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

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

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 detector. 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 pieces 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

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

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

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

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...

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 couple 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. Travellers 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

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.

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

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

Sun Pictures in Broome

Tonight I was able to do something I had wanted to do for over 25 years.

I worked some time when I was a lad as a projectionist in Toowoomba and points east and west.

During this time I loved to hear stories from the old fellers who had worked in the game since Noah was suckled.

They told yarns of working the travelling picture shows (and I had no doubt that one of them did) to the more obscure places worked.

One of the yarns told was of the old Sun in Broome. He spoke of the difficulties and in particular, he told of the high tide nights when the sea water used to come up to the level of ankles of the patrons. And we complain if it rains.

It was surreal to actually be there. It has been a dream to be there.

I sat looking at the screen, and as primitive as it seemed, the ambiance of the open air, albeit a cool night, it was nice to look up to my left and see the Southern Cross, and up high in the sky was the quarter moon.

Many times during the movie I looked around and sighed... I am sure the movie we watched will soon be forgotten, but the experience will remain as one of my "good place to go" thoughts when work gets a bit tedious.

A real kick was seeing old Peerless carbon arc (vintage 1960's) housing. I used one of these as the advert projector (with glass slides) shown as a museum piece.

I am still buzzing a bit from the experience. Now off to bed.

Short and sweet......

We are here in Broome.... More later!!!

The B-Double Bike... And it's "pilot" Peter.

Now, in the Kimberley, you get used to the "odd" sights.

We have seem quite a few cyclists out in the middle of no-where, and most will have a trailer to carry goods and chattels.

This one was a doozy. It is the B-Double of bikes.

Peter tells me he has been on the road for 5 years, and in the"wet" he gets work to sustain him through the remaining part of the year.

The second trailer has been fashioned out of an old pram, and seems to work well. On his longer, hotter travels, he can carry 50 litres of water. He is equipped with a swag, tarp, groundsheet, chair, wireless shortwave radio, Trangia stove and other bits and pieces. He also has his own coffee maker...

It takes a special type to do this, and he is most interesting to talk to, and very engaging to boot.

Safe journeys Peter!!!

From The B Double Bicycle

Peter, an unassuming type, with a wicked sense of humour.

From The B Double Bicycle

The Prime Mover, so to speak..

From The B Double Bicycle

The first trailer....

From The B Double Bicycle

And the 2nd trailer. Note the scouting flag on the back...

From The B Double Bicycle

and the "Whole Shebang"...

From The B Double Bicycle

Peter, on his way, slowly, and with conviction. 40km a day...

WOW!!! Horizontal Falls...

While being stuck in Fitzroy Crossing, we decided to make use of the time and headed to Derby with J and M to do the highly recommended Horizontal Falls trip. The fact that my parents "raved" about it was enough for us to bite the bullet and spend the money. Also the fact that we had been trapped in Fitzroy made it all the more attractive, so we opted for the overnight package.

It has been, so far, the highlight of our trip.

We went with Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures and are glad we did. The fast boat was well setup and stable. The crew were most capable and provided just enough "excitement" to make it interesting. Well, white knuckle is probably a better description.

The overall experience was, in our opinion, good value for money. THis sentiment was agreed to by all 10 people on our trip.

For me the ability to stay on a luxurious vessel and see stars out bright was a delight. I even got up very early to see the morning sky before the twilight time.

The flight in and out was lovely with yet more views of the Kimberley land mass..



The falls are breathtaking, and the scenery is stunning. I hope my photo's (and JB's) do it justice..



My photos of Derby are here.

My photos of the Horizontal Falls are here.

Horizontal Falls and on to Broome

We went to Derby yesterday, boarded a Cessna Caravan aircraft and went to the Horizontal Falls where we spent the night on a five star ship, went for numerous boat rides and trips through the horizontal falls and returned to Derby today by Cessna Caravan float-plane. What a fantastic trip. The best experience of the whole trip so far.
See our Picasa site for details here.
Off to Broome at 0600 tomorrow.
Bye.
J&MB

FITZROY CROSSING

Fitzroy Crossing is hot, very hot and today it's humid as well. Still, that's why we have aircon, isn't it? The days are pleasant towards late afternoon, when you can sit outside under the awning and have a cool drink - or two.

I have some minor maintenance to do on the vehicle, but can't be bothered in the heat of the day. I'll wait until it cools a bit, then if I have the motivation....................................................

The road to Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek is a bit rough and it shook out one of the driving light back stays, so I have a "droopy" left driving light. I just have to instal a new nut and bolt or tech screw and the job's right.

I also bought a small cartridge grease gun in Katherine, with one cartridge, thinking that I would grease the caravan before travelling the Gibb River Road (GRR). The cartridge disappeared very quickly. It turns out that the caravan service people at Queensland Caravans, who make the Sunland Caravan that we have, did the old service trick. Just stick the gun on the nipple, brief squirt and it looks greased - but it's not. Anyone with any nouse knows that you push grease in until you get a show of grease at the joint or the rubber dust cover moves with filling grease. That ensures that dirt is pushed out and water can't get in. But if you do the old "el cheapo" trick, it takes a lot of grease to fill an empty joint - and I have a lot of them to fill, so more grease is required. Then it's under the van to apply it all to the dry joints. It will pay dividends in the long run, but it's a pain in the bum having to second guess slack individuals and their masters.

Bob's vehicle was just plain bad luck and we feel for he and Fiona. Still, it could have happened on the GRR and that would have been far worse in terms of getting repairs and parts. At least we are here in beautiful downtown sunny Fitzroy Crossing - and we are on holidays, don't forget.

I will be getting the auxilliary fuel tank problem checked out in Broome, probably at the Toyota dealer. We will be in Broome for a few days after we get Bob's Disco back on the road.

On Monday, we are driving to Derby, where we will join a flight over the horizontal falls, land in a seaplane on the sound and stay overnight on a luxury houseboat. We will be taken through the horizontal falls in a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat - like on Sea Patrol on the telly). Bob's Mum, Phil, reckons it's a hoot, so we are looking forward to it. Back to Derby on Tuesday, then back here to pick up Bob's (by now) repaired vehicle and off to Broome on Wednesday morning - early start (about 0600). We plan a few days in Broome, then back towards El Questro for two nights, Victoria River overnight, Mataranka for a night, Banka Banka for a night, then off into Queensland for a bush camp on the Matilda Highway before getting to Mt Isa for a couple of nights. That's all the planning for the moment.

We hope that it all works out the way we planned it.

Bye for now.

Maureen and John

P.S. Keep looking at our Picasa site as I keep updating it when I can. Hope that you like the pics.

JB

A day trip to the Leopold Ranges

We set off on a day trip to the Leopold Ranges to go to Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek.



All in all a fabulous day.

Winjana Gorge photos are here

Tunnel Creek photos are here

A small hiccup on return (and the roads were terribly bloody corrugated)

Something got into the area of the radiator fan (rock??) and shattered 4 blades and in turn put a couple of holes in the radiator. Another enforced layover to effect repairs... Oh well, surely Old Man Murphy can leave me alone now.


EDIT: It now appears that the fan blades were fatigued and just failed and did other damage tot he radiator. Parts should arrive from Perth Monday to be installed Tuesday.

So, what name do you put on the

back of the van when Fiona and Bob are driving along???

Works on a coupl'a levels.... Don't it????

Geikie Gorge

This morning we got up to get to the Geikie Gorge National Park for a one hour river cruise run by the Department of Environment (or whatever it is called over here).

Well worth the visit, and the $25 bucks!!

More pics HERE

The Bungle Bungles, Lake Argyle, and stunning scenery...

The Bungle Bungles, Lake Argyle and the surrounding mountain ranges are stunning and awe inspiring sights. We decided that the best way to see as much as possible of this area was to fly over it. We purchased some seats on an Alligator Airways Cessna 207 and away we went. The area around Kununurra is renowned as a market garden area, producing all sorts of crops. The view from the moment of takeoff was ever-changing and absolutely riveting. The landscape changed from manicured plantations of sandlewood trees and market gardens to the rugged beauty of the natural landscape, to Lake Argyle, to Bungle Bungles, Carr Boyd Ranges, Argyle Diamond Mine and back to the patchwork quilt of the gardens of Kununurra before landing back at Kununurra Airfield.
I have put up a sample of the photos of the flight, but I don't think that they do justice to the stark beauty of the areas. The Bungle Bungles are just so fantastic, we have to come here again and look at them up close, on the ground.
As always, the pics of our adventures are here. Feel free to comment, as we welcome comments on the blog or on Picasa.
We are at Fitzroy Crossing for the next three days, so more pics to follow.
Bye for now.
John and Maureen

Turkey Creek....

Wow, what a day.

The flight over the Bungle Bungles, Lake Argyle, and the Argyle Diamond Mine was simply breathtaking.

Lots of video and lots of stills taken. We are on an unpowered site here, so battery on the laptop is limited. I will upload when we get to Fitzroy Crossing in a couple of days.

The plan is to get away early in the morning, take it easy to a place called Mary Pool(s) and take it easy to get to Fitzroy Crossing early in the day to book in to the Caravan Park. They don't take bookings so early arrival will assist in getting a site.

More updates when we have more time and electricity..

B and F

Some photos uploaded from Bob

The magnificent country that we live in has amazing things to see. I have managed to capture only a few images on the way so far, but they are in Picassa albums located at http://picasaweb.google.com/rastas000

The highlight for me so far was the Gregory National Park area with the stunning country side. The are around the Victoria River Crossing was just amazing.

It is in the Katherine to Kununurra folder.

Today we are off to fly over the Bungle Bungles... I am sure there will be posts on that later, but once we leave here, internet access could be a little scarce for a week or so.

Also, we welcome comments on the blog. It is nice to get your feedback and wishes...

The best view of Katherine..............

IS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR!!!!
We are glad to be leaving here to continue our trip. The caravan park was nice, unpowered site, but beautiful shady sites and clean facilities. But, it's good to be out of here and on our way again.
My fuel tank issue remains unresolved, with the local mechanic and 4x4 guru inspecting it on his hoist (took all day) and finding that the tank is connected in accordance with the manufacturers specs. He found two hose clips loose (not tightened during install) and a nut and washer missing from a 'u' bolt that mounts the tank. It was good that he found them, as it may save me future headaches, but they are not the cause of the fuel issue. He found that the supply to the engine is fed from both the main and the auxilliary, so fuel will equalise in both tanks. Therefore, they don't empty the main or the aux tank first, but both together. That's handy to know when diagnosing the problem further. We filled up tonight and it took 129 litres. The guage was showing about one third full, but I believe that the guage is meaningless untill we sort out what it is measuring. The mechanic did not pull the fuel gauge sender out, so we don't know if the sender was modified IAW manufacturers specs or not. The 129 litres is is 36 litres more than the capacity of the original main tank in the vehicle. See how it plays with your head?
We will just watch it and see how we go, but I am not happy that the tank is not performing to specification.
Off to Kununurra in WA tomorrow. A big driving day to try to make up for some lost time, but doable.
Cheers for now.
J&MB

Katherine (at last or revisited?)

Our trip from Dunmurra to Katherine was uneventful. The country is all Tropical Savanna and is in good nick. The road is fabuluous, but busy today, with lots of "travellers" like ourselves.

Our site at the caravan park is lovely. Lots of green grass and shade. No power sites available, so we run the genny for a short time.



Here are some pics of our site at Katherine:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kAWPopWtEANtcopClXp_aw?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8fci29CDotK4Hb6wIrUc0g?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/czDbkPD_nn_Py3SUIhdqpQ?feat=directlink

Bye for now.
JB

The trip north toward Katherine.

The trip from Barkly to Dunmurra was pretty uneventful, with a small problem of a blown tyre... At least it should have been a SMALL problem.

On the positive side the Discovery ran beautifully, albeit that I was listening to every crak and rattle with suspicion. After 150km I started to relax.. About 4km out of Dunmurra a wobble from the back end occured, and I guessed quite rightly it was a tyre going flat. And flat it did go and very quickly, sorta like blowout/rapid deflation!!!

The bush mechanic story is that I had a blowout/rapid deflation of the driver side van tyre.

When the rubber fell away it rolled to the inside of the wheel and bound up around the brake line (handbrake) for the van. So the van locked up on the bitumen and I was lucky to be able to get the van off the road.

I have to tell ya that the cars and trucks zipping past at 130kph was really daunting but we were pretty safe. Most pulled over to the other side of the road to give us room. A couple of vanners stopped to check we were OK, which was nice.

OK, so it was a tyre change, easy peasy... NOPE.. One of the security wheel nuts seized, and the coded key to remove it stripped. What to do.

Hmmmmm, Bush Machanics 101!

Take of the brake hub and drill out the stud.. It could not possibly work...

Getting the hub off was not easy either. The brakes were locked on. So we had to loosen the brake line on the handbrake of the van, a none to easy task given it was guitar string like tension. Still it released OK.

Take off the castlated nut (the split pin was a bit of a wrestle) and then remove the bearing (keeping it clean on the patented paper towel tray). The brake hub came off easily enough.

The back of the stud was now visible, so a well aimed pilot hole and then a LARGE hole to allow the head of the wheel stud to be hammered out worked like a dream.

Replace brake hub, replace bearing, and replace tyre, and we were on the way.

Even had to do a bit of shovel work to get the tyre on, but all is good. It was nice to get the van to the Dunmarra Caravan Park, and stop.

I have been feeling very anxious and uptight since the prop shaft died, but I guess thing will sort themselves out. We ARE well prepared for this trip, and had done the checks suggested, and still little things bite ya on the butt.

We are currently in Katherine and I am due to get the tyres on the van replaced in the morning. Overnight freight from Darwin.... Oh well, We are still enjoying ourselves..

I will post on a more positive note later. The countryside has moments of breathtaking beauty and surprises. It is everchanging and it has been so long since I have been here, it is good to refresh the mind.

As of tomorrow, it will all be new to me, as the previous trip was done at night, and I am looking forward to it...

The knackered remains of the once inflated tyre.. (and it also looked like a tyre once)

Confession.....................................

I am making this post under duress, but as you all know, I am a firm believer that every doggie has his day. That means that anyone who puts me under duress to make a confession that I am reluctant to make will eventually pay the price. Are you listening Maureen?? Hmmmmm?
I ran out of fuel about 140 kms out of Barkley Homestead. Yep, you read it (it's not a typo) I ran out of fuel. There, I've said it, but it doesn't feel any better - yet.
We refuelled in Winton (filled it up) and drove 759 kms to where it quit! Yep, 759 kms from 264 litres of fuel. Would you believe it? Well, I didn't - at first. But the answer was inevitably the same, no matter how I looked at it - until today.
Filling up with fuel generally means filling until the pump shuts off then rounding up the litres or money and that's it. Not with a 171 litre auxilliary fuel tank it's not!
I ran Max over the pit when Bob's Disco vacated it and inspected the tank installation. The filling connection to the auxilliary 171 litre tank joins the main filler line as a RIGHT ANGLE fitting. This means that the bulk of the fuel goes straight into the main tank and when that's full, starts filling the auxilliary tank, through the right angle fitting. Any foaming of the fuel or fast filling means that the filler shuts off the pump very quickly, as the fuel has to negotiate the right angle fitting to get to the auxilliary tank. The auxilliary tank is higher than the main tank and takes some time to fill (larger too) because it has a greater "head".
So, that explains the mystery of the missing fuel, but it doesn't go even close to explaining the embarassment. And, when the time comes - and it will come - those of the female persuasion who rabbitted on about admitting (don't I always admit to my - few - shortcomings?) to my fuel error are GUNNA PAY - BIG TIME!!!!
I feel better now.
Bye for now.
JB

On the road again........................

Remind you of the Willy Nelson classic? Well, we are just about ready to go. Actually, we are anxious to go, cooling our hels waiting for Mr Toll to freight the parts to Tennant Creek....................... it was pretty quick, so no cause for complaint. Bob and I installed the new prop shaft quickly, Bob gave it a test drive, drove it over the pit once more for a squiz, then we declared it FIXED!!
For those of you who were worried about our enforced stay at Barkley Homestead, you shouldn't have worried. We were fine. Some pics that I promised earlier are here, and I have completed all of the picasa albums to date here. We hope that you enjoy them.
That's it for now.
Bye.
J&M

Problem Sorted!!!

After a forced layover in the Barkly Homested Caravan Park, the Discovery has finally been re-shod with a new front prop shaft, and all seems to be working well.

There is much joy in my heart to be able to leave, and much thanks to J and M for the short little trip top Tennant Creek to pick up the part. The hospitality of the homestread staff, particularly in letting us use the mechanical pit, made the job MUCH easier.

It is with much joy that we hook up, and prepare for a longish 520-ish km drive to Dunmurra. All is ready for a 7am departure.. WHOO HOOOO

I am sure I shall sleep well tonight, as the past few nights have been with some anxiousness underlying.

More soon..

Having a rest......................

This is my first post for the blog, sorry about my recalcitrance. I purchased a Telstra mobile broadband dongle in Longreach and have had some success with it, but I am still learning.



My Picasa site is here. I have uploaded the latest pics, but they are in low quality to conserve bandwidth.



As Bob has already reported, his Disco "threw a shoe" (chucked a universal joint) about 40 kms from here. The parts are ordered and will be here on Monday (I have confidence). He is replacing the whole prop shaft flange to flange. We have today removed the old one. Here are some pics of the failed uni coupling. It's very fortunate that it did not cause more damage when it flailed about, but all it did was ding the chassis rail abit. All of the auto trans plumbing and other "soft" stuff under there escaped unscathed. (phew!!).

I will also included some pics of our caravan site at Barkley Homestead when the system allows me to upload them.

Bye for now.

JB

Not a good day....

It has been a challenging day today...

The Discovery had a failure in the front drive/tail shaft early this morning.

It is pretty hard to get stuck in a more remote place in Australia... (on a main road that is)

Fortunately we were only 40km from Barkly Homestead, and a quick tow (3 hours) and some calls have parts on air express to be available to be picked up Monday morning (hopefully)....

View Larger Map

Oh well, nothing for it but to say that we will have a relaxing day or so, awaiting the parts..

More later, but we are all well....

Hooroo

Cloncurry.. WARM!!! not hot, but not freezing...

Yesterday was a long haul from Longreach to Cloncurry.

It will probably be one of the longer days of travel to be had on this trip. Remember that we are travelling at between 80-90kph to conserve fuel and take into consideration some of the road conditions. The added bonus is the ability to take in the scenery

The changing country is amazing with visibility of over 30km to the horizon with just a few trees in sight, and then a surprising land mass will popup and just look stunning.

As we went through Kynuna, I had to fulfil a request for a sticker and a stubbie holder, so a quick stop at the Blue Heeler Pub was in order..

The roads are so much better than I expected, as last time I was through here it was diabolical when road trains went through... We are yet to see any of the HUUUUUUGE road trains.\, but here is where it will start.

Tonight off to the NT border at Avon Downs... (After a look around the Isa to see what to see on the way back...