Doves

Back home early in time for lunch. The Spotted necked Turtle Dove chicks are doing well, see pic. The nest is in the bush by the front door so we have to be careful to avoid frightening the parents away. We put some seed down and it went within half an hour, so it looks like mum and dad are still around.

Keith

Back in SA, at Keith. We probably could have got home, but that would mean unpacking in the dark, and the parked cars in the street would make putting the van away difficult.
The Fyans Lake people said they have been in drought for 12 years; the lake is about 100 metres from the bottom of the boat ramp, see pic. Lake Lonsdale, about 5 Km away is a paddock! A lake near the highway had signs for boat ramps and swimming areas, but there was no water, just grass. It will take a lot of rain to get this area back to normal.

Northern Grampians

Touring round the northern Grampians, we came across a goanna that ran across the road and up the tree, see pic. I had to jiggle the settings in Photoshop as the goanna was almost invisible against the tree.
The day was spent looking at Hollow Mountain, driving down tracks with an Emu family running in front of us, kangaroos leaping out from the bush and lots of birds everywhere.
Got to start for home today, not sure where we will be tonight.

Corellas

Great day climbing to the Pinnacle above Halls Gap, via the Grand Canyon. Not quite as big as the American one, but still spectacular. Picture shows us halfway up taking a breather in the shade.
Last night had us in a bit of a state. We were relaxing in the annex when we heard several shot gun shots. Panic at first but then we realised someone was shooting at the thousands of Corellas in the trees. They kept it up for a while and when I heard pellets landing I thought it was time to call the police. The guy across the road told me it was an official cull and they were licensed shooters. We should have been told about the cull, but somehow they missed us, and the shooters should have been told not to drop the shot on the caravan park. They were not very good shots anyway as with the sky full of Corellas, three shots only dropped two birds!

Grampians

We left Portland early on Monday because the site we were on had been booked by someone.
We went to the Grampians and stayed at Lake Fyans, just a short drive out of Halls Gap. In the afternoon we looked at the McKenzie Falls, quite a steep climb down 200 or so steps to get to the bottom, but worth the effort. See photo.

Today we will be going on more walks, not sure where but the Wonderland Grand Canyon walk looks favourite.

Portland Trials

Saturday was cold, wet and windy with no passes in the UD and UDX classes for Keith, but Kathy had some pass in CCD and Novice. We had dinner at the Royal Hotel with the club and over ate until we could not move - fabulous food.
Sunday had better weather, less rain, less wind but still cold. Pic shows Kathy judging Allan and Wooffey in the Open class. Keith had Agility, with some passes to make the weekend worthwhile.
Tonight we will be at the local RSL for dinner with the other judges and some of the Vic competitors.

Portland via Keith

We left late as usual, so I guess that means we left on time! It was getting close to dinner time when we were at Keith so we stopped at the community caravan park, just find a spot and the lady comes round to collect the money. We were next to the conservation park, so there were birds flying about and kangaroos in the next paddock, yet we were within walking distance of the town centre. Good spot for an overnight stay.

Portland is a pretty place, and the Henty Bay Caravan park is right on the beach, see pic. Its a bit windy, and the weather forecast is not great, so we could be in for a wet week-end.

Back Home

We had a windy drive home, with some rain. There were places where the wind was blowing the top soil off the paddocks, and then just up the road there was heavy rain. The farmers can't win.
Back home for a while, but not too long as we will be in Portland in a few weeks time.

Coffin Bay Dolphins

We were at the Coffin Bay National Park looking at the spectacular scenery when about twenty dolphins swam into the shallow water nearby and started surfing. They stayed there for about 5 minutes before swimming back to deeper water. The video was amazing, catching one of them leaping out of the water. The best yet.
We will start for home tomorrow, possibly with wet equipment as it has just started to rain.

Lazy day on Eyre Peninsula

We went for a bike ride along the foreshore at Tumby Bay as it was a beautiful day with clear blue sky, crystal clear water and no wind. After lunch we went touring around, looking at the Tod Dam, and following the Tourist Drive to Winters Hill lookout (see pic) .
Tomorrow we intend to go to Coffin Bay and then we will have to start packing up to get home for the week end.

Port Lincoln

Makybe Diva on the forshore at Port Lincoln. Not the original, just a sculpture, but fitting for a Melbourne Cup Day post. We were in the Port Lincoln National Park near the Donington lighthouse when the race was on. It did not stop us, but we did listen to it on the radio.
Some magnificent views of the coastline, but the wind and the rain spoiled it a bit. The photos did not come out too good, but we still enjoyed the day. Kathy stubbed her toe and now has two black toes on her right foot which made climbing up Stamford Hill to Flinders Lookout quite painful, but she would not quit, and we have the photos to prove it.

Tumby Bay

We did not get to Port Lincoln, only as far as Tumby Bay. We stopped for lunch near the caravan park, saw the green grassy caravan sites and booked in.
So far we have just toured around Tumby Bay, a beautiful place to stay. Ross Story operates a Clydesdale wagon tour around the town which starts from the caravan park. At 5:00pm we were there and did the tour. The pic shows Polly (real name Apollo) who pulled the wagon for us. Ross is a long term resident of Tumby Bay so the tour gets an in-depth commentary on the history of Tumby Bay

The Trials

Two days of trialling are over. There was an outbreak of kennel cough from Victoria that kept a few people away, and trials in Mt Gambier and Warnambool tempted some more, so this week end in Whyalla did not have many entries. Some good work from those that did turn up.
The holidays really start now as we will be moving down the coast to Port Lincoln tomorrow.
People that arrived today told us there were severe storms on the other side of the Gulf, so we are hoping they stay that side.

The wind came up so we decided to take the annex down just incase the rains came later. This meant that the Tommy Turtle step was getting blown away, so we had to tie it down with a bit of rope and a spare peg. See picture.

Whyalla

We got as far as Port Germein last night. Seeing as we did not leave until about 2:00pm, that was pretty good.
The Port Germein Hotel does a great meal. Kathy had the Garfish, Keith had Surf and Turf, and the lot came to $30. Huge plate full of food that was delicious. And best of all, the carvan park back gate is just across the road from the pub, so the drink driving laws do not apply!
Pic shows Kathy with the Cocky at the Port Germein Caravan Park.
After getting to Whyalla about noon, we went for a drive round the coast from Point Lowley to Point Douglas. We never realised how spectacular that section of coast is. Well worth the trip.

Starting out again

We are off to Whyalla for dog trials, then the rest of the week around Port Lincoln.

Halls Gap

We got to Halls Gap mid afternoon and went on a quick tour of the area.The pic shows Halls Gap from the look out, the small size does not do it justice, the view is breathtaking.
Lots of wild life, birds, kangaroos, and an echidna.
The caravan park owners gave us a bag of wild bird seed, so this morning Kathy had cockies and corellas all round her feet and trying to get on her chair to get the seeds off her.
It is school holidays in Vic, so the van parks are full of people. We will head for home today.

Last of the Melbourne Royal

The last day was today. The Agility Games competition is three different games of Snooker, Gamblers and Strategic Pairs, originally intended to be training aids but have developed into stand alone competitions. There was some good passes with a few hard luck stories. Started at 9:00am - finished at 4:30pm.
We pick up the van from Ballarat on Monday and start heading back. We should be in Halls Gap for a couple of days.

Back to Melbourne

Yesterday was another quiet day wandering around the Ballarat area.

We went to Clunes, the Tangled Maze,(Kathy won a Snake for getting all the answers) and a walk round the lake and Botanical gardens at Ballarat. Not a lot of water in Lake Wendourie.

We left the caravan in storage at Ballarat and have moved back in to the RACV Club in Bourke St. The Grand Final parade is on just up the street and round the corner, so the roads were blocked, the traffic terrifying and the Tom Tom navigator was losing the GPS signal because of the tall buildings. Quite an interesting ride!

Daylesford

We went for a drive yesterday, Kryal Castle looked too much of a tourist trap. The pic shows the lake at Daylesford, a beautiful place for a walk. Lots to see, going back today to see the parts we missed yesterday.

Sovereign Hill

You can not go to Ballarat without visiting Sovereign Hill. We found gold, not enough to cover the cost of entry, or even the cost of the little bottle to keep it in, but we found gold.
The night show tells the story of the Eureka Stockade, with an audio presentation and flashing lights over the Sovereign Hill site. Very cold at night this time of the year. Today we plan to see the castle.

Ballarat

Ballarat in the rain and wind is not the best place to be. We did get out for a while to see the Eureka Stockade. Pic shows Kathy in the old coach in the information area.
Today the weather looks better so we will head to Soverign Hill

Ballarat

The first stint at the Royal is over. The Agility and Jumping was a big day, starting at 8:45 am and finishing at 6:30 pm. There was rain, wind, and periods of sunshine. Huge crowds most of the day. The conditions affected many of the dogs with several running in to the crowd for a free pat. However you could see why the top level is called Masters because when they came in they made it look easy. The masters’ dogs ran the course at maximum speed with the handlers controlling from up to 15 metres away, and the top dogs being 10 + seconds under the course time.

We are in Ballarat for a few days, back in the caravan. Also in the caravan park is a group of Model T club members who are driving round Australia fundraising for the Flying Doctor. They have been away for 6 months and have just got to get to Sydney to finish the loop. The Model T Ford shown was completely restored by the owner apart from some specialist body work. It is a 2.8 litres, 3.8 inch bore, 4 inch stroke engine that has peak revs at 1600. Touring speed is about 65 kph, dropping to 35 on hills. They are towing a camper trailer. 8 T's started out, three are still going.

The Melbourne Royal 2

Another busy day with the lady dogs. No passes in UDX or UD today even though there were some very good dogs competing. There was an animal pavilion next to the ring which had pigs squealing, lambs playing and calves mooing, there was also a food stall next to the ring with wonderful smells coming from it, and lots of background noise and activity. Not surprising the the dogs had a hard time doing the high level work. The CCD, Novice and Open classes all had passes,but the conditions also affected their performance.
Tomorrow is Agility Day. They want us there at 6:30 am to set up the ring. This could be a big test for us.

The Melbourne Royal 1

A very busy day starting at 8:am at the show grounds. No passes in UDX or UD for the dogs,but CCD Novice and Open classes had some good results.
Kathy had a quiet day round the show, being accosted by a rescue greyhound that nearly came home with us, but she fought off the desire.
Tomorrow is the lady dogs turn.

Melbourne

Last night we were in Bordertown, because we left after lunch as usual. We parked the van at Ballerat, ready for a few days as a tourist, and moved on the the RACV club in Bourke St Melbourne. Tomorrow Keith starts judging the Obedience, Agility and Jumping at the Melbourne Royal. It will be a full on load for three days, then a few days off before returning to judge the Games trials on the last day of the Royal.

Mildura

Very quick trip to Mildura for the trials. Saturday night had one dog gain it's final pass for an Obedience Champion (OC), with a score of 185 in Utility. The dog likes the evening, because on Sunday morning, although it passed, it did not get enough points for the OC. Pic shows a pelican on the river by the lock at Mildura.

We start out for Melbourne on Tuesday, for the Royal Show.

Back in the Cold

The view from the Hotel Window

Home to the cold, with 2 suitcases of washing and some new toys to play with. For some reason Kathy's phone would not work, but Keith's did. Don't know why. Internet access was a little restricted as the coast of plugging into the Hotel system was prohibitive, and the Macca's free access meant we could not post pictures. Just as well because we would have had a hell of a time working out which one to post.

Off to Mildura next weekend for dog trials.

Last day in Singapore

We will be flying home tonight after a wonderful time in Singapore.
Kathy had her birthday on Sentosa Islandand and then Night Safari and we got back to the Hotel near midnight absolutely worn out.
Last minute shopping today then Changi Airport to catch the 10.00pm flight home.
The SKC people have been marvelous hosts and have spent extra time with us, showing us around and nights out for meals. Their local knowledge made the visit much more interesting and by getting us away from the Tourist Traps they showed us that you can eat really well for not too much if you know how in Singapore.

Singapore

We made it tio Singapore OK, arriving late due to the plane being hit by lightning.(Not while we were on it).
The dog trials were a huge success. We started at 9:am and finished at 7:pm, with me having a lunch break while the Agility competitors walked the course.
Dinner that night was at the Changi Beach Club, and was a great meal even though we were ready for bed!
Hospitality was great.
Did some tours, but time is running out on the Macca's free internet, so I have to go.
Due back Sunday

Home early to go to Singapore

Thursday night was at Cadney Station, and another Cadney Burger. They are enormous.
Last night we were in Port Augusta and got home today at noon. The big relief was that the passports were still valid.
Things learned from the trip:
1) Get the caravan off the road by 3:30 pm or you get a crappy site.
2) Do not admit the van is small, because if you do you get a crappy little site, but no reduction in price.
3) High fuel prices have made the trucks slow down.
4) It is amazing how many people do not know how to use a toilet.
5) Caravan Parks in the busy season are overcrowded.
6) In a cross wind, the fourth trailer on a Road Train wags like a puppy's tail.
7) Do not leave the caravan fridge on 12 volts while parked.
8) Lock the caravan fridge door when moving.
We had a great time away, it was over too soon but the week in Singapore should be worth cutting our touring short.

Alice Springs

Its cold in Alice. We have got used to warm days and pleasant nights. Here it is cold at 5 pm and will get colder tonight. The heater is working overtime.
Pic shows the Telegraph Memorial near Alice Springs.
We called in on a friend in Alice who is a butcher, stocked up on the local news and the fridge. We expect to be near Coober Pedy tomorrow.

Back in Tennant Creek

We are in Tennant Creek heading home in a rush. We need time to get ready for Singapore next week so we do not have much time.
Kathy took this picture of a Crimson Finch - there are hundreds of them in the top end that congregate near water and fly off in a cloud of tiny birds when they are disturbed.

Mataranka

What an exciting life. We got bogged in sand two days ago, today the battery died on the Xtrail in the most convenient place possible - outside the Katherine Auto Parts shop, next to Woolworth's. We made it to Mataranka with enough time to go for a swim in the thermal pool. 32 degrees all the time.
We are heading for home because we have to be in Singapore by 24 August, a bit of a surprise, but we can not knock back an opportunity to go overseas. It looks like Kathy's birthday drink will be a Singapore Sling in Raffles.

Valentine Springs

Another day touring round Kununarra, the pic shows Valentine Springs, one of the springs around here. We went to the Black Rock pool. Got there OK, but got stuck in the sand on the way out. Fortunately a guy in a Patrol dragged us out so I was saved an hour of digging.
Next stop is Timber Creek.

Lake Argyle

The Ord river is an amazing sight. The ammount of water in Lake Argile is enough to keep SA going forever.
The views around the lake are pretty good too. The first picture shows Dead Horse Springs, with Lake Argyle in the background



Yesterday we went to Wyndham. There was a big Saltie crocodile near the jetty, only a couple of feet from the shore. Kathy got so excited I had to lock her up in the Prison tree. A Boab that was used by the constable when transporting prisoners in the 1800s.

Ord River crossing

Yesterday was spent looking around Kununarra. We followed the tourist guide round the town and out to see the sights. The old road crossing of the Ord River is shown in the photo, too big to fit in one picture,so this is two wide angle pictures joined in photoshop. The tour finished at the rum factory called the Hoochery, where they make rum in the old fasioned way.

Today we go to Wyndham

Kununarra

We arrived late at Kununarra and got a crummy site, next to the rubbish bins and on the road. Dust, flies, smells and noise. Kathy went to see the office and this morning we moved 50 metres to a nice shady, grassy site, so we may be here for a while.
Pic shows the rock face in the Hidden Valley national park, which is next to the caravan park.

Litchfield National Park

The Litchfield National Park was fabulous. We stayed at the Banyan Tree caravan park for $19.50 a night and that included a sausage sizzle for dinner. Lots of people in the park, especially at the swimming holes. It was difficult to take photos at some swimming holes because of the many young women wearing half a hanky and a couple of feet of fishing line. The pic above is the Wangi Falls, one of the best in the park. We took a 4 wheel drive track to the Lost City (unusual rock formations) and picked up a couple of hitch hikers who had decided to walk the 10 k to the rocks. Obviously not used to the Territory sun!

Going to Kunanurra tomorow, we think.

Litchfield National park

The pic shows Edith Falls, about 70K from Katherine.
We have decided to go to the Litchfield national park for a few days, because Kunnunara has a rodeo on and the place is booked out.
Not sure if the NextG reaches Litchfield, so there may not be a posting for a couple of days

Katherine District

We spent a day mooching around Katherine. The Hot Springs, a look around the lower level of the river, a visit to the museum and the Cycad Gardens. All Tourist stuff, just lolly gagging and doing nothing much at all, then a dip in the pool and that was the day gone.
Today we will go to the Cutta Cutta caves, then who knows?
Pic shows Kathy in the Cycad gardens.

Katherine Gorge

We took the three gorges tour of the Gorge. The Katherine Gorge is an amazing place, with the spectacular cliff faces rising from the water in the Katherine River. The Guide gave us an explanation of the area and its significance to the aboriginal people. Total time was about 4 hours, 57 photographs, 40 minutes of video and three bottles of water, but worth the effort. We even walked up to the top of the Gorge to the look-out.Very steep climb up rocky steps. Kathy said it was puff factor going up, fear factor coming down.
Today we will be looking around Katherine, tomorrow the Cutta Cutta caves, after that, we don't know.

Katherine

We spent last night at Daly Waters, here is us looking through the Australia shaped hole in the wall of the Tourist Trap.

Something strange is going on with the Xtrail. Every time we tow the van the fuel consumption is about 15 l per 100Km, the last two days it has been 12 l per 100km. Don't know what caused the 20% improvement, but I hope it keeps it up.

The good news is we found a shop in Katherine that sold us a universal charger for the video camera battery. We can resume videos!.

Tomorrow we have booked a tour of the Katherine Gorge, so the Xtrail gets a day off too.

Next stop is-----we don't know. Maybe Kununurra, maybe Kakadu, maybe we stay here for a while, because it is warm. Check the blog later.

Tennant Creek

We left Wycliffe Well while the police were investigating the indigenous party last night. It seems they got out of hand over a tribal dispute about a young girl.
We are in Tennant Creek, after a day of stopping at all the tourist attractions. The Devils Marbles were spectacular, the tour of the Battery Hill mine was very entertaining and we went to the Telegraph Station and the Pebbles. A beer in the Caravan Park pub and a glass of red with dinner and we have had enough for one day.
Good news is I brought my video camera and a charger. The bad news is the charger was for the other video camera that I left home. When the batteries run out, the video stops.

Wycliffe Well

We are in the tropics. At about 10 am on 25 July we passed the Tropic of Capricorn, about 30Km north of Alice Springs. We stop at every tourist site on the road, Ryans Well, Aileron Big man, and all the photo stops. When we got to Wycliffe Well the caravan park looked good so we stopped. Great park with a lake, wildlife and Alians theme, (Wycliff is known for the UFO sightings). The local indigenous brothers were having a party and got a bit loud, but they calmed down by dark.Big decisions coming up tomorrow, do we turn right and go to Queensland, or keep heading north to Mataranka, Katherine and Kakado. Most expensive fuel so far was $2.11 per litre at Ti Tree.

The adventure begins

The first night was Port Germain, after a late start. We got to Cadney Station last night, but the phones did not work. Kathy had to work so as soon as we got to Marla, and the phones worked, she had to log on. Pic shows the view from the Ranges View lookout north of Port Agusta. Got to go, Kathy need the internet

Two days to go

We are preparing for the next trip away. Our original plans for overseas fell through because we left things too late, so we are heading north until it gets warm and then deciding what to do and where to go then.

Pic shows the tapestry cushions Kathy did for the Golden Retriever National show, obedience and Gundog working test.

Lots of work, but the winners were pleased to get them.

Whyalla Sunday

No Picture today, we had a day in the rain. Light drizzle during judging this morning, but the afternoon got worse with almost constant rain. We went for a walk round the caravan park because we fell asleep infront of the tv. After calling in on friends, we borrowed their dogs to walk them round the park. It was good to take back a couple of wet dogs and not have to dry them.
Look like a wet pack up for tomorrow's trip home.

Whyalla

Arrived at Whyalla yesterday after leaving home at 10:30 am, a world record for us. Kathy judged Obedience and Keith did Agility today, so it was an early start to get the ring set up by 9:00 am. There was mild terror when the agility competitors saw the course, but as usual, they handled the difficult part well and lost it on the relatively easy bits. Kathy had the introductory classes, CCD and CD, but after judging she found a Sheltie pup to cuddle.
Tomorrow Keith does the Jumping classes, and Kathy does Open Obedience.

Tuesday in Darwin

Tuesday in Darwin was a tourist day. Pic shows us in the Civic Square near the NT Parliment. Next we went round to Nightcliff and Rapid Creek, then for a harbour cruise. Tonight is a gun dog training session, then our last dinner before flying home tomorrow.

Territory Wildlife Park

The Territory Wildlife Park is a must see. The bird show lasts about 20 minutes and has several different raptors going through their paces. The Aquarium was also worth seeing, when we were there the fish were being fed. A diver was hand feeding the Baramundi, whip rays, turtles etc. Kathy took a picture of the turtle, but the flash caused him to drop his bit of fish and another fish took it. I have never heard of anyone apologising to a turtle before, but Kathy was almost in tears because the turtle had missed his dinner.

Sunday in Darwin

Last night was a late finish after 12 classes in obedience and agility, so we were a bit late getting up this morning. We had a walk around the harbours, Stokes Hill and Milly Point, before having lunch at the Trailer Boat Club on Fanny Bay. There is nothing like Baramundi from Darwin.
Pic shows the boats in the harbour at Cullem Bay.

Crocodylus Park

We went to the crocodyle park to fill in the day before starting Obedience and Agility tonight. The park was great with more crocodyles than you could poke a stick at. Kathy got to feed a croc by dropping a piece of chicken on a rope so the crock would have to jump to get it. The pic shows a croc jumping for a chook. (Not the one Kathy fed). Later we held a croc for photos. The croc we held was a bit smaller than the one in the photo.

Tourist in Darwin

To day was tourist day. Cameras round our necks, baggy shorts, white legs and bald kneecaps are a dead giveaway. We took a look down the street where I used to live, (thats changed), round to the Casurina shops,(twice the size it used to be), down to the beach, (lots more facilities) then out to Lee Point and Buffalo Creek. They used to be on a dirt road that needed a four wheel drive at high tide, now its bitumen, with a shop at the boat ramp.
We had lunch at the picnic area, near Casurina. picture shows Kathy near the beach, with sprinklers going in the background.

Darwin

Arrived in Darwin at about 1:00 after an early morning start. We got the hire car, a Corolla, drove to the hotel, but we were too early to book in so we had to have a couple of beers by the hotel pool.We went to Mindle Markets, pic shows Kathy on the beach by the markets, with the sunset turning the sky pink.
First dog trial tomorrow night

Preparing for Darwin

The trip to Port Pirie was a quick drive up, judge a couple of trials, stay one night and rush back. Did not even get the camera out.
Howeve, we head for Darwin just after dawn tomorrow for a week in the tropics. There is a full schedule of obedience and agility trials for Friday, Sturday and Sunday, but we will have a few days to look around. I used to live in Drwin, so we will probably have a night at the dog club too.

Bert has gone

Bert has gone home, so we are dogless again. Video shows Bert and Geordie playing with a pipe tunnel at Barmera.

Next trip, will be Port Pirie in May.

Barmara again

Another day in Barmera. We had a look at the Market in the main street before moving on the the agility trials. Picture shows Bert selecting a mothers day gift for his mum.
The trails went well, but the pass rate was down, possibly due to the warm weather and the fact that they were on their second day of trials so they may have been a bit tired.
Heading home early tomorrow, Keith due in the Dentist at 2:00pm.