Western Australia trip

K22/02/14 We finally said goodbye to our families and friends and headed off to start our trip to Western Australia. We meandered up the highway heading north then took a left heading towards Kilcoy then turned into to Esk for afternoon tea. We left Esk then heading to towards chinchilla with an overnight camp at the Fred buetel lookout. The lookout as it's name suggests is quite high up and then the weather closed in and we had a wet and misty night (16 degrees) which was quite a shock after the hot Brisbane weather we had become accustomed too. In the morning we had to chase around under the seats looking for some warmer cloths as we were both bloody cold anyway once we drove down off the mountain we soon warmed up.

23/02/14 we arrived in chinchilla and did a grocery shop then headed onto the weir to free camp for a few days. We were lucky as not many campers were at the weir so we were able to plug into free power so we could run the air cond as the day time temperatures were in the mid thirties so much for the cold spell up on the lookout. We could not believe how little water was in the weir as there were islands and tree trunks showing where speed boats and water skiers were going past the last time we were here just 6 months ago. Warren caught several carp which are classed as junk fish and you are not allowed to return them to the water once caught aas there is a significant fine if you are caught.

28/02/14 headed off to Texas to free camp on the river, so arrived later than we usually do so pulled over on the Qld side off the river for the first night then crossed over the bridge and setup camp on the NSW side more permanently for a few days. We met a lovely couple Barbara and Ron who were also in a motorhome and travelling around Australia as well so spent a good deal of our time yarning to them and then we all got together for happy hour. As it was hot 34-38 degrees we would wade out into the river with our chairs and sit on them with the water up to our waists to cool off and after a while we were joined by other campers so that must of looked quite comical all the grey nomads sitting in the middle of the river in the middle of nowhere especially for the traffic driving over the bridge.

03/03/14 heading south into a little whistle stop called "Yetman" where we planned to stay two nogts and recharge our house batteries before moving on again. Not much here except a pub, school, grocery general store and a servo workshop. Once again quite hot mid to high thirties.MIn was able to catch up with the washing as there were free washing machines here which is rather unusual as you normally pay $4 per wash.

05/03/14 headed onto Inverell and had another shop and decided to get two more solar panels fitted to the roof of the motorhome to allow better charging of the house batteries so we would be more self sufficient with regards to free camping. At the suggestion of the lady in the shop she recommended us camping at Copeton dam on the north side at $10 per night for a powered site that's good value so we headed in to the camp site and set up camp. Met a lovely couple again here, Tom and Donna in their 5th wheeler with the little dog. They had been camped here since November and were staying until after Easter so their camp site was well setup. Tom had an F250 7.3 litre turbo diesel as the tow vehicle, man this is sure one grunty machine. Tom also had a skinny tinny which was 4.3 metres long and about 1 metre wide and I went fishing with him on the dam one day and it's a bit like being in a canoe so you have to be careful how you move especially with two of you in it or it will tip over. We caught a couple of Redfin but they were too small so dumped them. What a great camping site Copeton dam is and it's water storage is sorely for irrigation. The dam storage capacity at full supply is 1,364,000 ML which is more than three times the size of Sydney Harbour. The people we met at Texas Ron and Barbarra came out to the dam and stayed a couple of days as we'll then they headed onto Bundarra and we said we would met them there. We spent several enjoyable days here and will return that's for sure.

15/03/14 we headed onto a road side stop at Bundarra not far south of Inverell where we met up with our friends Ron and Barb again. We were camped right next to the river and saw several of the elusive platypus playing in the river which is a rare event indeed. The first afternoon camped here saw two rather violent storms came over with really high winds and heavy rain and apparently in town 2 ks away a shed lost its roof. Ironically Min has a Facebook friend from the previous time we stayed in chinchilla in 2013 Ian and Carolyn and she had just messages min to say that they were camped at the Bundarra campsite and min replied so are we and when they both looked out their respective doors and found we were camped 100 metres away how funny is that. It was a long happy hour that afternoon for sure.

17/03/14 we moved onto Bendemere free camp near the New England Highway for a one nighter and after we set up camp we wandered down to the local pub for a meal.

18/03/14 headed away and went through the towns of Tamworth, Gunnedah, Coonabarabran,Gilgandra, Warren and an overnight stop in between the railway and the highway.

19/03/14 back on the road heading west towards SA, next stop Cobar then onto Wilcannia where the local indigenous we're laying around in the sunshine then into Broken hill for an over nighter. We went out to Silverton where they made the mad max movies and had a look around then back into town to camp at the local caravan park where we paid $30 for an unpowered site on tree bark anyway that's the way it is in some places. Spend the morning in town and after a coffee headed west again.

23/03/14 arrived in Petersborough and had a look around the tram museum and also through all the miniature trains and implements that were hand built by a local guy Eldon Zimmermann and his wife Mary made all the little people,not classed as dolls.

Eldon build a miniature train station after it had been knocked down by using the old stone bricks and cutting each the same size (photos)

We decided to have dinner in the local pub and then camped just over the road behind the information centre but sadly next to the train line which meant buggar all sleep.

Will that's all for now folks,till next time goodnight Min & Wassa

Bowen river pub

09/11/12
We needed to be at the Bowen river pub to start work on or around the 15th of November so we arrived at terrible creek 40 ks from the pub having first popped in to the pub to say gidday and to tell them where we were and had found us a nice camp site down by the river on a grassy patch What a peaceful, quite spot with the only sound the river gently running 20 meters away over a rapid into a large pool. We soon made a fireplace and warren started gathering wood so that we could get the BBQ pig ( babe) out of its stye and into action. Next job was to bait up the fishing rod and head to the river to start fishing, warren caught several nice black bream ( sooty grunter) as the local cal them, so these were filleted ready for the freezer to keep our fish stocks up. Just above our camp on a large flat area was the Bowen river fishing club campsite that had several water tanks that were full, flushing men's and ladies toilets and a hot water donkey.They apparently had just had a fishing comp held here two weeks ago so everything was in good working order especially the flushing toilets. Warren rebated his line and added a float set the rod up then got an almighty strike and the rod nylon broke so the float and leader came away with the fish. I know a fishing story about the one that got away,,, HE came up to the van for lunch and then suddenly we could see the float over the other side of the river, that's strange we thought as it was broken off on this side just a few minutes ago and now it's on the other side, next thing it started moving around the large pool, bloody hell the fish is still hooked to the float! Warren spent most of Friday afternoon trying to hook the float with a barra lure as it went whizzing past without any luck. We got up early Saturday morning and the float was visible again over the other side of the river so the circus went on again with warren trying to snag the float with the barra lure. About lunch time another group arrived and camped downstream and soon they joined in with Warren trying to snag the float as it went past but like warren they had no luck either.
Sunday morning early warren saw the float on the other side off the river so snuck across the rapid around to where the float was and nearly trod on a brown snake in the process, he managed to hook the float first cast cast but "buggar" the fish had got off the hook. He was one very lucky fish that got away I am telling you.
12/11/12 we had the fire going early and babe had the billy on and boiling nicely when a vehicle arrived and it was the publican ringo who said was there any chance we could start work at the pub this afternoon. Instead of Thursday like we had planned? I guess so we replied so we started to pull down the camp and head for the pub. We had a weeks training to run the pub by our selfs plus found out that Clare the owner had also booked in a Christmas party of 26 for the 1st of December so we just would have to do the best we could with only Annmarie the backpacker from England to help us. The week before the Christmas party the numbers had grown from 26 to 33. Add in the others that were staying at the pub and it ended up being 40 to cook a three course meal for. An early start the morning of the party and having to set up the warming trays and cabinets when each time i plugged them in they blew the power fuses, anyway we eventually sorted that out and the roast meats we put on early and cooked in readiness for serving at 7pm for 40 hungry guests. The meal went off without a hitch and everyone seemed happy enough and by the time we cleaned up all the dishes and emptied all the rubbish we fell into bed at 11pm. Up early the next morning morning as breakfast to cook for 7:00 0, after breakfast the 40 guests departed and the pub was back to its normal quite self. Warren went deer hunting with one of the locals as they have plenty of deer on their 55000 acre property and he kindly offered to eliminate a couple for them that's how generous he is. Warren came home covered in blood and on a high with 2 deer on the back of the pub ute. these were boned out the following day then placed in the pub freezers in readiness for taking back to Brisbane with us. We met some great people while running the pub and they were true country people who would give you the shirt off their back to help you. We have been invited back so thats something i guess. We left the pub on the 8th Dec and heading back towards Brisbane to have Christmas with the family and in the 4wd we had a freezer and 2 chiller bags full of venison, the waeco 12 volt freezer we didn't have to worry about but the chiller bags full of venison and ice was the problem. Our first stop for the night was at emerald caravan park so i rang ahead to make sure they had room in there freezer for 2 bags of meat and it was all good so stayed the night there. Second night Nulgildie hotel free camping spot beside the pub, the two young ladies made room for the venison in the freezer and since the girls don't start early and we where wanting to get away early they left the pub back door unlocked for us hOw trusting is that. We arrived back in Brisbane safe and sound with the venison still frozen solid so that was the end of our 2012 travels.

12/11/12- 08/12/12 Bowen river pub