Category Archives: Holidays

Left turn Clyde, I said left turn …

Well there were some heavy falls overnight but it had cleared up by morning for another slightly overcast day, well at least in Dubbo.

Travelling east, the things most spotted today were kangaroos sleeping on the side of the road or they could have been road kill. That is something I have not spotted a lot of, live wildlife. There has been plenty of parrots, cockies, galahs and even a wedge tailed eagle (feeding off a sleeping roo) but no large wildlife. I guess that with the amount of feed around due to good rains, they are not near the roads.

Looks like earlier in the year a couple of large fires went through around Dunedoo and Cassilis with a lot of fencing and a few buildings destroyed that I could see. Blazeaid has set up a couple of base camps in the area to assist the farmers in replacing their fences. That may be something to look at when I get round to retiring.

One thing that the fires have done is clear out the vegetation and a lot of rock formations now are visibile from the road whereas previously they would have been obscured. There was one interesting one where it looked like a tree had split a large rock into two columns and there were leaning away on each side of the tree.

There were some heavy downpours as I travelled East but I forgot to take notice of road signs and soon found a lot more reference to Newcastle. I had missed the turn off to Tamworth. Finally there was a road that headed north at Merriwa. It started out OK with a bitumen road passing through farmland then it turned into gravel and dirt with a sign saying that parts may be closed in wet weather. That is great given that I was currently in torrential rainfall.

Stuck it into 4WD and dragged the caravan through creek crossings and slippery clay sections. The van was slowly turning brown from mud but managed to get through OK. Next was a narrow windy section up through the Great Dividing Range. It was bitumen but the face on an approaching car was precious when he came around the corner and saw me with the van in tow. Maybe next time he will drive to the conditions. Did I mention in between the rain it was foggy.

Over the top of the range and back to gravel and mud, this time due to road works. Lucky Jenny wasn’t in the car as her side was a straight drop down with no barriers and the road was a tad slippery. Eventually it was back onto bitumen with enough rain to wash the majority of the mud off the car and van.

Pretty uneventful for the rest of the journey to Tamworth with some more rain, heavy at times. Looks like it is a busy weekend in Tamworth with the Motor Show and a huge Horse Event.

Is that the rain Marge …

Woke up this morning with the sound of rain on the roof. Is this the monthly rainfall in a day that has been hyped up for the last few days. Unfortunately it was not.

The rain was light and short lived but it sure made it humid outside. Took a bit of a rest day geocaching around Dubbo awaiting the big rains but looking at the radar, I think it will be bypassing here.

Not sure what is going on around Dubbo but there seems to be a lot of new housing developments around the outskirts. It may be due to an increase in mining around the surrounding area.

It is always interesting where Geocaching takes you and today was one of those moments with the Driftwell System. It is a series of wells that were dug and brick lined back in the 1890’s which provided the water supply for Dubbo. The wells are still intact more than 100 years on but I am not sure that they are providing water any more.

Later in the afternoon, some more rain arrived but once again it was light and short lived. I guess we don’t need to build the ark just yet. Although looking further up the coast in mid Queensland, it looks like they are taking a drenching. Hopefully it clears up before we get there in a week.

What’s it doing in the middle of a sheep paddock …

According to the TV and Radio, we are due rainfall of biblical proportions but as I looked out the window this morning and as I travelled further north east today, blue skies was all I could see.

It certainly wasnt clear skies as the farmers were still burning off their stubble and a smokey haze hugged the ground until I got to Parkes where it was greening up so there was nothing to burn.

Even though there was only 260 kilometres to travel today, it still took 6 hours due to the large amount of roadworks on the Newell Highway with long waits on the single lane bypass detours.

There was even a delay at Tomingley while they did a blast at the Tomingley Gold Mine which is divided by the Newell Highway.

Mind you I am not complaining as I was still making stops in all the little towns to do some exploring (read looking for Geocaches).

It is always amazing what gems you find when you have a look around these towns. The stop in Peak Hill (another gold mining town) revealed a long abandoned Holden Dealership complete with old cars and parts that have been rotting for years. Apparently the owner has no interest in selling anything much to the dismay of old Holden collectors and restorers.

I was expecting to see the “Dish” when visiting Parkes but was certainly not expecting Elvis, well Rhino Elvis. As well as Parkes being known for the “Dish”, it also has an annual Elvis Festival but you will have to wait until January next year for the next festival.

About 20 kilometres north of Parkes, look over to the right and there it is. It certainly stands out amongst the sheep paddocks although the trees around it are starting to get up to the same height. I am referring to “The Dish” or the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope. Its claim to fame is bringing the Moon Landing of Apollo 11 to the world but most now remember it for the film, “The Dish“. It is an impressive structure but it is not working for the next couple of weeks.

Tonight’s digs is Dubbo and I will spend a day around here before moving on Saturday. Provided the weather remains clear and warm, I will visit the Dubbo Zoo. Looking at the radar, it appears that my travels have taken me in a gap between the 2 frontal systems. Not sure how long that will last.

Those cotton fields …

Looking to the west, all you could see was menacing black clouds this morning. It must be time to head north east. There is talk of up to 100 mm of rain in those clouds and I was not hanging around to see if it was true.

Over one of the last surviving raising bridges on the Murray River at Tooleybuc and it was off towards the Hay Plain.

You were certainly reminded of being in cotton country with little cotton balls lining the road from being blown from the fields or coming from the large bales transported on road trains out of the region. I have been through this area many times and have never seen the cotton harvested but had the opportunity with the harvest in full swing. It was interesting that they had fire trucks on standby while the harvest is going on.

The black skies were remaining in the rear vision mirror and the sun started to sneak through with the solar putting in 1.0 Amps to the battery in the caravan. The temperature was now climbing as well to around 23-24C but the wind was ever present and a head wind as well. Oh well there goes the good fuel consumption. Instead of 15-16 l/100km, it was now up around 19-20.

The farmers must know something with tractors and seeders whizzing around paddocks and the constant haze of paddocks being burnt of their stubble, the further east I travelled. Once I arrived at West Wyalong tonight, checked the weather radar and it certainly looks like the area is going to be soaked in the next few days.

Getting into town a little earlier allowed me to grab the geocaches in town and managed to get all but one. Tomorrow the trip takes me to Dubbo for a couple of days.

Darwin here we come …

Well we are sort of on our way to Darwin even if it is in a round about way. Last year we took the West Coast to Darwin for the V8 Supercars but this year we are tackling the East Coast up to Port Douglas and then across the top to Darwin.

Having just got back from the USA, there has been time to do some washing, complete some jobs on the caravan including a new battery, before hitting the road again. Not sure how the battery seller is making money as I got one delivered overnight from Melbourne with no freight charge to me.

While the USA trip was Long Service Leave, this trip is my normal fostered recreation leave with a few shift changes (standbys) thrown in to give me 7 weeks off. Jenny even though she has a mountain of Long Service Leave that you can’t jump over, has decided only to join me for 3 weeks of the trip.

With the van packed and hooked up, managed to get on the road around 10:20 am which was only 20 minutes later than I had planned. The skies were looking dark, there was a bit of wind and the temperature was around 17C. Glad we are heading north to some warmer climes.

Apart from a few stops to grab some geocaches, today’s travels went fairly well. There was one little heart starter around Ouyen when some tosser decided to overtake me (I was sitting on 90kph) on a bend with little vision of oncoming traffic and with a no overtaking line. As it turns out there was a car coming the other way who had to stop and pull off the road otherwise would have been hit head on and I had to put on the brakes too so that he didn’t cut me off trying to get into our lane.

I managed to notice some markings on the doors for a certain railway company with a friend who works there. A quick phone call with a request for some photos and dashcam video and I think that guy may think again about his driving practices on the open road.

I was going to camp on the river tonight but as it was all overcast all day, the solar didn’t have a chance to keep the new battery topped up. Just on dusk, stopped into the Wood Wood Caravan Park to hook up to 240V and wait for some weather that was supposedly on its way.

Farewell USA once again …

With the number of trips we have done, you would think that we have the baggage gig sorted by now. At least this time we had some hand scales which made it easier. My bags were sorted in half an hour but Jenny took all the time til check out at 11am with stuff going back and forward between her two bags.

We still had a couple of hours before we needed to be at the airport so some geocaching filled in the time, before heading into Busse Woods for a picnic lunch with the leftover food we have accumulated over the last few days.

A quick fill of the rental car and it was soon dropped off and we were on the shuttle to the airport. At check in, all the bags were under the 50 lb limit but only just and the staff were friendly at the International counter for American Airlines.

I had tried to book some seats online through the Qantas website but had no luck with it error in out. Even phoned them up and they couldn’t help saying that it was dealt with at the airport. Of course, the staff at the airport couldn’t help either as it was handled by Qantas not American. She did tell us that Qantas were in the International Terminal and it could be dealt with there.

After taking the tram to the International Terminal, and walking up and down it, we couldn’t locate anything that looked like Qantas. Oh Well, we will try again in Los Angeles.

No issues getting through the TSA check but I did get a little massage on the back and legs due to the body scan showing a couple of dubious areas. I asked him to get his thumbs in deep but he didn’t oblige.

The flight to LA was overbooked which seems to be the norm in the US, with offers of $300 ftravel vouchers to fly on the next flight in an hour. We thought about it but then didn’t want to miss our connection to Australia. As it worked out we probably should have taken the offer.

On arrival at LA, we found out the fight to Sydney was delayed by 2 hours so instead of leaving at 2230 hours it would be 0030 hours. Qantas gave us a couple of meal vouchers which gave us $US50 to spend in the food court. Wish we knew this was going to happen earlier as we purchased a couple of toasted sangers when we landed. Not to worry, we still had some Panda Express and frozen yogurt.

There was another announcement of a further delay of an hour putting ou departure at 0130. Looks like we will be late back into Oz. Further complications occurred with the Melbourne flight having mechanical issues so had to return to LA and they parked up in the gate our plane was due to.

There was a wait for another gate with the plane finally getting another gate, but with refuelling and loading the plane, we didn’t get away until 0200. There is no way we will make our Adelaide flight now.

The flight was not all that full and we had two empty seats next to us which Jenny used to make her bed and grabbed around 7 hours sleep while I had my seat and managed around 6 hours of upright sleep. During the night I went for a walk to the rear of the plane and the rear section was nearly empty so I could have probably grabbed some seats for a bed there.

The flight was smooth most of the way apart from the usual turbulence as you cross the equator and then some more turbulence as the pilot manouvered around some cyclones near Fiji and Vanuatu.

The last hour was interesting with a smoke detector going off in the toilet near our seats. Flight attendants descended from all over the plane armed with extinguishers and heat detectors. They left the toilet shut while checking for heat by hand detector and all feel. It ended up being a false alarm but a bit of excitement 800 kms out over the ocean. It was caused by a woman spraying deodorant (not sure how that got through the TSA check).

It doesn’t stop there with one of the crew falling ill so we were told the plane is in quarantine until it can be cleared by authorities in Sydney. This means that all crew and passengers to remain seated until cleared.

And for something completely different, the plane couldn’t get into the gate due to a catering truck left in the way. Needless to say we were going to miss our flight to Adelaide and was placed on a later flight, as was the case with all other connecting flights.

Time for a GeoEvent …

Another sunny and clear skied day in Chicago but at least today was a little warmer around 13C. And there was a distinct lack of wind today so the sun could actually warm you up. We are continually reminded that it is Spring in Chicago and this is what to expect.

An easy morning with a visit to the local Dicks Sports Store so that Jenny could look at their softball gear. With the current exchange rate, it didnt work out too cost effective to get anything so jenny walked out empty handed. Me on the other hand, walked out with a $180 Chicago Blackhawk Ice Hockey jersey for $60. Apparently they are changing from Reebok to Adidas so all stock must go.

This afternoon it was a chance to catch up with a lot of old geocaching friends I had seen three years ago during the last Chicago trip. The location for the event was Stadium Sports Club and Pizza and called “Firesafe is back in the Windy City!!!“. It wasn’t too hard to find the venue as there was a group of people searching through a garden bed at a nearby cache location. We were definitely at the right spot. It even took the out of country guy to spot the cache.

It was a great location with good food and drink. The staff were friendly and we were made to feel welcome. It was a good turnout with many of the faces I had met three years ago. It was amazing that there were at least 5 in the group that had been to Adelaide. Often you have to explain where we are in Australia. It was a welcome change. The koalas I brought across were a hit too. Thanks to all those that made the event today.

After a few hours it was time to head back to the hotel and get the bags packed, making sure they are under weight. We make the big trek home to Australia tomorrow afternoon.

Take me out to the ball game …

Well we were conned. Woke up and looked out the window to see clear and blue skies. Perfect for a ball game or so we thought. Headed outside and it was cold. It was 11C so I guess the cubs t-shirts we bought were going to cut it. So pack the jumpers, coats and gloves.

As we drove closer to Wrigley Park and closer to Lake Michigan, the temperature on the dash was getting lower. It was now 9C. Not sure where we were going to park. There was plenty of people offering parking on their properties from $30 to $45. I am sure there is something cheaper, so we headed out to where Bradley will be working and there was a one park left out the front – and it was free.

Free parking comes with a price but the 1.75 km walk at least kept us warm.

On the grass outside the field, Budweiser had set up some bars and an electronic batting game. Jenny and I both gave it a go. You had a practice swing then 3 game swings. Of course I hit a home run on the practice swing and bombed out on the game swings and Jenny got a couple of taps in the game swings. 

Clark the Chicago Cubs mascot was there so we had our photo with him and also got to see the 2016 World Series trophy. Time to put on the oxygen and head up to our seats. I had chosen these seats as they were undercover however with no rain on the radar, it would have been better to have been in the sun.

The view from the seats was good, able to see the whole field and even still make out the ball. There were plenty of screens, both large and small to keep up with what is going on and the place was nearly packed to capacity. I guess there were still some people working in Chicago today.

What was really interesting was the grandstands on the roofs of all the buildings on the other side of the road in the east and north. Even though they miss out on the big screens, they would have enjoyed the sunshine. The wind coming off Lake Michigan was brutal and the wind chill would have put the temperature somewhere around 3-4C. Having thin blood doesn’t help as I lost feeling in my fingers by the end of the game. I guess my gloves weren’t thick enough.

It was a close game with it looking like the Cubs were going to take it out 2-0 but a 3 run Home Run hit by the Yankees late in the game took the win away. The Cubs seemed to have lost hope and never recovered. It was still a good game despite the loss.

The walk back to the car started the blood circulating and by the time we got back to the hotel, I had feeling back in my hands.

The Illinois Foodfest has 2 more days to run and tonight we headed to Red Lobster for some seafood. Of course we have enough leftovers for tomorrow nights dinner. It will be good to get back to Oz and some reasonable sized meals.

Now that is a jelly bean …

Even though there was little chance of rain today, it was still cold with a maximum of 9C but a little cooler with the wind chill.

This morning was better spent indoors with the Adler Planetarium where it was warmer. Car parking here was interesting with a flat rate of $19 in the centre carpark or park on the street which is closer for $2 an hour. We parked on the street.

The Planetarium had a couple of large domed roof theatres with very comfy chairs. How do I know. I only saw about half of each show we went into as I was snoring for the other half. There were exhibits on the moon, the planets, telescopes and astronomy in different cultures. It also provided a venue for today’s Illinois Foodfest, the Galileo’s Café, where you could look out over the very choppy Lake Michigan.

We spent the end of the day wandering around Chicago again taking in the Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain and of course the Giant Jelly Bean or as it is more commonly known, Cloud Gate. I wonder if Cloud Gate (2006) was inspired by Adelaide’s the Malls Balls (1977).

The big mistake for today was heading out of Downtown Chicago at the start of peak hour, with most of the first 20 kilometres spent at 10-15 kph. A diversion to Walmart for some chicken and salad for dinner then back to the hotel. Tomorrow is the big Cub’s vs Yankees Ball Game at Wrigley Field.

Until you’ve been on a Harley-Davidson, you haven’t been on a motorcycle …… apparently

Another cool and windy day in Chicago so today rather than wander around the streets it is road trip time. Jenny said why don’t we go to Wisconsin and I said well there is the Harley Davidson Museum there so why not. After all it is only 133 kilometres up the road.

We had been driving through flat land for miles and then we spotted a sign to ski areas. Not sure where they ski as we hadn’t even spotted something that looked like a hill let alone a mountain. Figured that they meant water skiing but after some Googling, I found one of the hills they were referring to, Wilmot Mountain. It was literally that, a small hill, that almost looked man made with a few lifts. Apparently Vail Resorts now owns it. I guess you will ski whatever you have available.

It wasn’t too hard to spot the Harley Davidson Museum arriving into Milwaukee and we must have picked a good day as it wasn’t too busy.

I haven’t been a huge fan of Harleys, having owned 1 Yamaha, 2 Suzuki’s and a Honda (still have a Suzuki ER185 and a Honda CB900) but I was impressed by the history of the Harley Davidson from humble beginnings through several bad spots and still keep going.

The museum had one of every motorbike model they ever produced or so it seemed and I took over 100 photos. What was interesting was the 80’s when the Japanese bikes were taking over sales, and the Harley style changed to mimic the Japanese bikes more. When AMF merged with Harley, the diversification was different with golf carts, boats, ski mobiles and mini bikes. Not to mention the Topper scooter produced in the 60’s. I bet not too many hard core Harley riders were aware of that.

At the end of the museum tour and just before the gift shop, there was a selection of Harleys that you could sit on. The touring bikes were comfortable but not sure about the other models particularly for long rides. It didn’t take long for orders coming in from Australia for t-shirts from the gift shop. I even bought a t-shirt and a Hawaiian shirt for myself.

I took over 100 photos today of all the bikes on show in the Museum. I have uploaded them to my Flickr account and can be see by clicking “here“.

An hour and a half drive back to Chicago and out for out Illinois Foodfest venue for tonight, the Olive Garden. Nice meals but off course way too big and you come out as full as a goog.