Kimberley 2015 - Bulla park rest area to Silverton

We didn't make it to Silverton but pulled up at a lovely roadside rest area, bulla park between cobar and willcania. 

We left Dubbo after stopping for breakfast. We watched an airplane come in for landing say Dubbo airport. Had a couple of pee stops for the boys along the way and a stop say Narromine so Gaz could post off the battery charger we just had installed in the camper trailer - it started smoking when we pulled up at the camp spot near Ponto whilst we were setting up. Gaz ripped out it out the camper and spoke with the manufacturers to arrange for it to be sent in to be checked out.

We had a lunch stop set Florida rest area around 2pm. I suddenly realised we will be crossing the fruit fly excluding zone just before broken hill so we have been trying to eat all the fruit and cucumbers plus as much of the veg that we can. We topped up the fuel at cobar and pulled into our camp site around 4:45pm.

A quicker set up and dinner cooking,lots of steamed vegetables for dinner. Camp fire, more wine and chocolate and great company. Loving this!

Got up this morning just before sunrise got the kettle bubbling and had a nice cuppa with cereal for breakfast. The colours on the ground and sky are just amazing. There had been a lot of rain up this way before we have come through, lots of muddle red dirt puddles.  There are heaps of goats on the side of the road through Nyngen to cobar and lots of kid's. They seem to be making the most of the green grass shoots that have popped up after the rain.

We packed up slowly and left the campsite around 9:40am. Heading into Broken hill and then out to Silverton. We will stay at Penrose park. It's a campground where we stayed last time we went to Silverton. Has a huge area too choose from and you feel like you are camped in the middle of the desert but still able to go for a hot shower and do laundry. Gaz hasa few things he wants to fix up before we head further into the outback.

We only have about 4 hours driving today. The temperature is getting warmer although it is overcast this morning and still slightly chilly.

Kimberley 2015 - not Ponto Falls to Silverton

Ok so we didn't make it to Ponto Falls. Don't trust the directions on wiki camps! We ended up on the other side of the river and because we were running late we didn't have the time to double back to Wellington so we just found a spot on the side of the road.

We got set up fairly quick and got dinner cooking, spaghetti Bolognese, fire going and nice glass of wine. Ahhhhh we are finally on holidays!

Woke up around 7am Gaz got the fire going again and boiled the kettle for a cuppa. We packed up slowly and drove in to Dubbo and had McDonald's for breakfast.

On the road now making a beeline for Silverton. We decided we would do a big drive now and set up for a couple off days in Silverton just to get into the groove again.

Kimberley trip 2015 - Oberon to Ponto Falls

Leaving from Oberon today! I was hoping for an early start but kind of knew that it wouldn't happen but I have catered for the later start. It's been a bit of stressful week leading up to today. Well Gaz has been then stress head - he always does this though so I'm used to it now.

We spent all day yesterday doing last minute repairs and packing the camper trailer. Gaz has cleaned the water tank and put on new hoses. We went into Bathurst to pick up the land cruiser, it has a brand new radiator and has now had the engine flushed out. We have brand new thick wool seat covers and a new cb radio.

I popped in to Dan Murphy's to get last minute supplies. A couple our cases of wine and a case of beer. Beer price is $43 at the moment. As usual expecting out to go up the further north we head.

I have downloaded the new fuel app through wiki camps so will input fuel prices as we go and check out fuel economy.

So all that's left to do today is to load up the land cruiser. The fridge freezers will be plugged in to the camper trailer and the back of the land cruiser and we will be out of here!

Destination Ponto Falls.

Only a little more than 3 weeks and we'll be heading towards warmer weather!

It snowed on Friday - its been frosty most mornings since.  I'm really looking forward to heading towards warmer weather.  I'm spending the time getting organised and am already packing things - We are going to be so much more organised than we have been on past trips.  I've being buying extra meat and putting it straight into the ARB fridge freezer.  Its set to freezer so everything is being put into freezer bags and frozen into place.  I found some good vacuum packed steaks at Aldi - 4 to a pack at $19.99 a kilo.  We are trying to get a bit more frozen meat to take with us this time as we remembered back to when we traveled to Cape York and the prices were through the roof and to actually get some meat was near impossible.  I have also chucked in a few salmon portions, some baby octopus and sausages.

The 80 Series is booked into the mechanics tomorrow for the rego to be renewed and then Gaz will go over a few bits and pieces to  get it up and running and ready to roll.  He's been working on some lighting - flood lights on poles to be set up on the edge of the campsite - he has them on dimmers so we can change the light settings.

We'll then get stuck into the camper trailer.  Its booked into the auto electrician for the wiring.  The lights, indicators etc are not working again.   I've pulled stuff out of the trailer, washed all the linen again and put it back in.  Now trying to work out some kind of storage system for under the bed - like maybe a cube shelving type system that I can put collapsible boxes full of clothes/shoes/swimmers etc in but leaving half of the underneath compartment to store bigger items.

I'm sitting in the lounge watching Love Child on TV and thinking in just over 3 weeks time I will away from this and enjoying the bush television on the same channel every night!  I love that channel.