Yes Grumps, I'm still around mate. Have been down to see mother in Mildura & met up with Bob & Bev who were getting ready to go to Tassie for a few months. Wish I had gone with them instead of trying to get back to Chinchilla. Wasn't in C'chilla when the first flood went thru just after Xmas, but had just come back via Grafton because all roads north were closed inland & copped the second flood few days later on 11/1/11 & haven't been able to get to town until today 17/1. What a mess, & thank god I came out of both unscathed, unlike so many other poor sods. Bob is one of those lovely fellows who can't do enough for you. Put in a fan to extract hot air from the back of my fridge because I couldn't get it to work properly & put me on to the new VAST satellite Free TV unit which I bought in Mda cheaper than anywhere else, & of course wouldn't take anything for his trouble. Absolutely lovely people. I won't be going anywhere for a while after this lot!!
In 2008 called in to Quambatook, NW Vic, about 60 kms SW of Swan Hill which was in the fourth year of drought. I was visiting a friend. Some sheep were grazing on the long paddock (road side) and the farmers were hand feeding the remaining stock. The rest of the country was dry and grassless. No harvest out there, and the country, and this little town, looked like God had forgotten it was there, and all the dust had settled on the township. The people were nice and friendly and the humble van park was $8 per night with ensuite. You heard it here first folks. Yes that's right, $8 per night. The only thing to keep this little place on the map is the annual tractor pull which pulls in the crowds from all over the country. I wasn't there a "pull" time.
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
Yes, we are certainly used to dry hot weather and dust.
The funny thing is we still have the dry hot weather (it hasn't rained since last Thursday) but no dust. Instead we have water as far as the eye can see.
Its a strange feeling knowing towns less than 100 ks away from here and flooded and no one can use the roads etc. They say it is heading west and towards the Murray and could last another week. More towns to be inundated before it reaches where its trying to go.