Home at last

Thursday 17th July 2008

We made it home safely having done over 17000km in just less than 3 months.

Paul will be home in a couple of days.

It's weird to be home but at the same time it's like we've never been away.

Canal Rocks and Dunsborough

Wednesday 16th July 2008

Lovely lazy morning – Paul and Duncan took Charlie for a walk – I slept in then read book

Paul cooked pancakes, girls sort of entertained themselves

After some lunch – sarnies – we headed out

Photos at Smith’s beach – end of trip ones

Climbing rocks at Canal Rocks – always a favourite

Checking out development at Yallingup

Into Dunsborough – coffee and hot chocs – lolly shop for girls

Food shopping then home

Duncs played tennis with H and K

Paul and I prepared roast dinner and I cleaned out pantry cupboard of mouse poo

Watched Grumpy Old Men, did a bit more washing

Paul put girls to bed and they must have been tired!

Finished my book

To Smith's Beach

Tuesday 15th July 2008

no photos due to constant rain all day

Took all breakfast things into house so we didn’t have to wash our stuff up!

Yvette slept wrapped up in her sleeping bag on the front seat of the Honda

More chatting, displaying of bikes, photos etc.

Girls fascinated by birds – fairy wrens and another small bird – they also saw a bandicoot

By the time we were ready to pack up the rain had started – yuck

Paul managed to edge camper carefully around back of house – very tight, tho’

Drove to Pemberton in lots of rain – through the Valley of the Giants, too

Nice lunch in smart cosy cafe

I drove next stage to Margaret River

Called Liz who was at shop so called in on her and the boys (Trav up in town)

Shopped for essentials

A relief to get to Smiths – real beds, real comfort, hot showers, for the girls there is tv, space to run around, books to read and games to play

Also found 3 dead mice – yuck!

Inside of camper is damp – water getting in somewhere – also getting into boot of Cruiser

Brought in all perishable food – can’t believe how much fits in that fridge!

Showered and did a hot wash of clothes

To Albany

Monday 14th July 2008

Cold start to the day but hot shower helped with that

Packed up again – getting more chaotic with everything everywhere now

Drove out of town along scenic drive

At lunch stop (burgers and sandwiches from roadhouse eaten at picnic spot) rang Ron and Janet to see if we could camp in their garden – v short notice but they took it well!

Into Albany at 5pmish, stopped at supermarket for supplies

Out to Torbay in the dark – missed one turning and ended up in Cosy Corner

Lots of branches and leaves everywhere after storm of Friday

Made it safely – they were so welcoming, we were so loud and girls were so bursting with noise and energy!

Chicken, salad, bread and garlic bread for dinner, followed by fruit salad and ice cream

Girls and Yvette into bed, rest of us chatted a while

Yvette sick in the night – up and down in the cold – poor thing

To Esperance

Sunday 13th July 2008

Walked Charlie

Inside of camper damp with condensation

Easier packing up with three

On the road – spots of rain around

Stopped at Norseman roadhouse for lunch – Katie had b’fast, too

Girls watching movies and reading

Into Esperance pm

Set up in damp (but not wet) conditions then went for a drive

Drove along coast westwards, walked on beach, watched sun set

Back into town – ate at Taylor St Cafe – v nice, quite posh – us in jeans and dirty, scruffy clothes

Another early night

Kalgoorlie

Saturday 12th July 2008

Slow start – breakfast, dog walking, washing and hanging out to dry

Eventually to Jesters for pie for Holly

Then to Mining Hall of Fame

Panning for gold – Duncan found some – tiny piece, less than 1mm diameter!

Down into pit for a tour with hard hats and squishy cage lift

Bitter wind

Pouring of gold – fooled me

Into cafe for refreshments

Look around museum/art gallery/look out/shop

Back to town – all shops shut!

Walk for Charlie in park opposite

To food court for v average meal

Everyone home and in bed by 9:30pm

To Kalgoorlie

Friday 11^th July 2008

We were all awake earlyish this morning (by WA time, anyway), despite no longer needing to get away quickly – isn’t that just typical. It was cold but not as freezing as the last few days – I actually didn’t put my socks on til later, but I didn’t go outside the caravan, either!

There were lots of grey clouds loitering in the sky above us so we packed up as quickly as possible to avoid getting wet and were on the road refuelled and ready to move by 9:30.

The road from Laverton to Leonora is bitumen but it still had a few car bodies lying beside it and the road kill toll was horrendous – dead skippys everywhere – made even worse by the onset of rain turning everything to mush. We also saw more of the blue wine boxes – must find out what brand they are and check out if they are the cheapest around which might explain why there are so many of them.

We passed a couple of road trains and considerably more traffic than in the last two days, but the scenery was still spectacular and even the clouds and rain couldn’t dampen that.

It wasn’t long before we were cruising into Kal. As promised, the main street is very wide and is long, too – but then it is the only street, really, with nothing much happening shop-wise on those around it.

Our caravan park is set way down the road back to Perth (well, still within the urban section but not what you would call the central hub) and small but we have a big site that is big enough for two vehicles and the dog.

I was decidedly ‘upset’ to find that there was more red dirt inside the camper – must have been hiding in the crevices, just waiting...

We had just finished setting up when Duncan rang to say he was at the gate – timing. The girls charged off to go and see Charlie who wagged his tail at me but didn’t go mad – he is SO laid back! It is definitely going to be squishy tonight with six people and a dog in the camper – at least we’ll keep each other warm. We have all been excited about this next stage in the trip – Paul because he’s been dying to spend some time with Duncan, the girls because they get to see Charlie again and me because it’s something new again. I am also sad because it’s nearly the end and also because it’s gonna be winter from now on and I don’t want to be cold again!

Paul and the girls had spotted the Dome cafe on the strip so plans were made to head there for chips and wedges to keep us going for the afternoon (lunch having been skipped amongst the excitement of arrival). Charlie sat perfectly in the boot of the car – we followed Mum’s theory that as long as he’s in the car he knows we can’t go anywhere without him so he doesn’t fret.

We then drove out to the lookout for the Super Pit which used to be known as the Golden Mile. It is where Alan Bond bought up all the small mining leases who were struggling to turn a profit from their underground work and turned it into one big, open-cast mine. It is a gigantic hole in the ground and is right next to the town. The machines looked like Matchstick cars and Tonka toys and it’s hard to appreciate how enormous they are. They had some statistics on boards saying that the big dumper trucks (as pictured at the Tom Price mine) cost $4million to buy and there are 35 in this pit! The big excavator and loader machine costs the same but they only have one of those down at the bottom of the pit.

Holly wore off some of the excess energy from the last couple of days by climbing a huge shovel thing they have on display that would have been big enough to fit a car in the bucket.

A visit to Coles for some essentials was followed by showers and more story-telling – obviously Paul and Duncan are the traditional holders of this role but Yvette has certainly inherited some of it from her Dad and wasn’t shy in joining in and Paul was most perturbed that Holly and Katie wanted to tell some of the stories themselves!

Dinner was taken in town after which I brought the girls and the dog home to a chilly campervan that soon warmed up with the use of the heater that Duncan had brought from home – yippee. Holly and Katie are sleeping on the bench and flat bit where the table goes down so that Duncan and Yvette can share the double bed (obviously Yvette is not too impressed and I have warned Holly and Katie about the volume of Duncan’s snoring!). Paul, Duncan and Yvette felt it would be a shame not to sample some of the local hostelries so they should be back some time later...

To Laverton via the Great Central Rd

Thursday 10^th July 2008

The new plan is to cover all the dirt bit of the trip today – no stopping til we hit the bitumen at Laverton. This adds 380 or so kilometres today’s travel but means that tomorrow will only be 360km instead of 760km. Paul had a chat with our next door neighbours who had arrived after dark last night and they’d come from Laverton but had taken all day. So it became a rush to get away which wasn’t helped by my fingers being so chilled that I had trouble doing anything – particularly making the sandwiches!

The girls received new books to keep them occupied but Holly got tired of hers and Katie read much quicker than she will admit to so we played some story tapes – Oliver and Just William (bequeathed to us by Sam) but that just seemed to make them grumpy. That left us with just playing music – same old stuff off the Ipod – but it seemed to suit everyone – luckily.

In the 220km before we stopped at Warburton for fuel we saw about 50 camels, only 5 cars and twenty four burnt out wrecks! Here the fuel pumps were in locked cages and they only sell diesel and a newly developed fuel called Opal that works in unleaded engines but is no good for the petrol-sniffers – apparently it is (or has been) a big problem around here. We’d heard bad things about Warburton but didn’t hang around long enough to be able to comment on that. The roadhouse was full of people buying hot chips, ice creams, lollies and, bizarrely, bananas – I think someone had just brought in a box of them and they were the only fresh fruit available. Apparently it is pay day today – not sure what they all do for a living, but maybe that is a euphemism for dole day?

We were served by a couple of northern UK lads who are travelling round Oz and are here for a few weeks because they can earn okay money, get free board and food and have no way of spending the money they are earning! Still, I can think of better places to spend a few weeks...

The landscapes were fantastic again and I spent a bit of time trying to capture some of them on camera. I also tried to snap some of the too-many-to-count vehicle shells that we came across but at the speed of 100km they tend to go past a bit quickly!

There was hardly any traffic on the road – it has to be the most deserted road we’ve been on this trip – but it is obviously well maintained and Paul was able to get an average speed of about 100km/h.

We saw a huge amount of Emu Bitter cartons and blue wine boxes strewn all the way along the road (amidst plenty of other rubbish, too) but very little wildlife apart from the camels and the occasional bird.

We stopped for a roadside wee and found the shock-absorber on the other side (of caravan) had worked its way off, the pipe to the tap on the A-frame at the front of the trailer had lost its cable tie and had potentially leaked out all our water, a d-shackle had come off one of chains between the camper and car, the whole front of caravan was now seriously pock-marked (yes, even more) by the gravel and one of the camper legs that sits on the corner had managed to lower itself and lose the rubber base – how it wasn’t completely ripped off itself I have no idea.

Needless to say, there were cheers as we came off the dirt – it was a big achievement – 780km of dirt road in 7.5hrs!

Laverton is not exactly a bustling metropolis but it does have a small caravan park with half decent showers.

The camper was full of red dirt – the worst kind! We had remembered to put on the tape but maybe because of the extreme cold (affecting both the tape and my ability to apply it) it had been completely useless and unstuck itself. The only consolation is that this should be the last time we’ll have to deal with it that quantity of dirt!

We found that all the water had indeed leaked out and despite refilling one tank the pump is no longer very effective – the leak in the pipe from the other tank was sufficient to lose the vacuum required. Oh, and when I took the last bottle of fizzy water from the cupboard we found it had a small hole where it had rubbed for so long on the floor (only been in the cupboard since Alice!).

Heated up leftovers from previous meals meant dinner was easy tonight.

It is nowhere near as cold here – possibly due to the fact that there are some clouds in the sky but hopefully no rain will come from them.

Kata Tjuta, back into WA

How's this for up-to-date, Lynsey?!

Wednesday 9^th July 2008

I had Katie as a hot water bottle for half the night. She wasn’t bad in the heating department and she wasn’t even too much of a wriggler but I am looking forward to my sleeping bag all to myself tonight.

Paul and I woke just before 7am, conscious that sunrise was in half an hour and we’d made vague plans to get up and watch the changing colours on the big rock. At 10 past Paul was up and out. I took another 5 minutes, partly because I needed to put yet more clothes on before I could venture up the hill but also because leaving a snug bed is hard for me at the best of times!

As it turned out we had to wait til gone 7:30 before there was any noticeable difference in the rock and by then I was chilled through. Imagine my amazement/horror when a spotty youth appeared on the hill wearing only tracksuit pants and a singlet! He must be born and bred in deepest darkest Tasmania or something!

Luckily Katie was still heating my sleeping bag when we got back so another 20 minutes (stretched to 30 in the end) was spent warming back up again. Needless to say, pack up was distinctly slower today since my brain was having trouble functioning at such low temperatures and Paul’s frustration was just barely contained!

Anyway, we got out of there ok and set off for Kata Tjuta (formerly known as the Olgas). The two whinge-meisters were all set to stay in the car but we once again worked our cajoling magic and all walked through the Valley of the Winds to the first lookout. Paul’s opinion of these massive edifices was that two of them looked like the top of a submarine! Holly was amazed by the blueness of the sky and Katie found some rocks that she used (quite tunefully) as tapping sticks. Fortunately, these particular rocks didn’t make it back to the car after we’d mentioned the bad luck stories of those who took rocks or sand away from the area. (In the Cultural Centre we’d found a folder full of letters from people returning parts of Uluru and Kata Tjuta and relating the bad luck that had come to them since stealing it – could be hocus pocus but who would want to risk finding out?).

I found it hard to concentrate on the beauty of the place because I was so excited about getting onto the Great Central Road and heading back over the border to WA. And I didn’t have long to wait. As soon as we turned off the nice bitumen roads of the Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park we hit the red dirt.

This road was not particularly better or worse than the other dirt ones we’ve encountered but like all the others it required serious concentration – particularly by the driver but also by the front-seat passenger, who, when not doling out sandwiches, drinks and other refreshments and not playing DJ or mediator, had her eyes glued to the road and her lips as sealed as she could keep them (not enough, if you ask Paul!).

There was probably mostly hard, gravelly road but there was plenty of deep sand (which even once set off the Stability Control alarm), washouts, dry river crossings, dips and crests. The one thing there wasn’t plenty of was other traffic, in fact, we saw more burnt out, upturned cars (20 in only 350km) than we did other ‘active’ vehicles and I lost count of the number of old tyres and bits of tyres lying strewn along the road. The colour of the road changed regularly – sometimes the deep red of the centre, sometimes a soft peachy orange or a whitey-grey and yet others a creamy gravel – and the surrounds were quite spectacular sometimes – the ever-present Spinifex, the changing treescapes and the occasional hill/mountain.

We cruised into Warakurna Roadhouse (our stop for the night) at about 4pm, got a drive-through site in a modest caravan park type area behind the roadhouse and did the basic set up – no awning! The girls proceeded to play in the orange mud where the drips were coming out of our water tanks that had taken another battering from the gravelly road.

I wouldn’t normally mention the fact of doing the washing but this time it was so slow – the water pressure here is abysmal. Apparently, yesterday there wasn’t any water left in the tank that serves the visitors, so I guess we should be grateful for the dribble we were able to get but with a washing machine (ironically called the Speedy Queen) that would normally process a load (I deliberately didn’t say ‘wash’ the clothes – it’s more like ‘freshen’ than ‘clean’!) in 20 minutes it took over an hour!

Dinner was easy – sausages with leftovers from the last few days. We’ve got power here so the microwave is coming into its own for reheating! Afterwards we played Yahtzee which the girls picked up quickly and I was impressed by Holly’s adding up – despite the lack of schooling they’ve had while on this trip!

Uluru

Tuesday 8^th July 2008

It was SOOO cold this morning and inside my bed I was at least warm... I couldn’t get out of bed to check out the sunrise and I really didn’t regret it! The girls slept late as well so that made it a good reason to stay in bed.

In between Paul doing business deals and me cooking tonight’s curry we managed to persuade the girls to do some schoolwork although mostly through bribery and threats, sadly. For Holly I said she could get started on her presentation that she wants to do for her class and then we couldn’t drag her away from it! Katie did her maths and then was allowed to listen to Horrid Henry – again.

After lunch we dragged them out to the Visitors Centre and around the displays that were excellent with a sandy spot where they could make various animals’ footprints and some interesting info – Uluru is made of sandstone, Kata Tjuta is made of composite stuff, although both created around the same time.

The shops/hotels/centre was full of ‘other people’ which left us feeling not so special after all when thousands of others are here too – been spoilt by WA and the relative scarcity of tourists.

We went out on the road to Uluru – it is so impressive as you get close up to its 343m height. The actual climb was closed today due to high winds at the summit but normally you are allowed to climb it even tho the traditional owners (the Anangu) request that you don’t. They have a word called Tjukurpa which sort of means ‘the Dreamtime’ (all their laws on how to live, all their stories of how things were created , laws on how to look after the land etc) but they don’t like to use that phrase, very sensibly, because it diminishes what it stands for.

We started the spot where the climb would start and did the Mala walk (rufous hare wallaby) which takes you off to the left past some rock art (not so well preserved, but then there were hundreds of footprints inside the barriers intended to keep people out – I think policing the activities of the tourists would be a nightmare here, also, they tend to draw new paintings over old as they retell stories, which doesn’t make for clarity of pictures), and round to the Kantju Gorge (with signs asking us to refrain from swimming – quite amusing since there was not a skerrick of water when we were there). It was all flat and signposted and not at all strenuous but the girls added to their difficulty factor by climbing up inside some caves.

There are places around the rock where they ask tourists not to take photos – sacred sites etc. and I’m glad we didn’t because at the Cultural Centre we found that not only could you risk big fines but also it can bring you bad luck. It’s a bit bizarre, tho’ because the Sunrise Viewing Spot is right in the middle of one of those areas!

We did a circuit of the rock (in the car – there was no way we were going to try and walk with the girls around the 9.4km perimeter!) and stopped at another ‘water hole’ – the Mutijulu. Apparently there was water there in the beginning of May and the frogs are now buried underground waiting for the rain to return.

We had planned to visit Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) as well today but the 100km round trip and the fact that we have to go past them tomorrow anyway meant that I was able to persuade Paul to visit the Cultural Centre – another very well done presentation that even the girls found good parts about. It’s such a shame that they have been ‘over-cultured’ because I am sure that under normal circumstances (ie. A visit to here without two months of sight-seeing, gorges, visitors’ centres and culture overload beforehand) they would have taken a lot more in.

We then headed out to the Sunset Viewing area to secure a good spot before the crowds. Seems like plenty of others had the same idea because with 45 minutes to go the car park was nearly full already. However, it was well organised and everyone got excellent views of the changing colours of the rock as the sun set behind us. Holly sat in the car reading her book, poking her head out every now and then to check out this one-in-a-million view but it was exceedingly chilly already so I have to admit that I didn’t stay outside for all the time!

We joined the queue of cars leaving the park and enjoyed a good view of the Olgas with the lit up sky behind them.

Back at the caravan park I cooked dinner inside – two reasons – didn’t want to get cold myself and wanted to try and warm up the camper (with some degree of success). By the time we went to bed it was bitter cold – inside my sleeping bag and under the doona/duvet I am wearing thermals, thick socks, beanie and warm jacket and I could really do with some gloves. The girls have three or four layers of clothing, sleeping bag, doona and hats and I hope they stay warm – these canvas walls are useless – the only thing they stop is most of the wind.

To Yulara

Monday 7^th July 2008

Early rise

Car to brake people – we walked back to town cold and grumpy

To visitor centre to follow up on permit – success!

Paul bought aboriginal art for gift

To Royal Flying Doctor Service centre but waylaid at second hand book shop – more success!

Opposite was Reptile Centre and Paul keener to go there and Holly said she didn’t care

Just in time for excellent talk and display – Bearded Dragon called Isis

- Blue tongue lizard

- Shingle back/Double headed lizard

- Black headed python

Got to hold them all – snake was great – so powerful

Paul on phone to US

Checked out other reptiles – loads of them – best was the Thorny Devils (Molochy Horridus!) – so cute

Crocodile called Terry

I went to pick up the car and trailer

Stopped at HJs for quick drive thru lunch then on our way into the Red Centre

450km drive – very desolate in places

Took photo of Mt Connor

Into Yulara to caravan park

Excellent sunset over Uluru from the sand dune behind our site – better than from all those fancy hotels!

Soooooooo cold – down to 1 degree tonight!

Alice Springs

Sunday 6^th July 2008

Today needed to be low-key after all the charging around we’d been doing this week. Katie was first up, wanting cuddles, getting tickles and generally making enough noise to wake everyone else. Luckily the Hollster wasn’t too upset because she has her new Keys to the Kingdom book to read and in fact we barely heard from her or saw her for about three hours until she’d finished it. It’s great that she loves to read and it certainly keeps her out of trouble but she just gets through the books so quickly.

We didn’t make it to the pancake breakfast due to lack of enthusiasm – it was right over the other side of the caravan park and it was COLD this morning. It didn’t help that Paul hadn’t quite closed the door properly last night and sometime in the early hours of the morning I started thinking it a little strange that there was such a strong draught in here because I’d thought it was at least windproof (while not being cold-proof, sadly). It wasn’t until it got light that I realised why I was having to hide my head inside my sleeping bag.

I had great plans to get them to do some school work today because it has been kind of a while... but once they’d heard that they barely came near the camper all day except to forage for food. Katie had another new friend and Holly was playing rough games on the bouncy pillow with the boys.

I did manage to have a sort out of the boot of the car and found a few things I thought had been lost along the way. We seem to have a large collection of books – mostly ones that Paul plans to read because somehow he manages to find much more time than I do. I think I’ve finished two books since we’ve been away and I started then abandoned another – can’t waste precious time on substandard literature.

A long time after lunch we finally got motivated enough to drag the girls away from their various activities – Katie was determined to stay at the bouncy pillow until the older girls she was hanging around with decided they were going off anyway and Holly was loitering in the recreation room with two likely lads who she very coolly said cheerio to before sauntering away with her hips swishing!

We checked out the Alice Springs School of the Air base and were pretty impressed by how much they lay on for the 90 or so kids under their care within the 1.3 million square km it covers. Of course, it’s all done via computers now – which is a massive improvement on the radio version. And if a child doesn’t have access to a satellite dish and the internet then they do it over the phone.

A last visit to Coles for provisions before we head off into the interior for five days cost us another arm and a leg but should see us safely through to Kalgoorlie. Paul’s bladder caused him a bit of trouble when he had to tour most of the town looking for a public toilet – there were plenty around but they are kept locked and the keys aren’t available on a weekend!

Returning to the park we had to drop the girls at the bouncy pillow to save them the extra walk... what a life! Paul and I unpacked the shopping and squeezed it into the corners of the cupboards before I set out to take a couple of photos of Alice to record our presence here.

I climbed a couple of verges to get a good angle on the Gap in the Ranges before finding a good spot beside the ‘river’. It’s not exactly your typical river – although it is pretty wide, it has large trees permanently growing all the way through it and the ‘bridges’ are only about two feet high off the river bed. At the north end of town there isn’t even a bridge – just a little tunnel under the road.

I took a photo to record the usual state of the river and was abused by two aboriginals sitting under a tree on the other side of the sandy bed – they were shouting something about not taking a photo of them (which I wasn’t) and then went on about permits etc. After surreptitiously checking for signs to this effect and finding them most definitely not in existence (I was between the river and the main road – others were walking their dogs a little bit further up) I stopped worrying and hopped back into the car feeling a bit annoyed with them.

Another interesting view of Alice (which I didn’t photograph) was into the compound areas where rubbish was lying around EVERYWHERE. The rest of the town looks fine so I was thinking the people here have it together but apparently they are no different to the other big centres we’ve visited in the NT.

This (large) caravan park was full again by dinner time – they are kept busy earning their title of best caravan park in the NT - but we are very happy up on our little ridge with only about ten other vehicles and easy access to the ablutions block.

To Alice Springs

Picture from yesterday since I failed to take any today

Saturday 5^th July 2008

There was no big rush this am but of course the girls were up early – feeling tired has become normal for them!

We fed them with croissants and milk shakes and I tried to make sure we hadn’t left behind too many clothes/toys/shoes. Fiona and Im gave us a lift to airport where the entrance to the Qantas check-in is hidden behind lines of corrugated iron fences as they work on (very slowly, apparently) updating the airport. Inside it was pretty nice tho’ and the girls were well chuffed when we were ushered into the Qantas club lounge where they had pink and chocolate lamingtons and lots of them!

We had front row seats in plane – also thanks to the travelling Paul has done this year (making him a Platinum frequent flyer which entitles his partner to gold membership and therefore choice of preferred seating). The food was no good for the girls – wholegrain sandwich with ‘funny’ stuff in it. I have to admit that I had to remove the brie before I was ready to tackle the ham and pickle. They did enjoy the mini chocolate, tho’.

We had a good view of Cairns for a bit before things got too high and then a great panorama of the McDonnell Ranges coming into Alice. In between Holly read her book, Katie finished her magazine and I was allowed to do some of the cryptic crossword before being thoroughly beaten at cards by Katie.

Paul was on site and on time to pick us up and we negotiated the baggage hall with no trouble (priority baggage cos of gold frequent flyer...). He drove us back to our caravan park past the Alice Springs show in full swing which, of course, immediately caught the attention of the girls and we were given another version of the ‘we missed the Royal Show in Perth so we should be allowed to go to this’. We managed to hold them off – after all, we hadn’t even unpacked yet...

The camper was all set up with the fridge and cupboards re-stocked but the girls weren’t interested in any of that – they had spotted a great big bouncy pillow and it was calling to them. There are also a couple of pools here but it’s too chilly – only about 24 degrees – and none of us (but especially not me, naturally) were even interested in looking at them. Paul had checked out other facilities, tho’ and it appears that they do a free pancake breakfast on Sunday mornings which could be very pleasant, as long as we are up in time.

We cajoled the girls off the bouncy pillow with promises of new clothes – they didn’t know we meant K-Mart – but it wasn’t very successful –we could only find shirts and singlets for the girls – no snugly long pants. Paul got a bargain fleece for $7, though, and we found them some warm slipper sock things which are dead cute and fluffy.

We also bought a DVD for them to watch instead of having to take them to the show – the thought of facing a Sideshow Alley and their clamours for more rides and more gos was just too much!

Since they hadn’t partaken of the airline fare we gave them early dinner at Hungry Jacks with the plan that they would slip quietly into bed at an early hour.

Ha, ha, we should really have known better. They bounced some more, watched the movie, had an intermission for the fireworks (or some of them – they were soon bored) and watched the rest of the movie before fighting all the way to their beds. And all this despite (or more likely, because of) being ridiculously tired.

I wasn’t far behind them but Paul had had a lie-in til 9am (so unfair) so was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and surfed the internet for ages. I didn’t mind the light being on or the occasional laughter but I was a bit peeved by the continuous comments and expectation of my interest in world affairs long after I wanted to be asleep!

Ear piercing day, Kuranda by SkyRail and Train

Friday 4^th July 2008

I returned the car with full petrol

To Smithfield to pierce Holly’s ears – surgical steel with red shiny in middle

Holly very brave – it was a shock how much it hurt

On SkyRail gondolas up to Kuranda – excellent views

Top up of food – slushies and scones (hot choc for me and Fiona due to cold!)

Wander round markets – girls looking for rubbish to buy

Jewellery acquired by all – Katie buying gifts for others

Search for ‘suitable’ food

Ordered toasted sandwiches but waitress gave them to another table (who didn’t own up to not ordering/paying for them) and we had to get going so got a refund which caused consternation all round

Down to railway station to catch Kuranda Scenic Railway

Very scenic

Saw spot where I did massive backwards Rappel (Rap Jumping) in 1991 into Barron Gorge at the falls

Through 15 tunnels

Stopped at Barron Falls to see the view

Past Stony Creek Falls

Girls took photos, heads out of window most of the way, had a good time

Back to Clifton Beach

Paul made it safely to Alice Springs in the early afternoon – only 500 or so kms today!

I shopped and cooked dinner for everyone – all good

Girls watched Alvin and the Chipmunks so were grumpy and grim going to bed

Lake Placid

Thursday 3^rd July 2008

Paul driving from Darwin to Tennant Creek – 1000km

Fiona working

Milkshake and toast

To Lake Placid

Canoes – me, Phoebe and Katie, Imogen and Holly

Girls swimming and rock climbing

Hard work again

Brumbys for lunch

To hairdresser

Leg wax – finally

Paul safely to Tennant Ck by 4:30pm – very good going

Dinner down at beach – fish and chips

Kids playing with Imogen’s friends – also there for dinner with mother (Jan)

Kid’s swimming – found skim board, Holly in for ages – all in clothes – Jan went home for towels

John to tennis

Minjin Swing and Paul to Darwin

Wednesday 2^nd July 2008

We had a lazy full breakfast (included in deal), trying not to think of the girls and the burden they must be! Check out by 11am and we headed straight home ignoring the impulse to do a runner...

Everyone out in a rush to get to and do the Minjin Swing before Fiona had to go to work.

Holly and Imogen went together and Im screamed almost non-stop. They both loved it so much they had to do it again – immediately!

Fiona rushed off to work (a little late).

I brought the girls back, fed them on Brumbys pies and sausage rolls and they mooched all afternoon – making things, playing musical Twister to the cd, building camps.

John returned just in time to say goodbye to Paul and do the handover with the girls

Took Paul to airport – amazing sunset on the way home

Fiona cooked dinner because I’d been so slack in the pm and hadn’t organised anything – oops. And she’d walked the dogs and gone to work.

I stayed up late checking out stuff on computer – eg. where to stay in Kal and Esperance that allows dogs because Charlie needs to come along, too.

Port Douglas and Mossman Gorge

Yes, I know, more notes - but at least you are more up-to-date this way!

Tuesday 1^st June 2008

Not too long a drive

Fantastic scenery – just stunning – rainforest right down to sandy beach and blue ocean

Good windy roads made for fun driving

Nice beach – goes out a long way without getting deep

Looked at v cute church – big window above altar looks out to sea

Lunch at the boat harbour (can’t remember fancy name for it)

Huge meals

Drive to Mossman Gorge

Another scenic drive – into rainforest

V short walk to gorge – paved etc

What enormous rocks!

Girls keen to swing on suspension bridge

Swim in v cold bit – Holly, Katie and Phoebe – the rest of us just watched!

Rush back to Clifton Beach

Paul and I to Angsana Hotel in Palm Grove for our wedding anniversary getaway (two weeks late!)

Huge suite – two stories, two tvs, two bathrooms (full shower and everything)

Paul finished book then out to dinner

Ate at Indian Restaurant – excellent food

Cairns

Monday 30^th June 2008

I hired a car for us to use since John has to work all week and we can’t all fit into Fiona’s car. It’s a cute little bright red Hyundai thing. I took a little while to get the clutch right for first gear – it HAS been a while since I’ve had to worry about gears – so we had some kangaroo starts and high revving but once I’d got back into the swing of it I found the car a delight to drive – so nippy.

We drove into Cairns to look around and compare it to when we’d last been here – 1994 with Terry. Paul noticed lots of changes and to me it just seemed a whole lot bigger. We took the kids to a major playground along the sea-front (more like a mud-front while we were there because the tide was a LONG way out). They climbed ropes and did dangerous things, as is their wont, while the adults tried hard not to watch.

We then went to the ‘lagoon’ – a giant swimming pool right on the esplanade, open to everyone, no enclosures or anything (they can do it because it is classed as a lagoon and they use highly processed sea-water to fill it!). It had just been re-opened after a three week closure for cleaning and maintenance and the backpackers and families were definitely making the most of it (it being the first day of the school holidays). Phoebe didn’t get in – too chilly for her – and Imogen couldn’t stay in for long but I was really impressed at Holly’s staying power – she has obviously toughened up after all those swims in freezing gorge pools!

We fed the girls on chips and ice creams and then found a sandwich bar for us before wandering into the Cairns Art Gallery. They had some great art on display – a black and white collection, some art of national significance and one room full of hats made from hardware equipment!

Back home Holly and Imogen got stuck into various activities – making of earrings, crafting of mud men and houses in the front yard, usual stuff – while Katie found the tv had kids’ programs – joy!

We took them out for dinner at Vivo’s (their restaurant of choice for family celebrations) where we ate some excellent food. Katie had two serves of her pasta and cheese, Phoebe and Fiona had soft-shell crabs and the girls had a killer chocolate dessert. It was a great evening with some very good friends.

Fly to Cairns - a holiday within a holiday

Sunday 29^th June 2008

It was an early rise this morning – before it got light – ughh! And we hadn’t slept as well as we’d expected – must have got used to the bed in the trailer, after all!

We left the car and trailer in the airport carpark which took up two spots but there were other caravans there too and plenty of other free spaces so we weren’t too worried. We checked in with no worries and got to use the Qantas lounge for about 10 minutes – enough time for some decent toast and marmalade, anyway.

Holly and Katie had a new book and magazine to keep them busy and they sat together behind Paul and I so the 2.5 hours flying was very civilised. Even the food was acceptable to the girls – well, they picked out the bacon and the yogurts and left the rest, but that’s good for them.

In Cairns, all the Lewises were at airport to greet us – Phoebe had only just got back from a school excursion to Canberra the day before so it was a pretty impressive effort by her. Holly and Katie were a little shy to start with but it wasn’t long before Holly and Imogen were like they’d never been apart.

We finally got to see their new (ish!) Clifton Beach house and Paul and I were quite envious – it is sort of Mexican in style and so open – all on one level, pool in the middle, everything geared around living outside. And out the back there is national park but so overgrown that barely anyone else uses it. We met their two dogs – Beau/Bodie/Bodie Boy and Minx/Minnie/Min Min – who were a little wary of Paul to start with but soon perfectly fine.

We were served lunch of dips and salad and cooked chook – bliss – and then got to walk some of it off by taking the dogs down to the beach. It is a gorgeous spot with palms all the way along and of course, the ever present rainforest-clad mountains behind.

Paul and John adjourned to Vivo’s bar and grill for a few bevvies and a catch up – and a check out of the real-estate in Palm Grove. Paul was scouting out the hotels for a good deal with a view to us taking a night off from the girls...

Dinner was a roast – bliss again – with apple pie for dessert. It’s been a very long time since we had home-cooked roast anything and Paul and I did our best to show how much we appreciated it.

What more could we ask for? We had excellent company, delicious food, hot showers, comfortable double beds, entertainment for the girls (and even a smidgen of tv for Paul) – all laid on!

Return to Darwin

Picture from day before - top of Gunlom Falls

Saturday 28^th June 2008

We didn’t get up early or rush the packing away but we probably should have because it was a long way (and we had to go south before we could go up again). It was however, much more scenic than the northern entrance route and the girls didn’t really care because they were watching Harry Potter and were supplied with food. There were lots of road trains and plenty of slow caravans (keeping the speed down to minimise their fuel consumption).

Back in Darwin we found the hotel with no trouble – it’s right next to the airport so that we can walk across to the plane at the early hour of tomorrow’s flight. There was a bit of an issue at check-in because the studio bungalow turned out to have one double bed and one ‘single’ sofa bed. We had to take it tho’ because the hotel was booked out and probably everywhere else was, too. It was a cute little bungalow and it had a tv with a kids channel so the small size of the bed was deemed to be ‘not an issue’.

I had a long and hot shower and was in heaven. The girls and Paul checked out the pool but after a couple of minutes in they’d had enough – nothing interesting to do – they prefer plunge pools and rivers!

Paul took advantage of having phone coverage and called as many people as he could think of but we dragged him off to dinner at the fancy hotel restaurant. Strangely neither Paul nor I could face a starter – partly ‘cos the girls wouldn’t have lasted that long and maybe partly because we’re not used to that much quality food!

Holly chose to sleep on the floor until Katie had fallen asleep because they were just too close to each other with no room to move and the planned early night just got away from us – again!

Nourlangie and Gunlom Falls

Friday 27^th June 2008

Packing up after one night can be tiresome but in some ways it’s good because we’ve had less time to make a mess. Still doesn’t make it a pleasure, tho’!

We ventured into Jabiru Township to post a letter to Emily that has been hanging around the camper for about two weeks! The shops were very uninspiring but they did have a bakery where we invested in an early lunch – and just as well, too, because my planning was a bit under par today and we had a lot of driving to do and no sandwiches packed.

We stopped off at Nourlangie to see the very famous rock art. It’s actually called Anbangbang and Nourlangie is a corruption of a name the traditional owners use for another nearby rock but the whitefellas couldn’t get it right. Anyway, the rocks were impressive on their own with great cave areas and sheltered spots but with the rock art they make for a worthwhile visit. We did get the gist of the stories that went with some of them by listening in to a tour guide doing his spiel while intently looking the other way!

We also did a short (by our usual standards) walk up to the Gunwarddehwardde Lookout from where we could see across Kakadu to the Arnhem Land escarpment.

We drove up to Yellow Waters because it is so famous but we decided against any organised boat trips because I found it too long and boring when I did it back in 1991 and couldn’t see how it would have improved much in the intervening years.

So we drove on to Gunlom Falls where we’d be camping the night. It was further than Paul had realised because I hadn’t really considered how long it would take and had therefore failed to warn him. It also had about 35km of dirt road to be negotiated and while it was not bad by Kimberley standards it was worse I’d expected which meant we had no tape on the back of the trailer.

Luckily, the campsite was very pleasant indeed with an excellent out look towards the big cliff of the falls. Once we were set up we trundled over the road and Paul and the girls had a dip (not really a swim!) in the icy waters of the plunge pool. It was a beautiful dark green and parts of it were reminiscent of the magical Fern Pool in Karijini.

We then conned the girls into climbing to the top of the falls by slightly understating the effort that would be involved! As usual, once Katie was on the path she was off and running – ahead of everyone. It was incredibly steep but a fairly secure path and we reached the top in one piece. Up there it was so beautiful with amazing rock pools and where the water slipped over the top was decidedly scary. We all swam (yes, even me) in the (actually quite warm) deep clear pools and got out before the sun disappeared and the temperature started to fall.

Back down to camp I spent a bit of time trying to sort out what we need for Cairns so we don’t have to unpack the trailer in Darwin – we are getting excited about 1) having a night in a proper hotel with proper hot showers and proper beds and 2) seeing the Lewises.

To Kakadu

Thursday 26^th June 2008

Paul left at 7:30 to pick up the Landcruiser and wasn’t best pleased when he found it still dirty inside and out (surely that is an important part of the service – even if we are only going to get it dirty again very soon?!) and needing new brake pads which they only thought to tell us about after they’d put everything back together. Even more annoying was the fact that they couldn’t work on them for another week by which time Paul needed to be on his way to Alice. Great service, not. And I made sure I told them that when they rang me a week later to check how we’d felt about it.

Naturally the girls’ first thoughts were of the bouncy pillow which wasn’t so bad since it left me free to do the packing up. Sadly, I hadn’t had my shower or finished the job before Paul got back so the shower had to wait and I had to get a move on.

We set off to Kakadu in bad spirits and that wasn’t helped by it being further than we’d thought. A lot of the documentation we’d read had talked about it being more or less the same distance from Darwin as Litchfield so as the kilometres started racking up the map was more closely consulted. Ahhh... those guides had been talking about the distance to the border of the Kakadu National Park, not Jabiru or any of the other places in the park. And we were heading beyond Jabiru...

We had a stop at the Bowali Visitor Centre where we got all the info we needed – excellent sheets with good detail, friendly staff, clean facilities and a really well laid out and informative presentation area (which the girls still managed to rush through in under five minutes!).

We found our way to the campsite at Merl which is near Ubirr and the Arnhem Land border. We had to go around the loop a couple of times to find a suitable spot because it is just a first come, first served kind of place with small clearings set up for one or two campers. We did have to share – outrageous – but the natives were friendly. There was a (hot) shower block which by this time we were very much in need of and managed to get in while there was still plenty of hot (solar-heated) water which apparently petered out shortly afterwards.

As evening approached we headed off to Ubirr to look at the rock art and listen to a ranger giving a number of talks. By this stage the girls had turned feral (I’m not sure why – I don’t remember feeding them anything too dodgy) and we dumped them on a bench with their books while we checked out one lot of art. By the time we returned (only 10 minutes or so later) we were able to sweet talk them into joining us for the next presentation. The ranger was excellent with some good stories and props and she engaged all the kids there very well.

Looking at the rock art was amazing – most of the stuff at this overhang was of food – all the different kinds of fish they ate/eat along with a couple of different turtles. There was also a picture that is in the style known as contact art – of a whitefella who had a hat on his head, a pipe in his mouth and his hands on his hips. This was because they were always telling the blackfellas what to do! The other amazing picture at this site is of a thylacine – they became extinct about 1500 years ago so this art has to be at least that old and it sits on a large piece of rock that spends most of the day facing into the hot sun. Apparently the red ochre paint they used actually soaked into the rock which is how so many of the pictures still exist today.

For her final trick the ranger led us up on top of a huge rocky outcrop to tell us more tales as the sun set over the wetlands looking towards Arnhem Land. It is a stunning location – wow. And the sunset was pretty unbeatable, too, with some haze adding to the atmosphere.

The camping ranger was taking no chances of campers getting away without paying and had set up a road block leading into the campsite – a little bit of overkill, I thought, but I guess it works for her – she knew where we’d all be at that time of night if we weren’t already back at camp.

After dinner our neighbours had lit a fire so we got out our marshmallows and toasted a few while chatting to them about travelling – they’d done a stint a couple of years before where they’d been away for two years!