Bert’s Loop

A 552-day adventure by Regina and Ian Read more

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Trip start
April 18, 2021
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Day 1
Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 2:00 PM
☁️ 27 °C
Altitude: 7 m
Australia Cockle Channel -33.493793, 151.35728533°29’38” S 151°21’26” E
Le Grand Depart
April 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
Little do they know what they are getting themselves into.
Should be an adventure.
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Day 1
Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 9:00 PM
⛅ 17 °C
Altitude: 493 m
Australia Limestone Creek -34.793537, 148.86721834°47’37” S 148°52’2” E
Tired traveller- quick kip
April 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
First night on the road.
After several big days of getting the house ready for tenants we are on our way, but too tired to make it to Wagga in one go. A quick stop in a rest area on the Hume. Traffic? What traffic? Didn’t hear a thing.Read more
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Day 2
Monday, April 19, 2021
☀️ 19 °C
Altitude: 204 m
Australia Ashmont -35.1306, 147.32574535°7’50” S 147°19’33” E
Visit Zoe, Mo and Lucy
April 19, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Our Zoe is a legend, there is nothing she can’t do, including a spot of welding for us to get us on our way.
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Day 3
Tuesday, April 20, 2021
⛅ 22 °C
Altitude: 146 m
Australia Mcivor Park -34.278374, 146.0631134°16’42” S 146°3’47” E
Gilberts of Griffith
April 20, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Visit with Pat and Reg.

We bought a new battery from NRMA who delivered and installed just before we left the Central Coast. The very first start, the car cranked a little slowly. The NRMA guy said “that doesn’t sound very good, you better go to an auto electrician and find out what’s wrong with your car”. Well that’s a pain in the ass. Don’t want issues on the road, so I better get it checked. Subsequent stars were intermittently OK. It wasn’t until Griffith that we had the chance to visit an electrician (a few places on the coast were suggesting 3 week wait).
$100 later the test comes back “faulty battery” So, I call the NRMA who promptly arrive and test the battery and say “it’s OK”, with his meters he shows the battery levels dropping rapidly after the car is turned off. “There is something drawing current, you better get it checked by an auto electrician. Hmmm. The guy I had been to this morning had shut shop because he was going to a go-carting event. So I found another who checked it out. They couldn’t find any current draw and the battery tested OK. I’m a little agitated by this stage. No current loss and battery OK. I don’t think so, so I very patiently explain this to the electrician who had another look. Finds a dead cell in the battery, agrees to demonstrate to NRMA who now agrees that the battery is faulty and replace it.
Then follows a 4 week discussion with NRMA Customer Relations to refund the $210 of Auto Electrician charges. All done now.Read more
TravelerThat was bad luck, and poor initial result from the nrma techs 😜 At least you got it sorted finally! 👍 🔋
6/8/21Reply
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Day 6
Friday, April 23, 2021
🌙 19 °C
Altitude: 297 m
Australia Fifield -32.807415, 147.45968632°48’27” S 147°27’35” E
Fifield Pub
April 23, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 19 °C
Now we are really travelling. Family visits are done and we’re a bit sad to leave them behind, but the excitement of really being on the road takes over.
We find a free camp at the Fifield Hotel. A once prosperous town for mining and agriculture. Both are again becoming economic stimulus for the town these days.
Mining companies are surveying for rare earth minerals, so a revival may be possible. The pub is for sale, if you fancy your chances.

Be warned. It doesn’t look like there is much to do out here. Unless you like pig hunting.Read more
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Day 7
Saturday, April 24, 2021
☀️ 18 °C
Altitude: 420 m
Australia Belougery Split Rock -31.279234, 148.97802731°16’45” S 148°58’41” E
1
Camp Wambelong, Warrambungles
April 24, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Traveler Only a few days in and your selfie skills are at expert level!
5/31/21Reply
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Day 8
Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 9:30 PM
🌙 10 °C
Altitude: 531 m
Australia Yearinan -31.22072, 149.19030831°13’15” S 149°11’25” E
Donna the Astronomer
April 25, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
A fantastic chilly and educational night learning about the far and distant galaxies. This night will be the motivation for future nights of stargazing.
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Day 9
Monday, April 26, 2021 at 2:30 PM
☀️ 22 °C
Altitude: 488 m
Australia Dandry -31.017025, 149.41439731°1’1” S 149°24’52” E
1
Sandstone Caves - Pilliga
April 26, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Traveler Beautiful lady! Man that shirt looks like it’s super soft
5/31/21Reply
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Day 9
Monday, April 26, 2021 at 4:00 PM
🌙 10 °C
Altitude: 187 m
Australia Narrabri West -30.302431, 149.75100730°18’9” S 149°45’4” E
Shanty on Namoi
April 26, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
Just out of Narrabri

Beautiful lush field on the edge of the Namoi just a short cycle out of town. Previously a cattle farm, Now caravaners do the grazing.
If you are going to town, you should have the best coffee available. That would definitely be at Yield, just off the bridge heading north.Read more
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Day 10
Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at 2:38 PM
⛅ 17 °C
Altitude: 1,493 m
Australia Mount Kaputar -30.27343, 150.16450530°16’24” S 150°9’52” E
Mount Kaputar
April 27, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Incredible. The plains around Narrabri are at about 225m above sea level. Mount Kaputar rises to 1540m. The road gets up there in just a short distance.
TravelerIts so lovely up there. When we walked to the Governor we were surrounded by lady beetles blown up by the winds. Love your pics
6/3/21Reply
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Day 11
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 12:19 PM
⛅ 22 °C
Altitude: 525 m
Australia Killarney Gap -30.145089, 150.06200730°8’42” S 150°3’43” E
Sawn Rocks
April 28, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Ain’t Mother Nature grand? And complicated? And confusing? And diverse? Bizarre?

I am not going to try to get all geological on you, but the formation of the Sawn Rocks is just another example of volcanic activity in this amazing region on the northern edge of the Mount Kaputar National Park.Read more
TravelerIt’s like the Australian version of the Giants Causeway! Why is everything hexagonal? 🤯
5/31/21Reply
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Day 13
Friday, April 30, 2021
☀️ 13 °C
Altitude: 199 m
Australia Nindigully -28.353531, 148.81944328°21’13” S 148°49’10” E
Nindigully Pub
April 30, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
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Day 14
Saturday, May 1, 2021 at 9:03 AM
⛅ 16 °C
Altitude: 415 m
Australia Central Highlands -25.051426, 148.21183825°3’5” S 148°12’43” E
Carnarvon Gorge
May 1, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Canarvon Gorge! What an amazing place. Did the 24km walk in this ancient gorge, breathtaking. The photos say it all. 😊

Check out our walk on Strava.

https://strava.app.link/pNeFVcb3Kgb
Travelerbeautiful spot
6/14/21Reply
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Day 18
Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 8:12 AM
⛅ 12 °C
Altitude: 698 m
Australia Central Highlands -25.025656, 147.90016225°1’32” S 147°54’1” E
1 1
Mount Moffatt
May 5, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Darongelly Rockpools. A fabulous camp site. It’s at the end of 75k of mostly dirt. That must discourage a lot of folk and why there were so few campers in this, the western side of Carnarvon National Park, which was booked out and had a lot of day visitors.
Carnarvon George truely earns its popularity. Special place. Mount Moffat has a whole heap of charm. Also see the photos from the next day.Read more
Traveler From bed - look right
6/1/21Reply
Traveler From bed look left.
6/1/21Reply
Travelerwhat do you have hanging from the tree?
6/14/21Reply
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Day 19
Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 11:50 AM
⛅ 23 °C
Altitude: 176 m
Australia Emerald -23.536955, 148.16670323°32’13” S 148°10’0” E
Emerald and Rubyvale
May 6, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
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Day 20
Friday, May 7, 2021 at 3:20 PM
☀️ 24 °C
Altitude: 816 m
Australia Woorabinda -23.792164, 149.06445323°47’32” S 149°3’52” E
Blackdown National Park
May 7, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
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Day 24
Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at 9:40 AM
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 204 m
Australia Sandy Island -21.686174, 148.6878221°41’10” S 148°41’16” E
Nebo
May 11, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
This is the amazing Alison. Made redundant as a software engineer. Instead of throwing the towel in, she gets out her gravel bike and rides 4,000 kms from Victoria to the outback town of Nebo. She’s heading to Cooktown, all back roads using a horse trail map, published about 1970. I reckon she’s a legend!

The caravan park here Stay a While is super basic, but what do you want for $10 per night?
There is an historic Pub with - you might guess - country music, and an interesting library depicting the towns history.Read more
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Day 25
Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 10:57 AM
⛅ 27 °C
Altitude: 394 m
Australia Mackay -21.401789, 148.53753721°24’6” S 148°32’15” E
1
Mount Britton
May 12, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Traveler Watch out David Attenborough! What a fantastic story telling voice
5/31/21Reply
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Day 26
Thursday, May 13, 2021 at 4:13 PM
⛅ 27 °C
Altitude: 128 m
Australia Treefern Creek -21.08429, 148.63632221°5’3” S 148°38’11” E
1
Platypus Bush Camp
May 13, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Traveler Backgammon!! Did you win?
5/31/21Reply
TravelerZoe, I am a better diplomat than a backgammon player (and a bit out of practice). Of course I let mine host prevail.
5/31/21Reply
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Day 28
Saturday, May 15, 2021 at 2:46 PM
☀️ 26 °C
Altitude: 9 m
Australia Calton Hill -20.016386, 148.25613420°0’59” S 148°15’22” E
Bowen
May 15, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Why wouldn’t you get up at dawn and do a bush walk straight up the headland to Mother Beddock? (spelled correctly - it’s the big round exfoliated granite boulder)
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Day 31
Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 3:42 PM
☁️ 21 °C
Altitude: 81 m
Australia Murray Falls -18.151537, 145.81414818°9’6” S 145°48’51” E
Murray Falls
May 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
If I were to design a swimming pool. Well - I wouldn’t. I would just plagiarise everything about this place.
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Day 31
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
⛅ 24 °C
Altitude: 15 m
Australia Garradunga -17.461502, 145.99554417°27’41” S 145°59’44” E
Garradunga
May 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Garradunga, population 142, is not so much of a town as a pub in the cane fields. Steve the publican has a huge field at the back of the pub for nomads. Steve is a very jocular publican and only too happy to give travel tips. His wife is a nurse and had spent the day in an Aboriginal community with 10 other nurses to give COVID vaccinations. Of the 120 people in the community, only 12 agreed to have the jab. She said the problem was, there were no Aboriginal health workers with them, and communication with the community had been poor. Dear me, how hopeless are we...Read more
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Day 32
Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 10:28 AM
⛅ 24 °C
Altitude: 17 m
Australia Etty Bay -17.560313, 146.09060617°33’37” S 146°5’26” E
1
A bird in the hand?
May 19, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
In this case: a bird in the bush and two on the beach.
Etty Beach. Where the forrest meets the sea.
TravelerWe have great (and very windy) memories of Etty Beach. We saw our first "in the wild" cassowaries there.
5/31/21Reply
Traveler wow, a cassowary in the wild ! how lucky.
6/14/21Reply
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Day 32
Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 10:49 AM
⛅ 24 °C
Altitude: 36 m
Australia Etty Bay -17.560888, 146.09065217°33’39” S 146°5’26” E
Etty Beach
May 19, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
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Day 32
Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 1:38 PM
☁️ 19 °C
Altitude: 517 m
Australia McMillan Creek -17.64792, 145.71934517°38’53” S 145°43’10” E
Mutualism
May 19, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Nandroya Falls. Palmerston section of Wooroonooran National Park. World Heritage Wet Tropics.

We did the 7k loop walk to the falls today.

Rainforest. Everything that is growing, and some things that are not, have something growing on them.
The myriad relationships between plant, the terrain, the animals and man.
To bad that the latter is the only one capable of tipping the trolley on its ass and are seemingly happy to do it.Read more
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