Read about our cycling trip around Australia in our book - "Ants, Dust & Flies in my Coffee..."
Or
Triking Alaska's
Dalton Highway
Our Latest Book in
E-Book Format
Size - 27Mgb
(requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
November 2012
01 November 2012
The rain has gone and we are back at work. Afternoon shift today and it is hot! Plenty of trucks in to keep us nice and busy and the brief respite between their unloading and returning with their next load is a good time to clean up a little, relax and....
Truck unloading on Bunker 2
The Dog on Bunker 1 where we guide the trucks onto and they drop their load.
Supervising (always wanted to get paid to lean on a shovel while the bloke next to me works :)
02 November 2012
Returning to work we have lost six of the crew, two have left to go elsewhere because they didn't think they were getting enough work and hours and the other four were asked not to come back. So now we are down to a reasonable size crew where there just enough work for us all.
70 trucks and 3,500 tonnes of wheat was the total from 7 am to 11 pm. We started yesterday afternoon at 1.30 pm and finished at 11 pm so the work was fairly consistent. Here's some more shots.
Gordon supervising the pour on Bunker 1
Vince sweeping the peak
Me supervising the pour on Bunker 2
Night shot of Bunkers one and two
07 November 2012
The weather is beginning to turn for the worse and we decided to move out of the free camp down by the river and into the caravan park where we have power and more importantly are not likely to get bogged if the weather does turn. It's a tad strange to be living in town and close to everything, and most of those we are working with. The local bats are conducting nighttime sorties and we are hoping not to bet too many bat bombs on the roof.
08 November 2012
After a dayshift at work today the rain decided to set in this evening and with lots of colours on the weather radar it is looking rather wet for some time to come. So with not knowing when we would go back to work because of the weather, with only a week or so's work left anyway and a family member unwell in Melbourne Joanne and I have decided that we will leave the harvest in Surat and travel to Melbourne to be with family.
09 November 2012
This morning we rang Julie the GrainFlow Site Manager and told her of our decision and it seems that it was a rather timely one as she was about to start culling the numbers onsite because of the weather. We don't know if we were part of that or not but are sure our need to leave probably helped her with who was to go and who was going to stay.
We began packing up, visiting the others in the caravan park to say our goodbyes and to swap phone numbers and email addresses and then the text and emails began arriving from Manpower to inform people that their harvest was over because of the weather and lack of work, and so it is not only us that will be leaving. We also rang the transport company that is delivering our new fridge to have it redirected to Melbourne when it gets to Brisbane so it will be well traveled before we get it.
Julie and Shorty (Site Managers) came into town to say goodbye and after an update on what is going on and a few laughs it was time for hugs all round before we hit the road. Departing sure was bitter sweet as we have made some very good friends here and have thoroughly enjoyed our work and the local area, but it was never designed to be forever now, was it?
Driving out of town and past the turnoff to the site we began heading for St George and headlong into a very large rain storm which required a slower pace, the fastest of windscreen wipers and good concentration. We eventually arrived in town and enjoyed lunch by the quite wide Balonne River. The same river that rose to cover most of the town during the last flood.
Driving on and trying to remember how to live on the road again after our 5 week stop we were driving through grain and cotton country and eventually arrived at Thallon, a small town built around a wheat silo! Not wanting to go any further we drove over to the recreation area where there was supposed to be a place to camp and took up residence in the shadow of the silo. The local ranger was supposed to come and tell us what was what and maybe collect a fee but he didn't show up at all so it turned out to be a free camp.
10 November 2012
Leaving Thallon we managed to get past some harvesters and their combs before heading into Mungindi, another small town in the middle of the crops and which straddles the Queensland, New South Wales Border. Heading on into NSW we stopped for breakfast at a small riverside picnic area and then got the day underway, eventually arriving in the largest town we have been in for a while - Morree. Traffic, traffic and more traffic, we sure are not used to this and after some for shopping we got out of town as quick as we could. We are on the Newell Highway now and it is full of fast paced traffic and lots of large trucks all wanting to be somewhere yesterday.
Passing through more wheat and cotton country and with a range of mountains (Cap and Bonnet Mountain, Haystack Mountain, Mt Waa and Mt Kaputar) behind we were heading to Narrabri home of Australia's Telescope Compact Array, the Australian Cotton Center and the holder of the title for Australia's most sporty town and three cricket matches going on in the middle of town to prove it. Having had enough driving for today we then decided to stay here at the Showgrounds where for $14 a night you can have water and power to make your stay more enjoyable.
11 November 2012
The showgrounds proved to be a great campsite and we awoke to a cool morning after windy night. Driving out of town we headed out to the CSIRO Radio Telescope Array and enjoyed the display inside the visitors centre and the "singing" of the dishes. There are 5 dishes here and they sit on one of two 3 km long tracks (one North/South, one West/East) as they listen for small radio waves from space.
Fast facts:
The Telescope has the accuracy of two arcseconds (the width of a finger as seen 1 km away) and which are one hundredth of a millionth of a watt.
The Telescope receives radio waves 3mm to 20 cm long
The Telescope dishes are 22m in diameter, weighs 270 tonnes and can travel at 4km/h when moving
We are listening - is there anybody out there?
Leaving our encounter with outer space we took a lovely tree lined road towards Pilliga where we inspected the free camp nearby. On arrival we found three campers next to the artesian bore spa, shower and toilets. An inspection of the spa revealed a covered concrete pool of warm bath of 37 degrees water and it was tempting to take a dip, but after enjoying morning tea we drove the 2 kilometers into the town of Pilliga and found a place that was full of houses built many many years ago and which had not changed much. I guess renovations are hindered by the lack of a hardware store.
Leaving Pilliga to ponder its day we followed the forest road and an old railway line as they passed through Baradine, Coonabarabran and Binnaway (free camp next to the river in town with coin operated power of $2 for 3 hrs) before we eventually stopped at the free camp next to the river in the little town of Mendooran and took up a nice spot with water views. The next few hours passing with a chat with Lyn and Glenn who had a VW motorhome exactly like ours.
12 November 2012
A quiet night and a cold morning (jumper and slippers required) before we took a leisurely drive around town to view the murals before heading off down the forest road through to Parkes where we visited The Dish, star of the movie of the same name.
The 64m diameter Dish was built in 1961 and was one of a few dishes around the world that received the signals with any clarity from Apollo 11 and the Lunar landing . The signal received from the moon being was so much better than anywhere else is the world it was used by NASA for the duration of the moon walk.
Although its primary purpose is that of a a radio telescope like the ones at Narrabri, NASA has also used it for the Apollo 13 mission when things went wrong and other recent missions.
The Dish
The object at the bottom right is the original receiver box which sits at the top of the three arms and are where the radio waves are bounced into from the dish surface and it is full of all sorts of computer equipment. The new one is 10,000 times more sensitive.
Leaving yet another space encounter we drove onto Forbes where we are camped with about a dozen others at the free camp next to the river right next to town. It's wonderful how these country towns provide free facilities like this and it is always a pleasure to spend money in the town as a thank you rather than just at one business such as the caravan park.
13 November 2012
Leaving Forbes we took wonderful scenic drive along Lachlan Valley Highway, the paddocks of crops were looking very good and the tree lined, lightly trafficked road just a pleasure to drive. Along the way we stopped in the small village of Gooloongong where the free camp (power, water supplied) was full, so we had breakfast and a shower before moving on towards Cowra.
Arriving in town we were surprised to find the town perched on a hill! We have been so used to flat countryside that a town with significant hills was something to get used to again. We stopped in Cowra to inspect the free camp next to the river (opposite McDonalds and the Tourist Information center) before heading on to the site of the WWII POW Camp for a look at a part of Australia's war time history.
The replica guard tower stands as a memorial
The Camp Map. The black arrows indicate where the Japanese Prisoners broke out in their escape attempt
We spent about an hour interpreting the map and photos and walking around the place taking in the history and enjoying our attempt at putting the remaining features to the picture of the camp in full swing, sort of a Time Team explanation session.
Most of the buildings were wooded back during the war and now the only things recognised among the concrete slabs were the toilet blocks.
The only recognised parts left
The camp, garrison and garden all form part of the Cowra Peace Precinct. Those Australian and Japanese killed during the Cowra Breakout are all buried in the nearby cemetery. The camp, garrison and garden all form part of the Cowra Peace Precinct and are a mecca for tourists.
Moving on we drove past the site of the Garrison which is also being upgraded and then the and the much loved Japanese Garden which looked very nice. Leaving town we continued on the Lachlan Valley Highway to Boorawa, Harden and Sir Donald Bradman's birthplace Cootamundra before arriving at Bethungra Dam and Reserve and another wonderful free camp next to the water.
14 November 2012
Such a beautiful campsite was hard to leave but we wanted to keep going and we passed through Junee, Wagga Wagga (free camp inspection required) and then we decided to try some of the Hume Highway which is the major highway between Melbourne and Sydney. The highway is now a dual lane each way but still carries a huge amount of traffic, most of which was passing us like we were stood still. Having traveled this highway quite a lot back before it was dual laned it was an easy drive, in fact it was too easy and boring so we turned off and took some nice tree lined back roads eventually arriving in the little town of Howlong and one of our favourite places the Murray River.
Heading along the river we found a nice camp at a site called the Police Paddocks so took up a spot and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the river burbling and gurgling as it passed by on its way to the sea.
Police Paddocks Campsite on the Murray River
15 November 2012
Well we could have stayed here for a few days quite easily, but not this time. We left our camp under a graying sky and were headed for Ballan to where one of Joanne's sisters lives. Quiet country roads were again the go and very pleasant to drive before we arrived in Ballan.
16 - 22 November 2012
Visiting family in Melbourne. Obtaining and fitting the new fridge and getting a cold.
23 November 2012
After fitting the new fridge into AJ the day before, we were sitting around at Mum and Dad's yesterday discussing the job Joanne and I had agreed to take take thinning apples in a local orchard for the next month or so when the phone rings. Low and behold it is Manpower and they want to know if we still want to work on the wheat and if so would we like to go to Grong Grong in NSW to make up the numbers. We would have taken the apple jobs but we really want to get as much experience as we can with the wheat so decided that we would head off to move some more bread in its raw form, and to where it is also warmer :).
Leaving Mum and Dad's we stopped in for morning tea with Joanne's Dad before we took the very pleasant and leisurely drive up the beautifully tree lined roads as they wind their way up and down the very lush green hills around Cockatoo, Woori Yallock, Healsville and on to Alexandra before the road opened up into broad acre farming (wheat and canola) as we passed through funny little places like Yarck and Merton before eventually arriving in Cobram on the Murray River where we found a nice camp spot for the night at a place called Wattle Beach.
Wattle Beach
Sitting her with not a wattle tree to be seen the sun is out and making the place quite warm, two other campers are in near us, the birds (Kookaburra's) are singing and there is the occasional ski boat and or jet ski going up or down the river outside our front door. Pity we have to be in Grong Grong for Monday morning as it would be very easy to lose a week sitting right here - maybe next time.
24 November 2012
Last night was a very peaceful night next to the Murray River with the only activity being koala's growling during the night and ducks on parade first thing in the morning. Leaving Wattle Beach we made our way on towards Berrigan where we topped up with fuel to get us to Narrandera.
Dropping into Jerliderie, home of the letter Ned Kelly had published on the towns printing press in an to attempt to help his cause, but after locking the Police in their own cells and robbing the bank of over 2,000 pounds I think he undid any good the letter may have done. Putting Jerliderie on the list of places to re-visit we moved on stopping in Morundah for morning tea. The town is a small place with a few houses, a pub and wheat silo to its name but we enjoyed the stop and viewing the Iron Horse trying to identify the parts it is made of and which was commissioned to help spruce the town up.
Giddy up!
Arriving in Narranderra we did some shopping, filled the fuel tank, emptied the grey and black water and spent lunch watching the local cricket before moving on to Grog Grong (Garrongoorung which is aboriginal for bad camping ground).
Grong Grong is a small town of 150 people, a wheat silo (the opposition) a small corner store, a pub and not much more.
Heading South out of town however there are two nice spots to camp, and both by the water and we chose to camp alongside the Murrumbidgee River.
Murrumbidgee River Campsite
Not long after we had settled in some movement outside proved to be a nice encounter. Blinky Bill Koala was wandering along the riverbank and right past out door. He seemed fairly placid and not afraid of us so maybe he has been witness to other campers in this spot, and judging by the scars on his rump, chest and face he has seen the odd scrap of two.
I am not hungry! (and they are the wrong leaves anyway)
I'm outta here!
Murrumbidgee Sunset
25 November 2012
A wonderfully quiet and peaceful night spent by the river and we awoke to the golden early morning glow on the river and surrounds. A lazy morning with a visit to the 2wander-yonder barber, eggs and bacon for breakfast, a nice hot shower and all while watching the Murrumbidgee silently flow past on its way to join the Murray River.
We then decided to try the campsite at the pub which is free if you buy a meal or drink (we enjoyed a few drinks with the publicans and one of our fellow workers) or $15 if you want power (our cord was not long enough).
29 November 2012
We started work at GrainFlow Grong Grong on Monday. The site is somewhat different to what we were working on at Surat, the main change being the bitumen floored, tin walled bunkers which are very, very long, and the two silo's that sit above a railway line. The walled bunkers are controlled by just two people, one at the central receival area where the operator flicks a switch to send whatever the type or grade of grain is down the relevant conveyor to the stackers in the bunkers or up into the silo's and the other at the stacker making sure the grain piles up evenly on both sides and then moving the stacker along the bunker when needed. All other people are then either in the sample stand, on the weighbridge or on the tarp team. Joanne was with a lady and learning the stacker and I have been with the other men on the tarp team cleaning up spills, tarping bunkers and generally dong whatever is going.
We were on our second day on the job and the weather had been going around us all the time but then the skies began to darken all around us and the weather radar looked very pretty with its colours depicting heavy ran. We began covering and closing bunkers before the wild wind and driving rain sent us scattering to the shed wet through and with only one bunker left open. So with rivers of water flowing through the site, wet grain out in the paddocks and no harvesting for a day or so we took the opportunity the next day to go into Narrandera for a look around before returning for a night at the Grong Grong Rest Area.
The GGRA is a small park rest area next to the store where you can stay (parked on the road) for a donation and pay a little bit more to plug into the power at the BBQ and is designed as an overnight stop rather than a long term stay. Started as a project for the school (travelers who cross the Grong Grong line) with the funds are used to by the progress association to beautify the park (new toilets and some garden) and parts of the town.
The Grong Grong Rest Area
We have a couple of camp spots around Grong Grong and we were pleasantly surprised to find we had a front roew view of the harvest from the opposite end to what we have been experiencing it with the header and chaser bin operating right in front of us.
|©Andrew & Joanne Hooker | Default Screen Size 1024x768||Last Updated |