DEB'S Travels 2024

02/09/2024

2/9/2024 (add on)

Thank you Kandie for my lovely office.
Works a dream.
Love the colour.

02/09/2024

2/9/2024
WOW - where did that time go?
Darwin has been amazing, lovely time with Kandie with lots done while there.
Back on the road on my way back for Granddaughter time and after a night at Mataranka, and a long drive to Camooweal have arrived at Corella Dam and am parked up in an area that back in May/June was under water.
Stay here until next Sunday and then a quick trip back to Brisbane.

16/06/2024

17/6/2024

Seems cold at 15C how weird.

15/06/2024

15/6/24

Mataranka - with only 300 km to drive today to get here it was a very leisurely day.
Surprised myself by being able to reverse the camper into my spot and set up really quickly.
Temperatures in low 30's on arrival.
Birthday wishes to AJ and then a couple of hours in the spring waters.
They have certainly done some work here since I was here last.
Booked until Thursday in powered site - will get some work done over the next few days and then make a decision about staying until Saturday with 3 weeks of school holidays starting on Friday.

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15/06/2024

14/6/24

Travelling day - Camooweal to Newcastle Waters free camp (300 km short of Mataranka). Camp was great but the toilets were disgusting.
We have an amazing country. I have always loved driving but the long drives are so nice. The country changes so much as you go. Acres of short grass and cattle, grain country. Areas that have been burnt off already for the coming year. Road signs that warn of the cattle on the road ahead.
The road (Barkely Highway) between Camooweal and the Barkley Homestead remains unrepaired from the floods earlier this year but damage is minimal or was so bad it is already repaired.
The road from Barkely Homestead to the 3 Ways is axle breaking, tyre puncturing if you don't drop your speed. Would be terrifing in the dark.
Got 285km for 30litres on the first section and then 215km for 22litres for the second which was lucky because diesel is over $2.35L or more from Camooweal onwards.
Love the two finger wave as you pass other vehicles.
We are a great country and the people are amazing.
As Australians we are so lucky.

13/06/2024

13/3/24

So after 2 days of work, kayaking (with lots of freshwater crocs) and socialising, headed to Mt Isa.
Great showers at the info centre, topped up the water and headed to Camooweal.
Had a feed at the Isa pub which has done bad things to my stomach so have whimped out and taken a hotel room so close to facilities.
Head off early tomorrow with the aim of being at Mataranka on Sunday.

10/06/2024

10/6/24

Oh what a beautiful day.
Kayak (twice), eat, conversation with neighbours in the camping area.
Working for a while.
Going to be hard to leave

Oh yeah. We have freshwater crocs here. Going out shortly in the hope of getting a photo or two.

Saw 2. Have photos of the smallest.

09/06/2024

9/6/24

Yesterday was a kayak in the arvo, eat, sleep and a bit of work so today I went out at 8am and up the other way on the dam.
Like glass. No wind it was amazing.
Have to work out how to take the camera tomorrow because it is magic.
Now to spend the afternoon doing some work.

07/06/2024

7/6/24 (Friday)

A cool crisp morning followed by a beautiful day.
Had an hour long kayak around the dam and got some sun.
Hard to believe it's already June.
I cooked my dinner on the Baby Weber. The learning curve is not terrible and it was a nice meal.
Camping neighbours (Heather & Jim) from South Island of NZ are heading into Mt Isa tomorrow and have offered to pick up anything I need after I said I was staying until I ran out of gas, water or food.
Will make life easier with another gas bottle and a bag of ice. (The thing I miss most about camping and a small freezer - ice)

06/06/2024

6/6/24

So I stayed at the Freedom Camp in Cloncurry last night but only because I needed to buy some groceries and top off my water tanks as I had found out about Corella Dam that's 55km west, on the way to Mt Isa, from Cloncurry.
Huge area around the dam where you basically just set up where you want.
So I have.
I think I will stay here till I run out of food and water.
Kayak is already down by the water ready for use tomorrow.
I had no issues getting in but they say if we get a lot of rain a 4WD is a must.
Hope I don't get any rain.
Good starlink and plenty of sun.

05/06/2024

5/6/2024

Said goodbye to Winton around 10am. Beautiful day, chilly morning developed into lovely day.
Had lunch at Kyuna (free camp plans so a precaution) which is under new management. Previous visits have been for fuel and maybe a soft drink, nothing much else, including the use of electricty for lights in the shop.
Now clean, more stock on the shelves, the camping area is much cleaner and a good home cooked feed.
Then a beer at Walkabout Creek Hotel (Crocodile Dundee if your too young to know what that reference is about) and onto Cloncurry.
Free camp on the edge of town, set up for the night. Was going to put the kayak in tomorrow morning but instead will head to Clem Walton Park at Corella Dam which is about 45 minutes north of Cloncurry on the way to Mount Isa.
If it's as good as they say, might stay for a couple of days so I can use the kayak because the rivers are dry again despite all the rain of couple of months ago.

04/06/2024

4/6/2024

Not so sure about today - Went to the 2nd part of the Dinosaur experience - The Dinosaur Stampede - outside of Winton and while it was excellent in its presentation they forget to tell you that the 110km (each way) is about 50km of very corrugated dirt road and it takes nearly 2 hours to get there.
And the presentation takes 40 minutes.
They do tell you that it's a 110km trip just not about the dirt road.

But, I saw (and nearly run over) some sheep who decided to run out as I travelled up the road, had to stop to allow the cows to roam across the road. Had an eagle (majestic) refuse to leave its meal on the road until I had crept right up to it in the car, emus and kangaroos.

Not a bad day after all.

03/06/2024

3/6/24

WOW - What a day.
So started the day at a free camp about 60km outside of Winton (About 35km from the turnoff to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs) after a chat with a couple of travellers got on the road and got the the facillity at around 9.30.
It cost $90 for the day with the added bonus of the Dinosaur Stampede on Tuesday. (that's 110 km down the road so have made camp in a camping ground so I can leave the camper locked up)
It was so worth it.
This is so well run.
Amazing staff, great facilities and little surprises everywhere.
It's not a theme park, its an information centre that shows the dinosaurs that have been found in the area.
Sooooo good.
They run a couple of programs where you can learn how to prepare the fossils.($120 with training given and then 10 days to be "qualified" to assist after which you can book and call in anytime to do more).
But the really exciting thing is the that you can go on a dig. Fully supervised for a week. Not the cheapest experience at $3500 for a single but it's at a real dig in August - have put my name down...will see.

02/06/2024

Midnight 3/6/24
Don't see this in the city

02/06/2024

2/6/24

So it's been a big driving day.
Left Muckadilla at 7.30 (showered at 4.30 and was ready at 6 but it was cold and dark so layed down and woke at 7 😴)
Couple of stops along the way with diesel as much as $2.31(ouch).
Saw my first emus beside the road in 8 years of the trip to Darwin. Fewer kangaroos than you would have thought.
Had one instance where a stupid red P plater was overtaking a double bogie truck on a double line. I was lucky I had the ability to pull over (a lot of the roads up here have no side area) and the truck braked allowing him to pass. For our trouble we got the finger. (I see despair for today's youth).
Then a sunset was so fast that I couldn't pull over in time to catch the colours.
Parked up about 60km outside of Winton.
Beautiful night but it's going to be cold.

31/05/2024

31/5/24

Still at the Mucka Pub.
It's raining. Nothing horrendous but makes Mubbles even better than Humpty1.
Oh. Reason for post.
I used my BBQ.
This post is more for me because it's a first (ever).

30/05/2024

30/5/24
Have arrived at the Mucka pub and set up for a couple of days as it's end of month and I have a bit of work to do.
Did a quick detour to Judd's Lagoon on the way (half way between Miles & Roma), to find a free camp by the lagoon.
Looks nice but a bit dusty with a lot of wind expected over the next few days.
Soft plans of a big day Sunday driving to Winton. But my plans are known to change so we will see.