Had a couple of good days collecting red claw and had another feed from them tonight. Mike is leaving tomorrow and Rod (rover) arrived this afternoon and is camped just behind Mike ready to occupy his space. Had a couple of busy days, yesterday set up the shower tent and the hot water system and had a long shower. Today got out the hand washing machine and did the washing, several trips to the tap to replenish the water supply. Made in Aug 2012 at Rollingstone the machine has now a pronounced bend in the shaft, a bit like it's owner.
The new bi focal glasses enable me to read easier and I am moving through the Wilbur Smith novels that Marj brought me whilst at Greens, up to now I have avoided them 'cos the print was too small. Rod has loaned me a smaller antenna and now the phone is connected all the time, before it was either the internet or the phone but now can receive calls anytime. The only snag is that I can't carry it round it has to be connected to the antenna so I have to be in the bus to receive the call.
Quiet relaxing days with little to report, by now Rod is well set up with awning and sun shades on his Kedron. Ready to set off on my morning paddle, yesterday was a record day with 8 red claw and who knows how many today and that is the interesting part. Don't want any more than that, if I get a feed alternate days it saves the freezer stocks. Yesterday dug out more smoked cod and cooked it in milk in the frying pan.
Well today was a dismal day for red claw, pots 3 red claw 0 but there is always tomorrow. Here we are tomorrow Friday and the tables were turned pots 3 red claw 24. So many I brought one net back to the bus to deal with, wasn't keen to have a couple get loose into the kayak and start getting their own back. I remember Roy's experiences last year when he caught one and it bit him twice.
Helped Rod to remove a water tank from under the Kedron it had burst open when being filled and now it is open to examine, needs to be replaced but in the mean time a temporary supply has been arranged with a 20 ltr tank and a submersible pump priming it so it will still suck into the caravan. The bed having been raised previously is heavy to raise to access the gained space so I have ordered some gas struts to help with the lifting and to hold it in place when lifted.
The weather was cooler today and I decided it was time for another potato bake so I lit up the choofer, prepared the potato and cooked up onion and bacon in the fry pan. As the fire burned down I put the camp oven on the top supports, I suppose it is more like heating up than actually cooking because all is precooked and the cheese is added when the oven is lifted from the choofer.
Billeee and Jules arrived this afternoon much to my surprise and are now camped just behind Rod. I had prepared all the red claw caught in the past few days, blanched them and removed their shells. Jules took them and prepared a sauce with sweet chilli and garlic and we had them as an aperitif this afternoon, very nice. I had a leak in the kayak when I returned from the morning paddle it very hard to detect so I removed the air from all the other sections leaving only the one affected with the leak
It was easier to submerge the smaller section and I found the leak just below where I had held the red claw so I am guessing that one had bitten through the net and into the kayak, tomorrow I will have a towel to sit them on. There were some patches given with the kayak but no rubber solution but previously I had tried to fix a punctured mattress at Greens lake and bought a puncture repair kit, here's hoping that in the morning the kayak will be still blown up.
Used all my pumpkin and substituted half an orange in one of the nets and will have to use potato tomorrow. The kayak stayed pumped up overnight and the orange worked a treat resulting in 6 red claw whilst the other 2 nets caught only 1. Billeee gave me a net to set up and some tins of dog food to part open in his net so we will see how that works tomorrow. The potato baited nets will be checked out in the morning, all very interesting.
Woke up to a rainy morning but still paddled out to check the nets, had another good result and got back soaked. Rod had planned to go to Monto this morning so Billeee and Jules together with myself set off by 9.30am. Did all my stuff including filling a gas bottle at Mitre10 and getting another month's supply of eye drops. Did shopping at IGA before having a pie lunch at the corner shop.
Paul planned to arrive here today and since we were all going to be in Monto I rang him to let him know and suggested where to park overnight in case he got there before us. We have another visitor who plans to go tomorrow and he can occupy their spot when they leave. Not to worry we arrived back before he got here so all went well. So now there is Rod, Paul, Billeee and Jules and myself from the Grey Nomad's forum here camping at Wuruma Dam.
The weather has turned cooler with the rain all day so Rod brought round a gas heater to warm up the bus, I had it on for a short time with the door ajar and the bus was warmed up a treat. With the Kedron having diesel heating plus an electric blanket Rod generously has lent me the Portable Buddy and checked on me later to make sure that I hadn't left it on and succumbed to the silent killer. John
Great post John, I love hearing about your travels and the way you adapt to all situations. I thought it was a bit too much information when you spoke of having a leak in the kayak but then realised that you were talking about a puncture. Hope to meet up with you someday.
Good report John, that washing machine ( oversize dunny plunger with holes in it ) doesn't brake down does it. My spinner came good again, bloody strange. Wet & cold here at Jericho also but hardly settled the dust. The ground is that hard it took me half an hour to get 4 pegs in to hold my awning down, hit em in, wet em, go away, wet em, hit em in again etc. I'm on a cement slab but the ground is harder. $50 a week, all the power, water & showers you want. Sent that tablet back that I had trouble with so will stay here till they fix it & send it back.
Fantastic report John love reading them keep it up
Woody
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When the power of Love becomes greater than the love of power the World will see peace ! 24ft Trailblazer 5th wheeler n 05 Patrol ute and Black Series Dominator camper trailer ( for the rough stuff)
Love reading your weekly posts John. The weather in Sydney is very wet and 15 degrees with strong winds forecast for tomorrow so you are certainly in the right place. I imagine Dougwe will be anxious to head north this week too as I believe the bad weather stretches well down the coast. We are not planning any trips for a month or so with medical appointments preventing our escape. Perhaps a couple of weeks to see autumn leaves at Orange and a visit to the Warrumbungles if we are lucky.
Cheers Margaret (Molluscan)
Will you still be there in July. Expecting to pass though.
Also, is the water there drinkable or do you need to get it from a local town.
Cheers. rocket n strop
Haven't decided whether to leave early July and take a month to travel to the Gold Coast or leave at the end and make a quick trip. Depends who is here and who is coming.
As far as water is concerned there is a tap for water circulated from the dam and is useful for washing, showers etc., I filter it through an Explore filter taking out sediment and bacteria then boil it for coffee. I bought the one costing $99 from BCF it filters down to .9 microns as opposed to the cheaper one that filters to 5 microns. John
g`day john .... lockie and me will be up there ( all being well ) mid may ,, haven't had great coverage around the place but have all the bars here ,, take care cheers and more cheers
in Binnaway at the moment, , as for me all is well, me has been a real pain I just wish me would get a move on .. it was not long ago that john was reporting on 5th week at greens cheers from me and as for me,, well what can I bark . SEE YA LOCKIE
