Blog 17 - 17th to 22nd August 2013

Saturday 17th August - we left Timber Creek and our grassy campsite, stopping just out of town at the lookout back along the ranges.

We then continued west towards the WA border, where we started seeing lots of "BOB" trees (boab).

The intention was to divert to Keep River National Park just 3km's from the NT/WA border. Along a fairly corrugated road for 33km's into the campsite at Jarnem.

Again, another very hot day, and it was too hot to do anything other than change the tyre that got a small hole in it as we drove into camp. Back to a dirt campground again - we had been spoilt the last night.

Sunday - woke up early to go for a walk, but after we had breakfast and tidied up, we didn't start off until 7.30am. Chose to do the Nigli walk which was 5.2km's along the edge of the mountain range and along the rock gorges. Very similar to what the Bungles looks like, but a lot smaller.

Made it to the end, and then turned back towards camp, this time facing into the sun - by the time we had got back at 10am it was already 32 degrees and sure to get hotter. Packed the camper up, and decided to make our way back to the other campsite - Garrandalng - to do another walk before it got too hot. While this was only 2km's in a loop, the views were amazing, with the scenery changing every few hundred metres.

Just spectacular. Back to the Triton, and we crossed the border into WA, after handing over all of our fruit and veges at the quarantine station.

Another 9km's up the road, and we turn left towards Lake Argyle, which is 35km's into the ranges.

A great caravan park, again with lovely grass, some shade, and the best pool you could imagine - an infiniti pool overlooking the lake with the mountains in the background - absolutely lovely.

Had dinner at the resort - roast night - and a couple of drinks before the entertainers come on later.

Monday - another early morning as the sun rises at about 5.30am. After breakfast, we drive down to the Durack homestead,

which has been relocated piece-by-piece from where it once stood in the centre of the lake - rather than simply flood it when the lake was created, they decided to move it and preserve the history. Had a chat to the caretakers and got some great photos of the birds who came in for some water and food under the trees.

From here we went to the dam wall and lookout, and then down the road below the dam to have a look at the picnic area. Back to the park for another swim and lunch, before joining the bus for the sunset cruise on the lake. The lake is 15 times the size of Sydney Harbour, and at some points you cannot see land around the entire 360 degrees. There is supposed to be up to 30,000 freshwater crocs in the lake - we only saw a couple.

The water temp was very warm - about 26 degrees - and we went for a swim at about 3.30pm and then again after the sun had set, with the captain letting us jump off the roof of the boat into the water - lots of fun.

The view over the mountains from the water when the sun was going down was majestic. Then there was some nibblies and a few drinks before making our way back to shore for the short trip back to the park.

Very highly recommended, and if ever you are in this part of WA, make sure you visit this area and take the sunset cruise.

Tuesday - left the lake after an early morning swim in the pool, and drove to Kununurra for a major re-stock of supplies. Stopped at the info centre, getting brochures etc for the Bungles and the helicopter flights, as well as our parks pass for 12 months. The last 5 months had taken their toll on the springs under the camper, so I decided to replace them to give us a bit more lift and clearance. Found some that looked like they would do the job, and then went shopping - a big shop it was, with the bill nearly $400 without alcohol!!!! Too hot in the afternoon to fit the springs, so sat in the shade until the sun set.

Wednesday - up early to try to beat the heat and get the springs fitted. After a couple of hours, job all done, and it was time to explore the town. First up was the Artopia gallery to see some local artists work, and also the 16 x 2 metre Bungles artwork that spanned an entire wall - inspiring piece. Then across the diversion dam, a quick stop at swim beach, and then the Kellys Knob lookout for a view over the town. An early dinner, and then back to the gallery for a light and sound show, with the backdrop being the massive Bungles painting - went thru all seasons, showing the impact of fire, rain, floods, and the dry simply by changing the lights accompanied by sounds of the area - very impressive. Spent some time chatting to the gallery owner, and then back to camp.

Thursday - up early and packed ready to head to the Bungles. After a quick fuel refill, I poked my head under the trailer for a quick look to make sure all OK - it wasn't!!!! The springs had sagged even more than the old ones, and were now resting on the chassis - no departure for us today. The guy at the trailer spares place booked us in for tomorrow morning at 7.00am to fix it all up. I spent the day trying to work out how best to fix it and also trying to re-shuffle our gear so that the trailer was a bit lighter. The fuel tank that I fitted under the trailer has been junked to save some weight - will see if that makes a difference.

More updates to come soon - hopefully no more dramas - this trailer is creating some issues for us. But once all fixed, we have 4 nights booked at the Bungle Bungle ranges, and will then head to Halls Creek, a quick trip down to Wolfe Creek meteorite crater, and then back north to Kununurra along Duncan Road.

Stay tuned

Di and Hammo

Blog 16 - 7th to 16th August 2013

Wednesday 7th August - another day in Burketown, with not much to do but wait for our parts to arrive on the road train from Townsville. Had dinner with our new friends from the caravan park - Charlie and Wendy, and Neil, Kristie, Kaydee and Bailey - the fish we had caught the day before was more than enough to feed all 8 of us with some left over.

Thursday - another day in Burketown, with not much going on, but at least the parts had been loaded on the truck and were on their way.

Friday - went for a walk early around town, and then waited for the truck to arrive. In the meantime, we dragged the camper from the holding yard across to the mechanics and they started to dismantle the old axle and springs, and then once the truck arrived, it was all systems go to get all the new bits fitted, connect the brakes and we were on our way around to the caravan park for our final night in Burketown. Spent the evening with our new friends Charlie and Wendy chatting the night away, solving all the world's problems.

Saturday - time to continue our trip. Drove west to Doomadgee, arriving at the supermarket just in time before closing to stock up on a few things we were running low on. Then continued west, arriving at Hells Gate roadhouse mid-afternoon to set-up camp. This was the last stop before crossing into the NT tomorrow. We had spent 17 weeks travelling around QLD, with 3 weeks spent waiting for repairs to be done to the trailer. An amazing place to explore, and we still missed lots of things.

Sunday - crossed over into NT mid-morning,

and then continued along the Savannah Way, crossing the Foelsche River where we had lunch with a lovely couple from SA with a cute puppy. Stopped in at Boorooloola for a re-fuel, and then north towards the coast to spend the night at King Ash Bay fishing club campsite.

Met some lovely oldies who come here every year for several months to go fishing and escape the winter down south. They even gave us some fresh fish they had caught that day - very nice, and would be dinner the next night. Went up to the bistro and bar for dinner - $16 for a roast chicken and vegies (big meal). Bought some tickets in the raffle and won ourselves $20.

Monday - left early, back through Boorooloola and then towards Cape Crawford. On the way, we passed a sign for the Caranbirini Conservation Reserve, so decided to stop in and have a look. What an awesome place this turned out to be - very much like the Bungle Bungles in WA, and also a bit like the Lost City near Lithgow but heaps bigger and more spectacular.

Spent about 2 hours doing the 2km walk, and taking lots of photos. Back in the Triton and heading west, we finally arrive at Cape Crawford and book in at the Heartbreak Hotel caravan park for the night. After a swim in the pool (damn cold), and then dinner, we make our way across to the bar for the entertainer - he was very good and a real character.

Tuesday - due to the time we had lost in Burketown with the trailer, we had decided to race west across the NT, and postpone the top end (Kakadu, Darwin and Litchfield) until we return next year. So we continued westward, seeing lots of the same scenery between last nights camp at Cape Crawford and tonights spot at Daly Waters.

Camped in behind the pub, booked our dinner of barra and beef, and had a quick walk around town before happy hour started. The entertainment started at about 5.30 and continued through the night until a bit after 9.00, with 2 guys singing, telling stories, and some bush poetry - a great night, and the food was yummy.

Wednesday - after a quick chat to Amy and James, and making sure they were all good with the dramas they were having, we decided the dirt road across the Buchanan highway was a better option than the tar via Katherine. A bit south, before turning west again for 182km's of good dirt road, arriving in Top Springs for a late lunch. The caravan park looked a bit feral, so we continued our trip, which was another 220km's to the Victoria highway near Timber Creek. We knew we wouldn't make it that far, as the road was nowhere near as good as the mornings and it was a lot slower going. We finally arrived at Jasper Gorge about 4.30pm and set-up camp in a free spot by a waterhole.

Thursday - on leaving our campsite, we were stunned at the beauty of Jasper Gorge, and this continued for about 20km's with cliff walls both sides of us, and stunning landscapes, with vibrant colours contrasting with the dirt and dust.

At a junction in the track, we could turn left and travel 21km's along a 4WD track that would take 3 hours, or continue up to the highway, along for 14km's and then back down for 35km's to end up at the same spot - we chose the longer route, but it would be quicker. This took us into Gregory National Park, and we camped near the Bullita homestead,

which was an old cattle property. Damned hot and lots of flies - and there was this sign along the river bank.

Sick of seeing these signs, and now they are all over the NT as well - maybe WA would be better for swimming.

Friday - packed early and drove to Limestone Gorge to go for a walk. The lookout was only 600 metres away, with great views over the valley with the gorge at the end.

Then we did the walk into the gorge, which was very rocky - and the sun was beating down on us. Back to the car, and we drove back out to the Victoria highway, turning left and arriving in Timber Creek after 10km's. Booked into the caravan park in town, and for the first time in weeks, we were finally able to walk around on grass instead of dirt and dust - what a thrill. Had a nice relaxing swim in the pool after doing the washing. Someone said that Timber Creek is the hottest place in the NT due to the surrounding rocky escarpments that trap the heat like an oven - was certainly like that today.

Tomorrow we are heading for Keep River NP to do a few walks, and then across into WA where we will visit Lake Argyle and do the sunset boat tour. Then to Kunnanurra for a re-stock of the pantry and supplies.

More to come soon

Di and Hammo

Blog 15 - 23rd July to 6th August 2013

Tuesday 23rd July - Woke up to another windy and cold day in Mt Isa. Went to the info centre, and then did a few things in town, including moving a car for Troy. Had a chat to our neighbours, and then went up to the lookout over the mine at sunset - very impressive, and a nice sign showing distances to all places in the world.

Went to the Buff Club (not a strip club) for drinks and dinner.

Wednesday - Matt's birthday today. Today we leave Mt Isa and head towards Lawn Hill NP. This is a place I have been wanting to take Di for many years. After driving west towards Cammoweal, we turn north back towards the Gulf. After some bitumen and lots of dirt, we turn towards Riversleigh station for the short-cut into Lawn Hill. We arrive at camp at about 2.00pm and set-up, having just missed James and Amy who have headed off for a walk. We decided to do a walk too, heading down river for the Cascades walk.

A very pretty area amongst the palm trees. Back at camp, we all catch-up and prepare to explore this place for the next 3 days.

Thursday - up early to complete the Island Stack walk in the cool of the morning. A short walk out to the start, then a couple of hundred metres up the cliff face,

and then a 1.7km walk around the top of the plateau with views of the gorge below,

and the surrounding plains in the distance - very impressive and some really nice photos.

Back to camp for a relaxed lunch, before heading down to the canoe hire place for 2.00pm to do a paddle up the gorge and back. We decided it would be good to hire them at this time, as our 2 hours hire covered us until the man went home at 4.00pm so we could keep the paddles and canoes until morning, and go for a bit longer.

The paddle up the gorge was spectacular, with the sun shining on the southern walls, and the crystal clear water passing by underneath our paddles.

At the half-way point, we jumped out, and dragged the canoes around the waterfalls,

and then continued our journey upstream. It became very narrow in 1 place, and we needed to paddle quite hard against the current to get through, but it was worth it as it opened up again into a big area with some small waterfalls at the end that cascaded off the surrounding banks.

Time to turn around

 

and head back to the first falls for a swim with the fishes.

After swimming across to get under the cascading water, we dried off in the sun, and then continued our return journey back to camp, arriving just after 5.00pm feeling exhausted but exhilerated. A relaxing night.

Friday - todays walk was the Wild Dog Dreaming walk,

to see some Aboriginal art on the rock walls, and then continue on to where the rivers meet. Amy got scared senseless by a wild pig asleep on the track that woke just as she walked towards it - cue "BIG SCREAM". Back to camp again for lunch, and some minor trailer repairs to the suspension, where a nut had fallen off, but on closer inspection, most of the bolts and plates on the left side had worn badly. A quick ask of the NP Ranger, and we were looking for spares in his shed. All fixed after a few hours, with the spring now siting in its normal position and everything tight again. Michelle and Jeff, who we had met earlier at Boulia joined us and we chatted late into the night.

Saturday - a short drive south to the Riversleigh D fossil site where we saw lots of bones from extinct animals captured in the rocks. Then down to the Gregory River crossing for a quick look and some photos,

before back to camp for lunch and a relaxing afternoon. Late afternoon we headed off on the Constance Range walk, to capture the sunset from the top and to have a look over the surrounding area. It was tough walking to the top, but well worth it once there, with views for miles, and also back along the gorge and surrounding cliff faces.

The girls took lots of photos while the sun dropped behind the horizon, whilst James and I simply enjoyed the view.

A dark walk back to camp, some dinner, and then fronted on Michelle and Jeff's campsite for drinks and a chat.

Sunday - time to leave this magic place, but not before a final swim in the river - it was lovely and a great relaxing cool-off. A quick stop in at Adel's Grove for fuel, before continuing north towards Kingfisher Camp. We were making good time, and would probably be there before lunch. Alas, my plans were to go very awry........
It felt like the brakes on the trailer had locked on, so I pulled ot the side of the road for a quick look. I was certainly not expecting there to be flames coming from the centre of the hub!!!!!

After extinguishing these, it was time to determine what to do. A 50 minute call on the satellite phone determined that a tow truck was too far away, and it would be best to simply get the guys from Bowthorn Station, about 2kms up the road to assist us. It was their day off, but the manager Mick was only happy to lend a hand. His comment of "I'll be back in half an hour luv"to his wife as he walked out the door - boy, oh boy, was he wrong. With the build-up of heat, the bearing, washer and nut had all welded themselves to the axle. Not long after, Mick's 2IC from the station, Jake came along, and with their help, managed to remove the nut but nothing else. It was decided to limp the trailer into the station, and work on it in the shed where some more tools were available. At 6.30pm, we gave up and set camp, with Mick making a call to Brad from Kingfisher to come in the morning and lend a hand. The guys from the station had been a massive help to us, and even allowed us to use the facilities in their house while we stayed the night out by the shed. They also allowed us to plug into power to keep the fridges running.

Monday - a very early morning, to make sure we were up with the guys from the station and ready to go. Brad arrived at about 9.00am, and he worked for several hours, first using the oxy torch to cut the bearing off, and then the welder to repair the axle and hub, before fitting up new bearings and wishing us well on our way - we were planning to meet him that afternoon back at Kingfisher Camp. Heading off slowly, we got 5km's out of the station before the brakes came on again, and the side mirror revealed that the bearing had collapsed again, and the wheel had nearly fallen off - lots of swearing from me !@#$%^.

Now we were really screwed, and would need a tow to the closest town. James and I went back to the station to call NRMA, and after several hours, with the girls back at the camper on the side of the track in the middle of nowhere, we were told that someone might be able to come out to rescue us on Wednesday, but they would need to provide a quote before it could be booked in. If it was more than $4,000, we would need to pay the difference. If you don't already have it, GET NRMA PREMIUM CARE if you are travelling - it is a MUST. Camped back at the station again wondering how long we might be here. We all spent a LOT of time talking to and patting the station dog, Stumples.

Tuesday - more phone calls to NRMA, some phone calls to mechanics in Burketown, and then James and I get to working out how to keep the wheel on the axle so it can be dragged onto a tilt-tray truck. Between us we design and fabricate a sandwich plate to hold the bearings in the hub, and also the hub to the axle - won't get us far, but should do the job.

Still waiting for a quote for the tow, but it has been confirmed he is coming tomorrow, so James and Amy depart to continue their holidays. A massive thanks to both of them for their help, support, and for keeping us sane through a very trying couple of days. Got a call from NRMA at about 3.00pm that the tow will cost $2,530 to get us back to Burketown and that NRMA will pick-up the cost - YAY. Set-up the tent at the station and hope that tomorrow will be a betetr day.

Wednesday - we were told that the tilt-tray should be there about mid-morning, so we wait patiently as the few vehicles go past. He finally arrives at 12.30pm, and we head out to the disaster site. But he is not in a tilt-tray truck - he has got a LandCruiser ute with a dual axle car trailer on the back, which will make it much harder to secure our trailer. After nearly 2 hours to get it on the trailer and strapped down,

we begin our journey towards Burketown. Got into town about 5.30pm and straight to the caravan park to set-up camp in our small tent, and then around to the tow yard to make sure everything is good to go tomorrow.

Thursday - arrive at the mechanics at 8.30am to assist with taking it off the trailer, and working out a plan. I spend some time with Di measuring underneath the trailer to confirm nothing structurally is bent, and then start investigating where to get a new axle, brakes, hubs etc. The more calls I made, the more I realised it would have to be made specially for us, and would take up to 2 weeks.

Friday - more calls to suppliers in Townsville, with a supply truck coming up to Burketown twice a week. Finally got onto Noel from Eclipse Trailers who knew what we were after, and within a few hours had rung back with lots of answers, but with the axle still needing to be made in Brisbane and freighted up. Placed the order, and he pulled a few strings to get the order rushed through to be finished by Monday. Spent some time chatting with our neighbours at the caravan park.

Saturday - went for a morning walk, and saw ALL of the town in about 30 minutes. It was going to be a very boring week or 2. Found some hawks and an owl just across the road.

Spent some time checking under the car for anything loose. In the afternoon, we decided to play tourist in Burketown and see the sights. We saw the Boiling Down Works (fat rendering plant), the Landsborough tree, the boat ramp, the hot water bore, and the Albert River bridge. We had now seen almost everything there is to do in town - should have spread it out a bit more. Chatted with our new neighbours again that night.

Sunday - went for another morning walk, then breakfast. Decided a drive back east to Leichhardt Falls would be a nice distraction for a few hours, and it was only 71km's away. Spent an hour or 2 looking around, but still didn't see a croc.

Back for lunch, and more chatting to the big group from Sydney who had arrived the day before.

Monday - another day in Burketown - not much to do when you have seen everything. A quick walk to the bakery, and then to the seafood shop, where we got a nice big piece of king salmon for dinner - yummo, with a sprinkle of cajun seasoning on the bbq. More talking to the neighbours, and several drinks around the torch-light fire.

Tuesday - another day in Burketown. Got some things from the trailer, met some new neighbours and solved all the world's problems, and then read for a while before cooking dinner. Can you tell we are getting a bit bored???? Hopefully the new axle arrived in Townsville today, and will be loaded onto the truck up here soon. Should only take a few hours to fit it up, and then we can be on our way to the NT finally.

More to come soon - hopefully we are back on the road soon - don't plan a long holiday in Burketown anytime soon.

Di and Hammo