September - Caboolture, Esk, Chinchilla,Baralaba, Emerald

This is the last 'catch-up blog - after this they will be in better order!

Monday 3/9
What a day.  At Caboolture caravan repairs by 8 – cupboard fixed, have a couple of extra hinges 'just in case', got a new jockey wheel ($60) as other one can't be repaired. (top weld has broken around winder) Have also decided a small wheel is better sometimes so can use both now. Outside light fixed, then we spent ages trying to get TV sound going – finally decided it was useless - no sound- so took it back to Big W and got a refund. Didn’t want to replace it – that screen ‘ghosts’ as I cannot change the angle so a waste of time anyway. Will just have to go back to the old TV on the bench! The aerials here are only $135! ($183 in MacKay)

Then asked them to check the expanda to see why the top doesn’t go in all the way – oh darn. There is a little hole in the top and the water has been getting in – and the rubber is getting stuffed. Also under the couch (on outside) has been wet  and paint peeling off – probably running down from top hole? They were very keen to do an insurance quote for me but didn’t think it would be until November that it could be fixed and may be in the $2-4000s. Got them to run some sealant along bottom edge to prevent any other water getting in. So what now…. head over to Perth via the top and get it done there? Put a patch over it and hope it dries out? Sell the van and get something smaller?

Booked into the showground. Chatting to a couple from NZ – he from Taumarunui, she Wanganui and at college same time as us. .

4/9

Lots of dogs yapping this morning at the show grounds but a good sleep.

Off to Kilcoy. Stopped for coffee & scone,  and decided to check out the local hardware. I LOVE these small country town places. Got the small table I have been looking for – and it has 3 different heights. Perfect for the computer! At least I can open the clothes cupboards now. Got the cig lighter battery tester and some gunk to patch the hole in the slide-out roof.

Then on to Esk. Very pretty rolling countryside – would be just lovely when it is green. Bit slow – windy narrow road but nice quiet park. Had to use garden hose though – taps a bit of a stretch for the blue hose – keeps blowing the ends off. TV aerials here so might dig out the TV and see if I can hook upJ (wrong fitting must be Foxtel). Icecream van here! Sells boxes of 6 etc. so got a  box. First time I have them in freezer!

5/9

Filled up – and see cops down the road stopping traffic. Wasn’t going that way so who knows what they are looking for.

Off to Chinchilla via Hampton around 10am. Maybe not the right choice but what a lovely drive through very tall trees. Once again up a long windy mountain road, but not too much traffic. Then a detour. Oops. Stopped on the corner to ask a truckie if it was ok – yes – so off I went. Even a hairpin bend with a traffic light!!!! All good though – came out at Hampton again. I gather there has been a big slip on the other road. The roads are very rough still. Past Hampton they are clearing the trees to widen the road. Saw a Swiss cuckoo clock place – should have stopped! Couldn’t find anywhere for lunch until I was passed Toowoomba!

Lots of green flat paddocks, and masses of areas ploughed – heat haze, mirages, and smoke in the distance. Passed a huge pile of coal and a train loading it. Did the detour road north of Dalby – traffic going both ways so must have closed the one we did coming down.

Got to friends house in Chinchilla around 3. Parked  on the back lawn – perfect. Lots of chat, nibbles and wine with friends I havent seen for years.

6/9

Great sleep. ANTS in the van – will be off the tree at Caboolture. All the way round from the front into the honey in the cupboard. Sprayed all their tracks!!!!

Heavy dew so must keep the side in at night I think. Friend of my friend here today - lovely young man. Advice re tyres etc,  put the weld in the hole in the expandatop-side, and taped up the rubber seal. Should help dry out now. Some people come in to your life just when you need them - right place, right time!

7/9

Father-in-law is 102 today!!!!!!

Slept until nearly 8.30. Empty back of ute then off to Dalby. Had lunch then to Beaurepairs (early). Sorted tyres - got new set. Ute has done 93796 km – maybe. The speedo and Navman are reading much closer now with the bigger tyres instead of the speedo being 10 km faster than Navman. BUT – now I find that a wheel alignment cannot be done properly because the adjustment nuts are totally seized up. Wonder what they actually did in Mt Isa for their $80?????? Or in Perth for that matter!  Guy said don’t worry – just drive the truck but rotate every 5000 km. Also bad salt damage mostly under the front – would need to be steam cleaned and tarred – or something. bugger bugger! Anyway –feels really good on the new tyres.

Off to the bowls club for dinner  – a pretty friendly lot down there it seems. Delicious chicken in chilli mango sauce with rice. Played the pokies = $20 in and took $17 out in $1 coins for the laundry! Brief heavy rain in the evening! Throat still scratchy.

8/9

Found Woolworths and got chicken and stuff for lunch/dinner. Surprisingly big town – thought it was just on either side of the highway but needed to go over the rail bridge. Woolies only opened last year.

Leucaena trees for cattle fodder

9/9

Decided to move on today. Woke with very chesty cough in the night so had a pill – all good this morning.  Finally left about 1pm and drove to Taroom on the Leichardt Hwy north of Miles. About 2.5 hours. Roads OK but a bit narrow with very rough edges in some places. Up over the great dividing range again (401m) but didn’t feel like a range – just rolling hills. Lots more green paddocks, cattle, some grain and the wildflowers are starting to appear – small purple ones mostly on the mown road edges. Traffic Ok but there is a huge stock pile of pipes at Wandoan – have seen trucks with only 3 of them on – huge things. Looks like another donga town going in there as well. A sign outside Taroom warning of pipes being transported as well. No-one seems to want our money at the CP here. Caretaker in the bus but not home. Turned up later on his mobility scooter. $15 powered Site. The park is on several layers running down to a river. Facilities a bit ho-hum. Only one shower and the loo seat and bowl are cracked! Need the aircon this afternoon!

Amazing that it is so dry over here – total opposite of WA where the winters mean green grass. At least there is green where they can irrigate. Have been fires along the verges recently – stumps still smouldering. Not so many trees around either. Went over ‘Jim Corbett’ bridge!( Doctor back home)

10/9

 Off to Baralaba via Theodore. Have come off the Great Dividing range. Would like to have gone in to the viewing platform overlooking the Ilsa Gorge but not sure if vans can get in thereL (So read the Camp 6 Book! There is a free camp there!) Good roads most of the way and interesting rolling country again.

 Quite a few trucks carrying pipes.

Glad we didn’t try to get to Gyranda Santa field day – 32 km in from the main road!!!! Fuel at Theodore and lunch at Banana! Went up main road 42 km then in 30 km to Baralaba – sealed all the way. Camped at the Neville Hewitt Weir. Been chatting to John – yeoeleven for an hour. – the only other GN I have actually met. We threw our yabby nets in to the river.

Been cloudy all day but still quite warm. More tyres dumped at the laybys – grubby lot! Must find out what the plantations of stock food trees are – tree lucerne? Really big areas around here, some looking decidedly dead though.

Tuesday 11/9

Up early – for a change. Checked the nets – I had a little fish but let it go. Was big enough to have on a bit of toast but no idea what it was. Not a yabby in sight.

Left around 9 and headed to Woorabinda community. Missed the Fitzroy Development road and went right in to the village– a strictly no alcohol place! Oops! Lots of kids and dogs roaming the street. Thought I had better ask for directions – had just taken a detour so back out to the right road. (so I was supposed to take the 2nd road on the right - must have missed the first one) On up to the Capricorn Highway and off to Emerald. Lovely drive – much better roads at last.

Got breath tested just before Dingo and only 10.30 am! NZ cop too so that was fun. Apparently they are out because it is shift change today. Explains what was going on last Tuesday when I left Esk.

Decided to get a CP for 2 nights – hot and want power for the aircon! Also want to leave the van and go to Rubyvale tomorrow. Lots of nomads under the rail bridge – free camp.

Had a look around Emerald – needed a tap fitting. Thought about one of these fancy thermos cookers that you boil for a little while then leave all day and have a full meal when you get to your camp. Mmmm – not at $180 - $300. Not really a ‘must have’ item at this stage but love the idea.

Talked to John about blogging so will have a go since so many want me to do a ‘travel book’. Not like anything very exciting happens to me.

Spent ages setting up the blog and putting in the first few pages. That was fun!

12/9

Went to Emerald Shire office to find out about Rubyvale Cemetery for sis-in -law. then drove the 60km out there. Found the cemetery but no plot – flood went through there a few years ago and shifted a lot of the markers etc.

What an unusual town. Large sections – maybe each house/camp was set up on a claim. Definitely big blocks and lots of trees. Heaps of dirt piled up along the roads, and dams for processing the rock. Dozens of rock shops. Acres of rusty old machinery everywhere.  Maybe more money made from tourism these days. Had delicious coffee at ‘Poppys’ and looked at the beautiful locally made jewellery next door – some seriously expensive stuff!

Saw the big grey bus (for sale) that we had seen at the free camp on the edge of Miles parked in a front yard .

Sapphire is probably worse – a lot more caravans parked in the bush with lean-tos.

There is cotton along the edge of the road here as well – could have collect a bale of it by now! Lots of smoke also from burn-offs. Irrigation canals around and lots of ploughed land. The grain crops are starting to turn golden.
Thought about getting leveling bars for the van to take the weight off the ute - but bloke reckons I need air bags - only about $1000! Nissan Navaras ride with flat springs in the back.  Not much I can take out of the back and put on the back seat either that would make much difference. Sometimes I think ignorance really is BLISS!

 
Well - congratulations to those of you who have read all this up to now!!!! That is it - from now on I can do a daily blog - or maybe weekly. What a long process it was! Hope you are enjoying the reading. I have found it amusing looking back. What a wonderful way to spend ones time. Do come and try it. Have room in the van for friends.