DAY 9 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY) TRIP - BEETALOO - PIMBA

3 May 2010

BEETALOO - PIMBA via Woomera

The day started with a bit of a weld job on a bolt .

Then it was time to say goodbye again and hit the road. We are hoping to meet up again in Jindabyne later in the year. We always enjoy meeting and being together.

Having left Beetaloo we felt that we were finally on our way for our next big adventure. Soon there is a reminder of how far water is pumped from the Murray River.

We soaked up the scenery and remembered the last night we headed north from Port Augusta in January 1984 with the children and a friend in our Landrover.

At lunchtime we were reminded how small the world was. A family came up to our Oka to say hello as they knew the owners of Oka 196 very well. What a coincedence as we had visited the owners of Oka 196 whilst in Adelaide.

We went to Woomera Village. I was amused by the local newsletter „Gibber Gabber“. What a name! Interesting to read that tourist numbers were down. The museum had an ecclectic mixture of exhibits.

The rockets, planes and guns outside were definitely of interest.

We then backtracked a bit to Pimba to spend the night at the Spuds Roadhouse camping area.   Pimba means ‚pine tree‘ in local aboriginal language yet it is found on a flat treeless tableland. The billboard says it has a population of 35 and then quickly adds that they are visited by thousands of people every year. It is free camping here and as the night progressed more and more vehicles made there way here. The bins are interesting here as bicycle wheels are used to keep the birds and other animals at bay.

After a beer at Spuds

it was time to cook dinner and to call in on the radio.

To the Top End we plan to go
But what way should we go
Canberra base is in the east
So many options – what a feast!

So west we head to Adelaide
As time for family must be made
Before heading further west
To Australia’s crossroads – north, east or west

Then from south to north we will head
Through Australia’s central length we will trek
As we weave between east and west
Off the main road straight ahead
Stocked up and ready for adventure
We will see how far we will venture.

DAY 8 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY) TRIP - ADELAIDE - BEETALOO

2 May 2010

ADELAIDE - BEETALOO

We had a leasurely start to the day today.

Finally it was time to say goodbye and to be on our way. We headed west to Beetaloo, to our friends place, via Port Wakefield.

At Crystal Brook we were amused by the antics of a train carrying grain. The train was going across the crossing and all the cars were patiently waiting for it to finish going across when it came to a stop several carriages before the end.

Then it started to go slowly backwards. 29 carriages later it stopped again.

Finally it started going in the intial direction, picked up speed and disappeared. We wandered whether at the rail junction a bit further on it had gone onto the wrong track. It was not far from here to Beetaloo where we found our friend tinkering with his new toy.

He is going to rebuild the engine.  His wife reckons he should rebuild the body as well.

It is Gray motor vehicle that was converted to a ute before utes were even on the market. The wooden wheel spokes were very interesting.

Another interesting night catching up and playing 'Oh Hell'.

DAYS 5-7 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY) TRIP - Adelaide

29 April – 1 May 2010

ADELAIDE

Nice autumn weather, lovely company what else does one wish for when visiting. Hubby’s cold seems to have disappeared, his gums are settling down, so all is good with the world. We spent time with family and caught up with several friends. I am so glad that a very close family friend is finally getting IT savvy and we can catch up with her by email. Everyday we spent quite a bit of time with mum and even had an opportunity to take her out one afternoon.

My brother and I spent some time getting mum’s room to be more homely for her. We took her home one day and it was emotional for all of us. I hope that she will be happy at the nursing home.

The time in Adelaide flew quickly by and before long it was our last evening here.

DAY 4 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY) TRIP - LOCKHART - ADELAIDE

28 April 2010

LOCKHART - ADELAIDE

Another overcast drizzly day today. At night the trucks kept going all night along the highway. I was very annoyed when one pulled in for a stop right next to us sometime through the night as it woke us up.

We stopped along the way just past Coonalpyn and we saw the most unusual thing - shells. Thinking about it later, maybe it is not so unusual as it is not that far from the Coorong.

We got into Adelaide by lunchtime and visited my mother in the nursing home. I was really happy with the environment in which she was in. It was nice, airy, modern and very spacious. Mum has a good size room. It was her birthday and she had flowers and cards. Her sister was with her when we arrived. It was close to afternoon tea time so they organised for the residents to sing happy birthday to her and cut the cake made by my niece.

After spending some time with mum we dropped in at Bunnings to get a few things we forgot such as a window cleaner on a rod and then onto my brother’s place. He is the only one of the six of us left in Adelaide at the moment and I am very grateful for all he does for mum. He and his famly really made us feel welcome.

My brother, niece and I went back to the nursing home with a little chocolate birthday cake – a delicious Nigela recipe also made by my niece. We spent some time with mum in a nice lounge celebrating her birthday. The rest of the evening was spent catching up at my brother’s place.

DAY 3 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY) - AVALON REST AREA – LOCKHART VIA GRAMPIANSTRIP -

27 April 2010

AVALON REST AREA – LOCKHART VIA GRAMPIANS

A much more relaxed day. However this morning started with a problem. Last night when we pulled up at Avalon we could smell diesel outside the car. Didn’t think much of it as we were camping at a rest area at a large sevice centre. When we came back from the service centre we smelt it in the front cabin. We immediately thought of a broken tube near the motor. (We’ve experienced this several years ago). Hubby decided to look at it in the morning, as it was not dripping any fuel, and there would be better light. So in the morning the first thing was to check it and sure enough there was a pin prick in the diesel fuel line. What amazed him was that the worn part of the rubber had left a groove in the block. He shortened the line and is going to make sure that he has the right tubing with him in case it needs replacing.

A drizzly day today but not as cold. Over the radio they forecast snowfalls above 1700 metres. I am over my cold but hubby has come down with it. We travelled through Skipton to Lake Bolac. The town has pride. It is very welcoming. I loved the sculptures outside the information centre.

The information centre was great. Nowhere else have I come across information about what is grown in the area, the types of grains, grasses in the area.

I decided that the postcards for grandkids will start here, so several postacards later we were ready to leave. We continued on towards Dukeld past old homes and

sheep grazing in the fields.

The Grampians emerged through the haze.

We decided to drive through the Grampians. It is a beautiful place but you need lots of time to explore it properly. We were last here when the children were young. We will come back here one day just to see the place.

With all the drizzling rain the windows were getting quite streaky so we pulled over to clean them.

We pushed on as far as Lockhard near the South Australian and Victorian borders as the sun set.

DAY 2 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY)- THREDBO – AVALON REST AREA TRIP -

26 April 2010

THREDBO – AVALON REST AREA

Couldn’t believe it but it was minus 2.4 degrees when we got up and then went further down to minus 5. Suddently winter is here!

An early start this morning as we need to be in Melbourne in the afternoon to see Ian re the car. It was drizzling and cold, cold, cold and the heater took for ever to heat up. From Thredbo to Geehi the heater was blowing cold air. I was not dressed appropriately and felt like an icicle.

The road was foggy but the scenery was beautiful in the fog. It was beautiful at Geehi. Swampy Plains River was fast flowing.

We continued along the Alpine Way enjoying the beautiful autumn colours.

The fog came and went during the morning.

It really was a beautiful drive to Wodonga. Just past Corryong we stopped for a pit stopped and got the car bogged. That’s right – we needed 4WD to get out as the ground was very soft from all the rain.

After Wodonga I dozed off and before I knew it we were in Melbourne. We headed to Ian’s and had the car looked at. Ian had taken the rust out of the vehicle last year and we had a few questions for him. But all was well. We caught up with his wife and Paul who is a godsend in providing spare parts for the Oka. Soon we said goodbye and headed across Melbourne towards Geelong.

It may seem strange to be heading north the way we are doing it. But we decided to go via Adelaide and to see my mother before heading north. Melbourne was a slight detour. It also gives us the opportunity to do the full length of Australia - south to north.

DAY 1 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY) TRIP

25 April 2010

CANBERRA – THREDBO

The day has finally arrived - we are to take off for the top end of Australia. We intend to explore the top end of Australia between WA and Qld borders, ie Northern Territory part of the top end. With all the rain up north who knows what we will actually see but we will make the most of the opportunity to be up there.

But, are we ready? Not quite.

There are still the last things to pack, then the house needs a thorough clean as a housesitter is coming in. So we rush around till finally tired and exhausted we say this is it.

 I've got a cold and hubby's gums are swollen after a tooth extraction several days ago.  So not a good way to start a trip.

It is a beautiful autumn day, although overcast and also our 35th wedding anniversary. I sure didn’t expect to be spending it in such a rush.

Finally at 5.00pm we head off in separate cars. Hubby in the Oka goes to fuel up, whilst I drop in at the library to drop of a book. At the shopping centre its starts to drizzle and then a beautiful rainbow emerges. A good omen for the trip I think.

We both dropped in to say goodbye to our youngest son’s family. Hubby was met with great enthusiasm by little grandson. I don’t think the 2 year old understands that he will not see us for a long time. He loves collecting the mail so I told him how the postman will bring him postcards from us as we travelled north. He had given me a drawing to put up in the Oka.

Having said goodbye we headed for Jindabyne to our daughter’s place to drop off my car and the dog. When I got there my grand-daughter didn’t give me time to say hello before presenting me with a fan she had made as „it will be hot where we are going“

and a leaf print on fabric in autumn colours to remind me of autumn whilst we are away.

Before I could thank her, she marched me off to her bedroom to show me the map she had put up in her room to show me where I was going. She had it down pat and she is only four years old.

I finally got a chance to say hello to everyone else including her little brother. Before long hubby arrived and we said goodbye as he had booked us in for dinner at Crackenback Resort and we were running late.

Finally we got time to enjoy our wedding anniversary and to reminisce on the great years we’ve had and to ponder the future.

OKA 74

24 April 2010

OKA REFIT

I decided to write about our OKA as it has undergone a major change. We bought our OKA in August 2004. It was made up of two dual cabs welded together. The inside was dark and made with heavy materials.

Last year we decided to do major work on it as rust had been found in the body. We gutted the vehicle and took it in May 2009 to Ian in Melbourne who undertook the major task in getting the rust out. In September hubby picked up an unrecognisable vehicle. New look front as the bulbar was replaced. It took 4 men to remove the old bullbar as it was so heavy.

The passenger side was changed as an outdoor cooking station cum barbecue was added.

The back had a box added to take our blow up boat.

Now that the body had been fixed the work started to refit the inside. As I mentiond the inside was totally gutted.

The decision to gut it was made because of the weight of the original fit out. It had double layers of MBF. So the interior was totally redesigned and rebuilt using plywood instead of 20mm mdf and finished off using resilience.  As a result we have been able to ft in a special double drawer for sauces on the kitchen side

and a decent size dinette.

All campervan electrics have been redone including interior lighting. Consequently, we have lightened the vehicle considerably and created an incredible amount of very accessible storage place.

For those techno buffs in the following modifications were also made to the vehicle:
- rear door activated light
- 3 auxiliary batteries and one starter battery
- all axles converted to 35 spline
- 3rd solar panel added
- 20mm spring shackle bolts (thanks to Peter Wright)
- new hoist lift for spare wheel on the back of the car
- all windows are tinted
- wall and roof insulation in cab and camper body
- external barbeque/cooker (made by Ian Jones)
- demountable electric winch
- manual hand throttle
- steering conversion to larger steering box to improve turning circle
- original bulbar replaced by lighter Oka bullbar. Original bullbar required 4 men to lift it off
- inflatable boat carrier box on rear of vehicle next to spare tyre
- external table and chairs carried in storage bag fitted over rear spare tyre
- hi-clone added
- installed HF and UHF radios.

Our motorhome consists of:
2 x105 lt fuel tanks, double bed, 1 x 80 lt and 1 x 75lt water tanks, storage under bed, dinette, 3 - 64w solar panels, cupboards, drawers, inverter, sink, 4 gas hot plates and oven, 72 lt 12 w chest Auto fridge, 31 litre Waeco fridge/freezer, 4 lt cooler, toilet, external shower, reversing camera.

We have done some major big trips in the vehicle that we have enjoyed
1. Corner Country, Birdsville, south west Queensland (4 weeks) 2004
2. Carnavon Gorge (2 weeks) 2005
3. NSW National Parks Canberra to Foster (3 weeks) 2006
4. Via the Gascoyne to Pilbara and Kimberley and returned via Tanami and Oodnadatta Tracks (16 weeks) 2008 (see our blog entries commencing March 2008)
5. Currently on our way up to the Top End

Back cupboards above the bed.

Clothes cupboard and kitchen

Kitchen

Fridge

View towards front with pantry cupboards on each side.