Canberra Capers and Beyond!

To the edge of the 'Outback' - A Road Trip.

Day One- Brisbane to Bollon.So..........Roxy was all packed by 9.30 am on Friday. We finally managed to set off just before 11 after handing over to Danny and Xiaoling.We headed to Toowoomba and there 'Elaine' rejoiced as we got a pie for lunch before heading up the Range and on towards Dalby. Dalby is the centre of Australia's richest grain and cotton growing area. Will got very excited at his first sight of the cotton fields and wanted to stop and collect some seeds......but we needed to keep going. At Dalby we headed to St George which was 303 kms away. It is very strange for someone from the UK to leave civilisation and then drive for an hour before you come to the town. The road was mainly straight as far as the eye could see and with trees on either side for mile after mile after mile (or kilometre after kilometre after kilometre).Will spotted the first emu  but I saw the next group. We were constantly watching for 'daredevil' kangaroos ready to leap out in front of us. There was lots of evidence of those that had not quite made it and come a cropper. We even saw a dead boar lying at the side of the road with its four legs up in the air. Further on we saw a live one amble across the road ahead and disappear into the bush.We filled up with petrol at St George and carried on. I had a Wikicamps app on my phone at it said that there was a campsite at Bollon, 113 kms away. About halfway to Bollon we were suddenly hit by a torrential downpour. It was quite difficult to drive even with the wipers going full pelt so we pulled over at a roadside rest area and waited under a shelter. The Gideons had left a bible for weary travellers but we didn't have time to read all that so just read the graffiti.As the rain eased we set off again and it started to get dark. We were even more vigilant for suicidal, crepuscular kangaroos but avoided collision.It was dark when we got to Bollon but we found the camping area beside a creek and set up our tent. It was right beside Bollon Cemetery which made me a little uneasy. There were strange glowing lights in the darkness among the gravestones which, when I investigated, turned out to be solar lights and not ghostly spirits.Will made dinner and then we were in our tent by 8.00 pm.

Road Trip Road Kill Count (This is what we saw.....not what we killed. We didn't hit anything.)Cat - 1Goat -1Cow - 1Emu - 1Possum - 1Wild Boar - 4Fox - 5Wombat - 6Kangaroo - Hundreds!Flying Ants - Thousands! (Ok....these are the only things we hit.)

Hello Canberra!

So.......after 3 days of driving Roxy made it to Canberra, the Capital of Australia and she never missed a beat.I will write up 'our journey' here and post the photos when I get a bit more time. We are here until Friday with Deranie and Phoebe.

Going West!

So.......tomorrow we are off on an adventure in Roxy. We are going to go down to Canberra to visit Phoebe and Deranie but first we are going to head West as far as we can go on metalled roads......even Will has not been as far west as Cunnamula. We will arrive in Canberra on Monday and spend the week with Phoebe and Deranie before returning via the coast road next Sunday.Danny and Xiaoling are coming for the first half of the week to look after Dulcie and Wendi is coming for the second half of the week.No idea what the internet reception will be like but if you hear nothing for a few days don't worry. Don't watch Wolf Creek or Wolf Creek 2. If you hear nothing by Tuesday......call the police! You can see our route above.'Elaine' is coming too, unfortunately and is hoping for 'pies' and 'fast food'......but I am packing ryvita, cucumber and hummus."Muahahahahahahahahahahaha!"  (That's me.....this time.)Here is the full route there and back:

It is nearly 3000 kms in total and in all will be 33 hours of driving.

The Foot Elf and beyond.

Dulcie was up early this morning as we were expecting the podiatrist. The last time she came she was knocking on the door while we were still in bed.It was a dark dull morning like the ones you get in Manchester. I heard Dulcie moving around upstairs and expected to find her at the table but when I went in she was not there. She was sat in her reclining chair like Miss Haversham in Great Expectations."Do you want to see a swollen face?""Oh no," I said.Dr Hew has said that he thinks that she has an intolerance to something which builds up in her body until it reaches a level to which her body reacts."I think it was that 'green stuff'." Will had made some pesto two days ago from the abundance of basil we have in the garden."No, we had chicken sausages last night remember."We had breakfast and had completely forgotten about the imminent arrival."Hello-a?" It was a voice at the door.I went to open it.There was a small Asian lady standing at the door, bent with her hands on her knees, as if greeting a bounding dog."Hello-a, I am Lisssssssa the podiatrissssssssst!" she said, grinning alarmingly. It was not the girl who normally comes.I couldn't help but look down on her as I let her in."Hello-a" she said to Dulcie."Who's that?"  said Dulcie rather too loudly as I helped her up from her chair at the table."Lisssssssa the podiatrisssssssst," I said."I think we have met before," said Lisssssssa.We'd never seen her in our lives.She tended Dulcie wrapped in a plastic apron crouched at her feet. She was not as thorough as the girl we are used to but was far more patronising.Rhiona arrived for 'respite'."Is this the doctor?" She asked."No, I'm Lisssssssa the podiatrisssssssst."Lisa and I left at the same time. I went to Indooroopilly, Heaven knows where Lisa went.I had broken the last of Will's Bodum double walled thermo glasses that morning over enthusiastically scrubbing tea stains off it.Indooroopilly shopping centre is quite posh. I felt like an 'Eastender' walking around Harrods.I went straight to Myer department store where we first got the Bodum glasses. I couldn't find them anywhere so had to ask a smartly dressed lady with a badge on her jacket."Excuse me, could you tell me where the Bodum glasses are?""Oh, I work for Wedgewood and Royal Doulton," she said condescendingly, "but I will show you they way."She lead me through the maze of perfectly displayed crystal glassware to the Bodum glass display."Here they are," she gestured in their general direction."Thank you," I said, tempted to push her backwards into a pyramid of teapots.I power walked every level of the shopping centre."Go into the food court," croaked 'Elaine.'"Shut up!" said another voice that is getting stronger everyday.'Elaine' is getting worried. On the scales this morning I am just hovering above 91 kgs. Today marks one week of our battle and I reckon losing almost 2 kgs is a good start. I have walked for at least an hour everyday. I have not had a biscuit since the day I made them nor any other between meal snacks and only had a couple of cordial drinks all week.I am so hungry and dream of burgers......and KFC..........and Chinese food........pies and............and cakes........."Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaha!"