29th January 2009

On the 27th January we drove through to Lightning Ridge, it is a very interesting town as it is based around the opal mines there. Although mining has been done since about 1901 there are no old buildings as people just used to stake their claim and then live rough on that site.

The photo of the two of us is taken at an old site looking over the Corcoran opal fields. We did a green tour self drive trip to watch the sunset.

The next morning we did a tour of the mine sites which was very interesting, visiting an old open mine and then going down a mine. It is interesting to see some of the shanties that people live in and the basic equipment that they use, have heaps of photos but can only post so many on here.

In the afternoon we did the Chamber of the Black Hand Tour, it was fabulous, you go down a mine shaft and on all the walls are carvings and paintings, down on another level is some mining going on.

We were very lucky weather wise with days in the high 30's earlier in the week it was 44. Today we have driven to Coonabarabran four hours away, a lovely town and we have booked three days here and will visit the Warrumbungle ranges etc. It is also has a great astronomy research centre.

26 January - Australia Day 2009

We have had a great day, took a drive to Sawn Rock in the Mount Kaputar National Park, the rock is 21 million years old and 40 metres high, with remains of basalt lava it is classed as organ piping. This is near the town of Narrabri.

The second photo is taken of Sorghum crops on the road between Bellata and Terry Hie Hie, just stunning countryside. There are also a lot of sunflower fields.

Been another hot day, yesterday afternoon a storm came through and cooled the air which was just lovely.

Came back and spent time in the Atesian pools, very relaxing and a great place to chat to fellow campers.

Happy Australia Day!

24 January 2009

Here are some photos of Cranky Rock about an hour out from Moree before you get to Inverall, just beautiful. It has been very hot here with days in the mid 30's. We had morning tea at Cranky rock and and then a picnic lunch at Inverell.

When we got back to the caravan it was 41 degrees, thank goodness for the air-conditioning. However our air-con is making bit of a noise when the fan kicks in and out, it is being looked at Tuesday, that will be a relief to our fellow caravaners.

Had a swim in the pool and then went to the Moree services club for dinner which was very nice. Will head back across to the pools before going back to bed to cool down.

23 January 2009

Here we are at Moree, the home of the Artesian springs, the caravan park we are staying at has them within the grounds, it reminds us of Hanmer Springs just out of Christchurch, NZ, there are pools at 35, 36, 39 and cool. Have spent several hours in them already.

Moree is only about an hour from Goondiwindi so a nice drive, will probably stay here for about four nights, hence the putting up of the annex walls, day is about 33, so willl have to have a cool swim before we go to bed, pools are open from 7am to 10pm.

Tomorrow we may go for a drive.

20 January 2009

Last night we went to the Warwick RSL, I had soup and desert, Paul a bread roll and fish a total of $15.90, so very good value.

Here we are today at the Bald Rock, the largest granite rock in the Southern Hemisphere, 700 metres wide, 500 metres deep and 250 metres high, it is in behind Stanthorpe in the Girraween National Park. We also then went through to Tenterfield, which a nice town over the NSW border.

Tomorrow we pull out of Warwick and plan on going through to Goondiwindi which is about 2 and 1/2 hours away.

Feel quite settled and have the van in order now, even mastering the Tom Tom, all good fun.

19 January 2009

This a photo of our lovely site at the Oasis Caravan park at Warwick and our kitchen view, it is so nice and relaxing after a stressful week last week of packing, putting all our stuff in storage and then our farewells. Had a couple of quiet days which were much needed, so today we have had an outing and visited the Queen Mary falls and across to Allora.

It was Mum's birthday on Friday so we had lunch with her and our friends Barry and Laurel. On Saturday when we left from Dad's, we ended up having two farewells as we got about 200 metres down the road and remembered that we had left our bathroom things behind. Very brain dead after the shift.

Paul did a brilliant job stacking the storage shed to the rafters, already dreading having to unpack it. After living in our home on wheels for a year I should be ready to be minimalistic and have another big clean out. The Saturday before we shifted had a big garage sale and going to be another on our return.

Plan of attack at this stage is to head to Goondiwindi on Wednesday and have about four days there, next stop after that Moree.

Take care....Wendy & Paul

7th January 2009

Unbelievable, today is the first day of my semi-retirement, Paul reckons I will have no trouble adapting, sure he is right. Above is a photo of the TIF team taken at our luncheon at the Casino. I have been with The Investment Focus Real Estate for four years and the time there has just flown by. It has been a great place to work, Rob the owner on the right hand and I have known each other for around 13 years back to the days at MJ's. Donna, Yolande and Lyn were all there when I started so it must be a great place as not many offices can boast still having the same staff, sure our/their owners appreciate it. Confident that my replacement Sandra will be happy there, always hard getting your head around a new rental portfolio as you need to remember the owner, the property and the tenant, very head spinning. The office presented me with a lovely card and so many kind words and a voucher for Anaconda - a camping/outdoor shop so that is going to be very handy, the first purchase will be a portable barbeque.

We have been busy packing, Paul has got heaps done whilst I have been at work. Will go and confirm a storage shed today, garage sale on Saturday - close to 12 years of stuff going in that. We are very lucky as the lady and her family that are renting the house are going to buy my car, I have had it for seven years.

It is still hard to comprehend that we will actually be heading off on the 17th January to fulfil our dream, can imgaine that we will be sitting out under the awning that night with silly grins and pinching our selves.

3rd January 2009

Happy New Year! Hard to believe that 2009 is finally here.

Yahoo the house has been let, the new family move in on the 17th January so all is going according to plan. It has worked out well Paul being at home as he has got a lot of stuff done. Have a lot of the house packed up so getting there. Can't believe the stuff that we have hoarded over the last 11 or so years, Paul would say that "I" have hoarded. There is going to be one very big garage sale next week. What is not sold is off to the op shop or tip.

I finish work on Tuesday, so on Wednesday we will start putting what we have packed into storage, then it will be all go.

Take care and we will keep you posted.