50-cent Fun - Milton ...

A few days after our Chelmer adventure, I booked for today's Milton Greet. The weather prediction didn't look great last night (or when we set off this morning) but we decided to go anyway, cos we'd coped with worse as Victorians!

Although there was some blue sky at home, all was quite overcast at Milton, where we met our guide and two other other participants.

Even though we became QLDers in 2017, we haven't really explored many of the Brisbane suburbs in depth, so there was lot of new information to take in.  We enjoyed seeing some very interesting places as we walked, chatting along the way.

We drive through the main part of Milton at times but it was fun to explore on foot, excellently guided by Charlie.

Suncorp Stadium is a landmark of the suburb and not somewhere we'd usually go.  There were so many currawongs in the area, calling to each other - lovely to see!  

We were near the stadium when all the dogs walked past.  Such a happy sight!  

A lady on her way to work commented the dog-walking was a daily event and lots of people paused in their activities to awww over the dogs!

It rained at different points of our walk, but not enough to dampen our spirits.  

It was only toward the end that the rain really set in.  We were near the river by that stage, so farewelled the rest of the party and made our way to Milton ferry terminal.

We sat undercover to eat some lunch, waiting for the rain to ease - then walked back to a park we'd seen earlier, which appealed because of the in-theme train playground!

Our pocket rocket stove did great work and we appreciated having tea/coffee with cake, sitting under cover.  The rain seemed to have stopped when we packed up and set off to Auchenflower station.  Hah!

Oh, we were truly saturated by the time we got to the station!  Our shared umbrella hadn't provided much coverage at all!

Hot showers and dry clothes were our first priority once home.  

We walked 8.5km in total, so were glad of our lounge chairs.  

The folding hiking cushions are being well used though and we're very pleased we bought them. I can leave mine partly folded, so it works a little like my regular seat wedge.

Today's total fare cost was $2.00 - 50c each way, for each of us. Bargain!

The distance from home to Milton 35.8km. Local diesel is $2.21 per litre today. A return drive would have cost around $15.80.  I'm not sure about parking! 

50-cent Fun - Chelmer to Graceville ...

The weeks are flying along and it's nearly a month since our wonderful Walter Taylor Bridge tour.  

In speaking with today's guide, tours of the bridge are not currently available due to remedial building works being undertaken - so it was lucky we went when we did!

I booked today's tour the day after we our Walter Taylor Bridge visit - because there were some links between the two.

There's currently some industrial action impacting train services and I had wondered if we might have to drive but everything clicked into place.  

Our morning train smelled like it had just been deep cleaned!

It was my custom bag's first 50-cent adventure and it worked very well.  I really like that my GoCard lives in a front pocket, where it is easily accessed to tap on/off.

We met our lovely Greeter guide, Rick, and thoroughly enjoyed learning of the area as we walked along.  

Our first stop was the Chelmer Community Centre (former School of Arts) building.  We fluked a look inside and admired the theatre area.

We saw so many beautiful homes! Two that had been designed (and occupied) by Walter Taylor - as well as his other buildings.  

Our favourite of these sites was the Graceville Uniting Church, though I was also very taken with the idea of him building a garage turntable which meant no reversing!

There are Greeter volunteers all around the world, offering free 2-3 hour walks in their home cities. Such a great iniative!

We walked about 5.5km in total, looping back almost to our starting point at Chelmer Station.  We farewelled Rick and thanked him for his time / company.  

Nick and I had our picnic lunch with a view of St David's Anglican Church (and the station) - entertained by many cockies and a couple of galahs, digging in the dirt for grass roots. Of course, our lunch was far superior! We had pasta frittata, some fruit and salted cashews as well as double-choc muffins. The pocket rocket stove did super-quick work of boiling water for our tea/coffee.  

Today's total fare cost was $2.00 - 50c each way, for each of us. Hooray!

The distance from home to Chelmer is just under 31km.  Local diesel was $2.27 per litre this afternoon.  A return drive would have cost just over $14.00, though parking would have been free.

Prepping provisions ...

Our Carnavon trip was provisioned the day before leaving, while Nick and I stood in Coles!  

I was able to do most prepping for Bundaberg before leaving home.  There was a microwave in the cabin kitchen, so I pre-cooked some meals and froze them for defrosting / reheating on site.

There was no Engel fridge or freezer this trip.  All the frozen food was packed into a large esky.  We used a smaller cooler for fridge items.  

We ate well - but we always do!  I had sliced cold sausages in bread rolls and packed them into a container for an easy lunch.  They defrosted well for our Childers picnic on Tuesday.  I also made fruit-cake, from the remaining fruit (soaked for last Christmas).

My little teapot and our owl mugs came with us - along with a basket that held our preferred tea, coffee and basic spreads.  There were chips and a small bag of nuts.  

We bought a few vegies and some fruit from a farm-direct shop near our cabin accommodation.  

On Tuesday night I did the vegies in the cabin microwave.  I prepared the packet pasta side-dish in a saucepan, on the small stove.  Nick BBQ-ed the steak and we enjoyed our combined cheffing efforts on the cabin verandah, listening to the waves and watching the stars.  And yes, there was some lovely red wine -  purchased at the Adelaide wine centre last year!

I'd made frittata at home from leftover roast vegies.  The quarters were packed and frozen.  We had a piece each with toast on Wednesday morning.  It reheated fairly well in the microwave (with paper towel underneath and on top of the slices).  We went into Bundaberg after breakfast but returned to the cabin for lunch, so had wraps with meatloaf (more frozen leftovers) and salad.  

Dinner that night was fudged around the concert.  I had some frittata as a very early dinner - and then we both had pumpkin soup quite late in the night, when we returned to the cabin.  (The pumpkin soup was made at home and frozen). 

I also made lemon butter at home and brought a small jar with us, along with some maple syrup.  It was easy to reheat our flash-frozen pikelets for Thursday's finale breakfast, enjoyed on our cabin verandah with a view of the ocean.    

Bundaberg-ing!

Our Bundaberg road-trip was booked back in January - timed because we  bought (front row) tickets for the Tommy Emmanuel concert!  

(There were venues a lot closer to home but we would've been much further from the stage).

We booked two nights at a caravan park cabin and drove up in the fuel-efficient red car.  (That was always the plan, even before the spacevan's unfortunate incident).

The main focus of the trip was to attend the concert, so there wasn't a great deal of time for sight-seeing.  We drove to Hervey Bay on Monday afternoon and stayed with Di that night - then drove the rest of the way on Tuesday.  We stopped for lunch and a walk at Childers and checked into our cabin later in the afternoon.  

We saw some of Bundaberg on Wednesday - the free zoo was very well presented and we had a wander down to the Burnett River afterward, where there were welcome swallows and an egret (keen to steal bait fish from the local fishermen). There was time for a stroll around the main part of Bundaberg before returning to our cabin and readying ourselves for the fantastic evening concert.  

After checking out on Thursday morning, we drove along the coast to see some of the little townships before returning to the highway and then heading down to Hervey Bay for more time with Di.  We left her in the early evening and arrived home around 9:00pm that night.  It was a quick trip but we thoroughly enjoyed it!

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!

Museum musing ...

We stayed at the Pioneer Caravan Park, just across the road from the Pioneer Park Museum. Among their collection is a dinosaur egg and we were keen to it!

After packing up, we spent some time at the museum. Bandit was welcomed as a well-behaved dog and we all enjoyed poking around the extensive displays. We would have happily amused ourselves for longer but we needed to make it home by early afternoon, due to Nick's night-shift.

We spotted the dinosaur egg and lots of interesting rock specimens, including an opal from Yowah! My favourite displayed pieces were a fold-up piano that packed down to a size suitable for transporting in a car boot - and a rather neat cutlery canteen.

Aboriginal Rock Wells

"To the south of Maryborough are four rock wells dug into sandstone by Dja Dja Wurrong people prior to European settlement.  The holding capacity of the wells is 168 litres and [they are] regarded as the best example of such wells in Victoria."

Although we'd seen some rock wells on TV/DVD, no-one had viewed them in real-life - so we obtained directions and set off.  The tourist information officer had lived in the area since his childhood and said that when he was a boy, the wells still had their cover-stones (to prevent pollution and evaporation) but over time the covers had been damaged or stolen.

Given the history of damage, the wells are now enclosed by a high fence.  The unprotected water didn't look greatly inviting but in the past the wells had been an important source of drinking water due to a lack of permanent creeks in the area.

The tourism officer had sketched the well configuration for us, explaining that the two centre wells were dug straight down, while the wells at each end were dug diagonally (which also reduced evaporation).  Seemingly three of the wells are united under the surface, creating a sizeable holding supply.  Although our view was obscured by the fence, I'm glad we visited.

Maryborough Railway Station

I'd been researching Maryborough Railway Station when I found information on Quartz Mountain.

What prompted my sudden interest in Maryborough Station?  I'd chatted to a traveller staying at the park.  He and his wife had a local friend who collected them for an outing to Maryborough, particularly to see the station.

Later that evening I asked about their day and the fellow spoke very highly of the station's architecture.  He had been a bit bemused in the morning but quite animated after the visit - so obviously the building was impressive.

Vaughan stayed in the car but Nick, Erin and I walked around the station.
It was a gorgeous building and we were glad to have seen it.  While there we collected a few leaflets and brochures from a stand in the main foyer.  I spotted a reference to Aboriginal rock wells, which prompted a detour to the local tourist information centre so we could obtain directions to the nearby site.

Quartz Mountain

Someone said to me recently that we go interesting places, which is true but we do make a point of exploring the areas we find ourselves in.

I was researching the Maryborough Railway Station when I spotted a reference to the "hidden gem" of Quartz Mountain.

Given our recent Carman's Tunnel mine tour where a quartz reef had been fully excavated, I thought it would be neat to see one still in the earth - and it was!  What a place!

I'd taken a group shot of the four of us on 1 May 2011, so packed my tripod for a comparison pic - and was very chuffed we found such a great spot.

Vaughan was keen to light a (small) fire, which took quite a while as the ground and kindling were damp.  While waiting, we set up our picnic table and had lunch.

When the fire was eventually lit, it seemed a shame to waste Nick and Vaughan's efforts - so we boiled the kettle for tea, coffee and hot chocolate.

Although there were no facilities at the mountain, we spent a few hours enjoying the peace and quiet - before heading off to Maryborough.

Misty Mountain Munching!

Since returning home from Yowah, Vaughan's been asking about the mountains we can see on our way to and from school.

We packed a sausage sizzle picnic today and headed up "into the sky" for a late lunch.  Wow! 

Nick and I have previously visited the memorial cross at Mount Macedon on a fine day but everything was a bit more magical today.

We (mostly) enjoy al fresco dining in all kinds of weather, throughout the year - but this was our first misty picnic!

After lunch we walked a short distance to the cross, doing a geocache along the way.

It was a puzzle cache so we had to decode the co-ordinates, which prompted us to read more of the signage about the history of the cross and reserve.

We solved the co-ordinates for another cache but decided against looking for it, given the mist was even thicker further down the mountain where we needed to look! Everyone was starting to feel cold by that stage anyway, so it was a good time to head home.

Duck-in!

We enjoy visiting the local ducks and geese and usually take some bread to feed them. 

In very recent times we read a notice outlining the various health issues experienced by waterfowl due to eating bread.

Angel wing was one of the syndromes listed - and some of these birds already suffer from that condition.  This afternoon we took some chook pellets with us.  The geese greeted us with their usual normal enthusiasm, though they were not at all enthused by the menu change.  When Vaughan offered a handful of pellets to one goose, it pecked his fingers instead!

The ducks were far more appreciative.  They snuffled through the grass in search of more pellets.  Typically the geese weren't happy about missing out, so chased off the ducks and then tried the new food.  It must have been good because the ducks didn't get much of a taste after that!

In looking for some angel wing information this evening, I found a recipe for gourmet duck food.  I think we'll just take some chookie pellets when we next visit but it's good to know there's a recipe if we are feeling super-keen!

Home again!

Our nice NRMA serviceman had spoken to Nick about the difference in petrol prices between Deniliquin and Echuca. Echuca was cheaper, so we stopped there to top-up Elmer's tanks.

There was a sign in the service station window stating "big scrubbies sold here". We were intrigued.

Erin pointed out it was unlikely that large scrub pythons were being sold but we didn't have any other ideas.  As it happens, scrubbies are a type of worm - for fishing! Betcha didn't know that?!

It is around 250km from Deniliquin to home. Yep, we were that close when Elmer conked out!  We stopped a few times along the way.

By Tooborac, I needed a loo.  As you can see, Vaughan and Erin used the stop to test their balsa planes!

Our next stop was to buy BBQ chickens, chips and salad for lunch. We bought milk closer to home.


It was lunchtime when we arrived home.  We'd already eaten the chippies but had a second course of chicken and some salad.  Nick unpacked Elmer and then headed off to work.  Erin began sorting her caravan.  Vaughan happily rediscovered various toys - and I made a slow start on restoring order to chaos (after lighting the fire)!

Departing Deniliquin

We were up early to pack Elmer ready for departure. As usual, Nick was in charge of actual packing. Erin and I created a stack of items next to the trailer.

After most things were out of the cabin I did the washing up and floor-sweeping in preparation for returning the keys.


We were on the road again by 8:30am, a little later than scheduled but still quite respectable - particularly given Elmer's "back-back" had been totally repacked.

We enjoyed our time in Deniliquin and were particularly thankful that our roadside assistance had covered just about all costs.  Both accommodation options exceeded the maximum payable benefit, so we were out-of-pocket $33 in total - plus the repair cost of $154.  Had we paid the full accommodation costs and two sets of towing fees as well as the repair, our wallets would have been considerably lighter - and our hearts much heavier! 

Awesome $154 news!

The Toyota service manager, Andrew, rang while we were out. He'd asked about Elmer's after market immobiliser system.  Nick and I answered as best we could. 

Andrew confirmed Nick's thought regarding Elmer's problem but at that stage the solution was still not clear.

We were only back at the cabin a few minutes when we received another call from Andrew.  Elmer was fixed and ready to be collected!  Even better the repair was only $154!   Understandably, there was huge relief all round!

Nick and I walked across to the NRMA depot.  Andrew greeted us. He handed over a small part - a fusible link - which was the cause of Elmer's problems. The link is designed to short if there is a wiring issue.  Elmer's hadn't fused but the connection wire had worn through and that had shut-down everything. 

Deni dallying

After we shuffled our belongings to the cabin and settled the pets in their tent, Nick and I explored the caravan park facilities. (Erin was happy relaxing and Vaughan was enjoying a TV fix, given he'd mainly done without for the past ten weeks).

We had lunch and then went exploring. Back in February, en route to Yowah, we'd stopped for a quick breakfast at "Deni" but hadn't seen anything of the town otherwise.

Deniliquin has a population of around 8,000 - so is huge compared to Yowah and the surrounding towns! 

It was a short walk from our caravan park to the town.  We found a lovely park with well-trained, optimistic ducks who flew and/or swam to the bridge very quickly when they spotted us!  We had an enjoyable afternoon poking around the various shops before walking "home" again.

Suite shuffle

There were quite a few break-downs yesterday, so when Nick arrived at our accommodation he'd only managed to collect a few more things from Elmer and our trailer (cos the serviceman needed to be back on the road to help others).

We were quite comfortable in our family room at the Centrepoint Motel - and were relieved that Oscar and Keegan could stay in the nearby laundry. We bought a few items from the local IGA for dinner. We had a microwave, plates and cutlery but the room wasn't really geared for self-catering.

Nick and I walked up to the NRMA depot / Toyota dealership this morning.  The service manager wasn't sure whether he'd have time to look at Elmer this afternoon.  He mentioned delays in getting parts, even when the problem was determined. 

In the circumstances we thought it best to find more suitable accommodation in case our stay stretched out for more than a couple of nights.  The Riverside Caravan Park was just across the road from the NRMA depot.  We called in and were able to obtain a cabin for the night (with further nights available, if necessary).  Shelly and Andrew made us feel very welcome and lent us their ute to collect our various  belongings, children and pets!

We were able to exit our motel room by 10:00am, only needing to pay $28 (the difference between the tariff and the benefit paid by our roadside assistance cover).  Our self-contained cabin was cheaper, so our contribution was just $5!

Halted on Hay Plains!

Elmer limped along after breakfast. His condition was getting worse.

Previously he'd travelled 15-20km between rests - and he would start again after about five minutes.

His last tired hops were only a few hundred metres each and then he stopped completely. Fortunately by that time we had a little bit of mobile signal and were able to call roadside assistance.

Help was an hour away, so we amused ourselves while waiting. Nick and Vaughan engaged in a sword fight, before retrieving our kites from the trailer to take advantage of the strong wind and large open area.

Nissa rang just after we'd called RACV and heard of our new adventure, while we were having it!

Bruce, the NRMA serviceman, arrived with a car trailer to tow Elmer.  He took Erin, Vaughan and I with him into Deniliquin - and arranged our overnight accommodation en route. Once there, we quickly retrieved a few items from Elmer (including Oscar Cat and Keegan the rainbow lorikeet) before setting up "home" for the night.  (Nick stayed with the trailer and was collected with it about an hour or so later). 

Black Swamp Breakfast Stop!

We'd bought some milk while at the Hay service station and were looking for a breakfast spot when we spotted the Black Swamp rest area.

Although we had some cereal, the outside temperature was a big frigid so we opted for tea and breakfast biscuits as a first course. 

We'd filled a thermos prior to departing from Yowah, over 21 hours previously. The water was still hot(ish), thanks to our trusty Stanley thermos and it's insulated cover. Our hot beverages may not have been the hottest we've ever had but we did appreciate them!

Conked-out kip

Elmer hadn't been keen to leave Yowah. He'd coughed a bit, even before we moved off and would miss a beat occasionally as we drove along.

After leaving Bourke, we travelled 160km down the road to Cobar - where we refuelled (though forget to check if our petrol cap was still there from ten weeks ago)!  It was cold so Erin, Vaughan and I tucked our sleeping bags around us and dozed as we drove along. We were half-way between Cobar and Hay when Nick decided to stop for the night.  As he was drove into a roadside rest area, Elmer's engine stopped - and wouldn't start again.

There was nothing we could do at that stage, so we made ourselves as comfortable as possible and slept till early morning. It was around 6:00am when we woke. Fortunately Elmer was happy to start and we headed off to Hay where we refuelled again, topped up Elmer's oil and water - and thought we were set for the day. There was even some talk of being home by lunchtime.

15km south of Hay, Elmer stopped again.  Oscar appreciated the break from travelling but Nick and I were a little concerned.  We made another 20km hop before Elmer conked out for the third time.  Like before he started again after a five-minute break.  Phone reception was minimal so we continued onward.

Plan B(ourke)

We re-fuelled at Cunnamulla and then headed out of town, toward Bourke. In all the rush of packing up, cleaning and leaving, we hadn't stopped for lunch but ate a series of snacks instead.

At some stage during the late afternoon I remembered the wonderful hamburgers we'd purchased from a Bourke café during a previous stop-over and suggested we dine there.  Upon arrival in Bourke, we were all disappointed to discover the hamburger café was closed - as was much of the town. 

Fortunately there was a Chinese restaurant at the Bowling Club and we enjoyed a great meal at a reasonable price.  We called ahead to Cobar after ordering.  There was no cabin accommodation available and we couldn't make contact with Kidman's Camp reception (at Bourke).  In the circumstances, we decided to drive on - and sleep in the car when necessary.