Friday 24 August 2012 – Karumba
(Kerry D Charter)
We had to set the alarm to get us up
at 5am. We haven’t been up this early
for months!!!! Sometime AFTER 7am is
the go now that we’re RETIRED. There
were 8 of us plus the skipper Daz, on our boat. Daz is the owner of the business “Kerry D Charters” which
consists of 2 charter boats – he’s doing very well for a young bloke – probably
only in his mid thirties.
 |
| Daz (the owner) Morning Glory in background |
 |
| Nice Hair!!!! |
We had the best morning, starting
off with a rare Morning Glory cloud formation blowing up just as we got to the
boat ramp. These are pretty rare – so
it was a thrill to be able to see one.
Then we headed up the coast for about 22 nautical miles to catch our
fish.
 |
| Morning Glory |
 |
| The little Mackerel is on the left end - nothing compared to the one below (mine) |
Roy caught the most out of everyone
on board (on ya Roy) -he caught 8 (1
SMALL mackerel and 7 salmon) and I caught 4 salmon. The salmon (king blue eyed salmon) were a good size, as you will
see from the pic – but the mackerel was nothing compared to the one I CAUGHT on
our Weipa fishing charter!!! (Mary!!!)
 |
| This is a mackerel!!!! - Helen/s |
Everyone on board went home with
fish and very happy. Roy spent the
afternoon cleaning and filleting and cryovacing and I spent the afternoon with
Wally (washing machine).
 |
| Wally Day |
 |
| Sunset Van Park |
We called in to the chemist to check
up on the toe and I was reassured by the young lady pharmacist that I was not
going to die over the weekend and to drop into the hospital at Normanton on
Monday on our way out – that I probably
need antibiotics… (just as long as they
don’t cut it off!!!!)
Saturday 25th
August 2012 – Karumba (Crab and Croc Tour)
We had an easy day – Roy pulled the
moulding off from around the stairwell on the van – where we think the dust is
coming in, and siliconed it up.
Hopefully this will solve the problem.
(Up until now I couldn’t find where the dust was coming in, just in one
little section around the stairwell – I had already dust proofed around the
door but it didn’t fix the problem).
 |
| Croc and Crab Tours |
For lunch he decided he was going to
treat us with pancakes again yum and I spent the day on the computer and got
Blog 7 done.
In the afternoon we went on a sunset
cruise, “Crab and Croc Tours”. (Husband
and wife team) It was great! They
supplied the food and alcohol and gave us a souvenir, either a stubby cooler or
an etched wine glass with their logo on it.
We had freshly cooked banana prawns and raw fish thinly sliced and
marinaded in secret ingredients and served with a lovely sauce. (I wonder why we weren’t served crab – they
have a mud crab business too). Roy and
I both loved the raw fish, so we’re going to give it a go!!!! (we’ve got lots of fish now to try it out
on). This was followed by a fruit
platter and all the beer, red and white wine you could want…. Yummy! Everyone
had a ball… The young pharmacist and
her husband and daughter were on the cruise too - funny hey!!!
The Crab and Croc Tour business is
up for sale – anyone interested?? It would be a great little business for a
couple who want a change.
Sunday 26th
August 2012 – Karumba
Russell Brown (Satellite Man who
runs his business from his annex) dropped in to talk to us about getting a sat
dish. We decided that we’d go ahead with it.
Then we did a quick trip to the local markets (outside the pub). Roy bought some books – so that’s how he spent
the rest of the day until Russell came back in the arvo to install and teach us
about the sat dish.
 |
| Our Card |
When we were at Mount Surprise we
had some business cards printed and posted up to us C/- Karumba Post Office
(all done online). We picked them up when
we arrived on Thursday. Russell has our
first one!!!! (for our contact details)
We met a couple who came in
yesterday (Louise and John) – you wouldn’t believe it – Louise’s mother owns 3
houses at Amity – one of the houses is the house that Pixie and Grant rent and
2 more, three blocks away from the shop (1 on the waterfront and the other on
Ballow Rd), and her sister used to teach at Dunwich High about 12 years ago –
Fiona Norris and Jonathan Moore….. That
small world again - Bloody Hell !
 |
| Bourke and Wills Camp 119 |
Monday 27th
August – Leichhardt Falls
 |
| Leichhardt Falls - Lots of flies |
On our way to Leichhardt Falls we stopped off at the Bourke and Wills Camp 119 site. Very sad - their last camp before aborting their trip to the gulf. We stayed the night at Leichhardt
Falls – another beautiful spot. As soon
as we arrived, we pulled the chairs out and set up on the rock wall facing the
falls. You wouldn’t be dead for quids.
 |
| Leichhardt Falls |
 |
| Our camp |
 |
| Leichhardt River |
 |
| What a view to wake up to!!! |
 |
| No Jeddy - you can't come in.... it was freezing in the early morn.... |
Tuesday to Sunday (28th
– 2 Sept ) - Gregory River Free Camp
Happy
Birthday Lan (my sister) – Love from us both – thinking of you and have a great
day!!
The free camp here was pretty full
when we arrived but we were lucky enough to get a waterfront site. This place is very popular and gets quite
packed.
 |
| Gregory Downs |
When we got settled, Roy got the
satellite dish out and attempted to set it up, using the Step by Step Easy
Manual that came with it… Holy Hell – Lets go for a walk Jeddy!!! When I returned, Bourkey (our new friends
next door - Deb and Bourkey) was helping Roy, thank God! He knew what he was doing because he has one
himself. Thanks Bourkey!!! What a
lifesaver…
.JPG) |
| Bourke Deb Pat Ray and Roy - Our Camp |
The temp has been getting up to the
mid 30s and the river welcoming.
It is crystal clear and running
quite fast – what everyone is doing is walking up-river about 300 meters and
jumping in, floating down to the end of the camping area, hopping out and doing
it again. You should see all these old
grey nomads (silver tops) floating down the river one after the other, feet
first and giggling their heads off like kids…… So funny to see, they all look
like dorks and to add to the site, everyone has to wear shoes because of the
stones on the bottom, which makes it look even more comical – but what fun!!!!!
 |
| Pat and Ray |
 |
| Add caption |
Roy’s been honing up on his cooking
skills, whipping up batches of pancakes and cooking lovely roasts and fish for
dinners and I’ve been very willing to test all of his creations – (seeing if
they measure up to the Gleesons)!!!!
 |
| Pancakes - Yum!! |
.JPG) |
| Mackerel - Yum!! |
We’ve been doing a lot of lounging
around, reading and lazing in the icy cold water. I wish I’d thought to bring a noodle, it would have been so much
fun here.
We’ve met some more great new
friends, more drinks around the campfire and, would you believe it, Pat and Ray
arrived here on Wednesday after spending a few days at Lawn Hill. We spent 2 more days with them before they
headed off once again. Hope we catch up
somewhere else guys!!!
Because we’ve stayed at Lawn Hill
before a few years ago, we decided just to do a day trip this time. We went up on Friday - I was keen to check
out a free camp we’ve been told about, on the river just out of Adels
Grove. We found it just 1 or so km
before getting to Adels Grove, coming in from Gregory. Its just a track, but leads down to a lovely
cleared site that could accommodate a few vans or camper trailers – right on
the river…… Adels is charging $34 per night for the same thing. Anyone coming up this way - keep this in
mind for a free camp.
 |
| Roy and Bourke |
We visited the National Park and
went for a walk to the Cascades. I was
very disappointed with the whole place.
The last time we came up here, the Cascades was a lovely little
waterfall and stream – now it doesn’t flow and is stagnant. The trees, mainly palms, all along the walk
have been culled and just left in big ugly piles. Whether they have a disease, I don’t know – but really
disappointing.
 |
| At the Cascades |
This was the first opportunity on
our trip to get our kayaks off the roof and paddle in safety (no crocs) in
perfect conditions. We had full
intentions of doing so, until we returned from our walk. We pondered on it for a bit, then decided it
was going to be too much of an effort getting the things off the roof, down to
the river and then back on again after our paddle. We really are getting lazy, but I have to admit that its not as
easy to do any more. When we get home
we’ll have to make a lot of changes…….
Instead of the exercise, we decided to add some more calories and had
lunch on the deck at Adels Grove…. Expensive but yum. Howz this for skint!! – we shared a serve of chips with gravy and
halved a toasted samo and coke. Is this
what you do when you’re retired!!! My God wots happening to us….
 |
| Free Camp-Just east of Adels Grove |
The dust problem has still got us
baffled. As it turned out, the
stairwell wasn’t the problem after all (its still coming in somewhere). Roy has put heaps of dust proofing adhesive
foam all around the entire BLOODY door – (It has to be coming in from the
bottom of the door somewhere – he’s put so much on, this has to stop it!!!! As a second precaution – I’ve been jamming
Jeddy’s pillow in the stairwell and that at least confines the dust to the
stairwell, which is better than it going right through the whole van, but I
really would like an end to the problem.
It’s not going to beat us!……
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Finally, after over a month, I think
I’m nearly rid of the spider bite. Deb
(next door) suggested using Peroxide on it rather than Tea Tree Oil. I have been giving it a go and have to admit
it finally looks like its starting to heal….
(jot that down in your First-Aid books – Peroxide for Spider
Bites). My First-Aid book doesn’t say
anything other than watch the symptoms – very unhelpful when you’re miles from
anywherel!!.
Friday night, after tea and drinks
with our friends, I decided to relax in bed with some “TV on the Gregory” – Oh
No!!!. Beep Beep Beep Beep, then all
went silent, and BLACK…. What’s wrong
Roy!!! Too late to muck about with it
now - off to sleep and sort it out tomorrow!!
Just a fuse and its up and running again phew!!….and then – Oh No - what now!!!! No signal from the new Sat Dish – Bloody Hell!! Out with the “Easy To Use Manual” and my man
has it sorted once again. I’m now
watching “Happy Days” on the Gregory !!!!!!!
Ain’t Life Grand…..
 |
| This is beautiful Gregory River |
.JPG)
I’m really going to miss this camp,
the hanging around in togs all day, the weather and temperature has been
glorious and being right on the river front, where you can just jump in
whenever. Its been a lovely 6 days – Oh
well, time to move on.
.JPG)
Next stop……. Don’t know yet. We are heading down to Bedourie for the
races next weekend – but as yet haven’t made our minds up which way we’ll
go…. We’ll most likely go down through
the Burke and Wills Roadhouse to Cloncurry and then across to Mt Isa and down
that way – but you’ll have to stay tuned if you want to know…….
Catch you next Blog…..
Stay blogged in to this site to
view the next episode of "Travelling Adventures with Roy and Helen",
or don't....
To be
continued....
No comments:
Post a Comment