Strutting our stuff ...

Nick had originally considered replacing the Spacevan struts himself and removed both to start that process.  However when he called the local Cub dealership he was given contact details for a gas strut fitter - and organised that fellow to visit.

Once the struts were off, we couldn't pack up the camper so decided to tackle another mission while waiting for the strut inspection.  All three tyres were about 15 years old. We took them to a nearby tyre place, which we've used on a number of occasions since relocating to QLD. It was a simple, straight-forward transaction to fit new tyres. $285.00 and done.

The strut man arrived a day early.  He checked the old struts and stated they were "not too bad". They were a bit uneven and that caused the twisting of the camper as it was closing. One side would close but the other side was still open. After fitting new struts the camper closes evenly.  Well worth $176.00!  (Nick's next job is to straighten the twist with some reinforcing plates).

Cold storage?!

Although we put some things in the Spacevan fridge during our trip, we really preferred using our Engel. Once home again we decided to remove the three-way fridge and convert the space to another storage area. 

We both looked for second-hand cupboard door or drawer options but it was tricky to find the right size, so after much searching we ordered two doors from eBay for just under $134.00 delivered.   

The fridge came out pretty easily. It was mounted to rails on the floor, so Nick slid it out and then removed the rails. I cleaned the floor thoroughly before the next step.

Nick had previous experience with  stainless steel but had forgotten how difficult it was to work with. He says "drilling was a trauma"!  

As you can see, he won out over the doors and we are both quite chuffed with how well they fit the space.  We're not sure yet what we'll use that extra storage for - but we like having it!

The fridge sold for $250.00, which offset some of our other spending. 

Bags not getting dusty!

The hard-floor camper design means the floor flips over to become the roof when packed up. I took a spare sheet to cover the bed for our recent trip, to protect our bed from dirt. 

It worked fairly well and a previous owner had a plastic sheet in the drawbar box, which we used to cover the bed when packing in the rain at Blackall.

The bed still became a little wet, so I ordered a zipped mattress bag for future use. It's yet to arrive but my Drifta camping mat bags were delivered yesterday. Each will hold eight camping mats, including edges - which should further contain dust/dirt/mud. Fingers crossed!

The benefit of these mats is that a lot of dust falls into the holes.  The pics in the collage are from our Roma packup, where much dried mud dropped onto the floor also.  (I took the long-handled broom and pan with us and swept before each pack-up, to limit dirt being distributed through the camper when closing).

We took eight mats on this trip, which had been purchased at Emerald during our Wing-it Wanderings last year.  My plan is to have eight mats for outside use and another eight for inside - with bags marked in some way.  I'll buy a new set for inside use.  Any older mats at home will be good for the garage area.

Organising for more adventures ...

We returned from our adventuring, very keen to start improving (and personalising) the Spacevan. Nick still had a week left of annual leave and we wanted to make the most of his time off.  

One of the main issues while away was difficulty closing the camper when packing up.  We'd initially assumed the problem was due to windy conditions but later realised some pop rivets were missing on a metal roof plate.  

Nick replaced those rivets but the repair hasn't improved the closing issue, so we are now looking to have the gas struts inspected and possibly replaced.

A previous owner removed some of the 12-volt components and we've been researching how best to replace those.

Those are the main larger missions.  Many smaller jobs have been done.  The pull-out exterior pantry drawer lacked organisation, so we purchased two lidded plastic baskets from Kmart and several plastic containers from Coles.  $30.00 well spent!  Our beverage case fits quite well in the remaining space and hopefully there'll be less chaos next trip.

The single interior kitchen drawer became a catch-all while away, so it's also had a makeover.  Bunnings had these small plastic tubs for $3.00.  I bought a roll of non-slip mat from a variety store to sit beneath the tubs - and a few longer items can slide into the narrow remaining space.  

The six small cutting boards were a BigW buy.  $9.00 total.  Nick and I saw a set of stabilising jack pads at an automotive store a week or so ago.  The set of four was just under $60.00.  Nick spoke of cutting a large chopping board into pieces but the mini variety are already the right size.  These are just to sit under the camper's legs in case of soft ground.  I'm sure we've used scrap wood for the previous camper trailer, so the small boards will be an upgrade.  I'll make a carry bag for them.

Our Engels were purchased 11 years ago.  We've always just used them with the main basket, even though smaller baskets were available for better organisation.  On this recent trip one Engel remained in the back of Elmer.  Accessing the fridge involved standing on the towbar or scrambling onto the tailgate.  It was awkward to see into the fridge and retrieve items, particularly as they'd frequently fall into any empty space created by removing something.  

Yep.  We finally caved and bought two small Engel baskets and one six-can basket.  Only one can be used at a time but we're hopeful they'll help.  We use the Engels at home also, which will be a good test of the new organisation. 

We'll continue to take our Engels away with us, so the inside Dometic fridge was surplus to requirements.  Nick removed that yesterday and we've ordered some stainless steel doors to convert the empty space into extra cupboard area.  

What else?  A mini flip-top bin for rubbish, which will sit on the bench area.  Given most of our stops were overnight, rubbish was binned before checking out - so we don't need a big bin.  I've also ordered some magnetic gas level gauges.  (The line had a gas level gauge connector but the gas didn't run with that one in place).

Erin lent us her never-used kettle to take away.  It was a nice shape but whinged rather than whistled and was awkward to fill.  We bought a blue one on special from Tentworld and tested it this morning.  It's easy to fill, whistles very confidently and pours nicely.  Cheers!

Home again ...

Nick and I were blissfully unaware of any storm during the night, which really surprised Vaughan - cos the camper vibrated during some thunder claps!

We left at 10:00am and arrived home 7 hours / 473km later - 3,350km in total over 11 days. We made a few stops along the way, lunch at Morven and a break at Warra (as well as others).  

There was heaps of rain on the last part of the drive, from Toowoomba-ish onwards. We were very, very pleased to arrive home safely - and not to be paddling about, trying to set up in such wet conditions.

It was a great first trip.  Definitely a thorough test of our Spacevan. We got faster at both setting up and packing down. We coped well with strong winds and rain. There were some issues but we're hopeful of finding easy-ish solutions.  We've made a list of things to pack for next time, discussed improvements to be made and are already scheming for more adventures!

Day 11, Roma to Home - 473km (3,350km total)

Windy and wet ...

The beautiful breeze became stronger later, accompanied by lightning flashes and a few drops of rain, which caused a brief retreat. I stayed up under the stars for quite a while afterwards, before retiring to bed. 

The wind picked up considerably during the night. There was lots of creaking and other noise as the canvas flapped and support poles flexed. Thankfully we stayed grounded, in spite of feeling as if we might go whirling about (like Dorothy in her house) at any time!

It wasn't raining early in the morning, so Nick and I went out with Mr Dog.  The clouds darkened as we walked, so we headed back to our site and started packing up.

We managed to get a lot done - but not everything - before the rain started.  Even in those soggy conditions, it was our earliest pack-up/departure of the trip!

It was a long day of driving.  We rolled into Roma around 4:00pm set for our last night, revisiting the Ups and Downs Farmstay (where we stayed in 2018). The Spacevan fared pretty well after the wet pack-up/travel - and thankfully there wasn't too much chaos to deal with. 

Our hostess advised us of hail storm warnings and offered space for our vehicle under shelter.  The fridge was plugged in though, so we opted to leave everything as is.  (She had added that no hail eventuated on any of the previous nights).

Day 10, Blackall to Roma - 501.5km

It's big!

Nick and I had an early walk through town with Bandit before breakfast - and packing up. We left Longreach at 9:30am and drove to Blackall via Ilfracombe/Isisford (which was new countryside for us).

There hadn't been as many lizards as expected this trip but we spotted a bearded dragon on the quieter road and called for a halt.  

Vaughan surprised us by exiting the car and successfully sprinting after the lizard, in his slip-on shoes and while hitching his pants! 

We'd missed seeing Alice and Avon on the way up, so were looking forward to seeing them on the way home.  We checked into Blackall caravan park around 2:00pm and were given a site very close to the one we'd had on the way up.  

It was lovely to spend several hours catching up with Alice after setting up, seeing her garden and desert roses, sharing stories - and her beautifully baked cake. 

Back at the van park, we dined under the stars again and enjoyed a beautiful cool breeze.

Day 9, Longreach to Blackall - 249km

Long reach from Julia Creek

We were up early again, so worked steadily in the cool - and checked out a little after 9:30am.  There were quick farewells with Di before we were back on the road.

Last year, during our Wing-it Wanderings trip, I was very excited to find half a Road Train sign. I've been looking for the other half since then and felt I might have better, albeit still slim, chances of finding one this trip.

Much excitement between Julia Creek and Kynuna when I spotted some yellow! Alas, on checking the archives my find was as Vaughan said - "the wrong half". Not to worry, I'll keep searching, though I may now require two "Roads"?!

My new sign is far more battered than the first one but still made it all the way home with us!

There was discussion while driving about the landscape and behaviour of willy-willies - as well as tumbleweed appreciation and some sing-alongs to Vaughan's playlist.  

We detoured again into Kynuna for a quick break and then drove to Winton.  

Nick and I bought takeaway from one of the pubs and we all sat on the footpath in the shade of a building (beside the car) to have lunch.  Nick and I had fold-up stools for increased comfort but we even so, it was still very hot and we were all pleased to get back in the car out of the heat.

Longreach was our overnight stop, as planned.  We arrived around 4:00pm, set up, chatted to a neighbour and then kicked back listening to a different neighbour's TV, so it seemed like we were "watching" NCIS together!  TV aside, it was very pleasant sitting outside, with stars emerging between the clouds.

Vaughan found several broad-banded sandswimmers beside the amenities block, so they were admired and photographed.  A definite highlight of the evening!

Day 8, Julia Creek to Longreach - 466km

Sunrise to sunset ...

I was awake early and saw the sunrise while walking to the amenities block.  We then took Bandit for a walk around town, in the cooler part of the day.  

Vaughan wasn't keen to leave Di's air-conditioning (temps were in the mid 30s during our visit) but Di came out with us a bit later, to see the two museum sites in town.  There were some interesting displays, including a kerosene bulldozer.

"For something different, visit the remains of a concrete building which housed a generating plant supplying power to a RAAF High Frequency / Direction Finding Station, called the ‘Round House’, installed in 1942 on the ridge nearby."

We had late lunch at the roadhouse, then Nick and I went out searching for "the ruins".  It was a bit of a mission due to scant directions but eventually found, when we looked at our geocaching app!  

As much as I liked reading of the history, it was neat to see all the fairy martin nests on the ceiling - and a guy rounding up young cows nearby.

The geocache was hidden elsewhere, so we found that before returning to the ambulance station.

Given I'd watched the sunrise early in the day, I was keen to see the sunset.  Nick picked a likely spot and we drove to the outskirts of town in a mini convoy.  

Had we been fully prepared we may have stocked the on-board fridge with a few nibbles and more interesting drinks for a tailgate picnic, like this one.

Nick had chosen a great vantage point and it was lovely to view the sun setting in open country.  A brilliant end to our full day of exploring.

Although we stayed at the caravan park, there had been no bookings available for the artesian baths during our visit - so we'll have to return to do that!

Day 7, Julia Creek

Been there, dunnart!

Nick, Di and I visited a male Fat-tailed Dunnart at Julia Creek Visitor Centre - he was such a zippy, cute fellow!

There are three dunnart species in the area but this one is more sociable than the others and therefore the best choice for display. 

The Julia Creek variety is quite aggressive, even with each other!

I chatted with the presenter for a little while and learned that the dunnart on display was bred in Grandchester, not all that far from home!

We did some grocery shopping after the talk and then spent most of the day in the air-conditioned ambulance station, chatting with Di.  

Nick and Vaughan went out in the evening to try their hand at fishing but only caught a cane toad!  (Vaughan's green tree frog finds later in the night were far more appreciated, though we were glad not to see the one that resides in the loo)!  

It was much later when Nick and I returned to the caravan park, detouring to see the water tower along the way.  Nick returned to the Spacevan in the afternoon, to put up the awning.  It had been a mission to get the pegs into the ground but he was eventually successful!

Day 6, Julia Creek

Brolga bonus ...

Nick and I were up early, so took Bandit for a walk up to the Musical Fence.  It's tuning had been adjusted since our last visit, which was an improvement.

Packup was fairly smooth, our earliest departure so far.  We started heading up to Julia Creek. 

There was lots of amusement early in the day - a caravan passed a truck ahead of us, then sat right in front of him/her obviously causing angst, cos the truck passed not long after and then sat right in front of the van for some considerable distance!  We weren't keen to be part of their argument, so chose to pass when there was a much greater distance between them. (Further along another truck driver signalled when it was safe for us to pass him).

We'd made a quick detour to Kynuna for a rest stop, where a trio of brolgas were taking shelter near the picnic tables!  They wandered quite close to us, a pair with juvenile.  How neat is that?!  

We saw many kites and a couple of massive wedge-tailed eagles. We had late lunch with Di soon after arrival and a bit of quick town exploration, with another two brolgas and a pair of bustards spotted.  (Di was working but could accompany us some places - as long as she stayed close to her ambulance).

Day 5, Winton to Julia Creek - 285km

Like a circus?!

We were becoming more practiced with the camper trailer, which made for a quicker pack-up  - hooray!

It was nice to have a drive around some of Blackall's streets.  I really liked the bottle tree sculpture.  The elephant seemed out of place but it was significant and reading Blackall's circus history was interesting.

We travelled on to Longreach and had our takeaway lunch in a park near the skateramp.  While we were there two Cobb & Co carriages went past!

I did a stint of driving between Longreach and Winton but was pleased for Nick to negotiate through the caravan park and reverse into our site - which was the same one as we'd been allocated last year!

The town was busy due to their Outback Festival, which we hadn't been aware of.  Our neighbours were going to the open-air cinema that night.  It sounded quite pleasant and hopefully we'll visit another time.  We enjoyed our cheese platter under the stars - and Nick later played his songs while sitting outside.

Day 4, Blackall to Winton - 414km

Meat Ant Park ...

We woke early and took Bandit for a walk along the river, which we could access directly from the caravan park.  There were lots of little birds and it was a very pleasant start to the day.

  

Once back on-site, we had breakfast and then dealt with our collected washing-up at the camp kitchen - then started our packing up.

We were quicker but there were still issues securing the camper trailer lid, even without wind. 

Vaughan called for a halt not too far along the road, to check out a rocky outcrop, and we all enjoyed stretching our legs.  

It was nice to see some flowering shrubs and trees up close and we spotted a couple of small roos also.

Meat Ant Park at Augathella was our picnic lunch spot.  The copper sculpture was very neat!  You can see pics of it with the artist, here.  

Nick and I used the nearby toilets after lunch, both chortling hugely over the chained loo brushes!

We made it to Blackall that night, arriving around 4pm and setting up quite smoothly.  We met lovely neighbours and chatted for a long time, swapping life stories.  (Nick played a few on his songs for them as we sat outside).

I made a creamy bacon/mushroom pasta dish, using some ingredients from Augathella as well as UHT cream brought from home.  It's an easy, favourite stand-by and worked well - as usual!  

Day 3, Mitchell to Blackall - 410km

Roughin' it!

Some trips are very well provisioned, with a full menu plan, including a few pre-prepared meals.  This one wasn't! I'd thought to include ingredients for our first dinner and had plenty of coffee/tea etc - but no breakfast cereal, so we enjoyed a small cheese platter instead!

I'd made two travel tea cosies before leaving home and was pleased with how well the smaller one worked.  It's so effective that I'll now need to make a handle cover as the metal gets quite hot!

It is possible to fold the trailer with the awning attached, so we decided to do that.  It was quite windy though and once folded, the lid didn't sit right - so we re-did everything about five times in total, assuming the wind had impacted.  

It took 90 minutes before we closed everything down properly - and we were both feeling quite frustrated by that stage (though there were no harsh words spoken)!

I'd packed more lightly than usual and hadn't brought much in the way of warmer clothes.  Neither had Nick, who was wearing several t-shirt layers!  I was pleased to have remembered extra bedding for our bed and Vaughan's as we'd all been cold during the night.  Nick chatted to the manager in the morning, who confirmed the temperature had dropped to 2 degrees at one point - which made us feel less soft!

We made a quick stop in town at the butcher cos we'd liked the rissoles during our January bunker stay, then continued onward.

Takeaway lunch was had at Roma's biggest bottle tree and there were a couple of roadside stops.  Elmer was making an odd noise at one point, caused by a metal strip breaking free along the passenger side.  It was decorative only, so the remainder was removed and we had a short walk while stopped.

Vaughan was keen to look at a sandy creek closer to Mitchell, so we bought afternoon tea in town and then back-tracked to the creek, for a wander after our refreshments.  No wildlife was found but it was very pretty in the afternoon light.

Given how long we'd taken to set up the previous night and the fact that it was 4ish, we stayed at Mitchell that night - on a drive-through, ensuite site. We opted for awning-less setup that night and all was accomplished much more quickly.  

In transit, our bed was covered with an old sheet with Vaughan's and Bandit's beds on top - along with the camping mats and a few other bits.  It was fairly easy to lift the beds down onto the floor area, replace the curtain and set up tables/chairs (which were packed beneath the bed).  The space between the cupboards (where I'm standing in the bottom collage) was mainly used to house our shoe bag, laundry hamper and fold-up step when traveling.   

Day 2, Miles to Mitchell - 244km

Lift-off!

We paid a deposit on our new-to-us spacevan 1.5 weeks ago, then collected it 4 days ago. Bandit has been packed since it arrived on Thursday! Such was his determination not to be left behind that he wouldn't leave the back seat, not even to greet the couriers - or when I was vacuuming!

Our departure time was revised more than once but we've run various tests, worked through some minor issues and finally left the driveway at a little after midday - hooray!  (Please note my road-trip attire including custom brooch and red dust earrings)!

We stopped at Dalby for a late lunch and got as far as Miles by 5:00pm - 310km from home. The main set-up was done fairly smoothly, once we worked out the site configuration and shuffled to avoid a tree.  There was rain forecast, so Nick worked to set up the awning as well.  In between those missions, we sizzled sausages on the BBQ and chatted to a nice neighbour.  

Our neighbours on the other side were not so nice, causing angst soon after we got out of the car.  I was shaky after the encounter and glad we'd put our door side away from their's, to better ignore them for our brief stay.  Those difficulties aside, we felt we'd achieved wonderfully on our first day!  

Day 1, Home to Miles - 310km

Space for three ...

We had worked hard through the week to gather necessary items and streamline the packing but there was still lots to do after we collected our new Spacevan.

One of the first missions was set up in the back yard.  As with anything new, there's a learning curve. Three cheers for Youtube set-up/pack-up/reset demonstrations, cos the canvas was looking very sad and saggy till we refined our method.

We started camping together 14-plus years ago but actively avoided using gas all that time, preferring our dual fuel stoves and lanterns. 

The Spacevan has a gas BBQ outside and stove/grill inside, though a fair bit of fiddling was necessary before they worked.

Previous owners had started to update the camper's 12-volt system but didn't complete the task.  Improvisation was needed for lighting - till we have more time to effect a permanent fix. 

While Nick was sorting those issues, I worked on creating a bedroom alcove for Vaughan.  I had a curtain in my stash that only required minor alteration to create a rod pocket.  We also had a length of dowel that worked as a curtain rod.  (The initial plan of using a spacer pole failed because the rod pocket wasn't deep enough to accommodate a joining bolt).  I had suggested taking one of our stretcher beds but Vaughan was happy to use two 4WD mats stacked to create a single bed across the end of the floor.

The awning came with one end wall.  We thought one of our gazebo walls might work for the other end - but it didn't.  I had another curtain in my stash and adjusted it to use, if necessary.

Making space for an upgrade!

Although we enjoyed our October touring last year in the D9 camper trailer, we've been considering an upgrade.  We had discussions at different times but hesitated to proceed - for lots of reasons.  

In recent weeks we re-assessed priorities and talked more seriously about buying something that better suited us.

We first encountered a Cub Spacevan when camping in the Warrumbungles in 2012.  Nick's had a similar model on his wishlist ever since!  

The Spacevans aren't as readily available on the used market as other models - and as usual we had a budget, which also limited options.  

Interstate ads were not considered, due to Covid travel restrictions.  

A local-ish listing seemed to be for a 4WD/Spacevan package, so had been crossed off our "list".  On further reading though, Nick made a phone enquiry and arranged a viewing last week.  We really liked the sellers and their sale price - so paid a deposit before heading home and then collected our new-to-us Cub Spacevan yesterday! 

What did we buy?  A 2006 model, fitted with semi-off road transcontinental pack (which means a longer/stronger drawbar, reinforced chassis, high tensile axle, locking water filler and steel water tank protector).  Nick and I were married in early 2006, so quite like the fact that our Spacevan was built the same year!

The Spacevan came with a folder of paperwork including original advertising brochures, fridge and stove manuals, notes made by previous owners and the very important set-up instructions.  It's been very interesting to read through.

We've been organising this past week, hoping to test our new acquisition during the school holidays.  There's still a bit to do/improvise but we have fingers crossed for departure going ahead, more or less as planned!

Tempted by Templin Museum

Templin Museum had been on my to-visit list for quite some time.  All the planets aligned today for Nick and I to go on a local-ish outing - and we were glad we did!

We arrived not long after opening and spoke at length to two volunteers in the Fashion House.  I was very interested in how they housed and catalogued their collection - and picked up some tips to share with my friend, for storage of props in her studio.  

I intended to take photos of all the calico garment bags but was too busy chatting and asking questions!  (I've been thinking of sewing a garment bag for our road-trips and am now rethinking it's construction).

There was more friendly discussion in the next building along, where a group of spinners and weavers offered advice on eco-dyeing, which is another interest.

When we'd driven up I could smell fire and the ticketing lady commented that the wheelwright was on site.  I wandered down to that area and really enjoyed hearing him discuss the repair of a hundred year old wheel - and very old bullock dray.

He showed the use of some of his hand tools and demonstrated one in particular, that I'm keen to buy for my own occasional carving efforts.  I was given a couple of pieces of wood also, which were a happy bonus.

It was about lunch time by that stage and the volunteers were taking a break.  Nick and I decided we'd visit again another time to see more of the displays and started heading toward home - though called in for a great pub lunch at Peak's Crossing along the way.  It was a lovely day to be out and about.  

Reward for good service?!

I don't remember the exact date we bought our thermoses but there are references on this post to them being about 10 years old in 2015.  We paid a splendid bargain price for all of them - and they have been very well used over the years.  

In 2015 I looked at replacing the lid seals but that was shortly before our Great Cull, so thermos care was shelved.  (While in transit we tended to use a small dual fuel stove for picnics as it was easier).

One thermos has seen more use in recent times, which prompted me to source new seals.  When inspecting the lids, I remembered one was damaged - so I ordered two lids and two seals.  

Total cost of the order, including postage, was just under $35.00.  Not bad for 15-plus years of service!  

I'll replace the seal on the undamaged lid and keep that one as a spare.  After ordering the new lids, I decided to give the thermoses a spa treatment. Denture cleaning tablets were recommended for deep cleaning and I bought a 48-pack for $3.50 from Coles.  

The method I found is to use two tablets per two cups of capacity.  As the large thermoses are 1.9 litres, I used 8 tablets for each of those.  Erin's thermos is smaller than the other two, so I used 4 tablets for it.    I dropped the tablets into the empty thermoses and then filled with hot tap water.  The effervescence caused fluid to bubble up, which was fun!  I stood them all in the sink till they'd stopped frothing.  They were then left for 4-5 hours before being emptied and rinsed.

Some people fill their thermoses with pre-made tea or coffee, which causes staining. We only carry hot water in ours (preferring to make drinks on site with provisions carried in our beverage case) so they didn't really need deep cleaning.  One had a little residue on the inside base, possibly water sediment - so had been sitting in the cupboard, beside the broken lid.  My bottle brush was too short for effective scrubbing (and didn't fit the neck of Erin's), so I gave each thermos a second treatment and left them to soak overnight.  Bunnings had a Sabco drink bottle cleaning set, which worked wonderfully for all three.  There were just eight tablets left in the box, so I've given our two food flasks a bubble bath, too!

Erin's thermos was purchased second-hand in late 2014 for the amazing price of $1.00 or $2.00 from a market seller who was packing up at the end of the day. We'd cleaned it after purchase, with hot soapy water and perhaps some bicarb soda.  Erin can't remember ever using it.  I had many denture tablets available, so cleaned it also.  As it happened, hers did benefit from the thorough foaming treatment.  (It has a narrow neck opening and was more awkward to work with).

Fire appreciation!

I invited friends to enjoy a fire appreciation evening a few weeks back, which sparked (hah!) the purchase of a new fire pit - cos ours had rusted through (after nearly three years of excellent service).  The replacement was a $50.00 Facebook marketplace find, with a welded safety edge and legs.  How good is that?

We still had plenty of firelighters and wood from our Byron Bay weekend, as well as some old furniture pieces from a recent clean-up.  We dined on BBQ-ed sausages, corn on the cob, "space potatoes" (baked in foil) and a lovely salad made by our guests.

Nick and I achieved our 700th geocaching find during the week, so dessert was a celebratory cake (in fire theme) - after some giant marshmallow toasting.  Once all the cooking was done, we added magic flame packs to the fire and admired all the pretty colours.

We had giant sparklers as a finale but Mr Dog was very weird with those - and seemed to think he needed to protect everyone.  (Well, I assume all the barking and dashing about was due to alarm.  He was definitely excited and not in a good way, so we put the pack away again)!  

It was a great night and really enjoyed sharing it with friends.  Now that the weather is cooler, there may be opportunity for another evening under the stars in the not-too-distant future.  We might even drag the camper trailer out for some backyard camping - maybe!

I found lots of cake inspiration by googling "free printable campfire cupcake toppers".  After all the browsing I decided on one larger cake, dusted with icing sugar "ash". I used a mix of lollies and biscuits for the fire. The coals were orange, red and brown smarties as well as raspberry jelly sweets.  The firewood was Arnott's TeeVee Snacks Malt Sticks and some thinner chocolate Pocky sticks.

Exhibition rocks!

Even though the focus of our recent Canberra trip was to visit the Botticelli to Van Gogh exhibition at the National Gallery (!), we were also approaching 700 geocaching finds and wanted to increase our tally while away.

There were caches quite close to our accommodation but this site seemed more interesting and we set off to find it.  

The information at the site described William Branwhite Clarke as the father of Australian geology.  His research formed the basis of the first geological map of New South Wales, published in 1880.  (We'd visited the National Library the previous day and wondered whether some of his maps may have been held there).  

From the creek we walked along the Majura Cycleway, a lot further than we intended - and we were very pleased an Uber driver responded to our pick-up request, quite near the Australian Federal Police training centre.  It was mid-afternoon by the time we made it back to our room (after stopping at a shopping centre for late lunch) and we needed a nap before our evening attendance at the Van Gogh exhibition!  (By the end of the day we'd walked more than 10km and a radox bath was greatly appreciated).

I've done a bit more research about Woolshed Creek since returning home.  I found this article.  We actually drove past the shale/sandstone uncomformity en route to the National Gallery!

Magic time away ...

We packed some of my fancy firelighters, a box of kindling and a couple of bags of firewood for our Byron Bay trip.  

There was a firepit on site, which we really appreciated!  

Nick was in charge of lighting the fire and gave my firelighters a great review.  (He lit them from both ends). 

As you can see the colour-changing flame powder was an excellent inclusion and made for superb fire gazing! We have used this or a similar product previously but these packs were extra magical - lots of colours, which continued for ages.  We were very impressed!

My initial plan had been to stay in Lismore because the focus of the trip was to view the Max Dupain exhibition at the Lismore gallery.  When looking for accommodation though, I spotted this lovely old van set-up in Byron Bay - so we booked it instead (and then discovered we were right next door to friends)!

Nick had received a leg injection earlier in the week and suffered an adverse reaction, which caused a lot of pain.  We managed a few activities but not as much walking as we'd usually do - though he very determinedly hobbled around the Lighthouse and down to the most easterly point of Australia's mainland!

Firelighter fun!

Vaughan and I made basic firelighters when we lived at Clarkefield.  They worked well, all made from materials already on hand.

Kerry and I made far more beautiful versions when I visited New Zealand in 2016.  We'd gone for a lovely ramble first, picking up little pinecones, seed pods and various other interesting dry vegetation. 

It was a wonderfully peaceful, meditative activity arranging our finds into muffin cases - held in place with melted wax.

Nick and I have booked a few nights away at the end of the month.  Our accommodation has a firepit but we'll need to take wood.  I decided I'd like to bring some special firelighters (along with sparklers and colour-changing flame powder)!

I picked up dry grasses and bark yesterday, then found pine needles and pine cones once home again.  We had dried jacaranda in the backyard.

In more recent times Kerry made larger firelighters using paper cups.  

When I checked at home, there were heaps of Christmas cups which had red chevron stripes.  Some of our old address cards had the fire motif, so I trimmed those and used some double-sided tape to cover the "Merry Christmas" wishes.  Of course, the cups will be burned so it didn't matter that they were out of season but I like the revamped version better!

The method was simple.  I broke a small commercial firelighter into the bottom of each cup.  Most had a bit of bulrush fluff as well.  Some had some scrunched honeycomb packing paper.  The dried arrangements varied but I noticed they became larger and more elaborate as I went along!  When I started to get too precious about placement, I reminded myself that they were all going to go up in smoke anyway!  

We have a lot of cake candles, so I decided to give each firelighter one of those also.  I'm liking the end result.  Cheap entertainment for sure!

I don't know if I'm wearing the same jeans as I was in 2016.  The top is different but very similar.  Obviously great options for firelighter construction!