26th July to 2nd August 2010

26th July 2010

Happy Birthday Dale! Rang him and sang the usual lously version of "H/B" to him, which he politely said "thanks guys" to and told us he was on the road working and wouldn't be home till Thursday. Left R/A about 8.30 and headed into Townsville to find a Laundromat. Needed to do our sheets, towels etc., so whilst waiting to finish, put the chairs out on pavement outside, heated kettle on stove (on back of trailer) and proceeded to have morning tea on the footpath! Got a few looks and orders for tea/coffee & biscuits from passerbys. Left Townsville 1.30pm and headed for our next camp spot at 'Bushy' Parker Park Rest Area at Rollingstone. What a gem of spot this is! Ton of shady trees to camp under if want, toilets & cold shower, water taps close by, free bbqs and lovely clean water to swim in nearby creek! Heaven! Permitted to stay for 48 hours only and ranger comes around to check regularly. Good idea. Dogs allowed which is a bonus for us. Lunch and a welcome swim after setting up with awnings almost touching. H/Hour and cooked chops & sausages on bbq with toast for a quick meal. Still looks like rain, so watch another movie out under awning before bed - rained some during night.

27th July 2010

Up about 7am. Lisa start her work under awning and Ross work on putting wires & switches into new van for computer etc. Some hand washing and hang out before lunch. Ranger came around to take rego numbers and said we could stay till Thursday if wish, but we intend to leave tomorrow. Swim in creek again (that's our shower for the day) I start my 'blog' on Lisas computer - a first for me! Lisa and Ross off for a bike ride - then Don had a go as well, Ross took Boris this time. A mobile fish monger came to the park selling all types sea food, handy. Got fire going and camp oven out to cook a curry for first time this trip. Sat round and watched tea cook, sipping on lovely drink for our h/hour. Tea early and played cards under dripping awning - raining lightly for some time now and awning not proving very efficient. Genny been going now for many hours.

28th July 2010

Decided to stay the extra day, so Ross worked on strapping their outboard motor onto their van instead of us carrying it on front of our trailer. Lisa start work on her computer for few hours. All down for a swim before lunch - Boris just loves swimming after the ball in the water. More hand washing - do it while we have the water and time to get it dry. All went for a drive to Balgal Beach and surrounding area for a look see. Home and Ross & Lisa off for another bike ride, I update my 'blog' and Don get fire going again to cook our tea again. Potatoes in the coals tonight! Yummy! H/hour again around fire. So beautiful here and rather warm today, thank goodness.

29th July 2010

Few light showers overnight made for good sleeping. Kids took off 8.30 (Lisa working in 4x4 whilst driving), heading for visit to Paronella Park and we headed to Silkwood where our friends, Gail & Bill Booker live. Some rain on the way. Bill was out fishing, but luckily Gail was home - nice to catch up with them after many years. Onto Paronella Park to meet kids, where we all had pies for lunch. Kids really enjoyed their visit and all headed back about 10kms to lovely quiet Little Liverpool R/Area for the night. All into the creek for a swim before boys rested and girls played cards. Kids drove back to P/Park for night tour. When they got back, we looked at our photoes on the computer before bed. Somne rain overnight.

30th July 2010

Woke to lovely sunny day to find we had had a visit from a mouse in our van during the night! Left camp about 8.45, (Lisa working again) arriving Cairns about 10.30, where Ross needed to buy new tyre for his caravan. Into B.C.F., where we bumped into Gail and Bill Booker of all people! Lunch at Subway, got all we needed and headed north where we set up camp at Mareeba Rodeo Grounds at 5.30pm. (So glad to be out of busy Cairns!) Tons of vans there already. $12 p/van/p/n or $14 with power. This is the first time we have had to pay since leaving home, but for a lovely hot shower, laundry & power to charge all batteries, not a problem. Looked like a Gypsy Camp with clothes lines from vehicle to vehicle to dry clothes.

31st July 2010

Lisa started work about 8am and we finally left Rodeo Grounds about 10am and into Mareeba town to buy more supplies, a mouse trap and fuel before heading north for Mt.Molloy (Rifle Creek R/Area), only about 45km up road, arriving and setting up camp about noon. As always, lots of vans already there. After lunch, Don slept while we took Boris for a walk to the creek, where he swam and Ross checked out the water for signs of yabbies & fish.
Rest of the afternoon was taken up with starting to sort out what gear we were taking to Cape and which we were leaving behind. Happy hour around our first fire since leaving home and felt like we really getting into the camping mood now. Cards before cold shower in amenity block before bed.

1st August 2010

Lisa working again, but this time set up outside (bit more comfortable than front seat of the 4x4). We spent most of day either sorting gear, walking to creek for Boris to have his swim, sleeping (Don of course) and collecting firewood. Later in day, boys went down to creek to put the yabby nets in (you never know) tea, check nets, then cards till bed - quiet, relaxing, enjoyable day really. Need one of those every now and again.

2nd August 2010

Cloudy at first, then sunny to dry last of our hand washing. Lisa work outside again till about 11.30 when I took over to update my blog. Collect firewood, last of the sorting of gear and get it into the little trailer we are pulling - we are leaving it (with all the gear we don't need) in Cooktown while we go to the Cape. 1.30pm we walk up to town for hamburgers for lunch - make the boys happy!

WOW! We've never seen hamburgers SO BIG! Had to have a wooden skewer stuck through it to keep it from toppling over! Don and I went halves in one and that was more than enough and at $7.90 that was a good, enjoyable, cheap meal. The walk back to camp was needed, I assure you! Down to creek where Don went in for a swim in his undies, I was too chicken in case of unsuspecting walkers. Solar bag hot showers, wash hair, then bbq sausages, few vegies along with potatoes in the ashes for tea finished off a lovely day. Imported all my photoes onto computer, cards after tea, then bed.

19 - 25 July 2010

19 July 2010

Last day at Deb & Steves so was mainly taken up with washing of sheets and towels etc and cooking 2 boiled fruit cakes and 2 weet-bix slices (1 of each to leave and 1 for us) Now who's the favourite mother-in-law? Lisa & Ross sparing no time in moving things from old caravan into the new off-road van. Need to leave quite a lot behind unfortunately. Luckily someone from Tamworth bought their old caravan that day and they arranged to take it back to P.M. tomorrow for delivery. Now that all fell into place! Deb seems much better last few days, so we all feel quite o.k about heading off.

20th July 2010

Finish packing, vacuum room and make up bed for Deb and finally said bye and headed for friends Linda & Arthur at Narangba, arriving at about 12.30 just in time for lunch of toasted sandwiches. Lovely to sit and talk for few hours relaxing before heading north again to more friends, Pat & Dick in Maroochydore. All headed out to local Club for lovely baked tea and then back home for drinks, talk & watch "Top Gear" on t.v. before bed (they insisted on us 'oldies' sleep inside!) STILL haven't slept in the 4x4 yet and we'd left home on 2nd July!

21st July 2010

Most of the morning was taken up with talking, eating, cuppas and more talking with Dick and Pat before leaving there about 3.30 and heading for Duck Pond Reast Area at Gympie arriving about 5 pm. We'd really enjoyed our last two stops and catching up with 'old' friends. Lisa & Ross wont be here till tomorrow now, so got into bed early and watched some dvds on our computer. Quite ackward, but we managed. Wow, this was our very first night sleeping in the 4x4 - had a few laughs amongst ourselves at some of the positions we got ourselves into trying to manouvre our not-too-subtle bodies into a very small space.

22nd July 2010

Getting dressed whilst still lying on the bed was almost as hard as getting into bed! Oh, to be young again!!! Whilst waiting for Lisa and Ross to arrive, we drove into Gympie and had a cuppa and look around the town. By the time we drove back to the rest area, Lisa and Ross were just driving in and so after setting up, had late lunch. The rest of the afternoon was spent learning how to erect their new annex for the caravan. Not too bad a job, eventually got it straight and had tea and sat out under the awning to watch dvd movie till bedtime. Much more comfy outside, than last night, can assure you.

23rd July 2010

After brekky, Lisa set herself up in front seat of their 4x4 to do her 'work' on her computer and boys set about altering the annex to fit properly. Left the rest area at noon, lunch at roadside stop en route to Miriam Vale where we went into visit our niece (Lisas cousin) Allison and Eric. Luckily we'd bought with us a cake and 2 bottles of wine, as found out it was Allisons birthday today, so she had to 'suffer' our birthday song to her. We enjoyed a beautiful bbq tea & vegies, followed by desert, then a very welcome hot shower and talk before bed reasonably early. Great relaxing night!

24th July 2010

Awoke to a beautiful morning, deep in the valley, sun shining through palm trees and low clouds nestling below the surrounding hills! We were so spoilt with such a beautiful sight! We thought we were in paradise! Eric had left quite early, so Allison spoilt us even more and cooked us bbq bacon & eggs, which we hungrilly devoured whilst sitting on veranda, still admiring our surrounds. Photoes of Allison and Lisa together, as they had never really met before and they enjoyed the meeting. Reluctantly we left about 10am and drove straight through to Rockhampton where we had lunch in a park in town then headed for our next camp at Carmila Beach at 5.15. Set up right on the beach, which was lovely, but quite windy, so put up wind breaks all round. Tons of campers right along beachfront, but also plenty of spots to accommodate so many people.

25th July 2010

Awoke to beautiful sunny morning, but still windy as ever. Had intended to stay put for the day, but not so pleasant with the wind, so decided to pack up and move on, leaving at 10.45am. Drove most of day with Lyn actually at wheel for couple of hours before arriving at Guthalungra Rest Area (about 45km north of Bowen) at 5.20pm. We were lucky enough to have found a fuel stop prior to the rest area where we all had a hot shower for $2 each. Guthalungra R/A is quite large, popular and very crowded. Awning out again as looks like rain and all sat outside again to watch another movie. We look like a lot of gypsies when we set up camp. Have heard they are having lots of rain up further north and most are heading west instead of north to avoid it.