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March 13 Windows Live Blog
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Just adding another pic - Oberon Golf Club 1st Tee 2008- nothing to do with the blog, I'm just re-learning how to use blog.

Ayres Rock & Kings Canyon

This was going to be Fiona’s first trip to the outback and I was a bit concerned what might happen when the weather got a bit hot out in the middle of nowhere. The plan to go via Broken Hill, Peterborough and Coober Pedy – plus – Fi’s sister Gerry was flying to the rock after flying out and then travel with Rick and

Trip to Mungo National Park - we have been back three times

Mungo Trip

Our first big trip was to Mungo NP, we did a plan & got organised, loaded the camper and Subaru with food, 40 litres of water and 20 litres of spare fuel, checked everything.

Off we went in the general direction of Balranald, but, nearing Rankin Springs the fruit fly zone got our attention. We had lots of fruit, too much to eat quickly so a quick check of the map re-directed us toward Hillston for a big fruit dinner! We diverted through Rankin Springs which was Fiona's first time on the red dirt and luckily only a few sections of corrugations here and there, so all was looking good – there was no mobile coverage either, say nuthin to the boss!

Caravan Pk Hillston

Lachlan River beside CP

We stayed at Hillston Caravan Park overnight, had a look around before stumps and early the next morning. To the local shops for coffee and got some, what turned out to be, very misleading advice from the Hillston Information Centre regarding travel to Mungo from Hillston. Now we are very careful what and who we listen to. The new travel plan was to go via Mossgiel and into Mungo NP via one of the many gravel roads into Mungo - what a choice said the navigator who had planned an exciting trip for the bride!

Hillston to Mossgiel

We could top up the fuel at Mossgiel just a bit up the road from Hillston, about 100km. We set off and I was cautious as flat country was all Fiona would see for hundreds of kilometers - I stood on top of the trailer to get a pic because taking it from ground level told nothing of the landscape. The skies were overcast but I didn't worry because I knew there would be no rain! Rain was going to cause us problems on our first big trip!

On arrival the navigator discovered Mossgiel was (just a place name) and the next fuel stop for us was over 450kms through Mungo at our original destination Balranald, another change and off we went towards Hay via Booligal on the Cobb Hwy. We did lots of extra kms because we carried a heap of fruit with us, but we didn't care as Fiona was seeing places she has never been to, me too because I had never been to Booligal and we found petrol there, lots dearer but they had some interesting stuff in their general store.

We (Fiona) did however get something right when she bought quality cold storage ice boxes and a bunch of small ice packs at the Rosehill Super Show to carry our tucker. We didn't know how good they would work so Fi got a couple of variable sized freezer bags to be sure. Prior to leaving home Fiona cooked heaps, froze and packed organised meals into the ice box and away we went, we weren’t going to starve for sure. The ice boxes and ice packs worked great and we had a few frozen meals left when we came back home five days later. Just to be sure we also added a couple of water filled old wine casks, they worked good also, although we didn’t need them.

We found Booligal and the last days of the local general store selling petrol, so we refueled and on to Hay but we only stopped for coffee and then off to Balranald across the Hay Plains. The area was very flat and large sections of treeless areas got Fiona (the passenger) offside. She didn't like it and we had a few photo stops on the way to give her a break, she was in for a worse time than that as this was just the start of travelling on this road.

More flat country and not a tree in sight, Fiona wasn't used to this stuff at all.

I stopped for a couple of photos and Fi was really feeling the huge gusts of displaced air as the B doubles flew past at a great rate.


That created a bit of tension in the air, and, although we didn't know it then this was the first of three trips across the Hay Plains within 24 hours!

At Balranald the Tourist Information Centre told us Mungo (160km north) was closed because of the rain. We stayed at the local caravan park where we met up with a mate and his wife (John & Jan Buttle) on their way back from SA, we got some good tips from that pair and we waited overnight only to be told the same thing at 9:30am the next day. So back to Hay via Fi's favourite patch of road and because of the boring trip we stopped for a coffee at Hay, just across the road from Hay Information Centre, so we popped in and they told us Mungo had been open since 9am. Fiona was desperate to get to Mungo as she had researched it so much, so back across the Hay Plains for the 3rd time - she did not speak and I drove the Subaru as fast as one could with a camper in two, into a strong headwind and it used heaps of petrol. Fill up at Balranald and straight to Mungo where we arrived just before dark set in.

Dinner by campfire that evening, with a cuppa coffee to ease the tension as the trip for Fi was just one long boring blur at that time. I wasn’t all that unhappy as I thought my photo trips would now go ahead as originally planned- solo! 

 

Sunrise saw me well away from camp but I was back in time for breakfast and Fi was still in bed. To my complete surprise she was over the moon and enjoying every minute, cooked up a swag of bacon & eggs and she has never looked back since. I though one or two trips would see her out and this could be my domain alone for my photography - I have never been so wrong in my entire life - now she is always planning the next trip.  In hindsight Fiona was already getting into this camping thing.

Now Fi was getting into camping

They were the cheap and nasty eskys that evolved from our prior travels and we used them for the daily bits, the good ones with the frozen meals were stashed away in shaded areas.




Gotta go do other work!

In the Beginning - What Started all this Travelling

Being a photographer I always wanted to be able to photograph things I liked, and, to be able to change things if I thought a crop here and there might help or brighten up things a bit and my biggest bugbear was being able to highlight detail in the shadows - we think about things like that when its too late. In comes Photoshop and I have had every version since Photoshop 3. I had a good teacher in a wokmate Phil Redman, organisation wise I was his boss but nothing was further from the truth, he had a brilliant mind and I would give away a six pack just to have a yarn with him again. Thanks for the inspiration Phil.

Fiona is an arts and crafts person, also with extraordinary talent even thoiugh she is my wife, she too is the boss - I guess I was always meant to do what I am told. So I toyed with the idea of buying a camper trailer or a tent to go bush for a few days, to do some serious photography and as Fiona's idea of camping was a 4 star motel, I didn't expect to have company.

This was back in late 2005 and Fiona offered to help me find a solution, she saw a camper trailer advertised in Seven Hills at All Terrain Camper Trailers and phoned for information. We were invited down and the rest is history.

Working out how to put the camper up, pull it down and pack it up again was frustrating for me and I would have chucked the towel in pretty quick, not Fiona, she kept plugging away. She also reminded me we had to weather the canvas, weather what? I knew nothing about this but she had done the research and read the instructions, something I have always been loathe to do. So we took the camper out for a couple of shakedown trips, Macquarie Woods, Carcoar and when the predicted weather conditions were right, we had to wait many weeks, off we went for a wet weekend at Burrendong Dam in June 2006. Fi came along to make sure I did everything right.

 There seemed to be something wrong with the canvas, everything seems so loose and I couldn't get it taunt. Fiona's patience was more than commendable, everything was wet through the pouring rain that night. Pools of water formed all over the canvas, because nothing was tight. Fi won't be happy with this, I'll never get her to come with me full time now!

 

It all looked pretty ordinary no matter what side we checked out. We kept poking the roof all night to release the pools of water - but never once did Fiona flinch, not one complaint and never did she say 'That's enough for me, no more camping'.

Next morning she was up early with the gumboots on to cook breakfast!

Now the umbrella will keep the rain off the food while I do the cooking!

This was the emergence of My Fiona who is now planning the next trip when we start heading home from the last one.

 This total disaster ended up being a real fun trip, the one that started me off on an upgrade spree I vowed and declared would never happen. At this point Fi said 'Why can't I come with you on these photo trips?'

Stunned to the core I cannot remember what my response was but the trip counter is nearing 50 some seven years on. You will see what happens as we move on through our continuing adventure.

Having got the umbrella up suddenly the rain started coming the other way, in gusts - Fi worked out how the zipper worked with the walls, plus a bit of Bees Wax and we were away. Let the cooking begin!

 Meanwhile a check inside the camper revealed some support posts pointing in rather strange angles - we did make two further trips to Seven Hills where Glen and Tricia bent over backwards to point Fiona in the right direction and just let the idiot take pictures.

When we arrived home Fiona grabbed me by the arm and said 'Now darling heart, we will dry everything out!'


And so it began - the most wonderful adventure ........

Home Working - Blog Starting Point

Fiona & Paul - we had a photographer!

This is where our Travel Blog Begins

We Go Back to the Start - 1st Up

Carcoar Dam 1st Outing - we did get help from other people!

We brought the camper trailer home on 17th March, 2006 and lots has happened since we started out -we had christening at Macquarie Woods on 18th March with Family Schmich and tooka few shakedown runs, quick trips out to the local waterholes to learn our travelling skills and I was gong to solve everything. One quick look at the smile on Fiona's face on the way home sort of tells a story, I didn't do very well!

 Fiona was at her determined best, and, I really tried, I did and regardless we had a good couple of days out. I took lots of photos and in fact got a prize winner at Bathurst Show.

We just didn't know where to put stuff ......... we were learning!

The Trip Home

We got the trailer all packed up, eventually, and we set off home and Fi just wanted to get back home, but, I wanted a couple of pics to remember.

 It looked a bit messy and I was sure I had found a place for everything.

The CEO was under severe personal strain at this time - I thought I was a goner and she'll never come again!










By the time we got to this area out in the woods we alreadt had a significant amount of travel experience having moved from the CTrailer to Caravan (2). On this occasion we went with seasoned nomadic wanderers that really go bush looking for stuff, Gerbina, Tim & the boys - talk about risk takers Tim is up there with the best of em!

There we were around the campfire and guess who was doing the talking, it was a bit unfortunate really as someone else was taking photos - I had been caught in the act!

Fi and Paul - a rare photo

Fiona loving every minute

This was the vans biggest test - we travelled miles off-road and into the deep bush towing the van with another family, she'll be right mate, I'll tow you out if you get stuck. Away we went through pretty sharp washaways with difficult exits, through creeks that weren't deep but we had to climb out and up the bank on the other side. Awkward gates and across paddocks filled with swamps and marshes, not to mention all the recent and current wet weather. We made it OK and then we set off on foot for a nithgmare three days fossicking for Sapphires, didn't do much good but after we left our buddies had three very big finds, 20K plus and good luck to them for hanging in there.



Well here we are at home again watching the temperature levels before we set off again on nother adventure.

Next time we will be heading for Far North Queensland, South West Queensland or maybe just up the road to Dubbo.

This is the first entry -