Daisy379

Hi Bruce Tom & I went to the tip in winter 2006. We travelled in company with a couple of Bushtrackers and a camper trailer. We stayed on the development road, as I wasn't game to try the telegraph track due to my inexperience in off-road towing. The worst part of the road on our trip was from Lakeland to Laura. It had fairly rough corrigations and then good sections which lull you into a false sense of security and higher speed... and then you come crashing down into a large bull dust pot-hole you can't stop in time for. Enjoy all the dips! Every trip will be different depending on when the road was last graded and the weather. Things we enjoyed were: * Mt Carbine Caravan Park is a great inexpensive place to stay for a few days on the way up and/or back. They do a free guided evening walk which is very interesting. Takes about an hour. (Also, they will store vans for free if you have stayed there and don't have an off-road van.) You can also trap big red-claw in the area. * Palmer River gold fields area - enjoyed driving a few of the bush tracks but unsuitable to take the van. * Cooktown is also not to be missed. * the Quinkin art just south of Laura. * The Bends (overnight stop free camping beside a creek just north of Coen) * Hamburgers at Archer River roadhouse are a great take-away food fix. * Fruitbat Falls (wish we'd gone on to Eliot Twin Falls but we were on a tight timeline to get back to Cairns.) You can stay at Eliot Falls but not a Fruitbat Falls. * Punsand Bay Camping Ground at the Tip. * Lots of interesting things to see at the tip (old aircraft, Pioneer and war relics etc) * we got good Internet reception from the beach at Punsand Bay. Fresh food at Bamaga is poor quality and expensive (as you would expect). If you want to free camp on the way up and back look for an old quarry or roadworks clearing. There are quite a few that give you good visual protection from the road. Best wishes for a fantastic trip. Jackie & Tom PS If anyone found a new perspex back window guard on the cape road in 2006 - it was mine! (suction caps stop working once they get dusty!!!) It cost us about $110 to get a piece of perspex cut to size in Cairns. Next trip we might use the yoga mat idea.

Kimbo, Cossack is north of Karratha, where the world's biggest sandfly's live, but the crabbing and fishing is great. Jackie and i had a great time around there. regard's Tom and Jackie

Bruce, We used heavy duty clear contact on the rear window on our trip around Oz. working on the theory that it would at least hold it to-gether untill we could get it fixed. P.S Jackie lost the perspex one on the way back from the Cape! Good Luck, we also hit the road July. Tom and Jackie

Hi Chris & Val Sorry - not us! One of our first outings when our van was new & shiny was a Kedron gathering at Cania Gorge in Oct 2005. We've been to New Norcia (excellent nutcake and olive oil), but not to Giraween. We also attended the gathering in Stanthorpe last August. Best wishes Tom & Jackie PS I did email you about remote teaching experience in NT a couple of years back. :smile:

Congrats to the proud new TopEnder owners. We'll definitely check out the mag article. We've got the first TopEnder (611) and still feel that same thrill every time we take off on a trip. We'll be hitting the road again for 6 months from July. Can't wait... Tom & Jackie PS We read in the Courier Mail that Shane & Elle Blacker (Chief Cook and Bottle Washer at Bedourie Roadhouse) are a little wet at the moment. Expect them to start quacking soon. :laugh:

Shane, you told me at Stanthorpe that you where a master butcher and now i find out your just a Sausage Strangler. Shame, Shane, Shame. Tom and Jackie :sad:

Hi Elle We will be there on Friday. Planning to leave the Sunshine Coast after work on Thursday and overnight on the way. Looking forward to being on the Winery Tour bus. Tom & Jackie :thumbsup:

Judging by the newspaper article, The Gall Boys had a great Christmas holiday at Munna Point, Noosa. Check out the size of their catch. If anyone is interested, I've scanned the article and placed it as a PDF file in the photos section. Home > KOG Member Photo Albums > daisy_379 > Daisy_379 [Tom & Jackie] Best wishes Tom & Jackie TopEnder 611