I am putting this post on here because I think it is mainly we solo's who feel this kind of vulnerability! Headed into the Grampians area and thought I would stay at Lake Lonsdale. Red tick in the book! Got to the boat ramp, down a obviously disused road to find just toilets sitting there and a boat ramp to a dry lake! Noone had been around here for some time. Then nearly got stuck in the soft dirt trying to get back out! I got a REAL big fright and my stomach still churns when I think about it! I'm off to buy a UHF radio! I was actually out of cell ph cover, so if I had got stuck ...... I hate to think! I headed up to Keith, sat in a m/camp, relaxed while I licked my wounds for a couple of days, and am now brave enough to venture out again. Heading down to Mt Gambier, then will head up to Adelaide. Also realise that Telstra prepaid wireless broadband is FAR too expensive to use. After 3 minutes talking to my Grandson on Skype it used the lot! I was gutted. I am now in a Public Library for free, and will use MacDonalds WIFI for Skype when I come across it. Bubs has had a BIG learning curve, but it hasn't broken my spirit. (Just a bit dented). well, I'm off again .......Poof!!
dave06 said
11:52 AM Jan 20, 2009
Bubs just settle down a bit, you are just stretching your known limitations kiddo!!, of course you have a huge learning curve ahead of you, time and experience will tell you where to venture and how to read the signs of a dismal campspot as well as road conditions, thats the joy of it all, new experiences
at the moment you are travelling through dry country during a drought, once you see it through understanding eyes you will see the beuty and the wonder of it all
pull in to the mount gambier blue lake caravan park (lovely and green, big sweeping lawns) and put your feet up for a day or two and then head for some green country, you are not in new zealand anymore
it is an absolute must to have reliable communication when travelling, please grab a uhf and have it installed at the soonest possible instance, have you got the telstra next "g" phone for constant com's
everybody feels vulnerable at some point, it is only natural, it's only when you let the "what if" factor rule your life that it becomes a problem
keep the spirit up, what doesnt kill you only makes you stronger, we are 100% behind you, your life, you go for it!!!
Gary and Kerry said
05:05 PM Jan 20, 2009
Sorry to hear you are feeling a little down. You will get more confident as you go along. It is a big step you have taken and I admire your courage/determination to get on with it. Mount Gambier is a great place for a couple of days R&R. There is camping at the showgrounds $11pn for powered site, bookings at the mobil servo opposite. We will be camped at the Black ****atoo Bush Camp (Naracoorte) for a couple of nights from 1st Feb, ($5pn), if you are still in the area give us a call and we can share a bottle or two of red or what ever your poison is.
Safe travelling
ibbo said
05:16 PM Jan 20, 2009
Hi Bubs,thanks for your post.Just by telling others of your fear shows all of us just how brave you are.I hope that from now on you will have just happy experiencesYou have handled the scary one so the good ones will be a bonus to you.As Dave would say,"you are never alone on this forum".Cheers Ibbo
Cruising Granny said
06:30 PM Jan 20, 2009
Gee Bubs, Well done! You did it. You got in, and you got out, and that's the best bit. Put it down to experience in your travel journal, sit back, put your feet up, hold your head high, put the billy on and congratulate yourself for your achievement over a cuppa. I had the collywobbles after negotiating the "Abercrombie Ravine", between Goulbourn and Oberon. According to a couple of faded, old, scratched signs the road isn't suitable for caravans, but there's no where to run around if you do happen to have a van hooked to the back of you Cruiser. So I carried on. When I saw 3 vans heading towards me, I thought it can't be too bad. Going down was fairly easy, but the up side was a steep climb in low gear, holding the revs so I kept going up. Around a sharp hairpin bend the sky was looking pretty good. It meant I was getting near the top. With some canny bush driving, zig zagging from the high side of the road to the low side of the road, praying no one was coming from the opposite direction, I made it. With knees shaking I pulled into Black Springs for a spell and Iced coffee, then on to the Kelso caravan park. I still get a bit nervy when I think of it. I have to admit I frightened myself that day, but we survived, lived to tell the tale, and maybe even skite a bit about my van towing and driving skills. Older and wiser for the experience. Go Bubs! Oh, and don't rely on Next G signal. It's not all Telstra claims it is. The 98% they talk about refers to the more densely populated areas near cities around the coast. Wireless Broadband follows the same pattern. UHF CB is certainly a good back communication tool. -- Edited by Cruising Granny at 17:31, 2009-01-20
-- Edited by Cruising Granny at 17:34, 2009-01-20
Bubs said
10:29 AM Jan 21, 2009
Thanks to you all for your ongoing support! I am pleased to report that I am smiling again and positive. I am in Millicent now, heading to Beachport/Robe and taking my time now instead of rushing here there and everywhere like a blue bottomed blow fly! If I am still around this area 1 Feb I will certainly try to meet up with you Gary! Depends if I get a job that I applied for on the onion farm near Penola! I now don't intend to head North, (change of plans from WA - Not good to go East-West across the Nullabor I am told), until the end of April, so would like to work for a couple of months around this greener/cooler pastures! It will give me time to have a nosey around. Thats me for now! Cheers, Dianne
VK3FEMT said
02:25 AM Jan 28, 2009
Bubs wrote:I am putting this post on here because I think it is mainly we solo's who feel this kind of vulnerability!
Headed into the Grampians area and thought I would stay at Lake Lonsdale.
Kinda wish now I had read your post about coming down here earlier, I could have warned you about that one.
Lake Fyans isn't much better either, although on the Pomonal side there is a nice spot there, pretty basic though.
One thing I have found regarding mobile phones, and this only applies to this area before people start shooting! NextG/3G is absolutely useless, we had it in the ambulance vehicle, and 9 times out of 10 my Optus GSM would work where the Telstra NextG wouldn't. Halls Gap is a bit of a lost cause with mobiles, as the towers are stuck at the oval in the town, so once your past the pub, or the lake in the other direction, boom no service! Its basically there for the tourists and thats about it.
In regards to UHF, yep great little thing, but DON'T put your life on the line with these things, it still requires someone at the other end to be listening, and to answer you. Unfortunately these days with the idiotic accpetance of sub-audible squelch (CTCSS) on a lot of UHF radios, it can mean you can hear people talking, but they will never hear you if they have CTCSS enabled.
Also remember UHF is predominately line-of-sight communications, so try not to mount your antenna on the front bullbar like so many do, unless you using one of those broomstick bullwhip jobs.
Unfortunately the repeater down here that was on Mt William is long gone, and as far as I know the only local repeater still functioning is on One Tree Hill at Ararat, and it receives very little use.
Depending on how much you can afford, the only real reliable radio system is the RFDS/VKS-737 option. Although your looking at around $1500-2000 for one of these, and you also need to learn how to work them, not exactly turn on and talk jobs, but they are pretty near to, if you (or anyone) was going to get a HF RFDS/VKS-737 radio I definately recommend Barrett, very nice radios. Barret Comms
As I said in one of my other posts, drop me a line when you're heading down this way next and I will take you to a few nice spots to check out if you would like. That applies to anyone coming this way, more then happy to show you around.
VK3FEMT said
02:31 AM Jan 28, 2009
Bubs wrote:
Also realise that Telstra prepaid wireless broadband is FAR too expensive to use.
For wireless broadband I am using Exetel, it costs $5 a month for access, and you pay per megabyte, which is 1.5 cents per meg, eg: $15 per 100mb. Which isn't to bad, they use the Optus network, and I have a 5db external antenna as well (The Huwaii E169 allows for an external antenna).
The reason I choose Exetel was I didn't want to be paying 30 bucks a month or whatever for it when I might be in areas that just didn't have coverage, which would be a lot, so at 5 bucks a month its affordable.
Thing to remember is any program which uses voice/video, such as Skype is going to chew a lot of data (megabytes), if your just using text its a lot better, so MSN, Google Talk are great for this.
Roostertales said
06:33 PM Feb 6, 2009
Hi Stew
good to listen in to the info you're providing.
Any time you're in Melb or wanting to do the gippy lakes send us a hoi
We have a shack down at Loch Sport
Mike
Sophie said
11:56 PM Feb 22, 2009
Go girl, give yourself a large pat on the back for getting out there and doing it. This is the stuff that inspires and makes you realise it is not all plain sailing.
I loved the onion farm joke.
Keep your chin up, you won't regret this and if you are still travelling next year, maybe we will meet and you being a real professional will laugh at my vulnerability.
I have done some tough treks in my life, but not like this. Well done. Be proud.
Sylvia
elders said
05:23 PM Mar 10, 2009
just a quick warning about the dry country. it can get covered with water very quickly and i once travelled for 4 hours on a water covered road in northern victoria after such a rain. my brakes had gone by the time i reached bendigo.
Headed into the Grampians area and thought I would stay at Lake Lonsdale. Red tick in the book! Got to the boat ramp, down a obviously disused road to find just toilets sitting there and a boat ramp to a dry lake! Noone had been around here for some time. Then nearly got stuck in the soft dirt trying to get back out! I got a REAL big fright and my stomach still churns when I think about it! I'm off to buy a UHF radio! I was actually out of cell ph cover, so if I had got stuck ...... I hate to think!
I headed up to Keith, sat in a m/camp, relaxed while I licked my wounds for a couple of days, and am now brave enough to venture out again. Heading down to Mt Gambier, then will head up to Adelaide.
Also realise that Telstra prepaid wireless broadband is FAR too expensive to use. After 3 minutes talking to my Grandson on Skype it used the lot! I was gutted. I am now in a Public Library for free, and will use MacDonalds WIFI for Skype when I come across it. Bubs has had a BIG learning curve, but it hasn't broken my spirit. (Just a bit dented). well, I'm off again .......Poof!!
Mount Gambier is a great place for a couple of days R&R. There is camping at the showgrounds $11pn for powered site, bookings at the mobil servo opposite.
We will be camped at the Black ****atoo Bush Camp (Naracoorte) for a couple of nights from 1st Feb, ($5pn), if you are still in the area give us a call and we can share a bottle or two of red or what ever your poison is.
Safe travelling
You got in, and you got out, and that's the best bit. Put it down to experience in your travel journal, sit back, put your feet up, hold your head high, put the billy on and congratulate yourself for your achievement over a cuppa.
I had the collywobbles after negotiating the "Abercrombie Ravine", between Goulbourn and Oberon. According to a couple of faded, old, scratched signs the road isn't suitable for caravans, but there's no where to run around if you do happen to have a van hooked to the back of you Cruiser.
So I carried on. When I saw 3 vans heading towards me, I thought it can't be too bad.
Going down was fairly easy, but the up side was a steep climb in low gear, holding the revs so I kept going up. Around a sharp hairpin bend the sky was looking pretty good. It meant I was getting near the top. With some canny bush driving, zig zagging from the high side of the road to the low side of the road, praying no one was coming from the opposite direction, I made it.
With knees shaking I pulled into Black Springs for a spell and Iced coffee, then on to the Kelso caravan park. I still get a bit nervy when I think of it. I have to admit I frightened myself that day, but we survived, lived to tell the tale, and maybe even skite a bit about my van towing and driving skills. Older and wiser for the experience.
Go Bubs!
Oh, and don't rely on Next G signal. It's not all Telstra claims it is. The 98% they talk about refers to the more densely populated areas near cities around the coast. Wireless Broadband follows the same pattern.
UHF CB is certainly a good back communication tool.
-- Edited by Cruising Granny at 17:31, 2009-01-20
-- Edited by Cruising Granny at 17:34, 2009-01-20
I am in Millicent now, heading to Beachport/Robe and taking my time now instead of rushing here there and everywhere like a blue bottomed blow fly! If I am still around this area 1 Feb I will certainly try to meet up with you Gary! Depends if I get a job that I applied for on the onion farm near Penola! I now don't intend to head North, (change of plans from WA - Not good to go East-West across the Nullabor I am told), until the end of April, so would like to work for a couple of months around this greener/cooler pastures! It will give me time to have a nosey around.
Thats me for now!
Cheers,
Dianne
Lake Fyans isn't much better either, although on the Pomonal side there is a nice spot there, pretty basic though.
One thing I have found regarding mobile phones, and this only applies to this area before people start shooting! NextG/3G is absolutely useless, we had it in the ambulance vehicle, and 9 times out of 10 my Optus GSM would work where the Telstra NextG wouldn't. Halls Gap is a bit of a lost cause with mobiles, as the towers are stuck at the oval in the town, so once your past the pub, or the lake in the other direction, boom no service! Its basically there for the tourists and thats about it.
In regards to UHF, yep great little thing, but DON'T put your life on the line with these things, it still requires someone at the other end to be listening, and to answer you. Unfortunately these days with the idiotic accpetance of sub-audible squelch (CTCSS) on a lot of UHF radios, it can mean you can hear people talking, but they will never hear you if they have CTCSS enabled.
Also remember UHF is predominately line-of-sight communications, so try not to mount your antenna on the front bullbar like so many do, unless you using one of those broomstick bullwhip jobs.
Unfortunately the repeater down here that was on Mt William is long gone, and as far as I know the only local repeater still functioning is on One Tree Hill at Ararat, and it receives very little use.
Depending on how much you can afford, the only real reliable radio system is the RFDS/VKS-737 option. Although your looking at around $1500-2000 for one of these, and you also need to learn how to work them, not exactly turn on and talk jobs, but they are pretty near to, if you (or anyone) was going to get a HF RFDS/VKS-737 radio I definately recommend Barrett, very nice radios. Barret Comms
As I said in one of my other posts, drop me a line when you're heading down this way next and I will take you to a few nice spots to check out if you would like. That applies to anyone coming this way, more then happy to show you around.
The reason I choose Exetel was I didn't want to be paying 30 bucks a month or whatever for it when I might be in areas that just didn't have coverage, which would be a lot, so at 5 bucks a month its affordable.
Thing to remember is any program which uses voice/video, such as Skype is going to chew a lot of data (megabytes), if your just using text its a lot better, so MSN, Google Talk are great for this.
I loved the onion farm joke.
Keep your chin up, you won't regret this and if you are still travelling next year, maybe we will meet and you being a real professional will laugh at my vulnerability.
I have done some tough treks in my life, but not like this. Well done. Be proud.
Sylvia