"The Honeymooner"

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Day 75


We were as stiff as a skin heads boots today after our 12.5 kilometre walk. We went to bed last night exhausted, and I just couldn’t get comfortable as my shoulders ached.

At around 1.00am Caroline said it had started to rain, and did I want to move the fridge that was plugged in to the mains. What she was really saying was, Andy get out of bed and move the fridge as it is raining. As soon as I got out of the swag, (Naked) I could not detect a single drop of rain from anywhere, but still being the dutiful husband I resited the fridge and got back in to the swag.
Could I get comfortable, not a chance.

Morning arrived and we both had slept through the dawn chorus, and didn’t wake until 8.00am.

We had decided to move onwards towards Dubbo today, though last night we found out that some astronomers were coming from Siding Springs observatory to give an out door talk on the planets and the like as this year around the world is the year for astronomy. We really fancied staying and came to the decision that we would stay at Warrumbungle National Park until Sunday. However, today again we changed our minds, and decided to move on. We cooked a good breakfast this morning then packed our gear away, as we had spent three days in the swag there wasn’t to much to do.

As we rolled the swag in to its roll, underneath us where loads of the Cicada beetles unable to break free from the soil as we were lying on them, still it will provide some food for the Kookaburra’s.

We said good by to people who we started to get to know, Bill, Janet, Geoff, Gill and the children and another set of travellers Ted, Janet, Bonnie and Glen (Uncle Gug).

I was talking to Janet about my love for the Wombats and especially Chisel at Australia Zoo, who used to be in an Australian TV program called “ A Country Practice” Chisel was apparently fired for biting the producer, Janet told me that his character name in the TV program was Fatso, no wonder the producer was bitten when he called Chisel, “Fatso”.

I also went over to speak to a family who were the Dodd’s from Port Stephens who had this fantastic little caravan. I asked Andrew about it and they said it was originally made in 1949, and they were the 3rd owners, it was an absolute peach and we had seen it the other day whilst having coffee in Coonabarabran, I nudged Caroline and said just look at that its fantastic.

Andrew and Clare had taken it to a vintage caravan show and some one had said they owned the smallest Caravan with the biggest family. They were really great people, I sensed these guys had such a spirit of adventure. I found out their caravan was called a “Tear Drop” and they are coming back in to fashion with some manufactures who are reproducing them. Don’t they say fashion goes around in circles? This caravan was named "The Honeymooner" by the previous owner.

After all the chores were done I went and had my shower, we were watching a guy mow the grass and he looked so young, when I wandered past I spoke to a fella that I assumed to be his dad and he said he was only 13. Its nice to see in this day and age a boy been crafted in the ways of adulthood and not hiding behind health and safety or cotton wool (or a play station!)

The Emu was mooching around on its own this morning, I really don’t know where the other one was, as I think I’ve read they go around in pairs and mate for life, but I am not sure so we will research this.

We finally hitched the trailer and got away for around midday, our journey took us around the other side of the Warrumbungle National Park and we didn’t see another car for around 60 K’s.

Out of the corner of my eye I had noticed something that registered in my brain as a petrol pump, when I swung the truck and trailer around 180 degree’s and drove back up the road, that is exactly what it was. An information board tells of a guy called Cecil Auther Butler, who was a pioneer of aviation in Tooraweena’s aviation History and how he brought aviation to remote outback places.

BUTLER, CECIL ARTHUR (1902-1980), aviator, was born on 8 June 1902 at Sparkhill, Warwickshire, England. Strangley enough Sparkhill was the place of Mine and Caroline, and our friends Gary and Karens favourite Curry House (The Minar) near my home home town of Birmingham, in the west Midlands.

Having gained his pilot's licence in 1927, Butler went 'barnstorming', however when the airmail contract expired, Butler Air Transport Co. carried on as a civil airline, serving centres in New South Wales and Queensland. During World War II Butler continued to operate some routes and also made aircraft parts for the government. He refused to accrue large profits from war-effort work and charged only to recover costs. He chaired the New South Wales Ambulance Transport Service Board and, with another famous aviator Nancy Bird Walton, raised funds for an air-ambulance service. In 1958 he was appointed O.B.E.

Nancy Bird Walton has just been regognised over here in Australia for her involvement with aviation and was originally taught to fly by Charles Kingsford Smith, sadly Nancy has recently passed away.

Some 5 ft 4 ins (163 cm) tall, Butler was broad shouldered, with an impish face and a twinkle in his eyes. Essentially quiet and goodnatured, if at times impatient and impulsive.

We stopped in Gilgandra, as their information centre had been voted the best in Australia, so we had to see it and it had been recommended, strangely enough we bumped into Ted, Janet, Bonnie and Glen, who we had camped with in the Warrumbungles and said goodbye to only a few hours previously. The visitors centre had a lot of Aboriginal artefacts and also Gilgandra was famous for the phrase Coo-ee. Thirty-five men from Gilgandra marched to Sydney calling 'Coo-ee' at each town they passed, encouraging other men to march with them to Sydney to enlist. By the time they reached Sydney they had 263 men ready and willing
to join the forces.

The ladies at the information centre advised us where we could get wireless internet, and we headed off as we needed to upload 2 days worth of blog and some photographs.

Again we set off and hit Dubbo about 5.00pm, we had already earmarked a site and phoned ahead, so we knew we had a bed for the night.

The camper trailer was set up, and one of the first things that urgently needed doing was re filling our 25 Litre water can, when the sun is so hot and you have to use it for cooking, drinking and washing up it soon goes.

We didn’t feel much like eating so we popped out for a coffee and used Macdonald’s free WiFi, blow me I read one of our e-mails and we have had a small tax rebate which I am sure the tax man will find a way of taking it back!

As a footnote Caroline recommends Aspen Estate 2008 Sauvignon Blanc and lemonade as a white wine Spritzer. (No children or puppy dogs were hurt in the making of this advertisement).

Goodnight.

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Photos

The Honeymooner
This fantastic Caravan was owned by Andrew and Clare Dodd, and the kids.
A fantstic family from near Port Stephens.

"This little beauty"
This lttle beauty was built in 1949 and Andrew and Clare are the 3rd set of owners.
The Orignal van was called the honeymooner.

"So much Fun"
You just can not tell me that you get any more fun out of a big expensive motorhome.
Clare had told me that they had taken it to a vintage Caravan ralley, and someone had said they had the biggest family with the smallest caravan.
We loved it and they were such lovely people.

Fellow Campers
The Kelley, Lewis and Wheeler Families. Enjyoying their time in the Warrumbungles and made excellen company.