I'm heading home in the morning.

Happywanderer · The Master

I'm heading home in the morning.

Firefly · Guru

Now that sounds like a great plan Marj. You will be able to source things at your leisure and hopefully get good prices for each item. smile

Travel safe my friend and I hope you have a lovely restful trip home, don't rush. wink

gubby · Guru

The main thing to remember Marj is to take your time and enjoy yourself..

I'm sure Myrtle and yourself will have many Happy kilometres and adventures together, You've broke the ice now, and there's only one way to cure itchy feet (and it's not with a scratch).

Once your happy with your rig there'll be no holding you back...

Keep safe and enjoy the Trip.. smile

lilly31 · Guru

Have a safe trip Marj ..thing will be better this time .... just take one day at time ....

Travel Bug · Guru

Sounds like a really good plan Marj.

After this trip you now know from experience...rather than wonder about...what is really needed for your happy wanderings.

Don't forget to "stop and smell the roses" here and there on your way back home.

Safe and happy travelling to you and Myrtle.

Cheers. Pam. smile

HeadnHome · Senior Member

Enjoy your trip home, take your time sorting Myrtle, adventure out around your own backyard amazing what you
can see and do close to home, and hope to see you up this way next year!!

Helena · Guru

Can only agree with what everyone else has said when we got our first van which was a campervan we just did short trips every month for about a year and got everything ironed out then headed off to W>A. was away for 3 months loved every minute of it and no trouble with the campervan. Take care on the road. Helena.

jack biggles · Senior Member

Good luck Marj, you won't need it & by this time next year you will be an old hack at this game......I said hack!

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

It is better to make a decision than to not .... so glad you have focus and a basic plan.

Travel safely, enjoy the journey - it is usually better than the destintion - and ALWAYS have faith in yourself (oh yeah - and Myrtle).

It has been said that living is like driving a car at night.
You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.

Cheers and happy travelling (wandering)
John

Beth54 · Guru

This trip has been character building Marj. It can only get better from now on!

Take your time, and enjoy.

DellieMay · Senior Member

Ditto to all above Marj..At least you had a go.

dazren · Guru

Gidday Headnhome, love your avatar would you mind posting back to tell me were it was taken ???? thanks dazren

Opps ! sorry i started to answer HW's thread about going home, but got carried away with your avatar.

HW you are doing the right thing, come on home and iron out your LITTLE problems and get it all set up they way you want it, you have broken the back of the worry tree now, so just a little more Fine Tuning, and a couple of more practice runs to make sure it is as good as it can be !! then off you go! and then we will be reading your blogs, Saying been on the road 6 months now family wants me to come home. BUT I DON;T WANT TO .. so come on home, get it right.. and then Get Back Out There. regards dazren

-- Edited by dazren on Sunday 15th of May 2011 04:13:32 PM

Happywanderer · The Master

I also want to get the hydraulic thing for putting up the pop top, will make it a lot easier on my wrists. Have been wearing a wrist support since I hurt it in Kumbia on way up.
Thanks for all you good wishes. I know now Myrtle and I can put up with each other, she just needs a few tweeks. I'm fine the way I am, yeh right!!
By the time I get home will have been gone 5 - 6 weeks, not bad for a first attempt.
Now to find interesting sites on the way home to slow me down. Will spend two nights at Kumbia, just because I can, then may stay at Moonie a night. Is it ok to free camp out behind the road house or on the other corner opposite as you turn left going south.?? Does anyone know? Then maybe Goondiwindi, couldn't find any free spots there coming up, if anything interesting there will stop over. Just couldn't find my way around there coming up so went straight through.

jack biggles · Senior Member

She's a happy little wanderer, dooo daaa, doooo daaaa !

Best thing is Marj, you don't have to stick to any plan, so if you don't make one location pull up somewhere else, have a look around and report back on what you see. Its important to keep a little diary, make some notes, what price you paid for fuel, where you saw it cheaper, notes on location of interesting spots, perhaps note down a camp that you might stop at next year & so forth.

Take plenty of rest stops, smell the roses, make a coffee, sit back and suck it all in........as we all know, your a long time dead & you & myrtle the turtle have a few million miles to cover between now and then. Enjoy!

Firefly · Guru

HW look at Camps 6, 891, 40 klm south of Goondiwindi mate. Its called North Star Road Rest Area. We checked it out on the way home from picking up our new van two weeks ago. It has those hybrid toilets, no showers but not a bad spot. You can park back a bit off the road on the sealed park or get down in the trees behind it.

When we go in July, that will be our first night stop. Far enough away from Moree which is advisable right now. Listening to the truckies, they said there has been a fair bit of hoon trouble there of late. smile

Happywanderer · The Master

You're right Jack, I'm keeping every town in mind from here to home and will stop when and if I feel the need, not necessarily everyone but know I have those options, will just play it by ear and if I do find something interesting will stay 2 nights.

Happywanderer · The Master

Thanks firefly, in Camps 4 it doesn't have toilets. Have noted that in my book.
Trying to think where I stayed coming up, now I'm confused. I stayed in Gilgandra at south Caltex roadhouse, then north of Moree the next night, not sure which freecamp it was now. Think it was Boolooroo 8 ks north of Moree.
Will try the one you suggest, thank you. Will be a shorter run.

Firefly · Guru

It was quiet a big one HW, plenty of choices where to park. We didn't want to go all the way to Nindigully on the first day again so decided to try this one. smile

HeadnHome · Senior Member

Hi dazren - avatar photo was taken in volcanic lava tube at Undara QLD - not far from Mt Surprise, well worth a visit

goinsoon · Guru

I know there were some problems for you on this trip, but I am sure you will be taking home some happy memories as well

Cruising Granny · Guru

Go girl! Whichever way you go, go well, and take your time to enjoy wherever you travel.
It's not just about the destination - it's about the journey, and the experiences you have on that journey.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Hey Marj - glad to hear you are now positive about you and Myrtle and your partnership. Good idea - head home, get the things done that you now know about, few small trips - out along the river near Whitfield is pretty nice, or the Buckland Valley near Bright pretty nice as well. Take it easy on the way home, make the journey a holiday, if something takes your fancy stop and have a look, even if it means you take a bit longer - remember I took five days to come back up from my trip - had a lovely time, arrived very refreshed. Keep us posted.

Happywanderer · The Master

I'm hoping to take a couple of weeks as I know I came up too fast, as I said at the time I felt like a possum in headlights. Will be a lot more relaxed this time, a few places I drove past and wished I had stopped. I will stop this time. Not sure how much power I will have after Kumbia, will charge up laptop before leaving and hope it lasts a while.
Been lovely staying here with the family. Will be sad to go, they have a lot to deal with since sons truck accident, its a whole new learning curve for them. Have had to do a bit of councelling to get them through, can only hope I have helped somewhat.

Sheba · Guru

Sorry I missed you this trip Marj, but I might see you down in Echuca before this time next year. Take care on the way back, and enjoy it this time.

Glad you're feeling more positive about Myrtle and your own capabilities now.

Cheers,

Sheba.

jonathan · Guru

.. Safe trip home, Marj ..

Your comfort zone just got a lot bigger .. so it just takes longer to adjust !

.. we'll 'coffee up' another time ..

Jon

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Jonathan - is that your baby photo??????? Interesting to say the least!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jonathan · Guru

.. me Fathers name was Ferdinand an' me Mothers name was Lisa ..

when I came along, they called me Fertiliser ..

well .. not really ..eh !

But .. rest assured .. not related to Biggles .. hehe !

Jon

Happywanderer · The Master

Arrived in Kumbia about 3.30pm after leaving Biggenden about 11am. Stopped at every interesting town along the way. Firstly had a toilet stop at Ban Ban Springs, while there popped over the road to a roadside stall with an honesty box and bought a bag of Avocados for 5.00.
Then I stopped in Murgon for a cake and coffee and some supplies at the IGA. Got 4 chicken maryland BBQ flavour on special for 3.99. Two for tea tonight with a couple of mandarins and two for tomorrow.
Then I stopped at Wooroolin as I saw the caravan parking sign. Hadn 't realised it was there, good spot for camping, has toilets and a shower, the campers go through an entrance and park behind the toilets, quite a big area all grassed. Its 510 in the Camps 4 book. Have made a note for next winter. There were two caravans there setting up.
Then stopped in Kingaroy to buy a woolen jumper I had seen at Best and Less in Maryborough. Was on special and know its going to be cold when I get home so a little pick me up.

The speedo stopped at 195999 as it did at 194999 coming up. So for the 30 ks from Kingaroy to Kumbia I had no idea how far I had come. It may turn over when I leave here or it may not.
Staying for two nights, will catch up on some reading and go for a few walks.
Lovely couple parked next door, did the happy hour with them, and a chap on his own who was on his way home from a bird watching site. They come from Crows Nest, he comes from Bundaberg.
There's some huge rigs parked over the other side of lane, lucky I got the last power point. A lady came in a bit later in a very large caravan, couldn't hook up to power but does have facilities on board, she said just has to work out how to use them.

dogbox · Guru

hope your checking your oil

Happywanderer · The Master

Yes dogbox, Have learnt my lesson on that one and carrying a 4 litre of oil with me.