ABCO Caravan Services Coffs Harbour

After our recent trip away, our Bushtracker was booked into ABCO here in Coffs Harbour for some much-needed TLC. They are the only approved agent in the country for Bushtracker vans. They always have at least one new Bushtracker on their premises, along with several second-hand vans available for purchase at any given time.

We are planning a week away in early October, so there was no urgent need to return the van, and we left it with Darren and Kathleen for several weeks. During this time, they will perform a service, along with a few additional features. The service includes replacing the wheel bearings, aligning and balancing the wheels, and rotating the tyres.
 
We check our bearings every 10,000 km without fail.  We have been doing this for many years, even when towing camper trailers, and touch wood, we have never encountered any problems. 
Following a trip earlier this year and our recent journey, which covered 5,500 km, including 1,400 km over rough, corrugated dirt roads, it was definitely time for this service.
 
I usually replace the sacrificial anode in our Suburban hot water system, but recently we have experienced lighting issues. The team at ABCO will replace it while they service the system. 
 
Our current wind-up Cruisemaster VC stand is being replaced with a new 12-volt jack.

The Bulldog-powered jack, rated at 3500 lbs, is now standard equipment on all Bushtrackers and has been found to be very reliable. The jack comes with a handle that can be used in case of power failure. Hopefully, we will never need to use it, especially with our current 300Ah lithium batteries and 600 amp hours of solar panels on our roof. 

Our local canvas shop has created a transparent cover that can be used without removal, and Ros has designed a canvas waterproof jacket that fits over it to further protect it from moisture and UV rays.

Another addition was the installation of tyre carriers that incorporate a fold-down ramp for easier removal and replacement of tyres. So, thankfully, in the event of a tyre blowout or puncture, there will be no more lifting heavy tyres weighing over 35 kg.

Having read recent threads on other sites regarding gas leak issues, we have installed a 12-volt gas leak detector. This device will ensure that the alarm sounds if there is a possible gas line fracture or leak. It’s all about peace of mind, making sure there will be no damage to our van or, more importantly, ourselves.

Heading for home

After two relaxing days camped on the banks of Lake Houdraman just outside Quilpie, we continued east along the Diamantina Development Road. It's very sad to see the devastation caused by this prolonged drought.

Unfortunately, everywhere we have travelled on this holiday, the conditions have been the same: dry and dusty paddocks, trees dying, and sheep and cattle either being hand-fed or trying to rely on the small amount of feed available on the ground.
A brief stop just over 200 km later in Charleville was followed by a further 100 km to spend the evening camping in the small town of Morven.

The recreation ground here offers camping with toilets, showers, and some powered sites. We have camped here for many years, either on our way to or from Outback Queensland.
Fees are $10 for power and $5 without. Threads on Wikicamps mention that some people are stopping without paying, and even stealing toilet paper. Sadly, we hear stories like this regularly. It could be due to the large number of travellers who believe that the world owes them everything.
We decided to leave a $10 donation to help maintain this excellent facility, even though we didn't use any of the amenities.

Today's 93 km drive is the kind of day we genuinely look forward to. We are just outside the small town of Mitchell and camped beside the weir. This spot has been one of our favourites since our first visit in 2009.
However, we have never seen the area so busy, with over fifty vans parked up each evening. Fortunately, the large camping area means you don't feel cramped, unlike in a caravan park.

Although it’s a small town, it boasts some excellent facilities: natural hot springs to soak away those weary muscles, an excellent bakery, a superb butcher, and a clothing shop where Ros always spends money during our visits.
Our two days here injected just over $600 into the local economy through fuel, meat, groceries, bakery visits, and of course, the lovely clothes Ros can buy that she cannot find at home.

On our first evening, the heavens opened, and we also experienced pea-sized hail. Once the hail started, we both had a sense of déjà vu, recalling the large hail in 2013 that caused our first Bushtracker to undergo a full re-skin.

The road connecting Mitchell with St. George is a minor route, but it is, of course, the most direct one. It's narrow in some parts but fully paved, covering a distance of 208 km. We didn't stop in St George but continued another 44 km south to camp overnight near the Nindigully Pub. We arrived just around lunchtime, so we decided to have our main meal at the pub along with a few refreshing ales. Ros chose an open grilled sandwich, and I enjoyed my chicken vegetable wrap.
 
Once again, we’d never seen so many vans parked for the night. There was a band playing as we ate our lunch, and they performed again in the evening. It looked like the pub was bustling.
Our dinner that night was a selection of fine cheeses, salami, and crackers.
Today’s drive was just over 200 km. We continued along the Carnarvon Highway towards Moree. I must say, the government isn't using any fuel tax revenue for local roads here. The road was quite poor, with signs warning us about its rough condition, which was accurate.
 
We passed through Moree and joined the Gwydir Highway for 23 km before turning onto Gum Flat Road, which runs for 3 km to Gum Flat Reserve beside the Gwydir River.
We camped here last year on our way to the Big Red Bash. Back then, the area was experiencing a drought, but the conditions are now much worse. The river levels are significantly lower, and the surface is mostly covered in algae. The little green grass that was there is now all dead and dusty.
 
When we arrived, there was no one else around, but a second couple arrived on our second day, camping several hundred metres away. We cooked over the fire both evenings and stayed outside until the fire died down, then retreated inside to escape the cold.

A longer drive today took us through Warialda, Inverell, and Glen Innes. From there, we descended through Gibraltar Range National Park to spend our last evening away at Cangai beside the Mann River. It's another favourite of ours, and when we arrived, we were surprised to find only three other groups here.

Some statistics from our six-week trip included covering 6,009 kilometres at an average of 21.25 L per 100 km. The fuel cost was $1,738.83, and our accommodation expenses for this period amounted to $147.00. 

Quilpie via Adavale

After our brief stop at Blackall, we headed towards Quilpie. This road passes through Adavale, 220 km south of Blackall.

 

It's one of those roads I've always wanted to take and had planned to do so last year, but for reasons beyond our control, we were unable to go.

 

The Adavale road conditions, posted at Blackall for 'caution', had us wondering if there might have been damage from the recent rains, so we were unsure of what we might encounter.

The first 15 km are bitumen, with the rest of the road being dirt. Our progress was halted about 5 km outside Blackall, where cattle were being fed while walking along the sides of the road.

We were accompanied by Glenda and Steve in their Bushtracker. Once we reached the dirt, we could see that the graders had been working on the road, and we did, in fact, come across the grader a further 20 km down the road.
 
The road conditions continued to be better than we had expected, and we maintained a comfortable speed of 70 km/h for the first 120 km.  

One or two of the creeks we passed by still held water from the recent rains, and this spot would have made a lovely campsite.

The road conditions changed just over 100 km north of Adavale and started to turn stony as we passed through a series of hills.

The remainder of the trip into Adavale consisted of a hard-baked, clay-like surface that was quite rough in places. It was also a welcome sight to see wildflowers on the sides of the road from the recent rains.

Our plan was to spend the evening camped in Adavale after lunch at the pub, which consisted of a cold beer and a steak sandwich. 

The publican suggested we camp along Blackwater Creek, but neither of the areas we checked out was very appealing, so we carried on for another 100 km to camp just outside Quilpie.
 
We have camped at Lake Houdraman before, but back then, camping was free, and there were no facilities. Now it's known as 'The Lake,' and it costs $15 per night, regardless of whether you use your own facilities or theirs. There are also six powered sites near the office.
 
We decided to camp right on the lake’s edge and just use our own facilities, as we always do.

Heading east towards Yaraka

Just like in the past, we again took Hammond Downs Road, 25 km south of Windorah. It saves a considerable distance compared to taking the Jundah to Quilpie Road.
This road runs roughly parallel to Cooper Creek and its many channels, and can only be driven when there has been no rain. It offers a lovely drive through station properties and ends at the property known as Retreat. The road north of this station also provides access to Welford National Park, where we have previously stayed. From here to Yaraka, the road is a mix of bitumen and dirt sections.
We continued along the Yaraka Road to spend the next two evenings camping behind the Yaraka Pub. This is our fourth visit here, and we have timed our trip to coincide with pizza night, held on Friday evenings.

Camping fees are $3 per night, which includes all amenities. However, we have our own, so we park away from those who require power and water.
 
Sunrises here are always very special, and this morning did not disappoint.

Mount Slowcombe rises 350 metres above the surrounding plains, located near Yaraka. It offers panoramic views of the Yangyang Ranges and the small settlement of Yaraka, situated far below.

After the Bash

We left 'Big Red' shortly after 9:00 a.m. on Friday, 19th of July, well after most had already gone. Then, we enjoyed a smooth drive into Birdsville.
Like last year, we stayed on the town common for another three days, catching up on laundry and tidying up.
But more importantly, it meant most vehicles had already left, allowing us to take our time without being overtaken or showered with stones by hurried travellers eager to get home.

Another lovely meal at the Birdsville Hotel with Glenda and Steve on one of our evenings.

This year, we travelled east 168 km to Betoota.

Our plan was to spend two days camping by the waterhole below the pub, but sadly, we were disappointed to find there was far less water than last year.

The hotel, built in the 1800s and now the only building here, closed many years ago but has recently been renovated. Although the renovation is complete and the liquor licence is in place, there are still building regulations that prevent it from being used as a hotel.

Most of this road is dirt, with occasional patches of bitumen. The road's condition was expected, given the traffic over recent weeks. Describing it as rough and corrugated would be an understatement.
 
Thankfully, our significantly lower tyre pressures and slow speed were gentle enough on our 4WD, van, and ourselves to cope with these conditions. The 168 km to Betoota was mainly spent driving through bulldust outside the road markers.
After one night, we moved further east towards Windorah. We were surprised to find the remaining 102 km of dirt in better condition than the previous day.
The lady at the fuel outlet in Windorah mentioned that during the Bash period, she had pumped 70,000 litres of diesel.

Big Red Bash 2019

We headed into town on Saturday morning, July 13th, after spending the past nine days camping on the town common, just south of the town. Here, we joined the large queue of people all patiently waiting to collect their wristbands and early entry car stickers. Without these, access to the Bash site is impossible.

The 'Bash' merchandise was on sale in Birdsville last year while we were collecting our wristbands and car stickers. However, this year, that has all changed, with the merchandise now only available at Big Red.
Last year, our morning temperatures made hooking up our van nearly impossible due to the cold. So, this year, I hooked up before going to bed.
The night before heading out to Big Red, three thoughtless bogans arrived and blocked off our access to the road, forcing us to go cross-country to reach the main road into Birdsville.
This year, we joined Glenda and Steve, who also own a Bushtracker. We met them last year at the 'Bash' and decided to park together at the event. We left the town at 7 am and enjoyed a clear run for the majority of the trip to Big Red.
Here, we joined the queue waiting for access to start at 8 am.

Last year, we left around the same time, but this year our site was at the front. We also parked the van in the same spot as last year, with our awning facing away from the prevailing winds.

Once we'd set up, we headed to the merchandise tent to buy T-shirts, caps, and a Big Red Bash hoodie for Ros.
 
This year's headline act was Midnight Oil, who performed on the final evening. In the past, we have never been fans, but after booking our tickets months ago, we started printing off the lyrics to their songs and downloaded some of their albums. They are just so professional, with Peter Garrett at the forefront. His onstage antics have certainly mellowed over the years. Perhaps that's due to age.
Their 2019 tour concluded at the 'Bash' after playing at nineteen other venues across Europe, Ireland, and the UK.
 
The other bands at this year's event included:

I'm sure the organisers are gradually running out of Australian acts unless they bring back some who have already performed in previous years.

 

These series of photos were taken during our stay...