Bringing it home #3

Started this morning from the rest area out of Gunnedah at about 8.30am. Traveled to Coonabarabran to fuel up. Thought I would have gone through a lot of fuel yesterday as there was quite a few hills and a bit windy, however, still got 18.5l/100k towing the van. Very happy.
Very uneventful trip to Forbes. A great free camp beside the river. I will get some photos later.
Anyhow, about 1.30 a big gust of wind comes from the south and as I had a south facing window open I come into the van and it is full of dust. I stand around looking at it and cursing, when all of a sudden an enormous gust comes from the North.

Remember when the motel roof came off, well it is similar. The awning blew to bits and landed on the roof of the breaking the antenna. I am cursed. I am insured with YOUI and they have a clause where if you claim within 90days of starting the policy there is a double excess, beautiful. So here I sit pissed off, thinking the world is against me, but at least I have wired up the awning so I can get back to the Motel tomorrow. Life wasn't meant to be easy, but why so hard.

I had to get the lady parked near me in a motorhome to driveher  motorhome over so I could use the ladder on her motorhome to fix down the antenna.

Her are some photos of where I am staying, it really is a nice place.

See no supports now for the awning

Bringing it home #2

Woke up early in the morning at Texas and it was a beautiful day.

Sunrise at  Texas from the van

My new best friend John wanted me to come over to his van and have a chat, seeing he was also up early. John is in his seventies and from South Gerringong. While we were talking a guy came over and looked like a REAL swaggie. Well actually he is, he owns a swag and a bag and that is his worldly goods. John had been talking to him last night. His real is Mark but goes by the name Bushie. Very interesting guy, has done a lot of things and is , of course, a bush poet. He gave me a folder he carries with all his cuttings from papers he has appeared in. The photo below is John on the left and Bushie on the right ( as if you couldn't tell). Then there is a second photo I took of a cutting from a paper. Explains Bushie a bit.

So finally got going about 9am Qld time, a bit later than I thought. Started heading to Lake Keepit, and eventually found myself in Bingara again. You will know from previous posts how much I like this town and it was busy today. Had a pie from the pie shop for lunch and continued on to Lake Keepit. Well I had checked out Lake Keepit on Camps Australia and wikicamps but when I got there all the side roads were closed and the road open was to the caravan park. as you know I bought this van so I didn't have to go to caravan parks. Therefore, off I headed and here I am 25k's west of Gunnedah in a rest area. All by myself, hope there is no axe murderers tonight or this will be my last post.

Will try and head to Forbes tomorrow, but as today shows, anything can happen

Bringing it home #1

Well left the Gold Coast at 10.00am to travel to Texas, approximately a 5 hour drive. Boy you sweat packing up the van. Anyhow, I didn't forget anything. Had a good drive to Cunninghams Gap and stopped as Fassifern (first photo) for a quick look at how the van was going, all good. Went up Cunninghams Gap like nothing. It was really good - me and the trucks. On the way to Inglewood I went through a hell of a storm, there was times I couldn't see in front of me even though I had really slowed down. There is some photos of Inglewood. From Inglewood I headed to Texas and set up here at about 3.00pm. It is a nice level place and we will see how the van goes overnight just on 12v.  the last photos are me set up at Texas.
Let's see how tomorrow goes, heading to Lake Keepit.

Plaque at Fassifern

Main Street of Inglewood

Texas

The next photo is me following the trucks up Cunninghams Gap

Another day in paradise

Have now spent a couple of days getting things organised in the van. What a job!!!!!! Buying things, like a TV- which has now decided not to work properly.
Getting to know the van and how everything works. Went and saw Michael yesterday and bought a few things from BCF, got to like the staff discounts.
Going to get my stuff out of the container today, have no idea where I am going to fit everything, already running out of room. The caravan has got a lot of interest at the caravan park. Met a lot of people through it.

Here is some photos of the inside:

The New Van

Picked up the new van yesterday, what an exciting time. Had been staying with Ben for a couple of nights.
Well the morning arrived and we turned up at Deception Bay around 8.15 as Ben had stuff to do. Planned to be on the road by 10.00 by the latest. Ha!!! nothing goes to plan. We were doing the check over of the van before leaving and found the right hand indicator on the van was not working. Oh well , it will just be the connection with the car, - no, so traced it back to the unit itself was faulty. Where to get another one immediately? After a lot of Googling and phone calls a unit was found at Caboolture. A quick trip there and only a few moments to install and I was off.

There is the problem child.

So off I went, on my first trip with the new rig. All went really well on the drive to the Gold Coast.

Am staying at the Gold Coast Holiday Park, basically on the highway at Helensvale. Be warned, it is very expensive!!!!!!!!. $41 per night for a powered site. 

Anyway, tomorrow I will take some photos inside the van and the park itself. 

When I got here, I had to go grocery shopping etc so it was around 6pm before I even had time for a beer.

Gold Coast to Bingara

9th May 2013

I left the Gold Coast today and had worked out that I would take 2 days to get back to the motel. As I have been To the Gold Coast from the motel every normal way I decided to take the roads less traveled  The route I planned was to go from the Gold Coast to Warwick, then onto Inglewood and turn off there for Texas and then stop the Night at Bingara. I had heard about Bingara from a ABC documentary about  how the town restored the Roxy theatre and the milk bar next door. You know it was one of those things you put in the back of your mind and think one day I will go there.Well now was the time.

The trip was easy and entertaining as it was country I had not been through before, well, I went to Texas an a school excursion when I was about 15. Do not remember too much about it.

Here is some photos.

Main Street of Texas

So after Texas I headed into NSW,

It was interesting driving along the road but the country is fairly dry at the moment. 

I finally made it to Bingara and I was really surprised with the town . It was clean, welcoming and it had that "Vibe". Really would like to stay there for a longer period to get the real feel of the place. Here is some photos of the town, however the photos of the Roxy and milk bar are blurred. Pity but my eyes must be going.

After a walk around town I went to the free camp on the Gywder River - about 6k's east of town.

At around dusk, there was a couple of fish making a noise in the river, even though the river looked about 1 metre deep.Thinking I was going to be cold, I had read on the internet about making a cheap cooking and heating device. It consists of a colendar with another dish in the middle which holds heat beads. It worked great, cooked my steak and then it heated me for the next couple of hours. Cheap and effective.

Will go back to Bingara one day - Beautiful place

Some info on Bingara

Bingara website

Farewell Geoffrey Robert Lund

6th May 2013

Dad died on the 30th April 2013. It had been a long time since he went into the Nursing Home and the last 12 months had been just surviving - not living. We had talked many times about how it was in there when your body will not work but your mind is spot on.

Well, in the last couple of weeks he deteriorated rapidly, but he was not in  pain. He died at the age of 89 and I am sure it was a relief to him. I was lucky to have said my good byes the last time I was up. 

So his funeral was to be on the 6th of May. we all agreed it was to be a celebration of a life well led, not a mourning over a tragic loss. He would have liked that. 

With Greg having his kids (Twins, Greg and David) and their Mother ( Christine) with him, I was expecting to stay at a motel or somewhere. Anyhow I stayed with Greg on a hospital bed they had bought for Dad a couple of years ago.

Here is a photo of Greg and David

Greg had had Dads medals mounted and framed along with his OAM certificate, it really looked great.

So Monday came around and of to the funeral. Here is pictures of the day

 Above is my Mums sister - Joan ( now 82) and her daughter Deb with Greg

 Peter delivering the eulogy

 Ashleigh giving a eulogy on behalf of my 3 kids

 Ben

 Michael

 Ashleigh

 So Dad has been laid to rest.I know that in the recent past he looked back on his life and came to the conclusion that family is the most important thing in life. He said that the family had done well and he was proud of each and everyone of them. 

Bye Dad - I will miss you