Log 12-10 Nelson Bay

   

Well, it's been a busy week at the rally, from bush poets breakfasts starting at 7:00AM till the end of each nights entertainment at  9:30 with seminars, workshops & visits to the trade as well as happy hours & general visits to acquaintance’s.

We have also taken time out for visits to Nelson Bay & Salamander Bay where there was a motor home expo with all the latest in motor homes  accessories.

   As it's the same every rally there is not much to say,  not even many photos, Liz carried out her volunteer job in entertainment which was to set up tables & chairs when necessary & remove them when they weren’t, she says it wasn't hard but having to  keep going back every couple of hours for 30 mins . was a bit frustrating. Still, she had Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday off. We got to the third round in the disk bowls  only lost on a play off as we had a draw.

   That's it I guess, tomorrow comes the job of packing up & shipping out. Oh, & it's been a hard week for Lulu too as she's had to be on a lead whenever she was out of the van but she was good about it, coming to the door of the van & holding her head up so we could easily clip the lead on.

The Beatnix, Beatles impersonators

The Beatnix as Sgt Pepper band

The main pavillion 

A rare, two storey motor home

Log 05-10 Pt. Stephens

Rising early, we packed Wherearwee, atteched the Suzuki & set off for Albert, a village of some 70 people. it was only 2 hours away & it's main claim to fame is the 'Rabbit Trap Hotel'. As soon as we settled it was time for a long cool schooner & then a quiet afternoon, I say quiet as there is no phone, no TV, & no internet. Apart from the pub there is a fuel depot & a couple of dozen houses, that's it!

Dinner was great with large servings as you expect from a country pub, a few rounds of the brown stuff & it was back to the van & bed. Toilets & hot showers were provided free.

Next day we continued on our journey, retracing our steps from the outward journey as our Tasmanian had not been this way before. We stopped at Merriwa for a pie & then a stop at Dunnedoo for fuel & a look around. We only travelled another 40K's afterwards & stopped at Uarbry for the night. We stayed in a large grassed are behind the community Hall (a large corrugated iron shed) & apart from this there was only two houses & a few more iron sheds, but it did have a nice cemetary dating back to the mid 1800's.

It was a short trip next day as we were only travelling to Denman, 100K's away. It was a nice roadside stop with views of the Hunter River. Fay had met up with us again on the way so there were 3 for the night. While there 5 other vans stopped for the night & Telarney, who only lives 20 mins away at Muswellbrook arrived to spend a few hours with us. She said that she had never seen anyone stopping at this spot before. Before pushing on Thursday morning we did all our washing as water was available right where we were stopped.

Thursday morning, Libby got a message saying that the club needed her as a volunteer (she had applied but was told she wasn't needed) & that she had to be on site at Salamander Bay  9:00 Friday morning. As Tomago, where we were staying at the 'Club Tomago'  for the night was only 121K's away, it was only a 2 hour drive. Arriving at lunch time we went to the club for lunch just sat around for the rest of the day. There was no grass here only long thorned burrs which were a nightmare for Lulu.

Leaving at 8:00 AM on Friday we  arrived at the rally site at 9. Getting sited took another 30 mins before Libby could register. She spent most of the day learning what her job was going to be, getting a volunteer shirt & hat & meeting other volunteers. That evening there was a BBQ for all put on by the club.

Saturday Libby returned home for a celebration they were holding for her mother. I spent the day relaxing. taking Lulu for long walks & meeting up with our fellow traveller who had been allowed in although the rally didn't start till Monday.

Sunday we did some shopping in the morning & then Libby worked for the afternoon setting up the main marquee for the entertainment.

At Albert

Most of the volunteers

BBQ for volunteers & partners

Libby in volunteers uniform

Log 28-09 Condoblin

Yes, another week has passed & we're still in Condo, not much to say really. Fay, the solo with us has family problems & had to return home. We've been to the club a couple of times for dinner. The weather has been hot, cold, raining, but always with a cold wind. Still, this is a great place to stay, the ever changing campers gives us the chance to talk to some very interesting people, their trips, where they live, how long on the road etc.. We are always amazed by the number of people that have sold up, bought a bus/motorhome/caravan & live full time on the road. The husband of one couple came down with terrible stomach cramps while here & was rushed to hospital. After 4 days they found it was kidney stones. He rested for a couple of days when he got out & they have moved on to a larger town

I have included a few photo's of the area & our camp. All taken at dusk with an iPhone.

Dave, Sally & Libby at the evening fire.

Same again

Childrens playground on the embankment

Looking across the lake

A few of the campers

Another view of the lake, as you can see - it's not very big,
about a K across

Log 20-09 Condoblin

Well, after a long break we're finally on the road again, but just for a short while. Left home on Saturday 13th September around 9:00 AM. We had thought of visiting Port Macquarie for a week but a road friend invited us back to Condoblin & here we are.

We travelled via Muswellbrook & the Golden Highway on the way West as , although 150K's longer, it is a much easier trip across the range. Merriwa was our lunch stop, once again visiting our favourite bakery & then onto Dunnedoo  for the night . The caravan park there is very casual, you pick your own site &, as office hours are from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, someone comes around & collects the cash. Bookout is 10:00 AM but of course you jut go when you want to.

We arrived at Condo mid afternoon to a couple of very surprised people as we had not said that we would definitely come. The place we stay at is 3K's out of town at Gum Bend Lake, it is a free spot with no time limit & no power but there is hot shower & water on tap. When we arived there must have been 20 or so vans/motorhomes in the area but still room for 20 more, it must get pretty crowded in summer. Did the usual things setting up camp & then found that our fridge wouldn't work on gas even though I had done a 24 hour test run at home, finally found the problem to be the gas regulator, of course none available on Sunday so our friends lent us a portable fridge/freezer that they have as a drink fridge. Monday, into town, locate  a new regulator & get the fridge going. We have spent a quiet week here just relaxing, went to Ootha to see the 'Utes in the paddock" display again, it has deteriated  noticeably since our last visit. Wednesday night we went to the local club for dinner & entertainment  & today we went to Burcher for their bi-annual  'Poppas in the Pines' festival & markets.

Burcher is a very small farming community & the displays centered on farming equipment. The major entertainment for the day was various old tractors showing their ability to pull an ever increasing load along a set path. Honestly, how many tractors can you watch. We checked out the markets, mostly craft stuff, & visited the uninspiring food stalls for lunch. We always look forward to the pickles, chutneys, cakes & pies lovingly hand made by the locals. I had a small lemon meringue pie with lunch which turned out to be a shop bought casing with commercially prepared lemon filling & the meringue was home made & browned with a torch, I took one bite & through it in the bin. The highlight of our day was visiting the bush chapel. A bit hard to find as we were looking for a building, but it turned out to be an open space with a large cross decorated with vines & flowers. There were other varied displays similarly decorated & the area had tree trunks split longitudinally for seats. The whole area gave one a serene & peaceful feeling. The round trip from Condo was 130 K's along a sealed but very bumpy country road so we were glad to get back 'home'  that afternoon.

Burcher Hall

A few of the stands which were spread over a large area
with vans & campers in between

Tractor display

That looks a lot of work

The great tractor pull

Another tractor

At the bush chapel

Liz & Lulu walking down the isle

Arriving at the cross

The cross