We visit friends in Perth on our way up the west Coast and as we are leaving their small poodle races over to the garden on the verge and has a good sniff. “Oh” says our friend “Charlie is checking his pee mail” and as he cocks his leg, “Now he’s sending one”. Continue reading His Inbox is Full
As we drive we are talking about how we’re becoming overwhelmed by all of the experiences that we’ve had on this, our trip through Western Qld and as we pull up at the Augathella Road junction we see a kangaroo just standing there watching the traffic. We round the next bend into the little town of Morven and there is a crowd of people sitting in the sun having morning tea. They all wave vigorously and as we pull over a pocket rocket in yellow called Dulcie runs up to my window. It happens to be the town’s “Longest Morning … Continue reading Morven, Qld
The Cooktown Hotel advertises sunset on their verandah and we decide to take them up on their offer. The front door is shaded by a piece of striped canvas hanging down about a metre. We lift the canvas and enter the cool of the bar. It is busy and noisy and classic rock is still playing as it was earlier in the day, now it’s the Rolling Stones. We are greeted by a small shaggy dog with a big smile. We take our drinks up the steep wooden stairs and find half a dozen others on the verandah. There are … Continue reading Cooktown Hotel
This is Australia’s busiest Seaman’s Mission with 70,000 seamen visiting the port annually. The chaplain conducts the tour and after learning about their work and what our tour cost gets used for we board their harbour boat and pick up and deliver crew all over the harbour. This is not a conventional port with piers and walkways so the Mission boat acts like a water taxi. In typical Pilbara fashion the statistics were mind boggling. It is Australia’s 2nd largest port. The world’s largest iron ore port and there are usually about 35 ships waiting out at sea to enter. … Continue reading Port Hedland Seaman’s Mission Tour
We’re in Broome, WA and our new grey nomad friend tells us that she met a naked man while walking along Cable Beach this morning. I later ask her what she is doing tomorrow “Oh going to find the naked man again” she says with a grin. Continue reading Clothing Optional
Last year we bought a Techni Ice fridge after realizing that keeping the beer in the caravan fridge wasn’t ideal. Either the vegetables were perfect and the beer not cold enough or the beer perfectly chilled and the vegetables frozen. In fact on one trip some small round tomatoes morphed into rock hard red billiard balls that had to be quickly dispatched into a bolognaise sauce. There was a lot of consideration as to which way to go 12 volt or ice box and eventually the ice box won. Why? Because there is nothing better than an icy, cold beer. … Continue reading Techni Ice Fridge
For Free Camp Friday here’s a camp that has been built by a thoughtful town that realizes the benefits of encouraging people to stay awhile. Ingham in Qld, known as the” Italian town” is welcoming and friendly. The information centre is at the TYTO Wetlands and there is a new 48 hour free camp beside the lake. The shopping centre is only a block away and there is an excellent fishmonger on the highway, the prawns are seriously sweet and juicy. Did I mention the Italian deli in town? The name Tyto is strange but it is the name of … Continue reading TYTO Wetlands
We decide to spend a night in Mansfield as the town just happens to be gearing up for the High Country Targa Rally. The main street is lined with hay bales and there are race marshalls stationed on every corner. The caravan park is buzzing with motorsport talk and at 5:00pm in light rain we nip across to the owner’s house to take up his offer of watching the time trials from his deck. There are about fifteen of us crowded on the deck, the owner’s family, friends and patrons and we have the best view possible. Being on a … Continue reading Is There a Category for Caravans?
Some pubs in the outback like the Blue Heeler Hotel in Kynuna, Qld have very narrow doors, we just assumed that people were smaller in the old days. But hell no, it was to stop you from riding your horse into the bar. Spoil sports. The Blue Heeler Hotel has been here since the 1860’s when it was a Cobb and Co coaching stop and the gnarly old floor boards look like they’re original. If that’s not enough this hotel was where the shearers celebrated during the great shearer’s strike of 1894 when they set fire to the woolshed at … Continue reading Blue Heeler Hotel
We’re wandering along Victoria’s Bass Coast and drop in to reacquaint ourselves with Walkerville South. The road ends at the boat ramp and a sign declares that driving on the beach is not permitted here except for the launching of boats. For those not familiar with this area, the two tiny towns of Walkerville South and Walkerville North overlook Waratah Bay and are a mere few hundred metres apart. In years gone by the locals used to drive onto the sand and make a quick dash around the dividing headland at low tide. With driving on the beach no … Continue reading A Tale of Two Towns
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