Home Town - Port LincolnEnded up staying 10 days in Port Lincoln, we had some work done on the vehicle and upgraded the brakes (new rotors and pads). It’s 3-1/2 ton of Caravan fully loaded we are towing.
Departed Lincoln 30th June for a slow drive back to Queensland. Yes well slow it was our first stop was 20k's up the road for lunch at the Wheatsheaf Hotel.
The wheatsheaf Hotel was spared from the recent fire's but it sure was a close call only meters down the road house's lost.
Our next camp was back on the farm in Verran, Driver River. A great roast dinner with Linden.
Port Augusta, thru Horrocks Pass in the Flinders Ranges – 69 Years after Dad took photos there March 1936. On to Peterborough, checked out the Centennial Quilt, real neat story. Camped at Yunta – one pub and a servo station, oh, and an Outback Internet post office, a quiet town you could say.
On to Silverton (Broken Hill) – location of the Mad Max Movie. Camped at a magic camp spot at Penrose Park, visited the Old Day Dream Mine - fascinating history and great scones, jam & cream. Sue wanted the cook, Jason, the son of the tour operator. Alas we managed to get the recipe, not Jason.
Meet up with a mate, ex-Barrow Island, and his 5th Wheeler. When we departed way’s he was heading from Broken Hill to Ceduna road house for a feed of King George Whiting - it’s a long day’s drive for a feed of fish -907 k's in fact.
We headed down to the Menindee Lakes area, visited Burke & Wills camp site, and camped at Pamamaroo Lake – for those interested here’s the coord’s - S 32 19 E 142 27.
Menindee Lakes took us to Ivanhoe - 200k’s of dirt road and only two vehicles.
Ivanhoe to Cobar, Bourke (back O’Bourke), Barringun, the Queensland border, warmer already. On into Cunnamulla - neat town now, Dorothy & Stuart lived there in the 80’s for two years, a real hick town in those day’s it seems.
Camped at Nardoo Station – just for the hot water spa, it was worth it.
Bollon was our next camp for a couple of days. A magic spot on the Wallam River, their claim to fame is Koala’s, - yep we had a koala camped right in front us but too high in the trees for a photo. 
Music to the ears, but this was Sue’s 1st encounter with rain (on a tin roof (aluminum) pelting on the caravan in the middle of the night – rather distracting.
On the way to Moonie at a rest stop, an old bloke and his dog stopped for a leak (the dog). He lives in Yowah - an Opal town west of Cunnamulla, any way he was doing an 1,850km round trip just to see the Doctor.
Rolled thru Moonie and camped about 80k’s out on an old road construction site with heaps of Cacti. On thru Dalby, checked out the Macca’s deli & salad plus, must say it was very good. (Turkey & cranberry, hot roll ) - Now for an ex-Subway franchisee to say that it’s sure is serious competition.
Yamison rest area near the Bunya Mt was a great camp, complete with BBQ and toilet facilities (compost type ). Stoked up a roaring fire, and the fire warden came down to check out the smoke. No drama, “just make sure the fire is out when you depart”. No problem there. 2355hrs the forecast rain that had been following us for a week finally caught up with us, it rained heavy until day light, Sue’s second night of rain on a tin roof!! In fact we nearly got bogged as we went thru the dip before getting up onto the formed road.
At 1009hrs we hit the first lot of traffic lights – bugger!! - back in the rat race. Visited the Bushtracker manufacturer to schedule some modifications ( remove bunks and install pantry, and external utility locker ). Then it was back out bush, before heading down to the Gold Coast.
Found a magic spot to camp, near Hinze Dam, 20 minutes from down town Surfers.
In no time flat we were heading for the airport to park the units at Sky Parking - a good deal for three months.
We traveled 6,451 K’s towing the Bushtracker, and another 1,000ks unhitched during our 7 weeks on the road. Plus 2,700k’s in the hire camper van, so you could say we covered some miles.
Home and catching up on the golf, bike riding, touring, fly casting practice and planning out next tour down under and oh! we forgot – the delicious and spicy Thai foods!!
Until our next tour & Blog – Cheers from us both.
Graham & Sue
