Bushy Tailed

For years I, like others, contemplated the time when we will travel and see some of Australia. I, like many more, planned for the time, getting the vehicle, gear. Overcoming the objections of family is the hardest part of the dream, particularly if you are on your own. We get bushy tailed and bright eyed with no idea what it will be like. So I decided to take the plunge and go up to North Queensland for the winter. My van was small but it had the essentials, and I loaded it to the gills with unnecessary gear, food and clothes.

The first thing I found was that it is not a good idea if on ones own to team up with couples, you do become a liability in their eyes. People on their own tend to team up with other compatible people on their own. Outsiders cannot expect to muscle into these set ups either. Some people travelling on their own become very isolate, and will hardly speak to anyone.

So off we go along the Ocean Road, first stop the mini rally at Kev Maloneys in Toogum. This was a beaut occasion meeting many nice people. It poured with rain, but Kev's large shed provided a meeting place for barbecues and breakfasts. We watched the Broncos win against the Blues and there was much excitement except for the blues who all disappeared during the game. I personally still have no idea what the game was about but I enjoyed it, particularly the guy that fell over the line backwards and put his ball down.

I tried a couple of Caravan Parks, with no discount and an insistence that I park amongst the tents. Do I look like a tent I thought? I have been charged for a motorhome site and that's where my trusty mini motorhome parked itself.

What a lovely trip along the coast to Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns. I didn't stay very long at these places, I will next time. My first rest area on my own was at Bluewater just out of Townsville, which was a large rest area. Then Babina and four days at the Palm Cove Caravan Park, onto the Daintree and from there to the Mt Molloy Rest Area. This was an experience. This rest area is large and voluntary donations are expected. There are toilet blocks and cold showers, only approximately 40 km from Mareeba.

On my journey I met some interesting people. One gentleman of German origin, had his wife and child permanently in the front seat, they were blow up dolls. A Mt Molloy there was an older gentleman known as the Major, who had been on the road most of his life with his wife, who had died three years before. After three years with his daughter he was encouraged back onto the road at 86 years. He was a great bushman, and knew all the rest areas. He had gathered a permanent group of followers who invited me to their nightly fires and were most helpful.

On to the Mareeba Rally which was great and very interesting meeting many numbers of lovely people including Jenny who was also out on her first big solo trip in her Winnebago.

After the rally I had the automatic of my van checked by the Atherton Auto Centre just to make sure all was in order before deciding whether to take the Normanton Top Road to Mt Isa. I received perfect service from the owner, an old hand at the Wandering before settling in Atherton. He put me up the queue, definitely recommended. Then into Ravenhoe Village, and a visit to Win's Gallery. Special mention here, as I was looking for an Alvera Plant, and thought she was a plant shop. Instead I found beautiful paintings which were also in postcard print size and some wonderful local poems all for sale at a reasonable price. I also got my Alvera plant. Well worth a visit.

A visit to the Undarra Tubes which was highly priced at $33 per person, $27 for pensioners, interesting works of nature none the less but expensive. Then along the top road to Normanton, this very long one bitumen lane is not for the faint hearted. The road is long, the wind is strong, steers or cows line the edges, and it is pure isolation for anyone on their own. Red earth lines the shoulders of the road, and your car must pull over when cars approach from the opposite direction, or right off if a road train approaches from either behind you or in front. The first night along I pulled into a cow paddock, or were they steers. Two other travellers had pulled into this area, and the steers came drifting by to their evening stop, needless to stay we were in among the cowpats. What an interesting life! Then it was onto Normanton and Kuranda. I saw people butchering a calf killed the day before on the road.

From Normanton to the Burke and Wills Oasis Roadhouse, what a lovely sound it had what a great vision. The red shoulders had turned to red boulder sized rocks and one physically ducked as 4 wheel drives tried to do the 10 second mile to overtake or pass on the other side. Bit of a nightmare, trying to protect the windscreen, having had three cracks already repaired.

So into this stretch among the waiving yellow savannah grass and the distant purple haze, fantasising about the hot meal in the air conditioned lounge I was approaching. Eventually I reached a grubby petrol station, with petrol price the highest I'd seen so far. I enquired how much further to Burke and Wills? Low and behold I was there. Then I saw the brown building - I went in - what a disappointment. Never mind, a warmed up pie sitting on the rail outside in the cold wind, with a cuppa from my flask. I munched mournfully on my pie.

Another couple of hundred km getting quite blasÈ about distances by this time, I eventually reached the turn off to Mt Isa and a fortnight in a soft bed at my son's home.

From there to Winton, Longreach, and Barcaldine, and a stay at the Lloyd Jones Weir Rest Area, meeting some more really lovely people, who offered showers in their bush tent with their left over hot water. Learnt how to make a cauldron from a 9 kg gas bottle, to save on gas cost which is also very dear up north. Into Emerald and a look at the dam area what a beautiful view across the top of the causeway, and a visit to the Sapphire fields.

Then onto visit Carnarvon Gorge before the campsite was closed. The road in was an experience in a two wheel drive and both wheels wanted to go in different directions, particularly where it is corrugated. I heard of one lady who travelled on this stuff for many kilometres getting out of her van and kissing the bitumen. The one strip stuff I'd previously travelled looked pretty good along this road. Carnarvon, what a delightful place to visit, the art gallery and Gorges, Amphitheatres and Moss Gardens, all described in The Wanderer (September 2001). I did hear they may be going to charge entry once the camp site is closed, what a pity as a lot of Australia's natural wonders are being closed off because of high charges to see them.

Couldn't find many rest areas from Miles, but what a great adventure, what a steep learning curve. It has taken three weeks to get re-orientated and can't wait to get going again, this time around the Great Ocean Road in Victoria in January.

To all the people I met, good, bad or indifferent, many thanks for the lessons and experience gained. To those that offered help, the Atherton Auto Centre, Win's Gallery, the couple who shared their spare water and shower it was great, may we all meet again along the track. To Jenny, get well soon girl, see you on the Ocean Road.

To those bushy tailed and bright eyed and the ditherers in between - do it - be cautious - be careful - but do it. Everyone will give you advise, some helpful some useless. If you are a female under 60, take extra care and always park near couples or near solos like me. If over 60, like me, just take care, no one is going to beat a path to your door, so like me go out and talk to people particularly if they have a CMCA sticker and take your chair to their camp fires. I didn't see anyone drinking heavily, and all rest areas were quiet and people well behaved. What a great country! Let's hope we can keep it that way.

Rita D Wood Q18684