Corella Dam.

29th July 2015

Corella Dam, Clem Walton Park 67 km east of Mt.Isa.

Only travelled 330 km today.  Bought diesel @$134.9, petrol for the generator & gas for hot water and cooking in Mt. Isa.

Also had lunch and shopped to stock up for Leichardt's Lagoon camp.

We stayed at this dam 2 years ago.  It was built as a water supply for the now Mary Kathleen uranium mine.

I forgot to mention last night that yesterday we travelled a 73 km straight stretch of road before and after Barkly Homestead roadhouse. Boring!

Next email sometime.

Regards,

Des & Bev.

Avon Downs NT

Tuesday 28th July 2015

AVON DOWNS Police Station rest area.

Will have to do a quick catch up tonight to beat the battery.  The last email that I prepared was at Daly Waters Historic Pub, but the email got lost somewhere.  It was showing as being in the OUTBOX but could not be found!

From Matherson RA we went to Katherine & washed the MH for $14.00, bought fuel and moved on to Daly Waters HP, where there must have been about 100 others camped.  The old pub is really rocking these days with great meals & entertainment at night.

Yesterday we pushed against the wind nearly all day and decided to camp at Banka Banka station at 1.30 pm.  Cost $20 and really good showers and toilets.  No phone signal.  Had bought $20 worth of fuel @ $1.85/ ltr at Renner Springs to make sure that we got to The 3 Ways where we filled up this morning @ $1.75/ ltr.  This should get us to Mt. Isa if the wind is kind to us tomorrow. We are about 54km west of the Qld. border and not far from Camoweel (?) which is 200 km west of MI.

After we shop etc. in MI we will probably go on to stay at Corella Dam, where there will also be no phone signal.

So will put this into the OUTBOX now and hope that we can get it away tomorrow somewhere.

Best regards from Des & Bev. 

Catch up

Saturday 26th July 2015

MATHERSON Rest Area, 10km West of Katherine, NT.

Thursday,s Ord River Boat Cruise was a nice experience.  We were picked up at 11.30 am and taken to the boat which was equipped with 2 350 hp V8 Honda outboard engines.

These soon has us ripping along at 50 to 55 kph up the river for 55 km.  Had a few stops along the way to have a look at the birdlife, crocodiles, points of interest etc.  The last few ks before the dam wall was exciting as the water was running much faster and shallower, with some slip sliding going on.  Most of the journey back to Kununurra was more leisurely and we pulled into a hidden grotto for a nice afternoon tea. Occasionally we met up with another Triple J boat and had a bit of a drag race for the last 20km back to Lake Kununurra to watch the sunset just after 5.00pm.

Friday we went to the Hootchery, the longest legal still in WA continuously operating to have rum cake with rum cream, and coffee for morning tea.  In that area we also visited the Sandlewood factory. TSF and bought some products.  From there we went o The Rock Art Gallery where we met Colin from Condobolin, who we had met out there in 2009.

He let up pick our own 1kg. bag of Zebra rock offcuts.  We then had mango cheese cake and mango smoothie for afternoon tea.

Looks like battery getting low so will finish and sent tomorrow,

Des & Bev

Kununurra WA

Wednesday 22nd July 2015

Kununurra WA

Left Willie Creek on Monday morning for a long driving day. (416 km).

Drove 45 km in & 45 out to Derby to have a Barra burger @ $17.00 each for lunch. Did not need much for tea that night though.

Camped Monday night at a big roadside camp, Ellendale, where there were about 28 caravans & motorhomes etc.

Next day we travelled on to Fitzroy Crossing for fuel, water, and booked a 55 km boat tour on the Ord River at Kununurra for Thursday. (tomorrow).

Also booked a caravan park for 3 nights.  At the information centre we met Mitchell Mansel form Taree working there.  He is the son of Mick Mansel who is also living at Fitzroy crossing.

Camped at Mary Pool, 275 km East of Fitzroy Crossing,108 km west of Halls Creek for the night with about 55 other campers.  It is a large area where we have previously stayed.

At Halls Creek the Coles Shell Express servo had no diesel, but luckily the Caltex had received fuel overnight.  There was a big bank up of cars, caravans, motorhomes & camper trailers in Halls Creek!  We decided to drive 392 km to Dunham River to camp last night leaving only 105 to Kununurra this morning.

We went to the Zebra Rock gallery & workshop on the way in this morning where we bought some unpolished rock to take home.

At Derby we bought another carved Boab nut from Robbie Johnstone, a local artist.  Much cheaper than in the information centre!!

That's all the news for now from Des & Bev.

Saturday 18th July 2015

 

Hi from Willie Creek Pearl farm, near Broome WA..

 

We arrived in Broom around 11.00 am yesterday.  Immediately bought fuel as we had travelled from Port Hedland on a tank full.

Had pushed some headwind on the way up, but could probably have been able to go another 100 k,s.

Did some shopping, had lunch, then drove to Willie Creek Pearl farm, ( http://www.williecreekpearls.com.au }about 32 km from Broome along the Cape Leveque  road, and others.

There we had a tour telling us all about the process of growing & harvesting the pearls from the oysters.  Following an afternoon lunch provided by 2 hour tour we had a 20 minute helicopter flight over the area & saw 2 whales.  The chopper was a bit bigger than the Robin 22 at Indee.

 

After our evening meal Bev started to feel Squamish and eventually threw up during the night.  She did not feel like travelling today so we have stayed put.  Maybe just as well as she has been going at “the other end” today, and sleeping.  It is lovely day here and I have been able to watch the tide come in and go out from our door step.

We will probably be OK to move on again tomorrow.

Thursday 16th July 2015.  Barn Hill WA

Since my last email from Indee station on 26th June, we have been very busy.

Everything has been a buzz at Indee with lots of tourists coming in to stay for 1 to 3 nights. 

Sadly, we left Indee on Monday morning and met up with friends from Qld. in Port Hedland and stayed 2 nights at the free camp site provide by the council

On our way up the Great Northern Hwy. from Indee we spotted Miffy in her helicopter mustering the cattle, so we gave here a call on the CB to say cheerio.  She got a bit of a surprise I think.

On Tuesday morning, after being told by us & others about the Port cruise, Andrew & Isabelle, decided to book on the 1.30 pm cruise.  We hitched a ride into town with them to The Seafarers Centre where they were to pay & pick their tickets.  I bought a DVD that runs for 90 minutes for $19.95.  Alan, the head Chaplain asked if we were also going on the cruise and I sad “no” that we had brought people in from Indee a couple of weeks back and had taken the tour, and that we had only brought Andrew & Isabelle  in for today’s tour.  He asked if we would like to go again complementary. So off we went again.  I think we had a better trip this time as it was a smaller vessel with a flying bridge and could manoeuvre in closer between the stern of one ore carrier and the bow of the next.  This really allowed you to see the width of the ship, some up to 60 mtr. wide.  The port expects to set a new record this year by exporting 500 BILLION tons of iron ore. (That’s a lot of Mazdas!)

After leaving Port Hedland yesterday, we camped at Sandfire Roadhouse, and am now at Barn Hill for the night.

I have probably left a lot out by now, so cheerio for today.

Regards from Des & Bev.