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Bert’s Loop

April 2021 - October 2022
A 552-day adventure by Regina and Ian Read more
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  • TravelerBert’s Loop
    Day 552

    Home

    October 21, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    48,197k with the van plus 6,200k incidental journeys on foot, bicycle and in the car without the van.
    Unknown number of Bicycle kilometres. We do know that it was not nearly enough.
    Significant walking distance - We both had to buy new walking boots.
    552 days away - 18months and 4 days. None of those days were spent wishing to be somewhere else.

    Other sundry stats:
    Lost property - one hoodie, and my multimeter.
    We used everything that we took and didn’t need for anything we didn’t take.
    Breakages - 4 long steamed wine glasses. How optimistic we’re we?
    The 12 volt TV was dropped.
    Breakdowns: 1 van flat tyre; 1 car flat tyre; New tyres fitted at Mount Isa and again in Griffith some 438 days later; front shock absorbers on the car; Some recurring 12volt power issues (van and car); Travelled with a big box of tools and I used them all - outback roads can be rough.
    Arguments - none worth mentioning.
    Car washing - 3.
    Van washes - 2 attempts.
    Favourite place/experience/encounter? Impossible to answer - but will probably be the one being recollected.

    Thanks friends for following and cheering our adventures. Hope you all get a chance to tackle your own personal goals on the road.    Read more

  • TravelerBert’s Loop
    Day 544

    Tumblong Hills

    October 13, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    A wonderful way to end 18 months on the road. Staying at brother Danny’s farm, beautiful Bangawalla, for a last hoorah before our adventures come to an end. Entertaining ourselves with some odd jobs around the place, and a big thank you to Danny and Kathleen for their incredible kindness and generosity over the years.
    Thanks also to Zoe who came over from Wagga to assist in our handy person efforts.    Read more

  • TravelerBert’s Loop
    Day 533

    In our happy place. Beers and Gears.

    October 2, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    After serious cycle fitness neglect for 18 months, we have undertaken the 50km instead of the full Beers and Gears route. Zoe and Moe were the hosts with the most, and Zoe was plying her trade for Borambola Winery. It was a magnificent day, wonderful scenery and the added bonus of the company of our dear friend Al. Thanks for towing us Al, apologies for the whinging, (Reggie).Read more

  • TravelerBert’s Loop
    Day 532

    Borambola - a place of stories.

    October 1, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Each wine beer and cider in the Borambola range has a story. Featuring future Kings of England - both George and Charles - in different eras of course. To the winner of the 1947 Melbourne Cup - the horse not the jockey. Also Bushrangers and assorted pets. Now Alan, Regina and Ian have gazed out on the beautiful hills and valleys from the spectacular homestead. Since the 90’s the view has featured grape vines. Back in ‘80’s of the 1800’s the keenest eye would not have seen the most distant eastern boundary which was up near Tumut covering 1.3mill hectares.
    Borambola is now a wine producer, so if you see the label in your local bottlo or restaurant. Do yourself a favour.    Read more

  • TravelerBert’s Loop
    Day 525

    Side trip - Part 2

    September 24, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Depart Nelson Bay and direct to Blackheath in the Blue Mountains, for 3 nights in Frensham Cottage, with a selection of the Gilbert Girls. Pam, Regina, Romy and Izzy, with Ian raging along.
    Bush walks in the national Parks, fun and games by the fireside and heaps of fabulous home cooked meals.
    The house is gorgeous and so well appointed.
    Leaving Blackheath we briefly sampled the towns of Orange, Forbes and West Wyalong.    Read more

  • TravelerBert’s Loop
    Day 520

    Side trip - Part 1

    September 19, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Time for a brief trip away from Griffith with Regina’s mum Pat.
    We are still meandering across the map with what looks like an ant drawn trail, so not much has changed.
    Actually, the vehicle has changed: we are parking the Prado and heading off for some low slung sedan 2WD action. The accommodation is very different: the van is staying put where some of the outback dirt can rinse off, and we will frequent B&B’s and a beachside resort.
    First hop: Griffith to Millthorp using quite roads like Mary Gilmour Way (she of prolific poetic and prose output and a gig on our $10 note), Mid Western Hwy and Olympic Hwy, crossing the Weddin Mountain Range and many crossing of the road by flood waters, the land green as green between the canola fields.
    Next: Millthorp to Nelson Bay: it’s quite a long way on slow roads and many interesting places for a stop to delay awhile - Orange, Sofala, Rylston - all rich in history with lovely architecture. The country on the Bylong Valley Way is unexpectedly dramatic. There are not many more beautiful stretches of road. Fantastic. For the moment the Coal Miners have been kept out - a victory of beauty over profit - unlike neighbouring Hunter Valley. This is a borderland between Great Divide and the plains, touching the National Parks of Wollemi, Goulburn River and Capertee, where flora & fauna have special value.
    Nelson Bay: we are hosted here at Cote d’ Azure by Chris and Pam Gilbert, and it’s a comfortable unit, especially temperature wise to have the windows and doors open and let the ocean breeze in.    Read more

  • TravelerBert’s Loop
    Day 505

    Griffith NSW

    September 4, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We will be here a month, restraining from showing restaurant food photos The Italian heritage of Calabria and Venito region influence strongly here so food and wine feature - a lot. 60% of the population claim Italian background which probably explains the events that have landed here in the last 2 weeks: the Italian Festival, the Salami Festival, visits by the Italian Tenors and the federal Government’s Job Summit - is there a hint in Albo’s name?
    Griffith is here because of the M.I.A. Which turned the area into NSW’s food bowl. Although it’s a 35k drive to the nearest naturally occurring river, the Murrumbidgee, there is water everywhere irrigating paddock, lawn and public parks.
    Use the full name of Griffith NSW to avoid mistaking it with the suburb of Canberra. There is enough confusion here because the city plan was done by W Burley Griffin. Apparently he didn’t get enough crazy, circular road drawing in Griffith, and went off to architect the master plan for our nations capital. The 1914 Griffith design was probably visionary, but the later addition of irrigation supply reaches, drainage channels and a railway seems to have confounded the plan. Or I am maplexic.
    The Gilbert family has history here. Regina’s dad took up a soldier settlers block and started farming in the ‘60’s after growing up in Ardethlan, serving in WWII and running various businesses around Griffith. Plenty of people around here know of, or are related to a Gilbert. Perhaps not as well known over the years as the many wine makers, the mafia Don’s or the cops and activists who battled with them,    Read more

  • TravelerBert’s Loop
    2
    Day 487

    Mundi Mundi Bash

    August 17, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Firstly- a review of the gig by a pro:

    https://themusic.com.au/reviews/mundi-mundi-bas…

    And a little video snippet

    https://vimeo.com/746410468

    Up to 10,000 punters, volunteers staff, vendors and musos in a massive paddock of Belmont Station on the Mundi Plains. All camp sites are spacious and campfires are de rigueur - it got down to 1° on Thursday.
    The organisation, the facilities, the services, the cleaning and the army of volunteers are extraordinary. The festival food is better than adequate.
    Surprisingly the are no alcohol sales which means that everyone brought heaps, but there is little evidence of people getting too messy.
    This place in not ‘just down the road’ from - well - anywhere really. Some folks spend a week + getting here so not surprising that the Mundy Mundy punters are probably 60% grey nomads, so the band lineup is mostly “Legends of Aussie Rock”. We prefer a more contemporary mix, but we can’t complain about the quality.
    Musical highlights - so many.
    Midnight Oil ripped it(their last ever performance?), Grace Knight (Eurogliders) outrageous rocking grandma. John Stevens was the king. Missy was magical. Kasey Chambers was charming, hilarious and delivered the best individual song of the 4 days (Lose Yourself. Eminem cover).
    Zoe, Regina, Chris and Ian could not sit through Barnsy’s set. We felt less pummelled by it when fireside in our camp where it was still loud and clear.
    Non-musical highlights: big sunsets, a Nutbush world record attempt (just missed), amazing setting, fund raising for R.F.D.S    Read more

  • TravelerBert’s Loop
    Day 485

    Mundiville

    August 15, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    My shifts have started, volunteering for the Mundi Mundi Bash. Nothing too glamorous - directing punters for ticket collection and those camping at the Broken Hill Racecourse. All punters present as very cheerful. They are all happy to follow basic guidance to get them where they need to be. Except one. Old mate with shaved head an goatee, reek of tobacco out the car when the window goes down. 4x4 suppliers logos on a very hectic truck and super capable looking off road van. “Where do I collect my press credentials?” With directions to park between the witches hats on the right, old mate proceeds straight ahead to create maximum inconvenience for everyone else, and a shorter walk for his sedentary ass. Sigh.
    Expecting all hell to break loose tomorrow and the next when the general punters have access to the Mundiville site.
    Let the party begin.
    Tonight only the volunteers are in camp. It is just the teal coloured spots (see screen shot of site map) and already it is the biggest camp area we have been in for the entire trip. This is gunna be big.
    We are even more excited because Zoe will join us here on Wednesday.    Read more

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