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.
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