230 - Just Wandering

Siding Springs Telescope at Coona

 

Blogging is all about motivation.

Me, I am as motivated as a Galapagos Turtle looking for a norty at 100 years of age. So I have given myself an upper cut, a karate chop, and see if I can present you lovely people out there, some sort of seine travel writing about the Retro Roamers here.

We still seek casual employ in the hospitality industry, and in all honesty, they say there is plenty of casual work in the hospitality arena, but geeeeeeeeeeeezus seems old farts like me and the bride are just past our used by date.

O'h well we have to get a 10000 points for trying.

So back to my usual dribble.

After Chaffey dam we did a quick trip over to Coona, short for Coonanabaran. On the way we lost the satellite dish off the back of the van, stayed in an overnight camp at Premer, breaking the golden rule of never camp alone , so what did we do.......camped alone. "Dick Heads".  Now the bride has gone from a 10 star camper a year or two ago to fairly recently 20 stars, and now our stay at Premer now puts her in the category of about 100 stars. So you can image when we finally settled down for the night, the question was having a nice time dear? The reply was get stuffed!!!!. So I guess playing Mummy's and Daddy's was out of the question. (he he!!)

Didn't get murdered, so all is good, but a restless night to be kind. In saying that the Premer camp does have power, water, flushing toilets and hot showers. For $12, good value for money, thanks to the local Loins club.

Coona is a lovely town, with the claim to fame being the astronomy around the area.

This telescope is huge. Thought about asking for a lend of it to check out pretty girls on the beach.....I'm a boy that's my job.

 

More on Coona sooooooooooooooooon!!

229 - Chaffey Dam

Chaffey Dam

 

Headed down the highway from the "Dale" and made a bee line for Chaffey Dam. The Dam is south west of Tamworth, and what a great spot. Miles of room for camping, flushing toilets, hot showers and only five bucks a nite.The dam however is very low, but the area is in drought, so that's life.

Wake up in the morning, and check out the view overlooking the lake, with the local populations of cattle grazing under your awning.

A fine looking Geriatric Gypsie

 

We visited he local town of Nundle, what a cute joint. made ourselves know to the local pub, caravan park and motel, to see if they needed some u beaut hospitality professionals, but "not now was the cry." Drat!

All set up at Chaffey Dam

 

Good morning troops

 

Stay tooooooooned for................ not sure!!!!!

 

228 - Captain Thunderbolt

Get Out Of The Way Here Comes Captain Thunderbolt

 

During our stay at the Dale, a must on anybody’s itinerary is a visit Uralla, the home of the famed bushranger Captain Thunderbolt. We haven’t been to this area since we worked in Armidale early ’99 before we headed to Cairns for a four year tour of duty, so a trip was on the agenda.

Did notice a change in the town, I guess there has to be, after near on 15 year absence. The big attraction back then was the grave of Captain Thunderbolt, which was pretty boring to say the least. However there is now a brewery (closed on our visit), a very informative information centre, and a museum dedicated to Captain Thunderbolt. Pretty neat

As I have said before, I am not one for museums, but this one was worth the visit. Got a good deal on the admission price for being old people, and the history surrounding this facet of Australian bushranger folklore kept me interested, which is a feat in itself.

I won’t bore you with details, just show a few photies

Waiting For A Train Dear!

 

Eeeeeeeeek! It's Captain Thunderbolts Chicky Babe

 

Vintage Fire Engines - It's A Boy Thing

 

Stay tooooned for Chaffey Dam 

 

227 - The Dale

We left our friends Eric and Shannon at Grafton and headed to the “Dale”. For those not in the know, The “Dale” is Armidale New South Wales.

As per normal one hell of a run up. Can’t seem to get away from mountains. The poor old Val struggled, coughed, farted, and generally not sociable. However I guess we are on top of the Great Dividing Range.

We made camp at the Armidale Showgrounds, as the dam which was highly recommended was closed. So the next best option was the showgrounds - cheap, clean and not a lot of other campers. We did have a loopy beside us, who talked on his mobile phone all day to America, continually arguing the point, to persons unknown, that the World Trade Towers in New York, were not destroyed by terrorists, banging high jacked planes into them, but the FBI blew them up. I am sure he was on some sort of hoooochie chooooch laced with Viagra and speed.  In saying that he was harmless, just old and in need of a good norty.

Did our thing in the Dale. Caught up with our great friends Rick and Julie who own a motel there, checked out the dam (open for day visitors), did a free two hour tour, knocked on a few doors looking for some work, went to the RSl and tried that out -  only fair. However in all travels so far the best meal we have ever had in a club, was the Armidale Bowling Club. If you are ever in the “Dale” good spot.

Generally Armidale is a nice town. Weather wise, a little cool at times and quite hot also. Yep the whole area is dry. Needs a bucket load of rain, although in saying that, they have ample water storage in other dam close by.

We also took a drive down to Uralla and also Guyra. More on that next time. So here are some photies.

The Bride Checking Out Low Tide at the Dam at the Dale

 

We Upgraded our camp site

 

Our Next Door Neighbour's Pet

 

We upgraded Our Accommodation Because Of Our Neighbours Pet

 

Stay toooooooooned for Captain Thunderbolt at Urualla