G'day, welcome to September, that will put a spring in ya step, but as this is my August update best go back to the start of said month.

It all started with a meet up with some very nice GN's I had the pleasure of meeting earlier this year when I left Greens Lake, north central VIC. Paul and Lynda. Paul rang a few days prior asking if I could recommend a good CVP in downtown Townsville, now I only like to recommend one park but a little north of Townsville, Black River Stadium, it is a park for over 55s, meaning no kids, it is set up for the older traveller and is great. They also have happy hours every night with a few theme nights. You only go if ya want. Yeh I know, it's hard. If I didnt have the driveway at my daughters place this would be the park for sure and I tell you that for free. Did Paul and Lynda like it there? Well they were only going to stay a few days but on arriving decided to stay a week, well done. We met up a couple of days after their arrival and it was good to see them again. Now that you have left there, you can fire up ya gene again Paul :) The month progressed along with a couple of meet ups and a couple of goodbye meet ups as well. Thanks Wendy, John and Marj, Ned and Jenny, Ray and Jude and David.

Yep you heard right, it was time to pack up camp and start to move in a southward direction, so I starting checking things and getting a couple of things needed. I got caught out a bit with the sudden difference in warm too cold on my departure from QLD last year and had no jacket, feeling the cold is not hard for me so it was on my list to get one before I left. My Daughter suggested I go check out Totally Workwear in Townsville, I did and shut the front gate! I was greeted as soon as I entered the shop with a friendly smile and THE best service I have ever had, yep, ever. Great prices as well and I got my jacket plus a couple of other things that will come in mighty handy. Well done TWWT.

Moving right along and after picking up a hitch hiker then being crook for a few weeks with some bug (the hitch hiker) the GP just couldn't find a name for, then it making a move to somewhere else, the time came to hook up the Aluminium TeePee to the tug and start the Treck south. Arrangements were in place to visit a few people as I moved down but that changed not long before departure and again after leaving Townsville but first a stopover in Gin Gin show ground using it as a base camp to explore around that and close by areas. The showground is just off the Bruce Hwy at the north end of town and the caretakers are very friendly and helpful, $20 a night with power and water makes it worth a stay. I didn't stop as long as I first planned due to some time I needed to make up as the hot water service change over booking has been changed and I have been asked to do a house sit near Ballarat VIC that I agreed on and looking forward too. I'm shivering just writing about that :) Dont worry Sue all is good. I always like helping people out so they too can get out in the playground for a while. I also like to explore the surrounding areas as well. One thing about being retired and playing in the playground is you can plan ahead BUT change things as you go, it's all good. Back to Gin Gin. I have been wanting to check out around the surrounding areas for a while now but there was something else somewhere that was obviously more important at the time.

The shorter visit than planned was very interesting though with a visit to Mount Perry and the nearby Boolboonda Tunnel, this tunnel was hand 'crafted' way back in 1883-1884 and was done so a train line could get from Mount Perry to Bundaberg with the objective to open the Mineral and Agriculture Resources of the area. The railway line commenced in 1878 but no evidence of the railway now. I didn't walk through the tunnel due to a sign saying beware of bats so got in car and had a drive through, turned around and came back, very interesting and if you suffer from closet phobia give it a miss.

I also headed backwards, sort of and checked out 1770 or (Seventeen Seventy) as sometimes called, the first known QLD place that Captain Cook landed and named 1770 as that was when CC stepped foot on land, 24^th May 1770. Someone must have put a lot of thought into that name :) This is a nice area about 30 mins East from the Bruce Hwy and about 1.5 hours north of Bundaberg on the coast. Well Captain Cook needed some water to park his boat didn't he :) It was nice to visit and the CVP's were more like sardine cans and all accommodation places had no vacancy signs out front, busy, busy, busy so I don't think I would actually stay there. A lot of modern houses perched on hills with some amazing views but very hilly. I checked out the Captain Cook Monument that was erected overlooking the area he landed that looked a bit touch and go for parking a boat but then I'm sure that part of the coast as others might have changed since 1770. I also checked out Wave Lookout overlooking the Ocean with evidence of Cyclone Debbie from earlier in the year causing some minor damage. A bit of a tidy up would make that area look much nicer. Time for some lunch at the marina café, so spent some money locally. It was then time to head back to base camp, happy hour wasn't far away :)

Speaking of happy hours and nice people, I had visitors arrive at base camp the same day as me, friends John and Marjoleine, oh! And the 'black' cat, came up from the Hervey Bay area and stayed for a few days and it sure was good to see both of them again, yeh alright then and the 'black' cat, it was a couple of years since I visited them, we do chat though. Thanks John and Marjoleine.

Weather, yep, have had plenty. Townsville was low teens overnight with high 20's during the day and as I moved south the days were mid 20's with 7-13c overnight, I have noticed that Gin Gin seems to be the change point in temps. I have enjoyed the slightly cooler weather and could put up with those temps all the time. Well maybe not that 7c. I'm sure as I move further south and hit VIC it will be much cooler or should I say cold?

You might remember a couple of months ago I got excited about the American Defence Force Ospreys, you know, the ones with props that rotated forward or up. They take off and land like a helicopter but fly like a plane. Well as some of you might have seen on the news, on 5/8/17 one crashed into the water off the QLD coast near Rockhampton. 23 were rescued and 3 missing but after a recovery mission that took a couple of weeks the 3 that were missing were finally recovered and families can say their goodbyes. A disaster and my thoughts go out to all involved.

I found out that these aircraft don't actually have a good safety record and many have crashed and many people have lost their lives. I am surprised they haven't been taken out of service. Sad as they are very impressive to see.......... As you read this they have all been grounded pending an investigation.

Enough of all that, so move on I will.

A little back track for a moment if I may, not again, yep, sorry. You might remember I was doing a lot of mucking around with weights and measures on the Tug and TeePee, well, as leaving Townsville I slipped them both over the weighbridge and guess what? Yep, all now under the max's in every department, great. Tap on the back for me :)

As you read this update I am still in Gin Gin but only just, so will call it quits for this update, keep safe out there everyone.

Some pics below as usual.

Hey Dougwe,
We are heading down to Melb shortly. Thought we might stop at Greens on way down. What is the best way to get to Mornington from there? Know Mornington area well but been years since we drove down there and never with a van.

cheers

Kathy

-- Edited by Kaid on Tuesday 5th of September 2017 04:44:35 PM

Hi Kathy,
When I am at GreenS I visit my daughter down that way and usually go via Heathcote to Hume Hwy then across to Eastlink but I don't have the teepee and from the Hume to Eastlink is a major headache so maybe the same to Hume then Western Ring Rd to Tullamarine to Monash then Eastkink and so on to Frankston/Mornington. You need a Etag for tolls or pay as you go. Worth it I reckon with a van on back. 

If you have around $120 to lash out you could go via Baccus Marsh, Geelong, Queenscliffe, the ferry across to Sorrento then an easy drive to Mornington.

Gday...

Ya doo-dud good agen young Dougie.

Cheers - John

Good to read  your report Dougwe. We are miles(months) behind reporting, still up the cape..... Will catch up eventually

Good read Doug