Contraptions in the Car!

Usually either beside me or on my lap is my video camera & still camera which is always within reach, ready to snap away, in front of me is the navaman which needs to be programed, 2 mobile phones in the console, chargers in a bag for every devise behind me, laptop to the side of my feet on the floor ready to use if we ever get a good road, inverter under my feet so as to charge these contraptions when their batteries fail, binoculars in front, CB radio to the right of me, maps & travelling books to the left of me & i am stuck in the middle with you!!........Such fun i have juggling all these!
I think it would be easier driving....Move over Husband!

Fraser Tales

We set off to go worming for the morning, while Mark wormed i decided to have a fish.
Now that looks like a good hole i said...Gee i am getting good at this fishing lingo!
Out i cast & bang straight on  my hook was a Whiting, now this may not sound fantastic but it was to us, considering all we had been getting or mark had been getting i should say were Dart, usually we throw those back but, as we had nothing else, we were keeping them & they were ok fresh & pan fried!
Anyway back to my Whiting, i bought it in & then proudly & gently i dragged this smallish flapping fish up to Husband to get it off for me....I could probably do it but i would be scared if i hurt it in the process.
In Qld the legal size for Whiting is 23cm & yep she was legal!
A few more later & getting bigger i couldn't loose!
Mark decided to join in the fun, poor husband none for him, he really does need to take tips from me i feel!

Later that arvo on our way back to our camp, there were these 2 Brothers camping on the beach, they had a car like ours, so we stopped for a chat & a beer or a few later & it was dark, we ended up there for hours talking & laughing & listening to their tales & watching the dingos walk the oceans edge in search for a feed!
One of the brothers pulled out a Bull-Roarer, as he spun this around the moon it made a beautiful sound, while doing this you release out your bad energy & bring in the good!
Husband had a go but couldn't get it happening, so they told me to try, i am thinking i have no hope of doing this!....Well low & behold i had it circling the moon & humming beautifully, out with the bad & in with the good!...Wow, that was a very moving experience, well for me anyway!
Time to farewell our beach buddies!
                                                      
                                                          What a great day we had!

It's All Starting To Happen Now!!!

Down on Rainbow Beach yesterday, i decided to do some beach driving, it is so beautiful along this coast line there are cliffs full of coloured sands stretching for miles, very pretty & it is unusual how at the base all the rich red, white, brown, grey colours blend in to the sand at the bottom to make one colour!........ Yellow Sand!
Anyway i didn't stay in the seat too long cause if something went wrong i would never hear the end of it!
Well turns out it did a few minutes later & husband got us bogged!...Hahaha glad it was you i was thinking!!!!
Shovel off the roof & its digging time, passers by thought it was very funny!!!
Mark adds that he was driving with over inflated tyres.......Why didnt you let them down more i asked????
His reply.."So i don't have to pump them back up again when we get on the road & because we are carrying over three ton of weight"
Mark got the rod out & threw in, i went for a long walk up the beach & back again & Yep you guessed it...Still no fish, but it is the middle of the day remember they are all hiding! Hahaha!
We then decided to go up to the surf club for lunch which has views to die for!
This is a Real Club with Pokies, Bistro & Beverages......After our lunch we decided to donate a few dollars to the club, as i went to the bar to get change this woman comes in from the front verandah holding this flapping fish, i said to her.....
Did that just jump out of the ocean into your hand??
Yeah she said & laughed!
Then she walked around behind the bar looking for plastic bags or something to put the poor thing in....I am thinking this lady is mad, anyway i asked some bloke sitting at the bar where did it come from, he said the guys are spear fishing down there on the rocks, it is a sweet lip!

Now that was a very entertaining few minutes!!! 

Back home & this place is getting very busy all coming in for the weekend!
Our new neighbours are from the sunshine coast & they know the know & are regulars to rainbow, they told us there is lots of work to be had in Childers??
Are we ready to start working yet?
I know we are not, but Reality Bites!

Anyway.... We wont think about that now!
Cheers till next time!

Our First 4x4 Driving in the New Truck!!

We set off yesterday to go in to town for supplies & ended up diverting into state forest down a dirt bumpy track for 20 kms..........The first bit of 4x4 driving we have done since owning the 70 series truck & also for this big trip of ours, it will be a test for us & the car! 
A few minutes into the track mark let the tyres down, bit further along the way there was a land cruiser broken down, as we approached mark wound his window down, i said don't stop they could be killers!!......You OK mate mark asks, the guy with beer in hand replied, yeah few problems but we are OK!

Great lets keep going, i am thinking!

We did not sight one bit of fauna all the way!
We both thought that a bit strange!
I am always on the lookout for a koala sitting in a gum tree, as i have never ever seen one in nature only ever at zoos & places like that, where are they all??
Its funny too because we were at times along this track at the top of the canopy of trees!
Anyway we finally reached the end....... To see nothing but miles & miles of beautiful coast line, with sandy beaches, & rolling ocean!!
As we approached the sand, i looked across & saw this streets ice cream van, we thought it a mirage, i couldn't believe you would sit there all day trying to make a dollar, but this place attracts a lot of fisherman & 4x4 enthusiasts, so maybe he makes a fortune??
We drove along the beach looking for a whole, so mark could throw his line in, which he did, no good though
Marks excuse, it was the middle of the day & the sun was shining down on the poor fish & low tide, but i don't believe him!!...... I think i had better take over in the fishing department in future!!!
Back on the track & heading out, we ran into "The killers" again, still broken down, this time i wound my window down, he said they had to send someone into town for some part, they seemed happy to wait playing Frisbees & their beers still in hand!
Not the same ones i imagine! 
We had fun today & just think this is only the beginning of our adventures!

FAREWELL NAMBUCCA

We left pretty Nambucca & our lovely friends Steve & Kerrie, & headed for
somewhere near the border!

1st stop was at Maclean for lunch, we headed from there to Lismore for a look as neither of us have been there & it is a straight forward route!

From there & we decided to turn on the navman to direct us to Mullumbimby.......
What a shamozel!!!
It sent us down a no through road, & up a garden path too.... Dont knowhere! 
  To turn around we went into someones driveway on the edge of the cliffs & the caravan jack knives!
Who is to blame....ME!
Cause i was on the road doing the directing & should of yelled stop before the big Clunk!
No damage & Husband kept his cool!......Thank goodness!
Anyway we ended up going backwards 
DOWN to Ballina!
I only had a qld map not a nsw one so that was useless!!
A quarter of a tank of diesel & an hour or more later we were back on the pacific hwy headed for Tweed Heads! 
Well that was fun!

Nearly always we arrive at 3 O'clock to our camp spots!
As we were booking in today i looked up at the clock & yep...
2 minutes to 3!
Even with all our delays on the road we still made it at the usual time!
We are only here for the night, so we are not even unhitching the van, i did a peice of silverside this mon with veges & it cooked slowly all day in the slow cooker so thats dinner done! Now its time for happy hour! 

Cheers!

COOKING ON THE ROAD!....Well, It is not really on the road, cause that would not taste very good!!

I did all the cooking i planned to do.....
Brecky was yummy, the casserole is slow cooking beautifully & the

Scones well they are another story & here we go ....

I did them in the electric fry pan on a trivet over water, but they turned out like soggy
Dumplings & doey!

So i then decided to take them out, tip the water out & cook them in the dry fry pan...

My goodness it took me forever!!! 

I have never experienced such a saga when cooking scones!
Its all good though cause if all else fails, Mark said he will use them as burly! 

Anyway ages later some of them were yummy, those we had with butter & jam, but the others were not Cooked through, so i cut them in half & crunched them up over high heat!

That is what we are having with our casserole instead of bread stick!

Bloody hell what a drama & that turned into a novel what i just wrote, all over scones!

My Scones Come Dumpling Damper Disaster!

It is times like that i want my oven back!  

Cooking Day!

Funny how some days you just feel like totally dedicating it to cooking..... Today is my day!
I  am going to make in our Eco Slow Cooker... Ox Tail Soup or maybe i will thicken it up & make it an Ox Tail Casserole, yes that sounds better!......I also want to make scones for morning tea, this will be a first without an oven, if i put them in a pan in one blob like a damper & then on a rack & into the electric fry pan with a bit of water in the bottom.....
Maybe that will work??  I will give it a go!
But first is breakfast & i think that will be my Farquar Special on Crusty Toast with Real Butter!
Bye for now enjoy your day!

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday to the best looking woman in Nambucca heads!
Love your Husband & the Gregory Clan. x

Our Day On The Towns

As todays weather is yuck, we decided to head off for the day to Bellingen, where in Feb last year they had huge floods & continued to flood throughout the year!! I have experienced floods in Forbes 1991, we lived on the Lachlan River & watched it peak, our backyard was just a continuation of the river! We were so lucky it didn't come in our house, it went straight out the driveway! Unbelievable to witness!

Bellengin is such a quaint little place, kind of a hippy green town would be my description! Lots of shops selling their wares.

We had a coffee each & were on the road again.

From Bellingen we followed the waterfall way to Dorrigo, but a few kms down the road, we changed our minds & & decided to go along the forest way heading back to Bowraville & Nambucca!

Such a pretty drive to Bowraville!

Until we came too a sign....Road closed to Bowraville!

Out came the map & we took the next dirt road & headed back to Urunga!

 Then another sign ...Beware of logging trucks!

Great this road is as wide as a footpath & as windy as a slithering snake!

I just kept thinking please don't let a truck come by or we would be gone, i cant wait to get to the end of this!

20 minutes later & we are back on the main road!

 At Urunga we stopped to get diesel, we couldn't believe it when the service station guy came out & filled the truck for us!

He also told us that the road to Bowraville was closed because of the floods still!

Gotta love good old fashion service & good conversation!

That's how they did it in the old days!

From Urunga we took the hwy to Bowraville which is about 17 kms west of Nambucca.

Such beautiful Scenery along the way!

Once here we only drove through, its another little quaint town with its

 main street full of arts & craft shops!

Time to head home & we did via macksville.... We stopped there & Mark bought my b'day present at ....( I love the name of this shop)

The Department Store!

A trendy art deco coffee cup & a lambswool overlay to go over our mattress.....Lets hope we sleep better & wake with less aches & pains??

Till next time Bye!

Waiting on our Oz Tent!

We went to the caravan show last month at Rosehill in Sydney as we do every year...In years gone by we have bought a fair bit of stuff for the truck & van, big items such as the waeco fridge, air con, tv, roof racks & it goes on & on, my favorite 

is the kranskys on a roll!...I must just tell you this, at the gate when you arrive they hand out a passport card that you need to take around to about 6 exhibitors & get it stamped, which i did &
it is such a relief when it is done!!

As we left in the arvo, i said to mark i am going to win this.....
So i dropped my card in the barrel just as i did mark said did you put you name on it?????

NO!

The guard sitting at the gate thought it was hilarious!

Anyway this year we went there mainly to pick up some last minute

stuff before heading off on our maiden voyage!

The Oz tent was the main thing on our list as we

need it for when we go to places where the van cant come.

The oz mob just released their new model tent so we did some wheeling & dealing & got the tent, midgie proof screen enclosed room,

(which i really wanted so as we can eat in peace)

Floor,extra poles for $1400......They are not cheap!!

This morning we were talking & planning our next stop & thought Frazer Island would be nice & then head up to the tip!

One problem we just realised the tent doesn't get delivered till the end of 

July early August!

Now that has thrown a spanner in the works!!

Time for plan B....Just don't know what that is yet!

Bye for now enjoy your day!

P.s My back has now gone, funny how whatever

Mark gets i get & vise verse!!

Maybe its the bed???  

Time to get up & move!

What a lazy sunday afternoon......Morning spent trying to set up this blogg, my bum is numb! Time to get up & go for a walk around the rock wall & maybe throw  a line in!....Then its back to the campsite to cook a leg of lamb for dinner! Oh i did do some washing in between all that! This was the first wash since last tuesday...We were running out of clothes!

No Fish!!

Still no fish, so today it is off to the seafood co op...Oh boy that is sad!!
Husbands back is no better if he keeps this up i will be chucking him out & travelling solo!! lol