There is also a fence made out of everything, old motorbike parts, tools,machinery & even the kitchen sink, it goes for 80-100m. There is also a picture in the pub of the longest road train ever.. 34 trailers. We then had a drink at the Tattersals pub before returning for a restful afternoon . WED 18 APR.......Today we went for a drive out to Blenensburg N.P. where we saw an old homestead, wool shed and we drove up onto a plateau were we saw Scrammy Gorge & Billabong, very nice. We then drove out to the camping area which was on a Billabong, a nice area but not big enough for vans.
We then returned to our camp before heading out to the Musical Fence, a wire fence where you can play tunes or as we done...make noise...lots of noise ! There are a number of instruments made out of tin cans etc.
There is a rally for charity in town called the Shitbox Rally with well over 50 cars (if that's what you can call some of them), They have travelled from Melbourne heading to Cairns, arriving by tomorrow. Another nice night with no wind and us sitting outside taking in all those magnificent stars.. THURS 19 APR.....We headed off towards Cloncurry this morning, stopping at the pub at Kynuna called the Blue Healer, a great pub with heaps of memorabilia with caps/hats by the hundreds, peoples names, signatures etc all over the walls & ceiling. The fireplace was made by RM Williams the clothing bloke. Here we also meet 4 other travellers, who are heading towards Broome. We had seen them in the parks at Longreach & Winton, so whilst we were talking to them we had 2 brolgas walk around us & the vans, looking for a hand out.
We then continued on to McKinley where the Outback Hotel is. This is the pub where Crocodile Dundee was shot, so we took some photos and meet with the other 4 travellers, Peter, Diane &?? We were looking at staying at the van park at the rear of the pub which looked OK but the bloke in the pub was very unsociable, very, so we decided to continue on. We arrived in Cloncurry and we went to a camp site,called Wal's place & set up. No one around so we set up in a area we thought was correct but turned out to be out a bit but it didn't matter as there was only 2 other vans there. It is on someones property/acres, probably Wals & he is trying to make it into a van park. The toilets, mens & ladies is separated by a thin petition & a plastic shower curtain. The girls got a laugh when they walked up the ramp to enter & they could see Rans, shorts & undies down round his ankles. We then went for a drive out to the Lookout which has great views of the town & surrounding hills.
We also went to Chinamen Creek Dam, a very nice picnic spot and it also has a couple of 4WD drive tracks below the dam. We then went to Woollies where we caught up with Pete & Diane again. We then returned and had an early nite as we both were tired. FRI 20 APR........Our son Brett headed off today with him going to Gilgandra first to see his Aunty. We will see him Sunday week.Yee Haa. We headed off to Mt Isa today with us travelling through hills most of the way, it is great countryside here with the Ironstone hills. We arrived and had booked into a van park just out of town, we ended up driving past the place as there is no signage, it looks like a storage place from the road & it turns out to be probably the worse place we have stayed. We are the only vans here other than permanents or miners. There are 50 or so length containers which house the miners, the sites are not suitable for vans. Plus it got worse during the night with, arguments, swearing etc etc going on till 4am.
SAT 21 APR.....Us 2 & John go to the Info Centre this morning where we have booked into an Underground Mine Tour guess who the only other 2 on the tour are, Pete & Diane. The tour guide was great an old miner who had worked for the mines since 1957 for 54yrs. This was a great tour, & we would recommend it to anyone who comes through here. You get dressed up, go down a shaft, travel & walk along shafts, get to touch & use machinery,drills etc. See the rocks that they remove & learn about the mines, well worth the money.
On our return the girls go & see the manager about last nites, fiasco & he was very apologetic, well as most of you know you don't mess with these girls so he has assured the girls that it won't happen again. Look out Manager if it does!!!! Visit to Bunnings for minor repairs & see about this aerial..boy its giving us the sh....ts. We also go to the Thirsty Camel bottle shop & the girl asked me for a club membership, any club so I gave her one of my cards. Apparently you can't buy grog unless you are a member of a club...believe it or not..should have seen John trying to purchase grog he isn't a member any club, the bloke behind him let him use his. Return to cook chooks for a great baked dinner very enjoyable. Slept better but the miners start talking etc around 5am whilst waiting to be picked up & it continues like that for the next 2hrs with cars/trucks etc coming & going. SUN 22 APR....Rans up early for a walk, then we find out that Woolies & Coles don't open on a Sunday so that will put us a bit behind tomorrow as we have to do our last minute things here as its so much more expensive at Normanton/Kurumba. We still had to do other shop things so we get that out of the way before we headed off up the road from the van park to Lake Moondarra, a nice dam with great picnic areas, and fishing spots, a big area. It is the main water supply for the town. 
We drove to the Info Centre which had some great photos of the 74 & 2009 floods, also other interesting Info, we then had a photo shoot of the largest croc ever caught, it is a replica of course but it is huge! It was shot by a 30yr old WOMAN in the 1950's with a 303.
We then went out to the Railway Stn where the Gulflander train is stationed. Here there was a nice little museum & souvenir shop where the lady was so helpful & full of information. She showed us a ..1914 photo of a croc that was caught & it was a big one. We then drove to the Green shop..the butchers (shops etc are colour coded) & grabbed something for tea. It is another warm day. WED 25 APR.....Us two slept in and didn't hear the alarm go off, but woke just in time for the dawn service. Not many spectators but when they marched down the street there would have been approx 70 or so. It was a good service with a bugler and a beautiful hymn..Amazing Grace.( brings a tear everytime!)
We then returned for a big breakie and Rans went back down for the 10am service which was also good. It is a bit cooler today & windier. Just hung around the van & pool today...even had a nanny nap in the arvo!
THURS 26 APR...........Wake up to a very cool morning with slight rain. We pack up slowly & head North towards Kurumba. There is billabongs, wetlands on either side of the road, they call it the Savanna up here & its easy to see why. There are hundreds of different types of birds as well, Incl...Brolgas, Jabiru, Peligans, Falcons, Cockatoos just to name a few, a very nice drive & it only took an hr. We are staying at the Gulf Van Park with very nice hosts & employees. Our area is also nice with us awaiting the arrival of the others, being the Grants, Holmans, their neighbours, Thomas, David & Jen, Scott & Sky & of course our No 2 son Brett. 
They hope to be here by Saturday. We then went for a drive out along the coastline of the Gulf, checked out the other 2 parks and saw the sights...which is not many. After lunch Rans cleans the car & van and we get some prawns for tea. It is very cold here today with still a slight sprinkle of rain so an early nite. FRI 27 APR....... Wake to overcast day but it improves throughout the day. We get everything clean around the place and set up. Our son Brett arrives around 4pm..... how good it was to see him, it's been 4mths since we have seen him. After catching up on everything its just like home!!! things we asked him to bring... "I forgot" especially Dads beer !!! & once again being hacked on facebook....but Carol got her revenge!!!!.... Later in the arvo we all went and caught up with some of the regulars in the park for a drink....as you do before having a nice tea and few more drinks & watching the footy. It was a good day. SAT 28 APR.....Rans goes for an early morning walk before he & Brett go for a drive to find some fishing areas. They return & have breakie just before all the others arrived, a procession of cars, vans, trailers & boats. They set up & it is good to catch up with them. We all go over for a fish feed with the locals tonight which is a good night. Ian & Shirley, Margaret & Bruce were great hosts cooking great fish as well as Gluten free for Carol, Sandy & Shaz.
SUN 29 APR....Rans & John along with Brett, Scott, Sky, Thomas & David go for a fish out near the airport but do no good. John lost a lure in the mangroves. Watched the footy in the arvo with Gaz Grant & we turned it off with 8min to go ( Parra was getting Flogged !) & went and had drinks with the neighbours, then back as a group, John then tells us Parra lost by 1point....we didn't believe him. We wake during the night to spits of rain so everyone is outside bringing in washing, chairs etc but by the time we got back into bed it had stopped. MON 30 APR......Brett & David get up early and go & retrieve Johns & Thomas's lure by walking through the mud....WE TRY & TELL THEM ABOUT THE BIG TEETHED CREATURES,
David has problems with his wisdom teeth today & his face has swelled up. Today the Fab Four go out for a fish near the airport but again we kept up to our standard...nothing. We head back to the Tavern for a drink then stop at the pub where some of the boys had gathered, so we did a pub crawl & joined in. We then returned for tea before Brett & Rans head down & watched the footy. Davo, Scott & Thomas join in. TUESDAY 1 MAY........Happy Birthday to Kim Rans ! Rans goes for a long walk out to the Golf Course prior to Breakie. We all then get a chance to go out in the boats with, the 2 Garys in one, David, Jen & Abbey in another and Brett, Rans & Thomas in another. Rans & his crew are out only 20min when we decided to move & there was a noise from the engine which didn't sound good, so Thomas takes the cover off to find the small plastic fly wheel had broken, so he tried to start the motor with the pull cord a couple of times without success. Then he tied the cord through a hole and pulled it, the motor started & we cheered but the cord was turning around as it wasn't released & it has hit Thomas in the stomach & luckily it has then stopped, but the damage had been done with the handle ripping his stomach leaving and big handle welt mark. It was so so painful but Thomas just stood there and didn't say a word, he felt like jumping in the water but he couldn't do that,(croc's) so we put a wet cloth on it & luckily David was nearby & drove over and immediately towed us back to shore, where shock had set in. Rans got him back to base where he had the nursing staff of the 4 Aunties to help him. He was a very lucky boy as it could have continued turning or hit him in the face or lower... in his future!!!. So that was the end of that adventure but wait there's more. When we got back to the park Brett & Rans were cleaning up when Brett put his fishing knife through his palm with a deep cut. So the nurses were back at work!! We head out to Sunset Pt so as to watch.....guess what The Sunset. We also have fish & chips for tea very nice.
WEDNESDAY 2 MAY.. Happy Birthday Margaret Tom ! Today was an easy day just hanging around but later in the day Brett, Thomas, Gary G & Rans headed down to the Point boat ramp for a fish, no luck with lots of small bites. On our return we find out that Scott has put a lure hook through his thumb and had to go to the medical clinic to get it removed ! Hopefully no more injuries. THURSDAY 3 MAY...Sister Jackie B'Day Happy B'Day Jack. Today everyone goes for a drive back 40kms to Walkers Creek where we do some fishing & yabbying. We caught 5 red claw & the boys Gaz H & Abbey caught small barras. There was a causeway where we stopped so they drove their cars over & also some walked across keeping a watchful eye out for the neighbourhood croc. It was a nice spot & we had lunch prior to slowly heading back to base.
FRIDAY 4 MAY...Today the Fab Four hired a boat and headed out into the River travelling up stream. It was an all day affair with no success, Sandra caught a small barra, Carol caught a keeper but we threw it back, John caught a couple of catfish & Rans nil, zero, nothing!!!But he did do the Boat driving !!1 It was a nice day out there, but its no where as good as our previous trips on the water. Not one croc sighted. The scenery is pretty plain.
SATURDAY 5 MAY...Gary Grants B'Day, Happy Birthday Gaz..catching us. Brett & Thomas head off early this morning driving to Lawn Hill for a couple of days... Today we all head down near the point for some fishing off the rocks.We arrive & the tide is low as but it is on the turn so we set up. We are there for 3hrs & we caught 10 bream & one whiting with Sandy catching 4, Carol 2 one being a nice 31cm bream, Scott 1 bream & 1 whiting, Tony a 36cm & Gary Holman 3. A good day. We head back to clean them and we thought we had a good day but when you are cleaning next to blokes with 80cm barras !! well...... Later in the arvo all the boys head down to the tavern for a beer for Gaz B'Day, then back for tea and a Port. SUNDAY 6 MAY....Wake up & the boys get ready to go for a fish. Davo & Gary G go out whilst G.H stays at home with all others going out to the Markets for the morning. In the arvo 3 of the boys head out fishing and again no result. In the arvo Rans watches Manly win & also the Roosters win. We all have a nice seafood dinner with Carol cooking Coconut Prawns, and we also had Battered Fish with a Garlic Prawn Sauce, yummy & then Kaye had desert for us. MON 7 MAY....Rans & John head out in the boat, but again no good, we are probably, no its definate the worse 2 fishermen in Aus. Brett & Thomas arrived back late arvo they hada great time which was good. Rans & Brett go down to the pub to watch the footy and have a drink, Thomas comes down & then Scott & David its after 11 before we stagger back. So we will say bye for now & update our blog more frequently now. All take care & enjoy whatever you are doing, Love Rans & Carolxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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