Nambucca Heads - Day 99

Its raining!  How dare it, it's market day today!  We got up and got ready, yes even on market day they insist on a hot breakfast, don't they realise I'm in a hurry?  Microwaved leftover tea, I have stuck to my "only microwave" rule and am looking forward to my only cereal, fruit and yogurt rule kicking in when we get home.  We headed towards Coffs only to have the rain get heavier :(  We got to a market that was in an underground car park, sounds a bit seedy but it was ok, the boys stayed in the car and Mack and I had a look, more of a trash and treasure but at least we were out and about.  We headed to the beachside markets that looked fantastic but as it was now pouring rain they were mostly packed up and I didn't even want to get out of the car to have a look.  We had a drive around Coffs and then headed towards The Clog Barn.  This is the most amazing place, it is family owned and run and it is exactly as it says, they make and sell clogs.  We watched a demonstration of him making a pair of clogs, the old and the new way, the old taking at least 1 and a half hours to scoop out the wood for your foot to go in, the new only taking 1 minute.   They run the caravan park which has the only clog shaped pool in Australia and the sunbeds are clogs, looks so good.  The son makes the clogs and the father makes the miniature village on display.  He makes every piece by hand and it is not from a kit.  The village is really worth the visit to see and is free to get in to, so much time and energy has gone into it, the windmills are all working, the bridges raise and lower for boats and the train runs around stopping at the station.  There is also Big Omas restaurant.  Oma is now in a nursing home, and Opa visits her at lunchtime and takes in lunch for them to have together and he goes back at 5pm to have dinner together, everyday.  The other times he is in his shed making parts for the village and works there until 8.30-9pm every night, he is in his 80's and a lovely man.  Big Oma's is a great place to eat, we went there when the kids were little and sat and watched lizards, birds and eels in the creek that runs right outside the restaurant window.  We got 2 different pancakes today which were as great as we remembered and the view, although it was raining was just as beautiful, maybe even more so with the rain on the creek.  We went for a drive into Sawtell which has the most amazing main street, the Moreton Bay fig trees dividing the road and the plants and lawn are probably one of the best I have seen.  There is a beautiful shop, like our INCK living in Beaconsfield there I wanted to visit but being 3pm on a Sunday all the shops were shut except the cafes and bars, it is such a trendy little strip of shops, if we get time we will pop back before we leave.   We went to Valla beach for a look but as it was still a pretty yuck day we stayed in the car, Dan is loving that we cant get out and drag sand back through the car.  I have made a promise to myself I will get the kids to the beach more often in the nice weather when we get home, I will of course do this while he is at work!  The kids got the Lego out and Mackenzie made the most amazing dance hall with a DJ and all the equipment and Fletcher - Mr Lego- made an exact replica by memory of a windmill he saw today, fully working with all the mechanisms in behind it.  As much as I curse Lego, especially when I stand on it or the dog is eating a piece, it is amazing for the kids.  We had some tea and some schoolwork, who's laughing today, its Sunday and school holidays!  We do a thing at dinner each night called "best bit worst bit", we do it at home and have done it on the trip, its pretty self explanatory, you get to say the best bit of your day and the worst bit of your day, it opens up some very interesting conversations, so tonight we had finished best bit worst bit and Fletcher out of the blue says if he had a wish it would be that mum lost the eyes in the back of her head!  I have never said that statement to him before so I'm not sure where he has heard it or what I "saw" him do with my spare eyes but he was adamant he wants them gone.

                                                          The miniature church

                                     An exact replica of the Clog Barn and Omas Restaurant

                                                    The fully working mini windmills

                     Us at Big Omas- we have the same photo at home & the kids are about 3 years old

                                                                  More of the mini village

                                                                   Mack in a pair of clogs!!

Nambucca Heads - Day 98

We are now in really lazy holiday mode which is so good after the early rising and fast paced last few months.  We went for a drive through town and looked at a few shops.  We went up to the lookout over town only to realise we were standing over the top of our caravan park with an amazing view of the water and our park.  The hill we were standing on is lit up at night with flood lights and looks spectacular.  We went to a few more lookouts and a few of the caravan parks around town for a comparison, it would really be very hard to beat such a beautiful and well maintained park.  We went for a walk through a lovely park and a drive down to the beach to watch the crazy surfers face the big swell.  We took lunch with us to Macksville which is about 9 kms down the road and sat in the car and watched the people go by and the beautiful river.  We have been here before and it is so lovely, it reminds me a little of Tooradin.  We came back to the park as it was such a beautiful day the kids wanted to get some scooter time in before dark.  We headed out onto the rock wall and the kids had a big ride and we wrote our names on a rock, we didn't paint or add artwork, just a permanent marker but was a nice memory for the kids.  The park is quite busy now with most of the sites around us filled, the kids have made some friends again, most of the kids are older but a few young ones to play with.  Back to the van to cook.  Dan got a cheesecake from the supermarket today so a bit of a treat for dessert too.

                                                          The view from the lookout

                      The lookout is on top of the rock wall which looks amazing at night lit up

Nambucca Heads - Day 97

Hello Melbourne !  Well it felt like Melbourne, it rained all night and most of today.  Mack and I got up at 9 after both watching each other for over an hour from either end of the van while we read and the boys snored.  After a shower and still no sign of life from the boys I decided if you can't beat them join them, so back to bed I went and we all read or slept until nearly 11, well what else can you do on a rainy day?  We cooked a hot breakfast which was well and truly lunch by the time we ate it.  We spent the day watching shows, reading, resting and doing crafts.  Mack got a few balls of wool at the Crazy Clarkes and is busy making pom poms and Fletcher is creating more Heat Boy comics for him and Adam.  We also had crazy hat day, we all wore a crazy hat, we took a skype call from mum who probably didn't know what she had walked in to with me on the video with a monkey on my head, Mack with a huge Australian flag hat like Americas Uncle Sam wears and Fletcher in his Jake the dog hat out of Adventure time.  3 months in an 18 foot van has the tendency to send you a little mad, but a bit of rainy day fun.  We headed out for a walk when the rain settled to get out of the van for a while and get some exercise.  The 1st few months was way too hot to do anything and now its raining, all the while I feel like I am expanding in size without a daily walk, not looking forward to the scales, although clothes are still fitting.  After our walk we came back to our books.  The kids did some school work this morning so I looked over their answers and got back to my book too.  We organised tea.  Dan headed up to the camp kitchen to watch the footy and the kids and I did more crafts, its still raining and the gutters on the buildings aren't handling the amount of rain, the drains are full and our once lovely green site is flooded and has big dirt pot holes, we are hoping for some sun tomorrow to dry it out, although rain is forecast until next Tuesday :(

 the rock wall that literally stretches for miles and nearly every part of the rocks are painted, written on or mosaics or plaques are stuck to them, some sad, funny, religious, sport related, holiday memories etc.  You can spend hours reading them

                                             On our walk along the boardwalk

                                                       Our site, before the rain set in!

Nambucca Heads - Day 96

Today was a beautiful day, made even more amazing by 2 Tawny frog mouths huddled up together under the awning of our ensuite.  They watched everything we did but didn't move from their spots until night fall.  The kids spent so much time watching them until we decided to head into Coffs Harbour and let the Tawny's have a sleep.  Dan decided to stay with Bentley so the kids and I set off.  I didn't want to make a fuss of where to go, I knew that the road to Coffs was the main Highway so all I had to do was find my way to the shop the kids wanted once I was there, which of course was in a shopping plaza out of town but we had a great day, I only got lost twice and that was just my poor sense of which way north and south were and when the I phone says turn right, I probably should turn right.  We went looking for a pair of shoes with roller wheels on the bottom, only to find they were sold out and they didn't actually go up as big as the kids size!  So a little waste of time but the kids had a great time and walked every aisle of toys and dvds.   We grabbed some lunch and as they couldn't agree on the same thing we ended up eating in the car as if we had the dog with us anyway.  We headed back to the van.  Daniel and Bentley had walked until they couldn't walk anymore and both needed a big rest after their adventures.  Dan and I both love Nambucca Heads and hope to retire here so he was scouting around through the hills and along the boardwalk like a local and checking out the real estate, 25 years too early but still fun to look.  We then got ready to go to the movies and watch Despicable Me 2, they have great cinemas here.  I asked which seats we were in (as everywhere we go is allocated seating) and she looked at me like I was an alien and said "uuuummmmm you can sit wherever you want"  when we got in the cinema there were 5 other people in the movie, bit different to fountain gate!  What a great, funny, easy watch.  We all laughed through it, these animated films are aimed at adults so much too as some of the humour goes over kids heads.  I cant work out if a want a yellow minion or the little girl in the film, Agnes, soooo cute.   It was a great night, we shared a popcorn, well that's not entirely correct, Dan was in control of the popcorn and the box never left his hands and was offered occasionally under duress.   We headed back to the van where Bentley had been keeping guard for us.  He has only been left by himself for things like this and when we go for a swim so the poor thing is going to have even worse separation anxiety than he did before when we get back......if that is possible!

                                        Mack was in love with the/her Tawny frog mouths

Nambucca Heads - Day 95

Door fixing day!!  This is a certainty after this mornings lock out & lock in!  Dan was out with dog, I was in shower & Mack walked out to Dan and closed the door with Fletcher inside.  Trying to explain to him through the closed door how to open it with a screw driver was lets just say a bit hard, I was calm and he was clam so he finally did it and I was proud of him for persevering.  We taped the door half shut and stuffed the door way with socks so it didn't close locking us out, emptied all our valuables into the car, well that is except my wedding rings and ten year anniversary ring that I left on the table for any would be burglars to have easy access, but of course I only remembered this half way to Coffs so I stressed the whole time we were gone.  But that's ok I saved the $29 e-readers !!  Its not even  half an hour to Coffs but the worry of my rings on the table with our door left open saw us going in to the dealer for the new handle and home again.  They assured us we could fit the door handle easily and taking our existing key barrel out" takes the boys at the yard 30 seconds".  We didn't even dare to think this was going to be the case for us as nothing goes right for us Griswolds,  Of course my rings were safe and well and we put some fish in the oven and we were still going when the half hour timer went off.  There was some tense moments and just as Dan was ringing the man from yesterday to come out to help it all just fell into place.  Three screws is all that holds it together but what a pain it was, don't think Dan or I would be any good at a break and enter.  Door fixed.....tick, hot lunch......tick, so this wasn't such a bad day, well it was 3 o'clock by now though.  We spent the rest of the day inside as it had started to rain which they had predicted the last few days.  It was lovely to hear the rain on the caravan roof and we all relaxed reading books, Mack and I did get bored of course because we are busy people so being forced to sit still is hard, answer to that was get the umbrella out of the car and take a walk around the park in the rain.  We had some tea and watched a movie, it wasn't until 8.30 that they smiled and reminded me that I had forgotten school work today, little devils had whispered at 3 o'clock that I had forgotten, I heard them but thought they could have a day off.  If it rains tomorrow we might go to the movies and catch up on school work!

Nambucca Heads - Day 94

Today finds us locked in or out of the van depending on which way you look at it.  A 2am toilet stop found our door handle finally give way after being held together by 100 mile an hour tape for months.  I have fixed this thing more times than I have hot dinners but today wasn't going to be a happy ending, so by 3am I admitted defeat and closed the door, locking us in with no handle.   From the inside its easy to get out with a flick of a screwdriver on the locks but once outside and the door shuts there is no way in apart from through a window.  We rang around and found in Coffs Harbour we could get what we needed but had to change the barrels and install it ourselves, we then waited on a man from Nambucca who I spoke to who had the bits and was coming out to the park anyway so he would fix it.  Yes your right it sounds to good to be true and it was, long story short after waiting all day and 4 calls to him, at 5pm he informs me he doesn't have the right part at all, he was such a lovely man though I found myself thanking him for his help even though I really wanted to say, are you serious we have waited 8 hours and could have gone to Coffs and back and had it installed by lunchtime!  We sat around all day today, with the door open!, which probably was great for Dan to get a rest from driving and recover from his teeth episode, he is so much better today.  So he washed the car and I washed and dried clothes and sheets.  The kids played all day on their scooters and at the playground.  They both got up early to go to the camp kitchen to watch one of their crazy shows off foxtel as it was a new episode.  I ventured up to the camp kitchen last night too as it was the last episode of Revenge, I haven't seen it for 3 months but at least I saw the final episode.  The kids also made a few friends at the playground that they spent the day with which was lovely to see, they have actually got along really well the whole trip but I think its great to have other kids to play with.  Its been nice not packing up and setting up each day, I found myself bored at 3pm as I didn't have to pack away anything so I made dinner, the earliest I have ever prepared a meal I think, even at home!  We went for a long walk along the boardwalk and the wall and read all the writing on the rocks, so many of them we remembered and  it was good to read the new ones, I think this time we will at least write our names on a rock.  Back for dinner and to lock ourselves in for a 2nd night , off to Coffs Harbour in the morning for a new handle and cross your fingers we can install it ourselves :(
photos aren't loading the last few days so will add when I can :)

Nambucca Heads - Day 93

Wooohooo sleep in.  Well Dan did wake at day break and think a conversation was necessary about the weather and the sea breeze, where as I thought going back to sleep and the kids staying asleep was a much better idea!  So it was 10.00 before we woke again which was fantastic.  We booked Daniel a dentist appointment, poor bugger is in pain but he is not a very good sick person.  We headed into Nambucca for some bits and pieces we had a list of jobs to do, new hose fittings, photo store etc.  Mack brought another hat, this one with a monkey on it, she is a hat freak and has so many different winter and summer novelty hats its not funny.  Fletcher got himself a magazine as it came with a free Pokémon thingy, yes he loves Pokemon but it is so far over my head, I try to have a conversation but he then has to explain it to me all over again, bring back bob the builder or Thomas I say.  We did the run around and came back to the van for a while before getting Dan to the dentist.  Lucky we went along for the ride as by the time he came out he was $300 lighter and in more pain than before.  By the time I got back to the van, he was in incredible pain and was doubled over.  I was extremely worried about him as he had the sweats up by now so I rang the dentist and we were told to come back for more numbing and a script, the whole way he was in a bad way so none of us spoke and  I was ignoring his "you don't know how much this hurts" "you have never been in this much pain" hmmmmm, 2 children, childbirth, no pain relief for either, it wasn't until he got to "you just don't understand real pain"  I gently reminded him that the 2 kids in the back seat were indeed my understanding of how much pain he was in and that I was silent during the child birthing experience and he might try that too.  He came out the 2nd time a completely different person, he has had days of pain and then more pain, so to see him feeling better was fantastic.  Off to the chemist for a script and back to the van for dinner and a very quiet relaxed night and some long awaited sleep for him.  Teeth are wicked things. 

Nambucca Heads - Day 92

I 'm sure you have noticed that we have been heading east the last few days, we decided to spend our last few weeks on the NSW coast.  We woke this morning to 1 degree so a mighty cold way to start the day, we packed up and headed off into the fog.  We drove the Waterfall Way which is Armidale to Coffs Harbour, its a beautiful drive, very winding road though and happy to say no car sickness form our normal sickie one.  We got stuck behind a truck most of the way which saw our brakes overheating as he was going so slow and with us having the van pushing us along we had to use the brakes most of the way.  The waterfalls are beautiful and although there is stopping points it was quite difficult with the stream of traffic behind us to try pull over to take some photos.  Eventually the truck pulled over to an edge at a wider point and we were able to over take.  We got to the beautiful Nambucca Heads about lunchtime and got set up.  We stay at the White albatross here and it is one of the most beautiful parks to stay at, it is so well maintained and the views are amazing.  We have a tidal lagoon in front of us and beach to the side of us.  As you know Dan hates the sand and with the king tides the sand is even further up than normal, covering footpaths and the road.  We will spend the next 10 days here relaxing, walking and sleeping in.  We will also get Dan to a dentist as he has had an unbearable tooth ache for days.

Armidale - Day 91

Mackenzie : Today we drove through all different towns.  We saw a bike race so we had to watch out for the people on the bikes.  We have stayed at most of the towns we drove through.  When we got to Armidale me and Fletcher played at the park until it got too cold.  For dinner we had tomato soup and toast it was yum.

Fletcher : Today we left Gilgandra.  We left early and on the way we saw a bike race.  Lucky we got through it .  We stopped at Gunnedah .  When we got to Armidale we set up and went to the park and had tomato soup and toast for dinner.

Today was our last day of boring driving without any touristy stops.  We came through Coonabarabran and our last time through here at the driver reviver stop, Dan and the kids got great cups of soup and biscuits, so as we pulled in there was some excitement in the car, cos us powers love to eat!  That was until we saw the town was packed and the stop was full of bicycles, there was some kind of road race between here and Gunnedah and I truly have not seen as many bikes as I did today.  So we kept driving only to see one of those massive flashing road signs and realize we were only 4 minutes in front of the start of the race and it said it was a 2.5 hour delay once the it started, a few had started so we had to try pass them but the police helped us through, I can not imagine Mr Patient trying to drive through that so the kids and I gave each other a knowing smile that we had avoided a drama filled drive.  The only hold up for the day was a heap of cows grazing on the side of the road and across the road with the boys on horseback mustering them along.  We got to Gunnedah and although Dan had hoped to run into Miranda Kerr she wasn't about, a few roadside billboards but not her in the flesh.  We stopped for a stretch and eat lunch and then headed through to Armidale.  So some men say I love you with flowers, some say it with chocolates, my man says it with a surprise ensuite site.  So we all know it was as much for him as it was for me, but when we drove in to the site at Armidale and I gasped and smiled when I saw our own bathroom, the look on his face was priceless.  It was cold already as Armidale is the highest town in NSW so we were in for a cold  night again.  The kids went to the park for a play, I feel so sorry for them being in the car but when we are getting in quite late in the afternoon there isn't much sun left and the night air sets in.  I sent them off in beanies & jackets and gave them as long as I could and then warmed them up with Tomato Soup and toast.  So they say they have never had tomato soup before??  Fletcher even saying that Tomato soup isn't a proper food its only meant to go in bolognaise sauce, after convincing them that yes I use it in pasta sauce but it is actually a soup, they gave it a go, so they loved it and there is another 1st for them on this trip!

Our hold up for the day :)

Gilgandra - Day 90

Fletcher : We looked around Cobar today until lunchtime and then set off.  We saw a truck accident.  Later on we stopped and had something to eat then kept going till Gilgandra.  We got there late and set up and made tacos for dinner.

Mackenzie : Today we went into town and had a look around and then we drove to a place called Gilgandra Caravan Park.  On the way here we saw a truck accident.  We set up the van and had tea.

Today we spent the morning at Cobar, we had a really good look around the shops and I have found a new favourite gift store up here, just a short trip for a gorgeous present!  We went up to the lookout over the mine site, its not as big as the super pit but it is a massive hole in the ground. We watched a car drive down into the mine, we took guesses at whether he could or would drive into the opening, so the kids say he will stop and cant go in and I say he will drive in, so he stops at the site office at the bottom, they cheer and think they have won, he gets a hard hat on and drives right in and disappears, I cheer as I've won, oh apparently not, they then walk off together saying so do you think we should ask for a chocolate or a lolly as a prize......hmmm I didn't know there was a prize involved and kids I will give you a tip - you don't win a prize if you guess wrooooong!  Sorry bad mum coming out in me but when you get to my Uno game you will know why.   Before we knew it, it was nearly 12 o'clock so we headed back to the van.  We headed off and came across a very bad truck accident, the police were setting up to block the road which remained closed for the rest of the day and into the evening.  Apparently there was no other road to use so they were looking into a bush track to direct people down.   We got to Gilgandra really late in the afternoon after our morning of shopping so a quick lap of town and straight to the caravan park.  We have stayed here before and it is a gorgeous park with lots of space between sites but this time we came across a woman, owner or manager who was less than pleasant, the guy here is great value but she was rude and certainly not meant for a customer service role, when Dan told me how rude she was I thought she may have just been having a moment but 3 more encounters with her over the next 18 hours proved me wrong, she was just plain rude, sorry lady we wont be back and will tell our friends how lovely your park is but how rude you are.  We were in for another cold night, but with a free clothes dryer we did all our washing and went back and forwards in the freezing cold until midnight taking it in turns with everyone else to dry our clothes.  We had another game of Uno, I win the first round with all 3 of them with full hands of cards, only to have the kids throw their cards back in the pile and not add them up, yep I've been scammed again, and then of course I lose the following three games with the most woeful hands.  I'm loving these family games - haha not!

                                                                 The Cobar sign

                                                       The working mine site at Cobar

                                                           My new favorite

                                                                  Packing up at Cobar

Cobar - Day 89

Mackenzie : On the way to Cobar we saw so many goats, they were all different colors.  We saw a fox run across the road and a kangaroo jumped out and went in front of our car so dad stopped the car really fast.  Cobar is a big town, we went to the shops and had a look around and got some food at the supermarket and went back we didn't have to cook because we had leftovers.

Fletcher : Today we left Broken Hill to Cobar.  On the way to Cobar we saw emus, goats, foxes and kangaroos.  After we set up the van we went into town and we saw a giant beer can and saw a big pub.  We bought some stuff at the shops and came back to the van.

Today was another day of driving, I don't know how Dan does it, he has driven the whole trip except about half an hour I did without the van attached, look out Melbourne when I get back I will be out of practice.  He takes the van wherever he wants to go, many times against my wishes!, but he gets us out of any spot, not always without him having a tantrum but he does so well.  Today was no different, 1st occasion was his coffee stop at a hungry jacks that the only way out was a tiny back laneway, I watched a Ford Territory make it look difficult so I thought we were trapped but no Dan somehow swings the car and van into the lane without taking the sides out on the concrete poles.  And then again this afternoon, the kangaroos were out early as it was very overcast and about 3.30 I see a roo stand up and jump at us, I say roo, he reacts and has braked to a slow speed from nearly 100 without as much as the book coming off the dash. We watch the roo jump across, it was a near miss and the kids were horrified that the roo didn't look properly,  the roo didn't care but we did, he was big and would have done some damage.  By the time we got to Cobar we had seen so many goats it wasn't funny, all shapes, sizes and colors, eating along the roadside but seemed very aware which way to go when a car or truck came, Mr Roo could learn a thing or two from his mate goat.  Dan hadn't been to Cobar, this doesn't happen very often so it was a learning experience for all of us.  Fletcher has taken to reading the tourist guides from front to back and reciting important information about the town for us to see so this is coming in handy.  We walked around Cobar after getting set up, it is such a lovely town and the people are so friendly and welcoming, it has a big Tooheys beer can and Australia's longest pub verandah - now there's a claim to fame!  Oops Dan is saying it is something to be proud of as there is so many pubs in Australia.  We have actually seen so many beautiful old pubs along the way with the iron lace work on the verandahs and the wide timber boards on the floor, we counted 4 pubs in Cobar, an RSL and a golf club so no shortage of watering holes in town. 

                                                       Australia's longest verandah

                                              an old building, still a butchers in one part

                                                                    The big beer can

Broken Hill - Day 88

Fletcher : Today we are headed to Broken Hill.  We stopped at the tourist information centre at Peterborough which was a train carriage and I got a couple of brochures and I got to look at the carriage rooms, there were bunk beds, pull out sinks and fans.  Then we went down to a steam train it was number 8.  After that we left to go to Broken Hill, we stopped at the New South Wales and South Australia border.  We then got to Lakeview Caravan Park where we stayed on the trip with Royce, my dads work friend.  We went out when we set up and went to the ABC shop.

Mackenzie : Today we got to the South Australia border and then to Broken Hill. We played at the park while mum and dad setup and then we went into town.  We went to an ABC store and mum and I  went to Big W and Woolworths and when we came out it was night time.

So last night was the coldest night we have ever felt, the heater ran most of the night on 25 and it was still freezing.  We woke up to be completely surrounded by fog and the car was frozen.  We just had to wait it out as we still have the crack in the windscreen and we weren't going to risk pouring hot or cold water on it.   We did a look around of Peterborough as Fletcher really wanted to see all the train exhibits, we didn't have time for the full museum but we saw as much as we could.  We then set off heading for Broken Hill.  We got to the border and stopped at the house/pub/café/petrol station there, not sure what it was called as it was all rolled into one, great little spot and so friendly.  Although we had crossed the border it is sill SA time until after we leave Broken Hill, don't ask me, I have no idea and am a bit tired of this time difference thing.   We are just doing 1 night stops at the moment, we love Broken Hill and have been here so many times, but we still did a lap of town before pulling up to the caravan park.  We have stayed at this park before, we had rang another park to get prices and they had wanted $76 a night for an ensuite site with the kids.....what!  Gosh 5 star ensuite or what, no thanks, we managed to secure an ensuite site at Lakeview for $50.   We just felt like a bit of personal space, and at $50 it was a bargain.  The kids played at the park for a while and we decided to go look in town.  We had a bit of normality with a trip to the ABC store and the kids read some books and listened to CD's and then Big W and some groceries.  After a big day driving we were in Woolworths till after dark so back to the van to cook and put the heater on.

                                              the pub/house/petrol station at the border

Peterborough - Day 87

Fletcher : Today we left Woomera to Peterborough.  We went to the information centre to look for Len Beadell books but dad had all of them.  We drove to Port Augusta where we all got Barnacle Bills.  Then we drove around Peterborough and got some mince for dinner, we went to the park and set up and played.  Mum made pie and vegies for dinner it was big.

Mackenzie:  Today we left Woomera.  We looked around again first and then went to Port Augusta and got Barnacle Bills, it was yum, I got a frozen drink from Maccas and a Paul Frank Monkey Toy.  We set up and played for a while and had pie for dinner.

Do I start with my love for Barnacle Bills? No ok I will start at Woomera.  We weren't in a hurry to get out of bed as its been so cold at nights, Dan switched the heater on about 2am, I was freezing too which doesn't happen very often.  We packed up and went into town as we hadn't realised there was more on display in the information centre so we spent some time there before leaving.  There was also a Westpac bank and bowling alley in the info centre too, it was so good.  We headed to the infamous Spuds Roadhouse, well most truckies know of this stop, been there for a long time and was the change over hook up point for truck drivers.  Dan got some photos and we were off again.  50kms out of Port Augusta  Dan says " can you smell that?" after nearly 4 months in a van with 2 blokes its not a question you like to hear, I said no I'm ignoring you, poor bugger was actually trying to have a little Barnacle Bill joke and was seeing if I could smell the take away already.  We got to Port Augusta at exactly 12.00 so lunch was a goer, yes I know I had banned take away and broke it for pizza at the drive in already, but this is my favourite and no way was I going past.  We ordered and sat in the car on the highway roadside like desperados but loved it, there was enough chips to feed a few families so I put them in the fridge and we can add them to tea.  Yep I'm tight!  And sorry Barnacle Bills your chips aren't that great but your crumbed prawns and fishettes are to die for.  We set off again and I watched a movie in the car, The Impossible, try watch that without crying.  We do school work in the car and it works really well, then its just the kids diaries at night and apart from Dan pointing out sights along the way I have a very captive audience, not by choice of course.  There is still moans everyday when I ask them to grab their books.  We got to Peterborough, we have been through here a few times but not stayed so it is good to finally stay as its a lovely town, trains, trains and more trains.  They have an amazing train museum and the Indian Pacific goes through a few times a week.   We set up at the park and found that the toilet block is one of the best we have had, yeah I know yuck thing to write about but when at some places  you have to straddle the toilet to close the door, your knees hit the door, or you can barely move in the shower, or my worst is the breeze blows the shower curtain onto you-yuck or the facilities aren't really suitable for human use it makes a nice change to have clean, big and well thought out facilities.  There is a great camp kitchen too with free BBQ and the best herb garden for everyone's use, a small mini golf and  the pool is being renovated and looks amazing already and there is a gate through to the biggest play park we've seen in a while.  We stopped at the supermarket and a local crossed the road to talk to Dan, seeing the van on the back he suggested great local spots and some on the way to Broken Hill, people are so kind and having a van on people know you are in holiday mode.  There is also the etiquette between fellow caravaners on the road.  There is the customary wave as you drive past another person towing, this can be a full wave or just the raised hand or finger from the wheel.  In a day of passing 100s of vans you may get 1 or 2 who don't wave or you will get a few who are very enthusiastic and wave like a crazy kid or both driver and passenger wave.  I don't do the wave unless thanking someone when overtaking but Dan is the couple of  fingers off the wheel waver and never misses, even for busses and trucks.  Its a pretty special club to be in this towing a van & waving club!

                                     All the roads Len Beadell made through the outback

                                                                  Spuds Roadhouse

                                                 A painting on the toilets at the caravan park

                                                                        another one

Woomera - Day 86

Fletcher : Today I slept in and then we went to a museum and we looked at missiles, rockets, army stuff and gun vehicles.  Later on we went to an oasis town called Roxby Downs, we walked along a shopping centre and we went for a little drive, we looked at the airstrip and the miners camp.

Mackenzie : Today we went to town and went to a rocket museum, it was about old rockets.  Then we went to the shops and had a look at the town at Roxby Downs, it was nice.  We went back to the van and did school work and had casserole for tea.

We went into Woomera town today and looked at all the old rockets and planes.  These things are set up in the main street of town not undercover or roped off, just a sign saying do not climb on them and some surveillance cameras.  They look as good as new.  Fletcher was really interested in them, not sure if that's a good thing or not!  These rockets were mainly from the 1960s and there was even bits and pieces found from them in the Simpson Desert and were on display.  The technology was amazing, I know we had a man on the moon in 1969 but to think Australia had this area way back in 1947 and was testing all sorts of missiles & rockets back then is amazing.  There is a strong affiliation with Len Beadell here as he decided this was where the base was to go.  Dan has all of Lens books and is in awe of what he did all those years ago with the roads so he was really pleased to be here and see the plaques in honour of Len.  We headed out to Roxby Downs for a look which is only 80kms from here.  It is often referred to as the most modern town in the outback as it was only built in 1987.  At last count there was over 4000 people and of those nearly a third of them were under the age of 15.  It was built from scratch to service the mine Olympic Dam, it was unique because it was a joint venture between the mining company who provided the infrastructure including water, power, housing etc and the state government who provided the recreation & educational facilities and policing and administration of the town.  It, like Woomera is a really neat and tidy town with lots of greenery and a very strict policy for school kids to be at school.  Any found in the shopping strip during school hours without an adult will have the police called on them, bit different to our Fountain Gate which is full of school kids at all hours of the day.  We went out to the living quarters which look really new, no plants,  greenery or frills but a huge Austar dish so I'm guessing pay tv is a bonus for them in their dongas. The airstrip is right next door and rumour is they may make it international if the mine gets as big as they are expecting, not sure why but they must have a good reason.  The road trains run out of this place 24/7 and run past the caravan park so again Dan is in his element.  While out at Olympic Dam we noticed the football ground under water and it was deep under water but the club rooms were up on the hill & still going and there was still food signs up so I'm guessing business as usual for the boys.  Back to the caravan park to the full line of washing we hung out this morning.  Next to the clothesline is a bar setup, it is an Atco hut site shed with outdoor heating and chairs and tables, such a great area and really busy both nights we have been here.  The clothes had to come in as Mackenzie was concerned that they would all be watching her owl  "onesie" swing around the line, I'm thinking beer was a bigger priority than the onesie?!

                                        The display of rockets and planes was unbelievable

                                               Parts recovered from the Simpson Desert

Daniel took this gorgeous shot from his phone and I have to say that this & another road train photo have been my favourite out of all the photos we have taken

Woomera - Day 85

Fletcher : Today we left Coober Pedy to Woomera.  We did the stuff we had to do and went to the park.  Mum called us back and told us to look in the camp kitchen, there was a big tv and we watched a show while mum and dad hooked up the van.  We arrived at a roadhouse for petrol and then went through to Woomera, this caravan park was established in 1990.  This town used to be closed because they did rocket launces here. We had dinner and watched a movie

Mackenzie: Today we drove to Woomera.  Fletcher and I did school work and watched a movie.  When we got to the place we were staying we got to play for a while before dinner.  We had chicken wraps for dinner and we all watched a movie.

Today was a boring drive day with nothing exciting to happen.  Well apart from something leaking in the engine and a strange noise coming from the front, the poor car has done so well but I think it is due for a very big look over by a mechanic and soon.  We got to Woomera and set up.  It is a great town and really neat and tidy.   You have to work a minimum of 30 hours a week here and if you slip below that you have 28 days to do something about it, there is no graffiti, no crime, it is amazing.  Some workers did graffiti something in town and they were found,  made to pay for it and have it cleaned and banned from Woomera......love it.  It is a small community and relatively a new town for visitors as it had been a closed area, a "No Go" town for so long because of the rocket testing.  There are no secrets here now, apparently?!  It is still managed by the defence force.  There is plans at the park here to spend $20million to add another village for Roxby Downs who are extending their mine and increasing their workforce, so the deal has been done that it still stays a caravan park but have living quarters for workers.  We made a quick trip to the closed detention centre, we didn't go right up to it as I felt pretty strange about photographing it or even being there, it was only used for 4 years but it made headlines so many times. 

                                                         the night sky at Woomera

Coober Pedy - Day 84

Mackenzie : Today we drove to a place called Coober Pedy and set up the caravan and me and Fletcher went to play at the playground.  Then we had lunch and went into town.  We had a look at the look out it was amazing then we looked at opals that people have mined and got some food and water.  We went back to the caravan and dad told us that you need to pay 20cents to go to the shower.  Then mum got out our blankets and we drove to get pizza, it is the best pizza in Australia and went to the Drive in, they had the old speakers that you put into your car.  We watched The Croods, it was so funny.

                                                        The speaker at the Drive in



Fletcher: Today we left Marla, we packed up the van quickly and left to go to Coober Pedy.  We got there quickly and went to a nice caravan park.  Later on we went to some ranges called the Stuart Ranges also known as the Breakaways, they were in the movie Priscilla.  Then we went to a restaurant called Johns Pizza Bar, we ordered a spaghetti pizza with cheese and marinated lamb and spaghetti bolognaise on it, we went to the Drive in and watched The Croods.

                                    Most Coober Pedy houses and shops are underground

Today we packed up and as we were still hooked up we were off pretty quickly for us.  We always seem to take the longest, with some camper trailers packing up quicker than us.  It doesn't help that the kids love hot breakfasts and I make a point of doing them at home as its a great way to start the day but when you are trying to pack up a caravan its the last thing you want to do.  One of the hardest things about being in the van and having limited preparation space and pots is that the kids, well you know what not just the kids, all of us are fussy eaters!  One doesn't like this, one doesn't have butter well any dairy at all, one is intolerant to that etc etc, which is fine at home, I always try to avoid cooking 2 meals at home but its easier as you can do the same meal with a little variation with an extra pot or scoop out boiled potatoes before you mash the rest, but with only a table that the kids mainly draw at or Bentley can steal food from there isn't much option than to all eat the same thing and wait for the complaints!  Breakfast is no different, cereal to my kids is a swear word so I am now compromising and if it can be microwaved it can be had for breakfast.  We got to Coober Pedy before lunchtime and could chose any site so a quick lap to chose a good spot and feel sorry for the people we pull in next to, its always great to see peoples faces when 2 kids climb out followed by a dog!  We pulled in next to a lovely couple who gave us "the look" but after chatting and seeing that the kids weren't crazy monkeys tearing around on push bikes they were pleased to have us there.  I remember my grandparents talking about Coober Pedy when I was young and I had in my head a completely different picture, as a child it sounded wonderful and romantic to have beautiful jewels and stunning opals but as a child you don't think of or listen to the story of the hard work that goes with getting that beautiful opal.  It is a mining town and there is mines absolutely everywhere, not just the commercial ones you can tour through but spread far and wide.  We have been to White Cliffs so we have stayed underground but to see these homes built into the side of hills is still amazing and exciting to see.   We made a quick lunch and headed out to the Breakaways, which were absolutely gorgeous.  Part of the movie Priscilla was filmed out here and the landscape was amazing, freezing cold even though the sun was out.  The road in was still quite wet from recent rain and the road to the dog fence was closed due to the wet.  We stopped at the IGA for water as water out here costs, the washing machines are $6 a go, which are normally between $2-$4 and showers are 20 cents for 2 mins, there is also pumps on the side of the road and in the caravan park like a petrol pump that you can purchase water.  Our tank is full so we just got a 10litre box of drinking water.  We did a lap of town and went up to the look out.  We also went into an opal miners house who was selling his opals, he had been mining for 45years and they were beautiful, so many colors, he was doing his best sell to us but although they were lovely we just weren't going to buy any.  We had found out that the drive in still works and shows a film once a fortnight and surprisingly it was tonight.  We went into town to read the bill board for the movie and it was The Croods a kids film they had wanted to see since starting the trip.  So tonight was take away pizza in the car while at the drive in.  We went home and rugged up and grabbed blankets and pillows.  We ordered our pizza from an award winning pizza shop, best pizza in Australia 2010 for Good Food and an award winner 2012 for lifestyle good food.  Have you been to Coober Pedy? It is in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by piles of dirt, houses built into the sides of the dirt and did I mention dirt and they have this amazing pizza shop, well it lived up to its name, it was fantastic.  The drive in had the old style speakers that you put on your car, it was awesome, I think Dan and I were more excited than the kids and when an old V8 Monaro pulled up next to us we felt like we had slipped back in time.  We all enjoyed the movie and at $20 for all of us, and we had Bentley it was a cheap and great family night out.  As for the pizza it was so big we have some left so guess what kids, hot breakfast for you in the morning !

The old speakers at the drive in

 The caravan park at Coober Pedy, brand new bathrooms and the best camp kitchen we have seen

                                                                     The Breakaways

                                                                    The Breakaways

 

Marla - Day 83

Fletcher: We left Ayres Rock to go to Marla.  We woke up freezing and we found out it was 9 degrees.  Me and Mackenzie walked Bentley all the way around the playground and back, then we walked him around the street, we saw a rabbit.  Then we had to go, we drove all the way to the last pub in the Northern Territory and got a dim sim.  We crossed the South Australian border to Marla.

Mackenzie : Today we took Bentley for a walk around the caravan park and then we got in the car and drove to a place called Kulgera and got a dim sim.  Then we crossed the Northern Territory border and drove the rest of the day.  We got to Marla and set up and Fletcher and I played a ball game.


Today we were all woken by the amazing sounds of dingos howling.  It was before 6am and we were all awake laying there saying can you hear that, Bentley was confused but not growling, we were loving it, now we feel like we are in the outback.  We packed up but not in a hurry, people travelling have said to us 2 days is enough here but we have had 3 nights and although we have seen the important things we really like Yulara and could stay longer.  Today was mainly driving as we headed towards Marla.  We stopped at Kulgera which is the 1st and last hotel/stop on the Northern Territory, they had great picnic tables in a grassy area so we stopped and ate our lunch.  We stopped at the border and took some photos and did the normal "I'm in the Territory" " I'm in South Australia" and back and forward we went and stood half and half.  The kids found a set of teeth, 2nd time this has happened to us, hmmmm is there money to be made in dealing in 2nd hand teeth?   The kids are looking for a get rich quick scheme, this may be it!  We set up at Marla, which was originally an area where they sunk a bore, Marla Bore and was a truck stop.  In 1982 they built what is in Marla now, Commonwealth Bank, restaurant, pub, supermarket, gallery & post office and it was officially declared a town.  There is drive through sites, a pool, clean & locked toilet block and enough rooms to house a few football teams.  A great little stop that had absolutely everything.

                                                                              Marla

                                                                     our site at Marla

Yulara - Day 82

Fletcher - Today we went to a bush tucker tour, we got to try bush plum, it was sweet.  After that we saw a tea tree and the man said if you crush it its good for antiseptic.  After the tour we went home to Bentley and had nachos then we went to the Olgas and we went on the walking trail, after that we went back to the rock.

                                              I found a base in the gorge at The Olgas

Mackenzie : Today we got up and went to the bush tucker tour, it was about trees and bushes, we got to eat a berry it was sweet.  After that we went back to the caravan and had lunch and drew for a while.  We went to the Olgas and we went through them it was a big walk, they are bigger than Ayers Rock.  We went to have another look at Ayers rock and mum took photos, we didn't go to the top.  We went to the shops and then home to make dinner.

                                             just about to go between the 2 big hills of the Olgas

We did one of the free activities today which was a garden walk- bush tucker tour.  It was conducted by Leroy a local aboriginal who works for the resort in the plant & tourism section.  This was a very interesting tour, we got to try fruits from the trees and smell & touch all the plants he was talking about.  It went for about an hour and the kids were captivated as many of the trees they recognized from their school so to rub the leaves & smell them and know what they used them for on the land was really exciting for them.  Most of the trees were bought in to Yulara to go around the resort as they wanted it to appear like an oasis in the desert, they certainly achieved that and as we wandered in and around the beautiful resort it was amazing how much thought had gone into the trees and their placement in the resort.  Trees that we all take for granted were a source of food, nutrition and a way of life for the tribes people, with the women able to make anything out of basically nothing.  We did a lap of the fancy resorts and read all the information on the area which was so interesting and we watched a man carving didgeridoos and then he played them for us.   We then went back to Bentley and to make a quick lunch before heading to the Olgas.  They are within the same National Park as Uluru and are 50kms away.  They are so amazing too,  it is so hard to imagine first stumbling across these 2 amazing freaks of nature, the landscape is fairly flat and then out of no where is a massive red rock and travel a bit further and again be confronted with the most amazing red rocks.  The Kata Tjuta (Olgas) are massive, there is 36 domes and the highest is 546mts above the surrounding plain, which is nearly 200mts higher than Uluru.  We went on another long walk today, through the gorge and all around the Olgas, it was beautiful, again it was sheer rock wall and had small caves that had greenery growing out from it.  Once in the gorge there were small creeks with flowing water which, because of the shade of the next dome the water was freezing.  In the shade it was really very cold and in the sun it was quite hot, it was really hard to find middle ground.  You get to go right in and again there are great walkways made and where there isn't there is rocks lining a path to show you the way.  We made the walk in and surprisingly it seemed quicker and easier on the way out.  I saw a postcard that had lovely photos and said something like "Northern Territory - 1 rock, 1 gorge, 1 range and 1 million flies"   This is by no means an exaggeration, it may have said 1 billion flies because that is what it has felt like out here in Alice Springs, and they are those dumb annoying flies that just sit on you waiting to be swatted.   For all those people who I have always thought crazy & eccentric for wearing those ridiculous looking fly nets over your hats I am sorry, truly sorry, you are by far the most sane and sensible people I know, next time I'm here I will spend the $7.90 and buy a net, just to avoid a fly in my eye, up my nose and in my mouth- and yes all 3 happened to me.  We went back to the rock in the hope it would be open as when I had loaded the photos last night I had noticed I didn't get a shot of Mack properly, as it was all the shots were from low down on the rock because as we got a little higher the camera was the last thing on my mind.  So we did a quick re-enactment of yesterdays climb but stayed low as there were police there and an ambulance came in so we didn't know what was going on but the ambo came in with lights on so we decided to leave, people were still climbing so it mustn't have been extreme but still not nice to gig.  We did a quick lap of town making the most of our time without Bentley.  I strongly believe our Bentley has kept us below budget on this trip, as Daniel loves to eat out and it makes it near impossible to do that with Bentley so instead of me being the big baddy nagging about budget it is very simple we cant eat out as often as he would like.  So back to the van to cook we went!

 Dan and the kids part way in, the red rock against the greenery and blue sky was amazing

                                                                     Kata Tjuta

                                          the streams which were crystal clear and running

                                       A long distance view from one of the many lookouts