Bundaberg to Charters Towers

2009 No. 2

G’day all. Here we are back on the road and already the experiences have started again. First up we headed out of Bundaberg after many heartfelt goodbyes and tears (will miss our adopted family immensely). Made fair time out past Monto for the first night. Problems started about 100km’s out of Bundy when first we ran out of bitumen road. “We can’t go on a dirt road!” “Bought an off-road van, but can’t take it on the dirt, didn’t realise I married Adele.” Anyway won’t go backwards so onwards and upwards. Turns out it wasn’t that bad. Then we pulled into Monto, where Tayla pipes up “What’s that hissing?” “S—t, told you so, we shouldn’t have gone on that dirt road!” “Yeah, yeah, bite your bum.” So after a puncture repair and a few more choice words we finally made it to a free camp near the Cania Ranges, where we did some school work, had a camp fire and watched the stars (beautiful). Let’s have a shower Jules. No worries I filled the wash tank before I left with the bore water at Bev’s. Funny thing is darl nothing seems to be coming out of the tap. “ Which tank did you fill Jules?” Bugger, wrong one. Looks like it is a baby wipe shower.
Next day it was on past Banana and Moura (mining towns) and pulled into a free camp on the Dawson River. Brilliant, right on the water, hot showers, toilets, fish and friendly campers. We met two families from Moura with six boys between them. Jack thought he was in heaven. Needless to say after a few coldies, a top campfire and good conversation, we decided to stay another day so the kids could play.
We had to bail out the next day to get to Emerald for the kids to do their NAPLAN testing for school. Turns out after a few calls we were allowed to camp at the school (gee, I don’t know, free or pay for a caravan site. Which would I choose?). So we pulled into Emerald on Sunday arvo up the state school and ……….
“Where do we park Brad? There is no one around.” There was a building beside their school called the Outstation, “That would have to be it, hey Jules; I mean the gates are open and all. That will do, look they even have power in the carport”. “You can’t do that”, “Just watch me”. After a couple of hours of Julie having a coronary about being in the wrong place and using someone’s power, a caretaker showed up and said no worries, you are in the right place. That’s 1 to Me and 1 to Jules.
We spent the week at the school so the kids could do their testing and mingle with the cattle station kids. We all had a ball, the kids playing and us talking to the mothers and governesses from the various properties around the area (that is up to 4 hours drive away). Turns out they come into school for a week four times a year and camp in the Outstation in their swags and have a house mom cook for them three times a day. “Well we are here, we might as well pay our $20 a night and eat with everyone else (just to be social, of course, not cos’ it meant we didn’t have to cook for another week did it Jules?) Met some lovely ladies and found out the history of the area and everyone’s background. Still Friday came pretty quick and it was time to leave and for Charters Towers.
Only problem is, we didn’t make it out of town before one of the ladies from school drove past and yelled to come and stay at their place for the night as it was on the way. Cool another free night Jules, we are there. Carina and Clay Kenny lived out on a 10,000 acre beef cattle property about 11km in from the highway and 200 km from Charters Towers. OH crap, more dirt roads. “She’ll be right darl, just close your eyes and pretend it’s just rough bitumen.” We followed Carina’s instructions, but the boss was starting to worry when it felt like we had been driving for bloody ages (only doing 30 km/hr) when we came upon a huge green letterbox and a sign saying Belyando Junction. This is it. About another kilometre up the driveway we came upon a big old Queenslander sitting on top of a hill in the middle of nowhere. That would have to be it. Up we go, back into 4wd, spinning wheels on gravel, I think we can, I think we can. We pulled up in front of the house just before sunset and looked out over a huge man made dam (turns out it is about 5km in area) and 360 degree views. Unbloody believable. “Can we live here Brad?”
Next up we get a G’day mate coming from a farmer pushing a mower over some of the greenest grass you have ever seen. “My names Clay, welcome, want a beer?” Here we are we met his wife for a few hours for four days and never met this bloke, but hey pulled round the back, plug into the power, have a shower and let’s have a drink and a chat. “Did we step into heaven?” Jules is thinking (still no cooking). We had a few drinks, were fed dinner, then Clay found out I was a chippie. “You know, I’ve got a trailer I’ve been fitting out, maybe you could stay for a few days and help me finish it of.” “Jules, you need to ring the oldies and tell them we won’t be seeing them tomorrow. No you ring; it will be better coming from you.”
The next day Clay and the kids took us down to get his tractor on the back of his prime mover, then drove over to the other property (40,000 acres) to muster some horses for the cattle muster next week. Jack thought he was king dick sitting up in the big Mack truck. On the way out of the driveway Tayla (Clay’s Tayla that is, same age as Jack) yells out bloody dingo. That’s nice darl says Jules so what? “We gotta shoot the bastard.” Whatttttt says my beloved. So I’m out of the Ute looking for the dingo when up behind comes little Tayla aiming into the bush with a 30/30 rifle. S__t! That is what we had to clean out of the pants after I found the rifle was loaded with half a dozen bullets and a light trigger. Clay and the kids grabbed their horses at Llanarth and we went down into one of the paddocks where they muster a couple of dozen of bulls and cows so they could practice camp drafting. That is where you have to pick out one beast from about a dozen then control where it runs and take it through the obstacle course. They all did it from Clay to Ben, Dean, Tayla and young Todd (5 yr old) amazing. Then it was back to Belyando (young Tayla drove the Ute (more dirty pants)) for the kids to play and for me to do some work on the trailer. It was an old removal trailer on a prime mover been converted with a kitchen, toilet, shower and five beds in the front and enough room in the back for 8 horses. Carina did an awesome roast for dinner (didn’t even need a knife to cut the meat) and the next day they went to a wedding while I did some more work till lunchtime, when we had to make tracks for Charters Towers. We did our few things in town then headed out for Fletchers Creek (freebie beside the creek) to catch up with my folks. Need to have Toyota look at the car as we are only getting 300km out of 150 litres of fuel. Hopefully they can fix it or else we are going to have to look at changing vehicles somehow.
Anyhow, that’s enough rambling for one fortnight. I’ll probably keep you updated every couple of weeks unless we have a busy one.
Missing everyone deeply.
Know that are thoughts are with you Bevan and Margit in your challenges that life’s throwing at you. We love you both dearly.
Hope all works out alright for your Mum Chris.
Lover and Macca, keep trying, things could be a lot worse.
Miss our card games Danni and the company. Hope work sorts it self out for you Timbo. Go the LIONS!!!!!!
Sorry Beck. But Malthouse is past it.
Keep giving Arthur curry Rich, and keep on living.
Hope the move was easy Randall and Rae and all are doing well. Keep your head out of the firing line (when do you get your promotion? Just the oldies were asking). Love ya’s
To everyone I haven’t mentioned, we are still thinking of you all, from time to time. When I’m not fishing, or hiking or sleeping.
Just jokes
Cya the Wattevas
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