07 March 2010

HUGE apologies to all my avid readers (The Stromans) for such a massive amount of time between blogs.After Cape York we had 3 months back in Karratha, which didn't really warrant a mention in the blog and then busted 2 laptops bringing us up to the here and now.So....with cider in hand I will try and rely on my scant memory to bring you up to date with our tour around Oz.

After Cape York we headed back West side for a few months to top up the travel fund and of course see some old friends.Nath got stuck in to some 12 hour shifts while I enrolled in a nursing course and studied hard for 3 months.The prospect of a full 12 weeks of work / study proved far too daunting so we choofed over to Bali for a quick 10 days kid free with about a dozen friends and had an absolute ball.

So the blog proper can really start from here.....

We arrived back to Cairns in early October and started heading down the coast towards Mission Beach and an island hopping odyssey.Mission was beautiful and very relaxed and a trip over to Dunk Island topped it right off.We headed inland to check out Tully which was totally different from how I remember, although it did remind us that it was the wettest place in Australia by pissing down for the entire time we were there.

From Mission we headed down the coast to see Julie, Billy and Amelia in Townsville.It was a lot tamer than the previous visit and Ruby made her presence known by fisting thick, nappy cream paste in to their brand new carpet and all over herself.From there we jumped on to the ferry over to Magnetic Island which is now one of our favourite spots in Australia.We stocked the esky full of drinks and ice, put the tinny in the water and headed around to the 5 bays which are only accessible by boat.We got a beach to ourselves on a gorgeous Queensland day and spent the day swimming, relaxing and enjoying the sunshine.The way back to camp was a different story as Ruby and I clung to side of the boat as the tinny battled a rising swell and rough conditions to get to shore.Never again!

After leaving Townsville we continued down the coast to Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays.All hopes of cruising the islands were dashed when we found out Nath was on standby to go offshore for a new job.The arrival of blue bottle stingers was also slightly offputting.So with promises of coming back and doing our dream yachting trip around the Whitsundays at another time, we headed off further down the Queensland coast.

We arrived in Mackay with Nath still on stand by and had a quick catch up with Kreppy and Lou before heading inland towards Dysart.Dysart is a tiny coal mining town in the interior of Queensland and also happens to be where I lived with my family until I was about 8.We visited my old house and primary school and the mine where my Dad used to work.It was amazing to go back to this place of so many old memories - it all seemed so much bigger when I was a kid!We continued heading inland in Queensland until we hit the gem fields of Rubyvale and Saphire.We went fossicking for sapphires and managed to find about 40 stones - about 8 of which we could use in jewellery.....maybe a nice reminder of this trip.

We stayed inland for a while and went further south to beautiful Canarvon Gorge.We spent a full day hiking the gorge - 22 kms all up and our legs, hips and back all felt it - we arrived back to camp completely knackered.Once again Nath did it with Ruby on his back, although I think the days of her being hoiked around on the back are numbered.The gorge itself is stunning and is totally different to anything we have seen.Nath got up like a mad b****** at 3.30am the following morning to get some dawn shots of the gorge - well worth the early rise.

We left inland Queensland behind us and headed back towards the coast.We went slightly north of Yepoon to a spot called Byfield National Park and after 6 failed attempts at trying to skull drag the troopy and camper over a sand dune to the beach, we ended up camping in the bush for a couple of nights.The language coming from Nath of these failed attempts probably shouldn't be repeated, However it did make the decision to put a turbo in the old girl to save from future abuse.We spent a couple of days exploring the coastline which unfortunately was littered with rubbish swept in from the Pacific Ocean and then caught the ferry over to beautiful Keppel Island for another lazy day on gorgeous white sand, plenty of sunshine and a few cold beers.We then spent the night in Yeppon with Steve and Glenys, some old family friends of my Mum and Dad and had a lovely night in their beautiful house overlooking the ocean and supping some fine red wine.

After this we kept heading south along the QLD coast to 1770.Odd name for a town - they just wanted to make sure that everyone knew that Captain Cook visited this area in 1770 I guess.It was his second landing in Australia and his first in QLD, hence the town calls itself, the birth place of QLD.We went on a day trip over to Lady Musgrave Island about a 3 hour journey from the mainland.As I suffer from sea sickness I was watching the swell conditions closely and in the end we bit the bullet and travelled over on about a 2.5mtr swell.I started getting worried when they began doing a demonstration of how to correctly vomit in to a travel sickness bag and tie the end correctly.As we hit the open sea I saw some faces around me go from pale to yellow to green and then the spewing began.I wasn't he first cab off the rank but I definitely wasn't too far behind - I wanted to die.The island itself is beautiful and fairly unique - I would love to say well worth the visit but I would rather go through childbirth than do a boat trip like that again.

We continued south and jumped on the ferry over to Fraser Island and promptly got bogged on one of the sand roads.Much to Naths embarrassment we got pulled out of the bog by a tour bus while about 20 Japanese tourists took our photo.We headed right to the top of Fraser and set up camp at Waddy point - where we were greeted by a dingo looking for food inside out neighbours tent.Little were we know that the dingo would later return and steal Ruby's cabbage patch baby from the front of the camper.That's right....a dingo stole my baby.We spent a few days sightseeing around Fraser going to some of the beautiful inland fresh water lakes and doing some great 4WDriving and also visiting the remote western side of the island where there was a croc sighting not long before we were there.Naths idea of launching the tinnie here was soon shut down by yours truly. The rest of the time was spent trying to avoid the crazy backpackers flying around the beach in their rented 4WD's and then we got the call we dreaded....Nath was off standby and we had to hot foot it to Brisbane so he could fly back to WA for a three week swing.Since he had been paid for past month we had been cruising around we couldn't really complain.

We quickly packed up and raced down to the bottom of the island along the Eastern shore to make the ferry over to Rainbow Beach.We were racing against a rising tide and extremely boggy sand so it was nail biting to say the least.We finally made it and travelled down to Noosa to set up before heading down to Brisbane the following morning so Nath could make his flight back West.Noosa in the Sunshine Coast of QLD is a beautiful spot and the three weeks that Ruby and I were there passed fairly uneventfully.I got stuck right in to the study again and Ruby made some mates in the van park who helped her celebrate her big number 2 birthday.

Nath came back after his first swing away and we packed up and headed back inland towards Jimna and put the troopy through its 4WD paces at Landcruiser mountain.Still staying inland we kept going south through Toowoomba and then not far from there, Allora.Allora is where my Dad was born and the reason behind Ruby's last name - so even though there wasn't much there , it held special meaning for us.We saw the hospital where my Dad was born which is now an old house and spoke to some locals about the area.

We then started heading back towards the coast, jumped on another ferry and over to Moreton Island, just off Brisbane.Moreton was fantastic - we camped right on the beach, drove all over the island and soaked up the sun and beautiful sights.Of course we managed to squeeze in a beverage at the infamous Gutter Bar before we jumped on another ferry over to North Stradbroke Island.Moreton was way quieter than Fraser and nowhere near as commercialised as North Straddie so it was a favourite for us. Nath got to test his new beaut wind turbine which worked a treat so it was happy days.North Straddie is only a short ferry ride away from Brissy so it gets crammed with weekenders from the city and is just like being in Surfers - still really nice but we didn't stay for long.

Soon enough we were back on the mainland and after 8 months we bid our beloved Queensland goodbye.We went back towards Byron and spent a night at Brunswick Heads - beautiful ocean and river town with a great pub so it was a hit with us.We then went and spent a couple of days with our friends Dave and Megan and their kids Brayden and Mia in Ballina.Dave is a confectionery rep so he stocked us up with about 15 kilos of chips and lollies before we went on our merry way...legend.

Keeping on with the downward trend we stuck to the coastline and set up in Yamba - now one of my all time favourite towns.We had an awesome spot right on the river, threw the tinny in the water and spent a few days exploring the waterways, swimming at our own private little bays and ducking over to the equally pretty town of Illuka.It was just magic and one of those perfect time when we had great weather and perfect conditions.

So after so many months of living it up on the coast we started meandering back inland starting with one of the most gorgeous drives in Australia - the waterfall way.Unfortunately the drought meant there wasn't too much water in the area but it was pretty special nonetheless.It was then on to the heart of Country and Western music,Tamworth.Stroman - this is your kind of town.We spent a while looking at the Country and Western Hall of Fame and checked out some of the sights of the festival - Nath was devastated to have missed it.We kept heading south towards Mudgee and the Blue Mountains swinging in to visit the black stump on the way through.The story behind the black stump is that way back when Australia was first settled, the black stump in Western NSW marked the boundary for police and authorities to provide assistance......beyond the black stump you were on your own.

After all this outback we headed back to one of our favourite spots, the Blue Mountains.This time we stayed at Wollemi National Park and we weren't disappointed with the beautiful scenery once again.It looked like rain when we set up but Nath decided to brave the elements and head off on a hike to glow worm tunnel.He didn't count on walking in to the middle of a thunderstorm with lightning striking down on trees all around him and his life flashing before his eyes.He made it back to camp looking like a drowned bush rat and his eyes bulging out like a couple of boiled eggs.Before we left the park we explored the old ruins of Newnes pub which is all that is standing of the town of the same name.About 40 years ago a huge flood washed away the foundations of the pub and it was closed down by the licensing board - the locals in protest organised a huge week end effort to move the pub to higher ground and it was reopened to the delight of the community.It has since closed down but every year a bit of a crowd gathers to celebrate the successful relocation of a beautiful old pub.

We then made a quick trip in to Orange to visit Brownie and Bec and then headed to the south coast for Christmas with our old travelling buddies Nic and Gerard and to meet their new addition Levi.Nath shouted himself a turbo for his beloved troopy for his birthday and spent several days with a huge grin on his face.Christmas day with Nic's family was dampened by huge down pours all day long but as usual we ate and drank ourselves silly and had a great time.

A couple of days later we sadly put Bob (the troopy) and the camper in to semi retirement and caught a flight back to Perth.Nath went straight back offshore for 3 weeks work and I spent 3 weeks in Perth working back at Escape Travel and catching up with family and friends.As soon as Nath flew back in we jumped on another plane and headed over to Fiji for a 2 week holiday within our holiday.

The first three days we spent cruising the Yasawa Islands and the famous Blue Lagoon.This was the most amazing beach I have ever seen and the experience was made all the more enjoyable surrounded by some great people we met on board and being served cocktails as we sat in the ocean.It was pure bliss.We then headed over to Plantation Island for 5 nights and Nath got plenty of surfing in while Rubes and I spent days going up and down the slide in the pool.Unfortunately this is also when Nath was hit by the dreaded Bula Belly.He wasn't the only one.....he managed to spray the entire lower level of the catamaran as we pulled in to the island much to the amusement of the welcoming committee of the jetty.

We then had a few days back on the mainland and hired a dubious looking rental car and drove from Nadi to the Coral Coast and around to Suva seeing some gorgeous sights and meeting the beautiful, friendly Fijians along the way.All too soon it was time to fly back to Australia and head down to Lake Conjola to set Ruby and I up and Nath was back to work again for 3 weeks.Ruby and I met some great people to hang out with at Lake Conjola while Nath was away and Ruby was soon well known throughout the van park.She was especially cunning in seeking out the oldies who had stashes of lollies hidden in their vans.On several occasions I found her jumping on some poor old ducks bed with her face stuffed with sweets.

With itchy feet we awaited Naths arrival and when he finally returned we spent a night with some friends we met in Fiji, Mitch, Alison and Grace before once again hitting the road!We picked up Bob and the camper and headed south towards Narooma, spending the night at Mystery Bay.It is beautiful driving this coastline - lush green hills tipping in to beautiful ocean.We headed in to Mimosa Rocks National Park and spent a few days exploring the local national parks.The weather was pretty dismal, so on the advice of my skin doctor - thanks doc - we hit the pub for lunch in Thathra which is perched on a cliff overlooking some magnificent coast line. We won a few bucks on the horses and ended up in front for the day, result.

We said a brief goodbye to NSW and headed over the border to Mallacoota in Victoria and parked ourselves up lake side for a few nights.We launched the tinny in anticipation of finding some nice fishing spots but instead found ourselves in the middle of the inlet with smoke pouring out of our brand new outboard.We putted back to shore a bit down in the mouth and decided to stick to land until our motor was sorted out and once again hit the 4WD tracks in the troopy for a bit of exploring.

We said good bye to the coast and headed inland towards the snowy mountains.We took the Monaro Highway through Cooma and bombed it up to Canberra where it was time to rip out the trackie dacks and ugg boots.We spent a couple of days visiting all the sights and the definite highlight was the amazing Australian War Memorial.You could easily spent a week looking through all the memorabilia and history they have stored there and we only managed to get 4 hours in before we were exhausted.We also went to the Australian Archives where you can look up documents relating to your family history.I didn't have much luck narrowing a search on the McMahons and Smiths, unsurprisingly, but Nath managed to find a few things from both sides of his family.

Another pack up and we were on the road to Gundagai.We got some snaps with the dog on the tuckerbox and after some questionable navigational skills on my behalf, we ended up about 3 hours overdue at Lake Blowering.This turned out to be home for a few days and also one of the best places we have camped on this journey.We spent a day just relaxing by the lake in a gorgeous grassy meadow surrounded by the snowy mountains.The area is a bit of a mecca for 4WDing and we did an amazing journey through Kosciuszko National Park to the ghost town of Ravine where Nath caught his first trout, of which there was no witness to so the authenticity is debatable.On the way back to camp we called in to the Yarrangobilly Caves and did a self guided tour through the Glory Cave before having a dip in the thermal pools where Nath allegedly caught his second trout, also unwitnessed.

After some much needed repairs were done to the campers electrics, we packed up and headed higher in to this hills and spent the night at Geehi flats which used to be a popular spot among the Sydney Elite back in the day.All that stands there now is some old huts made of beautiful river stone which were used in the construction of the snowy river scheme back between 1949 and 1974. It is easy to see why the area was so popular - the rivers are beautiful and fresh and the clearing is surrounded by alpine mountains, including Mount Kosciuszko.

We kept heading higher in to the mountains and hit Thredbo for lunch and checked out the ski hills which turn in to mountain bike runs during Summer. After leaving Thredbo we wound our way along the windy mountain roads when an unusual sound and potent smell hit us.We turned around in our seats to see Ruby power spewing her pumpkin seat all over the car, her seat, the gear in the back and herself.It was like the excorcist except orange.The poor bub was distraught and we weren't that thrilled either.A momentus clean up job ensued and Ruby got her wish she had been asking for days - she got to sit up the front with us.

We then went on to Jindabyne for a few supplies and headed up towards the ski fields of Perisher Blue and Charlottes Pass to spend the night.The next morning we drove up to Charlottes Pass which is the highest point you can take a car and then saddled up for the 18 km round trek to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko.Once again Ruby was on Naths back and I was the pack donkey carrying the supplies.It was a steady uphill climb but with the crisp mountain air in our lungs we did it fairly easily.It was a beautiful view for the entire journey but the view from the summit was incredible and well worth the trip.Unfortunately the scene up the top was not as serene as we had hoped due to the fact that there were about 150 high school kids shrieking to each other.We waited for the majority of them to b***** off, had our summit pictures taken and then cruised back down to the car park.

We hit the road straight away and jumped on the notorious Barry Way out of Jindabyne and set up camp on the snowy river.This road is mainly dirt and hugs the side of a mountain range through the alpine region with sheer drops of a few hundred metres on one side and steep cliffs on the other.There is only room for one car so passing can be tricky and luckily we only had to do it a couple of times.We left NSW for the fourth time and have finally arrived at the coast of Victoria. We spent a few days at Paradise Beach near Sale with about 20000 friendly flies, mozzies and sand flies.We couldn't get out of there quick enough this morning and have arrived in Sunny Melbourne this afternoon.So after a wicked Italian meal in Carlton we are all revved up to hit the Spirit of Tasmania ferry tomorrow on our way to the apple isle.Fingers crossed I don't leave the last months stomach contents strewn across the Bass Straight.Bye for now......and not for s o long.Love Taryn, Nath and Ruby xxxx