On Tuesday 26th April after all the campers (except Gwen and Allie) had gone home we moved the van up to "Yellowstone" house for an extra week of holiday. It brought back lots of memories for me of past holidays spent at "Yellowstone" more than 28 years ago (of cooking up a storm, picking the chicken bones, parfaits, numerous smoko's, lots of morning walks and just good fresh country air and laughter). Thank-you Uncle Keith and Elaine for those great memories. This time there was the added bonus of Allie to keep us amused with her cute mannerism and boundless energy and constant chatter and with her keeping an eye on everyone and what they were doing so she didn't miss a thing. They were fun days which too soon came to an end.
Left- Mudra, Right-Bonnie
Strange Figs!!!!
The deserted campsite
Fishing spot near the campsite (Elaine caught 1 yellowbelly and a few catfish)
Our van on the right of the house
Left-Puss, Right-Boots
The "Yellowstone" way to fill the woodbox!!!!
Allie having fun with Mudra and Bonnie
Allie and Pop return the forklift wood carrier to it's parking spot.
That's what you call a ute load!!! Men, women, kids and dogs
On Thursday April 21st we coupled up the van and car and headed to my Uncle Keith and Elaine's place "Yellowstone" for a bush camping experience. We went via Dalby to fill the fridge with food and then decided to call at the sign writing place to enquire about getting the van sign written - and they were able to do it there and then so there were some quick decisions to be made regarding choice of words, placement, font, size and colour so with some suggestions from the experts it was completed before we headed bush.
Arriving at "Yellowstone" just on dark we found we were the first to arrive at the campsite not the last as we suspected we might be. Then it was the big decision - where do we park??? Well we were told, 'that site is booked, that site is booked, in fact all those sites from here to there are booked but you can park anywhere over in that area!!!!!! (Close to the bush dunny) Wow, this was a very sophisticated booking system for a bush campsite!!!!
Over the next few hours and the next day the rest of the campers rolled in. Tents and camper trailers of all shapes, sizes and designs and another van. Most came with kids and/or a dog.
Over the next 4 days it was a collection of people relaxing, doing their own thing, fishing, walking, shooting trips, dogs barking, little kids having fun and yelling and the big boys also having fun making lots of noise with their clay pigeon target shooting and radio controlled planes and in between all that, camp oven meals, billy tea and sitting around the campfire and yarning.
Things don't always go to plan when setting up a bush camp!!!!
Anzac day on Easter Monday wasn't greeted with a minutes silence but we had plenty of fly overs and fly pasts by Wes's planes and plenty of gun salutes by the big boys target shooting!!!!
There was a comment often made during the 4 days "Oh it's so nice to get out in the bush where it is so peaceful and quiet". ( it was always when the target practice was on, dogs were barking and kids yelling) and you could hardly hear yourself think!!!!
It certainly wasn't a quiet Easter but it was a very relaxing and fun time spent with good friends and relations.
Our sign written van
Two little mothers with their babies (left-Maya, right-Allie)
Part of the campsite.
Some visitors came to check out the campsite
The hot water donkey letting off steam - there was permanent hot water for everyone who needed it for washing up and showers.
Not long after we arrived at Owen and Philippa's farm David wore his joggers and then left them outside under the caravan in case it rained as they were a little wet and dirty. A week or so later he moved them into the bottom of his clothes wardrobe in the van. A few days later when he opened the wardrobe he commented that there was an awful smell in there. After some investigation and much sniffing of wardrobe contents he found the smell was coming from his joggers - and that puzzled him as his comment was, "that's strange because I don't usually have trouble with smelly feet"!!!!! So he placed his joggers on the top of the storage bin at the front of the van so they would get some sun to help air them out. Then when we were leaving to go away for Easter camping at Uncle Keith and Elaine's he put his joggers inside the storage bin. A day or so into our camping stay David opened the storage bin and the stink hit him. So after removing his joggers he decided that to try and save them he would give them a good wash with pine oil disinfectant and if that failed to help they would have to be thrown out!!!!
After collecting all the necessary gear for the big clean he pulled out one insole and out fell a dead green frog!!! Another bang of the jogger and out fell another dead green frog!!!! until there were 4 dead green frogs from the first jogger!!!!!!! Repeating the same action with the other jogger he collected another 4 dead green frogs!!!!!!! Eight dead green frogs from 2 joggers!!!! The "mystery stink" was solved.
After a good washing, drying and airing they will hopefully be wearable again - there is already a big improvement.
Moral of the story - don't leave closed in shoes outside where there is a plague of green frogs!!!!!
Spread though the grain growing regions of the country there are Grain Depots where the farmers truck the grain during and after harvest to be stored until it can be moved by truck or rail to be processed. These photo's are of the West Dalby Depot during this years sorghum harvest. There are 24 silo's at the depot and when they're full they start to create a sorghum pad on the ground for the surplus sorghum grain. This sorghum pad at present has 24,000 tons of sorghum grain on it but has the capacity when full to hold 32,000 tons. It's size now is approx. 150 metres long and 15 metres high so when full it will be even longer. In a previous year Owen's neighbour (whose family own numerous farms) harvested 12,000 tons of sorghum from their farms (that's half the amount in the sorghum pad from one grower)!!!!!!
Sorghum is used for stock feed and has a high energy, low protein content and is separated into 3 grades depending on the quality of the harvested product - grade 1, grade 2 and sorghum x.
The Sorghum Pad
The Sorghum Pad with the 24 silo's in the background
During the time we have been helping Owen and Philippa on the farm different things have happened that I have caught on video. Just everyday stuff that is normal, strange, funny, cute or just plain weird. I will share some of them with you.
Lara "poking a frog"
The Humming fence (playing 'backyard blues' I think)!!!!
Topaz and Owen Duet (harmony isn't too evident)
Bathing the Dog - farm style
Chemical Spraying of Sorghum
Hills Hoist - caravan style!!!
Modern farm mailbox
Outside our caravan window - resurfacing road gang - 5am - 6am starts. Thank goodness they weren't there too long!!!!!
Philippa's birthday, Lara's birthday, Jarvis's actual true birth date and Christmas Dinner - All in one party (mentioned in last blog entry)
With all the preparations completed, caravan loaded, shed storage sorted and the doors shut, all lawns mowed and house cleaned ready for the tenant to move in we left Tiaro on Saturday 12th March, 2011 for the first destination of our "working holiday", my brother Owen's place near Dalby to help with the harvest.
Owen and his wife Philippa had a 2 month premmie son on 11/1/11 and Philippa was still in Brisbane with little Jarvis. On 13th I went to Brisbane with my Dad to spend time with Philippa and Jarvis until he was released from hospital which happened on Tues. 15th March. Jarvis is a very content little fella, doing what all baby's do ( eating and sleeping, pooing and spewing!!! ) and we are being useful where we can, David with the harvest and odd jobs and me with the cooking, washing and baby spoiling (aunties are allowed to do that!!!). Jarvis's big sister Lara is fascinated with her little brother and likes to get very close to him so she can touch him.
Jarvis (in his beagle boys suit)
The sorghum harvest progressed well until it rained so other jobs were done while waiting for it to dry out, now only about one day of sorghum harvest left to do, if only the clouds and moist cool air and wind would stay away. Not long until the cotton harvest will start - a busy time on the farms at harvest time.
By the feel of it here winter is not too far away!!!
Still room to grow yet!!!
On Saturday 19th we had Christmas Dinner, Philippa's birthday, Lara's birthday and Jarvis's actual birth date (16th march) celebrations as Philippa had been in hospital (Dalby and Brisbane) since Christmas Eve so had missed all the important days.
Here's what it should be - With a new caravan everything should be in perfect working order, everything finished off properly, right!!!! WRONG. Before we even took possession of the van the toilet had been replaced because of a faulty seal!!!! We left Tiaro on February 10th going via Woodgate to mow the lawn of our shed and vacant blocks we still own there. Then on to Bundaberg shopping and cuppa with Chris and Jenny (making them jealous because they would like to join us nomading!!!!) We will meet you on the road one of these days C and J!!! Stayed the night at Ban Ban Springs in the free camp then headed to Chinchilla to Ray and Carol's for 2 nights (getting into trouble because we took sssoooo long to get from Ban Ban to Chinchilla - when you're nomading what's the hurry!!!). On to Pittsworth to Ian and Lyndal's, via my Dad and Mum's for cuppa. Then home to Tiaro on Tues 15th Feb. Along the way things in the van didn't all perform as they should have. The air-con was useless, the smart fridge was dumb (don't think it made it past pre-school!!), the kitchen drawer spent the last 3 days of the trip in the back of the car as the lock fell off and some other little things that hadn't been done properly or finished off properly caused hassles.
Ian and Lyndal's
After we arrived home we took the van back to the manufacturer to get things fixed then had to take it back to the supplier of the air-con to have a new one fitted and the fridge checked. It was 9 days of frustration and waiting to have everything fixed, meanwhile as they fixed one thing they wrecked another then had to fix that too. Eventually most of the things were fixed as well as they ever would be unless we did the fixing ourselves. So we took the van home to Tiaro.
It wasn't all bad as the caravan does have some really good things we like about it - it tows beautifully, the white walls, no curtains, the comfy queen bed, the large shower, the tri-fold table.
Caravan kitchen, dining, lounge through to ensuite
