Australia
Somerset

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    • Giorno 9–13

      Somerset Dam

      20 maggio, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

      I'll tell you something, the mornings are icy cold; cold enough to make you want to stay in bed. All day. But nature makes her calls, and one must heed them, otherwise you would inadvertently pass the bed. Oh, not pass, but sounds like... 👌Therefore one must be brave and face the trek through the long, wet grass in order to assuage nature's call.

      Morning abulations (or is it truly adorations, like my auto-correct came up with) done and dusted, we thought we'd get the jump on the others and make it to Somerset Dam nice and early. A check of the map showed a long and winding road (that leads to your door ... who sang it??), so the long-suffering husband says, I'll drive. Ummn. No. Why not? he says. Because you'll just try to flog it. It needs to be nursed along, because there hasn't been a response from that dratted A1 mechanic (so he thinks, but I'll have a word with him!) as yet and I'm ready to give him a piece of my mind.

      Hmmn. Better not do that, 'cos I need every part of it that I've still got left, otherwise I'll be slowly losing it! So, back to the long and winding road... It didn't lead me to your door at all, Somerset Dam. It lead me astray and to the township instead. I asked the husband to do that (check what the address was, so we could get google to lead us astray), but no, we're very clever and can do that without Google's help. Besides, the races takes precedence! Let's stop at the general store. A hot chocolate (with almond milk) later saw us returning almost to our point of origin as our destination. We certainly took the long way. All the byways.

      If you're confused now, imagine how I feel! I have to live with this mess that is my mind. (Whoops, too many exclamation marks. Can't have that. Let's try again.) Ah yes, the destination. We checked in early, before 10am, in spite of going to the wrong place, but it was a pretty enough place to see regardless, and we got to see the mist on the water near the dam wall, which was real pretty. Once we set up, I sent out messages to the hordes that were yet to arrive, to let them know where we were located.

      One by one, they arrived in their twos, setting up their caravans, wild west style - all in a circle and pitch everything in the middle. I was so impressed by their speed and efficiency in getting set up and bringing out the liquid nourishment. We were still trying to do our washing, so we could make our bed! But much excitement was had with us all being there together. ☺️

      Nibblies and drinks were distributed to all, then superwoman, who was trying to put us all to shame (successfully too, I might add), whipped out the bickies she'd baked, then later a homemade veggie soup, followed by a Mexican dish with guacamole sour cream etc etc, completed by a lemon curd dessert with thickened cream! Well bowl me over and call me tweety, I bowed to the greater person that I'll aspire to be. When I grow up.

      It seemed to be a bit of a competition happening, as another one, not to be outdone, whipped up a cheese and onion damper (cooked in a camp oven on the table), followed by chicken drumsticks, also cooked in the same. Boy, do I now know what I want to be when I grow up!?! Yes. Yes indeed I do. I wanna, I wanna... just kidding. I want to be a man! Yes indeedy, I do! I got a taste of it today, with the real women doing all the work, and me just sitting there twiddling my thumbs, feeling like a twat for not having thought of anything like that, let alone for everyone! Oh. Do men actually feel like twats, or do they just take it for granted?

      But definitely a huge thank you to those who made the day a very special one. ❤️ I am in awe of all of you that put in the massive efforts to raise the marquees, fix the dinners for everyone, get a rip-roaring fire going and create a magnificent ambience and contribute to great conversation, even if it only appealed to the lowest common denominator. Replete with gratitude, we said our good nights 🌙 ✨️ (early; is hard work, this having fun. It takes it all out of you) and headed back to our powered site to watch our last episode (of our limited series) and retire to bed. Sweet dreams, beautiful people!!! You are amazing. Hakuna matata.
      Leggi altro

    • Giorno 238

      Borumba Dam

      17 gennaio 2019, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

      We borrowed Renee's parents' tent and some of Jamie's camping gear and took ourselves off to a bush campsite, which is located in the hills behind the sunshine coast.
      We checked out another camping gear factory on our way and made a decision to order one of their products for delivery the week we return from New Zealand.
      The campsite owner was very laid back and assisted us to find a sheltered pitch. The site is just below a dam, which holds water for irrigation to the farmlands surrounding. The lake formed by the dam is used for fishing and recreational purposes and the site was filling up with people towing boats and kayaks. Next to us were two Aussie gents who were keen to advise us of the perils of camping.
      Don't leave eggs in your tent or the guanas (pronounced GGWWAAANAHS) will come in and trash it, the Kookaburras will also steal food from your hands. They were a funny pair - keen to talk about themselves and to advise the pitfalls of buying camping equipment in Australia. One of them had spent a large sum on a hybrid camper trailer that he was less than enamoured with - BUY AUSSIE mate none of that imported stuff. They were good sports though and disappeared each morning with boat in tow to fish on the lake. They were happy bunnies because they were catching Australian fresh water bass which they brought back each night to cook. They brought us over a sample to taste, which was very nice cooked in oil and battered with bread crumbs. We also met a very friendly couple camping at the other side of us, Dwayne and Steph. Steph is from Chester in England originally but has lived here for 20 years, and has a very Australian accent. Both of them were keen to chat to us and to share experiences and suggest places to visit. Everyone is very friendly here.
      We walked to the lake, about a mile away, which the locals thought was odd as everyone drives about here and then we walked down to the creek swim hole where we could cool off - it was three hundred yards from our tent and everyone could not believe that we would not drive to it. To be fair it was midday with searing temperatures, so I reckon they are the sensible ones!!!!
      We enjoyed the peace and quiet at the campsite. However the kookaburras and other bush birds were very chatty at sun up, and people over here rise much earlier than in England. Sensible, as it gets hot so early in the day.
      We spent a day on the beach at Noosa Heads, which is one of our very favourite places on the Sunshine Coast. It was Saturday and busy with holiday makers. We visited the beautiful shops there, and then went to the main beach. The sea was just perfect, the ideal temperature. We were in and out to cool off. Back at the campsite we BBQed at the camp kitchen. A great facility which nearly every campsite in Australia has.
      Leggi altro

    • Giorno 294

      Neurum Creek Bush Retreat

      14 marzo 2019, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

      We travelled inland to a Campsite in the D'Aguilar National Park. The site is in rich farmland with cattle and livestock the main activity. After setting up we visited Woodford to stock up with provisions and fire wood as Jamie et al were coming to join us on Saturday.
      We kept a keen eye on the weather as the forecasts were for a period of consistent rainfall over our projected stay at this location. The area has been under drought conditions and the creek was little more than a trickle on the day we arrived. Weather forecasting here is a bit hap hazard as the winds coming from the east don't always behave as expected. On our first night there was thunder and lightning all around us but no rain in our valley. The second day, however, was different. In anticipation of some rain we had put the front of the awning in place to give us some screening. After a few spits the sky grew dark very quickly and we were treated to a full blown tropical storm, so violent that the Brisbane airport was closed and all trains in the Brisbane area were shut down. The rain lasted for hours after which everything surrounding us was swimming in water, the creek soon became full with rushing water from the hills surrounding. Our new tent held up quite well in the circumstances, however water did get into the awning.
      The temperatures before the storm were consistently in the mid to high thirties, and at least the storm reduced these to a more tolerable level.
      We share the site with wild life - wallabies are present, fruit bat abound in the evening, kookaburra chatter in the trees around us and cheekily sit on our chairs next to us. Bush turkeys are rife and constantly scouring for food bits in the camping area, and this morning we were visited by a Guana which took a lazy interest in our activity. As I write this two kookaburra are fornicating on a fence post eight feet from us. Camera not to hand,
      On Saturday after a rainy start the sun came out and we were able to host Jamie's family who joined us in the aternoon. We had a bbq on an open camp fire the girls enjoyed toasting the marsh mallows
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    • Giorno 1

      Day 1 - Childers to Lake Somerset

      11 novembre 2023, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

      An unexpected new adventure is starting! On the east coast again (more or less) but this time we are going south. After saying good bye to a lovely couple who adopted and spoiled us we left Childers (the last two weeks were really tough) really excited for this new long trip. We decided to drive a little bit in the inland. The Glass House Mountains left us astonished and the uphill roads between Brisbane and Lake Somerset offered us amazing views with forests, fields and hills. The camping, located on a peninsula, was stunning and really big. We enjoyed the golden hour and took a rest 💫Leggi altro

    • Giorno 32

      Neurum Creek Bush Retreat

      22 marzo 2023, Australia ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

      We are camped in a beautiful spot. The stars at night shine bright. 🔆 The locals (that's the feathered ones) are friendly, perhaps a little too friendly. After my experience at Wongi wetlands I don't trust kookaburras. They spwoop with deadly aim at your lunch plate if you are not watching your meal.

      Today is showers of rain but not so much as to be a real bother. I have the tarp over our camper in case we need to pack wet tomorrow. Today is simply for relaxing.
      Leggi altro

    • Giorno 112

      Free camp Gatton

      1 maggio 2019, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

      On se remet à chercher des fermes à Gatton. Tout les caravanes park sont complets je pense pas qu'on va trouver du travail ici...

    • Giorno 60

      Kauf von dem Van und Huntsman Spinne

      28 ottobre 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

      Heute war der aufregende Tag da, weshalb ich überhaupt den Trip an die Sunshine Coast machte. Am Mittag stand das Treffen mit dem Verkäufer von dem Van an.

      Da wir uns um 13 Uhr mit ihm an einer Tanstelle trafen und 1,5 Stunden bis hin brauchten, konnten wir am Morgen nicht viel machen. Allerdings war der Plan, nach dem Kauf zu einem kostenlosen Festival, welches in Brisbane statt fand, zu fahren.

      Ich nutze die Zeit am Morgen, um die Fragen, welche mein Vater mir auf Deutsch geschickt hatte, ins Englische zu übersetzen.

      Wir trafen uns mit Ron an einer Tankstelle, da er ziemlich irgendwo im Nirgendwo wohnt. Dort funktioniert auch oft das GPS nicht. Daher war die Gefahr groß, dass wir das Grundstück nicht finden.

      Er wartete schon mit dem Van, als wir ankamen. Nachdem wir uns kurz vorgestellt hatten und wir schon einen kurzen Blick auf den Van werfen konnten, fuhren wir zu ihm heim. Ich fuhr direkt im Van mit und redete viel mit ihm. Ron meinte, er dachte, dass ich älter sei und hatte nicht mit so jungen Mädels gerechnet. Das fande ich ziemlich lustig. Während der Fahrt zeigte er mir schon ein paar Dinge, wie sie funktionieren. Auch erzählte er mir private Sachen, wie zum Beispiel, dass er vor zwei Tagen Geburtstag hatte und 11 Kinder im Alter zwischen 6 und 30 Jahren hat.

      Bei ihm angekommen, machten wir die Führung durch den Van. Irgendwie war ich die komplette Zeit skeptisch. Auch heute war es wieder so extrem heiß, was es schwer machte, sich auf das alles zu konzentrieren. Zu Bedenken machte mir aber die Tatsache, dass er nicht genau sagen konnte, wieviele Kilometer der Motor hat. Immerhin stand in der Anzeige, dass ein neuer Motor eingebaut wurde und dieser ca. 30 000km hat. Im Endeffekt erklärte er mir dann, dass das Gehäuse vom Motor noch das Alte ist, aber alle Teile innen drin augetauscht wurden. Das könne ich an den Rechnungen sehen. Da ich ja von dem ganzen Zeug keine Ahnung hatte, es alles auf Englisch stand und er mir eine Mape voll Rechnungen gab, glaubte ich ihm einfach mal. Ebenfalls hatte er erst am Vortag das Roadworthy, welches bei uns der TÜV ist, machen lassen. Daher verzichtete ich auch auf den Check beim Mechaniker, da ich dachte, dass ja dann nicht viel falsch sein kann. Den Gaskocher kann man auch vergessen, weil es nur eine Platte ist und man Gasdosen, statt Flaschen braucht. Er meinte, dass er den Van selber erst vor einem Jahr von einem deutschen Backpacker Pärchen abgekauft hat und nur drei Mal damit gefahren ist. Über das Spülbecken konnte er gar keine Aussage machen, da er es nie verwendet hatte. Das Zweite Solar Panel ist ebenfalls noch nicht angeschlossen, aber mein Vater meinte, dass wir das machen können.

      Im Endeffekt habe ich den Van gekauft. Sollte ja vermutlich so sein, nachdem das Schicksal alles passend gemacht hatte. Günstiger Flug, nicht weit von Lisas Gastfamilie, diese ist im Urlaub, ich bekam von meiner Gastfamilie frei,...

      Nachdem der ganze Schreibkram erledigt war, entschieden wir uns doch nicht zu dem Festival zu fahren, da ich ja noch ein paar Sachen beim Kmart (günstiger Einkaufsladen, wo es alles gibt) einkaufen musste.

      Auf dem Weg stellte ich allerdings fest, dass irgendwas die ganze Zeit raschelt. Beim Probefahren war dieses Geräusch aber noch nicht da und das regte mich nun auf. Immerhin hatte ich den Van gerade gekauft und nun gibt es schon das erste Problem damit?!

      Beim Kmart kaufte ich im Endeffekt nur einen Topper für die Matratze und einen Bettüberzug. Auf Decke, Kissen, etc. verzichtete ich erstmal, da ich ja nicht wusste, was es mit dem Rascheln auf sich hat.

      Meine Laune war nun natürlich ziemlich schlecht, da ich ja eigentlich auch am nächsten Morgen wieder zurück fahren wollte. Immerhin sollte ich am Dienstag wieder arbeiten und auf die Kids aufpassen. Weil es ca. 1000km zu fahren sind, ist es an einem Tag fast unmachbar.

      Naja, zurück bei Lisas Gastfamilie stieg sie bei mir mit ein und hörte beim fahren, von wo das Rascheln kommt. Unglücklicherweise konnte sie es aus dem Motorraum hören, was ja normalerweise ein schlechtes Zeichen ist. Ebenfalls nahm sie Sprachmemos auf, damit ich es meinem Cousin Michael schicken konnte.

      Wieder zurück im Haus, wartete die nächste negative Überraschung auf uns.

      Im Flur saß eine riesige Spinne. Ich habe noch nie in meinem Leben so eine große Spinne gesehen. Nachdem wir eine Weile ganz geschockt auf sie starrten und die Spinne sich nicht bewegte, gingen wir nur ganz kurz in die Garage um etwas zu holen, mit der wir sie irgendwie rausjagen oder einfangen können. Wir fanden nichts auf anhieb, weshalb ich zurück zu der Spinne ging. Doch nun war sie nicht mehr da und auch nirgends anders war sie zu finden. Katastrophe!

      Wir durchsuchten alles und es war unerklärlich, wo so ein großes Tier hin sein kann. Ebenfalls hatte ich Michael die Sprachnachrichten geschickt und er sagte mir ein paar Sachen, die ich am Van ausprobieren sollte. Er meinte direkt am Anfang, dass der Motor rund läuft und es sich eher anhört, als ob irgendein Blech oder so rattert.

      Daher ging ich zurück in den Van und probierte die Sachen aus, weil wir die Spinne nicht mehr fanden. Nach ewigen rumprobieren kamen wir auf den Nenner, dass es irgendwas mit der Abdeckung zu tun hat, die über dem Motor ist. Dieser sitzt nämlich nicht wie bei einem normalen Auto vorne unter der Motorhaube, sondern unter dem Sitz zwischen Fahrer und Beifahrer.

      Wenn man die Abdeckung offen lies, war das Rascheln nicht zu hören. Sobald man sie aber schloss, war es wieder da.

      Ich war sehr erleichtert, dass es nichts schlimmes ist.

      Um ganz sicher zu gehen entschloss ich mich aber dazu, noch einen Tag länger zu bleiben und einen Mechaniker den Van anschauen zu lassen. Glücklicherweise meinte Diana, als ich sie und Carina in Airlie Beach traf, dass es an der Sunshine Coast einen deutschen Mechaniker gibt.

      Ich schaute nach wo er wohnt und es war nur 15 Minuten vom Haus entfernt. Echt super. Allerdings hatte ich bedenken, da ja morgen Sonntag war, ob er da überhaupt arbeitet. Ausgeschlossen ist es aber nicht, weil alle Läden Sonntags in Australien offen haben.

      Wieder im Haus ging die Suche nach der Spinne weiter. Leider vergeblich.

      Daher machten wir dann ein Videotelefonat mit Patrick, bis es ziemlich spät am Abend oder sogar schon in der Nacht war. Danach schauten wir nocheinmal nach dem Tier, aber auch wieder ohne Erfolg.

      Deshalb mussten wir uns mit Gedanken anfreunden, dass hier eine riesige Spinne im Haus ist, während wir schlafen. Glücklicherweise konnten wir allerdings rausfinden, dass es sich um eine Huntsman Spinne und somit um keine Giftige handelt.

      Mit dieser Erkenntnis gingen wir dann ins Bett.
      Leggi altro

    • Giorno 6

      Brisbane to Gatton

      29 giugno 2023, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

      The morning slipped into cold, grey conditions as we headed west from Brisbane at 6am. We stopped in at the Gatton UQ campus to check out the lake famous for its resident, breeding Blue-billed ducks. Didn't disappoint 3 adult males in full colour, 4 females/immature birds. One male repeatedly displaying for a disinterested female, in between foraging dives. Others on/at the lake included:
      Pink-eared ducks c 400+
      Grey teal c 20
      Plumed Whistling ducks c 10
      Pacific black ducks c 20
      Australasian grebes c 100
      Australian white Ibis
      Royal spoonbill 4
      Australasian swamp-hen
      Dusky moorhen
      Variegated fairy-wren
      Restless flycatcher
      Brown goshawk
      Grey fantail
      Leggi altro

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