Sunday 28th July – Alice Springs

Karen and Mark were keen to go bird watching at the sewerage treatment works (or the “poo ponds” as they are usually called) so we tagged along only to find that the gates were locked because they were doing a reduction burn in the area.  Did manage to see a black swan and quite a few other water birds but not the ones we were looking for.

Instead we headed off to town to do some shopping while Mark and Karen went off to the airport to get Denise who had been in Melbourne.  Went to Bunning’s (only just opened in Alice Springs) to buy a few bits and pieces and also found a small market where Jill supported the local economy.  Back to Denise’s for lunch.  Mark and I put up some shelves for Denise while the ‘girls’ went off shopping for dinner.  A pasta dinner with John (Denise’s house mate) and a friend Maia.

Port Lincoln Parrot in Denise's backyard

Monday 29th July – Alice Springs

When we were out at the “poo ponds” yesterday we were told about the sighting of an Asian bird that had never been seen in Australia until the last few weeks, an Asian Forest Wagtail.  It had been sighted in Will’s backyard and he invited us around to see if we could see it.  Consequently, this morning at 8:15 we were off to Will’s for bird watching.  We were not there long before the bird appeared and put on quite a performance for us strutting up and down across the yard.  Apparently we were the 103^rd, 104^th, 105^th and 106^th person to see it.

Asian Forest Wagtail

We then went shopping, first to Todd Mall to see if we could get some t shirts for Nate and Christopher.  Weren’t 100% happy with what we saw but will go back tomorrow if we don’t see anything better.  While there we had a look at Mbantua Gallery – some beautiful works.  Also purchased a few bits and pieces for the camper and called into ARB to see if they could reset the Tyredogs which stopped working some time ago.  No luck, will have to send the unit back to them.

Went to Maccas for lunch hoping to use their free wifi to get a few things done.  No luck there either.  It was very difficult to get on and very slow once on.  Looks like will be using the phone connection instead.

Back to Denise’s via Bunning’s where we picked up a new catch for her back screen door.  Fixed that in the afternoon and basically lazed around until after dinner when we went to the Desert Park for their nocturnal tour.

The tour is through a large secure enclosure (to keep out the feral animals) and the guide had a red spotlight to spot the animals while they were out and about.  It was a great experience.  Saw lots of Stick Nest Rats a number of Mala (Rufous Hare-Wallaby) and also Brush-tailed and Burrowing Bettong, one Southern Brown Bandicoot (much smaller than ours) and three Short-Beaked Echidna.  It would have been nice to see a Bilby but no luck on this occasion.  The guides were excellent and it was a thrill to see these animals doing what they do in their natural environment.

Mala

Short-Beaked Echidna

Brush-tailed Bettong

Tuesday 30th July 2013 – Alice Springs

A fairly lazy day today!

At breakfast Denise mentioned that there was a leak in the toilet that we might be able to fix.  Found that a seal was the problem but also found that the tap was not working.  A quick trip down to Bunning’s for a few bits and pieces saw that rectified.

Jill did a bit of gardening then about 11 am we decided that it was time we did something so dropped Jill off at Woolworths and went back to Beaurepairs to get out tyre fixed.  Straight forward repair - $30 thank you very much.

Helped Jill with the rest of the shopping, revisited Todd Mall to have a look at Lazy Lizard Gallery and buy T shirts, and filled up with fuel ready for the trip up the Sandover Highway (so called) tomorrow towards Mount Isa.  Seeing we still have a little time up our sleave, before getting home  next Wednesday, we have decided to go home via Mount Isa to visit Jill’s nephew Jem, his partner Nat and family who have recently moved up there.

Back to Denise’s to do some of the pack up, filled up with water etc before going to visit Jill’s cousin, Barry and wife Kathy for dinner.  Was lovely to catch up and swap stories.

Wednesday 31st July 2013 – Alice Springs to Sandover

Packed up and headed off about 10am after a visit to the car wash to wash a bit of the mud and dust off the camper.  Not sure if I mentioned that we washed the car a couple of days ago.  Also filled the jerry can with diesel.  On the bitumen up the Stuart Highway and the 27km along the Plenty Highway until the turnoff onto the Sandover.  Called into a parking bay to take a photo crossing the Tropic of Capricorn on the way. 

Tropic of Capricorn

Leaving the Stuart Highway

The beginning of the Sandover

Took a bit of air out of the tyres and hit the dirt.  The highway is in pretty good condition.  Not too many corrugations and the only thing slowing us down are quite a few patches of fairly soft sand.  Getting along about 80kph.  By lunch time we had reached the Arlparra Community where we intended to take on a bit more fuel.  The only trouble was they closed for lunch didn’t they?  We obviously weren’t going to buy our lunch at the stall so we parked across the road and raided our fridge.  By the time we had eaten the store was open so we took on some fuel and bought an ice-cream/icy pole and set off once again.

Travelling the Sandover

We started looking for a camp spot about 4:30 but the countryside at that stage was pretty bare and there were no spots to pull off.  Eventually about 5:30 we passed trough and area of a bit more vegetation and found a spot to camp.  A very quite spot with no passing traffic except for one car travelling through about 9pm at night.

Thursday 1st August 2013 – Sandover to Mount Isa

Still no other traffic until we were well up the road.  The road travelling through very open country now often with very little vegetation.

Called into Alpurrurulam with the intention of buying an ice pole about 11am.  The community was not very inviting and when we had trouble finding the store we decided to press on.  Passed Lake Nash Station near the Queensland border.  By this stage the Sandover Highway had petered out and we were on station tracks trough to the Barkley Highway just out of Mount Isa.  The first section after the border was the worst section of the trip with numerous washouts (and sections which had been chopped up in the wet) and various sections of soft sand/bulldust.

The countryside through here is very dry and we passed a number of windmills and tanks where cattle were congregating.  Not a lot for the poor things to eat.

Very dry after the Queensland border

Pulled off the side of the road for lunch and soon after discovered Matador Dam (on Barkley Downs Station and on Gum Creek),  Amazing to find a dam of this size on a station.  Lots of ducks and some black swans and pelicans. While we were stopped on the dam wall for a photo shoot a station vehicle came by.  Had a quick chat to the driver who has land near Casino so could fill us in how much rain we have had at home.  It’s a small world!!

And then we find this oasis at Matador Dam

Arrived at Jem and Nat’s about 4pm and found them out in the front yard having a picnic.  Set up the camper in their front yard.  Isaac and Hunter thought it looked like a pretty good cubby!  They were also very happy to have someone else to play with – roll them the ball etc.  The boys were a bit confused to start with Jill looking a lot like Nanny Wendy and she got called Nanny regularly during our stay.  Baby Hunter didn’t miss out on a cuddle either.

Dinner tonight was a delicious chicken stir-fry cooked by Jem.

Friday 2nd August 2013 – Mount Isa

Up at 6:15 this morning (still dark) to take Jem to work at 6:30.  Usually Nat has to bundle the three boys into the car to do that.  Mind you Nat has already been to the Gym and back.  That's what you call dedication!!

A fairly lazy morning before taking the car to Toyota soon after twelve for its 30,000 km service.  We will have travelled about 20,000 km by the time we get home.  Had lunch at the Isa Hotel after having a wander around the streets and very nice it was too.  A bit more f a wander and then a coffee frappe at Coffee Club while we waited for Nat to pick up Jill and go and pick up Isaac from preschool.

Service was straight forward although the back door is still hard to open.  They tried to tell me that it was caused by all the ‘stuff’ in the back pressing against the back door.  Funny that they managed to fix it at the last service.  In my opinion (and experience) Prado rear door locks just do not like dust and we’ve had plenty of that.

Takeaway Chinese food from the Red Lantern for dinner tonight.

Pretending to be Nanna

Saturday 3rd August 2013 – Mount Isa

Thought we would go to the Market this morning as we saw a sign next to the Council building saying the market was on every Saturday morning.  Not anymore!!!!  We went to the information centre and they said that it fizzled out but there was one on tomorrow at the Overlander – 1^st and 3^rd Sundays.  As it is on from 10am that will be a bit late for us.  We need to be on the road by then.

Nat went off to do some shopping.  Jem is working again.  Apparently he gets some Saturdays off but not today.

Went for a drive up to the lookout over the city for a bit of a look around.

From the Lookout in Mount Isa

Jem and Nat cooked Spring Rolls for dinner – Yum.

Sunday 4th August 2013 – Mount Isa to Longreach

Packed up, waved goodbye and hit the road for home.  The drive out of Mount Isa is quite interesting but this soon gave way to very flat and very dry country. 

 Quite a few emus along the way.

Stopped briefly at Cloncurry and lunch by the roadside.

Had intended to camp the night at Long Waterhole near Winton but were travelling pretty well so decided to push on to Lilly Lagoon out of Longreach.  We changed our mind on that one at about 5pm when the kangaroos on the road became a bit of a problem.  Ended up camping at a rest side stop about 30km from Longreach.  Plenty of room and places to get off the road.

Monday 5th August 2013 – Longreach to Augathella

Called in to Longreach to fuel up and then back on the road.  At Ilfracombe we decided on a slightly different route.  Instead of the usual route east to Barcaldine and then south to Blackall we decided to head south to Isisford (because we had never been there) and then east to Blackall finishing up at a campsite on the river at Augathella.

More Emus

At Isisford we called into the Interpretive Centre for Isisfordia duncani.  This ‘cute’ little fellow lived around Isisford 98 million years ago and is the evolutionary ancestor of all the crocodilians that live on earth today.  His fossil was found at Isisford and there are replicas of both the fossil and what he might have looked like at the centre.  In actual fact he looks quite a bit like a small ‘freshie’.  

Isisfordia duncani

While we were there we decided to have lunch – fish and salad.  It was a nice spot.

Back on the road we called in to the Artesian Spa Pool at Blackall for a nice soak.  Surprisingly the whole pool was warm.  Don’t remember that being the case in other visits.

Arrived at Augathella just on dusk and sett up in the ‘freebie’ on the riverbank.  It’s amazing how a lot of these western Queensland towns are encouraging the ‘grey nomad’ travellers with free camp spots.  We thought we would support the town and buy dinner but on our way in couldn’t see any options on our drive in so had to cook our own.

Tuesday 6th August 2013 – Augathella to Chinchilla

Set off without breakfast.  We were looking forward to having at Lemon Pie in Mitchell (picking up where we were on the 30^th April).  BUT it was closed.  Had a sign on the window saying it would be closed from the 3^rd to 8^th August – bad timing.  Ended up with a very basic bacon and eggs before having a lovely soak in Mitchell’s artesian spa pool.  It’s a bit classier than Blackall (and at $6 as opposed to $2 would need to be) and the water is hotter and the cold pool was freezing – nice after the hot pool.

Mitchell Artesian Spa Pool

As we hadn’t had a coffee yet, and no opportunity for a soy milk coffee in Mitchell we called into McDonald’s at Roma for a coffee.  Well Jill had a frappe but she wasn’t impressed and she had a headache.  Called into the supermarket for some drugs and also called into the Woolworths Servo for fuel.  One diesel pump was out of action and there was a line up a million miles long so decided we would get fuel a bit later.

Stopped at a rest stop at Wallumbilla for a late lunch and then on the Chinchilla Weir (9km south of Chinchilla) for camp for the night.  What a lovely spot – free camp (free power if you get there soon enough), lots of pelicans and green grass.  There was even a bit of a country music concert happening.

Chilchilla Weir

Wednesday 7th August 2013 – Chinchilla to Mullumbimby

Camp at Chinchilla Weir

Took on a little fuel in Chinchilla (will fill up in Dalby where it is cheaper) and back on the road for the last leg to home.  There are lots of roadworks still happening in this area and all the way to Gatton on the eastern side of the mountain.  Thought about calling in to see Helen and Ted at Highfields but decided we were a bit keen to get home.  Through Toowoomba and then on the lookout for a rest stop for lunch.  Ended up at a stop at Marburg.  Instead of making our own ended up with burgers at the coffee shop across the road.

By this time the ‘nosebag’ was on.  No more stops (apart from calling in to Ovesco at Narang to pick up new catches for the camper and a coffee at Kingscliff).  Home about  4pm. 

It’s great to travel but it’s always nice to be home………………..