GHM to Port Augusta - Part 1 - 2010

Denis and Colleen - Free camping on the Road

Free camping near Kingaroy 2009

May to August 2010

Trip via Broken Hill, Port Augusta, Alice Springs, Jabiru and return via Mount Isa,
Charters Towers to Glass House Mountains

Preparation
Galaxy Southern Cross 4 18'6" Caravan and Navara Dual Cab ST-X serviced and packed. All caravan systems tested via AC, gas and generator. 104 Tac Sign installed.

Click map on right for route overview.

2010 Caravan Trip - Part 1 - Home to Port Augusta Map

Map 1

Click on Photos for larger view

4-5 May Start from Home to Yarramalong Weir (Camps 5, Site 726), Queensland Arrived after driving up the range from Esk to Toowoomba in heavy cloud. Also had problems locating the Weir as GPS not recorded correctly on Oz Free Camping Web Site. Will check Camps 5 info. My Navman reading for Weir Free Camp is -27.5009S 151.2700E Photo on right taken at Yarramalong Weir. Our caravan is in the centre distance.
5-7 May Narrabri Show Grounds (Camps 5, Site 907), New South Wales Heavy fog on leaving the Weir at 8am for first half hour. Good driving remainder of the day and arrived at Show Grounds about 2:30pm. All OK with caravan and we don't appear to have forgotten anything! Missy and Maggie travelling very well at present and are happy in their doggie pen. 6 deg in Narrabri morning 6 May!!! 2.7 deg the next morning @@#$@ Caravan battery charger U/S and small unit purchased so we can maintain battery charge for lights, water pump, etc. Will have to arrange repair when we get to Jabiru. Photos below and right taken in Narrabri

7-8 May Warren - Sandy Creek (Camps 5, Site 440), New South Wales Rest area camp site with a few overnighters. One 5th wheeler, one bus and us. Nice camp fire and drinks from 4pm. No TV signal but test (Australia/NZ) is on radio. Photo on right taken at Sandy Creek
8-10 May Cobar Caravan Park, New South Wales Arrive just after lunch. Very nice Caravan Park. No TV signal as the stations in the area use vertical transmissions and the caravan uses a wingard antenna system, which can only receive horizontal signals. Quite day for Mothers day with Gran having Breakfast in bed. Also had did a bake meal (First in the caravan) and it was very good. Photo on Right. Grand having Breakfast in bed on Mothers day with the girls. Others below taken in Cobar.

10-11 May Spring Hill Rest Area Camps 5, Site 1064), New South Wales Nice little stop road stop about six vans spending the night at the site. No FM Radio or TV Signals and the mobile 3G network just working from the road front of the rest area. Rang Nathan for birthday but call drop in and out. Photo on right taken at Spring Hill
11-16 May Broken Hill City CP, New South Wales 11 May - Arrived OK however little bit of a head wind, which is not good for towing and the hip pocket. Great looking town and the first job was a bath for Missy and Maggie plus the weekly shopping. Washing on Wednesday morning and then some sightseeing! 12 May - Town sightseeing, the living desert and sculpture symposium, Pro Hart Art Gallery and the Mines Memorial (approx 800 have been killed in Broken Hill since the mining started!). 13 May - Visited Mundi Mundi Lookout and Silverton (Location of the filming of Max 2 and other films). Also the Jack Absalom Art Gallery. We both met Jack at his Gallery (Great old fellow). 14 May - Heritage drive around Broken Hill. Lots of old buildings from the late 1880's. Did a walk around the shopping centre with M & M in the afternoon and replaced my camp chair that broke after 38 years of service! 15 May - Visited two more Art Galleries and marched in the afternoon with the 1RAR Veterans from the Battle of Coral. Photos below and right taken in and around Broken Hill Note: 15 May - Battle of Coral Service at VV Memorial (166 Crystal St) between 4-5pm



16-18 May Mildura River Road CP, Victoria 16 May - Easy drive with lite rain from Broken Hill to Mildura via Wentworth. Stopped at Wentworth to view the junction of the Darling and Murray Rivers. 17 May - Looked around Mildura. Photos below and right taken in and around Mildura

18-19 May Waikerie CP, South Australia Waikerie in the riverland - Where the hell are we!!! Photo on right taken in Waikerie
19-24 May Highway One Caravan & Tourist Park CP, Bolivar, South Australia 19 May - Arrived Adelaide mid day and first task was a bath for M & M at the doggie washing. Both dogs were starting to look and smell like dirt bags! Also did some washing and arrange to see John and Di tomorrow. 20 May - Visited our friends from the Army days, John and Di at their lovely house in the Adelaide Hills. 21 May - M & M in Kennel and we flew to Melbourne, as Nathan and April are getting married tomorrow. Met our new Grandkid, Tyler. He is now a Bronco kid! Stay with Nathan and April, with Paul and Sarah came over for a drink or two in the evening. Bloody cold in Melbourne! 22 May - April and Nathan were married in a lovely service. Caught up with our old Army friends Alf and Lyn. Also saw our old house in Warralong Ave, Watsonia. Still cold in Melbourne! 23 May - Flew back to Adelaide, pick up a very happy M & M to continue our journey up the centre to Sharon, Mr T and the Pieman. M & M cannot wait to see Star! Rain and windy overnight. Photo on right Maggie at the doggie wash -Missy next! Also on right M & M waiting to go to the kennel - Not happy Jan! Photos below Adelaide and Melbourne. Notes: Missy and Maggie in Kennel. Nathan and April getting married (22 May)


24-25 May Port Augusta Shoreline CP Good trip up to Port Augusta. Trip so far - travelled 3411km, using 631 litres of diesel (18.36 litres per 100km average). End Trip Part 1. Next "Part 2 - Port Augusta to Jabiru", see below.