3 Year Review (Ute and Camper)

Hello all

Time has flown, and I find it hard to believe it is 3 years since I headed to Hervey Bay to pick up my new Palomino Camper.

all shiny and new Nov 2012

 Both the Ute and Camper have earned their keep during that time.

travels since November 2012

 The Ute had 5,000km on the clock when I collected the Camper............it now has 115,000km on the clock.
I remain humbled by the numbers of visitors I get on this site. Numbers have dropped a little while working here for a while, and no doing regular posts, but normally sit at well over 1000 views per month.
It truly blows me away that other people find my dull boring life interesting .......

The good news is around the end of January the journey will resume.
I haven't decided where to, as yet but definitely looking forward to hitting the road again after a 6 month stint of work.
I will tell you one thing for free..............I like the heat, but after over 2 months, where a cool day is 35c and about another six weeks to come, wherever I head will be coastal and cool......
Most days sit between 37c and 41c 
On weekends I open the door to head out somewhere only to be hit with 41c heat, think "stuff this" and retreat back inside the airconditioning.

Depending on the weather over Christamas, I do hope to load up the camper and head away for a red dirt Christmas. Hot days I can cope with but not hot night in the camper. It very much depends on night time temperatures.

I often get sniggers about my decision to buy a Great Wall ute...........let me explain my reasoning.

2012 V200 Great Wall cab chassis $22999 drive away
most alternatives at the time sat around the $42000 mark
I intended to keep the vehicle long term,, so resale value wasn't a consideration

Current Red Book Trade in value puts it at around $10000
alternatives are valued at around $23000  trade in value,

Over a 3 year period I have lost $13000, if I had purchased a more expensive vehicle, I would have lost at least $20000. 
I also didn't have to find an additional $20000 to buy my Ute had I chose an alternative.

The Great Wall has astounded me with it's ability to handle the tough roads and tracks. Remember that I had driven it along a lot of the worst roads and tracks this country has to offer................mostly with up to 800kg on the back!

Both the Ute, and the Camper, a Palomino Bronco B600 PalominoRV Australia 
have preformed beyond expectations. Both have taken thousands upon thousands of kilometres of rubbish roads in their stride.
I look forward to many more kilometres, once I finish work late January.

Since mounting my Solar Panels on the roof of the Camper it has made keeping the battery charged a lot simpler. It just looks after itself when camped and driving keeping the battery topped up.
The only modification I would like to do is to upgrade the Wineguard TV antenna to a Wineguard Sersar. A lot of SA and WA especially, broadcast vertical TV signal which makes reception difficult in these areas. The upgrade antenna I would like picks up both horizontal and vertical transmissions.
The $250 upgrade price is putting me off a bit though. Maybe Santa might bring me one HAHA
As I write this at 8.30pm, it is still 33c outside.........oh how i long for a sea breeze and a beach.

That's about all the news I have at the moment but thing will get back to normal in a bit over 5 weeks when I hit the road again.

Until then, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, drive safely over the holiday period and stay safe.
Bye for now.

 

 

 
  

 

 
 

 

A town like Alice Part 2 and Reflections on Life (reposted)

Hello All
I though I had better let you all know I am still around.
Having been in Alice since mid July, it is now getting a bit warm for weekend trips away but I will try.
The 7 day forecast reads..............39c, 38c, 38c, 35c, 35c, 36c, then back to 38c

Now that the weather has warmed up the tourist season is well and truly over, with only a stubborn few Backpackers and Grey Nomads remaining.

I think I have been here long enough to form some sort of opinion..........which is...........a nice place to visit but I don't want to live here......my six months will be enough for me.

Why you ask? maybe you don't LOL
Well, while there a lot of lovely people here, there also seems to be an abundance of what I call..........self appointed Big Fish in a relatively small pond.
Let me explain that statement............people who think they are "top shit" here, but in the real world of maybe Melbourne or Sydney would be eaten up and spat out  very quickly indeed. The only reason they are employed at all is because this is Alice Springs.
As the old saying goes..............you pay peanuts and all you attract is monkey's.

OK moving on......................
The other thing I have noticed since temporarily rejoining society, is how material people have become.
If you don't have the latest IPhone or newest car then you are treated as some sort of Leper or Weirdo.
Personally I cannot understand why people are so eager to give away their hard earner money on things that, in the "big scheme of things" aren't really important at all.

This leads me to the next topic...................it is 2 years ago tomorrow (26th October) since my beautiful loving Mother Passed away. 
Although I have travelled a lot of this country since, and seen a lot of things, I still miss her greatly and think about her every day.

Miss you Mum RIP

So I thought i would re post my "Reflections on Life" from 2 years ago, not only as a tribute but also as a reminder to those who have forgotten about the IMPORTANT things in life.  

Next month is time for my 6 monthly review of the Camper and Ute and hopefully I may get a weekend away too.
 
 Bye for now............

Monday, October 28, 2013

Reflections on Life

This post is not one of my usual destination or trip based story, but then again maybe it is.............. this one is a few ramblings of mine about life's destinations and a bit of reflection.
 A year ago I made a few life decisions, I thought long and hard about where I was in life, what I wanted out of life and future directions.
Maybe it was a mid life crisis, I don't know..........
Sometimes we devote a lot of time to the things that don't really matter, yet often forget to give time to the things that DO matter. We also tend to devote a lot of time to being greedy and the quest to have the largest Television or the best car in the street. With this in mind I concluded that I needed to work until I was at least 85 years old to get everything I would like.
If I chose to lower my expectations a little I could achieve a lot of my dreams a lot sooner, maybe not so comfortably, but I am 30 years younger and if I retired at 85 years old it wouldn't be easy climbing up Uluru or King's Canyon with my walking frame or getting into Twin Falls in Kakadu with a mobility scooter.
With all this running around in my head I chose to leave my office life in Melbourne, the hustle and bustle and traffic woes to return to my town of birth and spend some quality time with my elderly mother, who was starting to slow down a little and needed a bit of help, interspersed with regular camping trips.
Little did I know how short that quality time would be....................October 2012 was retirement, June 2013 my mother had a stroke and after a hospital stay needed to go into assisted living as doing basic things herself was no longer possible. September 2013 another stroke and major deterioration in mobility, sight, speech, and awareness. October 2013 my beautiful loving mother lost her fight and passed away.
The point in all this is I chose to devote more time to the things that DO matter. That choice enabled me to spend a lot of quality time with my failing mother. The memories of the time we spent together, even in the last days, when communication was difficult, will be cherished and remembered far longer than that big TV or nicer vehicle I could have purchased had I stayed in Melbourne. I am so grateful I made this choice and got the chance to help my loving mother when she needed it most and repay her for all the times she helped me unconditionally when it was needed.

Mum 19/12/1922 - 26/10/2013

With tears we saw you suffer,

 As we watched you fade away, 

Our hearts were almost broken, 

As you fought so hard to stay. 

We knew you had to leave us, 

but you did not go alone, 

For part of us went with you, 

The day you left for home.

Rest In Peace Mum all the pain and suffering is over. Thank you mum for everything I will never forget you and love you so much.
I have treasured memories which I will never forget that are far  more valuable to me than having the largest satellite dish in the caravan park.
So I suppose this blog is just to remind people to be nice to each other and to take the time to smell the roses and enjoy life. Don't get tied up and stressed out trying to achieve something you think might make you happy, but probably won't........concentrate on the things that really matter.

Chambers Pillar and Owen Springs

Hello All
I had a long weekend last weekend so decided to load the camper and head off for a few days.
So off to Chambers pillar I headed.

Chambers Pillar

 Before I left town , I managed to catch up with Craig, Shantelle and the girls, who I first met at Dampier WA and then further up the coast and the Kimberley.

http://arewethereyettimes3.blogspot.com.au/ 

Shantelle has a way with words and tells it like it is ......wart's and all. I always have a chuckle at her postings. They are lovely people so I spent a few hours with them before heading off.
The run down the South road was uneventfull.

The road, although rough, was easy and I arrived at the Campground for a lazy afternoon. It was good to be back in the Camper, which I now consider home.

Ruined Castle

 The colours at sunset were beautifull, but after a pretty windy night I wasn't up early enough for sunrise.

Chambers Pillar From camp

Until the coming of the railway in the 1920s, the Pillar was a landmark in the desert on the long overland journey from Adelaide to Alice Springs. 

Many of those early travellers have left a record of their visit in the soft, white sandstone including John Ross and Alfred Giles both in 1870. 

More recently,visitors have added their names or graffitied the rock face.

Chambers Pillar

The next morning there were tell tale Dingo tracks everywhere in the red sand, but I didn't hear any howls during the night.

Chambers Pillar

the surrounding countryside from the Pillar

From Chambers Pillar, I decided to head back via the Hugh River Stock Route. I last travelled this Route in 1986 when I took my mother and father to show them Central Australia.

some Camels along the Hugh River Stock Route

 From there I overnighted at Redbank Waterhole, where a couple of Tourists decided that the other side of the dry Hugh River looked more inviting to camp. Their vehicle and camper trailer rapidily sank to diff level in the soft sand. So the late afternoon was spend recovering them from the soft sand.
From there I followed the Owen Springs Track back to Larrapinta Drive and Alice Springs.

Owen Springs homestead Ruins

 As it gets a little less hectic in town, with the travellers leaving as the weather warms up I intend doing posts on things to do and see around here. On my list is The Desert Park, the Ghan Museum and the Pioneering Womens Hall of Fame in town, and further afield, Palm Valley and the Western MacDonnell Ranges, The Eastern Macs and Old Andado.

Bye for now.........

A Town like Alice

Hello all
As I mentioned in an earlier blog I intend to feature blogs of thing to do and see around this area while here.

Firstly, to the person or people who organise things here...........you deserve a medal!

There seems to be something on every weekend, sometimes more than one thing. This is great for tourism in the town. And great for the "hit and run traveller" as there will usaully be something on while here. But as someone who is here for an extended time,  I need a rest....

This week is the National Road Transport Hall of Fame Reunion, with well over 5000 visitors in town driving everything from World War 2 Military vehicles, 1957 Clipper Coaches and every size and shape truck configuration imaginable.

Two weeks ago was the Henley on Todd Regatta, along with visits from the Aston Martin, Masseratti Lamboghini and Ferrari Car Clubs taking advantage of unlimited speed limits on some of the Stuart Highway.

Diablo 0 Holden Astra 1

Lanboghini Diablo vs Holden Astra

 Next Week is the Red Centre Nats, think Easter Nats in Canberra, Drag races, burnout competitions, Gymkhanas and Parades, closely followed by 'King of the Mountian' running race to the top of Mount Gillen and the transmission Towers and the Desert Song Festival. 

this was 5k south of town!!! imagine the people further in.

one tractor had a sign on the back. Newcastle to Alice 2015! you would have to love tractors...

Today was the Convoy through town of all the trucks, approaching 1000 vehicles. 

It started on the North side of town and travelled to the Hall of Fame about 8k South of Town.

I heard on the radio that the last truck in the convoy was expected to be out near the Tanami Track turnoff over 20k out.

The parade was like a John Farnham Farewell Tour!
Just when you though you had seen the last of it.................more came.....................over 3 hours later......

The weekend after next is a long weekend for me, so I hope to get away in the camper. There are so many places to explore around here. I hope to head to either Palm Valley or Chambers Pillar for a few days relaxing.
Bye for now..............

Henley on Todd

Hello all
Today was the Henley on Todd in Alice Springs, I have been having a bad week and it continued today.
I woke up with good intentions and headed off to see what it was all about.

Unfortunately soon after I got there I realised I had forgotten to charge my camera batteries,  As a result, don't have many photo's

paddling event

 Henley on Todd is essentially a Surf Carnival/Regatta run in a dry river bed ( the Todd River in Alice Springs)

Budgie Smuggler Dash

Pirates versus the Vikings

It was an entertaining day with all sorts of antics.

greasy pole

 The theme of the day seemed to be sabotage and cheating.

Henley on Todd

Pirate ship

Unfortunately, this is about when my batteries in my camera died..............sorry about that, but I think you get the idea of what the day is about.
I plan on doing a few post about events and things to do in the area while here, so stay tuned.......
Bye for now
 

Darwin to Alice Springs

Hello all
From Darwin I headed basically straight down to Alice Springs. I have accepted a job there for a while to top up the bank balance.
With Rego renewal, insurance, and new tyres looming very soon, the bank balance was needing a top up.
Travelling is a very expensive pass time, every time you pull up in a town, supermarket and fuel alone leave you $200-300 poorer. 
Everyone wants a slice of the pie, every way you turn someone has their hand out.
Entry fees, camping fees, van parks, supermarket, fuel, tours, new battery, vehicle service... the list goes on............  
There were a few places I would have liked to stay a while at, but unfortunately I was time limited.

Longreach Waterhole near Elliott

 With below zero temperatures still happening in Alice I wasn't in too much of a hurry to subject myself to those.................

Longreach Waterhole

 On the way down South, one of my overnighters was Banka Banka Station, where they had the cutest pet Donkey.

Pet Donkey at Banka Banka

Banka Banka

I am now in Alice Springs for a while, and mostly I am chilled to the bone...............the first morning working was -1c, the second morning was -2c and thats when my vehicle battery decided to call it quits. 

Standing around in those sort of temperatures trying to jump start the ute is not my idea of fun. Friday and Saturday made up for it though with 27c and 30c
The mornings are still cool though. 
During the time I am here I will do updates on the things to see and do around Alice Springs.
There are so many great places around here and I plan to spend quite a few weekends exploring the area, so stick with me, there will be updates but probably not so often for a while.
Bye for now.
 

Kakadu, Gunlom Falls and back to Darwin

Hello all
After Ubirr I headed down to Gumlom, this place is stunning and really impressed me when I came here in 2011. Last year it was still closed, as it was early in the season, so I had to miss coming in again.

Gunlom (Waterfall Creek)

 I pulled into Mardugul Campsite adjacent to Cooinda in Kakadu and made camp. My neighbours were Steve and Karen. In June 2014, at Bramwell Roadhouse, on the way to Cape York, I camped with them, and then again in September 2014, at Inskip Point. 
It really is a small world........

Steve and Karen at Gunlom

 So, still being school holidays in the Northern Territory, I started the climb to the top of Waterfall Creek along with about 60 or 70 of my close friends....................

top of Gunlom

Gunlom

plunge pool below Gunlom

Gunlom

camp from the top of Gunlom

The road in was in a lot better condition than 2011, but still has it's fair share of corrugations.
The new suspension definitely rides better over the corrugations, with a lot less bump and thump going on.

Below Gunlom Falls

looking towards the falls from camp

Unfortunately the gas jets in my fridge are once again blocked. This means another trip back to Darwin to get it looked at. I decided to cut back along the Old Jim Jim Road.

So here I am in Darwin again, fridge fixed, and tomorrow I will start heading out to the Douglas-Daly region.
Bye for now.