Hello all
Now that we are settled in at The Barkley Highway Roadhouse, it is time to reconnect with all my followers as we head into the centre of Australia bound for Uluru (Ayers Rock). I’ll bring you up to date dear friends.
We left Mt. Isa on Monday. We laugh that we went to Mt. Isa to have a cuppa with my cousin on the way through and ended up staying four days because the Rodeo was on!
So here are some excerpts from my travel journal for you so you can enjoy the journey with us.
Sun 10th August 2014
My cousin Michael was having a ‘Great Big Rodeo Breakfast’ on Sunday for all his family and some friends. Well, the BBQ breakfast is done and dusted now. We’ve meet all my cousin’s children, husbands, wives and grandchildren plus some other old friends who happened to be in The Isa at this moment.
What a day it turned out to be! Words seem inadequate to describe such a day. And there, standing tall as head of the family, was Michael, my cousin known as ‘Mick’ to most people. Gregarious and friendly, with a deep booming laugh and dressed up as a cowboy for the day, he prepares to cook enough food to feed 30 people.
Tina, Mick, Tess and Geoff at the back
There are tables and chairs set up in the back yard. The morning’s preparation goes like clock-work. This is a well-oiled machine and Mick and Tina (his wife) have their allotted duties. Years of Rodeo Big Breakfasts have produced this efficiency and Geoff and I look on in awe.
Introductions all round … food kept warm in the pizza oven nearby… drinks …it’s all happening. The Great Big Rodeo Breakfast has begun for another year! Mick is in his glory, waxing lyrical as he drinks THE punch he made earlier. “Don’t you just love this?” says Mick as he waves his arms to indicate the family and friends that are gathered around him.
Mick is feeling magnanimous and gives me a great big bear hug and says “It’s so good to have you here Therese!”
What’s in that punch I wonder? It seems harmless enough as I sip on a glass. One of his adult kids tells me not to trust ‘Dad.’ I find out that there is white rum, Contreau and white wine topped up with orange juice in the punch!
In fact, I do not imagine that the punch is getting stronger with each jug he makes! One of the woman guests doesn’t realise this and tops hers up with wine. Oh no! It does look like orange juice but after my third glass I am feeling tipsy and compensate by switching to ginger beer.
We’re having so much fun and eaten so much food: heaps of bacon, thin slices of rib fillet steak, eggs, fried home-grown tomatoes, fried onions … and toast. All this is washed down with Micks (in) famous punch! The breakfast goes on all day ending with games (trivial pursuit type questions) under the shade of a tree for anyone left that can still stand up. What a day! Finally, last to leave are the old friends.We hug as if we have known each other forever!
It’s all over now and we must come back to earth so we can leave tomorrow.
Monday 11th August 2014
We are now staying at a little town overnight called Camooweal (pop 310). Mick laughed at us as we left Mt. Isa quite late (noon) saying, “Well, you’ll get there by 9 pm hopefully!” Considering it is only 200 ks away we know this worth a good laugh.
It is warm as we drive to Camooweal and we know we are very close to the Northern Territory (20 ks). This is dry dusty country – flat land as far as the eye can see – no sign of civilisation until we reach the town. There are caravans and campers everywhere! The grey nomads are keeping this tiny town going methinks.
Geoff chats to Owen over the fence
When we’re settled we set out to ‘walk the town’ as we have been doing everywhere. There is nothing much to see: a large hotel almost falling down, one store that is a Post Office, a General Store and sells petrol … plus a BP Service Station; plenty of motels, caravan parks (2) and a hostel.
We’ve almost finished our uneventful walk when Geoff spots an old man in the yard of a backpacker’s hostel and asks his usual question: “What’s happening in Camooweal then?” Nothing much it seems although the Drovers Festival is on this weekend. We tell him if we stay we’ll never get to Uluru!
It turns out that Owen (88) has lived here since 1959 and spent his life droving cattle through Australia. Oh, he has some stories to tell and we can’t help talking for quite a while. He lives in a beat up bus in the yard of the hostel. We can tell Owen is loving having someone to chat to, besides the 310 residents that live here, although he assures us that only 24 of these are white people!
We head back to our van where the aroma of Chicken Korma cooking in the slow cooker greets us. Yummy! Tea should be good tonight after Rodeo food!
Tuesday 12th August 2014
Before leaving Camooweal for The Barkley Roadhouse stop 240 ks away, we decide to have a look at the Drover’s Camp Museum just out-of-town. Imagine our surprise when a pastel drawing of Owen the drover is on the wall with all the other pastels of well-known drovers who worked throughout this area.
We met some old drovers here – Paul and Jeff – giving tours and they regale us with such stories that we realise how lucky we are to get them first-hand from these men in their eighties. Hardly any drovers left it seems. Cattle are carried to market via road trains now. No one rides for months with the herd to market these days.
Once again, Geoff and I can hardly bear to leave but we must hasten ever onwards to the Barkley
Highway so we leave with a heavy heart. Yippee … Northern Territory here we come!
The delightful bus Owen lives in.
The Camooweal Pub looked interesting
An interesting sign on an old butcher shop. Owen tells us it closed four years ago.
The yard where Geoff and Mick are cooking the BBQ. Lovely pizza oven on right.
Hello all
Well, I am back to tell you more travel tales dear friends! Since I last wrote we travelled from Winton to Cloncurry (pop 3500) and then on to Mt. Isa (pop 13,500) built as a mining town many years ago. We are staying here with my cousin Mick and his wife Tina and just by chance the rodeo is on this weekend! Therefore, we are busy busy so while I have a chance I will leave you this piece from my Travel Journal which updated recently. Enjoy!
Thursday 7th August 2014
What a day it has been! We set off from Winton just after 8.30am to drive the 258 ks on the long lonely highway to Cloncurry where I have relatives. It has been a little difficult as Geoff feels sleepy. Presently he is laying down on a concrete picnic seat having a snooze! As he is the driver I have to look after him.
We’ve had a couple of interesting experiences along the way. We stopped for petrol at Kynuna (pop 20) and a cold drink to keep us going. What a deserted, windy and wild place! One building: a petrol station; a shop, cafe and a hotel to boot. A five year old boy was ensconced at a big table covered in junk. “Home schooling” said the mother serving us.
As I glanced over at the boy who was playing with a large toy tractor, I could see no sign of anything to do with ‘school’ nearby. Too many people coming and going for Mum to do any school work. The boy looked very happy about this fact too! Back now on the road and our next break for lunch at MacKinlay.
As we travel onwards, the countryside is changing and we see an abundance of ant hills. Strangely enough, a lot of them have singlets and other clothing placed on them. Wierd! Soon we come across a sign saying “Crocodile Dundee”. Underneath is written “The Walkabout Creek Hotel.” Of course, the pub from the movie Crocodile Dundee!
We stop and go inside and there is the bar straight out of the movie. This little town MacKinlay (pop 20) has a great picnic area where we have lunch. Again, dry and desolate. The little library next door is classified ‘The smallest Library in Australia; (it is like a little backyard tin shed). We find out that it is the same shed that was used in Crocodile Dundee as Mick’s tour office. We had seen the sign in the pub up the road!
We chatted awhile to the librarian Tarnee who is having a culture shock working here after living on the Sunshine Coast. Only dial-up internet she tells us and if a few people are using it, you have to wait until one hangs up! Oh dear friends, it is the back of beyond it really is! Tarnee’s father is the policeman for the town.
We find out all about MacKinlay from a Centennial Museum on the property so we check it out and discover that John MacKindlay the explorer founded this area in 1862 when he was searching for Burke & Wills who had not returned from the outback. What a story this was … of course he found them alright … evidence of where they had died that is. What men of great adventure they were in those days taking camels and sheep and walking the outback for a year!
We packed up and headed the 100ks to Cloncurry. Nearly there now and Geoff had overcome his sleepiness! When my cousin Ronnie saw us get out of our car, he nearly jumped out of his skin. He had no idea we were coming as we couldn’t contact him on the phone. “It’s Therese!!” he says to his partner Maria in his country twang.
Well, everything at Ronnie’s house happens under the huge mango tree in the backyard so soon we were drinking tea and having a wonderful reunion. He insisted we stay at the house and with a sense of relief we went off to have tea at the local pub and then settle in for the night.
What an adventurous day it has been!
Saturday 9th August 2014
We left Cloncurry with hugs and kisses all round and a map to the house of another cousin (Ronnie’s brother Mick) in Mt Isa only an hour’s drive away. Mt. Isa has a huge mine and a big stack blowing smoke all over the town. I lived here in 1969 for six months and it has grown beyond recognition since then.
Ronnie is sure we will stay here too for a night and not a caravan park but when we arrive Mick is insistent we stay until Sunday because of the Rodeo which is in town!
Oh, so that’s two nights then?
No, says Geoff. We will leave on Monday as we will be so worn out from all the activities planned that we’ll wait until Monday.
Oh, so that’s THREE nights then? Yes, indeed it is!
So the Rodeo weekend is now upon us. We’ve been to Mardi Gras last night and watched the floats as they came along. 
Just when we were starving – around 7.30pm – a Hari Krishna van serving hot food came along and insisted on feeding us! Battered and deep-fried cauliflower and semolina for dessert washed down with fresh lemonade. It hit the spot I can tell you!
We’ve been to town today and checked out the family dress shop run by wife Tina and daughters plus daughter-in-law. What a lovely shop! Tomorrow is the big (read here ‘huge’) Rodeo breakfast here at Mick and Tina’s at 9am. Afterwards everyone goes to the Rodeo. Can’t wait.
That’s all for now folks. Signing off for now. Keep safe and well. Bye for now!
A scene from Mt Isa town centre with the stack in the background
The pavement is covered in such momentous of other year’s Rodeos
‘
Geoff looking decidedly out of place in the Oasis Fashion shop owned by my relatives.
Some of the lovely facinators in the shop
Hello all
Life on the road has been so busy that I’ve had little time to think about my blog! Sorry dear friends, but sometimes you have to ‘Seize the Day’ and not just write about it!
We are having the best time since we arrived here in Winton on Sunday for two nights. After a trip to the Info Centre we realised there is too much to see in one full day so we have extended our stay for another night. Oh the fun of it! Too busy having fun!
It’s great here, we are just across the road from a great pub who actually run this little pub caravan park. The owner is amazing … just as you imagine a Publican should be: friendly, helpful and attentive even supply washing machines free of charge, which has all the women twittering … but not on the Twitter network … just telling one another how amazing it is!
Because I have been through a few town since I last wrote, I am going to leave you with a slide show of same of the places we’ve been to.
Enjoy! I hope to back very soon with more photos and stories. We’re heading for Cloncurry tomorrow.
Hello dear friends
Days Nine and Ten of our Outback Adventure
Thank you to all those who have sent me messages as they follow our travels on my blog or on my Facebook page. Delighted to have you along for the ride!
We travelled yesterday from Charleville and camped at a little town 300 ks away called Blackall (pop 1500) on the Barcoo River. We had no power so we were totally turned off from technology which was strange, yet it was good in a lot of ways. You see, as we drove to Blackall I was having a wonderful time listening to music. I felt inspired so I wrote the following piece in my Journal about technology … or lack of it and how that affected me.
It has changed the way I look at our trip to Uluru dear friends. I hope it gives you an insight into how, as each day goes by, this journey continues to change as we relax and unwind each day. Sitting about in artesian spa pools helps also! Enjoy …
Fri 1st August 2014
I can hear the strains of the Ten Tenors singing Pia Jesu as we travel this Great South Land of ours. Brilliant sunshine accompanies them. It gives me such a feeling akin to being on a spiritual pilgrimage and I am uplifted by it. Is it contentment I wonder?
I’ve thawed out from the freezing night, thrown off my thick clothes and am snug and warm in the car. Too warm at times and I can feel my head nodding as I doze off to Bridge Over Troubles Waters. Simon and Garfunkel are reminding me “if you need a friend I’m sailing right behind.” How nice, I tell myself.
Who cares if my new Telstra card for use in my old phone refuses to work anywhere we go. Who cares if I’ve overused my data limit on my Optus Plan as well? And as for my Optus network coverage … what coverage??
A little voice tells me (if I listen carefully, it’s actually Geoff’s voice I can hear) telling me to forget all that stuff. Just check on my laptop twice a day (if I have power) and leave it at that.
I have the feeling I should embrace the spirit within me as it awakens like a giant awakening from months of slumber! Time to dream as Geoff and I drive this Great South Land of the Holy Spirit as Australia was first named..
Time to be close to the land as we inch ever closer to our destination tonight – Blackall – just as our first people, the Aborigines feel close to the land. Time to reconnect in favour of reality and not technology. I saw a sign along the road, “Disconnect to Reconnect.”
Yes, I like that! I do feel like I am on a pilgrimage! It seems that I don’t need to travel to Spain to walk the Camino to do a pilgrimage. Here we have a brown dry land, blanched a golden hue by the harsh and drought … just like Spain.
Yes, we’re driving the highway but we’ve not forgotten our commitment to walk through each town ON FOOT so we can connect with the people of the area. This is a pilgrimage … of that I have no doubt! We’re not Walking the Camino, we’re Walking the Outback Towns of Australia!
It sure feels good to get away from the noise of everyday life and open oneself up to listen … to the people you meet, to each other and to the still small voice of God directing our footsteps and our path as we travel.
Therefore, in the spirit of pilgrimage, we walked the streets of Blackall this morning and when we got to Barcaldine for morning tea, we walked the streets of that town too!
My pedometer is loving it and I have clocked over 10,000 steps today … especially after walking the streets of of this tiny town where we are staying tonight – Ilfracombe pop 300 – and just 27 ks from Longreach.
But … but … before I go any further afield in my travels, I haven’t even given you any photos of Charleville yet and that feels like ages ago Come along with me as I peak inside the little stores we found as we walked the streets of the town. More about the other towns later.
Until next time dear friends …
The entrance to a shop that sold all kinds of things including clothes, craft and bits n bobs. I bought a $89 top for $13.50 here! Love the piece written above the door too.
The Corones Hotel – a very interesting pub in the heart of Charleville
Aaah a music shop as we walked along looked very interesting
We didn’t go in but this shop was delightful and 10% off all Guess things as well!
The door of the Public Bar in Charleville Hotel was open so I took this snap.
Hello dear friends,
Well I’m back after a night off from blogging. Tiredness caught up with me after a week on the road. However, I found time yesterday to sit outside the van and catch up on my Travel Journal. Therefore, today I will share with you Day Seven and Eight of our Outback Adventure with the help of Caffeine. Enjoy!
Wed 30th July 2014
We set off for Charleville far later than we planned today. The trouble was we were enjoying ourselves far too much to leave Mitchell sooner!
With memories of the 38 degree spa pool fresh in our minds from the day before, we packed up and headed for town across the new ‘you-beaut’ bridge built after the 2012 floods. Our aim was to walk the town then have a ‘you-beaut’ coffee as per the rickety-rusty sign on the way to Mitchell but it wasn’t quite that simple after all.
There were two reasons for this. One, I had not counted on the town being so interesting and two, I had not counted on Geoff being so darn friendly to the locals! After telling the couple to enter the Big Rig in Roma, his confidence knew no bounds and so he greeted passers-by or serving staff in shops, old ladies in charity shops and anyone else he bumped into including dogs!
And he chatted … and chatted …
I thought I was Mrs Hav-a-Chat, but Geoff left me for dead today. Perhaps I wasn’t feeling as magnanimous as he was, but I was left way behind! An old fellow walking along said “good morning!” so Geoff hit him with “So, what’s happening in Mitchell today?”
Poor fellow, he wasn’t expecting this question. Turns out he’s lived in the town for 85 years. Loves the place. Then he spies a mate having breakfast outside the Bakery Café and sits down to catch up with him. When we return an hour later, he is still there chatting away. This seems to be a regular occurrence. How lovely to live in a town with a population of under 1000 and catch up with friends in the main street every day.
The shop that sold everything and had beautiful ceilings.
Meanwhile, Geoff and I looked around. He asked one women in a shop that sold everything from R.M. Williams to plastic shoes to Scanpans, how long she had lived in Mitchell. Only three years: a newcomer it seems.
“Oh, don’t look at my ceiling!” she said “it’s filthy!” Immediately we both looked up at the circa 1880 ornate plastered ceiling and commented on how lovely it was … we never saw anything but beauty!
Next, we crossed the road to the Library/Art Gallery which was once the Picture Theatre. The Librarian directed us upstairs to the projection room, left intact for visitors to see. What a marvel! It took us back to the fifties and memories of the theatres of our day.
Then Carmel, at the Old Wares Shop, was not safe from Geoff either and felt so comfortable with him she soon asked him if he knew the meaning of a word in an article she was reading! We chatted awhile and looked around at the old memorabilia including a 22 capacity egg poacher with lid on display. It was rather fascinating and I came away with a beanie and a tea cosy knitted for charity.
Oh dear, it is sad when you buy a beanie to wear at night in the van to keep your head warm … there is no such thing as making a fashion statement when you are on the road!
Finally, our hopes high for good coffee, we arrived at The Bakery. Young Adam at the Caravan Park has advised us to have an apple turnover here so we obliged. It looked so good when the lady arrived with two large black and white spotted mugs as we sat outside.
Geoff enjoying the delightful apple turnover washed down with weak coffee!
However, as we realised that the coffee was almost like hot milk, we overhead the couple next to us ask for some instant coffee to put in their flat whites. How funny as I had just finished telling Geoff that we needed to add instant coffee to our milk!
Another not-so-good coffee experience. However, I have to give ten out of ten for that brilliant apple turnover complete with fresh cream. Yummy!
Time to leave Mitchell and head to Charleville. What a great stopover. Even Adam at the park waved us off, mobile in hand as he was looking up ‘Life with Tess’ after telling him I had mentioned him on my blog. Quite chuffed he was too!
Thursday 31st July 2014
Sitting outside our van in the sunshine. The Cobb & Co Caravan Park in here Charleville is quite rustic and I can hear birds chirping in the many trees around us. The washing machine is going full-bore as I wait for the load to finish. Finally, after five days at different towns, it is nice to stay two nights here and get some chores done.
We have a booking tonight at the Cosmos Centre to see the night skies through powerful telescopes. We’ve been here before nine years ago but Geoff is keen to go again and I can’t deny him that. I went again in 2009 when I came here for work.
As I sit here, I can smell my rolled brisket cooking in the slow cooker with vegetables and spices for tonight’s dinner. Beef bought at an amazing Butchery in Mitchell yesterday was too hard to resist. You can still eat well whilst on the road dear friends.
Tess heading into the Picture Theatre now Library Mitchell
The slit in the projection room that looks down into the library
Tess outside The Old Things Display which included herself! Camel flatly refused to get in my photo!
Goods in the Old Things Display.
If anyone want a 22 capacity egg poacher, get it here in Mitchell!
RM Williams boots … Geoff wants a pair!
Hello dear friends
Thank you to all those who sent me kind messages of encouragement after our bad experience in the little town of Miles, Queensland. It was so nice that you were all thinking of us … and as one friend said “feeling your pain.” So nice. That’s the thing about travelling … you take the bad with the good!
Moving onwards to Roma was a totally different story however, and when we woke this morning the sun was shining brilliantly, the showers at the Showground were hot and the whole experience wonderful! Love was good once more.
We’ve had a lovely day today dear friends. We enjoyed looking around the township of Roma (pop 6000) but I did notice it looking very run down since I was there for work in 2008. What a shame! Perhaps the GFC has had an effect on this nice little town.
So, without further ado we headed off to look at the history of oil in Roma at the Big Rig and whilst there I found a postcard which led us to Paul’s Anglican Church which was full of beautiful stained glass windows.
Here we met Allen, a retired gent who does guided tours of the church. What a champ! The thing I love about travelling is when you meet people who you engage with … it totally changes your perspective about a place. Well, Allen was one of those people.
As we chatted about the church and life in Roma, Allen told us how when he retired he thought he would do all the things he wanted to do for himself, but he hasn’t had time as he volunteers at the church, also at the Information Centre and he sings in a choir that goes to all different denominations. Life is full for him it seems.
When we were buying a few things in the town, we met an old man from Injune (further north) – a farmer – who was waiting for the bank to open so he told us he was wasting time in the shop. Geoff said to him “Well, what’s happening in Roma today?”
We then got the temperature this morning in Injune (there was ice on the windscreen at 9am) and a lot of other ‘useless information’ which we were only too happy to get! How nice it is meeting the locals …
We ended the day by taking a very short 89k journey to Mitchell (pop 1000) so that we could stay overnight and enjoy the artisan spas that they have here. The young fellow here at the Caravan Park is a budding author and was keen to find my blog so he got out his phone and googled it!
Hello Adam … good luck with your writing. Keep going with it and don’t give up!
Around 4pm we headed off over the bridge on foot to the spa baths where we luxuriated in the warm waters for over an hour chatting to other older people like ourselves who have nothing better to do than travel and enjoy artisan spas! Oh I do wish we could stay here another night – just for those amazing spas!
Oh well, Geoff has got the hot water bottles ready so I must be off to bed. We’re up early tomorrow to walk the town of Mitchell as we do each day. It should take about ten minutes to see Mitchell methinks!
Until tomorrow when we’re on the road again …
PS I did have some photos of the church and the spas but the internet has had enough tonight it seems!
There was a lot of nice old pubs in Roma … here is one of them.
The Big Rig – the history of oil – which had a shortage of staff so the cook putting on the chops had to come out to the gift shop and serve me! He told me, he had to do many jobs: gardening, security, cooking etc. I don’t think he was too impressed either!
A slab hut from the mining days of Roma circa 1850s was very interesting inside. All set us as it would have been in those days. Geoff chatting up an old dear he met there.
A scene right next to the toilets at the showgrounds where we stayed.
Geoff hooks up our van as we leave the Roma Showgrounds to head west to Mitchell.
Hello all
We spent last night at the Miles Crossroads Caravan Park after giving the Showground Camp Ground a big miss thinking it was too isolated. Oh how we lived to regret this decision! I felt like I was in a nightmare all night as trains came zipping through the line at the back of the park, semi-trailers came roaring around the bend in the front of the park and other cattle trains came and waited beside the railway. We could hear the cattle moving around!
I know these things because at one stage in the early hours, I braved the 3 degree temperature to look out the van window to see some of these methods of transportation going by. I even filled up my hot water bottle before getting back into bed to try to warm me up and put me back to sleep … but that failed miserably. A cup of tea helped a little …
Oh well, around 3am I did drift off only to wake up two hours later and find the blanket near my face was wet! Condensation dripping off the ceiling of the tent that covers our bed! Who said caravanning was fun? Where is that person? Bring them to me immediately and let me slap them!
Waking around 7am I thought a nice hot shower would erase all of these nightmares but no! That would have been far too simple wouldn’t it? Once in the shower stall I was unsuccessful in getting HOT water out of what I thought was the hot water tap. I kept turning but to no avail.
Without my glasses on I couldn’t see a thing until I peered up close and found that the hot water tap was indeed the COLD water tap! Freezing by this time (remember I was in my birthday suit) I began to murmur out loud. I am sorry dear friends, but I had enough by this time.
The shower had nowhere to put your clothes or leave your shoes. There was one chair for the three showers outside the door to put things on. Yes, I DID say OUTSIDE the door. Now picture how interesting and cold this was as the chair was in an area with no door on it.
Okay … enough of my whining. Let’s just say we got out of that Caravan Park as soon as we possibly could to go and walk around the town only to discover that there is no definite actual town centre! The main street is the main highway.
Friends, the only redeeming feature about this town was the nice art gallery called Dogwood Crossing @ Miles.
We discovered the last redeeming feature was the park on the way out-of-town located along Dogwood Creek. We stayed and chatted to geese that were trying to take over the park, took photos and realised this was an interesting park with walkways and other features.
Feeling a little bit better about Miles, we hopped in our car and set off for Roma saying “Maybe Miles isn’t too bad after all!”
Now we are smiling again as we are camped happily at the Showground in Roma. I’ve also had a catch-up with a work colleague from the past who happened to be in Roma today and visited us for coffee and cake. Thanks Todd for visiting. It was great!
Happy days are here again …
Miles is a strange type of town. The main street is the highway and there is nothing much to see there really. Originally known as Dogwood Crossing!
The outside of the Art Gallery called Dogwood Crossing @ Miles
This interesting contraption in the Art Gallery it is made out of bits n bobs from the mines around the area and has sounds coming from it including bird noises. Very odd!
Just when we thought Miles was an awful place, we stopped for a cuppa just outside town and find this delightful spot on Dogwood Creek.
We were greeted by geese at Dogwood Creek!
This one looks rather healthy and tried to get food from us.
Hello all
Geoff and I were up early this morning dear friends, to take a walk around the small township of Goomeri. It was freezing overnight but I jumped up and put on some warm clothes, scarf and hat … plus my pedometer … so we could get moving before we changed our mind!
It was rather a lovely walk. It is amazing how different things appear when you are on foot! We had already driven through the town but as we walked, we appreciated it far more.
On the way back, we met an older gentleman walking his dog and we stopped to ask him a question about the railway. Ray proved to be such an interesting man that we lingered on the footpath in the sun and chatted to him about life and about his dog Lucy.
It is great what you learn about a place when you talk to the locals. Ray encouraged us to come back for the Pumpkin Festival at the end of May each year … a very big deal in Goomeri.
Therefore we left Goomeri with a heavy heart and kept travelling most of the day towards Miles where we are presently tucked up safely in Miles Caravan Park. If I look to my right as I type this post, I can see the sunset through the trees. It looks as if we are having a tin of Chilli Con Carne on toast for tea tonight as no butchers are open on Sunday in the country. It’s okay folks, I’ll steam up a few dead looking carrots I found in the fridge to go with them!
However, we did manage to find a Cafe/Bakery in Wondai that was open and serving decent coffee after three failed attempts. According to my pedometer, I must have walked 1000 steps trying to locate coffee dear friends! It was worth it in the end because the Bakery sold the nicest cakes and our choice of a chocolate eclair to share, was well worth the 1000 steps it took to find it!
Oh, by the way you could see the cooks making sausage rolls from scratch so we ordered two to take with us for lunch … a good choice because they were beautiful …
Oh well, now it’s time to go and ‘cook’ my chilli con carne … well, open the tin anyway. I will leave you with some more photos of the day so you can feel as if you are travelling with us.
Until tomorrow dear friends …
PS I had already walked my 10,000 steps for the day by 5 pm.
We stopped at Kilkivan to stretch our legs … a Heritage town.
The Antique Shop in Kilkivan was amazing. So many art d’objects we couldn’t take it all in.
One of the many delightful little shops at Goomeri as we walked this morning. It looked like a nice cafe but far too early to be open!
Ray and his dog Lucy which his children bought him to help him with his loneliness after his wife died.
The pink and white bus in Gommeri Showground where the caretaker lives. When we said we thought of going on to stay in Murgon, she was horrified. “Don’t even think about it” she said.
The Bakery at Wondai wowed us with its contents.
Hello all
We are presently tucked up in our camper van in the showgrounds of a small town called Goomeri, two hours west of Gympie. Finally, we have put our socialising behind us and left Hervey Bay much too late to drive anywhere too far today.
We visited both of Geoff’s sisters this morning to say farewell; we then proceeded to have lunch at Brenda and Raymond’s place (brother and wife). Both of them are amazing and were wonderful hosts to us for the three days we were there.
In fact, Brenda is as fit as can be and is Captain of her university library team in a world-wide fitness challenge. You wear a fitness pedometer to measure the amount of steps you take each day, the aim being to record at least 10,000 steps a day. http://www.walkingwithattitude.com/corporate
The individual steps are recorded online, stories can be written about the activities they are doing.It’s a whole heap of fun and guaranteed to get people moving.
Brenda insisted that I have one of her pedometers and told me to ‘get moving’. She then invited me to walk the dog with her, to bicycle with her and to swim in the bay as well. I said ‘No thank you very much’ but by the second day I was finding it hard to keep saying no. Perhaps guilt kicked in!
Therefore, Geoff and I got up early this morning to walk along the beach with both Raymond and Brenda plus the dog Jasper who simply adores walking every day with them. Then again, this is a dog who thinks life is one big adventure and is always wagging his tail!
We had such a good time that we decided we will try to walk every day when we can.
Will we live to regret it? Who knows, but I have to keep that pedometer ticking away don’t I? In fact, today I have walked 9555 steps … so close to 10,000 … I may just have to go outside in the freezing cold of Goomeri (pop 500) and jump up and down to reach my target!
Or else, I can get my PJs on, snuggle up under our two doonas (not one dear friends but TWO) and listen to my radio. Which do you think is best? Ha ha … I know what I am going to choose! However, by the time I walk to the toilet block a distance away I may just make it.
So now as I am about to head to bed very soon, I will leave you all with our pictures of our walk this morning. I will tell you more tomorrow about our visit to the little town of Kilkivan on the way to Goomeri today.
Geoff and I plan to be up at 7 am tomorrow to walk around the little town of Goomeri.
Until then dear friends, stay well and be kind to yourselves …
Setting out on our walk this morning at 7am. It was an overcast horrible day.
As we walked we spotted a ‘Shag’ (cormorant) on a rock flapping its wings.
Jasper (on right) made friends with a new dog very similar to himself. It was almost love at first sight!
A whole flock of cormorants appeared and hovered over the water diving and catching fish. Oh, there were plenty of arguments too!
The others were ahead and I took this photo of them between the branches of a tree.
We head home after a lovely walk. Time to go out and eat. Brenda and Raymond cycled to Enzo’s on the beach and Geoff and I got in the car and drove!!
Finally, breakfast of scrambled eggs and baked beans for me as we looked out at the miserable weather.
Hello all
… from here at Hervey Bay en route to Central Australia! A strange way to travel to the heart of our country I know, but we came to visit Geoff’s ill sister before we head out west.
It is lovely here and we are staying with my brother and his wife who live not far from the sea. Our caravan is parked out on the street while we sleep indoors … such a luxury! It’s a bit of time out before we head off on Saturday on the ‘real’ adventure; there will be no staying indoors when that happens.
I have been keeping a Travel Journal as I travel, so I will share a little of what I wrote about yesterday’s adventure.
Matilda the Giant Kangaroo
So now dear friends, as our day is coming to a close I will finish with some photos of the day spent doing all manner of nice things. We will leave Hervey Bay tomorrow to head out west. Visiting Geoff’s ill sister at home was good too as she is so much better than when we last saw her. Until then adieu …Thursday 24th July 2014
I love a new journal when I am setting out on an adventure! So here I am writing in my new Travel Journal as Geoff starts the long drive to Uluru via Hervey Bay.
There are fluffy white clouds in front of us as we drive along the highway and they look beautiful against the blue sky. It is a good omen for day one of our outback adventure.
The caravan was still hitched on behind us last time I looked! I think it might have been easier to have hitched the whole house onto the car as we’re brought so much stuff with us.
2pm
Back on the road after a lunch stop at a Service Station called ‘Matilda’ near Gympie (half-way to our first destination). I never realised before that this is the home of the famed Matilda the Kangaroo who made her entrance into our lives during the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane.Matilda winking at us
Who could ever forget that moment in time when the giant paper mache kangaroo turned her head and winked for the first time at all the crowds in the stands. A lovely surprise and typical of Aussie humour so we all loved it.
Today as I sat eating my lunch on the balcony overlooking the giant kangaroo – now 32 years old – I got the surprise of my life when Matilda winked directly at ME as she turned her head. That big giant eye made a ‘clicking’ noise and shut for about five seconds before turning her head to the other side and winking again. I had not expected this to happen. I thought poor old Matilda had been put out to pasture by now … but not so. What made this special today was the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Glasgow had been beamed live on our TV sets at 3am this morning. How amazing was that? Co-incidence you might ask? I think not … some of us think there is no such things as co-incidences!
Geoff and I after having breakfast at Enzos on the beach at Scarness
Having lunch with Geoff’s sister Shirley
Taking the dog for a walk with Brenda this afternoon at Pt Vernon.
Watching the sunset over Gataker’s Bay whilst drinking champagne
Life with Tess 