Our Australia trip

Dotti was recovering. We thought. Well tonight she still needed to get out and of course it was a clear night and 4 degrees. That was measured in the bus, so imagine the temperature outside. Since she is tough as a nail and beautiful like no one I know, Marjo got the benefit of going twice and I once. So it was only fair that I made breakfast. You know the drill by now with as only variant crisp bread (for the Dutch readers: Beschuit).
We ate that in bed as the sun was just only now defrosting the soil and our beds were still nice and warm. Nossi thought so too and settled under the top blanket between us. We imagined that the 7 hours up and down hill through 52 blind curves did Dotti’s stomach much good so we decided to stay another night. That meant work today. meanwhile it got 26 degrees and we were comfortably in shorts and a shirt.

First we needed to pay the camp fees. Second we had barely any dried firewood and third I still had to do my final expenses. No idea what that last had to do with the rest but Marjo had some good reason to bring it up.
Marjo got with Nossi for a walk and got some sticks, nice to start a fire. Then she did a bigger loop around the camping and returned with some bits of solid wood left behind by people who only camped for a night. During the day it seemed that the majority of the camping people had that idea and now only a few diehards are left. And the homeless like us.
The idea to gather the left overs from others sounded good to me and I did a tour as well. Of course I got the log that measured 40 cm thick and about 70 cm long, iron bark, weighing a ton. I got Marjo’s bike and the guy who left it to us had to see me take it. I barely got the log off the ground but managed to get it on the back of the bike. He hoped I would get on the front and fall which would have given him hysterical fun but I couldn’t give him the satisfaction and walked back, the bike guided by hand. Twice I almost dropped the log but we arrived safely back at the bus.

There the process of slicing started. Two blisters, one broken axe handle and many curses later the 70 centimeters was reduced to half and the missing half reduced to slices of wood ready for the fire. Amazing how something trivial before like pieces of wood for a fire can suddenly mean quite a bit. That evening I was proud to offer my slices of wood to the tongues of fire, while at the same time feeling sad to see it consumed. The warmth was welcome though as it was another friggin cold night.

That afternoon was a multitude of activities, Marjo and Nossi went for a walk where Nossi met with horses, Axel played guitar and is trying to pick up songs he could play before such as Hotel California (Eagles), Everybody Hurts (R.E.M) and Better be home soon (not going to happen).

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Marjo took her bike on her maiden voyage; she thought if it can take a log twice my weight, I can probably trust it.

The creek is quite a bit down a grass hill and makes nice gurgling sounds, nice to listen too, and stimulating for the waterworks. Dotti thought so to and before going to sleep for the night she decided that it was very inviting, walked down, turned into an unplanned run and plunged into the cold river water. Marjo was handy to fish her out and dried her off as good as possible. That night she had to go out 4 times which makes us wish harder and harder that she recovers soon.

Wooyung has been our longest stop with 3 nights and today we decided that the Queensland school holiday crowd was too much for us to stay.

We very much enjoyed the beach and the spot but the crowd at the beach this morning is something we just don’t enjoy any more. I mean four people on the beach is just too much to handle 😉
Nevertheless Nossi was eager to go and pulled me ahead and of course I was entertained by his zoomies.

Dotti meanwhile recovered somewhat, she woke us up by a repeating drum of her wagging tail on the bus floor, drank water and ate half her breakfast consisting of rice, pumpkin and chicken.

Then it was packing up and at around 10 am we were on the road. Somehow we need to improve our route performance. We can blame the wicked GPS but I guess we need to be a bit more diligent if we don’t want to make it a habit to arrive at a new spot after dark. Today was no exception which means we were on the road for 7 hours and covered 178 km. this is what happened:

First we went the wrong way out of the camping. Marjo will say: I told you so, but that is just nonsense. My gut feel is much more reliable than the GPS. A bit like my thumb measure. The GPS is your best friend though and it found an alternative route 🙂

Then the GPS got it somewhat wrong, it suggested a turn where there were only bushes and then wanted to continue for 15 km where we just could cross the Pacific Highway and get the onramp. This is where I went wrong and at a very crowded and confusing roundabout I took the highway south instead of north. Ah well, what do you do. Then 10 km further we could turn off, cross and get back on the highway north. We steadily refused the suggestions from the GPS to make u-turns on the highway. Even I know that is for emergency vehicles only.

So 45 minutes later we were not much further than when we left the camping. From there it went reasonably smooth. Saturday morning, the first day of school holidays is not really the time to drive around Tweed Heads and traffic was dense. We left the territory of NSW at 10.56 am and at he same time entered the Queendom of Queensland. The highway was perfect though and we got smoothly through to the turnoff for South Nerang. That’s where we would go shopping for groceries. Ah well, plans are only that, a wise man once said. We only saw a man operated roundabout where we had to wait for 30 minutes before it was our turn (in reality it was probably 3 minutes but it felt long. We stopped for fresh produce and a coffee and then continued on our way to Beaudesert.
We stopped in the bikie town of Canungra and bought groceries, wine and beer and canvassed the local hardware store. I won’t admit it, but my hours of mirror repairs meant that all the way the only thing visible through the passenger side mirror was the road up close. So my new parts will go towards an improved mirror design. Patent pending.

In Canungra we got lunch (fish and chips with more questions than I’m used to in Sydney: what fish, whiting or barramundi or … or … – what chips, thick cut or thin cut….what salt: plain, sea or chicken?) and at the local gas station some new water. Well, that was the idea. When asking the attendant she went away for 5 minutes and came back saying that it would be too difficult. I said, no problem. I’ll do it all and will only take 5 minutes. Then she said that is not something the station could afford. And I said I’m happy to pay for the 40 liters tap water. All 2 cents or so. Then she said I should talk to the supervisor. I waited for the supervisor. She tried to avoid me and when I cornered her she said that she needed to consult management. After 5 minutes she came back from the phone and said that she was very sorry but that the station could not help but that we could go to the local park and get it from a tap there. Great service in these Queensland servo’s. Well, the tap in the park was an option, if you carry a 100 meter hose or learn the bus how to jump fences. Suddenly fresh water became a mission and we scourged Canungra for an available tap. We asked people who must have thought we were kinda strange, these two semi Dutch semi Australians driving around in a snow camouflage bus looking for water. Finally we found a tap on the local sports grounds, parked the bus in get away mode because it felt kinda not allowed and filled her up with water.

I think I said it before but am now convinced that the GPS is out to make life as difficult as possible for us. From Canungra it lead us over the Lamington National Park road which is pittoresque. By now you know my definition of that word: bends, hills and this time also “blind curves – prepare to stop”. The road went up this steep hill, with 26 blind curves, many one lane sections, pieces of road where the bus fitted just between the trees, grates tht turned the road into paddocks complete with cows and two GPS advised turns that were non-existent.

Finally it lead us down Sandy Creek road. Yes. Well. Sandy indeed…..creek too….the road was a rutted track with a sign: 4WD only, road inhabitable after rain. And it had rained the night before. So no hope in a 100 years would I send down Sandy Creek road the bus with two dogs and my wife. Let alone with myself in it. Turning around was no option either, so we were hoping that the road would lead to some other option further down. Not quite. We arrived at around 3.30 pm at a national park on the top complete with visitor centre. Dogs not allowed.
What this meant was 26 blind curves down and an extra 98 km to make it to Darlington Park. As penalty we closed down the GPS and went it alone. Back in Canungra we turned it back on but were forewarned. So when it told us to take a turn on some small road we looked sharp and noticed the sign “no through road” and ignored the GPS for the rest of the trip.

We arrived, after dark of course, just missing two kangaroos that were sitting ducks on the road, at Darlington Park that was full with holidaying Queenslanders and walked around to find a spot. In the end we settled near a water pump close to the creek and after dinner and coffee went to bed. Tired but satisfied….we finally beat the GPS.