Surferboy & Cathys .. NOT another Nats Diary

[surferboy]

And so the journey begins....

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[surferboy]

Tomorrow

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[surferboy]

It's tomorrow today, so here is DAY 1
Of our NOT the Nats trip diary...

As we're not heading east for easter in the eastern states again, we decided to add some new local roads to our map



Headed south to Arthur River and turned left to head east on the first "new" road



Quick toilet stop and one of the MUST DO items to tick off the "Must Do" list.
It's one of the BIG things ...
Wagins Giant Sheep



We have been informed that it's a RAM !
Apparently you can tell by the horns




Cruised into Dumbleyung to see a record breaking speed machine



Apparently this WASN'T it. We watched it for ages, but it didn't go fast at all

This DID



Continuing eastward along the typical Australian Outback roads





With the typical Australian driving style



And this one, of course



We eventually turned a corner (after 200+ Kms) at Newdegate to visit the Silo Art.
It was a lot SMALLER than I expected



Only kidding



Continuing eastward STILL
We crossed more Salt lakes. These lakes are so big, the local council found it easier to build a road through the lake, rather than go all the way around it !!!


THEN WE GOT TO CHANGE DIRECTION
(HOORAY)
And started heading South.

A short run (only 120km) through Ravensthorpe and on to our destination for today



Then I get to colour in my map
(Insert BIG smiley face here)



Time for bediebyes now. Relaxing day tomorrow, before i get to do some more colouring in

Surferboy and Cathy
😎😎😎

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[surferboy]

Oh
I forgot ... for those that like numbers

8 1/4 hour road trip
Speedo shows a total 373 miles
(Google maps shows 565Kms)
Approx 70 ltrs fuel

😎😎😎

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[surferboy]

It's now the day after tomorrow  ()
Welcome to Day 2 of our diary.
The 25th.

Just going to be a quiet day to relax.

Got out of bed and had ANZAC biscuits for breakfast. Cathy had baked them earlier and brung them along


The local memorial garden


Started the day with a gentle 100mtr walk to the local beach

Which became a looong walk around into town ( for one of us ). And up to the end of the groyne and back through town



There's just an irresistible urge to photograph anything older than the FC (and me).

Waited ages for the train to arrive

I think it is still in Dumbleyung

Went cruising to the Fitzgerald River National Park

We should have used a boat
Not sure if we were going to make it to the road on the  otherside of the river.
But we were in the trusty old FC Holden. (No worries)

Dry out the engine...Then back onto the West Aussie open road.

Which looks a LOT like this


And theres always something to attract your attention


Stopped at Ravensthorpe for lunch.
But it's country W.A. and its a Public holiday ...
So Ravensthorpe was closed.
Found out the BP Roadhouse food is O.K.

Tourist Info was open so we popped in for my hat badge souvenir. Found they had a very interesting museum  which we spent some time at.
It had a cottage with a kitchen  so Cathy was happy
And an old Holden so I was happy

(There was an explanation for that exhaust pipe.. but thats techy mechanical stuff that I don't understand)

And what's a road trip without at least one gravel road in the itinerary


Popped into the local and had a bit of an old time honky tonk piano sing-along before heading back to our motel for the evening

A quiet day
Only 85 miles on the odo

😎😎😎 & Cathy

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[RET]

I love the giant Cornishware with the matching Cornishware Holden

[surferboy]

It's Day 3 😊
The reason for heading down this way.
I get to colour in that line on my map between Ravensthorpe and Albany 😁

It's been been bugging me for 20 years.
Every time plans have been made to drive the FC along this stretch of road  something has prevented it from happening 😢


Woke up to clear blue skies this morning.
Was expecting clouds as storms were predicted fo most of the Southern part of W.A. today

Cruised back into Ravensthorpe to fuel up and do the final sightseeing before hitting THAT road.

More of the Painted Silo Trail

AND THEN....

We hit the THAT road 😊😁😎🤗👍
🤞
A short quick run. Only 289kms to Albany.

Until

Hopefully this will be the only hold up on our journey today. (We expect a lot more on day 6... we'll be on Albany Hwy 😟)

You know what the road ahead is going to look like out here in the Aussie outback

This is what it looks like behind us

🤣🤣🤣

The view does change occasionally and we do get a few long and winding roads (hmmm🤔 sounds like a good title for a song)
They look like this...



3 trailers wandering across the center lines. We had plenty of time, so we enjoyed this view for 100kms.
Can't complain though, he was sitting on 100km/h most of the journey.
I swear the rear rubber left the bitumen when he hit a divot doing a a bend at 100 😱😱😱


Murals at Jerramungup


I was HAPPILY suprised that we haven't had the expected rain storm and it's stayed cool and dry

But then approaching Albany and we see rainbows on the horizon

Luckily it stayed dry for the whole trip...

UNTIL..



We pulled into our accommodation in Albany 🙄😁

And then i get to colour in THAT line on my map 😋




196 miles Ravensthorpe to Albany
40 ltrs fuel

😎😎😎 & Cathy

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[my8thholden]

Is that right 196 miles used 40 litres fuel ? Thats 4.9 miles per litre ? Wow !!!! great post tough , great trip , over here in NSW after all the rain you need to line up a semi like you were behind , and when they go down a pot hole you shoot straight along the top of the load , no passing, just a new meaning to " overtaking " ..keep well Vern ..

[surferboy]

Vern,  is that Wow !!! 👍     or      Wow !!! 😱
I have never tried to calculate miles per gallon. I'm scared of the answer.
Running 202, trimatic, 13"rims, 185/70tyres, diff ratio ?? (EH ?)
I have no idea if this is good or not... it probably can be better
But it has got us all over the country  so i'm a Happy Chappy 😊

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[surferboy]

Day 4 Wednesday (I think)
(I'm on holidays and have lost track of time 🙄)

We have a couple of days in Albany.

Today we ...
Got out of bed (eventually)
Got dressed (eventually) ( In my Nats theme attire ) 😁
Got breakfast eaten
Got into town for lunch
Got back to our accom. for dinner
Day 4 done.



Albany weather...
It might be sunny
OR
It might not


My "souvenir" shopping spree


Might do something tomorrow

😎😎😎  & Cathy


PS



I'M ON HOLIDAYS
AND I SEE THIS !!!




☹

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[surferboy]

WHOOPS
I FORGOT

Todays mileage total

5

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[my8thholden]

surferboy ..Your fuel consumption , based on Imperial gallon is 22.2 Miles per gallon , and modern day 19.7 litres per 100 kms ..I am sure there is worse out there ..
love your post ..Vern ..

[surferboy]

Thursday.  it's day five

Another day in Albany

Another day that looks like this


Headed into town and headed to the train station

Where we waited.....

I think that train hasn't left Dumbleyung yet

Caught up with my brother and his artist group while were there

AND



I eventually convinced him do do a picture of a rusty FC Holden
😂😂😂



https://www.facebook.com/andydolphinart/

Went souvenir shopping in the afternoon


Picked up an interesting book with a few old Holdens in some of the pics

Stopped for petrol at the end of our day


Todays mileage = 14
(Should be doing a few more miles tomorrow 🤞)

😎😎😎 & Cathy

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[surferboy]

Day 6
It's a short NOT a Nats trip, as we did a quick bog lap of the southern part of Western Australia. Today it's time to head back home.

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[surferboy]

Day 6
It's a short NOT a Nats trip, as we did a quick bog lap of the southern part of Western Australia. Today it's time to head back home.

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[surferboy]

WHOOPS
Buggered if I know what I did there ?
Lost words and jumbled photos 🤔

And then I did it again

One day I might figure out this modern techy stuff

Add these words to previous pics

1. My road maps,
2. Todays new roads
3. The sign at Pelicans where we stayed in Albany. And the building next door
4. My first NEW road for today. Heading toward the Stirling Ranges
5. If you can't overtake... you just drive underneath 😁  (undertaking?)
6.7.8. The Stirling Ranges. The only place we get snow in W.A. (one day a year sometimes)
9. Sometimes I think we shouldn't do selfies.    This is the start of the Horsepower Highway. Which was the end for us really, because we started at the end and finished at the beginning
10. This is the end of the Horsepower Highway. Which was the beginning fo us
11. The H.P. Hwy is 70 odd Kms of tractors
On the side of the road. Some are simple you just cruise by
12. Some, you have to stop to admire
13. 14. Some are really creative
15. Murals AND tractors
16. And theres always old buildings
17. Coffee, toilet and fuel stop
Couldn't figure out how to fill up at the bowser 🤔🤔🤔
18. A rusty bulldozer

Total of 314 miles today took us 8 1/2 hours to drive (I kept doing  U turns when speeding past tractors 🙄😁)

TOTAL MILES for the trip
1027

It's late and I'm too tired to add up petrol usage 😞

Hoping to do a much bigger diary next Easter 😊

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[surferboy]

Bonus page 😊
Tapatalk hasn't limited my posts yet. So here's a bit extra



Day 1 as it's a Nats (substitute) trip I wore my first Nats shirt 😁.
2005 ACT Jindabyne Nats

Home. I got to do my colouring in


The bottom corner of W.A. looks like this now


Our travels around Australia map, now looks like this


Some more Horsepower Highway








And a few random pics
Including muraled toilets
You could do a BIG book of Muraled Toilets of Australia 🤣🤣

















😎😎😎 & Cathy

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