D DAY # 2. 24 June. 'Greenvale' to Swan Hill.

Arrived here at Dads - 'Greenvale', just west of Echuca actually at Bamawm Extension about 7pm last night. Left work just before 2 and did a teleconference for the next hour and a half. Picked up the last minute bits from home and tootled off hooked into the conference via the phone.

Slow but steady trip through Melbourne then a bit of peak traffic but nothing like the Monash. Arrived about 7pm.

Dad and phaffed around with a bit of packing. During the night Dad was awake with a hacking cough.

This morning we started the transfer of much stuff and shoving here there and everywhere. Suggested Dad see a doctor to get some antibiotics just in case (I don't imagine a full on chest infection would be good fun outback).

Got word that the Dundek crew were in the road about 10.30 and the Davey's were somewhere ahead.

Dundeks are on the way.

They were packed to the gunnels.Meg was ruing the fact that fridge was so full there was NO ROOM FOR ALCOHOL. We are in the same boat so will be hoping for some space in others.

Not long after this interaction I received the following pic from Sarah.

Uh-oh. Fridge explosion.

Sarah and Michael's borrowed fridge had frozen overnight and things exploded AND there was a problem with auxiliary battery. I offered my fridge if they wanted to call in past Dads. Steve on the phone and the deal is done.

Sarah and Michael are on the way too.

Dad got his drugs and we grabbed some lunch and headed home again to finish packing, stacking shoving, revising.

Mary a long time family friend called in with coffee, so we took our lunch break and chatted for a bit.

One of the magpies Dad feeds, popped in for a snack.

Finally hooked up the van, finally packed up and then time for showers and to await the arrival of the others...

Riceli (Dad's Fortuna) and Stuey's Cart (TVan) locked and loaded in the Bull Paddock.

Ska - garaged for a holiday at 'Greenvale.'

and here they are ready for the great fridge swap.

The Great Fridge Swap. Sarah, Michael, Steve, Stef, Milani and Macca (next door's dog)

Sarah, Michael and Steve, with as yet - unnamed vehicle.

Riceli and cart in front, The Whale (Steve and Carmel's car) and Van in rear.

Tuesday - The Dundeks vehicle.

One of Dad's last roses of the year.

Last loo stops, locked and loaded. Left at 5pm for Swan Hill.

Arrived about 7pm, Jadon has been here for hours, He had upgraded from unpowered site to apartment, and was able to accommodate the rest of the Dundek's, Dad and I in a cabin, and Steve, Carmel, Sarah and Michael on unpowered sites.

Quick trip into Swan Hill for a delicious meal at Quo Vadis, everyone was impressed with their meal, so if you are ever in SH looking for a place to eat...highly recommended.

Home to bed, I think we are all a bit pooped. 

11.6.2017 - Queen's Birthday Weekend and time to get organised.

Enjoying the Queen's Birthday Long weekend and making use of the time to make some preparations. Yesterday I unearthed all the bits and pieces I've been buying over the past few weeks. It was time to see which goes with which, and what might be the crucial missing ingredients. 

Here's what I already had stashed away.

Then back to the shops...again and now it looks like this...

Not sure this is all going to fit!!!!! And will we have enough?

I also slow cooked a lovely Simple Beef Stew in the slow cooker, to make for some really, easy, lazy meals during the first few days.  By about 10pm, it looked like this.

Packaged and ready for the freezer.

Finally to bed, after a busy day.  

Today has been the task of trying to get the stuff on the table into some sort of order. It's a bit like a huge game of tetris. 

and here it is. Tetris mastered.

Then the clothes....mmm, a work in progress...not sure we need to see that just yet. 

It's all in the planning and the extra day off this weekend has been a godsend.  Here  is the planning control centre.

Packing list (refined over the years) Menu planner etc.

10.6.2017 - The best laid plans....

What's the saying?  The best laid plans of mice and men...often goes awry.

Well awry, might be an overstatement, as often is the case our plans are never totally firm.

Some time ago the Big Red Bash line up lost Jessica Mauboy as one of the headline acts, due to other commitments (think it might be something to do with the success of the The Secret Daughter.)  Not a deal breaker for us, the replacement is Missy Higgins, so that's a pretty good trade in my opinion.
The line up looks something like this.

The line up. 

This past week Steve and Jadon have been talking and plotting...while Stef installs the battery set up in Sarah's car, and I will let Steve's email tell the story

Hi fellow BRBers,

Sooo, I've been thinking. I was talking to Stef and Jadon about what route you 4 weekers may take to get  home and it dawned on me that if we go to Winton (Lark Quarry) on the way to  Mt Isa, and then head up Karumba way after Lawn Hill Gorge, you will be going back through Winton on the way south and travelling 340 odd km of a piece of road twice. 

On top of this, if we do as originally suggested, we may be pushing to have time to do any shopping/required clothes washing etc.

An alternative would be to still head out to Diamantina NP, maybe stay there a day (decide when we get there), and then head north west through Boulia to Mt Isa. The drive from Diamantina NP to Mt Isa is only 470 odd km and should only take 1 1/2 days max so would leave time for said domestic duties. The dinosaur footprints at Lark Quarry can be visited on the way home.

An added bonus of this suggestion is that the max fuel range would be down to 510 km and therefore carrying  jerry cans inside vehicles may not be required. (That's very close to the distance you originally said Nic, did you know something????). If we decide to stay the extra day at Diamantina NP there is a 90 km scenic drive we could do, meaning 600km range would be required. Jadon, for a small fee I am sure you could fit in another vehicle for the day so you would only need 510km range.

I have adjusted the itinerary doc so you can look at dates.

Happy for thoughts/comments/howls of protest/indifferent silence.....

Yours

SS   

BTW 'SS' is Secretary Steve.

So here is ROUGH itinerary # 3.

1.     Itinerary – Roughly!

a.     24^th June – Traralgon to Swan Hill via Echuca

b.     25^th June – Swan Hill to Broken Hill

c.     26^th June – Broken Hill to Cameron’s Corner

d.     27^th June – Cameron’s Corner to  Innamincka/Coongie

e.     28^th June  to 2^nd July – we have allowed for 3 days at Coongie and 2 days travel to Pandi Pandi but this is flexible and weather dependent.

f.     2^nd July – Pandy Pandy for Roast Night.

g.     3^rd July – Pandy Pandy to Big Red Bash via Birdsville

h.    7^th July to 8^th July -  Birdsville to Diamantina National Park

i.      9^th July Maybe stay at Diamantina NP

j.      10^th to 11^th  July –Diamantina NP to Mt Isa

k.     12^th July – Mt Isa to Lawn Hill. We have a booking at Lawn Hill for the nights of 12,13,14 July

l.      15^th July onwards – Fluff around up to Burketown, Normanton, Karumba if we feel that way inclined, and then start heading south (or west for some), via Winton/Lark Quarry

10.6.2017 - Preparation and Planning = food, friends, fun and not much planning!

Sometime last year, the camping crew decided that The Big Red Bash - Music Festival, would be a great excuse for a getaway, with a range of other destinations thrown in for good measure.

Tickets were booked to the Big Red Bash and we were committed. Those 'in' for the 2017 adventure are as follows:

Meg, Stef & Milani - with the new Roof Top Tent
Jadon - with his new Range Rover and a few modifications to be completed to be ready to roll.
Steve and Carmel - towing a van this time!
Sarah and Michael - a new vehicle to be secured...purchase made and much fitting out to occur
Mary, Phil and Kate - a brand new Ultimate Camper and New Pajero - much fitting out to occur
John and Nicola - towing the Tvan, with the new Toyota Fortuner - some fitting out to occur.

Having a commitment , it was time to get together a few times, to sort of sort out some plans in between, BBQ's, Easter Eggs, Fireside chats.

Another new toy, Steve has himself a funky new Drone. Here we are fireside at Drouin, for a planning meeting.

With some significant between 'meeting' plans put in place and changes to weeks needed, who needs to do and see what...

The general outline goes something like this....

1.     Itinerary – Roughly!

a.     24^th June – Traralgon to Swan Hill via Echuca

b.     25^th June – Swan Hill to Broken Hill

c.     26^th June – Broken Hill to Cameron’s Corner

d.     27^th June – Cameron’s Corner to  Innamincka/Coongie

e.     28^th June  to 2^nd July – we have allowed for 3 days at Coongie and 2 days travel to Pandi Pandi but this is flexible and weather dependent.

f.     2^nd July – Pandy Pandy for Roast Night.

g.     3^rd July – Pandy Pandy to Big Red Bash via Birdsville

h.     7^th July to 9^th July -  Birdsville to near Lark Quarry (730km fuel range required)

i.      10^th July -  Look at dinosaur footprints at Lark Quarry then head in to Winton for fuel and (for those of us with 4 weeks or more) up towards Kynuna.

j.      11^th  July – Visit Combo Waterhole of Waltzing Matilda fame then on to Mt Isa

k.     12^th July – Mt Isa to Lawn Hill. We have a booking at Lawn Hill for the nights of 12,13,14 July

l.      15^th July – whatever..... 

North to Karumba for sunset and fish n chips before heading home.

Along the way Mary, Phil & Kate turn left and head for NT

Steve and Carmel will continue on touring towards Darwin.