Our original plan was to do the big loop this year going via South Australia. However now, thanks to the COVID pandemic, it’s been over 18 months since we’ve seen our precious daughter and granddaughter who live at Eumundi, QLD. We will spend quite a while with them in what has become a second home town. Catching up with other family and friends in QLD will be lovely too.
From Eumundi we will head northwest via Longreach, Winton, Mt Isa and Katherine before we turn to the west and the Kimberley.
The usual arrangements for securing the home and our furry family and having catch-ups with family and friends here are underway as well as preparing the van and truck for the journey. Oh and ourselves with a plethora of medical/dental checks. Everything is in best working order so we can enjoy and come home safe and sound.
I haven’t written a blog since our 2013 voyages on SS Delphian in Indonesia and Malaysia with Cec and John. I am inspired to write one again as I read our yachtie friend Jacquie Hope’s wonderful book ‘Just me at sea’. She sailed around the world singlehanded. We are just travelling on land two-up.
This trip will have some unique challenges such as many more caravanners on the road than usual, including lots of newbies, and possible border and quarantine issues. We will have to plan ahead and book more than usual, especially during school holidays. We are fully selfcontained so free camping is the norm.
Greater distances and less internet range require extension of communication options to UHF radio.
Having said all that, our aim is to have another huge adventure and lots of fun meeting plenty of travellers and local characters along the way and enjoying the incredible sights and experiences this country has to offer.
Hope you enjoy sharing.
Episode 3 family time at Eumundi
The Eumundi Showgrounds are a great spot to camp and very handy to town but limited to three nights at a time. So after an explore on WikiCamps we find this little gem - Cooroy No Worries RV Stop. Big sites with blue stone (so no puddles), squares of real grass to put pegs in for annexes and artificial grass to step out onto. Beautiful gardens and a lake with lily pads. Lots of undercover relaxation and communal cooking spaces.
Our days start meeting Kerryn and Olivia at one of the favourite coffee spots where we chat with locals of all ages, and Olivia plays with friends in the park before they head over the road to start school. The usual chores, shopping, reading and visits to local towns and attractions fill our days until we take turns to read to Olivia at bed time. We find it’s easier to go back to our van to sleep so two humans and five animals at Kerryn’s can keep in routine.
Our truck has been easily recognised in town by the blue kayak on top and Olivia’s red canoe on top of that. Her canoe has come down now and she has successfully had a paddle on the river at Noosaville. We had hoped she would be down for lots of visits to Mount Martha to use it at our bay beaches but sadly COVID has prevented that so now it will stay in Eumundi.
We are off for a few days to Brisbane to see our Vanuatu friend Ann and then Colin’s cousin Liz at the Gold Coast.
