The Long Road Home

June - November 2021
Travelling the Outback with ute and caravan
  • 104footprints
  • 2countries
  • 135days
  • 430photos
  • 73videos
  • 17.7kkilometers
  • 6.0kkilometers
  • The departure preparations

    June 14, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Well this plan to travel Australia with caravan started a couple of years back. It was all planned for May 2020 where we were to follow the Grey Nomads into Queensland, Northen Territory, then into the vastness of Western Australia to be back to NZ for Christmas. But this world got a bit crazy and locked us all down for a while. We were very lucky to be able to spend 6 months working in NZ from October til April this year. But now it looks like our opportunity is about to happen, fingers crossed. We of course have plans in place but we have also learnt that we always run with backup plans which can give us some excitement in the unknown.

    With less than a week before we finish our employment we have been slowly selling and giving away any possessions that won't fit in a caravan and ute. We moved out of our apartment 2 days ago so a lot of accumulated stuff has already left us with almost everything else having found homes. A lot of donations to Salvos and luckily they are now open again after lockdown.We were supposed to have been in NZ for last weekend but once again covid blocked us so instead of taking a few kilos of stuff home by plane, we have had it all picked up last week to be shipped. (yet another PlanB which we prepare for)

    We spent a couple of nights with friends and then set up the caravan at the local caravan park for our last week of work. This will be the biggest test to see if what we have left will actually fit in the caravan and if the total weight of the rig with all our possessions is legal. If not we will once again trim down and donate.

    Once work is finished it's a few days with the kids and grandchildren then depending on state border rules we will head to the Big Red Bash in Birdsville. Just 2200km with about 300km of gravel at the end. This will take quite a few days for us. We are always amazed at the Australian attitude to long distance travel. Most people are quite happy to drive long days.

    Hopefully we will post again soon but the next week is going to be full-on living and working from caravan, and also saying our good-byes to our workmates,
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  • Melbourne Goodbye

    June 26, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    So we are finally here - work done and ready to roll out of Melbourne tomorrow morning. It was a weird week with some days moving slowly and others flying by. I went to the office for 3 days to escape the temptation to fiddle with more caravan sorting jobs even though we still have to wear masks in the office. Regan worked from the caravan for 4 days and then spent his last day in the office.

    Outside of work commitments we continued sorting all the stuff we had packed into the caravan and ute. The pile for the charity shop grew bigger and we even took advantage of the hard rubbish collection which was happening in the area. We do have a second pantry in the truck with duplicates of consumables such as 4 tubes of toothpaste, masses of hand wash and Regan had the record with 6 cans of deodorant so he is going to smell good for the whole trip. The first two nights in the van it dropped to 2 degrees overnight which was a good test for the red centre. The caravan performed really well.

    Finally we made it to Friday we both caught the tram together and had one last Melbourne breakfast before going to work. We were both pretty nostalgic thinking about all the fun we had had in the city and the realisation it is unlikely we will ever be locals again after this week. The day was pretty busy for both of us with lots of farewell messages and calls. It was a little strange to finish up at a job with no one in the office I left my laptop and security cards in my managers drawer and walked out the building.

    Regan had some farewell work drinks and I caught up with some friends for cocktails and dinner. When we got home we were both a little sad and pretty tired after a busy couple of weeks. Today we are having a quiet day with a few more goodbyes, and more rearranging the van to move things around for travelling.

    Still no decision on the route north to Queensland yet but we will complete our border declarations in the hope that we use them. We are quietly confident all will be ok.

    It will be bittersweet to leave as the adventure ahead is really exciting but we are leaving some amazing people who have made our time here super special.
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  • Day 2

    Family Checkin

    June 28, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    Our first stop on the way to Maryborough was the public weigh-bridge. We weren’t sure of our rig weight so a quick check showed us that we were up to total weight limit but overweight on the front of the caravan. So a little re-distribution of items and we should be all legal. We were also running with full water tanks and easily 50kg of stuff to drop off to the kids at Maryborough.

    Then only 1.5 hrs to spend time with Gareth, Jess and the grandkids. We hired a cabin in the camping ground for the family and provided an excellent idea as it gave us more space and a warm place to hang out together as a family. Camping in an Victorian winter is not for the faint hearted.

    Two days filled with playgrounds, bike rides and games of UNO, Lola is the reigning champion with a late winning streak. Safe to say Granny and Gramps are pretty tired tonight. It has been fun starting to see Sonny’s personality starting to emerge as he becomes more comfortable with us. It will be a wrench to leave them in the morning knowing we won’t see them quite as regularly as we have.

    We have decided to travel to the Big Red Bash via South Australia. It is quite daunting as we will tackle the Birdsville track which is 500 km of dirt road however we will have a few days to break it up into smaller sections. The track was closed last week due to severe flooding so who knows what we will find. Tomorrow we are aiming for Renmark which is just over the SA border. This appears to be the safest route to avoid any covid questions at the border although we will be required to take covid tests soon after entry. Such is the life of any traveller in this country presently. We hedged our bets yesterday and gained entry via declarations for SA, NSW, and Queensland just in case we changed our minds tomorrow.
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  • Day 3

    Crossing the Border

    June 29, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    After another night in Maryborough with the family we managed a quick final visit to the playground and flying fox which was very chilly but good exercise for us considering we were about to travel well over 500km. After our goodbyes we headed north-west towards Mildura. This area called "The Mallee" is basically a massive flat plain of crops. Along the drive there are really large grain silos and a railway line. The road was sealed but quite bumpy. Not much speed for the whole trip.

    After a couple of stops on the way to stretch legs we hit the South Australia border. Normally the officials there are just inspecting all vehicles for fruit and vegetables which are not allowed to enter. We are used to this and make sure we are clear of anything that could cop a fine. The guys are good and search the rig. Julie's slices of frozen lemon for the gins were passed as ok to keep. But this time there were police as well checking all travellers for the covid rules. Luckily we are from Victoria so this week we are allowed to enter. Only Tasmanians and Victorians are permitted to enter. We had to complete a declaration and tomorrow we have to return to the border and undergo a covid test before we drive to our next destination. The new world of travelling!

    As it was dark when we arrived in Renmark we tried to find a freedom camp but didn't have much luck so stayed at Paringa camp. Maybe tomorrow night we will test the solar power set up and go off-grid.
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  • Day 5

    Flinders Ranges

    July 1, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    Pretty cold morning first time I have seen my breath while lying in bed. Boiling the kettle and 15 mins of the water heater being on and a much more comfortable temperature was achieved. As we had not unhitched the previous night we were able to be on the road by 8:30am. The roads today were straight and flat and really smooth. It’s nice to enjoy an easy drive as we know the roads are about to get tougher.

    First stop was a walk around Peterborough, which for all the train enthusiasts following is one of the few places that has three different gauges of train tracks laid. It is certainly the destination if you are into trains. There were at least 3 train museums we saw. It was obviously a large rural supply town in its day including a YMCA and the town has been immaculately preserved.

    Next stop was Hawker for fuel and gas top up, trying to be well organised to hit the desert. From there we only had 35km to Rawnsley Park Station where we had booked an unpowered site. The station has been offering accomodation and camping for over 50 years and now have all options from eco cabins to bush camping where we found a great site looking straight out to Wilpena Pound.

    We made the most of the afternoon out of the car and went on a bike ride. It was supposed to be 10km in a loop around the station. It was not well sign posted and we took two wrong turns and had to retrace our steps. It was a great way to test out the electric bikes and after the second wrong turn we decided to play it safe and return the same way we came.

    We braved a cold wind to have a drink outside watching the sun set on the range and then went to the kitchen to get some mobile coverage. Our Covid test had returned Negative so now nothing holding us back from entering Queensland. The camp is super busy tonight and there are camp fires on pretty much every site expect us Kiwi’s. We are loving having the large skies and amazing stars tonight with it being clear.

    Tomorrow we really start our outback adventure as we are heading to Marree and so our posts maybe become infrequent depending on mobile reception. It is exciting and daunting at the same time.
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  • Day 5

    South Australia Sun

    July 1, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    After a night at Paringa camp we backtracked 12km to the border we crossed yesterday to have the mandatory covid test for us to enter SA. About a 30 minute wait in the sun chatting to other travellers. Then onto Berri for groceries and lunch by the Murray River. The temperature was about 20 degrees and was the first day that we felt warm since we left. In fact later in the afternoon as we were travelling directly into the sun for the whole trip, the car decided to supply cooling rather than the heater that it was used to blowing. We are looking forward to more aircon use as we head north .

    Today's drive was about 300km but was leisurely and the roads were pretty good. The large trucks like the speed limit of 110km/hr so I always gave them room as the overtook us and they all acknowledged me for doing this.

    We stopped at Morgan for fuel and to watch the ferry go back and forth across the Murray. There are a few free crossings like this ferry which has large winches on board which creep along two large cables fixed to both sides of the river. A simple and effective mechanism.
    The last leg was along long straights of barren flat plain. This area was very similar to the Maniototo area in Central Otago .

    Tonight we tried a Wiki-camps suggestion and have parked up at an old railway station platform in a village called Yarcowie. Had a quick walk around the village which was a busy place in the 1940s but now has a population less than 30 people. This is a test for Birdsville to test our solar power system.
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  • Day 6

    Floodway, Grid and Crest

    July 2, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Today’s travel is bought to you by the words Floodway, Grid and Crest. We left Wilpena Pound this morning and took the scenic route through the Flinders National Park to BlinmanThis is a small village that has a historic copper mine. It reminded us very much of Clyde but smaller. We stopped for a coffee and was tempted by a Quandong tart which is evidently a native fruit similar to a peach. We had it for supper and was very impressed.

    The next 30km were our first dirt road (gravel or shingle for our kiwi readers) The road went from Blinmart to Parachilna and had the most beautiful scenery through the river gorge. Once back on the Explorer Highway we pushed through to Leigh Creek which was so like new Cromwell. It was a town built in the early eighties for the workers of the coal mine which is now closed. So a large town shopping area mainly empty and lots of identical houses. We did a top up supermarket shop as not sure what will be available from this point on.

    Tonight’s stop is Marree which is the last town before the start of both the Oodnadatta and Birdsville track. It was supposed to be a very big weekend here with all the Big Red Bash people passing through and Camel races due here at Marree. The camel races have been cancelled due to Covid restrictions but it seems everyone has still turned up. The camping ground is jammed packed and I am very grateful to have our own toilet and shower, otherwise it could be a long wait!,

    There was a really nasty wind when we arrived so went for a short walk to the pub for a drink. Then home to snuggle down in the van, so worth the extra hassle of having to tow it especially as we scored one of the last powered site. Tomorrow morning we start the track and I expect it will be a bit of a convoy looking at all the vans here tonight.
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  • Day 7

    The Birdsville Track- Day 1

    July 3, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    A bit of a hiccup to start the day. I noticed a water leak under the caravan while camping at Marree. Unfortunately one of the snap-fit joiners on the fresh water had blown and was leaking badly. So in a 2 degree morning I was under the van trying to fix it. A lot of grunting and cursing and I managed to sort it. I was really lucky to be able to do this as we need water for sure. A neighbour at the caravan park sympathised as he had lost one of his water tanks to a rock so at least I didn't feel too hard-done-by. We then went and bought some water from an automated desalination water dispenser and were on our way. Phone coverage lost about 3km out so here we are in complete isolation with hundreds of others!

    The Birdsville track is 517km long and is all gravel. Well I say gravel but its a mix of dirt, mud, rock base, hard shingle, bull dust and even a water hazard. Our goal was to get to Mangeranie which is just over 200km. We had talked to a group of people in 3 caravans as we camped near them at Flinders a couple of nights back. They put us at ease as they were relaxed with no macho type attitude and were taking it all very quietly. We pretty much drove with them for a lot of the road and listened to their constant banter on the UHF radio. Was very reassuring.
    We drove at between 60-75km/hr on the better parts of the road. Some long stretches of hard gravel with a rock base was really rough and we were down to 35km/hr as we need to protect the rig and especially the tyres. Our bodies were shaken about and various new rattles arrived in the car along the way. Unfortunately we copped a rock in the windscreen so the crack will require full replacement when we get to civilisation. Apparently this is common.

    The hard clay surface was a dream to drive on. Smooth and only a little rutted. Last week it would have been impossible due to the rain. The grids (cattle stops) were dangerous and had to be negotiated slowly. We had some flooding with large holes so took that quietly. The interesting part was two very large areas of bulldust. This stuff is new to us kiwis and is basically a large sandpit across the road with steep sides that you drop into and climb out of. Bulldust is the texture of talcum powder and with the wind it's like driving blind. So soft and the 4WD was definitely engaged to drag our 5.5 tonne through this. We did the first hole alone but I saw one of the other guys right behind us so called him to lead the way which he did. We all got through safely of course.

    The trick is to reduce speed on this road and enjoy the view. We drove between two deserts and the pics show how barren this place is. I can't imagine attempting this road in mid-summer. We had taped up most vents in the caravan but the dust just gets in all cracks. So a fine layer of dust is everywhere and the back of the ute has a larger layer. A night stopover at Mangeranie roadhouse for fuel, drink, meal and hot showers and a lot of chatting to other travellers before we do it all again tomorrow.
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  • Day 8

    Birdsville Track- Day 2

    July 4, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    We woke to ice on the windscreen at Mungaranie this morning. We do pity the people in tent campers as we cranked up our heating. Left site at 8.20am for the final 313km to Birdsville. We were told that this part of the road was not the best and weren't disappointed to start. It was so rough that were were down to 35-40km/hr for quite a few kilometres. Everything was shaken about and dust was bad. Checked the caravan and the tv mounting had undone itself and bathroom door was banging. TV was moved to the bed and pillows applied to the door to protect it.
    Most of the road was rough as we travelled and was quite unpredictable. The surface was so hard in places and really hard on the occupants. The main task was to protect the tyres for their journey.
    There was more traffic today as we had left a lot earlier than yesterday with a couple of groups passing then stopping for a break then repeating. The UHF radio came in handy for comms as they approached and passed us. We stopped for a break at the 130km mark then decided to push onto Birdsville just to complete the road. At about 80km from our destination all of a sudden the really rough roads disappeared and were replaced by sand and smooth wide tracks. This improved our average speed and my grip on the steering wheel reduced so we cruised along at 85km/hr. This was the best after suffering over 200kms of bone-shaking rocks and potential damage. Well the potential damage was realised later as a rock had damaged a fresh water pipe joint under the caravan- yet more repairs attempted laying on my back under the van. Time will tell how good I was at fixing this one.
    All up was about 6.5hrs driving and was a hard day but the views were amazing and the isolation impressive. And the dust and sand we accumulated along the way will take a lot of cleaning- maybe another day when we finish with these dirt roads in a week or so.

    After going through the Qld police covid checkpoint we arrived on the outskirts of Birdsville to literally hundreds of caravans and campers all free-camping along the road. This place is humming with so many like-minded people all heading to the "Bash". We set up camp and walked 1km into town to see the sights and register for the Bash. A pleasant walk after a hard drive with warm sun but a chilly wind. We got back to camp (repairs started- solar panel also not working) and got chatting to a couple camping next to us. A few drinks and nightcaps later and bedtime for us.
    Even with the small damage today we are very pleased with the day as we succeeded in completing the Birdsville Track relatively unscathed and still smiling.
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  • Day 9

    Housekeeping Day

    July 5, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    A real treat for us to be in the same place for 2 nights running. This was important as we had a few maintenance tasks after the Birdsville track shook us to pieces. We got off lightly compared to some people. Our damage list included.......solar not charging due to a wire fallen out, car not charging the caravan- not fixed yet, water heater not working properly due to suspected dust in the gas jet- working sporadically, fly screen door catch broken - not fixed yet, cold water pipe joiner split from a rock - I think I have repaired it. Will update tomorrow. And we have lost our connector to the tap to fill our water tanks. All this takes time which included a trip to the hardware store to meet others who are worse off than me. That place is a goldmine when caravan owners arrive.

    We are camped about 1.2km from town with less people camped around us compared to last night. A nice walk into town to the hardware store, bakery for the famous pies, then the pub to stock up. We only bought 2 bottles of wine in the end as there was little choice.

    The queue for the people to get into town for fuel was about 1km long when we walked back at midday. I was so pleased I had dragged myself out of bed at 7am to get diesel with no queue. Birdsville is not a place to get away from people when the Bash is on.

    We were invited out tonight for a drink around the camp fire with 3 couples and kids that we have been following and meeting for the last 5 days. We will travel to the Bash tomorrow as a convoy and camp together which gives us all a lot of common space. Will be fun for sure.
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