Mount Isa,Mercedes Benz and a broken down Bus
Just completed 100 kms on a top speed of 60 kph!! Power went on the acceleration and we limped into Mount Isa.Pick up the pre arranged mail then look for a Garage.In the mail is a letter from Mercedes Benz advising us a problem has been picked up in their vehicles and if we present the vehicle to a qualified MB mechanic the rogue connection will be replaced free of charge!!After ringing them we were told we needed to have the bus transported to Townsville 1000 kms away at a cost of $3000 !! and WE would have to pay !! After consulting RACQ they informed us the problem stemmed from MB SO they should cover all costs !! (MB originally informed us NO Isa mechanics were qualified to work on their motors) Re consulting MB they in turn will now SHIP the part to Mount Isa and can be fitted by a firm they have now nominated !! Moral is DO NOT be bullied by big firms,seek any advice and follow thru We are now hoping the problem will be solved IF not? back to the drawing board Many thanks to the big bloke with a huge white beard from Mt Isa RACQ for great service and advice There is a redeeming outcome at least by virtue the town has lots of courtesy buses and lots of club & pubs !! Blogs my be held over for a while Stay Tuned !!
Burke and Wills Roadhouse
In 1860 several men traveled 5,000 kilometres from Melbourne to the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria and then back to the Depôt Camp at Cooper Creek. Seven men died in the attempt, including the leader, Robert O’Hara Burke and the third in command William John Wills. Only one of the four men who reached the north coast, John King, survived to return to Melbourne.This Roadhose has a population of 5 and they are staff !! We met a great couple and had an interesting night over a few beers.Our next door neighbours was a group working for the charity Rare Diseases in Kids and were cycling around Australia in ONE day they cycled 340 kms !! having already contributed over a million dollars towards their cause The cyclist were very friendly young men and had a great support team that consists of THREE Jayco vans just like ours !!! Website is http://www.cycleforsmile.com.au/C4S_Team.html Support them and give em a wave if spotted
Onwards towards Cloncurry
Leaving Karumba was a little bit harder this time as we have made lots of friends (I love this concept of having new neighbours daily doesnt give much time for fall outs !)People with their boats were out in force and to see rows and rows of trailers parked alongside the ramps was incredible Hawks circle above in great numbers above us and are extremely safe.Sadly lots of animals are car killed and not necessarily by speed,we cameback to the camp late one night and the road was alive with kangaroos !!(no we didnt hit one) Driving into and out of Karumba we spotted quite a few dead wild black pigs.Travelling away from Karumba we unfortunately hit and killed a gant hawk that headed straight for us out of the sky and in no way could I avoid it !!We are also finding it difficult to get a signal here in the outback onocassions BUT the blog WILL go on!
Karumba Sunset
These sunsets are magical I will let the pics do the talking
Karumba, Arafuen Sea on the Gulf of Carpenteria
This place is magical and is Outback Seaside.The place is surrounded by river inlets that are chocablock with Mangroves Plenty of fishing,crabbing and wild life in abundance (I’m absolutely amazed at the number of Hawks here Never seen as many)On the road in we sighted a huge Eagle feasting on a dead Kangaroo ! Camera was NOT at hand !! Main industry is iron ore and lead The road into Karumba (sealed) has only been in existance for 11 yrs increasing holidaymakers from 5000 to 100000!!On one particular beach was a HUGE stranded dead Grouper fish and from the banks looked like a statue!! To reach it and inspect with a camera we had to go over mud flats and when I sank bollock deep into the Ooze I thought a salt water crocodile might have spotted me struggling to get out !! (Annie of course was falling about laughin !!) I have NEVER seen a fish as large as this one !! Sunsets are brilliant with lots of people sat in the beach front pub viewing & photographing the spectacle ( I will do a slide next blog)We have once again met interesting people especially in the pubs !! One 81 yr old has 6 beers EVERY night and travels with his wife everywhere.His words, I an NOT going to sit on my arse and vegetate when there is SO much to see( hes from Broken Hill and tells lots of stories)
Croyden the last stop before the Gulf of Carpenteria
We stayed overnight at our last stop over before we arrive at Karumba on the Arafua Sea in the Gulf of Carpenteria.There is a lot of evidence of Croyden being a Pioneer town and there are quite a few statues around to remind us of days gone by. A giant statue of a fish greets us on town entry (Aussies are good at building huge monuments that include fruit animals and fish !! A HUGE life size model of a crocodile sits in the street centre and apparently it is a genuine size !!The picture shows its true size and sadly a bullet brought the creatures life to an end (we humans are quite good at destroying great things ) by 1887, the town’s population had reached 7,000. Gold was to be the main production and that was exhausted by early 1930 Population can now be measured in low hundreds It great to see some “outback” events being held here and I have included the latest town flyer
Places we’ve been to on our travels
these are just a few of the places visited (and are in travelling order)I have missed out quite a few Aboriginal names coz they are too long !!This particular Blog page is for my own records of where we have been It is also a good way of jogging my memory !! NO pics this time,only name places !!Back to normal on me next blog Some great pics taken around The Gulf of Carpenteria
DONGARA .GERALDTON .CARNARVON .CORAL BAY .EXMOUTH .NINGALOO .CANE .RIVER .KARRATHA .ROEBOURNE .PORT HEADLAND .KANGAN .PILBARA .MUMJANA .KARAJINI .TOM PRICE .PARDOO .80 MILE BEACH .BROOME .DERBY .WUNJANA GORGE .TUNNEL CREEK .FITZROY CROSSING .LOUISA DOWNS .HALLS CREEK .PURNULULU .BUNGLE BUNGLES .WARNUM(TURKEY CREEK) .DOON DOON .WYNDHAM .KUNUNURRA .LAKE ARGYLE .TIMBER CREEK .WILLEROO .KATHERINE .PINE CREEK .BACHELOR .LITCHFIELD .DARWIN .HUMPTY DOO .JABIRU .KAKADU .MATARANKA .LARRIMAH .DALY WATERS .DUNMARRA .ELLIOT .HELEN SPRINGS .TENNANT CREEK .DEVILS MARBLES .WARRABRI .WYCLIFFE .TI TREE .ALICE SPRINGS .ORANGE CREEK .KINGS CANYON .ULURU .KULGARA .AGNES REEK .MARLA .COOBER PEDY .WOOMERA .QUORN .WILPENA .PARACHILNA .WELLMINGTON .ORROROO .PETERBOROUGH .HALLET .BURRA .WAIKERIE .RENMARM .MILDURA .OUYEN .LOXTON .MURRAY BRIDGE .MOUNT BARKER .WULLUNGA .GOOLWA .SAILEM BEND .PINAROO .TOOLEYBUC .DENILIQUIN .NARRANDERS .WEST WYALONG .CONDOBOLIN .FORBES .CANOWINDRA .ORANGE .WELLINGTON .DUBBO .GILGANDRA .COONABARABRAN .NARRABRI .MOREE .GOONDIWINDI .DALBY .KINGARONG .CHERBOURG .NANGOO .CROWS NEST .TOOWOOMBA .WARWICK .STANTHORPE .KILLARNEY .CASINO .NIMBIN .LISMORE .MURWILLUMBAH .BOONLAH .NERANG .BEENDLEIGH .SURFERS PARADISE .BRISBANE .SUNSET COAST.CABOOLTURE .MAROOCHYDORE .NOOSA HEADS .GYMPIE ,TIN CAN BAY .RAINBOW BEACH .MARYBOROUGH .HERVEY BAY .BARGARA .BUNDBERG .1770 .AGNES WATER .GLADSTONE .MOUNT MORGAN .ROCKHAMPTON .YEPPOON .EMU PARK .CLAIRVIEW .SARINA .MACKAY .PROSERPINE .BOWER .AYR .TOWNSVILLE .BALGAL BEACH .CARDWELL .TULLY .INNISFAIL .GORDONVALE .EDMONTON .CAIRNS .PORT DOUGLAS .CAPE TRIBULATION .KURANDA .MAREEBA .ATHERTON TABLE LANDS .RAVENSHUE .MILLA MILLA .MOUNT .GARNET .40 MILE SCRUB . MOUNT SURPRISE .GEORGETOWN .CROYDEN .NORMANTON .KARUMBA
On the Road passing thru Croyden & Mt Surprise
We are getting deeper into Queensland Bush territory heading for The Gulf.The road is a single traffic and giving way to the HUGE 3 trailer trucks is a must !! As the trucks speed towards you Rule of thumb is to pull over on to the dirt track’otherwise the truck will go onto the dirt at high speed and spray your vehicle with stones !! (we have a couple of window cracks as a testimony to this action !!) Although single roads they are very fast and speeds of 120 kms are common Via the CB we have now learnt when a truckie (Channel 40 is theirs) spots a radar by simple broadcasting “Flash for Cash” ahead ! It is illegal to warn motorist in the conventional way ie Radar Trap Ahead !! It has worked a couple of times for us !! We have visited the last waterfall at Ravenshue (Tully Falls) and the winding track to see it was a killer !!We are now on the lowlands nearing Karumba
Millaa Millaa Waterfalls and a Cow
We are now travelling inland towards the Gulf of Carpenteria and its getting hotter !! Leaving the Tropics and the cool weather and the Tropical Forests was difficult but we need to push on !!Travelling thru Ravenshoe (where we were affronted by 2 elderly train & volunteer enthusiasts !! Sadly the trains are deteriorating as no one is interested any more Its a grand little town but people are leaving and the township is shrinking !!We did an over night sat in Georgetown but wasn t very interesting!! Mount Surprise had a few little surprises with it being a throw back to the 1800 s Next stop along the way was Croyden (not the Surrey one) and that was also a flashback in time but the town is trying to update some attractions to encourage more tourism and dollars !!.We didn’t quite make the pub and had an early night for our final push to Karumba the last bitumen road into the Gulf and I have finally done a bucket wish by visiting Karumba !!
Around the Table Lands and Waterfalls
We are now travelling the country towns visiting Yungaburra where the curtain fig is situated and what a fantastic sight it is ! very majestic and tropical. Malanda country town next on the drive where the Majestic Theatre (cinema) is known as Australia’s longest running theatre and to see it is a must !!I loved the sign on entry where it tells incoming audiences noisy children will be evicted !!! The pay counter looks nothing like general cinemas do selling tickets and treats Upon entering Malanda is a small waterfall which is just the start of terrific scenery that is to come Millaa Mllaa is our next stop where around the outside town perimeter it boasts 3 waterfalls and they are absolutely magnificent !Just to stand in this awe inspiring place was beyond my wildest dreams !! We are so taken with this tiny town we will camp here the night just to take in the sheer ambience of this magical place !!Pics of the falls and area to follow Annie is not best pleased with me coz I accidentally wiped her photo card clean ( she .ll be talkin to me again before long Im sure )The next few days may see me NOT getting a signal for me to do a blog
Watch me play Didgeridoo
Geoffs Life After Work ! 