Wednesday the 1st of July
We awoke after a good nights sleep and then showered and spent a long time under the beautiful hot water and then down to breakfast. Liz had a healthy breakfast of grains and yogurt and I had scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and baked beans plus toast washed down with a cup of tea. Back to the room packed and the booked out and then down to the Trades Hall Auditorium.
When we arrived I was able to renew acquaintances with many I have not seen for over twenty years, so that was great. We were here to celebrate the life of Jack Cambourn, my general secretary of the old FEDFA before it became known as the CFMEU, who died recently, there were many speakers including myself and there was a large choir that sounded wonderful as they sang the various songs. It went for two hours and at no time was it boring at all.
Then they had refreshments and that was on a grand scale with either wine or beer. Liz had a wine with her food and I opted for two crownies. We spent the next hour speaking to old friends and exchanging phone numbers etc and talking of the taking down of the corrupt Queensland branch and installing people that would look after the interest of workers.
Finally, we had to say our farewells and head for the town hall station to catch the train back to the airport. We hear so much about security at the airports these days that we were surprised how easy it was to go through the inspection area. Once in we headed for our lounge for we had over two hours to wait for our flight back to Broken Hill.
We had a ham sandwich and cappuccino for our evening meal for we had eaten only a few hours earlier. I read more of my novel and before we knew it we were called to board our plane.
Same type of plane and this time we had 11 passengers who all sat down the rear of the plane for some reason. Once in flight we were offered once again savoury or sweet and on this occasion I opted for sweet which turned out to be a large biscuit. Even though it was dark we watched the lights of Sydney disappear under us and then read our books. I finished the Clive Custler novel just before landing at Broken Hill.
Disembarked and then collected our bag and then out to find Digger and the first thing we noted was how cold it was.
Back at the motorhome we did not have a drink just watched the footy show for awhile and then off to bed. Another good day though we are pleased now to be able to head off in the morning North.

Thursday the 2nd of July
A chilly morning though good sunshine and no clouds and just a slight breeze. Had our breakfast and then repacked Digger with all the gear and then said our farewell to the caretaker who did not charge us for the past two nights. Then onto the dump point and then hooked up Digger and then on our way towards Cobar.
We do not intend to do many kilometres today for we have to sort out clothes and other things. The going was easy with clear blue sky's and little traffic on the road though it would pick up later with many trucks and caravans heading south including one oversize load who we had to get of the road for.
It was still saltbush country with plains going off as far as we could see. We were to see many goats and emu's along the way with just a few sheep, again we do not know what they are eating and some had lambs.
It was around lunch time when we pulled into a rest area and we now intend to stay for the night and use the afternoon to clean and set up the satellite dish for tonight.
Liz is having a snooze on the couch at the moment and it will probably take a couple of days to get back in the rhythm of travelling again. It has been a relaxing day and I may even have a snooze this afternoon. So that's it a do nothing day.
Kilometres travelled 129

Friday the 3rd of July
After a peaceful night, though a little chilly, we had our breakfast and prepared to hit the road once again. A truck pulled in and lifted its cabin and the driver was inspecting the engine bay. I asked what was wrong and the indicated that the wire to the alternator had broken and there was no charge for lights, personal fridge etc and the batteries were running low.
Talk about in the right place at the right time we supplied him with a length of wire and joiner and fitting for the alternator. Crimped them all up and he had his alternator happily charging batteries once again. He was very happy for he is delivering boats and wharf bolsters etc to Mildura from Queensland, he offered money and I said no pick up the bill from the Canberra post office if he ever goes through that way.
Cabin down and he was on his way a happy man.
We pulled out at around 9.30 am leaving a few caravans who hadn't arisen and met the day. The sun was shining lovely and there was the slightest breeze that would pick up later. On to the Barrier Highway bound for Cobar and the traffic south was heavy with caravans and trucks not much was heading north. We finally arrived at Willcania and pulled up at the IGA for bread. The first thing we noticed was the heavy shutters on the windows and the entrance doors were of the crim safe variety. It cost four dollars for a loaf of bread and noted that across the road the diesel was $1.59.9 a litre as we have enough fuel on board we did not require a top up.

On the way out of Willcania we noted the old bridge and the new concrete bridge over the Darling River. The river looked like a creek and was a dirty clayish colour we do not know how fish live in it.
We were pushing a head wind and found that the countryside was very dry and there were flood plains though no water at present. We finally came to the McCullagh Ranges and as we climbed to the top and came down the other side it appeared as if we had entered a different country for the ground was covered with a lush green pasture and there were large puddles of water by the road.
This is where we found the biggest concentration of goats of all colours all wild and sheep and cattle all grazing and a few Emu's running the fences.
The highway was to get rough in places and luckily they had the signs to warn us of this fact. We sure did some rock and rolling.
We do not intend to drive into Cobar today so we went to the gravel pit well off the road some 130 kilometres from Cobar. It was only 1pm so Liz did a bit of hand washing and hung to dry and I set up the satellite dish to watch the Collingwood V Hawthorn football game tonight. At the moment I am sitting inside wearing trakkies and a singlet for the sun streaming through the back window is quite warm. Relax and read for the rest of the day.
Kilometres travelled 214

Saturday the 4th of July
We had a very large motorhome come into the gravel pit last night towing of all things a Landcruiser Troopy. We said hello and then we went about cutting wood to load onto the roof of Digger. Happy hour and we had a few with our new neighbors and then he set about showing off his Motorhome we declined to go inside.
This morning when we awoke it was overcast and very cool. We had breakfast and did the the usual's and we were on the road by 9.15 am. We could not see our neighbors so we headed for the highway.
The road was just like yesterday with plenty of Goats and their kids and now and again we would come across sheep feeding. As we drove along the highway we would come across areas that were very green with new shoots of grass and this is where the goats and a few kangaroo were.
The traffic was picking up and the amount of trucks were more than we came across in the last few days. When they overtook us the wind pressure off their truck and trailers would push us towards the side of the road and on a couple of occasions I did not see them coming only felt the pressure us to the side.
We came across patches of dry ground so it looks like the rain was had come in bands and we were to see large puddles of water. We were now coming into Cobar the Copper City as they advertise themselves and the traffic and people about was more than we had experienced for awhile.

We parked up near the original Cobar mine workings and the unhooked Digger and drove out to the old reservoir. Whilst out there I noticed that the roof racks and basket had moved 100 mm along the rain channel. The road in was rough and in patches there was water. In the camp area it was flooded so I checked where we always camp and other than a bit of water we could have camped there ok. When I arrived back out came the drill and screws and drilled into the rain channel and the braces themselves this should now solve the problem.
We decided to park on the corner rest area away from the truck area for we are leaving again on Monday morning. This will leave us enough time to explore the area once again. This will be our third visit to this area so you could say there is not much we haven't seen. It was still overcast and little solar was going into the batteries though we will not need the satellite dish tonight to watch the football.
We then walked into the town centre and first of all we went to the IGA and bought some meat products and then walked up to the service stations to check the price of fuel for we will need to take on around 80 litre's on Monday. To the bank for the obvious and then as we had noticed a Subway on the way in we opted to have a late lunch there. We had the new schnitzel and slaw washed down with a large cappuccino. We took some photo's of the miners memorial park and then back to the motorhome and dialed in the television.
The rest of the afternoon was spent reading and watching the amount of Tassie's driving past into the city centre. It is cool at the moment and this morning the computer in the motorhome informed us that it was 3 degrees outside and we could expect black ice etc, of course this did not occur. The temperature at the moment is a cool 12 degrees celsius at 3pm.
Kilometres travelled 134

Sunday the 5th of July
Though we were warm in bed it was a chilly night and when going outside this morning we noted that poor old Digger was covered in frost and would stay that way until the sun rose further in the sky. We had our breakfast and went and had a talk to a few of the happy campers that stayed here last night. We decided to do the tourist bit today and take in the local custom. We drove first to Fort Bourke Hill and noted the Bom site where they release balloons into the sky for weather readings. On Monday and Wednesday you are able do a tour of the weather facility which includes releasing the huge balloons.
We were to watch the ore trucks struggling up the side road of the open cut and then watched as it returned underground. This mine is the Peak Gold Mines and they only recover gold from the underground workings. They must have removed a lot of overburden from the open cut before going underground to chase the gold. In the distance you can see Cobar located amongst a lot of Greenery and having clear blue sky's makes for a pretty sight.
There are other gold mines in the area around Cobar and one last Copper mine and out of town towards Bourke is a mine that recovers lead,zinc and silver this is transported to the coast for refining by train.
At it peak Cobar had a population of 10,000 residents with most working at one of the mines in the area, today the township only boasts 4,000 residents. The township of Cobar was first established when they first found Copper back in 1870 and given a few hiccups over the years it still continues to support mining and pastoral interests.

We visited the Heritage Centre which once was the Mine Managers home. The company sold the house and property to the local council for a sum of $1. It now has many displays in all of its rooms both down and upstairs. We spent a pleasant hour in there looking at the history of the place.
We decided to seek out showers in the town rather than use our water. We found those at the Caltex roadhouse and because we bought fuel for Digger we had free use of them which was great.
As I have often said when we use the shower in the motorhome we have to be quick due to water supply. Using roadhouse showers allows us to linger longer and really soak in the water and soap.
Back to the Heritage Centre and filled drums to top up the motorhome tanks etc and then we went back in to the town centre and the IGA and bought wraps for lunch and a carton of Carlton Cold for the trip ahead for as we travel further inland the costs jump. As we were pulling out from our angle parking we noted the butchery across the road had all its advertising done in Mosaic tiles from when it was built in 1910 and today it is still a butchers shop.
We went for a drive out to the old reservoir and found that there was no one camped due the wetness of the area, we were to see a few ducks and a lone pelican before we came back to watch the Essendon V St Kilda football game this afternoon. Another easy night as we will be pushing on to Bourke in the morning.

Monday the 6th of July
It was minus 1 degree this morning with a thick frost as far as we could see. We had breakfast and then up to the service station where we paid $1.43.9 cents a litre for diesel and this is the first time that the cost has been in excess of $100.
We are now off the Barrier Highway and on the Kidman Way heading north to Bourke and next overnight stay. The going was easy with the sun shining brightly through the windowscreen and no need for a heater. By the end of the day we would experience 22 degrees and a cloudless sky once again.
With no wind the going was easy and there was a fair bit of traffic on the highway especially trucks. You would not want to pull off the bitumen for the roadsides were wet and in some places water puddles. The goats and kangaroos were enjoying the new green growth that was sprouting up. It would be true to say they must have had heaps of rain for this to happen. Goats more goats and a few kangaroos and surprisingly no road kill. We were to come across the area where they planted cotton for there were huge water ducts to carry the water to the crops and as we were to find out later there is very little water in the Darling River for this type of cropping.
We arrived at Bourke around noon and parked up and locked up securely for the stories we have heard about Bourke and its indigenous population makes it sound worse than Willcania.
We parked outside the IGA and noted the completely fenced in car park.
We went walkabout up the main street and noted that every business had roller door shutters for their complete frontage, Come back at night and all you would see is roller doors up the main street.

Tuesday the 7th of July
It was a warm day for a change and before breakfast we took a stroll down to the North Bourke bridge to have a look at the pylons etc. What a beautiful work of art and understandable why it has lasted for in excess of 120 years. The wooden piles on both ends of the bridge carrying the roadway look a bit sick and hopefully when the time comes they will do something to maintain the integrity of the bridge structures and road. Whilst down there we had a bit of a chat to a couple of happy campers from Victoria and they are staying in the area for a couple of days. We were thinking of staying another night down by the river though when we looked there is still a fair bit of moisture in the ground. After breakfast we decided to move on to our next stop at the Tuen Waterhole an area that we have stopped at previously. The going was easy with little wind and the sun was again blazing through the window screen. The countryside was still green and there was plenty of water laying around and we noted the amount of road kill of Kangaroos over a 20 kilometre stretch we could hardly believe what we were seeing. Needless to say the crows and the few hawks were having a banquet, it seemed if there was a corridor that they were using before they were bowled over by the traffic. We were to see one large red kangaroo grazing close to the road and he wasn't deterred by the amount of traffic going past. We came to Barringun who boast having the last hotel in NSW. We came across roadwork's for about 20 kilometres and those happy campers that had passed us as if there was no tomorrow we caught up with at the traffic lights. They would blast off on the green light and we would catch them again at the next set of traffic lights.

We finally crossed the border so we are now in the State of Queensland. The road was to narrow and widened some 50 kilometres further on. We noted about 40 emu's in one paddock feeding and all we could get was a photo of two further up the road. The road kill was again in number and were all kangaroo and there were some very big one's that sent us to the other side of the road to miss them, couldn't imagine poor old Digger splattered in kangaroo entrails.
The countryside was changing and was now absolutely drought stricken with most of the paddocks showing red sandy soil, there were a few sheep here and there and they were skinny and feeding on what we do not know.
It wasn't long before we arrived at the Tuan Waterhole which is totally dry so no yabby nets will come out for use. We have caught yabby's here before when the waterhole was full. Needless to say there are no cattle etc hanging around for there is not water at all.
We settled in and I checked the battery levels and topped up with water and then had our lunch the temperature at the moment is a warm 23 degrees with no wind, so off came the flannelette shirt and now only trakkies and singlet.
After lunch set up the satellite dish and then just relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and read our books. It has been an easy day and it won't take long to go into Cunnamulla tomorrow where we will stock up with cryovaced meat etc.
Kilometres travelled 181

Wednesday the 8th of July
What a wonderful sunset last night at the Tuan Bore. This morning I went walkabout whilst Liz was having a sleep in and noted a mob of big grey kangaroos there must have be at least twenty no doubt coming into the troughs to drink. The normal dam is dry though they have pumped water to the two troughs nearby. We were to see the bush pigeons or as the locals call them "Top Knots" all standing around the edges of the troughs drinking.
After breakfast we were on the road again heading for Cunnamulla we were to see flocks of galahs who crossed in front of us on two occasions and there were plenty of crows about along with hawks feeding on the road kill kangaroo there were at least 40 over a ten kilometre stretch of the highway. We were to see our first Wedge Tail Eagle in all its splendor feeding on road kill and as we neared it flew into the trees.
We were to come across land that was dry and barren and then land that was green as can be. It would appear that the recent rains only occurred in corridors and that where sheep, cattle, emu's and goats were feeding. In some sections there was a lot of rain water in holes beside the highway.

We finally arrived at Cunnamulla and straight to the service station to refuel at $1.43.9 cents a litre then into the town centre to buy cryovaced meat etc. After we made the purchases we decided to head off to Yowah instead of camping at Eulo for the night. We crossed the Warrego River that had plenty of water and were lucky enough to have the wind at our tail. The temperature at 11 am was 17 degrees and later in the day would rise to 21 degree.
The going was ok until we came to the single width bitumen and it was probably a bonus that we did not strike a lot of traffic. If we saw a caravan or truck coming towards us we would pull off the road and wait giving them the full bitumen. Those damn fourbys towing a camper trailer are a different story give them the full road and they still go off into the stones etc thus showering us with rocks, why is it only them that causes this problem, we do not want another broken windowscreen on the motorhome.
We finally turned onto the Yowah road and though it was only single bitumen we did not see another vehicle for the 25 kilometre stretch which was a bonus. We pulled into the free camping area and found that council workers were occupying all the concrete blocks so we moved across the road. When we hopped out of the motorhome there were all the people we met last year and in previous years to welcome us and make sure we fitted into the group no doubt it will be a good happy hour tonight. Set up camp and then had a late lunch and then what ever happens happens!
Kilometres travelled 243

Thursday the 9th of July
Up at 7am for no particular reason and lit the firepot to boil the kettle and cook our toast for breakfast whilst we were doing this we had the bush pigeons and family birds pay us visit warbling away. It was very sunny though before long the clouds appeared and there is talk in the camp about rain this afternoon.
After breakfast out came the washing machine and Liz did the washing and unfortunately she had hung clothes under the awning and the rope broke sending them to the dusty ground. Needless to say they had to be washed again. Brian came over and indicated that he along with two others were going to the Toompine Hotel for lunch and a few beers and would I like to go along. You bet mate!
So we left the camp around 10.30 am bound for Toompine and a meal. We were to meet several vehicles coming in so Brian pulled off the road to give them the full bitumen though once again they sprayed rocks you could have driven another vehicle between them and us and still not touch, Brian was real cranky.
The countryside was desolate with lack of rain and the sheep and cattle were feeding of the Mulga trees that were in abundance. We came across a few jump ups and you could see caves high up though they looked very nice with the different colours. A few kangaroos about the road though we saw only one emu, there was little road kill.
We arrived at the pub and first up we had a stubby at $5 which is par for the course and then I had hamburger and chips and the others had steak and vegetables and grilled fish. The meals were a bit ordinary for the cook was not there and the meal was cooked by backpackers. We sunk a few more stubbies and then headed for home in all the trip was 266 kilometres there and back.
Back in camp and just relaxed reading a book and Liz is bringing in the washing. Well nearly happy hour so we are off. Tonight we will watch the Collingwood V Port Adelaide before going off to bed. At 3pm the temperature is 24 degrees celsius.

Friday the 10th of July
We awoke to the splatter of rain on the roof this morning though it was intermittent, bearing this in mind we delayed hopping out of bed. On going outside the sky was overcast and with the sun now shining through.
Lit the firepot and had breakfast and then had a chin wag to Brian and Len who came over to our camp. Liz and a couple of the other ladies went off to bingo at the hall and were gone until lunch time. Things never amaze at to what can happen in this close nit town. First I have arranged on E bay to have a new battery sent for the computer and the local council bloke Scotty was kind enough to let me use his home address to have the battery sent to.
Then first of all a large kangaroo hopped through the camp as if we were not here and then a little later around five Emu's strolled past nibbling away less than 5 metres from our camp as if we were not here also. Last night whilst we were admiring the late sunset a mob of cattle walked through the camp as if were not here either. The locals say that this is a common occurrence with animals roaming the streets.
On Liz's return we discussed the need to check her blood reading etc and so she drove up to the hall for the Flying Doctor had arrived by air. The outcome was that Liz was tested and next week when the Flying Doctor returns they will do more tests though there is nothing wrong just a normal precautionary check.
We had a storm come through with heavy wind and rain though it only lasted for 40 minutes and now it is sunny with the temperature at 25 degrees celsius. Just nice, when I finish this we will be going outside for Brian has located a ladder so we can check and clean the solar panels before happy hour. Liz wasn't happy this morning due to her beloved Collingwood losing by just 3 points. So another restful and peaceful day though there are many happy campers arriving for the various events over the coming weeks.

Saturday the 11th of July
We slept in this morning so breakfast was a little late. Lit the firepot and cooked our toast and poached eggs for our breakfast washed down with a cuppa. The day was sunny so after breakfast we read out books for awhile and then hopped into Digger and went out to Mitre 11 for a look see.
When we arrived the whole area had been cleaned there was only one car body and there was little worth recovering other than cartons and general rubbish. On the way back to camp we stopped and piled a whole heap of sticks on Digger to make lighting our firepot a little easier.
We both had our showers and then went walkabout talking to other happy campers about all and sundry and then back for lunch. During the afternoon we just relaxed and read our books in the beautiful sunlight. Around mid afternoon the wind picked up and there was dust blowing around the camp and luckily we were side on so we did not get affected as much as others. When we went out this morning we failed to take the camera so there are no pictures today other than the one we took last night of the galah's looking down upon us.
In all it has been a relaxing day and we will watch the football again tonight which is North Melbourne V Geelong and then off to bed to finish reading our books of which we have a good supply.

Sunday the 12th of July
A beautiful sunny morning whilst we had our breakfast under the awning. Clear blue sky's that indicated a good day, However as the day progressed the wind increased to that of yesterday and as one lag put it" The wind is that strong it is blowing the sun off my solar panels". We did our usual cleaning around the camp and over to the showers where you only need to turn on the cold water tap for the water is hot coming straight up from the Artesian Bore.
Around 10.15 we sauntered up to the Arts and Craft fair being held today in the community hall. We were surprised by the amount of people there so early and we received the usual lucky door tickets after paying our $2 entry fee each. There was a lot of knitwear and paintings and displays of Opals in different settings which were not for sale, opals that is. It would seem that the locals have kept the best of the Opal for their own private collections. After viewing the displays and looking at the goods for sale we came outside and had a late morning tea with sandwich's and cakes. We were to note a man and woman with parrots sitting on the shoulders and the locals told us that the parrots go everywhere they do we also noted that the wing feathers on one wing were cut to stop them flying away.

We then went along to the cafe where we had lunch I had a worx burger which was huge much larger and of a better quality than I received the other day at the Toompine Hotel and four dollars cheaper to boot. Liz had a toasted ham and cheese sandwich's, we also had cappuccinos.
We sat there out of the wind in the sun which warmed us up immensely, then we walked back to the markets in the wind which was getting stronger. The market had the usual opal for sale and the dearest I saw was a small very colourful Opal for $700 needless to say we didn't buy it. There was opal in the rough three pieces for $40 and not much colour and there were plenty of pendants selling from $35 up to $150. Liz bought a couple of silver pendants and all I bought was two books Wilbur Smith of course. We then strolled back to camp for the wind was really blowing and it was cold coming in from the south and a few clouds were appearing.
We went walkabout and chatted to several happy campers about this and that and before we knew it happy hour was approaching. Sharpened the chain saw ready to cut some wood tomorrow. Subject to wind we will sit out by the fire tonight for we do not want much to eat for our evening meal.

Monday the 13th of July
We sat out in the beautiful sunshine this morning and had our breakfast. We had a few visitors commenting on the fine weather though the breeze was a little cool. I then went with the men out to the bush to cut wood for the big fire and that filled in a couple of hours. It did not take long to blunten the chain on the saw for we were cutting into gidgee wood and though it has a nice colour in its grain it is as tough as hell. This wood creates a lot of heat and burns away to a white ash. This you need to be careful of for when you think it is out its not it maintains a lot of heat in the ash even if left overnight.
After lunch we went walkabout and noted the Kangaroo's on the village green. Val across the road turns the sprinklers on each night and the kangaroo stop by to eat the new growth in grass. Though there droppings are starting to overwhelm the area. They are tame though I wouldn't like to go over the fence for one is a big buck and I could imagine him defending his mob.
There were people still leaving the town and other arriving which sought of balances out. There were a few doing what we are doing and taking in the sunshine whilst walking. We were to pass the Hot Artesian Spa that the townsfolk have installed over the past two years though the grass you can see is all artificial for it is hard to grow grass in this type of ground which is red soil mixed with a lot of stones and rocks.
On returning we sat and read our books and just took in the relaxing nature of the day. Tonight we will sit around the big fire and gaze at the beautiful star filled sky's.

Tuesday the 14th of July
A nice sunny morning once again, though that cold southerly wind is still with us. We lit the firepot and had breakfast outside again in the sunshine for the motorhome shields most of the wind from us. We had our showers and we then along with Brian and Dianne we headed off in their vehicle bound for Cunnamulla for the day. The going was easy with sun streaming through the windowscreen. We were to see plenty of kangaroo and emu's along the way. Unfortunately an Emu crossed in front of us and we could not avoid it, needless to say due to the stupid act on its part cost it its life. We stopped and found there was damage to the fog light and bull bar and mudguard, we were surprised at the amount of damage and it convinced me that the bull bar in question was more of a decoration than a protector.
The first 80 kilometres was rugged country with cattle and sheep living off the mulga bush's for there was no feed on the ground though in patches there was water and a bit of greenery which showed that recent rains had been in corridors rather than widespread. It doesn't matter how dry the countryside looks it has that rugged beauty about it that you can not experience in coastal regions. There are water alerts in small towns along the way that are unable to tap into the Great Artesian Basin.
We finally arrived at Cunnamulla around 12.30 pm and went straight to the pharmacy to get some prescriptions filled. We were informed that it would take a half hour to fill and that they closed for lunch between 1.30 and 2.30. Not a problem we went to the post office and noted the greenery around the entrance which is lacking in other parts of the town.
Then we went to a hotel that was recommended at the back of the main street and it was worth the trouble of finding it for the meal they served was generous and well cooked and presented. Then off to get a gas bottle filled which we found would not get filled for another half hour so we off to top up with fuel which we shared the cost and then around to the Supermarket.

The prices really staggered us, not just groceries; fruit and meat as well. All we can say is they must be on high wages around this part of the state. Brian had a list of things that people back at camp wanted to purchased and one item was a bag of chips which we normally pay between $1.99 to $2.49 for these same brand and weight these were $4.95 and around at the bakery we had to pay $5.40 for an ordinary loaf of bread. We noted that chicken wings advertised on the window were priced at $10 for two kilo's so we decided to get them for soup and stews etc. It didn't tell you on the window they were a frozen pack of two kilo. The fresh wings were $7 a kilo we bought the frozen pack. What was a surprise when we picked up the four kilo gas bottle the cost was $14 for the refill a price compared to everything else in the town was great.
The pharmacy was a different matter it was 3.30 when we returned and found that it would take another 15 minutes. Next door to the newsagents and the lady behind the counter heard us talking about the length of time it was taking. She smiled and said that was normal and wouldn't elaborate any further. forty five minutes later we finally received our scripts.
Back on the road really pissed off we found that the kangaroos and emu's were in greater numbers along with cattle and sheep so needless to say we were driving slowly and more alert. Up the highway 80 kilometres we pulled up at the Eulo Queen Hotel and sank a few schooners and the girls had wine picked up the local gossip and then we were on way again.
We only had one near miss when a large kangaroo looked as if would hop into the side of the car though it did an about turn and missed us. The wildlife was prolific and even the cattle was just walking across the road as you neared them. We finally arrived back at dusk and due to the alcohol and large feed for lunch we opted for cheese and biscuits and sat around the large fire before going to bed later in the night. In all it was a good day out especially the scenery which I enjoyed not driving to you tend to see more. I was to note the planes in barns which the farmers used to round up their cattle etc something I would miss if I was driving.

Wednesday the 15th of July
A very overcast day so much so that after breakfast I turned on the generator and used the battery charger to bring the house batteries up to an acceptable level. We went around the fire and had a good old chin wag with the happy campers about our trip yesterday including the clash with the emu and the near miss with the kangaroo.
Liz went off with Betty-anne to sell raffle tickets for the fire brigade and school around the camp area which is very large indeed, in all it took them some two hours to complete.
The wind was cold and the sun was slowly breaking through the clouds so I turned the generator off and disconnected all items that had been on charge.
Out came the jaffle iron for the first time and we had cheese and spaghetti all cooked nicely on the bed of coals.
After lunch we looked a few items that needed fixing and getting Digger ready for our trip tomorrow out to Thargomindah for the day. Then it rained and I mean rain it absolutely bucketed down so much so that small pools of water quickly formed and we were to catch a full bucket of rain water in no time at all.
We came inside out of the cold miserable weather and read our books and had a cappuccino and a couple of tim tams. The sun finally came out an the clouds had drifted away so I went with Les out to fossick on a dump site for Opal again there was plenty of blue potch and very little opal only small slithers.
Back in time for happy hour and then we cooked our meal inside and after finishing we went out and sat around the fire for happy hour and chewed the fat. We came in later as the cold of night was setting in watched a bit of television and off to bed to read our books.

Thursday the 16th of July
A cold night and a frost this morning, the locals are saying that this is the coldest snap of weather they have had for many years. They are hoping for a cool summer this year for last year the temperature was around the 45 degree celsius mark all summer.
We cooked our toast and boiled our billy on the big fire this morning for we are off to Thargominda for the day. We left around 10 am and headed out to the short cut by going along the Black Gate Road, this cuts some 70 kilometres off the trip. The road has been refurbished so the going was easy for Digger. We came across their road works and we had to take it easy for the next 5 kilometres. The road will be great when they have finished and you can take you caravan etc along there easy from Yowah.
It was strange that we did not see any wildlife at all until we came to the bitumen heading then to Thargominda. We came across plenty of kangaroos with one just hopping across the road in front of us as I applied the brakes hard. We were to see few emu's though there was cattle who looked very thin with their ribs sticking out. You could see along the road side where the Mulga bush's were that they had eaten the foliage of the lower branch's. The Kangaroos were drinking the water which lay in puddles on the road. We were experiencing intermittent showers and the sky was overcast as we drove along.
We finally arrived at Thargominda and we drove out to look at the original hydro power scheme that was pressurised by water gushing up from the Great Artesian Bore. They state that this was the first Hydro scheme built in Australia.

We had bought a thermos of hot water and coffee etc to have a drink and when we went over to the tables we quickly abandoned the idea for the wind was as cold as. We then drove to the supermarket to buy some goods for the happy campers and the prices shocked us. We filled Diggers tank for $1.61.9 cents a litre for unleaded fuel and then drove down to Pelican Point where we thought we might be sheltered from the wind. This was not to be so just took a couple of photo's and noted the lack of pelicans and went back up into the town. We saw the Royal Flying Doctor Service plane on the tarmac and no doubt he will go to Yowah tomorrow for Liz along with many others has an appointment. We thought we might have a counter lunch so into the pub and guess what, no counter meals though we could purchase food from the bain marree. So we opted for chicken, chicko roll and a serving of chips washed down with a pot of beer and Liz a glass of wine.
Whilst there we had a call from Ian who is travelling in his fifth wheeler asking where we were, we hadn't expected him until Saturday so we told him where to set up and then we decided to head back to Yowah. We stopped along the way and had a look at the old shearing shed which still had bales of wool from recent shearing. It was a fifteen stand shed.
We had to watch out for wildlife again on the way back and we were glad to arrive back at Black Gate Road for it meant we only had 30 kilometres to go to arrive back in camp.
In all we did 240 kilometres in Digger today and again it showed how miserly the Suzuki is on fuel.
Back in camp we saw Ian was set up next to us and found that he had introduced himself to the rest of the happy campers. While we were away they placed a for sale sign on the back of our motorhome. We took it in good jest. Well happy hour has arrived so I am off to join the other happy campers.

Friday the 17th of July
A warm night for a change and a sunny morning; so we enjoyed the sunshine after our showers whilst we had breakfast. There are many happy campers arriving and with the caravan park booked out they are using the Council Donga's for accommodation.
The free camp area is filling quickly and we are sitting by the big fire boiling the billy's and having a cuppa as we watch the antics as caravans are backed and the men and their partners as they growl and carry on about the method of parking. We are all stress free and hopefully over the festival weekend they will be the same. Tonight is barbecue night up at the community centre so that may help to calm them down. The barbecue you buy the meat and you cook it yourself on the many wood fired barbecue's and then line up for your salads etc.
Whilst eating we will be entertained with a few country and western singers. Liz went up to the flying doctor and was told that the low reading she had last week for her INR was wrong for they found the machine to be faulty though her iron reading were good. She has made an appointment to see the flying doctor next week to have her INR done again. So all is good and it has taken a load of her mind.
Along with Ian we went out in Digger to get wood and whilst there we had a look a the Yowah International Airport and the Flying Doctor's plane is parked the same plane we saw at Thargominda yesterday. We had a good laugh at the sign for it is just gravel runways and no way would an international plane be able to land here. We spotted off where we are going to put our yabby pots on monday night, we will wait until the mass's have left after the festival before we put them out. Then we cut firewood and loaded it on poor old Digger and boy it was loaded high, this time I have opted for gum tree rather than gidgee wood that just blunts the chain and in fact you can see sparks flying on the chain.
Back to camp and then had a late lunch by the fire with a cuppa and then relaxed for the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sun though today we have to wear our hats for it is hot with few clouds about and thankfully that cursed wind has disappeared. The temperature at 2 pm is 22 degrees.
So tonight we will have a happy hour and then go up the community hall for the barbecue and entertainment. Another good day in Paradise.

Saturday the 18th of July
A very cold morning and overcast with a chilling wind. We didn't hop out of bed until 9 am and then lit the fire for breakfast. We had the usual Saturday morning poached eggs on toast washed down by a nice hot cuppa.
We sat by the big fire and watched the police booking people who were driving by, we noticed that they were all going over the breathalyser as well. We decided to walk up to the market rather than be pulled over for who knows what. We went past the village green once again and looked at the kangaroos who have taken over the place. They are being looked after by a very large buck kangaroo and we were to see a joey in the pouch of one of the females.
There were plenty of stalls and lots of people around looking and buying Opal and other goods from hardware to belts, hats etc. The selection of Opal was good though the prices of some were astronomical for what you could see. There is a need to have someone with you that knows Opal for you would not know if it was manufactured Opal or mined. Some of the Opal settings were really nice and the price being reasonable given that a lot was in silver settings.
We spent a couple of hours going from stall to stall and noted that you could buy small lots of Opal from $40 up to $160 again you would not know the value of the Opal and what would you do with so much.
We went and looked at the hardware stall run by John's Bargains and Liz bought a few things and then we went and had a bit to eat for it was after 12 noon. We chewed the fat with a few happy campers and then went over to Daisy's ice cream van and had a soft serve each and sat and took in the sunshine that now had arrived given the clouds had cleared away. Then onto the local fire brigade and had a look over their new truck and it was a beauty certainly more equipment than that at Binalong Bay Station. They were to give us a lot of material including sun hats that will come in handy on our travels. We then sauntered back to camp.
The rest of the afternoon was spent out in the sun reading our books and just chatting with whoever came by. Tonight we will go up for the meal and entertainment and again they will have the huge fire so it should be a good night.

Sunday the 19th of July
Last night we all went up the festival dinner and entertainment. Though a little chilly it was the huge fire that kept us warm and at various times when the fire died down in would come another load of Gidgee stumps and branch's on the front end loader and off the fire went again. Each time the wood was delivered the people would step back for the heat generated was enormous.
The entertainment was really great with country and western singers banging out their music for around two hours and then two more musicians came on the stage and they sang mostly blues music with a bit of rock and roll that many people danced to. When we came home and went to bed we could still hear them banging out their music.
The meal was great with three different choices of meat which included silverside and vegetables and chips if you wanted them. I tried them all and they were really piled up on my plate and when I finished I could not drink another beer. We never heard one complaint about the meal at all except the amount of time we stood in line to be served.

After the meal we went in and had a look at the display in the hall for a gold coin entrance fee. Well what could we say this was the cream of the crop for boulder opal from Yowah of course and the fossilised Opal display was really magnificent. What really stood out as you entered the hall was the waist coat that had been fully embroidered with the local scenes and with various types of Opal sewn in both front and back. We would not like to find out the cost for it would be very expensive to buy even though it is not for sale. The rest of the displays were equally as good and well worth the gold coin donation.
Back by fire and they drew the raffle, unfortunately Ian had his raffle tickets stolen off the table while we were not there and wouldn't you know it he bought the next three numbers after Liz and one of the numbers was drawn out and a woman walked up and claimed the prize which should have been Ian's. As Ian said how do you prove they were stolen from him. Dianne won the RM Williams wallets for a man and woman and they were top quality and the last draw of the night and Liz's number was called and she received a variety of prizes as shown in the above photo.
We left about 11.30 and strolled back and went in to go to bed after a good night. Liz was disappointed when she found out that Collingwood had been defeated.
When we awoke today we found a very heavy frost that cleared away quickly when the sun rose for there were no clouds in the sky and the wind had dropped. After breakfast out came the washing machine and Liz was to do the washing whilst I split wood for our firepot for we are cooking a silverside for our meal tonight.
The rest of the day was spent reading and then lunch and then I took Liz up to the opal rock dump to see if she can find any opal and you can bet if it is there Liz will find it.
We expect after our meal tonight we will all gather around the fire and and have a good old chinwag for some of the happy campers that we have met in the past days are leaving on Tuesday heading back home to their state.

Monday the 20th of July
A warm night and we were awaken by a knock on the door at 7.45 am this morning and lo and behold Neil was standing there. We had a good chat whilst I lit the firepot for breakfast unbeknown to us Neil and his wife Annette arrived last night and parked around about 40 metres from us. We first met them at Condobolin last year so we were able to catch up with the news of where people were that we met last year.
We then introduced them to all around the camp fire and as could be expected they were readily accepted into the happy campers group. The sun was shining and the wind had disappeared and it was quite warm and would stay that way all day with the temperature rising to 24 degrees celsius, very nice indeed.
Then with Len, Brian and Ian plus myself we went out to the bush to get wood and again the chainsaw went well though it soon slowed as the chain became blunt on the gidgee wood. We filled the trailer and headed for camp where it was unloaded quickly.
Lunch time had arrived so we finished cleaning the chainsaw and sharpening the chain and refueling before we had a bite to eat.
Liz then prepared the vegetables to roast in the camp oven later on and made the stuffing for the goat hind quarter. Ian stuffed the goat hind quarter with the filling and then rolled and placed into a camp oven. Around 2.30 pm into the coals and a few on top and you could hear it sizzling the vegetables went of to roast at around 4 pm.
We will have a late happy hour today for there are a few of the happy campers moving out in the morning, some heading for home and others heading north.
Many went up to the artesian spa and I headed for the shower to wash the sweat and sawdust off.
Tonight we will stay by the fire unless it becomes to cold and then come in later and probably read our books. Another good day with most of the campers leaving Yowah now that the festival is over.

Tuesday the 21st of July
Last night we enjoyed the camp oven cooking with roast Goat hindquarter and plenty of roast vegetables cooked in the camp oven. In all we fed 9 happy campers and after our mealwe continued the happy hour for there are three groups of our friends leaving us in the morning.
We hopped out of bed at 7.30 am this morning and headed for the showers and then lit our firepot for breakfast. We had Brian and Dianne come over and join us and we chewed the fat until they went back to complete their packing before leaving. We all sat around the big fire and then it was time for our friends to depart. It must have taken the three groups at least an hour before they departed some east others north.
It was sad to see them go for we have had a lot of fun with them since we have been in Yowah and of course we intend to catch up again probably next year.
Split some wood for our firepot and Liz had made four individual dampers for our lunch. We decided to keep one each for our soup that is currently in the camp oven for our meal tonight. After lunch we just sat out in the beautiful once again and read out books. There is a little cloud around though the temperature was to rise to 24 degrees celsius at around 2pm. We will gather around the fire again tonight though before that I will now set the yabby traps out at the water hole and then hope for the best in the morning.
The nights have been tremendous and with no lights the sky and stars are a real treat as they are always in the outback of Australia.

Wednesday the 22nd of July
A rather warm night and when we awoke and went outside it was very overcast and looked like rain though by mid afternoon there was no downfall. After breakfast I fed the noisy family birds who come around both morning and night for bird seed. Then out to the 12 mile hole where I set the yabby nets last night, Ian was me and after pulling 7 nets we only had three reasonably sized blue claw yabby's. We were informed by the indigenous bloke who put us onto the hole that you do not catch many the first time though on the second occasion that will change. We will test his theory in the morning.
We had a walk around the streets near the camp area and noted that some houses were run down and the newer type were all constructed of orb type corrugated iron some new a lot of it old. The amount of vehicles sitting and rusting especially early model land rovers is great in numbers. We had a cappuccino and then hopped into Digger and went drive about and the first port of call was Mitre 11 where I picked up some stainless steel for a project I have underway and Liz found a new windowscreen wiper that I put to use on Digger later in the day. The sky was still overcast and there were strange patterns in the lower clouds that we haven't experienced before and they looked nice though there must be a reason for their shape and colour, maybe later we may find out.

We then drove up to the bluff and you could see for many kilometres including the roofs of the houses in Yowah, They had been building rock cairns for some reason which do not look out of place. We came back to camp and had our lunch which consisted of among other things a yabby each. Then Liz went for another walk around a different block, the first thing you notice is that all the locals walk with their heads down and it took us while to wake up that they watching for the tell tale sign of Opal amongst the road rocks.
We went then out to the public fossicking grounds and found huge holes where people had dug looking for the elusive boulder opal of Yowah. We were to see a mob of Galahs picking the ground and they did not take off even when we passed them by.
Back in camp in camp and Mick was to alert me to a bush pigeon nesting near his camp in the pepper trees. The bird was not worried with me taking a photo for no doubt this is one of the birds that come into camp looking for seed etc. An hour later when she left the nest I was able to get a photo of the chicks that were quite large.
We sat around the big fire and just chatted away for there were three new campers arrive close by and we introduced ourselves and one couple we knew from past travels. I came back to our camp to light our fire and noted the amount of ash from yesterday and when I put my hand near you could feel the heat so on went a couple of sticks and then it smoked and around five minutes later it burst into flame. We are having steak for our evening meal though Liz will have only a small piece for it is high in iron. With the newcomers we suspect we will sit out by the main fire tonight and we intend to have an alcohol free day.

Thursday the 23rd of July
The rain tumbled down last night before dark though it did not deter Len and Ian from continuing on the happy hour. We came inside and rather than watch the television we read our books and played cards something different. This morning the 20 litre drum was overflowing with water though the rain had stopped. There was a slight mist with the sun trying to break through.
Out to the 12 mile waterhole and pulled the yabby nets and there were eight in all though I lost one when it slipped out of a small hole back into the water. I came back to camp and on the way I noted that two kangaroo's had been killed on the road and we saw a few cattle that seem to be used to traffic. There were three caravans on the way out.
Back in camp and we put the water on to cook the yabby's and noted that there was a thick fog come down which blocked the sun completely for the rest of the day.

We had our breakfast and then back to the fire to have a chat to the new arrivals, one who introduced himself as Moses so I stated that I was Jesus and was pleased to meet him, he even had personalised number plates with Moses for identification. Also a couple we have met in previous years who are staying for a fortnight after working on cattle stations for awhile.
We then decided to go for a walk and we went via the bottom camp sites and came across a couple of Tassie's and we spent a while talking to them and found they are off to Quilpie this morning. We bid them a safe journey and then we walked up past the caravan park where we noticed the door open to their artesian baths that they crow about. All they are is a bath tub and shower and both use water from the Artesian Basin. Very primitive with no roofs and a small wall with all having a different colour scheme. Then we came down past Val's Park and noted that there were fewer kangaroo's than the other day.
Back by the fire that never seems to go out and Val came down and we had a talk to her about the kangaroo's and she indicated that she feeds them on lucerne no wonder they stick about and there are some big buck's so we do not know who the alpha male is.
We had our lunch then read our books for awhile and then off to the shower and the artesian water was a little cooler today. Back at the motorhome and as there had not been any sun for the solar panels we are now running the generator to top up our batteries and charge up phone etc including this computer. We are expecting more rain tomorrow though they are forecasting a fine sunny weekend. We will now read until happy hour and then by the fire and will watch the marngrook football show tonight before going off to bed

Friday the 24th of July
Later in the afternoon yesterday Liz came back from the amenities block and stated a sign had just been placed there advertising a three course meal for $20 plus a fund raiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service due to cut back of funding by the federal government. We decided to go and phoned and made a made a reservation. Happy hour arrived and so did the rain and again we left Ian and Len by the fire under their umbrella's. Five other happy campers heard that we were going and tried to make a reservation though they were not successful.
We drove up have our meal for it was raining and it would have been foolish to have walked. When we arrived we were lucky enough to get a table with two happy campers that were near us in the park. When I sat down I could not believe how primitive the dining area and kitchen were at the caravan park, how did it ever pass muster by the health department was beyond me until I remembered we were in Queensland; enough said.
Out first course was soup and we had pea and ham, just a small scoop in a large bowl. In fact I was to return for seconds and thirds and in all it would have only filled the bowl halfway. Then the main course of chicken and vegetables, when they put a small leg of chicken on my plate I was waiting for the rest and looked at her and looked at my plate then the woman put pieces of extra chicken on. I have to say they were quite liberal with the gravy though there was little vegetables. After the main course was finished they held a duck race with each duck being numbered. The ducks were placed in the pool where the bore water rises from the Artesian Basin and held them back until they sold more tickets raising funds for the RFDS. it was fun watching them go down the water channel and then it was over and they announced the winning duck and then second and third.
Liz had the third duck past the post, so to speak, and was handed her prize of a Toilet Seat Pad washable keep your Butt? warm and comfortable. This was to bring a fair bit of laughter. Then for desert we had Bread and Butter custard and when I presented my bowl I thought they must have made a mistake in the serving for there was plenty and it was nice especially the raisins etc and the big dollop of cream. When we came home we could hear a few around the fire under their umbrella's still chiacking though we went in to watch the tail end of the Marngrook Footy show and then off to bed. Would we go back for another meal? NO! as cheap as it may be.
It was sprinkling with rain when we arose this morning with all the buckets full of rain water. I picked up Ian and we went out to where the yabby nets were set and on the way we noted that an emu had started its run across the road and we thought it may plow into Digger's drivers door though at the last second it veered and missed us. We pulled the nets and this morning we had 10 yabby's for the bucket and then we folded the nets up and packed them on the roof basket of Digger. We did this for poor old Digger was slipping and sliding on the mushy track and I felt to leave them another day would make their collection tomorrow impossible.
We returned to camp and cooked them on the fire which was still going in the steady rain. We gathered under Len's awning after breakfast before going up to buy some vegetables to tide us over until we arrive at Quilpie in a few days. We wont talk about the high prices, take them or leave them.
Lunch time arrived and Ian and I polished off yesterdays catch and today's catch of yabby's 18 all told done in a sweet chilli sauce. Very nice.
Liz went up to her appointment with the RFDS only to be told that they had an emergency case with one of the towns folk so they flew out her with Liz being none the wiser about her blood readings.
We received a phone call from Neil & Annette stating that they had been bogged at Quilpie and were now in Stonehenge on power and the rain is tumbling down there as well, it is now 3pm and the rain is doing likewise here with no more buckets to fill the rain is running off and making large puddles in the camping area. However, we are as snug as a bug in a rug now reading our books with the generator going to fill our house batteries to let us watch the football game tonight. As a matter of fact you can hear generators going every where.

Saturday the 25th of July
Liz went up to the caravan park shop last night and bought fish and chips for our evening meal and they were very nice and there were plenty of chips. We came inside to watch the Carlton V Hawthorn football game and wasn't it a whitewash. It was terrible to watch the demolition of Carlton.
We hopped out of bed at 8 am this morning and the sky was a little overcast and around 10 am the clouds cleared away and the sun was beaming down drying out the ground. Due to this out came the washing machine and up went the clothes line. It didn't take long and we dried off the machine and packed it away for we will not use it here again.
We drifted from camp to camp talking to the other happy campers and then back inside for lunch.
After lunch we went walkabout and noted the kangaroos were lying about on the grass taking in the sunshine though it wasn't long before the sky clouded over.We came to a derelict house that must have looked great in its day though now is abandoned, no doubt it would be on the market very cheap. There are plenty of properties for sale though we would not like to live here first for the living costs and the locals tell us that the temperature in the summer reaches 40 degrees plus celsius. We came upon Jurassic Park though we did not see any prehistoric animals amongst the trees. On to the shop at the caravan park where we noted the cost of unleaded and diesel was $1.76.9 cents a litre. We bought a can of vegetables and two chocolate heart ice creams and sat at the table enjoying the ice cream and watching the activity around the park and noted the vegetable and fish truck was packing up and leaving.
On the way home we met Dan and Lorraine and they walked with us along the back streets and noted one home with a excellent display of Grevillea's and other plants. There were many old wrecks in the yards and we noted the old single door chevrolet from the 1940's or thereabouts and a couple of old Morris trucks and plenty of old land drovers that have seen better days.
Back in camp and took the clothes off the line and then packed away the yabby nets now they have dried and then it was time for happy hour and later we will come inside for our evening meal of curried sausages on a bed of white rice and then watch the football tonight and hope it is not as one sided as the game last night.

Sunday the 26th of July
Out of bed at 8 am and had breakfast by the communal fire and then after that we started to slowly pack things away for we have decided to move on in the morning as far as Toompine and have a meal and a few drinks tomorrow night. The day is absolutely excellent with clear blue sky's and the sun beaming down the temperature would reach 26 degrees mid afternoon and was slightly humid. So much so that I still haven't resorted to shorts yet and everyone is laughing at my white legs though wearing a singlet has caused some sunburn on the shoulders. There will be no photo's today for we are staying in camp and cleaning and loading poor old Digger with water drums and wood as well as the extra gear we carry.
We decided to have a hot lunch and out came the camp oven and a plump chicken with potatoes and pumpkin was cooked on the hot coals, Liz steamed the last of the broccoli and peas and carrots inside the motorhome.
What an excellent meal it was and plenty of it with enough left over to have toasted sandwich's for our evening meal.
With the awning in and everything packed away out came the hose and the motorhome was washed and it certainly was dirty and then Digger which was worse. Being bore water it leaves traces of calcium on the paint work if you do not use a chamois to wipe it down. Couldn't believe it happy hour has arrived so we will have an extended one tonight saying goodbye once again to all the friends we have made in this town of Yowah and campground over the years. We have certainly enjoyed the time spent here and it has been longer than usual due to us not going home until November.

Monday the 27th of July
We were in no hurray to depart this morning we just took it easy for everything is packed away. We had our showers and then breakfast cleaned up and went and said our farewells to the other happy campers who are not departing this morning. Dan and Lorraine were the first to go for they are heading back to Victoria and it appears they do large kilometres each day. We finally departed at 10.15 am bound for Toompine and the day was good with just a small amount of high cloud not enough to block the sun and as a bonus we had the wind on our rear. We were to see the usual kangaroo's, cattle and one lonely emu who made no attempt to cross the road in front of us.
We had two caravans coming towards us and so we pulled off the road and slowed down and gave them the single bitumen road. I noticed that Ian had stopped and it wasn't long before he caught up with us.
Ian then used the radio to inform us that he had a problem and intended to pull off the road and check it, we decided to stop and help if we could. After checking his book it appeared there was something wrong with the automatic gearbox. The nearest Isuzu dealer was in Roma some 1000 kilometres away so Ian rang for advise after this was carried out there was no difference other than he could not get any gears at all now.
We rang back to Yowah and made arrangements for Bob to come out with his chev v8 diesel truck and tow him back to the camp site where Ian could leave the fifth wheeler and put the truck up on a tilt tray truck to go to the dealer. We decided to go back to Yowah and wait until we were sure that he had things under control.
We had a late lunch and then walked up to the shop and bought a loaf of frozen bread for $5 and then onto the caravan park shop for two drumsticks which we sat in the park and enjoyed as we watched the traffic go past.
We walked the long way and spotted a forty foot long railway carriage in amongst trees which was used as showroom for the sale of Opals and Crystal. Back to the camp and took in the late afternoon sun before happy hour. The happy campers who were left were pleased to see us back. We will have happy hour and see what the night brings for we did not expect to be back here so soon.

Tuesday the 28th of July
A chilly evening with the morning being glorious sunshine with a cool south easter breeze. We had breakfast by the big fire and then farewelled Len who is heading back to Victoria and home. The local mechanic arrived at 9.45 and looked at Ian's truck and after consulting Isuzu in Roma and working through options came to the conclusion that the computer was causing the problem for they found the gearbox was stuck in fifth gear.
Arrangements have now been made to use a tilt tray truck to take it into Cunnamulla for there is a mechanic there that services all of Ergons Isuzu's in the area failure will mean having to take it to Roma.
We have decided to stay today and we have informed Ian that we will move to Toompine tomorrow morning after he has accompanied the truck to Cunnamulla. He is, if he chooses to can catch us further up the road for he has our itinerary for the near future.
We went for another walk around the streets and down by the bottom camp area and back for lunch. After lunch we relaxed and read our books in the sunshine out of the breeze and then stoked up the big fire for there is only enough wood for tonight. It has been an easy day as there are not many left in the camp area we just chatted to a few and then came in to cook our evening meal and will watch television tonight I suppose.

Wednesday the 29th of July
A really cold night though we were able to place the camp kettle on the ashes from last night and boil it for a cuppa and using the same coals to cook our toast for breakfast. Ian was waiting for the tow truck to arrive from Cunnamulla to tow the Isuzu back to the workshop to fix the computer/gear box problem. Ian intended to go with the truck whilst the repairs were carried out. He packed the fifth wheeler for that is staying in Yowah.
Liz had her shower and I delayed mine to enjoy the company of those happy campers left, Dawn cooked scones in the camp oven for morning tea and we all enjoyed hot scones with either strawberry or Quince jam topped with cream.
The tow truck arrived at 10.30 am just as I was heading for the shower so I have now delayed this until we get to Toompine. Within 30 minutes it was loaded and on its way. When told that it could be more than three days before they received the necessary parts Ian decided to stay in his motorhome at Yowah until they ring and indicate the truck is ready to travel once again. We said farewell to him and the other happy campers and we were on our way towards Toompine.

There was not a lot of traffic on the road with no traffic up to the turn off to Toompine. Once on the road we were to come across four caravans and one motorhome and they all slowed down like us and we passed each other without dust or rocks being thrown up. I was to thank them over the radio for their courtesy and wished them a safe journey and they stated likewise. We came across one four wheel drive who thought he was doing us a good turn by driving well up the bank he left a cloud of dust for us to drive through.
It was a nice sunny day though we were surprised to see no wildlife at all on any of the three roads we travelled other than cattle and sheep just before Toompine. The jump ups looked nice and the ochre colours stood out along with the different shades of green.
We finally arrived at Toompine just after 12 noon and there were caravans by the hotel though none in the camping area. We pulled into the same place as in earlier years and hooked up to power. We can not receive television signal here so after lunch out came the satellite dish and after trying to find the satellite signal for about 30 minutes I changed cables and hey presto there was the signal in just a minute.
We had to leave the 240 volt set going for it has not been used since we left home two months ago. After 45 minutes it burst into life and we have all the channels so we will be able to watch the Tasmanian news tonight.
On power and we will be able to use the electric blankets tonight to warm up the bed before we retire. We will also be going over to the hotel for a meal this evening and hopefully it will be better than I had here a fortnight ago. We will check with Ian in a few days to see how he is going with his truck repairs.
Kilometres travelled 124

Thursday the 30th July
What wonderful night last night with the happy campers and local jackaroo's off the nearby cattle stations. There was plenty of laughter and bullshit flying before we had our meal. The meal was excellent and plenty of it no way was it comparable to what we had a week or so ago, they must have changed cook's. We imbibed a little more before going back to the motorhome around 9pm.
The night was chilly as it is in the outback though having the electric blankets on before we went of bed made for a warm night in bed. When we arose this morning it was sunny and no clouds and would remain that way all day.
After packing the satellite dish away and saying good bye to the happy campers who are staying for another day we were on the road.
We were to see Emu's and Kangaroo's in the distance though they caused no problem to us. There were a few caravans and one road train who we gave the full single lane bitumen to by pulling up the bank, he was two trailers long carrying round bales of hay for the drought stricken areas out here. At the moment due to the large amount of rain they received out here the grass is coming up and the stock and sheep are enjoying this instead of the Mulga Bush. The countryside was changing in some places it was all small rocks and boulders where nothing flourished and then open plains that was turning green. We were to see many jump ups and like yesterday they are beautiful due to the differing colours.

We finally arrived at Quilpie and drove down the main street and went out to look at the camp sites along the river close to town. We came to the conclusion that going to Lake Houdraman would be a better option.
There were only three campers when we arrived and that number would grow later in the day. We chose a spot and set up camp for we intend to stay here for awhile. It was 1.30pm before we went back into town to do some shopping.
We first went of Mitre 11 and obtained some steel for our fire supports with our barbecue plates and then back and off to the supermarket. There are two, so we visited the both and made purchases and then onto the Butcher for the supermarkets do not have meat or chickens. The prices are high especially the meat and due to our supplies dwindling we had to make purchases.
Stopped to get water and then the newsagency and then back to camp and it was 2.45 pm before we had lunch. We will cook by the fire tonight and enjoy the serenity of the lake and its birdlife. Today may be an alcohol free day who knows. Of course with the satellite dish up once again we will watch the Marngrook Football Show before going off to bed.
Kilometres travelled 88

Friday the 31st of July
The sunset last night would have been the best we have had so far on this trip and of course the bonus was watching the full moon rising at dusk. It was warm overnight and when out of bed this morning the first thing was to light the fire. There was no need for paper to start it for the coals were hot from last night.
We cooked our toast and then the kettle boiled and we settled down to have breakfast outside enjoying the sunrise this morning and after that the beautiful reflections on the lake.
We have not had views like this at breakfast time in a long while. After breakfast we cleaned up the camp and then went walkabout to the bottom of the Lake and watched the lone Pelican drifting along, we did not see it dive its head once to catch fish. Maybe tomorrow I may throw in a couple of yabby nets to see what is available.
We noted wood whilst walking from previous campers, so down in Digger and collected it to add to our collection. We then chewed the fat, so to speak, with our next door happy campers for an hour or so. The poor fellow has to get around with the aid of walking sticks and his motorised wheel chair.
We had a few happy campers leave and a few more replace them during the day and just before lunch I stripped down to my singlet and pulled the trackkies above my knees. My legs are very white and if the good weather keeps up I may change to shorts tomorrow.
After lunch we sat out along the lake and admired the reflections for there was only just a slight breeze and the day was warming. So at 3 pm it was 28 degrees, very nice indeed for it is not humid. Though the downside is there are a few very small fly's to pester us.
The rest of the afternoon we read our books and enjoyed the peaceful surroundings, last night we noted that there was no generator noise at all which is not the norm these days.
There are a lot of people who drive out to admire the profusion of birdlife especially late afternoon and in the distance we can hear the Brolga's no doubt doing their dancing, hopefully they will come closer to camp so we can admire them.
Another beautiful day well spent just relaxing and taking in the heat of the day. Tonight we will have our meal by the fire and then come in to watch the Hawthorn V Richmond game and maybe go out by the fire dependent on the coolness of the evening.