On the road home and it was good to suddenly see green fields, seemed to lift one's spirits but together with that came traffic, traffic lights and freeways. Still a small price to pay for the final leg back to Kingcliff and we were home by 2.30pm. However, the wattle is starting to sprout and it is a beautiful yellow with an awesome perfume. No more dead roos.
Dave and Val stayed until Sat. lunchtime visiting their son on the Gold Coast and on Thurs. afternoon I did most of our washing and got it dry, then Friday we did 4 loads, which inc. Dave and Val's and the dog beds etc. so my poor w./machine didn't know what happened to it. Thankfully the weather is wonderful, late winter running into spring in a couple of weeks.
Misty is waiting to have her coat off and be groomed whiile Jake has pretty much slept since we have been home. Must say i feel like that myself another week and we will start to feel normal again.
We must have travelled 3500km in the month and probably really needed 6 weeks instead of four to do that.
Anyway, that's it until the next time...............
Monday, August 20, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Great to wake up this morning and be warm
What a great feeling to have woken up this morning and not feel cold, to be able to put a pair of shorts on straight away. Last brekkie on the road.
Dalby is the service centre town for the crop growing area of the Darling Downs and as you drive along the road there are huge silos situated on properties and also in Dalby itself - there is also a lot of cotton grown here and paddocks were full of cotton bales.
As I look around the c/van park this morning you see that most of the park is given over to workers vans and cabins and not a lot of available spces for the general traveller, so we were lucky to get into here. There is also a 'whole village' built at the back of the van park which is full of porta cbins and rec area - all for the mine workers which means the traveller is being shunted aside and this is happening around the couuntry.
In Port Headland, Dampier, in WA you cann ot get into the parks because they have all been taken by mine workers - and the mines are not building the necessary or putting up the necessary buildings - catch 22 situation as there were so many travelling on the roads - grey nomads - of course.
Dalby is the service centre town for the crop growing area of the Darling Downs and as you drive along the road there are huge silos situated on properties and also in Dalby itself - there is also a lot of cotton grown here and paddocks were full of cotton bales.
As I look around the c/van park this morning you see that most of the park is given over to workers vans and cabins and not a lot of available spces for the general traveller, so we were lucky to get into here. There is also a 'whole village' built at the back of the van park which is full of porta cbins and rec area - all for the mine workers which means the traveller is being shunted aside and this is happening around the couuntry.
In Port Headland, Dampier, in WA you cann ot get into the parks because they have all been taken by mine workers - and the mines are not building the necessary or putting up the necessary buildings - catch 22 situation as there were so many travelling on the roads - grey nomads - of course.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Lessons learnt
We have all learnt a few lessons:-
Don't judge a book by its cover - appearances don't matter in the outback, unlike in the city. The 'jo blow' next to you may own a station and property - as does the garbo. man in Blackall, he has 10 properties and a station outback which he has managers for and runs his garbage business in Blackall because that is what he enjoys doing.
Have a great respect for the road trains - which can get to 50 metres long and when they overtake you at 100km an hour you let them go because it can be intimidating having these long things filled with any cargo keep on passing you.
Don't get too upset at the amount of dead roos on the road - I hated seeing them but that is all the distraction there is on the long, flat, mind numbing roads with nothing else to look at because the countryside is so boring. You start to count them but there is one very couple of metres at some points on some parts of the road. Once we got to the Darling Downs and parts of the Western Downs they all but disappeared.
Every c/van park we have been to and free sites as well have been TOTALLY DOG FRIENDLY and a lot of people are travelling with at least two dogs and one lady in Bowen had 5. These parks seem to have dogs of their own too.
It is just the ignorant councils on the Tweed, Gold and Sunshine coasts that need to get their acts together, stop being so arrogant and start thinking of the travelling ' grey nomads' which bring a lot of 'dosh' to each of their regions. A couple of outgoing c/van parks who will stick their fingers up at the councils would get so much business from the doggie travellers they wouldn't need anyone else.
However, to travel around Australia - NO WAY.
Don't judge a book by its cover - appearances don't matter in the outback, unlike in the city. The 'jo blow' next to you may own a station and property - as does the garbo. man in Blackall, he has 10 properties and a station outback which he has managers for and runs his garbage business in Blackall because that is what he enjoys doing.
Have a great respect for the road trains - which can get to 50 metres long and when they overtake you at 100km an hour you let them go because it can be intimidating having these long things filled with any cargo keep on passing you.
Don't get too upset at the amount of dead roos on the road - I hated seeing them but that is all the distraction there is on the long, flat, mind numbing roads with nothing else to look at because the countryside is so boring. You start to count them but there is one very couple of metres at some points on some parts of the road. Once we got to the Darling Downs and parts of the Western Downs they all but disappeared.
Every c/van park we have been to and free sites as well have been TOTALLY DOG FRIENDLY and a lot of people are travelling with at least two dogs and one lady in Bowen had 5. These parks seem to have dogs of their own too.
It is just the ignorant councils on the Tweed, Gold and Sunshine coasts that need to get their acts together, stop being so arrogant and start thinking of the travelling ' grey nomads' which bring a lot of 'dosh' to each of their regions. A couple of outgoing c/van parks who will stick their fingers up at the councils would get so much business from the doggie travellers they wouldn't need anyone else.
However, to travel around Australia - NO WAY.
Dalby c/van park showers
Left Mitchell this morning at 9am (pretty cool last night) after collecting lots of firewood yesterday for a lovely fire last evening, the most terrible road today, going nearly 400km today to Dalby 80km short of Toowoomba. Long day in the car driving for 6 hrs with stops for coffee and lunch, arrived at Dalby and Pioneer c/van park about 3.30pm.
Great to have power and the most remarkable showers we have ever had or seen in any c/van park, motel,hotel anywhere in the world. You could literally put 6 camp chairs and people in each shower, still have space and have a wonderful 'happy hour' in there, they are so big - not that we did of course. But it was so wonderful to have a lovely hot shower even though we had one at the spa yesterday in Mitchell.
The reason for this of course is that the c/van parks cater for a lot of road workers, major road works all along the Warrego hwy. from the floods of 2011 and 2012 and also the mines which are decimating this country. Coal Seam gas here in this region. 170 miners live here in cabins in this c/van park - away from the main c/van areas but there are all these portables popping up all over the central part of Qld.
Only another 300 to get back to Kingscliff now and that will be done and dusted by tomorrow afternoon, will stop at Toowoomba for coffee and then lunch somewhere and so ends 28 days on the road for us, Dave, Val, Misty, Jake, and Dana.
Great to have power and the most remarkable showers we have ever had or seen in any c/van park, motel,hotel anywhere in the world. You could literally put 6 camp chairs and people in each shower, still have space and have a wonderful 'happy hour' in there, they are so big - not that we did of course. But it was so wonderful to have a lovely hot shower even though we had one at the spa yesterday in Mitchell.
The reason for this of course is that the c/van parks cater for a lot of road workers, major road works all along the Warrego hwy. from the floods of 2011 and 2012 and also the mines which are decimating this country. Coal Seam gas here in this region. 170 miners live here in cabins in this c/van park - away from the main c/van areas but there are all these portables popping up all over the central part of Qld.
Only another 300 to get back to Kingscliff now and that will be done and dusted by tomorrow afternoon, will stop at Toowoomba for coffee and then lunch somewhere and so ends 28 days on the road for us, Dave, Val, Misty, Jake, and Dana.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Mitchell - Spa ........and hot chips
We are staying at Nathan Burdon Weir a wonderful free site just 1.5km north of Mitchell - which is 400km east of Blackall (last stop) and is either the gateway to or from the outback. We were just going to overnight but it is such a lovely place we decided to have 2 nights and leg it home in three days. We are camped by the river Maranoa which runs into the weir.
This morning there was another real frost, so at we had egg, bacon and tomato for brekkie and then took the doggies for a 6km (return) walk along the river bank enabling them to have a good swim and run, saw a 'roo in the bush not far from the path - luckily the dogs didn't.
At midday we decided to go into Mitchell to the spa - wow, it as been open only three weeks because in Feb this year the town was devastated by floods and the spa and swim pool were wrecked so they have built this wonderfulnew spa centre with one of the spas at 38 degrees andthe other one is just cold water at 16 degrees today. There was free tea and coffee and water available - and guess what, there were only 'the grey nomads' in there. We had a bowl of hot chips each (4) for lunch and it felt so good. So that's the showers now until we get back to Kingy.
The spa draws its water from the Great Artesian Basin so there is no problem with the hot water again. The Great Artesia Basin stretches for 1,711,000 sq kms across the lower central Qld. Some distance and is at a depth of 3 kms down. Obviously bores have to be put down to draw this great swell of water - Julia and the govt. haven't realised this yet or I am sure they would have taxed it.......... It feels so good to have a nice relaxing time before we do the last 700km back and the dogs have had a good swim and run.
This morning there was another real frost, so at we had egg, bacon and tomato for brekkie and then took the doggies for a 6km (return) walk along the river bank enabling them to have a good swim and run, saw a 'roo in the bush not far from the path - luckily the dogs didn't.
At midday we decided to go into Mitchell to the spa - wow, it as been open only three weeks because in Feb this year the town was devastated by floods and the spa and swim pool were wrecked so they have built this wonderfulnew spa centre with one of the spas at 38 degrees andthe other one is just cold water at 16 degrees today. There was free tea and coffee and water available - and guess what, there were only 'the grey nomads' in there. We had a bowl of hot chips each (4) for lunch and it felt so good. So that's the showers now until we get back to Kingy.
The spa draws its water from the Great Artesian Basin so there is no problem with the hot water again. The Great Artesia Basin stretches for 1,711,000 sq kms across the lower central Qld. Some distance and is at a depth of 3 kms down. Obviously bores have to be put down to draw this great swell of water - Julia and the govt. haven't realised this yet or I am sure they would have taxed it.......... It feels so good to have a nice relaxing time before we do the last 700km back and the dogs have had a good swim and run.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Frost and swimming - Blackall
Frost this morning and then swimming this afternoon in a 50metre outdoor pool with the water temp. of 28 degrees - wonderful and a blue sky overhead - in fact the air temp. was cooler than the water temp. The spa was well used by all us 'grey nomads' from the c/van park and that was 37 degrees.
Oh then a free 'happy hour' where all the beer and wine and nibbles were supplied for 2 hours at the caravan park - how good does it get - superb.
David had a great run this morning and the dogs had great swim again and good run in large open park areas, they will be sorry to move on - and so will we.
We have to cover about 1100km in four days so it will be a bit of a 'belter' to be back in Kingscliff by Thurs.
Have to say we have truly enjoyed our stay here in Blackall, it has been wonderful. We expect to free camp the next three days.
Oh then a free 'happy hour' where all the beer and wine and nibbles were supplied for 2 hours at the caravan park - how good does it get - superb.
David had a great run this morning and the dogs had great swim again and good run in large open park areas, they will be sorry to move on - and so will we.
We have to cover about 1100km in four days so it will be a bit of a 'belter' to be back in Kingscliff by Thurs.
Have to say we have truly enjoyed our stay here in Blackall, it has been wonderful. We expect to free camp the next three days.
Damper and Golden syrup - Blackall
Ah! Blackall --- we nearly missed this little gem, only someone talking to us at Longreach said we would be impressed with the town and they were right
It is so pretty, full of trees, trees down the central reservations of the streets, huge wide streets, loads of green areas, a 50metre heated swim pool and a lovely spa at 38 degrees. Houses,, on big 1/4 acre blocks - as life used to be, so peaceful and special - and country.
Therefore David was delighted to see a real 'frost' this morning when we took the dogs for a walk about 8am, but no matter, we will be swimming this afternoon. Temps here in the winter range from 6 to 28 degrees c. and in the summer it gets up to 40 degrees.......
Blackall c/van park is a gem, very friendly and a wonderful roast beef meal with roast spuds and 4 veg. cooked in the camp oven over an open camp fire most evenings from May to August. The meat was so tender and then - hot damper to die for plus lashings of golden syrup and butter - that was so good and to finish tea from a billy can. That was after 'happy hour' as well........ so hard.
Blackall's water is supplied from 3 artesian bores and bursts to the surface at a hot 58 degrees celcius and is pure, uncontaminated drinking water. It comes from the Great Artesian Basin. The water flows from the basin under its own pressure and bores are usually drilled to a depth of 800m. There are no hot water cylinders in Blackall as it is more important to have a means of cooling water. The only c/van park where the laundery has had hot water to go into the w/mc's rather than cold water.
Blackall was explored in 1846 by Thomas Mitchell, sits on the Barcoo rver and is on the Matilda hwy. Has a current pop. of 1500 but quite an interesting history. In 1875 had a pop of 45, 2 hotels, courthouse and a lockup - sort o speaks for itself really. In 1892 boasted 272 tents, 127 tin houses, 385 wooden houses 4 brick homes and 19 drays.
In 1931 became a shire and the pop. rose to 3291 in 1964. Amagamation came again in 2008 when Blackall amagalmated with Tampo Shire Ccl and became the Blackall-Tampo regional ccl.
This whole area is really nice and would come back here again and love to stay longer.
It is so pretty, full of trees, trees down the central reservations of the streets, huge wide streets, loads of green areas, a 50metre heated swim pool and a lovely spa at 38 degrees. Houses,, on big 1/4 acre blocks - as life used to be, so peaceful and special - and country.
Therefore David was delighted to see a real 'frost' this morning when we took the dogs for a walk about 8am, but no matter, we will be swimming this afternoon. Temps here in the winter range from 6 to 28 degrees c. and in the summer it gets up to 40 degrees.......
Blackall c/van park is a gem, very friendly and a wonderful roast beef meal with roast spuds and 4 veg. cooked in the camp oven over an open camp fire most evenings from May to August. The meat was so tender and then - hot damper to die for plus lashings of golden syrup and butter - that was so good and to finish tea from a billy can. That was after 'happy hour' as well........ so hard.
Blackall's water is supplied from 3 artesian bores and bursts to the surface at a hot 58 degrees celcius and is pure, uncontaminated drinking water. It comes from the Great Artesian Basin. The water flows from the basin under its own pressure and bores are usually drilled to a depth of 800m. There are no hot water cylinders in Blackall as it is more important to have a means of cooling water. The only c/van park where the laundery has had hot water to go into the w/mc's rather than cold water.
Blackall was explored in 1846 by Thomas Mitchell, sits on the Barcoo rver and is on the Matilda hwy. Has a current pop. of 1500 but quite an interesting history. In 1875 had a pop of 45, 2 hotels, courthouse and a lockup - sort o speaks for itself really. In 1892 boasted 272 tents, 127 tin houses, 385 wooden houses 4 brick homes and 19 drays.
In 1931 became a shire and the pop. rose to 3291 in 1964. Amagamation came again in 2008 when Blackall amagalmated with Tampo Shire Ccl and became the Blackall-Tampo regional ccl.
This whole area is really nice and would come back here again and love to stay longer.
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