The last caravan journey ends

Today we traveled 250 km to Wodonga. The drive was uneventful and when we reached Wodonga we drove to our house. We parked the caravan in front of the house and took out everything. And I mean everything. We're selling the caravan now so we had to take out about a tonne of luggage. After 2 hours we had it unpacked. Then we went inside and had lunch. I found it hard to cope with all the space. And the fridge is massive compared to the one in the caravan. After lunch and a nice cool drink we drove the caravan over to the shed where used to keep it. We parked it outside and unhooked. Then Mum and my sister went and did some shopping. While they were gone Dad and I drove to the Mountain Trail Campers store.

After selling the caravan we're going to get a camper trailer and Dad wanted to have a look at the design of the one we ordered. After a few minutes of looking around and looking at different campers we drove back to the house. After a few hours we had a shower and got dressed in nice cloths so that we could go to dinner with Mum. I didn't want to go to a dinner party because I was so tired. We got home by 11:00 PM and I went straight to bed.

Lockington

Today we left Mildura fairly early and drove 400 km to Ron and Vicki's Farm. The drove was boring and we didn't do much. When we arrived at the farm we got a phone call from Ron telling us that Vicki had fallen over in a paddock and broken her leg. When Ron arrived five minutes later we saw that Vicki was on crutches and she had a lot of trouble going up the steps into the house. We had some nibbles and my sister and I played with the dogs until it got dark. Then we headed inside and I did some schoolwork. After that we had dinner. For dinner we had some of the fish that we had frozen form Broome. After dinner we had dessert. For dessert we had Mangoes and Ice Cream. Then we stayed looking at photos and after a while my sister and I went to bed

Mildura

Today we left Broken Hill in the morning and drove 300 km to Mildura. The drove was uneventful and we saw a couple of Emus but that was it. I listened to my iPod and worked on yesterdays blog while we drove. At one point we couldn't figure out whether we were still in Wentworth or if we were in the next town. After a quick look at the map we figured out that we still in Wentworth. So we continued to head towards Mildura. When we arrived we drove to the caravan park. Once the caravan was backed in Dad and I took the jerry cans off the roof and poured the diesel into the fuel tank.

It was a very smelly job and by the end of it my hands stank of diesel. The most difficult task was getting the 20 litre/20 kilo jerry cans off the roof rack. After we had emptied the jerry cans I went and washed my hands at the water tap. After several pumps of Enjo Handwash and a lot of rubbing the diesel smell was still there. I gave up and headed inside to where Mum was cooking lunch. For lunch we had chicken burgers with bread and avocado. It tasted great. After lunch we had some yoghurt. Then we hopped into the car and drove into Mildura to have a look around.

First we drove to the Mildura Chocolate Company. It had a big glass window behind the counter where you could see how they produced all the different forms and flavours of chocolate. We ordered some of the hot chocolate that they had advertised. It tasted really good. The hot chocolate wasn't one of those crappy powder and water mixtures, we watched as they ladled molten chocolate into cups and poured heated milk onto the top of it. Then they crumbled chocolate on top of Mum and Dad's hot chocolates. You must get better service if your an adult. The hot chocs were really good and in the visitors book lots of people had written that they were really tasty.

Then we bought three bars of dark chocolate. After that we heard about the disabled people that they employed at the shop. The person who wrapped the chocolate frogs was legally blind and there was another person who was completely deaf and partially blind and was trained by a choclateer for three months. The chocolate frogs were wrapped so precisely that you could make out the shape of the frog under the wrapping so clearly that I though there was no wrapping at all.

After the chocolate company we drove to the river and watched a houseboat go through a lock. There were a lot of dead fish and we learned later that they were killed by a bacteria that lives in their stomach. The cold water sets that bacteria off and it kills a certain percentage of the fish. We got told that they were called silver bream here but in fish identification book the fish are called Bony Bream. After watching the boat go through the lock we drove to the marina and enquired about hiring a houseboat. We got taken through a few and found them very luxurious and spacious. Dad thinks that we might hire one around christmas time while Grandma and Grandpa are here.

After looking at these monster boats we hopped back in the car and drove to the shopping centre. We did some shopping and then we drove back to the caravan. Once we were back at the caravan we unpacked the car and I went to have a shower. After I had washed my hands thoroughly I finally got rid of most of the diesel smell. Some of it still lingered though. After a nice shower I returned to the caravan and wrote my blog. Then we had dinner. For dinner we had nachos. After dinner we had dessert. For dessert we had the bars of dark chocolate. After dessert I went to bed.

Silverton

Today we got up in the morning and I made a hot chocolate. Then we toasted some bread. After that we had breakfast. Once breakfast was finished my sister and I went to explore the other playground. It wasn't anything flash but the seesaw was great. After 15 minutes we got off and walked back to the caravan. Then we all piled into the car and drove to Silverton which is a town 20 minutes drive form Broken Hill. On the way we saw 3 Camels but they were pet ones.

We drove to the Mad Max Museum and got out. Then we walked inside and had a look around. I've never seen Mad Max and after seeing this Museum I don't intend to! It looks like Mad Max is a horror movie with all the freaky looking people. After an hour we left the place. Dad had spent a few long minutes talking to the guy who runs the museum so we were rather late at getting outside.

After looking around for a further 2 minutes we hopped in the car and drove to the Daydream Mine. We joined the tour which was guided by a fellow called Trent. He taught us a fair bit about the mine. First we went down a set of badly created cement steps to level one which was 18 feet down. Once we were at the bottom we turned on our headlamps. The adults got battery packs like the ones we got on the Ballarat camp last year. My sister and I were the only kids but we got different hardhats. We got ones that had a head torch with battery on the helmet.

Once we got our eyes adjusted to the dimness we continued walking down the passage to the third level. We got told about the people who worked in the mine. They were cornish people that were only 5 feet tall so the mine wasn't exactly high enough for Dad to stand in. Apparently they had forearms that were so thick because they pulled up buckets that were capable of carrying 1 tone of silver or rock. They also put boys as young as 8 years old down the mine so that they could reach the hard to access spots. The most fun they got was when the buckets had to be winched to the surface empty. Then stye hitched a ride up to the surface. A 50 kilo person wouldn't even be felt by these strong bloke at the winch.

We continued down until we reached the third level and we walked around there for a bit. Trent showed us a bit of silver and then he blacked out the mine. This happens when the candles the miners were using for light got blown out. We waved our hands in front of our faces and we couldn't see them. After that we were lead to the surface and walked back to the Acacia Tea Room. We bought some scones with Jam and Cream. They were really good.

After the scones we hopped into the car and drove into Broken Hill. We stopped for a very good lunch at Bell's Milkbar. For lunch we had warm waffles with ice cream and a massive Milkshake each. It was a very tasty lunch. After lunch we drove to the Geology Museum. It was interesting. We watched a short film about the geological history of Broken Hill. Then we got taken through the miners hut. After that we left the museum and drove to the shopping centre. We bought some chicken burgers for tomorrow's lunch. Then we bought some other stuff and left the shopping centre.

Once we were back at the caravan I rang Mitchell on Facetime. Then we had dinner. For dinner I had stir fried dumplings. Then I wrote the blog and went to bed.

Broken Hill

Today I woke up and found that I had overslept. It was already 7:00 AM! I got up and made a hot chocolate while my sister hunted Mum out of bed. Then we had breakfast. After breakfast we headed outside and packed up the caravan. Then Dad and I fixed the jockey wheel. We found out yesterday that the thrust bearing was stuffed. We had to fix it so we did it this morning. After 15 minutes we had it going more smoothly than before. Then we washed the grease off our hands and drove out of the caravan park. We were out of Port Augusta by 8:30 and heading towards Brocken Hill.

We stopped once for fuel and we didn't stop any other time. We reached Brocken Hill by lunchtime. My sister and I cunningly managed to get out of unhooking the caravan and doing our jobs by disappearing to the playground. After half an hour I thought it was safe to return. I returned while my sister stayed at the playground. When I got inside the caravan Mum, Dad and I had lunch. For lunch we fried some more chicken burgers. They tasted really good in bread with avocado or mayonnaise. After lunch we drove into town and went to the tourist information.

While we looked around Dad got the info on good tours. After a bit we left and drove to the top of a hill and sat on the big bench. The bench is about 2 metres high and 5 metres long. We climbed on it and mucked around before joining Mum and Dad inside the building. We looked at the gift shop and had a good laugh at some of the stuff. There was an Aussie slang insult generator. It had three wheel that you turn. In three different boxes the words would appear. It was a real great invention and my sister and I spent the next half an hour insulting each other. Then we drove to a different lookout.

It was pretty boring and we hopped in the car and drove off fairly quickly. We drove to the Royal Flying Doctor Service museum next. It was a good tour that we got and it finished in the hangar where all the planes are stored. After that we watched the film and looked around the museum. Once it was time to go we headed back to the car and drove back to the caravan. When we arrived I went inside and did some schoolwork. After it was finished I wrote my blog. Then we had dinner. For dinner we had spaghetti bolognese and noodles again. After dinner we had dessert. For dessert we had german wafers. After desert I went to bed.

We crossed the Nullarbore in 2 days

Today we got up in the morning after Dad had clapped his hands very loudly and woken us up. Feeling very sleepy I climbed out of my bunk and made a hot chocolate for my sister and myself. Dad toasted some bread and made it nice and crispy. After a very nice breakfast we headed outside and I took out the jockey wheel and put a sway bar in. Then we drove away from the Nullarbore Roadhouse and headed east towards the end of the Nullarbore. The drive was pretty uneventful. All we did was stop at every second Roadhouse for fuel.

After a bit we reached Ceduna where the Quarantine station is located. We declared all our fruit and veggies and moved on to the petrol station. Dad filled up the car, I cleaned the windows and my sister took some photos of Ceduna Bay. When Mum came back from paying she was carrying a paper bag. In that bag there were some delicious chicken strips. They were nice and crunchy and we got 2 each. We kept on driving until we reached a small rest area.

There we stopped for lunch. For lunch we had some packet soup and bread. The toilet there was in a concrete water tank and it said 'Concrete Crappa' on the side. I took some photos and then we moved on. We stopped at Wudinna for fuel. Then we continued east until we reached Port Augusta. Once we were in Port Augusta we found the caravan park and got a site.

Once we were backed in we unhooked the car and drove into town to do some shopping. After an hour of shopping we headed out of the shopping centre to the car and out the shopping away. Then we drove back to the caravan park and my sister and I went to the play ground. We were on the swings when these people came up and we got talking. They told that they were riding from Perth to raise money for Diabetes. Then they told us that they'd been riding for 7 and a half weeks. Thats a lot of riding.

After a bit we headed back to the caravan and I went and had a shower. After a nice warm shower I went back to the caravan and started writing my blog. Then we had dinner. For dinner we ha spaghetti bolognese and noodles. After dinner we had dessert. For dessert we had some chocolate milk and some crusty bread. Then I finished writing my blog and went to bed.

The Nullarbor Plain

Today we were awoken in the very early morning by Dad who rushed us out of bed. Feeling very sleepy I made my way to the stove and made a very hot chocolate for my sister and myself. It felt like it was about minus 3 degrees but once we got in the car the temperature gauge told us that it was plus 3 degrees. We headed east along the Nullarbore Plain. We stopped for fuel at Balladonia Roadhouse and then we kept driving east.

After another couple of hundred kilometres we reached another roadhouse where we stopped for fuel and I got to fill up the car. Then we continued our drive. On the way we ate some fruit because we need to get rid of it before we hit the S.A road block in Ceduna where we have to hand over all fruit that we still haven't consumed. Eventually we drove through the W.A Roadblock/Quarantine station.

After driving through we were officially in South Australia even though the roadblock isn't until Ceduna. We kept driving for another hour and then we pulled into a rest area that is situated about 300 metres from the Great Australian Bight. We had lunch and we ate as many veggies as we could. After lunch we took some photos and walked back to the car. On the way to the car my sister farted and the strong wind wafted it over Mum, Dad and me. It stank a lot!

After we finished coughing we hopped in the car and drove away as fast as we were allowed. We kept driving until we reached the Nullarbore Roadhouse. We stopped for fuel and Dad enquired if we could stay the night. We got a powered sight and since we were in S.A it was already 5 o'clock! Once we'd backed the caravan in we went inside and I wrote my blog. After I finished my blog we had dinner. For dinner Mum, my sister and Dad had some fried rice and I had some potatoes that were left over form yesterday. Mum very kindly fried them to a light crispiness for me. After dinner we had dessert. Dessert was Strawberries with whipped cream. After dessert I went to bed.