93 - The Year That Was 2010

The year that was 2010


Seeing that not much is going to happen until we move on from here, 1st Feb 2011, I thought a good idea is to re-visit out travels in the form of our 2010 adventures in photo form.

We often sit down and reminisce on the year, that has just gone by, and every year on Xmas day, we say to each other, “I wonder where we will be this time next year.” We said it on Xmas day 2009, and we had, not a clue where the year would take us . That’s half the excitement….the unknown….just luv it!

Even the greatest Clairvoyant would not have picked the path we travelled in 2010.

So Xmas day 2010, we went through the same ritual, and apart from the end of January 2011, which will see the end of this “tour of duty”, that is all we know. Sure we have a rough plan, and probably true to form, it will not happen. As I continue to say our plans change by the nano second.

So let’s see some of the places of 2010

January

Bermagui Southern NSW

Armands Beach Southern NSW

Marouya Southern NSW

Narooma Southern NSW

Batemans Bay

 February

 Canberra ACT

Cowra NSW

Dubbo NSW

Narrabri NSW

March

Goondiwindi Qld

April

Possum Park Qld

Clermont Qld

Undara Lave Tubes Qld (8th April to 31st August)

September

Mt. Surprise Qld

O'Brien's Creek Qld

Croyden Qld

Normanton Qld

Karumba Qld

Burke and Wills Road House Qld

Winton Qld

Longreach Qld

Barcaldine Qld

October

Sarina Qld

Mackay Qld (October 8th 2010 to February 1st 2011)

Well that's a bit of a fly around.

Where did 2010 go??????????

Everybody have a happy and safe new year and CYA sooooooon!!

Cheers and beers

Us



92 - Soggy Christmas Day 2010

What can one say, wet, wet, wet.

Cyclone Tasha crossed the coast just south of Cairns, in the early hours of this morning, and although a CAT 1, not a big blow, a little bit of damage, but mostly rain. Everything is in flood.

Hardly a soul in house (motel), and there is just me and the bride, and it is peeeeeeeing down. But we have organised some very dear friends of ours from back when we were here in the 80's and early 90's, as they were home alone as well. So they joined us at the motel for our own Chrissy lunch.

Heavy tropical rain and I mean heavy 

Poor old RetroLiner,  just water logged

The Val all tucked up and dry

The bride all dressed up and nowhere to go

Cheers and Beers

That's me and our great friends Ray and Vera Sellin

The bride with Ray and Vera

Stay tooooooooned for the next up date.

91 - Merry Christmas

Hi Everybody, and a big thank you for following our blog. There seems to be a group of us keeping a close eye on "what each is doing". Good fun, and really enjoy the updates.

So may the bride and I wish you all

A VERY MERRY XMAS AND A SAFE AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

.

Hey guys, we are in the middle of that  above.......... break out the sand bags, the flippers and the  snorkles....a'h what the hell....... just go skinny dipp'n in the motel pool, there is no one here anyway!!!!!!!! 

Cheers and beers

Us

90 - It's Good News Week.

"Its Good News Week".  Who remembers the song out of the 60's by Hedgehoppers Anonymous. It was a protest song that focused on the medias obsession with making the most out of contrarily bad news, and had tones of the anti war movement in the Vietnam era. Showing my age now!!!!!!!

If I remember, this is how one of the verses went.

"Its good news week; someone dropped a bomb somewhere, contaminating atmosphere, and blackening the skies".

Hey how is that for a jaded memory. See somethings just stick in your mind.

Well I am going to use this as the positive!!

Guess what, all tucked up at the motel is the RetroLiner and the Val.....................Yahoo.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got the Val back this morning, after a false start on Wednesday. Won't bore ya with details about all the work that was done, however, we basically have a reconditioned car, and its going like I have never seen or felt it before.

I tell you what, if you are ever in Mackay, and you need mechanical work done, just pop into Torrissis Garage, McAlsiter street Mackay. I assure you, that any repairs will be handled extremely professionally, with compassion. This posting also gives me the opportunity to thank Ross Torrissi and his team for their patience and care with  the Val. The bride and I can't thank you enough!

Now the RetroLiner!

Went out to the repair man at Mirani, which is around 25kms from the motel, around 10.30am this morning and there she was. All ready to "rock and  Roll"  Apart from the grime and soil, due to not being for washed for near on six months now, she was just biting at the bit the get going.  Again I won't bore ya with details, but we have the RetroLiner ready to venture forth on our next leg commencing February.

The repair man also did a fantastic job, and will also highly recommend their services as well. Incidental both came in cost wise, just below what I anticipated for repair work on both chariots. It's good news week.

The difference in the behaviour of the Val, was just outstanding, with the RetroLiner on the back. Once up to cruising speed, I hardly knew it was there. Kept on looking in the mirror to make sure she was still on the back. Just touching the throttle, and cruising about 90ks, what a dream. Now that is what I expected of the Val two year ago, with a no thanks to the original repairer........You "Wally"

We are really quietening down here at the motel, as most of the corporate trade has ceased for the year, and take their annual holidays. It will give us a chance to recharge our own batteries and catch our breath, however we still have to be here 24/7. No big deal, I will be able to do boys things on the chariots that I have been wanting to do for ages.

Probably won't be posting in the next week, so to all that follow us, may we take the opportunity to wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Cheeres and beers

Us.

89 - Another week, another milestone.

First of all, fantastic to hear from the Biz Wizards Adventurers, arriving back in OZ after a 6 month stint in the U.S of A. We met Mike and Kerry at the Big 4 CP at Southwest Rocks, northern NSW coast around October 2009. We continued to meet up, in various different places all the way down the NSW coast, with our final get together at Batemans Bay. From there we went west to Canberra, then to Dubbo, Goondiwindi, then coming to a stand still for 5 months at Undara Lava Tooooobes.

Mike and Kerry continued their Odyssey around the coast, and as per last blog will be around the Adelaide area till early next year. We do however, communicate quite regularly by email outside our respective postings. We may even meet up again on our tracks towards NT in 2011. Fantastic people and have an interesting blog, which is listed on the side here.

Mike and Kerry the Biz Wiz Adventurers with the Retro Roamers 

You know that's why I love about this traveling thing. Apart from the fantastic places you see and visit, the folks you meet out there are just awesome. Who cares what your background is, your lifestyle, the rig you have, how much money or possessions you have.......to mine no ones gives a rats. We all seem to have a common goal, of traveling and enjoying life. A mate of mine said to me some time ago.... "The curtain is coming down, and there ain't no encores. "How true is that!!!!!

WE have had a some new travels join us this week. Just love following all these folks, and all the others too, and we feel we are traveling with all of them. We get quite envious, especially us being in the one place for a period of time, however in saying that, this "tour of duty" is serving a purpose, so we are thankful for the longer stint.

As in our heading, Another week and another milestone. This of course is in relationship to the chariots. The Val and its nearly finished Ya!!!!!!!!!!!!. This week was all about a new fuel pump, which for the mechanically minded, is a Ford manual fuel pump, that the mechanic actually, re-worked it to fit the Val. Couldn't get a new manual fuel pump for Val, under a skillion dollars, so I hope the Val can handle a FORD part in her....sssssshhhhhhhhh.

Had the brakes adjusted, new oil and filter also. So what's left.......!!!!!!!! Yes the Val goes back to hospital again on Tooosday for the last time, for a final inspection. The brakes are still not quite right, just a tickle up here and there, and hopefully she is ready to go.  The hospital closes on Friday for six weeks so all has to be done. However the torn air bag will not be repaired, as it hasn't been a priority. Not an issue either, but will attend to it some time down the track.

We really can't wait to see how the Val performs with the RetroLiner on the back. In saying that, and as I posted earlier, with the woes of the car, caravaning to mine was becoming a real chore. The whole idea of re motoring the beast two years ago, was to hit the highways and byways with a Muscle car and have a ball, but for two years have been doing battle with an extremely under performing and very sick vehicle.

Lets hope our dream will be continued without the hassle of a broken motor car. Actually I am going to send the  bill for the repairs of the motor to the original mechanic, with a note highlighting their incompetency. Now I'm being a real bitch.  I know I won't get any compensation, but the satisfaction is the major factor here.

So where are we now! Well can't say much about the RetroLiner at this stage. Last report most of the minor repairs, are all but done. Just waiting now, for an element for the fridge, and a new gas lighting thingo. With a bit of luck, I will have the Val back later next week, and hopefully the repair on the RetroLiner will be  finished. One would like to think, both will be home here at the motel by no later than Friday 17th of December. Mmmmmmmmm we live in hope. Geeeeeeezus it is going to be a very expensive week all round, but all worth it.

Getting away from the chariots, weather wise still very ordinary here in Mackay, however we have not had the rain that most of the east coast  and central areas of NSW and Queensland have copped. I was saying to the bride, we are in a good place right now, with dry feet and a roof over our head. There is definitely a lot of travelers caught up with this rotten weather...our thoughts are with you.

Stay toooooned for this time next week.

Cheers and beers

88 - An Interesting Story From A Wandering Bare

Over the past few years, the upsurge in the amount of people touring and sightseeing this great country of ours has been dramatic. Most fall into the Gray Nomad category: those who have opted for early retirement on a good superannuation payout. While these do make up the bulk of local tourists, there’s a good cross section of others.

There are those who have decided on an itinerant lifestyle, still young enough to take whatever work comes along to pay their bills, while seeing what Australia has to offer. Then, of course, there are the pensioners on extended holidays. A lot of travelers get on the road for the winter months, heading towards the northern parts of Oz, making it much easier to bare the cold . . . with the emphasis on “bare.”

Wrenbrook @ Bonalbo

The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland reports there are more than 600,000 Australians taking caravan holidays each year. The Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia boasts in excess of 40,000 members. No wonder campsites and B&Bs are popping up all over the country to cash in on this lucrative market. Among these statistics is one group of which the average traveller is largely unaware: the naturist tourist.

Goodys @ Sarina

Those who belong in this category are finding, more and more, being catered for. Today’s naturists have a string of B&Bs, resorts, camping areas, legal beaches and, perhaps less often, district social clubs to cater to their requirements as they travel this wonderful country.

Sunlovers @ Hervey Bay

 All up the east coast, particularly Queensland, naturists have opened up their homes as B&Bs for the like-minded traveller. Others have small acreage blocks ideally suited for self-contained caravan or mobile home tourists. These are in secluded - but not necessarily remote - areas, ranging from three-star plus swimming pool, powered sites and all amenities, right down to simply a safe campsite with basic requirements (ie, a toilet and a hot shower).

Taylorwood @ The Whitsundays

The low costs of these places are a drawcard. The prices of a few “high profile” resorts, reflect the demand for higher-class amenities, but the average resort with powered sites and swimming pools are usually around the $28 per night per couple mark. The basic camping ground with no power and no pool ranges from $15 per night per couple to a low $5 per night per couple. These sorts of prices make seeing the country in winter a lot more affordable, especially on a pension.

Running Bare @ Narrabri

From the Retro Roamers, can't agree more!

87 - An Update On The Val & RetroLiner

Well here it is Saturday 4th December 2010, and guess what it's stop raining..........well today at least.

Before we get into the weekly up date on the chariots, we will be at this property now until end January 2011. The new resident managers, will not be taking over till Feb 1st, so we offered to stay. A couple of reasons, obviously the costs associated with the repairs of the Val and also the RetroLiner, and it is a nice property to work. Sure we are getting tired, but hey a few extra bucks in the bank won't go astray, as I do not know the cost of repairs....yet!

Okay the Val first. New brake booster fitted this week, rear brake cylinders, hand brake adjustment, re tune, head lights fixed.  However still not all done yet, however I brought home the Val for a bit of a kiss and a cuddle. It was feeling quite lonely at Rosses.

It is good these weekly home visits, gives me a chance to take the Val for a run. Still goes like the clappers, however the brakes were real spongy, the hand brake didn't seem to be adjusted, and the idle speed was miles to high. So when it goes back to hospital next Tooooosday, those items need to be attended too.

Still on the agenda.....fuel pump and air bag repair. Hopefully all will get done by the 17th of this month as that is when Ross closes down for the Christmas break. Hopefully Friday may be all done and dusted. The fuel pump is an issue, that is a suck it and see what happens.

Now I was really dreading the phone call to the repair man for the Retro Liner. But I was pleasantly surprised. Part of the frame issue where the fridge, freezer and air con has been fixed with new vents. The fridge which we thought was consigned to the scrap heap, seems to be alright.  Just needs a new Pizarro lighter thingy, and an element. The repair man said the fridge worked like a Trojan.

That is a relief of our mind as I really didn't want to buy another fridge, cause you are looking at $1500 bucks for these absorption jobbies, and they really don't work all that well in hot climates. By resurrecting the old one, we use it for non perishables anyway. We have the full freezer as well as the Engel. The repair man also said he has taken the door out and although feared the dropping the door was a frame issue, it is actually a chassis issue. He will try to straighten the door up as much as possible...however I will need to ge a welding type man to break the chassis just underneath the door and re weld. Not a big job as I understand it. I can live with a door out of whack at the moment.

The next little piece of work is fixing the frame that has fallen off the front, which was all part of the drama with the rotten frame that was discovered at Winton.

So all going well I may have the RetroLiner home at the motel hopefully at weeks end or early next......time will tell. Once I get the Retro Liner back here in the grounds of the motel, I will be able to get some things done ad well.

Once again sorry no pikkies

Stay toooooned for the conclusions.....hopefully

Cheers & beers

86 - Rain Rain Go Away

Blimey I have never seen so much rain. For the last month it has been just peeing down night and day. Even the frogs are wearing flippers.!!!

Been about a week since my last post, and we have to report fairly positive progress on the Val. Early this week I went out to see the RetroLiner....poor beggar....sitting in a paddock looking very forlorn and depressed, however its turn for some sort of a touch up should be within the next week or so. The only problem is it has been so wet.

Anyway the drive out and back was just a breeze. The Val performed with unbelievable power...scary stuff....but still quite lumpy in the idol position.

Ross the mechanic asked me to drop it back to him last Tuesday anyway, as the rough idle was a concern.

To cut a long story short, the problem associated with the rough idle and the poor brakes was as expected, even by me, to be the brake booster....as in a vacuum leak. 

So back to the operating table for the Val...this time to have a new brake booster fitted along with a new fuel pump. Now I will not comment on that (fuel pump) till we see the end result of the jobbie; as after market pumps wont fit, due to the larger alternator. Doesn't seem to concern Ross, so I will wait and see for that one.

Okay lets hope we get through that drama next week, and the only thing left then is a rear airbag, reversing  & head light. 

Once again no pikkies till we find some more exciting things.

Till next time stay toooooooned.

85 - Yaaaaaaa!

Well here it is Friday the 18th of November 20010 and we have had a win!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You guess it folks, the might Mopar Muscle is again a Mighty Muscle Car. Also our web site http://www.hostsontherun.com.au/, has been given a new lease of life, and my  seeing eye dogs, (glasses) which I broke two weeks ago, have also arrived back here in Mackay fixed. So we have had a real win, win today.

Continuing on, and as per arrangement, we picked up the Val this morning to bring it home for a visit to the motel for the weekend, and boy or boy, the Val just went animal.

We have waited over 2 years for this day........the Val just performed beyond expectations. Ross Torrosi was the mechanic, McAllister Street Mackay, and this guy sure does knows his stuff. In saying that the Val still goes back the workshop on Toooooooosday for a bit of fine toooooning.

However with the re-aligned cam, the compression jumped back up to where it should be, the noisy lifters, were once again quiet, new jets in the Holey Carby, enabled the fuel to be directed properly, and the new coil increased the spark. Although Ross said The Val was a little lumpy when cold, she should settle down once warm. 

"Settle down" was an understatement. Once I drove the Val out of the workshop, and the motor got up the operating temperature...geeeeeezus it took off like a scalded cat. As soon as I put my foot down....yahooooooo, it thundered down the highway, at such a break neck speed.....I felt like a hoon in a "doof doof" machine.......scary stuff. Now that is what it should have done when we had the motor changed.

O'h well, no good living in the past. We have had a lot of fun - albeit very frustrated in the towing performance. But now it's time to move forward, and look ahead to more adventures, without the hassle of an under performing vehicle. WA here we come.....there is no stopping us know...I hope.

We still have some braking issues, fuel pump needs replacing, and the split air bag also has to be attended too. All that is not pressing, and as we still have another 6 weeks of this contract to go, it will get done.

On Monday I am going out to the caravan man to prioritise the repairs on the RetroLiner. We did have a big wish list, but because of the unexpected cost of repairs to the Val.....(worth every cent may I add) the jobs on the RetroLiner will be reduced to the necessary items to get us back on the road. We will leave that for another post.

Sorry no photies folks, however we are havging a BBQ here at the motel on Sunday for the brides' 59th birthday, and some friends from our time here, in the 80's, are coming around to celebrate the occassion. Hopefully some photies if that occassion.

Hope the weather clears.....feeeerk, it hasn't stopped raining since we've been here.

Stay toooooooned.
  

84 - Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Yep here it is 14th November 2010, and we have just completed week 5  of 12 at this motel.  So far so good. It is a very busy property, however we are really enjoying it, now that I have broken the back of the finance system. These challengers just keep the brian box on the roll.

But where I am quite excited, is it looks like after two years of battling with the Val under perfoming, I have finally found here in Mackay, a real professional in the mechanical domain, who builds race engines.

After the trial and tribulations of the previous episode in Mackay, this is a refreshing change to  find someone who really cares about the Val.

Lets turn the clock back till July two years ago. We were managing a property in Kilcoy, and our goal was to have the Val re-motored with all the trick gear, so it could tow a reasonably heavy van. All the trick gear was ordered especially the towing cam.

So I took the Val to the local yokal in Kilcoy, who progressively re-built the moter, mmmmmmmm. From the time I got the Val back up until last week, I have never been happy with the performance. For such a large motor, the Val should have pulled the Retro Liner with ease, but not the case. 

So for two years I have had every so called expert, from carburation to timing, to whom ever, who reconded they new the problem. They plied their wares to see where they thought the problem was, however every time I took possesion of the Val  from whoever, it just didn't seem to be right. Then hooking up the RetroLiner, the Val performed so bad, it was getting to the stage of just selling the lot, and walking away.

Now I did mention, when in Winton I did find a mechanic that drag races, and he retuned the Val, but his comments were "the motor is a problem child" mmmmmmmmmmmm said I.

Even though I did say on our run out of Winton the Val seemed to be better, its performance soon deterioted, to the point....this caravaning thing was now on the nose and a real chore. We struggled into Sarina first, then Mackay, where the Retroliner is just sitting waiting for some work to be done on it. Now that story I will leave to another post.

So with the Val, the timing was the major point. "No we tune this thing in retard", said one. "Now wait a minute,  this timing is so far out it needs to be timed in advance." said another. "But wait your carby is out of tune, it needs spacers and new jets" came another piece of advise.

So you can imagine all this came at a cost, big cost!!!!! Was it or is it all worth it!!!!!!Up till last Friday week, this was going to be the last throw of the dice. I even had a look at fourby's....Good God!!!!!! this can't be happening!!!!!! Geeeeeeezus a lease for a vehilce for another four years...that will make me near on 68....not going there. See I  will be taking up a government job in January 2012, (for the pension department), and I am sure I won't be able to afford the payments on that wage.

Back to the Val. On Tooooosday morning the 9th of November. I said goodbye to the Val. with heavy heart, as I knew deep down, the conclusion was not going to be good.  With heart in mouth, will this be the death knell!!!!!, the saying of goodbye!!!!O'h no this can't be happening.
Now Tooooosday afternoon I took a call from the mechanic, who advised I should come to the shop as soon as possible! Good God I thought, is this the death of the Val....nooooooooo it can't be. The last rights!!!!!!! Feeeerk don't do it us.

Arriving at the shop, one walked into the work area with heavy heart. The boot was open, the bonnet was up, oil on the floor....feeeerk again! Looking closer the rocker cover was off, the timing chain and the radiator was out.......was I there to identify a dead car.............nooooooo I wailed!!!!

No silly, the car was being operated on, to bring it back to what it should have been with the new motor. The dick that put the new motor in, didn't line up the towing cam with the crankshaft, hence the timing of the unit was so far out of whack, it was down at least a third on power. Plus the sparking system was as useless as tits on bull.

So all this week the man (expert in building race engines) has actually re-aligned the towing cam, and made sure that everyything works in unison, as it should have done from day one. I go down to the shop every morning, and he gives me an update. 

At this stage he is happy with the alignment of the cam, pistons and fire sequence. He will be ading a new coil and ignition system. Then replacing the radiator, tappet cover, for the next test.

So as of Friday arvo 12th November, until he does a compression test, which will determine whether or not the head needs to be removed; as the 2 years running with a cam out of alignment may have stuffed the head....we wait for news on that one!

So one is hoping that with the realignment of the cam, all the vacuum problems wil be solved........I live it hope.

However we still need to look at the brakes, refit another fuel pump, repair the split air bag.

The saga continues and I will keep all up dated, with the progress.

Phew..............and stay tooooned

83 - Mackay NQ

Well we are four weeks into this current "tour of duty". Have a look at the property.

A busy property, mainly during the week, with all the corporate and working guests.
Weekends much quieter, as per normal for any motel, but as usual, one is on guard as the clientele can degenerate big time, not in volume so much, but attitude.

Anyway, I will leave that alone....and being a Friday arvo just gearing up for the weekend.

As I have said earlier as we are not traveling, not much to report, but I will touch basis about the Val and the RetroLiner.

Firstly the RetroLiner. Nothing has happened. No repairs, no news, no nothing!!!! But we knew the repair man was not able to go near the RetroLiner for at least a month, and guess what the month is up today. Will make a call on Monday!

Now the news on the Val.

I put the Val in for an investigation to see why the brakes are so hard to put on. To mine it seemed a booster problem. Of course I advised the repair people, to check out a few other issues, with the intention of having the Val back to its usual self within a week or two.

Well four weeks later and I have removed the vehicle from the repairer before it was to late!!!!!!

The brakes never got repaired at all, nor did the other issues that it was sent in to get looked at. After four weeks all that was done was my seat was repaired, timing re-adjusted, and a new part put on the starter motor. The rest of the time I was being told about what a heap of shit it was, and it is going to cost gazzillions to get fixed, right from a new head to a complete engine system.....GET A LIFE.

To add to this because they had sooooooooo much work, they didn't have the time to spend on my unit anyway. They should have told me in the first place, that they couldn't find the time to work on it. I could have made other arrangements.

Three hundred and forty feeeeeerk'n dollars later, and four weeks wasted time, the Val is now back at the motel, looking quite sad. I have booked the Val into another guy, who seems to be more genuine. I know his business and has been around for a zillion years. This business was actually trading during my time here in Mackay 82 - 94. Have since found out the shop has been trading from the same address for the last fifty years. The owner (now) is the son of the original owner. Now that's got to be a bit of assurity.

Once I advised him of the drama I have just had, his reply, "I have heard it all before" Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

So one would like to think some progress will now be forth coming with the Val, over the next couple of weeks. Hope so, because before we know it, it will be Xmas and all these places will be shutting down for the Christmas break, and we at this stage are hear only till 11th January.

See this is what I have found. Every bugger who wants to make a quid, just shuts up shop and heads to the mines. Joe blogs can get a $100000 a year driving a truck. So what remains is local businesses stretched to the limit and really it seems no one can handle the demand.

Pity, cause as I said before, Mackay the once neato, friendly, tropical north Queensland sugar town, is now the industrial hub for the Bowen Basin for coal production.

When we were here, everybody would talk to you, and they were friendly, and even when we arrived '82, we were southerners. Geeeeeeezus no one is local that I can see anymore, and that friendly warm fuzzy feeling the town had, is gooooooooooon for ever.

Sorry folks just having another whinge. Maybe I can't handle progress.

Stay tooned!!!!!!!!!

82 - Mil Stream Falls, Windy Hill, Undara

How long are we going to be in Mackay....who knows.

Contracted for three months, from early October, if we see the three months out, is any bodies guess. At the time of writing this blog, the Val is still in the workshop, for brakes etc., and the RetroLiner, may not be even looked at till mid November.

Now until something exciting happens here, I will not have much to post, so I am going to add some pikkies that I forgot I had, about Mill Stream Falls near Ravenshoe, The Wind Farm also near Ravenshoe & a little more on Undara.

So enjoy boyz and girlz

The pathway down to Mill Stream Falls

Getting closer to the falls

If you like waterfalls this is a nice one.

The bride had to get in this pikkie for a pose

Down stream from Mill Stream Falls

The wind farm at Windy hill was always windy. Reminded me of the south coast of NSW, however a subtle difference here, Windy Hill was most of the time we came through this area on our way from Undara to Cairns was always misty, drizzly and cold. So these photos were taken on a very rare clear day.

The bride having a bad hair day

Wind generated turbines.....bloody huge and noisy

The wind farm

As in a few posts back, 66/67/68 we spent five months at Undara Lava Toooooobes. An interesting experience, however the culture of bullying and intimidation was disappointing during our time there. Here are a couple of piikies of the bride this time at work.

The biker sheila

Now how do you start this friggggg'n thing

See Ya...I'm off to clean more train carriages

81 - Mackay North Queensland

Well here we are!!

Like all properties we move into, there is a real steep learning curve, however as per normal we are getting policies and procedures in place, learning a new system, and of course just getting back into work mode.......for the next three months at least.

It has come at an opportune time, as the Val goes into "hospital" for a brake over haul, and hopefully find the vacuum leak that makes life super difficult, especially when applying the brakes. One can only hope that we can finally put this problem of the continual slight miss with the Val, to bed once and far all.

As I have said before on many occasions, that we lived in Mackay between 1982 & 1994. In those days, Mackay was a friendly north Queensland sugar town, with a sprinkling of coal mines. We loved living here during that time, and it was nothing to walk down the main street, and just about know everybody. We loved the casual life style, the tropics, deserted beaches, and we made some great friends.

Lets fast forward 16 years....FEEEEEEEERK!!!!!!!......what happened to my lovely little NQ sugar town.....Bloody coal mines that's what's happened. You can't call Mackay a town, it's a frigg'n city, with all big city problems. The place is huge now. No one is friendly, unfortunately it has a big city attitude.

High rise buildings......God forbid!!!!!!! Marinas, huge shopping centres, and thousands of miners and associated infrastructure. I guess it is good for the town, but try to rent something here, you won't get much change out of $500 a week.....struth!!!!!!! let alone buy a house. The traffic, like bloody Pitt Street in Sydney

The income generated by the mining industry is just out of this world, hence as I see it, most mining towns, and especially in WA huge rewards and costs comes with the territory.

Okay I have had my whinge!!!!!!

However we have already caught up with some great mates from those early days, and as soon as we get our feet on the ground we will catch up with a BBQ here at the motel. Sundays are always fairly quiet, so it will be a good opportunity to get together.

I will post some photies later.


But that's progress, so stay toooned

80 - Goodys @ Sarina NQ

After a pretty heavy run down from Saphire & Rubyvale, we arrived at one of our very favourite retreats Goodys. Of course like a lot of secluded retreats we visit, they aren't on your average places to see itinerary........why not!!!!!!!! Don't know really, make up ya own mind.

We visited here about 2 years ago on our way to Cairns, and this visit is our third in 10 years. Alan & Sandra are the owners of this fantastic spot, and always made us feel very welcome and comfortable.

So we set up for a nice and relaxing stay until our next "tour of duty" in Mackay, which has been delayed by a couple of days.

I will let the photies do this place justice....so nice and relaxing

Come on in the beers cold

The view from the pool....just awesome

The view down the driveway @ Goodies

Now by putting up our sign to deter others from camping on top of us............

Another camper with the same sign........how rude!!!!!

Well if you are going to have the same sign as us, you might as well join us for happy hour

Is the angle right for the satellite TV reception

Our two protectors Bella & Tinka...the two together.........Tinkabell....get it!!!!!!!

During our time here, the weather has been unpredictable to be kind. Lotsa sunshine and lotsa rain. Boy did it rain!!!!!The Mackay district has had its wettest September for a 100 years. However at the time of writing this blog 4th October 2010 the weather has been just fantastic for just doing not a lot really and some girlie things for the bride.

A shower with a view

Now during the days that were fine and warm what better place than to hang out at the pool

Hi there from me

What a view!!!!

The bride recons the view is just magic also

Cheeky little devils



Next post Mackay!!!!!!Stay toooooooned.