30th August - On the road again … We camped last night 60km short of the Queensland border, at the Avon Downs Police Station 24 hr rest area. Another of those seemingly endless nights. The thermals have been packed away - at the stage of it being too hot in the sleeping bag and not quite warm enough on top of it. We had the added bonus of mice sliding down the tent walls and swinging on the handle of the lamp (making a metallic clink). Butcher bird serenade this morning, with bovine chorus and a short performance from the police station generator. The passing grey kangaroos (5) didn't say anything.

Long tedious drive today, though the road into the back of Queensland is vastly improved. Love Queensland's idea of rest areas - enough bitumen beside the road for maybe three cars.

We lunched just past Mt Isa - in a howling gale. We had to hold our mugs, the loaf of bread, the milk carton and the cheese container or risk all being blown away. The countryside is really rugged here - rocky, hilly, lots of scrub. I especially love the 'beware falling rocks' signs beside the road. The road trains here all have 4 long trailers - glad Austen is doing most of the driving!

I'm hoping we'll have phone reception in Cloncurry so I can post this. I'm really looking forward to when we can spend a few days in one place instead of pushing ever eastward. Hopefully we can find somewhere with a 9 yr old or two - Tim is really missing having companions his own age.

31st August - Unfortunately I was driving through Cloncurry so didn't get the chance to blog. Then there was zero phone reception for ages.

Camped the night of the 30th at Julia Creek, where we graduated from mice to RATS!! I gather there is a wee beastie called the Julia Creek Dunnart so maybe they don't bait for rats in case they kill these - there were rats everywhere in the campground. Ew!

I've done a Kat to my back - woke that night, rolled over and almost shrieked! Took ages to get vertical without yelping and waking A or T. Living on 'Merciful' at the moment. Jolting up and down in the big white wagon is excruciating.

Austen drove all day today - we now have fond memories of Richmond to add to those of being towed there last time.

Tim found a beaut water playground - in Tim's words its "where you press a button, there's a huge mushroom in a rubber pit that rains water and two water cannons". We chatted to a local there. This bit's for NATASCHA - his partner is into German Warmbloods and has just taken her mare to Melbourne for the stallion King Hit (I may have that wrong?).

We added Black Kites and Masked Plovers to our bird list.

1 Sept - Absolute cacaphony of birdsong this morning. Only one I could identify by ear was the Currawong. Off to ply the binoculars ... Love to all - WeThree