The Outback

Way out west where the rain don't fall............................

I'll sing you the desert, where black men sailed 

Waterhole to water, where white men failed

Taking the Kidman Way north

See the face of dreamers, forgotten souls                 

Hear the voice of cattlemen, crackle in the coals      
Maybe we will learn what's written in the sand

A thousand generations living off the land
I'll sing you the waters running through the town
Wildflowers and Wattles when it settles down
The Outback is impossible, forever and it's free
No way can I find an end to what it means to me.
                                      John Williamson (Gunya album)

Everyone loves Cairns
They come from near and far
But way out west where the dust is red

Dry riverbed art

You'll find a shining star.

We left the coast for a change of pace
The back road we did take
From Charters Towers to the Lynd Junction
We drove without a break.

At Fletcher Creek we set up camp
The surrounds was our reward
Road trains rumbled and cattle chewed
Where Ludwig Leichardt explored.
                                                                                                                              
Further west  to Hughenden
Where skies are wide and blue
Just out of town, at Porcupine Gorge
For a sense of deja vu.

Peace and quiet, not a soul in sight
We climbed down to the river
To soak weary feet and contemplate
This land, surely does deliver.

Longreach, Winton and back block camps 
A red and dusty road
Southward down to Thargomindah
Where the land opens wide to explode.

The Adventure Way will take you east
Through dry lakes and opal towns
Where houses don't matter, just a simple life
As smiles replace your frowns.
                                         Shirley.

Charters Towers, Greenvale, Fletcher Creek, Hughenden, Porcupine Gorge, Longreach, Winton, Stonehenge, Jundah, Toompine, Quilpie, Windorah, Thargomindah, Yowah.

Neighbours at Fletcher Creek

Road Trains at Fletcher Creek

Waterhole at gorge

Camp at Porcupine Gorge

                                                       

Spinifix Grass Bladensburg National Park

Aborigines forced to leap to their death from Skull Rock

     

Gidgee borders the road

Life and Death

                          





             

Horses wander freely at Greenvale

Apostle birds by camp at Bladensburg

                                           

Longreach locals

Coalfield

Road to Toompine

Quilpie in the distance

Sunrise

Quilpie caravan park

Electricity at Thargomindah

Thargomindah dry river

Camp on the Cooper

Stonehenge Pub

Jundah Caravan Park

Yowah Opal Museum

Yowah dunny




Ah yes, twas a good trip................

Hey, it's Christmas

There's a storm across the valley, clouds are rollin' in
The afternoon is heavy on your shoulders.

Snowy with annexe

There's a truck out on the four lane, a mile or more away    
The whining of its' wheels just makes it colder.

Hey it's good to be back home again
Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend
Hey it's good to be back home again.
John Denver and others




Once upon a time Snowy went to Queensland. He loved going to Queensland because he always had new adventures.
But one day, when the sun was shining and the birds were singing and everything was perfect, something bad happened. Snowy was carefree and cruising down the highway, when suddenly, BUMP, he had an accident.
Snowy did not see two big obstacles on the road until it was too late.
Oh dear. Snowy ran out of puff. He was injured.
Snowy was very sad. He was sent to a mechanic who shook his head and said, "I cannot fix it because I don't have the tools."
So they sent Snowy away to another mechanic who put Snowy in a corner ad forgot about him....

.......................Fast forward.....................................

Earlier blogs tell the story. Snowy still does not understand why it took him 4 months to get home. Neither do Bill and Shirley. 
After being half fixed in Toowoomba, Snowy was shipped to Melbourne where his gas tank was finally restored. "Thank you" to Arthur in Frankston who worked with speed and understanding. It was Arthur who kept in contact with us and finally was able to tell us when it was okay to drive Snowy home.

Hey Mr Insurance Man, I'm still waiting to hear from you. 

But, we're happy now as we have Snowy home for Christmas.

4 months!
4 months!
4 months!

Letter to Insurance Ombudsman on its way.

There's blue skies across the city, sunshine beating down
The afternoon crickets are all singing
The turkey's in the oven, the beer is on the ice
Christmas in Melbourne is swinging.

Hey it's good to back home again
Sometimes this old town feels like a long lost friend
Hey, it's good to be back home again.


        MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM SNOWY AND BILL AND SHIRLEY

Moon River

Huon River

Moon River wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style someday
You dream maker, you heartbreaker           Wherever you're going, I'm going your way
(Andy Williams and others)

When I think of Tasmania
I think of water.
Her rivers dark with tannin
Moody as the sky
Pristine, peaceful, perfect
Reflecting the life that dwells nearby.
Rivers criss-cross the countryside and
Meander with stealth through rainforests
Filtering through land and soil

Bush camp near Geeveston

Gushing through gullies
Brimming with birds and fish
Calling for us to come
Sharing her resources
Asking that we care.

Swans at Huonville

Old Mill at Deloraine

Liffey Falls

Alum Cliffs

Mersey River, Latrobe

Derwent River Hobart

Bubbling brook through town

Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain

Bridge at Campbelltown

Bush camp at Oatlands

Bruny Island

Causeway to Dodgers Ferry

The Huon

Dodgers Ferry

Russell Falls

Lake Claire

Crossing a river on the way to Lake Claire

Dams are full

Bridge over Tamar River

Rainbow after the rain

Just some of Tasmania's rivers.

                                                                                                                            

Roam

All in a day's journey
Melbourne to Devonport, Tasmania.

Roam if you want to
Roam around the world                                      
Roam if you want to                                             
Without wings, without wheels
Roam if you want to
Roam around the world
Roam if you want to
Without anything but the love we feel.

B52's

As we wait for Snowy
We wander back in time
To another place
Another trip
In this wonderful country of mine.

Aboard "The Spirit of Tasmania"
We ventured across Bass Strait
Arriving at Devonport on "the apple isle"

Swimming in The Bay of Fires

By approximately half past eight.                                      

For a month we wandered
Winding round the countryside
Highways and byways unravelled
Exposing her beauty bona fide.


Beaches
Farmland
Forests
Villages quaint
Mountains in snow
Rivers in flow
Sleepy city upon the River Derwent
Pristine wilderness
You've gotta go!                                                    

Cosy Corner Camp



to be continued...................

Hop step and jump from Cosy Corner

Everybody Knows

Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
Everybody got this broken feeling like their father or their dog just died
Everybody talking to their pockets
Everybody wants a box of chocolates
And a long stem rose
Everybody knows.

Leonard Cohen

Tomorrow is eleven weeks since the bottom fell out of Snowy....is there anybody out there who remembers?

And for eleven weeks we have been waiting, waiting, waiting.
For the assessor's reports
For the car to be moved elsewhere
For the mechanics to scratch their heads and make a diagnosis
For the mechanic to have a cup of coffee
For the insurance broker to follow it up
For the mechanic to order parts
For the parts to arrive from Japan
For the mechanic to change his diagnosis
For the mechanic to scratch his bum
For the insurance broker to call
For another week....

And so it goes, everybody knows.

Yes, I see you now nodding your head in recognition of the incompetence of insurance companies. Do they honestly care about their clients?
Not my bloke.
He wouldn't start the claim until I faxed him a Claim Form. Never mind that I was in a tiny Queensland town with a broken down car.
Hmm, where can I go to get my hands on a fax machine?
Sorry, I have no credit card for the hire car to get me home. 
What's that you say? Can I ask a friend for a loan of their credit card so I could hire a car to get home? 
Oh, I wonder if I can make friends quickly in this little town. Do you think they will lend me their credit card?
Well thank you, Mr Insurance Man for finally agreeing to pay for the hire car.
And for your kind words of reassurance that you will look after us.
What's that you say? The insurance will only pay for two days to get home? 
Okay, we had better start driving as we shall need to cover at least 700km a day to make it to Melbourne by Saturday.
Lucky we are seasoned travelers. What would I do if I were not able to drive that distance? 
Where's the insurance broker's phone number? I have to keep ringing him to find out what's going on.

Well, we don't know what's going on. Didn't even know where my little camper was for a while. Still not convinced it is where they tell me it is...and now they say they are going to return it unfixed....on the back of a truck....with a stop over in Sydney....and it could take a week to get here....that's if it doesn't get lost in transit. Ho Ho Ho, we may get it by Christmas.

Good on you CMCA
I love your motto
            "Laugh more
                    Live Longer"

I'm trying real hard not to cry.

Snowy in Tasmania 2009

For some reason the creative juices aren't flowing.
No rhyme
No verse
Just a curse.