check out the new remote control Jockey Wheel SmartBar rearview170 Beam Communications SatPhone Shop Topargee products Enginesaver Low Water Alarms
Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: AUGUST 2017 UPDATE


Chief one feather

Status: Offline
Posts: 17408
Date:
AUGUST 2017 UPDATE


G'day, welcome to September, that will put a spring in ya step, but as this is my August update best go back to the start of said month.

It all started with a meet up with some very nice GN's I had the pleasure of meeting earlier this year when I left Greens Lake, north central VIC. Paul and Lynda. Paul rang a few days prior asking if I could recommend a good CVP in downtown Townsville, now I only like to recommend one park but a little north of Townsville, Black River Stadium, it is a park for over 55s, meaning no kids, it is set up for the older traveller and is great. They also have happy hours every night with a few theme nights. You only go if ya want. Yeh I know, it's hard. If I didnt have the driveway at my daughters place this would be the park for sure and I tell you that for free. Did Paul and Lynda like it there? Well they were only going to stay a few days but on arriving decided to stay a week, well done. We met up a couple of days after their arrival and it was good to see them again. Now that you have left there, you can fire up ya gene again Paul :) The month progressed along with a couple of meet ups and a couple of goodbye meet ups as well. Thanks Wendy, John and Marj, Ned and Jenny, Ray and Jude and David.

Yep you heard right, it was time to pack up camp and start to move in a southward direction, so I starting checking things and getting a couple of things needed. I got caught out a bit with the sudden difference in warm too cold on my departure from QLD last year and had no jacket, feeling the cold is not hard for me so it was on my list to get one before I left. My Daughter suggested I go check out Totally Workwear in Townsville, I did and shut the front gate! I was greeted as soon as I entered the shop with a friendly smile and THE best service I have ever had, yep, ever. Great prices as well and I got my jacket plus a couple of other things that will come in mighty handy. Well done TWWT.

Moving right along and after picking up a hitch hiker then being crook for a few weeks with some bug (the hitch hiker) the GP just couldn't find a name for, then it making a move to somewhere else, the time came to hook up the Aluminium TeePee to the tug and start the Treck south. Arrangements were in place to visit a few people as I moved down but that changed not long before departure and again after leaving Townsville but first a stopover in Gin Gin show ground using it as a base camp to explore around that and close by areas. The showground is just off the Bruce Hwy at the north end of town and the caretakers are very friendly and helpful, $20 a night with power and water makes it worth a stay. I didn't stop as long as I first planned due to some time I needed to make up as the hot water service change over booking has been changed and I have been asked to do a house sit near Ballarat VIC that I agreed on and looking forward too. I'm shivering just writing about that :) Dont worry Sue all is good. I always like helping people out so they too can get out in the playground for a while. I also like to explore the surrounding areas as well. One thing about being retired and playing in the playground is you can plan ahead BUT change things as you go, it's all good. Back to Gin Gin. I have been wanting to check out around the surrounding areas for a while now but there was something else somewhere that was obviously more important at the time.

The shorter visit than planned was very interesting though with a visit to Mount Perry and the nearby Boolboonda Tunnel, this tunnel was hand 'crafted' way back in 1883-1884 and was done so a train line could get from Mount Perry to Bundaberg with the objective to open the Mineral and Agriculture Resources of the area. The railway line commenced in 1878 but no evidence of the railway now. I didn't walk through the tunnel due to a sign saying beware of bats so got in car and had a drive through, turned around and came back, very interesting and if you suffer from closet phobia give it a miss.

I also headed backwards, sort of and checked out 1770 or (Seventeen Seventy) as sometimes called, the first known QLD place that Captain Cook landed and named 1770 as that was when CC stepped foot on land, 24th May 1770. Someone must have put a lot of thought into that name :) This is a nice area about 30 mins East from the Bruce Hwy and about 1.5 hours north of Bundaberg on the coast. Well Captain Cook needed some water to park his boat didn't he :) It was nice to visit and the CVP's were more like sardine cans and all accommodation places had no vacancy signs out front, busy, busy, busy so I don't think I would actually stay there. A lot of modern houses perched on hills with some amazing views but very hilly. I checked out the Captain Cook Monument that was erected overlooking the area he landed that looked a bit touch and go for parking a boat but then I'm sure that part of the coast as others might have changed since 1770. I also checked out Wave Lookout overlooking the Ocean with evidence of Cyclone Debbie from earlier in the year causing some minor damage. A bit of a tidy up would make that area look much nicer. Time for some lunch at the marina café, so spent some money locally. It was then time to head back to base camp, happy hour wasn't far away :)

Speaking of happy hours and nice people, I had visitors arrive at base camp the same day as me, friends John and Marjoleine, oh! And the 'black' cat, came up from the Hervey Bay area and stayed for a few days and it sure was good to see both of them again, yeh alright then and the 'black' cat, it was a couple of years since I visited them, we do chat though. Thanks John and Marjoleine.

Weather, yep, have had plenty. Townsville was low teens overnight with high 20's during the day and as I moved south the days were mid 20's with 7-13c overnight, I have noticed that Gin Gin seems to be the change point in temps. I have enjoyed the slightly cooler weather and could put up with those temps all the time. Well maybe not that 7c. I'm sure as I move further south and hit VIC it will be much cooler or should I say cold?

You might remember a couple of months ago I got excited about the American Defence Force Ospreys, you know, the ones with props that rotated forward or up. They take off and land like a helicopter but fly like a plane. Well as some of you might have seen on the news, on 5/8/17 one crashed into the water off the QLD coast near Rockhampton. 23 were rescued and 3 missing but after a recovery mission that took a couple of weeks the 3 that were missing were finally recovered and families can say their goodbyes. A disaster and my thoughts go out to all involved.

I found out that these aircraft don't actually have a good safety record and many have crashed and many people have lost their lives. I am surprised they haven't been taken out of service. Sad as they are very impressive to see.......... As you read this they have all been grounded pending an investigation.

Enough of all that, so move on I will.

A little back track for a moment if I may, not again, yep, sorry. You might remember I was doing a lot of mucking around with weights and measures on the Tug and TeePee, well, as leaving Townsville I slipped them both over the weighbridge and guess what? Yep, all now under the max's in every department, great. Tap on the back for me :)

As you read this update I am still in Gin Gin but only just, so will call it quits for this update, keep safe out there everyone.

 

Some pics below as usual.

 

1.jpg

2.jpg

3.jpg

4.jpg

5.jpg

6.jpg

 

 



-- Edited by Dougwe on Friday 1st of September 2017 10:08:44 AM

__________________

Live Life On Your Terms

DOUG  Chief One Feather  (Losing feathers with age)

TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy

DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV  (with some changes)

 



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 5381
Date:

A good read Doug, so thanks for that

Sorry to read that you had been crook for a few weeks, hope that you have fully recovered

__________________

Tony

It cost nothing to be polite



Veteran Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 82
Date:

Great read, gives me ideas when we start the southern crawl in November heading towards tassie

__________________

 

 Traveling it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.

www.justmovindowntheroad.com

 



Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 168
Date:

Nice work Doug! You have a hell of a busy life. Very nice shots too. We're yet to get up that far. One day..

__________________

Jock



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 656
Date:

Hi Doug, great read and photos again. We arrived home today and it's cold and windy and going to stay that way for a week, wish we were still at Black River.

Lynda

__________________


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 206
Date:

Always enjoy your monthly reports Doug. Thanks.

__________________

Ray

Happy hour every hour

 

https://rayaroundoz.com/



Chief one feather

Status: Offline
Posts: 17408
Date:

Thanks for the comments everyone. It's always good to get feedback.

All seems good now Tony.

__________________

Live Life On Your Terms

DOUG  Chief One Feather  (Losing feathers with age)

TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy

DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV  (with some changes)

 



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1152
Date:

Hey Dougwe,
We are heading down to Melb shortly. Thought we might stop at Greens on way down. What is the best way to get to Mornington from there? Know Mornington area well but been years since we drove down there and never with a van.

cheers

Kathy



-- Edited by Kaid on Tuesday 5th of September 2017 04:44:35 PM



-- Edited by Kaid on Tuesday 5th of September 2017 04:45:39 PM

__________________

KathnDave

Don't Worry Be Happy



Chief one feather

Status: Offline
Posts: 17408
Date:

Hi Kathy,
When I am at GreenS I visit my daughter down that way and usually go via Heathcote to Hume Hwy then across to Eastlink but I don't have the teepee and from the Hume to Eastlink is a major headache so maybe the same to Hume then Western Ring Rd to Tullamarine to Monash then Eastkink and so on to Frankston/Mornington. You need a Etag for tolls or pay as you go. Worth it I reckon with a van on back. 

If you have around $120 to lash out you could go via Baccus Marsh, Geelong, Queenscliffe, the ferry across to Sorrento then an easy drive to Mornington.



__________________

Live Life On Your Terms

DOUG  Chief One Feather  (Losing feathers with age)

TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy

DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV  (with some changes)

 



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9575
Date:

Gday...

Ya doo-dud good agen young Dougie.

Cheers - John



__________________

2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter
Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1152
Date:

Very much appreciate your reply Dougwe. You have given us a lot to think about. Got a Qld etag so no probs there.
Maybe we will even consider the Ferry. The Caravan Park we are staying in is in Dromana as it is dog friendly, so it is on the way.

__________________

KathnDave

Don't Worry Be Happy



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 6555
Date:

Good to read  your report Dougwe. We are miles(months) behind reporting, still up the cape..... Will catch up eventually



__________________

Pay it forward - what goes around comes around

DUNMOWIN is no longer on the road and still DUNMOWIN!  



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1571
Date:

Good read Doug



__________________

Bryan



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 2138
Date:

Hi Doug

We are home again after a bit more than 3 weeks on the road
It was an pleasure to meet up with you again and spend some days camping beside you
we had a magic run the rest of our holiday
One week at Mingo Crossing great spot to stay,after that we went to Boondooma Homestaed were we stayed 2 days
Talking about happy hour boy o boy they know how to entertain there guest
We had an great time there
from there we stayed at Murgon free camp just beside the main shopping street was
After Murgon we wanted to stay at Goomeri bush camp were we've stayed before
We drove around there but there was nobody there so we decided to stay at the show ground
for the same price with power and water
we came home at the weekend so the boss has done some washing all ready and all hat I have to do is to clean the caravan and the truck
what I will do this coming week
And as always thanks for putting up your newsletter of the passed month an great read as usual

Regards John

__________________
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us
Purchase Grey Nomad bumper stickers Read our daily column, the Nomad News The Grey Nomad's Guidebook