Fred and Candys Diary. Townsville to Perth 14th Nats 2012

[freddyc]

Changing the pinion seal.  Having lots of trouble getting the nut undone.

[freddyc]

all done.  Off again. 

[freddyc]

Big thanks to Paul, Fred, and Carl Esperance.

[surferboy]

Good to see you got the problem sorted quickly Fred and your back  on the road.

See you soon

Surferboy 

[customFC]

Great update....thanks!!
Good to see you are progressing forward.
Regards
Alex

[freddyc]

Day 10 Sunday.
As you all know car was fixed today in Esperance.  Thanks again for everyones help.  Also thanks for the texts and other leads.  Had a quick look around Esperance, Thanks Tim and Bec for telling us about the 25km beach drive.  Awesome views worth the look everyone.  Headed to Albany, stopped 75kms out as it got to dark and dangerous with all the wildlife around.  Free camping on the side of the road.  Thank god we are self sufficient.  Nothing much else to tell today.  Just progressing to Perth.  Early night for a change.  Night everyone.  Hope you are all having as much fun as us.  Without the breakdowns.  Also will be glad when we stop traveling for a few days.  Nearly over this bench seat......

[Trevor_B]

Hey Fred,
Kathy says her name is really Chris and if you want another Coffee you need to get her name right 

We are staying in Kalgoorlie at the moment, moving on to Merredin tomorrow.

Trevor & Chris

[freddyc]

Our humblest apologies. Told you I was bad with names Chris. You boiled the best water please make us another one some day. No wonder surfer boy is confused. He thinks you picked up a hitchhiker. Sounds like you have been having fun. Wow Esperance and Albany are awesome. Heading to do the tall tree walk at the valley of the giants. There is so much to see.

[freddyc]

Day 11 Monday.
Wow what a day.
Started at 5am in the morning.  We pulled up on dusk into a free camp spot as there were too many roos to keep going.  At 5am we started to get rain.  So jumped out of bed and packed up real quick before the camper got to wet.  Drove to Bakers Junction.  Just North of Albany.  There is a great Fuel stop on the corner or the Junction. "Bakers food and fuel" Great hot shower and coffee.  The guy that runs the place was very nice.  Worth stopping in to say hi if you are going past.  $1.50 per ltr.    Then on to Albany had a look at the Amity (First Boat to sail into Albany) Then out to the Whaling station.  Stopping at the gap and Natures Bridge.  Wow what a sight.  Very rough conditions yesterday.  Awesome photos.  Then to the Whaling station to have a look.  Spent 2 hours there.  Back to the blowholes, blowing well but to windy for the full effect.  Left there headed to Denmark.  No not Sweden! Great coffee at Ravens coffee shop.  This is one of the friendliest towns I have travelled through.  Everyone was very helpful with information.  Even full driveway service, at the BP $1.56 ltr.  and still cheaper then the other one.  For all those still coming through there are a lot of winery's and boutique chocolate, toffee shops everywhere on the highway.  Then went to the "Valley of the Giants" tree top walk.  Well worth going to see.  On to Pemberton for fuel then Margaret River arriving late.  Very stressful 2hrs driving looking out for all the wildlife at night.  Not doing night driving again (we hope)  Finally caught up to the other QLD contingent here.  Will catch up with them all tomorrow as going to bed.  Kept driving so we could do a wine tour and have a look around here for a couple of days before catching up with everyone in Perth.

[freddyc]

On with the wine tour. Yay someone else driving for the day

[Eaton_FE]

Today Front row at the Eaton lights on my way home from work 1 two tone grey FC wagon with a camper trailer with QLD plates in the rain,
Who said the rain doesn't follow Queenslanders we haven't had rain for months.

Les

[freddyc]

Just another comunity service we offer.  We are still trying to work out where Eaton is.

[freddyc]

Gosh the last couple of days have gone too quick.
Day 12 Tuesday. 
Wine Tour.  Caught up with follow FCers who talked us into doing the wine tour at the caravan park we were staying in. Riverview Caravan park at Margaret River. (lovely walk down on the river, take a coffee and sit awhile, beautiful)  Cheers Wine tours $72.00 if staying at the park.  Recommended it was great and a very lovely lady took us on the tour.
First mistake, someone told me (Follower FCer) that they took it to easy and only had a few sips to start with and didn't get very tipsy.  So the challenge was on.  Yes we started hard and kept going.  Now Fred and I don't drink wine so all the ones that were disgusting we had to scull.  No spitting out for us QLDers.  Managed to scull most of it.  We drink sweet wine or port.  Most winery's do all this dry stuff.  aaaawwwwkkkkk.  Made up for it when we got to the Brewery at the end.  Loved the chocolate factory and the cheese place was great too.  Even managed to eat the local Bambie's.  Got some very nice salami's from there.  Got back to the caravan Park and caught up with everyone again and talked Greg into driving us to dinner.  Wonderful little spaghetti place he found.  Yum lovely way to finish the day.

[freddyc]

Day 13 Wednesday.
Got up and it was raining.  Hope it stops by the weekend.  Packed up and off again.  Decided to do "The Groves liqueur Factory" as this is more to our taste.  If ever we come back we are going to stay there.  Wow what a wonderful place, and could have a great time in their bar.  Worth the look if anyone is going back this way.  Then did the Olive Factory another stop worth doing everyone.  Then finally did one of the caves on the way out to Perth.  Ngili Cave  $28.00 each, we spent a couple of hours there.  Worth the money.  Went and had a quick look at Bunbury pooring rain decided to get closer to Perth so stayed in Mandurah.  Another great place not on the main highway but worth the extra miles to go have a look.  Dinner then bed.  Off to Perth tomorrow.

[Eaton_FE]

Eaton is in the Bunbury area 1 1/2 hrs drive south of Perth.

Les

[Tailshaft_Tim]

Great to see you guys arrive safely today to dry the camper out and shelter out of the wind for a bit...  thanks for the Port in Esperance too!

It looks like most of the ACT, SA and QLDers are here...  hope the VIC & NSW convoys have a safe trip into Perth.

Look forward to catching up with everyone else as they arrive too.

[freddyc]

Day 14 thursday.
freds turn to type something. again we rose early, candy had a head ache so it was pack up from our motel and down to the beach for a cook up of our left over sausages and bacon. Mandurah beach was beautiful, a couple of local surfers keeped us entertained. Then it was short drive into perth harley shop to catch up with family. Then onto our hotel to unhook the traiker and open it up to dry out. Damn weather gods. out to the airport to collect my marshmellow soft daughter who flew over and back too. back to HQ for a car wash session and chat. That is all for now diary will resume on tuesday for our return to sunny warm north qld. hope you have enjoyed our dribble.

[jack_fc]

Looking forward to more 'dribble' from the Nats and the trip home 

[customFC]

Good to hear you guys arrived safely.
Don't stop now, we want to hear what you get up to at the Nats also, if you can find the time.
Hopefully the trip home will be equally uneventfull as far as breakdowns go. Looking forward to following you home also.
Have a fun filled Easter weekend.
Regards
Alex

[DN2168]

Glad to hear you made it OK Fred & Candy. Hope your trip home is as entertaining to read.

Dean.