Holidays, Good And Bad.

[hademall]

Me and the missus went to Malta many years ago. Hired a Triumph Vitesse open top. First day out and nearly got cleaned up by a bus coming onto the roundabout we were already on! I wouldn’t mind, there wasn’t another vehicle in sight!

 

[hademall]

We were sitting near the foreshore in Phuket nine years ago, and we’d just bought some hot food from one of those mobile cart, street traders. I can’t remember what we had to eat exactly, but it was some kind of meat on a stick. As we sat just to one side of the street cart, a large family of rats just sort of wandered up to us and looked at us expectantly waiting to be fed! Either that or they were looking as if to say “that’s our uncle Charlie you’re eating!”
The next night we decided not to slum it at the foreshore, and so we chose a nice looking eatery on the Main Street, with outside dining facilities. As we sat outside enjoying our meals, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a rat the size of a.....well, a big rat, come tootling along with a KFC take away container in it’s mouth! Jesus I thought, “is that thing delivering a take away, or has it just stolen a take away!” To cap the night off, I needed to go for a pee before leaving the eatery (I’ve referred to it as an eatery because I’m not sure you can class it as a restaurant given there were rats running all around the place), and so I asked the waiter did they have a toilet, he replied yes, and told me to follow him down some dark passage at the side of said eatery showing me to a door indicating it was the toilet. As I entered and turned on the light, I saw hundreds of cockroaches disappear like magic! Needless to say, I quickly closed the door not concerned as to whether I p#@sed my pants or not, just wanting to get out of that rat and cockroach infested fine dining eatery! We felt a little put off our food over those two nights and decided to stay in the hotel for tea for the rest of our holiday.

 

[DavesSV6Tonner]

Me and the missus went to Malta many years ago. Hired a Triumph Vitesse open top. First day out and nearly got cleaned up by a bus coming onto the roundabout we were already on! I wouldn’t mind, there wasn’t another vehicle in sight!

Bloody foreigners!

 

[figjam]

For those interested in a trip out past Dead Dingo Creek to see where Burke and Wills died in the desert ……… here is my recent adventure.

About 6 months ago, I persuaded a mate with a newish LandCruiser to get it dusty and dirty instead of being a symbol of intended explorations.
A V8 turbo diesel, heaps of high speed acceleration when needed to get past road trains.

Ipswich to Charleville (the place of my youth days) 711kms, is a breeze.
Lunch in Roma, which is as busy as these days, but back in the ‘60s was not much more than a petrol and pee stop.
Charleville is but a pale ghost of what it was, shops closed, houses gone, only 3 of the pubs/clubs left from the 13 that were there. Sad
Things to do = WW2 USAF Base tour $26, Cosmos Centre, Corones Hotel for a beer and a $20 historical tour.

On the road Charleville to Quilpie 200kms, stop at the Cooladdi FoxTrap Roadhouse for chat with the ladies who run it, and a good hot coffee and toasted sangers.
Another 260kms is Windorah for a good pub meal, and an extended foot tour of the town should take no more than 10 minutes.
Good motel accommodation.
General bar conversations with others centre on “Where are you from, where are you going, what are you seeing, how long are you taking”.

Windorah to Betoota, 220kms, is to about the end of the sealed roads.
Stop at Deon’s Lookout for a view of hills and nothingness for forever. Serenity + scenery = serenery.

Just on 5 years ago, missus and I, with others, stopped at Betoota, and were greeted by a woman who was cleaning and restoring the pub which had been derelict for years. She was very enthusiastic about it, and I showed her some old personal photos of it in the ‘60s, which she copied and said she would frame and hang.
This time, she was not there, and the two current owners/renters could not have been less interested in our being there, and knew nothing of the woman restoring it, or the history. Lunch was a luke-warm pie and a shared can of XXXX. Waste of a 7km detour and 25 minutes of our lives. Disappointment much.

The road from Betoota to Birdsville 167kms, is not sealed, but well maintained and wide. It has been topped with white crushed limestone, which can leave chook-egg-sized flinty rocks that may not be friendly to low profile tyres.

Birdsville ………. The ultimate back of beyond images of sheep, cattle, dusty hard drinking drovers with sweaty horses.
Birdsville reality……… dusty Toyotas and many, many tourists, and not a jolly swagman for hundreds of miles.

The Birdsville Pub is the Birdsville Pub.
That is all you can say about it as it is legend, and has to be seen, and photographed, and be photographed at, and had a good time at.

The Birdsville Bakery is again operating, but not patch on what it was 5 years ago when it was packed, and the goodies were plentiful.
I know the back story to why this is, which is not a secret out there, but bad memories and not mentioned for the locals.
Recommend breakfasts at the Karrawa Wirinya Café for coffee and toasties. A couple of very friendly, talkative Aboriginal heritage ladies.

Walked down to Diamantina Billabong as I had told my mate about the pontoon that you could walk out on. And it wasn’t there.
Back to the Info Centre, and asked the info lady….
Me ……..“What happened to the pontoon”
Her ……. “What’s a pontoon ?”
Me ……….. “The boardwalk at the billabong that was there 5 years ago”
Her …. “What was it used for ?”
Me……… “To wait for the ferry” ( getting a bit cheeky )
Her ……. “What ferry ?”
Me …. “The one to Manly, on the other side of the river”
At this point her male offsider chimed in, with grin, told us it had not survived the 2019 flood. Comedy time over.

The road out to Big Red is now sealed and straight, and the eastern approach to the dune is a bit underwhelming considering its reputation.
We sooked out and crossed Little Red, then out to the next dune for a view of the western approach, which does live up to its reputation. Strangely, we were the only car for the 2 hours we were there.

Early next morning we took a 40 minute flight over Big Red, to Eyre Creek and back along the SA / QLD border fence line. The extent of the recent floods is amazing, with the flat areas between the dunes as green as a golf course, or still waterlogged.

Birdsville to Innamincka, unsealed 450kms, is back 117kms towards Betoota, turn south onto the Cordillo Downs Road, and across the QLD/SA border.
My unrestored Austin A40 at Cadelga ruins is still there, and hasn’t turned a wheel rock for at least 5 years.
There is a bit of misinformation / conjecture as to where the RAAF’s missing 40 F/A 18 Hornets are currently being held. They are not at the Cordillo Downs Woolshed which is a huge sandstone and cement aircraft hanger looking structure that is big enough to house all of them.
Back across the SA/QLD border onto the Arrabury Rd, for 113kms mixture of bad corrugations, or a smooth hard packed dirt track. But the view from the top of Saint Anne Range is serenery, if you like outback images, and makes it worthwhile.

Once onto the Adventure Way to Innamincka, it is a sealed road all the way. Just before Innamincka, a turnoff to the south is the Dillon H’Way or ‘new’ Strzelecki Track which is sealed for about 70kms of the track to Lyndhurst.

Innamincka is famous for the demise of Burke and Wills, and currently a whole tourist industry has been built around the legend.

The Dig Tree will now cost you $20 to be there, has been over-run with visitors, a walkway put around the trees which, in my opinion, detracts from the ambiance of such a remote place where you could sit, in silence, and think about what it was like back in 1861, when only John King survived with the help of the local Aboriginals.
But, I can understand why it has changed. Something had to be done. The increased number of tourists will eventually ‘love it to death’. Maybe a fence 5 > 10 metres from the trees would be better to preserve the originality of the scene ?
Burkes ‘grave’, Wills’ ‘grave’ and the spot where King was found by the search and rescue party are all well marked.

The Innamincka Pub has good accommodation, the meals in the Outamincka Bar are huge, and all this is on a sealed road from Brisbane for a quick, extended weekend.
Our return trip was via Cunnamulla, St George, and Dalby, 1,300kms and 2 easy days.

Could I have done it in the VZ Cross6 ? Yes, My experiences with the AWD are that it can handle a good variety of outback road surfaces. but I would prefer to use 16inch steel rims with a higher profile tyre.
The current tyres 225/55x17 are not suitable for the flinty stones on the unsealed sections. So far, I have been cautious and lucky not to blow a tyre .

Could you do it in a VF ? Yes again, with suitable tyres and a suspension lift.

It is 4WD Toyota country in that area. A few Nissans, Land Rovers and Mitsubishis. The Ford, Holden, Isuzu and Chinese variants are just not there.

 

[VS 5.0]

For those interested in a trip out past Dead Dingo Creek to see where Burke and Wills died in the desert ……… here is my recent adventure.

About 6 months ago, I persuaded a mate with a newish LandCruiser to get it dusty and dirty instead of being a symbol of intended explorations.
A V8 turbo diesel, heaps of high speed acceleration when needed to get past road trains.

Ipswich to Charleville (the place of my youth days) 711kms, is a breeze.
Lunch in Roma, which is as busy as these days, but back in the ‘60s was not much more than a petrol and pee stop.
Charleville is but a pale ghost of what it was, shops closed, houses gone, only 3 of the pubs/clubs left from the 13 that were there. Sad
Things to do = WW2 USAF Base tour $26, Cosmos Centre, Corones Hotel for a beer and a $20 historical tour.

On the road Charleville to Quilpie 200kms, stop at the Cooladdi FoxTrap Roadhouse for chat with the ladies who run it, and a good hot coffee and toasted sangers.
Another 260kms is Windorah for a good pub meal, and an extended foot tour of the town should take no more than 10 minutes.
Good motel accommodation.
General bar conversations with others centre on “Where are you from, where are you going, what are you seeing, how long are you taking”.

Windorah to Betoota, 220kms, is to about the end of the sealed roads.
Stop at Deon’s Lookout for a view of hills and nothingness for forever. Serenity + scenery = serenery.

Just on 5 years ago, missus and I, with others, stopped at Betoota, and were greeted by a woman who was cleaning and restoring the pub which had been derelict for years. She was very enthusiastic about it, and I showed her some old personal photos of it in the ‘60s, which she copied and said she would frame and hang.
This time, she was not there, and the two current owners/renters could not have been less interested in our being there, and knew nothing of the woman restoring it, or the history. Lunch was a luke-warm pie and a shared can of XXXX. Waste of a 7km detour and 25 minutes of our lives. Disappointment much.

The road from Betoota to Birdsville 167kms, is not sealed, but well maintained and wide. It has been topped with white crushed limestone, which can leave chook-egg-sized flinty rocks that may not be friendly to low profile tyres.

Birdsville ………. The ultimate back of beyond images of sheep, cattle, dusty hard drinking drovers with sweaty horses.
Birdsville reality……… dusty Toyotas and many, many tourists, and not a jolly swagman for hundreds of miles.

The Birdsville Pub is the Birdsville Pub.
That is all you can say about it as it is legend, and has to be seen, and photographed, and be photographed at, and had a good time at.

The Birdsville Bakery is again operating, but not patch on what it was 5 years ago when it was packed, and the goodies were plentiful.
I know the back story to why this is, which is not a secret out there, but bad memories and not mentioned for the locals.
Recommend breakfasts at the Karrawa Wirinya Café for coffee and toasties. A couple of very friendly, talkative Aboriginal heritage ladies.

Walked down to Diamantina Billabong as I had told my mate about the pontoon that you could walk out on. And it wasn’t there.
Back to the Info Centre, and asked the info lady….
Me ……..“What happened to the pontoon”
Her ……. “What’s a pontoon ?”
Me ……….. “The boardwalk at the billabong that was there 5 years ago”
Her …. “What was it used for ?”
Me……… “To wait for the ferry” ( getting a bit cheeky )
Her ……. “What ferry ?”
Me …. “The one to Manly, on the other side of the river”
At this point her male offsider chimed in, with grin, told us it had not survived the 2019 flood. Comedy time over.

The road out to Big Red is now sealed and straight, and the eastern approach to the dune is a bit underwhelming considering its reputation.
We sooked out and crossed Little Red, then out to the next dune for a view of the western approach, which does live up to its reputation. Strangely, we were the only car for the 2 hours we were there.

Early next morning we took a 40 minute flight over Big Red, to Eyre Creek and back along the SA / QLD border fence line. The extent of the recent floods is amazing, with the flat areas between the dunes as green as a golf course, or still waterlogged.

Birdsville to Innamincka, unsealed 450kms, is back 117kms towards Betoota, turn south onto the Cordillo Downs Road, and across the QLD/SA border.
My unrestored Austin A40 at Cadelga ruins is still there, and hasn’t turned a wheel rock for at least 5 years.
There is a bit of misinformation / conjecture as to where the RAAF’s missing 40 F/A 18 Hornets are currently being held. They are not at the Cordillo Downs Woolshed which is a huge sandstone and cement aircraft hanger looking structure that is big enough to house all of them.
Back across the SA/QLD border onto the Arrabury Rd, for 113kms mixture of bad corrugations, or a smooth hard packed dirt track. But the view from the top of Saint Anne Range is serenery, if you like outback images, and makes it worthwhile.

Once onto the Adventure Way to Innamincka, it is a sealed road all the way. Just before Innamincka, a turnoff to the south is the Dillon H’Way or ‘new’ Strzelecki Track which is sealed for about 70kms of the track to Lyndhurst.

Innamincka is famous for the demise of Burke and Wills, and currently a whole tourist industry has been built around the legend.

The Dig Tree will now cost you $20 to be there, has been over-run with visitors, a walkway put around the trees which, in my opinion, detracts from the ambiance of such a remote place where you could sit, in silence, and think about what it was like back in 1861, when only John King survived with the help of the local Aboriginals.
But, I can understand why it has changed. Something had to be done. The increased number of tourists will eventually ‘love it to death’. Maybe a fence 5 > 10 metres from the trees would be better to preserve the originality of the scene ?
Burkes ‘grave’, Wills’ ‘grave’ and the spot where King was found by the search and rescue party are all well marked.

The Innamincka Pub has good accommodation, the meals in the Outamincka Bar are huge, and all this is on a sealed road from Brisbane for a quick, extended weekend.
Our return trip was via Cunnamulla, St George, and Dalby, 1,300kms and 2 easy days.

Could I have done it in the VZ Cross6 ? Yes, My experiences with the AWD are that it can handle a good variety of outback road surfaces. but I would prefer to use 16inch steel rims with a higher profile tyre.
The current tyres 225/55x17 are not suitable for the flinty stones on the unsealed sections. So far, I have been cautious and lucky not to blow a tyre .

Could you do it in a VF ? Yes again, with suitable tyres and a suspension lift.

It is 4WD Toyota country in that area. A few Nissans, Land Rovers and Mitsubishis. The Ford, Holden, Isuzu and Chinese variants are just not there.

I had a couple of mates who drove their XC panel van from the Gold Coast to Birdsville and back in the late 80s.

Powder blue, lowered on 5 spoke dragways.

 

[VS 5.0]

happened to be there at the same time as the ‘Statement from the Heart’ conference, and I got talking to a couple of representatives at the bar. Interesting.
They were of the opinion that decisions had already been made, their opinions were not going to be heeded, and it was all a big BS talkfest and publicity, so they were just going to enjoy the free accommodation, free drinks and tucker, and that was it.
Seems that they were right, and the 'locals' were still sad. Who is making all the money, and where is it going ?

Interesting given the current goings on.

 

[figjam]

I had a couple of mates who drove their XC panel van from the Gold Coast to Birdsville and back in the late 80s.

Powder blue, lowered on 5 spoke dragways.

Them was the days when you could drive an Aussie car anywhere.
My father's work area was from Charleville to Bedourie, Birdsville and Cameron Corner, using various Holden utes from FC to HT.
His big maintenance expenses were windscreens and tyres.
Not saying that it was impossible to drive there back then, but it was an adventure that not many did.
Now, you could drive a Ferrari to Innamincka and back.
A QLD Govt aim is to seal all the main outback roads for local security from being cut off by floods, and increased tourism as soon as possible..