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The Murray Princess.... 03:29
The Murray Princess....
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Last updated: Sunday, 05 December 2010 19:06
sharon casey
The flood waters are finally coming our way... 01:45
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Last updated: Friday, 08 October 2010 22:04
sharon casey
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Last updated: Sunday, 16 January 2011 08:48
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1 month ago
RV Warehouse uploaded a new avatar. May 09
2 months ago
glen rampton uploaded a new avatar. Apr 18
8 months ago
Alison Stubbs added 35 new photos in Save the Kimberley - Gibb, Broome, Derby album Sep 27
9 months ago
Alison Stubbs added 29 new photos in Save the Kimberley - Gibb, Broome, Derby album Sep 13
Alison Stubbs Geo’s blog Hey fellow students, Breathtaking pretty much describers all of it! And also bump bump bump on the Tanami track and Gibb river road although strangely enough both roads had a few perfectly made bitchumen with white strips of paint... anyway missing all of you even people that I haven’t met but have heard of. Having a great time in the hot weather with my bikinis on (obviously) and don’t feel sorry for you guys in the rain... Jokes! Here are a few of my highlights: 1.Weather 2.Making new friends 3.The adrenalin 4.Marvellous scenery 5.Stunning views 6.Jayco swan outback, thanks guys! 7.Climbing Uluru (Ayers rock) 8.Flight over the Bungles ( Thankyou James) (Our pilot) 9.Camels at dawn 10.Last but not least helicopter flight 11.Every single gorge I’ve been to 12.Abseiling and rock climbing in the grotto (amazing!!!) 13.BROOMES BEACHES!!!!!!!! Bye for now! Georgie xoxoxo Aug 26
Alison Stubbs Stage 4 - Bungles to El Questro The funny thing about a trip like this is your itinerary is no longer that. Ive changed my mind about where to go as many times as we have set up the Jayco except that setting up the Jayco is easier! From Halls creek we were suppose to go to Derby after the Bungles but once at Bungles an inexplicable force pulls you along further north saying WARM WEATHER!!! We really got out first real taste of heat at Bungles and we were loving it (well I was....kids these days....Oh mum its too hot!_) HHmmmmmm. Just before Bungles was the oasis of the Kimberley – Halls Creek and we dusted (literally) ourselves down and I set about getting some repairs done (sorry darling about your suspension and engine.....do you really need these ?...(( sweet smile)). Nothing too serious really that a little welding, a door handle and 3 rolls of duct tape couldn’t handle. We also attended the local footy games on the Saturday. Strangely only half the players wore footy boots but boy they could kick and run!!! This sort of activity unites a community and everyone was there. The Desert community vs Halls Creek. Go the Roos!! (don’t want to get on the wrong side here). When suitably rested and clean (this is a relative term when on the road) we took off to Bungle Bungle or Pernalulu National Park. First one has to do the tourist thing and fly over but once you see it from the air, you want to visit too. All these trillion billion year old rocks exude a certain energy?, timelessness and an X factor you just can’t describe really. I’ve had this conversation with a few people now and all say the same thing. They certainly make me feel young . Another observation I had along the way is that you can expect the wilderness to visit you when camping. And that’s no bull....oh wait.....yes it is. Two rather large Brahma bulls decided to wander through and graze next to us which is a little disconcerting when they weigh about a tonne and have no intention of moving. Enen more disconcerting when negotiating their deposits (again rather large) in pitch black on the way to the lav at night. (not me of course, but all those around me) Kunanarra was next and played tourist here also. Can anyone tell me if there are salt water crocodiles in this here Lake Kunanarra or not please!!! Everyone has a story and this place is well lubricated on the rumour mill. Can we swim or not? If so , why is there a sign warning us that there could be?? I suppose is a bit like the tyre pressures. No one right answer so go right ahead and do your own thing. Chasing Barra at Ivanhoe crossing ( no crossing as the water is too high right now) was also a little un-nerving (Pics of H and me). I was told that there was a saltie up river a little but don’t worry, they don’t often come to the overflow area. ‘ Don’t often’ well that’s great bloody news but why tell me when I’m already in the overflow up to my knees??? Why tell me at all. Sailing along in ignorance is truly underestimated experience. Unfortunately no Barra and fortunately no limb amputations this time. Boating, fishing, adventure seeking.....gosh this is getting boring. Lets go to El Questro and the Gibb River Rd!!!! Tally ho chaps! Just before embarking on the above, we detoured to Parrys Creek farm as a base from which to explore Wyndham and the lagoon system surrounding the area. There are plenty of Salties around here and creek swimming is a definite no no. Apologies in advance to all you dog lovers out there but it seems to me that bringing a dog to this part of the world is a great idea as an early warning system for crocks. And its not because they bark.... rather, they stop barking... if you get my drift ... ‘yes you can have a dog kids....for about a week’. Anyone know where the pound is???? Yes i know this is very un PC but hey. Parrys Creek camp ground has had 4 crocks removed in the last 6 years, two discovered by the fact the tourists dogs disappeared first. When I regaled my black humour noted above to one of the camp employees he looked at me blank faced and said “my dog was taken 2 months ago” aaaaaaaaaaand rather than saying....”my point exactly” I extracted my foot from my mouth and apologised. Ok moving on....El Questro.....Olay!! EQ as we locals like to call it lies off the GRR (Gibb River Rd) and is a working cattle station and tourist resort... with a RESTAURANT YIPPEE!!!. My daughter has a timely habit of saying....” Mum, why don’t you treat yourself to a lovely meal and not cook tonight”... or “ Mum, you’ve done enough for today. Lets enjoy a cabin” or some such other thing. Her timing is impeccable or I am an easy target because we do it. Oh well...we deserve it. Apart from all you can do at EQ, we had a great camp experience as one night when returning after dark, a camp neighbour that I’d met for 10 minutes 2 nights previously raised an alarm to get the staff to look for us!! I was flattered and pleased we were noticed. The next day I was in the position to help him out with the mighty big jump leads and monster battery Pat my darling likes to carry ‘just in case’ as his car was stonkered. Got a photo to prove it. Another observation is you need a 4WD with high clearance. The Jayco is also high clearance so it has now done about 40 creek, river crossings and clears the water easily. The Swan hasn’t had to swim (yet) Naturally I have no idea what depth the water is and once again low level caution and blissful ignorance have kept me forging on.  All typed out now so see ya in the next edition. Aug 25
Alison Stubbs uploaded a new avatar. Aug 25
10 months ago
Alison Stubbs Stage 2 - Exloring Alice It is easy to send a loot of time there as there is much to do and a bit of a reprieve from moving about so much. We stayed at the Big 4 Macdnald Ranges caravan park and enjoyed the connectedness they have with whhats going on around them. I will leae the POics to tell thi one. Stage 3 . The Tanami Cup I say this because it seems like a race against ones’ self to see how quickly it can be done. If you happen to meet people having break (everyone congregates together when stopping) all they can say is they can’t wait to get off. Naturally this puts the proverbial wind up the uninitiated and we plan to do it as fast as possible and minimise the pain. Approx 800 km of corrugated dirt road that is the short cut between Alice and Kimberley via Halls Creek. You can go the top way around but that is for woosies (me??) In the agenda I planned, this part was the most, shall I say, considered. Firstly it is a DESERT and that means NO WATER and secondly, no one can really describe HOW BAD OR GOOD THE ROAD IS (size of corrugations). Thirdly, there is NO FUEL till the end. As a novice, I also asked anyone I could what tyre pressures to run on. The answer is – THERE IS NO ANSWER! Just great. Anywhere from 20-25 PSI all the way up to 40 all round! Confused? No not at all as the Irish say, just take the middle road. I hedged at 35 in front at 38 in back....an popped in to the good St Marys for a quick word with her upstairs (even though I’m not Catholic). Ahh , all par for the course in this neck of the woods. And hedge paid off, no flat. So we took a deep breath and set out. The first part is pretty good actually. When you think you are on the dirt proper, suddenly there appears a mirage of smooth, painted bitumen except it is not a mirage. Yes out in the middle of the Tanami desert there is 1km of high grade road that Melbourne City Council would be proud of. Go figure. After 3 hrs of cccooooorrrruuugations these become an absolute treat and a collective ‘AAhhhhh’ is heard in the Troopie. If one had to grade it from 1 to 10 I would give it about a 2-4 for most of it when travelling at 80kms/hr or a 5-6 when doing less than 60. Now you know why it is a race or rather a test. To smooth the corrugations out by going fast (ish) or slow down and suffer more... Fithly, (is there such a thing?) THE DUST IS BAAAADDD!!! Red, fine and persistent and blooms in clouds when people pass/ No point closing windows as it bypasses those anyway. Kids told me my hair went red....i was too afraid to look in the mirror to see ehat was looking back. Mimi (sister-in law) you would be in a living hell here. My hands look like, like a workmans....there I said it. Mimi gloves don’t work here. Ok let’s take a look at the Jayco Swan and how it liked the Tanami. Still easy to pull, hitch and unhitch. The kids can pretty much do it all in under 15 min. It is really nice to be able to bush camp and press a few buttons to run instantly off battery power and cook on a gas stove. The beds are really comfortable and great to be able to open all the zip down windows and look at the night view in the desert when free camping but maintain privacy if people pull up around you (which they do and I mean really close so you can hear their snores) Isn’t the DESERT BIG ENOUGH PEOPLE???. Everything works instantly with little fuss and thats what you really need after driving 500 kms and refereeing the scraps that inevitably break out in the car. Why do children have to have such an overdeveloped sense of ‘fair’??? .After the cannonball corrugation run there are inevitable a few things gone astray. Dust inside, draws open and sometimes contents spilled but relly good for what we were doing. I really like the ‘hard floor ‘ style campers now after having a soft floor camper trailer at home. 1. Because it is easier to kepe clean and no critters can climb on in. The Swan has 2 steps up and I find that comforting when bush camping. It has now been through river beds (flinders ranges) and over a desert with little difficulty. The last third and particularly the last 5 % of the track are the trickiest. Sand drifts and windy roads are not your friend. Also a windless day is an enemy combined with approaching dusk as driving mainly west/north west you are into the sun and IT IS BLINDING and quite scary. Visibility in these conditions when vehicles pass is zero for 5-10 seconds, like a whiteout in the snow except you are in control of about 4 tonnes of machinery and moving forward. Get the picture? Somehow i am still able to maintain my youthful appearance. I will upload a video of the kids setting up in a bush camp as soon as i can figure it out! So the final stretch of tarmac that got us to halls Creek was a godsend. No wonder they call it the Oasis of the Kimberley. It was to us. Aug 05
Alison Stubbs added 18 new photos in The Tanami Cup album Aug 04