Year off around Australia

Arrive and find this place quite popular beside Lake Francis, so continue along water's edge until we find a suitable spot for us to set up camp. Lovely billabong/lake with plenty of bird life. Natural state so there is dry long grass to contend with on the way to the water. Well flattened where we sit outside our van. Roger gets busy and fixes the Anderson plug connection. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon sitting outside our van, drinks in hand, enjoying a nice breeze, and watching the birds at the water. Brolga's are relaxing and fun to watch. Tea tonight we're making up a pkt mix Japanese Curry using chicken breasts and fresh fruit and vegetables. Turns out nicely. This location a good spot to watch the amazing sunset colours. Roger showers and we tidy up, then reading before getting into bed. I watch a Paramount + movie The Beach House. OK.
Wake up Sunday morning, lie in enjoying the lovely view from our window towards the water - sunrise colours are beautiful too. I read for 1/2 hr and get up 8am. Roger already has porridge
waiting, he's had his toast, so we have this together with our cuppas. I go for a 1/2 hr walk and check out the next lake, Lake Canellan.
When I get back I make a phone call to use the voucher Tegan gave us for Christmas back in 2020. Book 2 tours, Cutta Cutta Caves and Canoeing in Nitmuluk (Katherine) Gorge. Bookings made, so just check on banking and do some of my manual budget book. Roger during this time has been getting us organised to leave...When I come out of the caravan ready to head off, it comes to my attention that there is a ute 'running' problem. Poor ute - when Rog does manage to get it going, it sounds rougher than a tractor! After some attempts to see if ute will rectify itself - now won't start - time to call RACV which will use RACQ. Told 90 minutes until assistance arrives. Happy with that. Now fingers crossed the problem is easily fixed. We fill in our time, sitting in the shade, reading and chatting to family and friends checking how we're doing. Have lunch, leftovers from tea, and apples and cuppas. Continue waiting in the shade - Roger has put our awning back out - reading to fill in time. 2.35pm 4MURPH Daihatsui SCAT brown ute arrives with our RACQ mechanic. Let's see what happens next.......OK Dmax needs to be trucked back into Camooweal to be put on David's (the mechanic) diagnostic equipment - talking about injectors...?? Looks like our caravan staying here again tonight (shame our chocks are out she's on a lean lol). Roger and I 'stranded' with our caravan for tonight. Dmax taken by KDLD Pty Ltd Vehicle Recovery & Services, David & Katherine Green into their workshop/shed in Camooweal. We will have to wait to hear from David in the morning as to the next steps... So for now, more relaxing here beside the water with drinks in hand. Roger is planning to do a roast lamb for our tea. Camp neighbours (from either side of us) individually call over to check out what the go is, as they saw our ute leave on the truck. Really nice offers from them to help us out, with supplies etc, if needed. Certainly don't have to feel 'stranded' that's for sure. We have a terrific roast and vegetables with gravy, too full to worry about anything else, so just enjoy watching another beautiful sunset before heading into our van to tidy up, Roger has a shower and then we're just relaxing, reading before bed.
Monday morning sees me get out of bed just after 7am to go for a walk into Camooweal to get some bread. Roger's decided we'll have bacon and eggs for breakfast. I get back around 8.15am and we enjoy a cooked breakie, with toast, relish, avocado, tomato, bacon, egg and goats cheese (Meredith) YUM. Do our dishes, and watch quite enviously as other campers head off on their merry way - not us this morning! My shower next on my hit list, Roger already outside relaxing in the shade reading the book about the Dr in Muttaburra. Once I'm showered I join Rog with filling in time, relaxing and reading. Lunch, our usual, Roger cold meat salad sandwiches and me savoury open toasties. Rog has tried to make contact with David to find out about our ute - no answer, so we decide to walk into Camooweal to his workshop to see what we can find out that way. Arrive at David's work area - all locked up with our ute inside the yard, bonnet up. A lady, who is camping beside this yard, comes over to chat - let's us know David's out on RACQ work and not expected back until after dark this evening. Turns out this lady (and I assume with partner) are broken down as well - David has ordered their required part ($3.5K) and it's arrived, just waiting for David to have the time to fit it in (hopefully tomorrow). Rog and I now starting to get the picture of this will not be a quick turnaround fix with our ute! Join the queue! We wander to the pub for a cool down drink, $18 for a schooner beer and can of cider. Roger rings RACV to fill them in, and start in motion our need for 'accommodation' re power etc with our caravan. Next we walk back to our caravan, and then get busy cancelling our bookings we'd just made yesterday for the coming week. Roger cancels our Edith Falls camp site, and I cancel our tours for Cutta Cutta Caves and Katherine Gorge Canoeing. Thankfully, able to do these cancellations at no loss. Roger has messaged David that we'll be wanting to shift the caravan into Camooweal tomorrow and that he'll arrive at the workshop in the morning to help achieve this. OK nothing else to do but relax until tea time, cold meat and salad tonight. Rog shower time, my tidy up then reading until bed.
Tuesday morning, we're up and having breakfast before 8am. Roger heads of into Camooweal (walking) I stay behind intending to get organised and ready for caravan to shift - semi achieved this, as I enjoyed a Whatsapp chat from Tegan, she's got her rocking chair mended (thanks to Robert's advice) and she just sussing out my thoughts on flea products and remedies for her cats. Glad to assist, we decide her cats don't require the 'hard stuff' in her area of Canada. Roger arrives back at our campsite with David's Isuzi work ute, set up to tow our caravan. We both get the van sorted to go. Head off before 9.30am.もっと詳しく

Our unexpected camping spot. This is on our RACV tab at $42.42 per night (grrr on card surcharge). Choose our own campsite, we like No. 14, further down the back (from road noise) and has nice shady trees. Set up caravan - though must confess we had trouble unhitching with unfamiliar vehicle and our 'McHitch' set up (got there eventually, me driving the vehicle off and Rog making height adjustments, and neighbouring camper coming to assist 'scaring' it apart lol). Happy with facilities here, amenities block is dated but kept nice and clean, small pool, laundry $4 a load, dump point and great to have power and water. Get into our bathers, Roger over into the pool to cool down. I organise 2 loads of washing put on, while waiting, I get chatting with 2 other camping sites that are 'stranded' similar to us - they're waiting on their parts to arrive and will fit them themselves. 1st one is a young fella, 25yr old Kalelem, by himself in his own ute, nicely set up Nissan Patrol, was travelling back to Katherine for his work (Government contract work - builder) when he broke down near here, David RACQ got him to this Caravan Park Tuesday (week ago). He's waiting for an injector part to arrive that he'll fit himself. Going fairly 'stir crazy' waiting especially as his latest news is that the part is missing in transit (after he's paid extra to get it quicker). 2nd is a young family, Hayden and Sarah Obome with their children Tayla (her 12th birthday today!) and 4yr old son Atlas. They 'broke down' coming opposite direction from us, turbo 'shat itself' in their 100series Landcruiser - it's towing their neat 18ft caravan. David RACQ collected their setup by truck and delivered them here as well, last Wednesday (day after Kalelem). They've just received their last part required today (other piece arrived yesterday) and as Hayden is a truck mechanic by trade he's busy getting their vehicle sorted. Hopes to get most of it done today, finish it off and check tomorrow so they get back underway Thursday. They are on a year 'look about' and are on the 'tail end' with just 4 weeks until they need to be home (house they've renovated themselves on 25 acres near Bundaberg) to return to work (Sara a hairdresser). Sara and Hayden very welcoming and social, giving us good tips about places they've been that we're heading towards. Roger and I get our washing drying on clothesline Roger sets up around our van. Lunch, our usual, cold meat salad sandwich for Roger, open savoury toasties for me. We now spend the afternoon, alternating between reading, relaxing, chatting with our fellow 'stranded's' and cooling off in the swimming pool. Tea tonight I make a Thermomix pasta again (use up remaining chorizo from previous batch) and Roger makes up Golden Syrup dumplings and cooks them in the airfryer, works a treat. Use thermomix to make custard to have with the dessert dumplings. Sarah has invited Kalelem and us for after dinner BYO drinks at their campsite - we'll help eat Tayla's birthday cake, after singing Happy birthday to her. Lovely company, chatting happily together until we call it a night around 9.30pm. Back at our van, Roger heads off for a shower, I tidy up. Reading and bedtime.
Wednesday sees us have a leisurely start, I go have shower before I have breakfast. Roger has his breakie while I'm out. Kalelem's part turned up early this morning, he"s working flat out to get himself underway as quick as he can. Which he does. mid morning we look about from our caravan and he's gone. All going well with Hayden's vehicle too - he's test driving his about, shortly after lunch. Again our standard lunch today. This morning Roger checked in with David about our ute, have decided it's an electrical fault probably caused by a rat/s chewing wiring. This makes sense to us - good to know that problem is being found. While Roger off doing this, I'm making Anzac biscuits (thermomix) and trying out cooking them in the airfryer. This works well when I turn the biscuits over after 1st cook, to brown up the bottoms.
Afternoon is filled in by reading and checking emails, and more swimming to stay cool. I also call over to Sara, take the Anzac biscuits, to catch up on and take notes on some recommendations on places they have been that we are heading towards. Anzac biscuits all eaten up, Obome family, especially kids Tayla and Atlas, enjoyed them. Another swim, then back to the caravan for easy tea - reheat (microwave) last night's pasta and follow with cold golden syrup dumplings and custard. Roger and I go for a sunset swim in the pool, Obome family too and meet another young couple, backpackers, who are waiting on parts to get their campervan fixed as well. They have been waiting coming on close to 2 weeks! Their latest required parts haven't arrived yet. After this swim we shower, then grab a bottle of wine to have drinks with Hayden and Sara - as they're leaving in the morning. Lovely family, enjoy the evening with them - then back to our van after 9pm for our bedtime.
Thursday morning, we're wondering if we'll get the opportunity to leave today if the ute can be fixed in time...I get up before 7am and go for a shuffle, by the time I get back Rog has breakfasted and is heading off to see what David's up to with our ute. I get changed, have my breakfast then relax, contemplating on making another batch of Anzac biscuits, Rog gets back, unsure when ute will be worked on as David doing other jobs. Say our goodbyes to Sara, Hayden, Tayla and Atlas - they're happily heading for Corella Dam today. Swap details to keep in contact via facebook. We're relaxing when Roger gets the call from David that our ute is fixed and ready to pay for and collect. Yay, we spring into gear now, forget about biscuit making! I get on with inside van tidy up and pack away while Roger goes for the ute. $350 bill paid and back with our ute sounding and running like it should. Team work and we're underway leaving Camooweal 11.30am.もっと詳しく