Leaving Newcastle on 2nd April (solo) in my Hilux Ute and semi off-road van, and taking my time up Thunderbolt's Way, a couple of days here, and a couple of days there, stopping off at Lightning Ridge and Glen Garry for a day or two. Good beer and tucker at the Hilton. Then, weather permitting, across to Bourke and down the mightly Darling River all the way to Wentworth, taking my time and stopping off at National Parks and river banks along the way for a day or two, and back home through West Wyalong, Orange, and Merriwa. I plan on being away for about 6 weeks and just in case the weather is not kind to me, I do have Plan B. With all the rain that has been falling in Q'land, I think I might have to activate Plan B. I will probably leave Bourke during the week after Easter and I plan on 'free camping' most of the way and hopefully look forward to a few Happy Hours in the rest areas or on the river banks. I might even be lucky enough to meet up with a few other solo GNs. I do have wireless internet so can give reports along the way.
mike and Judy said
08:14 AM Feb 15, 2009
interesting to hear how how the Darling is running , with all the water heading south from the floods it might fill the Mininndee lakes
then it willl be worth staying for the bird life for a long time
dave06 said
09:23 AM Feb 15, 2009
Brian a great trip ahead for you, wish we were doing it as well, look forward to your postings and above all stay safe!
Helen said
01:56 PM Feb 17, 2009
Jealous of your plans! I am marking time in an outer suburban caravan park in Melbourne visiting my daughter and waiting to hear whether my offer of help to bushfire survivors will be taken up. If not I'll head down the west coast to visit friends before making the trek north to FNQ, once the wet is over and catch upwith more old friends. Hope to visit my son on Groote Eylandt while up there. Can't wait for that. Next year I plan to have several months in Tassie, a favourite place of mine. Have been there twice before in a campervan, but this will be the first with my caravan. Happy travels, Helen
Mike47 said
08:13 PM Feb 17, 2009
mike and Judy wrote:
interesting to hear how how the Darling is running , with all the water heading south from the floods it might fill the Mininndee lakes then it willl be worth staying for the bird life for a long time
I was listening to the GM of Bourke shire on radio National yesterday and he said that they had had 200mm of rain (2/3 of their yearly average) in 15 hours on Friday night. He said that every road in the shire was closed, including the Kidman Way.
Crikey, when the weather plays up, it doesn't mess around
Captain said
10:08 PM Mar 9, 2009
Yep, my solo trip is still on and only a couple of weeks to go. I intend to spend a couple of days at GlenGarry (near Lightning Ridge) around Easter Sunday, Monday and Tuesday then off to the west. Look for the Hilux Ute and van. Callsign on Ch 18 is "Alf". Then, after a couple of nights in Gundabooka NP near Bourke, I'll be following the Darling River, eventually finishing at Wentworth. But one must have a plan B just in case. It's a bit hard to predict the weather. Can't wait.
I plan on being away for about 6 weeks and just in case the weather is not kind to me, I do have Plan B. With all the rain that has been falling in Q'land, I think I might have to activate Plan B.
I will probably leave Bourke during the week after Easter and I plan on 'free camping' most of the way and hopefully look forward to a few Happy Hours in the rest areas or on the river banks. I might even be lucky enough to meet up with a few other solo GNs.
I do have wireless internet so can give reports along the way.
Next year I plan to have several months in Tassie, a favourite place of mine. Have been there twice before in a campervan, but this will be the first with my caravan.
Happy travels, Helen
Crikey, when the weather plays up, it doesn't mess around
Then, after a couple of nights in Gundabooka NP near Bourke, I'll be following the Darling River, eventually finishing at Wentworth. But one must have a plan B just in case. It's a bit hard to predict the weather. Can't wait.