Tamworth, Orange & Parkes – caravaning around Australia.

Posted on December 18, 2023 by paulinerose18

On the road again with a new thermostat in place the drive to Tamworth was stressful. I was dreading every hill, thinking the car would play up. Mr C was like a cat on a tin roof – trying to see the dash on the driver’s side. “What’s the temp doing” – me “fine”, “have you got cruise control on?” Me – “no“, eventually he settled down. Thankfully there were not too many hills on the way to Tamworth because we avoided them. The countryside was beautiful – as I was driving, I thought the hills looked like a patchwork quilt of different shades of green, yellow, beige and white for the homes against a backdrop of blue skies – it was awesome.

We were going to stay a night or two in Tamworth but decided against it as we had spent two extra nights in Armidale. We stopped for lunch at the Tamworth Visitors Centre, spoke to the lovely volunteers at the centre about the best way to get to Orange. There are many routes to take, I asked for a copy of the map, sadly they don’t sell them.

I met a group of women who were animal rescue volunteers, they had a baby Joey well not really a Joey, I can’t remember the name of the marsupial, but it looks like a Joey and a baby Wombat. We spent ages talking about how they feed the babies and take care of them, it was fascinating. Mr C was busy taking photos of the giant guitar.

The town of Tamworth was just like many of the towns we had been through, I was expecting something different – because it was Tamworth, known for its country singing. I guess the best time to be here would be for the country music festival, which is in January, just a bit too far away – next time. Mr C & I took our obligatory photos with the big golden guitar, looked at the music museum and hall of fame. We filled up with fuel, I purchased a map of NSW it has much better detail of where we needed to go and continued to Orange, Mr C was the navigator which I was really pleased about – despite us trying to avoid hills we came across them.

At one point I pulled over into a rest bay as the car was struggling and just made it up one of the hills – we waited for about an hour for the car to cool and I then continued. Only to find a few more hills and the car continued to struggle, it was really stressful – at this point we were about 2kms from a 24hr rest bay – we arrived at The Black Stump just north of Coolah. I called it a day. It was a nice rest area with toilets and a few other people around – we had a light dinner and an early night.

I thought, ‘wow’ – there is a place called the Black Stump I’d heard the saying “beyond the black stump” meaning ‘the middle of nowhere” but I didn’t think there was an actual place – well this is it – there is a black stump – a tree that was burnt. The local Aboriginal Gamilaraay people called the area ‘Weetalibah-Wallangan’, meaning ‘the place where the fire went out and left a burnt stump’ We stayed the night. I googled The Black Stump for the purpose of my blog and found an interesting post giving some history – click the link to read further.

I thought it would be better if the car broke down then we would know what the problem was – the car was all day at the Ford dealer in Armidale. Now we have to book it in again at Orange. Frustrating!!!!!!

Morning coffee break was made in a town called Wellington. I could not get used to the idea there was a Wellington in NSW – the only Wellington I know is in New Zealand – it took some getting used to. I thought this was a unique little town, it was vibrant however, some empty shops, beautiful buildings, it was lovely. Called into the Information Centre again they were very helpful. Gave us a run down on the history of the town and its name – yes, the town was named after the Duke of Wellington (England). We picked up a couple of postcards, some freebee doggie high visibility kerchiefs about driver reviver and we had brunch at the “Four Fat Cats” – which happened to be an old infant school building – it was great.

Orange

I remember going to Orange for a weekend as a nursing student, oh so many years ago. It seems very different now – I loved the tree lined streets and the beautiful old houses with the Bull-nose verandas, it’s all so very pretty and Australian.

It seems coincidental that Mr C and I both spent time in our early adult life crossing paths in and around NSW – the early 70’s (however me being younger than him, I wasn’t married).

As we were driving through Orange, Mr C was grumpy and said, “I really don’t like Orange”. I asked him, “why not” – “I just don’t like it“, I sensed there was another reason, and pressed him further, and to my surprise, the following story was told (Mr C is ok with me sharing his story).

Mr C was 22yrs old and newly married when he lived in Canberra. He was driving between Bathurst and Orange with his mate Barry. They were just visiting Orange. He was driving into Orange almost in the township. When Barry said, “I can hear music in the bush” Mr C looked behind him and in the rear vision mirror and said, “no it’s a police car trying to get past me”. In saying that he pulled over. Then the police car pulled in behind him. Mr C got out of his car, the police man got out of the passenger seat and came to him. “You’re under arrest” Mr C said “Yer wot”. Then the police proceeded to tell him, you were driving too fast. The policeman asked what speed where you doing? – Mr C said “70mile an hour” – he said – the policeman said, “we were doing over 107 mile an hour and we couldn’t catch you pulling away from us”. “Nah mate you got that all wrong” – said Mr C, “oh no“, said the policeman and put him in the police car – Barry drove Mr C’s car to the police station. The police were joking in the car with Mr C – saying “what mileage do you get out of that beast (he had a 351 Fairmont) Allan Moffatt only gets 4 miles to the gallon out of his out of his GT Falcon” – Mr C laughed and said, “I don’t drive at silly speeds I get 18 miles to the gallon“. When he got to the Police Station, they took his belt and put him in a little box and charged him with speeding. Then Barry had to find $200 to bail him out.

Mr C could not drive to Orange for his Court appearance, so he hired a mate of a mate with an aeroplane (normal little Cessna) to fly him to and from Orange – he got mate rates for the flight. The Court outcome was a $300 fine and 12 months suspension of licence in NSW. Everyone thought it was an excessive outcome because magistrate had no jurisdiction in ACT. Barry previously had got a DUI not his first and he paid $150 fine and 6 months suspension. – I think Mr C still feels hard done by and suffers from PTSD about Orange.

Despite Mr C’s dislike of Orange, we still enjoyed our time in Orange. Our car went into the Ford dealership for another look at why it doesn’t like hills. We were very impressed with the service we received, they found the problem – it was an Exhaust Gass Regulator (EGR), it needed to be replaced – this regulator when not working correctly will put the car in limp mode and this happened each time, we went up a high hill – thank goodness the issue is resolved. Three Ford dealerships have looked at the car, how hard can it be.

Parkes

It had been over 40 years since I had last visited Parks, it has grown exponentially. My dear friend Karen and I were nursing students and I went home with Karen to Parkes to meet her family, I recall it was a lovely time. To go back and see how much Parkes has changed and to see Karen’s mother again was delightful. We also visited the Parkes Radio telescope – read the history here. I first saw it back in the 1970’s and it looked like a dish in the middle of no-where – now the trees have grown, it was also upgraded in the 1980’s and there is a café, where we had lunch and watched the birds.

Anyone know what the name of this bird is please? we have tried to find it but have not had any luck.

Bathurst

Mr C wanted to go to Mt Panorama and so we did, I was not that interested until I saw it and the track. You can actually drive the track at 60 Km/per/hour, our 4-wheel drive was not exactly the car to drive – I did the first loop, it was fun, I was surprised how tight the corners were and how steep the mountain was – it was fun.

Mr C did two laps, one to practice and the second for fun, he enjoyed it but wished he was in racing car not a 4-wheel drive. There was no chance of speeding, we passed a marked and unmarked police car on the track, so 60km it was – we both had fun.

Bathurst was also a nice town; I was impressed with the Court House it was rather grand compared to other towns we had seen. As usual there were many churches around the town – you can guarantee churches and pubs in all the towns.

We had a leisurely walk around the park and the town, then I had the best ice-cream in Bathurst – it was Annies’s ice-cream shop, it was just delish, I could’ve had two but thankfully restrained myself. It was time to drive back to Orange and plan the next part of our trip now that the car was fixed. We had stayed two extra nights in Orange due to the car repairs and now it was time to move on. I’m so ready to go home, but we still have much to see.

The car trouble has put a dampener on our holiday, it has been so stressful but now hopefully it will be clear sailing the rest of the trip. I’m looking forward to Xmas with our friends – thankfully all Xmas cards have been sent to family and friends.

Lesson – We have been on the road for nearly six months – there are bound to be some hiccups along the way when you are traveling towing a caravan. So just accept that this will happen and go with the flow.

Next blog will be Young – Queanbeyan then the countdown home will begin after Christmas.

Tenterfield – Armidale – Caravaning around Australia.

Posted on December 8, 2023 by paulinerose18

Tenterfield was Mr C’s choice, he loves the song by Peter Allen “The Tenterfield Saddler” so we googled where to find the Saddler’s House. After driving up and down the main street we couldn’t find it (only later to find we had driven past it several times, it was tucked away between two new buildings) we ended up at the Railway Station and discovered they had a market happening – great, we ambled around the market, asked a few locals where the house was, we were given directions. I discovered a Christmas Cake home baked stall and for the first time bought a Christmas Cake, at least it was home made. There were several Churches around the town – one I think was for sale, not sure how that works.

Tenterfield is a bustling little town, who all claim Peter Allen as their success story. What was great for Mr C was to experience the place of the song, Peter Allen did a great job. There were some beautiful old and new houses and the local people where all very friendly and helpful. It really is worth a visit. The only problem was museums were closed on the weekends.

Old man Barry, dressed and groomed impeccably with a light blue shirt, navy jumper shirt collar out, grey pants, grey socks and slip on brown leather shoes was sitting outside the shop to greet visitors. As he spoke to you, he used his wooden walking stick to extenuate important information. I guessed Barry was well into his eighties, he spoke with a quiet English accent, although he was Australian. He knew George Woolnough and was happy to share the family stories to anyone who would listen, he was a lovely man full of local knowledge. As I spoke to him, he told me, “I’ve come home to die, no better place than home”. I wasn’t sure how to respond to his comment, so I just smiled. Mr C bought a leather belt from the saddlery which is still functional. We had brunch at one of the many places to eat and then headed for Armidale.

Armidale

Mr C drove to Armidale, the journey was very picturesque, farming country. We encountered only two small episodes of the car struggling up hills, but the gears changed, and Betsy kept on going. We stopped at Glen Innes which has the standing stones and honouring Celtic people past and present. We did not stay long as we wanted to get to Armidale and get our car sorted out. I was surprised to see the names of the places, this is The New England area, there is Glen Innes, Stonehenge, Glencoe, Ben Lomond, I thought I was in the United Kingdom for a while there. Even street names were common English or from the deep South of America.

I was looking forward to arriving, I was meeting my dear midwifery friend, sadly she informed us that she has COVID. Arriving on Saturday meant that we had to wait until Monday before sorting our car.

Arrived at Highlander Van Park, we set up the caravan, doesn’t take us long now – we are real professionals now. Kettle on, cuppa and some home baked scones from the Tenterfield markets. Mr C noticed he had a sore neck – “honey, just check my neck” when I looked, I could see a body and some legs kicking about. “Oh, my goodness, you have a tick“, major surgery time.

Driving without having to pull the caravan was a real treat. Our first outing was to Wollomombi Falls and walk. The falls is a single fall into the Wollomombi River, it was good, but not as spectacular as the Wallaman Falls which we saw a few months ago. I enjoyed the walk whilst Mr C sat in the car – I was surprised to see the dog fence again, but then remembered in Qld they said it did go as far as NSW and parts of SA.

Gara Gorge was another beautiful spot of fresh water, it is also known as the Blue Hole. There was a great walk that I did, but as usual I am always worried about getting lost, as I have no sense of direction. The waters of the Gara feed into the Macleay system. There used to be a hydroelectric scheme at the Gara Gorge back in 1894 – you can see some of the remnants around the place. I did dip my feet into the water, but it was cold.

The tourist information centre conducts a free city bus tour, that we participated in with another couple. It was 2.5hours long and took us all around the city of Armidale – this included the New England University. Armidale does not have the population for a city but is named so because it has two cathedrals – St Peters Anglican and St Mary and Joseph Cathedrals. The city has so many churches, it is known as the city of churches and for the centre of education, teaching.

We also went for a short drive to Uralla and Gostwyck – our first stop was Gostwyck, it has the most beautiful private chapel. The chapel All Saints Anglican is on private land and therefore not used by the public, it is picture perfect. The beautiful trees are Elm trees, the seeds were brought out from England and planted at the same time the chapel was built in the early 1900s.

Uralla is a charming town, lots of old buildings, some nice coffee shops and boutique shops a couple of pubs and of course a couple of churches – seems the same in most of these towns. Uralla is also home to an infamous Captain Thunderbolt the last of the bushrangers. Uralla also hosts homes to fairies, they built fairy doors during COVID for the children of the town. We also missed the Uralla Fairy Festival, it would’ve been nice to see. It looks like a novel idea for the town.

Car – Ford Everest

The car went in for a service, it was an in-between (last service was Cairns) service to see what the problem was. It turns out that the thermostat needed to be replaced. Mr C asked about the transmission – however, this could only be checked once the new thermostat was in place. We waited a day for the part to arrive and then a day to fit. We had two quiet days, washing, cleaning etc just chilling days. We caught a taxi in for the Carols at St Peters one evening and the rest has been chilling and me catching up with my blogs and reading. Mr C picked the car up today with a new thermostat and no further information was forthcoming as to what the problem was. Mr C is not very happy with the level of service he received from the Ford dealership. We do not feel confident moving forward with the car, fingers crossed.

It was funny to see both Tenterfield and Armidale laying claim to Peter Allen, they both argued he was connected more to one town or the other. The bottom line is he was born in Tenterfield and raised in Armidale – however his roots were in Tenterfield. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

We are ready packed up to leave in the morning heading to Tamworth. Here’s hoping there is nothing further wrong with the car. Mr C’s tick is gone and cleared up. We’ve enjoyed Armidale, sad I missed my friend due to COVID. Ready for the next part of our journey – Tamworth, Orange and Parkes.

See you at the next blog.

Nambucca Heads to Armidale via Tenterfield caravaning around Australia

Posted on December 7, 2023 by paulinerose18

Nambucca Heads

Leaving Lismore our decision was to either stay at Coffs Harbour or Nambucca Heads. As younger people we had both spent time in Coffs Harbour, oh so many years ago. Also discussed not staying in big cities so Nambucca Heads it was. As we drove through Coffs, we commented on how much it had grown. Plus, my friend Helen lives in Nambucca – yes, another Helen. I was fortunate to meet Helen whilst working in Esperance WA and said to her, if I’m ever on the East Coast I would look you up and so I did.

Our caravan park was Ingenia Holidays – White Albatross, V-Wall, fantastic park with a beach and tidal lagoon 100meters from our caravan. It was cloudy, I was hoping it would not rain. Our stay was only for 2 nights – the first day we arrived about 4pm later than I had hoped for however we unhitched and went for a drive around the town.

As we drove around the area and through the State Forrest, the Kangaroos came out to greet us. There were some fabulous houses, we noted some rather small houses as well. As we drove down one of the streets, I spotted a dog, “Stop, look a Dingo” – Mr C…. “I don’t think so“…. Me “just stop please” by this time Mr C had spotted the dog and stopped the car. I got out and walked towards the truck with the dog leashed to the back of the truck and spoke to the dog – “Hi there, are you a friendly dog“, by this time a young man came strolling up to his truck, dressed in work clothes and boots, he was smiling at me. “hi” I said, “is this a Dingo?” he responded with “what do you think?” “Yes, it is it’s a fine-looking dog” “will he let me pat him“. with that I didn’t wait for a response, I put my open hand towards the dog….. the man says “go ahead see what he does“…… well the dog licked my hand and started playing with me. The man said, “he doesn’t do that to everyone, you must be special” my response, “Of course, he knows I love dogs“. we both laughed, Mr C was watching from the car. The man was visiting a young woman and her daughter, I think they were dating, or he was trying hard to date her. The young girl came over to say Hi and also pat the dog, by the way the Dingo’s name was Loki, so appropriate I thought, a bit mischievous (that’s if you know your Marvel movies). I said, “I didn’t think you could own Dingo’s” he responded with “I found him as a pup in the bush, he is now 4yrs old – you do have to be careful as he is a wild dog“. We left it at that, I thanked him for letting me have some doggie time and wished him all the best.

Helen picked us up the following morning a beautiful sunny day and we went for a drive – so good to be spoiled with a driver showing us and giving us a history of the area. Morning tea was in an arty town called Macksville, very quaint. We then went to Urunga Lagoon which has an amazing Footbridge about 2km long. Helen and I walked it solving the problems of the world, sharing our sadness at a “No” vote result. Mr C, sat happily on the beach front watching people and enjoying the sunshine. We also visited the many beaches all with glistening crystal blue water, at times I thought I was in Greece.

On our return to the caravan park – the V-Wall is a wall of rocks, shaped in a V which effectively acts as a breakwater creating a lagoon – it is an easy walk about 500meters. it’s a rock gallery of art and anyone can paint on the rocks. I left our mark on the rocks. I went for a swim in the lagoon, the water was a bit fresh but fabulous. We then had dinner overlooking the lagoon and watching the sunset at the V-Wall Pavillion. What more could you ask for – just perfect.

My contribution to the local art….. Fat Cat and Kez

Waterfall Way – Bellingen – Mt Dorrigo

From Coffs Harbour along Waterfall Way through Bellingen and Dorrigo was 2.5hrs (191kms). A steep mountainous winding road. We thought ok, we can do this, Ian as a young man had driven this road before and so we began the journey.

Our first stop was a beautiful quirky town of Bellingen. We stopped parked the caravan and went for a walk around the town. Had a coffee, sausage rolls and vanilla slice from the beautiful Swedish Bakery, I also bought some chocolate from the sweet shop for our drive. On the road again to Dorrigo.

The Car Problem

As Mr C was driving up the mountain, the car slowly began to struggle on the steeper sections. I was beginning to get worried as I could sense Mr C’s concern. I asked him “is your foot on the accelerator” as the car was going so slow – he responded with “Of course, its to the floor”. We then heard the gears change and for a moment thought the car would pick up speed, but alas it continued to struggle – at this point I asked Mr C what we are going to do…. as the car was struggling – I kept saying “come on Betsy you can do it“, it was like Thomas the tank little engine that couldn’t – and the car clearly now couldn’t – lucky for us there happened to be a turning point in the opposite direction and Mr C turned the car into the bay – we both gave a sigh of relief that we were off the road safely. We both sat and looked at the car, by now the car was over heated…. we just sat in disbelief that this could happen and now considered our options.

Our car stopped – the little engine that couldn’t. Turn-a-round point.

Our alternative route

After looking at the map and speaking with a friend who has local knowledge about the roads we decided to go back to Coffs Harbour to Armidale via Grafton, Casino and Tenterfield 6hrs and 15 mins 513 km. This now meant that Mr C had to reverse the caravan into the oncoming traffic around a blind bend – I had to go up the road and stop the oncoming traffic to allow for this to happen. Mr C had good vision of the upcoming traffic – it was stressful, I was now a traffic warden – the cars stopped as we turned, we allowed them to overtake, and we continued down the hill without any further ado.

Mr C did the first 2 hours of driving and we changed over in Grafton. The car was going well, no further overheating or problems. Mr C was tired and fell asleep in the car as i was driving. I came to Casino and thought I have 162km of fuel, I will fill up at the next station to allow Mr C to continue to rest. Unfortunately, this was the wrong decision – Mr C awoke startled and said “are we in Casino yet” I replied “No way passed it” – Mr C – “did you get fuel”, Me, “no I thought I’d let you keep sleeping and we can get it at the next town” – Mr C, “Ok good – how much is left” – me “about 130km” – he looked concerned – I said “don’t worry there are a couple more towns coming up“. Little did I know.

As I continued to drive, we noted the car beginning to struggle on a hill, I had the pedal to the metal and the car was not responding as it should – I was saying come on Besty, you can do it, and she did. I have to say it was worrying and I was concerned, the car didn’t overheat but this this time and the gears did change as they should.

The next concern was the fuel, each town we went through was small and had no fuel stations, we were still about 40-50km out of Tenterfield – I was stressed, the fuel gauge dropped to 30 – I said to Mr C, “we have to stop and use the jerry can fuel, we are not going to make it” – I felt like a complete fool that I did not fill up in Casino and I had not accounted for the heavy load in my calculations. We pulled over in Drake and a kind young man asked if we needed help, if we were ok – I said, “thanks we’re all good, just going to fill up using the jerry can” and sent him on his way. little did I know how heavy and difficult it is to fill the car up using this method – in hindsight I should have accepted his help. Funny thing as I drove on, we both thought the car performed much better – have no rationale for this (Perth Fuel).

We continued to Tenterfield without any further incidence. We stayed at the Tenterfield show grounds – I reversed park the caravan and was pleased to get out and go and have dinner – we were both tired and stressed.

The following morning, we explored Tenterfield (next blog) it was Mr C’s turn to drive, and I was very happy about that – it was going to be a 2–3-hour drive to Armidale.

Lesson for me: Fill up in major towns – don’t worry about Mr C sleeping.

Next blog – Tenterfield, Armidale & the car repair – see you there!

Lismore: Ballina, Bryon Bay & Kingscliff

Posted on December 5, 2023 by paulinerose18

Crossing the border to New South Wales (NSW) at Tweed Heads, was sheer delight. I have a real soft spot for NSW. It was home for me as a teenager, I started my nursing in Sydney and my eldest son was born at Wollongong Hospital.

Our route was along the Pacific Hwy and Dunoon Road, through Mullumbimby, Dunoon to Lismore. We choose Lismore because it was central to the places we wanted to go. The caravan park was The Roadrunner about 10 minutes from the city centre. Our spot was great, close to the amenities – however, I was not keen on the amenities block. We had a key to open the gate which led to the bathrooms, no one uses keys for amenities blocks these days – the building was old and dark. The park was cheap only $39 per night – guess sometimes this is a red flag however, for us it was great, quiet and clean. There were some local residents who have lived there since the last floods.

Ballina – Bundjalung Nation – Nyangbul people

I was last in Ballina 7 years ago and it had not changed much, although I did not see the Big Prawn, this was new for me – it seemed a little quiet and it was sad to see some empty shops. The Richmond River is the main river which enters the Pacific Ocean- we had lunch near the beach and the coffee was great – I watched as the honey eaters were playing up in the gum tree. I also went for a short walk on the beach; however, it was a bit windy – there were no shells.

Byron Bay – Bundjalung Country

Leaving Lismore along the Bangalow Road, past Bexhill, our next small town was Clunes. This town had a host of small churches (couldn’t get Me C to stop) and some charming crafty shops. We did stop at the General Store to buy some flowers and some delish banana bread. Our drive to Byron Bay was an amazing drive, winding roads, through some spectacular luscious green almost rainforest. I noticed showcase letterboxes such as brightly coloured dogs, cats, cows, microwaves, old fridges. People were very creative when it came to their letterboxes – it did make for an interesting drive. The driving time along this scenic route was about 50 mins, that accounts for getting lost. The journey back was much quicker along the main drag – maybe 40 mins.

The beaches at Bryon Bay were stunning and beautiful to swim in. Byron Bay seems an upmarket kind of place with lots of new age shops, alternative lifestyles, holistic wellness retreats (that did seem very expensive), many clothing stores and an array of eateries. We had dinner down a lane way that turned into an outdoor food market – I had fish and chips and Mr C had octopus salad, needless to say we shared.

Kingscliff is another beautiful part of the world – my friend Helen graciously showed us around her neck of the woods. What a wonderful place she lives in. The beach is pristine and where the river exits makes for a great place for the kids to swim. There is an array of eateries across from the beach. Together with boutique shops to appease any shopper, I steered clear as I didn’t want to be tempted to buy anything.

Both of us being midwives, she showed me the new Tweed Valley Hospital soon to be opened, it looked impressive from the outside. Here’s hoping it is everything they hope it would be.

There are so many beautiful beaches and quaint towns in this area: Cabarita Beach, Chinderah, Pottsville, Cudgen, Murwillumbah and Fingal. I can’t remember all the places we went only it was all very pretty. We saw some of the most expensive houses on millionaire’s row…. a little too big for my liking. We had a fabulous day.

The Tweed River is a mighty river, it’s so beautiful however, the danger of flooding is ever present – it’s amazing to see houses still being built near the river knowing that a flood is possible – I don’t think I would risk it and if I did, I would build on stilts. Lunch was at the Historic Tumbulgum Tavern, it was a perfect day. I think it’s always good to see a town by a local person, they know the place and its history – thanks Helen, very grateful.

Lismore – Bundjalung Nation

I didn’t know what to expect from Lismore, I just remember they had bad floods last year, most of the CBD was flooded. The Lismore visitors centre was closed still under repair from the floods, so this put us on a back foot. There was still evidence of a city recovering from the flood. Most of the time we were in Lismore it rained.

We kept seeing signs everywhere for Koala’s -“lookout Koala’s are here, drive safely” Koala’s cross here” – certainly not when we were around – did not see one Koala in the wild, despite all these signs. We went to the Friends of the Koala’s that is in the grounds of the University – this is where I purchased a friend for Fat Cat, Kez the Koala, it was a donation to the Koala hospital which looks after the sick Koala’s of the area.

We went to the local shopping centre for our usual supplies, Lismore had all the shops any large city has plus a Cathedral. There were many old beautiful buildings around the city.

One day on our return from Byron Bay, the havens opened up and the rain just came down – it was pouring, so heavy. At one stage I said to Mr C, “I can’t see the road in front of me, I am going to pull over” and so I did, we waited about half an hour and then I continued back to the caravan. It was scary. When we returned to the caravan, people at the site had put our chairs under the caravan and put our awning away for us – what a kind gesture.

It’s been an interesting time in Lismore, we had the most rain ever. camping /caravaning when it rains is horrible, not only are you confined to inside, but you have to close the vents – I felt claustrophobic. it was awful. I was disappointed not to see a koala, given all the signs around Lismore. We loved Byron Bay and Kingscliff. We are travelling well, no major arguments – all is well in our world. If it rains too much more, I’m coming home sooner.

Next stop is Nambucca Heads – see you at the next blog.

Brisbane – Caravaning around Australia

Posted on November 28, 2023 by paulinerose18

Leaving Hervey Bay, for Brisbane we realised that our caravan indicators were not working. This problem started a few days earlier however, we forgot until we were on the road again. Our caravan tripped the breaker when I ran over the electrical cord and broke the plug. Mr C went and bought new fuses for me to fit. Of course, the space where the fuses are kept is for small people not overweight people, nevertheless I managed to be able to sit on the floor and squeeze into small space to change them – Mr C suggested I take a photo so I could replace the fuses as they were – me “yes, good idea.” When the job was done, the indicators were still not working, however we took the chance and said we would fix at Hervey Bay – and we forgot until we set off. Mr C said, “Pauline go and check the fuses against the photo” -me “sure, I could be bothered arguing the point” – “yes honey, fuses are correct“. The fuses were not the problem.

We did a google search for an auto mobile electrician for caravans. Luckly for us, the first one we contacted was available in 30 mins – so we waited. The man arrived promptly, he had a broad South African accent, he was super helpful. He walked around the van – asked me to put the hazard lights on, and said, I think it’s a poor connection – and with his screwdriver thingy (a multi-meter that checks power) he confirmed we had a dirty connection – he cleaned it up, checked all the other lights – job done $120 for 15minutes and half an hour of chit chat and we were on the road again. Lesson for Mr & Mrs C – check the connection next time.

On the road again, Mr C is driving, I’m happy doing my crocheting and all is good with the world. We stopped for a late lunch at Lake Alford. We saw hundreds of birds in the trees, it was truly amazing. I got out the car and walked around the lake and took loads of photos of the birds – there were some sitting on nests, some building nests, and some mating. I spent ages watching them not realising Mr C was waiting to eat lunch with me in the car – Oops.

As we were eating lunch a man approached our car window and said, “it seems we have the same make caravan – can we see yours and compare to ours“. I thought strange people, be nice Pauline! We spent the next hour talking to Alan and Jenny from the Gold Coast – 76yr and 72 respectively, not married living together for 22yrs, with 6 children between them…… see Jenny gave me her life story. Whilst the boys were comparing the caravans – I tried very hard to cut this meeting short but failed miserably.

making a rug for one of the grandchildren

We finally were on our way again – now we have to find a place for the night, we were not going to make Brisbane. This is the part of travelling I don’t like, being the navigator, because Mr C second guesses google maps. I found a 20-hour rest place Steve Irwin Memorial – set google maps, it was 40 minutes away. It did appear that we were going the long way, but as we don’t know the area, we really have no choice but to follow blindly – at least I’m happy to do this.

However, Mr C isn’t and there is nothing like driving and directions to start an argument and so it happened. Mr C “this is the Bruce Hwy, we could’ve just come straight down the highway not round about the country” – me: ” we are following google maps so just follow the directions” – we missed the turn off for the rest bay, (you could only enter the rest bay from on direction) in fact there was no signage at all, so could not even see where it’s meant to be.

I reset google maps and now it’s telling me we have another 20 minutes, yet we know we have just passed the bay maybe 5 mins ago. Mr C put his google maps on and his phone, his was saying 10mins and going back onto Bruce Hwy to turn around – he was annoyed and said “that’s it we’ve finding somewhere else” – Me – “no let’s try one more time its only 10 mins and I don’t want to find another place” – lucky for us both, this time it worked – it was the smallest right turn half way down the freeway off ramp – we missed the first time, the most stupid rest place to date – no toilets, no tables, just a layby with beautiful trees. For some reason I was just so tired, and cranky, I just wanted to stop. Equally Mr C was tired. We were grateful to have found a place for the night. We got out the car and there was a stale smell of urine – really, by this stage I didn’t care. As we open a few windows in the van, we noted three cars pull in at different times – the men get out and went into the bush and then back in the car – that’s it, this is a shagging and bush toilet stop, that’s why it smells.

We both laid down and slept for about half an hour – probably not a good idea, we awoke and had some fruit and yoghurt for dinner about 8ish. Four big semi-trailers- trucks pulled up, engines running. The drivers all got out and had a chin wag outside our caravan…. guess it won’t be a quiet night. Thankfully it all went quiet about 10pm.

We awoke early and got back on the road to Brisbane. We had booked a caravan park in southern suburbs plugged the address into google maps – which led us astray again. It was a nightmare going through Brisbane towing a caravan and not knowing the roads or where you are going – never again.

We went via Brisbane for 3 main reasons. First to pick up my Cannon Camera being repaired. Secondly to visit my mum at the cemetery and thirdly to catch up with my estranged sister and her family. A bonus was too catch-up with a few friends. None of the above was achieved – it was all very disappointing and sad. – that’s all I am saying on this matter.

our first Maccas breakfast after the Steve Irwin stopover

In June I injured my ring and little fingers on my right hand – I tripped and dislocated and fractured the fingers and have volar plate injuries on both the fingers. I was in a splint for 6 weeks. Now 5 months on I still cannot bend these fingers and have had a very painful hand for the last month. Whilst in a big city I decided to go and have it reviewed.

we had a debate as to what constitutes stopping here.

Logan Hospital A & E was a sight to behold, when I walked in, I could tell by the people waiting that it is going to be a long, long wait – and yes, I was correct. The triage nurse said 6 hours minimum. You guessed it, I did not wait – after going to several GP clinics I finally found an urgent care clinic that would see me. I had an X-ray and ultrasound luckily on the same day – and reported back to the doctor the next day – long and short of the story, I need surgery. This will have to wait until I get home – he suggested strapping my fingers until then and take regular pain relief.

There is a silver lining in everything – we had a wonderful last afternoon visiting Mount Tamborine – starting with a great lunch at the Bearded Tavern, followed by a walk to see Cedar Creek Falls – which didn’t have much water falling due to lack of rain. It was still beautiful and peaceful.

Halfway down the mountain – we stopped at a few beautiful villages, it was so tempting to buy some books, but I resisted the temptation, instead had a play with the pooches in the shop. I picked some strawberries and further down the mountain, had the most spectacular view of the Gold Coast – gosh it is getting bigger and bigger. We last visited the Gold Coast in 2014, we had no interest in going this time.

I did not enjoy Brisbane at all, the roads were difficult to navigate for both of us – unfortunately, it was bad timing to catch up with my friends they were all out of town (chance you take when you give them short notice). My Cannon camera was sent to Port Macquarie to get repaired, and my sister did not answer her phone or emails – so I guess she was unavailable.

Goodbye Queensland, it’s been a real adventure.

Lesson for me: I’m very grateful for my family and dear friends. I can’t wait to get home – love you all.

See you at the next adventure: Crossing the border into NSW – my favourite state.

Agnes Water, Seventeen Seventy (1770) & Hervey Bay

Posted on November 21, 2023 by paulinerose18

The only reason we came to Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy was because these places came highly recommended as a place to visit. I really had no idea why there is a place called Seventeen Seventy on the map. Little did I know it is because Captain Cook landed here, hence the name. The town name is Seventeen Seventy spelled out however, I will refer to it as 1770 in numerals for ease, not spelled out within this blog.

I / we were expecting to see something like Airlie Beach not sure why we thought this, but we did. Agnes Water (which I kept calling Agnes Walsh – due to working in KEMH) and 1770 is nothing like Airlie Beach. It is smaller and less commercialised, which is good in a way. I expect that it will only grow in the years to come, for now it’s a small couple of towns.

Information Centre:

Here’s the thing, booking in advance does not always work well unless the Tourist Park has come recommended. As we drove into Agnes Water, we were on the lookout for where to stay. Again, first port of call is always the information centre, everyone is very helpful and font of knowledge. Our stay was for a couple of days however we are flexible. The lovely lady who helped us said it would be easy to get accommodation. Mr C picked up a brochure for 1770 Tourist Park for $39 a night, so that’s the one we chose. I had called another camp site in Agnes Water and she informed me they had no running water, so to fill up in town. We chose the 1770 option.

Where to stay:

On arrival to check in, there were three places left – the man quoted me $51.00 per night. I showed him the brochure that said $39 per night. well, you guessed it, it was an old brochure the prices are now updated on the website and on display in the office. I cut my losses and booked for two nights, with no internet (it was broken).

1770 Tourist Park was right on the beach however, it was an untidy looking park with narrow roads and not much turning space. Mr C was driving so he had to navigate the narrow track and the big trees. The part I hate most about caravaning is having to be the person who has to direct the driver into the parking bay. I’d rather be the driver any day. The park had some beautiful big old trees however, they dropped all their flowers on the car and on the concreate slab, it was a nightmare. Bush Turkey’s roamed through the park, blue honey eaters were around, together with Stoned Curlew’s which I now don’t like because they scream at night.

It was a 100-meter walk to the beach, perfect for me. The tide was way out when we arrived, so I walked around to find my bearings – where’s the ablution block, very important. The ablution block was old and looked unclean – I didn’t fancy shower. Once I got lost at a caravan park because I didn’t check out where the toilets were before dark. I went to the toilet and came out and turned the wrong way, walked around the block twice – these people were watching me and playing cards, they asked if I was lost, trying not to laugh – how embarrassing. I responded with “yes” then they did laugh. One of the men took out a map of the grounds and asked what the number of my site was…….. thank goodness I knew it. Long story short, his wife said just walk her back to her caravan…. when I got back, Mr C could not stop laughing. Lesson learned, find the toilets in the day light.

Paperbark Forrest:

My first adventure was walking through the Agnes Water Bush Paperbark Forrest boardwalk. It was a magical walk; I had no idea that this short walk of about 400 meters would test my balance by having stepping stones – you do need to have good balance. Just as well I didn’t insist on Mr C coming, his feet were sore, so he stayed in the car. There were 100s of paper bark tree trunks, it was almost like a rain forest with the majestic green fronds of the cabbage palm and maiden hair creepers up the trees. I just love them; it was really magical. I went round twice just for good measure. I met a local couple who informed me that they are so short of water, this area is usually covered in water. If you fell off the stepping stones you would be in water – that made sense as to why they were there.

Dinner was at 1770 Beach Hotel: The Tree, preceded by a walk along the beachfront to see the setting sun over the water. This was our catch-up anniversary dinner as Mr C was in Perth when it occurred. It was a delightful evening with lots to eat, my lovely man with me, beautiful atmosphere, we couldn’t ask for a better evening.

The day started with me waking early, asking Mr C if he wants to start early or sleep. He responded with sleep. So, I got up and went for a morning walk along Bustard Bay beach – the tide was in, the water felt cooler than Yeppoon – it was a great 2hrs walk, the sea was rough, white caps on the waves when I reached as far as I could walk, I felt like I was on the edge of the world. The wind was blowing in my face, not a soul around and I stood right on the edge of the rocks. I could feel the splashes of the waves on my feet and shouted at the top of my voice – “I love Scott, my boy, I’m sorry, & I forgive you” “I love you” – I took some deep breaths, turned around and started my walk back. I felt invigorated, I felt Scott was with me. Just as well no one was around, otherwise they would have me committed.

As I walked back, I decided to go for a quick swim, the water was so inviting I couldn’t resist. I noted a couple of small children were playing in the sand nearby. I put my camera, phone and clothes in a pile near the fence and went for a swim. I did not go out to deep, just to my thighs, just in case…. I thought of sharks it was a bay, I think we are too far south now for crocodiles and still a bit early for stingers. l had a great 30-minute swim, it was so refreshing, I love the water it was fabulous. I got out and had a beach shower, only to notice a sign that said ” strong currents and stonefish” – well, I just about died. This sign was not where I entered the beach – I guess I was lucky – I didn’t swim again.

Mr C and I had discussed going on a tour – I called LARC Tours after my swim and booked us for an afternoon tour on an Amphibious truck. I returned to the caravan and cooked breakfast hoping the smell of bacon, eggs and fresh coffee would encourage Mr C out of bed and so it did. Over breakfast I told Mr C, I had booked the afternoon tour for 3pm. He was a bit reticent about going on a big pink truck, would it be ok for crochety old man? It will only go on the sand, it can’t float, he says – Me. too late it was booked – I was excited.

Bustard Bay Lookout:

It was now time to see Bustard Bay Lookout; it was still windy; however, the sun was shining. I kept calling it Bastard Bay, Mr C kept correcting me…. “Pauline its Bust.. Bustard Bay…. It’s a bird” me. really where is it, let’s find it“. Mr C, “I don’t know, it must be here that’s why it’s called Bustard Bay” – well do you think we could see one, NO. Not sure if it was the wind, but not many birds around. You can tell not growing up in Australia I don’t know my Australian history very well. As I admired the view, I did think it would’ve been hard for Captain Cook and his crew to land in this bay, the sea is rough and there’s a huge sand bar and its miles from anywhere – it wouldn’t have been easy.

History:

The town is built on the site of the second landing in Australia by Captain James Cook and the crew of the HMS Endeavour on the 24 May 1770. The monument below is built on the site where the crew carved the date in a tree where they came ashore. The story is told that one of the crew shot a Bustard bird weighing 6.8kg, it was the best meal the captain and crew had eaten since leaving the Uk – on departing from this cove, Captain Cook named the bay Bustard Bay. We stopped at the small car park, which is also the beginning of the Round Hill walking trail – I walked a little of it however, there were some steep steps for me and I wasn’t in the mood for a challenge – I did think how hard it would have been all those years ago.

LARC Tour:

The one-hour tour, which seem to last much longer than the hour, was absolutely fantastic. I would highly recommend it – in fact they have a whole day tour as well – but we were not staying another day and we weren’t sure about the weather. Neil is the owner of this big pink truck goes on land and sea (they have two)- it is called the LARC 5, developed in the USA in the 1950’s. It’s an Amphibious cargo Vehicle, it is capable of transporting 5 tons of cargo. It can also carry 20 fully equipped troops plus a crew of three.

We climbed up the steps and were seated, as soon as we started, i could see Mr C was excited, and then this big pink truck ploughs into the water with a big thud – and we are floating…. “Honey its floating” Mr C smiled and that smile did not leave his face for the whole trip – it was delightful. We saw stingray, a shovel nose shark and some jumping fish – also some birds. Neil was so informative – it was he that told us there are no Bustard birds around since the 1970’s they are all gone, so we would not have seen one anyway. This big pink truck went over land and sea, we went as far as the heads. Neil stopped on a sand bar so we could get out and take photos and collect shells – and so we did, even Mr C collected shells for me. This day will go down as one of the best to date for an unexpected LARC tour.

Hervey Bay

Our usual first stop was the Information centre – also the free parking was also located at the information centre. It was one of the smallest and strangest free parking we have encountered. Our plan was to stay for two nights – it literally was like a carpark for about 8 RV’s. I have noticed many single women travelling in small caravans, or RV’s or White Vans converted into a travelling van or 4 wheel drives and a tent on the top – amazing really, very brave – I managed to talk to quite a few: some say they are living the dream, others are travelling to visit children who live in other states and some have no fixed abode they are just travelling – One we met had a caravan about the size of ours. She came and spoke to me asking for my help with centre-link, I couldn’t help her, she did seem a bit lost. I felt sorry for her, she couldn’t manage her caravan – she asked the man in the next caravan to help her hook up so she could leave. I feel if you are going to travel in a caravan, you have to be able to manage it….. but I guess that’s my standard. I’m not sure I could do this nomadic living forever – I could do short trips maybe a couple of times a year.

Our first stop was the Urangan Peir, I wanted to walk the Peir before it rained. The weather was cloudy and people were praying for rain – here I was secretly not wanting it to rain. The pier is the longest I’ve seen it spans 1124 metres and was first built in 1917 for the export of sugar, coal and timber. The pier was decommissioned in 1985 and orders to demolish the entire structure. A save the pier campaign resulted in the last 880 metres of the structure being saved. In 2013 after millions had been raised to rebuild the pier work began, 2017 saw the 100th anniversary of the Urangan Pier.

The Pier is a lovely walk – the tide was going out, so I decided to walk under the pier and see if there were any shells. I had researched where to find sand dollar shells and Hervey Bay was the outcome – however I have yet to find any. We then decided to go shopping; Mr C wanted to go to Harvey Norman as he wants an new laptop and the Black Friday sales are beginning. He was fortunate to finally find one he likes so we are going to stay a few more days in Hervey Bay – however will move to a caravan park.

Sunday: there was a weekend market which we just had to have a wander around and have breakfast: It’s nice to walk around and see people’s handicrafts and junk which can be someone else’s treasure. it’s been very cloudy; every day is threatening rain. After brunch we went back to move to the Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park for three nights.

This cute terrier broke his neck, that why he’s in a pram.

Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park

Monday, we slept in, the rain has set in – I did still go for a walk in the rain, it was warm rain. I was keen to see if there were any more sand dollar shell, alas none were found. When I got back, we had breakfast and went to buy Mr C’s laptop. We spent the rest of the day resting, Mr C setting up his new toy, I cooked a stew for dinner and wrote my blogs. Its been raining non-stop today.

The danger of staying so close to shops and restaurants is that you are likely to eat out more and spend more money – that’s why I prefer to stay in smaller towns.

Tuesday – still drizzling, we didn’t get up until about 11am – It rained pretty heavily during the night, we were snuggled up in bed, dry as a bone. We went to the shopping centre and Bunnings – Mr C & I did a few odd jobs around the caravan and we’re ready to hit the road tomorrow.

We are heading to Brisbane, not far from the NSW border now…….lets hope we leave the rain behind us.

See you at the next blog adventure. Remember to always be grateful, we live in an amazing world.

Yeppoon & the Capricorn Coast- Caravaning

Posted on November 20, 2023 by paulinerose18

Originally, we had planned to stay in Rockhampton, and I was going to do some work as a Midwife with the agency I had joined. I called the agency to set up some dates for Mackay and Rockhampton. Both these maternity services have been investigated so I was a bit reluctant to work there, however I wanted to see what it’s like to work in Queensland. This proved to be harder than you think – the agency required that I show my original certificates of qualification, (I’m traveling in a caravan, and I don’t carry certs with me) despite being currently registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). I thought the point of having National Registration meant that you could work anywhere in Australia, without this kind of hassle. The agency also required that I have a 100-point Id certification by a Justice of the Peace before I could work in Queensland. Needless to say, I decided not to work clinically here.

Yeppoon Main Beach

Our first stop was to look around Yeppoon – we enjoyed a foreshore walk at the Yeppoon Lagoon precinct. There was Keppel Kraken a water playground with a mythical sea creature, looked great fun for kids. As we walked the Esplanade of boutiques, surf shops and coffee shops, I spotted my favourite New Zealand ice-cream shop, I had Hokey Pokey and Mr C had peppermint chip in a waffle cone, just delish. The walls of the public amenities block were covered in murals of beautiful native birds, just beautiful artwork. I finished off with a walk on the beach, (one of many to come) and Mr C sat on the foreshore looking over Keppel Bay- a perfect day.

Emu Park Beach

A day out at Emu Park Main Beach, it’s about 15 minutes from where we were staying along the Scenic Highway. Again, we had a fabulous day of just sitting on the beach just chilling all day. It’s a beautiful calm beach with surf lifesavers present. Nice grassy picnic areas if you get tired of sitting on the sand. Mr C sat watching as I swam, walked, swam, walked and sat on the sand and finally on the grass – Fat Cat enjoyed the day as well, he kept Mr C company when I was swimming and walking – as the tide went out, I collected some fantastic sand grit, tiny little shells for craft work, they were amazing.

Mulambin Beach

Our caravan was parked up at the NRMA Capricorn Yeppoon Holiday Park, one of the best parks we have stayed at to date (apart from Streaky Bay SA). We booked for three weeks; Mr C had 4 days with me before he went back to Perth to see his brother for 2 weeks. I had 2 weeks of marking to complete whilst he was away. The Mulambin Beach was a 15-minute walk from the caravan park. I walked almost every day. On the first morning, I awoke and said to Mr C I’m off to the beach for a walk – he rolled over and went back to sleep. I walked down to the beach, the tide was out, I noted these mounds of sand. I stopped to talk to another walker and was told that they are soldier crab holes- they come out when the tided is low. I walked as far as the eye could see and still didn’t get to the end. When I looked at my phone, I was surprised that several hours had passed and thought, oh! I better get back. On my return Mr C had been worried, “where were you” he said – me: sorry honey I lost track of the time“. I had done 10,000 steps. Each day walking on this beach, I checked out the tide to try and catch the soldier crabs, but only managed to see about 6 – some people see thousands at a time.

Always lost the way I entered the beach.

COVID

I got the lovely gift of COVID 2 days after Mr C left, it started with a sore throat and body aches and thought I just had a cold until I lost my taste and multiple fevers. For the first two days, I did not get out of bed apart from going to the toilet. The lady next door knocked on my window to see if I was ok because I was coughing so much, almost like pneumonia. On day 3, (after calling a few GP’s, it turns out you can’t see a GP if you think you have COVID) I was advised to go to the Yeppoon Hospital and be treated with Antivirals. I eventually saw the doctor, had another RAT test (which was positive), a blood test, was given a prescription for antivirals and a N95 mask and sent on my way. I was very grateful for the daily calls from my daughter, friends and messages to check I was ok. I was particularly surprised when a girlfriend offered to order pizza and send it to me – in my deluded condition I thought, how can you do that from WA? of course it’s just a phone call and an address……… silly me. The worst thing about this bout of COVID was the loss of taste and the metallic taste of the antivirals. Another dear friend gave me the tip of salt and vinegar chips, that worked a charm, well almost. I really did miss Mr C.

I felt better after about day 5 – this is where I drove into Yeppoon and to the foreshore and had breakfast on the beach and went for a short walk.

Rockhampton

I was confined locally for about 8 days. After the first 5 days, I was able to continue my marking however, took regular breaks. At my first opportunity I went to Rockhampton which was a 30-minute drive. There is one of my happy place shops – yes Spotlight, I don’t have to buy anything. I am happy just browsing at the materials / wools /yarns and imagining all the things I’d like to make – I feel like a kid in a candy shop, I just let my imagination run free nothing else matters.

We found an amazing pie shop, it’s called Mchughs Pies, a family-owned business – they serve the pies with mushy peas under the lid of the pie, unusual but nice. The family pies were only $9.95, we bought one for dinner – delish and economical.

Zoo

The Rockhampton Zoo is nestled within the Botanic Gardens. We went to the Zoo with some family friends, it was a great day out. I am not a fan of Zoo’s, however, do still go because the kids love them. The zoo is free, which was a bonus. The Chimpanzees were fabulous to watch and noisy, there are two chimp babies. The zoo is also home to problematic crocodiles, that would otherwise be euthanised. The Colonel was huge, old and grumpy wouldn’t want to meet up with him in the river. The Meerkats were cute, the Dingoes were asleep.

Mount Archer (Nurim) National Park

Mr C waited in the car, as his feet were sore after walking around the Zoo. Mount Archer was amazing, the views were expansive and spectacular. I did the short 500-meter treetop boardwalk circuit walk – it was a great way to end our sightseeing day. We then went and had a beautifully home cooked dinner by Shilo (who is a chef), we bought desert, and I played games with Qash who is 8 – reminded me of being home.

Beaches of Yeppoon.

I have had a great time in Yeppoon, the weather has been ideal, sun shining and not too humid. I’ve walking on the beaches almost every day. I can boast that I’ve walked on every beach in this area and collected some amazing shells. Capricorn Coast Beaches included: Kinka, Causeway, Mulambin, Kemp. Lammermoor and Cooee Bay.

I’ve also had quiet time when recovering from COVID – I discovered that I could watch free movies on YouTube. One movie I watched that really resonated with me was one of Wayne Dyer The Shift Its mainly about letting go of the ‘ego’ which I could relate to, also he describes the life cycle as the morning of your life and the evening of your life – I like this, I connected with being in the evening of my life – sounds much better than getting older or semi-retired.

I was very pleased when Mr C came back from Perth, I was a bit of a green-eyed monster that I had not seen any of the family. Now we won’t be home for Christmas. We spent the last few days getting ready to travel again – it’s amazing if you’re not careful when you stop somewhere for a few weeks you magically collect stuff – I now have two boxes of shells.

We are heading down the coast towards Agnes Water, Seventeen Seventy and Hervey Bay. There is still lots for us to do and see – we are getter closer to the boarder. See you at the next blog.

Cairns to Townsville – caravan life

Posted on October 10, 2023 by paulinerose18

Can you believe it, we’ve been on the road for 11 weeks, almost 3 months now and it’s been fun, I’m learning something new every day and even more about myself – I think I am starting to wind down from work and trying to relax more – for us Townsville has been more of a restful place, we’ve had haircuts, I’ve cleaned cupboards and sorted stuff out, Mr C did a few minor repairs with no nagging – all is good in the Costin’s world. It has rained a few days but on the whole it’s been good weather, but still humid for me.

It felt like we had been in Cairns far longer than three weeks – our packing up went well, and we watched the video twice about getting the awning down – we must be slow learners, but we did it without any arguments. The drive to Townsville was interesting, there was not much traffic on the road, and I had to get use to towing the caravan again.

Our first stop was a small town called Tully a quaint place; it has the highest rainfall in Australia. They have this large yellow gumboot that stands 7.8 meters tall – this represents the highest rainfall. I climbed the boot from the inside, and they have photos to represent all the floods they have had, it was a great read – I didn’t take photos as I thought it would spoil the surprise for people who want to go to Tully and climb the boot. As I was walking all the shops were closed, I stopped and asked someone, it was a public holiday, and we didn’t know…….different states different holidays.

We passed acres and acres of plantations, mangos, banana and sugar – it was funny to see banana trees with plastic bags attached, Mr C said they are to stop the birds, I haven’t had time to fact check him. We stopped to see the Australian Sugar Heritage Centre, an interesting place giving a good history – Queensland seems to have had checkered past in relation to paying low wages & poor treatment for coloured labourers (South Sea Islanders, Blacks, Asians) through the 1800s and 90s. It was also during this time there was great debate surrounding discrimination, equality and human rights – also these people were considered ‘undesirable’ migrants, I must say I was surprised to read this, and also adds to the all-White Australia policy – entrenched racism, it kind of explains some Qld political views. What a back breaking job it would have been to harvest the cane back in the day, now it seems more automated. It has been interesting seeing the cane being transported via train – it must be a major industry here in Qld providing work for thousands of people and income for the state.

We had lunch at Innisvale only a pitstop as we had previously been through this lovely little town- subway quick, easy and somewhat healthy.

We went to Mission beach (without the caravan) for the day when we were based in Cairns. It was a great day out. I was so pleased we didn’t take the van as it was a very narrow winding road – we kept looking for Cassowaries, but sadly did not see any. I had a nice long walk along the beach, contemplated a swim because Surf Living Saving present. On the way back going through the town of Innisvale we spotted and interesting old church that was in need of repair, with a very long unusual name (yes it was Catholic, see picture below). We also took a detour to Etty Bay south of Innisvale looking for the elusive Cassowary and all I saw was the sign saying, “Be CassoWary”. The drive was beautiful, and Etty Bay was peaceful and alluring, even Mr C managed to dip his feet in the ocean…. a rarity for him. A few days after we visited Mission beach a crocodile was spotted there – lucky escape for me!

We stayed two nights in Ingham {which for some reason is also confused with Hinchinbrook} – behind the Tourist Information Centre, cost $15 a night, you have to be fully self-contained and no wasting grey water on the ground. I was so pleased with myself; I reversed the van without too much bother – getting better at this. There is a beautiful wetland next to us – with purple flowering lilies and all different kinds of birds – the tourist information centre had mini bird guides of which I bought one for $6 and its great; Mr C has used it already – can’t believe we are turning into bird watchers and it’s a fun thing we do together. It was now late afternoon so not much time for sightseeing. That evening, we researched Hinchinbrook Island and decided against going across – it’s mainly walking trails and I didn’t fancy doing them alone so gave it a miss – we thought we would do Magnetic Island instead.

The tourist centre person gave me a map of the Tyto wetlands and pointed out all the areas that crocodiles have recently been spotted – George lives here, Lucy is here – I looked and said, “where shall I walk” – she pointed out three areas not to go on the map….. all set – I get on my bike to ride around, tell Mr C if I’m not back by dark, he better come looking. As I’m riding, I can’t tell which part of the map is what, so I just rode. The path was grassed, and the water is about 5′ from the path so as I’m cycling, I am thinking that pretty close, what if there is a croc… I’ll just pedal faster. I met a French couple walking and we all stopped near a sign that said – crocodile seen in the last 7 days here – I was a bit nervous, they laughed and carried on walking – I continued to ride and stopped to watch the birds and take photos – I must have been gone about an hour and I was now worried I would get lost, so turned around and cycled the same way – this way I knew I would get back before dark – thankfully I didn’t see George or Lucy. Sometimes it is hard to know how real the crocodile problem is in Qld, because I would think they wouldn’t let people in the wetlands.

We went into town for breakfast at a local cafe and then set off to Wallaman Falls, which are part of the traditional lands of the Warrgamaygan people. The Falls is located within the UNESCO listed Wet Tropics in Girringun National Park, west of Ingham and surrounded by rainforest. The Wallaman Falls plunges 268 meters in a clear single drop it is just spectacular – surprisingly there are no entrance fees to this park. The day was cloudy, looked miserable and at one point it was pissing with rain, I said to Mr C, “I think we should turn back” – but the optimist Mr C said, “let’s just see where that rain goes”, and we continued. We happened across some Brahaman Cows, funny looking cows, these were very healthy-looking cows – there were Mama cows with their calves all very cute – we happened across a mama and calf, it looked like the calf was not very old, I could still see some dried cord attached to the naval – I said to Mr C, “do cows have an umbilical cord, he asked why?- me, “I see some cord attached to the naval” – I then googled it – good ol google and said to Mr C, yes, they do…… Mr C, “nothing goes past a midwife” ain’t that the truth – I might know nothing about cows – but birthing “YES”.

The road was steep, winding and a little scary at times, what’s new! Mr C did the driving. I offered to drive down the mountain and Mr C said “why”, for the experience, I said, knowing full well he just enjoys the thrill of the drive, so why would I spoil his fun – besides, I was just shit stirring, I know he enjoys driving – this was one of those times, you just let the man do the driving – we all know they think they do it best.

The weather had somewhat cleared – as we walked to the lookout, which was thankfully not far, we could hear water gushing – we looked across to see a spectacular single waterfall, thundering to the bottom, it was truly spectacular, and we both went ‘wow’ & ‘wow’. Now you could also do a walk to the bottom of the falls – it was marked as ‘very hard’, ‘very steep’ and the warning read – people have died – needless to say we or I decided against this walk – part of me thought – go for it – however my legs, hips and knees all screamed at me “you stupid fool, we are not doing it, go without us” I was left with no choice but to do the small 2km walk and I was grateful my body did protest. I met several people on the way back from the very steep, very hard walk and they all said it was worth it but couldn’t swim in the water because the rocks were too slippery.

Townsville is a coastal city, and the largest city in the North of Queensland, it’s a bustling city with all the shops I’d expect to see. I had to call into Spotlight and Officeworks just to check out that they are the same as other stores, no surprises they are the same. I do think that Townsville is a very spread-out city. The Strand esplanade with the pier and waterpark is great – and offshore you can see Magnetic Island. The Botanical gardens are worth a visit as is Castle Hill lookout, you can see this hill overlooking Townsville, rather strange really – it’s just short of a mountain and you get a great panoramic view of the city.

We went for the day to Magnetic Island; we did a cheapskate version of the Island. There is an advantage to having a senior’s card – the discount was worthwhile it cost us $43.00 return for two of us, we then caught the local bus that takes you to end of the island at $4.40 return ($8.80) – we had looked at doing tours around the Island at $80 each – this way was really economical (and we could save our money for (Whitsunday Is ). I like travelling by the local bus as it takes you through the suburbs and you get to see how the locals live. We first went to Picnic Bay, it was a delightful bay, a bit cloudy and the sea was a bit rough to rough for snorkelling, I walked along the jetty and then we went and sat in the pub and waited for the bus. The next stop was Horseshoe Bay – this was a bigger bay and the weather had improved – I went for snorkel however the water was murky and I couldn’t see anything, so gave it up and just went for a swim – the water was warm, and I swam between the flags, good the lifesavers were on duty and the stinger nets were insitu – so it was a good swim.

Townsville has been a great place, we have done some tourist stuff, but most importantly we have slept in when the birds have not woken us up early. We’ve played monopoly in the evening (I don’t know why I agreed to play this game as I really dislike it) until I spit the dummy because Mr C plays by different rules, needless to so say we will be sticking to Quirkle, seven seconds and dominos from here on in.

I’ve been pestered by the dreaded mosquito and been bitten alive, I was so desperate I put on so much repellent that when I went to bed, Mr C complained that I stank of citronella, we both laughed – Not sure why the mosquitoes are so bad here – they don’t affect him, he doesn’t have sweet blood like me – I have tried so many solutions, automatic spray, light zapper, talking to them, nothing has worked – I remain the tortured one – covered in Mozie welts and calamine lotion.

We talk to the family regularly and try to catch up with the grandchildren on FaceTime or messenger – I’m really missing home and Kookie – thank goodness for technology at least we can see and talk to family at home. How could I forget, we VOTED early in the referendum – our votes will cancel each other out as we are opposite when it comes to politics, we never discuss it otherwise it turns into an argument; I’m doubtful the YES campaign will win, but hopeful at the same time, that’s all I’m saying about it. We are now heading to Mackay via Airlee Beach – still lots to see and do! keep well, see you for the next chapter.

Mt Isa to Cairns – Caravanning

Posted on September 17, 2023 by paulinerose18

Perth to Cairns approx. 9061.1 km in 46 days (orange highlight our route).

Sep 1- Sept 9

We have crossed another border, we are now in Queensland (Qld), we only stayed one night in Mt Isa, our goal was Cairns about, 1,362km. Our journey was via Cloncurry, then along the Burke Developmental Road, The Matilda way.

An alternative route to Cairns would’ve been along the Flinders Hwy to Townsville, the mileage is about the same and you drive up the coast to Cairns. The Overlanders Way.

Our drive from Mt Isa to Cloncurry was beautiful, however I found it a bit stressful as I was driving. It was, a mountainous, winding narrow road. I missed the first stop Mary Kathleen and made sure I didn’t miss the next one which was the Chinaman Creek Dam – it was a beautiful place, we stopped for a BBQ lunch for Father’s Day, and I managed a swim in the dam – we have certainly hit the warmer weather, it was a beautiful sunny 32 degrees, slightly humid. I was pleased Ian took over the driving, his stint of driving wasn’t as hilly the terrain still as stunning. We stopped at the Burke & Wills Roadhouse for a cold drink, we consider camping the night but thought we would continue a bit further and find a free camp – free camping so far hasn’t been as easy to find, and the rest stops in Qld are different, they are little pullover areas on the side of the road – weird.

We found a free camp about 120km out of Normanton – we were near a telephone tower so had a little service, it was intermittent, just enough for Ian to get a call for Father’s Day. I had defrosted some stew for dinner and we played Quirkle again – a nice evening.

Next morning it was Normanton, we stocked up on bread and milk and then drove to Karumba for a few nights – when we arrived, we loved it so much we stayed an extra night. We also realised Qld kids are on school holidays until the beginning of October – so we extended our stay in Cairns, so we didn’t have trouble finding somewhere to stay.

Karumba was delightful, great seafood, however the big downside for me was that you couldn’t go swimming, we were in croc country – the water was so blue and inviting: we pulled down to the boat ramp, I got out and read the sign, and went and dipped my feet in the water, when Ian tooted his horn – I turned around and he pointed to the sign – I went to the car window and asked what was wrong – he said, ‘did you read the sign?’ me – “yes”, Mr C, “did you read the yellow bit” – “what yellow bit” – and in yellow, clearly signed – don’t enter the water, crocodile area” – I just don’t know why I didn’t see that!! I really don’t like being somewhere, where you can’t swim, and the water so inviting….it was torture.

We decided to go on a sunset cruise to experience the Gulf of Carpentaria, where the river Norman meets the ocean. The cruise was full, informative, they served light refreshments and Mr C had a couple of red wines, me, I stuck to fruit juice. I have a new appreciation for bird lovers, since we have been on our trip around Australia, we have encountered so many different birds, it’s an art to know them all. We saw flocks of Brolgas, it’s the first time I’ve seen them, exciting.

Unfortunately for me I had developed a UTI in Karumba I was self-treating with Ural sachets, cranberry and drinking heaps of water but unfortunately this did not appease my symptoms, it just got worse.

As we passed through Normanton, I noticed a Primary Health Clinic and decide to call in for a prescription of antibiotics – they were super helpful, professional, very thorough – thanks goodness for country health — it’s an issue when you are on the road going to see a new GP and then remembering to follow-up because that’s how it is. They must be used to seeing grey nomad’s dropping in for one thing or another. I then recalled you can now go to the pharmacist and get a prescription for a UTI, next time – I
double checked with the pharmacist when I picked up my prescription, and he said, ‘most definitely’ – I wonder how it works for the follow-up urine sample and the pharmacist, do they then advise you to see your GP?

Our drive from Karumba to Cairns, via Normanton, Croydon, Georgetown, Mt Surprise, Mount Garnet, Ravenshoe, Atherton, Mareeba then Cairns – was delightful, each town had its own unique imprint, I
wanted to stay longer in each town, but we were on a schedule – it was a historical and scenic drive we had two free night camp nights, one at the old Cumberland Chimney and the second just outside of Cairns at the Rocky Creek War Memorial Park – both places were great, the War Memorial Park was a $5.00 donation for the up-keep of the park.

I drove from Ravenshoe to Atherton (Rocky Creek) and my God what a drive that was – it was spectacularly pretty but for someone who is not an experienced towing heavy loads like a caravan, I found it hair raising.

Atherton is a rural town in the Tablelands Region of Queensland. It is winding narrow mountainous road, and the clouds were low over the top of some of the mountains, it was like driving through fog and to top it off it also rained. It was a tense drive for me, but I was not going to let it beat me, I think Mr C
was very carefully and quietly trying to find the balance in instructing me, as he knows I don’t like being told – we were less than halfway and on one major steep decline on a sharp bend when we noted a low loader with a tracked earthmover had rolled off the road and down the hill, it looked like the trees had stopped its roll. -this did not inspire confidence in me….. BUT I did it, we were in one piece when we got to the bottom – a bit stressed but safe.

Mr C took the morning drive into Cairns, if I thought my road was bad, his was even worse – it was going up the mountain and down the other side. Some of the most winding roads I’ve ever encountered, 12km of winding roads………even Mr C said, “this is the worst I’ve seen – I was just pleased it was his turn to drive. We made it into Cairns safely and was really looking forward to being in one place for three weeks. We are going to explore Nth Queensland….. the rest of the trip is yet to be decided………however we will start the homeward trip soon.

We have to date enjoyed our travels and I have gained so much experience in handling the vehicle, we are getting better at living in confined quarters and surprisingly we have had very few disagreements – that will be a separate blog. I am looking forward to being in one place for three weeks.

Tomorrow will be a shopping day then followed by trip to Fitzroy Island to see part of the Great Barrier Reef, can’t wait.

See you for the next adventure, exploring North Qld.

Kings Canyon NT- The rim walk.

Posted on September 6, 2023 by paulinerose18

After an exhilarating visit to Uluru, I was not sure what to expect from Kings Canyon, except that everyone says it’s a must-see experience. I was too busy before our trip to do any reading and took it at face value when people said its worth visiting.

Driving from Uluru to Kings Canyon via the Lasseter Hwy and Luritija Rd it is about a 4hr journey with a van (324.2km) – it is known as The Red Centre way. It is a beautiful drive, twisty and winding full of red dirt and some spring flowers. We saw the salt lakes and Kathleen Springs but did not stop for the walks.

By now we are used to travelling between towns without any internet service, it seems to go with the territory. Ian only wanted one night at Kings Canyon, and I wanted two…… as I do the bookings, it was two nights. We got there about mid-afternoon, which also helped my decision for two nights. We had met several people we had seen at Uluru, which was nice. Kings Canyon was also known for being a Dingo area, I really wanted to see some wild Dingo’s.

sunset over Kings Canyon from our caravan

Again, the booking was expensive $90p/n for two of us. The National Parks Pass was cheaper, it was only $20 per day for 2 and we only wanted the one day. Same rules applied about having passes on your car and alcohol restrictions when buy liquor. We had a great view of the Canyon and saw a spectacular sunset – next morning I had decided that I would do the walk – now which walk was the question.

The Kings Creek Walk was 2.6km suitable for wheelchairs – it has a gentle slope of the track that meanders up Kings Creek.

The Kings Canyon Rim Walk – 6km loop, which can take up to 4hrs, they say this walk is suitable for fit walkers. As i examined both walks, I was torn between the two walks – and then decided to throw caution to the wind and do the 6km loop walk. Everyone I had spoken to had said, once you get past the first 30mins then it is easier – so, I kept this in mind – I took one walking stick with me, in retrospect I should have taken both with me – I also had 2litres of water a bag of gummy bears, mints and insect replant in my backpack. Ian kissed me goodbye and was going to do the washing and pick me up later.

I started the walk, there were lots of people around, young & old, families, kids usually walking together, very friendly, people said hi, everyone had an air of enthusiasm about them. As I walked towards the hill, I thought ok doesn’t look too bad – I can do this. Then I started, one foot in front of the other, I was excited and worried simultaneously. The first 35 mins was by far the hardest, it was a steep incline of natural steps, some hard to navigate, the walking stick helped, when I was tired, I just stopped and let people pass me. This older man came past me and said, “look my wife is older than you and I think she will pass you”, I just smiled. The wife came past, “I said you are doing great, she replied, “yes I have two knee replacements if my surgeon could see me know.” Again, I just smiled and said, great work – I followed shortly after. When I reached the first summit, I thought wow done it, only to look up and see another hill, that first 35 mins was tuff, but if done slowly can be done – I did it.

I won’t go into too much detail about the walk, except to say that I had a most spiritual experience and when things got tuff which they did, I felt that Scott was with me egging me on and Faye was in my head keeping me focused. I was intent on not falling. It was the most exhilarating walk I have ever done – the views from the rim were just unbelievable, so spectacular – the pictures just do not do justice to the beauty. My favourite was the garden of Eden and the view from the top. I was exhausted, I had finished my water, and a kind family had some spare and gave me a bottle, I was thankful – I was even too tired to chew my gummy bears…. now that is a first.

On the way back at one point I thought I got lost, but no I was on the right track – there was a couple behind me, and they kept arguing – the man was trying to help his wife and she would not have it…. I was pleased to get out of range of them…… a family with three young children ran past me and the little boy said, “did you know there was 556 steps when we started, I counted them”, he was full of energy… yes, I felt every one of those 556 steps.

There were three memorials up there for a 14y, 22yrs, and 27yrs who died on the rim. The downwards steps were not as difficult as the ones going up, however still hard to navigate at times – I was absolutely thrilled when I could see the car park – it still took me some time to get down, but the end was in sight.

People were very encouraging along the way, I met two women who were scared of hights, but still managed the climb with support.

These are the markers you follow – if you are hurt you can be located.

I was so happy when I finished – I took two panadol as I was getting a headache and I went looking for Ian – who was by now wondering where I was – I saw him reading the signs – I walked towards him and a big smile came on his face – he said “i was worried, I couldn’t see you coming, I was looking for someone to call if you didn’t come down”. Bless him. There were three first aid posts up on the rim where you could call for help if needed – and people can also raise the alarm – no there was intermittent internet access – I think I managed to post one picture to Facebook from the top – I was surprised.

I was very proud of me for doing the walk – I had decided that I would go for a swim on my return to the camp to ease my aching muscles. The water of the pool was icy cold, I mean icy cold, real ice cold! it took my breath away, I managed to stay in for half an hour – the next day I was not aching at all – I put it down to the icy cold water.

On the way back, I received a text message from the resort to say there was a special dinner moonside would I like to book, I thought I would treat Ian – however when I asked how much, it was $250per person – guess that was a “no” to dinner – instead we had dinner at the pub, it was equally romantic. We returned from dinner thinking we would have an early night as I was tired. I was talking on the phone by the door – when I opened the door to put some rubbish out, I was greeted by a Dingo – yes! a dingo – we both looked at each other and were equally afraid with that the dingo ran way – I was busy calling Ian – “there’s a dingo” by the time he came it was gone – sometimes you just don’t have time to get a picture, you have to rely on your own memory. So, no picture of my dingo, I saw three dingoes, they are so shy didn’t get a photo.

On to the next stop Alice Springs & Tennant Creek

Reflecting on life!

Travels, holidays, general life musing

Tag Archives: Camping Caravanning / caravan