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On the Road Again

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25.01.2022 Day 1 in Sydney. We did a tour of the SCG first up and then a ride on the Manly Ferry over to Manly for a late lunch. Rained a lot as can be seen from some of the photos. The public transport in Sydney is great. We caught a train from the Caravan Park into town, the light rail to the SCG then to Circular Quay, a ferry to Manly, the light rail to Central Train Station and a train back to the caravan park. All tap on and off with our own debit cards. So easy. Had a great day and I am enjoying a scotch now.

25.01.2022 Can’t stop at Chinchilla without taking a photo at the big watermelon. Very hot here today in Chinchilla, our outside temperature gauge got up to 44. We went for a drive to the Chinchilla Weir, a free camp, very little water and not a blade of grass. Would be a beautiful spot after rain and a good stopover. We’ve got a lovely site in the Caravan Park, green grass and not too far to the very refreshing pool. Last night we had a meal in the dining room at the park. Deliciou...s and big meals. There are 70 cabins here and a lot of workers staying and they all take advantage of the dining room. It also opens for breakfast at 4.30am. Would definitely recommend the park. Great amenities blocks, huge showers. Chinchilla Tourist Park See more

24.01.2022 We were on the road again for a trip to Hervey Bay for a house sit. It was just a short 4 day sit, but we are heading back there at Christmas for a 4 week sit. Sunsets on Dundowran Beach were exceptional. We are in Upper Widgee today and for the next 2 to 3 weeks. Beautiful house in the country, 2 Rottweilers to take care of, some chooks, a couple of horses and some cattle and lots of wild birds who come in morning and night for a feed and drink. From here we are going on ...a road trip to Giru, Qld. South of Townsville, just over 1100 kms north of here. We’ve picked up a 2 1/2 month stint on an Achacha plantation. We are looking forward to helping out in the orchard and exploring North Queensland on the weekends. We will be living in our van for the stay there, this will be the longest we have stayed in one place in the van, and it will be good to set it up for the long stay. Water and power supplied and access to bathroom facilities. If COVID hadn’t come along we would be in Darwin at the moment, instead we have stayed on family and friends properties and picked up some wonderful house sits and now this great opportunity to help out on the Achacha Plantation. Living life and loving it.

24.01.2022 Magic place. A free camp just outside Camooweal, Qld.

24.01.2022 Ducked in for a quick visit to Byron Bay. Love the views from the lighthouse.

23.01.2022 Moorelands Bush Nursery If you are in Roma on a weekend definitely call in to Moorelands Bush Nursery. They have a huge range of plants, pots and gardening bling. Saturday and Sunday they also serve breakfast. Basic menu, great coffee, excellent service.... Scott and I had breaky there this morning and had a wander around the nursery. A wide range of plants and some great countrified garden ornaments made of corrugated iron and barbed wire. Worth a visit.

23.01.2022 After leaving Gympie at the end of January to hit the road indefinitely we certainly didn’t expect to be back in the area so soon. We decided we would prefer to be back in our own state while all the border closings are on so very quickly headed back from the NSW/Vic border. Crossed into Queensland yesterday morning and have now set up on a family property in Goomeri. A lovely spot, with power, water and toilet. Very comfortable. Stay safe everyone.

23.01.2022 Some snaps from Wollongong and it’s surrounds. Lovely city, lovely beaches, fantastic weather, great company. Thanks Sue and Don Barnes for being our tour guides for the day. Is always good to have local knowledge.

23.01.2022 Here are some photos from Coolum Beach. We didn’t really do much here, more a rest stop for us as we have been here many times before. Swam in the surf everyday, and except for the one blue bottle sting, the water was so refreshing. Coolum is great in that you can park up and walk just about everywhere. Restaurants, shopping centre, boutiques and pub all within walking distance to the caravan park, and Dan Murphys too! We did the Coolum Beach to Point Arkwright walk one morning, 8 klms return. Some beautiful views. The photo of the Osprey and beach shot where you can see down to Maroochydore were taken on that walk.

23.01.2022 Self distancing on a friend’s private property. Lovely to be able to have a fire. Happy Easter everyone. Hope to see you On The Road Again one of these days. Stay safe.

22.01.2022 We are at Emu Park (near Rockhampton, Qld and Yeppoon). What a beautiful spot. The local council has done a fantastic job with the waterfront area and they have a very moving tribute to the Anzacs with a memorial and walk. Caravan park is right on the beach and we went to bed last night listening to the waves roll in. 2 nights here and we will head off to somewhere near Mackay tomorrow.

22.01.2022 Our first week at Palm Creek Plantation is nearly over. The plantation grows a tropical fruit called Achacha, originally from the Amazon Basin in Bolivia. There were 16000 trees planted on 120 hectares of land about 45 klms south of Townsville. The fruit is harvested from around January with the help of backpackers, grey nomads and WWOOFA’S. The plantation is Biodynamic therefore no chemicals are used, only natural methods to improve the soil therefore the plants. There are... also 60 mango trees on the property, many in flower and hopefully getting ready to produce a good crop around Christmas time. This work week included many little jobs. One was collecting fresh cow manure from a neighbouring property to be used in soil preparation , another was collecting horse manure to be used by the beekeeper in his smoker. Scott has been going out in the paddocks early each morning to help remove a vine which grows over the trees. This is an ongoing job. We painted a couple of the trailers used in picking the fruit. We cleaned up the garden and watering is a daily chore. I am taking lots of photos for the property owners to be used in marketing. Certainly an interesting week and a very informative week. Have learnt lots about growing naturally, bees, chooks and the Achacha. The weather is cool in the mornings but it soon warms up. There had been rain before we arrived and the mosquitoes are here in full force. We are off the Townsville for the weekend to visit family. See more

22.01.2022 Welcome to Pottsville, 73 mls so far today. We set up in rain like this. So funny.

22.01.2022 We’ve just spent a lovely week in Townsville catching up with family. A couple of early morning walks on the Strand, morning tea catchups, a trip to the new stadium for the Cowboys/Broncos game and Scott even fitted in a game of cricket with the over 45’s. We left Townsville this morning on our way to Porcupine Gorge (near Hughenden) for the night. On The Road Again - destination Darwin.

22.01.2022 Since we unexpectedly returned to Queensland, just before the border restrictions came in, we have been staying with family and friends on properties at Goomeri, Upper Wonga and Widgee. We have had a great time catching up with family and friends (whilst maintaining safe distances!). We were lucky enough to pick up a house sit for 3 weeks in the local area and arrived here on Friday to look after a house and keep their new gardens and turf alive. I must say it is so good to have a full size kitchen! Didn’t realise I had missed it! Last weekend we took the opportunity while we were in the area to climb Widgee Mountain. There is a 4WD track up to where the hangliders and parasailers depart then a couple of kilometre walk and climb to both peaks of the mountain. The views were worth the sore muscles. Nearly ‘On the Road Again’.

21.01.2022 On the Road Again is off the road for 4 weeks doing a Housesit in lovely Dundowran Beach (Hervey Bay, Q). We won’t miss the crowds and inflated prices in the caravan parks over the Christmas period. We have a bit of a sea view and a lovely sea breeze. Not too hard to take. One friendly cat to look after. Unbelievably, and luckily, the next door neighbours here are long time friends from Gympie who have semi retired to Dundowran. Looking forward to some happy hours with them.

21.01.2022 Some photos from Eden and Merimbula over the last couple of days. We went for a walk along the boardwalk at Merimbula this morning and so many photo opportunities. Big Oyster farming area. So many beautiful little coastal towns in this area to visit. But our travels for the moment are coming to an end. We are heading back to Queensland tomorrow morning, should take us 2 days. Thank you to those great friends who have offered a place for us to park the van. Not sure yet where we will end up. Stay safe everyone.

21.01.2022 Sitting here reading, listening to Macca and the birds. That pool looks good enough to swim in, but my toes said it was too cold, even in Queensland!Wouldn’t mind doing this house sit again in summer. Lovely spot.

21.01.2022 Another couple of great campsites, Bitter Springs has thermal pools that you get into at one end then float down 200 odd metres, jump out, walk back and do it all again. Water is warm and clear. Campsite was great, along the creek bank. We kept our eyes peeled for crocodiles. Warning signs everywhere. Edith Falls has a huge swimming hole fed by a waterfall. Lovely swim yesterday afternoon. This morning we went on a walk to the Upper Pools. Beautiful scenery. You keep get...ting peeks along the way of the waterfalls at the top. There is a great kiosk in the campground and we had a site with lovely green grass. Sprinklers going all the time. We called into The Gorrie Airfield which was built by the Americans during WW2, there were 6000 based there. The airfield is in great condition and looks like you could land planes on it today. Today sees us heading to Darwin for the next couple of months. We have been lucky enough to get a Housesit for 6 weeks and are looking forward to settling in and exploring Darwin and it’s surrounds and catching up with our eldest son Ryan. See more

21.01.2022 Red Cliff Campground, north of Broomes Head. Magic.

21.01.2022 Morning tea stop between Winton and Longreach

21.01.2022 We had 5 nights at Mooloolaba Caravan Park. The old Mooloolaba CP was flattened last year and re-developed by the local council. They have done a great job. Good size sites, great amenities, all very up to date. First day here was sunny, next 4 it rained. Can’t complain, the area needs it so badly. So beautiful and green everywhere now. As this is only an hour from our hometown we didn’t do too much of the the tourist thing. Just relaxed, walked, hit the beach for a sw...im, caught up on some reading and had some lovely meals out. Scott continued to perfect our set up after a trip to Bunnings for supplies. Just a little change here and a tweak there. This is ongoing, always someway to improve something. Was good to know after receiving 100mls of rain one night that everything was dry, no water where it shouldn’t be. We are on the road again this morning heading to Ipswich to visit an old friend that I grew up living 2 doors down from. We seem to have been catching up at funerals over the past few years. Will be nice to sit and chat under better circumstances! Then on to Jimboomba to visit ex-Gympie friends. Monday should see us heading into NSW, not sure what our first stop will be. See more

21.01.2022 We are at Emu Park (near Rockhampton, Qld and Yeppoon). What a beautiful spot. The local council has done a fantastic job with the waterfront area and they have a very moving tribute to the Anzacs with a memorial and walk. Caravan park is right on the beach and we went to bed last night listening to the waves roll in. 2 nights here and we will head off to somewhere near Mackay tomorrow.

21.01.2022 Rolled into Blackall this afternoon just in time to jump in the hot artesian spa at the aquatic centre. We did a few laps of the 50m pool first and then into the lovely warm spa. So relaxing. On the way into town we noticed this big ball of wire in a field. It represents a Roly Polly or tumbleweed and is a great spot for taking sunset photos, just made for me! I love my sunsets.

21.01.2022 India@Mindil tonight. The 25th Anniversary of the event. Thousands here. Food was delicious and the aromas are unbelievable. And we caught a Mindil Beach sunset.

20.01.2022 Called in to Barcaldine for fuel and found we had a flat tyre. Limped to the tyre shop a couple of blocks away. One new tyre required. All fixed. Thank you @barcaldinetyre&auto.

20.01.2022 Lots of birdlife. . And some slithery snakes .At Palm Creek Plantation, North Queensland. Lovin it in the tropics.

20.01.2022 Palmwoods, what a beautiful little town. Worth a visit. The beautiful old pub and Rick’s Garage and Licensed Diner would be great for a Sunday lunch. A bit further afield we stopped for coffee at Woombye and on through Forest Glen. Lovely areas, worth a visit if you are in this area. Saturday we went for a drive up the Blackall Range to Montville, Flaxton and Mapleton, the Sunshine Coast’s beautiful Hinterland. The views are spectacular and you can spend hours walking Montville’s Main Street exploring the shops.

20.01.2022 Our 3rd week at Palm Creek Plantation. Last week saw Scott, Bruce and Gary spend 3 days putting together a chicken caravan (see photos). The instruction booklet was 240 pages long! The chooks love it. It can be moved around the farm allowing the chook poo to fertilise where it drops. Great invention. Feed and water points are built in and the doors automatically open and close at a preset time. Hopefully the chooks are all inside when they close for the night! I did a count ...of the trees from an overhead photo of the plantation. There were 16000 trees planted, my count was 15290, some being lost to flood in one corner of the property. We visited Alligator Creek this afternoon. What a lovely spot for a swim. Water was clear and cold. No, we didn’t swim but there were others swimming. Brrrrrr. Our days vary from painting to gardening to computer work to vine removal and lots of little jobs in between. Very enjoyable. See more

19.01.2022 Some pics from Bonny Hills and Port Macquarie, NSW. Another beautiful area of the NSW coastline. We called into the Koala Hospital at Port Macquarie where some of the Koalas injured in the fires are recuperating.

19.01.2022 We are in Newcastle for a couple of days. Staying at Belmont Lakeside Caravan Park. Very nice, great view again. Overcast for some of today but no rain. It was great to have a local show us around today, thanks Maree Dowd. Loved watching the big ships arriving in Newcastle Harbour. There is a Memorial Walk commemorating World War 1 along the waterfront at Newcastle. Beautifully done, well worth a visit. On to the big smoke tomorrow, Sydney for 4 nights.

19.01.2022 Magnetic Island. A must visit if you are in Townsville. We’ve been to the island many times over the years, over on the ferry and hired a moke, taken our own vehicle over and stayed a week, done the magnificent fort walk and were lucky enough to see koalas. Today we caught the ferry over and joined Aquascene Charters for a trip around the island calling into some bays inaccessible by land, checking out a couple of wrecks, caught some fish, had lunch on a lovely beach where we could swim and paddle board and finished off the day with a snorkel. A small group of 14 with a very knowledgeable local, Adam, steering the boat and educating us about the island. Weather was perfect . Water was not freezing . Great day.

19.01.2022 Beautiful start to the day.

18.01.2022 Another great stop on our way to Darwin. Fantastic entertainment from Australiana who played only Australian songs. Had everyone singing along. We had the renowned Beef and Barra meal and it didn’t disappoint. Delicious. There is a museum of old cars and bikes to look through for a gold coin donation. The pool was refreshing after setting up in the heat. Still quite warm up here although the nights are cold enough for a doona. The pub is full of ’things’ hanging from the ceiling, on the walls, on the doors, on the floor, everywhere. There are caps, hats, t shirts, bras, undies, coins, number plates, driver’s licenses, cash notes from all countries and probably more that I have forgotten. On to Bitter Springs for a soak in the Thermal Pools.

18.01.2022 Back at one of our favourite spots for a couple of nights after 4 weeks in Hervey Bay on a Housesit. Coolum Beach was our first stop when we packed up and left nearly 12 months ago. Heading to the Granite Belt for a couple of months.

17.01.2022 Thank you to Leeroy Todd Photography for taking some lovely photos for us as we left the neighbourhood and Gympie.

17.01.2022 We are on the road again. Just for a couple of weeks. Left the Palm Creek Achacha Plantation Saturday heading for Charters Towers. We had a wonderful 12 weeks with Bruce and Helen, doing many and varied jobs and learning about Organic farming and biodynamics. Charters Towers is very hot and we chose the park we are staying in for its beautiful pool which we have taken advantage of regularly. We took a drive out to the Burdekin Weir, The Towers water supply, and we have been ...up ‘The Towers Hill’ a couple of times. Once to check out the sunset, which didn’t disappoint and the other time to watch a movie in the outdoor amphitheater about the founding of Charters Towers and the gold discovery. Was very informative and we would recommend it to anyone visiting. Scott got his fossicking license while we were here and has been out a couple of mornings early to try his luck. Hope he has better luck with the Melbourne Cup!! We did a walking tour of the Main Street area of Charters Towers, some beautifully restored old buildings. Lovely to see. We were heading off in the morning to Hughenden but our fridge is playing up and the closest service agent is in Townsville. So off we go back to Townsville tomorrow, hopefully it will be able to be fixed quickly and we can continue our journey west. Not a good time to be heading west but we have a Housesit in Roma mid November and we thought this would give us a tiny taste of what is out West for the next time we travel this way, in much cooler weather! See more

16.01.2022 Travelling from Porcupine Gorge we decided to pull up for the night at a Farmstay east of Julia Creek. We were keen to stay at the caravan park in Julia Creek to try out their artesian baths, but we got no response from our emails or phone calls so stayed at the farmstay. And low and behold they had artesian baths, very rustic but oh so relaxing. We had dinner and spent a lovely hour in the baths looking at the unbelievably starry sky. There was a menagerie of animals, duc...ks, chooks, peacocks, goats, wallabies, a very friendly cow, birds, a dog all running around. Everything settled down at sunset and it was so quiet. Beautiful sunset also. Last night we stayed in a free camp, Clem Walton Park, at Corella Dam between Cloncurry and Mt Isa. We parked right on the creek. What a magnificent free camp. The photos don’t do it justice. Good work Cloncurry Shire Council. We paid them back by shopping in Cloncurry, IGA, the pharmacy and the Bakery. We are in Mt Isa at the moment, filling up our water tanks and also fuel tanks. Heading off to another free camp tonight, The Camooweal Billabong. See more

16.01.2022 We hit the road again yesterday after 2 nights in Emu Park. Our list of places to return to for longer visits is growing. We went for a drive to Yeppoon, the view of all the islands from the beach is unexpected. Lovely town. We spent last night at a farm stay about 50ks north of Mackay. Amongst the cane fields. Very relaxing. Rained all day yesterday and most of last night too. We are super excited to be arriving at our home for the next 2 1/2 months today. Can’t wait to see the Achacha Plantation and meet the owners and find out what we are going to be doing to help out.

16.01.2022 On the road is off the road for a couple of weeks doing a Housesit in Roma. Beautiful house. So nice to be out of the van for a short time, full size kitchen, full size bathroom . Our house owners have the most beautiful garden and we are working hard at keeping it that way for them in this 40+ heat. Lots of birdlife to watch. The Rainbow Lorikeet(?) in the photos flew in yesterday afternoon, landed on Scott’s shoulder and has become our best friend. Definitely someone’s pet. The butcher bird serenades us throughout the day. He sings beautifully. Always something to look at in the garden. And sunsets to die for.

15.01.2022 We’ve been everywhere, man! Well not quite. We’ve done some miles this week checking out the area around Pottsville, NSW. Some beautiful coastline and hinterland. There have been some local road closures due to heavy rain and flooding but we have had a couple of sunny days now, still wet under foot. Love this area. We have visited Salt (went to the markets here on Saturday, very up market), Casuarina, Cabarita, Hastings Point (went for a walk out along Norries Headland), then south to Mullumbimby, Billinudgel, Ocean Shores, Brunswick Heads, Byron Bay (couldn’t resist some photos of the lighthouse), Suffolk Park, Lennox Head (Valentines Day, we had lunch at the pub) and Ballina (we found Bunnings again!). 2 more nights here and we think we will head for Red Cliff North Campground in Yuraygir National Park.

15.01.2022 There is lots to see in Darwin city. And we haven’t started on the museums yet! We went for a walk around the city centre and Esplanade areas. The harbour is lovely and at the moment they have a big wheel on Stokes Wharf. We’re going to have a ride on it one afternoon during sunset. There is a wavepool and an enclosed swimming area with lovely grassed areas. Lots of places to eat and drink. Some beautiful old sandstone buildings and some spectacular artwork on some walls. We did a day trip to Litchfield National Park. The Buley Rockhole was our favourite for a swim. We walked the 135 steps down to Florence Falls and had a barbecue lunch at Wangi Falls.

14.01.2022 We are in Gloucester at the moment visiting my Brother. We went for a drive to the Barrington Tops National Park yesterday. Wet and misty day but we went on a couple of lovely walks saw some magnificent country. So lush and green at the moment after recent drought conditions.

14.01.2022 We’ve had a big couple of weeks getting ready for the garage sale, having the garage sale and now cleaning the house ready for tenants. Been great weather for it! High 30’s some days and sooooo humid. I’ve been up and down the ladder all week, cleaning walls, ceilings, fans etc. I must have sweated off some weight but sold the bathroom scales so can’t check! It is all coming together slowly. We have sold 90% of the furniture and have some small items and personal mementos ...in storage. Gympie Marketplace is a fantastic way to sell furniture and bits n pieces. And Little Haven Op shop collected anything not sold at the garage sale, thanks Little Haven. We hope to hit the road Thursday 30 January. Only going as far as Mooloolaba for some rest and relaxation before we hit the road for some more rest and relaxation and sight seeing. February and March will see us travelling along the NSW coastline following the coastal roads as much as possible and keeping off the M1. We plan to be in Tamworth for cricket for Scott around 6 April and then we are heading back to Rainbow Beach for our annual 10 day getaway with 4 or 5 other families. From there we will travel to Darwin via Western Queensland for June, July and August. Back to the Sunshine Coast by September for more cricket (Veterans over 60’s National Championships). That is as far as we have planned at the moment and we can be very flexible except when it comes to getting somewhere in time for cricket!! Not sure exactly where the cricket bag is going to fit in the van yet. Scott is planning to have his last game of local cricket tomorrow, weather permitting. I think I might put my feet up with the air conditioning on and watch some Netflix. I have had enough climbing ladders for one week. Can’t wait to be On the Road Again......... See more

14.01.2022 Besides growing Achacha’s here at Palm Creek Plantation there are quite a few mango trees. This grove is quite dark, and just waiting to be photographed. We’ve watched the flowers come on and now the fruit are everywhere. We have 2 weeks left at Palm Creek before we hit the road again. We are hoping some mangos are ripe enough to take with us.

13.01.2022 Yahoo, we’re on the road again. Heading to North Queensland after being around the Wide Bay Area since late March. Thank you to all the family and friends who have had us in their backyards for the last few months. It was great to catch up with the everyone. We have had some wonderful housesits too. Looking forward to the next adventure, helping out on an Achacha Plantation near Townsville for a couple of months.

13.01.2022 Some of the beaches of Darwin. Doesn’t the water look inviting? No one is swimming! 2 crocodiles each over 3 metres were removed from Darwin Harbour in the last week. They don’t even recommend you take your dog for a walk along the beach.

13.01.2022 Beautiful evening for a walk along the esplanade.

13.01.2022 Settling in to our housesit in Darwin. Chooks and fish to look after and a beautiful 5 acres of garden and lawns. The pool is so refreshing.

12.01.2022 We are sitting at beautiful Tuross Beach today. We left Milton yesterday after exploring the area. Ulladulla, Huskisson Beach, Hyams Beach, Mollymook. All lovely. Some badly affected by fires. Was sad to see the shells of houses which had been burnt down. The trees are mostly shooting and the hardy old tree ferns are a bit of bright green amongst the blackened trunks. What little plans we did have have gone by the wayside. Scott’s cricket in Tamworth in early April has be...en cancelled and yesterday we had planned to join the BlazeAid camp at Milton for a couple of weeks. Because we had been in Sydney and on public transport we are excluded for 14 days from volunteering with BlazeAid. We have decided to head a bit further south then turn around and still head for Tamworth. There is a BlazeAid Camp there and by the time we get there the exclusion period will have passed. Hopefully they will still be taking volunteers although there is a possibility they may stop for a while. We were looking forward to helping out. The NSW Coastline is beautiful. So different to Queensland. So many rocky headlands and lovely bays to explore. Lots of history and the majestic Norfolk Pines everywhere. See more

12.01.2022 Nearly 2 years ago when we were On our Way to W.A. We passed through Bonny Hills and liked the look of it. Said next time we were through this way we would stay. We’ve just booked in for 3 nights (and it broke the budget!!) but look at that view. Hard to take for a few days. Yesterday we spent the morning in Coffs Harbour while the van fridge got fixed. What a lovely town. Well we only saw the beach front area, it is very nice. We walked out on the Breakwater and looked over at Muttonbird Island and then we walked up Muttonbird Island and looked over at the breakwater. We went for a swim at the Jetty Beach. The water was perfect. Back to Urunga for the afternoon and the pub for dinner. Called in to Port Macquarie on our way here this morning and we have put it on our list to come back on the next trip down here.

12.01.2022 We have had one night in Yamanto staying with friends from my childhood and another night staying with friends from Scott’s childhood, at Jimboomba. Was fantastic catching up with both families. We headed off to Kingscliff hoping to book in for a week but only 2 nights available. We have had a lovely couple of days in this area touring around and checking out some inland towns. Had lunch at the Tumbulgum Pub today which is right on the Tweed River where I used to go water sk...iing (an awful long time ago). The area has had plenty of badly needed rain and is looking green and lush and dams are near full and rivers running. We were in the Mt Warning area but it was so cloudy you couldn’t see the mountain. We had a look around Murwillumbah, Burringbar, Mooball, Pottsville, Hastings Point, Cabarita, Salt, Casuarina and Fingal. It is a beautiful area and we have now booked into Pottsville for the next 7 nights to have a look further afield. We have had a couple of nice days at Kingscliff, mainly sunny through the day and raining cats and dogs overnight. Perfect. The surf here is rough and dirty. Only the nippers braved it today. See more

12.01.2022 We went for another visit to Litchfield National Park today with Ryan. So beautiful. Water was so nice. An absolute must on your bucket list.

12.01.2022 We are between house sits so decided to head for the beach for a couple of days. Lovely park, Maroochydore Beach Holiday Park. We walked around to Cotton Tree Caravan Park and it is looking a bit empty there. It is one of our favourite parks and we have never seen it with waterfront sites empty. I guess it is usually full of southerners who have headed north for the warmth. Couple of nights here then a house sit at Chevallum for a couple of weeks. We’re finding house sitting a good way to keep visiting new areas but not have to stay in a Caravan Park. Loved our time at our Glenwood house sit.

11.01.2022 Sound on! Burdekin Cane Fire.

11.01.2022 Lovely spot in the shade overlooking Coolum Beach.

11.01.2022 Day 2 in Sydney. We went on a lunch cruise on the Harbour. Lovely views, delicious food good company. Another overcast day but no rain. The sun came out as we were walking back to the caravan park. A bit cool tonight.

10.01.2022 Red Cliff Campground (between Yamba & Brooms Head, NSW) magic place. We just walked past the pandanus tree and we were on the beach. There was a lovely natural rock pool at low tide, the water was the perfect temperature. Not too many people around. The mosquitos and flies were pretty bad the first day and we tested out the Nature’s Botanicals and must say it works. Lots of very friendly kangaroos, beautiful starry night sky. Scott did some metal detecting without much lu...ck. Lots of walks and swims. Highly recommend a visit. See more

10.01.2022 We left Winton and stayed the night in Ilfracombe instead of Longreach. We’ve been thru the Qantas museum and the Stockman’s Hall of Fame on a previous trip. We stopped in Longreach for lunch and a grocery shop and fuel but their caravan park prices are high compared to Ilfracombe. We had a drink at the Wellshot Hotel in Ilfracombe and did the mile walk along machinery alley. The area had between 30 and 50 mls of rain a couple of nights ago which certainly freshened everythin...g up. Much more needed. Arrived in Aramac yesterday and tackled the Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail today. Well worth the 200klm drive, 2/3 gravel. I have only included some of the sculptures, our favourites. They were all fantastic. The Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail features 40 sculptures along the way as well the glorious Lake Dunn. More sculptures are being added each year. How did the sculptures get there? Ask a local and you may be told an interesting story about a sheila with a few roos loose in the top paddock. In reality, the sculptures are the works of a local sculptor, Milynda Rogers, who did reside on a grazing property along the trail and decided she needed a platform to display her work. The result is one of the biggest, permanent, outdoor sculpture exhibitions in the world. She has combined her love of sculpture and incredible ability to turn junk into art to fulfil her wish to put a smile on the faces of the people who travel through one of the most beautiful and historical parts of Queensland. Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail

09.01.2022 Porcupine Gorge (north of Hughenden) is a great spot. Beautiful stars last night, glorious sunrise this morning. We went for a walk down into the gorge early this morning and had a swim in the very refreshing water. Impressive scenery. They call it a mini Grand Canyon. Definitely worth the drive off the main highway.

09.01.2022 Great work day today. Drove to Alva Beach , about 45 minutes south of here, to collect salt water. Minerals are extracted from the sea water to be used in the biodynamic process. Water was beautiful, glorious day. The pelican kept a close eye on us. Locals tell us they don’t swim in the water because of bull sharks and very large jelly fish. It certainly looked inviting! We then drove into Ayr for a coffee and a quick shop before getting home just on knock off time. Beats picking up cow . Apparently the fishing is quite good at Alva Beach and there is a very tidy looking caravan park within easy walk of the water.

09.01.2022 We’ve been saying for years ‘we must go to Somerset Dam’. Well we are here. Beautiful spot. Water in the dam, swimming and skiing happening. Temperature is about 10 cooler than Chinchilla yesterday. Beautiful breeze off the water. Sunset not spectacular but okay. We are on a water view site and there is a 4 x ensuite building behind us which is shared between the 12 water view sites. We also have access to the amenities block if needed. Very dry, no green grass, quite dusty. RACQ Member discount applies, just show your card.

08.01.2022 Great work day today. Drove to Alva Beach , about 45 minutes south of here, to collect salt water. Minerals are extracted from the sea water to be used in the biodynamic process. Water was beautiful, glorious day. The pelican kept a close eye on us. Locals tell us they don’t swim in the water because of bull sharks and very large jelly fish. It certainly looked inviting! We then drove into Ayr for a coffee and a quick shop before getting home just on knock off time. Beats picking up cow . Apparently the fishing is quite good at Alva Beach and there is a very tidy looking caravan park within easy walk of the water.

08.01.2022 We hit the road again yesterday after 2 nights in Emu Park. Our list of places to return to for longer visits is growing. We went for a drive to Yeppoon, the view of all the islands from the beach is unexpected. Lovely town. We spent last night at a farm stay about 50ks north of Mackay. Amongst the cane fields. Very relaxing. Rained all day yesterday and most of last night too. We are super excited to be arriving at our home for the next 2 1/2 months today. Can’t wait to see the Achacha Plantation and meet the owners and find out what we are going to be doing to help out.

07.01.2022 Wednesday:When we left Woolgoolga we were heading for Scott’s Head. We called in to Urunga and liked it so much we stayed here instead. Fantastic caravan park, great foreshore, the local council should be proud of itself. There is a wooden walkway from the riverfront area out to the headland beach approximately 1 klm long. Great morning walk and again after dinner (daylight saving, still light at 8, love it). Again lots of little beaches all the way along, but no swimming ye...t. Still very rough. And still raining off and on. We have the van booked in to a repair place in Coffs Harbour on Friday, bit of trouble with the fridge on gas. Need to get the gas valve replaced. Hopefully the part will arrive by Friday. Thursday: today we drove to Bellingen and Dorrigo along the Waterfall Way. Bellingen is an upmarket Nimbin. We were talking to a local and he said there were 2 things people in Bellingen didn’t like - shoes and bras - and it was quite obvious he was telling the truth. Absolutely beautiful town, great main street with beautiful plants, polished concrete footpaths interspersed with natural rock pavers, lots of alfresco coffee shops and quaint boutiques. George Negus from 60 Minutes lives here and we ran into him coming out of the local IGA. We drove on to the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre which is where a couple of the waterfalls can be accessed. We did the 2 hour Wonga Walk circuit to Crystal Shower Falls and Tristania Falls, both flowing beautifully after all the rain. Then on to Dangar Falls. We took a picnic lunch with us and had a great day. There is a Railway Museum in Dorrigo which has hundreds of old carriages and steam engines. Unfortunately it is not open to the public but we drove along side and took some pictures. Back at camp now packing up ready to take the van into Coffs by 8.30 in the morning. See more

06.01.2022 This afternoon’s harvest. Tomatoes, basil, lemon Thyme, parsley and shallots. So fresh and tasty.

06.01.2022 Tonight we were invited down to the neighbours property to watch a cane burn. Spectacular.

06.01.2022 Yahoo, we’re on the road again. Heading to North Queensland after being around the Wide Bay Area since late March. Thank you to all the family and friends who have had us in their backyards for the last few months. It was great to catch up with the everyone. We have had some wonderful housesits too. Looking forward to the next adventure, helping out on an Achacha Plantation near Townsville for a couple of months.

06.01.2022 Another great week in NQ. We saw the Achacha trees being fertilised through their watering system and then by liquid fertiliser onto the actual leaves. All natural fertilisers and all made on the plantation. It was a mix of fermented kelp, silica extracted from the Casuarina tree and minerals extracted from sea water we collected from Alva Beach. It was then sprayed on the trees as shown in the first 2 photos. Everything is so healthy yet no chemicals or poisons or artificial... fertilisers are used. The Biodynamic process is working but not without a lot of work by the owners. We have seen very few bugs or marks on fruit and veges. Just snakes!! There are 20 horses on the property and tomorrow we are moving them from one area to another. All hands on deck for that, 6 of us. We don’t have TV reception here so apart from live streaming the news we are having quiet evenings, early nights and early mornings. Loving the lifestyle. See more

06.01.2022 Goodbye Gympie, for now. We are on the road to Coolum Beach for 4 nights, then Mooloolaba Beach for 5 nights ( visitors welcome either place) before we head off into NSW. Looking forward to a swim in the surf this afternoon. P.S. had a lovely swim until a blue bottle found me. Got me on the arm and neck. Not too bad for a first sting! Water was beautiful.

06.01.2022 Litchfield National Park, N.T. did not disappoint. The termite mounds are huge, heaps of waterfalls and the best swimming holes at Buley Waterhole. Wangi Falls has a campground but you can’t swim at Wangi at the moment (crocodile in residence?). Beautiful swimming hole at the bottom of Florence Falls and camping at Florence also. About 6 water holes at Buley. Buley was the pick and there were plenty of people enjoying it today. Water was crystal clear and not cold. So en...joyable. We also did the walk to the viewing platform at Tolmer Falls. Easily done in a day trip from Darwin but would be nice to camp overnight too. Litchfield-Nationalpark See more

05.01.2022 Thought this was worth sharing. We have seen so many snakes while here, some dangerous some not. They’re definitely on the move.

04.01.2022 Free camp tonight at Chatsworth Rest Area in GYMPIE, Qld. We are between house sits. Needed to be in Gympie for a dinner tonight and an appointment in the morning. Off power, so might be a bit cold in the van tonight. And a bit noisy with this highway traffic. 9 vans or motor homes here tonight. Very popular.

03.01.2022 Our first week at Palm Creek Plantation is nearly over. The plantation grows a tropical fruit called Achacha, originally from the Amazon Basin in Bolivia. There were 16000 trees planted on 120 hectares of land about 45 klms south of Townsville. The fruit is harvested from around January with the help of backpackers, grey nomads and WWOOFA’S. The plantation is Biodynamic therefore no chemicals are used, only natural methods to improve the soil therefore the plants. There are... also 60 mango trees on the property, many in flower and hopefully getting ready to produce a good crop around Christmas time. This work week included many little jobs. One was collecting fresh cow manure from a neighbouring property to be used in soil preparation , another was collecting horse manure to be used by the beekeeper in his smoker. Scott has been going out in the paddocks early each morning to help remove a vine which grows over the trees. This is an ongoing job. We painted a couple of the trailers used in picking the fruit. We cleaned up the garden and watering is a daily chore. I am taking lots of photos for the property owners to be used in marketing. Certainly an interesting week and a very informative week. Have learnt lots about growing naturally, bees, chooks and the Achacha. The weather is cool in the mornings but it soon warms up. There had been rain before we arrived and the mosquitoes are here in full force. We are off the Townsville for the weekend to visit family. See more

03.01.2022 The beekeeper came today to leave 20 hives to pollinate the flowers just appearing on the Achacha trees. He is bringing another 20 hives on Monday. Amazing to watch him handle them.

01.01.2022 Woolgoolga was a surprise. Lovely little town with many restaurants, 3 caravan parks and a great Headland for watching whales. We think we’ll come back later in the year for some of the whale season. From a Woolgoolga we visited Arrawarra Headland, Corindi Beach, Safety Beach, Mullaway Beach and Moonee. We did not swim as the sea is still very rough and dirty all along the coast.

01.01.2022 We’ve had 2 very full, busy and informative days in Winton. It is in the middle of nowhere but well worth the trip. We have been to the Dinosaur Stampede Exhibition which is about 110 klms south of Winton. A station worker stumbled across the site and when it was excavated thousands of footprints of small dinosaurs were embedded in the rock. A building has been built over the site to preserve it and there are guided tours of the site. It is surrounded by some breathtaking sc...enery. Next we went to the Waltzing Matilda Centre and Quantilda Museum. It tells the history of the song Waltzing Matilda and the outback region and displays lots of artefacts of the past. It also tells the story of the birth of Qantas. The original centre burnt down in 2015 and $23 million was spent on the new centre, which opened in 2018. Some great interactive displays. This morning we have been to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum. We did a guided tour made up of 3 parts, the Laboratory where they work on the painstaking extraction of the bones from the dirt and rock. The Dinosaur Collection which is a display of actual dinosaur bones, the end product from the laboratory. The Dinosaur Canyon is reached by electric shuttles and is a guided tour along pathways to galleries and lookouts containing life sized dinosaur exhibits. A Great couple of days. Very hot in Winton, the air con in the van has had a workout as has the pool in the park. We are on the road again tomorrow, a night in Longreach followed by a couple of nights in Aramac to check out the Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail. https://www.barcaldinerc.qld.gov.au/aramac-2

01.01.2022 We're doing it! Scott and I are hitting the road indefinitely early February. We are renting our house out and selling all our furniture, we are only keeping mementos and personal items. If you would like to follow our travels please like this page. I probably won't post much before we leave, but setting it up because so many people have asked if we will be doing the same as we did with "On our Way to W.A.". Happy travels.

01.01.2022 Red Cliff Campground, just north of Broomes Head. Magic.

01.01.2022 Day 3 Sydney. We went on a bus trip around Sydney today. Very informative. Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, the upmarket suburbs of Potts Point, Vaucluse and Double Bay, Kings Cross, Rose Bay, North and South Head, the Finger Wharf, Paddington and Bondi Beach to name some of the places we visited. The driver was full of information about Sydney. We then walked to The Rocks area and had a wander around there.... Loved our time in Sydney. Would be a good idea to do the bus trip on the first day because it gives you an idea of areas to visit yourself to spend more time at some and others would be great to drive to and do some of the coastal walks.

01.01.2022 2 nights ago we were at Barkly Homestead, the first stop into The Northern Territory on the Barkly Highway. A nice break from the red dirt and flat plains, Barkly Homestead generates it’s own power and water. It is great to see green grass although the whole countryside is looking good. The next night we stopped at Banka Banka Station. We stayed here in 2007 when we did our around Australia Trip with the boys. Again a beautiful green oasis in the middle of nowhere. They had happy hour from 6 till 8 and a lovely big fire to sit around and listen to the guitar player. Very relaxing. There are 2 photos from 2007 attached of Ryan and Lachlan going for a walk with Ernie the Emu at Banka Banka Station.