http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Weggs/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Weggs en-us Sat, 26 Dec 2009 07:32:35 +0000 Sat, 26 Dec 2009 07:32:35 +0000 We have been contracted by the One Laptop Per Child OLPC organisation to distribute laptops to the communities of Wiluna and Nullagine. OLPC is an international charity originating in the USA founded by Nicholas Negroponte with the objective to supply basic ICT equipment to disadvantaged children throughout the world with the aim of improving literacy. In Australia the disadvantage is isolation http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Nullagine/blog-449609.html Hi thanks for following our adventures. We have been home for 5 days and now have time to finalise the last days of our trip.After Pannawonnica we had planned to visit Onslow but the bug to now be home had bitten and we instead headed for Carnarvon. Carnarvon is a place Judy visited for work several years ago and we have only ever driven through it so Rags thought it would lovely to spend our las http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Carnarvon/blog-436917.html MillstreamChichester National Park we reached by driving past Karratha and taking a bitumen road that was once a gravel access road. Rags was once again unhappy with the way the caravan was towing and our fuel consumption was shocking. There wasnrsquot much we could do but continue however we didnrsquot stop at Python Pool as intended as the nearest fuel was Tom Price or Pannawonica and as w http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/blog-434833.html The Cove Caravan Park in Point Samson is fairly new and the facilities were a sharp contrast to those at Black Rock Caravan Park in South Hedland. The sites were also very well laid out with a concrete pad for the annexe and plenty of room to park your vehicle in the bay. We were only one site in from the coast and so had views over water. However another camper warned us straight away about the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Point-Samson/blog-434827.html De Grey to Port Hedland 27th August 2 SeptemberStopping at De Grey River for an early lunch Judy suggested a walk along the track. We found a beautiful spot overlooking the river so decided Port Hedland could wait a night and we went back for the rig and set up camp. By this time it was very windy and Rags wasnrsquot sure whether the ldquodragrdquo had been because we were punching into t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Port-Hedland/blog-433658.html 80 Mile Beach 25 26th AugustWe both up early and by 8.30 we were on our way over the 22 kilometres of corrugated dirt road out of Port Smith. Rags noticed that the brakes werenrsquot working correctly and after pushing in a connecting cable plug we discovered that the brakes were partially on. We stopped several times trying to rectify this and Rags rebuilt the connection at an early lunch at http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/80-Mile-Beach/blog-432295.html Port Smith 23 24th AugustAt Port Smith our next destination which is about 140 kilometres south of Broome we were meeting some friends Mike and his wife Jan who arrived not long after us. They had come from Cape Keraudren and were only at the beginning of their LSL intending eventually to get to Tasmania. While the boys set up Judy made them all a cuppa. Port Smith Caravan Park is only 6 http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/blog-432285.html Derby 11 18th AugustWe arrived back in Derby late on Tuesday after farewelling Steve and Kerry at Bell Gorge. We went to let Lorrain and Brett know we were back and they invited us to join them for a roast meal. Roast pork and vegies. YumKerry and Steve arrived back in Derby on Wednesday afternoon. We had already checked with Loraine that it was ok for them to stay at the block which they did ov http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Broome/blog-432038.html 31st July 11th AugustOnce again with acknowledgment of input both of text and photos from Kerry and SteveWaking early with the symphony of birds in the camp grounds Kerry and Judy walked we showered washed clothes and had decamped soon after 8am much earlier than planned. This gave us time to replenish supplies in Coles before we returned and Steve hitched up the camper trailer while the girls http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Gibb-River-Road/blog-428101.html We arrived in Derby early Saturday morning and our first stop was the Visitorsrsquo Centre. Judy had already been in touch with her step sister Lorrain and had an address. We discovered this was right across the road from the Visitorsrsquo Centre. Lorrain was at work in her Toy Shop aptly named Sparkies Toyshop her and her husband also own an electrical business when we dropped in to say he http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Derby/blog-428095.html 20 30th July 2009Thanks to our guest bloggers Kerry and Steve for help with text and authorship of some photos.After taking ages in a conga line at the fuel depot in Derby to get discount diesel we finally got to Woolworths where Steve sweet talked staff into selling them vodka before the official opening time of 12 noon.We were finally on our way after Steve and Kerry met someone they knew from http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Kimberley/blog-423787.html BroomeOur first afternoon in Broome was spent replacing the jockey wheel restocking at the shops and a quick drive around.Our first stop on the second day was Gantheaume Point where at very low tides dinosaur footprints can be seen. As the tide was up these were underwater but we did enjoy amazing rock formations and observation of the ospreys around their nest on the lighthouse. From Gantheaume http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Broome/blog-419651.html We arrived in Marble Bar around lunch time and went straight to Peter and Marretarsquos to pick up our wine that had been delivered from ldquoGet Wines Directrdquo. We were soon made to feel at home.We combined the makings of a cooked lunch with the Banes and had a wonderful cook up for lunch. An invitation was extended to us to stay for a BBQ that night to farewell Heather as she had decide http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Broome/blog-418855.html Nullagine 2127th JuneAfter a leisurely drive we arrived in Nullagine about lunch time which gave us plenty of time to set up camp at the Nullagine Tourist Park. Although wersquod met the managers previously we found them quite abrupt. When we commented about the small size of the caravan site we were told ldquo If you donrsquot like it perhaps Mitchell can find you somewhere elserdquo M http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Nullagine/blog-413243.html We thought we wouldnrsquot have enough new material to write about Marble Bar but we discovered places we hadnrsquot been before.We pulled into the Caravan Park just after lunch. It was obvious immediately that things were different with the new owners. We were told to park anywhere we liked so we spent some time deciding on our preferred aspect. It was interesting to see little caravans in sp http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Marble-Bar/blog-410659.html Exmouth After lunch in Carnarvon we decided to divert to the Blowholes as Judy had never been this way before. We were glad we did as the water spout and coastline were quite spectacular with the steep cliffs and the surf surging against it. The camp area here stretches for several kilometres and we were astounded by the number of caravanners and shacks here. We felt the shacks really lowered the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Exmouth/blog-407716.html We bade farewell to Geraldton soon after school finished and headed north. Just on dark we made camp in the bush opposite Billabong Roadhouse. Even though our book said we could camp here there was a sign that said ldquoNo Campingrdquo. It was too late to care and we were in the company of at least one other camper.After an early takeoff we arrived at Hamelin Bay where we viewed the stromatoli http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Shark-Bay/blog-405093.html Sunday 17th May 2009Today we are off on our caravan trip heading north and eventually going through the centre of Australia to the south coast returning via Esperance before returning sometime in September. We have organized some work on the way to help defray the expenses and to meet some of the locals.We didn't get away from home until 10am our first stop a petrol station to put more air in t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Geraldton/blog-400929.html Wednesday 22nd April The Link Hotel was a welcome bit of luxury after Hanoi. The room was small but elegantly appointed and we sank into the comfortable bed about 3am with relief.We were ready for the free hotel shuttle the next morning at the scheduled time of 9.50am but had to wait impatiently another 20 minutes for it to arrive. It stopped in Orchard Road before depositing us at Clarke Quay.Aft http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/blog-393215.html Monday 20th April The next morning we met the rest of our group at breakfast and had several cups of coffee and tea as we chatted to them and said our farewells. After breakfast we made the most of our air conditioned room at the Army relaxing and uploading our blog.We checked out of the our room by 11am and caught a taxi to our new hotel certainly worth it for the couple of dollars it cost us http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-392701.html