|
|
June Back
Hello, if you can read this I'm still alive. Where to start...I've been a bit remiss about keeping up the diary but the pictures help the old memory.
Week 4
Left Wauchope after a good hour to find the stupid big Bull. The gorbie at the gas station thought I asked for the Big Pool!!! Yeah sure, I've only been here 20 years!!! It was locked up in a farm field so the best I could do was the long shot. Tick it off.
South to the Big Axe which is not at Kendall but at Kew (dodgy web sites) then to the Big Oyster at Taree that is now commercialized and advertises the new Nissan Z. Bonus - Big Cow and Big Chef on top of a motel!! See Big Things.
Camped that night for 2 nights at a beautiful spot in Crowdy Bay N.P. Met some nice people, hello Barb and Aaron, yes you are now on the internet!!!!!! Aaron is a fisherman who has been EVERYWHERE. Thanks for some good advice on nice spots.
Caught me a fish!!!!!!!!Didn't know what the hell to do. The bucket had cans in it as I never expect to catch anything. Threw 2 back as well. Gave this sucker away as I cooked a huge camp oven the night before and had to eat it. Oh well with my bush skills and fishing expertise there'll be plenty more.......
Kylie's Beach. We were going to go for a snorkel that morning but it was too rough. Too bad, heaps of dolphin!!
Into Coff's Harbour..was supposed to get further north but this stupid site!!!!! I hope you are all appreciating it cause it's a pain in the ass!! Should make it a pay site $3.95/month! No pop-ups or rude bits. Anyway, was delayed so stayed in Coff's and camped beside a van, same size as mine full of 4 Japanese surfers. I told them all about my exploits at Bell's Beach (I looked at it), and at Blue Johanna (I went for a swim) and the pipeline at Hawaii (I saw it once on TV). They were so impressed we had to get a picture together. They asked me if I wanted to surf with them tomorrow but I said I've got to get more blonde tips put in my hair. Oh well. This guy was so nice I gave him my last beer - a Toohey's Red - and he didn't complain!!!! (for all you Melbourne beer snobs!!)
North, more heat and sunshine, felt hot for the first time today - even drove with the windows down!! Next stop Woolgoolga for the Big Helicopter and Big Elephants that I spied last holidays. A pretty little town, cooked my favorite - toasted cheese and ham sandwich for lunch. Driving, driving, picked a spot on the map, Bunjalung N.P. Got to the end of the road and there it was - a beach that you could drive on!! Wooooooooooooo. Chucked it in to 4wd and hoped for the best!! Beautiful. Had a fish and lunch the next day on the beach.
First attempt at a 180° shot. Had to bring the resolution right down as the shot is 11Meg!!!
Into Ballina for the Big Prawn the to Byron Bay for supposedly the Big Avocado. Hmmmm. I've been to Byron a few times and don't recall it. Anyway a check at the information office and a local reckons it's at Murwillimbah. OK. Get there - no - it's at Fruit World just outside Tumblegum. Did find a Big Chainsaw but!! Now south and then west for the Big Orange and Apple - that should just about wrap up NSW.
Can't forget the town of Mooball!!
But......the old pig ( van) started making some strange noises on the way over
to Lismore. If you've never heard a car fart - I can tell you what it sounds
like. Pull into a mechanic Friday afternoon before a long weekend at 3:30 and he
tells me a water pump - come back on Tuesday!!! Great. Well - and this is not a
free ad, but knowing the luck I've had so far with the van I took out RACV Total
Care cover before I left, so after a quick call from the caravan park across the
road from the mechanic, I have a rental car and the next day am booked into a
motel for the weekend!!! They were on the line to the car company before I could
even walk across the road to the shop!!! Handy. Oh well make the most of it!!
The room had cable - excellent!! Brisbane was on channel 10 tonight. First
channel FOX2 wrestling!
I remember Archie the Stomper on Stampede Wrestling when I was a kid so what
better way to test out the bed
than................................................................
a PILEDRIVER off the top rope (dresser). Bloody Saints.
Next day with a brand new Falcon wagon (1004kms) looked around town - found out what our mate Chopper got up to - went to Nimbin and up through the world heritage area parks including the "Best of All Lookout". Was here with Liz last summer and had to see it again - it's in Springbrook N.P. in Qld.
Natural Bridge
You can see from Surfer's all the You can see all the way to Byron. Amazing. A bit hazy on the day. Broke the car.
Week 5
Happy birthday Queen. Got a replacement car - the back wouldn't close!! A sedan this time. It's nice to drive a real car, can these things move!!! Cruise, steering wheel controls for the stereo and a heater that works!! Went for a snorkel at Brunswick Heads, plenty of fish. Down to Ballina across on the ferry for a fish. Caught 3 little ones. No pics.
Stuck in Lismore for another night.
Van is fixed..finally.Off to Tenterfield for the Big Orange. 2 hours later, no Big Orange..bugger. But a consolation prize, a big Fruitisforus!!!!! Then to Stanthorpe for the Big Apple. Gone! Pulled down. Not my day, but on the way out of town there she was at the council depot.
watched the rugby at my brother's place.
all
McTaggarts are perfectly normal 
The next day Frode says go the long way to Mom and Dad's there's a Big Orange and some dodgy fish. So, 400Kms and a record number of big things in one day 14 count 'em. Elephant, tap, rocket, orange, chainsaw (no more they're everywhere), 2 ostriches, mower, cow, pineapple, macadamia, 2 bottles and a shell!!!!!!!! Must be the highest density in Australia.
Week 6
Guess what...car's broken...every Friday!!! Exhaust leak, it sounds like a Volkswagon. A couple more days at my parents in Bli Bli. Got to see my doggies!!! They're sunbleached blonde. Boo Eagles. Anyway I can think of worse places to be stuck, sun is shining and it's 23 today.
Liz says this page takes too long to download so I have to cut back on the pictures. I've reduced the quality a bit so see how that goes. Left my parents on Wednesday, a quick lap around the block to get the Big Bottle then north. Into Hervey Bay for the Big Vic Can, the Big Ned Kelly and a bonus the Big Koalas. It's all happening! Stayed at a nice spot called Burrum Heads. You could call it a mobile retirement village. I was the only one there without grey hair...........................................OK OK everyone there had grey hair!!! The super of the future! No pics and no fish but a glorious sunset!! I'm saving myself for the West Coast Skells!!
Up to Deepwater National Park. No fish, no pics, no fires but they had just burned the day before and a few embers sort of caught alight when a pile of wood was thrown on them. It happens.
Into Eurimbula N.P. That was a road. I timed myself on the way out 55 mins to do 13.5 kms. At least the whale (it's new nickname since the license plate is SEI 536) handled it in 4wd. Little whiting but tasted yum! Free food....hmmm should have run over that koala on the way in!! Woke up to this little visitor.
Rockhampton and another bonus - a Big Bull. Then another and another but wait.....see big pages. I haven't seen that much bull since the last staff meeting. Whoops- I can edit that.
Week 6 ends at the pub at Carmilla - yes THAT Carmilla. No AFL but Australia vs. the Poms. I got a shower for $2 and can sleep out the back in my van for nothing. Good deal. Go Aussies and I'm sort of glad the Lions aren't playing tonight.......Central leaves today ...do I wish I was with you.....sort of....Argol.
Week 7
Hmmmm. What a big week it's been in...life. So long since last entry I really have to rack the brain cells. Sitting in the van, it's getting a bit smelly, time for a wash and clean me thinks! I've been doing the Great Green Way!! All that means is the fancy new tourist name for the road between Townsville and Cairns. But wait, I regress. First the Big Toad at Sarina, when I asked the lady at the gas station she said "why do you want to see that for it's disgusting". On to Airlie Beach. Now this place has really changed since I was here last about 16 years ago. What a dump now. Condos everywhere. Couldn't stand it so went to the other side of the peninsula, Conrad National Park. Guy at the caravan park wanted $16. Screw you guys, put it in to 4wd and camped on the beach, did some fishing ( really starting to notice the tided now) but no swimming as I saw my first crocodile warning signs.
A short day into Bowen for a car service 8200 kms so far!!!!!and some very nice beaches and snorkelling. First signs of reef.
Ran into a couple from Mudjimba (come on, even I know where that is) - Rob and Shannon, at the Big Mango. They said they'd seen a lot of big things on the way up the coast and were taking pictures of them. Oh dear I thought , these poor young people have no lives. Lo and behold we ended up camping beside each other at Bowen and I showed them this site and they are now official deputies and are texting me of big things they see ahead of me. I consider them my recon team. Great people, here is your picture on the internet guys, now you're famous!!!!!
They have been excellent spotters as you can see on the Big Pages. I would have probably missed the Big Piece of Sugar Cane if not for your text message!!
Townsville, finally, the nice bits of Oz. Cloudy, humid, rainy but a beautiful town. I love this place. Last time I was here - a mere 17 years ago - I had the best seafood buffet for $20 (a fair whack for a uni student). Today it was $29.50. I'm in. A visit to the maritime museum opposite the backpackers I stayed at - OK - then the Tropical Wet Museum (just Townsville's name for their museum) for the pissiessed (new word) cannon firing re-enactment I have ever seen then a walk along the Strand. Beautiful. The envy and aspiration for the Espy at ST. Kilda. Got my money's worth out of the buffet as well - pace - that's the secret.
Good morning backpackers!! I know I can snore ( I don't believe it but I've been told) but the guys in my room!!!!! I know I'm comparing amateurs with the master but between 3 of these guys I reckon they'll give coach a run for his money.
Up to Castle Hill for the view - what is this? a bus load of school kids.. Yank school kids!!! Amid yells from the teachers "get back on the path" "stay behind the rails" "Chuck, get off those rocks" I took a few quiet pictures and left them to it.
The Great Green Way is what they call this strip, full of waterfalls and beaches. I had to slow down to hook up wit Liz at Cairns and was it worth it!! A nice swim at Jourama Falls where a little turtle poked his nose up after I'd finished and said "Oi who peed in the pool?". Realizing I wasn't on the central camp and there were no kids around to blame I had to come clean. Hope you're having fun on central and don't pee in the pool - it upsets the natives.
Lucinda for a good afternoon's fishing. Guys beside me caught 4 good bream and I got 3 pissy ones. The longest sugar cane jetty in the world at just under 5 kms! And the tides rip! Watched the Maroons go down to the Blues and wasn't the place quiet!
A look across at Hinchinbrook Island - a 3 day bushwalk. Next time.
Day 42 was probably the best day so far - and I'm 41 wow, spooky isn't it?? Read the paper in full sunshine on Forrest Beach looking across to Orpheus Island. A beautiful (I'm using that word too much) beautiful drive through the world heritage listed rainforest to Wallaman Falls. When I got there, there was a rainbow halfway down the falls. Spectacular, no wait, even better, beautiful!! As I sat there watching it creep down the length of Australia's longest single drop waterfall it broadened and danced its way into no less than 56 of my pictures in the next 45 minutes. The beauty of a digital camera but it was spectacular!! Once again the pictures do it no justice, the rainbow was amazing when viewed through the binoculars of another couple. Fluid, moving color!!! This one's going straight to the pool room!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Resolution is bought right down for the website but don't be surprised if a few of you get it for a Christmas present!! I am so proud.
An interesting glitch in the stitching program 
On the road out almost hit a cassowary, 3 brolgas, a kangaroo
and a cow!! Almost.
Finished the day at Murray Falls where according to my brochure I was promised a swim. Get there no swimming BULL. The good Lord would not ruin the best day of my life!! So I walked back downstream from the falls 500m and found the swimming hole. Went to bed very mosquito bitten but happy.
The Big Gum Boot at Tully. A good one. It is the exact height of the amount of rainfall they received in 1950.
Work,
work,work. This site takes ages!
Laptop from IBM $3000, Digital camera from Canon $650, Counter meal at Tully $6.50, Schooner from XXXX $3.20
NOT SEEING ANY KIDS OR LISTENING TO SPEECHES ON THE LAST DAY OF TERM....................................................
PRICELESS!!!
Stayed at Tully Gorge the famous whitewater
rafting famous place.
Good swim. A big hello to Phil and Neetie.
Mission Beach, the Big Cassowary. Remember speed kills. Almost don't regret selling the ute.
Happy End of Financial Year!! Went to the caravan park at Brampston Beach with 5c in my pocket and no card facilities anywhere and typical no camping signs everywhere. I heard a guy on the radio saying that campground operators were pressing local councils to put up these signs and force people in many areas to use the caravan parks. As I said to the very nice retired couple running the council campground, I basically park and sleep in the van and use the bathroom in the morning and they're asking anywhere from $13 - 23 a night up here. Anyway as I didn't have any money he suggested a spot just out of town on crown land. 5 minutes later, for absolutely nothing I am camped right on the beach to this
..and woke up in the morning to this
This pretty much brings the Big Month of June 2003 to and end so.....
I wish you
all a big hello!!!! 