Some of you may already be aware that our trip out the back in the wilds of BumbleF.. has finished. We are now home safe, sound and shivering, but in our own bed, in our own house, in our own little home town.
The last days of our trip were spent traveling from Wagga Wagga, through Echuca, Bendigo and Melbourne. I'd like to say we saw some truly magnificent things there and did some inspiring sight seeing, however I was so excited about getting closer to home, that I can't even remember half of what we did there, and if I hadn't kept a diary, I'd really have no idea what we did or saw those last few days.
I can related however that the trip on the boat was a bit rough, the road from Devonport to Hobart was way too long, and I just couldn't get home quick enough. I can also say that the surprise was successful and our girls were all very excited and totally surprised to see us walk in the door.
So we are officially home, our trip to BumbleF... and beyond is officially over, and my blog is complete. So thanks for following our story, and if Kevin ever talks me in to another trip, I'm sure I'll be blogging again!
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Outbacking our way home
As promised, this blog is coming from somewhere along the track on the way home from BumbleF......
We left Longreach and I can't say I was sorry to say goodbye to the town. It seemed that even the wildlife here had picked up the negative vibe, as part way along the road and an emu decided he'd wander out across the road, just because he could. Some clever braking from Kevin and we managed to avoid him as he casually trotted across the road and out of our way. The road is in pretty bad condition and there is heaps of road kill, so the crows are looking pretty fat!!
Come 9.30 and I was already hanging for a coffee, so I was on high alert for anything that vaguely resembled a decent coffee shop but wasn't having much luck. At this stage, I was pretty much getting over outback towns, chatty old people in caravan parks, and worst of all being classed as a 'grey nomad' when I think I've got some pretty good years in me still. One of us is still loving the outback experience, and the chatting for hours with random people he meets, but one of us is not relishing it quite as much!!
Along the road we stopped at a few random towns, some better than others. We stopped at Barcaldine for coffee, and found a really nice coffee at a very clean bakery. We were pleasantly surprised with Barcaldine, it was a very clean and tidy town. After Barcaldine, we turned onto another highway and started to head south.
There were heaps of emus on the road. We saw a dad emu and several chicks, but he wouldn't let us photograph them and took them into long grass to hide them. He was pretty clever actually. Lots of other random animals were about too. The wild pigs are ugly things, really rumpy looking and feral as!!
Our next overnighter was at Charleville. We arrived at our caravan park after traveling quite a few kilometers off the beaten track to get here. It was not what we were expecting and with no phone, no TV, and no Internet, can't say I was thrilled with the place. The couple who met us in reception were not filling us with a whole heap of confidence, and by the time I booked in, i was feeling like this was a very big mistake! We decided not to stay here two nights, so unpacked the van, then headed into town to give ourselves time to look around and decide what to do. In town, we booked into a town caravan park so we could stay in a reasonable park before heading in the direction of Bourke. By the time we headed back to where we'd left the van, it was pretty dark, and we had to dodge the huge kangaroos along the road. I was feeling an early night coming on!
The following morning Kevin took a farm tour. This was an experience i allowed him to enjoy alone. I forced myself to stay behind and sit in the sun. Then it was into town to stay at a caravan park closer to civilisation. The rest of our stay in Charleville consisted of a communal lamb spit roast at the caravan park and an observatory tour at night, which was a new experience. Who ever thought I'd be star gazing in the outback?
And so it was time to leave Charleville, and head to Bourke. We were on the road by 7.30 which was a record for us! The weather was pretty fresh -translation bloody freezing. But it was shaping up to be a pretty nice day. I was a bit nervous about what Bourke would bring, but decided to wait and see how I felt once I got there. What the town was like, was going to decide just how long we stayed there.
The trip to Bourke was fairly uneventful, which loosely translated means 'boring'. I did discover though that Kevin does a great impersonation of an emu, a talent he has managed to keep hidden from me for thirty odd years. There are so many emus on this road. Mind you emu impersonations shows what we've been reduced to on the road!!
And just when i thought it couldn't get any more BumbleF**k, we were now officially out the back of Bourke!! We arrived in Bourke and headed straight to the caravan park and got set up. We decided to take a paddle boat up the Darling River, which was OK. The town of Bourke though, was less than ordinary, and we understand now why we were warned not to stay right in the town. We did visit Heritage Centre before we left town though, and were surprised to read about those famous Australians that have links to the town.
The road home then took us towards Dubbo. The traveling was pretty hard though, as we had encountered a fair bit of turbulence on the road and this had played havoc with backs, necks and arms. The roads are pretty rough in general, and i must say my back is pleased that we are now on the home stretch!! Kevin did get very excited as we passed through Nyngen, as there is an Ag Expo on in the town, however it isn't on till Saturday and there was no way I was staying in Nyngen for another three days so he could go!! I did mention I was more than happy for him to go while I stayed in Dubbo, however AG Field Days in Nyngen were definitely not on my 'bucket list'!
We arrived in Dubbo and found the caravan park with very little fuss. After unpacking we headed into town to check out what might be there. We found the main city block and a shopping centre, but Kevin got a bit flustered with his driving in and around the shopping centre. He can drive all over Australia, but give him a shopping centre carpark, and he just doesn't cope!!
Our first day in Dubbo, and Kevin decided to go out for breakfast. He'd been on rations for big breakfasts after he overdosed on them while we were in Darwin. Then it was time for retail therapy for me - they even have a Myer in Dubbo!! I was wondering if the kilometers I'd walked shopping would wear off the kilojoules I'd inhaled eating pancakes and strawberries at breakfast.
So with all of our gourmet and retail needs met with our visit to Dubbo, it is now time to pack up and head for Wagga Wagga. Our jumpers have been pulled out of the cupboards, and the thongs and shorts have been stowed away. We are officially on the way home.
We left Longreach and I can't say I was sorry to say goodbye to the town. It seemed that even the wildlife here had picked up the negative vibe, as part way along the road and an emu decided he'd wander out across the road, just because he could. Some clever braking from Kevin and we managed to avoid him as he casually trotted across the road and out of our way. The road is in pretty bad condition and there is heaps of road kill, so the crows are looking pretty fat!!
Come 9.30 and I was already hanging for a coffee, so I was on high alert for anything that vaguely resembled a decent coffee shop but wasn't having much luck. At this stage, I was pretty much getting over outback towns, chatty old people in caravan parks, and worst of all being classed as a 'grey nomad' when I think I've got some pretty good years in me still. One of us is still loving the outback experience, and the chatting for hours with random people he meets, but one of us is not relishing it quite as much!!
Along the road we stopped at a few random towns, some better than others. We stopped at Barcaldine for coffee, and found a really nice coffee at a very clean bakery. We were pleasantly surprised with Barcaldine, it was a very clean and tidy town. After Barcaldine, we turned onto another highway and started to head south.
There were heaps of emus on the road. We saw a dad emu and several chicks, but he wouldn't let us photograph them and took them into long grass to hide them. He was pretty clever actually. Lots of other random animals were about too. The wild pigs are ugly things, really rumpy looking and feral as!!
Our next overnighter was at Charleville. We arrived at our caravan park after traveling quite a few kilometers off the beaten track to get here. It was not what we were expecting and with no phone, no TV, and no Internet, can't say I was thrilled with the place. The couple who met us in reception were not filling us with a whole heap of confidence, and by the time I booked in, i was feeling like this was a very big mistake! We decided not to stay here two nights, so unpacked the van, then headed into town to give ourselves time to look around and decide what to do. In town, we booked into a town caravan park so we could stay in a reasonable park before heading in the direction of Bourke. By the time we headed back to where we'd left the van, it was pretty dark, and we had to dodge the huge kangaroos along the road. I was feeling an early night coming on!
The following morning Kevin took a farm tour. This was an experience i allowed him to enjoy alone. I forced myself to stay behind and sit in the sun. Then it was into town to stay at a caravan park closer to civilisation. The rest of our stay in Charleville consisted of a communal lamb spit roast at the caravan park and an observatory tour at night, which was a new experience. Who ever thought I'd be star gazing in the outback?
And so it was time to leave Charleville, and head to Bourke. We were on the road by 7.30 which was a record for us! The weather was pretty fresh -translation bloody freezing. But it was shaping up to be a pretty nice day. I was a bit nervous about what Bourke would bring, but decided to wait and see how I felt once I got there. What the town was like, was going to decide just how long we stayed there.
The trip to Bourke was fairly uneventful, which loosely translated means 'boring'. I did discover though that Kevin does a great impersonation of an emu, a talent he has managed to keep hidden from me for thirty odd years. There are so many emus on this road. Mind you emu impersonations shows what we've been reduced to on the road!!
And just when i thought it couldn't get any more BumbleF**k, we were now officially out the back of Bourke!! We arrived in Bourke and headed straight to the caravan park and got set up. We decided to take a paddle boat up the Darling River, which was OK. The town of Bourke though, was less than ordinary, and we understand now why we were warned not to stay right in the town. We did visit Heritage Centre before we left town though, and were surprised to read about those famous Australians that have links to the town.
The road home then took us towards Dubbo. The traveling was pretty hard though, as we had encountered a fair bit of turbulence on the road and this had played havoc with backs, necks and arms. The roads are pretty rough in general, and i must say my back is pleased that we are now on the home stretch!! Kevin did get very excited as we passed through Nyngen, as there is an Ag Expo on in the town, however it isn't on till Saturday and there was no way I was staying in Nyngen for another three days so he could go!! I did mention I was more than happy for him to go while I stayed in Dubbo, however AG Field Days in Nyngen were definitely not on my 'bucket list'!
We arrived in Dubbo and found the caravan park with very little fuss. After unpacking we headed into town to check out what might be there. We found the main city block and a shopping centre, but Kevin got a bit flustered with his driving in and around the shopping centre. He can drive all over Australia, but give him a shopping centre carpark, and he just doesn't cope!!
Our first day in Dubbo, and Kevin decided to go out for breakfast. He'd been on rations for big breakfasts after he overdosed on them while we were in Darwin. Then it was time for retail therapy for me - they even have a Myer in Dubbo!! I was wondering if the kilometers I'd walked shopping would wear off the kilojoules I'd inhaled eating pancakes and strawberries at breakfast.
So with all of our gourmet and retail needs met with our visit to Dubbo, it is now time to pack up and head for Wagga Wagga. Our jumpers have been pulled out of the cupboards, and the thongs and shorts have been stowed away. We are officially on the way home.
Monday, 1 August 2011
Banjo Patterson country
Last time I blogged, our buddies had all left, and it was time for us to hit the road again and make the slow trip back home. We stopped off at Katherine where we were going to do the gorge trip on a sunset cruise as a last thing before we started heading to the Queensland border. The gorge trip at sunset was certainly a highlight of the trip.
From the moment we stepped on the boat the magic began. Apparently the aboriginal people have taken over the tour company again, and the improvements since the tour we did years ago were marked. The walkways were all paved, there was water and seats available along the walk and the sunset cruise idea, well that was just magic!
The tour was more about the place than the wildlife, and as we'd already done heaps of wildlife tours, this was great for us. In comparison with the Darwin Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise, that cruise was just a meal on a boat, this was an experience!! The whole place was quite spiritual and we were just amazed at the beauty and how much more intense the colors, and light and shade were at this time of night. And then just when we thought it couldn't get any better, our guide turned the motor off in the boat and we just drifted in absolute silence for five minutes soaking in the spirit of the place in the middle of the river!!
The second part of the cruise returned us to the first gorge and we boarded the dinner boat which was all set up with clothed tables, beautiful dinner settings, champagne etc. If i wasn't already married, this would be the ultimate place to be proposed to! The music played gently in the background (it was the music of an aboriginal musician who plays the guitar upside down and was truly beautiful) and after we ate the most amazing three course meal, the floodlights were turned on and the whole gorge was lit as we slowly drifted back down the gorge. This was the best thing we have done so far and a lovely way to farewell the Northern Territory.
We made an early start the next morning and headed off towards Mataranka but decided not to stop and kept going till we came to Daly Waters Roadhouse, and then we kept going. We pulled over on the side of the road for lunch which we made in the back of the van. Then we headed for Elliot. We weren't sure whether to stay at Elliot, or try and make it to Renner Springs Roadhouse for an overnight stay there. We drove through Elliot and decided straight away i was not staying there. I'd rather camp on the side of the road. It was right up there with Roebourne which had been up till now the worst place ever. I managed to get Renner Springs on the phone and pre-booked a powered caravan site for the night, so we breathed a sigh of relief and travelled slowly there.
We arrived to a huge amount of caravans, so we were glad we had booked our site. It was pretty primitive, and there is no way I would have used the amenities. With no phone coverage, we called home from the phonebox, then after fighting off the mosquitos, and speaking over the sound of the road trains, we headed off to get an early night.
We got away early again the following morning, but not as early as we would have liked. We were heading to Barkly Homestead as we thought it was probably the only point in the road suitable to stay as we knew we wouldnt make it to Mt ISA in a day from here. We weren't sure what we would find there and guessed our night stay would be similar as the night stay we had last night- ordinary at best! We made a short stop at Three Ways Roadhouse for fuel, comfort, coffee (which was surprisingly a great coffee), and a Three Ways stubby holder for Kevin's growing collection, we then hit the road again heading for Barkly Homestead.
We arrived at Barkly and were pleasantly surprised. The guy at Renner Springs has told us it was pretty average, but in comparison to Renner Springs, it was a five star place. We got our pick of the sites, and if it wasn't for the noisy generator that kept Kevin awake, it would have been a perfect stop along the way to Mt ISA which was our next stop.
The next day, we made it to Mt ISA in fairly good time, but were starting to feel quite travel-weary so decided to stop here for a few days to catch our breath and have a look around. The caravan park was OK, so we figured we'd be fairly comfortable here. Mt ISA itself is not really that inspiring though, and would not be my hometown of choice!!
We've noticed the weather is beginning to change, and I've dragged out the little fan heater again, as the mornings are quite chilly compared to the beautiful 27 degree days. I don't mind so much though, as it means I'm sleeping much better of a night. I found Darwin just way too hot with no escape from the heat at night.
We got away fairly early the morning we left Mt ISA, Kevin was aiming for 7.30 and we did it by 7.45, so not too bad. First main town was Cloncurry, where we stopped for fuel,and coffee. We sustained a 'war wound' on the van getting in to the fuel station and the woman in the bakery was an absolute cow. We didn't rate Cloncurry very highly at all. Next stop was Winton and the only decent cafe in the street decided they would put a closed sign up at 2.30, so there was no opportunity for a coffee. We found a service station but only had one pump available, so found another. This one only took credit card as they had closed for the day -well it was 2.30 afterall.
We left Winton behind after having lunch on the side of the road just outside of the town. It was a long haul, but we eventually arrived at Longreach at 5pm. We were tired and crabby by this time - well one of us was tired, and the other was crabby anyway! So we grabbed a quick meal and decided to call it a day - it had been a very very long one.
Longreach provided us with a much needed sleep-in and catch up morning, and then as Longreach is the home of the Stockman's Hall of Fame, it was obligatory that I should accompany Kevin there for the day. It was pretty well done, but a day of it was an overload of heritage really!
From Longreach we are heading to Charleville, and probably Bourke, but Kevin is still deciding, and I'm just ready to head for home, so quite frankly I'm not to fussed which way he goes as long as it's south!
My next blog will be somewhere along the track on the way home from BumbleF......
From the moment we stepped on the boat the magic began. Apparently the aboriginal people have taken over the tour company again, and the improvements since the tour we did years ago were marked. The walkways were all paved, there was water and seats available along the walk and the sunset cruise idea, well that was just magic!
The tour was more about the place than the wildlife, and as we'd already done heaps of wildlife tours, this was great for us. In comparison with the Darwin Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise, that cruise was just a meal on a boat, this was an experience!! The whole place was quite spiritual and we were just amazed at the beauty and how much more intense the colors, and light and shade were at this time of night. And then just when we thought it couldn't get any better, our guide turned the motor off in the boat and we just drifted in absolute silence for five minutes soaking in the spirit of the place in the middle of the river!!
The second part of the cruise returned us to the first gorge and we boarded the dinner boat which was all set up with clothed tables, beautiful dinner settings, champagne etc. If i wasn't already married, this would be the ultimate place to be proposed to! The music played gently in the background (it was the music of an aboriginal musician who plays the guitar upside down and was truly beautiful) and after we ate the most amazing three course meal, the floodlights were turned on and the whole gorge was lit as we slowly drifted back down the gorge. This was the best thing we have done so far and a lovely way to farewell the Northern Territory.
We made an early start the next morning and headed off towards Mataranka but decided not to stop and kept going till we came to Daly Waters Roadhouse, and then we kept going. We pulled over on the side of the road for lunch which we made in the back of the van. Then we headed for Elliot. We weren't sure whether to stay at Elliot, or try and make it to Renner Springs Roadhouse for an overnight stay there. We drove through Elliot and decided straight away i was not staying there. I'd rather camp on the side of the road. It was right up there with Roebourne which had been up till now the worst place ever. I managed to get Renner Springs on the phone and pre-booked a powered caravan site for the night, so we breathed a sigh of relief and travelled slowly there.
We arrived to a huge amount of caravans, so we were glad we had booked our site. It was pretty primitive, and there is no way I would have used the amenities. With no phone coverage, we called home from the phonebox, then after fighting off the mosquitos, and speaking over the sound of the road trains, we headed off to get an early night.
We got away early again the following morning, but not as early as we would have liked. We were heading to Barkly Homestead as we thought it was probably the only point in the road suitable to stay as we knew we wouldnt make it to Mt ISA in a day from here. We weren't sure what we would find there and guessed our night stay would be similar as the night stay we had last night- ordinary at best! We made a short stop at Three Ways Roadhouse for fuel, comfort, coffee (which was surprisingly a great coffee), and a Three Ways stubby holder for Kevin's growing collection, we then hit the road again heading for Barkly Homestead.
We arrived at Barkly and were pleasantly surprised. The guy at Renner Springs has told us it was pretty average, but in comparison to Renner Springs, it was a five star place. We got our pick of the sites, and if it wasn't for the noisy generator that kept Kevin awake, it would have been a perfect stop along the way to Mt ISA which was our next stop.
The next day, we made it to Mt ISA in fairly good time, but were starting to feel quite travel-weary so decided to stop here for a few days to catch our breath and have a look around. The caravan park was OK, so we figured we'd be fairly comfortable here. Mt ISA itself is not really that inspiring though, and would not be my hometown of choice!!
We've noticed the weather is beginning to change, and I've dragged out the little fan heater again, as the mornings are quite chilly compared to the beautiful 27 degree days. I don't mind so much though, as it means I'm sleeping much better of a night. I found Darwin just way too hot with no escape from the heat at night.
We got away fairly early the morning we left Mt ISA, Kevin was aiming for 7.30 and we did it by 7.45, so not too bad. First main town was Cloncurry, where we stopped for fuel,and coffee. We sustained a 'war wound' on the van getting in to the fuel station and the woman in the bakery was an absolute cow. We didn't rate Cloncurry very highly at all. Next stop was Winton and the only decent cafe in the street decided they would put a closed sign up at 2.30, so there was no opportunity for a coffee. We found a service station but only had one pump available, so found another. This one only took credit card as they had closed for the day -well it was 2.30 afterall.
We left Winton behind after having lunch on the side of the road just outside of the town. It was a long haul, but we eventually arrived at Longreach at 5pm. We were tired and crabby by this time - well one of us was tired, and the other was crabby anyway! So we grabbed a quick meal and decided to call it a day - it had been a very very long one.
Longreach provided us with a much needed sleep-in and catch up morning, and then as Longreach is the home of the Stockman's Hall of Fame, it was obligatory that I should accompany Kevin there for the day. It was pretty well done, but a day of it was an overload of heritage really!
From Longreach we are heading to Charleville, and probably Bourke, but Kevin is still deciding, and I'm just ready to head for home, so quite frankly I'm not to fussed which way he goes as long as it's south!
My next blog will be somewhere along the track on the way home from BumbleF......
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