Dougwe wrote:

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Howdy,

 

Well today is not really a good day as it is the 2nd anniversary of loosing my dear Margaret to cancer. I am with my eldest daughter, son in-law and two grand children in Townsville after arriving late afternnoon Saturday so my mind is occupied with happy thoughts as well.

 

Now, I spent the last week getting my Northern Migration back on track so I have been busy busy busy travelling around the country side, chatting to truckies over the UHF Radio on their daily trips and then chatting to other grey nomads when camped.  

 

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights I stayed in CV parks to have 240v for my little oil column heater but the same ones as I did when I headed down south a month or so back, so it was good to be in them again and to my surprise I was remembered by a few people that were still there. Thursday and Friday nights were free camps and no heater.

 

I stayed in Inverell NSW for two nights and caught up with Bohemian Gypsy, Michelle and Ray and that was good to see them again.

 

I thought I'd had a problem with the Prado as it was idling very rough so was going to find a mechanic in Inverell but I was laying in bed Tuesday night thinking about that and other things, as you do and remembered a hose that had come loose once before way back now, with similar results. Wednesday morning I checked it out and BINGO there was that loose hose again, all sorted. 

 

Thursday I travelled to Miles, Queensland, well actually I stayed at a free camp at Gil Weir Queensland, camp 528 bible #7 about 10km south of Miles alongside a very muddy Dogwood Creek, more like a river really and who should be there but Beth 54. Well really we had arranged that Wednesday night so we spent the afternoon chatting as you do when you meet up with other grey nomads. We chatted until the cold of the very late afternoon got the better of us both and we went back to our separate homes on wheels and settled for the night. 

 

I didn't know about Beth and being my first night without a heater I had every bit of warm cloths on I had with me including a beanie. I had put an extra blanket in the back of the Prado just incase, so that found it's way onto my bed as well. I reckon I must have looked like an Eskimo.

 

Friday morning arrived and thanks to all the eskimo cloths and extra bedding I had a nice warm night. I did however have to turn the gas stove on to heat up inside the Avan a little while having my 'free camp' wash, oh you poor little thing I hear you say. Yep and I tell you that for free. I then made sure things were safely packed away ready for the next leg of my journey then had breaky. For the second morning in a row  had to pack up in the rain, well drizzle really. Welcome to sunny Queensland Doug.

 

I hit the road at 7.00am knowing I had some muddy road works ahead of me as Beth came through them Thursday, I had also been told by a few people that the Bruce Hwy had heaps of road works as well, oh well.

 

I didn't think the road works were all that bad actually, I had encountered much worse over Roma and Longreach area 6 weeks or so back.

 

One thing is for sure though, you know you're in Queensland when you come across a town called BANANA, not a big banana but banana never the less.

 

I am glad I decided to come this way as I have never been through this area at all or ever even.  When I got into Rockhampton I was amazed as how big the place was,  massive. I only drove through as I will come back down through there later after I leave Townsville.

 

I travelled 650km Friday and was camped up in a free camp, gold coin donation really in St Lawrence Recreation Reserve Queeensland camp 87 bible #7. 

 

The weather and temperature picked up about 50km west of Rocky and is still the was still the same at St Lawrence. That was one very big camping area and very popular, there would have had to be at least 50+ vans there when I arrived, In fact I had to drive around for 5 mins to find a spot to fit in, well I do have a big rig you know.

 

Saturday after having a hot shower for $1.00 in the box in a really spacious and clean amenities block I decided to hit the road at first light, 6.00am to get a bit of a head start due to the before mentioned road works, I didn't want too many hold ups, grand kids were waiting, oh ok then, poppy was really waiting for his huggles. 

 

After six hours driving I arrived in Townsville and all set up in the Avan in my daughters back yard. I will be here until well, who knows how long really, I will do a bit of sight seeing now and then but just for now and a few days I intend to rest up from all the driving. I arrived to just peeeerfect weather, not too hot, not too cold, just right, mmmmm, just like that famous porridge, oh, and not HUMID, wacko the diddle o. 

 

Speaking of driving, I here a lot about how bad the Bruce Highway is, well, from at least Rockhampton where I joined the Bruce through to Townsville I reckon it's not too bad at all, not a lot different to many roads I have travelled.

 

Having said that though there were a few rat bags around and some road works, now the road works were road works no different to any other but the rat bags well, I was sitting on 90kmh in a 100kmh zone when this moron in a red holden ute decided to come out of know where and overtake me at I reckon at least 120, he was low flying for sure, now he didn't stop at me he decided he was going to keep going on the wrong side of the road over double white lines and on a hill, passed, yep you guessed it, a double trailer road train.

 

Mmmmmm this was a disaster in the making and it nearly ended that way as what should come over the hill but another truck moving rather rapidly indeed. There was no room or time for the red ute to get back in on his side of the road so the double road train had to head off the road to let him in. Bloody crazy stuff and very frightening indeed as I was right at the back of the road train.

 

I called the truck driver up on UHF and asked if he was ok and wanted me to stop to be a witness to this idiocy. He said whats the point as the police wouldn't do anything about it, at that point the driver of the other truck joined in and made the same offer but he too was declined.

 

Now I know you should try to keep out of these sort of incidents but the driver in the red ute was just an idiot and should be taken off the roads and I was prepared to get involved. Oh well, we all survived but I reckon only just.    

 

Now Today, Sunday I ended up getting a small propane heater on special from a well known camping equipment supplier here in Townsville, they have a name like a snake, not that I need the heater here in Townsville but I am now ready for other times and cold nights.

 

So here I am ready for some warmer weather than in Melbourne at this time of the year and all being equal will be here for at least a couple of months.

 

Well that's enough for this update and I might not do one every week while here in Townsville but will keep you up to date, so until next time,

 

Keep safe out there

 

DOUG 

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 Glad to hear you have arrived and are with your family.  Enjoy yourself and enjoy the company and the warmth.....jolly cold and gloomy in Melb.