Family News Update (this may be the last...till next trip)

Aaron celebrates his birthday on Sunday turning 23.......He is heading off overseas next month for 6 weeks.
Russell and Sharyn are again proud grandparents. Nikki and John have just blessed them with a baby boy, Lucas Robert, born 5 weeks early but doing well.

Home Sweet Home

We arrived home today and found that the "Welcome Home Fairies" had been and left flowers, balloons,food and the banner on the door........makes me happy to be home amongst friends. Everything was in order at home as the girls had done a clean up too. I am very happy to be here...Keith on the other hand would have happily kept travelling. We will go away again but maybe not this year. We have had a great trip and lots of memories. I still believe that we live in the best state!

This will probably also be the last entry in this blog so thank you to everyone who has been reading it I have been reading other blogs and find they are very descriptive and much more "sensible" than mine. I have had fun doing it though.

Thanks to everyone who commented especially Tania and Brian who always seemed to find something to say.

As a wise man once said Never a Dull Moment.

Blackwater to Hervey Bay

We are now in Blackwater with Rachel and Travis and it is so good to be with them. It a short stay but we will be back later when their house arrives which should be the end of October. I went to school with Rachel this morning and helped her take her little band of children shopping. They go shopping every Monday to buy the ingredients to cook on Tuesday.
We are heading to Gladstone tomorrow to stay with Josh for two nights. Bernadette has not moved there yet but now has a job with Rio Tinto and starts there on 30 August.
We will be home on Thursday 19 August and I am working at the election.
As our car is still in Brisbane, Aaron is going to bring it up in a few days.
We will be home before we know it.

Mt Isa to Moranbah

We have had a drive through Julia Creek, Richmond, Hughenden and Charters Towers to get to Moranbah. I lived in Hughenden many, many years ago for a short time while my Dad was in the railway there. Of course I was too young to remember anything but it was good to have a look around at all these places.

It is good to be in Moranbah with Barb and Ian and staying in their house!!

YeeHaa

We made it to Mt Isa this morning and headed straight for the Rodeo. What a great day it was!! We are staying another night here.

Mataranka

Now this is the way to catch a barramundi.........this was at the barramundi feeding at the Manor Caravan Park, Mataranka. We, yes, both of us went in the hot springs at Mataranka. Keith loved it!!!

Back to Northern Territory

No we haven't gone back to the Northern Territory, but I realised I had got a little excited and moved on to Queensland before we had really left the NT.
While we were there Keith went swimming in one of hot springs at Katherine, I put my foot in and I was also tempted to hop in the swimming pool at the National Park at Katherine Gorge. The best National Park park we have been to. It was actually a caravan park which had this lovely swimming pool with a cafe and live entertainment.

Queensland Today Yay

Well, I thought we would be in Queensland last night but alas, one more night in the Northern Territory. We worked out we only actually stayed in the NT for 7 days.....just a short cut from WA to QLD.

Homeward Bound

We have just had lunch at the Three Ways are about to turn left heading to Queensland. We will be spending tonight in Queensland. How exciting!!

Our Change of Plans

We have decided not to go to Alice Springs and Ayres Rock this trip...........yes, that means there will be more trips but much shorter ones in the future.
It is still quite cold down there and amongst other reasons we have decided to head for home, yay! So I am not flying home as originally planned and I am staying with Keith till the end!
We are in Katherine at the moment, actually, staying at the Gorge which is very nice. We are in a caravan park in the national park, with power and everything! Even a lovely swimming pool in a grassy area. There is a cafe and live entertainment. What more could you ask for? The only trouble is it has turned cool and too cold for swimming today.
We heard that the Mt Isa rodeo is on this weekend so have decided to hot foot it to be there on Sunday. After that a few towns along the way before Moranbah, Blackwater and Gladstone to visit the family and home by 19 August.
That is the plan anyway.

We did a boat cruise through Giekie Gorge and lovely it was. Freshwater crocodiles were lying on the banks.

False Alarm!!

My computer is working again............just one of the inexplanable glitches!
I am going to try and add some photos now.

Farewell WA, Hello NT

We have made it to Katherine and have yet to have a look around. I am in the library doing this as we have discovered our computer is not working.
I have also worked out how to compress my photos and put them on in the bus but now can't do it!! Always something.
At least the weather has been a bit cooler the last couple of days.
We lost an hour and half crossing the border so we ahve nearly caught up to Queensland now.

Broome to Kununurra

The pool at Lake Argle Caravan Park............a million dollar view!

In Kununurra, I checked out the Argyle diamonds......maybe I will get one for our 50th wedding anniversary.

Well we made it to Kununurra through the delightful towns of Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek. It has been soooo hot travelling that I have even had to put the chocolate in the fridge.
The highlight through the Kimberley was our flight over the Bungle Bungles......I stepped outside my comfort zone and hopped into an 8 seater plane. Very brave of me and we both really enjoyed the spectacle. The worst part was stepping onto the scales to be weighed before the flight!!
After a night in Kununurra we went to the Lake Argyle Caravan Park for two nights and did the boat cruise on Lake Argyle, a huge expanse of water.
We have not had much phone reception, mainly in the towns as we are passing through, so no email either. Consequently I have not been able to update my blog.
The bus is going well especially after Keith did oil changes at Lake Argyle.