Neil, you are never up for a chat :q
Keep the travelogue comming.
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Neil, you are never up for a chat :q
Keep the travelogue comming.
Hello Neil.
Enjoy and bring home some dead finish. Wonderful bush timber. Guilio M loves it and it polishes up so well. Drillit.
It's on my list but to be honest not a priority, I have both the Western Dead Finish and Dead Finish (aka Red Lancewood) at home already, around 20 small logs and even a decent slab of Dead Finish. My priority is Acacia burl, Conkerberry plus species I don't already have. Already have on board pieces of Native Lime, Quinine, Northern Woolybutt, Qld Ebony, Qld Leichhardt, and a few more I can't remember the names of. Only ~100kgs worth so still plenty of room for more
This is the one I was talking about. Locals around Longreach call it prickly wattle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_tetragonophylla
Last night I stayed at Calvert River freecamp. The camp was above the river but adjacent to one of the feeder spring fed creeks, perfect for a cuppa.
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Also crossed the weir over the river near Hells gate, plus a pic of Roper River near the Roper bar, all great spots but need to watch for crocs. I actually traversed around 30 flowing creeks/rivers, but with natural bottoms and crocs about, no time to stop and take photos mid-stream
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Yesterday I called in at the "lost city" in Limmen National Park NT (between Boroloola and Roper bar). Great 2.5km walk around, shame it was in the middle of the day, so ~35C
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And how do you know when your've crossed the NT border, well yes there is sign
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but when the termite mounds out number the trees :U
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Hot springs at Katherine
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Pulled up a bit earlier than planned in Darwin as I had a wiring problem with the car's trailer plug, but all fixed now. Set up camp at one of the caravan parks for now.
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Doing a bit of touring around Darwin yesterday waiting for people to finish work :U. It is amazing how much the place has changed since I left 16 years ago. Eeven my old caravan park where I lived for 10 years after a divorce is now a shopping centre :C
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I went down to the port precinct and found my old pontoon and ramp I designed 20 years ago still there. It was done on the cheap to enable a ferry to land, supposed to last only a year or two. The grate surface has been replaced and a few other mods but I am amazed it is still holding together .
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When I was there I also arranged for the demolition of some old government buildings with a lot of asbestos insulation (over 20 years ago). Not like these days with all the controls, we just waited for a huge thunderstorm and did it in the rain, then buried it down at the waterfront and grassed over the top :-. Blow me that area is now all high rise hotels and a wave pool. Makes me wonder what happened to all the asbestos :rolleyes:
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I then visited an old friend who is also an animal rescue carer and found a little joey that loved a scratch
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I forgot to take a photo of my rig before the car wash in Darwin, but someone else did
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Apart from the general layer over everything, there was a layer of mud 2" thick on top of the rear cupboard and on top of the ramps under the trailer, so all up probably an extra 50kgs
Neil, you were just talking about changes around Darwin in the time you have been away. I was a volunteer sent up to Darwin days after Cyclone Tracy. There was about 400 of us from all over Aus. We camped in the Night Cliff High School and we fed out of the Domestic Science blocks. We would go out in work parties of about 7 blokes and repair roofs as best we could for people to get settled again. Fast forward to 1993 when I went back for a holiday with the wife and 2 small kids. I could not find anything that was familiar!! I had to get out my diary of the time in 1974 to get my bearings. The biggest thing I never figured on was just how lush and leafy the suburbs were. When we were there after Tracy there was no leaves left on the trees so the view (Darwin is very flat) was unimpeded. The suburbs of Rapid Creek and others have been well and truly populated!!!
I am envious of you and your tripping about. Keep the photos coming and stay safe
Had a great day turning/drinking/talking with a couple of Darwin turners David (d5k) and Arthur in Palmerston :2tsup:.
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Talk about small world, I used to work with both these guys when I used to live here, none of us realised it until we met face to face :U
Went to Crocodylus Park here in Darwin yesterday to visit a few friends that work there and used to sell my pens. Whilst there I did the usual work around
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Well I just spent 4 days at one of the best free camps I've ever stayed at. Anyone interested in water/birds/walking/bike riding/canoeing/swimming/sitting by fire etc will love this one WikiCamps Australia | Camping app for Australia | Travel | iPhone iPad iPod Android Phone Tablet | Camping, Caravan Parks, Backpacker Hostels, Day Stops, Rest Areas, Information Centres, Points of Interest, POI, Dump Points. Called Longreach Waterhole but not near Longreach, actually close to Elliot on the Stuart Hwy (north of 3 ways/Tennant Creek). Basically a 3.5km long billabong with track/free camping all around. Such a tranquil beautiful site that is full of birdlife. I camped on the far side and got to see the Pelicans/Shags feeding frenzy show 3-4 times a day - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TeDVb6Nmyo.
Currently in Mt Isa staying at Maddog62's (Tony) place. Been doing a heap of casting and collecting a few more desert hardwoods. Just finished sealing the last of the Gidgee and as I have unpacked the trailer, decided to stack them out to see how much there really is so far. So after cutting, buying, swapping etc I have 25 species on board
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After 3 weeks of playing with timber and resins at Tony's place I hit the road again. It had rained a few days prior to me leaving and the rain quickly followed me as I headed east. Many dirt roads were closed due to rain, sometimes the fist time in 4.5 years (like at Winton), with some of the very flat areas becoming lakes.
I did manage to collect a little more timber, see https://www.woodworkforums.com/f14/de...ncewood-207029 :rolleyes:
Anyway, here are some touristy shots:-
In Winton
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In Longreach
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at the Hall of Fame
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In Barcaldine
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At the Lloyd Jones Weir near Barcaldine
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You still in Longreach? There are a few blokes there that you should meet.