Blogs

DAY    205    Wednesday   30^th   October.

After a morning cup of coffee with the Hales at about 10am, the Hales were left at home, while the Tucks headed down the South Gippsland Highway and home, and the Kollmorgens the Princes Highway and also home.   Bruce and Virginia Clark are already home whilst the whereabouts of   Martin and Rita Castles is unknown at present.

Kay and Neil would like to take this opportunity to THANK  Derek and Gwen and also Jim and Maree, again for their terrific planning and leading during the 7 months of Our Big Trip this year.  Both Bruce and Martin were also involved at times with helpful information.   THANKS Guys

This is to be my last Blog in this listing and I take this opportunity to also thank those who are reading and offering encouragement to us.   Kay is my memory and proof reader.  So any mistakes could not be hers could it?

Thanks again   Neil and Kay Kollmorgen

DAY     204     Tuesday    29^th   October

Please excuse me, but I have put the wrong day on yesterdays listing.  Everything was correct except for the fact it was Monday not Sunday.   I must be confused or tired.

After overnight rain we left the Silver Sands at the Lakes about 10.00am and drove to Johnsonville, near Nicholson and spoke to a volunteer member of the Foreshore Committee over a cuppa.  He was very enlightening on the ways of some fishermen, and some other fishermen.  If you get my drift?

Continuing through Bairnsdale, and closing in on Sale, we stopped at Stratford for a town walk and a visit to the Bakery.  Fine sausage rolls and pies were then eaten at the rest area under the bridge on the Avon River.

Our last drive for the day was to get to the Lower Heart Farm Stay of Derek and Gwen Hale at Sale, where a top barby was cooked after a good Happy Hour on the Hales pergola.  Nice end to a great day.   After tea we returned back to vans for shower and bed.

DAY    203     Sunday   28^th     October

We need to do about 210 Km today so packed and away by 9.15am and hit the road to Victoria (almost home).   At Cann River we pulled into the caravan display area just about anywhere in the town.  This town sees more vans than the Jayco Assembly Line.  After a cup of tea and a bickie, satisfied the tummy for a while, we moved on towards Nowa Nowa.

At Nowa Nowa we stopped at a great boat ramp with a picnic table and grass underfoot and had some lunch watching a few fishermen doing their best to take dinner home.  Some were successful the others we don’t know.

Continuing on we eventually found our way into Lakes Entrance, or “The Lakes” as it is affectionally known, which was to be our nights stop.  Booked into the Silver Sands Caravan Park and were guided to our sites by the manager.  She did a great job with me and I think Jim was suitably impressed also.

With the vans set up and a sit in the sun for a coffee before Jim went to purchase diesel and then we all went for a short town walk.  As we had all been here previously we did only the short walk.  The girls seem to “spend” quite a lot of time in the wool and stitch type shop.  Another great day.

At 6.00pm we walked down the street to the Bowling Club and had a terrific meal, then returned to the vans for showers and bed. 

DAY     202   Sunday    27^th      October

We woke to a very cold morning and suggestions it had been zero a little earlier, I would not be surprised if it had, as it was mighty cold in our van.  Had breakfast and started the pack up until Jim and Maree surfaced.

Set off in the direction of Yass and did a town walk and then had morning tea in a lovely park . Moving on we came into the ACT which means that the Kollmorgens have now visited all the mainland Australian States and Territories in the last 7 months.

 We by-passed Canberra city on the truck routes around the busy parts and continuing south we stopped at Michelago for some lunch on the outskirts of the town at the Primary School bus stop. Lunch finished it was back on the road and took a look at a budget camp, with all the ticks, about 20Km north of Cooma.  But it was not to our liking as it was too close to the road, no real place to fit two rigs and just not suitable. 

Discussions were had and it was decided to continue to Bombala to a great little park on the Bombala River that the Tucks had used on an earlier trip, where we set up and did the town walk before returning to the camp to have Happy Hour in the last of the sun.  As usual the chill set in when the sun disappears so we headed for the vans and tea preparations.  With the electric heater filling the van with hot air (not me this time) we ate our meal in relative comfort before this blog was done, showers and my favourite, bed.  It does promise to be cold again tomorrow morning.

DAY     201      Saturday   26^th   October

An overcast morning greeted us today and after breakfast and packing up we left the Carcoar camp with Tom Toms set for Yass.  First stop was at Cowra for a town walk and a diesel fill and then down on the Lachlan River edge for a cuppa and vanilla slice.  These town walks we do yield some goodies sometimes.  This was one of those times.

 We headed out again to our night stop of Boorowa and the Boorowa Caravan Park.  It is a lovely small camp, clean and friendly.  First person we saw was Chris Wood, of Woodsy fame, from the ACC Southerly Busters still wending his way home to Narooma via Canberra.  He advised us of a nice town and surrounds walk which we all took and enjoyed before returning for Happy Hour at Tucks van.  Woodsy and Di also joined us for Happy Hour.

Tea was cooked and dishes finished, nice warm shower before bed.    

DAY     200      Friday    25^th     October

Well, we have managed to make the magic 200 entries.  I hope if any are reading it that it is entertaining you, or at least bringing back some memories.   Today, once again was an easy day with just a little to see around the Carcoar Dam area.  We started after breakfast by driving over the dam wall and continuing to towns, Barry, Hobby’s Yards, Trunkey Creek, where it was noted that the land was very picturesque and lovely and green. At Trunkey Creek a potty stop was called at a roadside toilet; the only one I have seen that is complete with a HOT shower, how good is that.  A town drive followed by a U turn and returning to Barry and from there up to Newbridge where a picnic lunch was had at a table in the Show Grounds.  The show area is beginning to look the worse for its years, but the sandwiches were fine, although we needed to seek shelter from the ever present cold wind.

From Newbridge we headed for Blayney where a town walk was done before Diesel and Gas were purchased at the Shell.  Back to the camp at Carcoar Dam and were surprised to find our area near the water was filled with locals with a Skijet.  This amused us for a time before they also packed up and headed away from the cold wind.  A short walk around the camp took us to Happy Hour time.

Just a short happy hour was had before we headed, once again, to fire up those diesel heaters in the vans and cook up a lovely meal for tea before bed.  Have I missed saying bed at all?

DAY    199    Thursday   24^th   October

It was another pack up this morning, and after breakfast we left from the Green Point Budget Camp soon after nine am.  We took one last drive through the small town of Sofala and back on the main road to Bathurst.  Kay needed to see a Doctor to have a script written so we stopped near the race course at Bathurst to find a local GP that could oblige with an appointment.  This done we drove through the city and out to Mount Panorama Race circuit for a closer look than the TV gives and also to do a couple of fast laps complete with 24 foot of Roma tagging along behind.  Consequently, we did not break any records, but we did do a half lap to the McPhillamy Park for a cup of tea before completing the lap and doing a second.  This second lap did not seem as daunting as the first, but daunting no less.

Back to town for Kay’s appointment and some lunch where we all became lost to one another, this included Kay at the surgery, Neil parking car and van, Maree and Jim parking their car and van, and to top it all off I had lost (er) misplaced the mobile phone.  I at last found Kay and headed back to the car to see if phone is missing or lost.  Phone is still where it had been put while changing jackets in the morning at the McPhillamy Park at morning smoko.  And where was it placed?….  on the top of the bulbar on the front of the Prado, still sitting there after a lap and a half of Mt Panorama and the five or six km back into the Bathurst.   I guess I’m just plain lucky.

Jim and Maree headed out after eating while I waited for Kay and then we followed the Tucks to Blayney where a few last minute purchases were done and then we drove to another budget camp, Carcoar Dam, right on the waters edge.  It’s a lovely spot, sunny but with very cold wind.  As the camp ground sloped down the water it was necessary to build ourselves some marvellous stilts under the tyres to obtain some form of level, this done we headed off for a nice walk around and over the dam wall for photos. 

Returned for happy hour, but it soon began to become very cold so into the vans with heaters working and a meal cooked inside as this part of NSW is under Total Fire Ban still.  Tea, shower, bed in that order and then turned the heater off.    

DAY   198     Wednesday   23^rd     October

We had a normal wake up and breakfast after a night of light rain, yes rain, we had not seen the stuff since leaving Walpole and before that at Fremantle.  Packed the vans and headed away from the Hill End Van Park and back through the town to the Bathurst turn off and made our way nonstop to Sofala where we had a cuppa at the long pedestrian bridge by the cross roads.  A town walk followed and some photos were taken and on asking a lady in the souvenir shop we were directed to the   Greens Point budget camp (Camps 7 # 387 NSW).

We headed out of Sofala about 6 Kms and found the site on the left.  This time we did a camp walk to pick a suitable spot for our vans.  Setting up beside the Turon River we had lunch and it was noticed during eating that a tree behind the site was in the “Widow Maker Variety”, a branch had snapped off the trunk about 15 Metres up and was jambed in the fork of a nearby tree, scarry, so we again packed up and moved to a more open site near the entrance.  Much happier, we set up a game of cards before another walk around the park and then it was Happy Hour.  Tea followed then dishes washed before bed in the extreme quiet, so quiet, just a mopoke owl advertising his presence to all.

DAY    197     Tuesday    22^nd     October

Nice stay in bed till almost 8.00am and then breakfast.  This finished we all donned our boots and headed out along the Bald Hill Walking Track near the camp for a 3 Km walk around the mining areas of Hill End.  So much infrastructure, to use a modern word, has gone into this town during those early (1870’s) by way of tracks and sluse water viaducts, rock stamper installations and very large buildings that were used as rock ovens to bake the quarts to make it break easier.  During this walk we had a little light rain which did not really worry us. 

We returned to the camp for a coffee before taking to the car and making our way to Kissing Point Lookout and Split Rock, before again coming back toward the camp.  On route we looked at the Catholic Church, and some old houses that are still in reasonable condition.  Passing the camp we climbed a hill to Beaufoy Merlin lookout which overlooks the Hawkins Hill mines.  By the look of it some of the mines are still in operation as there is an operating workshop at the bottom of a very good road down from the town area.  Our next appointment was for lunch at the caravans.

Lunch over and dishes done we again used the car to head back up the hills to another of the camps in this town called Glendora Camp Area.  A camp very similar to the one we are in at Hill End but our camp is open and grassed while Glendora is treed and gravel.  Leaving the Glendora camp we drove to a wonderful view of Hill End from Bald Hill Look Out.  Here we found a Photopole,  a steel pole ground mounted with the little bolt suited to the bottom of most of todays cameras on the top.  Self timed shots were then taken of all without having to ask some standbyer.  Next visit was back the road we came in yesterday to the Hill End General Cemetery and the Catholic Cemetry for a look see. A visit to Valentines Mine which is the process of having a very large makeover with old shafts being made safe for visitors with concrete edges and steel mesh covers.

On our way back to the camp we called at the local Visitor Information and Museum centre, but they were both closed as time had caught up with us.  Back to camp, Happy Hour, tea at the barby Gazebo again a walk from the camp to the road opposite to look at Rose and Ackermann Cottages and then back to the vans for an early night of bed.

It was quite a busy day for a quiet one.     

DAY     196    Monday   21^st   October

Well, the 7^th ACC AGM Muster has been run and won, but we sure had some great fun along the way. Unfortunately this morning was the time to again begin packing up the van and set off on the homeward part of Our Big Trip.

After wishing well all and any who came near and some we went visiting.  Kay and Neil, along with Maree and Jim, headed into Mudgee for some last minute meat and some “baked today” bread.  We then aimed for Hill End which is about 70 Kms south west of the AREC.  Turning left at the Honey Shack and up past the Observatory turn off and on to Hill End.  Found the Village Campground and set up the vans on sites before we had some lunch.

Temperature on the rise, we bravely went walking around the town which in the 1870’s was one of the largest inland towns in Australia.   This place must have been huge during the days of the gold diggings with about 50 hotels, 4 churches, 3 banks, 2 newspapers and various stores and businesses, but some travellers still found it difficult to find a bed.  Most of the original houses and businesses are now gone but during the latter years, a very clever photographer took pictures of every building in town and wrote a short history.  These pictures are now affixed at the front of the blocks where they originally were located. 

This camp is a lovely quiet spot with about 18 powered and watered sites, clean toilets and grass.  On our return it was decided it was near enough to Happy Hour.  Very enjoyable it was too.  Later, as it had been declared a Total Fire Ban day, we used the camp electric barby to cooks our snags, bacon and egg for tea.  It was good to be free of the horrid wind that plagued us for most of the week at Mudgee, but we have no control there, and ate in the gazebo with the bugs as companions.  Washed the dishes and showered before bed.  Tomorrow we hope to have a sleep-in.     …. Maybe…

DAY    195   Sunday    20^th    October

Easy day today, at the hall by 9.00am for the usual, Presidents and Secretaries meeting with Tom in the chair when a  general round, sorry, oblong table discussion regarding the branches and their running, and also the staffing of Caravan Shows.  Next was the presentation of prizes to the winners of the Sports Day competition.

It was then time for the eagerly awaited Monster Raffle with almost $20,000.00 worth of donated prizes.  The organizing committee are to be congratulated for the quality and quantity of the prizes on show . With all the prizes distributed to the winning members, some of the prizes were handed back to the MC and requested that an Auction be carried out, once again for the fire fund.

With all the pomp and ceremony of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace the Australian Flag and the ACC Muster Flag were handed to Therese Gregory of the Sundowners in South Australia where the 2014 AGM Muster is the be organised and run by her group with help from the second SA branch, the Southern Cross Overlanders.  We wish her good luck and offer any assistance we can.   

 Our Chairman Tom then announced the 2013 Mudgee Muster closed and we all went home. 

Well we will tomorrow and the next day anyway.   The majority of the attending Gippsland Gypsies members then spent a “peaceful” dinner at the Woolpack Hotel in Mudgee.   Then back to the vans for a shower, type this rot, then that favourite spot of mine.

The Fire total is now approaching six thousand.

DAY     194    Saturday   19^th    October

Another pancake breakfast with KIT (Kids in Tow) and as usual, great stuff, and I did.  Did some GGs business with 2 new members joining our group.  Easy morning with a photo taken from an aircraft of the entire camp site, which is very impressive, was picked up from the main office.

We then joined the group at the Tow Ed site to hear some words of wisdom on the art of reversing a caravan onto a site in a van park.  Still looks all very easy in the middle of a five acre paddock, but in the narrow track of a park with cars and vans everywhere, quite a different story.

Lunch was next before we returned to the Founders Pavillion for the second part of the Tow Ed presentation.  This gentleman had some confusing advice at times, but interesting all the same.

We then had some local young ladies do some modern dance for us.  Called “Dance with Attitude” they ranged from 4 or 5 through to around 16, although not well located for most of the viewing audience, they were very talented.

The Australian Caravan Club Ltd, Annual General Meeting, was then opened by Chairman Tom Smith and this progressed smoothly through to Conversation with the Board segment of the afternoon.  Afternoon tea was next, and then we all retired to our bathrooms to do a mission impossible and make ourselves presentable because we are going to the ACC AGM Dinner Dance tonight.  On arrival at the hall there was great excitement and anticipation as the hall was awash with flashing lights and red, green and white balloons all standing on the round tables with around 10 chairs set out for us.

Then the girls began to sing, the whole room stopped and then away they went, dancing before dinner.  A much better approach to serving dinner was used here.  Large platters of food were placed on the tables and each person took their share of chicken or beef or potatoes, then dessert was served the same way.   Great planning whoever thought it up.  It should have been used earlier.

I think in my opinion that everybody in that hall had a terrific night including those two women who had hats for every song and guitars and canastas and talent.   Thanks Ladies

During the evening it was suggested that we do a fund raiser to assist the New South Wales fire victims.  At the end of the evening an amazing $3000.00 had been collected from all the bank accounts of the groups present at the muster, and there is to be more tomorrow.   
                            Home late and then bed.

DAY    190       Tuesday    15^th    October

Today was a day full on with activities beginning at 8.00am was a breakfast with egg and bacon rolls with tomato and as a serial was two fruits.  All very well prepared and presented.

Next activity was a Food, Wine, and Craft market with locals, business and some ACC member stalls selling a large variety of goods.  Lunch followed this before a talk was given by Kelly Foran, a woman who Tom Smith described as being dragged through a header and into the hay bailer of life, before deciding to do something for herself.  A very sad story but she has fought back by developing  a charity called “Friendly Faces Helping Hands Foundation”,  set up to help families in all sorts of trouble.  Kelly was extremely well received by all present.

Afternoon tea was served after the talk and was a big hit with all.  Scones, cakes, sausage rolls savouries and lots of them.  Tea, coffee, fruit juice.  The list goes on.

Sports afternoon came next with a new version of Klop, now called Finska, being played alongside the good old Boules and, of course, the other newie, Ladder golf.

Happy hour was the next treat at the hub in the sun.  Here we signed a new member to the GGs, “welcome Trevor and Marg”.  As we had eaten so much at the afternoon tea with Kelly we had a very light tea before being picked up by the Tucks for a trip of about 20km to the Mudgee Observatory at Grattai.  This was of interest to all who attended with an array of different size telescopes to peer through with some terrific views of the Moon and Venus and the Scorpion.  We then viewed a short video of a view of the size of Earth compared with some of the other planets.  It’s just a pin point.  Coffee and bickies before we returned for a warm up shower, then bed.  Another big day, enjoyed by us all.

DAY    189     Monday    14^th     October

Last night was a wild night with very heavy wind squalls and some rain.  I was out later in the evening and rolled the awning in and settled down in relative quiet.  The morning was a lot quieter, however, the wind had gone around some and had turned extremely cold.

With breakfast finished, the phone rang and Derek Hale was asking if I could pick up Denise Green from the other caravan park in town where Tony and Denise had been staying because Tony was to work at the Bathurst race on Sunday.  Derek was supposed to do the pickup but woke with an extremely painful back and unable to raise himself from bed.  This has slowly improved during the day with a lot of help from Dennis Gregory from the Sundowners.

Neil and Kay, along with Denise, went to the main hall for the Opening Ceremony of the muster.  The hall was very full by the time we arrived at the location, and soon began with a local school choir doing some very good work in entertaining the throng.  The choir was followed by the ACC Chairman, Tom Smith, who thanked all for attending and later announced the muster open.  The General Manager of the Mid -Western Regional Council then spoke telling the members of the wonders of his area.  Next was a local Vineyard owner and wine maker who also told us of the great wines available in the shire.

Deb Cohen, the Co-Ordinator for the Muster, then had her chance and told us of all that was available on the programme for the week, including the games and dinner and also a breakfast at 8.00am tomorrow morning.  Next was a raffle draw of the prizes donated by the local Mudgee businesses.  There were lots of them, so I suspect the timetable was a little behind.  Morning tea followed which was also a little bit time consuming.

A visit to the Post Office in Mudgee for expected mail, then a quick call in at the Chemist followed for the Kollmorgens before returning for a late lunch.  Derek had improved enough to be able to be sitting in the sun out of the wind which was good to see.  An Info Section on Legal Issues for Travellers with George Karsai was very interesting and well attended.  Next followed a new game introduced at this muster, called Ladder Golf, it is a very easy but very hard game.  I will not say much about it except to say that my wife, Kay, was good enough to knock me out in the first round. Good luck Kay.

Happy hour was next, then tea.  Then back to the main hall for a great night of entertainment with Vince Pagett and also the Three Tremmors.  That was a terrific evening, thanks fellas.

Now that was a big day.   And yes, bed will be just great.

DAY    188    Sunday    13^th     October

As the AGM muster does not yet kick off until tomorrow morning at 9.00am, today is another free day for the people.   The camp is almost full with about 5 to 10 vans still to arrive.  These figures are my guess only nothing official.

After a sleep in and breakfast the Kollmorgens started to wash the caravan.  Neil was working on the front with all the little bugs and Kay on the side under the awning with the dust.  This was OK till midmorning when the wind came up and blew the van away.   Well almost, but it was a viscous blow just the same.  There were people running to all points, helping others to drop walls and roll the roof in as quick as possible while others just stood and held on and waited for help.   The wind has stayed with us since, and the sky looks like it may dump some water tonight.  It won’t hurt by falling here, boy do they need it.

The subject of lunch came up and it was unanimous that the Tucks and Kollmorgens drive into Mudgee to meet the Hales and have a peaceful but very enjoyable lunch at the Woolstack Hotel, instead of being blown all about here at the wide open camp.  We returned to the camp mid- afternoon in time to listen to a talk by the man from Dometic Sales about all the products they distribute.   He had his wife take a list of campers and their site numbers and he would get back to offer advice or fix problems.

Happy hour was next before we all went for tea and bed.  Hopefully the wind will abate a little and allow us some sleep.  I may need to roll our awing back in tonight.  Time will tell.

DAY   187     Saturday     12^th    October

Welcome to Mudgee.

During the next 10 days we will be in and around the Mudgee area and the ACC Muster activities.   Today began with a beautiful morning that threatened to become quite warm.  The members were renewing acquaintances and making new.  A lot of the campers set off for Mudgee including the Kollmorgens and Tucks.  Kay was overjoyed to find a Sunday Market on Saturday morning so Neil and Kay spent the next hour looking at stalls and ACC members going by.

We left the market and unable to find Woolworths, had to go instead to Coles to purchase the necessities required and headed back to the camp for drinks as it was beginning to warm up.  The Tucks came back to the camp with a new length of hose to reroute the van supply hose as the taps are in some cases quite a distance from the van.  Jim repaired and I pinched what he no longer required to reroute my set up as I was using the tap meant for the next door site.

After lunch we had a walk around the ARECentre, where we live, which is a very interesting setup, built on flat land with circular tracks and bisecting roads across.  Toilets are at several locations and easy to find, but there are showers only at a large hall near the entrance.  I think most people are using showers in their vans.  During this walk we had visited the Hales on their arrival, Alan and Phillipa  Bebee as they were setting up their new caravan on their site and then back to the Tucks for a cuppa.  Returning to our camp I sat up on my new stool and Kay did a terrific number 1 hair cut. This now feels great.

Happy hour followed, which again turned into two hours, before most headed for vans and tea. This is, of course, the lead up to my bed time.

DAY     186    Friday    11^th      October.

With only 120 Km to travel we did not need to rush off this morning, however, we did depart the budget camp by about 9.30am where we picked up Kay and Maree who had earlier walked to the shops for a looksee.   We parked the vans and joined the ladies on a town walk and then set off for Gulgong.  On arrival in town we parked the vans on the lawn in a park and did another town walk which included an everything, and I mean everything shop called Stacks Discount, and the Information Centre for a key tag,  before enjoying a great lunch at the Prince of Wales Hotel in the main street.  

After finishing our lunch we returned to the cars and continued our trip to the AREC at Mudgee where the ACC Annual General Meeting is to occur next week.  Booked in and set up the van on our allotted site.  It will be ten days before we need to do this again, almost like being on holiday.

We spent most of the afternoon catching up with all the great people that we have been lucky to have met over the last 5 years or so.   With only a percentage of the total number of members who will attend the muster, the happy hour at 5.00pm was still a fairly large circle with very little chance of getting around the entire circle of happy people.  Happy hour went about two hours until the setting sun made the evening cool which sent most, including us, back to their vans for some tea.

What a great day the Kollmorgens and the Tucks have had?  Neil tried to call the Hales on a couple of occasions, but they were out of range.  It is expected that they should  be arriving tomorrow (Sat) .  

DAY    185   Thursday     10^th   October

Once again up early and away by 8.45am and headed towards Nyngan where we had morning tea complete with a few flies.  Did a drive loop around Nyngen, and then headed to Nevertire.  Well I have!   Kay, our book keeper advised me that 6 months ago tomorrow  we were in this town on our way north with the Gypsybusters.  It was only our second stopping spot of that trip.  Leaving Nevertire and headed for Warren where we did a town walk before we had lunch in the same spot we had eaten in six months previous.

Moving on, the wind had come on a little stronger and Kay did her stint behind the wheel and went to Gilgandra where the navigation devices failed us.  We did find our way back on track and continued to our overnight stop at Mendoorah in a budget camp with twenty odd caravans in attendance.  Some of these camps contained ACC members also on their way to Mudgee.  Some of the members included Neil and Barbara McInnes, Geoff and Carol Halson, and a fair contribution from the Sunshine Nomads out of Queensland.

Happy hour was spent in the sun and wind until just after sunset when the wind and the sun went away.  We then had tea before showers and bed.

Tomorrow we are going to an AGM Muster at Mudgee.

DAY    184    Wednesday    9^th   October

We were all awake and up early due to the sunshine so bright this morning and breakfast finished and vans packed up and ready to roll before 8.30am.  Hit the road and headed for Cobar with a slight tail wind.  Drove to the Ivanhoe turn off where we stopped for a cuppa and break.

We continued to the east, now, with the wind into the left rear quarter until we stopped again for lunch at a roadside rest area which was a great budget stopover spot.  Kay made a notation in the camps book - Camps 7   # 891  NSW              

The trip ended at the Cobar Caravan Park and after booking in and setting up we took the cars to pay a visit to the Shell Service Station for a fill up.  Fill up is right, Kollmorgens just under $200.00,  Tucks  around the same.  Returning to the camp saw Jim begin to wash his car and Maree doing house work, while Kay and Neil did a town walk and a look out view into the open cut mine before returning for tea.  We all sat up under the Tuck awning and chin wagged before a shower and bed. 

DAY   183       Tuesday    8^th    October

Easy day after breakfast with a drive out amongst all the 3000 holes that had at some time been a miner’s pride and joy claim.  Now they are just that, 3000 holes in the ground surrounded by a few shanties with a large amount of scrap metal surrounding.  Guess I did not enjoy that part of town.

Next stop was at the Red Earth Opal Sales and Café, where the products of the miner’s labour, sweat and perhaps frustration, the Opal,  is displayed and, of course, for sale.  Some of these bracelets, earrings, necklaces, etc, were very pretty and some were nicely priced but we did not buy.

Returned to camp for lunch, and soon after, again headed out to do the tourist loop around Smith’s Hill which is the living area for the mining townsfolk.  Some of these houses are mainly underground with a smart façade out front.  While at this location we visited the White Hills Motel and Gallery for a sticky but once again did not purchase.  We investigated further up the hill for a better look at the 3000 holes before heading back to the town proper.

We did a town drive before a look at the National Parks Visitors Centre looking for a key ring to add to Neil’s collection.  This was eventually bought at the General store opposite before we headed back to the camp.  A quiet afternoon sitting under the awning with a fairly stiff breeze was next until Happy Hour.  Tea was cooked at the camp Barby and eaten under Tucks awning before we began to pack up the awnings as we are moving on again tomorrow.   The blog was done before bed.