Reunited we fossick at Inverell - and I don't have to dig!

With Rocky fully repaired and ready for action, we were keen to return to Armidale and get camping. It was time to also get fossicking again. Before the week was out, I learnt a much easier way to fossick...

But some things are more important, like friends and nice beaches.  So after a short stopover with Jo's parents in Caloundra (thank you again for your wonderful hospitality), we diverted to the magical town of Byron Bay.  We were all looking forward to catching up with some dear friends - and a dip in the beautiful water was a bonus.

The weather was absolutely perfect, and we spent ages splashing about in the waves.  You can see why this is such a popular place with tourists, and jealously guarded by the locals.

We came back to Armidale to a repaired Amarok.  The dealer in Tamworth had replaced the CV boot and the air conditioner compressor.  Shane from Opposite Lock had picked up Rocky to replace our broken shock absorber.  Mum and Dad had then picked up Rocky and brought it back to their place.  I was really impressed with the team from Opposite Lock in Tamworth - who were extremely easy to deal with over the phone, and would happily recommend them.

Delights of Mackay

With the best part of a week in Mackay, our main focus was catching up with my brother and his beautiful family. With one young man proudly two, and his younger brother just starting to wiggle around the house, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in this house of love and laughter.

We also managed to get out a bit too, and re-discovered a city that has retracted from the excesses of the mining boom, returning to its good natured North Queensland roots. 

Having dropped in at Mackay somewhat regularly over the past 15 years or so, I really enjoyed exploring some parts of the city I never knew existed... and if I'm completely honest, I probably wouldn't have been interested in 15 years ago, such as the Botanic Gardens.

In borrowed wheels, the road trip continues north...

With Rocky booked in to be towed to the Dealer, and plans already made for Mackay, I knew I had to continue to make ground north.  I might also have been just a little keen to catch up with the family, having missed them terribly over the previous fortnight.  Thankfully my parents were able to lend me their second car for the journey onward.

It was a good decision.  After driving 750km the previous day, I had another 600km to get to Caloundra, and 900km more to Mackay.  My brother had arranged time off work especially for our visit, meaning I didn't have the luxury of sitting in Tamworth waiting for parts to arrive from Sydney. 

An ominous start - I should have been a mechanic!

Whilst the family was enjoying a couple of weeks on the Sunshine Coast with their grandparents, I had been doing a couple of odd jobs at home.  My main job was to deliver Rocky and Matilda to the family, ready in all respects for a new camping adventure.  Sadly things started to go off the rails not long after departure.

I had decided to get on the road as soon as I woke up.  Thankfully I checked my clock, and decided that 12.30am was too early, so I rolled over and next thing I knew it was 4.15am.  Fifteen minutes later I was on the road, but it soon became apparent that all was not well.  The car was lacking power - more so than I expected.  Could it have been the new tyres being a slightly bigger size?  So many thoughts were running through my mind, but when I was unable to hold sixth gear going downhill, I knew I had to stop and  investigate. 

The camper's right hub was hot, really really hot.  But it was still full of grease, and Yass was not far away.  I decided to push on to Yass, and utilise a quiet street and a street light for further investigation.  As I pulled up, I was just a little nervous.  It was the Saturday morning of the long weekend, and if I didn't have the parts to fix it, I could be in for a long wait.

It turned out the brake shoes were binding (could it have been that hard stomp on the brakes for the kangaroo earlier?).  The bearings were fine - the grease hadn't cooked off entirely, so I repacked the bearings, re-adjusted the brakes and crossed my fingers.  I might have grumbled a little about the mechanic who supposedly checked the brakes and bearings when fitting the new tyres a couple of months ago...

If I knew what was coming, I should have turned around and gone home.  

Investigation by streetlight and head torch

Where to next?

It is amazing how quickly life has returned to normal since our amazing adventure in 2014.  It has been wonderful to reconnect with friends and contribute again to our great little community.  Our lives have become full of the cycle or work, school, sport, cubs, and trying to implement some of the ideas we learnt in 2014 on our patch of dirt.  

And as happy as we are to be home, our big lap last year has left a mark on our souls.  

Could it be that we still have itchy feet?  There are still so many parts of this country that we want to explore in greater depth?  Or could it be that it is just so cold here in winter!

Either way, the other night we pulled the maps out from under Rocky's seat, and started dreaming again.

Gibb River Road Part II - West Kimberley - Mornington and Manning Gorge

We had been taking every alternative route and diversion off the Gibb River Road that is possible so far, drinking precious fuel.  Our next destination was around 100km off the Gibb River Road, so we were relieved the Imintji store was open on a Saturday.  We refuelled at our most expensive diesel of the trip so far (at $2.365 per litre) and bought an ice cream... who cares that it was half past nine in the morning and cost a fortune... it was delicious. 

About to fuel up at the Imintji Store

Our planned destination was the Mornington Wilderness Sanctuary run by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC).  We had no idea who the AWC were on our arrival, but it turns out they own 23 wilderness sanctuaries around Australia with the aim of protecting all of Australia's native animals, birds and their habitat.  Free from the bureaucracy of government, 80 percent of their staff are in the field actively studying and managing these sanctuaries.  They're assisted in their studies by an army of volunteers.  We came away greatly impressed with what they have achieved here, and the way they are going about it.

The Mornington Station was acquired by the AWC in around 2001,  and since then has been destocked, the fire reigeime altered and feral cats monitored leading to a dramatic rebound in the abundance and diversity of native animals, birds and plants.  We found it remarkable what a difference a fenceline made to the vegetation on the way into the property, being distinctly healthier and more prolific on the sanctuary's side.

Gibb River Road Part I - West Kimberley - Derby to Bell Gorge

And so at last, after a fleeting resupply visit at Broome it was time to point the bonnet east and start our journey into the mighty Kimberley.  We were held up briefly on the road to Derby due to heavy vehicle accident.  It seemed the beer truck had tipped his trailer wheels off the bitumen edge and lost control, ending up with the trailer on its side and beer all over the road.  Thankfully no one appeared hurt, and after a short hold up whilst they righted the trailer, we continued on our way without any more incidents.

Lunch on the Fitzroy River at Willare Bridge

We stopped for lunch out of Derby at the Willare Bridge.  It was a very pleasant spot to stop for lunch - although we kept well back from the river's bank ever conscious of the Estuarine Crocodile.  The river here apparently also has freshwater relatives of sharks and sword fish living in it, left behind when the water levels dropped some millions of years ago.  We didn't see any of course on our brief stop.

Nullarbor - and the path less travelled

The Eyre Highway and its crossing of the Nullarbor Plain would have to be one of Australia’s most famous roads.  And with good reason.  It is such an iconic road, that these days can be covered in about two days in the comfort of your air conditioned car.

It wasn't that long ago that things were very different – and we caught a glimpse back in time as we took a slightly offbeat crossing of the continent.

Whilst the Yalata Roadhouse might have closed down, it is still the first place you will find the mighty three hazards of this drive– Camels, Kangaroos and Wombats.  When you cross the border Wombats are replaced by Emu – but you get the idea.  This is a road best driven in daylight hours only.

Next 96km... The first of the big three hazards!

Not long out of Yalata, the vegetation shrinks in size, and you enter the true Nullarbor Plain.  Nullarbor is not an Aboriginal name, but rather comes from the Latin – Null (nil) Arbor (trees).  Due to a limestone layer just beneath the surface, trees are unable to grow in this area – and it was worth a stop here too – and this is one part of the world that the camera will never capture the enormity of the sky as you stand surrounded by a whole heap of, well, nothing.

Don’t let that fool you.  This place is fascinating.  We drove to Head of the Bight, and looked over the magnificent Bunda Clifs, that stretch for hundreds of kiliometres.  It is believed that these are the longest line of cliffs anywhere in the world.  It is also a nursery for Southern Wright Whales – during the winter months.

Head of the Bight

We refuelled at Nullarbor Roadhouse – because our next diversion was off the main road not much further west.  As I was paying, I explained that we were thinking of heading up to Cook, for a look.  I was glad I asked, because not only was the attendant (owner) happy to give me advice on the roads, but he also suggested we stop at Koonalda Homestead for a look.  And what a great afternoon we had.

Out of Nullarbor we followed the original Eyre Highway for about 30 kilometres.  This was the original track carved during the Second World War (there was no road other than station tracks before then). When the highway was sealed, it was also remade further south – and the old highway hasn’t been graded since!

Highway One - on the Nullarbor

Wilpena Pound and Rawnsley Park

We left Arkaroola after taking our leave from Doug and Marg, knowing that we would be back.  Our heading was south, but we first returned to Copely to buy some more Quandong Pies.  After filling up with fuel, and pumping the tyres back up to highway pressures, we headed south.  We had planned on enjoying a feral grill at the famous Prairie Hotel at Parachilna.  Unfortunately the hotel was closed for the season and would be closed for another month.  We were all just a little disappointed, and hungry, but I did jump out and grab a snap in front of the pub.

Prairie Hotel, Parachilna

There being not much else to Parachilna, we headed east and through the Parachilna Gorge to Blinman.  With only 30km of dirt until sealed road again, we decided not to reduce tyre pressures, as feeding the mouths in the back was becoming a more urgent need.  We enjoyed winding though the gorge, making it to Blinman in time for a late lunch.  We jumped out of the car at Blinman all set to enjoy a Kangaroo Burger, when the Little Fisherman heard an onimous hissing sound.  Yes, we had scored a flat - just outside of town.  Bugger.

Great Ocean Road Victoria

With temperatures set to soar again in Victoria, we decided to head for somewhere where the air was cooler - and of course this meant a run to the coast.  So with the Air Conditioner working overtime, we pointed our bonnet southerly and headed for Queenscliff.

I know we missed seeing a heap of stuff at Ballarat - and heaps of stuff at Geelong too, but we live less than a days drive from here - and we will be back - one school holidays - to explore this area further.

Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale stand at the western side of the notorious entrance to Port Phillip.  And having seen the lights - indeed used them for safe navigation previously, it was great to visit the lights up close.

One of the leading lights at Queenscliff

These lights watch over the entrance and the notorious and aptly named 'Rip' that swirls the tidal waters like a washing machine.  To have felt the power of those currents from a ship - it was much more pleasant to watch them from the safety of the beach.

Point Lonsdale Light and former signal station

We continued along the coast, and enjoyed a camp at Ocean Grove near the heads of the Barwon River.  It was a wonderful evening for a stroll after dinner - and we tried a new form of selfie!

Freycinet Peninsula and the Bay of Fires

After picking up our delicious bread from the Ross Bakery, we made good time to the coast, and before we knew it we had set up camp at Coles Bay.  The first thing was to claim a washing machine and start working through a mountain of clothes. The second was to head down to the beach!

Coles Bay is the stepping off point for the Freycinet Peninsular. Camping in the National Park is extremely popular between Christmas and New Year, however there were plenty of spots available at the time of our visit, and if we were to come here again, we would definitely stay in the National Park.  As it was, the caravan park, with its playground, was a hit with the kids, and we were burning dollar coins in the laundr

Tasman Peninsula - Port Arthur and the cute Tassie Devils

We left Bruny Island well rested and relaxed after our lazy rest day - with Port Arthur in our sights.  We meandered north, through Hobart, and decided to head to Battery Bluff on the eastern shore to capture a different view of Hobart.  Little did we know that Bellerive markets were on - so we dropped in and picked up a few fresh vegies and a delicious fish and chips lunch.

We made our way to Battery Bluff and admired the defences that would have made Hobart a fortress city if they were constructed when they were conceived.  Not for the first time in our history, our isolation proved our best defence, and the fort and battery were really only completed in the late 1800s, just in time for their technology to be superseded.

Battery Bluff, near Bellerive

That lump in the background is Mount Wellington - often covered by cloud!

As is the way in Tassie, it seemed in no time at all we were crossing the canal at Dunalley and entering the Forestier Peninsula.  Then we did what nearly everyone else does in these parts. We followed the brown tourist signs, and all tried to get better photos than the brochures, or our fellow tourists of the amazing natural features of the coastline.

Cradle Mountain

The boys woke the following morning still buzzing after our bogging in the way to Montezuma Falls.  I was relieved no serious harm was done to Rocky (it will buff out right???).  Jo was looking forward to our upcoming adventure.

After leaving our great camp at Lake Mackintosh we made our way to the most visited and loved park in Tasmania. What is more we not only saw the famous peak everyone comes to see (it is often shrouded in cloud and mist) but nature turned on a picture postcard day and revealed Cradle Mountain in all it's glory... Eat your heart out Tourism Tasmania!

We decided to walk to Marion's Lookout, a 4-5 hour walk with impressive views of Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain.

The weather was cooler than the previous day's 38 degrees, but still decidedly warm when we set off on the longer but less steep track via Wombat Pool and Crater Lake.  

Crater Lake

It was a fantastic walk, and the boys did extremely well, only starting to lose motivation as we neared the peak.  A break for lunch soon restored their motivation, and we all agreed it was well worth the effort to get to the lookout. 

We then returned via the direct and very steep goat track, triumphant and very pleased with our efforts.

The boys loved wetting their hats in Dove Lake, a well deserved break.

Unfortunately my attempt to encourage them to put their finger on the lookout didn't really achieve the desired result, but The Little Fisherman in blue is the closest.  In all we walked about 5km, climbing around 300 metres from the lake.

It was a fantastic day - and one of the real highlights of the trip so far.  It is rare enough to see Cradle Mountain on a visit to the park, but to see it in full sunshine, without even a cloud's shadow on its slopes was a real bonus.  The Weather Witch was sure smiling that day.

As accommodation in the park was fully booked, we regretfully continued on our way, finding a nice camp near Mole Creek on Lake Paragana.  A delightful swim (clothing optional) was enjoyed as we washed off the sweat of the days climb.  It was sublime :)

We're getting the hang of this camping thing...

Not a bad swimming hole :)

It was a long day, a glorious day, but the following day we were see something we hadn't seen before, that must rate as one of the best activities of its type we have ever done.

The End of the Road - Cockle Creek

From Snug we meandered south, via Cygnet.  We resupplied at some roadside stalls and had the pleasure of tasting some of the best cherries we had ever eaten.

We made our way across the rickety old bridge at Cockle Creek, and visited the somber whale sculpture, before setting up camp nearby.  

The Bridge to Cockle Creek Campground

French Admiral Bruni d'Entrecasteaux was the first European to stop by this way, on his search for La Peruse (who sailed into Sydney literally hours after the First Fleet arrived and was subsequently shipwrecked in the Solomon Islands)

Tassie West Coast - Stony Cape to Arthur River

We left the beautiful Tamar Valley and headed west.  With no schedule to keep, and no real agenda, we enjoyed a leisurely drive generally in the direction of Stony Cape, west of Smithton.

The weather was threatening, but we enjoyed a pile of hot chips in Sheffield, famous for its mural lined main street.  I had to get a snap of the boys in front of a Mountain Rescue themed mural!

On the road at last. Home to Melbourne

We aimed to get away at 8am precisely and would you believe it we actually made it away on time!  And then at 8.07am just before we turned onto the main road, guess which Numpty remembered he had forgotten to turn the power off.  So we made our second departure at fifteen minutes later than planned... Not too bad considering we will now be spending the next twelve months or so living our own schedule!

The reason for our early departure was to catch up with friends in Bombala for morning tea.  We had a delightful time catching up, whilst the kids squeezed in a ride on a pony before we headed down the coast to Eden for lunch.  

One sleep to go - Setting off for our lap around the block tomorrow

It is hard to believe that tomorrow is our departure date.  This moment has been years in the making, and I am a little excited, and mostly exhausted!

I thought I would keep this a short post, except to thank some of the many people who have helped us get to this point.

At the risk of missing someone, I want to thank some of those wonderful people.

Firstly a big thank our to boys, who have embraced our camping lifestyle and bring so much joy to us when we see the world through their eyes.  We hope this year is one they will remember forever with fondness, and excite in them a passion for learning, travelling and all things outdoors.

Our parents I suspect initially thought we were mad... until they saw our camping set up which confirmed their beliefs.  That said, their support has been wonderful, culminating in a week long working bee at our little house getting it ready for tenants.  It is due in no small part to their efforts that we can leave our house knowing it is in tip top shape.  Thank you. 

I have the most amazing manager who gave me approval to pursue this dream way back in early 2009.  I also work with a great bunch of people who will cover my shifts for me whilst I am away - which will provide its own challenges and I appreciate no end.  

We are fortunate to be part of an an incredible tight knit community, and we have been touched by everyone's support and encouragement. From offers to keep and eye on our home, to completely unexpected little farewell gifts, and even looking after our little pooch, we have been blown away. We will miss you all!  Our school and it's wonderful teachers have been so supportive of our plan, we leave well armed for a year of homeschooling. 

And of course, Jo, who agreed to my foolish adventure.  She has worked tirelessly on all the boring bits to make sure that everything will carry on at home in our absence that needs to, and what needs to find us will find us.  An incredible woman and a tower of strength.  Thank you!

We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful people in our lives, that funnily enough on the cusp of our grand adventure I feel a twinge of sadness.  Almost like being on a ship leaving for a long deployment, we will soon settle into our new routine, but we will miss our wonderful friends and family still at home.  Sometimes you have to leave to really appreciate how fortunate we are to be surrounded by such great people.  However unlike ships of not that long ago, we will be not far from mobile phones and email, so we hope to stay in touch!

And so here we are... Almost all packed, and due to hit the road at 8am tomorrow.  Fingers crossed we will get away before lunch, after all, what could possibly go wrong!

11 Days Out From A Year On The Road...

We are officially 11 days out from our year on the road... and the nerves are starting to show as we try to get everything ready to go.  In fact it was as good as called off this morning!

For the past few weeks our focus has not been on the trip at all.  Rather we have been busy trying to get our house ready for tenants to move in, ensuring schooling is in hand and all our furniture is packed away. Whilst the trip has been foremost in our minds in one way - it has been the furthest from our minds in terms of what we will actually do on our adventure.

Indeed we have often joked that we will start the
planning for our year on the road, once we finally get on the road!

That said, in addition to all the household jobs we are trying to get on top of, there have been a few last minute jobs to do on the camper and the Amarok too.  Nothing like leaving things to the last minute.

One job on my list for months was fitting a pair of helper springs to the Amarok.  A simple job - but I finally admitted I didn't have time to fit them, and organised my lovely wife to have them fitted at the local mechanic's.  Unfortunately the young fella who put them on didn't appreciate the dynamics of the suspension and the U bolts were striking the chassis.  

Argh.  Wasn't particularly happy about spending that evening pulling the U bolts off and turning them over - but it had to be done.  I guess the reverse of Parkinson's law is also true... (Parkinson's law states that work expands to fill the resources available to do it.  I have discovered that if your resources shrink (in this case time), the somehow you manage to fit it all in regardless!).

Upside down Miss Jane

Much better

Some good came of it - the road test!

But wait, there's more.  We decided we really should fit some bike racks for the kids bikes on the front of Matilda.  The most cost effective method was to buy a fork mount and bolt it to the top of the pantry box...  Not a big job, but placement was important to ensure that we can still use the hot water system on extended camps!  I ordered the parts on eBay - only to be told after four days that they weren't in stock, and I could upgrade my order or cancel it.  It was Friday afternoon - they were supposed to be delivered that afternoon.  Not happy Jan - I cancelled the order and picked up the parts from the local Roof Rack City - for $0.02 more than Mr eBay!

Making sure it all fits.

Got to get it just right!

And then we decided to take it up a notch.  In order to give the food a bit of protection from temperature extremes, we had been meaning to line the top of the pantry with carpet.  Having experienced the pleasure of trying to line the Amarok's canopy with carpet previously, I encouraged Jo to give it a go.  After a few false starts, she got fair cracking and to be honest did a great job.  We had more timber holding it in place whilst the glue set than is holding our house up...  The only casualty was a bit of hair that came in contact with the adhesive...  but as we tell the kids: "It will grow back!".

And finally this morning we hit crunch time.  For the past few weeks our study has had all the furniture removed, and replaced by all the stuff we might want to take with us next year.  Some of it is not negotiable, like the medical supplies, however some of it is best described as discretionary.

We took the point of view that if we might want it - then we should put it in the study so we could at least consider whether we want to take it or not.  Well this morning we pulled out all the camping chairs, BBQ, water jerry and so on and started our game of Tetris.

Hmmmm...  One thing is certain, the box isn't getting any bigger!

We both had a few different ideas - tried to work out what we would use every night and what we would perhaps use less frequently.  Mulled over where the emergency water should be - had a somewhat heated discussion over the size of the laundry bucket and damn near divorced over the where the awnings should live... 

We must be getting stressed...  But friends had warned us that just before you head off, the task will seem impossible and you will find yourselves asking if it is worth it.  Thankfully we both calmed down and the adventure is still on!  

I must be a lucky bloke!

Kanangra Walls - Boy's Weekend Escape - Close to Sydney

Sometimes it takes a woman to get a bunch of blokes together for a weeekend away.  My wonderful wife had succeeded where we had failed and managed to select a weekend for a group of old friends to get together and designate an official Big Boys Weekend!

The passage of time had seen us go to school together, cut our teeth in the big smoke, before dispersing.  As we all have children now, fitting a little time for our own friends is rarer and rarer as our social lives increasingly revolve around our children's schooling / sporting / music / scouting interests.

We met at the Boyd River Campground, in Kanangra-Boyd National Park, as it was almost the exact same distance for all four of us to travel to, from north, south and east.  As we all started closing on the park, the weather was looking pretty ominous.  It was about 3 degrees and raining sideways, when the suggestion that we bail and head to the Oberon Pub was mentioned...  but being tenacious males, we decided to persevere.

And I'm so glad we did. The weather cleared as soon as I arrived, and continued to improve all weekend.




Boyd River Camp

Big Red Run - Day 8 - Birdsville to Maree...er no make that Quilpie

We rose early to capture the sunrise on Big Red to overcast and foreboding skies.  And after a leisurely pack up, we headed back into Birdsville to fuel up and make tracks south to Maree.

The sun starts to make its appearance felt through an overcast sky.

Sunrise lights up our camp - at Big Red

We headed out of town on the Birdsville Track - and almost immediately got stuck in clouds of dust, behind a convoy of caravans doing about 50 kilometres an hour.  It became apparent in the next minute or two that the caravans weren't likely to pull over and let the trail of 4WDs behind them past in a hurry, so we pulled over to the side of the road to re-think our options.