Fletcher Creek to Canberra

Fletcher Creek was a lovely spot, but this is where the rain started - Bill & Lorraine actually packed up their van and moved it to a less muddy spot early in the morning of our second day there. We had planned to stop at Charters Towers for a night, but instead had breakfast (at MacDonalds) and looked up our emails and blog using their wireless internet.

Discovered that Trev's hotmail address had been hacked, and everyone on his contact list received an email advertising cheap laptop computers and electrical goods - it even went on my blog, so I had to go in and try to fix that. Apologies to everyone who got that email - we're reporting the scam to Hotmail. Not happy, Jan!

The rain continued at Charters Towers so we travelled on through, and got to Townsville and stayed at the Big 4 Woodlands cara pack. Went to the Thai International for a lovely meal with Lorraine & Bill, then had a look along The Strand, which is a boardwalk filled with lots of parks, free swimming pools etc, right on the ocean, looking across to Magnetic Island. Rain continued.

Next day we headed to Hydeaway Bay to meet up again with Les, Gill & Elisa. We stayed there in 2006 and loved it, went snorkelling, swimming, bbq'd in the camp kitchen - not quite the same this time! Miserable bloody weather, rained for the 2 nights we stayed there, but they had a pool table in the common area, so we had a game (and a drink) or two. Les, Gill & Elisa left after 1 night, so the four of us had a look around Dingo Beach the next day (still raining) then decided to go to Carmila Beach the following day.

Guess what??? Yes, it was still raining at Carmila Beach, and forecast was for rain all the way down the coast for the next few days. Fraser Island had 'wild weather warnings' so that put paid to our plans to go there. Things were just not going according to schedule. Continued on to Rockhampton where we stayed at a not too good (and poorly named) cara park - The Country Club Cara Park - don't know where the Country Club was supposed to be!??! Got a call that day letting us know that Comcar were interviewing again, on Monday and Tuesday, so after a lot of phoning backwards & forwards (long story) Trev & I decided to head for home so he could get to an interview on Tuesday.

We left Rocky the next morning and headed for Canberra via the Newell Highway - stopped at Moonie Crossroads then Wellington the next two nights, and arrived at home on Saturday afternoon - 1500 easy kms inland.

So, our trip didn't quite go according to plan, and we didn't come back dripping in gold, but we enjoyed the time away, the company we were travelling with, and the sights we did see. My next post will list some of the things that went wrong throughout our trip. Have a look at my Picasa Web Albums, cos I've started publishing some of my photos on there.

Birdsville to Fletcher Creek

We've had a very busy week since our last update - still having fluid problems, change of itinerary, interesting weather etc. We arrived in Birdsville on 11 June, stayed at the caravan park there. Birdsville was bigger than expected, had Curried Camel Pie at the bakery for lunch - excellent! Took a drive out to 'Big Red' with the group - on the way out one of the vehicles got bogged (not ours!) and had to be towed out, then we had a big river crossing which was heaps of fun. We got to the top in time for sunset with champagne. Brilliant views, and Trev can now say he's 'done Big Red'. Finished the evening off at Birdsville Pub, had a good steak there, then back to camp.

Headed to Boulia next day via Bedourie. Nice little town, very friendly, visited the 'Min Min Encounter' and the Stonehouse museum (fossils etc). Our last night with this group, as half of them were turning left for Alice Springs.

Trev & I headed to Winton via Cawnpore Lookout (amazing mesa formations) and stayed at Bladenburg NP. Heaps of roos and cattle, lovely sunset. Left for Hughenden next morning, stayed one night then on to Gilberton with Les, Gill & Elisa to meet up with Lorraine & Bill. Tried to find a campsite by the river to stay for the next week (for the gold prospecting part of our trip). However, we were 'greeted' by a lady on a quad bike (later known as 'the bitch on a quad') who insisted that we had to pay $10 pp pn to stay on the Gilberton Town Common. After a bit of not too friendly discussion, we decided not to take her up on her offer, turned around and ended up staying 1 night at the RFDS airstrip in the same area.

We left the next morning, only to find that our Rangie was having a bit of a problem with fuel - we had run the petrol dry and switched to gas, then when we tried to go back to petrol after refilling from jerry cans, it wouldn't run on petrol at all. We managed to get to a little place in the middle of nowhere called Greenvale, where the boys had a good look at the car, we had a mechanic from Greenvale have a look, and the decision was that our fuel pump was stuffed! I told you, Trev's been having lots of trouble with his fluids! We chased around trying to find where we could get a replacement pump, and the people at Greenvale were wonderful - the man from the caravan park (where we ended up staying 3 nights) happened to be in Townsville, so Trev contacted him, and he brought it back to Greenvale with him the same night - excellent service. And no-one in Greenvale charged us anything for having a look at the car, phone calls, internet etc. Sooooo.... the next morning all three men were under the Rangie taking out the fuel tank, removing the faulty pump and installing the new one. And yes, it is working ... yaaaay!

We are now having a couple of days on the banks of Fletcher Creek just before Charters Towers, then we're heading to Townsville. We also have had problems with the fridge inside the camper, but Trev & Bill have just sorted that out today - very resourceful men we have with us. Should be back in phone contact from tomorrow onwards.

Birdsville Report

Well, we've just reached Birsdville via Ivanhoe, Whitecliffs, Tibooburra, Cameron Corner, Innamincka and camped last night 80km short of Birdsville at a beautiful spot (with water views) in front of some huge sand dunes. Got some lovely photos of the sun setting over the dunes. The weather has been cool through the day, but damn cold at night. Some of our crew forgot to bring warmer clothes and doonas, so they're looking forward to warmer weather as we get further north.

There are 9 of us travelling together so far, Trev & I, Carole & John, Chris & Alan, Les & Gill & Elisa. We've had a couple of leakage issues - put a hole in one of our jerry cans, damaged the water tank in the trailer (now need a new water tank), then had a bit of a problem with the suspension in the trailer, which was fixed by committee early this morning. But so far, nothing major.

We're heading out to the desert shortly so Trev can fulfil his dream of driving up 'Big Red' in his Rangie. And naturally, we'll have to have a glass or two of champagne at the top of the dune as we watch the sun go down. Life's tough out here in the desert!

Heading North

We're just getting ready to head north again and leave Canberra behind for winter. Here is a photo of our home for the next few weeks. Hope it's going to be warm further north!

We're leaving with Carole & John (below) on Saturday and first stop will be Ivanhoe, NSW, followed by Whitecliffs. We're then heading up to Tibooburra (where Les & Gill will meet us), Cameron Corner, Innamincka, Birdsville and Boulia. Carole & John will turn left to head to Alice Springs, and we'll turn right with Les & Gill to meet Lorraine & Bill at Gilberton to do a bit of gold fossicking. Hopefully, we'll come back dripping in gold, but if not I'm sure we'll still have a damn good time!