July 2010

I visited Mt Isa many years ago and went into the real mine. You are not allowed to do this anymore. We decided not to go into the tourist mine which was made just like the real thing. It was called the 'Hard Times' mine but it was not so hard times regarding tourism. We did finally relent and go on a mine tour but an above ground one, whereby you are taken on a coach around Mt Isa mines. This was after spending more time there than we had intended. It actually was very interesting. They mine copper, lead, zinc and silver. Check out the photos..

We thought it would be a male oriented town but there are now lots of females there as well and lots of babies. It's a thriving community and most people make good money in the mines.
After being stuck in Mt Isa for about 11 days we are happy to be leaving. Won't bore you with the details but parts take a long time to get here even though it is a biggish town. On top of that we paid a whole lot of money for parts and labour and left with nothing fixed! We will try our luck again at Alice Springs!

We did meet a couple at the caravan park and after telling them our sob story they told us theirs. Basically their brand new caravan and 4wd rolled due to some brake failure of the caravan. Both had to be 'written off'. All their stuff was sitting outside their motel unit and they had to buy a very expensive 2nd hand campertrailer! A tent on a trailer. It belonged to a 'hobo' and it was filthy. They had to clean it up big time and somehow piece their belongings and trip back together again. Makes us look silly with our small problem!

This blog will be dedicated to our good friends Mike and Marilyn who crossed a border of sorts and got hitched last weekend. We are very happy for you.

We finally made it to the border for a top-up of petrol at Camooweal. This is farming and droving territory. The landscape was open plains and dry looking.

which way to go?

hugging stuffed 'roadkill'

the border Qld to NT

We then came to the border and officially left Queensland. The earth is starting to get really red by the roadside and landscapes changing. We also got prevailing winds which we were warned about for quite a distance and en route to Alice Springs as well. It's starting to look like Red Centre with lots of grasses, mulga, spinifex, rocks, yellow wattle and red dirt. Really nice changing scenery. Unlike Queensland, there is also surprisingly hardly any 'roadkill'. It could be because they clear the roads of this more often or less kangaroos? We did see a van at one stage in Queensland taking the roadkill off the road.

We got the tail winds which apparently save on fuel costs and is the best way to travel around Australia. The people in the opposite direction actually run out of petrol if they don't allow for this. At least that was what some guy told us.
There are huge gaps between roadhouses for petrol so you had better know what the price of fuel is and fill up wherever it is possible and cheapest. The roads are long and good so far. People are so friendly in these open spaces. Most of them wave to you when passing by including the truckies. Anyone is happy to have a chat, compare notes about campsites, where they come from and what you do. Most are older than us and have already done the whole of Australia and have bought some sort of caravan to take off whenever they feel like a change from home.

Campers all love their crocs and wear them everywhere including in the shower. We are guilty of this as well even though they are not attractive, they are damn comfortable and good for everything. Finally starting to see a lot of motorhomes now which was lacking in Queensland. Most people there had caravans and we felt left out! These homes come in all shapes and sizes. Will try to show some as we go along without looking like a pervert!

quirky home 1

unusual home 2

quirky home 4

quirky home 5

quirky home 6

quirky home 8

We stayed the night at Barkly Homestead which is actually a roadhouse and has a caravan park at the back. Very nice and clean and we also had dinner in the pub. It was very windy and cold at night but I am a happy camper in this weather unlike fellow campers who have complained about the cold.

overnight at Barkly Homestead roadhouse

We also came to the junction of Barkly Highway and Stuart Highway. The junction is aptly called Threeways and there is a roadhouse with caravan park there. Looked quite nice too. The 3 ways being Darwin, Alice Springs and Mt Isa.

part of the 3 ways!

Threeways roadhouse - a road train

2 of the three ways!

more unusual items at Threeways pub!

cane toads at Threeways roadhouse pub

There are also free camps along the roadside where people stay. No toilets, showers etc but some of them are really in beautiful spots even though they are near the roadside. Basically you can park your home wherever you like. We might try one at this place called Devils Marbles. Check it out - quite spectacular.

Devils Marbles

shelter under the marbles!

marbles of granite

pushing my marble!

We stayed the night at a roadhouse called Wycliffe Well caravan park. This area has apparently had the most claimed UFO sightings in Australia. Loved the park and will write no more about it and let the photos tell all!

lucky we got in!

we're being watched at Wycliffe Well!

little green men at Wycliffe Well

even the toilets have aliens!

the motel block at Wycliffe Well

green men

curious emu at Wycliffe Well

ufo landing

my alien boyfriend!

ufo receptionist
[img=https://photos.travellerspoint.com/284426/P1020129.jpg thumb=https://photos.travellerspoint.com/284426/thumb_P1020129.jpg caption=the crater created by UFOs!

They even have fish in the lake such as barramundi!

fishing also at lake Wycliffe

lake Wycliffe

Alice SpringsG'day Mate caravan park

We also know now why the middle of Australia is called the Red centre. The red soil is everywhere, even the rocks. It is quite different and really beautiful. Finally we arrived in Alice Springs and are currently staying here for a few nights. I know it is hard to believe but everyone here is complaining bitterly about the cold windy weather and the unprecedented rain they had last week. We are all wearing multiple layers of clothing - beanies and scarves included. We plan to drive to Ayers Rock (480 kms from Alice) when the weather is fine. It is raining there this week and very windy. Not a good time to view Ayers Rock. Instead we will visit the West and East Macdonnell Ranges first. They are also impressive as we have been told and a must do!

For those of you who have emailed response to our blog thanks and welcome Maws. Sorry we can't respond to you all individually (unless it is required) but the blogs take a fair bit of time to keep up and that is our contact to you. Hope you are all well and wish we could take you all on a trailer at the back of our van. In particular, I know Matt is really jealous and would love to camp out!

If you wish to see more photos of our journey just look on the right hand side of our blog under the photos and there should be a link saying 'more photos'. We can't put them all in the blogs. You can also click on the photos we have put into the blog to enlarge them somewhat. Comments can be made at the end of our blog if you feel the desire to say something! You should be able to click on the link saying 'comments'. Love to hear from you all and what you are up to if anything.

This blog will be dedicated to our youngest angel Michael who turned 27 on 4 July. Sorry Mike we really didn't forget your birthday. We were busy mustering up the animals at Windermere station??? You are getting a bit old but that means we are getting much older. Enjoy every day and 20 something is a good place to be. We wanted to get a big present with your inheritance money that we are currently spending!! Maybe not when you read what happened in Mt Isa??

Geoff got a High Distinction for his thesis subject so the lorikeets were his lucky charm!

There was no mistaking that we were heading west. The Capricorn Hwy was a long straight road to the west and it went for miles. There was a lot of road kill once we left Carnarvon Gorge. Kangaroos of all shapes and sizes. I would hate to have hit one of the really big ones. Large road trains are now starting to appear as well like 3-4 carriages long or 53 metres.

the long road west!

LongreachDiscovery Caravan Park
We finally arrived in Longreach anticipating the offerings here such as the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and the Qantas museum. We were also told to see the Cobb & Co shop/cafe/horse and cart and do the horse and cart trip around the place. What appealed to me was the freshly baked damper and coffee - forget the horse and cart!

After staying at Sapphire we were spoilt because the caravan park at Longreach was nothing like it. It was a huge impersonal 'dust bowl'. After you had your shower and walked back to the van you were dusty again.

more of the dust bowl

Check out Geoff's face!

our camp at Longreach

Even the conveniences weren't cleaned often as far as we could see. We also arrived in the freezing cold. The park is from the Discovery chain and it would have around 500 caravan/camp sites. It was huge. Not only that, the neighbours we had, liked to chat during my quiet time, which is the cuppa in the morning. I love my pot of tea and just to look around - talking is the last thing I like to do at that hour. I know some of you will laugh when you read this. Just building up my word arsenal for the day to use on Geoff or anyone who is happy to listen to me. Anyway enough said - it was not our favourite place to stay. Not sure we will see Longreach again.

The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame was impressive and interesting. One has to be seen wearing the cowboy hat there to be part of the theme. There was lots of stuff about the early days living in the country and about the droving days. It is well worth the visit because it is well done. The drovers are represented by a plaque on the walls telling a story about them. The family provide the information and the funds for the plaque to be shown. We have a friends whose father was a drover but is not shown on the walls. Managed to get a printout of his history. I used to enjoy fishing and crabbing with Henry and had a lot of fun with him. He was a true bushy!

howdy cowboy!

wild woman of the west!

The next day I really enjoyed the Qantas museum. Flying is in my blood I think or maybe it's about the places it can take you!

pilot and hostess at Qantas museum

The stories of early days were really interesting and so was going onto the old plane. Can't remember what type it was. We also did a tour of an unused jumbo which allowed us to see the cockpit and first/business classes. It also explained the workings of the jumbo in a simple way. What was cool is the picture we had taken inside one of the engines.

inside the jumbo engine

I also have to mention that it was freezing cold in Longreach day and night. Howling winds and freezing temperatures forced us indoors wherever possible. We did however, have to stand outside the jumbo for the tour guide to explain the workings on the outside. I love the cold but couldn't wait to get inside the jumbo. Also saw what a 'black box' looks like - it is orange and housed at the rear of the aircraft. I know where I will want to sit in future!

at the Qantas museum Longreach

The Cobb & Co people did a beautiful and delicious damper and we had lunch the next day there with stew and damper. Also watched a 'horse and cart' show which I enjoyed and Geoff disliked. For a man who says he is a natural horseman you would think he enjoys all things horsey! Alas my cowboy was not impressed.

passenger on Cobb & Co

Winton Windermere Station farm stay
We happily left Longreach onto the next adventure. Had decided to use one of the many free camping spots on offer and one of them was in Winton. This is because the caravan park was fully booked. Yes all the grey nomads we hear about are in full force. Everywhere we go we have to book ahead. So much for freedom and going where the wind blows! When we arrived at Winton, we checked out the pub where Waltzing Matilda was first played. Behind there was a camping site and the offer of shower and toilet. It was full of people and when I checked out the amenities, I was horrified. It was not clean. We found a pamphlet offering a farm stay on a cattle station called Windermere. It was about 10kms out of town and it sounded like something we were after.

sunset at Windermere station Winton

It was perfect. Not only that, there was a huge firepit and large camp kitchen and it was a small concern.

around the campfire at the station

It is a working cattle station run by a young couple. We stayed there for 2 nights and the plan was to check out the dinosaur museum.

The trip to the dinosaur museum was 110 kms and took us about one and a half hours to get there because of dirt road. We are not much into dinosaurs but it was really amazing because the footprints were many and in particular the large ones showed one of the 'sauruses' running across a flood plain. Also many smaller prints of small 'sauruses'.

dinosaur footprints on the run

The museum to preserve these prints was equally impressive and eco designed. It had won architectural awards. Unfortunately the builder is currently being sued because one of the earth walls inside had collapsed. It was quite humbling to see these prints.

architect designed building at Lark Quarry

The lookout was also very nice and such a diverse landscape. I don't have a nice photo of it but our video does. Haven't mastered downloading this into my blog yet.

Lark Quarry dinosaur site

CloncurryGilbert Park caravan park
We left Winton and at this stage I didn't want to wash my hair because of the salt bore water. I would have looked worse than not washing it at all. I have to mention the road after leaving Carnarvon Gorge. Apart from the road kill, we started to see a lot more dust in all sorts of colours and it has come into our van as well. There are parts where we have driven through locust plagues and all this is in winter. Hate to think what it would be like in summer. Yuk!! The scenery went from bushes and trees to open dry looking plains and cattle country and then back to scrub. Lots of termite mounds are starting to appear everywhere and rocky outcrops.

view of our Gilbert Park caravan park and surrounds

some termite mounds

Cloncurry has a pretty unusual landscape. Bushes, scrub and rocky outcrops.

conquering a rocky mound!

The caravan park is a nice clean one and we have chosen to stay here for 3 nights to clean the van inside and out before the next stage. Laundry, internet and washing ourselves with fresh water is a treat. It was a warm day when we arrived but freezing cold after that.

We are heading further north and I expect it will get a bit warm but have heard that Alice Springs is really cold and rainy so we are preparing ourselves.

People in this caravan park are also very friendly. There is always a sharing of 'little gems' for our trips especially the good caravan parks to go to. Also the sights that are 'must see'. Tonight we will go and cocktail with them and see a female country and western singer do her thing. She is supposed to be really good according to one of the people here who is not into country and western music. She also doubles up as the park hairdresser and has 'manscaped' my man!

entertainments for grey nomads!

country music singer at firepit

We have had a lot of rain and it started on the night of the entertainments. On top of this we have also had a 2 day cold snap and probably longer. Have enjoyed the cold but not the rain. At least our van is warm inside. Check out the cold and bleak scenery on the way to Mt Isa.

the inhospitable cold snap and rain that hit us

grey nomads en route to somewhere

Graham the frog

This sign was on the mirror in the bathrooms. All I can say is if that frog had been in my loo I would have died. For those of you who love little green frogs don't read this section. A little squirt of dettol would have fixed Graham! Graham is not looking up my 'pass'. Needless to say I checked the toilets thoroughly before sitting down!

Our next destination is Mt Isa where we will have to get the air con and oil checked and collect our mail. May go into one of the mines if Geoff is not too claustrophobic!

Mt IsaSunset Top Tourist Park

We heard that Mt Isa has never had such cold weather since 1929 so when we arrived it was still very cold. Fortunately no rain and the weather is getting a bit warmer now. Unfortunately we have come into some mechanical difficulties. Had checked in our van with Ford for a diagnostic test, in particular to get the air con checked. Other minor things were to be checked as well such as a light showing that our doors are open. Geoff and I went off to maximise our time at the museums on offer whilst they looked over the van. When we got to the centre Origin energy were going to shut down the power to do whatever between the hours of 8-1. We arrived at 8.15am and the power went off 8.30am and never came on until 1. Saw the museum in the dark and also walked around town to do some shopping, eating etc. We decided to ask for a refund due to the power outage after we had seen both museums. They happily obliged and that was the goodluck for the day.

After that we still hadn't heard from the Ford people so Geoff rang. They were typing up a history of the checks done and we could come after 1.30pm. At this stage Geoff was worried about his long pockets leaking (big time) by the work possibly being carried out. I suggested to him to think of a suitable figure and program that into his mind. Remember we still have to buy Mike a nice present for his birthday!

When we got there we were surprised to find that only a diagnostic test had been done and nothing else. The cost was relatively cheap. The bad news is that our air con has a compressor failure which will cost around $2000 to get the parts from Bris and get fixed. Worse still, that stupid little light that showed the doors were open and flicked on and off was more of a problem. We now can't lock up our van and that little part/labour would cost a further $800. Naturally the car is only just out of warranty! it was suggested we call the service centre in Melb hoping their goodwill would cover the expenses! Geoff has called and as it is a weekend we are in a holding pattern waiting for a response from Ford. Luckily we are in a very nice caravan park which is easy to relax in.

Geoff's new mode of transport now that van is in repair!

lifelike statues of miners!

In the meantime we have gone to look at other things around Mt Isa. The dinner venues don't seem to be much except for pokies and clubs and RSL. Hate to be single here. Not much around. We were told to go and see the lake 15 kms from Mt Isa and the peacocks there. We did this and the photos will show what we saw. Very beautiful scenery and it is a river dammed up for the town water supply.

picnic at Lake Moondarra

scene of Lake Moondarra

the other side of Lake Moondarra

picnic park at Lake Moondarra

peacocks in the park at Lake Moondarra

We also went up to the lookout by day and night and the photos will also show what we saw. Mt Isa mines are built right next to the CBD and you can see the chimney stacks for a whole area around the Isa. You can also see when there is smoke coming out of the main chimney and which way the wind is blowing. People here in the shops said that sometimes it blows into their shops but not often.

Mt Isa CBD

smoking over Mt Isa at sunset

Mount Isa CBD sunset

sunset on the stack

Who would think a mine stack could look so good!

I had better send this blog now and there are developments with our van which I will post in the next blog.

This blog is dedicated to my industrious husband (Master Geoff) and the lovely people we met at Sapphire. I will mention their names now in case we forget their names later on our journey! Thank you to Barry and Pat, Jim and Carol and Geoff and Kay. I know you will laugh if you read this.

Geoff has been waiting to hear feedback for his Masters. Finally at the end of Carnarvon Gorge he got word. 20 days later. He had to fix up a list of details which is what he is doing now. Hopefully that is the finish of it. He has passed but not sure what result. If only the lecturer knew the setting in which he is completing this. I will go back.

We stayed the night at Emerald which is an unremarkable place. We were thinking to move on to Longreach the next day. Unfortunately we got put next to the amenities block with some noisy young people using it as a community centre. At least we were handy to everything and we now know what ensuites in a caravan park mean. That was the only nice thing to speak of about Emerald.

We had heard some strange noises coming from one of our tyres and noticed the pressure was not what it should be. After a long drive we checked it but it seemed to be a slow leak. Thought we could make Longreach to get it sorted. This was not to be. Checking it the next day the leak was faster than we thought. On a Sunday nothing is open in these small towns so we decided to stay the extra night until we could get it fixed. We pumped the tyre up and thought we wouldn't waste the day, so, as luck would have it, we went to the gemfields of Sapphire and Rubyvale to see what that was all about. It was only a 45kms drive so not too bad. At Sapphire we noticed a tyre repairer but of course not open on Sunday. We thought maybe it would be a better place to have it repaired and checked out the caravan park/s to stay the night.

We stumbled on a gem (pardon the pun) of a caravan park in a bush setting with Australian sculptures around the place, camp fires around the place and bird life. Sapphire Caravan Park is fully booked in the winter season so we were lucky to get a spot. Bird life is amazing and of course the wallabies. The rainbow lorikeets are so tame here and come to talk and eat with you all day. Two of them even played at my feet (with my brightly coloured crocs on) like 2 playful little kittens. The facilities are clean and the kitchen well stocked.

Met some lovely people and had cocktail hour with them. We got a whole heap of useful info about where to go around Australia. We also learnt that most of these campers were mad keen 'fossickers'. Before long they were showing or telling us about the gems they have found. They are telling us the value of some of their finds and the dollar signs lit up in my mind. We are now fascinated and hoping to stay another night, fix the tyre hopefully and come home with bucket loads of gems! We ended up staying 3 nights it was soooo good.

What happens is that you go to these little gem shops and pan from buckets that you buy. We have got the word on the best places to get rich! One was at Moniques and the other is at Miners Cottage. Miners Cottage offered a cuppa and scones on certain days. They also teach you how to pan and help you find your gems from the bucket. Most people laughed when I suggested that it was easier to buy the already made up gem at the shop in the form of earrings or the like. It's called 'fossick fever' in my view. They even keep their gems or give it to their kids to make up their own settings. I have some words I've learnt so we don't look ridiculous. A 'bomb' is a big, not so clear sapphire and 'best wash' means that the gems are a better quality in the bucket. Some people even have a claim on a mine and fossick in it every day. They stay for a few weeks or months looking for the big one! The names of some of these shops are funny such as Bobby Dazzler.

We busily bucketed for 2 days with 2 buckets @ $10 each, panning the soil/rocks and looking for the gems.

be careful you might miss one!

Found a whole heap of sapphire shrapnel and have them in plastic bags. Nobody seems keen to buy them though?? We never got fossick fever but had a go and got a cuppa whilst panning for the gems. Anyone at home want to buy some of our sapphires?
In the meantime Geoff is still trying to finish off his thesis which is now hard to do because he is missing out on the fun at cocktail hour. He was also challenged by day with lorikeets sitting on his armchair and walking over the keyboard. They even slept by his elbow and felt right at home with him.

Hopefully they bring him some good news in a few days with a high distinction or close to that. He is now finished and can finally enjoy the rest of the journey. I am very proud of him completing this. It was hard work for him last year and this year as well.

The characters around Sapphire look like something out of a Ned Kelly movie with long beards and fat guts wearing singlets or skinny legs and beards. Everyone seems to be an expert and the talk is about the finds and where to get things cut/polished. I was told by a gem cutter that ours were too small to cut. There would be nothing left!! You can also get gems cut cheaply in Thailand but if you have anything worth dollars then the it could get swapped for a cheap gem.
The housing here is in tin sheds or old vans/caravans that people live in. Doesn't look like anyone is getting rich from it but it seems to be a hobby. It was fun having a go but we didn't get the fossick fever. Nobody sold their finds.

The last night of our stay we had homemade scones for morning tea and a huge lamb roast at night with our newfound friends. We all contributed and cooked it in the camp kitchen. I brought my oven to cook the pumpkin. The joint effort was fantastic and as my friends will know I love a good feed and especially good cooks. The meal was great and so was the company. Barry and I were sharing a birthday - I say that tongue in cheek - it made the occasion special!!

The big bonus was that Geoff and I got to keep the leftovers and the crumble dessert for the next day at Longreach. This was just in case we would forget them.Thank you Sapphire friends, loved your company and the laughs. Hopefully you will read this and respond sometime if you still remember us?? We will definitely call in and see you if we are invited?? Just offer us a feed!

Next stop Longreach for 3 nights. Still busy here sightseeing but will update later. Looking for the next feed??? Anyone offering! We have gems to barter.