Annie does the Fraser Coast Show
Annie spent Friday at this show (uniquely a public holiday is declared on this day specially so locals can attend)
Photos in this Blog are ALL taken by Annie and I offer a brief description thus …
A world of fun, laughs, action, thrills and non stop entertainment is all included in the gate price at this year’s two day Fraser Coast Show at the Maryborough Showgrounds. Animals are at the heart and soul of the Fraser Coast Show with the region’s finest on show in competitions, events, demonstrations and displays of cattle, team penning, dogs and over 250 equestrian classes in the centre ring.The Fraser Coast Show is an adventure ground for kids, full of amazing discoveries and free entertainment. They can get up close with farm animals, and be entertained with performances.
Widgee,Queensland,Suncoasters RV Chapter and great people
We are currently in the process of finding a Motor Home group (known as CHAPTERS) to join and this week we found it !! The weekend found us arriving at Widgee,Queensland Show ground and we knew we were in for a good weekend as we drew alongside at least 20 + other Motorhomes (It is a requirement that we attend 3 of these gatherings,that could be anywhere in Qld !) We will look NO further AL members were quick to greet us and made us feel very well.This particular gathering was organized by member Dianne and her husband Rick Morning and afternoon teas were a terrific way of getting to know people as we all sat in a huge circle !!The afternoon teas quickly fell into happy hour! where most changed from tea to alcohol 1(my kind of people) The showground bar was open for dinner and drinks all at very reasonable rates and the friendly ambience continued into the night. Club member (potential) Glen provided a few games (the very popular Disc Bowls that is unique to Motorhome Nomads and a newly invented game consisting off throwing 2 golf balls attached to a foot long piece of rope to a 3 bar tiered stand 4 metres away and :lassoing: the balls around a bar ! Complicated to explain but great fun playing !!) Fires (braziers) were all lit at night and also proved to be good gathering point .We had a fantastic weekend and made many friends and now await the next meeting (held monthly) On one occasion a 30 second gust of wind grabbed one of the campers awning and turned it over the top of his bus,the immediate help he got was fantastic and he will have his awning up and running very soon Thanks to all our new found friends for a great weekend.Here s to the next time in ONE month
Bus Cleaned – Car Steamed and ready to go !
We collected a few scars on our around Oz trip and the car engine was so thick in RED dust we had to have it steamed clean ! The Bus is now cleaned up with a few extra additions to make travel life a little more comfortable We are now fully rested and ready for afew short trips starting this weekend when travel to Eastern Queensland in the hope of joining a new “Chapter” (local RV Club)
Heading Home via Annies shortcut !!
Our next 3 destinations were at free sites saving upto $150 ! We stayed overnight at an old abandoned railway station (Bogantungan) that has NO housing around for miles ! The place is well maintained including very clean toilets !.Overnight we could hear various wild life shuffling around in the very close wooded area (Annie was reluctant to go outside !) We met up with a lovely couple and they were heading North in their home made (well constructed) caravan We travelled thru a tiny outback town (Wowan) that is sadly dying ! a few derelict buildings,even an abandoned garage. Passing thru Monto (pop 1600) we stayed overnight at the back of a pub Mulgardie Hotel that has great murals painted on the outside and 2 of the patrons happen to be John Wayne & Marilyn Monroe !! The barmaid was from Sweden and travelling around Oz (we have seen so many European young people doing this,great to see) Her English was better than mine !! Moving on we decided to take the short cut home via a dirt,very bumpy and roller coaster track.Although it took a while to do the 100 kms or more the scenery was great and storm attacked streams and brooks were very evident.Half a dozen birds were all huddled together on one branch and I was fortunate enough to get pictures! We have had a great 3 months travelling,both Annie and me caught up with various families and were present for the birth of out latest grandson. Already we have planned for a further FOUR trips before the end of 2013 including a convey of RVs across the Birdsville Track in September.Hopefully we will fully fledged members of a Chapter before the next RV rally in October Great times ahead
Mount Isa on to Cloncurry
We arrived in the Isa only to find we couldn’t fit into the local caravan park and that was very fortunate for us ! Passing thru Cloncurry we ventured into a free camp site approx 1km down a dusty rocky road and we were awe struck with the beauty of the place.It was a dam and the surrounding lakeside and mountainous scenery was breath taking ( we will stay he a few days next time) The experience was a good excuse to use our generator.The bus was parked (unknowingly) on a camber and we kep rolling into the side of the bus too lazy to move the bus !!There was a lot of bird life around,the sunset was fantastic and very enjoyable stay
Looking Good
We have just booked for a Safari across the Birdsville Track and in the process of joining a CMCA chapter Sun Coasters first event in Widgee 27 may and the Rally in Narribri SO this later second half of the year is all about FUN for these re cycled teenagers Below is the itinary This Blog is designed to keep me informed as time goes on BUT great pictures are guaranteed
27 August to 19 September 2013 Birdsville Races – Broken Hill to Charleville
CMCA Member Safari
The 2013 CMCA Member Safari sets off from Broken Hill NSW on 27 August and travels 2,676 kilometres through outback NSW, SA and QLD. On this adventure you will explore beautiful scenery and historic landmarks, while being captivated by the excitement and thrill of race season, before concluding this extraordinary experience in Charleville on 19 September.
CMCA Member Safaris give you the opportunity to take a trip off the beaten track; you can have peace of mind knowing you are travelling alongside our experienced Road Boss and sweep vehicle, and with the added fun of having the companionship of other CMCA Members. The Birdsville Races are an annual event which began in 1882. The event, which raises funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, attracts thousands of visitors each year; in 2009 the town’s population of 200 swelled to an estimated 7,000 people. Due to its remote location many visitors arrive to Birdsville by air and the hundreds of planes that fill the town’s runway is an incredible sight to see. Your Birdsville Races experience will begin at Broken Hill, an isolated mining town in far west NSW. From here you will travel west visiting Yunta and the Farina Ruins, which are situated on the old Ghan railway – where the Oodnadatta and Birdsville tracks commence. You will stop over at Montecollina Bore, one of the most popular outback campsites on the Strezelecki Track. Because the hot bore water overflows and feeds a series of dams, this wetland attracts thousands of birds and is a photographers dream. On Monday 2 September you will arrive at the famous Dig Tree, located at Cooper Creek in south west Queensland. The Tree, which is around 250 years old, marks the location at which Burke and Wills split their expedition party, leaving William Brahee in charge and with instructions to wait three months for their return. The camp ran low on supplies and after four months of waiting, Brahee decided he must allow the men to turn back. However, before they left he buried supplies beneath a tree, which has now become renowned as the tree under which Burke died. Brahee carved the date, camp number and instructions to ‘dig into the trees trunk’, remnants of which can still be seen today. Other attractions you will encounter include, Big Red the spectacular sand dune located in the Simpson Desert, which stands at 30 meters in height, and the Carcory Homestead Ruins. You will visit many small towns throughout the channel country of central west Queensland including Bedourie, Windorah and Quilpie. The Safari will conclude with a farewell dinner at Charleville, which is located 758 kilometres west of Brisbane. Charleville is the largest town within the south west region and offers a range of facilities and attractions for you to enjoy. Although this is an outback drive, an off road vehicle is not necessary. However, vehicles and trailers should be suitable for travel on unsealed roads of varying quality and should be serviced prior to your departure. A UHF radio is essential and GPS navigator recommended. Entry is $930.00 per vehicle, including camping fees and some meals. CharlevilleBroken HillBirdsvilleDate Day Town 26 August Monday Broken Hill 27 Tuesday Broken Hill 28 Wednesday Yunta 29 Thursday Craddock 30 Friday Farina Ruins 31 Saturday Farina Ruins 1 September Sunday Montecolina Bore 2 Monday Dig Tree 3 Tuesday Nullah Out Station 4 Wednesday Betoota 5 Thursday Birdsville 6 Friday Birdsville 7 Saturday Birdsville 8 Sunday Birdsville 9 Monday Big Red 10 Tuesday Carcory Ruins 11 Wednesday Bedourie 12 Thursday Bedourie 13 Friday Bedourie 14 Saturday Bedourie 15 Sunday Diamantina River 16 Monday Windorah 17 Tuesday Quilpie 18 Wednesday Charleville Don’t miss out on this amazing event..
Heading home stopping overnight at Winton
Winton is the Dinosaur capital of Australia,apparently because that’s where they roamed a lot in days gone by !!evident by souvenir shops plus the dustbins are shaped in a dinosaurs foot ! We had a meal in the local pub across from our campsite and the food was really good and cheap.We sat outside and as dusk fell 1000,s of birds were heading home and making a very loud noise.As we get further north the weather is noticeably cooler very evident from the number of grey nomads heading North !
Hi way Roadhouse Petrol Cows et al
We left Katherine and scrapped the car as we filled with diesel ! The road was a fantastic experience and we had to buy extra Jerry Cans as our fuel tank wouldn’t get us to our destination.We drove past such iconic places as Larrimar and Daly Waters cos we have spent time there before.We fueled up at the appropriately named HIWAY roadhouse (presumably because the fuel prices were high !) The single lane road to our next destination Heartbreak Hotel (really) and even provided a country singer who was very good,as usual all staff and customers were really friendly, was almost 400 kms of single,very bumpy uneven road and proved to be very interesting .We passed a few cows an some were fossiking among the remains of a long dead cow (I cant explain why that happened BUT it was eerie) Travelled down the Stuart and turned on to the Carpenteria road Interestingly one roadhouse uses 500 litres of diesel daily to keep the generators running !! One pub had wild pigs in captivity and he introduced us to the next weeks roast !! Along the way we witnessed a few eagles and hawks feeding on roadkill kangaroos
Watch me play Didgeridoo
Geoffs Life After Work ! 