ENTRY 25 FINAL

Monday 9th - Wednesday 11th November 2009

Monday and Tuesday was hot, high 30's and long way from a sea breeze. The bus got a wash n polish and a spring clean, enjoyed relaxing with friends.

Wednesday all packed and ready for the last drive, home is 400k away. Tail wind, great way to finish, the drive was easy till we hit the freeways of the city... ahhhhh not used to that crap, everyone is in a hurry. An hour later and back on home turf, set up camp on the beach at Rye, here for 6 months, great view of Port Phillip Bay out the window.

Well what a trip!!! 6 months and one day, 21,000 klms pumped 3200 litres of Diesel and oh so relaxed. The bus was fantastic even after a couple of hiccups. We met some great new and old friends along the way and hope we keep in contact and maybe meet again.

Cheers Alan and Maz and DABUS

ENTRY 24

Monday 2nd - Sunday 8th November

Monday to Wednesday we fished every day except no snapper fishing as its closed season all of November, rather bad timing I thought. Monday had us sweltering in 42 degree heat and hot winds no way of getting away from it, but Maz found a way taking a trip with neighbors to the air conditioned shopping centre, by 4 pm it had dropped about 15 degrees, sounds like Victorian weather!

Point Lowly

Thursday had huge amount of packing as we had spread our stuff everywhere over the week. On the road mid morning and a short drive to Port Augusta, that completed a loop of 20,000 klms and 5 3/4 months.

The afternoon drive was a tour to and around Port Pirie, then off the Hwy into the hills to a small town called Crystal Brook. Friday was a 3 hour drive through The Clare Valley onto The Barossa Valley, fantastic scenery and great small towns. Booked into C/park in Nuriootpa so we can go to the Barossa Farmers Market in the morning. Dinner at the local pub was great, nice local red wine grown and produced by the year 12 kids at the local Secondary College, ordered a dozen bottles to be delivered home yum.

Barossa Valley Farmers Market

Packed and left C/park by 8am then to farmers market, bacon and eggs for breaky all local and fresh produce, well worth a visit, back on the road and travelled through Barmera and Remark then Mildura.... Victoria!!!!! wow.

The plan was to stop and camp near Mildura, but the weather is hot hot so kept driving south through Ouyen then to Sea Lake and camped at the local park. Sunday morning was a 40 mins drive to Quambatook where we will camp for a few days at Dean and Sue's.

ENTRY 23

Monday 26th - Sunday 1st November

Once again head winds greet us this morning, I cant believe it blows this hard in one direction for so many days. The WA/SA border is about 80k away.

The SA - WA Border

Really hard drive again, stopped at the Roadhouse just into SA, luckly didnt need fuel, super expensive again

Nullabor Roadhouse

Standing on the edge of The Great Australian Bite

Arrived in a small town called Penong (300k for the day) and went to the only C/Park in town, was great to have power and a hot shower, watch TV and have phone and internet. Penong's ground is white from Gypsum and the town survives on mining Salt, Gypsum and Wheat.

Tuesday after leaving Penong, an hour later we were in Ceduna, did a shop as we had just been through the fruit fly inspection, so hardly any food left. Onto Streaky Bay, great little town, could have stayed there a while but I was on a mission to get to Whyalla.

Left the scenery across the Nullabor ..... Right looking out from Streaky Bay

Some great small coastal towns but we camped on the side of a cliff 5k below Elliston... windy windy still.

Wednesday set off for Port Lincoln, on the way called into Coffin Bay, hardly any shops, but lots of houses, mostly holiday shacks, sure would be good fishing here, great fishing facilities and lots of pro boats out.

Coffin Bay

Lunch and a few hours looking around Port Lincoln, another great coastal town,

Over looking Port Lincoln and a small part of the massive fishing fleet

then up to the lookout and took the tail wind (at last) up to Cowell, tiny C/park and again good to get a hot shower and creature comforts.

Thursday morning, off to Whyalla about 80k north, arrived mid morning, did shopping and got some fishing gossip, then headed out to Point Lowly 30k north to a camp ground, set up camp and not moving for a week.

Camped at Point Lowly could stay here a month

Great spot, clean toilets and cold shower all free. We spent the next few days fishing and a few repairs on bus. We have eaten Snapper Whiting and Calamari everynight since arriving, nice

ENTRY 22

Click on a pic and it will go to a full screen

Check out where we have been by clicking on Dabustrek text to the left under the Google logo

Monday 12^th Sunday 25^{th (2weeks)}

After an easy weekend watching Bathurst, packed and drove back to Noble Falls for one more night before heading back to Perth. Met some people at the falls with the same bus as us, so chatted for ages about the pros and cons of Nissans. The bus got a wash with the river water.

Noble Falls, bus gets a wash

Tuesday, the bus only just started, batteries very low, will check it out when back in Perth, also seem to be leaking brake fluid, another job to do. Back in Perth mid arvo, brew not ready for still so will have to wait till I come back from Melb. Did shopping so Maz has enough stuff while I am away. Took starter batteries out only to find low on fluid, topped up and cleaned terminals hoping after a drive they would come back to life, also found a pin size hole in hydraulic clutch line, will fix before we tackle Nullarbor. I flew home Wednesday evening, arriving in Melb 2.45am, thanks Fred. Back to Perth on Tuesday 20^th and confirmed that I don’t miss working.

Maz took a trip to Kings Park, sensational gardens overlooking Perth

Wednesday, took bus for a drive, batteries started no probs, but I cant fix hydraulic pipe and having probs finding someone to do it. Spent the arvo making brew… all good.

Thursday I rang a truck repair company and they said call in and they will fix, 2 hours later new hose, all fixed, did some packing and shopping and on the road toward home. Found a great camp spot 200k east of Perth at Kokerbin Rock, great free camp. Very friendly flys and had a great fire with the wood suppled.

Kokerbin Rock 200k east of Perth

Friday, did a walk around part of the rock, looks like a mini Ayres Rock., packed and on the road to strong head winds grrr, rather have them now than when crossing the Nullarbor. After 300k for the day, we had travelled through about 4 small towns and seen some wheat country then scrub, scrub and more scrub, arriving at Yerdani Well, a free camp approx 60k west of Coolgardie. Lots of road trains, so will be a noisy night.

Yerdani Well

Saturday, once again strong head winds, sure makes hard work for the bus, a look around Coolgardie and then a further 40k to Kalgoorlie. Went to tourist info and got all the … must see .. places to go, lunch then to the look out and then the Superpit, what an amazing sight . I am sure the pics wont do it justice, but sure is one of the highlights of the trip and timing was great to see them do a blast, fantastic.

The Super Pit Kalgoorlie

The Blast

The drive to Norseman (180k) was about 30kph head winds, horrible, fuelled up and turned east again, 80k to a camp spot with about 30 other vans. Happy hours turned into hours around the campfire.

Sunday, I am thinking WA stands for Windy Again, just lucky I guess as the winds have turned from SE to Easterly and getting stronger. Stopped at the sign for the longest straight road in Australia and as I started driving again a road train overtook, I was able to get behind him and got a tow for the next 140k, made the drive very easy sitting on about 90kph the motor hardly working, not much of a sight looking at the back of a truck for an hour and half but sure was easy.

Stopped at the roadhouse at the next bend in the road 140k away, spoke to the truckie and thanks him for the ride. Had lunch and saw the truck back on the road, mad panic to follow him and got a tow for another 100k. The last 50k of the day was doing about 75kph in low 5^th gear, Camped at Jillah Rockhole 10k west of Mundrabilla roadhouse, $1.65 litre for diesel.

We are still 80k from WA/SA border and have come 1400k from Perth, huge state.

ENTRY 21

Monday 5th - Sunday 11th

After leaving Ellendale Pool,rather than go back to the coast, we kept heading inland to keep away from the Hwy and the windy coast. The area we are in, about 250k north of Perth is wildflower country, fantastic to see.

Travelling south through the country we visit small old towns in the wheat belt. The hills are full of wind farms (see pic).

Wind Farms

We cruised back to Hwy and camped with some other campers beside road, at Eneabba, little sleep as trucks passed all night.

Tuesday (yawn ) up early and a drive to the coast to Jurien Bay and Cervantes, small coastal holiday towns, then to the Pinnacles in the National Park.

The Pinnicles

After lunch a drive back inland to Moora, nice country town that caters well for tourists. A stroll to the pub for dinner .. yummm.

Wednesday, pack and head to Perth, into the big smoke. Easy drive, one minute in the country and then cars trucks industry everywhere. Found a good C/park to stay in, took a drive and checked out new motor homes, then picked up Still that I had bought off ebay.

Thursday, booked c/park for next week while I fly home and Maz and Bus stay in Perth, we head back out of city, arrive at Noble Falls about 40k east of Perth, in the hills beside a river.

Noble Falls

great spot, make a brew for still, happy hour turns into hours as we listen to 2 guys with guitars sing and play around the camp fire later joined by 2 french guys travelling oz.

Friday we moved about 30 metres for the day, closer to river, took a walk and enjoyed not driving.

Saturday, moved further east to Toodyay a further 60 away from Perth to a C/park for 2 days, good tv reception for Bathurst. Saturday was the Toodyay Annual Show, which amused Maz for hours. Brew fermenting nicely.

Sunday, day of rest in front of TV, I was up early as race started at 7am WA time

ENTRY 20

Monday 28^th Sunday 4^th

Awake to great views, pack and move on toward Kalbarri

Just south of Denham (Shark Bay)

Stopping at Shell Beach having all the local beaches formed from tiny pure white shells,

no sand at all.

Shell Beach

Again head winds made it a slow slog, stopped at Neeren rest area with about 10 other campers, bit of a noisy night as close to Hwy.

Nerren Nerren Rest Area 100k north Kalbarri and our 1st rain for 5 months

Woke up to a strange noise on Tuesday morning…. Rain!!!!.... and as we drove it pelted down, we had not seen rain since May when we were in Alice Springs. Arrived in Kalbarri about lunchtime, lucky to get into c/park as its school hols and everything is packed.

This is Kalbarri beach been like this all down the coast, to rough to use boat

Booked in for 2 days but cold and rainy weather, most of the time was spent inside the bus, but did have a nice meal at local restaurant.

Thursday checkout the coast from the cliff tops, its changed from beaches to rugged coastline, lunch at Northampton, nice little town then to a free camp, only travelled about 90k for the day.

Coastal lookout just south of Kalbarri

Friday a huge 30k drive to Coronation Beach camp, once again so windy, no fishing or boating, will stay a couple of days rather than c/parks in Geraldton.

Coronation Beach and Maz's collection of rubbish from the beach

Saturday took a drive 30k to Geraldton, checked out the farmers market, food stock up and a little retail therapy, back to Coronation Beach.

HMAS Sydney Memorial above Geraldton and view over Geraldton

Sunday packed and back to Geraldton, Maz had a few hours at the Quilters Show and Bunnings amused me for a while. Leave Geraldton huge head winds and trucks pushing hard along the Hwy. took a tour for 50k inland to Ellendale Pool,set up camp and just enough reception to see The Storm win the Grand Final.

Ellendale Pool, great camp spot