.I was here last year and enjoyed my stay even though I did have conjunctivitis which slowed me down somewhat. I set off from Undara at around 8am and after a boring long drive of around 350kms arrived here at 2.15pm, the Gregory Development Road is sealed all along but there are long stretches of single lanes where you have to get off the road when road trains need to pass. I had to get off a few times to avoid oncoming trains but couldnt catch any to overtake but a few passed me. I did overtake one vehicle but he wasn't pedalling flat out.
I did have the VHF on channel 40 and heard a few garbled messages from a distance away, I did try to use it once when a train was closing in but didnt get an answer. I looked more closely when I stopped and found that the buttons on the top change the channel and I should have pressed the one on the side. At least I have it on now and hopefully next time will be more successful and the antenna is standing upright above the cabin Rod assures me that I will get a much better reception even if I do dislodge a few fluorescent tubes when getting petrol.
So here I am on Thursday night with no internet or phone reception and received a message telling me that I had 2 voicemails and 10 emails so instead of staying here until Monday I will be off Friday morning. This place is very quiet with lots of good sites along the river, I must admit that it is getting hot here and I am pleased to be traveling south now.
There is a fire ban here so I will wait to see if anyone used a choofer and talking of fires I have bought a book on bush cooking. Generations of Bush Cooking Hints and Remedies with over 770 recipes compiled by the Charters Towers School on Distance Education. Ill see if I can get a good photo of the cover. John
