5/6/2022

G'Day, my name is Dave but most people call me Grumpy (I think it's because of my charming disposition). After being virtually housebound for the last eight years due to an accident which left me partially disabled, I've bought myself a van (2002 Toyota Hi-Ace poptop) and have decided to explore the country I've called home for the last fifty-seven years. After several delays due to record floods and other extreme weather, it's finally time to hit the road.

It is my intention to use this site to keep a record of my travels and share some of my experiences. I have no set plans or destination apart from points of interest that my wonderful child insists I visit (a few places listed on the Shit Towns of Australia facebook page, Port Pirie, the big bogan in Nyngan, the giant prawn, etc).

Home base is Toowoomba QLD and at the moment it's a chilly 7°C so to escape the cold, the plan is to head North toward the tropics. Below is my milk carton picture in case I get lost.
 
 
23/6/22
 
Ok, let's try this again. Last time I attempted to leave I plugged the cigarette lighter charger for my power supply (ArkPac 730 12/240 volt inverter & deep cycle battery) and blew the fuse. $360 later and a 2 week wait for a new charger and I should finally be able to hit the road. Typical, puts my departure just before the Queensland school holidays. Still planning on heading north as it's pretty cold here at the moment.
 
24/6/22
 
Today was all about getting a feel for the van. I haven't driven a manual for years so it took a little getting use to but I figured it out in the end and drove to Eidsvold. Found a nice camping spot at the RM Williams Australian Bush Learning Centre, which had a light and sound show in the evening. There were two caravans and one camper in a huge area of green grass and there were public toilets available. Still not far enough north though as it's still bloody cold!
 
25/6/22
 
Headed towards the central Queensland gemfields as it had been suggested that I should visit the Rubyvale area and the mine tour/fossicking park. I have been fossicking for gold and opals but never for gems and was keen to give it a try. Drove as far as Comet, a small town just short of Emerald and stopped for the night in a small rest area on the side of the road. Unfortunately my lower back went into spasms (a side effect from my accident) leaving me unable to stand properly or walk more than a few paces without being in severe pain.
 
26/6/22
 
Woke up in severe pain (8/10, with kidney stones being 10/10). Drove to Rubyvale and there were so many campers/caravans that getting a place for the night would be difficult. I forgot it was Queensland school holidays!! Went to the Miner's Heritage mine tour/fossicking area only to find the mine tour has 47 steps, which I was unable to complete. Bought my kid a few souvenirs, had lunch, a cup of tea and a good chat with the staff, then headed back out on the road. Drove to Barcaldine which has the Tree of Knowledge and is credited as the birthplace of the Australian Labour Party. Spent the night in a caravan park so I could have a nice hot shower (in the bore water that is pumped from the Great Artesian Basin and smells like rotten eggs!)
 
27/6/22
 
 
Still in severe pain but at least the weather has warmed up. Headed north, keeping an eye out for somewhere to camp and rest up for a few days. No luck finding a campsite as there were so many travellers (bloody school holidays!). Kept driving as far as Hughenden, bought a few supplies and found a perfect spot about 35kms outside of Hughenden to set up camp. There was already a firepit left by previous campers and a small amount of firewood that was easy to access. Cooked my first meal on an open fire just as the sun set. Perfect!!
 
28/6/22
 
Too much pain so I headed to my sister's place just outside of Cairns to recover for a while. Will update more when something exciting happens.
 
15/7/22
 
Spent a fantastic couple of weeks with my sister Cathy and her amazing family. I arrived on her doorstep in pretty bad shape, barely able to walk or stand up straight. I can't express how thankful I am that she took me in, cooked excellent meals (Ben too), took me shopping and most importantly, gave me her time. Thank you again Cathy (last time I will say thank you). You are an amazing person and I am envious of the relationship you have with your family. Ok, That said, it's time to hit the road toward Undara Lava Tubes.
 
19/7/22
 
Stayed 4 nights at Undara Lava Tubes, which has been on my bucket list for about 30 years. Had a very quiet spot right on the edge of the camp grounds. Had some really cute neighbours too!
 
 
Did a bit of wandering around exploring and on the final day booked in to a 2 hour tour of the Archway lava tube. Spectacular!!
 
 
23/7/22
 
Spent a quiet 3 nights in Croydon caravan park while I had my phone appointments. Heading towards the Gulf of Carpentaria tomorrow.
 
25/7/22
 
Took a drive to Kurumba in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Camped beside Walker's Creek with my family when I was young so stopped and had a stretch at the same site. So many Brolgas!! The water at Kurumba was amazingly aqua. The photos I took don't do it justice.
 
 
28/7/22
 
Headed to Cloncurry to fill prescriptions. They didn't have what I needed in stock so popped over to Mt Isa. Two more pharmacies later and I was finally restocked. Headed towards the NT. Camped in roadside rest areas along the way till I reached Katherine where I stayed at Manballoo homestead caravan park which is on the banks of the Katherine river. Excellent van park, huge old trees providing excellent shade. (It's 32 degrees in the daytime and about 12 at night)
 
 
1/8/22
 
Four nights on the banks of the beautiful Katherine river. Peaceful and relaxing with the camp kitchen having a kettle and microwave. First cup of tea in weeks. Pity I couldn't swim here because the river hides crocodiles!!
 
 
5/8/22
 
Drove to Dundee Beach, about 100 kms outside of Darwin. Pretty isolated but an excellent camp just off the beach. Still no swimming. (Crocodiles and sharks)
 
 
Decided not to visit Kakadu because it costs $40 just to drive in. Visited Lichfield instead. Had heard it was similar to Kakadu but no cost. Well worth the drive. Florence Falls was spectacular and... SWIMMING!! Over 100 steps down to the pool and by the time I got back I was knackered.
 
 
Visited the magnetic termite mounds, which have a thin edge facing north-south with their broad edges facing east-west. This helps the termites inside regulate heat.
 
 
8/8/22
 
Took a nice leisurely drive from Dundee Beach toward the West Australian border. Spent the night at Timber Creek national park and saw this magnificent boab tree. (Its base is about the size of my van!)
 
 
A bit more driving and...!!
 
 
Spent another night camped in the bush before heading toward Wyndham, where I visited The Grotto. 141 steps down to water level then a refreshing dip in the 100 metre deep waterhole. (Zoom in and you can see the steps)
 
 
Spent 2 nights in Derby. I would like to say something nice about Derby but I can't think of anything. The night before I arrived thieves broke in to 3 caravans while the occupants slept, stole car keys, then stole the owner's cars which they took for joy rides. One victim had $35k damage on his $150k vehicle. First night I was there things were ok but on the second night the thieves were back. I rang 000 after witnessing them trying to force open a caravan door. Derby police responded well sending out 4 patrol cars but were unable to locate the offenders. I really feel for the businesses that depend on tourist season for their income. The 200 site caravan park was only quarter full due to thefts whereas Broome, my next destination, was totally booked out.
 
13/8/22
 
My plan was to book into a van park in Broome and visit with my niece but discovered everything was fully booked out. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Emily (niece) as she gave up her 5 star bungalow at Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa for my use, gave me her time and showed me a few of the local sites. I always enjoy time with her as she is very relaxed, free spirited and easy going. Spent 4 nights in the resort eating in one of the restaurants and ordering room service.
 
 
The resort is located on the ocean side of a peninsula and Emily took me to see Roebuck bay on the sheltered side. A beautiful place but home to rather large salt water crocodiles. The water was a brilliant shade of blue. Broome is home to some of the largest tides in the country (10 metre high) and on king tides the main street sometimes floods.
 
 
17/8/22
 
Drove south and free camped in the middle of nowhere. This was my view lying in bed with the side door open on the first night.
 
 
This was the tranquil river at twilight that I camped next to on the next night. Still crocodiles so no swimming.
 
 
Continued on to Carnarvon where I stayed 3 nights. I first attempted to do a lap of Australia in 1980 or there abouts but got turned around in Carnarvon and had to head back to Perth. Now I have finally completed a lap of Australia but it took 42 years to complete!! The weather is cooler (thankfully) and even had a bit of rain, the first since leaving Cairns.
 
22/8/22
 
Ticked another item off my bucket list, the Monkey Mia dolphin experience. 5 dolphins came in for the free food but I was unable to take any pictures because my phone was hidden in the van. By the time I headed back to the van and grabbed my phone the dolphins had already moved on. Also visited the stromatolites (Google it) but the boardwalk had been damaged by a cyclone so was unable to get up close. Disappointing. Drove down to Dongara and camped on the beachfront for a couple of days. Decided to drive south past Perth on the sunday so there wouldn't be much traffic. Stopped at Busselton for a couple of nights.
 
24/8/22
 
Drove down to Augusta following google maps to a lookout which ended up taking me here!
 
 
Was a lovely drive through new growth Karri forests and the lookout was spectacular. Came across a water wheel just outside Augusta which is from the late 1800s that was used to pump water from a natural spring to the local lighthouse. The wheel is gone but the sluiceway still stands and has water flowing through it.
 
 
Went looking for a giant Karri tree and found one. This is the Glouchester tree, an old fire lookout tree, that stands above 60 metres tall. There are a series of metal pegs embedded in the tree and visitors are able to climb to the viewing platforms, the highest is over 50 metres up. Think I climbed it? (No bloody way). No one has ever died climbing the tree though 2 people had heart attacks after they climbed down.
 
 
Set up camp in Pemberton for 2 nights and had some lovely visitors. Pity said visitors like to bite toes!!
 
 
29/8/22
 
Drove to Albany which is now one of my favourite places in Australia. The rugged coastline was spectacular!
 
 
Elephant Rock
 
 
Natural Bridge
 
 
Set up camp on the side of the road about 60kms west of Albany. No light pollution meant crystal clear skies. Next morning I headed to another item on my bucket list, Wave Rock, a two and a half hour (190km) detour each way. Booked in to Wave Rock caravan park for 2 nights Was feeling a bit sore so decided to rest up for the afternoon and go for a stroll in the morning. Woke up in pain (6/10) so popped a couple of pain killers and went for a walk.
 
 
The walk was supposed to take one and a half hours but took me nearly four, including climbing along the top of Wave Rock, till I eventually came to Hippo's Yawn.
 
 
Rested up for the remainder of the day and warmed up by the communal fire pit in the evening. Had a few showers which was the first rain since leaving Cairns. It was pretty damn cold too with top day temp of 16 and night temp of 4 degrees C. Still pretty sore so the next morning drove to Esperance and booked in for 2 nights to recover. Still showers and cold!
 
7/9/22
 
Spent the better part of the last week with my neck and back fighting to see who could hurt the most. Took a leisurely drive from WA to SA across the nullabor. Couldn't get a photo of the SA border sign as it's located in the WA quarantine area. This was the first pic I took in SA, my camp for the night on the Great Australian Bight.
 
 
Took a 96km detour on some rough as guts dirt road to visit a sea lion colony between Ceduna and Coffin Bay on the Eyre Peninsula.
 
 
Spent a night in Coffin Bay before heading to Pt Lincoln and on to the Riverina region where I spent 3 nights in Renmark to take some breakthrough medication and rest up a bit. This was one of my roadside camps near Burra in SA.
 
 
18/9/22
 
Spent a couple of nights at World's End Reserve outside of Burra in SA. Collected my firewood ready for the evening and then it bucketed down with rain that didn't stop for the whole time I was there.
 
 
Left the rain behind and drove up to Wilmington in the Flinders Ranges. Back and neck still painful so I stopped for a week to rest up some more. Had a fire for the first 4 nights but then the rain started along with very gusty winds. This was the view out my van door.
 
 
Possums visited my camp every night for free food. The locals feed them bread so I figured some cornflakes wouldn't be too bad for them.
 
 
After 3 days of strong winds and pelting rain I drove to Broken Hill where it was warm and sunny. I figured I had better make the most of the warm before heading south into Victoria, which has seen record rains and flooding.
 
25/9/22
 
Headed south to Wentworth. I think the plains along that drive were more barren than the Nullabor.
 
 
Spent a couple of nights in Wentworth, got the van serviced, then headed to Mount Gambia where I spent a couple of nights. Rain, Rain, Rain. Headed toward Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road. Stopped an hour outside of Melbourne to wait for my Tasmania ferry on the 27th.
 
 
29/9/22
 
Did the day crossing from Melbourne to Devonport on the Spirit of Tasmania. Saw a few whales and a pod of dolphins along the 10 hour voyage. Arrived in Devonport after dark and drove west out of town looking for a camping spot. Saw a few parked campervans at Sulphur Creek rest area so I pulled over for the night not knowing what the area was like. Heard penguins during the night and woke up the next morning to this view.