Yes,
friends and family, we are still alive. I finished the first blog 3
weeks ago and I did promise that the next one would be sent out
really soon, but that just never happened. Yet again, we have been
really busy. My apologies to all! Xx
I'll
continue from where I left off though...
We
left Dirranbandi and headed towards Roma. Big place, but we only
stopped so I could buy some more milk at the local IGA. Anthony and I
had decided that for the next couple of days we would do longer
driving days and stay in road side stops overnight, as the distances
in between towns was either too close or miles apart. Today we did
450 kms and our overnight stop was a place called Wallaroo truck
stop. There was a really long road side parking area for semis, but
behind that was a huge cleared area where about 50 caravans could
park for the night. He found a lovely 'corner' and got set up for the
night.
The
main street of Emerald- we're in the tropics now!
The
next day we traveled towards Emerald (nice sized town, 270 km west
of Rockhampton). The day was warming up and I needed to change into
shorts while we were filling up the car in Emerald. I think it got to
30 C today- woo hoo!! We arrived at tonight's road side stop, know as
'gravel pit south of Capella', at 1.15 pm. Once we were all set up
(about 15 minutes later!), I gave Anthony a hair cut. A few other
caravans turned up during the afternoon but, again, this cleared area
was huge so you never saw anyone else!!
The
following day, we were on the road at 9.15 am. Again, the roads today
were awful. They are so lumpy and bumpy, and with the van on the back
you really do start to porpoise down the road after each bad section.
After one really big bounce there was an awful big bang and we
realised that we had blown a tyre on the caravan. Just ahead of us
was a cleared spot on the side of the road which we headed for, so we
could change the tyre. So many Queensland outback roads have a drop
off besides the road to assist with drainage in the rainy season.
This drop off makes it very hard to exit the road, so to have a
cleared area right now was a true blessing!!
The blown tyre just after we stopped- wow!!
We
both got out of the car and the passenger side caravan tyre had been
shredded beyond repair!! Anthony got the spare off the back of the
van, jacked up the van, took the shredded tyre off and put the spare
on. The accident happened at 11.10 am and we were back on the road at
12.05 pm. What a brilliant job, Anthony. You are my hero!!!
We
stopped 1 hour later at our next overnight spot- Blackwood National
Park rest area. Anthony desperately needed an beer and a shower, and
he also wanted to looked up on the internet for a tyre place in
Charters Towers, as we would be there tomorrow. He called Bridgestones in Charters and they said they would be able to help us. Who said
travelling was an isolated, lonely thing to do. Not with my gadget
man!!!
We
were both up and off early the next day- we were on the road at 7.55
am. We arrived in Charters at 9.50 am and went straight to the
Bridgestone store. The guy who came out to help us saw the tyre and
said we certainly destroyed that one. There basically was nothing
left of it. Anthony said jokingly “Can you put a patch on that?”.
The guy laughed and said that that they wouldn't have enough patches
in the whole store to fix that!
The tyre after it was taken off the rim- not much left!!
While
we were in Charters, I needed to have my monthly blood and urine test
done. After my hospital visit last November to receive my latest MS
treatment, a drug called Lemtrada, I need to have a monthly blood and
urine test done. While in Queensland, I need to visit Sullivan
Nicoladies Pathology. We found their offices and I went in to see if
I needed to do anything before having my test done. No, nothing
needed to be done so I decided to have the test done then and there
as I had my paperwork with me. Wow, what a productive morning and it
was only 10.30 am!!
We
checked into the same caravan park we stayed at last year, headed
into town during the afternoon to do some shopping then had a
relaxing couple of hours back at the van. The day was a bit humid and
it did rain for about 15 minutes, but it was just lovely sitting
under the caravan veranda watching the world go by.
The
following day, Thursday 2nd June, was a big one- we were
heading back to Jervoise Station today. We got up early and we were
on the road by 8.40 am. We did get a text message from Krissy, one of
the Jervoise girls, who asked if we could drop into Repco to pick up
something she had just ordered. We did that then headed towards
Greenvale, the small town 35 km from Jervoise Station. We dropped
into the pub to pick up some beers (supporting the local pub!) and
bought 2 tickets to the local Greenvale Cattleman's Ball that was going to be on the following weekend.
Welcome back to Jervoise- the whole homestead
Finally,
we arrived at Jervoise at 1.00 pm. We were warmly welcomed by Greg
and Kerry (the owners) and one of their daughters, Krissy. Whist
having a cuppa with them, their eldest daughter Michelle and her
husband Peter come over to welcome us back (last year, we met them in
Charters Towers where they were living at the time (and we had just
left Jervoise). Now that their son, Sam, has finished high school,
they have all moved back to Jervoise. Their daughter, Ashton, was
here last year working, but is currently in Scotland with her
boyfriend, Elliot. Then Lucinda, who was working up here last year
when we were here, popped over to say hi. She never thought she would
see us again, but was still loving working up here so she was still
here- a year later!
We
set up the caravan on a grassed area near Greg and Kerry's house. The
area where we set up last year was already full- with a working
Council road crew from Charters Towers!! The dirt road from Greenvale
to Jervoise, which continues onto neighboring Conjaboy Station, is
finally being graded after 4 years of rain and abuse!! The 55 km
stretch of dirt road is used mainly by the nearby stations but the Charters Council only
ever grades it every 4-5 years. Our timing was faultless though as
they had just finished the Greenvale to Jervoise section the day
before we arrived! They would be here for another week finishing the
road to Conjaboy Station, then they would leave.
Since
last year, Greg and Kerry have employed a new head stock man, Carl. He
has a wife, Zandra and 4 school aged kids, and he works with the
cattle using horses. They believe in low stress livestock management
techniques and are a wealth of information about farming, stock
handling and how to ride a horse. The day before yesterday, both
Anthony and I had a riding lesson with Zandra. Anthony enjoyed it so
much that he went on a small mustering trip the next day and again
yesterday!! There's another thing ticked off the Bucket List!!
The
following day, after we had checked out the place and met everyone
staying here at the moment, we sat outside the van and had a quiet
cup of coffee. The biggest difference between visiting last year and
now is the green grass. Everything is green and the grass is full and
lush. It needs to be mowed regularly even though there are 4 potty
carves (small calves who have been rejected or have lost their
mothers and need to be partially hand reared) eating grass from
around the homestead, as well the occasional horse. They had a very
good wet season and it's still raining every now and again, and it's
June!!
Sometimes the grass IS greener on the other side
Since
we have arrived, Anthony has fixed their computer problems, printer
problems, numerous faulty lights, the gas oven in the commercial kitchen (which was hard to light and keep alight while in use), the
oven door and handle in the main house (he made the handle
himself!!), has fixed the electric fence keeping the pigs in their
pen as it was cutting out and the pigs were escaping, re-learning to
ride a horse and participate in a cattle muster on a horse, all while
working on his telemetary systems (which will be used to remotely
monitor the water levels of the many tanks all around this property).
Every day he is busy and always has a smile on his face, especially
when he was mustering! I'm now thinking we may never come home if
Anthony has his way!!
Meanwhile,
I have cataloged a 1000 book library onto a computer, done a heap of
clothes mending- about 6 pairs of work pants all with multiple holes
in them- and have adjusted the length of all the curtains in
Michelle's 3 bedroom house!! I have also finished a blog on my latest
MS treatment which involved a hospital visit- you can read that blog
at
I
never seem to have enough time to work on my family tree site or do
this blog. Time just flies when you're having fun!!!
Next blog soon, I promise....
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