We also Dave from regent caravans to look at the little leak under the window (or so we thought) and a few other bits and pieces. We had to get the assessor out to look at it and ok it for insuranceafter the hail stone damage in Lismore.. When I rang I thought he would take 2-3 days minimum but he said he would look at it on Wednesday 11.30 and give us the go ahead right away, so we booked it in at Regent on Wednesday the 2nd April and Dave said it would be ready in about 5 days. On Tuesday 1st April (April fools) we dropped the truck off and went into Melbourne on the train for the day. It was peek hour and the trains were fill to overflowing. What a great day we had. The weather was just lovely and we walked around and rode on the Tram, went to the old Goal, the gold treasury, Parliament house etc a real tourist day, then back on the train to pick up what we thought would be a fixed truck. Well we got back and they said they could not find anything wrong according to the computer print out. They reprogrammed it and we went on our way. Next day we dropped the caravan off at the Regents depot just put it in the repair shed and the storm hit. What a storm, the worst storm Melbourne has had for a long time. It blew a gale and then the heavens opened up and down it came. They needed it though. We headed off to Weeribee about 60 kms away from Melbourne. The rain wasn’t that bad here. We went to the Zoo and you go in a bus around to look at the animals, we got half way round and the dust storm came. Down with the windows, and we couldn’t see anything. So it was a bit of a disappointment, then we went to the Mansion. What a huge building. Beautifully restored inside with 60 rooms it took us a while to view. Then we we got back outside we could hardly walk, the wind was so bad, all the petals had come off the roses in the garden and tree branches were falling down so we departed and went back to the Motel. Next morning we or should I say Robert went to the RAAF Museum and then which was great he told me. I stayed in the truck and emailed. Then we headed off down to Geelong where the weather was still wet but we had lunch on the pier anyway. Then onto Port Lonsdale, where Paddy and Yvonne were visiting their daughter Jackie. Booked into a motel and had a early night. Next day Friday we went and saw Yvonne and Paddy had a very nice BBQ dinner with them all and next day spent with them again. The two girls as very nice and one made me a beautiful bangle, which I wear every now and again, out of their beads and craft, they love Lego and craft. Dinner again with family and watched rugby Chiefs beat can’t remember and a game of Rugby League. You never hear or see Rugby or Rugby league down here in Victoria its all AFL. NZ might be mad on Rugby but its nothing to what the Victorians are on AFL. On Sunday it had calmed down so we left to go tot Dormana. It is on the other side of the harbour so we went across on the Ferry. Yvonne and Paddy had never been on the Ferry or seen Sorrento or Fort Pearce so they came with us. The ferry trip was so smooth it was great. When we arrived at the other side we took them to Fort Pearce, we had been there a few years ago but we didn’t mind going back. We caught the little tractor bus down to the end and walked back most of the way. The views were great of the ocean on one side, still really quite rough and the calm harbour on the other. It’s a place were all the history about the war and how they protected Melbourne from the enemies, even USA when the gold rush was on. They have the sounds down in the trenches etc. Quite well done really. After having a nice lunch and a walk around Sorrento ( that’s where the ferry comes and goes from) we said farewell to Yvonne and Paddy. They got back on the 3pm ferry and we headed to Rosebud. Mum you should be able to follow this on the map. We tried to get a Motel in Rosebud but no go. Only had for one night and we wanted them for maybe three as Alan and Sandy, who we met at Wilpena Pound in 2006 lived near by. So we went to Dromana. Alan and Sandy had offered us a bed but we felt that we would be intruding so we stayed in a Motel and booked in for 2 nights. The next day being Monday we phoned Alan & Sandy and we went there for a lovely lamb roast dinner. They welcomed us and asked us again to stay with them, so we said yes we would stay on the next night as they were asking another couple we met to come over for dinner and we’d all go out. Robert remembered he had some relation in Rosebud so he rang one number and spoke to Helen, an elderly woman whom was Roberts Great Aunty. So we went to visit her and she was a lovely lady, told us about the family and where they all were now. We stayed about 2 hours and then went touring around the wineries and the beautiful green hills. It is a lovely spot down the end of that peninsular. We had a lovely dinner that night with Rona and Geoff, Alan and Sandy and then went back to their place where we were all staying and had a few more drinks and a few laughs. They have Nissans and we have Toyota but we don’t hold that against them. We left Dromana as we thought the caravan might be ready, but it was going to take a bit longer than first thought, as the leak under the window was a major leak and they had to take ½ the side off to fix. So the caravan has nearly all been re sheathed. They said it wasn’t going to be ready until Friday afternoon, so we took off down to Phillip Island, we had never been there but had heard about it. That night we went to the Penguin Parade. You go and sit down by the ocean and watch these little penguin come in from the ocean and walk up to 2 kms to their burrows. They wait until its dark then they come out in groups and then wait on the edge of the water until there is about 70 –100 of them then they run or waddle up the sand to start their journey to their burrows. They are really cute and they can take hours to get to where they are going. How they now which is there burrow I can’t fathom. We got back to the RSL about 9 just in time to have dinner. Next day we went around to see the Phillip Island race circuit, had lunch at the wharf in San Remo over looking the Pelicans getting fed. Saw 2 huge stingrays just sunbathing in the shallow waters of the harbour. Went out to a little island called Churchill Island where they were getting ready for a conference of 7000 Chinese on a Amway conference. What a set up. We walked around the island then back to the Motel and dinner and bed. Friday we got up and expected to get our van today, but when we phoned it wasn’t going to be ready til Monday. So we had to decide were to from here? We had missed out Ballarat on the way down as we were gong to stop there on our way back up, but decided to so up there for the weekend and then we could just pass though when we got our van back. It was about a 3 hour drive from where we were but we took over 5 hours. We stopped and looked and took our time. Slowing down was very hard for me at the start of trip but know I am getting used to it and enjoying looking and seeing things that I would have missed before. We got to Ballarat and Robert wanted to go the Sovergen Hill. He had heard so much about it, and read about it. It’s an old gold time were they reinact the old times and all the shopkeepers etc dress up in that era. We could’t get a room in the Motel out side the village, however they put us in a room in the actual village, so we were amongst the activity just out our window, so it worked out better. That night we booked into the Light and Sound show. You have dinner then go to a show about the
History up to the battle then we went on a train to a outdoor theatre where a reenactment takes place. It was a bit drizzly and this all added to the atmosphere. We had another great night. Stayed here tow nights and the next day we went down into the village and it took us all day to see everything or just about everything. We went down into the old gold mine, panned for gold in the creek with about 2000 Chinese, the same ones that are going to Phillip Island. Tired to find a nice restaurant for dinner as it was my birthday. Had heaps of calls from Australia but only one from Sommer in NZ. Found out late that you were all phoning the wrong number. Gave you all cards with it on too. Never mind I had a great day. Left Ballarat on Sunday lunchtime after visiting the gold museum, and headed back down to Melbourne We stayed with Sandra and Kaya for the night. Had a very lovely BBQ for dinner, watched some AFL then sat and talked for a few hours. They always make us very welcome. Kaya took us around to his building site to see the units he’s building the next day and then we went shopping and over to pick up the van. Not ready yet, come back at 4.00 so we had to kill time in another shopping center for 3 hours. You know how I Love shopping, not. But time went by, we had a cup of hot chocolate and read the paper, walked around a bit and then headed for Regent depot once more. Well we waited here until 6.00pm until the van was ready, but no, they forgot to do the lights, so Dave gave us some new ones and showed me how to put them in. OK then Robert found a vent had been broken and not replaced and I said while they had the screwdriver out they had better tighten up the screw on the bumper over the wheels, it turned out that they had broken this as well and not replaced it so he had to do that as well. . Dave was fuming. By this time it was to late to travel very far as it was dark. So we went to the nearest Caravan park and because it was dark we had to pay for a ensuite site, that’s our own shower and toilet block, which we didn’t need and it cost more. Never mind at least we had a place to put our heads for the night.
Well on the road again finally all fixed up, or so we thought. We left the caravan park at 9.30 am and headed north/west. By past Ballarat and reached Beaufort in time for lunch and a walk around the town. Went up the side road and did some gold detecting for 1 ½ hours then instead of staying there we moved to another Mount Baungar State park and into Middle Creek Camping area. Had a lovely campfire. There was ½ doz people staying here. It was very cold at night the first night we had our beanies on the next night I put the sleeping bag on as a extra deuv an it was so warm. We went detecting for a half a day, bought some wool to knit a scarf, and then went for a drive around the state forest. We could get TV here so it was quite good to catch up on the worlds affairs and watch some TV. We sat by the fire and I knitted ¾ of my scarf. The next day a couple asked us for a jug of water to have a cuppa as the water there had little mosquito wriggles in it and you couldn’t drink it. So we had plenty left in our tanks so gave them a couple of pots fill.
On the Friday the 18th we set off at 9.am for Halls Gap in The Grampins North West of Ballarat. This is a National park we had heard about several times over the last few years so decided to take a look ourselves. It is a great park. We arrived at 10.30 so not a long drive. I cooked some scones and we took them up to the look out where we sat on our camp chairs and had scones, jam and cream and a cuppa while overlooking this beautiful valley. We then drove around the lake, which was only ½ full because of lack of rain, and then onto the balconies rocks that looked like balconies. Then we went on the long walk, we had already walked to the balconies 1km there and 1km back, The lookout was 1.2kms away from the car park. Not only was it 1.2 kms it was like our driveway only longer and there was no leveling off at any stage. It took us 45 mins to reach the top, where we phoned home from, then 25 mins to descend. It was just as hard on my knees coming down as going up. Once we reached the top guess what, yes the viewing platform and area was closed due to slipping. So we had to make our own viewing area by pushing through the bush and shrub, but it was well worth the climb. Got back we had dinner on the way home in a little diner which left a lot to be desired, however it meant we could relax and I could finish my scarf that night. Boy did we sleep well. We woke to another fine sunny day about 24 degrees. We went on our way towards Midura. Taking our time we stopped for lunch at Stawell a lovely little town, which has kept its old buildings etc. Ararat is the best old town we have seen so far. Passed it on the way to Halls Gap. Must go back and spend some time there. We are at the edge of the golden triangle so we stopped at St Arnauds in the regional park, which is all bush and did the last bit of detecting before we go to Western Australia, or so we thought. The place we stopped was OK and could not be seen by the passing traffic, so we stayed the night. However, we could not stay outside after dark because there were mosquito’s as big as flies around. Gold prospected for 3 hours but only got bullets, no gold. We left camp at 12 noon to head on towards Mildura. We came to a nice spot by the river in Nyah. You can camp here for free and there were plenty of us nomads doing just that. But the river is so long there so heaps of space and you still had privacy. This is our first night on the Murray River. Next day I bought a Mossie burner in case I get to another mossie spot.
Arrived in GOL GOL about 5 kms out of Mildura and got a caravan site right on the river front, there were only 2. Not a bad price only $23.00night thought the city might be dearer. Very clean amenities. On Tuesday the 22nd April we went for a River Cruise up the Murray River, through the Lock 11 and down the river and back. It was a beautiful day so warm and sunny. Thought I would like a curtain between our bed and the lounge in the van so got some curtain material from the Regent while I was there but I had to get it made. So I asked around in Mildura and found a lady that would sew it up for me in two days, one other said they would take 2 weeks. So took the material around to her and she said to pick it up the day, Wednesday. Friday is a holiday so we didn’t want to wait around Mildura that long. Rang Lorraine and Lance, these are one of the couples we met up at the Whitsunday’s in 2005 and have been keeping in touch with over the 3 years. We only spent 2 days with them so didn’t get to know them that well. They are the reason we came up this way so we could catch up with them and then head to W A. Anyway we phoned them and they had saved us a spot where they were camping so we went out to Fort Courage which is sort of a bush camp but a little better than that, it has power, water and toilets and one washing machine. We arrived there not knowing what to expect of the camp and Lorraine and Lance. One the way out their daughter Julie rang to see if we wanted to follow her out as she had come in for supplies. But we were already half way there so we continued on. Once we got there we recognized Lorraine straight away and then Lance. Well you would have thought we were part of the family and had known them for years. They welcomed us like that. We thought if we didn’t hit it off we would stay one night and move on but we are still here and that’s nearly 2 weeks ago. We stayed at Fort Courage for 6 nights, saw a country and western show on Saturday night for no cost, got a ride down the river on a punt, had dinner with them every night, Julie the daughter and her husband Rowan, and 2 girls were there to. We played cards, laughed a lot, walked some and just talked. Had Rowans parents out for 2 nights. Lorraine and Lance asked us to come back and stay with them for a few days in Mildura and met their other daughter and her 3 kids etc. When we went to hitch the van on to the truck because we had to shift sites the truck decided to stall 3 times. We thought it must be cold, but when we got to the turn off a few days later it stalled just as we were doing a right hand turn on the main highway, it was scary. We are staying on the front lawn of their friends Brian and Sandra, who have welcomed us like old friends as well, and had Chinese meal with them Friday night and are going to Julies tonight for dinner. She lives just up the road from here. So Rowan knew someone else who had this trouble and he rang them and he told them what was wrong with his and it was the same thing that we were told in Maryborough a month or so ago, that the valve in the deseil pump was faulty. So I rang Toyota here in Mildura straight and they said to bring it in on Monday as Friday was a holiday and once they had the truck in there we couldn’t have it back until it was fixed. They said it would be there for at least 2 weeks. When we bought it in I did my nut and so they said it would be up to 10 days, then Friday. But they were so nice after they knew we knew L & LO and B & S that we got better treatment, and they did it straight away so we were only with it for 3 days. It was a faulty valve so we should be right now. We are 4 kms from the town and go in everyday to do one thing or another. We are having a ball. We went out for a cruise on the Darling River on Wednesday night, the 6 of us and had a great night. $20 for dinner and the cruise, country and western singers again. Rob went up to help Rowan with the horse stable today while I was doing this. Last night we had more friends of L &L around for a camp fire dinner and we had a good laugh yet again. Lance has 3 brothers and they live up north of Broken Hill where the gold country is. We are more than liking going up there next week starting 12th May for maybe 3 –4 weeks. L & L are in the process of buying a station 77 kms outside of Broken Hill so we may stay and help them settle in and then we don’t know which way we will go. Our plans may change of course but who cares. On Tuesday this week we are going to Munga National Park which is a Heritage Park and is supposed to be spectacular, but I will let you now if we think so in the next update. It is 160kms North East of here. But who knows what we’ll do yet. It’s to early to say.
Well we did met all the Hotchin family and each one is great. however, we did not get to Munga National Park because the truck wasn't right. It had no power and so we took it back again and they found that the common rail was not put back in correctly, so another 2 days waiting for that to be fixed. We have played cards and had so many laughs. We start laughing at 8 am and don't stop until after dark. Its been so long since I have laughed so much. Sometime Lorraine and I cry with laughing. Rob and I both had a massage before we left because we were so sore from the gold detecting and hadn't been able to get a massage until now. It helped. Robert went with Brian to his vineyard and had a good look around. We have been lucky with this spot on the Murray river. We went out for McDonalds for our last night in Mildura and then back to Julies and I played cards with the girls while Lance, Lorraine, Julie and Rowan had a talk about the station. They are going into partnership. We set off on the 11th Mothers day. Decided to get going as we have a lot of road to go. Heading off to Broken Hill then Kars. Kars is a station where Andrew one of Lorraine's sons lives. Had a good run the truck going really well at this stage, hope it keeps going. We get hell from Lorraine and Lance as they have a new Nissan and there is going well but a little under powered. Andrews partner Jill knows Sharleen's sister-in-law, Pete's wife. They went to school together, its a small world. On this station they have a museum, not seen by the public much, which is the old Post Office and Shop from years ago and it still has the records of payments, loans, scales, tins of stuff, tools that were for sale and bottles etc. All dusty but in great condition, one of the more interesting museums I have seen. Not all done up for display with don't touch on them. In the afternoon we went for a drive to Menidee with its dried lake where the houses on the lake front where once worth a lot of money are now worthless or a lot less now the lake is dry. The other two lakes near by had water in them because to the rains up north and this is what feeds the Darling River. A lot of lakeside camp sites but a long way from anywhere. The next day we left Kars for Mt Browne. Mt Browne is 270kms North or Broken Hill on about 120kms of seal and the rest dirt. We had a good trip up with the last 35kms a little corrugated to say the least, however, we both got here without any damage to either van. We set up camp at the Woolshed where we had water, a donkey and flush lou's. A donkey isn't a animal, it a wood fire to heat the water. So we had hot water to shower in after a days fossicking for gold. Mt Browne is known for some small gold being found. We set up camp and played cards then sleep like babies. The stars out here are something else, no light pollution at all, except for our camp fire. The next day we set off to go to Mt Sturt. Another brother Kent and his wife Esther live here. They were in the middle of shearing something like 20000 sheep. It was awesome to see. Some 650 plus bales of wool. One Shearer came from Whangarei and lived in Meadow Park Cres, where we had our first home. We had one hour of prospecting this afternoon but none found just rubbish. Next day we went again no luck we had dinner with Ray and Debbie (Lances brother) at the camp. We were allowed to use the Shearer quarters dining room etc and it had a sofa and a chip heater, all the home comforts. Rob, Lance and Ray went on the water run for 3 hours and I went prospecting with Lorraine walking with me. I found one small piece we were both really excited, then the boys came a picked us up and took us around the station for another 2 hours we had them for dinner again. Next day was Levis Birthday and i found 2 more pieces then 3 the next day, on average 1 per hour. Rob as usual to busy looking at the scenery and walking to fast. Went to Tibonburra the next day and then back to the Mt Browne Station house to collect our mail. No prospecting that day but out the next and another piece the next day I found one piece then gave the detector to Lorraine to try again, she had it the day before as well for a while, and she got here first piece. We went to dinner at Ray and Debbies tonight. We shifted camp on the 23rd and went to another station called Gum Vale owned by another brother Craig and his wife Tracey. But before we left Lorraine and I went out in the Gold fields again and I found another piece, Lance and Rob went for a ride on Paul and Nev's 4WD bikes Paul and Neville were camping at the woolshed as well and they were prospectors. Paul tried to fix the external speaker we had so that Lorraine could hear the sound as well, but is was stuffed. They were both really nice blokes and we will call on them when we are up in Queensland. We are leaving Mt Browne as they were about to shear their sheep and we didn't want to be around the Shearer's Once we got to Gum Vale station Rob put in the Yabbie net and we collected firewood etc for the night and we used a washing machine for the first time in weeks. We were keep awake with 2 barking dogs so we moved away from the house and moved camp about 500 meters away to the old shed. We still had power and water and flush lou. Well it looked like rain and there was talk around about it coming so we thought we had better go to Cameron Corner before the rains came or we wouldn't get there. So the day we set off early and did our 350km round trip. Cameron Corner is where the 3 states met, S.A. NSW and QLD. We are about 130 klms in NSW state. At a station called Gum Vale. and their noise so moved to another brothers place where there is still gold prospecting but not as much as at MT Browne. I have found 9 pieces on Mt Browne and 1 piece here so far but have only been out for about 4 hours over 3 days. We are going out again tomorrow. We have been to the Cameron corner the other day, but it took us 4 hours what should have taken 1 1/2 hours because we went though the stations not on the main road. It took us 4 hours to get from were we are to the end of the last station owned by the other brother. I tell you its huge. They own over 1/2 million acres between them. We are so grateful for being here and seeing the real outback and meeting so many nice people and having a ball. The dog fence is as long as the north island its made to keep the dingos out. The land is very dry and they are in real draught, haven't seen real rain since 2000. Just got enough last year to keep some paddocks growing salt bush and some sort of scrub that the sheep eat but you can't see from a distance. Its so baron and dusty. Our clothes don't get dirty but get dusty. . We may shift back to MT Browne but to a different place next week. Lorraine and Lance have gone to Broken Hill today to sign a agreement and their daughter is traveling from Mildura to met them with it. The country folk our here are different and entertaining. We are going in for tea tonight at the pub about 20kms on dirt road. I am a bit sore today as I have not had a real day off we a while. Its either prospecting, bending, digging and walking or going over dirt bumpy roads to see Cameron Corner, or mustering, or going to the shearing shed, didn't get roped into that though thank goodness. They had over 500 bales of wool and Rob helped load them on the truck and was he sore the next day. He had to roll them from the shed to the landing so they could be hoisted up onto the truck. What a site to see. Well we are about to have lunch and then go out to Tibboburra to get the mail. We have a few things coming up from B/Hill. We didn't now Lorraine and Lance were going down today. Still they will bring back some fresh fruit and veggies and that will be nice. We have been given a sheep here so we won't run out of meat. The weather is fine and warm most days being around 24 but you can get a cool wind like today. The flies are bad and stick to you like glue and get in your eyes and you swallow the odd one. Its good with the phone aerial I invested in last year I can now get internet and our mobile phone reception is quite good. The truck is going well, it looks like outback vehicle. I tried cleaning it yesterday but when we went out it got filthy again so why not leave if like that until we get off these roads. Rob is in his element around the fire each night, as he is fire monitor and Lorraine and I take turns in getting the meals then the other one does the washing up. We have a lot of laughs and really get on well. Diesel out here has just reached 1.99cents per litre so it cost us $197 to fill up after to got back from the corner but we didn't fill up since B/Hill so that's really great. The cost is still $1.99.9 as the pumps are to old to go to $2.00s. Went prospecting at Gum Vale and found another 2 pieces, they have a old gold battery on the station and that was very interesting. Had dinner at Craig and Tracey's and then had them over for dinner a couple of times.
We moved again to another station called Mt Sturt. This one is huge. We stayed a few nights by the woolshed and again had power, flush toilets and water. We are being really spoilt, because most travelers out here wouldn't get these luxuries. Had nice big campfires each night. One night we had a Pork roast cooked by Esther. It was good to have dinner around a dinner table and have space. Kent and Esther were really nice people, but so are the other two brothers and there wife's. We went out prospecting one day and Kent and Esther came with us. They had never prospected before so I set up my detector and did it for 1/2 hour then gave Kent a turn and yes again, he only went 20 metres or so 10minutes and found a piece of gold. He was rapped. Lance, Lorraine, Robert and I climbed up Mt Sturt to the cairn ( a pile of rocks on the top of the hill) and Rob walked back to camp which took him 2 hours. Lance went with Kent to check two water holes and it took them the best part of 1/2 day. That night we had the music on and did some line dancing and waltzing on the dust, by the camp fire.
The fifth of June was Lorraine's birthday. We shifted again back to Mt Browne and this time to another site where we did not have power or flush lou's but had rain water. We were going to have a nice roast chicken for dinner and a cake to celebrate Lorraine's birthday, but they got a phone call just as we arrived at the shed, so they had to pack up and head back to Midura to sign some more papers. We had to have the roast on our own. It was different being there by ourselves, very quiet. It looked like rain, that may not seem anything to you back home, but here it was a god send. They need it really badly. It rained a little that night not much about 4mm. Just enough to dampen the dust down. We set out the next day to find a little more gold which we did. I found 1 more nugget and then again gave my detector to Robert and yes again, he found one with my detector. He was rapped as well. The next day we went out but got wet, it started to drizzle about 10 mins after I started detecting and Robert had gone for a walk up the mountains, I got wet so gave up. About hour or so later Robert came back wet and cold so hot shower all around, DVD and listened to the rain. It didn't stop until 3 am the next morning. We knew we would be stuck here for a few days as the road closed as soon as the rain came. The creeks flood and there a heaps of them on the road between Tiboburra and Broken Hill. So we had a slow couple of days then set off on Tuesday afternoon to Broken Hill. The road opened at 1pm so we left and 1.30pm It was overcast and time for the kangaroos to come as it was dusk, when we were about 100kms from Broken Hill so we pulled over stayed the night at the rest area and then set off early Wednesday morning. it was starting to rain again about 6 o'clock so we got up and away when it was light, as we didn't want to be caught out there in the nowhere. But as we drove further south it cleared and we arrived in Broken Hill safely. We found a car wash that allowed muddy vehicles as ours was really muddy, both the truck and the van. It took Rob 45 mind and $45.00 to get both clean and looking like new again. We are settled in a caravan park at the moment and find it funny, in the way that we have cars driving past, neighbours we don't know and people all around. We went out to tea last night to the Demo club and watched the State of Origin. We were cheering for Qld but in the minority. Lance and Lorraine came back from Mildura and got the site next to us and we're back to playing cards and laughing all over again. It was great to see them.