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Travelling around Australia

a travel blog by michelle62


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In the library

Saint George, Australia

We left Lightning Ridge and have now made away over the Queensland border heading for Goondawindi. This will be a long hot drive today approximately 5 hours and Glenn has to really concentrate with the driving as there is no fencing on the farms. The stock wander to the roads as do the emus and also huge Wedge Tail eagles swoop down to road kill carcasses. It makes for a interesting drive but I think Glenn more than any of us is really enjoying moving into new territory and covering areas where we have not been before. Tonight we will stay at Goondawindi and prepare ourselves for the big day.

permalink written by  michelle62 on May 16, 2007 from Saint George, Australia
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The Princess' Birthday

Goondiwindi, Australia

Well the day has eventually come. We stayed overnight at an oval (actually a concrete cricket pitch, heaps of dust, toilets and lots of Horse manure) at a place called Weengallon on our way to Goondiwindi. We woke early and wore our 'brats' party hats for breakfast and sang happy birthday. Presents were opened in the Master bedroom with all four of us squashed in. She received a lovely card and money (she cant wait to spend it) from Grandpa Bryn and Granny Sue, three great books from Gran, a Teddy Bear, CD Player, Personalised CD from Glenn and Michelle and a Simpsons Comic and Sponge Bobs Square Pants First Season DVD from Riley. Quite spoilt I would say. We went to Goondiwindi McDonalds for lunch ( her request) and she wanted a proper McDonalds birthday party. I asked the manager and she kindly set us up with a Quasi McDonalds Party with party games, party hats and helium filled balloons. So again we were sitting around the McDonalds table in party hats. And it continues. It is currently 3.00pm and we are now going to organise the evening party which will be in the truck at some truck stop out of Goondiwindi and again we will don the party hats. There are photos and I hope to get them on the site soon. Happy Birthday Caitlin. I forgot to mention that on the way to Weengallon we passed the biggest snake that I have ever seen across the road, I would say five feet long and as thick as my arm- it certainly scared me and I was much more tentative when I wandered across to the toilet after that.



permalink written by  michelle62 on May 17, 2007 from Goondiwindi, Australia
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Ingle

Inglewood, Australia

We are now surfing the net at the Inglewood Library, they have proved a great resource and while I type away Glenn reads to Caitlin, Caitlin reads to Glenn and Riley nags me for the internet so that he can use up some of my time at my expense. We have recovered from Goodiwindi by travelling a short distance and concentrating on school work. Caitlin has finished her course work for the week but Riley has a bit more to do as his work load is greater than Caitlins . He had a French lesson over the phone yesterday from a Public Phone Box with Road Trains constantly driving past - enough to say that he was saying Pardonne (spelling??) alot. We wont be going far from Inglewood today as we are going to take a leisurely pace to get to the Gold Coast. We will attempt the theme parks on Monday

Enough for now

Michelle

permalink written by  michelle62 on May 17, 2007 from Inglewood, Australia
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Hollywood on the Gold Coast

Surfers Paradise, Australia

Well we made it to Kids Heaven and are staying at a Caravan park close to Movie World. We went to Moveworld yesterday and are off to Dreamworld tomorrow with a rest day in between. It was great and Riley went on all the scary rides and he was smiling in between screaming. Caitlin rode her first roller coaster with apprehension and then got off and said that she was terrified but 'lets do it again' and that was basically the theme of the day with Caitlin, Glenn, Riley and Myself going on every conceivable ride and only stopping for Caitlin to have photos taken with the stars and off course to see the Police Academy show.
This morning I did 2 loads of washing and had my first disaster. I put Glenns PJ's (Jacinta the ones he bought in India) in a load and they ran - badly. Everything was pink, Riley's whites socks, Riley's 'Green Shirt' and also Glenns cream jeans. I tried to act cool as I removed the washing from the machine and secretly slide them into my Ikea wash bag ( Im glad it is not see through!). To understand my unease you have to understand that there is a counter culture of grey nomad women who flock to laundry facitlies to discuss spot stain removal, which machines work best etc. and while ironing all there clothes including their undies. I have observed this at every laundromat and camping ground which we have stayed at, I guess it is a symptom of having too much time on your hands over a long period of time. It makes for an embarassing situation when you are a hopeless housekeeper (or is it mobile home keeper) and the washing chore is one that should be completed in the shortest possible time. To add insult to injury I then had to hang up my pink load and quite obviously this was a poor washing sorter rather than someone who has sorted her clothing into color lots ie. pink.
I survived and they all quietly laughed behind their hands about my disaster and it will make good conversation for the 4.00 happy hour this evening.
We will concentrate on school work today so that we are reenergised for the Dream World onslaught.

permalink written by  michelle62 on May 22, 2007 from Surfers Paradise, Australia
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Dream World

Coomera, Australia

We had a little trouble finding the Biggera Waters Post office to get our mail which Jacinta had kindly forwarded to us. We found no Post office in Biggera Waters and were directed to Runaway Bay as this was where the Biggera Waters Post Office is ( I was starting to get worried). This was not the Biggera Waters Post office and instead we had to go to the next suburb which was where the Biggera Waters Post office, so an hour later we had the mail (Thanks Cinta) and were off to Dreamworld. The park was very quiet which made it easier to get to all the rides and we certainly did this and we also attended Brynley's Church and bought him some souvenirs. It was a good day and we were tired by 4.00pm when we left. We were going to travel post Brisbane and camp but unfortunately hit peak hour and were caught in the wrong lanes, couldnt change lanes, and we did a U turn and tried to retrace our steps. We eventually left Brisbane and I was tired and cross(you get the picture) and it was 8.00pm when I gratefully saw a Truck Food Stop and we drove in. We camped there for the night and it was a good facility with bbq, toilets, showers and laundry facilities and McDonalds, KFC etc. what more could you ask for. We woke after a noisy sleep and had breakfast at McDonalds. I met my second cousin Tony Baker who now lives on the Sunshine Coast and carts fruit between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. After Breakfast we travelled to Caloundra and stopped at the beach for a solid school session. When all the work was completed we headed to Noosa.

permalink written by  michelle62 on May 24, 2007 from Coomera, Australia
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Beautiful Eumundi

Eumundi, Australia

We found our way to Eumundi which is a beautiful market set amongst heritage listed fig trees. There is heaps of good food and lovely crafts and it weaves amongst the trees and timber buildings. I loved it and Glenn was in heaven as there was lots of healthy (vegetarian) food which he sampled extensively. We bought Riley a new hat which should feature in some of the upcoming photographs as it appears that he cant take it off his head unless to go to bed. It is a cute akubra and he looks like 'Joey Jeremiah'. From Eumundi we headed to the state forest at Noosa Heads to camp but alas after driving there it was a no camping zone so we kept going. I found a state forest not far away 20km south west of Gympie so we headed for there. We arrived at Amamoor State Forest about 2.00pm and set up camp. Caitilin immediately found a family across from us which she joined. That meant she dragged her chair over and ate her meals and played there the whole time. I was a struggle to get her back to our site but I guess they had more attractions as they had 2 young girls and a young son and they played chasie, fairy games and off course brats.

permalink written by  michelle62 on May 26, 2007 from Eumundi, Australia
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Traffic Jam

Maroochydore, Australia

We didnt make it to Noosa, on the M1 we encountered a horrendous traffic jam due to an accident and we spent ours waiting in the traffic. First available opportunity we headed off and thought we were being clever by taking a back way. Alas, this was the diversion by the road authorities and it had resulted in a second accident further down the line so the traffic wasnt moving anywhere. We pulled off at a lovely beach setting in Maroochydore and thought we would have dinner while we waited for the traffic subside. A number of people joined us waiting out the jam and we had a chat with them and shared coffee with Rodger. The traffic still hadnt subsided by 8.00pm so we decided to stay there the night. It was a gorgeous setting with water, hills, pelicans, fish jumping etc. and quite enjoyable to have our breakfast watching. Off early for Eumundi (do you remember Janine and Julie?)

permalink written by  michelle62 on May 27, 2007 from Maroochydore, Australia
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Mobile phone range again

Gympie, Australia

We loved the state forest so much we stayed another night. Caitlin was in heaven and we were very relaxed. It rained alot and we could only do some small walks but noticed the difference between the forests we are used to and these. The forest was rain forest with lots of Stag horns and strong roots coming down from the forest canopy - very beautiful. There is also a stinging tree which when you brush it leaves a silica fine prickle which results in extreme pain which lasts for a month and is magnified when you get the area wet. Obviously we stayed away from this tree. We said goodbye to Caitlins adopted family and we moved off to Gympie for lunch.

permalink written by  michelle62 on May 27, 2007 from Gympie, Australia
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Lets stay another night

Amamoor, Australia

We loved it so much that we stayed a second night, still having problems dragging Caitlin from the other family. They are planning to travel for the husband's long service leave so we may even see them again as we have exchanged details. It rained most of the day but it didnt matter because it was so lovely and very peaceful. We better start moving soon if we want to get all the way around Australia though.

permalink written by  michelle62 on May 27, 2007 from Amamoor, Australia
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On the road again

Gympie, Australia

Off early for our belated Sunday lunch on Monday. We travelled to Gympie which was a pretty town and organised the yearly Gympie Country Music Muster which quite ironically is held in Amamoor State Forest. It is a very hilly town and it put me in mind of Dunedin in NZ. We were able to check out the internet there at the local library and Caitlin found a computer there with educational games so it was a tearful session when we had to leave the library. We had lunch a trendy pub which served very nice food and we were tired and hot and looking for a resting place. Just out of Gympie we stumbled on a park area where some motor homes were already camping- so we joined them. By dusk the park was full with all manner of motor homes, caravans, fifth wheelers and even buses- just like Bourke Street. There was an errant Rooster which ended up wandering into our truck and giving me a big fright. It was a good night there.

permalink written by  michelle62 on May 28, 2007 from Gympie, Australia
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Trip around Australia

4/5's of the James Family have been planning to go on a trip around Australia for a number of years. We now have the vehicle which we are having modified and we hope to leave late April 2007

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