Glen Waverley to Gilgandra via Coolamon's 'Up-to-Date' store and West Wyalong to Gilgandra, through charming farmland and forests.
Wed 13/7/16
Glen Waverley to Wangaratta; visit relatives.
Thu 14/7/16
Wangaratta to West Wyalong; visit "Up-to-Date Store", Coolamon.
Fri 15/7/16
West Wyalong to Gilgandra, through charming farmland and forests.
Gilgandra north through Coonabarabran's 'Crystal Kingdom'to Moree, until Moree Day 2, having a resting period, enjoying the Artesian Hot Pools.
Sat 16/7/16
Gilgandra to Moree, including Coonabarabran's 'Crystal Kingdom' then on to Moree.
Sun 17/7/16
Moree day 1; recovery in artesian pools
Mon 18/7/16
Moree day 2; recovery in artesian pools
Moree via Lightning Ridge (purchase opals)then via Hebel, then St George to Rolleston
Tue 19/7/16
Moree to Lightning Ridge via Walgett
Wed 20/7/16
Lightning Ridge "Black Opal" bus tour; bought opal pendant
Thu 21/7/16
Lightning Ridge to St George, via lunch at Hebel
Fri 22/7/16
St. George to Rolleston (longest drive of whole trip; 456 km)
Rolleston to Rockhampton (to buy new laptop) to Mackay
Sat 23/7/16
Rolleston to Rockhampton
Sun 24/7/16
Rockhampton day 1; buy new HP laptop
Mon 25/7/16
Rockhampton day 2; rest
Tue 26/7/16
Rockhampton to Mackay
Days 15 to 18 - Mackay, then Ayr, Cardwell, to Lake Placid (Cairns)
Wed 27/7/16
Mackay to Ayr
Thu 28/7/16
Ayr to Cardwell; observed stone curlews
Fri 29/7/16
Cardwell to Lake Placid Tourist Park, Cairns
Sat 30/7/16
Whole day (2 nights) temporarily at Lake Placid, Cairns
Drive to Palm Cove (Cairns) starting two week's holiday at Cairns - 30 km north of the city, at Palm Cove Holiday Park
Sun 31/7/16
Palm Cove day 1 - settling in to Palm Cove
Mon 01/8/16
Palm Cove day 2 - booked 2 tours
Tue 02/8/16
Palm Cove day 3 - shopped at Clifton Beach supermarket.
Palm Cove: Whole day tour to Kuranda, incl. railway to Kuranda, then "Rainforestation" tour, then return via Skyway. Next day bus tour to Port Douglas, Daintree River, Cape Tribulation, etc.
Wed 03/8/16
Kuranda and Rainforestation via train and bus tour plus Skyway from Kuranda back to Cairns.
Thu 14/7/16
Palm Cove day 4 - Kuranda and Rainforestation via train and bus tour plus Skyway
Thu 04/8/16
Palm Cove day 5 - Cape Tribulation bus tour
Went to the Aboriginal Cultural Tjapukai by Night Tour including Buffet Dinner, and also the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum
Sat 06/8/16
Palm Cove day 7 - Recovery day 2 and Tjapukai dinner at night
Sun 07/8/16
Palm Cove day 8 Recovery day 3
Mon 08/8/16
Palm Cove day 9 Artillery and Tank Museum
Drove ourselves up to Kuranda, where we viewed the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, then back in Palm Cove caught up with domestic chores.
Tue 09/8/16
Palm Cove day 10 - We drive to Kuranda and view the butterflies
Wed 10/8/16
Palm Cove day 11 Washed and shopped, etc.
Thu 11/8/16
Palm Cove day 12 Had haircuts, and did census form
Charter Cessna 172N with pilot to Cooktown, over the reef, land, tour the town and museums, have RSL lunch, fly back, along the coast. Recover from flight.
Fri 12/8/16
Palm Cove day 13 Cooktown charter flight and town tour
Sat 13/8/16
Palm Cove day 14 Recovery sleep in after Cooktown flight
Fitzroy Island ferry, Cairns market, leave Cairns, drive up to Lake Tinaroo on the Atherton Tablelands
Sun 14/8/16
Fitzroy Island ferry trip; Cairns market; and pack up.
Mon 15/8/16
Palm Cove to Lake Tinaroo, Atherton Tablelands
Tue 16/8/16
Lake Tinaroo day 1 recovery mode and Glenyce has a cold
Lake Tinaroo, tours and recovery time.
Wed 17/8/16
Lake Tinaroo day 2 visit Atherton, and tour "Crystal Caves"
Thu 18/8/16
Lake Tinaroo day 3 recovery mode and rain.
Atherton Tablelands Gallo's Dairyland, Curtain Fig Tree (python and fungi), Malanda Falls (turtles), via Innisfail, Tully, Cardwell, Ingham, Hinchinbrook Passage "Panjoo" lookout, to Townsville
Fri 19/8/16
Lake Tinaroo to Innisfail - via Gallo's Dairyland; Curtain Fig Tree (snake, fungi); Malanda Falls (turtles) and rainforest walk
Sat 20/8/16
Innisfail to Townsville; toured Innisfail then to Townsville, via "Big Mango", plus "Panjoo" lookout view of Hinchinbrook Passage
Townsville days 1 & 2 of 5 days: shopping, then tour The Strand and "Castle Hill"
Sun 21/8/16
Townsville day 1 Deeragun suburb shopping, pharmacy and supermarket
Mon 22/8/16
Townsville day 2 tour The Strand and ascend Castle Hill; Glenyce falls over, unhurt, damages camera
Townsville day 3 & 4 of 5 days: Reef HQ Aquarium and Museum of Tropical Qld: get software installed into new laptop
Tue 23/8/16
Townsville day 3 tour Reef HQ Aquarium; turtle hospital; Museum of Tropical Qld incl simulated cannon firing on board the Pandora; detailed displays of Qld tropics life.
Wed 24/8/16
Townsville day 4 - arrange installation of Office 365 and the Corel software; also via Telstra/JB-Hi-Fi, arrange dongle upgrade to the 4G network. Now ADSL works OK.
Townsville day 5 & depart: The Strand, Kissing Point, Townsville to Bowen via Ayr; "Ayr Nature Display"; Bardo: The Rainbow Community Serpent, Mt Morgan
Thu 25/8/16
Townsville day 5 - picked up accidentally left-behind power supply for laptop; tour "The Strand", Kissing Point; lunch in restaurant there.
Fri 26/8/16
Townsville to Bowen - stopped at Ayr Nature Display and photographed thoroughly; saw Bardo: The Rainbow Community Serpent sculpture at Mt. Morgan.
Bowen to Mackay, tour and photograph Mackay, then Sarina 'Sugar Shed', and to Rockhampton for a rest period.
Sat 27/8/16
Bowen to Mackay - do spur of the moment sugar-mill tour.
Sun 28/8/16
Mackay day 1 - toured Mackay, took photos; shopped supermarket at Caneland.
Mon 28/8/16
Mackay day 2 - toured marinas, and had lunch at a riverside restaurant
Tue 29/8/16
Mackay to Rockhampton, call in at "Sarina Sugar Shed" demo. Late arrival at Rockhampton means setting up in the dark.
At Rockhampton for 6 days: days 1 & 2; rest, Yeppoon-Emu Park, Keppel Marina
Wed 30/8/16
Rockhampton day 1 - recovery day.
Thu 31/8/16
Rockhampton day 2 - tour Yeppoon-Emu Park; Keppel Marina
Rockhampton rest days 3 to 6: Rockhampton Botanic Gardens; Capricorn Caves, rest days.
Fri 01/9/16
Rockhampton day 3 - all day at Rockhampton Botanic Gardens; excellent.
Sat 02/9/16
Rockhampton day 4 - rest and supermarket shopping
Sun 03/9/16
Rockhampton day 5 - Capricorn Caves
Mon 04/9/16
Rockhampton day 6 - rest; software, prepare for travel
Rockhampton to Seventeen Seventy: do Army Duck shallows experience; walk to Round Head and tour Agnes Water region.
Tue 05/9/16
Rockhampton to Seventeen Seventy; army duck ride in shallows
Wed 06/9/16
Seventeen Seventy; walk at "Round Head"
Wed 07/9/16
Seventeen Seventy; drive around Agnes Waters region; eat at the "Fingerboard Roadhouse"
Seventeen Seventy to Hervey Bay: Childers; Telstra fix software; Uranga Pier; resting time.
Thu 08/9/16
Seventeen Seventy to Hervey Bay via Childers (lunch Thai cafe); street sculptures; stay at Point Vernon caravan park, Hervey Bay
Fri 09/9/16
Hervey Bay day 1 - rest day; software problems; Telstra store fixed partly; Urangan Pier
Sat 10/9/16
Hervey Bay day 1 - rest day; software problems
Hervey Bay to Lightning Ridge via Dalby; Moonie Roadhouse experience; St George.
Sun 11/9/16
Hervey Bay to Dalby
Mon 12/9/16
Dalby to St George; Moonie roadhouse - quite an experience
Tue 13/9/16
St George to Lightning Ridge; set up in heavy rain
Lightning Ridge tour 'Chambers of the Black Hand'; buy matching opal ear-rings and 3 aboriginal paintings; travel to Moree
Wed 14/9/16
Lightning Ridge; buy matching opal earrings, and aboriginal art; tour "Chambers of the Black Hand".
Thu 15/9/16
Lightning Ridge to Moree via Walgett, rainy.
Moree days 1 to 4: extended rest period of nine days using the artesian hot pools at "Gwydir Carapark" and elsewhere.
Fri 16/9/16
Moree day 1; explore other big hot baths
Sat 17/9/16
Moree day 2; relaxing in hot pools and enjoying daily bush yarns, bush poetry and humour with audience participation from "Mel and Susie"
Sun 18/9/16
Moree day 3; relaxed
Mon 19/9/16
Moree day 4; relaxed
Days 5 to 9 at Moree: Moree Art Gallery; wine tasting and musician at hot pools; shopping, washing, reading, etc. plus the hot pools; keeping an eye on severe flooding along our homeward journey.
Tue 20/9/16
Moree day 5; Moree art gallery
Wed 21/9/16
Moree day 6; relaxed; wine tasting;
Thu 22/9/16
Moree day 7; relaxed; pools
Fri 23/9/16
Moree day 8; relaxed; pools
Sat 24/9/16
Moree day 9; prepare for travel
Moree to Orange: via Narrabri (lunch), Coonabarabran, Dubbo, Orange (bogged at caravan park, NRMA pulled us out).
Sun 25/9/16
Moree to Coonabarabran
Mon 26/9/16
Coonabarabran to Orange; bogged at Orange Caravan Park, pulled out by NRMA.
Orange to Glen Waverley: via Blayney, Cowra, Young, Wallendbeen, Cootamundra, Muttama, Coolac, Gundagai, Albury, Wangaratta, Glen Waverley (Home).
Tue 27/9/16
Orange to Glen Waverley (Home) via Blayney, Cowra, Young, Wallendbeen, Cootamundra, Muttama, Coolac, Gundagai; some wavey and broken-up rough roads owing to some heavy vehicles using this route to avoid the floods at Forbes and West Wyalong; a relief to finally be on the nice, smooth Hume Highway.
Wed 28/9/16
From Gundagai, Holbrook, Albury to Wangaratta
Thu 29/9/16
Wangaratta via the Hume Highway to Home (Glen Waverley); unpacking and recovery.