestic day to day etc etc. And now Anne has got ‘cabin fever’ so we have to get out.
I hate un-hitching because it takes a whole five minutes, but we could do with some diesel and we were told there was a Fair of a sort on the village green on the foreshore of the harbor. This is to cater for a tourist ship in port and we go down to support the local community.
There’s the ship and there’s the Fair but just not that many people. Well, not the teeming hordes you would expect from an ocean going liner anyway. Turns out the three or four hundred tourists were bundled onto busses on the wharf and were whisked away to parts unknown, we can assume by the social organizers of the ship, caring not one toss for the extensive and concerted efforts the local entrepreneurs had exerted to provide a happy and interesting facility just for they, the tourists. To quote Ned Kelly, ‘Such is life.’
Seven Seas Navigator
We did our bit by purchasing coffees and in my case a unique, tasty and just a little inconvenient curly fried potato.
A very nifty coffee van with it’s own 7kva generator. Talking to the nice lady operator, they apparently have another like this, two carts and a caravan. Well done. I didn’t think before I bought this.
One vendor has a unique trailer made out of a Catalina boat plane from Lake Boga bought for fifty pounds after the war. We have described the Lake Boga flying Boat museum previously. A great display with the story on the front and inside.
Anne managed to get a long shot photo of the tourist tram or cable car (that can’t be right) that cruises the fore shore but we as yet have not caught.
A woman entertainer is doing an incredible job singing (for the teeming hordes) and I find out it is even more incredible that it first appears. She has an excellent voice but is blind and remembers hundreds of songs word perfect. (I was actually told thousands but …) What a marvelous person.
A wander up the hill to read a few plaques and other notices revealed the creation of Portland and again as in all small country towns, it never ceases to amaze me of the detail and significant memorials to those lost in the confrontations of the world. As I may have said before, I think in large cities the lost had loved ones of course. However in small towns, those who lost their lives were known by the whole town.
The street scape is interesting with old and older buildings as well as novel public seats and of course the inevitable garden beds.
We are informed by a couple of chaps leaning on a temporary bar, that in just a few hours, there will be yet another Fair, but this time up the hill near I think the council chambers, and this time not for the blow ins from the ship, (my words not theirs) but for the locals and we ‘blow ins’ are welcome.
So to me the agonizing decision to go out at night. You see there is also going to be an outdoor film which means it can’t start till dark which means it will not finish till 10.30pm or god forbid even later. I had no need to agonize because it had already been decided we were going.
So showers, and pack my small ruck sack with jumpers, water and a torch, then the mammoth walk to the venue which also happens to be up hill and I am complaining (mentally) all the way. We arrive six and a half minutes later which included loitering on the way for a few photos.
A Rotary sausage sizzle, a glass of wine and now things are looking up. We grab two public stools having noted just about everyone else had brought fold ups. Cold is setting in and we mange to grab two more comfortable plastic chairs by sharing with a nice lady sitting at a table by herself.
This is Lesley who is a very interesting local who has the wanderlust for travel and has been all over. We share a few stories and a few wines till the film starts. The screen is one of those inflatables and the film is ‘Yesterday.’ A brilliant film with a unique theme and especially for Beatles lovers which I happen to be. See it. It’s worth it. (in my opinion)
As the sun went down I couldn’t help but notice there was just one lonely star in the whole sky. Photographed as well as I could.
Observe the one lonely star slightly to right of middle and about one third down … and blurred.
Anyway, the film started to get a bit long after the wine tent closed and it got cold. Exchanges with Lesley, a walk down the hill with teeth almost but not chattering and home sweet home, once the diesel heater was on and the second Port was under the belt. A nice night. What tomorrow? This is a 48 hour free camp. That will be up at 3pm tomorrow and we have been told it is policed by the council. Then again it is Saturday only time will tell. Bonne nuit.
All good things must come to an end and besides, our batteries are going flat. We have had to start the car a few times to build them up. Such is life in free camping when the clouds blotted out the sun and limited the recharge of batteries. Something perhaps which should be remembered in these ‘eco’ days.
On to Portland for shopping etc including a Laundromat, a lunch at a ‘health shop’ lunch. I have to say it was very good.
By the way, in this OVER politically correct environment, did this one slip under the radar?
Also, we spot a ‘Gaelic’ travelers vehicle which brings my omnipresent heritage appreciation into sharp focus.
We decide to stay at Henty Park. A 48 hour max stay park in the town. A free park with very good toilets and water. We fill the tanks and take up a convenient spot which is adjacent an oval.
I spot a vehicle of fond memory and get a chance to speak to the owner, a young chap, Stephen, who tells us this wonderful car has been in the family for a long time. He has looked after and restored it as required. He treats us to an inspection, then he and friend, Ebony pull out to go home (I assume) making me flash back around fifty years as it pulls out, just as I remember. By the way, it was a 1964 I think XM model Ford Falcon. Fabulous!
Enough nostalgia. It’s time for a walk around and chat to fellow free campers. Quite a few actually.
Another slow day. Soggy and slow. Gazing out through the window a bored kookaburra settles on a branch a few metres away. Exciting for a soggy day.
It dries up a bit so we put on the boots and go for walk relying more on the GPS on the phone than the poorly marked walking tracks. We photograph anything. Dead trees, bugs, flowers etc.
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On return, a group (?) flock (?) of red lorikeets happy in a gathering. Long as they are having a good time.
A long lay in for some of us. Others, on the computer to catch up on a few things. It’s starting to feel a bit like a ‘nothing’ day.
Wow. Lunchtime already and since Anne picked up the drift from some ones BBQ yesterday, she has been hanging out for sausages so it’s sausages and salad for lunch.
Nope. Just doesn’t look appealing when half eaten.
An optimistic magpie is loitering so Anne Attenborough feeds him a few morsels and he is well happy. That’s all the fauna today. A bit cool for the wallabies it seems.
The late lunch was sunny-ish. Now the sun is gone and getting cooler and darker. Our planned walk is now put on hold. Then down it comes. Almost but not quite biblical.
Not inviting outside the window.
So we are forced to do nothing. Happy with that. It is now plain cold and Anne suggests a pre-dinner Whisky and suggest I use my new ‘Quaich.
quaich /ˈkweɪx/, archaically quaigh or quoich, is a special kind of shallow two-handled drinking cup or bowl of a type traditional in Scotland. It derives from the Scottish Gaelic cuach (Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [kʰuəx]) meaning a cup.
My ‘whee’ Quaich. Notice Scottish thistle on each handle. Generic shot of Scottish thistle to show similarity. The Quaich was purchased in St Andrews Scotland July last year 2019. It’s about 3 or 4 inches diameter in the old language, and 37.95 English pounds. Roughly double that for Australian Dollars. The original ones were wooden, but this is pewter. It is the best way to drink Whisky.
Then vehicles start arriving and it is obvious they are known to each other. We are thinking a big noisy night and it does go that way a bit because even if they try and keep it down, it magnifies in the bush at night. They are in makeshift accommodation without a common sheltered area and the weather has eventually forced them to bed down. What a shame. See? I told you it was a ‘nothing’ day.
Taken from our window.
We may move on tomorrow. We have run out of some vital supplies (red wine) and getting low on others. (Cashew nuts and port.) Man does not live by bread alone. There may even be food to buy. Better look I guess. Cheers.
What the …? Looked out the van window in the morning and there is a wallaby. (in fact two).
Then Anne is out there playing (proxy) grand daughter of David Attenborough and merging with the marsupials. She took a carrot and a knife to cut it up and when she first started feeding it, from the angle I was on, it looked like Anne was maneuvering to slit it’s throat. Now let’s be polite and nominate genders. It became obvious the larger wallaby was female and in fact mum to the smaller Joey. The Joey was getting almost as big as mum but still availed itself of mums backup food supply by diving it’s head into the pouch from time to time.
Shortly thereafter, a couple of rangers happened by and we chatted generally about how great the place was and the wallaby encounter after which they said the place had lots of both wallabies and koalas.
So breakfast done and inspired by the fraternizing with the fauna and the chat with the rangers, we are off down the well marked Whalers Lookout ‘big loop’ hiking track. It really was exhilarating if that’s not a slight overkill on description. It was ‘nice.’ We also took in the flora the track offered.
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Anne Attenborough was the first to spot a koala. We needed the zoom but got a shot of the guy (or girl) and kept a sharp eye (or four) out for the rest of the lots of koalas. Forty four minutes later as we emerged from the bush to the camp site, out full count was one koala and three rustlings in the undergrowth, one of which had a bouncing movement.
Also right there in the campground were a couple of mainly red lorikeets fossicking in the leaves and twigs. Ms Attenborough kicked into action immediately and it was fascinating just how close we could get.
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On return, having enjoyed the walk but had no opportunity to prove how clever I was, I described to Anne the way the Sawpit on display worked.
I am saying, ‘One guy stands on the log, the other down in the pit and they saw through here. Notice the support poles do not join so the saw can pass between them.’
We lunched on Beef and Guinness pie from Koroit and generally had an R & R afternoon. The odd wallaby or two bounced around the van from time to time and although the novelty had in the main, warn off, it still was pleasant and added to the rural experience. This really is a nice spot. We will enjoy the sun for tomorrow it is predicted to be a bit soggy.
Beef and Guinness pie. Notice the shamrock edged on the top.
Our usual, hot showers, comfortable clobber, the TV and the meal on the stove, I said to Anne, ‘This isn’t really camping. Is it?’ She confirmed it was not but we both agreed it was a good alternative and the status quo was acceptable. Off to bed, pitch dark out side and not a sound. At peace with the world.
The name Narrawong, apparently a local Aboriginal word for long river, well describes the estuary of the Surry River.
The word ‘sawpit’ is self explanatory. We can assume timber was sawn here. ‘A saw pit or sawpit is a pit over which lumber is positioned to be sawed with a long two-handled saw by two people, one standing above the timber and the other below. It was used for producing sawn planks from tree trunks, which could then be cut down into boards, pales.’
A day of varying experiences. First was a long walk through the Koroit Botanic Gardens adjacent the caravan park. I must say a particularly good garden given the size of the town. A farewell hand shake with Bob the manager and we’re off.
Followed the signs to the old volcano site and couldn’t find it, until we realized it has been extinct for who knows how many thousands of years and we were probably on it.
Next an antique and bric-a-brac shop on the side of the road adorned with Irish flags all over. A manikin dressed as a member of the long arm is a moderately startling welcome at the door. Anne loved the phone booth but I didn’t know if the roof rack on the rear canopy was strong enough.
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On to Port Fairy and a walk down the wharf past the boats (one flying the Jolly Roger (I wonder how all the Rogers feel about the usage of their name?) to a very flash looking fish and chippery. The seagulls high recommendation convinced us to go in.
Shortly after, we sat in a window seat enjoying our two grilled fillets on a very tasty salad, with minimum of the second best chips I have ever tasted, sharing one only light beer. So can I drive with two thirds of a light beer under the belt with a one point five hour breather? It wouldn’t even register. One of us wanted a raspberry jam filled donut and thanks to the generosity of the chef, ended up with two washed it down with a cappuccino then back on the road.
Then, after deliberation, we ended up in our new favorite free park. If you are a caravanner, do not go past Sawpit Free Campground. in the Narrawong area. The photos and video do not do it justice. Two long drops are adequate, or at least they were after we doubled back for the spay and cleaned them.
Found a display log wagon and Sawpit.
A peaceful, serene wooded site with walking tracks and morning and evening wallaby visitors. Someone had a drone. I don’t know if I am game with ours. The trees are tall and when you look up, quite thick.
Sunset drinks at the provided table and bench, a cosy meal on a cool night and look to a new day.
By the way, Anne saw some movement, went for a walk and found a new friend.
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Yes. I am going to say it yet again. ‘Ah. The serenity.’ (really)
The town borrows its name from the Koroitch Gundidj people who occupied the area prior to European settlement. (N.B. Too bad. I thought it was going to originate from Ireland.)
Our departure from the very nice, but small/tight caravan park was delayed by a confrontation with a low, bushy tree on a corner that was planted for the easy exit of eighteen foot caravans , but not twenty foot, especially when pulled by a still moderately novice caravan tower.
Eventually we kissed Warrnambool goodbye via a quick look at Deep Blue Spa thermal pools and on our way to Koroit, which has, we are told an IRISH theme or that of Irish influence. It also has an extinct volcano which we will look at in due course. Simple but friendly and adequate caravan park at $29 per powered site with pleasant manager Bob.
The following walk to town was marred only by the fact that it drizzled, from the time we arrived at the park till a few hours after we got back to the van. So picture the following with rain coats with hoods and umbrellas.
Just an eight minute walk to town past the local bowls club and a series of small and very unique character houses that my imagination had picturing a whee Irishman on the verandah smoking a pipe and bidding, ‘Top o’ da morninin’ to ya!’ as you pass.
My imagination gone flying off on a tangent again. Note my pipe research. Upper left is the Half Bent Dublin which fits by title but I imagined one a little more like The Full Bent Billiard lower right.
N.B. It is supposed to be that the correct reply to ‘Top o’ da morning to ya!’ is ‘And da rest o’ da day to ya self!’
Continuing, it just happens that this road ends on a T junction with an IRISH pub on the corner by the name of Mickey Bourkes. Yes of course, it has Guinness on tap, AND Guinness and beef pies AND Irish stew. Two Irish stews, a pint for him and a half for her and all of a sudden things are looking up.
A glass of Tullamore Dew to finish the meal. In fact it’s Tullamore D.E.W. Manufacturer D. E. Williams.
A careful viewing of the decor sporting a measured amount of orange, white and green, a walk up the main street which was quiet, a visit to the bakery and a stroll back to the van past the bowlers who appeared almost totally oblivious of the drizzle, and the day was completed. Heater on, a little doze, a hot shower, some TV (The Guns of Navarone and The Martian, a glass of red, a glass of port then to bed and dreams of leprechauns and pots of gold. Not really it was more what we were going to do tomorrow and the Coonawarra wine district coming up. Now that’s something to dream about. Pots of gold? That’s dribble.
Our second day in the big W and most of the morning was maintenance. Washing, fit gas bottle to van, re-stick the insulation on the side windows of the tub of the car, (they fell off. Answer? Better tape), stow away gear that has been pulled out .. Oh! .. AND got the satellite dish to work again.
Booked a few nights in the next stop at Koroit which is near a dead volcano and also has a very Irish influence. That is Koroit. Not the volcano. Took a few photos of the park due to some features such as indoor pool, then off to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime museum. By the way the park is a Big 4 Figtree Park in Lava Street.
The Maritime museum is nothing short of spectacular. Splitting it into five sections, each one is very rewarding.
The first is a walk through audio and slide show displaying recovered items and artifacts from the many wrecks which occurred along this treacherous strip of coast line. It included stories of individuals both saved and lost.
Second was the town itself with cobbled streets and intricate presentation of period goods and examples of life style of those days. This included tea rooms open to the visitors. It shuts at 2pm. Keep it in mind. We didn’t.
Third was still part of the town only by the water side. Read about the amazing rescue boat designed and built over a hundred years ago, yet very sophisticated for its time.
Fourth the Garrison, installed particularly for the Russian threat perceived back then, but never happened.
Fifth, the light houses and associated two family accommodation for the light keeper and his assistant.
A fabulous place. For anyone who happens to be in Timor Leste (East Timor), at the bottom I have included a street sign rather unusual for its location and if you can read it, a statement suggesting the early arrival of a Portuguese fleet in the 1500’s. Sounds quite credible.
Panmure was named after Lord Panmure, English Secretary for War in 1855
Warrnambool originates from the local Indigenous Australian name for a nearby volcanic cone. It is interpreted to mean many things including land between two rivers, two swamps or ample water.
Another speedy getaway at about 11.30am after the usual, ‘get up when the body finally agrees to.’ The usual packing then off to Warrnambool Figtree caravan park. A walk around reveals a very well set up public section with kitchen AND a fully enclosed inside swimming pool at 30 degrees and a spa at 35 degrees but $1 for 15 minutes a la bubble.
By the way, more ‘negotiating’ with the car insurance mob. I do hate this. have to pay extra to have an agreed price. Paid $32,000 a year ago. They had put the market value down at $26,000 INCLUDING accessories. Some were on the car but around $5000 were not. So my argument was If I total the car, you pay me out at $26,000. I buy the accessories I had for $10,000 and that leaves me $16,000 to buy the base car. The argument of course is the accessories that were on the car when I bought it had been depreciated. That’s fine, except the accessories would most likely not be available from wreckers and I would have to buy new. Anyway, agreed to $40,000. $30,000 for car and $10,000 accessories.
Filled up gas bottle at BCF, (2nd for the trip so averaging one per two months), got some cloth tape from Bunnings, some shopping and a tour around town before returning to meet up with yesterdays new friends we met in Panmure, Cath and John. Two beers and back for steak and three veg, television and bed. My. What a speedy and dynamic lifestyle we enjoy. Joking. Quiet and ‘nothing’ can be very good!
Windy and wet. How to kill a day. So another day of pottering around. (Now there’s an old term. ‘pottering’) Spent a lot of time in the van hunting for insurers. Van insurance due on the 15th and car ten days later. emails and phone calls. Oh I do love sorting out this stuff, like a hole in the head. Nothing is equal. While money is a guiding light, other issues confuse. That is to say, a cheaper car policy will not insure the car fridge and generator in the back of the car etc etc etc. Mean time, the crowd are changing. The backpackers are moving out and vans are coming in.
Knock on the door. The last of the back packers can’t get their car started. It runs on petrol AND gas. They are supposed to change back to petrol before they switch off, but they didn’t. Two sayings I try to follow but they contradict. Firstly, ‘Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.’ However secondly, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ The second one won. Jumper leads and ten minutes of cranking from our car and they were off in a cloud of mud and smoke.
N.B. Origin of the second saying: A command based on words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”
Met some nice fellow full time caravanners and met for beer o’clock outside their van. Trevor and Linda. Very civilized.
Farewell to Trevor and Linda the next morning and the crowd is thinning out again. See video below.
More nice people Cath and John roll in and we welcome them as the now long termers which is a unique situation given that we are supposed to limit the stay to twenty four hours and we are looking at out third night. Having not moved further than the toilet block, we decide on a walk and find the swimming hole others have mentioned. Nice spot.
Cath and John are going to the Panmure pub, now open, and we join them after a walk up the main street to take in the classic old country town houses and buildings. I couldn’t trespass but down the side of the general store, partly obscured sat an old vehicle that would have to be an original Torana. A rare commodity which brought back memories of the 70’s. So long ago.
Is that an original Torana? You judge.
The Panmure is a great pub steeped in history and chock a block full of memorabilia. The history part includes Cobb and Co and the memorabilia is due to Annie the co-owner. You name it and it was there, including a tea pot and cup collection.
Co-owner and collector Annie with Anne. (no ‘i’ in the second one. The section to the left with the three high windows, used to be open and was where the Cobb and Co coaches past through.
Co-owner Graeme. First off I thought his name was Peter Brock. Well that’s what was on his shirt.
Drinks and good pub meals and we are walking home, both content and cold. It was sunny when we went out in our T shirts. Never mind. Time to bed for our third night which is our second ‘illegal night.’ Who says crime doesn’t pay?
All pre-departure chores were taken care of except we did it again. We didn’t start filling the tanks till 11.30am. So much for early starts. On final departure after a week here I finally noticed the trees along the foreshore. Refer to photo. Notice they are ALL leaning away from the lake. So given the severity of the lean, the fact that they are all leaning and the size of the trees, can we assume the blowing winds off the lake that we have seen for a week, are an in the face indicator of the prevailing winds.
How about what direction the prevailing winds are.
Then Colac and the usual hair pulling exercise of maneuvering a big van through a busy and large country town at lunch time. We spotted another van parked parallel with lots of space for us to park parallel behind. (Derrr! Of course we parked parallel. We are 14.3 metres long. So we’re going to angle park?)
Thanks to a thoughtful council, where we parked was in a zone marked ‘No Standing. Caravans excepted.’
Took a bag to end all bags across the park to a Laundromat and grabbed a pie for lunch during the wait.
Next car/van park was down a residential side street with a five minute walk to Woolies. Around $200 including liquid refreshments and we are almost there. Next stop before we leave Colac, the servo with a high volume pump area for the semi trailers … and us.
Anne spotted the TARDIS but we didn’t have time to take it for a spin.
Finally we are heading for the next stop which is Panmure. Yes. We had never heard of it either. Close to Warrnambool. The park is good with nice facilities except only 50 metres from the highway and runs lengthways parallel with the road.
Wow. Only about three caravans but LOTS of backpackers. Many small tents and I heard not one word of English. Which is good of course. Nice to know with all our problems, tourists are still coming.
In a stunning statement, Anne announces we should walk up the hill just a five minute saunter to the local pub and have a drink. (or two). I AGREE and off we go. Now it is only fair to think in a small town with business a bit slow, the local pub may close for a day. Now …. on this the first day in say three months that Anne insists on us going to the pub, guess what day it’s closed!
The pub with no beer? Well, if it’s shut it might as well not have any.
On our ‘dry’ walk back, we, for the second time today, check out the local war memorial. All very moving to consider all these young people really didn’t get a real chance at life. Every now and then you get an eye opener or two. Read below of Sister Mona Wilton and in particular, the amazing Paul McGuinness. It’s what movies are made of.
Light horse, Lawrence of Arabia (?) and QANTAS co founder? Wow.
For the first time in months, we sat outside the van for the evening meal of chilli con carne with rice and corn chips, had a light drink session of just two, hardly worth mentioning and went early to bed, to be gently rocked into dreamland by the dolcet tones of the twin trailer freight trucks trundling past just fifty metres away. Sweet dreams.
Still, blowing/windy and cloudy. A very much stay inside day. We have decided to move on. We need a Laundromat for the mountain of things to wash. The pantry has to be restocked and the wine is running out. All valid reasons for leaving. So tomorrow/Monday morning we will depart. So today is leisure. The book I started a couple of years ago and only did about sixty pages came to a halt because it was not in order. That is it started as just memories as they popped up and in no particular order.
So today I started organizing the stories chronologically. I say, ‘start’ because it will take a while. There are already about seventy stories. Also, I had to go almost entirely by memory up to about August 2002. I then bought a digital camera. So there after I can look at old photos as reminders of memories. However, that takes some work as well. There are literally thousands and thousands of photos. Anyway, I got a start today.
The water is getting low as well, so by pulling out tomorrow, we can drive past the tap and fill the tanks by hose instead of the relay race with our two water cans. We will fill them as it is almost certain our next destination will be free camp again.
Last, end of day mini chore. Anne grabbed my camera for the sunset, or just past more accurately. Some are better than others but it is still a joy to see the sunset. Probably it’s more a joy to still be here to see it.
Sorry forgot to give origin of town names. It is thought that the name ‘Colac’ was derived from an Aboriginal word meaning sand or fresh water, a reference to the lake.
In the early 1850s Meredith was situated where some local roads intersected at Coolebarghurk Creek, and Watson’s Golden Fleece Hotel was opened. A town survey was made in 1851-52, and the name was apparently given in honour of Captain Charles Meredith, at one time a police magistrate at Port Sorrell, Tasmania, and husband of Louisa Ann Meredith, writer and artist.
Blowing quite strong. Something not sitting well inside the bod. Lunch was clearing out old stock. Open hamburgers with our final two from either Woolies or Coles a ‘while’ ago but continually frozen so OK. Less well after lunch so a lie down. Still crook so one scrambled egg by it self only for dinner. Almost not worth bothering. NO ALCOHOL and an early night. Someone alert the media. Next day, still crook. Another sleep mid morning then much better. Repaired rest of the day so well I was back to talking to anyone who would listen. Complimented a family on their big tent only to be told it had blown down twice. See. Told you it was windy. Around 5.30pm, I started to think of processed grape juice. More expensive that Nippy’s but worth the extra. A dark, Dark night and a movie in bed.
Moon is almost full but it is so overcast, without the caravan light, visibility would be just short of zero.
Quiet-ish Day. On computer a lot catching up with contact etc. Forced against my will to go for a walk, so went the other direction and found a local chap cutting and trimming the hedge to end all hedges, a few other relics, details on a skink, more caravanners with more caravan info. There’s lots of info out there.
Look for the head of the man trimming bit to the right of middle with tree in background. He is on a ladder and has to shift it. That is a one week job. We mustn’t be that far from Kelly country. There was a time when this worked. We didn’t see one. Not one.
Another walk in the other direction we have already seen, but saw more of. That is more bird life, more trees, more rocks. Talked to another neighbor and went back at 5pm for a couple of beers with him. Worthwhile day. Some ‘hoons’ at night. One can only hope they run into the lake in their car and … die perhaps?
Yet more birds More trees So what happened to this one? no other trees burnt. Lightening? See? All by itself and just the one branch. Bit of a mystery sunset. Haze or smoke or …?
Second day here and the wind has died right down. This is a nice place. We hadn’t planned for a long, free camp so we only had the water tanks half full which is OK for a couple of days anyway. But we have now come to appreciate what a top spot it is without the wind.
Nice place, when the wind is not blowing. Free camping with good toilets.
As I said previously excellent toilets. Non campers will not appreciate the comment but these are a long way from ‘long drop’ which is usual par for the course at free camping grounds. This is camping ‘luxury’.
We have a twenty litre and a ten litre jerry can for water so we take half and hour or so for a relay race (more a saunter) to and from the water tap and fill up the tanks.
Odds and ends. Small jobs including coffee and cake off the tailgate and two stools. Afternoon was a larger job about two to three hours making the rear camera bracket I mentioned previously. Now ready but untested.
A short walk reveals a picturesque environment.
Lots of rock that Anne believes is volcanic and used the word Basalt. I googled volcanic rock and read up on it. Basically most volcanic rock is Basalt, Andesite or Rhyolite All the dirt around is very dark/black. All very unique and interesting.
The walk also reveals that just twenty metres away, we are at the end of a runway. I don’t think we will have any problems. right on the end are high voltage power lines. No planes are going to be swooping on us.
The bird life around the lake is plentiful and we get sheep quite close to the fence ten metres away, but not that close. It’s electrified.
Late in the day the moon was light and bright in the day light. The camera doesn’t do it justice but you get an idea.
The moon is a dot in the photo but appeared much bigger to the eye.
Sunset and another very nice day in pseudo paradise.
Slow, drizzle all day so small odd jobs and a sort of lazy day. Sort of. Anne can’t stay still so she cleaned the car in the rain, (it was really dusty) and generally pottered around.
Extended another day (Sunday) because it was very windy and not good towing weather. More small jobs. Late, visit to the supermarket then off to the handymans fairyland, ‘Bunnings.’ I need a few bits to utilise the plug on the back of the car for the caravan rear view camera.
When we tow the van, we can see behind with the camera on the back of the van and a monitor on the dash. When not connected, there is no rear view.With the canopy on the back AND the gear we carry AND the tint on rear window AND the insulation on the canopy windows to help keep the car fridge cool, there is no rear view except for the side mirrors which do not show directly behind the car.
So I bought a small camera to put on the back of the car when there is no van on. It will plug into the plug on the back of the car were we would normally plug the van camera in. Another little job to do, cutting and screwing/assembling the bits from Bunnings to hold the camera. By the way, we didn’t get there till 4pm. We got the second and third to last sausages of the sizzle. A chap 2 minutes behind got the last one. They had already sent the cash box off so we were offered them for free. We made a donation instead. It went in a separate box with I think a chocolate bar on the side. Come to think of it, I wonder what we donated to?
Rested after and slept well. Next day it was hitch up and move on. Ten minutes on the side of the road and a phone call to the travel oracle, PCM, for some advice. Roger S was also there so we got two heads for the price of one.
Headed for Colac, but pulled over to make a coffee and take in the scenery which happened to be the Barwon Prison. How picturesque.
Some scenery including silo art.
For a short time things got very claustrophobic surrounded by three trucks. At one stage, one in front one on the side and one behind. Felt like we were in a tunnel. On purpose? No. Just a touch of paranoia.
Found a small IGA in Colac that had frozen hash browns BUT NO Jaffa’s. We have a new found love for this very old confectionery. I/we/everyone used to roll them down the isles at the movies when we were kids. What a waste. Talked with an American couple in the line confirming that A … they were from North Carolina and B … the wife was born in South Carolina, C … Both of the Carolina’s are definitely below the Mason-Dixon line, D… there were different views and attitudes regarding the southern ‘confederate’ flag and E …they can’t buy frozen items because they are in a hire car with no fridge/freezer. All superfluous info but I hate just standing in lines aimlessly.
Wikicamps told us the Meredith Park Campground a bit outside Colac was free camping, had toilets and water and was on the lake. No dump point. Not a perfect world but that will do us.
On arrival, lots of space, perhaps ten to fifteen vans spread well out and it was blowing a gale immediately reminding us of Lake Boga and our fridge problem running on gas, or not running on gas I should say. We had some problems but knowledge is power as we remembered steps to take from Lake Boga and got it to run fine (eventually).
Show grounds pump out has $2 charge, but that’s OK.
The toilets are good and several of them. So the wind is subsiding a little, we have the lake about eighty metres to the right and a field with dairy cows and sheep on the left. The TV tuned well so it was a movie with our meat (chops and sausages) and three veg. Conditions and relaxed mental status promise a good sleep. Until the morrow.
Bacchus Marsh was named after one of its original inhabitants, Captain William Henry Bacchus, who saw the great value of this locality as it was situated on two rivers — the Lerderderg and Werribee.
Located between Melbourne and the central goldfields Diggers Rest was named as a rest spot where gold diggers could stop for a drink or to sleep. … It’s believed the shanty was then upgraded to the Diggers Rest Hotel which was built in 1854.
We arrived late yesterday after negotiating some serious traffic and freeways. I don’t know how semi drivers do it. We are 14.3 metres long and it is an omnipresent attention grabber. That is we arrived at Bacchus March Caravan Park. Nice enough park with pristine conveniences but the ‘cutest’ LITTLE tracks meandering through the park. Nice for a walk. Not so nice to drive with a big van. That OK. We just needed the neighbor to move his car and I got in the park bay without killing anyone.
Narrow tracks, for me anyway.
Next day (Friday) was an absolute stinker. Overcast, windy, dusty and well over forty degrees. We stayed in the air conditioning, did a load of washing which was dry five minutes after going on the line.
Dust/ Mud on everything.
We had come this way to rendezvous with John Lopes and wife Rachel. (sorry if I got the spelling wrong Rachel. I forgot to ask.) John is eldest son of Lino, well known and respected East Timorese identity who unfortunately now passed from us.
We of course know John from our time in Timor Leste (East Timor). John and family are now based just west of Melbourne and through hard work and business prowess have created a successful business and family lifestyle.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAUnusual plastic dome accommodation installed for wedding guests who decide they do NOT want to drive home.
Meeting place was Russo Estate at Diggers Rest, well off the main road and a brilliant venue. Excellent food and wine created the perfect environment for catching up, laughing, talking old times and running through the new ones.
The ‘Better Halves’
Ironically, after all that time in Dili with dodgy power, Rachel and John were phoned and told the power was off at home. That sort of helped with the old memories. (sort of.)
A perfect night that went way too quickly. I do like ‘the grape’ but we were so engrossed with the conversation, at the end of the night I blew ‘zero’ in my mobile breathalyzer. Another first!
We ‘early to bed’ caravanners drove home in the dark for the first time since we hit the road over three months ago. There you are. Another first. Two in one night!
A great night and a memorable catch up. Thanks Rachel and John. Again soon.
Craigieburn means ‘rocky creek’ coming from the Gaelic ‘creige’ meaning crag, rock of cliff and ‘burn’ meaning water but generally referring to a creek and was very aptly named. The settlement that developed around this area is now an ever expanding residential area.
The Campbellfield family name was found in Scotland in 1871. In 1871 there was 1 Campbellfield family living in Midlothian. This was 100% of all the recorded Campbellfield’s in Scotland. Midlothian had the highest population of Campbellfield families in 1871.
We spent an exclusive and quiet night on the street out the back of Supreme Caravans at Craigieburn. Anyone who has free camped in rural Australia knows that when there are no other vans with a view of a certain aspect or side of your van and there is a grassy patch, then this presents an opportunity to reduce the amount of liquid that would normally collect in your toilet cassette. Such is the way of free camping. However even though it was quite dark in the street and there was not a soul in sight and there was a very convenient grassy verge adjacent the caravan, I decided not to utilize the verge. This was for three reasons. Firstly, it is in a built up area even though it is deserted and has grass. Secondly, I should be more mature at my age and not act so frivolously and thirdly, I remembered they said they had night vision security cameras around the perimeter. I have no plans to start a movie career and even if I did, it was not how I saw my debut.
Miracle of miracles. We made it to Campbellfield for work to be done on the van by the what seemed almost impossible time of 7am. We left it with things being pulled off and put on, then adjourned to Epping shopping centre for breakfast. I thought this shopping centre isn’t very popular and most of the shops were shut. Then the penny dropped. It was still before 8am. This time has meant nothing to us for the last three months or so.
We found a good coffee shop with only two other early birds. No THREE early birds including this cheeky little chappy.
Back to the workshop and they still had a way to go. We suddenly had a thought. We had spotted some slightly newer vans with flip up seat extensions so you can sit lengthwise and flick the extension up to support your legs, like laying on a lounge. They didn’t have any but offered to get some made and ship them to us as each extension was only four screws and it was a handyman job.
We pondered this and killed time by going back to Craigieburn for a few spare parts. We mentioned the extensions and as luck would have it, they had two. Purchased and back to the van.
When the smoke cleared, we had not only ALL the minor corrections done, they helped us put in an insurance claim for a small dent so we wouldn’t have to pay them to fix it and fitted the seat extensions. We had a service done there, right at the manufacturers.
I have to say, at both Supreme branches ALL employees were courteous, helpful and friendly and ALL work was very reasonably priced. Special mentions to Danny, Lachlan and David.
Lachlan featured.
I have been disappointed by the standard of service providers in the past. I have to say, IF you are thinking of buying a van, I would look seriously at Supreme first up, because they are very good vans but the after sale service in Melbourne is I think second to none. It was a pleasure dealing with them.
Off to Bacchus Marsh and the very narrow tracks therein.
At the crack of dawn, or 6am really, we were up and bustling around finalizing the fridges, realizing we didn’t have enough space so resorting to putting chilled food into the esky with a tray of ice cubes and hoping for the best.
We arrived at Supreme Caravans at the prescribed time and welcomed politely but a little vague. Turns out change of staff had resulted in our appointment not being recorded. However we were looked after and phone calls were made AND arrangements were made.
The van still in there yard was plugged into 240 volts as the thermometer started cooking. At the end of the day, we were booked into the Campbellfield branch with serious work crews do all required within a working day.
We looked for a caravan park but were assured most people / caravanners were quite OK free camping in the street out the front of the factory.
We decided on this alternative and in a very nice gesture, the boys at Supreme threw a lead through the slotted fence for 240 volt and pointed out the easily reached tap if we wanted tap water. So now we sit in the van having free camp showered from the water tanks and wait patiently for the van fridge to get down to suitable temp so we can bring the food and drinks in from the car fridge.
Notice complimentary 240 volt power lead across the footpath.
Ahhh! If only my mother was still here. She would be so proud of me sleeping in a caravan in the street of an industrial zone.
Now the following may be a little hard to understand. After this mornings posting we packed up and went. However, not without ritual, including a visit to the bathroom. Now … while in East Timor we came across a brochure from Bali which stated, ‘You know you have been in Asia too long when …’ Then it went on to list approx. thirty different practices or exercises. One was, ‘You know you you have been is Asia too long when … You can shake your hands almost perfectly dry before you wipe them on your pants.’ I had never been in the situation to test this until we went to Bunyip. The ablutions block did not have a porcelain hand basin as most do but a STAINLESS STEEL very thin shell like one. Hence, when you shake your hands over it, you can HEAR the water from your hands hit the basin each time you flick. Bottom line, … every time I flicked, I could hear the water from my hands hit the sink, though diminishing with every flick. . Second bottom line? Thirty times to clear all water. Stretch it? Between 28 and 33 flicks. This was science at work. Of course the humidity (or Dew Point I think it’s called) and strength of flick comes into it but as a rule of thumb without scientific supervision, it comes up to scratch. I will make no attempt (other than this blog) to publish my findings. Hand basin below.
Someone asked, how long were you in Bunyip. Refer to the grass patch we left. I would say about eight inches in the old language. See patch.
We made a point of catching up with Anne’s cousin Noell on the way through in Dandenong. At short notice it was a short meeting of fifty five minutes at the local café during her lunch time but a nice and bonding meeting. Good to know the whole family is basically nice.
On to Kilmore and on arrival frantic moving of cold fridge type food and frozen to the car fridge for tomorrows Supreme experience. I rest after the only cold beer I had after removing liquids from the car fridge for food. I know it’s the right thing to do but …
The pending small Fair in the park was an anti-climax. Well it wasn’t even that. They (the council) cancelled it because they did not want it to conflict with Australia Day. All that was left on the spot was the coffee truck already to go, in the right spot but closed up and deserted. Now these people have the right idea. They have an ‘on the road’ income. It all folds out to a mini coffee shop, self contained with two poster coffee machine, one thousand litre water tank, seven kva generator and everything else to produce the magic, brown elixir that wakes the un-wakeable, heals wounds, restores faith in the world, and makes life tolerable. They pull a nice big van with it and the world (or this part of it) is their oyster.
So we held our own Australia Day breakfast with new flag recently purchased, and celebrated with a walk around the park.
Came across another memorial clearly showing that life can be brutally unfair. Five young sportsmen from here lost their lives in an air disaster at Daly Waters in December 1967. No specific details but the result is sobering enough.
Another Beer o’clock and the next day, we say ‘safe travelling to two sets of new found friends. First Reiner and Karen in their big rig that makes our big van look like it should have training wheels on the sides.
Second, Michael and Mia in their brilliantly appointed party bus. Term used because, while it is accommodation, Michael also has an on road business called ‘Funky Entertainment’ including DJ, PO hire, lighting, event hire night club and all at a budget price. Contact The Rustic Way, if you are interested.
It was calm enough so we got out the drone to ‘scope’ the park as the crowd had now seriously cleared out. See photo.
Note the brown patch at left where Reiner and Karens big fifth wheeler had been. Caretaker Steve gave it a hair cut minutes after departure. Also first time I had a good look at the top of the van. Not much space left.
The youthful magpie had not gone anywhere. Mum had kicked him out and refused to feed him anymore, but followed him around observing his movements. He’ll survive. He’s got more front than Buckingham Palace when it comes to fronting up to demand food.
We had our last beer o’clock in a dramatically reduced, yet still happy circle yesterday evening. So here I sit at 8.50am Victoria time (or technically Australian eastern summer time I think) about to breakfast, then pack up, hook up and depart after this very pleasant two weeks or so in the place no one I spoke to in South Australia had ever heard of. Put it on your list. It’s a nice spot.
Now off in about two hours to Kilmore. About two hours away and 30 minutes north of Craigieburn, which is where Supreme Caravans is going to fix all the little pre warranty expire annoyances so the van will be perfect. Famous last words?
Previously the locality was known at Mount Ararat but when a railway station was established in 1881, it was named Nar Nar Goon, supposedly an Aboriginal expression meaning native bear.
Garfield. The area was originally called Cannibal Creek, but was renamed to Garfield in memory of the U.S. President James A. … The Post Office opened as Cannibal Creek on 1 May 1886 and was renamed Garfield in 1887. N.B. President Garfield was the 20th President and was assassinated just under four months into his term.
First time in around two weeks we have unhitched the car. So we decided to have a short trip up the road to check out the environs.
We just had to have a look at a place with a name like Na Na Goon. Nice little (quiet) town, obviously town proud as most country towns are. Murals on many public walls, quite spiffy buildings including a takeaway shop where I purchased a totally un needed battered hotdog and chips. I only had lunch 30 minutes ago but it was small.
On a sad note, we came across a plaque noting a local young guy who lost his life in the Ash Wednesday fires. If you crunch the numbers, he was 37 when he died in 1983. Had he lived he would be in his low seventies now. I guess that is an accurate description of ‘loss of life.’ How sad.
We also found a ‘Collectables and Antiques’ shop run by a pleasant, outgoing chap of British origin by the name of Michael who took the time to chat with us. After perhaps an hour and a half we had not only viewed all the goodies in the shop but also covered politics, religion, the meaning of life and cures for diseases that haven’t even been discovered yet. The place was a treasure trove of all sorts with guitars and guitars and more guitars, maybe the biggest LP collection in the southern hemisphere (around 1000 I think he said) and furniture. Some schmick and some not so. It was a pleasant visit and had we not been in the van with a weight and space problem, we would have walked out with at least one guitar and other conversation pieces. Don’t miss a visit if you happen past Na Na Goon. Info included within.
Smooth talking Michael entices Anne into his shop with colorful shade. Part of the LP record collection. Guitars … guitars … and … …more guitars! Shop details
Returned via Garfield and pulled up for a look at an old Picture Theatre, shutters down but producing noise. Long story short an attendant let us in the side for a sneek look at the band (all old stuff!) practicing for that nights performance. We toyed with the idea of attending but van life induces early home living and we would have been out after dark. Ha! Gone the full circle from childhood.
Lovely old theatre Band practice
Stopped at the Bunyip IGA for a box of beer and had a bonus in the car park. A young guy had his very much scrubbed up 1966 HR Holden in the car park and it ended up a nostalgic Holden discussion between him, me and a nice eighty year old lady who said she had both an FE and FC tucked away.
Ahhh! Nostalgia. 1966 HR Holden.
By the time we got back to the park, it was already twenty minutes past beer o’clock and we joined in at one round behind. A big day.
Yes. We are still in Bunyip. We cannot get into Supreme Caravans till 29th and Bunyip is a pleasant place to wait. Nice people, lay back and a short, up hill walk to the shops. One thing we have picked up by staying with Rick and Diane in Loxton is the exercise of morning and afternoon tea. Although the term ‘exercise’ is probably as far from an accurate description as you can get.
Morning tea is mainly coffee (and something solid) as opposed to the Earl Grey tea at breakfast. Afternoon tea has evolved and is currently crusty bread with olive oil and Dakkah to dip. Dakkah is a new word for me and had to be googled. Hazelnuts, sesame seeds and spices including cumin, coriander seed, pepper and salt. Crushed. Take a small piece of bread, dip in olive oil then in the Dakkah. Then gob it. I have attributed this new nibbly to promoting inner health. That is to say, we now lead quite sedentary lives and I think the oil ‘keeps the pumps going.’ Also, we need to use more olive oil. We visited a riverland outlet growing olives and producing oil. We tasted the range of oils and in an enthusiastic gesture of support for the outlet, Anne bought a two litre cask of her choice of the tasters, totally ignoring the fact we already had two bottles of the very tasty but plentiful internal lubricant.
Now this the morning of the 23rd of January, we wake to a cool morning, drizzling rain and the terrible news that Monty Pythons Terry Jones has passed away. Another great man who brought humor and belly laughs to so many has been taken from us. However, thanks to recordings, we can still share some of the magic moments he gave us . Very sad. I readily quote Monty Python much to others annoyance. On that note, Terry had many memorable lines but perhaps the most commonly known is from Monty Pythons The Life of Brian. And I quote, “He’s not the messiah. He’s a very naughty boy!” Goodbye Terry and thank you.
“Now, you listen here! He’s not the Messiah. He’s a very naughty boy!” PHOTO: Terry Jones, right, as Mandy in Life of Brian with the late Graham Chapman. (Supplied: IMDB)
On that note, feeling relatively content in semi retirement and currently wandering our land, every now and then, as in this case of Terry’s passing, I am reminded of the down side of our stage of life. Anyone can die at any age and we are all on borrowed time. You never know what’s around the corner. However, the older we get the more likely it is going to be sooner rather than later. Hardly a mind boggling break through in concept I know. However, now the thought is omni-present. That’s the status quo and nothing can be done, except perhaps, never miss a sunset or a chance to have a laugh.
That Dead Poets Society film scene has been referred to so often, but it is still so pertinent. Carpe Diem. ‘Seize The Day.’
On that note, I spent a little time with some annoying neighbours. Magpies, or scientific name … Gymnorhina tibicen The Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. Although once considered to be three separate species, it is now considered to be one, with nine recognised subspecies.
They are also know by their unofficial scientific name, ‘Tedious Beggarium’. N.B. That name is not commonly known. It comes from The Rustic Way dictionary and not available in hard copy. Infact that currently is the only word in it.
If they had taken the time to learn English, I may have been more accommodating.
The town of Warragul is named after an Aboriginal word (either Woiwurrung or Gunai/Kurnai based on location) meaning “wild dog”.
The bunyip is a large mythical creature from Australian Aboriginal mythology, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes. … The origin of the word bunyip has been traced to the Wemba-Wemba or Wergaia language of the Aboriginal people of Victoria, in South-Eastern Australia. First reported: Early 1800s Country: Australia Region: Throughout Australia.
Next day it was hitch up and move on, via the super market for stock up and tracked down a Telstra shop for our monthly explanation of the phone bill that was supposed to be a flat $100 for two but always seemed to have a $41 second account just to complicate the arrangement specifically designed to be very simple. Now to Warragul … or somewhere that direction. The trip took us past a sign to ‘Bunyip’. We made the call and was told by a very nice lady, $15 per site and $20 with power adding that it was a very small park and we should book. So we did but proceeded in to Warragul as by then we were half way there anyway. Warragul was a pleasant country town that helped us further hate Ethel the GPS. Hateful bloody thing. Led us down a dead end track with extremely limited backing or turn around, falsely proclaiming it was the way out of town. We lobbed at Bunyip and were so glad we did.
The town was up the hill from the sporting complex with all sorts of ovals and courts. However the part we were particularly interested in was an extremely large very green area with a toilet block and a collection of caravans including some serious five wheelers one of which had a couple sitting under the awning with a handmade sign declaring ‘Caretaker.’
Click this link above to see drone video of park.
Steve and Di took the prescribed fee and showed us to a pleasant location. Power but no water, however if we had to fill our tanks, they had a hose long enough. That evening we were invited to ‘Beer O’clock’ which was 5pm at the Caretaker van and it was further qualified by a participant that it also happened to be ‘Wine O’clock.’ Next day, a van at the core vacated and we were invited to upgrade to a water site which we happily did. I asked (at 3.30pm) when can we move? Di said ‘Now before it rains’ and sure enough half an hour later it got cool and rained, so washing out that afternoons ‘Beer O’clock.
Our once large 20ft van on right (grey) dwarfed by the collection of five wheeler vans around us.
Taken from half way up to the town. Our van and white car centre top.
Made for a lazy day though, which is what we needed. We both had wicked coughs and Anne was worse with head ache etc. However we extended another two days. The following day (Saturday 11th) it rained but fined up a little. Another lazy day and good for licking our wounds and feeling sorry for ourselves. Came Beer O’clock I managed to join in the camaraderie for just one glass of wine then back to our mobile box home. We should have called the next day, sleep in Sunday except I got up at 5am to attempt to finally bring this BLOG up to date. So as Anne dozes I sit here at 3.36pm on Sunday 12th January finally having caught up and now wondering how I am going to load three months of blog onto the site. Leave it with me. I will follow on.
We have extended on every two days for several reasons. Firstly we are waiting for Supreme Caravans to open so we can get some end of warranty odds and ends fixed. They are not available for a little while yet. So the second reason is, it is good here. Nice town and the daily fee is only $20 for flushing toilet and power. So up to today, 20th, we have pottered around eating, the odd drink (or two) (or three), a little maintenance, a few beer o’clocks’ and walks up the hill to restock. The weather has been up and down like the proverbial. Awning out, awning in. We have also re-discovered the most dangerous facility in the rural community. The ‘country bakery.’ Bunyips bakery makes a particularly dangerous item, the FRENCH vanilla slice. Two variations on a standard slice. It is twice as high/thick and they put lots more cream in the custard. I can fight the urge but my spouse has given herself to this evil consumable.
Also a walk around town reveals a great little town on a hill with lots of interesting nooks and crannies.
Early or late Christmas. This chap had parked his 1961 EK Holden Ute out the front of the reserve for passing potential buyers. Looks well looked after. It is not totally original. Has some good modifications if you read the sign above. I don’t think they came out with 186 engines. Has put mag wheels on it and looks a little lowered. I have no idea what it is worth but he is asking $30,000. Maybe he does know what it’s worth. Anyway, for collectors out there, his contact details are on the sign.
The area was first occupied for farming in the 1850s and was originally named after a property, “Clayton Vale”, owned by lawyer John Hughes Clayton in the 1860s. A township was originally gazetted on Dandenong Road and in 1862 a primary school was opened at the corner of Dandenong Road and Clayton Road, to serve the whole of the Clayton district. This school changed its name to Clayton North Primary School in 1954.
In 1837 a small settlement on the banks of the Yarra River in Australia needed a name. Queen Victoria, after whom the State of Victoria is named, decided that it would be named Melbourne. This was as an honour for the 2nd Viscount Melbourne, British Prime Minister and the political mentor to the young Queen.
By the way, did I mention we were heading to Melbourne (Clayton South) due to a problem with our new car fridge. I will have to say Eva Cool were so good. I explained it was only four months old and was good except it ‘played up’ when it got too hot. There was a little discussion then a simple, ‘Bring it in and we will give you a new one.’ So about 45 minutes from Clayton South I noticed a ‘different’ sound coming from under the bonnet. Not a worrying sound. Sort of like wind. Thought little of it until we were almost to destination then a dashboard light came on. It was the same one that came on the day we left Adelaide 8th October. Something about the drive line or power train. Last time it was a hole in the rubber pipe for the turbo. The symptoms back then was loss of power and blowing smoke. This time I noticed loss of power but no smoke. We soldiered on. On arrival we meet nice guy Ian who, true to his word, gives us a new fridge.
This later version of fridge is with Anderson plugs and larger wires. N.B. it was suggested voltage drop may be a contributing factor and bigger wires and better contact would alleviate that. So fridge covered, we await the RACV guy. Guess what he finds? ANOTHER hole in a different plastic turbo pipe. A ring around and we find a part but no one to fit it. Obviously we need a Caravan Park. There is only one close and it is full, until I explain our predicament and this fine chap (Mal I think) managed to squeeze us into a closed exit with another van on the edge of ‘extreme’ neighbour. One thing leads to another. Another adjacent neighbour ‘Rowen’ hears me chatting to MAl and knocks on the door brandishing a business card for Sri Luck Motor Mechanics whom he swears by. So testing the ‘swear’, we make a booking and in the morning we unhitch and go pick up the part ($206.60) then on to Sri Luck in the hope of getting some. Good Luck that is.
The ‘naughty’ car part. To explain, this hole isn’t supposed to be there.
Turns out it is a Sri Lankan mechanic. He did a good job ($120.00) and we are given a very large booklet about 8mm thick A4 size, displaying any and every service imaginable all of which were Sri Lankan. Support your mates I guess. Anyway we refuelled, bought insulation for the tub of the car to further aid the car fridge and that was a day well spent.
The township then known as Muddy Creek developed as a service to the squatters and settlers of the district and as gold was discovered in Victoria in 1851 and the search for more gold swung north-east, the town found itself as a natural stopping place. … It was also at this time that the town’s name changed from Muddy Creek to Yea. The Surveyor General of Victoria at that time had been in Colonel Yea’s regiment and ordered that a town in Victoria be named after him – and that is how we became known as Yea. (N.B. Lacy Walter Giles Yea (20 May 1808 – 18 June 1855) was a British Army Colonel, known for his role in the Crimean War, where he was killed in action.) (Yes. I guess we were a little subject to the British whim back in those days.)
Wikicamps suggested and the local information office said there were pubs with camping but not official. We went direct and two Pubs were happy for us to park out the back.
We chose one and had a meal and a couple of drinks to do the right thing. There was also a wetland and a tunnel but it rained for our two days so we walked around town a bit from our ‘out the back of the pub’ location then made a half hearted promise to come back to the tunnel and departed.
Nice town and the first time I/we had camped at a pub.
Seymour Name Meaning. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Saint-Maur-des-Fossées in Seine, northern France, or possibly from Saint-Maur-sur-Loire in Touraine. Both places are named from the dedication of the church there to St. Maur. (There you go. A bit of ‘Australiana?’)
We should have stayed in Shepparton. It was a bad drive, stinking hot with a screaming side wind which made for a spectacular experience when a double trailer semi went past. By the time we got to the caravan park in Seymour we were grateful to be stationary. We took about 30 minutes to park in a tight location and the highlight of the experience is we parked next to a big off road van pulled by a RAM. I got to talk RAM’s to the owner who happened to be quite a good chap. He helped me get in the park spot. Of course nothing is simple. As we left the Park, there was a wobble and scrape when applying the brakes.
About an hour and a half later after a tour around town to try and repeat the condition, an RACV visit, a refuel and a few other need to do’s. we were on our way to Yea.
The name of Shepparton is derived from the surname of one of the area’s first European settlers, Sherbourne Sheppard, and not, as is sometimes imagined, from Shepperton, England.
Shepparton was a big town with Lots of interesting features but we did not do it justice and instead spent the entire time in the riverside park fascinated by the hoards of white galahs.
It was hot and smokey. in the departure morning we walked and found the river which was so very picturesque.
We should have stayed longer other than a trip to Target for a 2020 diary.
The Reverend Joseph Docker (1793 – 1865) started a farm called “Benalta” in 1838 The name came from the Taungurung Australian aboriginal word meaning “musk duck”. The name later changed to Benalla. … The town of Benalla was surveyed in 1846.
Glenrowan was named after farmers James and George Rowan who ran farms in the area between 1846 and 1858. … The town gives its name to the Glenrowan wine region which was formally defined in 2003, with the first grape vines planted in 1866.
We decided to move away from the bush fires and head west rather than east from Mansfield. It was a warm day and we wanted air conditioning so we called a caravan park in Benalla and were told spots were going fast so it would pay to book one. We drove past and booked a spot because the park was full of evacuators from the bush fires. We then took off to Glenrowan just up the road twenty minutes or so arriving mid afternoon looking for Ned Kelly history on top of what we had learnt in Beechworth.
We had the luck to happen into the Vintage Hall Cafe where owner Simon was a wealth of information and directed us to ALL the pertinent spots leading to Ned’s capture.
This is the spot where Ned Kelly removed railway line on the right side as the track curved left with a gully on the right. This is the site of Ann Jones Glenrowan Inn, which was the scene of the shoot out with the police. The sign on the right shows the Glenrowan Inn location and the shaded area in the foreground is the spot where the police took cover. This old photo shows the Inn burnt down with some gang members inside. They decided to die in the fire than surrender.
The finale of Neds capture was intricate and unique. His gang had shot three police at Stringy Bark Creek and so the authorities had, had enough. So they sent a train up to Beechworth from Melbourne to capture him. It included twenty police, about five or six journos and women accompanying. Ned found out they were coming and launched a BIG plan. The train had to go through Glenrowan to get to Beechworth. His plan was based in Glenrowan as the police would not be expecting anything as they passed through.
A photo I included showing scrub just past the town. It was the spot where the gang pulled up the rails on a bend with a gorge to the right of the bend. The train would derail and roll down the gorge. He had the armour made for he and his men only for that occasion. The idea was, after the train rolled down, the gang would front with armour so making them invincible and just shoot the lot of them trying to get out of the wreck. So as there was to be no warning as the train went past Glenrowan, the gang herded up the town and took them to The Glenrowan Inn, in town owned by Ann Jones.
Long story short and cutting out details, someone (I think the bank man or teacher who convinced the gang he could get more sympathisers and he was let go to do so) then halted the train before it got to town and told the police what was going on. The train did not arrive and go pass town on time, so the gang and towns people partied in the hotel while waiting.
The police hid in a gully across the road from Ann Jones and eventually, there was a shoot out. The hostages were eventually released and Ned made it about 50 metres from the hotel after the police torched it.
Some of the gang stayed in the hotel and died. This is the simplified version. These specific locations were clearly marked and anyone could follow it.
WE STOOD on the very spot that Ned Kelly was captured. We learnt a lot about the whole Kelly saga between our visits to Beechworth and Glenrowan. We never made it to Stringy Bark Creek as there was a bush fire danger warning. That is where four police were hunting Ned and several of the gang. The gang found out they were being followed. two police made camp while the others two scouted ahead. The gang fronted the two making camp and told them to drop their fire arms. They did not and raised their weapons to shoot, so the gang gunned them down. Ned’s argument later was that he shot to protect himself. If they had dropped their guns, they would not have been shot. The other two police returned and were told the same. They didn’t and one got shot but the other escaped and reported the deaths of the three officers, which lead to the train being sent. Ned knew they were coming and hence his plan.
We returned to Benalla to the park packed tight with families and LOTS of children escaping from bush fires and unfortunately we had a spot right next to the VERY POPULAR swimming pool. Next morning we took in the Benalla Street art and a fascinating terracotta multilevel conversation piece constructed over several years with lots of school design input.
All good things must come to an end and infact in this case it was to allow us to go to another ‘good thing’.
The name Mansfield arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mansfield family lived in Mansfield, a parish in Nottinghamshire. The place-name itself is a combination of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon terms, and literally signifies the field by the hill called Mam, from the Celtic word for a mother or a breast. The name migrated to Australia with the settlers as did many others. Australian Mansfield was first occupied by settlers in the 1840’s and was originally called Mount Battery. In 1856, the township’s name was changed to Mansfield. Gold was discovered in the area on that same year. It was eventually proclaimed as a shire in 1866, and had two schools, hotels, a courthouse, and a hospital.
So approximately 13 months after we left East Timor, our planned rendezvous with Greg and Maria (and Sara) came to pass. We ran late but when we pulled into the Caravan Park, there they were in the flesh. It was just a tad surreal. They had borrowed Gregs fathers very flash off road pop top and were set up by the time we arrived. We placed our van adjacent at right angles and created a communal social area. We witnessed the time lapse effect of Sara’s growth. She was a month short of one when we last saw her and low she had just turned two and was a full time enquiring mind as per all two year olds.
The next six days was a happy period of shopping eating drinking, laughing, a few touristy things including a visit to the Mansfield Zoo .
Quite a good zoo for a small town. Four lions, an American Alligator, camels, all sorts of birds, various monkeys (generalising) alpaca’s, and a tiger snake. The tiger snake was not on display. it was crawling under a rock in the yard when Greg spotted it. There was a warning notice that one had been spotted and to keep an eye open.
Ahhhh. Australia. On the last two days we were joined by other friends of Greg and Maria. Peter and Katrina with their three children contributed to the pleasant ambiance and we all enjoyed a Happy New Year together. Very much a.m. on the second was departure time for the East Timor bound threesome. It was wonderful to meet up with them and have already got a tentative meeting planned later on in the year.
Ahhhh. Australia. Now a little bonus. We happened to be very close to ‘Bonnie Doon!’
Yes! It exists. The very same pace and house that appeared in the classic Australiana film, The Castle. The owners have turned it into a bed and breakfast or Air BnB. ALSO, they have really played up the film features. That is to say, They have ‘Serenity’ on the fence, the letter box has a small ‘Kerrigan’ tow truck on top, there is a dog kennel with ‘Coco’ on it and a punching bag hanging off the tree. AND the front window is dressed with a small set of jousting sticks and a Trading Post advert. Yes. I’d say the owners have embraced the houses history.
(N.B. I could not believe it. I thought Nug Nug would have been a straight out aboriginal name. Anyway, read on …) I could not find a precise meaning of Nug Nug. However, Mr Wikipedia noted, ‘… names are examples of reduplication (e.g. Wagga Wagga), a common theme in Australian toponymy, especially in names derived from Indigenous Australian languages such as Wiradjuri.’ From this we may deduce it is of aboriginal origin although other dictionaries define the single word Nug as a high quality bud of cannabis and another, the lexicographers at Oxford Dictionaries, to nudge or prod., To make a jerking movement, to tug, especially of a fish.
The Reserve at Nug Nug is a heavily wooded and shady spot with a creek. If an aboriginal ever says ‘Nug Nug’ to me, I’ll have a look around for shade or a creek. By the way, someone else at the park said it meant gentle breeze. So we now have gentle breeze in Hindu (at Porpunkah) and also Aboriginal.
We returned to Myrtleford and stocked up for our next stop Nug Nug about eleven kilometres south. We could have missed the turn off easily, but luckily we didn’t. A most delightful spot and perhaps our favourite. The following may not be entirely correct but it is at least sort of right. Apparently it is more or less privately run by two families.
As I understand it, these families had been coming to Nug Nug all their lives and it was planned to close it. These two families intervened and a sort of partnership was formed between them and the council and the forestry department. The families run it and it is not only self supporting but flourishing. It has two sets of his and hers ablution blocks with flushing toilets and a cold shower.
Two levels, high and low, the top has some shade and the bottom has LOTS of shade and a creek running across the back of it. AND 240volt AND water is available. We took a shady spot backing onto the creek. Cost was $5 PP per night and just $10 per day for power. So $20 a day for us. Fabulous spot.
A young family next to us had been coming for years was great company at ‘beer o’clock’ and a more mature chap across the road had been more or less everywhere and was a wealth of information.
We planned three days and stayed for six. The creek was great to get your feet wet and cool but a five minute walk took you to a large swimming hole that looked like something out of a movie. We had Christmas lunch with the family and pooled our resources which included our 19 metres of flashing party lights. (off at 10pm)
When the township now known as Bright was first surveyed in 1859 it was called Morse’s Creek. In 1866 its name was officially changed to honour John Bright, who, at the time, was the MP for Birmingham in England.
The mountain is named after Charles Hotham who was Governor of Victoria from 1854 to 1855. Ferdinand Von Mueller is said to have named Mt Hotham and other surrounding peaks however much of his work was discredited when the first official maps of Victoria were produced in 1872.
We couldn’t keep our drive through park and would have to unhitch to stay so we decided to move on the Bright. N.B. Besides the hassle of unhitching and hitching up again, we prefer to remain hitched as with bush fires around we were set up for quick getaways.
We arrived and did a short parade through town before finding a spot to park our 14.3 metre long monster. did a little necessary shopping and some un-necessary, including some fluffy toys amongst them two Kookaburras that when pressed on the spot that demanded to ‘press here’, it made a sound rather like a Kookaburra.
Wise investment. Alpine caravan park, Bright. Nice enough place but hardly anyone in it. We ended up unhitching because we wanted to go for a little jaunt.
So we headed to Mt Hotham passing through and stopping at Harrietville for a coffee and icecream, completely missed the town of Smoko, and wound our way up 45 minutes of steep road and long drops which made didn’t overly concern us but we were certainly apprehensive. (A bit scary)
The entire time we passed bare, burnt out trees for as far as the eye could see. We were later told that, it was the status quo since the 2013 fire which burnt with such ferocity that the trees had not and would never recover.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERANew growth. The old trees will not shoot again
The top was indeed around twelve degrees cooler as promised and the lunch was a monster hamburger cut in half to serve two and it was still too bloody big.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERATop of Mt Hotham in the middle of summer and they had South Australian VILI’s PIES!
We made it down to the bottom without incident, hitched up and spent a pleasant evening with the air conditioner on and departed in the morning for a twice recommended spot called Nug Nug.
When pastoralists arrived in the Ovens Valley in 1837 they named the local creek Myrtle Creek because of the myrtle trees (probably tea trees) growing on the banks Subsequently a ford across the creek was used by prospectors travelling to Beechworth. It became known, self-evidently, as Myrtleford.
The town at the confluence of the Ovens and Buckland Rivers, is Porepunkah. The meaning of Porepunkah has been given as Hindu for ‘gentle breeze’ Further note from enquiries. Apparently when first settled, Hindu Indians were brought to the area to work. In India, a ‘Punkah Wallah’ is a person who operates a large fan to create a breeze.
Myrtleford proved a nice, neat and convenient town with two supermarkets and two ‘boozerama’s’. We restocked, had lunch in the van, took a long spin around town then proceeded to the ‘Punk’.
It was warming up and we wanted some luxury, more specifically air conditioning and for that we needed a park and 240 volts. We chose Porepunkah for no better reason than the caravan park with our 10% discount was six dollars cheaper. It turned out to be a lovely little town on the Ovens River with a track along the bank just a 7 minute walk to the ‘Punka’ Pub.
So we were told. We didn’t do it. Too hot. So a late arrival but a nice shady spot and first job setting up was the 240 volts. Second a nice shower and thirdly a beef and noodle salad with a beer too cold to hold. Next day, maintenance. Fill water tanks, washing, extend funnel, (A long story. Don’t worry about it) and out of curiosity measured the rig or car and van together. Results generally? 2.5 metres wide (with mirrors out, both), car 2 metres and van 3 metres high and the lot together 14.3 metres long. I had wondered . Now I know.
The name Everton is derived from the Saxon word eofor, meaning wild boar that lives in forests. Bit ordinary!
It’s time for some private time off the radar. So we fill the water tanks and go back to Wangaratta again for bottle gas, Telstra, and the info centre. We decide on Tarrawingee for free camp at the Plough Inn pub. Wiki camps says call first but no answer. Not for so we drive there anyway. A car out the front but locked tight. While we are there a few cars come past, stop, look and drive on. I duduce it is supposed to be open but the locals know ‘it might not be.’ So a second search and we head for Pioneer Bridges Camp Grounds outside Everton.
A small river come swimming hole, tall shady trees and his and hers long drops. Perfect. We didn’t look at the compass hence parked shady and those shady trees blocked the Sat TV. That gave us three days and nights of relaxation.
Very pleasant and enjoyed but we wanted to keep moving to cover as much of this part of Victoria before making our way to Mansfield on 27th, just ten days off. Next stop Myrtleford.
Milawa was named in 1874 after being known only as The Square for many years prior. The word Milawa is aboriginal in origin. The word is made up of the words ‘Mila’ meaning ‘Eyes’ and ‘Wah/Wa’ meaning water. It lies at the confluence of the Ovens and King rivers, northeast of Melbourne. Its name is derived from an Aboriginal term meaning either “meeting of the rivers” or “home of the cormorants.” The site was first settled in 1837 by a sheepherder, George Faithfull, and was proclaimed a town in 1845.
Brown Bros free camp and just over the road from the winery. One other caravan over a hedge but no car so we make a visit to the winery for a tasting. We return to the car and new friends Morris and Shirley that we met in Rutherglen have arrived from a day trip.
A fabulous shady tree, perfect for full day get togethers.
They have been here for a day longer than us so know the ly of the land. Just a 10 minute walk up to the main street and lo and behold, a shop selling alcohol AND Thursday night only $10 Pizza’s! Perfect dinner.
Only one day overlap and Morris and Shirley are on their way home. Holiday over. We decided to disconnect to go to Wangaratta . Howeverthere is a problem getting the 12 pin plug out. I finally manage it gut one is pulling the other side out so slapped in back together and took the van for a nice drive to a Wangaratta auto electrician. Fixed over two hours but ‘oach’! it was the frisge plug and am told they all eventually melt. That’s nice to know. Diesel top up another visit to Bunnings and by the sun was getting low so we went back to the free camp at the winery.
The Aboriginal word for the Yackandandah area is Dhudhuroa. To the Dhudhuroa people Yackandandah means “one boulder on top of another at the junction of two creeks”. … Yackandandah, however, became the main focus. A survey of the town was made in 1856 and land sales there began in early 1857.
We arrived in Yackandandah at about 3.45pm and went straight to the info centre to see what we should look at. Closed, so a walk down the main street. There was a fabulous second hand and bric-a-brac shop with hand made models of ships.
Brilliant. I guess that’s it so off to Yackandandah Holiday Park which happened to be one street back and happened to have a path direct from the park up to town in just 4 minutes and conveniently the path enters town right at a pub. An entrepreneur selling seafood happened to be at the side of the pub, as they are for three hours same spot, same time, same day every week.
We bought up big and ate well that night. It would have been nice to stay longer but we had a pre-arranged meeting with new friends from Rutherglen in the free camp at the Brown Bros Winery in Milawa.
The Ettamogah family was born in the late 1950’s when cartoonist Ken Maynard published a series of cartoons in The Australasian Post. As a boy Ken would cycle around a water hole called Ettamogah, an Aboriginal word meaning ‘place of good drink’.
Originally used for grazing by the settler David Reid, the area was known as Mayday Hills until 1853 The name Beechworth was coined by surveyor Smyth in July 1853, after his birthplace in Leicestershire, England.
Off to Beechworth but not before a detour to the “Ettamogah Pub. Yes There is a place called Ettamogah.
We put the name into Ethel the GPS and after a few wrong turns we happened upon the pub, complete with crooked walls and truck on the roof.
We had a hamburger to all end hamburgers and one light beer over an hour, read the walls and made notes on the walls at the request of the barman. He even gave us a choice of felt tip pens. Excellent!
On to the Beechworth Holiday Park. Monday afternoon and Tuesday we toured the Gaol and saw where Ned Kelly stayed for a while (cell 30) and his mother Ellen. (cell 10)
Also the Ned Kelly Vault/museum and the court house, holding cells and other significant locations.
Cell 30 was Neds Cell 10 was where Neds mother Ellen was locked up with her very young baby. Neds death mask. There were I think three or maybe four made and one was given to Beechworth..
Full marks to Beechworth by the way for putting a halt to knocking down old buildings and also preserving heritage and pushing the history of the area. We extended to Wednesday, so we could do two ‘walks’ around Beechworth. One for the gold rush days and one for the Ned Kelly history. More information on Good old Ned.
N.B. Cicadas proliferate here and are very, very noisy. Been listening to them since we arrived and on our farewell day, one landed on a van tyre.
Cicada on the tyre. Not small.
They can live underground for up to 17 years. When they finally come to the surface, magically many holes appear in the ground, about 20mm diameter and all over. For someone who didn’t know, it would be baffling.
For centuries, the Albury-Wodonga area was known as Bungambrawatha, or ‘Homeland’, by the Wiradjuri people. … Wodonga, meaning ‘bulrushes’, still retains its Aboriginal name.
Albury is said to be named after a village in Kent, England which it apparently resembled.
Saturday afternoon in the main street of Albury for some relaxation, food and coffee. Very civilised. We then headed for the SS & A Club.
That is the Sailors Soldiers and Airmen’s Club. A massive and well appointed structure that I think might have taken up a whole town block. Also a massive bitumen car park also amply doubled as a free camp area, with toilets of course during club hours only, so one had to be self contained as we were. This evening they had a Food Fair in a closed off outdoor area, with a fab choice of Italian, Spanish, Mexican etc etc and reasonably priced drinks.
We returned to the caravan mid evening only to find that our toilet cassette was malfunctioning and could not be used. Public carpark. Lots of cars and people coming and going. We were parked on the side of the park next to a fence but still very inconvenient given the situation.
We managed for the night but next (Sunday) morning off to Four Seasons Park in Albury till businesses open Monday morning. It worked out better then hoped. It was an adjustment from an expert, Border Mobile Caravan Services across the river in Wadonga. in the morning. Fixed in an hour and we were back on the road again.
In September, 1860 gold was found near Rutherglen. A town named Barkly appeared overnight as prospectors poured into the area. Shortly afterwards another site was discovered 500 metres to the east. In October this second site was named Rutherglen after the Scottish birthplace of John Wallace, who established the Star Hotel on the new town site. It is claimed that Wallace, as the publican of the Star Hotel, was told “Shout the whole bar and you can call this town whatever you like.” So he bought a beer for everyone in the pub and called the town Rutherglen.
Ah Rutherglen. Wine! We parked off the main street with van attached and did a little shopping starting with Parkers Pies, then on to the Rutherglen Caravan and Holiday Park.
First things first we washed some clothes. There was a small wetlands style lake which I think once was the water source for the town. Now this is a caravan park. Every day at 5pm someone rings the bell on the tree and that signals ‘beer O’clock. A fine tradition and we fitted in well.
Hence met new friends. Next day we were going to cycle but ended up walking to De Bertoli Winery. Made for an interesting walk back with our purchases. We stopped for a coffee.
Wise decision. Next day, it finally happened. We got the fold up bikes out. Then off to Chambers winery.
Very close on a bike we were told. About twenty minutes each way. Seemed longer. A lot longer.
We survived and made a loose plan to meet new friends in the free park camp at Brown Brothers winery. Yes. Moving on.
Corowa is the largest town in the Federation Council and was the administrative centre of the former Corowa Shire. The name could have derived from an Aboriginal word referring to the curra pine which yielded gum used by Aborigines to fasten the heads of spears to the shafts.
The name Wahgunyah is believed to be an aboriginal phrase meaning the resting place of crows.
We looked for the information centre of Corowa and followed the signs to a monster of a building which happened to be the council chambers. I said this council, must be loaded.
Turns out, even more bizarre. It used to be the local lawn bowls club. Apparently, when only NSW had ‘the pokies’ , bus loads of punters would come over the border pretty well every day. The bowls club (with pokies) got bigger and bigger and bigger (and bigger) till it was as I understand it, the biggest bowls club in the southern hemisphere. But all good things must come to an end. Victoria got the pokies so there was no longer a need to go to NSW or more particularly the Corowa Bowls club. In the end, the council took it over and the bowls club is now a more manageable size. A partitioned off bit of the original on the end.
Corowa’s other claim to fame is that Federation started there. Apparently, every time anyone crossed the river from NSW to Vic or vice versa, they had to pay tax on any goods bought or sold. It was getting out of hand and everyone was getting a bit ‘dirty’ on the system. So the Corowa people set forth a plan to federate so it was all the same place. The story goes that this is where it all started and of course it took years to organise with letters to the other states organising meetings and letters to England. It was worth keeping them involved of course. Now the story goes that Tenterfied is where it was all signed and so as human nature goes, Tenterfield wanted to claim the glory.
We free camped just over the bridge in Wahgunyah, in The Willows reserve. Bonus! It had an all but new flushing toilet perched up on the hill and just a three minute walk. We met Diana at the toilet. Yet another very nice lady. She was also free camping there with her campervan. We got to know her quite well and we had the odd lunch at the pub top of the street.
The Old Empire Hotel. How convenient, Guinness on tap. We were camped for 6 days and only moved on when our batteries were getting low. We had inadvertently parked in shade and the solar panels were our only power source. During out stay, we did walk across bridge twice.
Bought a snappy red hat for an made in Austria.
Went to the chocolate and whisky old flower mill and tasted both. It even got just a touch of rainy and cold. Again, bad for the solar panels. Yes. Time to move on.
Benjamin Boyd, who was one of the earliest landowners in the district, initially named his property ‘Ulupna’. He later changed it to Strathmerton from ‘Merton’, the name of his family home in Scotland, and ‘strath’, a Gaelic word meaning ‘valley’.
Yarrawonga was founded in 1868 and made a shire in 1891. Its name derives perhaps from an Aboriginal term meaning “cormorant’s nesting place” or from a combination of yarra and wonga, meaning “flowing water” and “pigeon,” respectively.
We doubled back to Strathmerton to go to Cactus Country. This is a quote from ‘Aussie Towns’ ‘Cactus Country’ Located at 4986 Murray Valley Highway (less than two kilometres east of the town) is the largest landscaped cacti garden in Australia.
The garden proudly proclaims that it has over “4,000 species of cacti and succulents from around the globe.”
Spread across 4 ha it has eight different trails through the gardens, plant sales, a Mexican cafe and a gift shop.
It is open daily from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, tel: 0427 745 271. For more information check out http://cactuscountry.com.au’ Better than I could have done.
Then on to Yarrawongo for shopping. (again/already) On return to the car, I found the side window on the canopy would not open. Too late for locksmith so West Side Caravan Park for the night. Lots of permanents. We were the second caravan in the whole park. Next morning locksmith says ‘Sorry. Only available Thursday.’
So free camping off Cullen Road Loop road with eco toilet for one night.
The next day, we drive into the rear yard of the locksmith as instructed down the narrowest lane with the biggest thing I have ever towed.
I think I had about a foot either side in the old language. We were sent off to have coffee which also turned into a book purchase as well, but when we returned, not only was the winow fixed but the other side had been checked and lubricated as well. Furthermore the young locky gave us directions to the cheapest and easiest access fuel. Another win.
There are two wildly conflicting meanings for Nathalia. One claims it is a Yorta Yorta world meaning “place with no stones” The other claims it was named after the Russian Tsar, Peter the Great’s, mother whose name was Natalya Naryshkina.
Cobram was the name given to a pastoral station settled by Octavius Phillpotts in 1845. It is believed that Philpotts took the name from an Aboriginal word, probably a Waveroo word, meaning “head”. Cobram was the head pastoral property in the district.
Barooga is named after Barooga station which was established by George Hillas in 1847. The historic Barooga homestead still stands on the Barooga-Tocumwal Road about 5 km west of the town. The word ‘barooga’ possibly means ‘my home’ in the language of the Wiradjuri Aborigines.
Heading for Cobram, we stopped at Nathalia for lunch. A pie and a coffee then to the local supermarket for a small stock up and we were about $63 lighter.
Good pie though. Made it to Cobram and the very helpfull lady in the info shop referred to Quicks beach over the river in Barooga for free camping. It was a great spot right on the River which we shared with a few others parked a polite distance apart.
We were about a five minute walk to the eco designed long drop up which we passed on the way in. We stayed there doing nothing in particular except enjoy the lapping of the water by sources from soft breezes to jet ski’s.
The last Day was 34 degrees and we registered our temperature of’ just a bit uncomfortable’ for future reference. Air conditioning wanted.
The town’s name is an Aboriginal word meaning “meeting of the waters”. Echuca is close to the junction of the Goulburn, Campaspe, and Murray Rivers. Its position at the closest point of the Murray to Melbourne contributed to its development as a thriving river port city during the 19th century. (N.B. Campaspe (/kæmˈpæspiː/; Greek: Καμπάσπη, Kampaspē), or Pancaste (/pæŋˈkæstiː/; Greek: Πανκάστη, Pankastē; also Pakate), was a supposed mistress of Alexander the Great and a prominent citizen of Larissa.
Straight to Thetford warrantee dealer Echuca Moama Caravans to check our van fridge. They put us onto a fridge mechanic and we invited him to come inspect the fridge at the caravan Park. Mr Sparky came to inspect the fridge and said he would contact the technician in Melbourne. It turned out, there is a built in facility which does not allow the gas to light the fridge for fifteen minutes when changing from car 12 volt source to gas. This is in case the car is turned off in a petrol station to fill up. They don’t want the gas flame automatically lighting up. Happy ending.
It was ‘stinking hot’ and windy but we went for a ride on an old paddle steamer. Almost back to the wharf, we were called by the park to say we had to return immediately and hitch up as there was a Catastrophic Fire Risk.
We had to wait with the van or could do a voluntary evacuation. We and two other vans were the only ones to stay. It was very spacious. We ‘rebels’ enjoyed the evening and next day all was back to normal.
We looked around Echuca, found the Haggis store and bought more of the same, bought books from the book store (where else?) and generally enjoyed the town. Oh! and got an empty 9kg van gas bottle filled. The young guy carried it back to the car for us. I now notice a few advantages to becoming more ‘mature.’
Boort is a local Aboriginal word meaning “Smoke from the hill”.
Quambatook is situated on the former Reedy Lake or Bael Bael pastoral run, taken up in 1845. The run’s area was 1500 sq km extending westwards from near Kerang to Lalbert. It was later subdivided, one of the holdings being Combertook and two others being named Quambatook East and West. It is likely that both expressions were derived from the one Aboriginal word, thought to mean a camp near water.
The brochure promoting the ‘spanner man’ had an unfortunate map on the rear which suggested the spanner man was near Boort. I should have not relied on the god awful GPS (since named Ethel) in which case I would have seen it was nearer a place called Quambatook and Boort was well and truly out of the way. Hence we got to see Boort.
The main street had a fine street scape and the caravan park was basically the local oval and use of the public toilet block. Passable but we were on a mission to see the spanner man. We arrived twenty minutes or so before the time advised to view/arrive.
However a lot of the work was on display in the yard and could be freely appreciated at will. The work was nothing short of incredible.
Horses reared on hind legs with rider, A huge Marlin on the line and a boat on the other end, animals birds and etc etc. All made from spanners.
John Piccoli comes from an artistic farming family. He is in a wheel chair and this would limit most people, but not John. At the 2pm time John told his story to approximately thirty people and it was a good story. His grandfather(or was it great grandfather) immigrated to Australia at 16 year old and walked from Melbourne to Boort. He was given a ‘selection’ (land grant) and as other neighbours couldn’t make a go of it and left, they gave him their land. He ended up with quite a parcel. Years later John is creating magic in his shed with grinders, welders and the world’s biggest collection of spanners. He said he never makes notes or sketches.
John doing hid presentation.
He doesn’t sleep well so creates the finished item and method in his head over several sleepless nights. As he is in the chair and as sculptures start at the top and on the inside, he has a unique method. The sculpture hangs on a block and tackle and as he builds from the inside he turns it to build out. As it grows down from the top, he raises it on the block and tackle to do middle section and then the lower.
He also collects animals and exotic birds and they are all on display and some even free ranging. A walk around the yard and you will discover a big shed and vehicles as well as his work shop.
Nothing short of dramatic. even the toilet roll dispensers in the toilets were spanners. On to Quambatook twenty kilometres north. We are in the country now. Land of trusting. We had phoned earlier and been told we could have an ensuite site. We perusing the main street, we saw a van heading for the park so we did a U turn and arrived a few minutes after.
They were unhitching and I asked where the manager was. They said I had to phone her. I did so and was told to go to site 6. There was a key in the door. We were told, park the van (on the very lush, green lawn by the way) go into the ensuite, there is a clip board. Fill out the form, clip the money to the clip board and lock it and the ensuite keys in the ensuite when we leave.
Fair enough. Next morning, we parked in the main street and visited the general store where we bought a few items as it is our habit to support local towns.
The lady owner said her grandparents met in the store. Grandpa was in an office on one side and grandma had I think a haberdashery on the other side of the store.
Local history. Next stop was the coffee shop owned by a very nice lady with a Holden fixation evidenced by the photos all over the walls. She confirmed it was now her full time job.
She was a very nice lady with a friendly disposition where she used to refer to the elderly in the nursing home she worked in as ‘luv’ or ‘dear’ but unfortunately now these pleasant terms are not (politically?)acceptable. I guess that’s progress? A nice person doing a good job and enjoying it but has the audacity to refer to an elderly lady as ‘dear’. Be warned. You could be a nice person as well BUT it doesn’t pay. On to Echuca.
Kerang. … Its name derives from an Aboriginal term with several possible meanings, including “cockatoo,” “parasite,” “moon,” “edible root vegetable,” or “leaves of a tree.” Settled in 1857 and declared a shire in 1871, Kerang was made (1888) the terminus of a railroad from Koondrook on the New South Wales border.
Time to leave Lake Boga, but not without visiting the Catalina Flying Boat Museum. Fabulous place. Lake Boga was the WW2 flying boat maintenance and testing site as it was far enough in land to avoid any enemy attacks. They also flew missions from there and the museum had a full sized flying boat and more information than you can ever hope to remember.
We spent hours there and I will include photos to save on words. We had a tangent win as well. The cafe attached to the museum had a few unique items for sale. Summary, we bought Haggis and Black Pudding AND pork pies!
We noted they were sources from Echuca and made a mental note to chase them up in due course. But for now to Kerang. The Caravan and Tourist Park was privately owned and had the high section with levee during high river and a lower section very seasonal and permitting ‘right on the river’ camping.
We did a clothes wash and had a ‘whee haggis’ for dinner. Town was close enough for us to walk into town.
The big brown log in the middle is the Haggis. Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it. You will notice one should always have ‘a whee dram’ with the meal AND highly recommended is a little whisky poured on the Haggis. You will also notice our pet plastic budgie. You will also notice he is blue and white and hence named Andrew after St Andrew patron saint of Scotland and you will of course know the Saltire is a white diagonal cross on blue background. View from our kitchen window. Another sunset. Still not boring.
We bought up big. A $5 T shirt with pocket in the specials bin of a camping store, an anti mosquito electronic gadget, an Aussie flag AND found the best yiros store around the corner. Met a very nice couple in the caravan park and got to know them over a few days. They were well experienced in camping but had a new van and for the first time I, the novice, was asked for advice and help. Important as well. The toilet cassette was stuck. That fixed the side awning was a problem but a little experimenting and all was good and there was rejoicing. Time to move on.
Swan Hill was called “Matakupaat” or “place of the Platypus” by the Wemba Wemba people. In 1836 the first Europeans to visit the region were led by the explorer Major Thomas Mitchell, who was seeking new areas for settlement. He named Swan Hill after a sleepless night camped on a rise near a flock of noisy swans.
Lake Boga (the natural feature) was named by the New South Wales Surveyor General, Thomas Mitchell, on 21 June 1836, during his Australia Felix expedition. The inspiration for the name was reputedly the colonially named Bogan tribe of Aborigines in New South Wales.
We got not free but relatively cheap camping on Lake Boga at $7.50 PP per night as it had a civilised toilet block. The caravan park on one side of the lake administered the camp area on the opposite side of the lake. We noted it was usually blowing seriously on our side but calm on the park side. I asked the caravan park manager why so and he said it was because we were in the cheap area. How refreshing. A joker. One windy serve we got at about 4am and was reported as 90km per hour. So windy we lost our pull string bag we put over the gas bottles.
We were being buffeted so spent the day inside. We went to Bunnings Swan Hill for a few odds and ends. Perfect timing. There were about three police cars and some action in the car park. It turned out to be Bright Spark day. Apparently some seasonal worker, let’s call him Spark 1, had been in the day before and knocked off a pair of work boots. He got away with it, so bragged to his mate (Spark 2) and took him back to pick some for himself. Unfortunately, for him, Spark 2 wasn’t quite so sharp and got apprehended. When the police arrived Spark 1 was found waiting in the carpark and they both got a free ride to the police station. Then to the auto electrician to get the burglar alarm in the rear of the car fixed. Then Woolworths and a gas bottle refill. Now re-hitching we have a problem. The gas will not light on the van fridge so everything has to go in the car fridge. It runs on 12 volt when the car is running. No one was available in Swan Hill so we phoned forward to Echuca and ‘booked a look at the fridge’ then resigned ourselves to the fact that until we get to Echuca, we are on 240 volts when the car is not running so caravan parks.
I could not find any conclusive evidence of the name Tooleybuc, although it was apparently two words originally, Tooley Buc. Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe Fred Tooley got Bucked off his horse there?
The small town of Tooleybuc has a very BIG Sporting Club.
Huge club and we are camped along the far fence. This photo is taken about half way to the fence behind.
The club allows free camping and also has outside flushing toilets for the bowling greens which are very convenient to state the obvious. Cuts the toilet cassette services to a minimum.
The club opens 11am and then the luxury toilets are available and of course the restaurant which has a seniors menu, sort of like a childs menu with smaller portions and smaller prices. Not all that much smaller. I am reminded of the sign I saw once: ‘No seniors discounts. You have had longer to save the money.’ We met more nice fellow caravanners including Jan and Garry. Our meeting and their Wedding Anniversary coincided so we joined them in their celebration at the Sports Clubs Sunday lunch.
We also shared 5pm drinks between the vans. It is here that Garry re-introduced me to an old, rustic friend, the wine cask. The quality of wine may be down a little, but not that far below a $10 bottle. However it is much more convenient as regards space and weight saving. About half the space and two thirds the weight. Two important factors. Most of the others had moved on and it was our turn. However it was coming up for 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month. Remembrance Day.
So we made our way to the sporting club entrance to be with others for our two minutes silence. The club didn’t open till 11am so we waited. In fact it opened at 11.02am so we had our silent time on the front door step. One chap rolled up but for a late breakfast drink and the lady who finally opened the door, didn’t know what silence we were talking about. Never mind. We had ours.
The Post Office opened in 1924 as Bumbang, but was renamed Robinvale in August of that year after Lieutenant George Robin Cuttle, a local boy who joined the British (he had been rejected by Australian forces), fought in France and was killed, aged only 22, over the Somme in 1918. The name means “Farewell Robin”. (Vale is Latin for farewell or Goodbye and pronounced Va-Ley)
Red Cliffs gets it’s name from the magnificent cliffs towering over the Murray River to the east of the settlement. Middens along the base of these cliffs are evidence that this stretch of river was heavily populated before it was named Red Cliffs. This land was part of the giant Yerre Yerre, later Mildura, Pastoral lease. (P.S. A ‘midden’ is an occupation site where Aboriginal people left the remains of their meals.
Off to Robinvale but not without a stop off at Red Cliffs to view a big tractor called ‘Big Lizzie.’ It was designed to carry various heavy loads in rural Australia such as wool bails. The camels were doing it tough and an alternative was needed.
Big Lizzie. Originally had two wagons it pulled .
It’s not big. It’s HUGE and one of the most interesting and inventive devices I have ever seen. A monstrous machine with what the designer called ‘dreadnought’ wheels. Each wheel had six large wooden pads evenly spaced around the wheel so as it moved forward in more or less walked, one flat pad at a time, six times per revolution so it could ‘walk’ pretty well whereever a camel could. it had just one almighty cylinder and general a speed of one mile per hour.
The dreadnought wheels. Three pads evenly spaced on one side of the rim and another three on the other side overlapping so one pad was flat on the ground at any given time and another was about to ‘tread’ on the ground.
It had two design complimenting trailers with dreadnought wheels and the lot put together made a mind boggling example of the old adage necessity is the mother of invention, even if it was in the early 1900’s.
Lizzie done and the town given the once over including a coffee and a lottery ticket, we were ‘on the road again’ to Robinvale. We Didn’t do Robinvale justice.
We wanted to keep moving. I will say the caravan park was very good with many spots right on the river and drive throughs if you don’t want to unhitch as well as good amenities. A nice neat town that had a large soldier settlement scheme in 1945 for returned soldiers. We did a big shop there and moved on. Sorry Robinvale. Next time.
The Mildura area is in the Mallee region. It was occupied as a pastoral run in 1847. Named Irymple, the run was renamed Mildura in 1858. The name is thought to have derived from an Aboriginal (Latje Latje) word meaning sore eyes caused by flies, or red rock.
We probably gave Rick and Diane a renewed will to live when we drove off in a cloud of adventure. We left via a weigh bridge to get the bad news but it wasn’t too bad. Though not perfect, we have found if we leave out water tanks just three quarter full, we are more or less spot on legal weight. The big brother of the dust storm we saw from a distance a few days earlier, decided to join us from Loxton to Mildura.
We hear about how the farmers are doing it tough, but it’s not till you are driving along with flat, dry, empty, red fields either side of the car with orange red dust cutting the visibility to about fifty metres that you really start to feel for those poor sods doing it tougher than we can possibly imagine.
Fruit inspection station on the other side. We are going from South Australia and that’s OK. you only get checked coming into S.A. By the way, see the magic word, ‘Phylloxera?’ It’s a grape disease and not loved. I had to study it in a Land Brokers course years ago. I can still spell it! The soup. Even rained a bit. This is roughly the density when the truck came past us. A little thicker I think because I could no longer see the back of the truck closer than that.
Notice the sand drifts coming across the road.
The Bloody Truck. Truckies carry the country and I have great respect and regard for them. However, as in everything, there is always a dribbling cretin ready to prove you don’t need a brain to appear human. So due to visibility, we have cut speed to eighty kilometres. The mobile monster with double trailer barrelling up behind us apparently saw no need to compensate for such conditions and without hesitation swung out and overtook like a giant serpent snaking through thick, orange soup. (My! How metaphoric and descriptive) Anyway, this total twat has his first trailer past us and I can see the start of the second when, I am guessing he saw the headlights coming towards him at the same time as I saw them. He immediately floored it but it didn’t exactly surge forward. So I hit the anchors as hard as I could. This is not such a good idea towing a twenty foot caravan unless you are imaging being run over by something ten times your size. My braking let the second trailer slip quickly past and that was just as well because he had decided he was coming across to where we were anyway. He just made it with a very rocky end trailer and disappeared into the soup without reducing speed at all. At the same time of course a small sedan also passed the other way I imagine thinking he had just been through similar to a scene from Jaws.
The world would be a better place without that lame brain truck driver. With help from the GPS, we managed to NOT find the free camp we wanted to stop at, so proceeded to the Buronga Caravan Park just over the bridge from Mildura.
Dust still thick even at the Caravan Park
As a mad coincidence, the next day happened to be the first Tuesday in November.
The Melbourne Cup! The Park was filled with yearly regulars there specifically for the Cup and they all congregated in the grassy square for the race that stops the nation and also forces people to drink in the middle of the day, which we did. Band (of old musos with old songs. Perfect!) BBQ and Booze.
The magic triple B formula for a great day. On the way out we could not go past the Holden museum.
An hour or two of nostalgia and regret as I viewed examples of the four GMH cars I had ‘got rid of’ for next to nothing and would now sell for total well over $200,000.
1965 HD Holden. I had the Premier X2 with twin carbs 1956 FC Holden. My first car. 1971 HQ Holden Monaro. Mine was an LS.
For just one example, a 1968 HK GTS Monaro with V8 engine. I had a silver one.
AND the 1968 GTS Monaro. I had a metallic grey with a V8 engine.
‘The town was proclaimed in 1907 and named after William Charles Loxton, an employee of Bookpurnong Station, who lived in a hut beside the river in the late 1870s. Even after he moved on, the hut was known as Loxton’s Hut and the residents of the district voted to retain the name when the town was proclaimed.
A lot happened here in Loxton. I will try and condense and it won’t be in order. Rick and Diane are good friends from way back. Rick as far as school. They are fine country folk and pillars of the community as lifelong residents and supportive contributors. Rick had a few breaks to go to school in Adelaide. They had a couple of kids that magically transformed into two very clever and successful young ladies and they have gone on to make unique lives for themselves.
Our Weight Was showing. We had camped in their driveway four months earlier when we took the van on a shakedown trip there. I had had the car and van GVM and GTM upgraded. (legal weights with payload) The car can carry 133kg more than standard and the van about 150kg. All approved and registered. ‘Oh yes!’ says I. ‘The car and van are totally legal, weight wise. AND once more, the car can pull 3.5 tonne and the van is just a bit over 3 tonne.’ Cocky with confidence. Have you heard the saying, ‘A little knowledge is dangerous?’ I didn’t know about the GCM. The Gross COMBINATION Mass. That is the max that the whole lot can weigh including the two bods in the front seats. For the Ranger, that was six tonne. We were 200kg over. It was in that driveway that I took a week removing ‘things’ from the car and van. The second spare on the hinged arm on the back of the car was great, but weighed 47kg. Bye-Bye. The second van spare I had ordered was 27kg. Bye-Bye. The very professional slide in the tunnel boot, handmade by yours truly was a work of art but weighed 20kg Bye-Bye. Plus various tools and optional extras that became no longer optional. Bye-Bloody-Bye! At least Rick had the super big and well stocked workshop to handle the jobs.
Flowers and Fairs As mentioned before, The Renmark Flower Show had spread throughout the Riverland and that included Loxton. We visited private houses with loved gardens and the drive in. That is to say, entrepreneurs had purchased the local drive in and turned it into boutique accommodation with a variety of sculptures both metal and other, set in a colourful and carefully planned garden. A fabulous old historic house, ‘The Pines’ was part of the flower exhibition, it’s garden more than worthy. It also served as the perfect venue for Fairs and Fundraisers which we attended, over ate bought ‘things’ and generally had a fine time. Pleasant weather, venue and company. Diane had been on the committee for The Pines and knew all there was to know about this time capsule.
She still conducts hour long historical tours including stories of its inhabitants both past and apparently one that has come back again. Yes. Every old house usually has a ghost story and The Pines is no exception.
More flowers at the Burrundi Homestead about half an hour from town. Nothing short of spectacular. It also happened to be the perfect place to practice ‘The great Australian Salute.’ It was like the place also happened to be the world’s biggest fly farm. We left when our arms started getting tired from amusing the flies with our pathetic attempts to wave them off.
Lunch at the Renmark pub. More flowers, paddle steamers and a Harley Davidson ‘gopher’ or mobility scooter. Might get one if I live that long.
Rustic Art. I never saw Rick as an ‘artist.’ Now I have to admit he is talented. He makes ‘things’ out of scrap metal. Their front yard displays a full sized cart and driver pulled by four horses. The cart is real and the rest are made from rusty steel. I think he uses old hot water service tanks for the horses bodies.
Displayed around the yard and all from scrap metal are birds, dogs, pigs, a canon, giant spider and the list goes on and on. Oh! And the coat of arms, in fact quite a few kangaroos. He should have an official exhibition but just potters for self satisfaction and the odd sale when talked into it.. We tried to contribute, whether cooking or buying meals when Diane would let us. She seemed to be forever whipping up feasts with little or no effort. So ‘inter alia’ we provided chicken cacciatore, chilli concarne, fish and chips as well as other cuisine delights like Vili’s beef pies. Also BBQ times three. More condensed events.
Goanna. Every home should have one. … and should have at least two sleepy lizards.
In the yard or near, sleepy lizard full time residents, shamelessly mating in front of the picture window, goanna and king brown snake. Numerous birds. In the drive way and workshop, auto electrician to fix burglar alarm in back of car, rewired car to avoid battery going flat, sawed van stabiliser legs down a little to make more practical, tested generator running van air cond. Installed a Klaxon horn (every car should have one), installed ‘Kangaroo whistles’ to scare roos off (how naive I am).
Made a bug screen for the radiator. Purchased ant spray, fly nets to pull over our heads at peak fly season, multi-meter, fly swatters, boot polish. Inside, paid phone bills, helped install Netflix, forced everyone to watch The Da Vinci code and Waking Ned Devine against their will. Also walked along the river and talked to house boat owners. You know you can get one for around $40,000 but of course it won’t be real flash. Stayed inside 23rd because it was just too damn hot and had a dust storm, helped deposit and rake spread the front garden with fertiliser or manure, but pig s**t is more specific and descriptive.
What was the quote out of Apocalypse now? ‘I love the smell of napalm in the morning.’ Well, you can’t say the same about Pig S**t.
We called it ‘Pig S**t Friday and Sunday’. Took two sessions.
Special mentions. Don’t miss the Pioneer Museum.
The Pioneer Museum had it’s own resident ‘Roo’.
Or tree of life on the river bank. Did more than this. Laughed and talked a lot. Could have stayed for ever but decided to release them, so we moved on.
The town of Berri takes its name from the local Aboriginal tribe ‘bery bery’ meaning ‘bend in the river’. Up until the 1870s the area was part of the Cobdogla sheep station and the home of the Erawirunga tribe of Aboriginals.
Waikerie Caravan Park decoration.
So we spent the night in a little luxury at the Waikerie caravan park. The following day we found a fabulous Art Gallery directly opposite the Laundromat. The gallery was manned by volunteers and displayed all sorts including various creatures and objects cut from corrugated iron and scrap metal.
A good experience marred only when Anne somehow got herself locked in the toilet and I rushed to her rescue. I always wanted to be a hero and rescue a fair maid. Just imagined it a bit different. Also meat pie’d and coffee’d at the Waikerie Bakery. Easier pronounced as the Waikry Bakry. Heading to Berri, we found Bella Lavender Estate with believe it or not, lots of lavender products.
So what did you expect on a lavender farm?
They also had a coffee machine which provided my daily caffeine fix. For future reference, yes. It is worth a look and drive in with van attached. The parking lot is big and you can do an attached U turn as long as it isn’t Happy Hour. (N.B. They don’t have one) We found almost free parking on the river at Berri. about a 20 minute walk to the pub so depends on how desperate you are. Almost free because it was $5 a night per van BUT they did have a flushing toilet and dump spot adjacent.
Just $5 a night!
Watched a pleasant sunset with a nice lady with her own coaster bus. Coasters are quite popular we were noticing. Not too big and not too small The Coaster was just right, sort of like Goldilocks and the three bears. A pleasant, comfortable night then packed up for our first main stop at Loxton.
Shock of shocks. An early start. There’s a first time for everything I guess and this was it for early starts. While just a seven minute walk along the river bank to the moored boats and the General store, it had to be 8.45am to accommodate an 9.30am boat trip start. First to the General Store to confirm they did do the very best bacon and egg rolls as professed by Geoff. Confirmed. They were very, very good.
This is Maudes Seat. She is a colourful local who walks along the river bank most mornings and once told the land owner she gets tired around this spot. So he built and installed the seat for her. Apparently, once Maude was going to take a breather but someone was using her seat. So she pointed out the obvious and asked them to move along. Skipper Carl. A wealth of information. The old saying applies. If he doesn’t know it, it’s not worth knowing.
Secondly, down to the river bank to look for ‘Loch Luna Cruises’ pontoon boat and skipper Carl. We made up a small group of four plus Carl on a three hour, very informative and thorough cruise of that chunk of the Murray, Nockburra and Chambers Creeks and other features such as the apparently well names Snake Island. Carl spared us from that patch of dirt and was an absolute oracle on bird life, history and endless trivial but interesting facts of the river.
For example where did the weeping willow trees come from? In fact they were planted by the river boat captains as they were taller and darker in colour from the local scrub trees that line the river. When the river is in flood, the willows mark the river channel. Well worth the AU$40 Deserving a plug. Loch Luna Cruises, Carl and Narelle 0449 122 271 a/h 08 85830155. The next morning we almost reluctantly pulled out of the Park and drove to the General Store for a farewell egg and bacon roll. We sat and took in the scenery with no rush and not a care in the world. Then in the car, turn the key and we did have a care in the world. Our brand new battery went click, click, click, just like the old one. Flat!
Flat battery out front the General Store. Carl spotted us from the other river side and came around to help.
Luckily Carl saw our bonnet up and we were on the road again after a jumper lead start. So change of plan. Now we are heading back to Sutton Ford deducing there was something wrong with the car wiring. (Derrr) The bottom line? Somehow while the car is turned off, if the van plug stayed connected to the car, it flattened the battery. It was supposed to disconnect when the ignition is turned off. Suttons confirmed the problem, but we decided to proceed on our way for now. We thought we could wait till we found a more caravan orientated fix it shop. So for now, to avoid the problem we had to pull the plug from van to car out if we were stopping for longer than say fifteen minutes.
N.B. This blog is meant to be a daily account of our adventure around Australia. However, I had difficulty setting up the blog site and it took quite a long time. In fact it’s not right yet. So I write this well after the date of the experience. I now realise I will never catch up to the present at this rate so I am going to abbreviate and condense the next two months or so. Should have done that in the first place anyway.
The town’s name was changed from Thurk to Kingston O.M. (on Murray)on 19 September 1940. The name was derived from the Kingston Village Settlement Area, a settlement which was established in 1896 and whose name is derived from Charles Kingston, the then Premier of South Australia. (Ed: Thurk?)
A quick and easy pack up in the morning and in to town for a closer look at Barmera proper. As a coincidence, we had been for some time seeing notices of the pending annual Renmark flower show, which in fact had evolved over the years to include the whole Riverland.
This I mention because the first thing that struck us was the very neat appearance of town and the proliferation of rose bushes down the main street.
(N.B. ‘proliferation’ /prəlɪfəˈreɪʃn/ noun- rapid increase in the number or amount of something. a large number of something.) I should have just said ‘a lot of.’
We headed for a cosy looking coffee shop in the main street to get the caffeine fix in, then crossed the road for something to eat, so supporting two local businesses as is our habit.
Brunch of champions, fish and chips then meandered around driving through towns we had never heard of or would ever see again for the simple reason that we could do so with all the time in the world, or what was left of it. Then a though occurred, in my youth I had been to Loxton to visit buddy Rick and hurtled past the turn off to Kingston on Murray, umpteen times but never stopped. (‘Hurtle’ speed undeclared as I don’t know if there is a statute of limitations for that sort of thing but these days I would be scared to do it.)
N.B. Is ‘umpteen’ a real word? (It was probably created by analogy to actual numbers. “Umpteen” usually describes an indefinite and large number or amount, while the related “umpteenth” is used for the latest or last in an indefinitely numerous series.)
So we doubled back to finally inspect what turned out to be little Kingston. The main building in town was a general store opposite a boat landing with mainly house boats moored.
Again, this tiny town had immaculately manicured lawn sweeping down to the river bank with clean public toilets and real friendly home town atmosphere.
The caravan park was a show piece with even a free vegetable patch for the guests and had a recently used levee bank on three sides from the river side to the high ground. ‘Recently used’ because in 2016 the river flooded and this astute park owner had prepared well in advance a six foot high levee bank which had saved the day. after the threat he just bulldozed a twelve foot gap to get to the river. The gap will be easily filled next time. Sure, there will be a next time. It’s the Murray. N.B. Is it levy or levee? As verbs the difference between levee and levy is that levee is (us|transitive) to keep within a channel by means of levees or levee can be to attend the levee or levees of while levy is to impose (a tax or fine) to collect monies due, or to confiscate property. N.B. Deserving a plug. Kingston-on-Murray caravan park. Privately owned by pleasant Geoff and Barb. (Ask them what they did before. It’s interesting) 461 Holmes Road, ph: (08)8583 0209, em: info@komcaravanpark.com.au, website www.komcaravanpark.com.au Geoff, never short to promote their little oasis of Kingston, put us onto Carl and the general store attributes, both of which we utilised the very next morning. But for now it was time to settle into the comfy box with a tasty treat and a generous glass and think of the past, present and future , not necessarily in that order.
‘It is unknown where the name “Barmera” comes from but it is suspected that it means “water place” or “land dwellers”, being a word from a local Aboriginal group. Others postulate it comes from Barmeedjie, the name of the tribe that lived to the north of the Murray River prior to European settlement.’ The lake was named Lake Bonney by Joseph Hawdon after his friend, Charles Bonney in 1838. The name was changed to ‘Lake Barmera, River Murray’ in 1908 and was changed back to ‘Lake Bonney’ in 1913.
The glorious mornings were not getting boring, but we packed up the van and headed into Waikerie past the welcoming ‘RV Friendly Town’ sign and steered for the magic Dump Point. It is a purpose built ‘RV Friendly’ spot to empty toilet cassettes and fill the water tanks with potable water.
N.B ‘If something is potable that means it’s safe to drink. Potable can also be a noun, meaning any drinkable liquid. The word comes from the Latin potare, meaning “to drink.”
We filled up with what we wanted and got rid of what we didn’t want, then proceeded to the city centre where we stocked up on most of the bare necessities. Then down the hill to the Laundromat for an hour plus of reviving soiled clothes from smelly to schmicky.
(N.B.-‘schmick’ʃmɪk/adjective. Informal – Australian ‘smart or stylish.’)
Our box house on the back of the car was immediately out the front and provided the lunch room during the exercise and I took my leave to walk up the hill to the BWS, although I was only interested in the W. (N.B. BWS = Beer Wine Spirit) All necessaries fulfilled, we hop into the four wheel and, click, click, click. Flat battery, roadside assistance, new battery and all is good. Why a new battery?
The logic was this original Ford battery had served the expected term and it just passed on to battery heaven. Total $264. Approximately $50 per year or one dollar a week. Cheap running I thought. We had been to Barmera before and camped in the caravan park right on lake Bonney, however we are now bold and adventurous free campers so headed for the out of town lakeside remote locations.
While we do our own thing, it is a normal inclination of most to camp with a few others not far. This is for just a little security. We found a spot off the water with another van within fifty metres then walked down with stools and drinks to watch the sunset. We got a polite nod from the waterside neighbours and a few cautious sniffs from their dog. Another peaceful self contained night in natures loving care and life is starting to feel good, totally ignoring a burst turbo pipe and a dead battery in the first five days, believing these problems now behind us will readily fade.
Woke to find the serenity was still running. Breakfast on the river bank as the surrounds came to life. But now a breakaway from my favourite past time of nothing, it is suggested by one of us (!) that we go for a walk. Donned our old but proven hiking boots and off we explored. Ten minutes and we came to an elevated spot with a beautiful, sweeping view of the river. We stood and pondered why this spot wasn’t snapped up by other happy campers. Then as we slowly departed, I found it wasn’t deserted at all. Is the collective term swarm? No. It’s army. An army of ants. An ARMY of bloody big ants! We performed what must have appeared from a distance to be a ritualistic and intense war dance increasing at frenzy like pace. End of walk. Back to nothing. A van was pulling out and we discover a camaraderie promoted practice. ‘The sharing of the water.’ You would be surprised how much water a van can go through when free camping. Our van has two, eighty litre water tanks total one hundred and sixty. An average domestic water bucket holds ten litres. So while one hundred and sixty litres sounds a lot, it’s really only sixteen buckets. By the time you bath, cook, drink and flush the toilet, you become very aware of the limitation of water use. So this departing neighbour offered their remaining water to any who wanted it, knowing they would be filling their tanks within the hour elsewhere. More serenity, shifting of the chairs to chase the shade, another stunning sunset and we discuss departure tomorrow for tank filling, toilet cassette emptying, clothes washing and change of serenity location and top up red wine. The sun went down as did the red wine, on the third and last night at Holder Bend. Thoughts of the morrow and yep, there’s that serenity again. Lake Bonney (Barmera) tomorrow.
We arose to a waking river bank. Ducks paddling close but not too close. That is not until there was possible food handout in which case they were ‘right there.’ We noticed pelicans skim the water for hundreds of metres, about a foot above. Fascinating to watch. They sit on the water looking like they don’t know what to do next. Then all of a sudden that great pink bill slashes into the water with the flick of the neck and voila! Up points the bill and down slides the fish. Must be an interesting feeling. They swallow the fish whole. They go down very much alive and less than happy. If they get three in close succession, it must feel like a washing machine agitator down there. We spent the entire day doing just barely above nothing, except sitting, looking, moving the seats for shade as the sun moved and of course eating.
Action shot. This seagull caught a nibble n the wing, thrown by Anne.
Our first rustic cook up in the wild was a whole roast chicken bought from Woolworths the day before. In fact that big chook gave us both three meals and some leftover scraps on toast for breakfast. Next, another fabulous sunset, early to bed and dare I say it, ‘Ah. The serenity.’
A new day and we woke up in this sunny, well kept park with
lawns sweeping down to the river bank. We grabbed our coffees and seated
ourselves on a floating pontoon amongst the ducks and pelicans (they were in
the water, not on the pontoon) and soaking up the delightful, rural ambience
complimented by our coffees.
A BONUS! The park is in sight of a river lock and the
massive, multilevel paddle steamer ‘Murray Princess’ was coming through the
lock. I guessed it had about a foot either side. I don’t know how the captain
did it.
The mighty “Murray Princess”
This magnificent floating multi-storey building laboured
past us with just two crew members on deck. If I had been a paying customer, I
would have slept on deck from fear of missing the ever changing scenery of the
fabulous Murray. Apparently, not so pressing an issue for the Princess
residents who had just missed the lock transition that we couldn’t take our
eyes off of. Why did they bother coming?
N.B. (courtesy of Mr Google) ‘Blanchetown – home of Lock No. 1 and Riverland gateway.
– Blanchetown was one of
the first river settlements in South Australia. Surveyed in 1855, the town was
named by Governor Sir Richard Graves McDonnell after his wife Lady Blanche
McDonnell.’ (Ah-ha! It’s not what you know)
Having taken in the coffee, the ambience and some breakfast,
we smoked our way towards Waikerie and our new pipe. More waving from concerned
travellers and our return waving come thumbs up
response.
N.B. Mr Google. The name Waikerie is said to mean
‘many wings’, after the giant swift moth ‘wei kari’, the name given
by the local Aboriginals. It’s an appropriate name, considering the
teeming birds of the lagoons and wetlands that edge the river. Aboriginals who
lived along the river then were of the Ngawait tribe.
Sutton Ford replaced the pipe in about twelve minutes and we
were on our way. One of the easiest fixes I have ever experienced given such a
dramatic and visual fault. By the way, if you are ever passing through
Waikerie, Dutton’s have a Model T Ford in their show room. Purists will note
the rear end has been ‘tinkered with’ including I think a General Motors Holden
rear end with hydraulic brakes. It doesn’t diminish the effect. I am reminded
of the legendary story, ‘When you order a Model T, you can have whatever colour
you want, as long as it’s black.’
We cruised down the main street with ‘Talisker’ in tow. Yes.
We had named the caravan Talisker. N.B. Mr Google. ‘Talisker distillery is an Island single
malt Scotch whisky distillery based in Carbost, Scotland on the Isle of Skye.
The distillery is operated by Diageo, and is marketed as part of their Classic
Malts series. The brand is sold as a premium whisky. Did
you know: Intense
and powerful, the Talisker family all have a peated, smoky flavour. malts.com‘
Due to Taliskers peated finish and my preference thereof, I
consider Talisker to be a superior if not supreme spirit, as far as I am
concerned. Now, our new van was manufactured by ‘Supreme’ and the model is ‘Spirit’,
so of course what am I going to name the van?
We lunched on meat pies in a main street alfresco eat-in and stocked
up on the bare necessities of bread, red wine, meat, Guinness, vegetables, Port
and red wine at Woolworths and headed four k’s down the river road to Holder
Bend Reserve.
Our first free camping experience! What is free camping? You
set up in a designated free camp spot with usually zero facilities. No power,
water, toilets, showers AND no charge. No facilities. Just nature. You rely on
the assets and stores you have prepared. For us, two deep cycle batteries in
the van, two in the car, four solar panels to charge same, a car fridge and
freezer to back up the van fridge, two, eighty litre van water tanks, van
toilet and shower, a diesel oil heater, a sat dish for remote locations, fans
for warm weather and a generator to run the air conditioner if it is stinking
hot.
We picked a spot right on the river, pulled table and folding
chairs out and for the first time we sat isolated and self sufficient. A
marvellous feeling. Just like the pioneers only powdered posteriors.
There were others not far and as a bonus, we were invited to
sit at a neighbours campfire. We had finally been introduced to (but not yet
become members of) the free camping fraternity of Australia. I won’t bore you
with descriptions of every person we met, but everyone has a different story,
status and reason for being there. Just that first night, I found it
fascinating and for some unknown reason, re-assuring to be on the edge of
becoming part of it.
We watched a beautiful and serene sunset and easily fell asleep to the pure sound
of nature by night.
This is THE start of a two year jaunt around the best
country in the world and we planned to do this at leisure and trouble free.
Our starting point was Levi Park Caravan Park just out of
the city and right on the mighty Torrens River. A slight exaggeration. It is
more affectionately known by locals as the duck pond and if it was not for a
weir , it would be a creek.
Kissing Colin and the happy staff goodbye (figuratively) we
visited a caravan place to order, non vital, failed replacement parts, then on
to the evil weigh bridge. Evil because it doesn’t like us and always weighs us
in too heavy. There are no Jenny Craig weighbridges in Adelaide. Final stop,
the storage container to jettison the last few weight loss items we decided we
can get by without, for the sake of weight legality.
N.B. We have not (yet) been pulled over by the gendarmes
/boys in blue/cops/highway patrol at road side weighbridges, but have heard
storeys that would quake you to your
core. Stories to tell the kids around camp fires on spooky nights.
So finally, on the road for two years! First stop Waikerie
in the Riverland heading for friends, Rick and Diane in Loxton.
We got as far as Smithfield trouble free then we lost the
free. I thought we would have done better than thirty kilometres. A worrying little
light on the dash said something like ‘drive line fault’ suggesting transmission problem. The road side assistance
man announced it was ONLY a hole in the pipe for the turbo and stuck some duck
tape on it which lasted exactly thirty
seconds after he left.
Symptoms of a blown turbo hose you may ask? loss of power
and excessive burning of diesel oil and you become a moving cloud.
So having called ahead to Waikerie, we proceeded on to our
waiting replacement pipe with few interruptions except one young family who
waved us down because they thought our caravan was on fire. We made it to Blanchtown
before we got sick of waving people off and pulled into the caravan park at
dusk. Not the way we imagined the first day at all.
This two year trip around Australia has been on the drawing board for two years and hands on since January 2019. We have purchased a second hand 2014 Ford Ranger for it’s significant feature of a 3.5 tonne pulling capacity. We have also bought a brand new 20 ft (in the old language) caravan with the works including bathroom. After a steep learning curve and several mistakes, we are ready, more or less to hit the road. Feel free to follow us on out national jaunt as you wish. It will be nice to know I am not writing just for myself. Cheers.
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Derby
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A man made cave 
The Australian Darter.
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