September
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Wednesday the
1st of September A warm night with heaps of clouds this morning which gave us the idea that we may have rain sometime today. It would remain overcast all day though there was a warm northerly breeze that would stay with us. We had our breakfast and then after discussing what we would do today we thought we would drive the 30 odd kilometre's and have a look at the Ute's of all descriptions that had been turned into works of art. When we arrived we found that the collection was located on the Burrawong West Station which was Dorper Stud and well as a commercial sheep station. The farmer has donated the land and the utilities from the early FX Holden up to a Commodore ute had been sourced from the local farms in the area. The art work on the ute's was fantastic and from different artists. Even though there were only 13 of them the display is called a "Work in Progress" and is expected to expand over the coming years, considering that it commenced in June 2008. If the current art work is any indication then the ongoing work should be spectacular. We spent nearly two hours there just admiring the art work and reading the detail on the many placards. We were glad that we made the effort to drive out this morning to view this collection of old farm ute's and their history and the detailed art work. |
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| Part of the 13 Utility's turned into art work depicting the local farming community, all vehicles were accessed from the local farms. | ||
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After enjoying
the display we drove back to Condobolin and went to the supermarket for
a few rolls for our lunch and barbecue this evening. We went to a different
supermarket and bought a few items and yes a couple of packets of Tim
Tams on special. Wouldn't you know it overcharged again to the tune of
$1.95, again they weren't very happy to have it pointed out to them. We went to the on-line centre and had a look at our facebook page and a few other things before we returned to camp for our lunch. After lunch we started packing away for our departure tomorrow morning, in with the awning and away with our campfire and then had a chat with a few of the happy campers that have come into the area today. We have arranged to have our happy hour in the barbecue area and cook our evening meal there as well. It was a wonderful happy hour and with a few jokes and discussing our travels etc we fired up the free barbecues and all sat together and it was really great before we wished each other well in our travels and exchanged home address's and phone numbers. Then as the mosquito's were still about we headed for our motorhome and settled in to read our books before we retire after a wonderful day. |
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| Welcome to Barellen | 100 year Centenary | Tennis Racquet Monument to Yvonne Goolagong |
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Thursday the 2nd of September This morning was overcast as we went over to have our showers and then returned to the motorhome for breakfast, one of the happy campers had left at 6am bound for Hay some 400 kilometer's away. We had no intentions of traveling so far today, we prepared for our  journey
and then said our farewells to the people that we had befriended over
the past few days and we were on our way.The going was easy with the land either side of the highway sporting many hectares of canola or wheat as far as you could see. It wasn't long before we were to arrive at West Wyalong to refill with fuel at $1.37.9 a litre and refilled the generator container and then we where on our way. The highway was busy with traffic including the many trucks south bound I do not believe that we held them up given the going was flat and you could see for many kilometer's ahead. The land either side of the highway looked very healthy with either canola crops or wheat as far as you could see. It wasn't long before we were turning off the Newell Highway on our way to Barellen and the cropping country did not change and I can only assume that as long as the locusts do not arrive the farmers will be in for a bumper year with their crops. Given the beautiful countryside it wasn't long before we arrived at Barellen and it didn't take us much time to locate Ian and his property. Ian was to welcome us and in no time at all we were set up and then we retired to the property and caught up with all the latest gossip viewed his building project. We then went out to Mitre 11 dumped our rubbish and the Ian was to show us around Barellen and then we pulled into the hotel and had a few beers before we headed off to the RSL Club where we had a few more refreshments. I took many photo's around the town and especially the fact that this is the town that Yvonne Goolagong was born. There is a very large tennis racquet monument that epitomizes the fact that she received this honour from the towns people for representing Australia in Tennis and winning Wimbledon twice. We were to return back to Ian's place and had a late happy hour and then retired to watch the Marngrook Football Show. Another excellent day for the rain had not arrived as anticipated. Kilometre's travelled 226 Friday the 3rd of September Even though we are parked parallel to the highway with a few trucks coming through during the night it did not seem to worry us for we both slept well and on awakening we were not met by the dreaded rain that had been forecast for the area. I had made arrangements with Ian to accompany him to Griffith to get a pink slip for his 5th wheeler for he now has to register both units in NSW. It was a pleasant trip in for the 50 kilometre's again passing fields of wheat and canola and then citrus farms and vineyards as far you could see. There were three wineries along the way and one of them was huge with Ian indicating that this company shipped 16 containers a day of bottled wine for sale overseas. First we stopped off at the auto electricians for him to fit a new plug and to check the breakaway for the 5th Wheeler then onto the service centre where they checked the vehicles for defects and as there were none they issued a pink slip for registration of both vehicles, now the Tasmanian plates are gone replaced by NSW Registration nd plates. I have to say that both areas took over three hours to complete and they were very thorough. We took the more scenic way home and stopped off at a winery and bought a dozen mixed bottles of wine to take home and then back on the road back to Barellen. On arrival we found that Liz had been up to the red cross shop and bought a few things and then it was time for a late lunch so we had pies and sausage rolls as a bit of a treat. The rest of the afternoon was spent setting up satellite dishes and checking to ensure that the various LNB's worked. We then decided that we go to the RSL Club tonight for our evening meal given that they were having a chinese night. What a wonderful meal it was most enjoyable and cooked to perfection. We were home in time to watch the St Kilda V Geelong and at half time we were 20 points ahead. You bewdy St Kilda won by 4 points after a nerve racking last Quarter and a controversial umpire decision. Saturday the 4th of September 
We were moving on down into Victoria this morning or so we thought. All
last night and again this morning we have had heavy rain and wind and
in Victoria they are broadcasting floods and high winds. For us to move
under the current weather conditions would be absolute stupidity so we
have again accepted Ian's hospitality and will bunker down for the day
and hopefully in the morning we will be able to move on down. This rain
and wind being so wide spread in NSW and Victoria have changed our plans
somewhat, however, you can bet we will make it to the ferry on friday
for our journey home.We spent a fair bit of time in the motorhome and then went into the shed and read our books and had a good chat with Ian. Down into the shopping centre to buy the newspaper and have a look in some of the shops and had a good talk to the locals who all seem to know that we are parked up outside Ian's shed, they are very interested in Tasmania so we were talking a lot about our state and the travels we have had to date. Back home and the rain is still tumbling down so we hope it doesn't lay down the farmers wheat and canola crops for they may not recover from so much rain and wind, We then had a barbecue evening meal and prepared ourselves for the Collingwood V Western Bulldogs football game tonight. Collingwood was to win the game very easily and now have next week off and play in the preliminary final in two weeks. Sunday the 5th of September Rain and Wind all night was the call and when we awoke this morning it was still raining. Switched on the television and the forecast for Victoria and the area we are currently camped in NSW is rain and more rain and high winds. In Victoria at the moment they are experiencing flooding and several caravan parks by rivers have been evacuated. So the decision for us was easy to make, stay put! We had our showers and decided we needed some retail therapy so we unhooked the Suzuki and then drove into Griffith some 50 kilometre's away. The going was easy though the rain had ceased it was still overcast and along the way the wheat crops were still standing erect so there has been no damage to the crops. I bet the farmers are happy with the rainfall and lack of crop damage. Now all they have to do to have a bumper crop of wheat is to have the locusts stay away. I was able to show Liz the large winery of "Cassella" that exports 16 containers a day to overseas destinations and then there was Debertoli's which is also large with plenty of holding tanks for the wine. We went first to the Woolworths complex and into Big W and browsed for an hour or so and only bought two T-shirts before then going onto Griffith Central and Go Lo and bought quite a lot of product to help us and to take home. Then onto the Coles complex that has a Reject Shop and many small specialty shops and a food hall. We bought a few groceries and meat for our meal tomorrow night and then we drove around the shopping area in the main street and most of the shops were closed given it is Sunday. Then onto the Farmers Market and it was here that we experienced the full gambit of the 23 different nationalities that Griffith is renowned for. We would have liked to buy the cheap vegetables on offer though bringing them back through to Tasmania is a big no no. They had many different types of bread from other countries and cakes and we were not game to try some of them. We then started back to our camp at Barellen and on the way we drove past the cemetery and the many intricate graves that Italians are renowned for. For as far as you can see are marble mausoleums they are certainly large and have intricate carvings in marble and it would appear that they attempt to outdo each other in this area. Rang Dad for fathers day and wished him well and took the four calls from my children who all wished me a happy fathers day as well. Now the sun was breaking though and the wind had dropped dramatically. Then settled in for the afternoon to watch the Sydney V Carlton match |
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| Road Barellen to Narrandera | Droving cattle on Newell High. | Flooded countryside at Finley |
Monday the 6th
of September We rolled out of bed at 6am and had our showers and breakfast and noted that the day was sunny with no cloud in the sky, it wouldn't remain that way later in the day. We said our farewell's to Ian and thanked him for his hospitality and we were on our way, the radio reports coming out of Victoria indicated that we would be driving into rain and floods even around Shepparton where we would be heading later in the day. Down the secondary highway towards Narrandera and the going was nice and easy with no wind. The countryside again was green and with wheat and canola in the paddocks as well as sheep and cattle, we were to note the wattle trees with their yellow blooms with the green background looked very nice indeed. We noted the clouds in the distance that looked a little stormy and when we arrived at Narrandera we topped up with diesel at $1.29.9 and we were on way again down the Newell Highway. Now and again we noted cattle dung on the road and it wasn't long before we came across around 400 hundred cattle being drove on the long paddock to who knows where. It was first gear to go through them for now and again a few would cross in front of you showing no fear. It wasn't long before the sky darkened and we would be driving in showers and then dry sections. As we approached Finley we noted that many of the paddocks were flooded with water showing the amount of rain they have received in the area, then the rain really tumbled down. |
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| Our camp on Murray in May- Campsite flooded in September | Crossing bridge from NSW to Victoria | |
We were to think that
we would be able to camp at our favourite spot in Tocumwal that would
not be the case, on arriving we unhooked the Suzuki and drove to Finley
Beach, on the way we had to drive over the bridge into Victoria which
showed the level of the Murray River was high. What a shock! when we found
our old campsite we were stunned to see it underwater and the mighty Murray
River flowing so strongly and so high that it had broken its banks. We
could not believe it, in May the river was the lowest we have seen it
and now it has broken its banks. We were not game to camp even on the
higher ground due to the problem that the river probably had further to
rise. We decided to go over to Town Beach and pay the fee, when we arrived we spoke to the caretaker who was busily packing up his camp which is at least 3 metres above the current level of the river. He informed us that S.E.S. had advised him to move out for the Murray is expected to flood his camp by Wednesday. Even the caravan park had been evacuated which left us with no option than to move on. We came across a few small towns where we checked out local show and football grounds and they all had the same problem to wet to park on. We continued on towards Shepparton where I spotted Wheat Silo's in the distance and when we arrived at Tallygaroopna we checked it out and found hard dry ground so we are now parked up for the night. We checked with a local about staying here for the night and he indicated that it shouldn't be a problem. Luckily the rain has stopped and we had a cuppa and relaxed before setting up the television and generator for the night. We are both a little weary so its doubtful that we will have a late night. The chances of getting over to Dimboola to see our mate Ed now seems remote at this stage. Kilometre's travelled 319 |
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| Road to camping area Shepparton | Liz inspecting flood water Shepparton |
Tuesday the 7th
of September Cold, frosty and a lovely blue sky with the sun shining brightly is what greeted us this morning at our rest area at Tallygaroopna. We were to leave at 9am and head off to Shepparton, the road along the way was relatively dry with the crops looking good. We were to see many orchards with pink and white flowers signaling spring and the crop cycle for this year upon us. We refueled at $1.24.5 the cheapest diesel for awhile and then parked up and unhooked the Suzuki and then drove into Shepparton central. We were to do our banking and then drove down to the showground's to see if there was any camping available; there was not and whilst there we were to see the new SPC-Ardmona retail outlet and we refrained from going in and purchasing for we still have product from last year. |
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| Debris lodged beside bridge | Swollen Murray River | Murray River heading for South Australia |
We then
drove over the bridge on the way to Maroopna and parked up and took many
photo's of the flood waters and you could not distinguish the banks of
the Murray River for the water was about 2 kilometre's wide through the
bush and camp areas. There was plenty of debris piling up against the
bridge including the body of the biggest Kangaroo that I have seen before,
its tail was the thickest we have seen. We stood on the bridge and was
mesmerised by the the quickness of the flow and the width of the flooding.
What was protecting the business centre of Shepparton was the levees holding
the water back. Unfortunately the batteries in the camera went flat which
stopped us from taking many more photo's. As we drove along the road we noted that the golf course was inundated with water to the extent that you couldn't see the greens just the top of the flags, a nearby Caravan Park had been evacuated except those caravans who probably haven't been moved for years. The radio news states that the Murray at Shepparton won't peak until between 11pm and 2am tomorrow. We noted the people that we spoke to seemed to be cheerful and were thankful for the amount of rain that has fallen and the flood water soaking the forest and other areas. There have been 60 house evacuations and everywhere you could see SES and Fire Brigades plus Police going about the duties in this regard. Back into the city centre and went into Aldies for a bit of shopping for groceries we can use when we arrive home, our cupboards are now full. It is an interesting shop with the items mostly now Australian though packaged bearing the Aldies logo's etc. There are still some overseas products and the shop is full of people buying and packing there own groceries. We noted across the road was a store called "Chicken Feed" bearing the same red colours and advertising slogans as those in Tassie. Would you believe we went in and had a look and did not make a purchase. Back to the motorhome and hooked up and then we were on our way to choose a rest area for tonight, we do not intend to travel far for we are only 157 kilometre's out of Melbourne and we have three days to do it in. The problem being not able to go over to Dimboola due to the floods has caused the this problem of being early. As we made our way to the Murray Goulbourn Highway we were to note that in areas some houses were under water and the water was within 300 mm of coming over the highway. There were many gravel roads closed and a police presence along the way making sure that people did not make stupid decisions. We did not want to travel any closer to Melbourne than we have to. As we travelled along the highway we were pleased to be on twin lanes which made it easier for trucks to pass on their way south and then we spotted it a rest area on the lanes heading back to Shepparton. A u-turn 2k's down the road and we pulled into the Calder/Woodburn Memorial Rest Area, we had to reverse park to get the beautiful sunshine off the fridge and then we decided this is where we would camp tonight and move on tomorrow. Time for lunch and after we read our books and I had a poppy nap before I set up the television to watch tonight, the sunset was great with plenty of red glowing off the clouds no doubt it will be cold night and another blanket will fix that. Kilometre's travelled 39 |
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| Caravan Park under flood water | Flooded Goulbourn River | Waringa Basin Lake |
Wednesday
the 8th of September We departed our rest area after a peaceful nights sleep, I dialed in coordinates for our next rest area on the Hume Highway. I thought I did! for I noted that the GPS wanted to go a different way to what I thought was logical. I turned by instruction and we were wending our way along the old Murray Goulbourn Highway and then we arrived at Murchinson East where we were to buy the paper and then moved on. It wasn't long before we were in flooded areas and we came across an old caravan park that was under water due to being located beside the river, the water was lapping at the door of an old motorhome bus and no doubt would be under water before the day was out. We crossed the Goulbourn river bridge and again the river was wide and the water a dirty colour so we hoped that the rest area we were heading for would not be under water. We were to turn right where the sign stated camping and boat ramp and we were not sure about staying there due to flood water, 3 kilometre's up the road and we arrived at Waranga Basin and we set up our camp at Harrison Point. There was the bonus of toilets and the lake water was well away, Liz was to go walkabout and came back and informed that their were signs at the gate indicating no camping. I went and had a look and found that the Murray Goulbourn water supply had placed the signs there. Now they encourage you to launch your boat with the exception that if you have a toilet aboard or sleeping accommodation on your boat you were not allowed to launch your boat. I was to speak to a few people who had come down to look at the lake and have lunch and they indicated that at easter and christmas many camp in the area and thought there wouldn't be a problem to stay the night. They were to inform me that the water in the lake is not for drinking purposes it is for irrigation in the basin. No one has arrived and stated we could not stay so we will leave in the morning. Read our books again this afternoon and tonight due to excellent digital television there will no need to set up the satellite dish. Kilometre's travelled 32 Thursday the 9th of September It rained on and off all night which was bit worrying given the flooded rivers and closed roads around the area, we had our breakfast and were soon back on the road. Back through Murchinson and back on the freeway we were to stop at a rest area where we had a cuppa and decided that given the weather we would head for a caravan park for the evening. We finally turned onto the Hume Highway and stopped at the Wallen Rest Area and refueled at $1.24.9 which now do us until we reach Launceston. Back on the highway I noted that the clutch wasn't operating as it should and I noted that it was acting the same as when it occurred in Western Australia. We turned off into Craigieburn as there was a sign on the highway advertising a caravan park, well that was not the case for it had closed down and now there is housing estate in its place. We took some time to find our way back onto the freeway and the next caravan park we checked only has cabins and long term caravans. We needed to get information on how to find our way back to the Hume Highway and here we were heading back north until we came across a caravan park. We booked in and it has been the dearest we have ever paid at $37 for the night. The spot they gave us required me to block up to get level and for that price I would have thought we would get a level site. I hopped under the truck and looked at the clutch cylinder and sure enough there was fluid in the boot which was acting as a piston and stopping the cylinder from doing its job. I drained the fluid and hopefully it will allow us to get home like it did in Western Australia and then I will need to replace the whole slave cylinder. Checking later I formed the opinion that the clutch slave cylinder would not last therefore a few phone calls and we will get another fitted in the morning. We had showers where we stood under and soaked away the grime and enjoyed the moment and then read our books and had our evening meal and watched C31 Melbourne and the Marngrook Football Show. Kilometre's travelled 185 |
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| Spirit of Tasmania 2 | Boulevard Beach Port Melb | Parked up at the Boulevard |
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Friday the 10th of September
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