Technical problems!!!

As mentioned, the Vodafone mobile connection will not connect at the moment and after spending far too long on the phone to technical support, we have decided to leave it until we have extra time to sort it out. Th Blue Mountains await so until we get online again, you will just have to imagine what is happening. It's very annoying since we researched it so well and had it working fine for a month or so but there you go - ain't technology grand??!!

Dog on the Tuckerbox and more...

We left a very foggy Melbourne this morning. It was foggy in patches for quite a while, you could hardly see a thing from the Westgate Bridge and it was only about 5 or 6 degrees outside!! Looking forward to warmer climes soon but first we are in even colder Canberra. It is going to be 0 degrees here tonight. BRRrrrrr!!!
Went down to the old Dog on the Tuckerbox site instead of having our coffee at the new, echoing hall that houses McCafe and Subway etc. It was like a ghost town there - but lovely and peaceful; much nicer surroundings than the new commercial venture. Travellers' tip: Take a thermos and avoid the consumerism!

We have just had dinner with Megan and Jeremy and I am writing this on Jem's computer since the Vodafone connection refuses to work!! GRrrrr! Will go to the Vodafone shop here tomorrow and see if they can sort it out. Isn't that Murphy's Law? It worked before we left of course. Ah well, the best laid plans, huh?
The trip here went without a hitch and we arrived to a nicely heated B&B room and dinner was lovely at Tilly's, a restaurant Jeremy and Megan like to go to.
Less travelling tomorrow and a 2 night stop over.

ABOVE: View through car window on Barton Highway near Yass

One week till we leave!!!

Well, it's only a week until we leave and the panic is starting to creep in. Have we done that/got that? etc. We've booked some accommodation, especially where we felt there might be difficulty getting some. The list for Tristan is almost complete although I'm sure we'll think of more things that he'll need reminding of while we're gone!
The laptop and internet connection have been tested out and will serve the purpose I think. It will be dial-up in many areas so we won't be putting lots of photos up until we get to a broadband area again.
So, time to start packing (our cases that is) Not us! (Well, maybe us too.) Then, last minute service on the car just to be sure, stock up on rechargable batteries, and lots of other little details!
Say "Goodbye" - that will be the hard part.

Proposed Itinerary

Tuesday 10th July depart home, overnight Canberra
Wednesday 11th travel to Cowra, Bathhurst, overnight, Lithgow / Katoomba
Thursday 12th Lithgow / Katoomba – Blue Mountains & Jenolan Caves (290km)
Friday 13th Orange, Parkes overnight Dubbo: Western Plains Zoo (370km)
Saturday 14th Gilgandra, Warrum Bungle National Park, Coonamble, Walgett overnight Lightning Ridge (345km)
Changed plans - stayed overnight at Dubbo after spending day at zoo and doing missed afternoon tour at the zoo.
Sunday 15th Wee Waa, Narrabri overnight Tamworth (427km)
Changed plans - travelled to Parkes, Grong Grong and overnight at Narrandera
Monday 16th Port MacQuarie overnight Yamba (398km)
Changed plans - travelled home due to death in family.
Tuesday 17th Overnight Yamba
Changed plans - spent day at home with relatives
Wednesday 18th overnight Ballina
Changed plans - Left home at 7am, overnight Parkes
Thursday 19th overnight Ballina (240km)
Changed plans - overnight Lightning Ridge
Friday 20th overnight Toowoomba
Changed plans - Lightning Ridge tour, overnight Armidale
Saturday 21st overnight Brisbane (204km)
Changed plans - overnight Yamba
Sunday 22nd overnight Brisbane
Changed plans - overnight Yamba
Monday 23rd overnight Hervey Bay area (317km)
Tuesday 24th Hervey Bay
Wednesday 25th Gladstone overnight Rockhampton (407km)
Thursday 26th Rockhampton
Friday 27th overnight Mackay (335km)
Saturday 28th overnight Townsville (420km)
Sunday 29th Townsville
Monday 30th overnight Cairns (400km)
Tuesday 31st Daintree Entomological Museum - overnight Cow Bay (110km)
Wednesday 1st August Rainforest tour - overnight Cow Bay
Thursday 2nd overnight Chillagoe (275km)
Friday 3rd Chillagoe Caves - overnight Atherton
Saturday 4th Ravenshoe - overnight Georgetown (347km)
Sunday 5th overnight Normanton (301km)
Monday 6th trip to Karumba - overnight Normanton
Tuesday 7th overnight Mt. Isa (493km)
Wednesday 8th overnight Mt. Isa
Thursday 9th overnight Tennant Creek (662km)
Friday 10th Tennant Creek, Devil’s Marbles
Saturday 11th overnight Tennant Creek
Sunday 12th Daly Waters - overnight Mataranka (556km)
Monday 13th Katherine, Pine Creek - overnight Jabiru/Kakadu (398km)
Tuesday 14th overnight Jabiru/Kakadu
Wednesday 15th overnight Jabiru/Kakadu
Thursday 16th overnight Darwin (243km)
Friday 17th overnight Darwin
Saturday 18th overnight Darwin
Sunday 19th Litchfield National Park - overnight Batchelor(107km)
Monday 20th overnight Batchelor(Butterfly farm?)
Tuesday 21st Litchfield National Park - overnight Katherine, (202km)
Wednesday 22nd overnight Katherine
Thursday 23rd overnight Kununurra (512km)
Friday 24th Fly-drive-fly Bungle Bungles - overnight Bungle Bungle Bush Camp
Saturday 25th Bungle Bungles - overnight Kununurra
Sunday 26th Hidden Valley National Park - overnight Kununurra
Monday 27th overnight Halls Creek (484km)
Tuesday 28th Tunnel Creek, Geikie Gorge - overnight Fitzroy Crossing (288km)
Wednesday 29th overnight Fitzroy Crossing
Thursday 30th Derby - overnight Broome (478km)
Friday 31st overnight Broome
Saturday 1st September - overnight Port Hedland (604km)
Sunday 2nd overnight Karratha (223km)
Monday 3rd Dampier, Manutarra - overnight Exmouth (517km)
Tuesday 4th overnight Exmouth
Wednesday 5th overnight Carnarvon (370km)
Thursday 6th overnight Denham (378km)
Friday 7th Monkey Mia - overnight Denham
Saturday 8th overnight Geraldton. (455km)
Sunday 9th overnight Perth (425km)
Monday 10th overnight Perth
Tuesday 11th Mandurah, Bunbury, Margaret River - overnight Augusta (364km)
Wednesday 12th Bridgetown, Manjimup, Denmark, (Valley of the Giants) -overnight Albany (456km)
Thursday 13th overnight Albany.
Friday 14th Wave Rock - overnight Hyden (475km)
Saturday 15th Ravensthorpe (Wildflower Show)- overnight Esperance (385km)
Sunday 16th overnight Esperance
Monday 17th Norseman, Kambaiba overnight Kalgoorlie (392km)
Tuesday 18th Boulder - overnight Kalgoorlie
Wednesday 19th Coolgardie, Southern Cross, Merridin - overnight Northam (500km)
Thursday 20th overnight Perth (97km)
Friday 21st overnight Perth.
Saturday 22nd overnight Perth
Sunday 23rd Indian Pacific Train to Adelaide
Monday 24th Train
Tuesday 25th overnight Adelaide
Wednesday 26th overnight Adelaide
Thursday 27th Murray Bridge, Tailem Bend, Millicent - overnight Mount Gambier (455km)
Friday 28th Portland, Warrnambool, Terang, Camperdown, Colac, Geelong & HOME (477km)

The Plan

The plan is to travel up the east coast of Australia to far north Queensland then go across the top as high as Darwin, travel down into Western Australia visiting many places both on the west coast and inland, return to Perth and put the car (and us!) on the Indian Pacific and travel across the Nullabor in style then drive home from Adelaide via Mount Gambier and the Victorian coast road.