Thursday, August 27, 2009

HOME.......................................

Well, the grand adventure is over - for now. We arrived home about 1700 today after a longish drive from Cania Gorge.

The last few days at Cania Gorge have been great. Some walks in some beautiful Queensland scenery, meeting new friends, having a cack over a few reds, peace and quiet, finding a WW2 aircraft wreck (OK, it had been found in 1994, but we "re-found" it) and some 4x4 driving - fabulous!

I will post up some pics and words for the past few days and that will round out my part of the blog of this trip. I will confer with Bob about the future of this blog and advise you all in due course.

Thanks for your interest so far. Hang in there, it may continue.

J&M

Thursday, August 20, 2009

M is an intrepid navigator and site booker................

We are at Lake Maraboon! Yeah, yeah, I know, "where the hell is Lake Maraboon"? I hear you ask. Well if you didn't. then I did when M booked it from Longreach. "It's just down the road from Emerald, turn right at Emerald and go about 20 kays and it's right there"! Sure enough, it's the best place for a relaxing stop. So good, in fact, that we are staying an extra night, just to make sure.

Here are some pics of this beautiful spot. If you want somewhere to visit that's special, this is one of them.









Hoo roo.
J&M

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

I fibbed - again................

...........when I said that we were going to the coast, probably Emu Park. We have decided to spend a few days at Cania Gorge, which is a bit inland from Rocky and on the way home, but by a different route. We plan to spend two nights there, maybe three, then off to Hervey Bay for another two or three nights before the final leg home. Then it's back to the grind. Things to do, places to go.............nope, not any more, at least for a while. There are caravans and vehicle to clean, repair (minor things), modifications to sort out, you know, that sort of stuff, all intermingled with cut the grass, kill the weeds, spray the insects that have made nests while we were away and...................................

prepare for a big trip to Victoria to bore the families with tales and pictures of our exploits! Noice!!

Hughenden and Kev............

We had a great stay at Hughenden with my old RAAF mate, Kev. We propped outside his house and enjoyed his company and that of some of his friends. Here is our van and vehicle outside Kev's place.



















Kev is an avid collector of "stuff", much of it found with his metal dete
ctor. He has found many valuable coins and lots of just, well, money. We went around to the local footy ground and tried it out for about 20 minutes. A brass connector and four dollars was the score. Veeery interesting! Here he is, very serious about scanning for buried treasure.
























We met some of Kev's friends at a local cattle station. There were some interesting piece
s of gear stored under some trees. Some old trucks and a corrugator, a
machine used to recycle old corro into usable sheets for sheds etc.




















There is a further selection of pics on Picasa here.

Hoo roo.

J&M

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Bob and Fiona, Back in Brisbane..

Well, this is certainly not he way we planned to come home.

As the previous post describes, (Thanks JB) the Disco should get home in the next week or so.

It certainly has been a bit of culture shock, and I am glad we arrived home at night to stave a bit of it off. The largest town we have been in for months is Mt Isa, and that was only for 1/2 a day. Then to hit the "Big Smoke" after nearly two months... Well, there have been a lot of changes in such a short time, particularly in the Airport tunnel extension works at Kedron Park...

The crush at the airport was a little daunting, and the really difficult part was that it was difficult to see the stars last night...

Just as we left "The Isa", we were greeted with a stunning sunset, as if to bid us farewell.

Now that I have had a nights sleep (in my own bed, and geez it was noice) to reflect on the manner in which our trip finished, it is with a happy heart and a head full of outstanding memories and a bank of experiences that are of an overwhelmingly positive nature.

I am ever so grateful to have had such brilliant travelling companions in JB and MB who's good humour and support have been just delightful.

When couples travel together, there is often a need for some to live as one big "happy" family. In this instance, is was a delight to stop at the end of the day, chat a little, and play a little backgammon with Fiona (She is getting much better at it and occasionally kicked my backside) and discuss the plan for the next day. Then we would head to our own corners. Sometimes we would eat together, sit and look at the stars and while away the hours.

Ultimately, we headed to our vans, and awoke in the morning to try to get away at the appointed time (and largely succeeding at this)

The nights that we prepared dinner together (or for each other), or the occasional mornings of the breakfast fry-up were also a delight. That being said, the best thing I can recommend for couples travelling together, is to follow this example and be independent of living, come together to commune with nature and do the tourist thing, but have a clear separation to make sure that your company does not become a chore.

Two months is a long time to travel together (if you have not done it before), and to this end, our relationship, I feel has not been strained at all.

I feel a lot of sadness about finishing this way, but none of us were hurt or injured, the car can be fixed (and traded for a Toyota) before the next trip, and we have had a seriously enjoyable time, with the positives outweighing the negatives.

Our overwhelming thanks and gratitude for being the perfect travelling companions goes to J and M.

Finally, this period of time has been the longest and most constant period of time Fiona and I have spent together in one go. We watched no TV (Except for the State of Origin and a newscast or two), and did not miss it (the stars are hard to beat), we chatted, we shared experiences, and it highlighted that we do work pretty well together. I suppose after twenty years, it is expected. There are many who cannot do it as the constant time is too difficult for them.

Oh, and on the whole, she still has a bit to go to defeat the BACKGAMMON KING... But we will try to get her there.

It has been a hoot, and the realisation of a a lot of planning, a lot of dreams have been realised, a lot of challenges thrown up and met... In a lot of ways, the expectations and dreams have been surpassed!

Bon voyage J and M... and to Fiona, I love you, and thanks for putting up with me for so long..

Bob and Fiona

Friday, August 14, 2009

And now, there's just us.................

Here we are, M and I, at Mt. Isa and Bob and Fiona are currently flying back to Brisbane from here. Yes we have been forced to part company by that #$@*&^% Disco. About one hundred and thirty two kilometres west of Camoweal, the Disco had a terminal gearbox failure, dumping all of the auto trans fluid and making loud clunking and grinding noises. As the fluid was coming from the bell housing, I assume that the main shaft bearing has failed, taken the seal with it, dumping the fluid and trashing the gearbox.
Fiona went with us to the nearest phone (no mobile signal in that part of the world) which was at Sudan Station about nine Kms east. We called the RACQ and they arranged for the Disco and van to be picked up on a tiltray in about four hours. I dropped Maxine and Maureen (that has a nice ring to it, don't you think?) and Fiona off at the station (that's a very large farm, for those who might be thinking trains) and went back to tow Bob and the van back to the station. Mission accomplished, we left Bob and Fiona to wait for the truck and we went on to Avon Downs to camp for the night. M spotted the truck going out to pick them up at 1950 local and we went out to the roadside at 2100 local to see them go past with the truck to make sure everything was OK. Long story short, they stayed in Camoweal overnight in accommodation supplied by RACQ Ultimate Care (great product, great service, RACQ), we ferried them to the Isa, put them safely at the airport and said our sad farewells. It may be the end of our trip together, but M and I still have two weeks to go, so we are going to make the most of it.

Off to Hughendon tomorrow to meet up with Kevin Rosser, an old RAAF mate of mine and stay for a few days, then off to the coast around Rockhampton (Emu Park sounds nice) and then south along the coast, slooowwwllllyyy. It should be fun.

We feel that we have had a great trip with Bob and Fiona, and we have seen some of the best this country has to offer. It's been fabulous. Bon voyage Bob and Fiona.

J&MB

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

I told a fib

..........when I said that we were stopping at Victoria River overnight. We decided to push on to Katherine and meet up with Bob and Fiona at the caravan park that we previously stayed at. What a drive, with the last part just on dusk. Saw only one kangaroo on the drive, but plenty of wandering cattle just on dusk. They blend into the background very well and they are big, very big. We are very glad to be here.

Off to Mataranka tomorrow, after doing some shopping for two wheel bearing caps (I don't know how they get detached, as they are tough to remove when you need to). I threw one on the way up, now one on the way back.

I also need to buy some spare fuses, as I don't know where I packed the spares that I brought with me. The caravan main water tank pump blew a fuse on the way to Katherine (at our lunch stop), so I need some spares to ensure that it will never blow another fuse. I will just carry spares for the rest of my days - no blown fuses - that's how it works.

At Mataranka there are some thermal pools. The water flows down to the Roper River, but originates in Papua New Guinea. It is blood temperature and fills some pools constructed by troops in WW2, as Mataranka was a very large base. I will post some pics of the place, as usual, when I next have internet access.

That's it for now.

Hoo roo.

J&M

Monday, August 10, 2009

Just a though, and the ongoing plan..

"If one were to paint this country in it's true colours, I doubt it would be believed. It would be said at least that the artist exaggerated greatly, for never have I seen such richness and variety of hue as in these ranges"
An extract from the novel "Kings in Grass Castles" (Mary Durack)



One of the things that crosses my mind, as I look over the photos we have taken, the sights we have seen and the moments of sheer wonderment we have had, has been the quote above.





The images for the latter part of the trip have been uploaded to http://picasaweb.google.com.au/rastas000

I am really going to miss the sunsets and the clear sky.


On another note, it is now our intention to head to Townsville and then south home. The primary reason for this is to foist ourselves upon the Sister-out-law and take a break before pushing home. So the plan from here is: Mataranka, Banka Banka, Avon Downs, Mt Isa, Hughenden, Townsville, Mackay...... Well, that is the plan...

Sunday, August 9, 2009

El Questro and the Gibb River Road

When we departed Doon Doon, Bob and Fiona were heading to Kununurra and Katherine and we decided to go to El Questro. The El Questro option was a natural decision for us, as we had originally planned to traverse the Gibb River Road (GRR) for its entire length, which meant that El Questro was part of that journey. The trip to El Questro is a must for anyone visiting the Kimberley. The gorges in the area are absolutely stunning. Its a sort of quintessential Kimberley, if you like.


We went to Brankos Hole and Lookout first. The views were stunning and the climb up to the lookout was difficult rock staircases, but Max coped very well. At the top, we met a Swiss coupl
e admiring the view. We compared notes on mountain views and they agreed that the Kimberley views were superior to the Alps. So there you have it, from the mountain experts, no less.






















We then went to Explosion Hole, named after the
early use of the "short fishing rods" to catch fish. It was dangerous, environmentally unfriendly and generally required the use of ear protection (or at least fingers in the ears) for multiple "casts". Not recommended. The scenery was fantastic, with my first "mirror pool" shots of the trip. I like them, I hope that you do too, at the Picasa site.







The park at El Questro is a non-powered,
non-water connection, non-sullage, go-it-alone kind of outfit, but quite nice, if a bit commercial and dusty at times, but it provides access to some of the most stunning scenery in the Kimberley. We did not have time to see it all, saving it for another visit - any takers?




As for the fearsome GRR, it was a lot easier than we expected. Travelle
rs at the park at Kununurra said that the El Questro end was the worst of it, with the southern end being quite smooth by comparison. We thought that it was quite good and a lot better than the Leopold Downs Road from Tunnel Creek, for example. The "corduroy" did cause one minor problem - a fractured gas line from the regulator. The copper line fractured right at the bottom of the flare, caused by vibration of the line due to it not being fixed to the body of the caravan for about 500mm. The vibration of the rough roads just fatigued the copper pipe and it let go. I found out by the old "I can smell gas" routine when I turned on the gas bottle at Kununurra. I then had to go to the local Home Hardware store and purchase a flaring tool to re-flare the pipe and reconnect it to the regulator. All done and dusted and leak tested with detergent too.

From Kununurra, we get a tyre repaired tomorrow morning, then off to Victoria River Roadhouse for a camp. Then we head for Mataranka and meet up with Bob and Fiona for our return to Queensland.

It's not over yet. We still have some travels in front of us and some sights to see, so you haven't heard the last of us.

See you online again soon.

J&M

Friday, August 7, 2009

Boab Trees

Aboriginal legends suggest the once vain Boab Tree gained its unusual appearance when the gods punished it's arrogance. As a result it grew upside down - with the roots of the tree stretching into the sky.



The Australian boab tree (Adansonia gregorii) is related to the Madagascan and African Adansonia species known as baobabs. Like its relatives it is sometimes called a "bottle tree", but we locals refer to the trees as just boabs.

There are two theories about how boab trees arrived in Australia. One says the seeds have floated here from Africa and spread from the coast. The other theory suggests boabs might have survived from the time when Africa and Australia were both still part of one continent, the ancient Gondwana, 65 million years ago.

A mature boab tree is a sight to behold. Though not exceptionally high, up to 15 metres, they appear huge. The name bottle tree relates to the swollen trunk that can reach a massive girth of up to 20 metres.

The boab is a very slow growing tree and it takes many hundred if not thousand years to grow into one of those impressive specimens you see everywhere in the Kimberley.

Heading home and leaving the Kimberley's

It is a bit strange as the feelings and emotions that are with me now and for the past few days have been quite surprising.

Not withstanding the few mechanical issues that have bitten me in the butt, the trip has been outstanding.

John and I started talking about this area about 7-8 years ago, and had planned to do the trip at some time. Well, the Kimberley section is over. As we head back across the Great Northern Highway and get to Kununurra, we see the boab trees and the landscapes we have become used to. We have seem much of what we wanted to, dome more than we planned, and had a hoot. Now it is largely over, and time to return home.

As I type this, John and Maureen are at El Questro, and we parted company briefly so I could follow up on some stuff in Kunanurra and in Katherine. We will meet up again in Mataranka, with a long soak in the hot pools.

Anyway, for Fiona and I, it is farewell to this part of the country. We will not be back for many a year, but the memories are treasured.

My enduring joy is that I shared this with my wife, and two very good friends.

The breathtaking splendor of the landscape, the ever-changing flora, the stars at night and the Kimberly sunsets.... That is the stuff of a good trip.

Monday, August 3, 2009

FUEL TANK IS SORTED!!

The fuel tank issue has been sorted, thanks to Peter and his staff at 4x4 Recyclers at Broome. It turns out that it was a manufacturing fault after all. The pickup tube that takes the fuel out of the tank to the engine was either too short (?) or had a crack or split in it. This was OK as long as there was plenty of fuel in the tank, but as soon as the level dropped below the hole/crack/split/bottom of the tube, it sucked air and caused the fuel pump to suck air so that even the remaining fuel in the main tank could not be used. No wonder I couldn't figure it out! You just don't think that a brand new tank will be faulty, or at least as obviously faulty to anybody doing production quality or pre-delivery checks. Checks, I hear you ask? They do checks? Well, eerrrrr, no they don't actually, or they would have found it before I had to find it the hard way. As Ned Kelly said before the trapdoor opened "So, this is life". I suppose that you take the rough with the smooth. Just a little less rough would be nice.

We are off towards El Questro tomorrow, on the move again, heading home, slooooowly.

Talk to you all soon.

John and Maureen

Broome... Enjoyed it!



Given all we heard about Broome from fellow travelers we were pleasantly surprised. The weather, while warm, has had winds in the morning to make things interesting, and the nights cool to cold to make up for the heat of the day.

The town is delightful, albeit a bit crowded, as we have made it here for the silly season. I guess we can be thankful that we have a caravan site, and that we are leaving before the Broome Cup and the Speedway on Friday night (Next door to the caravan park)


One of the delights is seeing sunset over the water. We in the south east corner of Queensland cannot see this (unless you count Moreton/Fraser Islands, but you see land in the distance).



I have posted up images of Broome and the environs HERE

I am not sure Broome will be on my list to visit for the next 15-20 years, but if I ended up here for a week I would not be disappointed.

Fiona and I added to our coffers last night by having a winning crab in one of the crab races.



Interesting, and yet again proof that aussies will have a go at anything. We went to participate as a fundraiser for the local St John Ambulance, and believe me, after popping into the station here, they need as much help as they can get. A good crew, doing a job in a "different" set of circumstances, with only 2 paid staff and a heavy reliance on volunteer response after hours (and also during the day as 2nd officers).

ANyway, a long couple of days on the road coming up. Seeya soon

Bob and Fiona

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Beautiful Broome

We have loved our stay in Broome. We have seen some magnificent sunsets:


Some great scenery which is the equal of any in the world:


And had some fantastic experiences:



Tomorrow I get my fuel tank issue sorted and Tuesday we leave. I really recommend a visit here for anybody interested in seeing the sights of Australia.

J&M