Arriving in Roma to see a big gas rig in the sky which is part of the Information Centre, then head to Roma Gun Club where we are staying for 3 nights. What a fabulous sunset the clouds look incredible.

Late start today and we decide to some sightseeing, we visit the Big Bottle tree, the largest in the Australia, systemic to Roma

Then onto some metal sculptures wow! They were mainly all for sale and I can believe how much work is involved for the price. Unbelievable the artistry and talent involved, as you can imagine there were many photos taken.

Found a car wash and gave the car a bath then headed to Woollies to buy some food and unfortunately we were backed into while parking the car. Thank goodness not much damage and door still opens.! Put dampener on the day.

The day has arrived that Cameron has been waiting for, the Roma Cattle Sales. We have passed through Roma a few times over but years and the sales never seemed to match up with our visits. Up early for us and meeting at the yards 8am for a 8:30 tour.

50 Acres of cattle yards, ramps for unloading and loading, wash down bays and truck, trucks and more trucks.

Bill was our guide and he gave a run down on the origins of the sales and where the cattle come from sometimes as far as Northern Territory and where the cattle mainly go after sold. He also gave a talk on the different breeds sold and where they come from, very different from Tasmania and Victoria. He also touched on the compulsory tagging of the animals and how they can be traced all over Australia. Then came the exciting part of watching the cattle being penned and then sold and shifted to be loaded to go to their destination.

How they keep track of who has bought what and then to make sure they are loaded and sent to the correct buyer. Saw a pen of cows shift from the yard by a horse rider (horse rider ducking the overhead metal bars and controlling where the cattle had to go, women are used as they are gentler.) and then re penned to being weighed and out the gate. Amazing! Looked up and here it is recorded a pen number 29, 408.20kg per live weight, 345.58 average kilo and the average price for each cow $1410.66. I tried to count how many cows there were but I would think about 15 so that particular pen sold for $21159.90, just goes to show how much money cattle are going for.

This particular sale 8500 beast were being sold and 500 pens were being auctioned in one day. There are 5 companies running the auctions consecutively ( a draw at the beginning of the year to who starts first and then rotate each auction. These teams consists of 5 people, Auctioneer, a bid taker, 2 pencillers( recording the sale and the buyer) & recorder for the sale yards. So can you imagine that over the year the sales sell 5000 average each sale and last year 250,000 beasts sold. This sale yard is the largest in Australia with Dalby being the second. Wow the mind boggles.

If you look at the photos, you will see shade cloth, and that is where the buyers are and the teams with auctioneer actually move along a metal walkway and they come off one walkway and immediately go to the next row and don’t get in the way, they are near running.

Well a lot to take in as I know but we were very impressed and I think if Cameron would have stayed all day if I had let him.

Coffee and I bought a rugby top from Golders. We see their ads all the time on TV, met the girl in the ad and we felt we knew her, a bit of a laugh with her when she knew we were from Tassie. After a perusal of their store tried to buy a long sleeve top but none in my size Cameron cheering in the background. Ran into a couple who are in the caravan park so planned to met for drink tonight at the Club.

What a town, loved Roma and hopefully come back another time. Packed and ready to move on to Carnarvon Gorge.

Bought fuel $1.655 a litre pity we were half full but a lovely surprise for the pocket. Passing through Injune a lovely little town topping up yet again as there is no fuel at Carnarvon Gorge $1.969 a litre. Moving on arriving at Carnarvon Gorge 3:30pm.

Looked at the map this morning and Cameron saw Come by Chance a good name let’s go there on our way to Hebel. We head out of town and the way to Come by Chance is a dirt road of approx 100kms. Interesting country changing from treeline and scrub to large paddocks of either cotton or as we found out chick peas or mung beans as cover crop between cotton crops and plowed back into ground to help with moisture levels and build nitrogen levels in the soil.

What a quaint little town only one house a closed shop (looked like a garage with a picnic setting out the front), a playground, a grass (weeds) tennis court and a hall with a dunny outside. (Not trees this year looks like outside dunnies) A cotton field and two bales of cotton in the middle of nowhere.

On to Walgett where two rivers meet, the Barwon & the Namoi. Population 1400. A few groceries, alcohol & fuel and of course a couple of murals.

Under duress I am including a stanza of a poem Cameron has found about Walgett by Banjo Patterson.

The Sun Strikes down with a blinding glare,

The skies are blue and the plains are wide,

The Saltbush are burnt and bare.

By Walgett out on the Barwon side,

The Barwon rivers that wanders down,

In a leisure manner by Walgett Town.

Finally at 4pm we arrive at Hebel an even smaller place than Pilliga but a lot more active. A quaint pub and General Store, now even boasts a caravan park. We free camp behind The pub and decide to a pub meal and a few ales are the go tonight.

We could see a helicopter flying in and watch it land behind the pub, and a comment from Cameron that ‘here for a beer’ and the guys said yeah and laughed.

The story is that they yes were here for a beer but two of the guys were here to pick up a bus to drive back to St George so they could take the football team to an away game on Saturday and the pilot (a mate) was then flying back to St George, all good mates. So the beer was payment. Only in Queensland.

Enjoyable meal and another G&T this time Hebel special, so good I bought a bottle.

After taking more photos we head off to St George through Dirranbandi. Resisted the urge to buy from bakery in Dirranbandi and only took photos. (Bakery was packed good enough excuse not to indulge).

Dirranbandi claim to fame is the end of the railway line running west.

Arriving in St George check on the availability of tour through Cotton gin but only Tuesday’s & Thursday’s. Today is Friday so missed out. Booked into River Gum on the edge of town for 2 nights and what a find lovely clean park & amenities and friendly staff showing us where to go not just on a map.

Today we are washing and touring the area. A 94kms self drive showing Beardmore Dam, where we had lunch, St George irrigation area and cotton gin.

As we were driving Cameron spots a harvester in a crop of cotton, so we stop and how exciting beside the harvesting of the cotton we get to see the bale being wrapped and deposited on the ground. Couldn’t have asked for more. Get back in the car and realise that fuel gauge is showing near empty and decide to head back to town rather than chance it so Cotton gin is given a miss, we then realise the cotton gin has been closed since 2014. Stopped off a a self serve fuel depot and a guy filling up says this the best place to buy fuel the others just rip you off, he was such a pleasant fellow. (Ha Ha)

More photos but what a great way of showing off the areas we are visiting. Very impressed with St George and I am sure the weather has had a lot to do with it.

Here we are on the move to Surat what an interesting little town population 402. Cobb & Co staging post.

Original building built in the 1880’s as a General Store and purchased in 1921 by Cobb & Co and wound up in 1929. The local shire council purchased the building in 1996 and converted to a museum.

Cameron as usual found a fellow who was an ex shearer and talked non stop feeling the fleece with a glint in his eye!!!

Quite a unique memorial for returned serviceman. A freedom tree with photos of the soldiers who went to war organised by Jillian Waud.

On the road after lunch we now headed to Roma for 3 nights….

Frost this morning and extremely cold, diesel heater working overtime. Sorted out the car & van. Walked to the town centre, much to Camerons disgust, and bought some groceries, did our washing then a drive through the area finding a water tower mural.

Wow it amazes me the talent this artists have and to climb up the scaffolding to do them. Onto the Frog Hollow camp ground right on the lake, and Dead Mans Point. Interested to read these stories & the reasons for it. Pelicans on the lake and of course photos taken.

Drove through the town to hear a message come up on our screen “Caravan left behind” burst out laughing as I am sure it was still behind us. We have air tag up the back of the van and when we turn corners we sometimes lose connection

Pack up a slow start as very cold. Headed off to Condobolin where a unusual museum of cars all shapes and sizes decorated with different themes. Fantastic walking in the sunshine reading their stories. I particularly loved Dame Edna in the Dunny!! Cup of coffee, excellent.

Passed through Fified Hotel “the Pub in the Scrub”. Took a wrong turn to run into a mob of sheep after shearing and ended up at the Rabbit Trap Hotel, Albert. the pub that Jason Owen started his singing career in his youth. Population 77.

Moving along we pass through Nevertire on the Macquarie River, population 225, where there is a gas tower mural and of course more photos.

Even more cotton country and amazed at the stacks of cotton bales in the paddocks and at the Gin.

Finish the day in Warren, free camping at the ‘Bob Christian Reserve’. Very cold a frost again but beautiful days.

Start the day with another mural of the sporting youth of the town, very impressive. Asked at the PO about laundromat but no dice but a beautiful mural on the wall. so move on not a big day but the way we drive stopping along the way like we did for the Corrugated Galahs Galargambone. (Middle of nowhere).

Arriving at Coonamble on the Castlereagh River. we see a sign for a coin laundrette, so head straight for it and then toured the town by foot then car getting fuel and more photos and collecting our dried washing.. After numerous photos we are on our way to Pilliga…

Pilliga has a population of 300 a cafe/PO and limited groceries, a pub and Artesian Bore! Well what can I say absolutely relaxing and warm 37 degrees but freezing when you get out!

Went for drive to check out the town and saw the Anzac memorial small but impressive and nearby machinery from days gone by, looked across the road to the Catholic Church, Lo behold a traditional dunny sitting at the back caused a bit of chuckle from us.

Went for a walk before our afternoon dip and a pelican is swimming at the waterhole. Can’t believe how many caravans are here, some just pull up go for swim, then move on to the next artesian bore. Amazing!

We start our journey on the Spirit of Tasmania 1st June, a night sail this time so dinner in the restaurant and a couple of wines, off the bed and a smooth sailing.

A lovely surprise was the Aurora Australis, Photos taken out the side of the ship, very special.

Arriving in Geelong 6:30am head to Torquay.

This trip is to clear Mum’s house and get ready to sell, so a sad start but a busy 10 days preparing for the Garage Sales and filling the skip at the finish. Thoroughly spoilt we had meals prepared for us at a local restaurant (my cousin Heather did a fantastic effort different meals every night). Thank you!

All done and head off to the great unknown not knowing exactly where we are going in the immediate future.

We leave on the Friday 13th hopefully not ominous but a good luck charm which had a falter to start. We decide to check the brakes on the caravan as a few problems had occurred to make sure fixed and one of the bearing covers had popped off. Shit!!! Not a good start but not far out of Bacchus Marsh so with help from Marshall Engineering new cap bought and Cameron in his infant wisdom decides he can put it on but alas no we then do a U turn and head back to Marshall Engineering and they kindly hammered on the offending cap. The guy had a smirk on his face when Cameron walked in to ask for help.

Travelling on we decide that NSW would be our first night. Lunch at Reesdale with the water tank mural, very impressive. Driving through Rochester we looked at the murals of possum, honey eater and platypus, gorgeous. We make it to Mathoura Bowling Club where free camp with showers and toilet what a bonus.

On our way couldn’t believe there was a wall of clouds ahead and thought rain but no, it was a wall of fog and not small either a real pea souper. Apparently only came about 2pm but even this morning it was still just as bad.

Drinks in the club to finish the day. Back to the van and diesel heater it is freezing. Cameron had to cook tea outside in the cold, can’t have the smell in the caravan. Ha! Ha!

Not a very early start but on the way and decide Lake Cargelligo is our destination for today. Another big day but will stop a couple of nights. A bit of sorting out the car and caravan. A beautiful drive once we pass the fog. Passed through Deniliquin and saw the sign to for the football and netball club with the Rams, of course had to take a photo. Wangnella has been visited many times but Cameron never fails to impress with stories of the merino wool produced here.

Lunch on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River in the beautiful sunshine. (Sandy Point)

Murals in Hay are spectacular and the writeups need to be read to appreciate the paintings. It never seems to amaze me the sacrifices our men and women made through the wars sad that we read about them on a board which many people would not spend the time to take in, after reading these stories I felt I need to say, we live in a land, free, because of their sacrifices.

Arrived in Lake Cargelligo 5pm but worth the drive. Looking forward to tomorrow to explore the area. Oh by the way, Cameron already off talking to fellow Tasmanians!!!

2nd February to 22nd February 2025

Flying into Launceston over paddocks of farming with centre pivot irrigation amazing round circles from the spray.

Headed to Gawler to reacquaint with the area after a few years since visiting.

Monday: Took photos for Colin of garden. Fed chooks and collected 6 eggs. IGA Ulverstone selling eggs $1.00 per egg$12.00 per dozen.

Visited Victoria, Matt, Riley& Luna. Butterflied chicken for dinner.

Tuesday: Picked large cucumber & Zucchini’s. Loading and packing caravan for our trip tomorrow to Smithton.

Wednesday: up early 8am. Travelling to Smithton towing caravan.

Photo of Rocky Cape on the way!

Setup camp at Devil Country Muster only 100 vans so far for the muster.

Booked into Tall Timbers. Next door to a bikie- a nice young man ex Westpac Bank Manager. Some 9 others on a weekend ride, Moteling on the way.

Back to muster for steak dinner then to walk up music for our entertainment tonight, some good some not so! Back to motel 10pm.

Thursday: Picked up at 9am at the motel. 27 degrees very hot! Breakfast. In the car and a tour of town. Bought socks and gifts for girls.

Travelled to the hills through diary farms, Edith Creek, Trowutta Arch, spectacular, 100 photos!! Mostly 1000 cow Dairy’s and some up as much as 2000 cow. Notice the Hills in paddocks called hump & Hollow, for Drainage wet country during winter

Travelled through the Tarkine Loop, very windy. Late lunch at Forest Store. Cropping area on the way to camp, red soil, spuds, cauliflower, cabbage, peas, beans & poppies. Line dancing and free night of music. Fires in Cradle Mountain and other areas on the West coast! Very red skies. Late afternoon spent listening to Country & Western Singers. BBQ dinner. Back to Tall Timbers 9:45pm

Saturday: Main day at the muster. Breakfast then setup chairs in front of stage. Many professional bands. Country Music today is 50’s & 60’s type of music. Smoke has abated thank goodness!

Viv & Chris boys, Jamie Davis, Gina Timms and many more artists from local with a few imports! Bought tea from the vendors around the muster. Plenty of chips consumed and coffees.

Night artists are the main event. Kira Rodrigues, Australian born Indian descent! Very impressive and the main event Felicity Urquart & Josh Cunningham. Last band to play The Good fellows from Hobart they started to play and half way through their time the skies opened up and a mad dash to the van carrying our chairs and coats! There were 750 attendees and 245 vans . On mainland terms not a big event but very big for Tassie and growing over the last 13 years. Returned to motel 10:30pm. Buggared, has been a big day!

Sunday: Collected from Tall Timbers all packed and breakfast Freddy for the event today. Bush Poets Breakfast with Gina Timms comparing! Kiara Rodrigues sang and country songs of praise by Gina. Mass evacuation of site.

Packed up and headed for Stanley for fish and the must have chips from the wharf. Had a look around town and Cameron had a special grave to show. Aboriginal woman and child drowned , white husband swam ashore At time couldn’t be buried in cemetery. Was buried up on the hill years later after blackberries cleared has best and highest view of the town.

Travelled to Gawler unpacked. Early to bed after the strenuous time in Smithton.

Monday: Today spent the day cleaning the van & washing clothes. Cameron & I visited Penguin.

Tuesday: Fires on the West Coast of Tasmania so in doubt for our trip to Zeehan, but after consideration checking Tas Alert we decide to make the trip. Packed car in preparation for the adventure.

Wednesday: very hot in the high 20 ‘s which is extremely hot for Tassie. Driving through plantations of super blue guns and then mountains as we approach Tullah. Mining is the main occupation here silver & lead.

Booked into the Hermskirk Motor Hotel Zeehan room 11. Margaret, my sister in law, entered the room to find there are bags on one of the beds, what a shock glad it wasn’t a body! Apparently the firies are dumping their bags into rooms and then going off to fight the fires, so hopefully he won’t get a shock when he returns and finds his bags aren’t where they should be or that I am in his bed or eaten his tea which was left in the fridge.

Went for a drive around Zeehan took all of 10 minutes but got to see where we are going tomorrow for the museum. Talked to grader operators about the back burning and clearing firebreaks. They were saying a loosing battle but you can’t give up! Back to the room for a little light T V. and calling it a night.

Thursday: late start but light breakfast and off to see the sights. Helicopters flying over with buckets hanging down collecting water to dump on the fires. Went and seen where they are on the footy oval. fuel trucks and helicopters looks like an airport.

Visiting West Coast Centre for a great view of the history of the west coast of Tasmania with photographs, written diaries, mineral collections, classic locomotives and underground mining! What an interesting historical experience learnt about the mineral and crystal collections which we found quite exciting! Had Tasmanian pies for lunch cup of coffee and then adventures out to the spray tunnel going through dense bushland on gravel Road and quite inspiring!

What a shock to come out of the overhang of bushes and trees and find the skies were a spooky orange from the fires at Corinna. A bit daunting thinking how close they could be. Wow 100 m of tunnel very cool.

Apprehensive about looking around too much so headed back to town and another visit to the museum and looking at all the outbuildings blacksmith shop, boat shed minehead and power station. Zeehan first town to have street lighting in Australia very impressive. Back to Motel and checking the TasALERT app and see that Zeehan is on watch so decide to tidy room and pack what we can into car and in the process the manager approached us and said evacuate within 10 minutes car packed and engine running staff knocking on all doors telling people go fireies Sleeping were hard to wake up but all left as soon as they could. We decide to go to Strahan instead of Queenstown as we were heading there anyway tomorrow. 40 minutes of seeing police cars heading Zeehan getting quite dark and orange from smoke we finally arrive in Strahan.

Pulled into caravan park where we had booked for tomorrow night but were unable to contact no one in the office or answering the phone.. headed to information Centre and spoke to the girls and they offered us a room B&B $330 for each room but we kindly thought better to sleep in the car for no dollars then they suggested the big four where we might be able to have backpackers accommodation headed there and sure enough they found us two huts, how lucky we are. Cameron commented they were dog kennels well not far off but they were comfortable and clean and experience for all of us shared public showers and toilets fish and chips for tea in the room.

Friday: rained through the night so underfoot is wet. Over to the showers breakfast in the room and now to look around the town.. cup of coffee and raisin toast at the kitchen well 2 cups but who is counting waiting for our unit tonight to become available fueled up in case of having to move again we drove out to the train as it is boarding and looked at the town centre from across the water onto the peoples park and a picnic lunch, and starts to rain so no walk to the Hogarth Falls much to Cameron‘s delight. We waited while Cameron did his usual talking to a couple for at least 20 minutes.. unit now available on the way to settle in unpack and decide steak for dinner tonight. Vegetables and some other necessities needed so off to the local IGA. Starting to cool down and smoke has dissipated. Fire is still burning around Zeehan but has been downgraded to wait and watch.

Saturday: breakfast and then a drive around the town and out to Ocean Beach looking at the waves. weather has cooled and wind has risen so not very pleasant standing outside..

Drive out Lowana along the Apt railway line and the King River. To the bottle shop to buy some wine compliments of Colin a nice red and white onto the lookout at the water tower Margaret and I braved the wind and took some photos of the town and Harbour. Amazing all the smoke has dissipated just dark clouds and rain chicken tonight with vegetables.

Sunday: early start today as we are going to our Macquarie Harbour cruise. At the ship by 8:30am pay for our tickets at onto the ship for a 9 am start. Off we go smooth as glass and out to the hell’s gate out to the sea seeing the wall built for train line to load and unload ships. The gap is quite narrow and many ships have sunk.

Travel through the Macquarie Harbour to Sarah Island where we go for a walk and a tour guide tells the stories of how Sarah Island operated ship building with Convict labour . Some 150 boats and ship were made using Huon pine and Celery top pine. Of which the wood quality was excellent for building and deters woodworm and rot proof in salt water. Many ruins still show how they lived with the bakery and the new penitentiary buildings still visible. Rain held off till we were back on the ship lunch is served.

We now are going to cruise down the Gordon River very slow as so as not to damage the riverbanks and stop at the Heritage landing where we walk around the area with a talk by one of the crew about the different trees Huon pine, celery top pine, Leatherwood and blackhearted Sassafras very interesting rain held off till back in the ship and then the skies opened up again. During the whole trip there were commentary about the history of the Wood industry on the Gordon River.

Found the whole trip quite informative and beautiful scenery back in Strahan. We are dropped off at the Morrison sawmill and watch the crosscut saw in action soaring a human pine log into flat logs. Quite impressive and the smell of pine is beautiful. we decide that we go out for tea and found a little restaurant “Wild Rivers” a beautiful meal had by us all Margaret spaghetti marinara Cameron sausages and myself grilled flake. We have been very fortunate with the meals we have had on this trip some of a very high standard and enjoyable.

Monday: a slow start this morning and then picnic lunch packed and we’re off to Queenstown a 45 minute drive winding our way through the mountains first visit to the museum and info. Centre well set up and all facets of living on the West Coast photographs and visual displays of hospitals telephone exchanges military uniforms, music bands and mining. We did a drive tour around the town and had lunch at the Spoin Kop. Named by the Familiar looking Hill to a South African scenery met two couples who are travelling state for a month and were finding the weather quite chilly checked out The Apt Railway gravel football field and the yellow river for the washout of the mines back to Strahan.

We are going to a play “ The Ship That Never Was “ about Sarah Island. it is hilarious laughed and laughed. Very clever as they made the ship by taking peace together then raising the sails as they are projecting the story of Sarah Island. Fish n Chips again for dinner. My chip obsession satisfied.

Tuesday: A proposed lay day, but as usual we decide to go for a drive and finally we go for a walk to Hogarths Falls! Beyond our expectations! Beautiful ferns and massive trees reaching to the skies. Lunch at the unit then decide perhaps the Henry Dunes are worth a look.

Well reaching to top of the first dune was quite a feat but we all made it. A lovely walk across the top admiring, in the distant, the ocean rolling in. Walk through the Main Street of Strahan a cup of coffee and returning to unit for Spaghetti bolognaise on the menu. Packing and getting ready to depart tomorrow morning.

Wednesday: on the road just after 8am very chilly and fog as we leave Strahan. Arriving in Queenstown to sketchy fog, fuel up for the drive through to Derwent Bridge where we stop for lunch. The climb out of Queenstown quite spectacular, levelling to lakes and more magnificent trees then plains, such diverse scenery..

The Wall tourist large shed of wood carvings depicting Tasmania for a, the Hydro building and Many other carvings on Huon pine and large slabs. A wall 100 yards long. Quiet brilliant.

Gravel road over the lakes to Great Lake then onto Deloraine where we stop to look at the silk tapestry of the four seasons of the area. The work and artistry is quite spectacular.

Arriving in Ulverstone late afternoon. Caught up with friends of Margaret & Cameron from Tea Gardens NSW (John & Michelle). They are in Tassie for 2 1/2 months travelling with their caravan. Potato cakes for dinner tonight using leftovers from trip.

Thursday: This is a lay day definitely. Relaxing, doing the washing and enjoying the garden.

Friday: Today we are doing more sightseeing with John & Michelle. Off to Leven Canyon, spectacular sight of the Leven River and plenty of exercise walking the stairs and up and down the walkway, lunch at Penguin.

That’s then end of 3 weeks in Tasmania, wonderfull trip weather good but I’m told ‘Tasmanish’. From hot days to cold windy and moved on out of fires path. All combine for a great experience. Thank you Colin.