The Shifting Spanners

Its finally time for a Gap Year! After 33 years of working we have decided to bite the bullet, hitch up the van and do the Big Lap of Australia. Message

The Shifting Spanners Hammo & Dinosaurs 2022
- May 13, 2022 · ⛅ 24 °C Altitude: 708 m
  Australia Queensland Tablelands Barrine -17.2149, 145.6115217°12’54” S 145°36’41” E
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Day21
Home
May 13 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Made it home! A much sunnier day and we made it back to Tinaroo, picking up Sally from Lindsay's on the way. The yard is very overgrown...it's been 5 weeks since I was able to mow it. Mould has also grown on the leather lounge and various surfaces, so will keep us busy for a bit.

Another great trip...hopefully next time it will be in a new Patrol and new Urban caravan!!!!Read more
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The Shifting Spanners Hammo & Dinosaurs 2022
- May 12, 2022 · 🌧 25 °C Altitude: 11 m
  Australia Queensland Townsville Ross Creek -19.26199, 146.8165219°15’43” S 146°48’59” E
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Day20
Townsville
May 12 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 25 °C
Well the rain has flooded just about every road in the central west, and forced the closure of our dinosaur exhibits at Winton. After discussing with the Quetti's, we decided to cancel them, and organise refunds. We'll have to come back another time...

Richmond has been a great place to wait out the rain...we haven't had much at all compared to most. We decided to turn around and head towards Townsville, whilst the Quetti's continued on the journey west.

We were very lucky to make it through to Townsville, enduring torrential rain near Hughenden, temporary road works around a huge washout, and just making it over the Burdekin River due to flooding.

Coincidently, Lindsay and Simon were in Townsville seeing a specialist so we caught up with them for dinner.Read more
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The Shifting Spanners Hammo & Dinosaurs 2022
- May 10, 2022, 1:20pm · 🌧 20 °C Altitude: 219 m
  Australia Queensland Richmond -20.7339, 143.145220°44’2” S 143°8’43” E
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Day18
Richmond
May 10 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 20 °C
After a long days drive, we arrived at our caravan park at Richmond to ride out the forecast flooding rain event. We decided to stay at the caravan park as opposed to the free camp, as it has bitumen and concrete sites, power/water and amenities whilst we are hunkered down. The park is adjacent to a man made lake with walking paths, gardens, lights and BBQ areas everywhere...a great place to ride out the weather.

Kronosaurus Korner was great...a lot better than Hughenden, and contained heaps of full skeletons and fossils of mainly sea based dinosaurs. This region was once covered by a huge inland sea, and there seems to be heaps of fossils being uncovered quite regularly.

The rain event has started and we're waiting it out and hoping we don't get flooded in as the roads are quite susceptible to flooding.

We are booked in to a farmstay at Winton on Friday, and have paid for 2 dinosaur tours on Saturday and Sunday, so are hoping we are able to get through...Read more
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The Shifting Spanners Hammo & Dinosaurs 2022
- May 7, 2022 · ⛅ 27 °C Altitude: 319 m
  Australia Queensland Flinders Hughenden -20.84688, 144.1998920°50’49” S 144°11’60” E
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Day15
Hughenden
May 7 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Well it looks like there is major rain and flooding on the way, so we decided to forego our booking at Porcupine Gorge, and head straight to Hughenden, check out the dinosaur exhibit and continue to Richmond in an effort to head west and miss the worst of it.

The dinosaur exhibit was a bit ordinary with only 1 skeleton, and heaps of shells, petrified woods etc and a few bones...glad we didn't stay.Read more
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The Shifting Spanners Hammo & Dinosaurs 2022
- May 6, 2022 · ⛅ 28 °C Altitude: 316 m
  Australia Queensland Charters Towers Charters Towers City -20.07877, 146.2632620°4’44” S 146°15’48” E
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Day14
Charters Towers
May 6 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Spent 1 night at Charters Towers Tourist Park and checked out a few of the sights of The Towers.

Karen went to high school here so went past a few of her old haunts. Went to he Museum, stock exchange, pub, and really enjoyed Towers Hill lookout where we had wine and nibbles and watched an informative movie and slideshow.Read more
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The Shifting Spanners Hammo & Dinosaurs 2022
- May 5, 2022 · ☀️ 28 °C Altitude: 83 m
  Australia Queensland Townsville Castle Hill -19.2628, 146.8063919°15’46” S 146°48’23” E
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Day13
Townsville
May 5 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
We have car troubles! Just before we were scheduled to leave Airlie Beach for Bowen, the passenger door of the BT50 decided not to shut. The door accentuator failed, and after several phone calls to the Mazda dealers at Bowen and Townsville, we decided to head straight to Townsville as the dealer had a accentuator in stock. Robert and I rigged up a snatch strap to hold the door shut for the trip to Townsville and Marg had to sit in the back seat.

Turns out Mazda had issued a warranty recall on the door accentuators, so the dealer was able to fix all 4 for free...very lucky.

Stayed at Townsville Tourist and Lifestyle Village which had a couple of great pools and amenities which we used for our stay. We rigged up a TV outside the Quetti's van, and watched the Broncos vs Rabbitohs with a couple of neighbours...Read more
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The Shifting Spanners Hammo & Dinosaurs 2022
- May 2, 2022 · ⛅ 24 °C Altitude: 10 m
  Australia Queensland Whitsunday Cannonvale -20.270832, 148.70428220°16’15” S 148°42’15” E
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Day10
Airlie Beach
May 2 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
After a great week on Hammo, we arrived back at Seabreeze Caravan Park, collected our vans and cars from the storage area set them up again for a couple of days to do laundry and grocery shopping in preparation for the 2nd part of our holiday. Whilst Mick and Michelle have to depart for home, the Spanner's and the Quetti's will be in convoy following the Dinosaur trail through Central Queensland.Read more
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The Shifting Spanners Hammo & Dinosaurs 2022
- Apr 27, 2022 · ⛅ 26 °C Altitude: 12 m
  Australia Queensland Whitsunday Hamilton Island Catseye Bay -20.34618, 148.9518220°20’46” S 148°57’7” E
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Day5
Hammo
April 27 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Spent the week exploring the island, cocktails at One Tree Hill, lunch at the resort, lazing on the beach etc. What a great place for a holiday. Decided not to do the golfing thing on Dent Island this time, but will definitely have to return one day and give it a go.Read more
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The Shifting Spanners Hammo & Dinosaurs 2022
- Apr 26, 2022, 7:00am · 🌧 21 °C Altitude: 12 m
  Australia Queensland Whitsunday Hamilton Island Catseye Bay -20.34682, 148.9521620°20’49” S 148°57’8” E
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Day4
Hamilton Island
April 26 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 21 °C
The weather is a bit up and down with clouds and the odd shower, but is not stopping us getting out and about. Did some shopping at the Hammo IGA to stock up on groceries and grog using the buggy to get us there. As the buggy is a 4 seater, we have to make 2 trips to ferry all 6 of us around, but it's really no big deal as the island is so small.

Mick and Michelle brought Margarita ingredients over so we made cocktails and relaxed on the deck overlooking the ocean. What a spot!Read more
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The Shifting Spanners Hammo & Dinosaurs 2022
- Apr 23, 2022 · 🌧 19 °C Altitude: 701 m
  Australia Queensland Tablelands Barrine -17.21484, 145.6114817°12’53” S 145°36’41” E
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Day1
We're off!
April 23 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 19 °C
Woohoo! Well after contracting Covid (Paul) in Brisbane and isolating for a week at Mum's we flew home on Friday, hurriedly packed the van on Saturday morning, and drove down to Airlie Beach. Marg has tested negative again, so it's all systems go!

We met up with Mick and Michelle, and Robert and Karen at the Seabreeze Caravan Park on Sunday arvo for a few bevvies, stored the cars and caravans out the back on Monday and caught the ferry over to Hamilton Island. The valet was waiting for us at the dock on Hammo, and drove us to our beaut Villa on the hill behind the Marina. What a great Villa it is...3 levels, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a golf buggy included to get around the island. What a relief to actually make it here after getting Covid only 9 days ago! Hopefully we all stay Covid free...Read more
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