Committed Travellers

Before we left home I replaced the external shower on the outside of the Bushtracker. It had been leaking for a while leaving a stain on the aluminium checkerplate. It was a horrid job because it was very hard to reach the fittings that had to be disconnected.

When connected to a town water supply we noticed a very slight leak at one of the fittings I had disconnected and reconnected. I bought a couple of spare fittings and lengths of hose from the caravan shop at Moonbi on our way here.

I replaced the fittings and discovered the problem was at the end of the hose. I need a straight connector so will have to go back to Moonbi after Easter. In the meantime I cannibalised another fitting from a suction hose we have never used. This at least stopped the leak but we cannot use the outdoor shower. Blue won’t mind as that is what we use to bath him.

Many more people have arrived at our caravan park. It will be full for next week but our two caravans, one large motorhome and one small motorhome have created a private enclave.

One of our friends gave Tilly this bag to play with. She loves being in a bag. She and Blue have spent most of the day outside on their leads or in their playpen.

We drove to Tamworth this morning to have a walk and breakfast. It was so busy the best option we saw was a 30 minute wait for takeaway coffee. I settled for a quick MacDonald’s coffee!

Our rest day started with a sleep-in. It was a lovely sunny day with no wind. I bought an ordinary coffee from the BP nextdoor while Anita made banana pancakes for our brunch.

There is a lot of lush grass causing allergic reactions. I have had itchy eyes for a few days so took an antihistamine, but it caused me to be drousy all day. It was a good thing I didn’t need to drive anywhere.

Another of our Roadie friends arrived today and parked her van next to us. However, within the hour she had to move her van to another site. The owners are doing their utmost to fit in as many caravans and motorhomes as possible for the country music festival. We are all still close by, but with enough space for Tilly not to be stressed by Luvvy the other Roadie cat.

After a cold start it turned out to be a good day for travelling, apart from a couple of idiot drivers. Sections of roadway have been damaged due to the combination of much rain and heavy trucks. We need to watch the road surface to avoid hitting potholes or rough bumps in the road.

We stopped at our favourite cafe in Uralla, the Alternate Root located in an attractive 1910 building originally built as a general store. As we had Blue with us we had to sit outside. Unfortunately the vanilla slice that Anita bought from Moons Bakery was disappointing. Traffic was increasing so we didn’t linger too long as we needed to get set up in Tamworth.

Our friends were already settled on their site and we were allocated the adjacent site close to the amenities. We had to level the Bushtracker with blocks of wood under the wheels on one side, and under the front support. The sloping site made it tricky to put up the awning with its privacy screens, so that job took longer than usual.

We caught up with our Roadie friends and made sure Blue and Tilly had lots of exercise. There is a lovely grassed area at the rear of the caravan park where Blue can have a run off his lead.

We had a quiet evening but I had to stop Blue from joining in while Tilly was playing with her toys. She needs a chance to play on her own terms.

Blue was happy sleeping in his crate wearing a coat, but still woke me at 4.30am. At least he goes straight back to sleep when I snuggle him.

We had breakfast at The Local on Grey St. The proprietors pride themselves on using local produce. My sourdough fruit and nut toast was excellent, but I want butter on my toast not non-dairy products.

It was cool this morning as we walked around Glen Innes admiring the many historic buildings. The brick and sandstone post office is still called the Post & Telegraph Office. By contrast the 1873 Courthouse was constructed with local basalt and stone.

The New England Hwy passes through Glen Innes, but highway traffic does not pass along Grey St where most of the heritage buildings are located. There are some large impressive buildings along the Highway, such as St Patrick’s Catholic Church with this fabulous tower.

After doing some shopping we went back to the Showgrounds. I walked Tilly until we heard the rumble of thunder. I tossed up whether to leave the awning out, but decided to put it down as 40kph gusts were forecast. I had just finished that 20 minute job when the rain started. We settled in for the afternoon staying snug and warm in the Bushtracker watching a movie on an old DVD. Anita had stewed some plums which were delicious.

The rain eased so we drove to town to have dinner at the Great Central Hotel. I had the mixed grill – rib steak, lamb cutlet, pork sausage and lots of crispy bacon. The leftovers will feed the critters for a couple of days. It was cold and damp so we had the diesel heater on for the first time in a long time so everyone is now warm and cosy.

We had a slow start this morning, not leaving the caravan park until after 10am. There is nowhere to get coffee on the road south of Warwick until Stanthorpe, but the main entrance to the town was closed due to roadworks. We held out for our caffeine fix until Wallangarra, where we enjoyed a break at the historic railway station.

There are some intricate features on this building such as the cast iron fittings that support the verandas. The base supports are attached to the brick walls and these hold up the right angle fittings, which hold up the beams. A curious ornamentation on these brackets is similar to an upside down fleur-de-lis.

Most of the station is in Wallangarra Qld, but a small section is in Jennings NSW. I stood in Qld to take a photo of Blue sitting in NSW.

He preferred to be in Qld for his second photo shoot. As Wallangarra is above 2000 feet it is cool enough to grow deciduous trees and there are some deep red examples on the Qld side of the State border.

I have not been able to stop to see or photograph this old railway bridge, so I studied the satellite google map and spotted a nearby pull-in to a gravel pit where we could stop with the van. The bridge is the Sunnyside Rail Bridge over Tenterfield Creek built in 1888 on the now disused rail line between Wallangarra and Tenterfield. The timber trusses were chosen over brick to save money, but that appears to have been false economy.

Our final railway stop was at Deepwater which has yet another station no longer in use. Part of the building is used by the local community radio station.

Anita secured the last camping spot at the Glen Innes Showground. I chose this stop to see the historic buildings. We parked beside this exhibition pavilion which has pressed metal roofing on the turret. Some of the other old buildings need attention.

Our cute critters were keen to see their new home. The minimum temperature is forecast to be 11° so Bluey will wear his new coat. Tilly will get under the doona.

This flag is hanging from the Council Chambers in Warwick. Support for Ukraine takes many forms.

Mr Bluey woke at 3am leaving me sleep deprived. We think he might be feeling the cold so will cover his crate with the blanket to keep him warmer. It hasn’t been so cold that he needs a coat on yet. He came to breakfast with us at the Cherry Tree cafe and was polite but distant with the people at the next table who wanted to meet him.

We walked to Super Cheap Auto for a couple of 12 volt fittings for me to improve the refitting of a couple of lights in the van, hopefully without causing more problems. While Anita was in the shopping centre I walked Bluey to the caravan repair shop, but they don’t stock lights. Across the road this lovely heritage listed 1880s building caught my attention. It is St Mary’s Catholic Presbytery and has been the residence of a succession of priests and continues to serve as the administrative centre for the parish.

After taking Anita and Blue back to the Bushtracker, I headed off to see local waterfalls – Anita didn’t want to come, preferring to stay home and do the washing! I drove to Killarney to the east of Warwick, then followed Spring Creek Rd heading towards Queen Mary Falls.

My first stop was a park that is the starting point for the walk to Browns Falls. Signs warned the rough track to the falls is steep and rugged. As I did not have proper hiking boots on and was by myself, I did not proceed beyond the concrete path beside Spring Creek that runs under the road.

There is a viewing platform above Dagg Falls which did not require hiking as it is next to the parking area. There is still plenty of water in Spring Creek even though it hasn’t rained for a few days.

A bit further on the 40 metre high Queen Mary Falls can be seen after an easy half kilometre walk along a formed path. This waterfall is in the Main Range National Park, which is why Bluey could not come with me. There is a caravan park across the road, but a road sign advises that caravans not proceed further up Spring Creek Rd which leads to Boonah.

I stopped in Killarney for coffee and a walk. The Condamine River recently flooded and a sudden surge of water caused a Killarney farmer to lose his life while trying to move his cattle to higher ground. The river is fairly narrow as it flows through Killarney, but parts of the riverbank were washed away due to the force of the water.

Killarney is a small village but has a heritage centre. This wonderful statue of a bullocky with his team hauling logs is outside the centre. Special logging trucks drove through the village so logging still occurs.

We had a lovely evening with our Warwick friends who invited us to dinner. Bluey was also invited and made himself at home!

The park was quiet overnight and Bluey was quiet in his crate. He whimpered for company after we were awake. With cooler temperatures Tilly quickly found the warm places to sleep, and even converted the blanket on the crate into her own sleeping bag.

Horses were at the fence while I was walking Tilly. I went too close to them and she was very displeased, furring up and needing to get away from the monsters.

We caught up with our Warwick friends when they came for a visit at the caravan park. Blue needed a lap to sit on but Pickles and Rosie stayed on their beds.

When we stayed in Warwick in January Pringle Cottage was closed due to Covid. I went today when one of our Warwick friends was working there as a volunteer. This is an amazing complex with a wide variety of historical items. The displays are well presented, but I would have liked to see all of this Clarice Cliff jug, and not have part of it covered by the sign.

This 1916 Singer sewing machine cabinet is a very clever design and made by expert craftsmen. The handles on the drawers are carved from timber.

Another group of friends visited our Roadie neighbours. We hadn’t met any of them before but discovered we have other friends in common.

In the van I swapped a faulty light for a working light, but managed to short the 12 volt circuit which controls half of the van lights. I tracked down the problem and we both learnt how to reset the circuit. We need a new light and some fittings but these may not be available in Warwick.

For the past two months we have been busy repairing and restoring doors and verandas at home. We have run away from the unfinished jobs travelling with the Bushtracker.

We farewelled friends over dinner and again over breakfast! There was intermittent rain at the Gold Coast, but it eased off soon after we hit the road. Our original plan was to attend a Beccy Cole concert at Warwick, but after the concert was postponed we decided to still stop at Warwick for a few days.

It was a slow trip towing the van on wet roads that have been damaged by heavy rainfalls. We had two stops, refuelling ourselves with a serving of delicious tiramisu from Vivo at the Star Casino. Blue and Tilly knew we were packing the van so were relieved to be put inside their travel crate at the back of the Toyota.

As we arrived at the caravan park two Roadies drove in behind us in their motorhome with their two dogs. They were also going to be at the concert but are catching up with mutual friends who live in Warwick.

It took longer than usual to set up the van as we are on a sloping site and needed to think through the processes. I reversed onto the allocated site with our new neighbour gawking all the while. He commented that I must have done that before, and I told him I had done it twice! Another bloke who has never seen a woman tow a caravan!!

Precocious little girls kept wanting to see Blue and Tilly. I eventually had to tell them to keep away from our van. The critters ate all of their dinner and are now resting. Blue first had to dig himself a nest in Anita’s pile of pillows.

The park is full with several members of the Ulysses Motorcyle Club staying here in cabins, caravans or tents. The club is only for people aged 40+. There are several three wheeled motorcycles here in the park. Some tow small trailers or caravans. Bluey found a motorcycle couple to admire and cuddle him.

We had leftover Thai for dinner followed by two small Easter eggs. We will be having an early night, and hopefully a sleep-in tomorrow morning.

We arrived home yesterday afternoon. Blue and Tilly were so excited they did many laps chasing each other from the front of the house to the back.

It was warm as we unpacked the essentials – contents of fridge, bedding and critters’ food. We ordered take away Thai for dinner as there was no energy or motivation for cooking.

Today I did a couple of maintenance jobs on the Bushtracker. There is some unusual rust on the A frame, possibly caused by bat poop. I scrubbed off the rust and touched up with rust converter. The generator would not start so I will have to deal with that later.

The outside shower connection has been leaking so I took off the cover to see the internal workings. The main unit is pressed metal so I decided it would be a difficult repair job and ordered a new one.

We caught up with some friends over breakfast. Bluey was spooked when five big dogs came in with their two owners. He has been quiet all day and has not eaten any food or shown any interest in food.

Now of course we are watching the tennis!