Adelaide to Perth was the holiday I was going on with my sister. We left her place in Adelaide on 27th December 2010 and headed out north on the Port Wakefield Road. All was quiet and it was a good run up to Port Augusta. Here we stopped for an early lunch and the last fast food until Perth.
We set off and were quickly surrounded by police cars and police motorbikes – and the members of the Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle gang. For a few moments I wondered what was going on, then realised that it was the police “escorting” the gang out of South Australia. For the next hour or so until we reached Kimba (a rest stop with good toilet facilities and pleasant shops) motorcycles and unmarked police cars (bristling with aerials) were a constant sight.
After this it was a quiet run into Ceduna, where we booked into the motel and then explored a little of the town. It had changed a little since Fran had been there in 2004 so we saw a new hotel frontage, new facilities on the foreshore and a redesigned main street. I refilled the car with fuel (the last Shell Express before Perth that I will see) and then went back to the motel and we retired for the night.
The next morning saw us leave early because we had 1200 kilometres until our accommodation for the night at Norseman. There was little of note along the way until – we saw a caravan pulled over to the side of the road (at 259-260 km from the border) with the driver out on the road waving us down. I pulled up and went out to find out what had happened and saw coolant all over the roadside and still dripping from the engine. The unfortunate driver had done in the water pump in his Nissan and required roadside assistance. I got all his details and then we were off to Nullarbor. Here I found a payphone and rang the 1300 number for NRMA premium Assist. I eventually got onto Sydney (after half an hour), explained the situation and was then put through to Adelaide. The RAC agent had no idea of where the breakdown was and certainly didn’t know there was no mobile phone contact out there. Finally everything was worked out so I wrote the details on the back of my card and asked a family going the other way to drop it off to him (so he would realise that help was on its way, even if it didn’t arrive when scheduled). Delayed, but still with plenty of time because of the two and a half hour time we were about to gain, we went on and stopped at Border Village for our quarantine check. All was well so we were on our way within a few minutes. Again, police vehicles were plentiful, waiting presumably for the Gypsy Jokers and not us, and we then continued on until Mundrabilla. Here I stopped to top up with petrol and have a toilet break. We went upon until another break at Caiguna, but we did have nibbles, snacks and some prepared food with us. After Caiguna it was a good and relatively peaceful run into Norseman. We got the key to the cabin at the caravan park we were staying to, had some tea at the roadhouse and then went back for an early (in clock time) and late (in body time) bedtime.
The next morning saw us up fairly early and on our way sooner than expected – no hot water, so very quick shower. I left a note on the key tag when Fran dropped it off at the office. A stop for comfort and petrol at Coolgardie (French girl behind the counter) and then it was a good trip into Perth. I had an marked police car from before The Lakes until just before Mundaring following me, but cruise control kept me legal. As we were arriving in the break between Christmas and new year, there was little traffic in the metropolitan area so we arrived at Madeley quickly and dropped in to see our aunt. After a conversation and an hello to the other residents I knew, we left to call in where I was staying and then to drop Fran off where she was staying. After quick unpacking, we were all out for a pleasant evening meal at Sizzlers in Beldon. After that, for me at least, it was into bed and off to sleep. I had twenty-six and a half hours driving over, so a break was welcome.
Over the next five days we established a routine where I was out at 8:30, got the paper, picked Fran up and then we visited our aunt. With older friends I believe in the “often but short” visits. So we were there each morning for about an hour to an hour and a half. After that we visited some friends: of our aunt, of our parents and of mine. We visited people in Beldon, Mt Claremont, Bull Creek, Bateman, Dianella, Kingsley and Duncraig.
On the last morning, while with our aunt, I received a call from the person we had assisted along the Eyre Highway. He had been picked up and his vehicle and caravan taken back to Nundroo. The wait for the part was less than expected and the mechanic fitted it immediately, even though it was out of working hours. He had then travelled uneventfully to Perth and was settled into a caravan park.
On Tuesday 4th, we departed Perth and headed south. We had a look around Augusta and then went to see a friend just outside the town. Here we were greeted and stayed overnight in the “cottage”, a beautifully restored period cottage but now with mod cons. We were also entertained by peacocks.
We reluctantly left there the next morning and headed cross-country towards Narrogin. All along the way there was heavy, almost torrential, rain. Although it made driving difficult at times, it cleaned all the bugs off the front of DOUG. Narrogin is the centre of farming in this area, had figured prominently in our parents’ lives and was now where some friends were. We booked in to the Albert Facey Motel (author of “A Fortunate Life”) and I tried to catch up with someone I knew, but she was out. Then, after a look around town, we called into visit some friends who had made contact with people who knew of our parents’ farming life (before their marriage). Our initial plans were changed because the lady we expected to meet was now suffering from Alzheimer’s and had moved to Kondinin. However we were given the contact detail of another person. When I rang him, I found I had already met him in 1970. Then it had been brief, but now it was far more important. We arranged to meet on a farm road about 8:30 in the morning. We went back to the motel, had some tea and then had another early night. [For those wondering, as we were only away a total of thirteen days, I tried as closely as possible to keep to the same time as I would have in Melbourne – hence what seemed like inordinately early rising and retiring times.]
On Thursday morning we were up early and left around 7. I had a map of the area and so met up with Bill on the roadside at the entrance to a farm. It wasn’t as I remembered, down the side of a rise rather than over the top. Once we had met and introduced ourselves, we drove in and quickly found where my father’s stable had been. The last time I saw them in 1970, they still had the roof he thatched, but now there was only a number of vertical supports still standing. Of his humpy, which had five uprights visible in 1970, there was no trace. The clearing which had been around was now full of low scrub and a few trees, grown from dirt and seeds washed down in the floods about thirty years ago. For me it was a disappointment. Then we went onto another property, where we saw the remains of dad’s Reo Speedwagon truck [note to music aficionados – it is Reo, not R E O]. It had a six cylinder overhead valve engine, very advanced for the day. He got it very cheaply from another family, when it failed to take a wife to hospital for an emergency. In fact it had only run out of petrol, but the sons who were supposed to “dip and check” the petrol hadn’t done so and weren’t willing to admit it. So dad got a faulty truck cheap and repaired it simply by filling it with petrol. After that we went to Bill’s place and met his wife, Jan. The next two hours was chatting about early life in Kulin and possible contacts to get further information about mum, dad, and our grandfather. We departed and headed into Kulin township along the Tin Horse Highway, had a quick look around and then drove north to Merredin and along the Great Eastern Highway. I stopped in Bodallin to fill with petrol (good price, and I like to support local businesses where possible) and get a snack, then we were off to Coolgardie. As we were going to arrive in Norseman late, we had to notify the caravan park, but didn’t have the number. I called in at the Coolgardie Council Office to get the number and found out that the Information Centre has maps of Coolgardie at the time our aunt was born there (1905). I topped up with petrol at the Eagle servo, and this time it was an Estonian girl on the till! It was a good run down to Norseman, marred by seeing a burned-out car and caravan by the side of the road. After settling in and having tea in the pub, it was off to bed for the second-last night.
Friday morning saw us rise very early; we had 1200 kilometres to drive and we were going to lose two and a half hours along the way.
After a good quick start, we had showers and then heavy rain along the road. We stopped at Caiguna and stepped around the puddles and then again at Mundrabilla. Dry here as I topped up with fuel. Then there was more rain after we entered South Australia. A brief pause at Nullarbor and we were into the home stretch. We arrived late in Ceduna, quickly passed through quarantine, refuelled and booked into the motel for some rest.
We slept in a little and left Ceduna before 9. Then it was a little more rain, a pause at Kimba and a stop at Port Augusta for a late lunch. Petrol was cheap there, so I filled up. After a clear run, we arrived at Fran’s place at 5:30 after thirty-eight hours driving on the return journey.
Christmas / New Year holidays were over.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Cairns
I planned to visit Cairns to catch up with a cousin from England, her husband, their son and his wife. I had last seen the cousins in 2008 while I was in England, but hadn’t seen the son since 1980. Naturally I had never seen his wife. I wanted to combine a few visits together, hoping they would all meld successfully. There’s no guarantee of this, so I just had to see how things worked out.
I left home on Friday 12 November, leaving Werribee about 1010. I had some Lions appointments to attend to, plus I didn’t want to spend a lot of time in peak-hour traffic. After doing these, I left by going out along the Princes Highway. I passed the last traffic light for a long time and joined the Western Ring Road, which runs directly into the Hume Freeway. After nearly 350 kilometres I turned off onto the Olympic Highway and at West Wyalong onto the Newell Highway. After arriving in Dubbo about 1830 I had some tea and met my first traffic light, Not too long after I arrived at Gilgandra and booked into a motel – pleasantly priced and comfortable.
Next morning, on Saturday 13 I left Gilgandra about 0700. In pleasant countryside, now green, I travelled on through Coonamble and Walgett. Here I topped up with fuel. Soon I was over the border into Queensland at Hebel and passed through Dirranbandi, St George, Surat and Roma. Here I filled up with fuel. [The roads showed damage from the recent floods, both directly by parts being washed away and indirectly by heavy vehicles abrading the surface while it was still plastic. To explain this it’s necessary to understand the construction of a lot of country roads in Australia. The local soil is formed into a roadway and topped by soil and/or gravel to provide a stable base. This surface is sprayed with tar and has blue metal (basaltic gravel) dropped on it. This seals the surface and allows heavy loads to travel over them. If the subsurface remains dry, the surface remains stable. If moisture is allowed to penetrate under the sealed surface, then the surface can be moved easily. If a heavy vehicle moves sideways, such as around a bend or when overtaking, sliding rear tyres move the surface and pile up the sealing material. So even on a sealed road, there can be a “bump” of up to 15 centimetres (six inches). When a car like DOUG only has a similar clearance, I have to be very careful. Even though traffic may be light, I have to watch the road very carefully.]
After that, I continued on to Injune. This little town has an excellent Tourist Information Centre and there are many interesting sights nearby. As the sun went down, I passed Rollestone, Springsure, Emerald and Clermont. I looked for somewhere to stay in Clermont, but as the police officer who randomly breathalysed me said, mining towns don’t have inexpensive accommodation. I left Clermont about 2200 and stopped by the roadside at a rest area. I settled down to get some sleep – only to have a refrigerated B-triple truck stop opposite and have three units running continuously. Despite this, I got quite a good rest.
At dawn on Sunday 14 I went on and arrived in Mackay about 0830. After a quick breakfast I went to visit a family friend, only to realise when I got no answer at 0900 and found her not at home that she would be out walking. I went to visit her son and his family, to find them at home but ready to leave for church. I was surprised that their oldest son remembered me. With no-one to see, I pressed on after refuelling, driving along the Bruce Highway along the coast through Bowen and Townsville. I arrived in Cairns about 1800 and was led by the SatNav to the Cairns Central YHA. Here I confirmed the booking I had already made and extended it by this evening, as well as booking DOUG in to a secure parking space.
I went to my room – a four-bed ensuite – and settled in, then went out to explore the hostel. Later I went to bed earlier than normal, and as I was dropping off, I met my roommate – Jordi, from Spain, here on a cycling trip, while his family remained home in Spain. He is flying between cities and hiring a good bicycle to explore each city’s surrounds. Listening to an iPod, I dropped off to sleep.
Next morning, Monday 15, I was up at 0900 (must have needed the sleep) and explored Cairns Central shopping centre (just opposite) and then lazed the rest of the day away. I did speak to quite a few people at the hostel – quite a variety of ages, and not too many from Australia. During the day I rang my cousins and tried again in the evening but no answer. That evening there was another in the room, but he had left by the time I got up.
On Tuesday 16, I got up at 0800 and went for a drive to explore the local area. Back at the hostel I rang the cousins again to find them at the house. I drove out to visit, arriving about 1100. We had a good chat, catching up on things. The family were out at work, pursuing their occupations of commercial photography. We had lunch and during the afternoon I went back into Cairns. All the family came into Cairns and we met at 1830 and then had tea on the Esplanade. After, I went back to hostel after being able to have a few drinks with the meal. This evening I had two roommates from LA, one a fireman and one a financial analyst – both finishing a ten-day holiday in Australia (too short!). They had to leave early for a 0600 flight – I didn’t hear them leave!
On Wednesday 17 I was up at 0800 – on my own - and was picked up at 1100 by Terry and Pat. We drove up to Port Douglas in Mike’s little car, had a little walk in the town, had coffee and then lunch at a hotel with a Welsh waitress! We met up with Mike and Marylyn for lunch, as they were already in Port Douglas, working. We went back to Cairns via Palm Cove, where we had a great ice cream. Back at the hostel I chatted with more people. So far I have met an older couple from Canada, many younger people from Holland and Denmark, two groups of older ladies from France and two girls from Israel. Only one Australian, Ben from Brisbane, in all I met there.
Thursday 18 I was up at 0800 and did a short drive around exploring Cairns. As Queensland is about Australia’s most decentralised state, Cairns has many more facilities and services than I expected. I went back to the hostel and arranged my things for tonight and so I could be quickly ready in the morning. I waited at the front and was picked up about 1400. After the quick and now familiar drive to Holloway Beach we had some drinks until the workers arrived home. Not long after we all settled in for a great barbecue tea about 1900. Mike remembered that I liked my steak really well done – and it was – delicious! Unfortunately both the evening and the visit was drawing to a close, so I said goodbye and was soon back at hostel about 2100. After a brief chat to some residents I had got to know, I was off to bed and to sleep. Tonight I had an older Norwegian roommate and two Danes – one, very tall, who was visiting for a few weeks and his mate who had emigrated to Australia five years ago and was a teacher in Victoria!
On my last day, Friday 19, I was up at 0615 and packed after a quick shower. I had left the hostel by about 0645. I left Cairns and went down the coast to Townsville. Here the SatNav directions told me to go inland but the road it suggested had been cut by rain. I continued down the coast to Bowen. Here I called in at the Catalina Museum (very small) at the airport and then the tourism centre on the Bruce Highway. Getting some information from them about the Catalina base from WWII, I went to the Museum and then visited a lookout, the foreshore and the site of filming “Australia”. I walked around the Catalina “hard stands” and then left about 1700. If anyone is calling in with small children, there is an excellent children’s playground on the foreshore – soft surface and plenty of activity devices! Then I went down to Rockhampton. By now it was getting dark and I headed inland. Later in the evening I overnighted in a roadside stop and was off after dawn.
Travelling on Saturday 20 was going well – empty road, clear weather until – a kangaroo hopped onto the road just north of Miles about 0630 and decided to stop directly in front of me. The inevitable happened and the bar bent to the body of the bumper bar and across the reinforcing frame, but little else obvious. The kangaroo? RIP. I stopped to have a snack in Moonie, which was the site of Australia’s first oil well. I see all the exports we’re sending overseas now and remember that I learned, at school, that Australia had few natural resources. No ores, no petroleum no gas. Ah well, times and knowledge change. After all the grazing and cropping land I had driven through, it was different to be in national park areas just north of Gilgandra. I decided to stay overnight in Gilgandra (same motel, same room), so booked in and looked around the town. The memorial of a “Man on the Thunderbox” intrigued me (“Thunderbox” = outside toilet or privy). I had some tea and afterwards rang some friends in Blue Mountains to check they would be home and found that after 1300 was the best time to call in..
On Sunday 21 I left Gilgandra about 0730 and then called into Lawson to visit a family friend. Not only did I get to see his “new” house, but I was able to catch up with his older brother (who I had last seen in 1965) too. We had both changed considerably in the intervening time. I left after a most enjoyable visit and arrived at the friends’ place around 1320. I chatted with all three (their son had an extensive vocabulary and was not at all shy) and left about 1600. I headed off towards Canberra and arrived at Goulburn about 1830 and rang to confirm my visit with cousins at Braidwood. There was no difficulty about staying, but they were going to be busy and out all week. It just goes to show if I want to visit, the only ones I know will be around are those in paid employment – the rest are too busy to be pinned down! I continued on towards home and had some tea at Gundagai (but not at the “Dog on the Tuckerbox” site (Tuckerbox = food container)). Later I pulled over in a roadside stop.
Next morning, Monday 22 I continued down the Hume and managed to get to the Ring Road before the morning traffic. I finally arrived home about 0400. After I parked DOUG, I went in and went to my own bed.
After 80 hours driving and just over 7000 kilometres I had finished my little trip to Cairns.
I left home on Friday 12 November, leaving Werribee about 1010. I had some Lions appointments to attend to, plus I didn’t want to spend a lot of time in peak-hour traffic. After doing these, I left by going out along the Princes Highway. I passed the last traffic light for a long time and joined the Western Ring Road, which runs directly into the Hume Freeway. After nearly 350 kilometres I turned off onto the Olympic Highway and at West Wyalong onto the Newell Highway. After arriving in Dubbo about 1830 I had some tea and met my first traffic light, Not too long after I arrived at Gilgandra and booked into a motel – pleasantly priced and comfortable.
Next morning, on Saturday 13 I left Gilgandra about 0700. In pleasant countryside, now green, I travelled on through Coonamble and Walgett. Here I topped up with fuel. Soon I was over the border into Queensland at Hebel and passed through Dirranbandi, St George, Surat and Roma. Here I filled up with fuel. [The roads showed damage from the recent floods, both directly by parts being washed away and indirectly by heavy vehicles abrading the surface while it was still plastic. To explain this it’s necessary to understand the construction of a lot of country roads in Australia. The local soil is formed into a roadway and topped by soil and/or gravel to provide a stable base. This surface is sprayed with tar and has blue metal (basaltic gravel) dropped on it. This seals the surface and allows heavy loads to travel over them. If the subsurface remains dry, the surface remains stable. If moisture is allowed to penetrate under the sealed surface, then the surface can be moved easily. If a heavy vehicle moves sideways, such as around a bend or when overtaking, sliding rear tyres move the surface and pile up the sealing material. So even on a sealed road, there can be a “bump” of up to 15 centimetres (six inches). When a car like DOUG only has a similar clearance, I have to be very careful. Even though traffic may be light, I have to watch the road very carefully.]
After that, I continued on to Injune. This little town has an excellent Tourist Information Centre and there are many interesting sights nearby. As the sun went down, I passed Rollestone, Springsure, Emerald and Clermont. I looked for somewhere to stay in Clermont, but as the police officer who randomly breathalysed me said, mining towns don’t have inexpensive accommodation. I left Clermont about 2200 and stopped by the roadside at a rest area. I settled down to get some sleep – only to have a refrigerated B-triple truck stop opposite and have three units running continuously. Despite this, I got quite a good rest.
At dawn on Sunday 14 I went on and arrived in Mackay about 0830. After a quick breakfast I went to visit a family friend, only to realise when I got no answer at 0900 and found her not at home that she would be out walking. I went to visit her son and his family, to find them at home but ready to leave for church. I was surprised that their oldest son remembered me. With no-one to see, I pressed on after refuelling, driving along the Bruce Highway along the coast through Bowen and Townsville. I arrived in Cairns about 1800 and was led by the SatNav to the Cairns Central YHA. Here I confirmed the booking I had already made and extended it by this evening, as well as booking DOUG in to a secure parking space.
I went to my room – a four-bed ensuite – and settled in, then went out to explore the hostel. Later I went to bed earlier than normal, and as I was dropping off, I met my roommate – Jordi, from Spain, here on a cycling trip, while his family remained home in Spain. He is flying between cities and hiring a good bicycle to explore each city’s surrounds. Listening to an iPod, I dropped off to sleep.
Next morning, Monday 15, I was up at 0900 (must have needed the sleep) and explored Cairns Central shopping centre (just opposite) and then lazed the rest of the day away. I did speak to quite a few people at the hostel – quite a variety of ages, and not too many from Australia. During the day I rang my cousins and tried again in the evening but no answer. That evening there was another in the room, but he had left by the time I got up.
On Tuesday 16, I got up at 0800 and went for a drive to explore the local area. Back at the hostel I rang the cousins again to find them at the house. I drove out to visit, arriving about 1100. We had a good chat, catching up on things. The family were out at work, pursuing their occupations of commercial photography. We had lunch and during the afternoon I went back into Cairns. All the family came into Cairns and we met at 1830 and then had tea on the Esplanade. After, I went back to hostel after being able to have a few drinks with the meal. This evening I had two roommates from LA, one a fireman and one a financial analyst – both finishing a ten-day holiday in Australia (too short!). They had to leave early for a 0600 flight – I didn’t hear them leave!
On Wednesday 17 I was up at 0800 – on my own - and was picked up at 1100 by Terry and Pat. We drove up to Port Douglas in Mike’s little car, had a little walk in the town, had coffee and then lunch at a hotel with a Welsh waitress! We met up with Mike and Marylyn for lunch, as they were already in Port Douglas, working. We went back to Cairns via Palm Cove, where we had a great ice cream. Back at the hostel I chatted with more people. So far I have met an older couple from Canada, many younger people from Holland and Denmark, two groups of older ladies from France and two girls from Israel. Only one Australian, Ben from Brisbane, in all I met there.
Thursday 18 I was up at 0800 and did a short drive around exploring Cairns. As Queensland is about Australia’s most decentralised state, Cairns has many more facilities and services than I expected. I went back to the hostel and arranged my things for tonight and so I could be quickly ready in the morning. I waited at the front and was picked up about 1400. After the quick and now familiar drive to Holloway Beach we had some drinks until the workers arrived home. Not long after we all settled in for a great barbecue tea about 1900. Mike remembered that I liked my steak really well done – and it was – delicious! Unfortunately both the evening and the visit was drawing to a close, so I said goodbye and was soon back at hostel about 2100. After a brief chat to some residents I had got to know, I was off to bed and to sleep. Tonight I had an older Norwegian roommate and two Danes – one, very tall, who was visiting for a few weeks and his mate who had emigrated to Australia five years ago and was a teacher in Victoria!
On my last day, Friday 19, I was up at 0615 and packed after a quick shower. I had left the hostel by about 0645. I left Cairns and went down the coast to Townsville. Here the SatNav directions told me to go inland but the road it suggested had been cut by rain. I continued down the coast to Bowen. Here I called in at the Catalina Museum (very small) at the airport and then the tourism centre on the Bruce Highway. Getting some information from them about the Catalina base from WWII, I went to the Museum and then visited a lookout, the foreshore and the site of filming “Australia”. I walked around the Catalina “hard stands” and then left about 1700. If anyone is calling in with small children, there is an excellent children’s playground on the foreshore – soft surface and plenty of activity devices! Then I went down to Rockhampton. By now it was getting dark and I headed inland. Later in the evening I overnighted in a roadside stop and was off after dawn.
Travelling on Saturday 20 was going well – empty road, clear weather until – a kangaroo hopped onto the road just north of Miles about 0630 and decided to stop directly in front of me. The inevitable happened and the bar bent to the body of the bumper bar and across the reinforcing frame, but little else obvious. The kangaroo? RIP. I stopped to have a snack in Moonie, which was the site of Australia’s first oil well. I see all the exports we’re sending overseas now and remember that I learned, at school, that Australia had few natural resources. No ores, no petroleum no gas. Ah well, times and knowledge change. After all the grazing and cropping land I had driven through, it was different to be in national park areas just north of Gilgandra. I decided to stay overnight in Gilgandra (same motel, same room), so booked in and looked around the town. The memorial of a “Man on the Thunderbox” intrigued me (“Thunderbox” = outside toilet or privy). I had some tea and afterwards rang some friends in Blue Mountains to check they would be home and found that after 1300 was the best time to call in..
On Sunday 21 I left Gilgandra about 0730 and then called into Lawson to visit a family friend. Not only did I get to see his “new” house, but I was able to catch up with his older brother (who I had last seen in 1965) too. We had both changed considerably in the intervening time. I left after a most enjoyable visit and arrived at the friends’ place around 1320. I chatted with all three (their son had an extensive vocabulary and was not at all shy) and left about 1600. I headed off towards Canberra and arrived at Goulburn about 1830 and rang to confirm my visit with cousins at Braidwood. There was no difficulty about staying, but they were going to be busy and out all week. It just goes to show if I want to visit, the only ones I know will be around are those in paid employment – the rest are too busy to be pinned down! I continued on towards home and had some tea at Gundagai (but not at the “Dog on the Tuckerbox” site (Tuckerbox = food container)). Later I pulled over in a roadside stop.
Next morning, Monday 22 I continued down the Hume and managed to get to the Ring Road before the morning traffic. I finally arrived home about 0400. After I parked DOUG, I went in and went to my own bed.
After 80 hours driving and just over 7000 kilometres I had finished my little trip to Cairns.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Travelling to Perth
One of the regular road trips I do is travelling to Perth.
I was born in the Perth area and moved to Melbourne soon after. I’ve lived in the Melbourne area most of my life, though I have spent many years working in the country (usually just Monday to Friday, because of family commitments). Consequently I have family and emotional commitments in both Perth and Melbourne and travel between the two. Currently my sister lives in Adelaide, so I generally call in there on my way over.
I did the trip for a few years over the new year period with my parents, but now usually do it alone. Sometimes I carry a friend for part of the way and very occasionally I will pick someone up and give them a lift for a distance.
In the last five or so years I have driven over regularly (in preference to flying) and so have developed a “system”.
It takes seven and a half hours driving from home to my sister’s home in Adelaide. This is sitting on the speed limit, using the cruise control in DOUG to make sure I don’t consistently speed (I can’t afford the fines and couldn’t bear the loss of licence). However, it takes around eight and a half hours, as I stop in Beaufort, Kaniva for some lunch and Coonalpyn when I travel the Western Highway (Route 8). I arrive in Adelaide eight hours after leaving home (because of the half-hour time difference).
Now I spend a day or so there, more to do things around her place than to rest. After all, for me, Melbourne to Adelaide is just a reasonably short cruise.
I leave Adelaide usually just after 7:30. I fill up with petrol on my way out and then drive north on the Port Wakefield Road (Route 1). I’m in Port Augusta around 11 and call in to have an early lunch. This is one of the two food stops I normally make. After this I have to stop in Kimba, a pleasant settlement roughly half-way across Australia. A unique feature is that from the turn-off from the Whyalla-Port Lincoln Road onto the Eyre Highway, the character of driving changes, as it becomes usual to wave to other drivers – which can be a full wave, a hand movement from the wheel or occasionally just a finger (but not the middle one!). Then it is a straight run to Ceduna with a stop along the way if needed.
At Ceduna I fill up at Coles Express (Shell) for the last discount fill until Perth. If I feel hungry, I’ll have an ice cream and get another 2 cents per litre off. By the way, there is no Coles store in Ceduna!
From Ceduna it is a quiet run through two small towns and past an aboriginal community until I reach the Nullabor Plain. Here there is little vegetation other than grasses and shrubs and it remains the same until near the border. The cliffs provide spectacular views to the south, and whales can be seen at the Head of the Bight (although I rarely call in unless showing such views off to visitors) and from the lookouts, between May and October. At the border there is a quarantine station, so it becomes a mandatory stop. As I don’t carry fresh food or fruit, it’s a formality but it does break the journey.
During most of the year, the time then goes back an hour and a half. During summer, as Western Australia does not have Daylight Saving, time goes back two and a half hours (not a hundred years as for Queensland). This allows me to travel to Mundrabilla and fill up with petrol at a price considerably less than at the other settlements. Eucla now has a similar price, so during the majority of the year I fill up there as Mundrabilla would be closed by the time I arrive, but I prefer to use Mundrabilla if I can as it set the lower price first.
Depending on the season, it becomes dark before the border or after Mundrabilla. Between the border and Balladonia is a popular area for kangaroos. They are protected south of the highway but not north of the highway – but the best grazing is north of the highway. Depending on the time of year, there can be a few kangaroos (in which case I cruise through the night and pull over when I’m tired), many kangaroos (in which case I drive slowly – about 80 km.hr – with as much light in front of me as possible or then can be huge numbers. In that case I pull over and sleep until just before dawn, when I start again slowly until I can see the kangaroos have gone back to resting. The definition of few is only one or two per ten or so kilometres. Many is a few each kilometre. Huge numbers mean they may be shoulder to shoulder, a few deep, for hundreds of kilometres. The most I have seen on one trip would be in the region of a few hundred thousand. Travelling in the daylight means there are only a few, if any, visible, but the road can be littered with carcasses from the evening before. Even dead on the road they are a hazard, as their hip-bones can be high and hard enough to damage engine and gearbox sumps and stop the car there and then. Alive, they can simply dent panels or cause fan, radiator or engine damage (so again, you won’t be going anywhere) or they can be hit on the hop and come through the windscreen (very serious or fatal when the large hind claws scratch at your abdomen). Simply put, they are best avoided. That’s why there is a large bar on the front of my car.
Other hazards include wombats (often fatal, as they cause a car to lift on one side, roll onto its roof, skid and catch fire), camels (which are the right height for the body to go straight through the windscreen and there isn’t enough room in a car cabin for tat and people – and people lose), cattle (very dangerous to hit at any time) and emus. So it is not a simple drive, nor one for the faint-hearted. Even so, most people drive over and back with nary a worry.
Irrespective of the above and the time, I end up in Norseman for breakfast. This is not much more than an hour after driving straight for 146·6 km (90 miles) – the road has no bends at all, but the terrain is undulating so you rarely get to see a whole lot of road in front of you.
From Norseman the route turns right (north) for an hour and a half to reach Coolgardie. This imposing town now has very few inhabitants, but has many very large stone and brick buildings, reminders of its gold-mining background. It has two important connections for me – an aunt was born here in the early 1900s and an ex-student of mine and her husband run the camel farm just outside town (on the Perth side). Depending upon conditions, time and prices, I may top up at Norseman or at the new discount outlet in Coolgardie, but I would usually stop at Coolgardie anyway.
After this, I stop in Southern Cross for a comfort break before settling in for the final few hours into Perth. With recent roadworks, there are good dual-lane carriageways from The Lakes into the Perth metropolitan area. It comes as a shock after so much driving with so few cars to hit the Great Eastern Highway and Roe Highway intersection and have to wait for a few cycles of the traffic lights to go onto the Roe Highway. Then it is a good run (or not, if I arrive in peak hour) around to the Reid Highway. The travel time since Adelaide has been about 26 hours. Within a few minutes I am at my aunt’s nursing home, which I enter surreptitiously with my passcard and then greet her – and she knows that she will be out at least every second day, and usually every day, until I leave.
I depart and go around to a friend’s place (my father had her father as his first employer when he arrived from England in 1922) and stay there until I leave – between eight to sixteen days later.
On the way back, I leave about 7:30 a.m. and top up with fuel in Midland (my birthplace). I stop in Meckering, top up with fuel at Boddalin (cheapest fuel until Adelaide) and then pause again in Southern Cross for refreshment. Then I’ll top up at Coolgardie and Norseman, and then traverse the Eyre Highway in reverse. It would be rare for me to get to Mundrabilla before it closes, so I’ll often pull over and sleep until dawn and arrive as it opens in the morning. Otherwise, if I’m in a hurry, I’ll put some petrol in at the Border Village (at up to 20 cents per litre more than Eucla or Mundrabilla, but it’s open all the time).
Then it’s straight through to Ceduna and the quarantine check there. A slow fill-up and perhaps something to eat and then I’m off, with a comfort stop in Kimba and Port Augusta (for food) and I’ll be back in Adelaide somewhere between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. This time it’s to sleep in a bed. The next day may be just unwinding or perhaps doing odd jobs, but certainly passing news of Western Australia and Perth friends occupies a lot of time. Depending on my timetable, the following (or next) day I travel home, leaving Adelaide around 7:45 a.m. and filling up with petrol, stopping at Coonalpyn, Kaniva, Horsham and Beaufort on the way home before arriving about 5 p.m.
All up, the total travel is around 67 hours and 6600 km. Average speeds are around 90 Melbourne-Adelaide, 100 Adelaide-Ceduna, 106 Ceduna-Norseman and 100 Norseman to the outskirts of Perth. Fuel use is around 60 litres to Adelaide, 70 to Ceduna, 55 to Mundrabilla, 55 to Norseman and just under 70 to Perth. I love and enjoy the drive and see new things each time. Occasionally I will take a passenger for part of the journey and rarely one for the whole journey (but only one way). Apart from late-night radio which I listen to from Perth, Adelaide or Melbourne (depending on the time of night), I generally listen to music or audiobooks, on the iPods through the car radio.
I’ve had some interesting experiences, including having to destroy an injured joey, putting petrol into cars which have run out (I carry spare fuel, water and food), carrying messages for broken-down vehicles and carrying drivers to/from vehicles to get spare parts.
I was born in the Perth area and moved to Melbourne soon after. I’ve lived in the Melbourne area most of my life, though I have spent many years working in the country (usually just Monday to Friday, because of family commitments). Consequently I have family and emotional commitments in both Perth and Melbourne and travel between the two. Currently my sister lives in Adelaide, so I generally call in there on my way over.
I did the trip for a few years over the new year period with my parents, but now usually do it alone. Sometimes I carry a friend for part of the way and very occasionally I will pick someone up and give them a lift for a distance.
In the last five or so years I have driven over regularly (in preference to flying) and so have developed a “system”.
It takes seven and a half hours driving from home to my sister’s home in Adelaide. This is sitting on the speed limit, using the cruise control in DOUG to make sure I don’t consistently speed (I can’t afford the fines and couldn’t bear the loss of licence). However, it takes around eight and a half hours, as I stop in Beaufort, Kaniva for some lunch and Coonalpyn when I travel the Western Highway (Route 8). I arrive in Adelaide eight hours after leaving home (because of the half-hour time difference).
Now I spend a day or so there, more to do things around her place than to rest. After all, for me, Melbourne to Adelaide is just a reasonably short cruise.
I leave Adelaide usually just after 7:30. I fill up with petrol on my way out and then drive north on the Port Wakefield Road (Route 1). I’m in Port Augusta around 11 and call in to have an early lunch. This is one of the two food stops I normally make. After this I have to stop in Kimba, a pleasant settlement roughly half-way across Australia. A unique feature is that from the turn-off from the Whyalla-Port Lincoln Road onto the Eyre Highway, the character of driving changes, as it becomes usual to wave to other drivers – which can be a full wave, a hand movement from the wheel or occasionally just a finger (but not the middle one!). Then it is a straight run to Ceduna with a stop along the way if needed.
At Ceduna I fill up at Coles Express (Shell) for the last discount fill until Perth. If I feel hungry, I’ll have an ice cream and get another 2 cents per litre off. By the way, there is no Coles store in Ceduna!
From Ceduna it is a quiet run through two small towns and past an aboriginal community until I reach the Nullabor Plain. Here there is little vegetation other than grasses and shrubs and it remains the same until near the border. The cliffs provide spectacular views to the south, and whales can be seen at the Head of the Bight (although I rarely call in unless showing such views off to visitors) and from the lookouts, between May and October. At the border there is a quarantine station, so it becomes a mandatory stop. As I don’t carry fresh food or fruit, it’s a formality but it does break the journey.
During most of the year, the time then goes back an hour and a half. During summer, as Western Australia does not have Daylight Saving, time goes back two and a half hours (not a hundred years as for Queensland). This allows me to travel to Mundrabilla and fill up with petrol at a price considerably less than at the other settlements. Eucla now has a similar price, so during the majority of the year I fill up there as Mundrabilla would be closed by the time I arrive, but I prefer to use Mundrabilla if I can as it set the lower price first.
Depending on the season, it becomes dark before the border or after Mundrabilla. Between the border and Balladonia is a popular area for kangaroos. They are protected south of the highway but not north of the highway – but the best grazing is north of the highway. Depending on the time of year, there can be a few kangaroos (in which case I cruise through the night and pull over when I’m tired), many kangaroos (in which case I drive slowly – about 80 km.hr – with as much light in front of me as possible or then can be huge numbers. In that case I pull over and sleep until just before dawn, when I start again slowly until I can see the kangaroos have gone back to resting. The definition of few is only one or two per ten or so kilometres. Many is a few each kilometre. Huge numbers mean they may be shoulder to shoulder, a few deep, for hundreds of kilometres. The most I have seen on one trip would be in the region of a few hundred thousand. Travelling in the daylight means there are only a few, if any, visible, but the road can be littered with carcasses from the evening before. Even dead on the road they are a hazard, as their hip-bones can be high and hard enough to damage engine and gearbox sumps and stop the car there and then. Alive, they can simply dent panels or cause fan, radiator or engine damage (so again, you won’t be going anywhere) or they can be hit on the hop and come through the windscreen (very serious or fatal when the large hind claws scratch at your abdomen). Simply put, they are best avoided. That’s why there is a large bar on the front of my car.
Other hazards include wombats (often fatal, as they cause a car to lift on one side, roll onto its roof, skid and catch fire), camels (which are the right height for the body to go straight through the windscreen and there isn’t enough room in a car cabin for tat and people – and people lose), cattle (very dangerous to hit at any time) and emus. So it is not a simple drive, nor one for the faint-hearted. Even so, most people drive over and back with nary a worry.
Irrespective of the above and the time, I end up in Norseman for breakfast. This is not much more than an hour after driving straight for 146·6 km (90 miles) – the road has no bends at all, but the terrain is undulating so you rarely get to see a whole lot of road in front of you.
From Norseman the route turns right (north) for an hour and a half to reach Coolgardie. This imposing town now has very few inhabitants, but has many very large stone and brick buildings, reminders of its gold-mining background. It has two important connections for me – an aunt was born here in the early 1900s and an ex-student of mine and her husband run the camel farm just outside town (on the Perth side). Depending upon conditions, time and prices, I may top up at Norseman or at the new discount outlet in Coolgardie, but I would usually stop at Coolgardie anyway.
After this, I stop in Southern Cross for a comfort break before settling in for the final few hours into Perth. With recent roadworks, there are good dual-lane carriageways from The Lakes into the Perth metropolitan area. It comes as a shock after so much driving with so few cars to hit the Great Eastern Highway and Roe Highway intersection and have to wait for a few cycles of the traffic lights to go onto the Roe Highway. Then it is a good run (or not, if I arrive in peak hour) around to the Reid Highway. The travel time since Adelaide has been about 26 hours. Within a few minutes I am at my aunt’s nursing home, which I enter surreptitiously with my passcard and then greet her – and she knows that she will be out at least every second day, and usually every day, until I leave.
I depart and go around to a friend’s place (my father had her father as his first employer when he arrived from England in 1922) and stay there until I leave – between eight to sixteen days later.
On the way back, I leave about 7:30 a.m. and top up with fuel in Midland (my birthplace). I stop in Meckering, top up with fuel at Boddalin (cheapest fuel until Adelaide) and then pause again in Southern Cross for refreshment. Then I’ll top up at Coolgardie and Norseman, and then traverse the Eyre Highway in reverse. It would be rare for me to get to Mundrabilla before it closes, so I’ll often pull over and sleep until dawn and arrive as it opens in the morning. Otherwise, if I’m in a hurry, I’ll put some petrol in at the Border Village (at up to 20 cents per litre more than Eucla or Mundrabilla, but it’s open all the time).
Then it’s straight through to Ceduna and the quarantine check there. A slow fill-up and perhaps something to eat and then I’m off, with a comfort stop in Kimba and Port Augusta (for food) and I’ll be back in Adelaide somewhere between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. This time it’s to sleep in a bed. The next day may be just unwinding or perhaps doing odd jobs, but certainly passing news of Western Australia and Perth friends occupies a lot of time. Depending on my timetable, the following (or next) day I travel home, leaving Adelaide around 7:45 a.m. and filling up with petrol, stopping at Coonalpyn, Kaniva, Horsham and Beaufort on the way home before arriving about 5 p.m.
All up, the total travel is around 67 hours and 6600 km. Average speeds are around 90 Melbourne-Adelaide, 100 Adelaide-Ceduna, 106 Ceduna-Norseman and 100 Norseman to the outskirts of Perth. Fuel use is around 60 litres to Adelaide, 70 to Ceduna, 55 to Mundrabilla, 55 to Norseman and just under 70 to Perth. I love and enjoy the drive and see new things each time. Occasionally I will take a passenger for part of the journey and rarely one for the whole journey (but only one way). Apart from late-night radio which I listen to from Perth, Adelaide or Melbourne (depending on the time of night), I generally listen to music or audiobooks, on the iPods through the car radio.
I’ve had some interesting experiences, including having to destroy an injured joey, putting petrol into cars which have run out (I carry spare fuel, water and food), carrying messages for broken-down vehicles and carrying drivers to/from vehicles to get spare parts.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Mackay
After a lot of procrastination, I decided to take a trip and visit a number of family friends who I had not seen for a long time, finally making true (for some) my threat to catch up with people after I had retired.
Leaving home on Friday, I drove up through the Newell Highway and arrived at Dubbo that evening. I had already been there recently, so was able to find where to eat (Hungry Jacks, of course) and fill up (Shell, as the Woolworths/Caltex was closed by the time I arrived). Even though I was still well awake, after two hours out I pulled over and had a sleep. My new Snuggle blanket proved to be effective and was easy to use. Not long after dawn I was off again (early rising is a side-product of having windows uncovered) and had a good run north and entered Queensland not long after. I pulled over to have some breakfast and was surprised by how interesting the small country towns were. This happened in quite a few other towns as I progressed north. Roma, with a Woolworths Supermarket, didn’t have a Woolworths/Caltex petrol outlet (but should by now). I used up my last voucher for four cents off at the local Coles Express, and my others (Woolworths/Caltex) were rapidly passing their use-by date (a hazard of travelling in more remote areas).
An interesting side-effect of rapid change was at Peak Downs where my SatNav insisted I turn into the private mine entry rather than follow the large signs telling me how to travel to Mackay (further north and then to the east). I persevered and followed the correct signs and eventually the SatNav and the roads agreed.
I arrived in Mackay at 8 p.m. on Saturday and, after having some tea, caught up with Maureen. She had been a WAAF at Laverton and dad had given her away when she was married. She and her husband practised with Fran and I, taking us on holidays to a farm at Serpentine (Victoria) when we were very young. I wonder now whether an ulterior motive was that mum and dad got time by themselves with us away for between three days and a week. She is now living in a small unit and is very fit, walking in the ranges and assisting training those wanting to train for the Kokoda Track in her spare time. I was able to stay with her for two days – the first when she suggested a morning walk, I innocently said yes and about twelve kilometres later rued the fact I wasn’t wearing walking boots. Later we went to visit her youngest son but he was out. We had a look at local spots, including lookouts and beach places, while waiting for him to return. We finally caught up with him and his family, and I marvelled at the change over forty years.
The next day we went up to the high country nearby and looked around, as well as having lunch at a popular spot for hang gliders to launch from. It was a fantastic view, marred by smoke from fires – a common feature all the way down as far as Sydney.
I had the pleasure of being able to install and leave a set-top box so Maureen could watch more channels and still use her TV – and continue to use an older, cheaper TV until digital TVs drop in price.
The next day I departed and headed south. After taking a day and a half to get up to Mackay, I had planned to take two weeks to return. My first stop was to be Hervey Bay, to catch up with “Grandma”. I wasn’t in too much of a hurry so I was able to slowly drive through some small towns, marvelling that Queensland is by far the most decentralised state in Australia and so has more large towns and cities than elsewhere. The standard of driving appalled me, when I saw not only cars but also a B-double overtake on double lines – the B-double had to suddenly pull back in and its second trailer nearly took out the car it was overtaking (the car was travelling at the speed limit!).
At Hervey Bay I decided to try out the YHA offering. I’ve belonged to YHA for over two years, initially taking membership out as insurance while travelling overseas in case I couldn’t find reasonably-priced accommodation. The price and room was acceptable (I’m not yet into dormitory rooms unless I have good earplugs) so I booked in for two evenings. I called up to the home where “Grandma” lives and soon found her at the dinner-table. Within a few moments it was, “Laverton, next door, yes! Doug!” and I arranged to pop in and see her the next day. After tea I called in to visit a couple who I had met in Scandinavia while on tour last August. We caught up with things and discussed the “newly wed and nearly dead” population composition of Hervey Bay and its rapid growth.
The next morning I caught up with “Grandma” and was able to tell her about my trip, what had happened with the family in the meantime and was given the tour of her home. Being older, she tires more easily now so I departed before lunch. I had some and then spent the rest of the day looking around Hervey Bay and talking to others staying in the YHA hostel.
The next morning I headed off and called in to see a family friend (Max) in Tin Can Bay. He had just lost his wife and his little dog had just recovered after losing a back leg in a car accident. We had a good chat and looked around after morning tea. Then I headed off towards Brisbane. I arrived in Brisbane in the early afternoon (I didn’t realise how close it was) and then called up one of Maureen’s sons and his family. I was lucky in that Brian was home and so was Judy. I dropped in to see them and caught up on a lot of family news and was glad to see they were all in good health and going well. Soon I bade them goodbye and called in to see some more neighbours – they were house-sitting (and dog-sitting for their oldest daughter, who was over in Disneyland with her sister and their children. I was very pleased to see them, because Doug had some ill-health but was now recovering from leukaemia. Anne was well, but Doug had very good news – he had a new baby! It was a blue diesel Jaguar and is now his pride and joy. After catching up with news, I headed off south.
I had some tea on the way out of Brisbane after some fun and games trying to decipher the signage at the new roadworks. Within a short time I was out of Queensland, but starting to feel tired. I called in off the main road to Mullunbimby and found a place to stay. The next morning I set off and was in Ballina in the mid-morning. I knocked on the door – no answer. I called up and still no answer. I called Stan and he came around, and found Lynette well and truly asleep. I went off and got DOUG washed (apart from being filthy, he had dust from two storms on him). The Laserwash did a good job, getting the bugs off the front. I ran into Jen’s hubby, Bill, there. He already knew I had arrived because Stan had told him. Then I looked around the town – the first time I had done so, and it proved very interesting. Naturally there were beach areas, but quite a few other scenic and interesting places – including the giant prawn (faded but still there). I returned in the mid-afternoon and now Jen was home. I settled in and started to catch up with all the news, with contributions by Lynette as well, plus my latest news on “Grandma” and passing on the news about Fran and family. That evening I caught up with Stan and Bill and finally with the school news from Zac (Jen and Bill’s son).
The next day was spent around their home and doing some local travel. That evening we had tea in the local RSL club – very good food and reasonable. The next day Stan and I went to Lismore to scout out a model aeroplane field. We found that, then had some morning tea there. As we weren’t far away, Stan suggested visiting Nimbin and returning through Byron Bay. (Memo to self: check and refuel if not absolutely sure of the distance going to be travelled) We arrived in Nimbin and had a look around – it’s not quite a “flower power” town as it was, but it’s still more alternative than mainstream. We were fortunate enough to run into a Moke rally and saw some wonderful examples. Then we headed off to Brunswick Heads and had some lunch – but not at the pie shop, as that closed for the day just as we drove up to it! Then it was down to Byron Bay and more foreign accents than I had heard since I was away. After some ice cream, we briefly visited the lighthouse and then went south. On the coast road south I ran out of petrol on the way up a rise. I considered the options and decided to drop 11 litres from a drum I carry (just in case). When we returned to Ballina I filled up and found that the water capacity of the tank is 78·5 litres. We did some shopping on the way home and then had a quiet evening.
Next day I packed, said goodbye and left. I had planned to get to Sydney but with roadworks and such, and calling in to say hello to Wendy (in Crescent Head), who I met on my Scandinavian tour, I ended up spending the night at Raymond Terrace in a reasonably-priced motel. I was able to arrive in Sydney mid-morning and rang David, a minister who I had not seen since the late 1980s. I intended just to say hello, but ended up having morning tea with them and then agreeing to stay the night. They had to head off to appointments, so I went to visit friends (no, they weren’t home) but ended up visiting Katoomba. I found it had changed considerably in the 43 years since I had last been there.
During the evening I was able to show David and Barbara many pictures from my overseas travel and we also caught up with much news. The next morning was the same and, too quickly, I had to say goodbye and head off to Hornsby and lunch with Lin and Sue.
I was able to find Lin’s home easily and met them there. It was interesting as we had met in Turkey on one tour and then again in Egypt on another tour (within a few days). It really is interesting how I find I can slip into an easy friendship with people after a short time, but I suppose it is similar interests and backgrounds. I ended up replacing a gas fitting and a carpet edge before an enjoyable and laid-back barbecue lunch. Again, too soon, I had to say goodbye and head north up to Glennifer. However as I had delayed so long, again I had to look for accommodation – which I found at Bulahdelah.
The next day I headed off again and went through Bellingen before I arrived at Peter’s place in Glennifer. We chatted about travelling (he was just back from Morroco), the festival in Bellingen and then ended up having lunch. Again, finding time went too quickly and pleasantly, I was off late and heading south. I went through Sydney and got some tea and ended up stopping by the roadside about midnight. The Snuggle is very good! Where I stopped there were two caravans, but when I awoke in the morning there were four caravans and five cars.
I arrived in Braidwood at about 9, looked at yesterday’s Melbourne papers (I really miss them while in Australia, but overseas it doesn’t worry me at all) and caught up with Marilla and David. After saying hello, I went out to the farm, unpacked, showered and changed and then they were back for lunch. We spent the rest of the day catching up with news.
The next day we were into Goulburn for a celebratory lunch and church service. The following day we attended a sustainable-farming lunch and information session – interesting and informative. The following day I said goodbye, refuelled in Queanbeyan and was home that evening.
Leaving home on Friday, I drove up through the Newell Highway and arrived at Dubbo that evening. I had already been there recently, so was able to find where to eat (Hungry Jacks, of course) and fill up (Shell, as the Woolworths/Caltex was closed by the time I arrived). Even though I was still well awake, after two hours out I pulled over and had a sleep. My new Snuggle blanket proved to be effective and was easy to use. Not long after dawn I was off again (early rising is a side-product of having windows uncovered) and had a good run north and entered Queensland not long after. I pulled over to have some breakfast and was surprised by how interesting the small country towns were. This happened in quite a few other towns as I progressed north. Roma, with a Woolworths Supermarket, didn’t have a Woolworths/Caltex petrol outlet (but should by now). I used up my last voucher for four cents off at the local Coles Express, and my others (Woolworths/Caltex) were rapidly passing their use-by date (a hazard of travelling in more remote areas).
An interesting side-effect of rapid change was at Peak Downs where my SatNav insisted I turn into the private mine entry rather than follow the large signs telling me how to travel to Mackay (further north and then to the east). I persevered and followed the correct signs and eventually the SatNav and the roads agreed.
I arrived in Mackay at 8 p.m. on Saturday and, after having some tea, caught up with Maureen. She had been a WAAF at Laverton and dad had given her away when she was married. She and her husband practised with Fran and I, taking us on holidays to a farm at Serpentine (Victoria) when we were very young. I wonder now whether an ulterior motive was that mum and dad got time by themselves with us away for between three days and a week. She is now living in a small unit and is very fit, walking in the ranges and assisting training those wanting to train for the Kokoda Track in her spare time. I was able to stay with her for two days – the first when she suggested a morning walk, I innocently said yes and about twelve kilometres later rued the fact I wasn’t wearing walking boots. Later we went to visit her youngest son but he was out. We had a look at local spots, including lookouts and beach places, while waiting for him to return. We finally caught up with him and his family, and I marvelled at the change over forty years.
The next day we went up to the high country nearby and looked around, as well as having lunch at a popular spot for hang gliders to launch from. It was a fantastic view, marred by smoke from fires – a common feature all the way down as far as Sydney.
I had the pleasure of being able to install and leave a set-top box so Maureen could watch more channels and still use her TV – and continue to use an older, cheaper TV until digital TVs drop in price.
The next day I departed and headed south. After taking a day and a half to get up to Mackay, I had planned to take two weeks to return. My first stop was to be Hervey Bay, to catch up with “Grandma”. I wasn’t in too much of a hurry so I was able to slowly drive through some small towns, marvelling that Queensland is by far the most decentralised state in Australia and so has more large towns and cities than elsewhere. The standard of driving appalled me, when I saw not only cars but also a B-double overtake on double lines – the B-double had to suddenly pull back in and its second trailer nearly took out the car it was overtaking (the car was travelling at the speed limit!).
At Hervey Bay I decided to try out the YHA offering. I’ve belonged to YHA for over two years, initially taking membership out as insurance while travelling overseas in case I couldn’t find reasonably-priced accommodation. The price and room was acceptable (I’m not yet into dormitory rooms unless I have good earplugs) so I booked in for two evenings. I called up to the home where “Grandma” lives and soon found her at the dinner-table. Within a few moments it was, “Laverton, next door, yes! Doug!” and I arranged to pop in and see her the next day. After tea I called in to visit a couple who I had met in Scandinavia while on tour last August. We caught up with things and discussed the “newly wed and nearly dead” population composition of Hervey Bay and its rapid growth.
The next morning I caught up with “Grandma” and was able to tell her about my trip, what had happened with the family in the meantime and was given the tour of her home. Being older, she tires more easily now so I departed before lunch. I had some and then spent the rest of the day looking around Hervey Bay and talking to others staying in the YHA hostel.
The next morning I headed off and called in to see a family friend (Max) in Tin Can Bay. He had just lost his wife and his little dog had just recovered after losing a back leg in a car accident. We had a good chat and looked around after morning tea. Then I headed off towards Brisbane. I arrived in Brisbane in the early afternoon (I didn’t realise how close it was) and then called up one of Maureen’s sons and his family. I was lucky in that Brian was home and so was Judy. I dropped in to see them and caught up on a lot of family news and was glad to see they were all in good health and going well. Soon I bade them goodbye and called in to see some more neighbours – they were house-sitting (and dog-sitting for their oldest daughter, who was over in Disneyland with her sister and their children. I was very pleased to see them, because Doug had some ill-health but was now recovering from leukaemia. Anne was well, but Doug had very good news – he had a new baby! It was a blue diesel Jaguar and is now his pride and joy. After catching up with news, I headed off south.
I had some tea on the way out of Brisbane after some fun and games trying to decipher the signage at the new roadworks. Within a short time I was out of Queensland, but starting to feel tired. I called in off the main road to Mullunbimby and found a place to stay. The next morning I set off and was in Ballina in the mid-morning. I knocked on the door – no answer. I called up and still no answer. I called Stan and he came around, and found Lynette well and truly asleep. I went off and got DOUG washed (apart from being filthy, he had dust from two storms on him). The Laserwash did a good job, getting the bugs off the front. I ran into Jen’s hubby, Bill, there. He already knew I had arrived because Stan had told him. Then I looked around the town – the first time I had done so, and it proved very interesting. Naturally there were beach areas, but quite a few other scenic and interesting places – including the giant prawn (faded but still there). I returned in the mid-afternoon and now Jen was home. I settled in and started to catch up with all the news, with contributions by Lynette as well, plus my latest news on “Grandma” and passing on the news about Fran and family. That evening I caught up with Stan and Bill and finally with the school news from Zac (Jen and Bill’s son).
The next day was spent around their home and doing some local travel. That evening we had tea in the local RSL club – very good food and reasonable. The next day Stan and I went to Lismore to scout out a model aeroplane field. We found that, then had some morning tea there. As we weren’t far away, Stan suggested visiting Nimbin and returning through Byron Bay. (Memo to self: check and refuel if not absolutely sure of the distance going to be travelled) We arrived in Nimbin and had a look around – it’s not quite a “flower power” town as it was, but it’s still more alternative than mainstream. We were fortunate enough to run into a Moke rally and saw some wonderful examples. Then we headed off to Brunswick Heads and had some lunch – but not at the pie shop, as that closed for the day just as we drove up to it! Then it was down to Byron Bay and more foreign accents than I had heard since I was away. After some ice cream, we briefly visited the lighthouse and then went south. On the coast road south I ran out of petrol on the way up a rise. I considered the options and decided to drop 11 litres from a drum I carry (just in case). When we returned to Ballina I filled up and found that the water capacity of the tank is 78·5 litres. We did some shopping on the way home and then had a quiet evening.
Next day I packed, said goodbye and left. I had planned to get to Sydney but with roadworks and such, and calling in to say hello to Wendy (in Crescent Head), who I met on my Scandinavian tour, I ended up spending the night at Raymond Terrace in a reasonably-priced motel. I was able to arrive in Sydney mid-morning and rang David, a minister who I had not seen since the late 1980s. I intended just to say hello, but ended up having morning tea with them and then agreeing to stay the night. They had to head off to appointments, so I went to visit friends (no, they weren’t home) but ended up visiting Katoomba. I found it had changed considerably in the 43 years since I had last been there.
During the evening I was able to show David and Barbara many pictures from my overseas travel and we also caught up with much news. The next morning was the same and, too quickly, I had to say goodbye and head off to Hornsby and lunch with Lin and Sue.
I was able to find Lin’s home easily and met them there. It was interesting as we had met in Turkey on one tour and then again in Egypt on another tour (within a few days). It really is interesting how I find I can slip into an easy friendship with people after a short time, but I suppose it is similar interests and backgrounds. I ended up replacing a gas fitting and a carpet edge before an enjoyable and laid-back barbecue lunch. Again, too soon, I had to say goodbye and head north up to Glennifer. However as I had delayed so long, again I had to look for accommodation – which I found at Bulahdelah.
The next day I headed off again and went through Bellingen before I arrived at Peter’s place in Glennifer. We chatted about travelling (he was just back from Morroco), the festival in Bellingen and then ended up having lunch. Again, finding time went too quickly and pleasantly, I was off late and heading south. I went through Sydney and got some tea and ended up stopping by the roadside about midnight. The Snuggle is very good! Where I stopped there were two caravans, but when I awoke in the morning there were four caravans and five cars.
I arrived in Braidwood at about 9, looked at yesterday’s Melbourne papers (I really miss them while in Australia, but overseas it doesn’t worry me at all) and caught up with Marilla and David. After saying hello, I went out to the farm, unpacked, showered and changed and then they were back for lunch. We spent the rest of the day catching up with news.
The next day we were into Goulburn for a celebratory lunch and church service. The following day we attended a sustainable-farming lunch and information session – interesting and informative. The following day I said goodbye, refuelled in Queanbeyan and was home that evening.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Dubbo
For a number of years I had passed through Dubbo, either going to or returning from somewhere. It had been literally of passing interest, but had gained more after the establishment of its open plains zoo. It had been of more interest since Werribee (my home of twenty-five years) gained its open range zoo. The final reason which made me decide to visit was an incident in New York last year. I had just got off the train form Washington and had to find which train to take to get to the hotel I had booked into. While enquiring, I heard another Australian accent – and the owner heard mine. Miki, who was going to a hotel near mine, was from dub and it pained me to admit that I had only passed through.
Now, well over a year later, I had a few days and made the decision to visit. It was confirmed when an ex-student who I had got back in touch with emailed me that she and her husband had returned from overseas with their newly-adopted son.
I left home on Sunday afternoon, having repacked DOUG for the trip. I took the opportunity to call into a friend’s place in Shepparton to drop off a bib – to see if it would do the job required of it. As it turned out, Cyril was awake and recognised me, Fizzy put the bib on and was delighted, and I had a good discussion with her son, who was visiting. As I intended to be in the Blue Mountains in the morning, I departed in the early evening.
I let the TomTom SatNav do the planning for me, so headed over to the Hume Freeway and was vert soon through Albury. Night had come and then I entered into the nearly 125 kilometres of roadworks along the Hume. Changing speed limits, altering lanes and poor markings were topped off by semi-trailers and B-doubles well and truly exceeding the speed limits and tailgating me. After a few stops along the way, I pulled off at a stop not far south of Goulburn. I put the radio on, wrapped up in a blanket and leaned back on a pillow, then dropped off to sleep.
Memo to self – check the forecast and when the temperature is to be below zero, use a track suit and sleeping bag, if sleeping in the car.
After waking a few times, wondering why my feet had no feeling, I set off again at just before 0700. I arrived in the suburbs of Sydney and found somewhere to have breakfast, then to refuel. It was a good run to the Blue Mountains then, as I was going against the traffic (up until then I was going with the traffic and it was fairly heavy). Within ten minutes or so of arrival at my ex-student’s place, I called to warn/prepare them.
I arrived around 0930. Fortunately they were up. I got to meet hubby (Simon) and new son. After a quick admiration of Morris Minors, it was into the house and chatting with Donna. Time went very quickly, as like with other ex-students from my early years, we are of the same generation now. It is amazing how similar stories of the previous generations become.
Nearly two hours passed in what seemed like a few minutes. After immortalising a memory (taking a photo doesn’t quite have the same ring to it) I was on my way. The route TomTom chose for me (the same as Simon and Donna suggested) was very scenic and, despite wanting not to spend time sightseeing along the way, I did stop to admire the scenery a few times.
I arrived in Dubbo just before 1700. I had already selected a motel to stay in, and was able to book in and soon settled in. As Australian motels have toasters, I was able to arrange to have my tea and toast with Vegemite for breakfasts (why aren’t toasters an option in cars?), and then drove to the Information Centre to plan my next day in Dubbo. That would be the Zoo, and it opened at 0900, so the rest of the day would depend on how I went then. On the way back to the motel I got some tea and had that while watching TV and reading up on Dubbo. I did notice that the motel was full (and remained so the next night too).
I woke at 0600 and promptly went back to sleep. I finally rose at 0700 and had my breakfast and then, after showering and dressing, I headed out to the Zoo.
At the Zoo, with an imposing entrance, I was the second in line. Expecting a long wait, I was very surprised to enter at 0830. My YHA card gave me a good discount (I must remember to check what discounts I can get in the future) and within a few minutes I was on the circuit.
There was a large area for each animal group, certainly far better than traditional zoos (including San Diego), but not as large as the open range zoo at home. There were a wide range of animals and they certainly looked to be enjoying their lot well. Resting, grazing and wandering are not like the pacing and irrational behaviour seen in many places. The construction, with moats and fences, combined with small car parks made access easy and photographs devoid of fences in most cases. In common with long-distance travel, we visitors moved in packs and so it was common to meet the same groups in most areas. One, a father and three children from Brisbane, were a frequent co-visitor – and the children got an unexpected lesson when complaining of the cold and I emphasised the importance of layering (and how it had worked for me), and had the father mention that he had said it already but got disdainful replies. I should add that it was quite cool, most likely just above zero at first. One elderly couple had a more adventurous wife, while the more active husband was reluctant to explore around to get the best view of animals.
I spent nearly three hours going around, which for me was a long time. I went to get an ice cream for a late morning tea, saw a peacock strutting in the outdoor café area and encountered monkeys near the al fresco area. Memo to self – don’t frame photos on the move when the path is next to a lake!
I left the zoo and had some lunch on the way back to the motel. I parked and then went for a photographic walk around the town. There weren’t many empty shops, there was a wide variety of items available and most people appeared to be friendly. I did notice a beautiful pink building, beloved by my sister. Towards the end of my walk and entering the sports ground, I did notice that someone had removed the point posts and, for some reason, nailed one each across the goal posts.
A pipe band hall grabbed my attention – and reminded me of the remark about Scots gentlemen; those who can play the bagpipes but don’t. It also had a playground, which made me wonder how young the players were.
After a 2·7 kilometre walk (as I was using a GPS to stop me getting lost) I was back at the motel. I read a little, then watched some television. A news item which grabbed my attention was that the population of Dubbo at the time was 40 306 – growing and quite large, surprisingly so for me as a visitor.
After a good night’s sleep I rose earlier and packed, left by 0700 and was out of Dubbo on the Newell Highway. I had assumed that I would continue on route 39 as the quickest way home, but was directed along the Goldfields Way from West Wyalong to then travel on the Hume Freeway. On reflection it most likely was the quickest way, as from just north of Albury to only a few kilometres from home I would travel on freeway conditions all the time. On route 39 I would encounter many towns, corners and lower-standard roads.
I stopped in Albury for lunch and was home about 1700, in plenty of time for my meeting in the evening.
I had managed to catch up with two friends, see different scenery and find that Dubbo was large country town with many attractions including a world-class open zoo. Very enjoyable and I hope to be back on my slower, meandering touring in the future.
Now, well over a year later, I had a few days and made the decision to visit. It was confirmed when an ex-student who I had got back in touch with emailed me that she and her husband had returned from overseas with their newly-adopted son.
I left home on Sunday afternoon, having repacked DOUG for the trip. I took the opportunity to call into a friend’s place in Shepparton to drop off a bib – to see if it would do the job required of it. As it turned out, Cyril was awake and recognised me, Fizzy put the bib on and was delighted, and I had a good discussion with her son, who was visiting. As I intended to be in the Blue Mountains in the morning, I departed in the early evening.
I let the TomTom SatNav do the planning for me, so headed over to the Hume Freeway and was vert soon through Albury. Night had come and then I entered into the nearly 125 kilometres of roadworks along the Hume. Changing speed limits, altering lanes and poor markings were topped off by semi-trailers and B-doubles well and truly exceeding the speed limits and tailgating me. After a few stops along the way, I pulled off at a stop not far south of Goulburn. I put the radio on, wrapped up in a blanket and leaned back on a pillow, then dropped off to sleep.
Memo to self – check the forecast and when the temperature is to be below zero, use a track suit and sleeping bag, if sleeping in the car.
After waking a few times, wondering why my feet had no feeling, I set off again at just before 0700. I arrived in the suburbs of Sydney and found somewhere to have breakfast, then to refuel. It was a good run to the Blue Mountains then, as I was going against the traffic (up until then I was going with the traffic and it was fairly heavy). Within ten minutes or so of arrival at my ex-student’s place, I called to warn/prepare them.
I arrived around 0930. Fortunately they were up. I got to meet hubby (Simon) and new son. After a quick admiration of Morris Minors, it was into the house and chatting with Donna. Time went very quickly, as like with other ex-students from my early years, we are of the same generation now. It is amazing how similar stories of the previous generations become.
Nearly two hours passed in what seemed like a few minutes. After immortalising a memory (taking a photo doesn’t quite have the same ring to it) I was on my way. The route TomTom chose for me (the same as Simon and Donna suggested) was very scenic and, despite wanting not to spend time sightseeing along the way, I did stop to admire the scenery a few times.
I arrived in Dubbo just before 1700. I had already selected a motel to stay in, and was able to book in and soon settled in. As Australian motels have toasters, I was able to arrange to have my tea and toast with Vegemite for breakfasts (why aren’t toasters an option in cars?), and then drove to the Information Centre to plan my next day in Dubbo. That would be the Zoo, and it opened at 0900, so the rest of the day would depend on how I went then. On the way back to the motel I got some tea and had that while watching TV and reading up on Dubbo. I did notice that the motel was full (and remained so the next night too).
I woke at 0600 and promptly went back to sleep. I finally rose at 0700 and had my breakfast and then, after showering and dressing, I headed out to the Zoo.
At the Zoo, with an imposing entrance, I was the second in line. Expecting a long wait, I was very surprised to enter at 0830. My YHA card gave me a good discount (I must remember to check what discounts I can get in the future) and within a few minutes I was on the circuit.
There was a large area for each animal group, certainly far better than traditional zoos (including San Diego), but not as large as the open range zoo at home. There were a wide range of animals and they certainly looked to be enjoying their lot well. Resting, grazing and wandering are not like the pacing and irrational behaviour seen in many places. The construction, with moats and fences, combined with small car parks made access easy and photographs devoid of fences in most cases. In common with long-distance travel, we visitors moved in packs and so it was common to meet the same groups in most areas. One, a father and three children from Brisbane, were a frequent co-visitor – and the children got an unexpected lesson when complaining of the cold and I emphasised the importance of layering (and how it had worked for me), and had the father mention that he had said it already but got disdainful replies. I should add that it was quite cool, most likely just above zero at first. One elderly couple had a more adventurous wife, while the more active husband was reluctant to explore around to get the best view of animals.
I spent nearly three hours going around, which for me was a long time. I went to get an ice cream for a late morning tea, saw a peacock strutting in the outdoor café area and encountered monkeys near the al fresco area. Memo to self – don’t frame photos on the move when the path is next to a lake!
I left the zoo and had some lunch on the way back to the motel. I parked and then went for a photographic walk around the town. There weren’t many empty shops, there was a wide variety of items available and most people appeared to be friendly. I did notice a beautiful pink building, beloved by my sister. Towards the end of my walk and entering the sports ground, I did notice that someone had removed the point posts and, for some reason, nailed one each across the goal posts.
A pipe band hall grabbed my attention – and reminded me of the remark about Scots gentlemen; those who can play the bagpipes but don’t. It also had a playground, which made me wonder how young the players were.
After a 2·7 kilometre walk (as I was using a GPS to stop me getting lost) I was back at the motel. I read a little, then watched some television. A news item which grabbed my attention was that the population of Dubbo at the time was 40 306 – growing and quite large, surprisingly so for me as a visitor.
After a good night’s sleep I rose earlier and packed, left by 0700 and was out of Dubbo on the Newell Highway. I had assumed that I would continue on route 39 as the quickest way home, but was directed along the Goldfields Way from West Wyalong to then travel on the Hume Freeway. On reflection it most likely was the quickest way, as from just north of Albury to only a few kilometres from home I would travel on freeway conditions all the time. On route 39 I would encounter many towns, corners and lower-standard roads.
I stopped in Albury for lunch and was home about 1700, in plenty of time for my meeting in the evening.
I had managed to catch up with two friends, see different scenery and find that Dubbo was large country town with many attractions including a world-class open zoo. Very enjoyable and I hope to be back on my slower, meandering touring in the future.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
DOUG
DOUG is my cruising car.
He is a Holden VZ SV6 Commodore (Holden is the local GM company, VZ is the model range, SV6 is a six-cylinder higher-performance engine) sedan with the five-speed automatic transmission. He was first registered on 14 December 2004 and came equipped with five 16" wheels (not four and a space-saver), limited-slip differential, leather interior with side airbags, heavy duty towing pack, tinted windows, two extra power outlets and six-stacker CD player. Since then he has got a flat left-hand mirror (originally convex, useless) and a bull bar with shoo roos and driving lights. Normally he has an electric fridge in the back, behind the driver's seat (to keep drinks and food cool) and a TomTom SatNav on the lower windscreen.
I carry twelve litres of water and twenty-two litres of petrol with me, as well as tools.
He has covered 200 000 kilometres by June 2009, is on his third set of tyres, is capable of at least 240 km/hr (as determined in the Northern Territory before speed limits were erroneously imposed) but can get around eight litres per hundred kilometres (over 35 mpg for those who are older).
He is comfortable for sleeping in, either in a sleeping bag or wrapped in a blanket.
Photos of him are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougmullett/sets/72157618907560886/
He is a Holden VZ SV6 Commodore (Holden is the local GM company, VZ is the model range, SV6 is a six-cylinder higher-performance engine) sedan with the five-speed automatic transmission. He was first registered on 14 December 2004 and came equipped with five 16" wheels (not four and a space-saver), limited-slip differential, leather interior with side airbags, heavy duty towing pack, tinted windows, two extra power outlets and six-stacker CD player. Since then he has got a flat left-hand mirror (originally convex, useless) and a bull bar with shoo roos and driving lights. Normally he has an electric fridge in the back, behind the driver's seat (to keep drinks and food cool) and a TomTom SatNav on the lower windscreen.
I carry twelve litres of water and twenty-two litres of petrol with me, as well as tools.
He has covered 200 000 kilometres by June 2009, is on his third set of tyres, is capable of at least 240 km/hr (as determined in the Northern Territory before speed limits were erroneously imposed) but can get around eight litres per hundred kilometres (over 35 mpg for those who are older).
He is comfortable for sleeping in, either in a sleeping bag or wrapped in a blanket.
Photos of him are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougmullett/sets/72157618907560886/
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