Moree

Have driven every day since I left Longreach so I have decided to stay a whole week in one spot!!!! At Moree Showgrounds - $99 power & water for a week. Meet 3 other Kiwis here also. It is cool today - such a pleasant change from the heat I have been encountering up until now.
Have actually put up the awning, got all the proper bits to tie it down, now know how to use the Flap stopper things, and then spent the night with it shaking the van in the very strong wind! BUT - still there and still tied down tight in the morning. A good chance to do maintenance - like resealing around the toilet/shower. Not sure if it is old age or the heat - or maybe all the rough roads but the sealant seems to have come adrift!!!!
I think I will get the TV out now ....Wonder if there is anything worth watching. 6 months without it so far.
Bought one of those thermo cookers - delicious neck chops and veg for dinner last night after 5 hours. I think I am going to enjoy using it. Will do corn beef tomorrow. A nice change from BBQ/fast food cooking. Much cheaper here at the camping shop than any others I have seen. Also has 12v and 240v plugs so can use as a powered slow cooker.
I am impressed with the NSW roads so far. Wide enough to get out of the way without falling down a bank, and no where near as rough.
The trees are beautiful now - stunning Jacarandas and Silky Oaks in flower. Such pretty towns as I go further south. Even the rivers are starting to look more inviting.

Augathella to St George

Augathella. Long chat  to the neighbours  from Inverell. Said to come see them if over that way – that was nice. Didn’t leave the park until 11 – washed the bird poo off the windscreen some more. The park doesn’t seem worried about water – all their taps spray water all over – need new washers!

Drove to Charleville – very warm today. This country would be so pretty if it was green – and there is a faint tinge of green among all this strange grass. I guess it just comes up from the bottom through all the matted stuff. Lots of yellow and purple flowers on the verges now.

Found the Bailey Bar CP and was parked right beside the amenities. Turned the aircon on and hid inside all afternoon, although did manage to get the bedding washed. Very warm night as well. Got up at one stage and shut everything as there was very gusty winds – I was worried about a storm in the night.

Drove via Morven to Neville Turner Weir just out of Mitchell. Several emu with 3-8 young at foot. Haven’t seen any for ages. Mulga trees – grey things maybe – also some grand trees with black trunk with grey leaves (Desert Oak?) – very striking. Lots of water in the river. Inverell couple here along with quite a few others. SO HOT – I miss the aircon! Have dropped the back down just to get more ventilation.

That only lasted an hour when I decided it might rain so packed it up again. Chatted to an old guy and his grandson who was fishing, then over to several others when we heard thunder. Just back to the van in time to shut everything before we had wild wind gusts and heavy rain – lasted about 20 minutes!  Spent a lot of time before getting to sleep pening and shutting windows – just get comfy and I would hear drips on the roof so shut the window then hot so open again….. Good thing I did shut them finally  – a heavy fall late in the evening apparently.

Was going to stay another day but was dripping by 10.30 so packed up and drove to Roma to a CP for the night! Went 10km down the back road the neighbours use to St George and decided it was too narrow – too hard  even though it was sealed - so turned around, went back and  took the Roma route instead. Good thing I think as there is a lot of smoke down that way from fires started last night in the storm. Lucky!

Very humpy road to Roma – stopped several times to let trucks pass me – didn’t want to hurry today – and had the aircon on most of the way. Back into grain country once I left Mitchell. Most looks ready to harvest now.

Went to the showgrounds - $27 for the night but I was the only one there and no shelter anywhere so went to Big Rig – it was full. Back to Villa CP - $32! But a drive through site so that is good.

I really think I need to head east to the mountains – might be cooler there or it will cost a fortune in camp fees.  Would love to find a cool spot by a lake/river where I can sit for a few days. Also need to get a little 12v fan – didn’t know they made them!

Went for a walk. Chatting to an ex-army guy full of help. Relocated from flood somewhere. Now a council worker. The showground dongas are where council workers and flood victims are living. The river overflowed and came through this park 1m high! His family – Prattens have fruit wines at Kilcoy.

Another thunderstorm wind and heavy rain! Restless night trying to get to sleep, but no apparent leaks.

Fuelled up then headed to St George. Road was pretty good really. Lots of ripe grain and lovely gentle rolling country with the ‘grey’ grass still, although a little bit of green near St George.

Stopped at Fisherman’s free camp beside the river at Surat but decided not to stay there so in to town for sandwich and  coffee (yuk – drowned ‘short black’ – I don’t think she had ever been asked for that before). Then through the Cobb & Co museum. Good – not too cluttered. Interesting ‘spring ‘ on the old coach – looked like leather straps wound around many times and tightened. A town worth coming back to stay in I think when I am in a 'fishin' mood. Nearly bought a hand line.....

Nice drive to St George. Stunning Jacarandas here.  At a tourist park = again! Don’t really want to be out in the sticks with these thunderstorms and lightening fires! Checked the internet this morning - there are hundreds of fires listed in QLD and NSW. Most of them are grass ones it seems. Still very gusty winds but not quite so hot here.

Augathella

 The Apostlebirds came to visit and have a 'chat' at the rest area south of Tambo.

Very pleasant drive yesterday, although mostly 80km as the road was quite humpy, and very little traffic - and it was just a nice day to take my time. Yes - I do keep an eye on the traffic and pulled off the road several times when I saw trucks in the distance behind me.

 Very grey scenery - dry grass and even the trees have grey leaves. The only bright things were the prickly acacias and the cactus 'tree' which are starting to flower. The last 50km were much better - newer road so got a move on then. 

Interesting little town built on a rise with very wide streets. No doubt to cater for the bullock teams of years gone by. The CP only has 7 powered site. Have been many more but the boxes are taped shut now. I wonder if this is to become another mining camp? New eating area being built.

Longreach to Blackall

Had a lovely month in Longreach at the Stockmans Hall of Fame. Parked around the back and had power and water, and a lovely cool gallery to work in. Managed to get several folders of photos scanned and on the web, and met some lovely people. Will go back when it is cooler - there is such a lot of work to do for volunteers.
Love these Brolga birds. The 3 of them spend time at the caravan park also and are quite a sight when flying.
Heading south now. Had lunch in Barcaldine and then drove to Blackall. The Jacarandas are in full flower down here - some colour other than yellow finally. Thought about free camping but it is very warm so am at a CP - and I needed to make sure my aircon was working after not being able to use it for a month - well - that is my excuse anyway!

Feels good to be on the move again and I am looking forward to seeing some green grass and even maybe that snow I heard about:)

Back in Longreach

Spent a few days with family and back at Longreach now complete with the very itch sandfly bites all over my legs!
I find Capella is a good halfway stop, although might try Rubyvale or Sapphire another time - but then may not be doing the trip again with out the 'bed' in tow.
 No fuel or food  if you want to leave Capella by 7am -  nothing until Sapphire it seems. I am learning - take fruit at least.

Called in to Clermont this time. Looks like a lovely town also. I like the way it is set up on a rise with wide streets. Also an IGA open on Sunday which was handy.


 Some massive 'movements' on the road on Sunday. Two huge bulldozers - they dont take the blades off to transport it seems, then an extremely wide thing that had me right off the seal parked on a slope. Thank goodness I didn't have the caravan with me.
 



It was great this trip being able to stop and take photos of those crazy peaks that sprout out of the landscape. I wish sometimes that I had a better camera - or at least one with a wide-angle lens. 
The grain has gone from green to gold now. Must come through this way again when there is green grass as well - and the road works are finished would be nice!

I do enjoy the road from Capella to Rubyvale. As you can see a little caution is required at times though, and the ford the cattle were heading to has a little bit of water flowing over it so no doubt when it actually rains the road may be impassable.
There is a road that goes to Clermont near here also. I need to find out if it is sealed. I am told the one from Alpha to Clermont is not sealed - but Navman keeps trying to send me that way!

Met a 'mad' Kiwi at Jericho last week. He is riding his push-bike 18,000km from London to NZ - in this heat and on these roads!!!! Has been  through Europe, Asia, China and now heading to Brisbane, then down to Melbourne. Had a look at his Facebook page - great photos. We have been to so many of the same places on our Aus. trip so I have enjoyed seeing  all the things I could not get off the road to snap. 

Check him out on Adam Glover Cycling -  Google it. Amazing trip.

3 October

Two days of driving without my 'bed' coming along behind. How different that is. Left the van at Longreach and back to MacKay to see the family for a few days. Other than driving for several hours longer than normal probably not a lot faster because of  all the road works! Google said 9 hours - took me 12!

Have experienced the effect rain has on clay - yuk! Thought I would knock it off my crocs when it dried - NO - sets like rock so had to soak them to remove it. Spent some time cleaning the mats in and around the van as well. Major job cleaning up when I do leave - birds seem to think I am parked just for somewhere for them to poo!

Enjoyed the Busby Maru Concert on Friday night. Was a bit concerned when I heard the sound check that afternoon - had the place vibrating, but the concert was fine. Lovely warm moonlit night.