Category: Uncategorized

  • The Road to Yeppoon (Wk 25)

    On the road to Yeppoon

    We always knew that travelling along Highway1 on the east coast was going to be horrid and it lived up to our expectations (and some). The number of roadworks, changing speed limits and the bad road surface was truly unpleasant. Luckily we broke the journey up into 5hr max trips.

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  • Cooktown and the Bloomfield Track (Wk 25)

    Creek crossing on the Bloomfield Track
    A wild cassowary on the Bloomfield Track

    On 10/09/2021 we left the van in Palm Cove to drive up the coast taking the ferry crossing over the Daintree River to Cape Tribulation. We stopped at the Mount Alexandra Lookout which should afford views of the coastal lowlands and the Great Barrier Reef but it was a tad overcast. Luckily we had visited some years ago so we could imagine what it looked like…. After reaching Cape Tribulation we took the Bloomfield Track through the Daintree National Park over the Donovan Range to Cooktown. The track is mainly gravel but no corrugations just lots of pot holes and no dust (because it was wet!). However, it is very narrow, has a few creek crossings and many ascents and descents some up to 31% over the Donovan Range. Pretty exciting. They have started to lay concrete on the really steep sections for traction. Lots of engaging 4WD low. As it was late afternoon when we arrived in Cooktown (and it was blowing a gale) we retreated to our very nice hotel room (what a luxury) and a meal at the Cooktown RSL.

    Daintree River Ferry
    4WD low range was needed!

    Bloomfield Track

    On 11/09/2021 we woke up to a much better day. Blue sky, yippee. The morning was spent waiting for breakfast and wandering round the town where Captain Cook landed on June 17 1770. Many memorials and markers in the town. This was followed by a drive to various sights. Firstly, up to Grassy Hill lookout on a headland where a very short (now) automated lighthouse is located with views towards the Coral Sea and the Endeavour river (named after Capt Cook’s ship). You can see why Capt Cook sort refuge to repair Endeavour after running aground on the Great Barrier Reef. Then we drove to Finch Bay nestled below Mount Cook (guess who it’s named after….). And lastly, along the waterfront precinct along Endeavour River. Cooktown is a lovely town to spend a weekend.

    Captain Cook
    Endeavour River view from Grassy Hill
    Mount Cook Endeavour River view from Grassy Hill
    Mount CookEndeavour River view from Grassy Hill
    Mount Cook view from Grassy Hill
    Cooktown Lighthouse on Grassy Hill
    Finch Bay
    Endeavour River Waterfront
    Sovereign Resort

    On 12/09/2021 we drove back to Palm Cove using Highway 1 for one last night. The drive back was very pretty with many twists and turns but no gravel!

    Highway 1

    On 13/09/2031 we head southwards (Brisbane bound) to Yeppoon on the Capricorn Coast.

  • Western Australia Review

    We have absolutely loved our 3 months in Western Australia (WA). A few facts:

    • WA is Australia’s largest state, covering an area of more than 2.5 million KM Sq – that’s about the size of Western Europe and a third of Australia’s total landmass.
    • It has a population under 3million (approx 10% of the national total) of which over 90% live in the SW and around 80% live in the state capital Perth, leaving the remainder of the state sparsely populated. 
    • It has a diverse range of climates, including tropical conditions in the Kimberley, deserts in the interior and a Mediterranean climate on the SW and S coastal areas.

    Due to the interruption to our 2019 plan we missed travelling the Nullabor Plain and visiting the SW corner. So before we departed on our travels in March 2021, we flew to Perth and toured the area including Freemantle, Rottnest Island and Margaret River.

    These pictures are of our favourite places we visited whilst touring in the caravan.

    Steep Point: sunset from our swags
    Shark Bay: snorkeling
    Coral Bay: Paul diving Ningaloo Reeg
    Exmouth: Paul snorkeling with Whale Sharks and Cobia
    Karijini NP: Hancock Gorge
    Broome: sunset on Cable Beach
    Horizontal Falls
    Wyndham: Emma Gorge
    Kununurra: Ivanhoe Crossing
    Kununurra: Lake Argyle
  • Australian Big Lap

    For some time we discussed taking time away from work to travel and visit some of the wonderful sights of this amazing country we are lucky to be citizens of, Australia.

    We purchased a Nissan Patrol in August 2018 and a Legend Trackline 20’6 caravan in June 2019. We picked up the caravan from Melbourne and traveled back to Brisbane as a trial run. The rig and car are about 14 metres long, so no small feat to park.

    This first run included as many types of caravan life as we could pack in i.e. bush tracks, highways, free camping, showgrounds, a friends driveway and caravan parks.

    Some stuff fell off our “Off road” caravan and it went to the dealer for warranty work 3 times. We spent quite a while learning how to operate all the gadgets and finding a comfortable way to live. The caravan is now more sorted and the modifications for off grid life are well underway.

    In Nov 2019 we started to live in the van full time and this triggered another wave of minor modifications to pack in all that we wanted to take.

    Our home is now a combination of the caravan and car with the rear seats dedicated to Alison’s shoe collection and a pair of thongs for Paul.

    The car modifications are now complete with the new towing mirrors. The car stands 2.2 metres tall (2.5 with roof rack loaded) and the caravan is 3.2 metres. Not what you would call a streamline operation, but with the V8 we can achieve ramming speed when necessary.

    So on December 5th 2019 after many (many) hours of research, planning and preparation, we our starting our journey in a Legend 20ft 6in caravan towed by a Nissan Patrol wagon. 

    We have a basic plan in place (see 2019 map) and there are a few places where we have time constraints e.g. Pentacost river (Kimberly) at end of May 2020, but we hope we will be flexible and stay longer or shorter in places as we fancy.

    2019 Plan, Follow the arrows for our direction and timeframe

    We are planning a direction of travel as a figure of eight:

    • Starting in QLD (December 2019) going South through NSW and Victoria (Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr 2020)
    • Then up the middle from SA to Darwin (May 2020).
    • Across the top starting at the end of May which is the dry season and the rivers should have dropped to allow access (fingers crossed).
    • From end July 2020 we will be travelling South again down the WA coast (Aug/Sept 2020)
    • A Spring run across the Nullabor plain (Oct 2020) back to the East. 
    • We may turn right to Tassie or left to QLD (Nov 2020) depending on how the mobile life is treating us 

    We know we can’t see everything in a year, that is not our aim, better to have an adventure and see some of this land.

    As the date suggests, things did not go to plan. In 2019, there were terrible fires due to the drought. Firstly, we changed tack and went to Tasmania to escape. But the pandemic finally put paid to our adventure and we returned to Brisbane.

    2021 Plan

    After a year in Brisbane, we set off again on March 24th 2021 with a revised plan (see 2021 map). The 2021 plan is another figure of eight but missing out on the south-west and the Nullabor Plain:

    • Starting in QLD (March 2021) going West through Queensland, Northern territory and Western Australia through the “Outback Way” to Geraldton WA.
    • Then north along the WA coast to the top of the Dampier peninsular.
    • Across the top starting June which is the dry season and the rivers should have dropped to allow access (fingers crossed).
    • From mid August 2021 we will be travelling South down the centre to South Australia.
    • A Spring (Sept/October) run through Victoria high country before turning North to NSW and then for home in November.

    However, again the pandemic caused us to cut short the trip and we did not travel south.

    Alison wrote a blog documenting our adventure from which these books are created..

    Read on for the story….

    Nissan Patrol car and Legend caravan